Of Dreams and Wishes

Hi! Thanks for wanting to read this fanfic. I hope you like this story.

All my current knowledge regarding xxxHolic manga stem mainly from Wikipedia and some other sites, but I do read some manga chapters for references for certain details the anime doesn't provide. (I'd most likely read the entire manga later.) As such, this fanfic would mainly follow xxxHolic anime with some addition from the manga.

However, I would be changing the order of the episodes around and wouldn't include all the cases, so don't complain if you find that my fanfic doesn't follow the same chronological order as in the anime and manga.

Of Dreams and Wishes takes place after the Inuyasha series, with changes with its ending and certain details. Also, most of the characters from Inuyasha and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles would not appear as often as the xxxHolic main characters and Kagome.

I've recently read more; and I find that the whole mess with Kimihiro, Li Syaoran, Li Sakura, Li Tsubasa, and Princess Tsubasa is just way too complicated to put into Of Dreams and Wishes in detail. So, I'm going to heavily gloss over it, and would only be adding the bare necessities where able.

And I was planning on doing a fun interlude for chapter 7 (it's a bit of a guessing game, but it's still related to xxxHolic) but I've decided to work on the actual story and save the interlude for later.

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Vocabulary

Hitsuzen — inevitable, fated

Sengoku Jidai — Feudal Era

Shikon no Tama — Jewel of Four Souls

Youki — demon energy

Miko ki – priestess energy

Miko — priestess, shrine maiden

Reiki — spirit energy

Hanyou — half demon

Youkai — demon

Daiyoukai — great demon

Taijiya — demon slayer

Hiraikotsu — Sango's demon bone boomerang

Houshi — monk

Nekotama — two-tailed cat

Kitsune — fox

Kitsune bi — foxfire

Kudagitsune — pipe fox sprite

Inu — dog

Ookami — wolf

Ame-warashi — rain sprite

Zashiki-warashi — vestal sprite; supposed to bring fortune when staying with a household, but fortune declines when zashiki-warashi leaves

Hotaru — firefly

Karasu tengu — crow-billed goblin

Tengu — goblin

Reizan — Spirit Mountain

Kochuuten — literally "vase middle heaven"

Oji-chan / Ji-chan / Oji-san / Ji-san / Oji-sama / Ji-sama — uncle or older male, in different forms of endearment and respect

Ojii-chan / Jii-chan / Ojii-san / Jii-san / Ojii-sama / Jii-sama — grandfather, in different forms of endearment and respect

Furisode — a very formal type of kimono

Tadaima — I'm back

Okaeri nasai / Okaeri — Welcome back

Chapter 7 Effects of Time

Kagome laughed, as Kimihiro was, once again, pounced on by an eager kudagitsune, who seemed to have forgotten he wasn't as tiny as he used to, sending her friend facedown on the floor. "You're well-liked, aren't you?

"Extremely well-liked!" Moro chimed.

"Complicatedly well-liked!" Maru chorused.

"I'd like him a lot better if he stops doing things like this," Kimihiro grunted, pushing himself up, against the heavy weight clinging onto his back.

It had been several days since the incident with Wings and kudagitsune had yet to return to his smaller form. That, however, didn't discourage him to stick as close to Kimihiro as possible, and generally disrupting his work, much to the teen's chagrin. (They had barely managed to dissuade the sprite from following him to school. Since kudagitsune could generally be seen by everyone, it would've been a really interesting tale to tell to the authorities — they would've most likely been accosted by the police before even arriving at school.)

"Hey, Kimihiro-kun, what are you planning to give to Zashiki-warashi?"

He blinked. "Huh?"

"For White Day," Kagome elaborated, hanging up the laundry. "She gave you a Valentine's chocolate, remember?"

The sheet in his hand dropped back into the basket as he shook a fist at her. "She did not! She stole the fondant au chocolat from Doumeki's stomach, a chocolate which I had made, might I add."

She waved it off. "Well, it's the thought that counts. Besides, didn't you tell me that Ame-warashi was fond of Zashiki-warashi? Do you want her to come knocking at your head with her umbrella when she finds out you haven't given her friend a White Day present?" His face paled and her smile widened. It could be really fun teasing him. "And Zashiki-warashi might be so sad that she might even cry. Do you want the overprotective karasu tengu after your head as well?"

