Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor The Demon Ororon.

The next day, Kagome took Shiro to go to her aunt and uncle's house. Her parents had died one year after she was born. Apparently, they were murdered. They had been assassinated because they fell in love and had a child. Apparently, the Heavens thought the Archangel Michael was now a dirty being, and arranged to have him and the woman murdered in the secret of the night.

Kagome then was left to live with her Grandfather. She lived happy, though a confused life until four years ago, when she was 13. Four years ago, her Grandfather had died, leaving her alone in the world. She still had her aunt, but, it really isn't like it mattered. For some reason, they had never liked her.

No one really knew the reason why he had died. Many thought that he had died from old age, even though he was only seventy-six years old. Perhaps that was the reason. The only thing Kagome was absolutely sure, was that her grandfather did not want to die, leaving Kagome without knowing the truth. The truth about her father and what she had by birthright.

Three days after he told her, he had passed away…

…And it all started to make….

….sense.

All those times, when strange things started to attack her. At the beginning, Kagome thought her grandfather was completely crazy when he said those were demons. But then, after it all happened, she realized he was right.

She was frightened for a while. She was alone in the world, since she could not; or better, would not; turn to her family for help.

She only had her friend Sango, and, sometimes, she knew she could count on her cousin Hojo.

The funeral had been a busy affair. Her aunt and uncle had come. Obviously, they had only come so they were sure that the attorney left with the duty of reading the will would not forget to read their part. But, it seemed that fortune was not on their side that day. For them, all that was left of the will was a very little amount of 5 percent. The house was left to Kagome, as was the rest of his wealth. Plus, they were obliged to give Kagome a certain quantity of money, determined by her late grandfather and his attorney, until she turned eighteen, which would be next year.

She was to pick it up every month at her aunt's house.

She and Shiro finally arrived.

She was greeted by her cousin, Hojo, who was actually very fond of her.

"Welcome, Kagome-chan! We were expecting you!" Hojo said with a cheerful voice

"Hello, Hojo-kun!" Kagome responded

"I see you're bringing a friend with you. Hello, my name is Hojo." He said turning to Shiro. "May I have the honour of knowing your name?"

Shiro simply gave him a sideway look. Somehow, something in that guy just made him want to grab his throat. Also, he had the slight impression that that guy's intentions were not simply to be polite. 'I don't think InuYasha will be to happy about this poor shit.' .

"I see, so, may I have the honour of bringing you inside?" Hojo said giving Kagome his hand.

"Thank you, Hojo-kun." She said accepting his hand.

Shiro had decided to stay outside. Even though the hoodie he was wearing to cover his years was killing him, as it was extremely hot outside. He just couldn't take anymore of that guy's bullshit.

Further into the house, Kagome was "greeted" by her aunt.

"Well then look who we have here… Again" Her aunt said as venom dripped with every word she spoke. "I really don't know why you keep coming every month. You poison the air of this house."

"Well, I am very sorry. But I have to keep coming. Until next year, that is." Kagome spoke. "Then, I will come. But I will take all that is mine."

"Many girls of your age work, you know. But I do realize that the only good work you are good for is probably paid dates. I wouldn't be surprised if when you go out this door you will be approached by some dirty middle-aged businessman." Kagome's aunt bitterly said as she drank her tea.

"Oh, auntie." Kagome said. She leaned closer to her aunt. Closer enough that her lips almost touched her ears." You know, being bitter for this long is bound to make you look older. This close, you can actually see all the wrinkles." She taunted. She stood up straight and stretched up her hand. "Now, may I have my money?" She said in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

"There, KEEP IT!" she said through greeted teeth.

"Looking forward to see you next month. Please send my regards to Uncle." Kagome bowed down and left for the door.

Apparently, Shiro had listened to every word that was spoken.

"How could you let her treat you like that?" He demanded

"Oh, it's alright." Kagome said. "She's just very bitter".

Shiro was completely stunned about this situation. As they walked, all he could say was how Kagome should not let other people treat her like that!

"You know what? We are going to turn around and kill them." Shiro said, not joking. "You do realize she called you a whore, right? We are definitely going back. Today is the day that bitch dies." He said and started going back with an incredibly murderous, yet pleased look on his face.

"Not so fast! You can't just go around killing people, you know?" Kagome said grabbing him.

After she calmed down for a bit, she said.

"You know, you don't have to do that for me. Besides, I didn't think you liked me that much anyway."

"I don't. You're just much less of an asshole. Besides, I live in your house." He briefly explained.

"I see." Kagome said. "Are you hungry?"

Two hours later, they were back home. It was already getting dark. Shiro seemed extremely happy to take off his hoodie. Though he was still rumbling about how she should have killed her relatives.

InuYasha wasn't home when they got there. Only Kuro and Kirara were alone.

"Where's InuYasha?" Kagome asked.

"He went out. He said he'd be back soon." Kuro said.´

"Do you know where he went?" Kagome asked

"No. He didn't say." Kuro answered as he read the Doraemon manga Kagome was talking about yestersay.

"Well, you wouldn't really expect that jerk-off to say where he's going…" Shiro started. "He is the king of Hell, after all. He doesn't really own any explanations."

Meanwhile, Satan, or InuYasha, was outside, sitting on a park bench. He was smoking a cigarette, with his amber eyes half-closed.

