InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Demon Should Act Like A Demon ❯ Finding Kagome ( Chapter 22 )

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and friends were created and lovingly brought to life by Rumiko Takahashi.

Author's Note:

All text in '__' are thought expressions.

I received some comments about Sesshoumaru being dead in the last chapter. No… he is not dead. Just disappeared for awhile.

Ju-Chan's Genealogy:

1. Kagome and Sesshoumaru are adopted parents to Shippou and Rin, respectively…

2. Rin marries a fellow human (unnamed) and has a daughter by him named Keiko…

3. Shippou and Keiko marry and have a son together. They name him Juuki after Shippou's father. He is affectionally called "Ju-chan," and he is a Hanyou.

Thank you for all the reviews I've received for the last chapter. I enjoyed receiving and reading them. Thank you also for your support. My apologies for the lateness of this chapter. Please let me know what you think of this next chapter.

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A Demon Should Act Like A Demon

By Ericedwyn

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Chapter Twenty-one: Finding Kagome

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Glossary:

Arigato - Thank you

Hanyou - Half-demon, Half-human

Haori - Top Shirt/Coat

Kitsune - Fox

Obaachan - Casual form for Grandmother

Ofuda - Charm

Okaasan - Mother

Ojiisan - Grandfather

Otousan - Father

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~* TheTempleof Timein the Realm of In-Between *~

Inuyasha peered closely at the Window of Time and Space as he watched his violet-eyed, future incarnate weave through the crowded streets of Tokyo. The slim, young man with shoulder-length raven-black hair shifted his book bag to his other shoulder as he crossed the courtyard of the University of Tokyo. He waved and approached two young students, a male and a female, who looked remarkably like Miroku and Sango from the life he just left behind. He heard the familiar slap and grinned as he watched the female student give the male a thunderous look. 'Some things never change, I guess…'

"Move forward three years from that time." Inuyasha spoke out loud, his words echoing in the great room as the scene before him blur, as if being fast forwarded by a VCR player. It stopped to show a slightly older version of his subject intently watching a craftsman pounding on a heated blade with an iron mallet. He paused to look at the face of the sword maker... tanned and lined with age, much reminiscent of Toutousai. Inuyasha sighed impatiently. 'Where is she?'

"Move forward five years," he said beneath his breath. The last image faded only to reveal another. This time he sees himself wearing a traditional dark kimono, kneeling next to a white kimono garbed bride. He held his breath. 'My wedding?' The hanyou's heart began to beat faster against his chest. He peered closely as the young lady in white raised her face to his incarnate and smiled.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and clenched his right hand. He felt his claws dig into the calloused padding of his palm. "Where are you, Kagome?" He cried in agony.

It took more than a few moments of agonizing silence before Inuyasha could bring himself to face the window again. This time the living screen showed a middle-aged version of his incarnate attending one of his children's wedding. He took a good look at the woman beside him. It took only a brief second before he recognized the vessel and the soul that resided in it. It was the grown-up version of the little girl that followed his elder brother wherever he went. The one called Rin.

Understanding dawned on him… Maybe souls who have known each other in lives before find each other again. Although this realization was comforting in a sense, it did very little to lift the heaviness he felt in his heart. He still couldn't find Kagome.

He continued to watch more of his son's wedding before once again fast forwarding to review his next life's future. He watched until his incarnate's soul returned to the Land of In-Between. With a sad look marring his young face and a raw heart, he checked on another future life. Again after reviewing the entire reincarnation, he found no sign of his raven-haired, blue-eyed love.

He turned to the sound of Juuki's distinct footsteps, but failed to notice the disconcerted look on the older man's face as he turned his gaze back to the window. "Juuki, you said that someday I will be reborn to see Kagome again. I've checked two of my next lives and I couldn't find her. How long do I have to wait?"

Juuki was taken aback by Inuyasha's words. He had surmised that his young charge would be curious about his future lives after seeing Kagome's return to her own time; yet, how could he explain what he had seen from glimpsing his own.

