By Moonlight's Strength

by Ymir-chan

An alternate continuation of Dead Prophecy. She had died, right? She's alive, but given time, death can change even the purest, and you will see that fate is kind, yet cruel. She might just rip the souls from the ones she hates, and Loves. KS Sum inside

By Moonlight's Strength

By Ymir-chan

Summery: An alternate continuation of Dead Prophecy. She had died and it seemed fate had lied. But given time, death can change even the purest, and you will see that fate is kind, yet cruel. She wants her revenge and with the strength she receives from the Moon God, Kagome might just be able to rip the souls from the ones she hates, and loves. What is truth can be a lie, and what you love might just be what you hate. But what is most cruel, is the fact that you will have to live with your hatred and sorrows until you are killed or the one who cursed you gives you pity. To be what you are or to be what you are made, Kagome doesn't know the difference and because of that, can't make her choice.

AN: It is not required to read Dead Prophecy, because I have put sightings from it in the first half. There are also bold notes that show when the ending of Dead Prophecy change, and when the whole story starts new.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, though I fantasize over the demon lord quite often. I am not ashamed of my desires no matter how unrealistic they may be. Damn me. Grrrrr…

Chapter One

To Die and Come Back to Kill

XxX

The well gives off a bright purple light, neon flashing to the sky strait to the heavens. No one saw, no one guessed. It was the end of a passage; it was an end to a later life.

Stuck in her past, whether she wanted to stay or not. The well had read her heart, it has chosen for her.

The orange moon shone eerie into the night, highlighting the trees with its glow. The purple and orange light clashed and started the prophecy. It was beginning, and the woman would loose her heritage to become the moon, the soul, and the goddess of life.

She will protect the strongest from them, and she will save the weak.

If she lets the man-beast break her, the power will turn black, lest she saves the strongest from their sorrow, she will not succeed. Pray to high she keeps her mind, and not let evil seep, she will love you all, and her other she will meet.

Let you not, man of ice, kill her twice, for the red could end all lives.

The prophesy had decreed.

XxX

She woke up with sweat on her brow, breathing hard. Today was her twenty first birthday, and her dream was not a good beginning. It was a voice as pure as silver, sweat and melodic. But the words scared her.

The well was mentioned. She thought. What is this prophesy that the woman spoke of?

XxX

"Well, here goes nothing." She jumped over the edge and was engulfed by the neon purple light. She was suspended for a long moment, longer then usual. Shimmering purple stars shot past her, missing her barley by inches. "Wha…what's going on here?"

The well had read her heart, it has chosen for her.

"What does that mean? What is going on here?" She kicked out her legs, hoping to catch some leverage, get some footing.

It was beginning, and the woman would loose her heritage

"Are you talking about me? Who are you?" The purple illumination intensified, glaring and Kagome had to shield her eyes.

If she lets the man-beast break her, the power will turn black

"Please, tell me what's going on! Let me go!" Her book bag had fallen from her shoulder, but it hung by her side like her body. She continued to struggle. It was her dream. The words, the voice, it was all like in her dream. What could it mean?

Suddenly, her feet found the well dirt floor and her body righted itself. Her pack fell to the ground with a thud. The light had faded, but the voice still rang through the hollow well.

The prophesy had decreed

XxX

Kaede ignored the hanyou as she thought over the words. "Let you not, man of ice, kill her twice, for the red could end all lives. Could the prophecy mean Kikyo? She is the only one who has died by a hand as cold as Naraku's and now lives again. She has a connection to the well and a man-beast that had broken her heart. Man-beast meaning you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha made no comment, but Kagome fought tears.

"Some of this does not make sense. Why would I get the message if it's meant for Kikyo?" Kagome took the offered bowl of miso from the woman and sipped cautiously. "Could Kikyo be the end or beginning of the world? She's not exactly alive; she is only living off the souls of dead women and half of mine. And the heritage, has she lost that?"

"Kikyo is indeed dead. Inuyasha does not want to admit that. But her heritage is here in this village as the miko and guardian of the Shikan no Tama. Those rights have been lost to her. She could very well be the woman in the prophecy, and you child, received that message because you share her soul. In a way, you are a connection to her. I doubt she can very well dream herself."

She reflected the words of the old miko with sadness. In a way, this prophecy had come in the way of her and Inuyasha's relationship. The words had a hint of binding, love.

XxX

But, he didn't think he could travel with Kagome either. After all, who could walk around with the woman who looked exactly like the love who you were just reminded was dead? The deep brown eyes of Kagome were the exact same as Kikyo's. Those same sparkles of green that shone so bright in the moon, the same glossy black hair, and the gentle hands that would caress him so gently and lovingly. They both had the same soul.

"If only she were Kikyo, then I could love her completely." He whispered to the orange moon just before a cloud engulfed it.

Kikyo stepped from the shadows and walked ever so delicately to him. "Kikyo,"

The woman stopped but a hairs breath away from him, nose to nose to her former lover. The hanyou wanted to take her into his arms but hesitated.

"Kagome has not taken your place, Kikyo, no one can. I can live without her, but you I would die again if you were to be taken from me. I would give any thing to have a life with you still. Your life is mine, and mine is yours. It will always be that way."

XxX

It was completely dark outside now and quiet. Not even the crickets and cicadas were heard. Except a small whisper of a noise. She couldn't place it. It was like a small constantly ringing bell that never changed its note. Then…

It starts, go and start the destiny. Go to your loving man-beast.

She shot up into the air, frightened. That voice again. The one from the well and her dreams. It was speaking directly to her this time and not repeating the prophecy. It was commanding her to do something. To start her destiny.

The orange light from the moon shone strait into the little cottage room and beyond that she could see the bright purple illumination of the well shoot strait up into the sky.

The prophecy was starting. She had to get Inuyasha.

She picked up her jewel shard and slipped it around her neck while grabbing her bow and arrows and headed out the door to where she last saw Inuyasha. Kagome slowed her steps though when she saw the souls surrounding the old tree.

Kagome took one step, then another back from the two. This was not something she should be witnessing. She turned around and quietly ran into the forest. Tears broke from her eyes and soft sobs choked her throat.

XxX

She felt pathetic, too weak and feeble to control her own life, to fight for herself. Could she never depend on only her to make her life hers?

'Can I never give myself a life? Fight for it myself? My own?'

'Damn the weak. If they can't obtain a reason and courage to get what they need and want, do they even deserve to survive? But am I justified to snuff out their existence just because they are in the way of my own existence?

'If I am weak, do I even deserve to live?'

The thought had her stopping. Ironically, the area in which she was in was non other then the Goshinboku. The tree stood above her in waves of strength. Its high branches reaching the sky, piercing the dark blue curtain. Its trunk was thick, rounded at the size of a few feet in circumference.

And she envied him. The God tree had stood for many generations, and would stand for many more to come till her time. He stood for many a moon, and still stood as proud and strong as any mortal creature could wish to be.

She envied both of them. 'The strength I need is like the earth and the moon.'

The jewel shard at her throat pulsed slightly at her thoughts. Kagome fingered the fragment slightly while pondering its own strength. 'The strength of moon, earth, and spirit. Strength unmatched.'

"I wish to have your strength, to protect myself, and those to weak to protect themselves."

"Wishing for strength is pointless. You have to work at it. And I doubt you will ever get the chance to try."

It gave her chills, the only one who could ever burn fear into her body with only a softly spoken word was Sesshoumaru, and she was alone, and unarmed.

XxX

"I am here, and you are my purpose, though I fear I might be late." Sesshoumaru stepped from a shadow and calmly walked toward the girl. Kagome stumbled against the trunk of Goshinboku and Sesshoumaru paused a foot from her.

"I can not allow your wish to be made, or the prophesy to become true. Power such as that could reek havoc upon this land. Cons outweigh the pros. I do what I must." Kagome had not a chance to breathe as a clawed grip was crushing her throat.

"If you are to live, the rest of the prophesy would come to be. That is why I have to kill you now, in order to stop the problem before it becomes even bigger."

Sesshoumaru gently ran his other hand down the girl's hair to her collarbone were he grasped the shard at her neck. With a yank, the chain snapped and he held the purple shard between two fingers as he coated it with poison from his fingers. "Do not fear death. Be glad for it. If it is not me who kills you, it would be another to use you. That would not be much of a life. I do this as a favor for you and all living creatures."

Her eyes were blurring from lack of oxygen, but she could see the shard's purple shine coated with steaming green poison. The jewel was not tainted though, which confused her. 'He has no ill attempts. He is genuine in his decision. Though, I am still going to die.'

He saw the pained look on the girl's face and felt a bit of regret. 'She really is strong. She should have seen that from the beginning. I hate ending it this way. Goodbye, young Kagome.'

