InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Demon Should Act Like A Demon ❯ Back To The Future ( Chapter 19 )

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

A/N: The glossary immediately follows the story. All Text in '__' are thought expressions. BTW, MiniMorr and "The Bet" are back. This awesome Sess/Kag fic is available on my website. This chapter is dedicated to Ashley who has become a kind-of purveyor of all cool things for my site! ;)

Thank you for all your reviews! I was going to write a really angsty chapter but I diverted a little. I actually had to rethink this chapter and the ones following this one. However, despite the angst that our favorite chars are and will be experiencing… I guarantee a very happy ending! _^,,^_ I am truly sorry for this chapter's delay.

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A Demon Should Act Like A Demon

By Ericedwyn

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Chapter Nineteen: Back to the Future

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~* Modern Day Tokyo, The Temple Compound *~

"Oh, Sesshoumaru…" Kagome whispered as she materialized inside the belly of well. She dropped down on her knees and keeled over onto her side, laying her cheek against the cold surface. Her tears flowed freely, the wetness swallowed by the thirsty earth. By her face, her sharp claws dug through the earth leaving five deep gashes. Through it all, her body shuddered with each sob "Honto ni sumimasen, Sesshoumaru…"

During the intervening time, a large sparrowhawk with feathers so grayed with age perched on a branch of the Goshinboku that stood princely in the middle of the Temple Compound. The bird tilted its head to one side, towards the well house, as if hearkening, while its piercing eyes flashed brightly at the darkened canvas of night. A moment later, the tori-youkai unfolded its wings, flapped them once to ascend from its perch, and then ascended seemingly towards the crescent silver that barely lit the sky.

~* Modern Day, The Western Land Fortress *~

The tori-youkai flew over the thick treetop canopy of the forest before it penetrated an invisible barrier that concealed its fortress from the ningen world. Unsteadily, the aged bird landed in front of the massive doorway before shifting to a more humanoid form. She pushed the door with some force before treading inside, all the while trying to catch her breath. She stopped as a coughing fit gripped her. She reached out for a wall that was a foot away and nearly stumbled if not for a small dark-haired boy who caught her.

"Obaa-chan, daijoubou desu ka?" The young lad asked, concern written all over his face.

"Hai, Ju-chan." Tsumi stifled a cough before smiling at the boy. She marveled at his growing strength, even in the child's weaker form, as he led her to a leather armchair, a comfortable addition ten years back. "Ju-chan…" Tsumi took a deep breath before continuing. "You should be in bed." The old woman admonished softly.

"It's hard to sleep when I'm in human form, Obaa-chan." The little boy, who to the outside world appeared to be seven years of age, responded, lowering his eyes to the ground.

Tsumi reached up and raised the boy's face so she could look into his eyes. "Can you do something for me, Ju-chan? It is very important."

"Hai, Obaa-chan." Ju-chan straightened and looked up at her with anticipation.

"Please go to your Otousan and tell him that the Miko has arrived."

Ju-chan looked at Tsumi and repeated, "the Miko has arrived...?"

"Hai, Ju-chan. He will know what you mean. Go now, hayaku. This is very important."

"Hai, Obaa-chan." The dark-haired boy bowed and ran from the front hall towards the library where his father usually spends his evenings when at home.

Tsumi covered her mouth before succumbing to another fit of coughing. A moment later, she wearily leaned back against her chair. It was then that she noticed the blood that covered her palm.

~* The TempleCompound, early morning *~

"Mrow!" Buyo, the Higurashi's very well-fed cat, was minding his own business while he was taking his morning promenade when his nose suddenly picked up a very interesting scent. He raised his nose for full effect and followed it until his nose smacked against the door of the well-house. A little dazed, the fat cat shook its head and at first, stared at the door as if willing it to open. Giving up on his latent psychic ability, he proceeded to whap a paw at the door while mewing loudly to get some attention from his human family inside the house nearby. "Mrow," he called again and again, until his little boy, Souta-chan, answered his call.

"What's the matter, Buyo?" Souta asked as he picked up the cat.

"Mrow!" Buyo responded, waving his paw towards the well house.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Souta asked, grinning at the family pet.

Buyo squirmed in the little boy's arms until he was able to escape. Upon landing… more like flopping down on all fours, Buyo started to whap the door with his paw again.

