Every year on April 21st We gather around the Goshinboku, in memory of the hero's we have lost, We honored them by lighting lanterns, and sending them into the night sky, in hopes that the lanterns will guide their souls together, never to separate. And as we let the lanterns fly we tell the story of The Half Dog Hanyou and the Girl from the Bone eater's Well.

Tamamatsuri

" MOMMY! MOMMY!" Cried a high pitch voice, from a violet eyed beauty, around the age of 6. She had long straight brown hair, similar to her mothers style, and deep violet eyes, identical to her fathers.

"Yes, yes what is it my dear?" asked the young girls mother

"Why do we, come here ever year? And why do we send the lanterns out?'' Asked the small girl.

"Honey I've told you this already…we come here every year to celebrate the deaths of our fallen friends. You see today is the day that they had been taken away from us…sacrificing themselves In order to protect the ones they love. And the lanterns? We send them into the night sky every year in hopes that the lanterns will help lead their souls to one another. Never to separate, its called Tamamatsuri..the soul festival." Said the young girl's mother.

" oh right! Sorry I always forget! Hehe." Said the girl.

As they finished their conversation they could see the village Miko, Lady Kaede, lighting the first lantern. With help from a purple clad monk.

"Ye ready Miroku?" asked Kaede.

"As ready as I'll ever be, lady Kaede." Miroku said with dread in his voice. In the corner of his eye he could see a young man, standing in a tree not to far from where they were. Knowing he was like his father and didn't like crowds he knew the boy would come no closer.

"Everyone light your lanterns!" yelled the elderly priestess.

"mommy, can I light mine!" asked the small girl.

"I think your still to young to play with fire there Kagome, why don't you let me light it for you! " said a deep voice from behind the mother and child.

" Uncle Shippo!" cheered Kagome

" haha, wow I never expected this many people?! I swear the the toen gets bigger every year…And how are you Sango how are you doing? And of course how are you miss Kagome?" Asked shippo with a huge smile on his face.

Sango unable to believe how much the little fox kitsune has grown over the past 10 years. No longer stood the little kit that accompanied them on their journey for the jewel shards, instead stood a young man about 5'12, long hair, the length of their dear half demon friend, pulled back into a hair slip, at the back of his neck. He no longer wore the fur vest with green Haori with leaves on them, but instead wore a white Hoari with matching hakamas.( similar to Sesshomaru's, design and all, just w/out the armor.) his tail had thinned out a lot, no longer a cotton ball but more like Koga's Tail.

"Shippo I didn't think you'd be able to be here? I thought you were slaying a demons, in the southern territory? And we've been good. Miroku has been behaving. But I think that's just because all the woman here know he is spoken for." Sango asked curiously.

"Are you kidding me Sango? Do you really think I would miss this?" Shippo asked slightly annoyed at the woman standing in front of him.

" no I just figured you would be running late, you did pick that trait up from a certain hanyou we both know." Sango, shippo, Laughed at this comment

"Mommy they are starting!" cheered Kagome.

"Ok dear, shippo let's go! You know you are coming up there with us." Sango said in a stern tone.

"..o..ok Sango…" not really wanting to go up there, but he knew he had to do this for them, after all it was his fault as to what happened. Despite what the others say. He just didn't feel right being up there with Sango, Miroku, kirarra and the others.

Begin Flashback

"Shippo you have to protect Kagome and the pups no matter what ok!" Screamed a very pained half demon

"Ya sure…but what about you InuYasha? How will you make it?" asked a very young and confused fox demon.

"I don't plan on it...use Tetsusaiga to save yourselves…and this." Inuyasha walked over and placed his fire rat Haori (spelling?) Over the unconscious Kagome and the 4 pups.

"But InuYasha…you can't leave! You cant beat them this time InuYasha your way to injured" cried Shippo

"Sorry Shippo but I have to protect them no matter what…even at the cost of my own life…I have to protect them…oh and Shippo? no matter what you believed I have always cared about you even from the beginning with the thunder brothers. But you know how hard headed I was back then." Stated InuYasha with one of his most rare smiles that no one but Kagome got to see not even the pups, Before walking away, with a final kiss to beloved's forehead. "Alright you bastard this is where it ends!" screamed InuYasha little did he know that the one he wanted to be safe the most had awoken and was running right after him calling his name

"INUYASHA!" screamed Kagome leaving her pups and his behind to be protected by Shippo, her adopted son.

" WAIT KAGOME COME BACK! I PROMISED INUYASHA I'D PROTECT YOU!"

Right before the blast hit them Shippo could still hear they're eldest son, Inu no Taisho screaming and crying for his parents to come back and protect him like they usually would and tell him everything was going to be ok. Not knowing that the last thing he would see of his parents is his father holding his beloved mate in a tight embrace knowing that no matter what he did to protect her, she wouldn't survive the blast that was coming for them, and neither would he.

~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Uncle Shippo? Uncle Shippo! mommy what's wrong with uncle Shippo!" asked a nervous Kagome

Sango and Miroku just stared at Shippo knowing exactly what was wrong…but how could he not feel the blame when the eldest son still blamed him for their death's and not stopping them from sacrificing themselves, how he just stood there not even trying to stop his father to try something different.

Sango was the first to speak after." Shippo?" asked Sango carefully rubbing his arm trying to grab his attention. One thing Sango learned with all the years of demon exterminating was that you never wanted to startle a demon…no matter how good friends you were with them.

" huh? Oh ya I'm fine Sango…oh I think Keade is going to start the tale…" shippo said nervously

"Alright now, everyone get comfortable… this is a very long tale of the half dog demon and the girl from the bone eaters well."