"Close your eyes." The soft command had Kagome lowering her lids and relaxing. Accepting.

'This is where it ends. This too, is strength. Acceptance and not regret. I only wish I could have realized that sooner.'

Sesshoumaru lodged both poisoned shard and sharp fingers into the recesses of her heart. With a deft twist of his hand, the organ ripped and died, along with the girl.

XxX

(XxX)

(This is where it starts differing from the original.)

The shard, which was still lodged in her heart, tried vainly to shine, but it flickered out beneath the poison and quieted.

Sesshoumaru stood staring up at the now blue white moon through the tree tops. The moon was calm, almost sad, mourning its tragic daughter. Sesshoumaru silently prayed he would be forgiven for his deed. He couldn't chance such a power roaming with no control.

He kept his gaze on the abstract face on the moon, wondering why it looked so forlorn, but he stared, even when he smelt his brother's scent. He stood even as Inuyasha barged into the clearing with the un-dead miko in his arms. He stood still, even as Inuyasha brandished the Tetsusaiga at him.

XxX

"I have to do nothing for it. That is Kagome's destiny." Inuyasha dropped his hand and stepped back from his love.

"I thought it was you who was the one. You are the only one who has died and all that other junk. It can't be Kagome."

Kikyo pulled Inuyasha close to her, not wanting to tell him the truth about his friend. In fact, she pitied the girl. She would have to die, as she did, just to live again. And with no certain purpose.

"I know she is more then that. I have always known. You love her, not like you love me, but you still care for her. I am sorry to have put you through all this, but I have no ill feelings for her. I just did what I had to do to keep her from loving you completely, or else she would not be mentally prepared for her destiny. She can not love you and do what she must."

"We will just have to find out."

He quickly hoisted Kikyo into his arms and took off into the woods towards the Goshinboku. His brother and Kagome's scent was strong. A trace of Sesshoumaru's poison was there, along with...

"Kagome!" Inuyasha skidded to a halt to see Kagome slumped at the foot of the tree and his brother, blood soaking her shirt.

Kikyo looked down at the body, seeing no trace of life; but there was an odd thing. Her body may have been dead, but her miko aura was there, along with her soul, slowing seeping into the fragment of the jewel still lodged in her heart.

Was this natural? The jewel was helping on its own accord, which was odd to keep a mortal alive. Kikyo decided to keep this to herself, feeling horrible about it, but interested too. If they were to know she could still live, the demon lord might really kill her.

"Enough, Inuyasha. You should put her body to rest. I only did what I thought best to insure the safety of mortal life. I had no pleasure in this." Sesshoumaru never looked away from the moon.

"She was a strong woman. I know she would never hurt another, even if she was hurting herself."

"She was not mentally strong enough. The distress of her life would eventually consume her. I did not want that to happen."

His eyes were sad; his once bright eyes less gold and more bronze. His face was soft with emotion, which Inuyasha could not remember in his life ever seeing.

"She was strong, and I respected her. What human, or demon for that matter, has ever been like her? Never had I met some one who I cared for. I really hoped I could have known her better. But I had a choice; either watch the woman destroy what I found most respective of herself, or give her release now while she was still pure and content. I did what I had to do, for Kagome."

XxX

Inuyasha came from his stupor and knelt beside Kagome. He ran a finger down her already cold cheek. Kikyo watched as the shard reacted slightly to his demon aura, and stiffened slightly at the thought of Inuyasha finding it. He would surly have it removed if he knew. Kikyo let out a small breath when Inuyasha seemed oblivious to the sacred shard inside Kagome.

"Kagome, I am sorry. Please forgive me for not being there for you. I know I never told you, but you are my closest and dearest friend, and I will always love you." He sobbed the last of his confession before breaking down and crying.

Inuyasha smiled as best he could, though it came out in a grimace. "Thank you, Kikyo, for being here for me. I don't know how to explain this to her family, let alone my friends."

Kikyo cut a small lock of hair from Kagome. "Worry about that when you have to. For now, just get her home. You have a right to mourn as well."

XxX

The well, when he approached it, looked old, like it had aged in the past few hours. The vines around it were shriveled and the wood was splintered and rotten. With one last look at the full white moon, he jumped into the well and disappeared.

Hopefully, he thought, life would move on.

But without Kagome, life would never be the same.

XxX

(This is the alternate continuation.)

He noticed it took longer for the well to work. Its blue light that usually sparkles and shimmers is duller, lest radiant, and it takes twice as long to travel as he is suspended in lost time with the body of his friend.

He held her close to him, savoring what little warmth her body still held, yet couldn't help but wish she would sit up and smile.

He knew it would never be, seeing as all his senses told him she was completely dead. Even most of her skin was turning a dark shade of blue where blood pooled, like most dead bodies, while the rest of her body was a sickly shade of pale, ash white.

If it was anyone else, he would have been disgusted. He felt slightly necromantic holding the dead body so close to him so long after death.

But it was Kagome, he reasoned, and only for her would he ever do this for. Maybe even Kikyo, seeing as she is already dead, but he promised himself, as he felt acid coat his tongue sickly, that this would be the last time he would hold such a body so close and for so long.

It was just too horrible. Her limp, blue and ash limbs swayed with the hovering atmosphere, and her neck bent impossibly back that he thought it would break.

Inuyasha forced himself to keep the vomit and tears at bay. He couldn't let himself feel disgusted at her. Even in death, she was still his friend and he owed her his respect.

His feet hit solid ground after a few minutes, longer than it has ever taken. It was starting to close, Inuyasha guessed, as the air around him flashed from bright blue to dark grey before he was completely freed.

It was storming outside the well house. Lightning flashed through the slivers in the walls and rain dripped through small holes. He jumped to the top of the stairs by the door and his chest clenched as Kagome's body flopped and dropped in his arms.

When he slipped the door open, thunder boomed and cracked angrily, but oddly enough, the full moon was in clear view, the thunderclouds seemingly swirling around its form keeping a clear distance.

The sight scared and distressed him.

The moon's clear blue light shinned through the Goshinboku and onto the limp form in his arms, sadly mourning the death of a pure soul. Inuyasha stared at the moon, coming to the understanding that it knew more than anyone what had happened.

It had a part in the puzzle of Kagome's death. Inuyasha glared angrily at it and turned his back in spite. Damn the moon, he thought.

He took off into the rain, jumping up into the second story window and entering Kagome's room.

He breathed in her fading living scent, memorizing it to his heart. It would be the last time he would ever get to smell such a pure, clean scent of Kagome. Carefully, he laid the body on top the bed, gently folding her arms and arranging her features and hair to look like a more peaceful sleep.

He could almost fool himself she was just sleeping, could almost fool himself.

Inuyasha stood by the bed for some time just watching her rest.

Try as he might, Inuyasha tried to hate his older brother for killing her. He wanted to chase after him and rip the demon's own heart out in revenge.

But sad, dull brown eyes and an indescribably emotional visage stopped his anger and hatred. Inuyasha dropped his head in defeat.

He had never really hated his brother, and after tonight, would never again. Sesshoumaru had been affected just as much as he was. He had done what he thought best, truly believing he was justified in his actions, but hating it still.

He had to stop thinking about it because any more and he would break down. Kagome would want him to be strong for her, to keep moving. He was hell bent on standing for her, even if his heart was crushed at his toes.

The sounds of her family down stairs brought him back to reality.

Inuyasha cringed and sighed at his job of breaking the news. Her mother would be the most difficult to handle, and Inuyasha feared her tears and heart break might crush his resolve to keep strong.

He would not cry, not just yet. When he was back and alone, then he would mourn her, but not in front of her family. They deserved their peace.

Smoothing back her bangs, Inuyasha straightened his back and turned to leave the room.

Sota was sitting on the floor playing a video game when Inuyasha walked into the room. He was sixteen now and almost as tall as his sister, and Inuyasha watched the young teen for a moment knowing he was going to miss the squirt.

"Hey Inuyasha, you're back. You have time for a quick game?" Sota asked. He grinned at the hanyou as he always did but Sota noticed the difference in the man. He couldn't place it, but something was wrong.

"I can't right now. Why don't you get your mom and granddad for me, Sota?" Inuyasha said as calmly as he could with the best smile he could muster. Just looking at the boy almost broke him. Damn his emotions, he cursed.

Sota eyed him oddly but went to fetch his mom and gramps like he was asked.

Aikiko walked into the living room drying her hands on her apron. When she saw the look on Inuyasha's face, fear gripped her heart and she feared the worse. Her father and son followed her and both seemed to feel the tension as all three sat down quietly on the couch.