"Arg!" Kimihiro cried, pulling at his short locks. "Fine! I'll give her a White Day present! March fourteen is only two days away. I should be able to find a present for her by then."

XxXxXxXxX

On White Day, Kimihiro and kudagitsune had gone to the mountain where most of the peaceful sprites in Japan lived — one, to allow kudagitsune to absorb enough pure energy to transform back into his smaller form, and two, to visit Zashiki-warashi and give her a White Day present (Kagome had an inking suspicious that the present was an accessory of some sort as they had stopped by a girl-oriented shop after school due to Himawari).

According to Yuuko-san, Kimihiro probably wouldn't be coming back for a while (fortunately, it was Friday when he had left) since the time within the daffodil vase flowed differently from the world outside — what may seem to be minutes in the other dimension could actually be hours, depending on the certain conditions. Plus, he also needed to travel to the mountain and back through that world.

In other words, until their return, Kagome was now the main errand girl for the shop.

That was why she was out grocery shopping at the moment.

She was about to leave the shopping district when a powerful, and very familiar, aura brushed her senses. Her breath hitched, eyes glistening with tears. Could it really be? Sesshoumaru-sama!

Kagome dashed across the streets, ignoring the angry compliments when she accidently bumped into someone, tracing the energy she hadn't felt for nearly a year. She wasn't going to let it stray from her senses no matter what.

Eventually, she arrived at a meadow within a small forest, and standing in the middle was the great Lord of the West himself, looking almost exactly as he did five hundred years ago — regal, distant, and justifiably arrogant.

"Sesshoumaru-sama…" she breathed out. He's here. He's really here! She was finally meeting a person who shared her experiences in Sengoku Jidai. I'm not alone anymore…

"Miko," he greeted back, voice as monotonous as ever.

XxXxXxXxX

Kudagitsune glowed bright yellow, forcing Kimihiro to shield his eyes from the glare. When the light finally died down minutes later, kudagitsune had shrunk back into his smaller, snake-like form. The sprite darted towards him, wrapped around his neck like a scarf, and pecked his cheek several times.

Meanwhile, Kimihiro glanced around at their surroundings. "This must be the place of pure energy Yuuko-san was talking about." The sky was bright, though cloudy, above them, but he was certain that he had been evening with a clear sky when they had been sucked into the strange vase. Just where was he? Other than the pond they had swum out from, there was nothing except for butterflies, green grass and daffodils for miles. Not to mention, a few of those flowers were about two-stories tall. Was another world or something?

Still, they had accomplished what they had come for, but…

"How am I supposed to go home?" Kimihiro cried out.

XxXxXxXxX

Kagome bit her lips. "I… You… They… How was everyone after I left?"

"Your kitsune kit graduated from the kitsune school within record time. Candidate seventy-seven has actually become a legend in the kitsune world. After running wild across Japan, he eventually settled down with a female kitsune and had four kits — one male and three females. Then, knowing your favourite food is oden, he ran a kitsune oden store until his death several years ago. This Sesshoumaru believe you have met two of his descendents before."

She nodded, throat tight, and suddenly feeling her arms were empty without Shipou-chan to hug.

"The undead miko reincarnated approximately a hundred years after her second death. This time, as a simple village girl. Inuyasha mated to her several months after coming across her. They had two sons and one daughter. And the inu youkai blood continued to be diluted since every one of their descendents had married humans. Inuyasha had died of old age about two hundred years ago." Then, Sesshomaru smirked, instantly putting Kagome on edge. The inu daiyoukai she knew never smirked unless blood and guts were spilled. "This one's brother had taken on the name Higurashi to honour you. So, he was actually one of your ancestors. And considering his line eventually mixed with that of the taijiya and houshi…"

Kagome laughed. Part of second family was actually her other family. The irony. Her brothers and sister turned out to be her great (times something) grandfather and grandmother. This also provided a better reason why she looked like Kikyou. If she was related to Kikyou's true reincarnation, then it wouldn't have been a surprise that she had taken on some of her physical traits. "Should I call you Sesshoumaru-oji-sama, then?"

