InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ My Guardian Angel ❯ My Guardian Angel ( Chapter 1 )

My Guardian Angel

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Still.

Author's Note: One night, before I went to sleep, I was thinking about Guardian Angels, and how I wondered what mine was like.

And inspiration struck.

Enjoy, and please R&R! ^_^

*

When I was five, my mother first told me about Guardian Angels- - - Right after my father died.

"Guardian Angels watch over you during bad times," she whispered gently as she dried my tears, rocking me back and forth gently in the old rocking chair in her room. I nodded and sniveled as she tried to sooth my sadness, cuddling into her chest as I snuggled my blanket.

Guardian Angels' didn't sound so bad. . .

"Do you know mine angel's name?" I questioned innocently, eyes still wide and watery as I stuck a thumb in my mouth.

"Why?" my mother inquired curiously, smiling sweetly at my curiosity. I could see the moisture in her brown orbs- but she tried to keep from crying in front of me. Bless her.

"Well," I explained seriously, straightening in her lap and spreading out my arms like wings, "then I could find my angel, of course! An' we could play games an' I could thank `em!"

Without warning my mother hugged me- squishing my little footie-wearing self into her bosom, as if never wanting to let go. "Only you know your angel," she confided in me as if it were a secret, running her hands through my shoulder-length hair.

"Don't you know them at all?" I asked, my head cocked in surprise as I pushed away slightly, needing a bit of room to breathe.

She shook her head and continued to coddle me, gently pushing us back and forth. "So why don't you tell me about yours?"

"Well," I gushed excitedly, thinking up an angel on the spot, "my angel is a girl. An' she has long yellow hair and big white wings!" I giggled proudly as I ticked off physical traits on my fingers, beaming up at my mother- who smiled down at me and laughed at my excitement.

I was glad that my "angel" and I could make my mother laugh- It was the first time she had done so since father died.

*

When I was 10 and Christmas time rolled around- painting the world a friendly, glittering white- I was always the first to take out the ornaments. My favorites were the sparkly glass angel girls that we hung on the tree.

This led me, one day after baking cookies, to ask my mother, "Mama, are all angel's girls?"

She blinked, nonplussed, peering at me from over her cook book while pouring a cup of chocolate chips into a new batch of dough. Her powdered-sugar streaked face quickly broke into a gentle smile, however. "No, not all angel's are girl. Why, your daddy's an angel in heaven right now."

After spending a moment contemplating this I nod, pushing a chair over to the counter where Mama stood and kneeled on it- resting my head in my hands as I stared thoughtfully at her.

"Does that mean," I asked after a moment, drawing snowflakes in the sheet of flour caking the counter, "that my Guardian Angel can be a boy too?"

"Of course," she beamed, before turning back her cook book.

After a moment's silence, I pushed the chair back under the table and walked outside, pulling on my coat. The air was crisp and cool; and the scraggliest patches of ice like snow I'd ever seen were adorning the ground. But it was still snow, so I didn't complain.

I spent a second simply observing nature- - - and then I scrambled up the god tree in the back yard, hiding in the bare branches in case Grandpa came out. He'd get mad for `defacing sacred magic' and other stuff like that if I got caught. . . IF. But I never had before, so why break the tradition now?

I sat there for a long time, lying low, thinking, and watching the first stars appear in the sky.

`Mama says boys can be angels too, but all the angels I see at Christmas time are girls,' I mused, my 10 year old mind processing this information over the course of many hours. `Well, I want to be different then the others. I want my Guardian Angel to be a boy!'

I smiled at the thought, and as I looked up to the sky, a star winked back at me.

A good sign.

*

When I was 15, I was pulled through the well for the first time. While running from Mistress Centipede, I briefly was able to think about Guardian Angels.

`Mother said that they protect you during bad times.

Where is mine now?!'

Before I could think of an answer, Inu-Yasha saved me. . .

Then tried to kill me himself.

*

When I was 16, my friends and I decided, one late afternoon, to take a break from gathering shards and stop for a picnic. Of course, Inu-Yasha would only stubbornly agree it was a picnic involving Ramen. But for Ramen, we'd need boiled water. And for boiled water, we'd need water in general.

So Miroku and I were nominated for the job. Lucky us.

"Miroku?" I randomly questioned as I relaxed on a warm, sun-kissed rock in the shallow river, my bare feet dipped in the crystal clear liquid. "Do you believe in angels?"

He glanced over at me and jingled his staff, picking up our wooden bucket; sleeves rolled to his shoulders as he sloshed around in the middle of the river. "Well, they're not part of Buddhism, but I suppose so. I believe in other things that have nothing to do with the Buhdda, after all." Like groping women, I couldn't help but think exasperatedly. "Why? Do you, Kagome-sama?"

I nodded and splashed my feet once or twice; giggling as a few goldfish darted past. "Angels watch over you and protect you and care for you from heaven," I informed him in an almost `know it all' fashion, leaning back on my arms. "My mother told me when my father died."

"Ho," Miroku chuckled to himself, sounding amused as he leaned over to collect the cool, rushing liquid. "Is that so?"

"Isn't that right?" I inquired with a from, my brow furrowed as my gentle kicking came to a halt.

"No, it is true," he smiles, scooping the water into the pail before straightening with a soft grunt, "But tell me- do angels need to live in heaven? Do they need wings?"