"Inuyasha, is something wrong? Is Kagome alright?" Aikiko asked as he just stood there, not knowing what to say. It only worried her more.

"I…I have some bad news." He paused and took a breath. Better to just come out and say it instead of skirting around like a fool, he thought. "I'm so sorry, but Kagome is dead." He cringed and fought back his own agony. He hated saying it out loud.

Aikiko and the other two stared at him, taking a moment to come to terms. Then, with an agonizing wail so heartfelt it forced a tear to escape and fall.

Inuyasha could only wrap his arms around himself in comfort as the small family huddled around each other, crying out in loss. Kagome's mother screamed out her pain before she collapsed in a heap on the floor, shuddering out in sobs, crying in loss for her only daughter.

Dully, Inuyasha felt as though he let them down. In that moment, he never hated himself more.

XxX

The four were crouched by the bed in prayer when dawn broke. They had spent the rest of the night crying and comforting, asking how it had happened.

Inuyasha had told them about the prophesy and how she had ran into the woods only to meet her death by his brother, only leaving out about him and Kikyo.

Aikiko hadn't blamed him for not protecting her daughter, but Inuyasha still felt that he had failed in saving her. For that, he was willing to sit with them in the early dawn light and pray for her soul's peace.

When Aikiko had calmed down some-what, she had cleaned and dressed her daughter's body in a plain white robe and laid a sheet of cloth over her face in respect.

The contours of her face could be seen in the cloth and Inuyasha felt his gut twist again. Even in death, she was still so beautiful.

If only he would have made her happier while he had the chance instead of sneaking around behind her back and hurting her. Their last day together was less than perfect with only a few words passed between them, and none of them remotely friendly.

The self hate returned and he felt miserable.

He and the family sat crouched next to the bed for what seemed to Inuyasha like ever. He didn't really want to leave her, his dear friend, but the fear of the well closing had him anxious to get out of there.

As more time passed, Inuyasha was glad to see that the granpa finally looked up and threw purified powder on the body and swung some sticks with dangling paper on them over after.

Sota stood up and left for his room. Inuyasha could smell the tears he held but didn't know what to do. He let the kid down, just like every one else.

More self hate.

Aikiko took longer than her son or father to finish her prayer. When she finally stood, she surprised the hanyou as she pulled him close to her and hugged him tightly.

"Please, don't blame yourself. From what you told us, you did all you could. If this was meant to be, then all I can do is except and hope her soul finds peace." Her grip tightened but Inuyasha didn't try to pull away. He had missed the comfort of a mother, and greedily took hers. "I want you to promise me that you will not blame yourself. All I ask is that you keep moving and to always keep my daughter close to your heart. Never forget her or us."

She kept her arms tight around his neck until he nodded slowly. She pulled back and faced him, both locking gazes with eyes filled with tears.

Aikiko's heart lurched for the normally brazen hanyou before her, and wished she could always be there for him. But the well was closing and she knew he had to return to the other side.

"I think I know what Kagome would want, if only a guess." She started. Inuyasha dried his eyes and quirked a brow at the odd comment.

"Come with me." She said seeing his questioning look.

In a confused daze, Inuyasha followed the woman as she led him outside and to the Goshinboku. Kneeling down next to her, he followed her pointed finger to the bottom of the tree where a name was carved deep into the trunk of the tree.

Inuyasha noticed, with a slight pang, that it was Kagome's name written there, deep enough to survive time but neatly enough to show the love and care that went in to it.

"Has this always been here?" Inuyasha asked as he traced the words with his eyes.

"For as long as I can remember, longer than any one I know. When I saw it, I knew I wanted to name my own daughter after the carving. I think I know now why it is there." She hiccups softly but didn't cry. "That is why I also want you to take Kagome back with you to lay her to rest. I know she would appreciate it."

His head jerked up as he realized what she had said. Through happy tears, Inuyasha smiled and hugged the woman again. "Thank you, Mrs. Higurashi, I can't tell you how this makes me feel." She patted his shoulder and stood back up. Inuyasha followed her and they both looked up to stare at the foliage.

"When you leave, make sure to say goodbye. I have a bunch of extra food and supplies that you can take with you if you want." She offered. He nodded absently as Aikiko went back to the house.

Inuyasha looked back at the carved name, almost hidden behind the small bundle of flowers. In a flash, he saw the night sky and Kagome's bleeding body at his feet.

With horror, Inuyasha realized he was standing where Sesshoumaru had stood and Kagome's name was right where she had been slumped.

Squatting back down, he looked more closely at the name, noticing how elegantly it was cut and curved. He didn't have that nice of writing, and could hardly spell.

A sad smile crossed his lips as he realized who had possibly written it. He grunted in an attempt at humor, but it felt hollow.

Sesshoumaru, he thought absently. His brother's guilt must be as great as his own. He didn't feel any comfort at the thought though. Only understanding and pity.

With a final prayer, Inuyasha returned to the house to retrieve the offered food before he would leave back to the well with Kagome's body.

He would miss them all. If he could, he promised, if he lived long enough, he would come back here to them. They had become like a family to him.

XxX

Kikyo waited with her sister in the village. It was night again, a whole day since Kagome's death. She had felt it when Inuyasha had returned, but had left him to his peace.

She knew he was distraught, maybe hysterical, but knew she could do nothing to comfort him right now. She would be there for him when he came to her, but knew he wanted to be alone for now.

Kagome's death saddened her, but the hope of her rebirth lessened the hurt. Kikyo only hoped that when and if Kagome came back, she wouldn't be like she was.

It would only hurt Inuyasha more, and Kikyo couldn't bare it if her love were to be put through any more pain.

XxX

Inuyasha wiped his brow off of sweat as he sat beside the upturned earth. He had decided to bury her deep beneath the tree to save her from any desecration.

When he had returned through the well, it had taken a whole five minutes to pass through. When he jumped out with a bag stuffed with food and med supplies, the well had seemed to cough and spit before dying out. He just seemed to know that the well had completely closed, never to work again. Some of the wood paneling collapsed, but he didn't care. He would never be able to look at it without hurting.

It wasn't any surprise to him when he crouched next to the Goshinboku that Kagome's name was already embedded within the trunk of the tree. He had known it would be there. He was going to bury her under it, in the same spot she died. The same tree he and Kikyo had died.

As afternoon set in, Inuyasha dug his claws into the hard dirt and started making a hole. It had taken a little more than an hour to make a hole deep and wide enough for him lay in.

His breath had choked out of him as he placed his friend's body at the bottom. He had looked one last time at her face, his body hitching painfully before he jumped back to the surface. He had to turn his back to her as he threw the dirt back in the hole as quickly as he could.

Never had he had to bury a loved one. The small pang of remorse he would feel when throwing dirt on strangers seemed to explode painfully into all out agony. He never wanted to feel like that again and promised himself he would never bury another friend.

Hell, let some one else do it. It hurts too much, he ached.

As dusk turned to night, Inuyasha could only sit beside the mound of his friend fiddling with some sort of flowers.

"I don't know what to say, or how to make this better, but all I know is that I wish you were up here to hear me instead of down there." Trying to lighten his mood, he gave a half felt glare to the fresh dirt. "I'm sorry our last moments sucked, and I'm sorry I couldn't make you happier, but I want you to know, that I will never forget you and do every thing I can to make you smile for now on. I wish I could say this in person, but I can't. So I'm going to hope that you can hear me somewhere, because I feel like an idiot talking to myself." He turned his head away feeling like an ass. His face was red and he could only hope no one would ever see him like this.

It was embarrassing and pitiful.

Having nothing really left to say, he placed the small flowers over where her chest would be and stood up feeling his leg muscles protest from being bent so long.

Ignoring the discomfort, he again prayed for his friend and the strength to tell the others.

But, in a moment of greed, Inuyasha wanted nothing more then to have some one wrap him in their arms and tell him it was going to be ok. He needed the reassurance.

XxX

It had been three days of waiting, and as promised Sango, Miroku and Shippo flew in on Kirara after no sign of Inuyasha and Kagome. As they dropped down in the village by Kaede's hut, they noticed that the villagers were in mourning.

"Who do you think died?" Sango asked.

Miroku had shrugged not knowing and Shippo hadn't really cared. He hadn't seen his mother Kagome in a while and was anxious to jump into her arms and be consumed by her calming scent.

The gloomy atmosphere that permeated the air had gone unnoticed by the kit as he raced into the hut and jumped around looking for his mother.

He spotted her sitting in the corner with Inuyasha and made to jump at her when he stopped and did a double take.

What he saw stopped him cold.

XxX

Inuyasha tensed with dread as he heard his friends land and head towards the hut. Kikyo wrapped her arm around his to keep him from twitching as a small red kit raced inside excitedly.

