The List by Minerva_one

The List

This piece was written for the LiveJournal community Ebony Silks. It placed First in their weekly theme of 'Polka.'

As always, I own none of the characters and make no money from this.

He sat alone in the German town square with a very large stein of bitter beer in front of him, watching the village gather for a large festival. Sighing to himself he looked into his beer, only finding the reflection of his hollow eyes. "Only one more place to go, Kagome," he thought.

They had made a list of places to visit during their life together. "The List of places to see before we die," Kagome had called it. She had laughed then and he had smiled at her, each thinking they would have forever.

"You want to visit Siberia?" she had asked with an incredulous look.

"I appreciate desolation," he replied.

She rolled her eyes at him. "You would."

He squeezed his eyes shut against the memories, vainly trying to will them away. They never went away anymore.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru! I thought of another place to put on our list! Germany!" she had cried out, running into the living room waving their list.

He looked up from his newspaper. "Germany? And what, exactly, is in Germany?"

She thrust a brochure for a Polka festival under his nose. "Look! This would be so fun!"

"Polka? That's ridiculous." he said, tossing the brochure off to the side and sweeping her in his arms. "How about the Rainforest instead?"

She squealed and wrapped her legs around his waist. " You know, I've always had a thing for polka dancers," she said, nuzzling his neck.

"You are insane."

The list grew longer and longer until the day she died.

Alone in their empty house he raged and destroyed it all, saving the destruction of Tenseiga for the last. He sat on the floor amidst the ruins, ready to follow her into the afterlife.

His eyes landed on The List, strewn on the floor.

It lay there silently, mocking him. The List of places they would never get to visit. The List of places she would never get to see. The List of memories they would never get to share.

With a growl he snatched the list from the floor and headed out of the door.

He had work to do before he could see her again.

Now it lay in front of him with neat lines running though the entries, all except one.

It was time.

He finished his beer and walked away, relief in his bones knowing he would see her again soon. There was a world of memories to share with her, at long last.