A Demon Should Act Like A Demon by Ericedwyn

Prologue

Silver-blue light swirled around the Miko as she clutched the darkened Shikon no Tama in both hands. Her faithful companions, Sango, Miroku, and Shippou gazed entranced at the power they did not know she possessed. She looked like a goddess with her eyes closed and bowed head with her dark hair billowing around her. So distracted were they that they did not see the arrow heading straight at Kagome.

With a sickening thud, the arrow embedded itself through Kagome's heart. Her concentration faltered and the silver-blue swirls around her began to disperse and dissipate. She fell backwards to the ground, still clutching the Shikon no Tama in her hands, eyes closed. Shippou screamed and raced over to her side. He patted her stomach frantically with his little hands yelling "kagome-okaasan" over and over again.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha howled from where he stood and left his brother to finish Naraku, to kneel before the fallen Miko. He slapped the kitsune youkai off of Kagome, as he clutched her to him. He shot a horrified look towards the undead Miko he once loved. "Kikyou... Why? WHY?!?"

"I cannot rest until she is dead. Now you are completely mine! You will fulfill your promise to me." Kikyou snarled and began to approach him.

Inuyasha gently laid Kagome on the ground. He steeled his countenance and his heart, as he readied his claws. 'Kikyou, you will pay!' Overcome with anger and with tears freely gliding down his face, he began to stand, but a gentle hand halted him. He blinked through the tears and glanced down at Kagome. Immediately, he felt his anger ebb away as the peace and love she radiated consumed him. Gently, he ran the back of his fingers over her right cheek. "Kagome..."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome smiled weakly, her dark-blue eyes misty. "The Shikon no Tama..." She held out the jewel to him, and the Hanyou covered her hand with his larger one. "is now yours. I trust you and believe in you, Inuyasha. Please be happy! Sayo..." Kagome takes one last breath, and exhaled, "...nara," before slumping into the Hanyou's arms.

"Okaasan!" The kitsune screamed and broke down in tears. Sango scooped him up and clutched the child Youkai to her chest. She bit her lower lip in a failed effort to fight back the tears trying to escape. She turned towards Miroku, and burrowed her face on his shoulder, unable to look at the scene before her. Miroku wrapped his arms around her and the kitsune, as he too broke down.

"KAGOME! No! You can't leave me! You can't!" Inuyasha screamed at the dead woman-child in his arms, as if commanding her to come back. "Kagome..."

Suddenly, Inuyasha tightened his hold on Kagome's hand and felt the round shape of the jewel. "You will live..." He whispered through her hair and placed a kiss on her temple. "I wish for you to live!" As Inuyasha made his wish, he imagined how his wish would take shape. He closed his eyes as a bright blue light surrounded him and Kagome. He removed his sheathed sword and placed it in her hands. He gazed down at Kagome for a short moment before covering her lips with his. Then he cried out in pain as he felt himself being torn in two and then yanked forcefully from his love. When the light disappeared, Inuyasha was sprawled on the ground a few feet away from his beloved Miko... no longer Hanyou, but a Ningen. His human body, covered from the wounds from his fight with Naraku, now also sported an arrow wound to his heart. The Shikon no Tama...gone.

He heard footsteps and felt his upper half being raised. "Inuyasha..." He opened his eyes and purple orbs met his older brother's golden ones. "What have you done?"

Inuyasha blinked and shook his head mentally. Did he detect concern from his brother? "Sesshoumaru... I've fulfilled one promise. I have to fulfill Kikyou's too. Take care of Kagome for me. Protect her for me. She is demon now and will need your help." He coughed, blood seeping from his mouth.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in surprise and glanced at his brother's wench, now surrounded by her companions. He looked into Inuyasha's eyes again, and conceded without question. "Hai, Brother."

"One more thing," he groaned in pain, "tetsusaiga is now hers. Teach her how to use it to protect herself."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Inuyasha... I..." The elder brother began. He knew that Inuyasha wanted to die for the undead Miko, but he suddenly felt guilty that he was unable to keep his promise to their father that he would watch over his little brother. Suddenly, without knowledge of how it happened, his hatred for his brother was replaced with grief. "The tenseiga. I will revive you."

"No. I will keep my promise. I will go with Kikyou to hell. And Sesshoumaru?"

"Hai, Inuyasha."

"Sorry for being a pain in your ass, Oniisan." Inuyasha chuckled... spewing more blood from his mouth as he coughed again. "Oi, Kikyou!" He called out to Kikyou, who had taken a spot away from the others, as he struggled out of his brother's hold. "I'm ready."

Sesshoumaru let his arm fall and resignedly took a few steps backward. Kikyou took his place and wrapped Inuyasha in her arms. A moment later, the ground started to shake and crack around them. He watched, his face without expression, as his brother and Kikyou were swallowed by the earth. Hollow, he walked towards Kagome and her friends.

Miroku and Sango made to block his way, and Miroku spoke his concern. "Sesshoumaru-sama, what will you do with Kagome-sama?"

"I will keep my promise to my dead brother, Housi. You need not worry about my intentions." Sesshoumaru responded with a stoic face.

Miroku grabbed Sango's hand and led her away. "But Housi-sama..." She began to say, but he placed a finger to her lips. "It's for the best, Sango. Kagome-sama needs him now." He again wrapped his arms around Sango to both comfort her and himself.

Sesshoumaru approached Kagome and bent down on one knee beside her. He brushed her blue-black hair away from her ivory face, and cradled her face in his hand. 'She looks so beautiful, so at peace as she rests...' He brushed the padding of his thumb gently over the blue smudging on her forehead that will soon become the mark of the blue moon and traced the two purple smudging on her cheek with his claws. He decided not to check her wrists for the other stripes for he deduced they will appear also with time. He swept his eyes over her body and noticed that Kagome bore the same wounds as his brother. 'It is as if they shared each other's wounds to decrease their fatality,' the demon lord thought in surprise. With his tail and arm, he gathered the unconscious Miko-demon and the sword to him, and prepared to make his journey home.

"Wait! I'm coming with you!" The kitsune yelped after him as he dragged himself and Kagome's overstuff bag towards Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru's eyebrows twitched in annoyance, but yanked both bag and kitsune off the ground, before making their ascent to the skies. Without a backward glace at Sango and Miroku, he sped away with his new burden. Shippou waved at Sango and Miroku until they disappeared from his sight.

Glossary:

Aniue � Older brother

Hai - Yes

Hanyou � Half-demon, half-human

Kitsune - Fox

Miko � Priestess

Ningen - Human

Okaasan � Mother

Oniisan � Older Brother

Youkai � Demon