Suki
Blood. So much blood.
Kagome's shrieks hit the air, and for once, InuYasha was utterly powerless to stop them.
He bit back a whimper, as the screaming continued.
"Shhh, Kagome…it'll all be over soon. Just keep pushing." InuYasha's ears heard bits and pieces of Kaede and Sango's comforting. He began to pace again. Miroku, Shippo, and Sesshomaru sat nearby, all pushed out of the way, along with the expecting father. They were secretly relieved.
Rin scurried past them, hurrying to fetch a bucket of water. She looked scared as well, and didn't pause for a second. Sesshomaru opened his mouth, to say Kami knew what, but his words were lost underneath another scream, this one louder than the rest.
InuYasha couldn't take it anymore. Yelping, he ran for the hut.
Kagome was lying on soiled sheets, but the screaming had stopped for now. InuYasha pushed through the women, and knelt by his mate.
"Kagome? You okay?" His eyes betrayed his worry.
Kagome looked up at him, smiling. He hugged her, relieved for now.
But…something was still not right. He wasn't hearing the healthy squall of a newborn. When Kaede washed the child off, he heard no breathing, and the flustered mood of the hut became somber.
"Where's my pup?" He glared at Kaede, who simply shook her head. Fear gripped him.
"It was a girl."
"Was?" InuYasha held out his hands for the pup, and Kaede reluctantly gave it to him.
"She's…dead. A stillbirth." Kaede turned away from him, and wiped fiercely at her good eye. InuYasha was left holding a very quiet child. He looked down at the bundle in his arms, and looked at his child's face. She was perfect…he could see his Kagome's features, her hair color.
By now, Kagome was struggling to sit up. She fell back onto the futon, utterly worn out. She reached for the still bundle, expectantly. Obviously she hadn't heard Kaede, and she wanted to coo over her first child. InuYasha made a choking noise in the back of his throat. Who was he to ignore her? He placed his child in her arms, and sat at the foot of the futon.
"She's so beautiful!" she exclaimed. "Wow! InuYasha, look! She's got white eyelashes! Isn't that unusual? But she has human ears…aw, and I was hoping for a dog-eared baby! But she's still so pretty. I can't believe she's mine." Kagome gazed down at the babe with adoration. InuYasha couldn't bear to look.
After a while, Kagome must've realized something was wrong. InuYasha covered his ears, but he heard it nonetheless.
"InuYasha…what's wrong with her?"
He made that choking noise again, like he was holding back tears. Kagome suddenly gasped, as the truth hit her.
"She's…"
"Yeah…" A few tears slipped out anyways. InuYasha turned back to Kagome, to comfort her, only to find that Kagome had fainted.
"Shit!" He went over to her side. The child lay in her arms, like some lifeless doll. Beautiful, but without a soul…without a heartbeat.
InuYasha placed the pup to the side, and picked up his mate.
"Kagome? 'Gome? Please talk to me!" InuYasha shook her ever so gently, before letting her lie still. He decided to let her rest for a bit.
He picked up the child. He saw the human ears, the black hair, and Kagome's facial features. He also noticed the little hands had claws on them, the mouth had fangs. He gazed at the eyes. What color were they? The eyelashes, and even the eyebrows, were indeed white.
This nameless child. If she had lived, her name would've been…Suki. It was a name they had picked out carefully. They both had agreed on it, as soon as one of them suggested it. They both took credit for, and they both claimed as their own idea.
InuYasha couldn't bear to look at the child anymore. He walked out of the hut, carrying her carefully.
0o0o0o0
When Kagome woke up, she was disoriented, and slightly frightened. She felt like some weight had lifted from her. Suddenly, she remembered, and turned face first into the pillow to weep.
"Ah, you're awake child. Have some broth." Kaede turned Kagome back onto her back, and helped her sit up. The old lady hesitated for a moment, and then hugged the poor girl.
"I understand dear…I loved the little thing as soon as I saw her. But what's gone is gone." Kaede gave Kagome a handkerchief, to dry her tears. Kagome did so, and let Kaede mother her. Occasionally, a salty tear would fall into the broth, but Kagome drank it up anyways.
InuYasha entered the hut when she had finished. He stood in the doorway, as if unsure of himself. Kagome smiled shakily at him, her eyes asking him for forgiveness. He rushed over to her, crushing her in a hug.
"I'm just glad you're alive. If something had happened to you…" He kissed her gently on the forehead, and slowly released her.
"Inu…what happened with the baby?"
"I buried her." InuYasha couldn't meet Kagome's eyes. He began fiddling with the edge of his haori under her scrutiny.
"May I see where she is?" Kagome looked pleadingly at him, still trying to catch his gaze. InuYasha nodded, just barely. Taking her hand, he helped her get to her feet. Kaede watched as they both left the hut. After several minutes, she poked her head out the door. They were gone.
