Her Heart's Winter Thaw

By Dragonessclaw

Disclaimer: I make no money off of this story. The characters are the work of the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi, only the story is mine.

Note: Dream sequence in bold

Chapter 11 The Dream That Never Ends

Midriko started to glow brightly until her whole body looked as if alight. Closing the gap between them she then placed a hand over Kagome's heart. It was slightly warm as it started to glow but then the warm assuring feeling Kagome had been experiencing left quickly and in its place was a deep foreboding.

Part of her was screaming. Stop this! Go Home! Think about this!

Panicking Kagome tried to pull away from the hand when she realized, to her extreme terror, that the hand would not budge. So instead Kagome tried to push away but it was like pushing against a stone wall and she could do nothing but stand there.

Then the face began to morph into something almost unrecognizable. Deep glowing red eyes with the face of a rabid wolf now stood before her. The manicured nails that were there only moments ago were now deadly claws. The claw started to dig ripping through her shirt and skin until it's talon like fingers wrapped around her heart, squeezing it harshly as an expression of delight transformed it's features to look even more gruesome.

A tear ran down her cheek as Kagome felt her insides being ripped out. The blood leaving a sticky warm trail as it ran down her front to pool at her feet. Kagome was in so much pain she couldn't even scream, she could only stand there whimpering as she waited for her end to come.

Then the thing that was once Midriko started talking. Kagome must have been getting delirious from the loss of blood because her only thought was how it could still be talking with such huge jaws and teeth.

It wasn't until she felt a jerking motion in her chest followed by a burning pain that spread along her spinal cord and then throughout the rest of her body.

All Kagome could really think about now was that she would welcome death. She just wanted it to be over she couldn't stand the pain anymore.

She started to cough up bleed when the thing started to speak to her once more. Apparently it had been speaking for some time but Kagome couldn't or just didn't hear it. It could be because she couldn't hear over the thundering heartbeat in her ears or due to the fact that her life's blood was now painting the ground around her.

Then everything got quiet and she could hear was the weird creature before her. The voice was still pleasant and a big contradiction from what Kagome was seeing.

"You are a brave soul Kagome, but remember there is no hope. It is the will of the Kamis. You will spend the rest of your life alone watching the world change and move on without you."

At those last words it started to glow brightly until its whole body looked as if alight. From their connection Kagome's too began to glow. The glow slowly spread out from Kagome's heart out surrounding her as her lungs started to burn in protest to the sudden lack of oxygen.

(End Dream Sequence)

Kagome woke with a start. It was always the same nightmare. Kagome wondered if she would ever be free of the constant pain and turmoil. As she sat up she felt something wet hit her arms, squinting in the dim light as she held her arm up to her face Kagome was relieved to see it was just tears. Years of living in the feudal era had made her wary, Kagome was sure she must have been attacked by something and was bleeding. Kagome was so lost in her own thoughts that she never realized she had company.

"Worry not miko, you are unharmed. Do you doubt my ability to protect those in my care?" a sultry voice spoke from the darkness.

Kagome's breath caught in her throat at the sudden intrusion. Turning towards the sound of the voice Kagome saw two golden eyes staring at her. The sight would have been frightening had she not known the owner of that voice, because in the dark those beautiful eerie eyes glowed like jackal lanterns. The feeling that they were cat eyes was overwhelming but they were sitting up so high were no table or chair could be that it lent an otherworldly feeling to the whole thing.

Knowing her thought process since she had remarked on how his eyes looked in the dark before Sesshomaru gave a predatory grin. Moving ever so slowly to make the effect more dramatic he came towards the bed and leaned in front of her face.

"What is the matter miko, cat got your tongue or it is a dog that has it, hn?" Sesshomaru said seductively.

Kagome could feel Sesshomaru's breath on her face and instinctively moved back, as her face took on a very deep shade of red.

Huffing, hating that she was blushing and that he could see it Kagome tried to change the subject. "Well, sorry if I was startled. You know you really shouldn't sneak into a woman's bedroom, especially as you pointed out a Miko's bedroom. It's a good way to get purified."

His grin widening Sesshomaru was glad his distraction worked. Already some of the horrible smell of sadness and guilt had dissipated from her scent.

Sitting down of the side of the bed Sesshomaru spoke, "Actually mi..ko this is my castle and as lord of said castle it is within my rights to go anywhere I please. Besides who could sleep anyway with all the mumbling you were doing?"

Sesshomaru was glad she couldn't see him. He couldn't keep the smirk off of his face. He truly enjoyed ruffling Kagome's feathers and she was absolutely breathtaking with her face flushed like it was, this time in embarrassment.

At the mention of the noises she had been making Kagome stiffen and her expression once again turned serious. Sesshomaru silently cursed himself as he sensed the shift in her aura Sesshomaru and so he refused to let Kagome say another word or to even dwell on such things right now. Reaching over he quickly grabbed Kagome up blankets and all and placed her on his lap. Sitting back against the headboard to get more comfortable Sesshomaru ignored the high pitch "eep" that came from the miko.

Before Kagome could ask what he was doing Sesshomaru spoke in a commanding voice that left no room for argument.

"Sleep Kagome, I can sense your weariness. There will be no more unpleasant dreams," Sesshomaru stated as he tucked Kagome's head under his chin and started to growl. The rumble coming from his chest felt like it was going straight into Kagome's muscles relaxing them and turning them into mush. Too tired to fight Kagome gave in and had one of the best sleeps she'd had in at least forty years.

Once he knew she was in a deep sleep Sesshomaru let out the contented sigh that had been threatening to break free from the moment he had taken Kagome into his arms. Looking down at her sleeping form Sesshomaru planted a chaste kiss on the top of Kagome's head before leaning his head back and closing his own eyes.

Sorry if this is a little too much fluff for my angst people but I am truly a romantic at heart. "^_^" Until next times guys.