Always Doesn't Last Forever
Chapter 3: Memories and Songs
Sesshoumaru watched the human discreetly out of the corner of his eye as she chatted with Rin and the young fox kitsune. She was pleasant enough he supposed, she didn't attempt to try and speak with him, not that he would have answered if she had, and seemed content to entertain the two children. Who as that being though? He wondered with a frown. He, Sesshoumaru, was used to taking orders from no one and yet he had agreed to protect this human woman-child just as surely as he protected Rin. Why do I even care? Rin is human; she'll die one day soon no matter what. He thought pessimistically.
"Rin is getting tired." Rin said suddenly.
Sesshoumaru looked up at the sky and noted the fast approaching darkness. "We'll camp here." He said and they all immediately stopped.
The human dropped her pack from her shoulders and let out a soft sigh of relief as she rubbed the aching muscles.
"Kagome, are you alright?" Asked the kitsune worriedly.
"I'm fine Shippo." She reassured the kit and laughed when he leaped into her arms and hugged her.
Why are they being so openly affectionate with one another? Sesshoumaru wondered. Humans, with the sole exception of Rin, care for nothing but themselves and whatever power they can claim. It was a lesson that he'd learned very well from his stepmother…
*~*~*~*~*~* Flashback *~*~*~*~*~*
Sesshoumaru, now ten, watched before his very eyes as his father changed from a good loving father, to one that could barely stand the sight, or smell, of him. When his own mother, Gin, had died he and his father had become close in their struggle to overcome their grief. But now, his father had taken a new wife; a human wife named Kirei. As her name foretold she was very beautiful, but to Sesshoumaru, it was a beauty that was only skin deep.
Slowly, the years went by and Sesshoumaru changed from a once loving child, to a withdrawn teen, and finally into a cold man made up of ice for the race that had made him such. Kirei had yet to bare a child to Lord Inutaisho, although their had been many miscarriages and still births. When he was younger, Inutaisho, for he could no longer call him father, had beaten him nearly to death every time Kirei lost a child. Almost as if by punishing the child he had could make up for the child he'd lost. Sesshoumaru had nearly died many times because of his father's wrath but he never made a sound and he never cried. And while the marks upon his body faded, leaving no scars behind, the cuts upon his heart and soul scarred.
And then one day, it happened. Kirei had finally managed to birth a live child, a hanyou. The Lord of the Western Lands was ecstatic; at long last he'd been given a son by his beloved human wife. He named him Inuyasha.
Once he was told of the birth Sesshoumaru nodded but revealed not outward emotion. He cared not at all. And while he hated the mother, he could not condemn a child as well. Especially one that shared his blood. But he did not want to see the child just yet, and so, it was nearly six months before he did. It was the day that the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands had to leave to visit another kingdom concerning treaties. It was on that fateful day he'd been walking by the nursery when he'd heard the hanyou start to cry and the child's caretaker had been unable to soothe him.
Deciding now was as good a time as any to meet his half brother, Sesshoumaru walked into the nursery. To say that chaos reigned would be a lightly made statement. The child was wailing and the nurses were running all over the place trying to soothe the child. Idiot humans. Sesshoumaru thought as he went over to the child and picked him up. Instantly the wailing stopped.
Hanyou and youkai looked at each other for a long moment. The babe's amber eyes stared into Sesshoumaru's golden ones. A bond had been formed then, and Sesshoumaru knew that no matter what the cost he would protect his brother from his father, protect him as no one had protected him…
*~*~*~*~*~* End Flashback *~*~*~*~*~*
"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked softly as she continued to hold the bowl of soup that Jaken had prepared to the silent youkai lord. He'd been staring up into the night sky for a long time now, almost as though he were thinking about some important matter.
"What do you want human?" He asked her cruelly.
Kagome sighed softly at her travel companion of two days and gently took his hand in hers and put the bowl into it and then went straight back to Shippo and Rin.
Sesshoumaru looked at the bowl of soup in his hand and for once he didn't know if he should feel angry or grateful. The human should not have touched him of course but she had served his food to him. Well in a sense anyway. In the end he decided not to care at all and ate his soup elegantly.
Kagome watched the youkai lord out of the corner of her eye and wondered why he and Inuyasha hated each other so much. Inuyasha. She thought sadly. He'd been her first love but she'd never been his at all. She just hoped that he was happy, wherever he was.
"Kagome, would you please sing a song?" Shippo asked her sleepily.
"Rin would like a song too." Rin chimed in, just as tired as the kitsune kit.
Kagome smiled at the two children and tucked a blanket around both of them. "Okay." She agreed and softly began to sing.
Some say love, it is a river; that drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor; that leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it a hunger, an endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower and you; it's only seed.
It's the heart, afraid of breaking. That never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking. That never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken. Who cannot seem to give.
And the soul, afraid of dying. That never learns to live.
When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long.
That you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong.
Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snow.
Lies the seed that with the sun's love in the spring becomes the rose.
When she was finished both of the children were sound asleep. She didn't know why she'd sung that particular song except that it just seemed to fit her mood. She glanced up then and saw both Sesshoumaru and Jaken watching her intently. "Well, ah, goodnight." She said uncomfortably and laid down beside the children.
In the distance a wolf howled, and the sound sent shivers down her back, although it wasn't from fear. Over the years she'd come to respect those creatures that were either pack animals or ran alone. As she fell asleep she wondered which Sesshoumaru was, a pack leader or a lone wolf.
A silent figure watched quietly from up above. So far all was well. And while there was much pain that needed to healed she knew that time and love were the best cures of all…