Chapter 23: Grief and Preparations

"And now he is committed to the grave, and unto the Gods good graces, for he died without blemish, without fault." Kaede said loudly over the wails and cries of the mourners that had assembled around a small hole in the ground in the shrine's small cemetery. A tiny wooden box was slowly lowered into the ground by Inuyasha and Miroku, the silver haired hanyou cursing himself silently, telling himself that it was his fault the baby was lost, his fault that he wasn't there to protect Kagome, he failed… he failed… the words echoed in his head as he released the small box at the bottom of the grave, and as dirt spat down into the tiny hole, quickly covering the small box, his silver tears mixing with the black soil as the hole filled. He saw that his tears of anger and mourning were not the only ones hitting the grave, as Miroku's face was covered with them, shaking his head angrily. He could almost read the message that was in his brain on Miroku's face, that he to had failed in protecting his friend.

"Goodbye… my son…" he whispered quietly, his breath coming forth in shudders as he turned from the grave, seeing Kagome, dressed in a long black kimono, her head in a veil of silver hair as she bawled into her hands, her silvery tears dripping slowly onto the soft grass at their feet. "Kagome…" he whispered, walking forward and quickly taking her into an embrace, her wails of sorrow melding into those of the villagers who had become Kagome's good friends as well, and joined in the groups sorrow.

Sango was there too, quickly taken into her husband's embrace, burying her head into his chest, crying quietly. Miroku buried his nose into her hair, trying to help her feel protected and safe in his arms. "Just let it out, Sango, just let it out…" he whispered quietly, his own voice choked with sobs as his grip tightened around her small frame.

All of them had cried for so long, they were almost cried out, too stricken with grief to cry anymore. It was just so tragic… Kagome having lost her first child and all. Sango's belly had been starting to swell in the last week, a constant reminder to both Inuyasha and Kagome to what they could have had, if Hojo hadn't gone running off like a big time baka.

In the next half hour, the villagers gave their regrets, regards, and consolation to the grieving couple. A few women taking her hands and telling them their losses and things they still grieved even to that day, embracing Kagome like a sister, for that was what she pretty much had become for the whole village, a big sister. A sister who helped them whenever there was trouble, protecting and nursing them when they were Ill or wounded in hunting accidents and the like.

The men would also offer their consolation to the weeping mother, then turn to the father, pat him on the shoulder, and call him a real man for going through this, and that they could come anytime if they needed anything at all, as one man put it, "my house is your house, Defender." That was a little nickname Inuyasha had gained around the village, slowly but surely as the tales of Inuyasha's adventures got around to villages all over Japan. A few men had actually committed themselves to getting it down in writing, feverishly asking around in taverns and inns about stories of the great "Protectors of the Jewel of Four Souls".

The last two to come to console them was Cali and Naja, both looking grim, "we heard about your loss, you have our pity…" Cali said, bowing his head to Inuyasha and Kagome, to which their faces darkened even more. Pity wasn't what they wanted, they wanted their lives back, they wanted to be able to sleep together without fear of causing another of their children to face death with Naraku still on the loose.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, snarling, "Alright, look, we don't want pity, okay! We just want… want our pup back…" he ended this with a whimper, as though his resistance and energy had been sucked out of him as he just held Kagome to him, nuzzling into her neck affectionately. Kagome's eyes were red on the edges from crying, as were Inuyasha's, making them seem enraged as their eyes bored into the couple. For the first time, Cali looked ashamed, looking down at the ground, "I am so sorry, Kagome and Inuyasha, I did not intend to upset you…" His voice died in his throat as Inuyasha looked up, his eyes boring even harder into Cali's.

"Look Cali, I think you've worn out your welcome, so why don't you just leave us alone!" The male snarled, giving him and his mate a look of pure anger and grief. Inuyasha really wanted him to just leave them be… they needed to be alone… to talk about something just to get this out of their minds.

Cali nodded as he turned, taking his Mate's black silk covered arm, "Come Naja…" he whispered, as Naja quickly followed, looking back at the couple with concerned eyes as they went into the village to their own hut they had built on the edge of the village limits.

Inuyasha sighed as he looked at Kagome with dark golden eyes, "Kagome… It's gonna be a hard night, isn't it?" he asked, his voice soft and soothing as she nodded, looking up at him, smiling.

"Inuyasha?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Yes Kagome?" He replied, his eyes begging for a response, and lit up as this one came.

"C… can we try again? I mean… after we sort out Naraku? Because… to be honest I always wanted to have pups with you… almost ever since I met you…"

Inuyasha smiled widely as he hugged her tightly, pulling her to his chest as she nuzzled deeply into it. "Kagome… I… I'd love to…" he purred, licking her cheek lightly, making her sigh and giggle lightly. "Kag… I think we have a demon to slay back in your world… I think we had better bring the others, too…" He whispered, gently rubbing her right ear, making her purr in delight.

