Her Weakness
Spoilers for Chapter 374 of the manga...
A/N
: Ever since chapter 374 has been released, I've seen a whole horde of Kagura's POV shorts on her death. But I have yet to see a Sesshoumaru one. And, since I had been starting to like Kagura, yet am more acquainted with writing Sess, I decided to try to poke into his brain a little bit here. I'm trying to stay as true to the manga character as I can, so there isn't a deep romantic impact to this story...(Sorry, Kagura/Sess fans).I also want to do this because of the fact that I'd posted a drabble called Life that had her survive...only to read the chapter a week later and have her die. That just figures...
That's what I get for actually liking her enough to write about her...a little too late...
Summary
: Spoiler for Chap. 374. Sesshoumaru had known it would happen, eventually. But, that did not mean he was unaffected by it. Sess POV. One-shot drabble.He'd known this would happen. The wind witch had become much too open with her betrayal. She'd basically marked herself. Naraku was not someone you could be disloyal to without some consequence. Yet, she'd done it many times.
And, therefore, if had only been a matter of time. There had to be some limit as to when she, and the annoyance she caused, could be useful. And once that limit was reached, Naraku would assuredly get rid of her.
So he wasn't surprised to note the mix of shouki and Kagura on the wind. Although he had pondered as to why Naraku would kill her that way, if he held her heart.
It had been a mixture of curiosity and something else that had made him follow the scent. That something else could have been a sense of honor, if he thought on it. She had aided them many times--he could at least see if she was dead.
He hadn't been prepared for the sight, although he should have been. He'd known what was happening. So why was it so strange to see it?
He'd stood back and watched her, as her body was slowly dissolved, eaten alive by the sulfur-scented poison. And she just sat there, crumpled on the blossom-covered ground with her hand to her chest.
So, Naraku had given her back her heart. What an irony.
For he highly doubted that this was the freedom she'd wished for.
She'd looked up at him then, with fading eyes, stumbling over his name. She seemed surprised that he had come.
He did not know why she found this shocking. She was something interesting. And he was curious.
Although, what startled him was the slight pang he felt. Was that pity? Pity, for her?
He glanced down at Tenseiga, at his side. And he realized, as his fingers reached for the hilt, that it was pity. Kagura had always been such a wretched creature, tied down but longing for wings. And to strive for something for so long, only to fail...
He'd faced that same misstep in his life. Although it was never fatal.
She was dying because she'd dreamed.
He took hold of Tenseiga, and for the first time in a long while, he had a desire to use it. To have it serve it's purpose.
It answered him; it felt his wish for her to live, but could not do as he asked. It was too late.
He stared at the weapon for a moment. So, it knew the same thing he'd known upon his arrival. Kagura was as good as dead. If he wanted it or not.
It wasn't as if this life-giving sword could give an existence to one who had not truly lived. Fate was not like that.
But that didn't stop the twinge of guilt. The same guilt he'd felt when his father had died--he hadn't been there to help him. He hadn't had the power.
And now he did, and it was useless.
He hated guilt. He hated it even more when she finally realized she was beyond all aid.
The wind witch was in pain, her face contorted, her body crippled. Yet, she did not cry out. She was going to face her death bravely, it seemed. She knew her life was over, yet she still refused to bow down to it.
And, seeing that, he could not fault her this weakness. Her death.
For death was an enemy few could defeat. And still she fought against it.
Her eyes were no longer cloudy as she looked up at him. Something sparkled there, something that spoke of freedom.
And she smiled.
She died that way. After telling him it was all right. He'd been there.
As if he'd actually meant something to her.
And for the first time in countless years, Sesshoumaru felt remorse.
As the wind whipped around them all, he watched that single feather and found himself wondering. Wondering if she had truly accepted this new freedom.
And, remembering the light in her eyes, the strange hope he'd found there, he supposed it was so.
You are that wind now, Kagura. The one you so longed to be.
And the wind was not easily forgotten.
Naraku was going to die.