His solemn gaze fell on the back of the silver-haired youth's head. He knew of one way to prevent the future disaster from coming to pass, but would Inuyasha make another sacrifice?

~* Outside the Copy Center near Kagome's School, Modern Day Tokyo *~

"Arigato, Yuka-chan, for letting me copy your notes. I think I'll have a good chance at getting a decent grade on that test on Friday." Kagome said cheerfully.

"You'll do well as usual, Kagome-chan. I better go. See you tomorrow!" Yuka waved before crossing the street.

Kagome smiled as she zipped her backpack close. She heard a screech from a distance and sharply glanced up to search the sky. 'That sound... Could it be...?'

The young woman hoisted up her backpack and went off to the direction where she thought she heard it. Again, she heard the high pitch sound, this time much closer. She began to run towards it and soon she saw a great bird circling the sky. Tears sprang from the young lady's eyes as she got closer. "Tsumi-san!" She cried out in elation.

The sparrow hawk circled one last time, making sure her young mistress could see her location before making her descent. She chose a small wooded area on the outskirts of the city to land in wait.

Kagome followed Tsumi's sage-sweet scent, her heart tremulously beating against her chest. The joy of seeing someone from the past swept over her like a much needed blanket on a cold day.

When the young woman entered the wooded area, she met the green-yellow inhuman gaze of her dear old friend. Her eyes flooded with tears at how time has ravaged the older woman's body. She reached out tentatively when she neared, softly touching Tsumi's weathered face with her fingertips, almost afraid that the frail skin would tear. "How wonderful it is to see you again..."

Tsumi, also with misty eyes, closed her hand over the young lady's, smiling with both joy and sadness, and brought their clasped hands over her heart. "I have seen you at last, Kagome-sama. I can pass on with a lighter heart."

"Oh, Tsumi-san... Please don't say that." Kagome nearly whispered.

Tsumi smiled wanly at Kagome. "It has been both a blessing and a curse to have lived as long as I have, Kagome-sama. I fought long for the day I may see you again."

Kagome gave a small cry and hugged Tsumi as she sobbed. "I'm so sorry for leaving. I came back home for my own selfish reasons. But I was wrong. I realized too late that my home was with you all, in the past..."

Kagome felt Tsumi's arms wrap around her. "I know that this doesn't absolve me for what I have done. I don't even know how I can make it up to everyone. I..."

"We never blamed you, Okaasan."

Kagome started, her arms slipping from Tsumi's shoulders to fall at her side. She turned slowly towards the direction of the deep voice. 'Shippou...' She gasped as she got a full view of her adoptive son, all grown up.

~* TheTempleof Timein the Realm of In-Between *~

Juuki moved forward with leaden feet to stand beside the younger man. "There is something important I need to impart to you, Inuyasha." He said, deliberately slow and as calmly as he could.

Inuyasha glanced up immediately, instinctively sensing that something was amiss.

Juuki took a deep breath, and averted his gaze to the life scenes that are unfolding from the Window of Time and Space. "In Kagome's future, an incident will occur that will change the lives of many people. This is brought on by Kagome's return to her own time."

"Just tell it to me straight, Juuki." Inuyasha spat impatiently.

The Kitsune growled slightly at the Hanyou's impatience. "The reason why you will not see her in your future lives is because her soul will be destroyed by someone from her time. It will occur sometime in the next 24 hours in the living world."

"WHAT?!" Inuyasha's eyes bulged out in surprised.

"Many lives will also be forfeit. Some destroyed to hurt Kagome; while others killed as they try to protect her."

Inuyasha grabbed hold of the front of Juuki's shirt. "Who would do this? Tell me!"

Juuki shut his eyes, fighting back the images of the scenes of his future life. "I... I can't say..." he said, although he knew who will cause all the pain and death, leaving him all alone to face a cold, dark future. "I can only tell you how this future carnage can be stopped."

"Tell me, Juuki." Inuyasha desperately cried, his grip tightening around the fabric of Juuki's shirt. "I'll do anything to save her soul!"