Kagome nodded, "At least now we all have something in common, we all have a personal vendetta against Naraku…" she sighed, nuzzling into his neck, giving it a gentle lick, making him shiver in delight, even in the midst of grief.

Inuyasha looked up at the horizon to the west, where the sun was setting. The light shone brilliantly off of their manes, hair glistening as a light breeze blew across the cemetery, making it billow around them, covering them in a veil of silver, the light sobs carried on the wind to the mountains and back again.

That night, at Cali's hut

Cali lay next to his mate in a lover's embrace, her soft cries slowly dying away as the euphoria filled them. They had decided that tonight would be a gentle night, no rough stuff, just lovemaking. He felt her gently nuzzle into his neck, licking at it sluggishly. "mmmm… that was great, Cali…" she purred ,looking up at him with her dark brown eyes, meeting brilliant green orbs, which seemed to smile at her as Cali's deep voice whispered, "mmm… yes… you were wonderful too, my beautiful mate…"

Naja snuggled down against him, moving her head up slowly to take his lips chastely, before gently backing away after he had returned the soft kiss. "Cali?" she asked, looking over his face, trying to see what he was thinking about.

Haru's eyes snapped down to hers, as though surprised she was there, "hmm?"

Naja gave a soft giggle as she held her mate close, "Cali… I feel so bad about Kagome losing her child… I really want to do something to help them… if anything at all…" she whispered quietly, as though afraid of being overheard.

Cali sighed, looking up at the ceiling for a second, then down at her, "Honey… why don't we ask them how we can help them…" he asked softly, "Tomorrow, though," he added, a soft grin crossing his features as he rolled on top of her, his eyes showing flames of passion once more.

Naja cooed, "oh Cali! Were energetic tonight aren't we?" her eyes held the same flames and returned them as she began to roughly nip and lick at his neck, making Cali gasp in surprise and pleasure.

"Mmm… yes Naja, we are, and we are not going to be done for quite a while!" he purred, the night soon filling with the sounds and smells of heavy mating.

The next morning, at Kaede's

In their little adjoining room in Kaede's hut, Inuyasha quickly packed up his meager belongings, and flung them onto his back, smiling gently at his mate, who was hefting Sango onto her back, wishing her an easier trip, as Miroku checked and rechecked the emergency herbal remedy pack he had invented over the course of the last three months. In it he had herbs for maladies ranging from bruising to memory loss to miasma poisoning. He nodded once when he saw that it was all in order, giving a "thumbs-up" to Kagome, except he did it with his pinkie, to which Kagome giggled, noticing he was doing it wrong. "Miroku, wrong finger…" she giggled softly as Miroku looked at his hand, noticing his mistake, and put his thumb in the air, his eyes on his right hand.

The wind tunnel had returned ever since Hojo's possession, and he was out in the gardens, picking herbs when he had felt the usual void in his hand return. He should have know, should have seen it as a sign, but he had accidentally ingested a little myrtletap, making his brain a little listless while he was picking herbs, he noticed the inconsistencies in what he though he had picked and what he had actually picked the next day. "If I had only told Kagome..." He thought angrily, "This wouldn't have happened!" He pulled out his sutras from their storage pin on the wall, putting them in the pocket on the inside of his robes to store them, this one being lined with silver, to keep the holy energy intact while they were being carried, keeping them at maximum effectiveness.

Sango had snuggled down onto Kagome's back, getting comfortable as shippo jumped onto Inuyasha's shoulder, looking him over with an inquisitive glance, "We going somewhere, Inuyasha?" he asked, looking interested.

Inuyasha nodded to him, "Yeah… were gonna take Naraku down once and for all!" he growled, his eyes buring with anger at the man who had destroyed his pup.

Kagome had already escorted Yuki, Ayumi, and Eri back home, telling them to take care and to keep this secret, and definitely stay away from Hojo, no matter how normal he may seem. They had nodded, showing that they understood. Kagome, satisfied, had jumped back down the well and ran back to Kaedes to prepare for their journey.

Just then, a soft mewing came from Sango's kimono as Kilala popped her head out of the folds at her chest, looking excited, making Sango giggle, "hey Kilala, wanna come slay Naraku with us?" she asked, her voice laced with giggles as the fire cat mewed in assent.

Inuyasha gave a curt nod, "Alright, did we forget anything?" he asked, looking them over with an inquisitive eye.

They shook their heads, Kagome already had her bow out, ready to fight. "Lets go, Inuyasha…" she said softly, marching determinately out of the front door, Kaede waving farewell as the others followed her out the door. "Take care, children! See yeselves home safe!" she called, smiling brightly. "go get em', Kagome, make him pay for what he did to ye…" she whispered under her breath, watching them walk quickly into the trees.