Whooooo! I am SO proud of myself for getting this prolog out! After a week of bashing my head trying to figured out how to get the ball rolling I got it! So let me just began by saying Hi! I'm Kuro and I'm glad you decided to read Anomaly! I hope you enjoy!

A woman's head was rested on an old wooden table. Her tears had stained the poor splintering table leaving only an outline of a wet mark from hours of crying in the dark. She had no need to light a candle. Her source came from the full moon illuminating from the small window in the kitchen casting down upon her body, after she sat there for hours immobilized. She turned her head to face the bright moon outside her window, scraping her face against the rough wood.

'Seven times... Seven times I've become pregnant only to lose the baby ...' She thought in despair.

This time... it had hurt the most out of all the others, the women wrapped her arms tightly around her chest as fresh tears streamed down her face.

Stillbirth.

She shut her eyes tightly blocking out any light,holding to the darkness and her bitterness. Her last baby had died... and she still had to deliver it. Going through the process, pushing, breathing, her husband holding her hand telling her to breathe...the woman let out a sigh meant to be a chuckle. Her husbands silly face and determination had been her beacon of hope and happiness.

"Don't worry Ajisai! Our time will come to have a baby and we will finally be able to call each other Mama and Papa." He cradled his wife's chin in his hand pulling her face away from the ground. "So don't give up on me just yet... We WILL have our family, and our small dango shack will be complete my love..." He told her with tenderness, his eyes reflecting the words he spoke. Ajisai's face lifted and she smiled at her husband, pressing her hands gently against his. "You are right Mu... I just have to be patient."

Ajisai's patients was tested. Her first pregnancy ended up with her sprawled over the bathroom floor bleeding... They knew the baby was lost before they reached the doctor, next was a very painful miscarriage thinking perhaps Ajisai had kidney stones, after that was stress from in-laws or from not having enough money for their small shop, just stress in general! This list went on and on... and each time Mushi was their raising her hopes one more time.

This morning Ajisai irradiated with happiness, she had come to a whole 32 weeks term with no problems! She smiled humming to herself, rubbing her melon sized belly. She sighed and stopped rubbing, dished needed to be done... Ajisai spread her legs apart holding the side of the chair while pushing herself up leaning on the table for support. Her face was already turning red and she hadn't even made it up an inch from her seat.

"Whoa, whoa! Ajisai! Call for my help love! You'll push yourself too hard..." Mushi rushed to her side wrapping his arms around his wife's waist, taking her hand pulling her up from her chair.

Ajisai pouted swatting her husband's hand away after he had pulled her up. "You worry too much Mu, I'll be fine. Now help me to the sink."

Mushi chuckled at his stubborn wife. "And if I refused?" He teased.

She rolled her eyes at him slowly walking to the sink filled with dirty dishes covered in dango sauce and sticks. "Then I will get there, eventually with or without your help." she retorted.

Mushi leaned against the fridge with a smirk on his face. "Then by all means my dear."

His wife narrowed her eyes at him. "If I could reach those big ears of yours hiding under your choppy mop looking hair Mushi Sokuseki I would."

Mushi pushed himself off the wall walking over to his wife grabbing her tiny fist as she was about to pound of his chest. "I wouldn't doubt that my love..." He lowered his head kissing her passionately.

Ajisai's hands went lax in his and she returned her husband kiss. He pulled away from his wife with a victorious smile on his lips. Ajisai glared knowing well she had lost, she sighed returning her attention back to the dished.

"Go serve our customers you cocky man. I have dishes to do." She waved her hand shooing him away as she rolled up her sleeves getting ready to mess with the grime.

Mushi pulled some of Ajisai's black hair out of her face tying it in with her long braid. "Don't push yourself too hard." he mumbled in her shoulder kissing it before he obeyed his wife.

Ajisai sighed once more knowing her husbands concern was in the right place. He didn't want anything to happen either of them. Their doctor did tell the couple this continuous strain on Ajisai's physical and mental state could be at risk if they kept trying...and kept failing. Her head dropped observing her stomach, she smiled rubbing it. Mushi and the doctor maybe right, but nothing would happen to this baby. He (or she) was a fighter. They could survive anything, and she would make sure of that.

She was humming away drying off the last dish when she dropped it. The loud noise caught Mushi's attention as he rushed the kitchen finding his wife in a fetal position cradling her stomach in agonizing pain with a puddle of water around her.

"Mu...Mushi... I think its-" Her words were cut off by her own screaming.

