Stolen Dreams

Chapter Four

The forest was shrouded in an unnatural mist, making it difficult for Sango to see the half-demon from her position atop Kirara. The demon huntress held her might boomerang at the ready and wet her lips with her tongue. Below, she could just make out Inuyasha's red haori standing out against the dense fog. He had come to a stop beneath the tree where he had been imprisoned by Kikyo's spell for fifty years – as Sango had anticipated. Kikyo was, if anything, ironic. "Wish I could hear what's going on," she admitted. Kirara just mewled in response, watching the pair below warily.

For his part Inuyasha stood quietly, waiting for Kikyo to speak. It had been months since he had seen her last and they had not parted on amicable terms. Inuyasha and his group had been in a village far to the south of the island, overlooking the sea. They all agreed it would be the last time they traveled so far with Kagome in such a delicate state. The young priestess was already in the end of her first trimester and just starting to develop a belly. When everyone had turned in for the evening, Inuyasha had sat out on a bluff overlooking the waves, thinking. As with anytime Kikyo was near, he felt her rather than scented or heard her. His ears twitched, the only sign that he knew she was behind him. It was enough for her, having known Inuyasha for so long. Kikyo did not come any closer but raised her hollow voice and asked,

"Is it true?" For a moment, Inuyasha had feigned ignorance.

"Is what true, Kikyo?" he wished he could make his voice as empty of emotion as hers.

"That my replacement is with child. Is it true, Inuyasha that the girl from the future now carries a child in her womb?" Inuyasha sighed, but still refused to turn and look at the woman he used to love.

"Yes, Kikyo, she is with child. And before you ask, yes the child is mine."

The undead priestess howled in agony and Inuyasha spun around to stare in shock. The normally stoic Kikyo had angry tears running down her face as she threw back her head and wailed loudly.

"How could you?" she demanded, leveling him with a watery glare, "How dare she? First, she took my soul. Then she stole your heart which you had given to me! Now she has taken the future which should have been ours. Well I will not allow it, Inuyasha," she made no attempt to wipe away the tears that left dirty tracks down her cheeks. "You forfeited that future when you swore to let me lead you into hell!"

"I'm sorry, Kikyo, but I do not feel that way any more." he whispered, ashamed at how guilty he felt for witnessing her anguish.

"Inuyasha, come with me. Be mine again and I will spare the whore and the bastard child in her womb. Defy me and I will take what should have been mine by force!" her voice trembled with emotion as she took a step and then another toward Inuyasha. When he backed away, Kikyo snarled at him, "She will lose her powers now that she carries your bastard half-breed child! How will you protect them now, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha went toe to toe with the undead priestess, his mouth twisted into a scowl and growled low in his throat. "You may say whatever you like of me, Kikyo. But you may not threaten my mate." then he sidestepped and went around her back towards his camp. Without looking back he said, "You are banished from our lands, Kikyo. If you attempt to come near me or my mate, you will be spared no mercy."

Now, as Inuyasha stood waiting for her to speak, he wondered if maybe his brother was right. Maybe he should have killed her when she first threatened Kagome and then he would not be in his present predicament. Kikyo stood beneath the Goshinboku, a hand resting on the scarred trunk. Although physically her appearance was unchanged from fifty years ago, she now wore the black robes of a priestess of the dark. Her mouth tilted up at one side in the semblance of a smile. "You have decided to forsake your whore?" When Inuyasha growled, Kikyo snatched her hand away from the tree and glared at him. "No? Then why are you here? Surely you do not plan to enforce your banishment? I told you, surrender yourself to me body and soul or you surrender your mate and unborn child. Do not tempt me, Inuyasha."

"Kikyo," Inuyasha was miserable, he did not want to fight with Kikyo but he had a sickening suspicion that it was inevitable. "Please understand. I love Kagome and we have a life together now. At one point in your life, all you wanted was my happiness. Well, I am happy with my mate. Can't you just let go of your anger?"

Kikyo tapped a finger to her chin as though seriously contemplating this suggestion. Then she drew an arrow from her quiver and targeted Inuyasha's heart, "No."

High up in the mountain dens of the wolves, Koga was being tended by the elderly healer. "Young Prince, even you have your limits. Your wolves have overturned every rock from her to the river. If your young mate is anywhere to be found, your brothers and sisters will sniff her out. In the meantime, you must continue to lead the pack. A pack without a leader is easy prey for other demons." Koga shoved the old wolf demon away and stalked to the edge of the cave, looking down into the valley. "How can I lead them when half of me is dying?" He tilted his head, a faint howling suddenly coming to his attention. The wolf prince's body tensed and he strained to hear better a voice he heard in his dreams. Others quickly picked up the howl and Koga did not wait for the healer before sprinting headlong down the side of the mountain. Ayame stumbled from the trees clutching a small wolf boy in her arms. Mother and son's green eyes were tear filled and Ayame's red hair tumbled around her shoulders instead of the neat pigtails she normally wore. Her white fur was torn and filthy, but she offered a brave smile as her eyes alighted on her mate, running pell-mell down the mountain to her. Koga did not stop until he held his mate and their son in his strong arms. He buried his nose in her hair and breathed in her scent.