Today, while Kagome was out, he had made some contacts with some of his most trusted people who were always loyal to him.

Suddenly, through the smoke, he had seen a crying spirit. A spirit of a woman who seemed utterly desperate. Her gaze was staring blankly into the darkness, when she sat down next to him.

"Why haven't you moved on?" InuYasha said

"you…" her eyes widened in shock."…you can see me?"

"Of course."

"You are not a creature of this world." She said

"Of course not." He said. "So, why haven't you moved on?" He asked again

"I don't remember. It's been….too long." She said. "Far too long. I only remember that I committed suicide. I know that I wanted to just end it. Then…I just woke up again. Then I realized…I was dead." She finished

"What's your name?"

She seemed to think about it for a while. As if her name had no meaning anymore. "…Kikyou. My name is Kikyou."

Meeting with this woman, made InuYasha think about his life in Hell.

Every day, one of the "royal tasters would die from poisoning at his dinner table. His mother, no, not his mother. His mother was human.

'Just like Kagome', he thought.

His father had had an affair with a human mother called Izaoy. Unfortunately, that affair had produced one more heir. InuYasha.

After this, she had to be hidden. He remembered, a really long time ago, when he was still a little kid, he used to stay with his mother everyday. As he grew up, he understood that he could not see her everyday anymore. Because of his protection.

His father was probably the biggest bastard that ever, ever lived, but yet, he decided to keep InuYasha's mother protected. Even as she aged must faster than him, as he was a demon, he kept her there, even in her old age.

Inside the palace's walls, he lived with his step mother. She did not live. She simply survived. No one knew exactly why, but she had gone mad over the centuries. InuYasga knew she was slowly being poisoned. Not to death, but to madness. When she was sane, she held no bitter feelings for InuYasha, as she even considered him one of her own. She loved him like one of her own.

One time, when InuYasha was five years old, his stepmother's favourite servant had tried to assassinate him. Around this time, she was already mad. InuYasha killed the servant instead. When he had seen another demon's blood on his hands, he was confused. He ran to his stepmother for help. When he got there, she had expressed her feelings: She had much preferred the servant to live.

That was the first time InuYasha had killed.

When he was five, he understood.

In order to survive in that Hell, he had to kill before they killed him. Be stronger or get eaten.

And that was what happened for the next two hundred years. Living in constant vigilance. Having his magic be better than the others' magic.

It had to be that way, in a world where even his brothers would tried to kill him to get the throne.

Fifty years ago happened what no one had been expecting. The Great Demon king had died. He had decided that he, the illegitimate son, InuYasha would be the King. If things had been Hell for InuYasha before, they were now much worse. His brother Naraku, who from the five brothers was in the middle, tried everything to take the throne from him. His other brothers would try too. All except for Sesshomaru, his older brother. If anything, he had protected him.

It was because of Naraku that he had fled to the Human world.

Naraku had blackmailed one of the two InuYasha's best and only actually friends.

"InuYasha" Masho, one of his best friends said as he entered InuYasha's chambers.

"Masho" InuYasha acknowledged. 'What brings you here at this time of the night?'

"I was just bored. You know. Not much to do" he lied and took steps closer to the King

"What about your lady? Aren't you happy with her?" InuYasha inquired and Masho took a step closer.

"Of course I am. I love her. I love her more than life." Masho told him. He took another step closer. A tear had fallen from his left eye. "You know I would do anything for her." He took another step. He was know very, very close to InuYasha, and a tear had fallen from his right eye.

InuYasha turned around to face him

"Masho…what's wrong, man?" InuYasha asked confusedly

"I am so sorry." Masho said and cried. "I must do this. It's either you, or the woman I love" Having said this, Masho swiftly pulled a knife out if his pocket and stabbed his best friend in the stomach.

InuYasha's golden eyes widened in pain, and spat some drops of blood from his mouth. Not even for one second he was mad at his friend. "Naraku, huh?" InuYasha asked with a snort.

"Yeah. I am so sorry" Masho said and cried.

"That's okay." InuYasha said. "I am sorry too. But I just can't let you kill me." After InuYasha said this, he stabbed his claws into Masho's heart, killing him instantly and as less painful as possible.

InuYasha was now very hurt. If he stayed here, Naraku was surely going to kill him.

He had had time to inform Miroku, his only friend left. Well, except for Sesshomaru. But that was different.

They had arranged for him to escape the Underworld into the Human world, where he had stayed until Kagome, his angel, found him.

If it weren't for her, he would have died.

Because he knew what Hell was, it was not difficult for him to imagine the kind of Hell the Kikyou of the tear-stained-face could have gone through.

If it was anything like his, he knew it was very unfair for her to keep on living like that.

So, he simply asked:

"You know, I could end it for you." He offered. "Do you want me to do it? I could end your suffering. You wouldn't even feel it."

"Really?" Kikyou asked.

"Yeah. For real."

And she smiled for what it must have been the first time in many centuries.

After a very long time of a grateful expression, Kikyou of the tear-stained-face said

"Yes"

And in one quick act, he made her disappear.

In loving memory of Helena Matsumoto,

1970 - 2005

Who got tired of her own personal Hell

Rest In Peace

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