Prologue: The Dream
It was horrible times before. I didn't fit in anywhere. No one would accept me, I was shunned, beaten, and betrayed. I was so weak...and I wouldn't admit this fault to myself. And I ended up getting hurt again because I thought I could take on anything, I was the master, I was strong enough to make it on my own... Then I met her... She turned my whole world upside down, and made me see just how alone I really was, how hopeless I was. And she didn't run away, she didn't call me horrible names like "half-breed"... She called me by my name. Even before she knew who I was she called me by my name, and didn't bother to waste her time insulting me. She wanted to know as much about me as possible. She was the first one that I could really call a...friend. She showed me what it was like to feel friendship, and how easy it is to get and keep. She's amazing. She changed my whole life. She is perfect... well, a little rough around the edges, but I can look past that. All I want is for her to feel the same way about me, as I feel about her...
It was a sunny day, not a cloud in the sky, the sun lightening up the dreary, old hut that the gang was camping in. Kagome was the first to wake. She sat up, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, stretched, and looked around at the others. Sango was lying on the floor beside her with Kirara curled against her chest. Miroku was in the far right corner of the hut, his head leaning against the wall, gently snoring. Shippo was curled up on Kagome's pillow. Inuyasha was behind her, sitting up against the wall, near the door. His chin was resting on his chest, and his ears were twitching.
He must be having a dream. Kagome thought. I wonder what he is dreaming about.
She stood up and stretched again and tip-toed outside. She managed to slip silenty out of the hut. When she was safely outside she let out a breath she seemed to be holding. She started walking, and didn't take two steps before tripping over a loose rock. She let out a little squeal and fell face first on the ground.
That was real nice, Kagome. The little voice in her head told her amusingly.
Oh, shut up. She thought back angrily.
She stood back up and dusted off her front. She let out another breath and continued to walk on.
Everywhere I go I keep seeing her. Her face, lighting up everything around me, no matter how dark it may be. Her eyes sparkle, her smile is so sincere, it lightens my soul just seeing it, seeing it makes me realize, no, know that everything will be alright. And then suddenly she would vanish into thin air, and I would be surrounded by darkness, searching desperatly for her, running with nothing to lead me, until I would see a soft light ahead. It was't her, I just knew it wasn't, but it at least gave me something to follow so I would know where I was. And there was another woman...
Kagome continued to walk on slowly, soaking in the warm rays of the sun. She loved the fuedal era early in the morning. It was so calm. She stopped to stretch and breathe in the fresh air. Everything seemed so clean, pure, and innocent. But she knew better than to believe that this place was peaceful. It seemed like there was a demon attack every day. She didn't know whether her nerves would hold out to continue to fight demons. She needed another break, she needed to go home for a few days, to relax herself, so she would be well prepared for more demon encounters.
This woman has her back to me. I can feel an evil aura around her. I knew she wasn't safe. I had to get away...
Kagome turned around and walked back to the hut. She had done decided... She was going to ask Inuyasha for a break, she was going to ask him if she could go home for a few days to unwind. She knew he would most likely resist, so she was willing to go to drastic measures to get him to let her go, like the infamous "sit" command. She hoped he would understand that she needed some time off...though she knew he wouldn't. But, she was willing to risk it. She didn't ask for much. The least he could do was let her go home.
"Kagome!!" I yelled out. My voice seemed empty. I tried to run but I seemed to be getting nowhere fast. I could feel that woman's aura overpowering my own. I knew I shouldn't panic, but I had to find Kagome and get her heartlightening smile out of there, take her to safety. I felt the woman's hands grab my shoulders and pull me back and turned me around to face her...
Kagome entered the hut and automatically looked around for Inuyasha. She remembered he was by the door. She turned to look to see if he was still asleep and saw he was lying on the ground thrashing in his sleep. He was muttered in a panicky voice and he ears were twitching out of control.
"Inuyasha!" she said loudly. "Inuyasha, wake up!"
I was face to face with the woman. She seemed so familiar, but I was in no position to reminise. I felt the woman pull me closer to her and sink her teeth into my neck. I could hear a faint sound in my ear, barely a whisper getting louder and louder. I screamed...
"Inuyasha, Inuyasha, it's alright, it's alright, you were only dreaming." Kagome said forcing his upright self to lay back down.
He was to shaky and weak to resist, and he was covered in sweat. He felt a cool rag on his forehead, and a soothing voice.
"You were having a bad dream." Kagome said soothingly to him, rubbing the wet cloth across his head.
Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara were all crowded around him to see if he was going crazy. Kagome got frustrated and shooed them all off. They left and went to the morning chores, Shippo and Sango to get the water and Miroku to get the firewood, so they could fix breakfast.
"Wha-what happened, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked in a low voice. His throat hurt from when he screamed.
"You were thrashing and screaming in your sleep. You were having a bad dream." she answered, placing the cool cloth back on his head.
Inuyasha tried to remember what his dream was about, but it slipped away from him like water in cupped hands. He couldn't remember a thing.
"Do you remember anything about the dream?" Kagome asked.
He shook his head in response. "Not a thing."
"You had me worried."
"Feh."
"Seriously."
Inuyasha remained silent, trying hard to remember even the slightest bit about his dream. His head felt hollow. The only thing he remembered the woman. It was like he knew her, but he couldn't place a face on her. I growled to himself. Kagome stopped running the cloth across his head when she heard that noise erupt from his throat.
"Sorry." she said to him, putting the cloth back into the bucket of water that was sitting beside her.
Inuyasha turned his head and sat up, despite Kagome's urges for him to lie back down. He stood to his feet and walked outside. He needed some alone time, so he could try and figure out what his dream was about. He hopped into a tree and stared into the sky, very quickly dozing back off into sleep.
I saw that woman again. She was smiling at me so sinisterly that it sent chills down my body. She seemed so familiar, I wanted to rip my hair out trying to remember who she was.
"You do remember me, don't you, Inuyasha?" the woman spoke to me.
The voice seemed to ring a bell, but I still couldn't place a face on her. She laughed at my blank expression.
"Come on...I know you remember me."
"Who are you and what do you want?"
"You're looking for Kagome aren't you?"
"What? What do you know about Kagome? Where is she?!"
"I can't tell you that, Inuyasha, but I do urge you wake up."
"What?"
"Wake up, Inuyasha, before she disappears."
That face...
"Kikyo!" Inuyasha cried, jolting awake in his sleep. "The woman... She was Kikyo..."
"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!"
He looked down from the tree he was in to see Shippo running towards him, a panicked look on his face, his blue-green eyes shining in terror.
"What is it, Shippo?" Inuyasha asked, sensing trouble in the child's stare.
"Kagome's gone!"
"What?!"
"She just disappeared!"
Inuyasha jumped down from the tree and ran towards the hut, and much to his fear, she was gone, nowhere in sight.
"My dream..." Inuyasha said to himself, looking around and sniffing the air for any sign of Kagome. "Kikyo said that I had better wake up before she disappeared... Was it a warning? Sure didn't sound like she was warning me, more like threatening me..."
"Inuyasha, come on, we have to find Kagome!" Sango called down from the air, she and Miroku already seated onto the transformed Kirara's back.
Inuyasha nodded, allowing Shippo to hop onto his shoulder and following behind Kirara.
"Kagome..."
(A/N): Okay, this is my first Inuyasha fic. I need reviews. You all have to tell me how I am doing. Please! Please review!
