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Remembrance
I don't usually post my fics directly to this journal, but this one is near & dear to me, so I feel the need to post it everywhere, haha. And, as a bonus -- author's notes! Woohoo! :)
Title: Remembrance
Pairing: Sesshoumaru/Kagome
Universe: Canon
Word Count: 400
Summary: She told him to never forget her…like that was even possible.
Disclaimer: The Inuyasha concept, story, and characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.
“Dream a Little Dream of Me” © 1968 The Mamas & The Papas
~*~
…stars shining bright above you…
Sesshoumaru gazed up into the heavens, the delicate twinkling of the stars mirroring the unshed tears behind his eyes.
She didn’t deserve this. Neither did he.
They had stood shoulder to shoulder for nigh on fifty years. He was the most powerful youkai in all the land; she was the strongest miko the world had seen in centuries. Together, they were formidable. They could conquer any territory, vanquish any foe.
…night breezes seem to whisper ‘I love you’…
He remembered the day it started – the day her life began to ebb away. He had awakened with a jolt, absolutely, irrationally certain she was dead even as she lay there beside him. Not until he gathered her close and nearly squeezed the startled breath from her lungs did he realize she was, indeed, alive.
“What’s wrong?” she had whispered, and his stomach turned.
He could smell it on her: the sickeningly sweet stench of death.
“Nothing,” he had replied, his embrace tightening ever so slightly around her. She curled against him, slipping readily into sleep once more, but he lay awake silently, the scent drifting in and out of his nostrils, a tacit threat.
…I linger on, still craving your kiss…
It was a long, slow, painful process. She wasted away before his very eyes, gradually losing her strength, her powers. He was helpless to stop it, and that made him angry – frustrated – irritated beyond all reason. She, on the other hand, seemed to understand and accept her fate. She wasn’t happy about it, but, typically, she was more worried about him than herself.
…say ‘nighty-night’ and kiss me…
“It must make you terribly sad,” she said that night as he held her with gentleness generally unknown. “To know you’ll continue to live on, even after I’m gone.”
“Hmph,” he grunted. They were lying outside, in the field where they’d pledged their allegiance to each other so many years before. She came to him as the last living member of his brother’s group, and he had taken her in, never expecting to find such peace, happiness…and contentment in her presence.
“Promise me one thing,” she said, reaching up to touch his face one last time.
…just hold me tight and tell me you’ll miss me…
“What’s that?” he asked, bringing her closer.
She smiled. “Be happy, my darling Sesshoumaru…and one day…dream a little dream of me.”
~*~
Author's Notes: This piece was written for the prompt "dream". Immediately I thought of the song by Mama Cass Elliott of The Mamas & The Papas. Between "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and "Dedicated to the One I Love" - just, holy shit. That woman had a set of pipes that would make anybody cry (and these aren't necessarily depressing songs!).
I really like a couple of the images here, and I'm glad I was able to preserve them within the word-limit. I didn't plan it this way, but it ended up quite nicely: Sesshoumaru is cradling Kagome's body in the same field where they first made their alliance. In this little post-manga world, for some reason the rest of Inuyasha's group was killed, Kagome the lone survivor. If she can't go back to the present...who else does she have to turn to, in order to have some form of protection?
I detest making Sesshoumaru 'human' in giving him overt, direct emotions. One thing I really liked about his characterization in Tales from the House of the Moon was that, for all his inner turmoil, he never once told Kagome he loved her. That, in a nutshell...is so *him*. When I write him, I keep that in the back of my mind.
In this scenario, love was pretty much the furthest thing from either of their minds when they made their allegiance...so it's like a nice bonus that they eventually found something close to it with each other. Kagome's okay with his lack of lovey-dovey declarations, as evidenced by her final words in this piece. She knows he'll miss her, and she hopes he'll remember her...but has somehow made herself content even if he doesn't.
Anyway, the other images I quite liked were the "silent threat" of death and the final exchange of words. I think it's a nice combination of the lyrics from both songs (if you know them or listened to them above). I love writing from a song :)
I'm getting little love from the community where I'm posting these things, to the point where I'm growing quite indifferent of participating there :-/ These pieces are pretty angsty, but I hope they are bringing others some small measure of...emotion? I guess I put too much of myself in my work; when I don't know how others are reacting to it, I get a bit insecure...
