Disclaimer- I don't own Inuyasha.

Nightmare

Ch. Three

"What are you talking about?" Kagome asked. "What do you mean he's a dog demon? I thought dog demons were supposed to be huge, like as big as this house, and make swords for their sons out of their fangs in their demon form and really pretty with poison claws in their human form. And the also usually have an ugly little assistant who agrees with everything they say, and-" She glanced at Kikyo, who was giving her the oddest look. At first she thought she saw anger, but then it turned into confusion. "What are you talking about? How do you know so much about demons?" When Kagome didn't answer, she said, "Anyway, I was just joking. He's actually a rare breed from Siberia. People sometimes call this breed dog demons because they look a little bit like the ancient descriptions of them."

That makes sense. Of course Kikyo was just joking. There is no such thing as a dog demon. But, just for a second, Kagome had thought…

That's ridiculous. Why would she not be lying? How? But then, how had Kagome known so much about demons?

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The next day, Sota wanted to go back Kikyo's house. This time Kagome put her foot down. "Mom, we've been over there every day this week. Can't I just take a day off? Sota's nine. It's not like he's going to get lost going next door." Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "Oh, alright. Sota can go alone for once. But only if you promise to go tomorrow." Kagome hugged her mother. She didn't know why she didn't want to go next door today, but she really didn't. That house gave off bad vibes. So did Kikyo. A day off where she didn't have to see Kikyo would do her a lot of good.

Later that evening Kagome was studying for a History test when Sota came home. He walked into her room without knocking. She stood up and glared at him. "You know, you could knock first before you barge into someone's room. It's rude to…" She stopped when she saw the blank look in his eyes. No, blank was an understatement. She couldn't even see the irises or pupils; his eyes were just white. Nervously, she asked, "Did you have fun at Kikyo's house? Sota?" He looked at her and said in a distant voice, "Yes, Kagome, I did have fun. And it's a good thing you didn't come today. Otherwise I wouldn't have the courage to do this!" With that he jumped foreword, a knife in his hand.

Kagome tried to run, but it felt like her feet were stuck to the floor. She couldn't scream either, she screamed inside her head. Help me, guy from my dream. Help me, Inuyasha! Kagome was suddenly aware of a cold wind. The window wasn't open, and neither was the door. So where was that draft coming from? What was going on? She was seeing her life pass before her eyes. But when she got to her twelfth birthday party, she saw Sota stop. His hair was blowing around, maybe in that same cold wind that Kagome had felt. Slowly his pupils and irises appeared, little pinpricks at first, then gradually normal size. He looked around, confused, but Kagome wasn't watching him. All she saw was the cold wind. Usually you can't see the wind. Kagome knew that. But as she felt the wind pass through her, she could see something faintly red, clothing perhaps. Then it was rose slowly through the ceiling. She could tell that Sota hadn't seen it; his eyes hadn't followed it as it left.

Speaking of Sota, he was looking like he had just woken up to find that he was not only on a different planet than the one he had gone to sleep on, but he was now also a girl, wearing a pink tutu, no less. Hesitantly, he asked, "Kagome, what am I doing here? And where did I get this knife? All I remember is someone whispering in my ear. It made my ear cold, like it was going to get frostbite. Were you using your hypnotism kit again? I thought Mom put that up so you'd stop doing stuff to me. Why-" Kagome interrupted him. "First of all, you were the one with the hypnotism kit, not me. Second, I don't know what you're doing here or where you got the knife. You just came barging in and tried to kill me." Sota's eyes widened. "I would never try to kill you. You're my favorite sister." He doesn't remember, she thought in surprise. So she just smiled and said, "I'm your only sister." She hugged him and said, "Now get out of my room. If I don't study I'll fail this test!"

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"Mom, I'm not hungry. May I be excused?" Kagome asked that night at dinner. Her mom gave her a funny look. "But I made your favorite. Are you sure you don't want it?" Kagome answered, "Yeah, I'm sure." She went up to her room. Why aren't I hungry? I don't feel sick. She was distracted from her thoughts, however, when Sota cam into the room. "Hi Kagome! Want to play with my rock collection?" he held up a toy rocket ship. "This one is really fun to drive." With that, he sat on it and dove around the room on it like a car. Before she could ask what was going on, Grandfather and Mom came in. "Would you like to buy some real estate?" Grandfather asked. "I'll give you a fair price, seeing as you are my only son." Mom said, "Oh, Mother. Don't upset her. You know she only buys eggs from the car dealer down the street." Sota was still driving around and around the room on the rocket ship, which seemed to have turned into a frog.

"What are all of you talking about? Why are you acting so weird?" They all answered in unison, "We're only getting ready for your wedding." With that the frog promptly sprouted a wedding dress, complete with veil. "Why would I marry a frog?" She was practically yelling now. The frog started crying. "I thought you loved me! This is what I get for not listening to my mother!" With that, the frog ran (on two legs, no less) out of the room. Sota glared at her. "Now you've done it. You've chased away the only eligible bachelor in town."

Confused beyond words, Kagome just stood there staring as her family did strange things. Finally she managed to ask, "Why are you babbling like this? Is this a joke?" Suddenly she had a horrible thought. What if they're sick? Was there something in the food? Is that why I'm the only normal one, because I didn't eat anything? Before she could react to this thought, though, everyone abruptly decided to leave the room. Kagome just stood there for a minute, then ran after them down the stairs. Everyone was in the kitchen sitting and talking like everything was normal. Like they hadn't just come into her room babbling like idiots.