"What happened, Ayame? How did you escape?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"That witch left us alone. She thought that I has imbibed her foul drink that forces slumber, but I wretched mine when her back was turned. Koga, I think Kagome is in danger!"

Twang! The sound of Kikyo's bow snapping as it released a deadly arrow at the half-demon. Inuyasha dropped to all fours, avoiding the missile and rolled to avoid another. Scrambling behind a tree, he caught his breath as he heard Kikyo begin to chant a horrible sounding incantation. A whooshing sound told him that Sango's boomerang had just missed it's target, but it gave him the distraction he needed to bolt away from the scene. Even if he could get close enough to the undead priestess to use his claws, he doubted he could actually use them against her. So he ran. He glanced up to be sure that Sango and Kirara were following and then picked up the pace. He had to warn Kagome.

The girl from the future stood beside the bone eater's well. She sighed, looking down into it's dark mouth. Miroku stood close by placing protective wards around the glade. The children were being watched over by Kaede, Shippo and Kohaku. Although Shippo's fox magic kept them hidden, Kagome's heart still ached with worry. "Lady Kagome," Miroku tapped her on the shoulder, "I see Kirara. From her haste, I don't think that things went well." Kagome turned and watched as Inuyasha sprinted from the forest, saw her, and angled towards the well without slowing. Over the forest, a dark cloud had formed and began to crackle with negative energy. Inuyasha stopped in front of his mate, his eyes apologizing although he did not speak. "I hope they're ready," Kagome muttered, pulling the large pink jewel from beneath the collar of her shirt.

For a brief moment, Kagome just held the jewel and remembered. This small object had brought her into the past. It had bound her destiny to Inuyasha's and it was the reason she had met all of her friends. She remembered Midoriko who had come to her in a dream when the jewel had finally been completed after the death of Naraku. The older priestess had been the one to explain that the only way to destroy the jewel forever was to make a wish on it. So Kagome held the jewel close to her heart and wished for the power to bring her family into the past to live with her there. The wind picked up, whether from the ominous dark cloud bearing down on them or from the magic of the jewel, Kagome did not know. There was a blinding pink white followed by a howl of pain as Kikyo arrived in the clearing. Kagome spun to face her rival.

The undead priestess' hair was in disarray and her clothes tattered. Her bow hung down by her side and her eyes were filled with hatred. Kagome did not reach for an arrow, but walked closer to the other priestess. This seemed to snap Kikyo to attention. She sneered as fitted an arrow to her bow and took aim at Kagome.

"Kikyo! Stop! What are you doing?" Inuyasha yelled over the roar of the wind.

"This little witch took everything from me!"

"No she didn't Kikyo!" Inuyasha pleaded with her, "Our feelings for each other were not strong enough and Naraku used that to destroy us. Kagome gave us a chance for vengeance, for a new life." he could scarcely believe the words coming out of his mouth, "Please just be at peace."

Kikyo's eyes filled with tears and she directed her arrow at Inuyasha. "That witch has poisoned your heart against me. You were going to become human for me. We would have had beautiful human children not filthy part demon mongrels!"

Inuyasha's face turned to stone as the last ounce of hope he had nursed for Kikyo to be at peace died. Kagome stepped forward and put a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Don't you touch him you little witch!" Kikyo loosed her arrow. Infused with the last of Midoriko's power, Kagome did not budge. With a look, she destroyed the arrow and knocked the undead priestess off her feet. When Kikyo stood, everyone in the clearing could feel the hatred and fury coming off of her in waves. But she did not move to attack again. A moment later, they saw why. Koga and his entire pack blocked Kikyo's escape back into the forest. The wolves looked feral with fury, but not more than Kikyo. The dark priestess bowed stiffly. "I suppose I am defeated. For now." and her soul stealers carried her up and away.

From behind Kagome, a familiar voice said, "Wow, mom, my sister's a badass!"

Author's Note: Thank you to all who have reviewed this story so far. Rest assured that this is not the end. As if Kikyo would give up so easily! I realize that she is way OOC, but I think it is not too far of a stretch if she went completely off the deep end. Hope you like it so far.

Next Time: a really short chapter as the Higurashi's settle in to their new life in the past.