His stomach flopped as Shippo stopped and stared at Kikyo with a look of dread and anger. Miroku and Sango walked in a moment after Shippo had and also stopped as they saw the miko beside him.

The silence of his friends with their blank stares made his stomach flop worse. He couldn't get air to pass his lips, let alone say anything as they turned to him questionably.

It was Shippo that was the first to speak, which Inuyasha was both grateful and not.

"What is she doing here? Where is mommy and what did you do?" Shippo narrowed his eyes angrily at the woman calmly sitting by the hanyou. Inuyasha's ears flattened in shame, he couldn't bare to tell them.

"Inuyasha, has something happened in our absence?" Miroku, ever the calm one, set a gentle hand on the kit's shoulder to stop him from saying anything more. The kit glared heatedly at Inuyasha before jumping into Sango's arms.

"I…uh, ya something has happened that you guys should sit down for." He had almost choked; the air had stuck in his throat making it difficult to talk.

Sango and Miroku shared a look before they took a seat across the other two. Miroku kept his face schooled in calm while Sango glanced suspiciously between the two in front of her. Both of them saw that Inuyasha was troubled by something, and it didn't seem to be about Kikyo, who patted the hanyou's arm consolingly. Only Shippo seemed to not notice the unusually distraught man as he shot them evil hated glares.

Before Inuyasha could utter another word, the monk and taijiya were startled as he suddenly jumped up and rushed out the door to vomit out of sight. Both shared worried glances as Shippo made a gagging face.

"I think it would be best if I told you, seeing as Inuyasha still hasn't recovered enough. He hasn't spoken much these last few days." Kikyo spoke up.

Sango was thrown for a loop as the priestess spoke up in an unnaturally mournful tone, worse than her usual. Apprehension gripped her throat and she was almost afraid to know what had happened. If Inuyasha was affected this much to act so out of sorts, it must be really bad.

Inuyasha continued to retch outside, occasionally choking on something other than bile. "Three days ago, Kagome came through the well after having a dream. The dream told her of a prophesy that is written on this paper here." She said as she handed Miroku the paper Kagome had copied the prophesy on. He read over it carefully, not understanding it much before giving it to Sango. Her reaction was much like Miroku's. What did a prophesy have to do with everything?

"As it turns out, there are many who know of this prophesy, including myself. My own actions in the past were caused by this very thing. I have known that Kagome was the mentioned woman, and have done what I could to keep her from becoming to close to Inuyasha for her own good." She paused and looked both Miroku and Sango directly in the eyes before she bowed. "I apologize if I am cause of some anger, but I did what I had to. I have nothing against Kagome."

Shippo was getting tired of the small talk. Where was his Kagome? That was all he was interested in.

Kikyo saw the kit's restlessness and frowned. If only there was a way to spare the child the pain of losing another mother, she would have done it. But sadly, he was going to find out sooner or later, it was just so tragic that the boy would have to go through so much pain at such a young age.

"Three days ago, the moon was red and the well was glowing, signaling that the prophesy was in affect. She had run off into the woods after seeing Inuyasha and I, as was my plan, and ran into Sesshoumaru. He knew of the prophesy as well, and had every intention of stopping it before it started. If something were to go wrong, as the words warn, Kagome would have the power to destroy the world and most likely would." She stopped again as Inuyasha outside cried out in agony. Sango clutched Miroku's hand to her chin, already having an idea of what had happened. Shippo was still clueless, wondering why Sango was acting so strangely.

"Sesshoumaru killed Kagome, stopping the prophesy. She is buried under the Goshinboku where she died. Her family has already been informed and the well has completely closed up. I am sorry. I truly never wished any harm to come to her, but it seems that she was not intended to live. Again, I am sorry for your loss."

It was quiet again, not even a sound from the hanyou outside. Tears fell silently down Sango's cheek and Miroku bowed his head rubbing her shoulders.

"I don't believe you!" Shippo yelled as he jumped out of Sango's lap. "You're the reason Kagome cries so much, and this is some trick just so you can take Inuyasha. Kagome is probably home with no shards to get back hoping someone will come get her. I'll show you she's still alive." His eyes were overflowing with tears as he glared at Kikyo with all the hate he could muster. Walking stiffly to the door, he was stopped in his place as Inuyasha blocked him.

They stared at one another, the kit searching for some kind of lie in the hanyou's expression. Inuyasha had spent the last three days crying, showing all who saw how weak he really was for his friend. He had thought he was all cried out, but one look at the tear streaked face of the kit, looking like he wanted him to laugh and say it was all a joke, Inuyasha could feel the salty burn in his eyes come back with a vengeance.

Even with the look on Inuyasha's face, Shippo refused to acknowledge anything. That was until Inuyasha picked him up and hugged him fiercely; sobbing out the truth that Kagome was in fact, gone.

The three others watched in utter silence as the two demons clung to another, crying out uncaring that they saw. Shippo didn't care, but Inuyasha was too miserable to give a damn.

Like a cause and effect, Sango suddenly busted, launching herself against Miroku bawling as tears fell from his own chin.

If she could have, Kikyo would have cried too. Even without the tears, she felt as if she lost something that could have been. The only thing she could do for them now was offer them comfort if they wanted.

This truly was the worst thing she had ever witnessed. And it wasn't going to get any better.

XxX

He had watched it all and couldn't say he wasn't affected. Even he, who had had a part in making the prophesy, didn't know where it was going to go, how it was going to end.

He was apprehensive, glued to the scene of miko and demon as they played their roles. He was disappointed and slightly fearful as the miko died, slumped at the demon's feet.

He could almost swear he could hear the sun god laughing already. What kind of game did the sun god think he was playing when it affected the life of all other mortals and immortals?

Things played as expected after that. The tears and grief, every one who knew the miko broke down and mourned for her death. Even he, the moon god, felt immense sadness over the loss of such a pure soul.

Speaking of her soul, he would have to find a body for it to reincarnate into. But, there was something wrong.

As the woman miko died, he hadn't recalled the accession of her soul as it returned to his possession.

It was an odd occurrence, which sparked a ray of hope.

Returning his attention back towards the mortals, he noticed the other priestess had left the grieving group to make her way towards the grave.

Hope suddenly filled him with delight, which he had missed for so long wondering so much on the miko and demon. The priestess had crouched next to the upturned soil and hovered her hand over it, calling forth her miko aura that drew from his very power.

The grave had suddenly begun to glow along with her hand as the Shikan shard that had been pierced through the other miko's chest hummed along in power with the purification.

He smirked down at the living-dead miko, praising her abilities which he had bestowed her. She was smart and strong, and for giving him the hope he desired, he vowed to repay the tragic priestess back later.

He took a closer look at the body buried deep in the earth. Concentrating on the shard, a grin spread and he chuckled.

That was something he wasn't expecting. Though it might cause her some trouble in the future, the moon god could only thank his lucky stars that the jewel had been left inside her body.

It wouldn't be long now, he mused, before the miko would be able to come back. What would happen after that, he wasn't sure. But that was why he was ready to take solid form and help them out. There was no way in hell he was going to sit back and watch the show like the sun god if he could help it.

And besides, it's been a while since he's had some fun. A trickster at heart, he couldn't wait to tease the mortal crew.

He had a few weeks yet, he frowned, but it was going to be worth it.

XxX

A month later

It had been a month and they all, who were left, agreed it was about time to move on. There were still shards to find and Naraku wasn't sitting back and waiting for them to show up. He was probably laughing his ass off at his luck, joyfully gathering the shards and torturing innocents along the way.

Just the thought of the hanyou gave Inuyasha the needed energy and anger to motivate the others to start searching again.

Sadly, he had always dreamed that the day he would be able to be with his love Kikyo again, that it would be a happy occasion. Instead, clouds hung over all their souls as they traveled and missed their two other friends.

The night Shippo had been told Kagome was gone, he had disappeared with only a note saying he was gone and that no one should come look for him. No one wanted to think about the young kit out on his own, but Inuyasha had said to leave him be.

"The kid just lost his second mother. He's tricky enough to stay out of trouble and when he feels up to coming back, he'll come. I think I know what he's doing anyways." He murmured at the end. To his relief, no one argued with him.

In fact, no one really did much of anything, besides mope. Himself included. Miroku's hand roamed less and less and Sango didn't speak much unless she had to. Kikyo was kinder, much like she was in life, now that she didn't have the anger to drive her and Kagome to fool. Inuyasha finally got fed up with every one and himself, telling them it was time to get the shards.

Kikyo could sense the shards better than Kagome could, which was a plus, but the thought of comparing them never crossed the hanyou's mind. He had promised her he would do anything to make her smile down on him, and thinking such thoughts as he did before was not something she would like.

