Beauty and the Inu by ZooZebra

Once upon a Time

Disclaimer: Inuyasha & co belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. The song in this fic was written and composed by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken for Disney's 1991 animated feature film Beauty and the Beast. I do not make any money for this fic. It is not for commercial use, only for the enjoyment of reading a love story.

Warning!

There is a lot of violence and gorey imagery in the first part of this fic. Read at your own discression.

~~~

Tale as old as time.

True as it can be....

He saw her, barely standing on her torn legs, as she stumbled upon him. He had caught a whiff of her blood, and sped off after her, but now he knew he was too late. “Sesshomaru-we..we did it.” She collapsed to her knees with a rattle shaking her chest. A purple spirit echoed a grim cry as it tore through her chest and circled around her, then came barreling back down, tearing a new hole into her flesh. Rin screamed and hid her face in Jaken's robes. Sesshomaru took one step forward, eyes staring intently at her. She wreaked of death and carnage. “It was an ambush. But we did it. Naraku is dead. I...I manged to purify his carcase. The jewel,” her breath hitched as a black spirit split her belly, disemboweling her, then disappeared into the ground in front of her. She fell onto her side, eyes blurring and barely taking focus. “I made a wish. For the jewel to disappear. But the souls...they told me they would take me with them.”

She screamed as four different colored spirits erupted from her, shredding what was left of her body, pulling pieces of her soul with it. They continued their attack while the others in Sesshomaru's companions watched helplessly. Then her screams stopped. The forest knew a sorrowful silence that should have never been.

Sesshomaru was a pillar of strength. He never wavered in his stoic facade. A never changing force of pride and honor. For the first time in his entire existence, he felt a strange warm trickle fall down his cheek. Reaching up without taking his eyes off the suffering miko, Sesshomaru touched the tears spilling from his eyes.

Thump. Sesshomaru glanced at the sword at his hip. “This Sesshomaru does not understand why the death of a mere miko upsets me so.” Thump. “But I will not deny the call of my blade,” he proclaimed unsheathing it with a fierceness that had even Jaken shaking. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Barely even friends

Then somebody bends

Unexpectedly.

With a determined cut through the soul collecting imps, Sesshomaru watched with a clenched jaw for any sign of change. He, a lord of many a year, a warrior and the alpha of those within the western lands, fell to his knees as a gentle breeze caressed the miko's unmoving corpse. He gathered her tightly in his embrace, recalling the last time he spoke with her.

They had smoothed over their differences. Even the ones he held with the hanyou. They spent almost an entire year jewel shard collecting together before Sesshomaru parted ways to take care of business at his palace. He remembered the tiny scarf she gave him, a memoir, she called it. A symbol of friendship. He scoffed at her and left abruptly. He hadn't the need for friends. Though he was a great distance from her, he could still hear her laughter echoing through the winds.

But now, she had been so close. He failed at protecting what was his. Of course he didn't realize it then, or even now. But she was a part of him as sure as the sun set in the west.

His self-pity halted abruptly as he sensed magic work around him. Her corpse began to knit together where it was once split apart. Her bloodied clothes clung tightly to her stomach, and he could easily see the slight rise in her intake of breath.

Relief. Her beautiful gray eyes opened and Sesshomaru was flooded with the overwhelming sensation of relief. Jaken took Rin to Ah-Uhn and commandeered the dragon to take them some place so his master could have privacy.

“Will Lady Kagome be alright, master Jaken?” Rin asked with fear still weaved in her voice.

“Of course, Rin. Lord Sesshomaru's sword is mighty and will never fail, you silly girl,” he reprimanded with a positive tone. He cast a glance to his master and the human with a strange look. This was the start of something. Although he couldn't quite determine if it would bode well or not.

~~~

Almost a year had passed since the time when Sesshomaru revived Kagome. Her constant night terrors ceased, as the four demons haunting her began to fade while Sesshomaru replaced fear with happiness. Their friendship blossomed and grew. During the very first month of her stay in the West, she had asked to return home to collect her school books, trying to distract herself from her fallen friends. She was given a new wave of suffering when she realized the well would not open for her any more, her home forever closed.

Sesshomaru was sitting in his study thinking of the miko, as he had been for quite some time, when he was suddenly struck with an idea. He strolled, rather quickly, to the gardens where the miko was playing with Rin, and grabbed her arm leading her into the palace.

“Where are we going?” she asked curiously.

“Silence, Kagome. It is a surprise,” he commanded. She smiled as she heard her name. It was the first time he spoke to her without using human or miko. “Close your eyes.”

She did as she was told as she was lead through the maze of his palace, curiosity only growing stronger as she was put to a halt. She heard large, clanky doors open and a sound of fabric rustling, maybe curtains being pulled open?

