This morning had been a little different. Jaken thought over how they had come to the top of a stone cliff with a small patch of dirt at it's tip. From that small patch moonflower vines sprouted and fell over the edge in a waterfall cascade of silken white and lively green. His lord had knelt down and carefully gathered a bit of the dark soil in his cupped hands. At first Jaken was curious as to why Lord Sesshoumaru would carry dirt away, but then he spotted the tiniest sprout nestled in the soil. It would soon sprout into an emerald vine dotted with pearlescent bell-shaped flowers. Now Jaken had an idea as to why his lord would go through such trouble for this gift.
Now they walked through the midday forest, his lord in front of him reverently cradleing his delicate package in his palms. His eyes never left the tiny sprout, as if he took his eyes off it for a moment it would simply dissapear.
Jaken stopped and settled himself in to wait upon the now well trodden path. Sesshoumaru didn't seem to notice his retainers sudden stop and walked on. Jaken would always wait and give his lord time to mourn in private.
Sesshoumaru arrived at the small grass and sand covered spot at the edge of the lake, the same place Kagome's scent faded into the water. He stared mournfully out at the expanse of water before kneeling down in a grassy space a ways from the waters edge. Each time he came here was a time to reminisce, to think over the small time he had with her, and the time over the last year he had to be without her.
During the first few weeks he had returned everyday. Training himself to swim and trying to reach her. He was sure he had to be amongst the most effecient swimmers now, but something always took him away before he could reach her in the depths of the lake. The closest he had gotten was the day he found her, and even then some unseen force kept him from staying there with her.
He could feel the presence in the lake guarding her. Keeping him from joining her. It whispered to him in the depths. [i]Do not mourn and search for a shell, what lies beneath is not she.[i/] Well what did it know? Who cares if what was in the lake now was just the shell of her, just her body. It was a part of her, that was all that mattered. But alas it kept him away, and she probably would have wanted him to stay so after months and months he stopped trying to reach her.
Sesshoumaru rose from his place, the moonflower sprout nestled into it's place by the shore. He walked to the water's edge, dipping his hands in and washing the soil from the creases in his battle worn hands and from beneath his claws. He could feel the presence of the lake there, watching him. It always watched him. And for all the time it watched, impeded on his private moments of anguish, saved him and kept him from his lost love he couldn't come to hate it. It was resilent and fiery, with an underlying sense of calm that came with age it didn't show. Just like her.
Kagome watched from beneath the water's surface while he knelt at the side of the lake. She had been glad when he finally stopped trying to reach her, it stopped her progress to gather energy many times so that she could save him from joining her. If he were to leave all of her work and sacrifice would be for nought. She wished she could explain it to him now, to tell him he had no reason to worry just the need to wait. She regretted being so rash now, they all probably thought she was dead.
She both admired and appreciated his devotion to her. Seeing him so often strengthened her resolve to complete the arduous task of going on each day in her lonely lake. Sometimes she almost thought he heard her quite whispers. Maybe he only felt the emotion behind them and never really heard her. At least it was something, rather than leaving him truly without her.
He rose to walk away and she flitted off into her lake. Still not able to show herself to him and not wanting to watch him leave, though she knew he would come back. His golden gaze scanned the water one last time, he thought he saw a thin wisp of a blue ribbon before it was once again lost in the murk of the water. He shook himself free of the thought before turning to leave.
Kagome saw the silvery energy contained in the thin sheer cloth that now wove around her essence. She remembered the day six months before when Akitoki had cast it into the lake for her. She was the only one worthy of guarding or wearing such a thing he said. He knew it would fit her someday, for he had mistaken her for tenshi.
The celestial garb followed her into the darkness of the lake under the dusky sky. She would gather energy through the night and until she could once again be with those of the truly living, no matter how long it took.