Chapter one a.k.a. Prologue

Free of Pain, Lost from Love

By: opalshyne

"Inuyasha."

Kagome's voice echoed through the now peaceful forest.

"Inuyasha."

She called out again.

She found him, sitting stretched out on a rough branch of the Goshinboku, a grin stretching across his face as he looked down to Kagome, her hands clasped behind her back and the completed Shikon no Tama hanging from a delicate chain around her neck.

He leapt from the tree and immediately took the still young miko in his arms, "Kagome," he said as he breathed in the pure scent of her being.

"Inu…yasha?"

He held only tighter, burying his face in her thick black hair, "Kagome."

"Inuyasha," she gratefully wrapped her arms around him, "we're free."

He laughed quietly, his eyes hooded as he looked past her, into the dark woods, searching out any danger, "Yeah, we are."

Kagome thought back to the battle, only two days past.

The one where, not only did she rid the world of Naraku's offspring, but of Naraku himself. Freeing Miroku, her friends, everyone, an immense weight, magically lifted from their shoulder, the moment Kagome's arrow pierced the heart of the tiny boy, the half of Hakudoshi which carried the hearts, of the two most powerful, and most hated beings in the world.

Kagome reluctantly pulled away from the warm grasp of the hanyou boy she had fallen in love with, "Inuyasha," she fingered the sparkling jewel around her neck, "we still have to make a wish."

She looked shyly up to him, "What do you wish for Inuyasha?"

He took in a surprised breath of air, "Kagome, you want me to make the wish?"

Kagome nodded her head, "Yes, Inuyasha, I do…"

He reached out to cautiously touch the jewel, half expecting it to glow a malicious purple, tainted by his demonic blood, but instead, it glowed only brighter as Kagome took his hand in hers and together they held the jewel.

"Inuyasha, what do you wish for?"

"I wish," he said, "I wish, to be human, to take you as my bride, Kagome."

Her eyes widened and she looked at Inuyasha, a slight blush creeping up into his cheeks as the glow of the jewel illuminated them both.

The pink glow, like thousands of infinitesimal glittering diamonds filling the air, she waited as they rested upon him, swirling and glistening, hiding him from her until they dissipated. A purely human Inuyasha stood before her, his dark hair fell thick and shining, to just barely cover his gray eyes as he looked to her, "Kagome…" his blush was back but he kept on with his words, "Kagome, will you be my bride, will you live with me here in the Sengoku Jidai, and bare my children?"

Kagome blushed and smiled widely, "Oh Inuyasha!" she threw her arms around his neck, "Of course!"

He laughed aloud and picked her up, whirling her through the air. Kagome laughed and held onto him tighter, "Inuyasha, I'm so happy."