DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA OR THE SONG 'Rainbow Moon' SUNG BY NAMIE AMURO. THE TRANSLATION WAS TAKEN FROM animelyrics(.)com SO IT'S NOT MINE EITHER.

Author's notes: I'm back with a SessKik one-shot! Although there's a teeny weeny bit of InuKik in the beginning. Sesshie's a bit sweetly OOC. This fic came to my mind while I was reading the lyrics of this song. It fits them don't you think? I've become addicted to Namie Amuro's 'Four Seasons'. It's so sentimental and KAWAII! I listened to that song as I typed this… it's making me so emotionalTT… Hehehe… I started writing a bunch of SessKik fics while our internet was down. My stupid, shitty dad blames me for wrecking the damn phone lines. I decided to post this coz I just saw a SessKag fic and it made my blood boil (my mind was screaming bloody murder!). Nyweyz, does anyone have an mp3 of this song or know where I can download it? Please send it thru streamload or e-mail me the site address or thru yahoo briefcase. Thank you!

Btw, I don't know how Naraku was defeated…

/…/ - translation

SESSKIK FOREVER!

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Kikyo watched as twilight darkened the sky, the pallid crescent moon already glimmering in the sky with specks of stars accompanying it. A smile made its way to her lips as the moon reminded her of her beloved. Sitting on a bench under a Sakura tree by a pond reflecting the night sky, Nostalgia suddenly took her back, to memories both fond and painful that spanned her two lifetimes. Looking back now, it seemed to strike her that it was all in destiny's grand design. All the suffering seemed so far away now, and she had never felt happier. The pain was worth it, for her joy was as great as her sorrow then. Maybe even more.

Inuyasha… he had been her first love. But fate did not intend to bring them together. With the devious plot of Onigumo, she died believing that Inuyasha had betrayed her.

Although upon her resurrection she still carried her deep love for him, her anger had overridden it. Then she learned the truth. She began to wish for a new start with him again, but it was too late. He had already been captivated by her reincarnation.

She felt betrayed again. The heartbreak she felt when she knew she had been replaced in Inuyasha's heart was unbearable. How could his love for her turn to nothing, when hers was just as strong as it was years ago? Because of that, she felt an unforgiving hate. Not towards Inuyasha nor her reincarnation, but towards herself, for carrying still her love for the hanyou when he did not.

It was only then that she realized she had lost everything dear to her. Her love, her sister, her village, her dreams… everything that meant something to her.

She had never felt so lost, so… empty.

Kikyo, who was once a respected miko had become hated for having no soul. She was just a clay doll in their eyes.

How she wished she were. If she was just a clay doll, then she would not have to feel emotions and feelings that hurt her so. But she still carried her heart even though she had no soul.

Because she was now empty, everything she felt had been amplified. Every emotion was like a ripple on the surface of a still lake, a never-ending echo in the darkness. Heartbreak, pain, anger… even loneliness. She was empty. She was alone, for no one understood her. She felt a great grudge against the world, but still a part of her was still hopeful… hoping that someday, she would be rid of these sufferings. That part of her was small, so small and easily overwhelmed. But it persisted to exist within her. It was small, but powerful enough for her to continue to exist in a world that only offered more misery. But often times, her revenge consumed her mind and buried that part of her, but never made it disappear.

She wandered aimlessly, as if searching for something, though she did not know what.

Then she met him.

Tsuki ni kakatta niji no you ni
Ai wa anata to aeta kiseki
Tatta hitori dake no hito ga
Anata datta to namida de wakaru

/Like a rainbow hanging over the moon
Love is the miracle that I met you
The only person I was looking for
Was you, I understood in tears/

Kikyo smiled yet again as she closed her eyes, reminiscing at the sweet memory.

Kikyo looked up with blurry eyes to the sidereal night sky. She was alone, in that forest clearing filled with flowers. Even as she looked up, the tears still fell, making her vision of the stars glisten more.

How many tears had she shed? How many nights had she cried? Countless like the stars…

Her temples hurt. Whether from crying or trying to hold them back, she was not certain. It were nights like this that she felt overwhelming sadness, filling her empty being.

She hung her head, loose raven tresses as dark as the night covering her moonlit face, glimmering with streams of tears. She wished it would stop…

It was times like these that she had her guard down. She did not hear the light footfalls that neared her. It was only when she heard a dry branch crack did she look up, startled, thinking it was only a rabbit or small animal, but it was not. It was too late to hide her tears.

A cold night zephyr blew, her shadowy locks flowing, some of her tears drifting with the wind, towards the night sky to become stars.

For an instant, she envisioned Inuyasha. But it was not her former lover. He was someone else, though bearing the same emergence even though he was a taiyoukai judging from the red marks on his cheeks. Kikyo could not find the words to express herself, nor did she bother to wipe the tears.