I shot him an odd look, arching an eyebrow. "Isn't that the definition on an angel?"

"Well. . . Yes and no."

I was very confused. "What do you mean?" I cocked my head, casting him a nonplused stare.

"You said that an angel is an entity that protects and cares for you, am I not correct?"

"Yeah. . ." I replied slowly, not really following as I shrugged, "What about it?"

Miroku simply chuckled and glanced over at the bushes, where I suddenly noticed Inu-Yasha spying- bits of twigs and random leaves sticking out of his matted silver haired head.

"Inu-Yasha!" I cried, making the haniyou jump as I did a double take. "What are you doing over here?!"

"Uh- I- Er- Feh!" he cried, throwing his arms into the air as he turned around and stomped angrily away; back through the thrush. But did I see his cheeks turn a bit pink?

"Seems he's making sure I'm not trying anything funny," Miroku commented lightly, picking up the full bucket and walking after Inu-Yasha, whistling cheerfully. Thus I was left alone; my only company my confused thoughts.

`What was that all about?'

*

When I was 17, I finally understood what Miroku had tried to tell me. Took me a while, didn't it?

It was twilight- the sun's rays all but having completely vanished on the horizon as shades of indigo and majestic purple stained the heavens. A few stars began to shimmer like glitter, but no moon rose to join their celestial dance. It was the turning of the cycle, tonight. Shippo, Miroku, and Sango were out gathering wood, and I was making sure Inu-Yasha remained "civil" after his transformation.

He tended to get a little touchy when anyone else talked to him. (Not that this was much different then any other time, but still.)He had disappeared before the sun set, most likely up his favorite tree. But then- quite surprisingly- after the last of the light had faded away, he returned; his human form evident, even in the starlight.

Sighing, he sat down on a dead log next to me; a scowl on his face as I scooted over to make room for him.

"I hate this time of the month," he grumbled, looking at his clawless hands in disgust.

"It can't be that bad," I soothed gently, though I secretly missed his cute ears. My hands twitched once, wishing to touch them. "It's only one night."

"Yeah, I guess," he muttered darkly, looking at the twinkling sky. "But it's harder to protect you in this damn form."

He said this so casually, I couldn't help but spin towards him in mild shock, blinking. His gaze left the stars as he glanced curiously over at me, feeling my eyes on his face. "What are you staring at?"

At that moment I hastily looked away, hoping he couldn't see my pink cheeks in the dark. Maybe it was good that he was ear-less tonight- had he maintained his dog like senses, he would have been able to catch the loud pounding of my heart. "It's just. . . you said. . ."

"What? That I'd protect you? Kagome, I'd protect you during anything, no matter what the form. You know that."

I swallowed as he rolled his exasperated eyes. "It's just. . . I've never heard you *say* it before. . ."

He chuckled quietly, shaking his head as his eyes of soft violet returned to the sky. "Did I need to say it out loud for you to believe me?" he asked, sounding a bit skeptical and irritated at my slowness. As the words fell from his lips, visions of all the times we had ever had together, all the times he had protected me, and all the times he had said he cared in different ways- passed through my head as I watched him watch the sky.

I had already known in my heart.

But his telling me made all the difference.

"No," I whispered, nervously fiddling with the edge of my skirt, "It's not that. . ."

He smiled a small smile, suddenly moving so that the tiny inch of space between us on the log vanished. "Well, either way. Now you know. I'll always be there for you, Kagome. To protect you and otherwise."

Then he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to my cheek; swift, chaste, embarrassed- before getting to his feet and walking off casually.

I remained in my seat- stunned, blushing, silent. `He. . . just. . . !' KISSED ME. It took a minute, but when the information finally sunk into my numb brain I made to open my mouth, about to call out for him- - - but found it impossible. Why? Because when my eyes landed upon him, up in his tree, silhouetted by the stars and fireflies, my voice became lodged in my throat.

For at that instant I swear I saw a halo appear around his head.

It was gone when I blinked. . . But I finally understood.

*

So over the course of my life, I've learned many lessons. (Never trust a man in a monkey suit jumps instantly to mind.) However, my greatest lessons learned were about angels. Generally, I have been discovered:

Not all are girls.

And angels don't need wings.

They don't even need to be in heaven. Some of the best angels are the humans that inhabit this world right now.

Some aren't even human.

Personally, I've leaned many things about my guardian angel, the one who must have had one hell of a job, keeping me safe in such unfriendly environments. Heh- I've learned things about my angel that my mother never would have been able to guess when I was five. Things like:

My angel isn't a girl with flowing blonde hair or wings.

My angel is a boy.

A silver haired, golden eyed hanyou boy who's hair isn't always silver and eyes aren't always gold.

And he cusses.

And fights.

And gets on my nerves.

He watches over me.

Protects me.

And cares for me.

He may not have wings, but he can still fly.

His claws are much more useful then a harp.

And he has the cutest ears in the world!

And though he is far from a saint-

I don't think I've ever met anyone more heaven sent.

And now that I've finally found him, my 5 year old wish to know his name is fulfilled- along with my 17 year old wish. . . Yes, with his kiss still warm on my cheek, I don't think I could be happier.

He is my friend,

My love,

My Guardian Angel.

He is my Inu-Yasha.

~*~