New A/N: Okay, I'm going through this fic, since this is one of my personal favorites. I need to fix the grammatical and spelling errors, as well as adding html to everything . . . the usual. ^_^ It was really annoying me! ~_~ Well, onwards!

Original A/N: The overall tone of this fic is pretty depressing. That's all I have to say. on with the the story.



"Oh, God, no." She was dressed in a tight, strange-looking white suit. It stuck to her as she sweated.

"No." Her emerald eyes were deep pools, deep pools which reflected the blazing town ahead of her. "No." The screams of the unsuspecting villagers had long since ceased. For that much she was grateful. So many deaths. "Please!" It wasn't the village that had captured her attention, it wasn't the village . . . Oh, God!

Taichi. Taichi. He had been massacred and then burned in a torched cabin. Yet he stood before her. "Taichi, no. . ."

Blood ran down his off-white shirt, spurting from a huge wound across his chest. Above the deadly injury, the part of the body was hardly staying to the rest. Only a small flap of skin and reed-thin shreds of bone held it together. Hikari's hands flew to her face. "You're dead!"

Taichi said nothing in response. His mouth hung open, exposing a black, gaping hole. His eyes were two empty sockets. Crimson liquid ran down his ruined face from them both, like waterfalls, mixing with his other bodily fluids. He lifted his arms. Metal spikes jutted from the knuckles. Slowly, he hobbled towards her. Terror left her unable to speak, as she saw a bloodied sword lodged in the left side of his torso.

Hikari's knees quaked beneath her. She wanted to run, run to safety. But she was paralyzed. Couldn't move. He ran the metal spikes gently along her throat, once, twice, three times. Then, with a malicious gesture, he jammed it right through her. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she sank to the ground, hearing her brother laugh in a dry, dead laugh that only something evil could produce.


She awoke at once, tears streaming down her cheeks. "God, it was a dream."

 But Hikari knew it wasn't. It couldn't be called a dream anymore. Dreams didn't come to you for weeks on end. No. This was something much more. . .


"Hey, Hikari! Over here!" Daisuke waved both of his hands wildly over his head in an exaggerated gesture. Takeru, who was unfortunate enough to be sitting next to him, shook his head and lowered it into his hands for a split second, then glanced up at Hikari and grinned boyishly. Hikari forced a smile upon her face. She was happy to see Takeru, she really was. But she was so tired!

"Yeah! She sees me!" Daisuke hollered. "WHOO-HOO! HIKARI! OVER HERE!" People passing by gave Daisuke annoyed glares as they hurried past. He was standing on the top of a bench out in the schoolyard. Hikari self-consciously straightened her ocean blue uniform. Did he have to be so loud?

"Daisuke, calm down," Takeru told him quietly. "You're embar. . ."

He didn't have a chance to finish. Pin wheeling his arms, Daisuke fell backwards off the bench. Despite the heaviness in her heart and the dark cloud looming over her, a true smile broke out across Hikari's face. With as much energy as she could muster, she flounced over to Takeru.

 "Hey," she greeted. They instantly started into conversation, completely oblivious to Daisuke's grumbling and picking grass out of his hair. The first bell sounded. Takeru leapt to his feet, and Hikari followed suit, only slower. Why can't high school be later on in the day? She thought groggily. Among a pulsing stream of students, the two set off for their classes.




Later that day, school had just let out. Hikari had barely managed to get through the day, but hey, after all those sleepless nights, you get used to having a serious lack of energy. She was stumbling down the sidewalk next to Miyako. Miyako kept sending concerned glances her way. She could see the obvious bags under her friend's eyes; they'd been there for days.

"Hikari, are you feeling okay?" Miyako blurted. Hikari tilted her head slightly towards Miyako, but not enough so she could see her face.

"I'm. . . fine. Why do you ask?"

"Because you're always so happy and. . .now you're NOT." Miyako said loudly. "Something's up. Come on, Hikari, you can tell me."

Sorry. I've got to hurry," Hikari replied quickly, trying to avoid having to tell Miyako about her crazy dreams and her sleepless nights. "I'll. . . see you at the school today, alright? Bye." Without waiting for Miyako to inquire further, Hikari ran as fast as her legs would allow for home, feeling the bile rise in her throat. Once she reached her bathroom, she threw up in the toilet. She flushed it and sat there, tears starting to form in her eyes. She knew she was going to go berserk if she didn't get any sleep. But no, just the thought of those strange reveries she had been having fought her grogginess off. Life goes on. She hoped.

On shaky legs, Hikari stood up and wiped her wet face.

Someone rapped on the door. "Hikari, is that you?" Her older brother's voice shouted. "It's time for dinner."

"Already?" Hikari tried to keep her voice steady. "What time is it?"