His face seemed to hold an expression of surprise. His silver hair also toyed with by the wind.

It was at that moment their eyes met. They stayed like that for some time. Then, his face softened.

"Nakanaide…" /Don't cry…/

His statement made her want to cry again. For the first time since her resurrection, someone had shown her true kindness. And that someone was a youkai, whom she had thought of as merciless, unfeeling creatures with a lust for blood. How wrong she was.

He approached her softly. If it was any other person, Kikyo would have fled, ashamed of her tears. But for some reason, she could not turn away from him.

"Nakanaide…" /Don't cry…/ he told her again, this time brushing away a tear.

Shiawase o sotto dakishimeru to
Yume wa inori da to shitta
Hikishio ga tsuki ni michibikarete
Yuku you ni ai o oshieta hito

/Softy embrace your happiness
If a dream is a prayer
Then the person who taught me to love
Was a low tide led by the moon/

Sesshoumaru left his majestic abode to proceed to the gardens. It was dusk already, yet his beloved was still outside, probably stargazing. It was cold outside and he did not want her catching a cold or getting sick. He knew exactly where she was. He slowed his pace to give her some more time and as he walked, he could not help but remember.

Sesshoumaru walked among the trees, seeming to shine in the darkness. Jaken and Rin were already fast asleep, but he could not find a shred of drowsiness. Something was calling him from deep within the forest, and he could not ignore it. He did not know what, but he was determined to find out.

Striding cautiously, he wandered about, until he caught sight of a forest clearing. Someone was standing there. Naturally, he would have turned away, but he found his feet coming into the clearing, moving towards the solitary figure among the flowers. It did not stir. He walked forward a little bit but he stepped on a dry branch that cracked loudly beneath his feet. The figure averted her startled gaze at him.

He was surprised to see that it was a woman, a miko based on her garments, crying.

A light wind blew past them, her nightly tresses blown along with some of her glistening tears. His silver locks swaying with the breeze as well.

His topaz orbs locked with her earthen spheres, drizzled by tears. A flash of his mother crossed his mind. There was only one person he had seen like that in his life. And he felt remorse. The miko was the same reflection of his dear mother before she passed: full of agony. The miko before him resembled her so and feelings from long before engulfed him.

"Nakanaide…" /Don't cry…/

That tiny part of him, that which he had kept hidden for a long time, surfaced from the depths of his iced heart. He showed an uncanny gentleness he had never shown even towards Rin, a gentleness he thought he had lost. She seemed about to cry again and the weeping image of his mother came to him. It propelled him to come closer to her. Perhaps it was just to placate the guilt from long ago, a regret he harbored for never comforting his mother's sorrow. But as he looked into her eyes, it was not pity he felt. He understood, because he knew what it felt to be hurt, for dreams to shatter, to be so alone in this wretched world.

"Nakanaide…" /Don't cry…/ he whispered as he brushed away a lingering tear with a finger.

Umi no chiisa na kakera dakara
Ai no namida wa natsukashii no
Inochi tachi ga umarete kita
Bashou ni kokoro ga kaeru you ni

/Because it's a small piece of the sea
The tears of love are fond memories
Our lives were born
So that our minds could return to this place/

Kikyo hummed to soothe the little one within her while caressing her swollen abdomen. So at ease was she that she did not notice Sesshoumaru's presence approach her until he sat next to her.

"Anata!" /Dear; Darling/ Kikyo's face broke into a smile as she rested her head upon Sesshoumaru's shoulder. She snuggled to him; her head nestled comfortably in the crook of his neck. It was a wonder; how she could fit so perfectly in his arms, as if they were two halves of a whole. And indeed they were.

"Itooshii," /Beloved/ he started as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and placed a kiss upon her dark tresses, lightly stroking her black hair, "what are you thinking of?"

"Things… of the past…"

"What of the past?" his voice held neither anger nor bitterness, just a curiosity.

""How events occurred that has led to this very moment."

"Ahh…" he replied in understanding. They both had painful pasts, pasts that back then they could not face, but the memories no longer hurt them.

Kikyo lovingly caressed her belly, feeling their child move about within her.

"I want to tell our child so many things. I want to tell about love, happiness… even sorrow and pain. There are so many things I want to say to our child…"

"Some day, Itooshii. You will be able to." /Beloved/ A silence filled the atmosphere as he held her tightly but with gentleness. They did not know of what lay ahead in the future, but they would face it together.

Yubi sashita sora no utusukushisa mo
Anata ni wa kanawanai
Shounen no you na sono kidakasa
Nakusazu ni ikiteite zutto

/I pointed out the beauty of the sky
It can't compete with you
You're regal like a boy
Don't lose that, live with it/

"Look," Kikyo pointed quiet moments later to the crescent moon above, offering a bit of luminosity, "the moon is beautiful, isn't it, Anata?" /Dear; Darling/ His lips curved in a smile as Sesshoumaru rested his head upon Kikyo's, breathing in her flowery scent.