Mushi fell to his knees, his mind was blank. He couldn't remember what he had to do. His wife... his wife was having a baby! Tears of joy fell down his cheeks as his dream would soon become reality. He was suddenly thrust out of his thoughts when Ajisai grabbed his shirt with trembling hands pulling his face to her tearful one as well.

"Mushi if you don't help me off this floor and to a doctor soon I WILL KILL YOU AFTER I GIVE BIRTH TO OUR CHILD!" she screamed, but the effort it took for her to raise her voice backfired causing Ajisai tremendous pain. She had to calm down.

'Breathe, remember to breathe in...and out...in...and out...'

Mushi picked his wife carrying her to their bedroom. "Now my love, I don't think you want this child to be a bastard do you?" He countered.

Ajisai was breathing in and out slowly, sweat was protruding out of her pours like a running faucet. She turned to him barely able to keep her eyes open from the pain. "Smart ass...Go... get... the doctor..."

Mushi laid his wife in their bed, but stayed kneeling on the floor holding her clammy hand tightly. "I can't just leave you." he whispered.

Ajisai's grip tightened around her husbands hands as she clinged to her stomach. "THEN DON'T YOU IDIOT! CALL THE DAMN DOCTOR!" Ajisai screamed at her baffled husband.

He scrambled himself off the ground running to the kitchen picking up the phone. Dr. Mio had arrived ten minutes later with a nurse by his side. Mushi was helping his wife with her breathing, keeping her calm and steady as she fought through her contractions. For once the doctor had a smile on his face when he saw the couple. Today would be the day when they would finally have a baby.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! HEHE WHOOOO HEHE WHOOOO AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ajisai screamed.

"That's it! Breathe my love,BREATHE! NOW PUSH!" Mushi told his wife. Her face was red from pushing for 30 minutes, her chest heaved in and out sporadically taking deep ragged breaths... Ajisai fell back on her bed panting.

The nurse who was by Ajisai's side wronged out a cloth in a bucket dabbing the cool material on her forehead wiping the sweat, and hair out of her face.

looked up at the tired women. "Don't give up just yet Mrs. Sokuseki. I see the head, give me one final push one three...two..one... PUSH!"

Ajisai leaned forward giving her all as she did what the doctor instructed her to do. She closed her eyes shut grunting and screaming.

"That's it ... You've done it." the doctor told the couple.

Ajisai fell back once more thoroughly exhausted. "Finally..." she faced her husband reaching out to touch his cheek. He has tears developing in his eyes, as did she. "We finally have our baby...Papa..."

Mushi rubbed his cheek in his wife's hand. "That we do...Mama..." his voice trembled as he told his wife 'Mama'.

"Mu... I feel so tired... I think I'm going to rest now..." Ajisai tiled her heavy head in her pillow falling asleep the moment she closed her eyes.

Mushi swiped his thumb across his wifes face removing the tears she had shed. He leaned in kissing her face softly. "Sleep my wife, you deserve it..." he whispered.

"Mr. Sokuseki..." Dr. Mio called.

Mushi turned his smiling face from his wife to the doctor. He thought something was amiss when he saw the nurse silently crying in the corner of the small bedroom. Dr. Mio had his head bowed. Then he noticed something else...and absence of noise, one newborn's cry...his room was dead silent.

Mushi eyes widen shaking his head in disbelief. "No...NO!" he ran to the doctor grabbing his white coat in a manic state, yelling at him in angry. "WHERE IS MY CHILD?! TELL ME MY CHILD IS OK?!"

Dr. Mio's nurse broke out of her silent cry and began to sob loudly. Dr. Mio fixated his attention on a crack on the wall avoiding Mushi harsh gaze, his own somber expression answering Mushi's question. He let go of the doctors coat with shaking hands falling to the ground in tears.

Dr. Mio placed his hand on Mushi's shoulder. "I am sorry Mr. Sokuseki... We should take the baby before your wife wakes up..."

Mushi's tears darkened the stone floor. "Do what you must..." he mumbled, barely audible to the doctor.

Dr. Mio mumbled in his nurses ear, she nodded walking out of the bedroom bowing her head to the couple taking her leave. Dr. Mio wrapped the stillborn child in a blanket tucking it gently in the nook of his arm. He placed his hand again on Mushi's shoulder patting it.

"Maybe next time." the doctor whispered. He truly felt bad for this couple. All they ever wanted was a baby of their own, and God would always smite the idea when hope had arrived.

