A.N.: I'm going to regret having more than one story open at a time but I have so many I'm writing right now! Anyway, here's my take on the ever popular Soulmate AU! If this bares any resemblance to anything that currently exists, it is sheer coincidence. I've read all of ONE Inuyasha Soulmate fic and it was a SessKag oneshot lol

Warm sun; sparse, puffy clouds; a cool invigorating breeze. All these things contrasted starkly against the storm in her heart.

Kagome Higurashi gazed blankly at the headstone in front of her, wishing for rain, or a gray sky, or even one thick cloud to dull the sun for even a moment, to reflect the state of her soul.

But it was not to be. It never was.

Always it was bright and sparkling when she came on this day.

"First the Kami take my soul mate, and then they don't even have the decency to give me a gloomy day on the anniversary... Kisho..."

Her heart throbbed and a tear ran down her cheek. She brought out the pair of cupcakes she'd brought and placed one at the base of the headstone.

His birthday. Their birthday.

That's when he'd died, two years ago on their shared birthday. She couldn't bear to "celebrate" this day any other way now, she just wished for once the weather would cooperate and be bad.

"Happy Birthday Kisho. Sorry I haven't been back since my last visit a few months ago. School's been... Keeping me busy. Not sure what the point even is."

She crossed her arms over her knees and sighed.

"You'd hate to hear me say that."

She reached out and traced over his etched name.

"I should probably be better than I am by now... but I'm not."

Her hand dropped to the ground next to her and she fiddled With the grass that grew lush and green over his burial plot, another testament to the time that had passed since his departure from this realm. The gaping, gnawing chasm inside her felt no smaller, no closer to closing and she felt like she drowned in it more and more each day.

They'd been 17 when he died.

Being so young, everyone seemed to think she'd bounce back rather quickly and get on to living all the life that stretched out in front of her. They saw it as some kind of gift she should grab on to, saw the loss of him as some kind of lesson she should learn about living life to the fullest.

She saw it all as an endless desert to cross with no water in her canteen, and no shoes on her feet.

Maybe there would be an oasis on the other side. Or maybe there would be a giant snake ready to devour her.

She didn't honestly see the point in finding out.

She wasn't hiding it as well as she wanted, and had had to listen to a litany of well meaning friends and relatives try to buck her up and push her forward. Even her mother didn't understand, and she had also lost her soul mate!

And maddeningly enough, she knew Kisho would agree with them all.

"I can just hear you now, chiding me for sulking when I should be focused on my life, instead. But how, Kisho? How do I focus on a life that was supposed to have you in it? It's not fair..."

She closed her eyes and centered herself, opening up her soul to "see" and glanced down at her finger where the Red String Of Fate was still tied in a neat little bow. Only the other end, instead of connecting to the one being who shared the other half of her soul, just sort of... drifted in front of her and faded into nothing.

She sighed and shook her head, breaking that connection so that the string would disappear. She didn't make a habit of doing it, seeing her String vanishing into nothing like that was scary and disheartening. Since you can only "see" your own Red String and where it attaches to your Soul Mate's, she'd asked her mother what her's looked like after losing her father. She'd been confused.

"What do you mean, dear?"

"Your string... what does it look like now? Mine just... drifts off into nothing. Is that what yours looks like?"

"No, all I have left is the bow it's tied in. The rest of the string disappeared when your father died. That's very strange Kagome."

"What does it mean?"

"I have no idea, dear. You should ask your grandfather."

She was not going to do that. He'd just ramble on about the youth of today not paying attention to their spiritual lessons the first time.

Besides, it probably just meant that she'd be alone until she died and they both reincarnated again.

Joy.

A little bird flew by over head, tweeting a happy tune. His little mate met him in the air above their nest and they circled and chirped around each other. Kagome watched them absently, casting her mind back to simpler times, reliving her brief happiness as close to its source as she could now get.

She'd been friends with Kisho since early childhood. Their fathers worked together and and when they found out their children had been born on the same day, almost the same time, they'd decided to introduce them to each other and see if they would like each other.

Their friendship had been deep and immediate.

They played together as often as the adults in their life would tolerate meeting up. And then when they were old enough to venture away on their own, they would play everyday. They'd heard the adults whispering to each other about the possibility they could be soul mates, but when you have forts to build and invisible dragons to vanquish, adult things like love and marriage are the last thing you want to think about.

Kagome remembered when she'd begun feeling more for Kisho than just friendship. They'd turned 13 and the way he'd blushed and smiled when he'd given her his gift to her made her heart thump strangely.

She kept her secret feelings close. She had a soul mate out there someone, everybody did. Soon she'd be able to find him. There would be no point trying to confess anything to a guy who'd be running off to find his own soulmate soon.

The thought of him with someone else would crush her young heart and she'd cry herself to sleep over it, but what could be done?

At 15, it was time for them to do The Ceremony. They decided to do it together, since they'd done everything else together. The Ceremony consisted of a short ritual with spiritual incense and chanting, and then meditation to open your spiritual senses to see your Red String. The spell, so to speak, would last until you found your soul mate, then it would fade and you'd have to focus and mediate to see it again.

Sometimes your soulmate found you before you needed to do The Ceremony yourself. Often you'd find each other only after you both started searching. It was rare to wait more than a few years after The Ceremony to be with your soul mate.

When they first opened up their minds to "see," they'd been shocked and elated to find that their Red Strings connected... to each other. They caught a quick glimpse, watched their joined String glow brightly, and then fade away.

He gave her a look of such sheer joy and love. She'd never seen someone smile so beautifully.

Later he confessed he'd always dreamed she'd be the one he was tied too. That had started the most blissful two years of her life.

And then he'd been stolen.

He'd bought a new motorcycle despite his mother's harsh protests. He'd had his license only a short time, but he was excited to practice driving it well so he could take her around on it. It made her nervous, but it made him so happy. His chocolate eyes always glowed in the best way when he was happy.

He took it out in the rain, and never made it home.

The pain she'd felt had been so consuming and fierce she thought she might die too.

She thought she still might sometimes.

But she hadn't, she was still here.

She wiped her face and collected her things.

"I'll always love you. Always. I'll be back much sooner next time, I promise. Goodbye Kisho."

Kagome placed her things in the basket on the front of her bike, hopped on, and peddled away.

The finger holding her Red String itched.