Souta stared up at the sliding doors of the well house. He really didn't want to go inside. Most of his experiences inside were of the unwelcoming kind, but he swallowed his fear. 'If Buyo wants to go inside, maybe there's nothing bad in there… this time.'

Souta opened the door gingerly and peeked inside until both door frames were completely open before taking a small step inside. He continued to walk warily towards the mouth of the well until he was an inch away. He stood up on tip toes and looked down. Inside, although slightly dim, he could make out the form of his sister. He began to worry when she seemed so still.

He ran quickly towards the house. "Okaasan! Okaasan! It's Oneechan! I think there's something wrong! Hayuku, Okaasan!" He cried before running back to the well house.

Kagome's mother, Aiko, ran out of the house and followed after her son. She looked down into the belly of the well. "Kagome! Kagome, wake up!" Kagome shifted slightly but did not wake. Again, her mother called her name.

Buyo padded around the lip of the well while looking at the occupant at the bottom. 'Well, somebody should really just go down there.' He looked up at Souta-chan who was looking down at his big sister, and shook his head. He turned around on his heels and walked the other way. He was about to turn the corner when he felt an elbow on his rump and he fell in.

"Oh, Kami-sama! Buyo!" The feline heard from above him. Buyo screeched and did his best to right himself, thankfully landing on Kagome on all fours. He looked up at his somewhat clumsy little boy.

'Really! What a hazard…' He was about to curse in his head when he heard a soft whimper nearby. 'Well, I guess it's the Great Cat, Buyo, to the rescue.' The feline rubbed his side against Kagome's outstretched arm while purring. He stopped to whap his girl's cheek softly with a paw. 'Wake up, Sleepy Head. Your King commands you to wake!'

The obese feline looked at his girl thoughtfully. 'Maybe I can wake her with a kiss…' He leaned in closer and flicked a pink tongue at Kagome's cheek, tasting the saltiness that lingered there. His girl stirred awake. 'Works every time!'

"Buyo?" Kagome asked sleepily. Her head felt like a thousand pins were using it as a pin cushion. She shifted to a sitting position and felt a stab of pain on her hip. 'Why does my hip hurt like this? I don't remember falling on it…' She asked herself as she rubbed the sore area.

Buyo gave Kagome an innocent look, although he felt a smidgeon of guilt for having used her to break his fall.

Kagome climbed to her knees and scooped Buyo into her arms. "Oh, Buyo, it's so good to see you!." She said, albeit a little sleepily.

Kagome! Oneechan! The young woman-child heard from above. "Mama! Souta!" She cried out and ascended the height of the well in one swoop without first thinking of her present demon state. At the top, two surprised people gawked at her. Not yet ready to explain, Kagome instead first placed Buyo on the ground before enveloping her arms around both her Mother and Brother.

"I was so afraid! So many things happened. I didn't think I could come home again. I didn't want you to worry…" Kagome's shoulders shook as each word fell from her lips.

Aiko ran her fingers through her daughter's dark tresses as she tried to reassure her. "It's alright now, Kagome. You're here and you're safe. That's what matters."

"Oh, Mama…" Kagome whispered before allowing herself to give in to her tears.

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"So… let me get this straight." Kagome's Ojiisan murmured slowly. "You died and Inuyasha wished you alive, but as a youkai."

"Hai…" Kagome affirmed just as slowly.

Kagome's Ojiisan clenched the ofuda inside his haori with his hand. 'That Hanyou! I knew he was trouble! My favorite granddaughter… My poor Kagome…'

"Kagome is okay, and that's what matters. Right, Ojiisan*?" Aiko, sitting between the two and across from Souta, held her daughter protectively with both arms. "Right, Ojiisan?"

Kagome's Ojiisan removed his hand from his haori and nodded. "Hai. So what are you going to do now, Kagome?"

"I don't know, Ojiisan. Finish High School, then College, I guess."

Kagome's Ojiisan nodded again. Inside, however, he was dealing with a whole lot of emotional turmoil from this strange turn of events. 'This is not good! A Miko that's a demon! Our ancestors must be rolling in their graves.'

The old man stood up from his cross-legged sitting position. "I need some air. I'll go sweep the grounds." He said as calmly as he could before leaving the room.

"He'll be okay, you'll see, Kagome." Aiko smiled encouragingly. "He'll come around. He just needs time."