Juuki nodded and took hold of the Hanyou's hands to pry them off his shirt. "The only way to save her and the others is to change the past. Listen carefully, for we do not have much time..."

~* Modern Day Tokyo *~

Kagome ran the fingers of both hands over the chiseled face of her son. With blue eyes, near blinded by unshed tears, she found it difficult to take her eyes away, and she memorized each millimeter of the face of the son she left behind. But Shippou no longer wore the face of a child. It was rougher with stubbles of a new growth of dark reddish hair. The young man's cheekbones were more pronounced, no longer cherubic.

Shippou remained quiet and still, towering over Kagome by a foot. Although he longed to take his adoptive mother in his arms, he waited patiently for her to be ready for him. At last, Kagome took the lead, bringing his face down towards hers to place an emotionally heavy kiss upon his cheek. He finally released his true emotions from its weak prison. Weeping openly, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, a living lifeline. "Okaasan… Okaasan…"

A few feet away, Tsumi watched Shippou and Kagome with tears streaming down her face. One hand rested on Ju-chan's shoulder, the other closed over her heart. She met the young boy's emerald-green gaze when he looked up. She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze and a misty smile. He returned the smile.

Shippou willingly loosened his hold, held her at arms length, and smiled at his adoptive mother. "You look like you haven't aged 500 years." He chuckled teasingly.

Kagome bowed her head low and cried in shame. "Oh, Shippou..."

Shippou rested his eyes on the crown of Kagome's head. "I remember when Otousan came home to tell us you had left, I started to cry. Rin hugged us both and told us that we needed to be strong, because you would have wanted us to be so. Over the years, she held up the strength that you always carried."

Kagome looked up, and mother and son held each other's gaze… He grabbed her to him, wrapping his arms around her again. "When she passed on, Keiko, her daughter… my wife…" Shippou smiled solemnly against her hair, and continued, "went through her things and found the letter you had written to her."

Kagome wept quietly against her son's shoulder, listening with both shame and longing, longing to know more about the past that she was never a part of.

"It was you who had asked her to be strong for all of us." Shippou felt Kagome's grip on the back of his coat. "Rin and I… We never, for one moment, questioned your love for us. We never blamed you for leaving. We understood, in time, why you did."

"I'm so sorry, Shippou. I wish I could turn back time." Kagome took a step back and brought her hands to cradle her son's face once more. "If I had to do it all over again, I would never have left you."

Shippou nodded with a smile. "I believe you, Okaasan, and I'm sure, Rin does too, wherever she is." Shippou lowered his gaze. "Otousan… I don't…" The young man paused, unable to find the words to break the news about Sesshoumaru to her.

Kagome's heart skipped a beat. "What about Sesshoumaru, Shippou?"

"He left to search for a way to travel to your time after Rin gave birth to Keiko. I…" Shippou took a deep breath and looked at Kagome squarely in the eyes. "I haven't seen him since. We… Tsumi-san, Jaken, Myouga-san, and I looked for him everywhere. There was a rumor that he had died. Although we found no leads, we found no evidence that he is alive either."

Fresh, hot tears spilled down Kagome's cheeks. They stung, but not as painful as Shippou's words. "He is gone…?" Kagome whispered hoarsely.

"I'm sorry this couldn't be a happier reunion, Okaasan."

"Kami-sama…" Kagome dug her face against the fabric of her son's coat. 'I deserve this… It's my Karma for what I did… Oh, Sesshoumaru…' Kagome felt a hand brushing through her hair and looked up.

Tsumi felt, rather than seen, the anguish in Kagome's eyes. "Don't," she said disapprovingly. Both Kagome and Shippou gave her a questioning look. "Don't start beating yourself up, Kagome."

"Tsumi-san…" Kagome began to say… It was then that she saw the young boy by her side.

Shippou followed her gaze and mussed his son's dark hair. "Okaasan, this is my son, Juuki. Ju-chan, for short."

"Yours and Keiko?" Kagome asked before leaving her son's embrace to kneel before the little boy. She gazed at the child and smiled when she saw traces of Rin on his face. "What a handsome boy you are, Ju-chan…" She tentatively held up her hand.

