Unbroken Circle
Songfic by Patriot1776
Song: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's bluegrass classic, 'Will The Circle Be Unbroken'
It had finally happened.
Kagome knew it had been coming. Her mother had been getting up there in age. She had watched her mom grow old while she had continued to stay young after mating with InuYasha. Kagome had seen her mother's hair turn from black to snowy white, seen her face become wrinkly with the age she was showing. Over the last few years, her health had started to decline naturally, and now, yesterday, she had finally passed on in her sleep.
Still, that didn't make things any easier on her. She was standing by the window of her old room at the old shrine house where she had grown up, by the window that InuYasha had opened up and came through to get her so many times during their adventures all those years back. She looked out now, the sky cloudy, and saw the large hearse park at the base of the steps leading up to the shrine. InuYasha walked up from behind and put his arms around her to comfort her. He had known this day was going to beone of the hardest of her life.
……….
I was standing by my window
On one cold and cloudy day,
When I saw the hearse come rollin'
For to carry my mother away.
Will The Circle Be Unbroken?
By and by Lord, by and by.
There's a better home a-waitin'
In the sky Lord, in the sky.
…………
Kagome now saw Souta walk out of the front door to greet the men from the funeral home. Being the only male sibling, Souta had had to handle all the details of the burial and the funeral ceremony, and it had just about killed him doing it. Only InuYasha and Kagome's support had sustained him through this hard time. He was talking to the undertakers as they were getting Mama ready to be put into the hearse.
…………..
Lord I told the undertaker,
"Undertaker, please, drive slow.
For this body you are haulin',
Lord I hate to see her go."
Will The Circle Be Unbroken?
By and by Lord, by and by.
There's a better home a-waitin'
In the sky Lord, in the sky.
……………..
The funeral itself was harder on all ofthem then they thought. Kagome's friends, Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi had sobbed heavily along with her and Souta, and Hojo had patted them all on the back, offering what comfort he could. Even InuYasha found himself fighting back tears. He had kept it a secret from Kagome for years that her mother had reminded him so much of his own mother, Izayoi. Part of InuYasha's tears however were tears of joy for Kagome because during all the time they'd spent together, until now, she had still had what he had hadn't since he was four: a mother to run home to during the times when the world got the better of her, and yes, all those times he'd hurt her too during their adventures together. Breaking the funeral ceremony protocol, he'd drug Kagome and Souta away from the gravesite when the time had come to lower Mama Higurashi into her grave for good. Nobody stopped him.
………………….
I will follow close behind her,
Try to hold up and be brave.
But I could not hide my sorrow
When they laid her in her grave.
Will The Circle Be Unbroken?
By and by Lord, by and by.
There's a better home a-waitin'
In the sky Lord, in the sky.
……………………
After the funeral was over, everybody went back to the shrine to try and celebrate her life. InuYasha could tell however, that everybody hadn't finished crying. Kagome and Souta the most notable ones. Kagome and Souta were still teary eyed throughout the cheer-up party Hojo had thrown, and InuYasha did not leave Kagome's side at all during the next several days, staying within arm's reach of her. Eventually, Kagome's knowledge that her mother had gone on to a better place allowed her to get over it.
………………….
I went back home Lord, My home was lonesome
Miss my mother, she was gone.
All my brothers, sisters crying.
What a home, so sad and long.
Will The Circle Be Unbroken?
By and by Lord, by and by.
There's a better home a-waitin'
In the sky Lord, in the sky.
…………………….
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Author's Notes about the song of this fic:
I am a BIG fan of bluegrass music, and 'Will The Circle Be Unbroken' is one of my all-time favorites of the genre. The song was originally composed and performed by The Carter Family, one of the most well known folk groups of the 30's and 40's. The song was made into a big bluegrass hit in 1972 when The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band got Earl Scruggs, Jimmy Martin, Doc Watson, and other bluegrass legends together to do a bluegrass triple album with 'Will The Circle Be Unbroken' as the title song.
I chose this song for this songfic because it's the easiest bluegrass song I could think of that could in any way be used in an InuYasha songfic. I may find some others, but this was what came together off the top of my head when I heard the song again after buying a CD with it on it. The name of the CD was 'The Time-Life Treasury of Bluegrass', a 2-disc set full of bluegrass staples.
Lastly, to dispel any thoughts of me as an old timer with too much time on his hands, I'm actually 22 years old and also enjoy listening to Metallica and Led Zeppelin among other things. Bluegrass music however is the music of my Southern roots, and I like to keep in touch with that.