He was delighted to find that as the days progressed, the differences he noticed between the two of them were less offensive. Such as personality and the way they walked, or how they spoke or the way he felt about them. It was more like finally seeing the two as Kagome and Kikyo, and not how Kagome paled in comparison to Kikyo, her being the reincarnate.

If Kagome could know what he finally realized, he knew she would be happy.

Feeling light and good, Inuyasha's mood brightened as he upped the pace, ignoring the other's groans.

XxX

The moon god couldn't keep the grin off his face all day. To any one who looked, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but he was not normal. Every day he watched as the shard in the body absorbed more and more energy from the soul that was still in the body. The body, which after a month hadn't started to decompose. It looked like a porcelain doll had been stuck there by accident.

But with daily observation, he saw that the jewel shard was merging itself within her body, not exactly merging with her soul, but using it as a source of strength. It was both separate and a part of, the miko who was soon, very soon, going to be walking the earth again.

He grinned again and giggled hysterically as he spazed in excitement.

He couldn't wait!

XxX

The jewel was still its solid crystal, so close to absorption within the miko's body. Though it would never completely be a part of the soul, it was connected to it by energy lines that linked them together, sharing their individual power.

It would only take a moment longer before the one shard had enough borrowed power to call forth the others.

The only thing keeping the soul trapped within the body was the jewel fragment, thus the body was still technically dead. But when the others joined with it, the soul would be able to attach itself back to the body and pump life once again into its veins. Then the solid bodied crystal would join with the body, giving it strength and power and never able to be disconnected. It would give its own energy inside the body, to be the body.

It was something it had wanted for so long. It would be a moment's time, just a few more moments, and it will be done.

The jewel shard that was in the body flared to life, softly at first, then stronger. The body itself pulsed with its power as its purifying light shot through the dirt and called for the others.

It was only just one more moment, and the body would breathe life again.

XxX

The demon snake wanted that shard. The one in his chest called out to the other sullied shard that the possessed human man had lodged in his collarbone.

"Give me the shard, human, and I might let you live." He hissed. Just for his amusement, the snake demon snapped his jaws and hissed, trying to scare the human before he killed him.

Even with a shard of the Shikan Jewel, the human wouldn't stand a chance to his demon strength with the added help of his own shard. He was going to be the most powerful demon ever with them.

The man smirked evilly, lifting his chin arrogantly unafraid of the demon. He was ten times stronger and smarter then any demon with the shard! The demon was a fool, he smirked to himself, to think he had a chance against him.

The two faced off, watching the other's movements and getting ready to strike or defend.

They were concentrating on their opponent's movements that neither noticed that the shards in their bodies had started to glow a soft purple, slowly purifying them.

It wasn't until the demon's body burned and he cried out as he was consumed with flames that the human man felt his soul and mind start frying. He screamed and clutched his head for an agonizingly long time before he dropped to the dirt.

The shard shot out from his skin, leaving a gouging hole and flew off to the south along with the demon snake's shard. The man stood up on weak legs, not really knowing what had happened when he remembered his sins he committed while under the influence of the evil shard.

He broke down crying in the dirt, not even noticing that the sky looked as if shooting purple stars were shooting off in one direction.

Naraku sat in another room of a lord which had been killed for his own use. Since the death of the miko, obtaining the shards had been easy. It was amusing for a while to watch as the hanyou and his friends cried and cried, but after a week, Naraku was fed up. With them bawling like babies, he didn't have to worry about hiding.

The wench's death was the best thing that ever happened to him.

He cackled to himself, loving the idea that the whole group was unable to defeat him and all because the one girl died. He should have done that sooner, and save all the trouble he went through trying to fight the motley crew.

His laughing stopped as a burning sensation erupted in his stomach. Idly, he wondered if he ate something bad or had an ulcer.

His stomach started to burn, purifying fire licking up his torso and degenerating his other limbs. His perfect body, the one he had perfected after using the Band of Seven, it was being destroyed from the very jewel that was inside him.

How could it be purified while inside him? He thought freaking out.

He was done for, he knew it. His last words, he thought in a crazy haze, was that he blamed the rice he had eaten for all the pain.

Every thing went back, and Naraku was knocked out. Pieces of his body were left, scattered around what was left of him. The only whole part really left was his head, neck, and one shoulder.

He was lucky to have been a hanyou, other wise death would have claimed him.

Kohaku didn't have any thoughts, so nothing came to mind as his back burned and skin tore. The shard which had kept him alive ripped its way through his body and shot off with the shards Naraku had. His body hit the ground with a dull thud as he died, but not a thought passed his mind.

Kagura looked down at what was left of her master, knowing he was still alive and wishing she could kill him. Instead, another plan came to mind and an evil smile lit her face as she crouched next to him. Her palm hovered over the main part of his body, calling forth a piece of hidden flesh. With a small red glow, her heart materialized in her hand and she stood up with it clutched to her chest.

"Take that you bastard." She spit at him. Swallowing the thrumming organ, Kagura felt as it slipped down her throat and lodged itself back into her chest.

Without even a look back, she pulled out her feather as she and Kana hopped on. On a whim she couldn't explain, Kagura picked up the boy's body deciding to do one thing Naraku would hate if he ever recovered. With command of the wind and her sister and the boy, Kagura took off to be finally free.

XxX

Kikyo was in the middle of the group with Inuyasha leading and Miroku and Sango following up. It was a strange feeling, to be part of something once again, but Kikyo wasn't about to complain.

She knew she would never take the place of Kagome, and didn't want to. Kikyo was determined to make her own place with them.

Lost in her own dream, Kikyo suddenly stopped as the shards in her sleeve vibrated and the air changed. It wasn't a bad sign, but something sense of something big.

And this odd thing screamed Kagome.

Kikyo didn't have time to say anything to the others as all around them from miles away an opus of pain filled screams erupted all at once.

The traveling group stopped to listen, not knowing what was happening. At the same time, the shards in Kikyo's sleeve shot out through the cloth and sky rocketed in the opposite direction they were heading. The sky was filled with randomly shooting purple shots that all went to collect in one place.

Besides Kikyo, they had all seen something a bit like this before. When Kagome had shattered the jewel all those years ago, only this time there were fewer shards and they all had the same destination instead of scattering out randomly.

They stood stunned still as the sky finally cleared. No one moved or made a sound until Kikyo cleared her throat and brought the attention to herself.

"I suggest we follow them. Fast." It snapped the gaping travelers back to reality as Inuyasha picked Kikyo up while Sango and Miroku jumped on Kirara. Quick in a flash, they were sprinting back towards the way they had come, not knowing what was happening except one.

Kikyo couldn't contain her grin at the thought of Kagome. If she was right, then the shards were all assembling with the shard inside Kagome. The shards didn't have the power to do that themselves, and certainly couldn't purify, so they needed the help of a strong miko.

And Kagome was the only one she knew who could possibly do that.

Inuyasha was a little disturbed at the grin on her face, she knew, but he didn't say anything about it. It was less than a days run back towards the village, Kikyo guessed, and it would take a while for and if Kagome is alive to crawl out of a hole.

At least, Kikyo hoped it would take some time. She wanted to be there to help the girl just in case her mindset was off. It would be more than dangerous if she went crazy. It would be destructive.

XxX

The shards had gathered together, coming into one and humming with contempt. After so long, it was finally whole. It was so close to finally have a body to live in permanently. Kagome had always protected it since her birth, and to be back in side her was its goal. It was only a little past noon but the whole jewel couldn't seem to merge with her body.

There was something missing. Its usual power source was gone.

The jewel thrummed in anticipation. The full moon was all that was needed to give power and life to the woman's body.

It would only take a few good hours before all hell broke loose.

XxX

Her feet were running the minute Inuyasha set her down. Dusk had already set and the moon was high in the sky with its light shinning solitarily through the far off branches of the Goshinboku.

She had always suspected there was some kind of connection between the moon and tree, but until now she never really cared. If it was never a danger, than Kikyo didn't dwell on it. But that didn't mean she never noticed how the rays seemed to flow around the tree, how the orb was never cast out by the tree's immense form, no matter which direction you looked from; even looking up the moon would seem to move with you.

It hardly mattered now. The faint falls of footsteps behind her confirmed the other's positions.

Kikyo could see a faint glow in the distance, hardly bright enough to draw the notice of any one not looking for it. But Kikyo saw it.

It was irking to have to run so far. Inuyasha had landed them at the opposite end of the village, meaning she had to run through it, then through the damned forest. But there was no time to slow in her mad pace to ask the hanyou to pick her up again.

