Forsaken Tenshi by MontiK

Chapter 1

Disclaimer:The characters of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz Media. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

 "When will you come to visit again?" The young girl with hair like the night sky asked the figure standing before her. 

 "Rin has decided to stay in the village", the figure answered vaguely. His voice was measured and monotone making the meaning behind his words all the more harsh.

 "You will still come to visit?" The girl took in a long pause holding a breath as she held on to her hope that what she was thinking wouldn't be true. He looked down at her with his intense golden stare. His eyes slightly glassed over... with sadness? Or regret? She thought those might be it. "Won't you?" Her voice quivered as she knew his answer and her last bit of hope was gone.

 Silver hair danced on the wind as he shook his head in the negative. His eyes closed against the sad cerulean gaze directed at him. He knew it would break him and he would not be able to go.

 "I will not be returning." His deep voice rang in the air as the words themselves cut like daggers through the peaceful atmosphere of the forest.

 She turned her eyes to the grass, not willing to let him see the tears now obscuring her vision. She had a good idea as to why he would leave now. She should have known all along, but she let herself have a fools hope.

 "Is it because.. I'm.. I'm hu..", the words caught in her throat. She didn't want to say it but she had to. She had to know. "Human?" She said the last word quickly. Like taking off the band-aid fast so it only hurt for a second. Though she still couldn't escape the slight stinging aftermath of her own words.

 What was he to tell her? The truth.. That he would do this for her so she could move on with her life and be happy. So she could find a love who would love her truly and give her everything she deserved. So she would be able to have children and love them. So she could grow old with someone. To watch her children grow into adulthood.

 If she stayed with him she would be alone. Only her few friends would still accept her. He wouldn't give her the dishonor of having hanyou children. She would spend her life defending them against naysayers. And in turn she would have to defend herself for her choice of being with a demon. Yes, he would be there as much as he could. But he had lands to defend and he couldn't be there every moment. 

 He would not make her life terrible just so he would have the happiness of knowing such a pure being was so devoted to him. He would not take that from her to give himself that speck of light in his long and dark life. 

 For all of the unselfish reasons he had not to see her anymore, he would allow himself to admit the few selfish ones he had as well. 

 He didn't want to watch her grow old. He didn't want to see her drift away with time and become weak before his eyes. He couldn't bear to see it while he stayed young and eternal. And he couldn't bear to see the resentment in her eyes that she would hold for him because of it.

 So for all of the good reasons he had he could do this. He could walk away. But he knew if he told her the truth she would throw his words away and bear all of those pains for him.

 She wouldn't have children so he wouldn't have the dishonor of having hanyou (even though in truth he himself would be honored to have children born from her). She would alienate herself from her kind to give him her light. Her unselfish nature would allow her to do this. But he could not do it. He would hate himself for ruining her.

 So he would give her the short painful answer rather than the proper explanation. For her own good he would do this. All of these problems did directly stem from their difference in species. He didn't resent her for being human, but it still had to be done. He would say it and he knew it would hurt her.

 Maybe she would hate him for it? It would make it easier to move on. Alas... she wouldn't, she was too kind to hate anyone. He hated doing this. But it had to be done.

 "Yes."

 There it was. The damning word. Whoever knew one word could hold so much emotion, and meaning, and so much pain. It must have hurt them more than 'Sit' ever would. Even as her heart was broken in the clutch of his poison claws she still wouldn't hate him. Damn her kind nature.

 He watched as she stood before him in silence. Her slender fingers clutching onto the long sleeves of her miko garb as if to keep her hands busy and not grab onto him. She gave the most minute nod of her head, still not loooking up at him, before she turned and slowly walked off into the forest.

 She couldn't bear to watch him leave so she would simply leave first. And he had to watch her go instead.

 Saddened golden eyes watched as the billowy green hakama receded into the branches of the woodsy foliage, blending and then dissapearing. Soon the sounds of her footsteps were out of his range of sensing. Her sweet scent lingered in the gentle breeze around him, haunting him as he tried to gather the nerve to move his feet. 

 He wondered vaguely why she didn't cry. He could tell she wanted to, but even as she turned from him and left he could not detect the scent of the stinging salty substance in the air. He watched in a trance as one of his black-booted feet raised itself and slid over the dewey morning grass, turning his body away from the forest. 

 "Good bye... Kagome", his soft whispered was carried away on the wind. 

 His reverie was broken by the familar sound of two-toed impish feet slapping on the cool ground not far fromm where he stood. A cold golden stare whipped around to pin the imp in his place.

 The intruder immediately cowered. Bulbus yellow eyes bulging from their sockets in fear.

 "I... I did not watch milord. You h..have my word. I merely just arrived. I wouldn't dare to attempt eavesdropping on you!" 

 To his relief the glare was turned from him onto the path ahead. The figure clad in white and red began on the path away fromo the village, never to return. But not before taking one last look at the forest from the corner of his eyes. He had the strangest foreboding feeling.