He scowled. "No. This Sesshoumaru does not need any reminders whom he had the misfortune to be related to, no matter how distantly."

"Kay, kay. Then about the others? Sango-chan, Miroku-sama, Kirara, Kohaku-kun, Rin-chan, Kouga-kun, Jaken, Ah-Uh—"

"The taijiya and houshi married," Sesshoumaru cut in. "They had twin daughters and three sons. As mentioned, some of their descendents eventually married some of Inuyasha's descendent. The houshi's great-granddaughter married into the Li Clan from Hong Kong. They were a clan of great sorcerers. You have already befriended one of their descendents. But something is strange about that particular family. This one believes that trouble is brewing. " He scowled. "Rin had many suitors. All of which this one had chased away. The only one who had met this Sesshoumaru's barest approval was the taijiya's brother. Their line was strong and often mingled with those of holy powers. You also know one of their descendents. That exorcist."

Kagome's eyes widened. Hitsuzen… There was no other way to describe be. What else would lead her back to her friends, no matter how distantly related?

"The nekotama passed four hundred years ago, soon following her masters. She had been Midoriko's companion and had stayed with the taijiya for over seven hundred years. The Eastern ookami princling mated with the Northern ookami princess and had enough pups to restore his fallen clan within a few generations. Jaken had passed away of old age three hundred years ago. Ah-Uh followed several years later. The only reason they had even survived for so long was their constant exposure to this one's youki. For youkai, the greater their youki, the longer their natural lifespan. If Inuyasha had been a pureblood youkai, he would have undoubtedly lived to see you again."

Her face fell and she sniffled. "So… you mean…"

"Yes, you and this Sesshoumaru are the only ones left alive from those who had battled Naraku. This one had been requested by them to present their gifts to you," he said, gesturing over to the large trunk laid beside him. "The taijiya's hiraikotsu, the houshi's staff, Inuyasha's firerat coat, the kitsune kit's crayon drawings, Rin's pressed flowers, and the bow you had received from Azuma Mountain. They said they do not wish for you to grieve over your loss. Instead, you should look back on the happy moments you have shared with them and smile. Inuyasha said that your smile was what kept them going during their times of despair."

Kagome quickly wiped away her tears and pulled her lips into a wobbly smile. "Un… Okay…"

"Alright, then this one's task has been completed."

She lunged forward, grabbing a hold of his sleeve just as he was about to gather youki to fly away. "Wait! Don't go, Sesshoumaru-sama! Please! Stay for a while longer. Please." Kagome breathe a sigh of relief when his youki abated.

XxXxXxXxX

He really wanted to go home now. Just where in the world was he? Daffodils did not normally change size, move and talk. His only comfort was that he had kudagitsune with him, and he knew from experience what a powerful protector the sprite could be.

Kimihiro continued running along the path the flowers had chased him into, barely noticing the changes in scenery. Day had once again fallen to night, and the number of daffodils had dwindled, replaced by trees instead.

"That freaked me out when they got big all of a sudden," he panted. He didn't know how long he ran, but as long as it had gotten him away from those frightening flowers, he didn't care.

Just then, a very familiar blue hotaru flew into sight. Wasn't that…? And the sound of a flute reached his ears. "How beautiful…" he breathed out, following the sound out of the forest.

Kimihiro soon reached a pond with Zashiki-warashi, dressed in a pink furisode, seated upon a rock formation, playing the instrument, surrounded by her hotaru. He brushed against a bush, startling her with the rustle of leaves. Upon seeing him, her face reddened and her hands flailed so much that she lost her balance and tumbled down into the pond below.

He quickly dashed over. "Are you alright?"

Zashiki-warashi brushed away her wet locks. "Y-yes, um… what are you doing on this mountain?"

Blinking, he glanced around. "Huh? This is a mountain?"

XxXxXxXxX

The two of them sat in a comfortable silence for a moment, before she wound up the courage to ask what was bothering her ever since the last battle — "Sesshoumaru-sama, do you know what I am?"