Kagome reached up trying to find Sesshomaru only to realize he was no longer next to her. “Open your eyes,” came his voice sounded a bit distanced away. She gasped as he stood proudly before his vast library. “My collection is extensive, and I am sure you will find scholars here at all times. They have been instructed to educate you and Rin. You will begin tomorrow,” he said firmly. Once in the travels with Inuyasha, she had told him that she was falling behind her studies because of the shard collecting. He knew he didn't have to be firm. He knew she wanted this. What he didn't know was that she would throw her arms over him and embrace him tightly, thanking him through her tears. He smiled only slightly as he returned the embrace, knowing he brought the little miko happiness.

Ever just the same

Ever a surprise

Ever as before

Ever just as sure

As the sun will rise

~~~

The winter season was ripe, a beautiful blanket of snow covered all of the western lands. Sesshomaru was escorting his mate through the icy gardens since she refused to spend another minute inside the palace walls. She had been mumbling something about being 'smothered'.

Kagome waddled alongside Sesshomaru happily admiring that the frost did not kill off some of the flowers. Her hand was resting on her rounded belly and she smiled warmly as she felt a little kick. She paused with a mischievous glint in her eyes as she asked Sesshomaru to grab her one of the flowers a few feet from her. He shrugged and strode to oblige her request. As he rose from picking the flower, he felt a cold something smack him behind his head.

No. She wouldn't. I must be mistaken. There's no way that she would stoop to something so childish- His thoughts were cut off when he turned to give her a stern glare only to be met with a sudden splosh of snow on his face. His mate was in hysterics, and making a strange dance as she tried to not pee herself from the pressure of the baby on her bladder.

The next thing Kagome knew was that the front of her kimono had been pulled forward and snow shoved down roughly into her bosom. “Gah!” she screamed out. Before she could try to tear it away from her, Sesshomaru grabbed her and gave her a hug, pressing the snow into her skin. Bending his head to capture his mate's lips, he didn't even worry about the possibility of her or the baby becoming ill. The amount of energy they exchanged on their mating night was so great, that not only had her immune system grow practically invincible, Sesshomaru could scent that her life span had drastically increased. It was almost as lengthy as his, if not the same. There was the possibility that her life span had connected to his. Not only that, Sesshomaru was positive that the baby in Kagome's stomach was full youkai – a pup – but definitely with some of Kagome's miko magic. Sesshomaru could already fathom the trouble his son would cause him. With a soft twinkle in his eyes, he looked on to the sunset thinking of his father.

Is this what you were trying to tell me, father? I find myself in agreement with you. Some things are worth everything. I understand that strength and power doesn't come from my own skill, but my ability to love, honor, and protect. It is this miko that brought this realization unto me. My mate.

In the distance, he could have sworn he heard his father's booming laughter, joyous and celebratory.

Tale as old as time

Tune as old as song

Bittersweet and strange

Finding you can change

Learning you were wrong.

~~~

Sesshomaru had long worked a spell to tie Rin's life span with his own. He was phenomenally proud that it had worked, since now he was experiencing the happiest day of his life. Rin had her face hidden behind her veil, but he could scent her tears. They proudly walked her down the aisle, listening to the sighs and comments on her dress. He bore down a stern look at his son as the youkai, masked as a pastor, proceeded to ask a question to him.

“Who will give away the bride, Rin, to the groom, Hikaru, standing before us?”

“I will,” Sesshomaru's voice boomed through the church. He placed Rin's tiny hands into his son's grasp, his eyes softening a fraction. Hikaru nodded to his father, then turned his attention to his bride, proceeding with the vow exchange.

The now beaming Daiyoukai took his seat beside his mate and his three other children. The youngest, twins, were playing with Kagome's brother and their older sister. She shushed them as tears welled in her eyes, radiance beaming off of her. She rubbed her once again pregnant belly and leaned against her mates arms. Her mother sobbed beside her, and she quickly shifted in her seat to comfort her. It must be overwhelming to be able to see the marriage of your first grandson.

Sesshomaru helped Kagome to her feet as Hikaru placed a kiss on a blushing Rin and the audience erupted in cheers and claps. Kagome waddled to the both of them before they could walk out of the church and gave them both strong hugs. Sesshomaru peeled his mate off of them and held her steady as they made their way to the limousine.

“Come on, mate. We still have a party to attend,” Sesshomaru smiled brightly to her. She pulled him down for a loving kiss and sighed against him as he led her to their limo, children and family following in tow.

The crowd had cleared from the church as the pastor allowed his human mask to fade away. Jaken stepped down from the podium and dried the wetness from his eyes. He was thoughtful, remembering their history, their story which had become a legend. It even earned its way into a children's story book. Yes, everything did bode well, he thought as he lightly stepped out of the church, mask back in place.

He slid into Sesshomaru's limo along with the rest of the family. Oh, yes. For quite a while now all the children referred to him as Uncle Jaken, a title which he held close to his heart. Although he may have complained once or twice when left for baby sitting duty of the twins on his own, he very much loved his job. He whistled a happy tune as they rode to the reception hall.

Certain as the sun

Rising in the east

Tale as old as time

Song as old as rhyme

Beauty and the beast.

Fin.