The villagers had all stopped and stared at their streak through the roads, but Kikyo ignored them. A few had tried to stop her, asking why she was running. Kikyo merely brushed past them not slowing down.

Honestly, she thought, if there was danger, they would be doing something other than running.

They were close to Kaede's hut when Kikyo felt the small burst of power. It was getting closer to the surface. If she didn't hurry…

Kaede had walked out of her hut as Kikyo and the rest drew closer.

"What is it? Has something happened?" The old woman asked, stopping outside her hut to wait for her older sister. Miroku and Sango had slowed in their pace once they saw Kaede. Inuyasha had already jumped over to her side.

Kikyo rolled her eyes. They were not here to talk to her sister. There was no time to stop for any distraction, and Kikyo bolted right past her sister and into the forest.

"What the," Inuyasha murmured as Kikyo ran past them. "Hey, Kikyo where ya going?" he called out. Kikyo didn't respond as she disappeared.

"Where does she think she is going?" Sango asked as she huffed besides Miroku.

"We should follow her. She obviously knows where the shards had shot off to." Kaede said. The three looked at the old woman. She must have seen the display of shooting shards earlier.

In silent agreement, they followed the trail Kikyo had left and charged into the forest.

Kaede, riding on Inuyasha's back, suddenly shuddered and moaned. "Something is up there. It isn't human or demon. I…I don't know." The old woman huffed. The humans and hanyou didn't say anything back, but picked up the pace. It only took a few seconds before they skidded to a stop, horror filling their faces as they reached the Goshinboku.

Kikyo absently wiped a trace of drool from her slack jaw. It was almost frightening to watch the indigo flare up around the loose soil, almost in a glittery dance.

There was no doubt now that Kagome was alive. She could feel her own soul push against the intensely strong aura of Kagome's soul.

Her strength was astonishing. What ever was giving her this much power was beyond her, but Kikyo hopped that she wouldn't get any stronger. No one should posses this much strength, especially if there is a strong chance that she will not be able to control it.

She noticed when the others reached the tree, but ignored them as the dirt began rising and falling, the force of strength under it trying to break free.

There was a red hot aura mixed in with her normally placid and calm blue. Kikyo pulled her bow and stretched an arrow across it, ready to fire if the thing that came out of the dirt was a threat.

If Kagome came up with a thirst for blood and destruction, Kikyo would have no choice but to kill her. The power she felt now was only a small part, an inkling of her ability, and if she was unable to control it, all life will be in danger.

She could feel the fear in waves flowing from her companions behind her, but no one stepped any closer.

Later, Kikyo would let herself feel the amusement of her sister's lack of composure as she fainted, but she wished she too could drop into a dark world as the hand of a once dead body shot out through the loose soil.

"Fuckin Hell!" Inuyasha had shouted and Kikyo almost agreed with him.

XxX

The moment the light of the moon hit the grave soil, it penetrated its dark depths to give the body a refreshing boost of energy. The power was instantly absorbed into the soul as it reconnected itself with the body and mind as the jewels form disintegrated and swam it's essence in a whirlwind through the body.

Kagome's fist action was to breathe, which ended her in a gagging fit. Her thoughts were in a panic as she tried to move and figure out where she was. She could feel the jewel fading as it circled in her system, slowing making itself a part of her and the spike of power in her soul.

She felt stronger than she did before Kikyo was given a part of her soul.

Get out.

Something inside her soul cried out. Feeling slowly came back to her and she realized in horror she was buried deep in the dirt.

Had she died? She wondered idly.

Her memories were foggy, but she could almost recall the voice in the well and the painful stab in her chest.

And sad, cold golden eyes.

Her heart pounded in her chest as anger boiled her blood.

She had been killed, innocently slaughtered by Him. She couldn't place who Him was, but didn't care at the moment. She didn't want to think about anything until she could breathe properly. She had to get out!

Her body was weak even if her soul was strong. The dirt was packed tightly around her and required small, digging movements to struggle around the loosening dirt.

It was literally hours to worm her hands and head upwards. Her movements mimicked a worm or mole as she pushed up. The only thing she would let her mind think about was getting out.

The thought of why she was still alive, after not breathing for so long, was ignored. As long as she was still moving up and out, she didn't care why. But why was she so deep? Didn't people just throw dirt over you in a small mound? This had to be at least six or seven feet under.

Her guide was the moonlight that strangely broke through the surface and warmed her frozen body, giving her more energy with every inch gained. Her eyes were still closed, unable to open in the dirt, but she could see it through her eyelids as clearly if they were open.

In the back of her mind, she could sense other life just above her. They seemed familiar but she couldn't put face or name to them. Her mind couldn't seem to remember more than those golden eyes, and Kagome didn't care.

She was vertical, standing with the dirt compressed around her, still snaking her way up when a brush of cool air hit the top part of her finger.

She froze. Had she made it? She wiggled her finger and felt the brush of cool breeze again. With an extra burst of strength, Kagome shot her hand out into the open, using the leverage to pull the rest of her arm out.

She heard a collective of gasps and a hollow thump, but ignored it as she shot her other hand out. It was a slow, draining crawl, but with enough wiggling and pulling, Kagome took her first breath of clean air and opened her eyes to her audience.

Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku were frozen stiff as Kagome's eyes met theirs. They didn't move or make a sound, fear running shaking their bodies.

Kikyo didn't back down when Kagome looked at her. It was odd to face the girl with only her arms and head poking out of the dirt, but she kept her eyes on hers with her arrow pointed at her head.

It was surprising but comforting to see Kagome's eyes were now a soft shade of blue when before they were a creamy brown. But they weren't red, and that was good.

They stared at each other for who knows how long, but Kikyo wasn't going to speak until someone did.

Kagome seemed to be searching for something. Be it in Kikyo or herself, no one knew. With a sigh, Kagome dropped Kikyo's gaze and looked at the dirt around her. She grunted and pulled, but only seemed to shift the dirt.

"Are you going to stand there or help me?" Kagome asked irritated. Really, it's not difficult to see that it was hard work getting out of the ground. She didn't know how some animals and demons did it.

It irked her to see no one moved, even after she asked them too. They just jerked a bit and stood there. Kagome couldn't blame them though. She was supposed to be dead.

Kikyo, thankfully, didn't seem frightened as she set her bow down and grabbed Kagome's hands. She pulled and grunted, trying to free her, but was only to raise her a few inches out of the ground.

Inuyasha snapped out of his daze and stumbled over to the girls. His hands were ice as he grasped one of her hands and hauled her out of the ground with little effort.

Kagome was surprised she could stand on her own as Inuyasha collapsed to his knees. She was startled more as he hugged her middle and cried out into her muddied robe.

"Kagome, you're alive! I'm so sorry, I couldn't protect you. I'm so sorry." Kagome was shocked to see Inuyasha cry against her stomach, though she had heard he had done it once. But seeing the anguished tears soak through her robe was different. Her heart lurched and she could feel the tears threaten to fall down her cheeks.

"Inuyasha, please don't cry. Its ok, I'm fine. Please stop it." She could feel her tears fall, mixing with the dirt and dropping to the ground in a muddy plop. She pushed his shoulders to get him off her, not liking the fact that Inuyasha was bowed so pitifully before her. Inuyasha should never get to his knees for her.

Inuyasha composed himself the best he could as he pulled away from her. Tears still fell as he brushed the dirt away from her face and hands. "It's not ok, Kagome. I should have been there for you. I should have saved you from him."

Kagome froze at the mention of her killer. She looked down and met Inuyasha's eyes and anger once again shot through her soul. His eyes were almost the same as her murderer. "Who killed me?" She murmured dangerously.

Inuyasha stood carefully, sensing the change in her aura. It was a dangerous burn that pushed and sizzled against his own. Kikyo picked her bow back up and watched as Kagome's stance stiffened and her pupils swirled with a tint of pink. Insanity was only barely locked behind the surface.

"Who was it that killed me, Inuyasha?" She said again.

Inuyasha met the gazes of Miroku and Sango, both of them frozen in fear. They could see the fury in their friends eyes but didn't know what would happen if it was unleashed.

"Sesshoumaru," He murmured cautiously. Would she seek revenge on Sesshoumaru like Kikyo did himself? Inuyasha almost cursed at the thought of another Kikyo incident.

The air around them went frigid as Kagome's angered aura flashed and whirled around her creating a swirling vortex to crash against everything around her. Her hair flew around her body as her fists clenched at her sides. "I'm going to kill him." She hissed out. "I will fucking kill that bastard!"

With a ferocious inhuman growl, the air swam and flexed around her body until it lifted her off the ground and through the branches of the Goshinboku.

