Summary: Kagome woke up in hell following the final battle, still a human and a Miko despite her unexpected descent. Alastor, fascinated by her in every possible way, finds her amusing and decides to take her under his wing. Kagome is determined to find her way out of hell, but Alastor has his own intentions for lending his help- and not all of them are good for the good-natured Miko.

Pairing: Alastor/Kagome & Charlie/Vaggie.

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Note:
Flashbacks written in bulk italics.
Lacks canonicity.
Reuploaded!

Chapter One

As she walked under his arm, barely drifting in and out of focus of whatever nonsense he was rambling on about, Kagome downcast her gaze to her feet as she walked on autopilot. She brought a hand up to gently trace along the scar in the center of her chest, her expression clouding over some.

She fell to her knees the moment she was freed from the way she was held up by the tentacle. Blood soaked her front, a trail of it even dribbling from her lips and trailing down her chin. Through the haze, she looked for anyone who might be close enough to come to her side.

Shadows melted into light as she scoured for someone, anyone at all, and a silhouette formed into a full-figure when she found herself recognizing who it was standing there.

Inuyasha stood resolutely, dutifully protecting Kikyo. His golden stare locked onto her, yet he didn't budge a step towards her direction. He did the opposite, actually. He turned, picking Kikyo up and fled the area, seemingly fully focused on her and her alone.

As more and more of that memory came rushing back to her, a sharp, pained gasp fell from her lips.

He left, and just like him, so did the others. They turned and fled, leaving her behind as if she was nothing at all.

She stopped moving entirely, her eyes widened as the realization came crashing around her.

Her friends had abandoned her to die there.

Alone.

Not just Inuyasha, but Sango and Miroku as well.

She dropped to her knees and covered her eyes with both hands as her tears and sorrow overwhelmed her. The rambling static produced by Alastor fell silent, and she could feel his wide-eyed and curious stare focused directly on her. A second later, she felt him grip her wrists in each of his hands, and he easily pulled her back onto her feet.

"What's with the waterworks, Darling?" he asked, his tone more curious than gentle. She yanked her arms free from his grip.

Kagome fought the urge to sneer at Alastor, not liking the cheerful tone he used whilst trying to pry into what she was thinking. She looked away from him and that curious smile he wore, wrapping her arms around her stomach as she shook her head. "It's nothing," she said curtly. "Mind your own business."

"That's the thing!" Alastor exclaimed, once more resting his long arm over her shoulders. He tugged her into him, and she squeaked when he squeezed a bit too tight, the sound one of vocal discomfort. "Your business is my business!" He laughed, and her expression soured.

"Like hell it is," she grumbled in response. An odd-feeling silence fell over the pair, and she could feel his gaze lingering on her as she kept her attention pointed anywhere but him. She closed her eyes and wiggled her way out of his grasp, continuing ahead a few more paces. "I'd rather just focus on finding my way out of here."

"Ah," Alastor came up behind her, circling around her and taking her by surprise when his face ended up mere inches away from her own. Kagome came to a stiff halt at the sudden closeness, blinking owlishly when he so suddenly darted in front of her, and she jabbed a finger into his chest to shove him back. He moved back the moment she touched him. "Yes, you keep saying that, but tell me, Darling," he said, craning his head to the side as he held her gaze with his crimson eyes. "Do you actually have any ideas on how to accomplish such a feat?"

Kagome paused and looked down. Alastor's smile widened with her lack of a response.

"Or what you'll do if and when you manage to crawl your way out of the fiery pits of hell?" he continued. "You're already dead, my dear," he laughed, tossing his head back cheerfully. "Why, I'd wager that they probably already dropped your body six feet under by now!"

Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and looked away from him entirely. "I-I'm not trying to resurrect myself," she said. "Hell, I'm not even trying to get into heaven," she admitted a second later, much to his fascination.

"Oh?" he purred, interest piqued. "Then where do you intend to go from here, Darling?"

"Where I belong," she said. She rummaged around in her haori until she tugged the jewel free, and she held it up so it was between them both. To her relief, he swapped focus from her face and to the pink bauble. "I- My soul was supposed to be absorbed into this upon my death," she explained. "I only have half of my soul, and because of that I wasn't supposed to end up in heaven or hell."

"Hmm.." Alastor nodded, and she felt his interest continue to mount as she spoke. A second later, he darted his attention back to her, seeming to catch on to her last sentence. He nodded eagerly as if to tell her 'Go on.'

What else did she have to lose by spilling the events of her not-so-fortunate life to the demon before her? She was already in hell. There really wasn't a worse fate for her than this.

Unfortunately for her, at the mention of her incomplete soul, her prior thoughts returned front and center, and a surge of pain raced through her chest.

"When I was still alive, my soul was removed from my body," she said softly. "It was supposed to be used to revive my past incarnation, but it didn't go as planned. I was able to call it back to me, but it split in two. Half of it went into a body fashioned out of clay, reviving her back into the realm of the living." She rested a hand over her chest and glanced down. "The rest of my soul returned to me."