For the first time since she had met him, the daiyoukai actually seemed confused. "Elaborate, miko."

She licked her lips. "You know what happened when I got sucked into meidou, right? I faced the collective souls in the Shikon no Tama and made my wish. I wish for the Shikon no Tama to disappear forever."

"Yes, we all know that."

Her eyes darted around the park, looking at everywhere except for the Western Lord. "I… It… I… Um… The Shikon no Tama is still here, in a sense."

Golden eyes narrowed. "Explain," he demanded, back straightening even more so than before. His youki was just itching to kill something.

Kagome gulped. This was the daiyoukai many feared. "When I made my wish, all the souls within the Shikon no Tama had been completely purified, leaving behind an empty shell of immense power." Her hand rested on the hips where her starburst scar was located at. "I was born with the jewel. And what's left returned back inside of me. Afterwards, I've gotten a slight power boost and my sensory abilities became a lot sharper. I could see all sorts of spirits now and I could also sense faint traces of energy. It wasn't a power I had before. And… And I have a feeling that the Shikon had affected me more than just that."

XxXxXxXxX

"What you came through was the Kochuuten," Zashiki-warashi explained after hearing his story. They had wrung as much of the pond water as they could from her kimono before retreating to another rock formation at a meadow. "It's another world inside a vase pregnant with spiritual energy. If you came through a place full of blooming daffodils, then it was the daffodil vase. It's a world of nymphs who are the very embodiment of daffodils."

Ah… so that was why those flowers were so weird. Either way, he definitely wouldn't be going near that vase, when it was filled with water, ever again.

"I don't really get it," Kimihiro replied, ignoring the kisses kudagitsune was giving him. "But does that mean this place is part of that Kochuuten?"

She shook her head. "No. This is the mountain where we live. A place called Reizan. Places full of energy are connected by roads of energy. There are daffodils blooming on this mountain so it's easy for the road to connect here."

Zashiki-warashi, then, apologized for accidentally stealing Doumeki's soul a month ago, and Kimihiro was quick to assure her that everything was alright now.

"Ah. Um… D-do you have any business on this mountain?" she asked, reminding him of the item in his pocket. "If so… I… I'd like to help…"

Kimihiro took out small white packet. "Here." His face flushed and he looked away. "Well… um… You gave me a Valentine chocolate, didn't you?" Even though he was the one who had made it in the first place. "So… um… Thank you. This is a White Day gift… for you." He had made alcohol-filled chocolates for Yuuko, Moro, Maru, and Mokona (and they hadn't even given him a Valentine's gift!) while Kagome had gotten an elaborately decorated hairstick (which the miko had worn for the entire day, along with her handmade weapon-hairsticks).

Her face reddened and her slender fingers gingerly reached out to take the offered item. "This is for me?" She carefully opened the wrapping paper to find a pair of hairclips decorated by white wings. "I love it," she said, holding it close to her chest.

"I'm glad." Kimihiro really was. He originally thought of making her some food, but he didn't know when he'd be able to meet her again. So, when Himawari-chan led them to a girl-orientated store, he had taken the chance to buy something for the prite.

She smiled at him, tears glistening in her eyes, making his face grow even warmer.

"Ahh!" several male voices shouted from above. Kimihiro looked up — it was the five overprotective karasu tengu. "You made her cry again!" one of them growled, readying his paper fan.

He glanced at Zashiki-warashi and flailed his arms. "No… Th-this is—"

"We won't let you get away with it this time! Take your punishment!"

XxXxXxXxX

Kagome looked up and found a bird flying above them. Reaching her hand towards it, she concentrated on an energy different but similar to her miko ki whirling within her and let it encircle the area around her target. Within seconds, the bird had paused in midflight within a barely visible pink barrier.

"Last week, a knife was thrown at my fallen friend and I was too far away to defend him. I just wanted the knife to stop. My power rose, and my wish came true. The knife stopped in midair like that bird."

She released the barrier and the bird flew away, not noticing anything was wrong.

"Ever since then, I had been experimenting with my powers. I've found that I could control time within my barriers. I could slow it down and I could speed it up. The latter takes more energy and concentration to do. As I've become more and more in tune with time, I've also discovered that time flows differently for me than it does for the others. It's like a bit of the well's magic had stuck with me. Times flows faster around me, but slower within."