Mushi slammed his fist in the stone floor. "Their won't be a next time..." he whispered. His eyes resonated true pain. Powerlessness, loss, and grievance... A man who had nothing else to lose. He would be damn sure she never will conceive and lose again.

The doctor nodded his head leaving the man to wallow in his sorrow.. Shortly afterwards his wife had stirred in bed. Mushi removed himself from the floor rubbing his wife's cheeks.

"Mmmm... Mu...?" She asked in a daze.

Mushi kept rubbing his wife pale face. "Shhhh... I'm right here..." he told her. His heart-felt heavy, how could he tell her...?

"Mu? Why is it so quiet? Where is our baby?" She asked.

Mushi clenched his teeth and turned away to hide the tears that threatened to come out.

Ajisai's heart began to race, she started to panic. She slowly sat up in her bed. Ajisai's weak arms barely able to support her she asked her husband one more time.

"Mu... Where is our baby...?"

He couldn't take it anymore. He collapsed in his wife's lap sobbing. "I'm so sorry Ajisai!" he cried out.

Ajisai opened her eyes staring at a blurry moon from her tears.

'I wasn't able to even look at my baby... Why... Why does God hate us so much?'

Mushi observed his wife painfully as she slowly started to degrade. This was too much for him to bear. He could see every anguish look in her eyes, every question she asked, and blaming herself for what had happened. It was all just too much... He stepped out of the shadows walking to his wife, gently wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"Come on Ajisai... We should go to bed..."

She didn't even blink when she stood up leaning into his arms for still night air stirred as the sound of rustling bushes came from the garden. Mushi thought it was his imagination when he also heard a twig snap, but Ajsai lifted her head turning to the direction of the sound. Mushi tightened his grip around his wife's waist.

'What impeccable timing if this is a goddamn robbery.' he thought scowling

Mushi carried his wife to the sliding doors to the garden. He sat her down mumbling to Ajisai. "Lean against the door for support. I'll be right back." Ajisai did as she was instructed, half aware that their could be an intruder in their yard.

Mushi picked up a stick running around the corner beating the helpless hydrangea drawing supposed intruders attention away from the dango shop.

Ajisai stared up at the moon bathing in its light, still heartbroken and dazed over her lost child. Something caught her attention, she heard a small irritated cry and movement tucked under the base of a hydrangea. With what little strength she had left Ajisai stood herself up with trembling legs stumbling her way to the flowers. Her feet caught themselves forcing Ajsai to her hands and knees. She could not hear or see anything. Ajsai figured her weary mind had played some sort of trick.

Then she heard it again. Ajisai focused harder at the hydrangea. seeing a small object move. Her eyes stared in shock.

"MUSHI!"

Mushi ran to his wife distressed scream to find the most angelic sight before him.

Ajisai had a small bundle in her arms rocking it back it forth, the full moon hovering above her head imitating a halo's glow.

In the tattered blanket a voice started to cry and his wife cooed it to stop. Mushi staggered to his wife to answer his suspicions of what was in that bundle. He gasped seeing it was indeed a newborn baby. Not only that, but the child... had white hair? There were so many question and so many concerns Mushi held in his eyes.

'Will this be taken away too?' Mushi thought to himself, fearing if they had to give the child back... Ajisai would be nothing more than an empty shell.

It pawed the air with its tightly closed fist moaning as if ready to start another fit. "Now hush little one... Your mommy is here..." She pressed it gently to her face. "Hush now Shiroku, I've got you."

After seeing the look in his wife's eyes he knew he couldn't take this child away from her.

When Ajisai spoke the child's name its small eyes opened revealing little white pupils.

Mushi smiled holding the baby's head. "Shiroku, a fitting name...Mama."

Ajisai nodded her head smiling as well. "Her white hair is gorgeous...Papa."

"Go inside and rest, you don't want Shiroku to catch a cold do you?"

The little one cried out again and Ajisai smiled. "There, there... your Papa is right we shall go. My little miracle..."

Ajisai turned around heading towards her house with a baby in her arms. The fabric wrapped around little Shiroku fluttered in the wind landing on the ground. Mushi had picked it up observing the pattern on it.

Mushi's body froze in terror.'Good God!'

This clan's crest was well-known, but how the hell could the baby get all the way to the border? He quickly wadded up the fabric stuffing it in his kimono trying to erase the image he just saw. Mushi needed to keep this a secret. If he wanted to protect his family, his wife... and his new baby.

HNNNG! HOW WAS THE CHAPTER?! :D Lol, I is calm now =w= This tragedy shall continue in the next chapter!