Counting Crows
By Mai Darling Dearheart
One for Sorrow
"Children of God, we are not here today to mourn a loss. We are here to celebrate a life, a life that has been returned into the merciful arms of our Lord and Savior."
The rain never stopped.
It just poured and poured down on them like the entire ocean had been sucked into the sky, and now the sky had no more need of it. It was so fitting for the day, though. Everyone dressed in black and weeping, and Sesshoumaru didn't understand a bit of it. He didn't understand why his father's gaze never left the ground and how droplets of water streamed down his face even though they were under the protection of the umbrella.
He especially didn't understand why his mother wasn't there.
"Papa?" he asked softly, trying to be discreet since the pastor was talking and the last thing he would have wanted was to be rude, "Uhm… shouldn't we go home? Mama will be worried about us if we're late for supper, especially since it's raining so hard…"
His father didn't reply just held his son closer to his side. Sesshoumaru frowned lightly, "Mama said she was going home the day before yesterday, didn't she?"
"Lord God, please bless our sister, Inutaishou Haruka, as we put her into your loving hands…"
"That's mama's name. Did she call for us?" Sesshoumaru asked his father, whose expression looked even more pained than before.
"She was an ever faithful servant of yours, and will continue to be in your heavenly courts…"
"Papa…?" he tried again, even softer now as he sensed his father's… was it annoyance? He trembled as he saw his father's fists clench tightly—so tightly that his nails drew blood from his palm.
He quickly let his hand go slack as he balanced the umbrella in one hand to pick up his scared son in one arm, "I'm sorry, baby." He whispered, his voice hoarse from crying. The child's slim, short arms wrapped hesitantly around his neck, "Papa's just sad right now."
Sesshoumaru's face scrunched up in contemplation, "Oh…" he replied as he looked around at the familiar faces of nannies, play-dates mothers, and uncles with their arms encircled around the aunts as they wept into their respective uncle's chest, "Everyone's so sad today…" he mused.
"Yes, Sesshoumaru…" his father replied, his voice choking.
"Nee, papa?"
"Mmm?"
"I saw a crow right before we went to see Mama the other day." He focused his gaze on the strangely shaped cherry wood box, and his eyes widened a bit, "Oh!" he exclaimed, then winced when he noticed several stares directed at him, but continued on to his father much more quietly. He pointed to the box, "Mama's already here."
The umbrella was dropped as Inutaishou Touga, the proud lord of the Western ring of demons, fell to his knees and sobbed shamelessly, clutching his son tightly.
"From ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Amen."
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A/N: Well, there we have it! Sorry, I've never been to a funeral (my dad never thought I was mature enough to go to one, and we just had a fifteen minute long memorial service for Grandpa), so I don't know exactly what they say.
I know most people probably won't be able to tell (heck, I wouldn't), but this is taking place in modern times. Of course, this will be yaoi. I'm expecting it to be Naraku/Sesshoumaru. 'Cause I like it. ;D
Anywayyyy… this is based off the legend that I read about in the SAT. How I still remember it, I have no idea. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Review and tell me what you think so far (although there isn't much to tell).