"Okay. Ye can come on in." Shippo rushed in first, followed by Sesshomaru, then Rin, then Sango, then Miroku. Kirara came in last, treading carefully, making sure Kaede wasn't going to shoo her out.
"Now, we're all agreed, right? No one is to speak to InuYasha or Kagome about what happened yesterday evening. Sesshomaru, there's no possible way to bring back the babe?"
"She'd been dead for a month. She perished in the womb. She's too far gone for Tenseiga to save her." Sesshomaru said this with his normal deadpan on, but Rin knew for a fact that he had cried along with the rest of them when they heard the news.
"You're just not trying hard enough! I bet you just don't want to help your only BROTHER! YOU BASTARD!" Sango lashed out at the demon lord, trying to strangle him with her bare hands. Miroku jumped up, managing to hold Sango back, but the tajiya was enraged.
"That was Kagome-chan's FIRST CHILD! I was going to be the GODMOTHER! YOU BEAST! YOU HAVE NO HEART!"
"Silence your tongue, woman! I wish not to hear your harping! What's dead is dead! I've used Tenseiga before, I know when it won't work, and I know for a fact that nothing on this planet can bring my niece back! Now sit down, and let your monk comfort you."
Sango sank down to her knees in despair, and sobbed silently. Miroku sank down with her, offering words of comfort.
"Poor Kagome…she must be devastated." The silent group broke out into sobs at this. Shippo and Rin leaned on each other while they cried, and Sango's wails grew in pitch. Sesshomaru and Miroku exchanged looks, while both tried to be strong for the rest of the group. Kaede's one good eye was streaming tears, and Kirara mewled pitifully.
The sob fest was broken when InuYasha and Kagome re-entered the hut. For a moment, the group looked up in surprise. Then, out of the blue, Shippo giggled a little. Everyone switched gears, as they all broke out into laughter. Kagome and InuYasha exchanged looks, as if saying, "are we the only sane people here?".
After a bit, everyone had calmed down somewhat, and everyone was in a less melancholy mood. Kagome sat down in the middle of the hut, and was immediately tackled by Shippo, who simply sat in her lap, looking up at her. He was joined by Rin, who asked in a sweet voice if Kagome could braid her hair for her. The rest of the group quickly scurried to find something to do.
Several days passed in quick succession, with everyone trying to avoid the grieving couple. Kagome spent most of her time sitting by the sealed well, and InuYasha spent most of the days chopping firewood, hunting, thatching roofs for the villagers, helping Kaede with her vegetable and herb garden, and doing any sort of odd task that anyone could think up. Kagome made sure he was eating and sleeping, but otherwise she kept quiet about his increase in activity.
Two weeks after the fateful evening, Kaede called everyone together. It took a while, but eventually, everyone was crammed into the small hut.
"Listen up, people! I think we need to pay tribute to someone who was with us for a short time. I know we've been avoiding the subject but…" Kaede looked at the young couple, hoping for approval, before continuing.
"…we all need to give flowers to her, and pray for her soul."
0o0o0o0
An odd group they made, walking single file through the village. Kagome and InuYasha were in the lead, followed in order by Kaede, Miroku, Sango, Sesshomaru, Rin, Shippo, and Kirara in her little kitty form. As they passed through the village, some of the villagers began to follow, trying to see what the commotion was about.
After following a small footpath through the woods, they reached a small mound of dirt. A small, crude, wooden marker had been placed at the head of it, and a small bouquet of wilting flowers was placed on top of the grave.
One by one, the group went up to the grave. It seemed every spirit in the forest silenced itself for the small group. Only the wind made a noise, moving through the trees.
Even the villagers paid their respects, after finding out what the mound was. The small bouquet was joined by several flower arrangements of varying colors and types. The little ceremony was broken up by the arrival of rain. Everyone rushed back for the village, trying to get back under a warm roof.
0o0o0o
The next morning, Kagome woke up before everyone else, even InuYasha. She looked down at her gently snoring mate, pushing hair out of his eyes affectionately. She dressed into a light yukata, and headed out into the spring morning.
She found her footsteps heading towards the grave once more, and stopped in her tracks. Did she really want to visit this early in the day? She lingered for a moment, and then resolutely continued her trek.
There was someone else visiting the grave.
Kagome stopped in her tracks at the sight of the spirit. She smiled at Kagome for a moment, and then faded into the leafy background. Kagome found herself looking at thin air, where a tall figure had stood just seconds before.
She stepped toward the grave. Something was…very different today. She looked closer. If someone had been tampering with the grave…
In place of the crude, wooden marker was a marble tombstone. There was something written on it, in flawless hiragana. Kagome squinted to read it.
Suki
We shall never forget