Chapter 1 - The Dream
"Where...where am I?"
Kagome found herself shrouded in darkness. It was pitch black and she couldn't even see her own hand. The only sound she could hear was her breathing. Scared, she tried grabbing for the jar containing the Shikon jewel shards which should have been tied to the necklace around her neck, but alas, they were gone. She tried to grab for her bow and arrows but they were gone too.
"The Shikon jewel shards! My bow! Where are they? What's going on!?" Kagome panicked. She tried running in the darkness. She tried every direction. She screamed and shouted but no one could hear her. She was frightened, cold and all by herself. She felt like she had been there for hours, or even days. Soon Kagome gave up and sat down on the hard ground. "What is this place?" she whispered to herself. Looking around, she knew it was useless to run or call out. "Inuyasha...please save me." Kagome pleaded, tearing up with every word. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. "Someone...please...someone please save me..." she whispered. Suddenly, the ground fell beneath her and Kagome felt a sense of weightlessness. She screamed as she fell deeper and deeper into the never-ending, pitch black abyss. Then there was a speck of light. At the very bottom of the dark place Kagome was in, was a speck of light, which grew bigger and bigger as she got closer. Soon, the light consumed her, blinding her. And she heard a voice.
"I swear by the blood in my body that we will be together again."
"Kagome! Wakey wakey!" Kagome opened her eyes to see Sango peering at her face.
"Huh? Sango?" Kagome yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"You don't usually oversleep. I guess you must have been really tired after the battle with that yokai yesterday. It sure was a tough one, wasn't it?" Sango smiled at Kagome and handed her the yellow backpack.
"Kagome, what took you so long?!" Kagome turned to see Inuyasha crouching a rock nearby, eyeing her with distaste. "We were meant to leave at dawn!" he complained, before jumping off the rock and stretching out.
"I'm sorry. I just...I just had a long dream..." Kagome apologized. She stood up and grabbed some snacks and a water bottle from her backpack. She was famished.
"A long dream, huh? I've had a few good ones. What was yours about, Kagome?" Miroku asked. Everyone knew instantly what kind of dreams Miroku was talking about and they groaned. Shippou bounded up to Kagome with a curious expression on his face.
"Did you dream about us?!" he squeaked. Kagome finished taking a few sips from her water bottle and packed it back into her bag before opening a packet of potato chips to share. She put on her backpack and the gang started to walk down a forest pathway.
"Sorry, Shippou. I didn't dream about you. It was just pitch black and I was all alone. I guess I found it pretty scary because I remember..." Kagome cut herself off.
"Remember what?" Inuyasha peered at Kagome's face. Kagome looked away. She had remembered the voice which spoke in her dream and for some reason, it sparked a surge of emotions within her. Kagome felt like she was going to break down and cry but she couldn't understand why. There's something else I'm supposed to remember. Something important, she thought to herself. What could it be? She felt her eyes grow hot and she tried to cover her face. Kagome couldn't understand why she felt so overcome with emotion and she stopped abruptly in the middle of the pathway.
"Kagome?" Sango asked, with obvious concern in her voice. Kagome brought her hands to her head and shut her eyes. She shook her head violently.
"I'm sorry!" Kagome finally blurted out before running off the pathway and into the trees. She could hear the shouts of her friends calling after her but she ignored them. She sprinted through the forest, pushing through branches and jumping over overgrown roots. I can't go back. Why can't I go back? Why am I running? Tears streamed down her face as she ran. She knew Inuyasha would probably catch up with her but she didn't dare to stop. Kagome's mind was overwhelmed with powerful emotions and her heart began to ache. Small twigs and leaves were tangled in her hair but she wasn't bothered by that fact.
"Kagome! Kagome! Where are you going!?" Hearing Inuyasha's shouts not far behind her, pushed Kagome to run faster. She glanced behind her to check whether Inuyasha was close. All of a sudden she ran into something white.
"Huh?" Kagome looked up with red eyes and puffy cheeks to see what she bumped into. No. Why him of all people? Sesshoumaru stood before her with a contempt expression on his face. He glared at her scornfully with his piercing gold eyes in silence. "S-S-Sesshoumaru! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean t-" she stuttered before Inuyasha entered the clearing.
"Kago-Sesshoumaru?! Kagome, you idiot! Why the hell were you running?! Sesshoumaru, just leave her alone. She's not acting like herself." Inuyasha walked up and grabbed Kagome by the wrist before turning around and stomping away.
"You are pathetic, Inuyasha. Letting a human girl out of your grasp so easily." Sesshoumaru commented. Inuyasha spun around angrily and looked Sesshoumaru in the eye to talk back before hearing Kagome gasp loudly. She was frozen in her place with a terrified expression. That voice...it couldn't be...
"Sesshoumaru," she gasped, "he was in my dream." She slowly turned around to face Sesshoumaru as tears continued to fall from her eyes. She felt like she had known Sesshoumaru for a long time but at the same time, he was completely unfamiliar.
"In your dream? What does that have to do with anything?! Let's leave, okay Kagome?!" Inuyasha grew more impatient and tried to pull her away but she shrug him off.
"'I swear by the blood in my body that we will be together again.'" she whispered, still staring Sesshoumaru in the eye, "that's what you said."