"I hope so, Mama." Kagome sniffed.

"Oneechan?" Souta asked with innocent, wide eyes.

"Hai, Souta."

"Where are your ears?"

A/N: * I used "Ojiisan" because in the Anime, Kagome's Mom uses that rather than "Otousan."

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Later that day, when the sun was getting ready to set in the sky, Kagome took a step outside of the confines of her home. Her eyes immediately fell upon the well house. Tears pooled in her eyes as she fought the wave of despair that began to grip her entire being.

Somewhere inside of her, she already knew she made the biggest mistake of her young life. She knew before she left the Sengoku Jidai that she would regret her decision to cross time to see her family. She just didn't know just how much until now… as she stood there looking at the building that housed the well that once gave her the link to a past she could never again visit.

"Sesshoumaru… Shippou… Rin…" She whispered through clenched teeth. "Please forgive me…"

Kagome covered her nose and mouth with her hand as she fought another tremor of emotional pain. She slowly made her way to the great God Tree, the Goshinboku. She stopped a few steps in front of it and reached out towards the great scar that covered its dry belly. She touched the lips of the small orifice that once caught the cold sharp tip of the arrow that sealed the Hanyou Inuyasha. 'Oh Inuyasha… life didn't turn out well for all of us, after all.'

She took the steps to cover the distance to the grand tree and wrapped her arms around its great middle. Her slender arms could reach not even halfway around its width. Kagome gently placed a wet cheek against the rough bark and closed her eyes. Maybe she would be able to feel the past somehow… An image of Sesshoumaru crossed her mind. Maybe she would be able to feel him…

~* Sengoku Jidai, Western Lands Territories, Kaede's Village Environs *~

Many hours had passed until Sesshoumaru allowed himself to move from the lip of the well. Kagome's scent had disappeared from within it almost an hour ago. He walked shakily away, with nowhere in particular to go. He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to face Shippou and Rin and tell them that Kagome had left them too.

Somehow he found himself standing before the God Tree, where his brother had been sealed by the Miko, Kikyou, over 50 years ago. He looked up at its many leaves and branches, swaying with the small breeze. 'Did you know she would leave me?' Sesshoumaru cried out inside.

He clutched his chest with a clawed hand but didn't feel the sting from his self-inflicted wounds nor the warm wetness that coated his Kimono front. 'If I knew love would hurt this bad… I would never have allowed myself to…' He shut his eyes, unable to finish his thought. "Why did you leave me?" He cried out as he leaned against the Goshinboku.

A moment later, the Taiyoukai wrapped his arms around the wide berth of the God Tree. His arms reached a little past the middle. "Where are you now, Kagome? Are you thinking of me?"

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Across time and space, for one fleeting moment… two star-crossed lovers felt a connection…

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Glossary: New terms and terms that needed to be defined again. Please see the previous chapters for other Japanese terms.

Daijoubou desu ka? - Are you alright?

Honto ni sumimasen - I'm very sorry

Obaa-chan - Grandmother, Older woman

Ofuda - Charm

Tori-youkai - Bird-youkai

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Next chapter teaser: Kagome's past catches up to her.

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Sorry about the very delayed updates. I had to go on vacation from everything for what's left of my sanity. Then school started again for me. It's crunch time as I am graduating next month. After this last class, I'll probably have more time for my fan fics and my websites. Again, I apologize profusely.

Ericedwyn's Fan Fiction Updates:

Inuyasha:

A Demon Should Act Like A Demon: Chapter 19 posted. Chapter 20 will be posted hopefully within a week or two.

The City by the Bay: Chapter 3 will be posted within a week or two.

**The floor plans of Kagome's house is available on my website. Please see my profile.

***NEW*** Inuyasha Fics:

Kagome's Second: (My first Bankotsu/Kagome romance and a pre-quel companion piece to The City by the Bay). I've outlined the prologue. I want to write the Prologue and Chapter 1 first before posting. I will give you a better idea when I next post a chapter from above.

Inuyasha's Jewel: (My first Inuyasha/Kagome romance). I'm setting this on hold for a short while. I want to concentrate on the first three.

Gundam Wing:

Just For One Night: (Noin and Zechs) Part two and final chapter is a lemon. I need to be in a certain mood. Will try to post by the end of the month.