Her prior thoughts flashed through her head rapidly, and she felt tears building up. She tried to will them away, hating the way the sting felt so familiar to her.

"Before you interrupted my silence, I was thinking about my final moments some more," she said softly. To hell with her prior decision. She knew spilling her private matters to him might come back to bite her in the ass, but she really couldn't find it in her to care anymore. Who else did she have to listen to her sorrow, even if he didn't really care and just wanted entertainment from her. "I died in the battle for this stupid jewel," she said. "I had come to accept the possibility of dying in the fight, so I have no anger or sorrow about that," she said softly. She was at peace with her demise. "I just…" she shook her head and tightened her grip on herself. "My friend left me alone on the battlefield to protect her," she said softly. "So our enemy took that chance to come for me." She let her hair hide her face as she spoke, long locks of raven blue forming a curtain around her face, protecting her from Alastor's prying gaze. "I-I saw him," she whispered. "Inuyasha never even tried to come save me. He just left me there to die, alone. They all did…"

It hurt her to say those words out loud. She felt no anger despite feeling like she should. A part of her screamed that she should harbor some sort of hate for the ones she'd counted as close friends- almost loving them like family- in return for what they'd done to her in the end, all seemingly without a care in the world. Maybe to some degree she did hate them, but she wasn't ready to accept that.

"They didn't care," she whispered. "Not a single bit."

Silence fell over the pair, but she refused to pick her head up. She didn't want to see that gleaming smile he wore, and she waited and waited for him to laugh at her misery and misfortune. It came a second later, his booming laugh making her flinch as she curled into herself even more.

"Hahaha! Oh, what a tragic little story," Alastor laughed, tossing his head back in cheer as he did so. He could smell the pain and hurt radiating off of her in waves, but that was nowhere near as delectable as the anger and rage she seemed to have buried deep inside her tortured little heart. He calmed his laugh and took in the sight of her defensive stance, smiling as he leaned back down to have his face directly in front of her own. Without waiting, he reached a hand out and entangled his long fingers through her inky tresses, pushing them back and out of the way until his hand made gentle contact with her soft, warm flesh. "You've given your all, and for what?" he purred. "A fall into a place where you'll be eaten alive if you ever lower your guard too much. Not very good friends, were they?" he hummed softly. "I doubt they were ever friends to you in the first place. Like many others, I'm certain, they only wanted to use you, hm?"

"..." Her silence spoke volumes, especially when it was tethered to such vulnerable emotions inside her. She kept her focus on her feet, and her shoulders moved as she gently shrugged. "It's possible," she said. With his prying questions, she was made to remember every cruel word Inuyasha had ever uttered her way, every word she'd overlooked due to her fondness for him. Due to her love for him. Sango and Miroku were another story. They'd never been so cruel to her, and it was like a knife had been plunged directly into her incomplete soul to think that they abandoned her like that, and so easily while they were at it.

"Tragic, and awful, my darling Doe." His humorous tone faded, much to her surprise, and it was replaced by a softer tone. He was gentle, speaking as if he wanted nothing more than to console her. "They've wronged you- presumably many times without a trace of guilt. Do yourself a favor and let them go. Heaven above knows that they've already done so to you." He tilted his head to the side. "Or, embrace that hate you harbor and use it. It can be such a powerful weapon for you, especially here, Darling."

Kagome shook her head, wanting to deny his claim entirely, but she knew she couldn't. After everything, she couldn't deny the speck of hatred she felt for her friends, but it was overshadowed by the immense love she'd developed for them in her time of knowing them. "I-I don't hate them," she said softly. "I love them." Kagome tightened her arms around her, her blue eyes glazing over with a fresh sheen of tears. "No matter all that's been done that has hurt me so badly."

Why was she allowing herself to be so vulnerable in front of this demon she'd only just met? Was she that inclined to get it off her chest so she could put it behind her already? Or was it possibly due to how he seemed to be genuine in his attempts at soothing her some? Sure, his attempts weren't what she would call helpful, but she could acknowledge his odd little attempt. He was a demon after all. She didn't anticipate kindness in full, or even in a little bit, so his gentle display was certainly jarring. Not unwelcome, but jarring all the same.

She sighed and pushed her tears back. "Or I did love them," she said then. "I- I'm not sure how I feel about those guys now," she admitted. "Love, hate, something in between, or nothing at all… I can't decide. Not now. I need time in order to figure it out for sure."

Alastor chuckled at her conundrum and pinched her cheek, causing her to grimace. "Well, shouldn't let it weigh you down too much," he said. "After all, everything is already said and done. They're alive! You're dead. Some things love can't endure, Sweetheart." Kagome looked up with wide eyes before looking away, grumbling miserably when he pinched her cheek a bit harder this time. "I find a smile suits someone like you much better than a sorrowful little frown, so turn it upside down already~!"