"Time for dinner. Now come on!" Rubbing her face in what she expected was a bored gesture to hide her red, puffy eyes, she went out of the bathroom. She had totally forgotten her brother was visiting from college.

"You came home awfully fast. You didn't even say hi," Taichi said, and knelt down slightly so he was face-to-face with her. Hikari kept her hands over her face. He began to pull them away. "Come on," he grumbled. "I'm not a stranger or anything." Finally, she dropped her hands to her sides, but refused to look at him.

Taichi shook his head and led her too the kitchen. 'Something's wrong with her.' he thought. She sat obediently as Taichi pulled out a chair at the dinner table. He set a plate full of steaming noodles in front of her. Pushing her food around with her fork, she stole a peek at Taichi. "You've been crying," he said at last in a decisive manner. "And you look tired. What's wrong, Hikari?"

Hikari sniffled, even though she had promised herself that she wouldn't. "I. . ."

"Go on." Taichi urged.

She was feeling seriously dizzy. Her plate spun around in circles before her. Stupid plate . . . stay in one spot, like you're supposed too! She leaned back in her chair, trying to will it off. "I'm really tired."

Taichi shook his head in disbelief. "People don't cry when their tired, Hikari. You can tell me."

She stood up quickly. "No, no. There's absolutely nothing wrong with me. See?" She took a step forward, and stumbled to the floor, breathing a bit labored.

"Hey!" Her brother knelt by her side and lifted her so her head was resting in his lap. "I knew something was wrong!" He cried, his voice laced with brotherly concern. Hikari felt too weak to resist.

"Fine, you got me."

Taichi lifted her up and laid her on the couch in the living room. He looked at her. "Now spill."

It came out in a rush, like a dam overflowing, as Hikari explained her gruesome dreams and the lack of sleep. Taichi listened intently. He opened his mouth to speak as she finished, but their parents suddenly barged through the door.

"Taichi!" Mrs. Yagami shouted happily, even though she was about two feet away from them. "It's so good too see you!" She rushed over to him and gave a bone-crushing embrace.

"Nice. . . to see. . . you. . . too. . .  mom, but can you please. . . get off. . . me?" Taichi sputtered, face turning blue.

"Oops." Their mother stepped backwards sheepishly. Mr. Yagami shook Taichi's hand. "I planned a special dinner for all of us tomorrow!" Mrs. Yagami said happily, sitting on a lounge chair. "Liver!"

Hikari felt her stomach lurch. "Um, sounds great, mom."

"Your mother totally forgot about a dinner for work tonight," Mr. Yagami told them. He was straightening his tie, and was seemingly grateful to be able to avoid his wife's infamous cooking. "We'll be home around midnight." He began to pull Mrs. Yagami towards the door again.

Taichi and Hikari nodded, and said good-bye. Once they had left, he turned to his sister again. Hikari swallowed hard. "I know it sounds stupid, but those dreams feel so real and everything. Maybe I'm just weak."

Taichi shook his head violently. "Weak? YOU? No way! I'd be in much worse shape than you if I kept having those things every night. Now, how about this. It's still early, and you seem pretty comfy on the sofa. So just stay there, and try to get some sleep. I'll sit here and wake you up if you look like your having a nightmare, okay?"

 "You'll do that for me?"

"Of course I will. Now relax, and go to sleep."

Hikari smiled. "Thank you." She leaned back and was pretty much asleep before she hit the pillow Taichi had put beneath her head.

It was two hours later, about 7:15 P.M. Taichi yawned, and willed his eyes to stay open. His younger sister was sleeping peacefully, and showed no signs of disturbance. His head lolled. "Tired."

He had suddenly begun to feel incredibly groggy. It was a struggle to stay awake. Finally, he gave in. His eyelids shut and didn't reopen.


Hikari laughed as Takeru splashed her. The sun beat down upon them, warming the usually unbearably cold ocean water around them.

"Stop. . . stop! It's freezing!" Hikari shrieked.

"Aw, come on, you can't tell me your afraid of water!" Takeru teased back.

"You're asking for it!"

 "Oh, am I?"

"That's it!" She sprayed Takeru with the seawater. He pretended to fall over as the liquid soaked his body. He went underwater.

Hikari laughed. "You clown." She tromped over to him. Her feet sank into mud. "Huh?" She was certain that wasn't there before. Suddenly, the ocean level began to rise without warning. The skies overhead grew dark, and wind whistled past her ears. She was pushed over as a huge wave washed over her. Before she could catch her breath, another one crashed into her.

ari was being pulled out to sea. She couldn't tell which way was up. She thrashed her limbs wildly, trying to get to the surface. Instead, her face smashed against the slimy sand of the bottom. Bubbles escaped her mouth as she tried to scream. It fell on empty ears. She couldn't breathe. Something wrapped around her ankles, something freezing. Something alive. Her eyes shut and her lungs stopped desperately trying to find air as she fell victim to the frothing waters. The seas then became calm, as did the sky. The water level fell. A lone seagull squawked.