Ju-chan gave his grandmother a grin before taking her bigger hand in his and giving it a healthy shake. "Nice to meet you, Obaachan."

Kagome chuckled. "Nice to meet you too." She looked up when she heard the rumbling in the sky and saw that dark clouds had formed. "We should find shelter," she said as she stood. "Please come home with me. There are some people I would like you to meet." She smiled when they agreed.

They walked in companionable silence. Shippou held his mother's hand in his, looking down at their joined hands every other second or so. The joy in his heart, eminent on his face and the way he carried himself. Along side him, Kagome wore a smile, but it was sadness that filled her heart.

As they neared the temple compound, Kagome stopped suddenly. There was an odd scent, and it had made her suddenly near nauseous. She smelled…

"Blood. I smell blood, Papa." Ju-chan said in alarm.

Kagome jerked her hand away from Shippou's and ran towards the temple compound. She heard Shippou call after her, but she couldn't stop. She took the steps to the Shrine, three at a time, half afraid of what she might find there as the scent of blood and death grew stronger at each climb.

When she reached the top, the courtyard was empty and quiet. Something wasn't right. She felt it in her bones. Then she heard a woman's scream… it was her mother's. She crashed through the front door, and almost hurled at the concentrated metallic smell of blood and the sight of her brother's wrangled body on the floor. She gasped for air, as her eyes met Souta's dead staring eyes.

"Kami-sama…" The young woman was about to kneel before her brother's corpse when she heard another scream. Her ears pricked up and she rushed towards the staircase. She cried out when she found her grandfather's body sprawled at a strange angle on the stairs, a fistful of ofudas still tightly clutched in his hand. He, too, reeked of death. 'Ojiisan…' She sobbed. Her hand trembled as she held on to the handrail for support. With difficulty, she maneuvered her way up the stairs without disturbing her grandfather's body.

At the top of the stairs, she instinctively braced herself against the wall when something flew towards her. She caught it, then cried out when looked down at her arms. Blood gushed from a wide slit on her mother's throat. "MAMA!" Kagome screamed.

Aiko tried to raise her hand to her daughter's face but failed. Then with a last bloody breath, she expired in her Kagome's arms.

"Mama! No… Mama!" She cried as she gripped her mother's body to her. "Please... No… MAMA!"

"Hurts like hell, doesn't it?"

The voice, more than the words, chilled Kagome to the bone the most. She dared to look up and gasped.

~* TheTempleof Timein the Realm of In-Between *~

'Will you do this, Inuyasha? Will you make another sacrifice?' Juuki's grave words echoed in Inuyasha's mind. The Hanyou sobbed and clenched his hand around the fabric of his fire-rat haori. "Why does it have to be me?" His cry bounced against the walls of the temple, resonating the question over and over again. He fell roughly to his knees as he looked up at the pyramidal top of the building. "Kagome… How can he ask me to save you only to lose you again?" Hot tears bled from his eyes and he wept not only for what could have been but also for what can never be.

After the well of his tears dried, the Hanyou finally stood; although he felt out of balance from the emotional upheaval that tortured his every thought, every move. There was only one way to save Kagome. It was up to him to pave the way. 'I love you so much, Kagome. It's just isn't fair. But I don't want you to die."

Inuyasha shut his eyes and wiped his tearstained face with his sleeves. "I know what must be done," the young man said with shaky determination as he looked down at his other hand. He unclenched it and looked at the blue sphere that rested tauntingly against his palm. He gripped it once more and with resolve, directed his thought towards his destination…

A moment later, he stood before the thin barrier of another's dream. Inuyasha's dark thoughts claimed his weak resolve and his determination faltered. 'If I can't have you, why should anyone have you…'

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Next chapter teaser: Who has wrought such devastation in Kagome's life? What will Inuyasha do? Stay tune for the next chapter of A Demon Should Act Like A Demon…

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A/N: This was extremely hard to write. The next one will also be difficult. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, though. Until next time.