Inuyasha and Kikyo tried to catch her, but she shot up like a rocket. Every one watched struck with some awed gaze as the moonlight followed her form as it shimmered and disappeared.

Kagome ignored the calls from below her as she forced the air around her to carry her to the west. It didn't surprise her to know she could control the air. It was subconsciously known to her that she could do so much more now.

A twisted grin lit her lips as she pushed the air around her into supporting her flight. As long as she could get to the demon as soon as she was able, the sooner she could kill him for killing her.

Some where inside her, there was a cry to stop. She couldn't pinpoint the voice, being lost in what seemed to be something else inside her. It was like there was a whole worlds worth of souls inside her. It wasn't part of her own soul, but part of the life force that made her. But that little voice was more solid than the others. Like it had been a part of her long before the others had joined together.

It was lost for a moment as all the foreign forces fluxed and shifted, trying to cover it. But she heard it again, more clearly as it forced its way up. It was almost crying as it told her to stop again. It sounded so innocent, but strong and familiar.

Why, she asked herself, or mainly that voice.

Because you have no reason to seek revenge.

Kagome snorted to herself. She had a reason, and the other forces inside her agreed.

The innocent voice didn't say anything else as she blocked them from her mind and forced her self to fly faster. She was more in control of her mind as she calmed herself down. The pink faded from her eyes as she took a deep breath and concentrated on flying. She had to save some energy. Sesshoumaru wasn't an easy one to kill.

Kagome vaguely could feel her back warming under the moon's glow that was above her. She could feel a constant source of energy and power seeping into her being as it fed her.

Was the moon somehow what gave her her life back? Kagome didn't know.

All that entered her mind was the fact that she was strong now. Strong enough to fight for her right to live. She wouldn't have to depend on anyone else ever again.

The thought actually brought a peaceful smile to her lips.

XxX

It was a hazy sort of feeling, half asleep but aware of your surroundings. He didn't need sleep often, but this night he was exhausted enough to happily curl into a ball on his bed and drift off into sleep.

He couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour before something pulled at his consciousness, warning him of something. He fought the light, seeking his blissful abyss, but awareness soon won out and Sesshoumaru found himself half drifting and half solid.

His instincts were buzzing reporting an unknown presence near his resting form. What ever it was, it wasn't threatening, but seemed to just be watching him.

His eyes were slow and gritty to open, adjusting to the pitch room to scan for any one. Sesshoumaru was irritated to find that there was no one even in the room or anywhere near it.

He closed his eyes and curled back into his blanket, intending to get some sleep when an amused chuckle jerked him strait up and out of his bed.

After another look, there still was no one in the room. Only the sound of soft snickering told him otherwise.

"Who is there? Leave now or die." Sesshoumaru extended his senses, feeling for the one who had entered his chamber.

They laughed again, this time louder. But he still couldn't see or sense any one. It was vexing. He was getting angry, not liking that whoever the culprit was, was hiding from his so skillfully.

Moonlight flooded through his open door outside. Its light pooled on the floor a few feet away from him and Sesshoumaru caught a slight shift in its blaze. He turned and faced the window with his claws out and ready as the light shifted and shimmered more.

"No need for such aggression, Lord Sesshoumaru. I am here to warn you, not fight." All the light morphed and molded into a clear blue form of a man, who smirked at him. Still, Sesshoumaru didn't drop his guard, or his stance.

"I care not what you come for. You have invaded my home and irritated me." He was not happy about his disturbed sleep. What ever the stranger had to say, is inconsequential.

Sesshoumaru jumped and aimed his claws to the stranger's gut, but was shocked and thrown off balance as he went clean through the man's body like some sort of mirage.

"You can't attack me. This is not a body, but a picture of light and particles twisted and poured to form an image. It can't even talk. The voice you hear is telepathic." The form grinned cheekily, and bowed. "I am here, like I said before, to warn you. The miko you killed a month ago, is alive and on her way here for revenge. You mustn't kill her this time or else the darkness in her soul will be unleashed and erupt in such a terrible power that life will be snuffed out. You are the only one who can calm her soul and keep her safe."

Sesshoumaru straitened his appearance as the incorporeal light form stood back up. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I have many names in many cultures, but the name you can call me is Mizuki-etsu, the Moon God. I am the one who had a part in the prophecy. You might know of the story of the first miko, correct?"

He thought back to all the scrolls and stories of the moon god he had heard, and any with mikos and remembered. "I recall a tale, but I know no specifics."

"Ah, then you should refresh yourself with it. It is dire to know, though the story itself is wrong. Humanity only knows the story of how the sun and moon god quarreled over the life of humanity, and the sun creating a pure being to heal and protect precious life (the miko) and the moon god upsetting that balance by damning that very being, the prophecy."

"From what I remember, yes." Sesshoumaru knew he had the scroll containing that story somewhere in his library, and guessed he would have to search for it later.

"Well, it is not really true, though that information is not needed right now. You should read up on the tale if you want, but at this moment, you should concentrate on the miko coming to claim your life. I can not help you against her, though I can give you some advice. Her mind is fragile, unstable. If you are to help her, remember the moment she died and what she wanted and felt. If she is to find her humanity, she needs to remember who she was as a human."

The light flickered and vibrated as the moon moved further west, drifting to the horizon as dawn approached. The figure had no definite form or detail, but Sesshoumaru could pick out what could be a confused look. "Just hold her off until dawn, and then I'll help from there. She will be weak during the day for a while, but strongest at night. Just be careful not to die, or kill her." He shimmered again and laughed as he disappeared.

Sesshoumaru was left alone in his room as blue dawn poked bit by bit from the horizon. He grunted as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He was pissed off. No doubt he wouldn't be able to get any decent sleep for a long while.

Damn his luck.

Deciding to get what rest he could and regain his strength, Sesshoumaru plunked back onto his bed and shoved his face into his pillow. It was best to sleep now anyways, or else the vision of a smiling face with dark hair and caramel doe eyes would haunt him again like they had for the past month.

Damn his luck again.

XxX

Though her mind was cloudy and her body stronger than it's ever been, there was a laughing thought somewhere within her body, streaming along her system with every other presence inside her, trying to warn her of something.

It teased her, laughing and prancing around her subconscious. But Kagome couldn't figure out what it wanted.

With everything buzzing insider her, both mind and body, she couldn't find any beginning or ending to anything. They all molded together, squashed in a big ball of opinions and noise inside her head.

All night Kagome had ignored the voices and extra spiritual weight inside her, but as the horizon grew into a light, soft blue of dawn, her concentration on revenge dwindled as that one little voice grew more persistent. The same little voice that told her she needed no revenge.

It had always been apart of her, it seems, with the familiarity she felt with it. It was old and soothing, with no real tone but a silent vigilant keeper. Always there though never as aware as it was now.

What ever that meant, Kagome didn't know.

Kagome pushed the roaming thoughts away as best she could. The only thing she needed to think about was getting to her murderer and destroying him. If she kept getting distracted by everything new inside her, She swore she would go crazy.

There was an odd thought of her weakness the likes of Gargoyles as the blue dawn became a more prominent orange. Her altitude dropped as a sudden sense of exhaustion gripped her and Kagome found herself plummeting to the earth below her. The dawn, it seemed, was not her friend.

The air around her crushed her body as she lost all control over her elemental power. She couldn't keep her eyes open as she searched for the moon, though she had no idea why she wanted to see it. Kagome just had an overwhelming sense of need to see it. Like something knew just the vision of the moon would give her back her strength.

But dawn broke and the sun lifted up over the sky, leaving Kagome stripped of all her strength as she fell closer to the earth.

Her eyes closed and her mind started to fall to darkness and Kagome couldn't find it in her to fear the approaching ground. The only thing that she could think about was waiting for the moon.

The voice from before, that annoying presence, poked at her drifting thoughts, finally able to grab her attention. Kagome couldn't give it much focus, but the drifting thought it gave her was the last she heard before she hit the ground.

XxX

It was one thing to be lazy, but it was another thing to be lazy and forced to work. Kimishima kicked a small bush grumpily as he stalked through the woods with no intentions to gather food.

To hell with packs, he cursed. If the others wanted food, they should get it themselves. They always hated what he got them anyways.

Unlike the rest of the demons, he wasn't a human hater or a human eater. The western Fox tribe had a healthy diet of both human and demon meat with the occasional root and vegetable. Kimishima didn't like to eat humans or some demons. If he needed meat, he went for chickens or cows. Farm animals. He also liked the human food called rice.

Unfortunately, when it was his turn to hunt up food, the pack didn't like the food choices. Not to mention he was lazy and didn't like to get too much.