Kagome tried to stifle a laugh at his response, to no avail. At once she knew she'd made a mistake and had shown her softer side to the beast in front of her. She doubted she'd ever regain her edge around him now. She doubted he let her get away with it. She looked at him, catching the way his ears twitched in response to her giggle, and she sighed. "Maybe you're right about all that, Al," she said off-handedly. "Love," she repeated the word with a slight sneer in her voice. "Who needs it in hell, after all?"

Alastor slung an arm over her shoulder and swayed side to side with her, laughing loudly. "Indeed I am," he exclaimed. "Now," he looked back at her and peered closely at her face. "Let's see that smile again, my dear Doe! It was barely a glimpse and then it was gone again! Quite a pitiful glimpse of a grin, that one was!"

She sighed, unable to find the will in her to keep arguing against him. She'd let her pain go as she spoke, and she felt remarkably lighter now. After a second of contemplation, she beamed up at him, and he grinned back widely at her.

"Atta girl!" he exclaimed. "Oh, you've never seen a brighter smile in hell," Alastor continued. "Oh, I can see it now. What a wonderful investment on my end in getting involved in your little misfortunate, miserable situation."

She arched a brow in response. "Oh, gee, thanks Al," she rolled her eyes, and he laughed. A second later, she pursed her lips in a minor pout. "Why did you get involved?" she asked. "I know you said you were bored and all, but that's not all, is it?" she asked. She could sense the slight shift in his aura, and it confirmed her suspicion. "Give me a reason to put up with you for however long this'll take," she said dryly. "I'm not particularly fond of dishonesty."

Alastor chuckled in response. "I'm quite fascinated with you," he admitted. "Surely you can fathom the reason why," he continued. She shrugged in response, giving him a good enough answer with the gesture. "Until our parting day, you and I will surely be one hell of a team. Why, one day it'll be a partnership told about in the picture shows!" She tilted her head to the side at the statement as he made himself crystal clear on his interest in her, of his desire to form a sort of partnership between them.

A part of her could see the appeal. Light and dark made for a well-balanced combination, and she could tell him his aura alone that he was quite powerful. It was even stronger than Naraku's had been when he had been in possession of the jewel, so it easily made him out to be the strongest demon she'd ever encountered. She also knew that, due to her abilities and current location, she was probably a powerful force in the making down here.

Power often pulled other types of power to it.

Still, she closed her eyes and shook her head, clearing all prior thoughts. A second later, she looked back up at Alastor. "I don't want a partner out of you," she said resolutely, and for a moment she could've sworn she saw a brief flash of surprise. It was gone as soon as it appeared, making her doubtful it was even there at all.

"Well then," Alastor hummed. "What do you want of me?" His question brought silence from her. After a few seconds of silence on her part, she eventually responded.

"A friend," Kagome said softly. "I… I doubt my friends were truly my friends when I was alive, so right now all I really could want is a genuine friend," she said and looked down. She shook her head slowly. "A genuine friend until my days here are over." She didn't intend to change her tune or her choice. She needed to find the end that she was meant for. Her friends were all gone, and she was alone now. "I'm not going to change my mind about leaving this place, but it'll be too lonely if I'm without someone I can be at peace with. If you want me around because of what I am, because of my power and strength, then I want a friend in return. That's it."

He was finally silent in response and she offered him a genuine smile. The surprise was much more evident on his face this time, and she was a bit smug about being able to knock him into such a stupor.

"If you can't adhere to that, then maybe it's best we go our separate ways now, Alastor," she said. Before she could make a move to take a single step, she was abruptly tugged right back under his arm.

"If it's a pal you want, then it's a pal you get!" Alastor chirped in response. Kagome felt her eyes widen in response. A second later, her surprise faded and a gentle smile replaced it. She didn't sense any hint of deceit in his aura.

"Then, I guess we'll see how this goes," she said softly. For the first time since she'd awoken in hell, she was able to keep a pleasant smile on her face, even as they started to walk and talk amicably to one another.

For however long it took, she at least knew she wouldn't be alone.

Auroua-chan: Reuploaded!

So, there will be a lot of angst when it comes to Kagome's past. (Particularly with her feudal era friends.) Revealed in this chapter, we discovered that not only Inuyasha abandoned her to die, but so did Sango and Miroku. The only one who didn't is Shippo, but he also wasn't taking part in the battle. He stayed behind at Kaede's village.

In the next chapter it'll most likely get to the Hotel and have the others introduced. Might be a bit of a time skip, or I might include it briefly for more Al/Kag content. Either way, Kagome's gonna make some new friends very soon. She's been so hurt, but she's still the same kind and gentle Kagome.

With Kagome might come a certain pet, but I'm not sure yet ahaha.

Anyway, that's it for now! Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not sorry.

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!'

Bye for now~