Special Circumstances by cloverx

Angel-faced Devils

CHAPTER 1

Angel-faced Devils

Each day was perfect. All of our hard work, the obstacles and injustice dealt us, was finally over. We were mangled, ripped, and torn, and we had survived to throw away our forever changed, old lives and start completely new ones. We were broken and beaten and could not be happier.

I was seventeen and in love. I had been in love for a long time, and finally, for the first time, I could actually love freely, no regrets. And Inuyasha, the object of my love could finally, though maybe not completely free of regrets, love freely also.

Naraku had been destroyed, disappeared from our lives, leaving an empty spot to be filled by the infinite number of small new bits of discovery and happiness to be found in our new lives. It was amazing how our greatest enemy left the greatest hole when he disappeared from our lives. He left an empty space, and he left freedom.

But with our freedom, there was pain, pain for Inuyasha. With Naraku gone, the jewel completed, and wishes fulfilled, there would be no return of Kikyo. We gave her memory a proper burial since there was nothing physical remaining of her, and the place was blessed and a small shrine was dedicated to her. Inuyasha wasn't inconsolable like he had been before. I think it was for the same reason why Kaede was pleased.

"It relieves me to know that she may finally rest in peace." Kaede told me that she and Kikyo, herself, had not believed she was meant to return from death. As much as it hurt him, and affected all of us, Inuyasha was finally free. Kikyo had forgiven him and her soul was at peace, it was time for Inuyasha's to be.

I loved Inuyasha with an interminable love that was a love of the best kind. A kind built on shared experiences and friendship that had somehow grew and blossomed into an unfathomable dependence, desire, and devotion. I loved his unpredictable temper, his gruff way of denying everything gentle, and the way he would hold me so gently when I needed him the most. I gave him everything I had and loved him with all of it.

When it was time for the jewel to be completed and reconstructed, Inuyasha, having realized that humanity was something that was invaluable, not worthless and weak like he had believed before, did the one, most unselfish act possible- gave the jewel to me to wish on and protect. This was the most amazing thing he had ever done. He gave up the wish to become full youkai that he had held all of his life, in order to do what was right and give me my wish along with it.

I wished for one thing and my heart wished for a second thing. The jewel answered both.

Kohaku was freed from the influence of a tainted shard, and he survived. I had wished for Sango to have her brother back. He would take a while to fully recover since his wounds that were received before Naraku brought him back had reappeared, but he was alive and safe and that was enough for all of us. I would have wished for the return of Shippou's parents, but I believed that they watched over him anyways, and he was doing so well with our group. I selfishly wished him to stay with us. I see now how selfish it was. But Shippou, in his unexplainable young wisdom, forgave me, and I love him.

My second wish wasn't selfish, though it seems so now. It wasn't meant to be. It was wished from my heart and answered accordingly. I believe Midoriko understood what I was feeling and helped me. I'm thankful to her. I wished to be able to stay in the Sengoku Jidai with Inuyasha. I asked to be allowed to see him. I would have been sent straight back to my time and sealed off from the feudal world forever once the jewel had been used, if not for that wish that I subconsciously made. It was answered. A few months later, with the permission of my mother who always supported me and had faith in me to take care of my responsibilities, Inuyasha and I were married. Twice. Once in Sengoku Jidai so that Miroku, Sango, Shippou, Kaede, Kirara, Myouga, Hachi, and Totousai could attend, which they all did. And a second time in modern Tokyo in a small, private wedding performed by Grandpa with Mama, Souta, and Buyo in attendance.

Both weddings were more than I could have asked for. All of my friends and family that I truly cared about were there. Maybe I was just delusional, but I thought I even glimpses Sesshoumaru in the forest with the little girl, Rin, during a part of the ceremony. Despite their feud, Inuyasha's older brother had come to see him married. It made me very happy and I wondered whether to tell Inuyasha or not. They had cooperated in the last battle with Naraku, then gone separate ways, but it seemed the rift between them had been shrunken. It was truly a wonderful time and the best part was, Inuyasha was as happy as I was. That's all I wanted, for him to be happy.

It was agreed that I should live with Inuyasha on the other side of the well, and I would visit Mama, Grandpa, and Souta as often as I possibly could. I was never happier in my whole life.

Inuyasha, with the help of Miroku and Hachi, built us a wonderful hut that was near Kaede's, but closer to the river, for me.

It wasn't long after that when Miroku proposed to Sango who blushed wildly and nodded happily in agreement. She was the happiest I had ever seen her. She was a beautiful bride and it was a wonderful wedding ceremony with the same friends that had come for Inuyasha and myself. Afterwards, Inuyasha and Hachi helped Miroku build his and Sango's home also very close to Kaede's village, where they set up a demon-exterminating and exorcising business which was very successful. They even called on Inuyasha and myself for help every once in a while.