Kagome stared down at her hands. "Back in Sengoku Jidai, we met a youkai-devouring youkai who went by the name Kaguya. She ate a celestial maiden for her immortality, and she wanted to eat me because of my immunity to time and my ability to create time barriers. I didn't pay much attention to her words back then, but now…" She clenched her fists, miko ki rising to the surface. "Being immune to time implies being exempt from aging, and consequently, death. Humans aren't supposed to be immune to aging. What did the Shikon no Tama do to me? What am I?"

Sesshoumaru huffed, as if it was a matter not even worth stressing over. "Does it matter, miko? Back then, were you not the one always proclaiming that you are just Kagome and nothing else? You are what you are. You are Kagome. This one does not see how it matters for you to know any differently."

Her body relaxed and her lips tugged into a smile. (Who know the iceblock daiyoukai would one day be giving her advice and relieving her of her emotional dilemma?) "Yeah, you're right. I'm Kagome. Always have been, always will be. That won't change at all, no matter what happens to me."

Back at Sengoku Jidai, many had seen her for less than just plain ol' Kagome — Kikyou's reincarnation, Kikyou's copy, a shard detector, a weak human, a whore (due to her state of dress — really, it wasn't her fault it was her school uniform), an annoyance, a strange woman-child. Not many thought her as a threat. In a way, she had been flattered to know that Magatsuhi, the collective evil spirits of the Shikon no Tama, feared her powers so much that he had sealed her true powers away from the very beginning. No one, not even Naraku, had been wary of her the first time they met.

XxXxXxXxX

After a short chase around the forest and gaining several bumps on his head due to their surprisingly hard paper fans, the karasu tengu was stopped by Ame-warashi.

"You five!" she shouted, pointing her umbrella at them. "How dare you ignore what Zashiki-warashi tell you and do as you please!"

"But that guy made her cry again," the karasu tengu leader whined, gesturing at Kimihiro. "Made her cry again," the other four echoed. "He made her sad!"

"No. I was happy. See?" Zashi-warashi spoke up, holding out the hairclips for all to see.

Ame-warashi narrowed her eyes at it. "What's this?"

"It's a White Day girl for the chocolate," Kimihiro replied.

"Oh? Cheapshake," she sneered. Nevertheless, Ame-warashi took the hairclips out of their plastic packaging and clipped them onto Zashiki-warashi's hair. She smiled, "But that's okay. They look good on you."

Just then a thought occurred to him. They weren't humans, so would they have some knowledge of what happened to Kagome's friends from Sengoku Jidai. It was obvious she was missing them a lot — faraway gazes, sentences that stopped short when she came close to re-enacting a scene from her past, the tears that sometimes trailed down her cheeks when she was doing archery at Yuuko-san's shop.

"Umm… Do any of you recognize these youkai? Inuyasha, Shippou, Kouga, and Sesshoumaru?" There were others, but all the humans would be dead by now and he couldn't remember the names of her other youkai allies right at this moment.

The seven of them froze and stared at him.

"Where… did you hear those names?" Ame-warashi asked slowly.

Kimihiro rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly nervous about their scrutinizing. "Um… Remember Kagome-chan? She works with Yuuko-san as well. Um… She knew them, from a very long time ago, and hasn't seen them since."

"That's impossible," the sprite scoffed. "I don't know about the rest, but there have no way that frozen ice block Sesshoumaru would ever be friends with a human, much less a miko. While I'll admit he's a fair and powerful ruler, his ego's too big for him to even bother with lesser youkai. What makes you think he'd be willing to befriend a human of all things?"

Then Ame-warashi continued ranting all the reasons Sesshoumaru would never interact with a human and all the reasons for Kimihiro and Kagome to not bother looking for the daiyoukai.

XxXxXxXxX

"But I'm still scared." She paused for a few minutes to gather her thoughts before continuing on, "Humans grow up expecting death from old age, even if they tend to ignore the fact and wish for immortality. But if I'm really immune to time, then I have millenniums ahead of me. I'm scared of facing near eternity. I'm scared of knowing everyone around me would eventually age and grow old while there's a big chance I'd still look like the way I do now. I could already imagine the loneliness and grief I would undoubtedly feel."