"Yes it is."

"It reminded me of you." Sesshoumaru chuckled as he got her message

"But I would rather have you." She added. He kissed her forehead and stroked her arm.

"You will always have me, Itooshii. I will always be by your side." /Beloved/ He put a hand over hers, on top of her belly, containing the symbol of their love.

Yume wa mou iranai Yume wa anata to
Deau koto datta kara
Shounen no you na sono mezashi
Nakusazu ni ikiteite zutto

/I don't need dreams any longer
Because my dream was to meet you
Your gaze is like an innocent boy
Don't cry, live forever/

"Wakateru, Anata. Wakateru." /I know, darling. I know/ She closed her eyes, basking in the warmth of her soul mate. The reason she was now a living being and bearing his child was because of him. He had given up half of his soul for her to be able to live as before, no longer depending on others' souls.

After defeating Naraku with their unlikely alliance and with the help of Inuyasha and friends, the hanyou had given the Shikon no Tama back to its original guardian. He gave Kikyo the chance to become human once more, to possess a soul. But it could not be granted, for Kikyo's soul resided in Kagome. It had no power to create a new soul. Kikyo had lost all hope when Sesshoumaru suddenly stepped in and asked the Sacred jewel for his soul to be given to Kikyo. For the first time since the jewel's creation, someone had finally used it for unselfish purposes. And because of his noble wish, the Shikon no Tama decided to split Sesshoumaru's soul in half to give to the miko and even restored his left arm.

She now understood why she had to suffer so much. Her resurrection was not a curse; it was a second chance. It was so she could come across him.

He now understood why things happened the way they were supposed to. It was so he could meet her.

Together, they found the reason why they were born, why they were living under the same sky at the same moment, together.

Because they understood pain, because they understood sorrow, they knew how to treasure happiness. Because they knew how it felt to be so alone, they knew how to cherish love, because they knew how empty it was to be without. Because they had tasted the bitterness of life, they knew which the sweet things it offered were.

They suffered, so they would know how precious someone was.

It did not matter if he was a taiyoukai and she a mikoIf they scorned them, then they did not understand what love is. Love does not judge; it brings two souls together to make them whole. This was their happiness and no one else's.

He gave her hope; she gave him a future. He picked up the pieces her broken dreams; she gave him a purpose for living.

"Itooshii, we should come inside now. Dinner must be ready. We have tarried too long; Rin must be worried." /Beloved/

"Alright." Kikyo took one last look at the pond reflecting the night sky before taking his offered hand. Sesshoumaru assisted a heavily pregnant Kikyo and wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked towards their home.

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A/n: It's a bit surprising. Maybe it's because I put some of my personal musings about loneliness and pain and misery… and it has angst and romance in it. Although I kinda lost ideas in the part where Sesshie askes Kikyo what she's thinking… and the ending was not that good… oh well… I'm a bit surprised at myself coz' I'm feeling angsty always but the fics I manage to write are humor (Then There was You). Nyweyz hope you liked it. My offering for the SessKik couple. Readers, I encourage you to write SessKik fics! I mean, there's just too few here in I hate to say this but SessKag fics are doing better! And I can't accept it! So I'm writing a bunch of SessKik fics right now. I've started some chappies of some my fic ideas (mostly SessKik). I hope I can post them…

ABOUT THE JAPANESE TERMS:

I actually got the Japanese words from other fics. Yup, when there are Japanese terminologies in fics, I copy them so… I'm not sure if 'Don't cry' in Japanese is Nakanaide or Nakinaide. I decided to use Nakanaide coz that's the spelling used in the song Sore Ga, Ai Deshou; I Guess, that's Love, a song from Full Metal Panic (I love that song!) and another fic. I know anata means 'you' but according to an EriolxTomoyo fic I read, it can also mean 'dear; darling'. Itooshii I'm not sure of the spelling, it's the spelling from (according to animelyrics(.)com) Itooshii hito no tame ni; For the Sake of My Beloved, the Fushigi Yuugi opening. I don't know if it is a noun or adjective in Japanese but in the translation of the song, it's used as a noun. There's also a SessKik fic entiled Itoshii Yakusoku(? I forgot…--;) which means 'Beloved Promise' according to the author so it confused me as to which spelling I should use. Since I used it as a noun, I just choose the spelling from FY OP. I also kind of used a line from Yuragu kotonai Ai; Unshaken Love, the OP of GetBackers as inspiration. The translation (taken from animelyrics(.)com) of the line is:

"I think there's a meaning somewhere why we're living at the same moment, let's stare at the sky."

It inspired the line from this fic:

"Together, they found the reason why they were born, why they were living under the same sky at the same moment, together."

Sooo… I guess I should disclaim it(?).

SessKik forever…