Title: Remembrance
Pairing: Sesshoumaru/Kagome
Universe: Canon
Word Count: 400
Summary: She told him to never forget her…like that was even possible.
Disclaimer: The Inuyasha concept, story, and characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.
“Dream a Little Dream of Me” © 1968 The Mamas & The Papas
…stars shining bright above you…
Sesshoumaru gazed up into the heavens, the delicate twinkling of the stars mirroring the unshed tears behind his eyes.
She didn’t deserve this. Neither did he.
They had stood shoulder to shoulder for nigh on fifty years. He was the most powerful youkai in all the land; she was the strongest miko the world had seen in centuries. Together, they were formidable. They could conquer any territory, vanquish any foe.
…night breezes seem to whisper ‘I love you’…
He remembered the day it started – the day her life began to ebb away. He had awakened with a jolt, absolutely, irrationally certain she was dead even as she lay there beside him. Not until he gathered her close and nearly squeezed the startled breath from her lungs did he realize she was, indeed, alive.
“What’s wrong?” she had whispered, and his stomach turned.
He could smell it on her: the sickeningly sweet stench of death.
“Nothing,” he had replied, his embrace tightening ever so slightly around her. She curled against him, slipping readily into sleep once more, but he lay awake silently, the scent drifting in and out of his nostrils, a tacit threat.
…I linger on, still craving your kiss…
It was a long, slow, painful process. She wasted away before his very eyes, gradually losing her strength, her powers. He was helpless to stop it, and that made him angry – frustrated – irritated beyond all reason. She, on the other hand, seemed to understand and accept her fate. She wasn’t happy about it, but, typically, she was more worried about him than herself.
…say ‘nighty-night’ and kiss me…
“It must make you terribly sad,” she said that night as he held her with gentleness generally unknown. “To know you’ll continue to live on, even after I’m gone.”
“Hmph,” he grunted. They were lying outside, in the field where they’d pledged their allegiance to each other so many years before. She came to him as the last living member of his brother’s group, and he had taken her in, never expecting to find such peace, happiness…and contentment in her presence.
“Promise me one thing,” she said, reaching up to touch his face one last time.
…just hold me tight and tell me you’ll miss me…
“What’s that?” he asked, bringing her closer.
She smiled. “Be happy, my darling Sesshoumaru…and one day…dream a little dream of me.”
Author's Notes: This piece was written for the prompt "dream". Immediately I thought of the song by Mama Cass Elliott of The Mamas & The Papas. Between "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and "Dedicated to the One I Love" - just, holy shit. That woman had a set of pipes that would make anybody cry (and these aren't necessarily depressing songs!).
I really like a couple of the images here, and I'm glad I was able to preserve them within the word-limit. I didn't plan it this way, but it ended up quite nicely: Sesshoumaru is cradling Kagome's body in the same field where they first made their alliance. In this little post-manga world, for some reason the rest of Inuyasha's group was killed, Kagome the lone survivor. If she can't go back to the present...who else does she have to turn to, in order to have some form of protection?
I detest making Sesshoumaru 'human' in giving him overt, direct emotions. One thing I really liked about his characterization in Tales from the House of the Moon was that, for all his inner turmoil, he never once told Kagome he loved her. That, in a nutshell...is so *him*. When I write him, I keep that in the back of my mind.
In this scenario, love was pretty much the furthest thing from either of their minds when they made their allegiance...so it's like a nice bonus that they eventually found something close to it with each other. Kagome's okay with his lack of lovey-dovey declarations, as evidenced by her final words in this piece. She knows he'll miss her, and she hopes he'll remember her...but has somehow made herself content even if he doesn't.
Anyway, the other images I quite liked were the "silent threat" of death and the final exchange of words. I think it's a nice combination of the lyrics from both songs (if you know them or listened to them above). I love writing from a song :)
I'm getting little love from the community where I'm posting these things, to the point where I'm growing quite indifferent of participating there :-/ These pieces are pretty angsty, but I hope they are bringing others some small measure of...emotion? I guess I put too much of myself in my work; when I don't know how others are reacting to it, I get a bit insecure...