After all, she was already feeling a portion of it. Before Sesshoumaru-sama had arrived, she had been drowning in the loneliness of being the only one around who had been involved with the Shikon no Tama, barely hanging on the thread of hope that at least one of her youkai friends had survived to meet her again. She grieved for the friends she would never see in person again, but had taken happiness by knowing that their story wasn't completely lost in this world — in the form of myths and her memories — and that she still had people — mama, jii-chan, Souta, Kimihiro-kun, and perhaps, Yuuko-san — who was aware of her adventures.

But now… If she was immune to time, she would be watching her family and friends grow old and die, leaving her — a human who was more than human — behind. She didn't think she could handle it, watching everything and everyone changing around her while she remained the same on the outside. Tears were already threatening to fall at the thought.

And she wouldn't even be able to influence their aging, even with her time barriers. So far, she was only capable of encircling objects/creatures as large as a raven. But, even if she could affect an entire human, she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long; and they would have to stay within — trapped without true freedom, a caged bird. It wasn't a fate she would wish on anyone.

Kagome looked up at him, imploringly. At this moment, he was the one with all the answers. "How do you do it, Sesshoumaru-sama? How could you stand watching Rin-chan and Inuyasha and the rest dying before you?"

There was a long silence before he finally answered her — golden eyes glazed with memories of the past. "The only humans this Sesshoumaru had really interacted with were Rin, her husband, their children, the taijiya, the houshi, the old miko, Inuyasha's mate, and you. Humans are weak and short-lived. Nevertheless, humans, as this one hates to admit it, are greatly influencing the world around us. But this one has no intention of growing close to them. This Sesshoumaru would watch from afar, with the other youkai, and only interfere if necessary. Youkai and sprites may age, but they do so much more slowly. However, if you do not wish to live amogst youkai, there is a place called Reizan is occupied mainly by sprites and is full of reiki. Either way, you would not find it difficult to live in our world."

She stifled a chuckle. He didn't really answer her questions at all, merely touching on them and then step-siding it. But there was no doubt that he still greatly missed his wards. Still, he had made a good point.

"Yeah, maybe…" she breathed out, staring up at the sky. "But not now, not while my beloved family and precious friends are still amongst the living."

XxXxXxXxX

Kimihiro stared down at the pond and then glanced back at Zashiki-warashi, who said, "You sould be able to go home from here. Please take care."

He smiled. "I will. Thanks for everything."

"You too."

"See you again."

"Ye," she replied, smiling with tears in her eyes.

Cue the war cries from her bodyguards. Kimihiro gasped, pinched his nose close, and cannonball-ed into the water. When he swam up from its depth, he found himself in the well behind Yuuko's shop.

"Ah! Okaeri nasai, Kimihiro-kun, kudagitsune!" Kagome greeted.

"Tadaima," he groaned, still faced down on the ground after climbing out.

"You look like Sadako, Watanuki," Yuuko teased, earning herself an angry retort from him. She walked over to the well. "Since we put well water into the vase, you came back through the well, huh?" Then she sashayed away. "Watanuki, dinner!"

"Dinner, dinner," Mokona chorused.

Kagome helped him up and they walked back into the shop together. "How was your trip?"

"It was fine. I met Zashiki-warashi and gave her the present." Kimihiro wasn't quite sure how to convey Ame-warashi's apparent dislike for Sesshoumaru. "How about you?"

She smiled a smile which suggested a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "I met an old friend and he helped me with some of my problems. So, I'm perfectly fine now."

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What do you think of my seventh chapter? Please Read and Review. I would love to know how good and how bad my fics are. If you want to flame me, at least make it constructive criticism.

I know that this fanfic has many readers (over hundreds). Could you please give me a review to tell me what you think of this story?

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the xxxHolic, Inuyasha, and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles aren't mines; they belong to their respective owners. Anything else belongs to me. Please ask for permission and getting it before taking my things.

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May fantasy guide your writing through it all - Dementra