Summary:
Kagome has never used her true spiritual powers, except by accident in times of greatest need. When she is attacked in her own nightmare where no one can help her, will she be able to master her abilities to save herself? Can Inuyasha help her? Kag/Inu

I do not own the Inuyasha story/characters.

Chapter One: Kagome's Nightmare

Kagome ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She stumbled over tree roots and branches tore at her clothing and skin as she stumbled through the dark woods. The crashing got louder behind her as she frantically looked for any familiar landmarks through the pitch black. Her pulse quickened as she realized she was not going to be able to out run the demon chasing her. The trees began to thin as she broke into a clearing. Sprinting to the opposite end, she paused and turned towards the direction of her impending doom. Determination and terror filled her as she gasped for air

She reached her hand back for an arrow and all her fingertips met were air. An icy chill flooded her being. 'I have no way to fight!' She turned on her heel and threw herself back in the woods to continue to flee. Her panic distracted her long enough for her foot to be caught on a branch and her body thrown to the ground. Her head hit a rock with a sickening thud. She tried to get up to run, but her left leg would not support her weight and she crumpled to the ground once more. 'I'm going to die,' she thought, 'This is it.' The crashing grew louder and her head throbbed and spun. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha! I love you! I'm so sorry!" she whispered while she closed her eyes, braced herself and the demon overtook her.

Kagome could feel the demon's hands on her arms as attempted to fight him off. Her arms and legs felt heavy as she tried to struggle against him. It took a minute before she realized that the demon wasn't finishing her off, and he wasn't even being rough. In fact, the hands on her arms were gentle, but tense. She felt her hair being smoothed and her name being called,

"Kagome! Wake up! Kagome!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome gasped as her eyes snapped open. Her eyes were wide as she looked around at her surroundings. Inuyasha was bent over her, one hand on her face and the other on her arm, his expression full of worry. She was half out of her sleeping bag on the ground, the pair of them slightly away from the others sleeping around the camp fire. Kagome's eyes filled with tears as she realized that even though she had woken up, the feeling of terror and helplessness remained. She clutched Inuyasha's robe, pulling herself close to him.

"Kagome! You're alright now. It was just a dream," Inuyasha murmured into her hair, a blush crossing his cheeks as she kept her arms wrapped around him and her body trembled with stifled sobs.

"Oh, Inuyasha, it was terrible. I was being chased and I had no way to fight! I was all alone and it caught me, Inuyasha! I know it was just a dream, but knowing I was going to die…" Kagome stopped short as Inuyasha's body stiffened in response to her words. He tipped her chin up to look her in the eyes.

"You will never be alone like that. I will always protect you," he told her with an intensity that warmed her heart. "I will never let anything happen to you!" Kagome closed her eyes and loosened her grip on Inuyasha's robes, letting his words soothe her. Inuyasha took his thumb and wiped the tears from her cheeks. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful Kagome was when she cried. Suddenly the closeness of her stirred something deep inside him. She opened her big, brown eyes to look up at him and noticed the change in his expression.

"Inu..yasha," she whispered, as his face came closer to hers.

"Kagome," he responded, leaning closer in until he could feel her warm breath on his lips. As their lips were about to meet, the hair on Inuyasha's neck stood up and his instincts alerted him that someone was watching from the shadows. He whipped his head around to see the culprit while pulling Kagome to her feet and slightly behind him. This sudden movement made Kagome's head throb and spin. She tried to steady herself to keep from falling and her left leg collapsed underneath her. Inuyasha turned and caught her before she hit the ground.

"Kagome! Hang on! Are you ok?" he yelled, as she looked at him without seeing.

'If it was just a dream, why are my injuries real, what's going on?'

First attempt at a multi-chapter story. What do you think? Worth continuing?

Would love some feedback to hear if anyone is interested!