Clutching at her throat, Hikari awoke. Her lungs didn't feel like they were working. She clawed at her face until blood ran down her cheeks. 'Breathe!' She sucked in a breath. And another. And another.

"T-T-Taichi . . ." she sputtered, "why. . . didn't you wake me. . . up?" Hikari spotted her brother fast asleep in the chair. That little. . .

She felt like socking him, but felt too tired to do so. So she got up, picked up her hairbrush, and combed her hair. I'm going out. I need to get away from all this.  She thought, and left the apartment without another word, silent fury radiating off her body. That damned jerk!  She made sure to slam the front door extra hard. Taichi still didn't stir.




Shivering underneath his thin jacket, Takeru scolded himself for the thousandth time. Why hadn't he worn a thicker coat? Takeru looked up at the Yagami's apartment building as another cold breeze swept by him, which set him off grumbling again. "Takeru. . . is that you?" A female voice wondered. He turned around to see Hikari trembling behind him.

"Hikari, your lips are purple," he said, and began to take his jacket off to give to her.

She waved it away. "I'm fine, really. I'm just really pissed at my brother right now."

"What'd he do? Hide your underwear?"

Hikari groaned. "He hasn't done that since he was ten. No, it's something a little bit more serious."

Takeru furrowed his eyebrow. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Give me a quarter."

"Fine," he laughed.

"I'll tell you . . . let's just go someplace warmer."

"Brilliant idea. Your place?" He asked. She didn't really want to, but she was shivering so hard, she didn't think she could walk the distance to Takeru's house.

"O-Okay."

He grabbed her hand, and together, they began reenter the apartment complex.




Taichi was still crashed in the same chair when they opened the door and quickly stepped back inside. Hikari glared at his sleeping form as she took a seat. "So. . ." Takeru trailed off.

"Well," she started. "It all began two weeks ago, Monday, I think. I was asleep when I had the first dream. Yes, a dream. It was so horrible, Takeru! Taichi was grabbing me by the hair and slamming my head into the ground again and again. I remember how the gravel felt against my bleeding face . . . From then on, I got two hours of rest a night, tops. I've never had the same one more than once, though, but my brother was in every one." Something then dawned on her. "Oh! He wasn't in the most recent one- the one I had when I was trying to take a nap." Takeru was quiet for a moment. "You should talk to someone." Hikari sighed in exasperation.

"I did. And look what he does!" She gestured at her brother, whose mouth was wide open as his neck was leaning painfully against the back of the wooden chair in which he sat. Hikari was surprised he didn't sever it.

"You can't go on like this," Takeru said softly. Even though the fact was well known to them both, one of them voicing it aloud seemed to cast a dark shadow over them.

Takeru left about an hour later, and Taichi was still sleeping. Hikari reached over and violently pushed him off the chair. "Hey!" He snapped. "Watch it."

 "I was getting tired of watching you drool." She sipped a cup of coffee. Taichi yawned.

"Caffeine? So close to bed?"

"I'm not GOING to bed," she confirmed. He frowned.

"Yes, you are."

 "I am not."

"Look, you are. I don't think mom or dad would be very happy to pay the hospital bill if you start learning the ways of an insomniac."

Hikari scowled. "You fell asleep."

I was tired."

She ignored his obvious sarcasm. "I had another dream."

Taichi raised an eyebrow lazily. "'Bout what? Me going around raping people?"

"Shut up, brother. You're acting weird. Go back to sleep." She was stung, but tried not to let it show. In a huff, she stalked from the den into her room. Taichi smiled in strange joyous glee as she left.


Wiping at her eyes for what must have been the sixtieth time that day, Hikari laid on her bed. Sleep threatened to overcome her. "I have to stay awake." Had that coffee done nothing for her? "Can't go to sleep." Despite herself, her eyes closed as she drifted from the conscious world.

Crickets chirped as the clock struck midnight. There were distant sounds of cars honking as Hikari, eyes shut, swung her legs around and stood up.

Go to the window. Open it.

She unlocked and lifted the plane of glass covering the screen. She pushed the mesh off its metal holders, and the howling wind blew it away. Her eyes didn't open.

Jump out.

Hikari lifted one leg and braced it on the windowsill. She then brought the other one up. She was now crouching in an uncomfortable position in the frame of the window.

Now!

She leapt and fell like a lead weight. Her hair whipped wildly around her face.

Scream!

She let loose a horrible shriek as she neared the approaching ground.



New A/N: Well, I've revised it. Chapter Two will soon be following! ^_^

Original A/N: There's chapter one! A cliffhanger, sorry about that. Until next time. . .


~Momiji-chan Wa Baka