"I really hate this." He kicked another bush as he fell hard to his hunches beside a thick tree. If he took to long, he reasoned, then someone else will have to get the food.

"I should ask him about moving to the east and living with those wolves. The kid said he was good with them and they don't eat humans." Kimishima picked at his ear as he sat back against the tree to relax. Besides being lazy, he had the odd habit of talking to himself out loud when he was by himself.

Dawn closed in as he watched the sky's hues change to morning light. He yawned and stretched, snuggling down into the soft bark of the tree for a nap. If he is to get food for breakfast, than he might as well take his time. Anyways, if he took to long like he always does, then maybe they would stop sending him out for food.

Kimishima closed his eyes and let daydreams play across his mind. It was going to be a nice, warm day and he had promised his kid friend he would train him. The kit had shown up a month earlier and Kimishima was the only one who didn't shun him.

Orphaned kits are not looked at well within other packs.

As Kimishima lost himself in light sleep, a sharp tingling sense taped at his youki. It was pure but wild, and seemed to be approaching him way to fast.

The dangerous feeling drove him to his feet and senses sharp and on guard. His first thought was it was the western lord, but the energy was too pure and strong.

He looked up as he felt the aura flare above him. It looked like a falling star as it blazed down from the sky with lightning speed.

It was high in the sky and Kimishima could tell that what ever it was it had no control over its descent. It was coming down to fast and to hard to have any control or any hope of survival. Not even a demon could live through that high of a drop.

He relaxed his stance as he figured the thing to be no threat, and watched apprehensive as it drew closer to the ground. It would most likely hit about a hundred feet from his position by the direction it was falling.

Kimishima felt lost in time as the figure fell ungodly fast, but it took so long to fall. It must have been higher than he could imagine to take this long to plummet.

As he thought about the time, the blazing figure seemed to pick up speed as it shot faster to its landing. Seconds before it disappeared behind the trees Kimishima swore he saw a glimpse of a female figure inside the burning blast. He hadn't time to take a breath as he felt the earth shake when it slammed into hard ground.

Dirt and shattered trees were blown with hurricane strength and knocked Kimishima off his feet with its force. The area roared with an angry thunder as sky and earth shook for miles around. It had the power of demon demolition as everything around him was blown over and away with the impact. It could have been an explosion if it had any flames.

Debris rained back to litter the torn forest floor as the ground grew steady and everything calmed. Kimishima was cautious getting back to his feet as his footing trembled. He wasn't scared, just freaked the fuck out.

It must have been a comet, he thought, because nothing human or living could have survived that or make it happen in the first place.

The tree he was laying against was torn clean from the ground, roots and dirt, and blown a wide twenty feet away. He wasn't even in a forest any more as he took a good look at the wreckage. Kimishima stood in a clearing as wide as three villages covered in buried trees and loose dirt.

Kimishima thanked his lucky stars for living through that hell storm as he took in the expanse of clear ground.

He dusted his clothes off from dirt, noticing his body was covered with minor cuts and scrapes. It pissed him off to find he would have to have his clothes mended with all the new holes in them.

With a final brush with his hand, Kimishima let his gaze focus on the lake-sized crater in the middle of the new clearing. A small wisp of smoke was drifting up from the very bottom, but it was to far down for him to see clearly. Kimishima crawled over to the ledge, the whole thing being at least two hundred feet across. Water was already pooling in the bottom almost fifty feet down.

So they really had fallen from unbelievably high. Kimishima felt a small bit of fear pool in his belly. To think of someone to be strong enough to get that high must have had god-like strength.

There was a pulse of life from something close by him. He could feel anxiety slow his breathing as he felt the pulse center from the bottom of the crater. The though of it being a wounded demon in the blast was dropped as the pulse felt pure, like the being who plummeted from the sky.

Kimishima gulped down his fear as he gripped the edge of the hole and slowly inched his way to peak over the side.

He let his breath out in a whoop as he saw only water in the bottom of the hole. It must have hit an underwater source and would now make a nice lake. Kimishima laughed at himself as he sat at the edge of the crater and got himself back under control.

On the bright side, Kimishima now had an excuse for not having any food.

Kimishima couldn't sense a demon for a mile and smiled to himself. They all must have been scared away from the blast, or caught in it and died. He snickered again as he kicked a rock into the forming pond.

Wait till he got back to the den, he mused as he turned his back on the rubble. The kit would have a ball when he told him what he had seen.

Kimishima froze after taking three steps away. He turned about-face and stepped his three steps back to the crater to take a closer look at the watery bottom. He could still feel that pure pulse, rippling the water slightly with every beat.

What ever fell and made this hole, was still alive.

Black spots blurred his vision as he felt disbelief and over stimulation kick at him with unconsciousness. He was almost tempted to pass out, wanted to just crumble to the ground in a dead faint and forget about everything for a while.

He shook his head, though, and stood his ground as the thought of lack of oxygen had him remembering that what ever was down there couldn't breathe.

Kimishima only had to slide down about thirty feet of slope before he hit the cold water. It was filling up fast and Kimishima didn't think he had much time before they died. Taking a deep breath, he dived beneath the surface and kicked down to the bottom. His ears popped and he couldn't see, but Kimishima couldn't find it in him to let who ever it was die after living through the crash in the first place.

The water was murky and hard to see through, but Kimishima ignored the burning in his eyes and lungs as he followed the pulsing to the bottom of the crater.

It had to have been twenty minutes from the time they had crashed to the ground and twenty minutes with no oxygen, and Kimishima wondered how they were still alive. A demon had a better chance of living this long, and by the pure energy, it couldn't have been a demon.

A soft blue light caught his attention as the dark water was clearing closer to the bottom and Kimishima realized why they were still alive.

She was the most beautiful human female he had ever seen. Long, black hair and soft skin. She looked healthy and ethereal floating at the bottom of the forming lake with the glowing aqua barrier around her.

There wasn't a bruise on her, nor broken bone or out of place hair. It was odd to see her in a burial robe, but her beauty kept his attention off her odd clothing. A humorous vision of someone shooting the mortal woman some how into the high sky in a burial robe popped in his head. Was it a new way to dispose of dead flesh?

Idiot, he scolded himself. She obviously wasn't dead and couldn't be much of a mortal if she survived falling over fifty feet into hard earth.

His burning lungs brought him out of his trance as he quickly wrapped his arms around the woman and kicked off the bottom and raced to the surface for air.

When he broke through, the water level had already reached the ledge of the crater and was flowing out into the clearing. It was easy to pull the woman to land and Kimishima was surprised to see the woman was lightly breathing.

Who ever she was, Kimishima mused, she was not an ordinary human to be only sleeping after crashing into the ground like that.

He lifted her into his arms and he stood by the lake. He couldn't leave her by herself and he couldn't take her back to his den. Kimishima didn't know what to do with her.

He figured he would need to watch over her until she woke up, and then he would need to feed her and keep her safe. First thing first, he would need to get her shelter and a place to rest.

With a quick recap of possible places he knew of in the forest, the cave he found as a kit came to mind. No one ever went there and it was close by the den for him to sneak off to but far enough away for no one to find her.

Kimishima happily made his way to the cave as the sun made its way higher into the sky. He could feel some of his pack getting close to his direction and hoped they didn't follow his scent.

He didn't want any one to find her. He couldn't figure out why he needed to protect her and never felt that way for a human before, but the woman he was holding was captivating. It wasn't just her obvious beauty, but the power of her soul that he could feel just by touching her and being near. This was the kind of woman all men would give their lives for. The kind of woman every one loves and wants to protect.

That small bit of fury and wild energy he had felt at first was contained and dulled and Kimishima wondered how much power the small woman had.

He only hoped that he wasn't getting himself into any trouble with the woman.

XxX

There you go the second part of the story. Though it's still not entirely about Kagome running off after seeing Inu and Kikyo together, it still keeps to the line of Kagome not running into Sesshoumaru for any sort of comfort of future love. She is off to kill him. With all those souls from the Jewel inside her, she is going to have a difficult time finding her true self. That is the reason she is so confused and angry. She has the thousands of tainted souls, and the pure souls too residing within her. Just like the jewel, she can become tainted, and it will take her own will power to save herself.

I really do recommend reading Dead Prophecy. It has more detail and character in it then what pieces I took. But it is not entirely needed.

I don't plan on making this a very long story. Maybe five to ten chapters, and that's why this first chapter is so long. The other's I don't know if they will be this long, since I haven't started yet. But even though this is a Kagome/Sesshoumaru story, it won't be a very fluffy one. I do plan on getting them hooked up, but it's not a fairytale. I hope you enjoy my new story.

Laters, and hope to hear what every one thinks. This is kind of my block fixer. Bye.

Ymir-chan