Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. Copyright goes to Rumiko Takahashi.
While I do not own "Peace to the Mountain", which was the song that inspired the title and writing of this fanfic, and even though I am not using the lyrics, copyright goes to Coheed and Cambria. I encourage you to look up the actual song on Youtube and listen to it.
I do not make money from this.
(Note: Reviews keep asking me to update. This is solely a one-shot.)
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It had been 90 years since her return to the feudal era. It had been 85 since the fallout of the rocky relationship that her and Inu Yasha had tried to put together. It had been 60 years since she had discovered that she wasn't aging. However, what was most surprising of all, it had been seven years since her and Sesshoumaru had picked up a relationship, or whatever it could be called.
Kagome always knew that Sesshoumaru was a quiet individual. When he chose to speak, his words were concise and powerful. Sometimes they were so powerful, that it was like each word could sear her flesh off bit by bit. She tried her best to grow a backbone, but each time she silently died inside. She tried to tolerate his disdain for many things.
Sesshoumaru had lived several centuries, and had experiences that Kagome could not begin to understand. He had obligations as a demon lord, that required him to behave in a way that would not display any weakness to other demons. Kagome was aware that their relationship was a risk that he was taking. While she didn't age, she couldn't bear him a pup, and she couldn't become his mate.
She had no title to describe what she was to him. She didn't even live with him. They just passed each other, talked a little, and had sex. She lived for the small peeks of sunshine when she was wrapped in his arms, and his face was open and caring, just for her. She was starved for something that resembled love.
Kagome hadn't been prepared for being immortal. She hadn't known how the years could be lonely. Before Sesshoumaru chose to have a dalliance with her, she had been traveling all over Japan, burying herself in helping to heal demons and humans. In the war torn era, it was easy to find someone to help.
In the beginning, the demon lord set rules. She wasn't to seek him out, and she wasn't to open to tell people about their trysts. He would visit every couple weeks for the first year, and everything seemed fine. Kagome was comfortable with the arrangement.
However, by the second and third year and fourth year, sometimes he was come every couple weeks, and other times, once a month. Kagome began to feel her attachment, and tried to hide it. Unfortunately Sesshoumaru was perceptive and confronted her. He left her for half a year, alongside reminding her that they weren't in a relationship. It was just sex.
Unfortunately, Kagome was in too deep - a lovesick mess, so she bore her pain silently, while hoping he would come back. After his six-month disappearance, he returned to visiting her every couple months for another 2 years. She secretly pretended that he did love her, just to keep her heart from breaking further. She reasoned to herself that no one could participate in a casual affair for more than half a decade, and not grow to care.
Now that it was seven years, Kagome's heart had nothing left to give. She couldn't lie to herself any longer. There was no more to reason. She wasn't cut out for casual sex, and immortality. Technically, she was suppose to be old, wrinkly, and possibly hunched over. Most demons feared her, and didn't talk to her. The ones who did, they were those she helped. As for the humans, they wouldn't be able to understand someone living among them that didn't age. It's the reason why she moved around. All of it was wearing down on her badly.
One day, when Sesshoumaru visited, she broke out in tears and said, "I can't do this anymore."
The demon lord stood there with his eyebrow quirked, and Kagome was tempted to just keep hiding.
"I tried to bury and kill my feelings for you, but I can't lie to myself anymore. Frankly, I'm so lonely, and so sick of this life. I'm not going to ask you to love me. I knew what I was getting into when we started whatever you want to call this thing between us. If you could, come back in a few days and bury me," the sad ageless priestess requested.
She could tell her news had been a little shocking to him, by the slight widening of his eyes.
"For what it's worth, it's not you. It's me. I enjoyed our times together. I think the gods played a sick joke on making me immortal. Who does that to someone who wears their heart on their sleeve?" she laughed bitterly.
Sesshoumaru turned away, simply said, "I cannot make any promises."
Kagome sighed sadly, and then bowed as he walked away.
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Less than a day later, the demon lord found Kagome laying face down, in the exact same place he had last left her, but this time, in her own vomit, that clearly smelled and looked like poisoning from berries.
Tenseiga pulsed strongly, and the demon lord put his clawed hand on the sword. He looked to the mountain in the distance, and sighed. He knew the priestess felt deeply for him, but had been struggling in the last couple years in deciding if she would become something more. The ache that had filled his chest when he initially saw her dead, dwindled, as he made his decision. Slowly, he unsheathed Tenseiga, and murmured, "Then I guess I will follow my father's footsteps."