I slowly found myself slipping happily into the life of a married woman and started multiple gardens, cooked us hot meals every night, often for Miroku and Sango, too, washed clothes, and performed all the homely things. Inuyasha took care of most of the manual labor, without much complaint and he was increasingly more soft and gentle. The small village children begged him to teach them to fight and he groaned and cursed adequately before attempting to teach them how to do an uppercut. There was this shine in his eyes that seemed to soften them and make them livelier at the same time. I found myself falling ridiculously in love with him even more, every day.

There were many nights when we just sat by the fire and talked or held each other in our arms, as if afraid the other might disappear into mist. The shadows would dance on his face making him look handsome, strong, and wiser. He'd turn and smile at me and run a hand through my hair before stooping down to kiss me softly. He'd hold me and whisper soft words or merely rest with me in a comfortable silence until we slipped off into sleep. I loved him more and more with each day.

Four months after we had been married, I found out that I was pregnant. I didn't know how Inuyasha would react, but I couldn't have been more thankful. When I broke the news to him, he told me that he had already known and smiled mischievously, puffing out his chest. He was the proudest father I had ever seen. He would sit there at night and stroke my stomach. I would catch him twitching his ears, trying to detect any sounds the baby might make. I wondered what it would look like. Would it have black hair, or silver? Or maybe gray? My mother was ecstatic.

"Oh, Kagome, I'm very happy for you! I do so hope it has Inuyasha's ears..."

"Mama..."

"Really, Kagome, don't you want your child to be as cute as possible?"

"Of course Momma, but-"

"Ears..." she looked up at me. "Of course I'll love my grandchild no matter what he or she looks like but still-"

"Mama..." I groaned, sounding very like Inuyasha, then we both laughed until our sides hurt.

But it wasn't an easy pregnancy. Because of my miko powers, my body kept attempting to purify itself every once in a while, because of the quarter-demon within it. It was painful, but Inuyasha supported me constantly and helped me any way he could, even if it was just by comforting me.

Though I was having a difficult time, I was, once again, that happiest I had ever been. I was living near all of my friends and married to the person I loved the most in the world, and he loved me back.

It was on a beautiful clear night. The stars were shining beautifully, like fireflies in the deep blue night. No one noticed the clouds that gathered so quickly and strangely. We weren't even given a second of warning before it happened. The whole house was smashed, crushed in less than a second. Inuyasha had leaped up just in time to shield me and jump out through the rubble.

It took a second for the dust to clear and when it did, it gave us no time to spare. Something lashed out at Inuyasha and he was barely able to dodge the fatal attack. That was how it started. I dug through the broken remains of the house and seconds turned to hours as my hands scraped and bled against the wood, searching for my bow and arrows. I found it and strung an arrow taut with sure mind, but wavering hands, aiming at the dark mass that was speeding toward me. My aim was true, but it made no difference. I was a second too late. I saw it happen before my eyes, as I would see it a thousand times more every night in my dreams. A moment too slow, a breath too much, a life too short. When it happened, my world slowed and everything seemed false and fake. The blood, the wounds. My eyes didn't see as I held him. I was vaguely aware of a green light, but took no notice. Somewhere, I was aware of a splitting pain in my stomach, but all I could see was his bloody, broken form in my arms. He could only whisper one word-my name. The world disappeared, Naraku wasn't there, attacking anymore. I realized that it was our blood, mixed. It was just us, Inuyasha and I. I stroked his bruised face and held his head in my lap. All I could tell him was that everything would be alright.

My world stopped with his heart.

Sango and Miroku tried to take me into their home, but I wouldn't let them. I came to dinner in their home, just for their reassurance, but hardly ate. I wasn't hungry. I bathed constantly, and was reminded of the time when Inuyasha wished so desperately to was the blood from his hands. I wanted to desperately to wash away the life.

Our child had been killed. I had been slashed across the stomach, even as Inuyasha protected my life, and the child had died instantly. I would always have a scar that ran across my body, reminding me of my pain and my happiness that would never come again.

Sango and Miroku tried to comfort me, Shippou brought me flowers, but I couldn't smell them. The shikon no tama that had glowed so brightly before grew dim and gray, but I did not matter.

Wash it all away. Wash it all away.

The blood billowed and clouded the blue-brown water, making it a murky rust that grew and grew in the water until it disappeared. The red flowed easily and the pain was the only connection I had to the real world. Even that started to disappear.

I could barely see when the white figure came up to me. I thought it was an angel, but knew I was wrong because no angels would come for me.

The white-clothed devil with an angel's face gazed down at me slowly. Then, making a decision, it picked me up easily in its arms and I felt like I was dying. So light in the air, so dark. The angel gazed down at me blankly and I knew that it was not heaven. Far from it.

"Sesshoumaru...", the whisper escaped my lips and I didn't know if I had said it.

"Foolish." was all he said before my earth darkened and the red pounded at my dreams.