"What were you doing in my room? Why were you talking like that? Are you sick? I'll call the doctor." She went for the phone, but Mom stopped her. "What are you talking about? We've been down here all evening." She gave her daughter a quizzical look. "Mom, I know what I saw. You were all up there trying to make me buy real estate and marry a frog." The look on Kagome's mom's face went from quizzical to worried. "Honey, are you sure you feel alright? Maybe we should take your temperature." She went to go get the thermometer. "Mom, I DO NOT have a temp-" She was cut off by the thermometer that was suddenly in her mouth. A minute later Mrs. Higurashi pulled the thermometer out. "It's normal. Whatever you think you saw, it must have just been a dream." Kagome repeated that to herself as she went upstairs. Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream.

Saying that didn't make it feel any more like a dream.

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When she went to sleep that night the voices were still there. Kagome was starting to get tired of them. What do you want this time? She asked grumpily. We want her to succeed! We want her to succeed! They yelled back at her. We want her to come back to us, her friends. Without us she wouldn't be alive, you know. As long as you're alive she'll stay here. Call your dog off and accept your fate. They nagged at her all night long, despite her insistence that she didn't have a dog. I don't know what you're talking about. All I have is a cat and he's never done anything. They didn't listen.

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Kikyo was also having a mental battle, but with herself. "I want to kill her now!" one part of her insisted. "Why can't I? We've had enough fun with her. She's already seeing delusions without our help. She has quite an imagination to think of things that strange." Another part of her said, "I've already made two attempts. She'll be suspicious now and I won't be able to get a clear shot at her. Plus there's the mutt that keeps stopping me each time I try anything." The first part said, "But she'll guess if I take too long. She'll guess and then get me before I can get her," said the first part. On and on the argument went until she came to a resolution. "I'll trick the stupid dog. Trick him into doing my dirty work for me. Let's see now. I'll have to get that perfume she wears, the one she always had even when she was in my era, and…" The answer was perfect. So perfect it made her laugh. The laugh turned into a cackle. Next door, Kagome heard it and stirred in her sleep, but didn't wake up.

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As promised, the next day Kagome went with Sota to Kikyo's house. She was nervous, but her mom had insisted. What had Sota meant when he had said, "It's a good thing you didn't come today. Otherwise I wouldn't have the courage to do this"? What had happened at Kikyo's house to make him act like that? She shook aside her questions, however, when they got to Kikyo's house. Kikyo was standing there in a school uniform exactly like the one Kagome had on. "Do you like it?" she asked, "It's the new fashion from Paris." Even more disturbing, though, was her hair. It was the same as Kagome's, bangs and all. I guess that's the new style from Paris, too, she thought.

"And while we're talking about clothes, Kagome, I have something for you." Kikyo went into another room and retrieved a girl's red and white kimono. "It's for the festival next month. It's too small for me, so I thought you would like it. Why don't you try it on so we can make sure it fits you?" She directed Kagome into a bedroom. As she was trying it on, Kagome noticed something on the nightstand. It was a bottle of the same kind of perfume she used. It was odd how much Kikyo was trying to be like her, but she decided to chalk it up to flattery and let it go. If someone wanted to be like her so much, who was she to stop them? Speaking of odors, the kimono had an odd scent. She guessed that it was probably just how Kikyo smelled. After all, it had been in her house for a while, and she had probably worn it at least a few times before she outgrew it.

When she walked back into the room, Kikyo exclaimed at how beautiful Kagome looked. "Now all you need is a new hairstyle." Kikyo somehow brushed Kagome's hair so that the bangs looked a lot longer and pulled the rest of the hair into an old-fashioned low ponytail. For the first time Kagome looked around and saw that Sota was no longer there. "Where's Sota?" she asked. "Oh, I sent him home. I explained to him that him and I got a day alone yesterday, so today was going to be a girls only day." Do I really want to spend a girls only day with her? Kagome thought. She gives me the willies. But she just smiled and asked, "What are we going to do on our girls only day?"

Kikyo smiled her familiar smile, so much like Kagome's own, and said, "You just sit down on the couch. I'll be right back." With that she went into the kitchen, presumably for snacks. As Kagome sat there, she had another of those delusions that seemed so real. This time it was a voice, or, rather, two voices. One was a male voice, the other a female. The female voice asked in astonishment, "Kohaku?" Then the male voice, from a different memory, said, "Will you bear my child?" Even though the male voice wasn't real, Kagome had the overwhelming urge to slap him. Who does Miroku think he is, asking me something like that? Then she realized what she had just thought. Miroku. That's his name. And the girl is Sango. She didn't know how she knew these things, she just did. There was another voice, one of a little kid, saying, "Kagome, Inuyasha's being mean to me again!" That one is Shippo. There was another voice, too. It said, "I love you, Kagome."

I know that voice. It's Inuyasha! Then suddenly all the memories came flooding back. She saw everything from when she first fell through the well to the fourth visit to the psychiatrist's office. She saw herself pulling the arrow from Inuyasha's chest, meeting Shippo, Miroku, and Sango, battling Naraku, and kissing Inuyasha. Then she saw Kikyo, her trying to kill Inuyasha, then later kissing him. She saw Inuyasha dying. Because she was seeing all this, she failed to see Kikyo standing over her holding the same knife Sota had tried to kill her with just the day before.

Kagome tried to scream but couldn't. Her throat wouldn't work. It all made sense now, everything that had happened, but she wasn't going to live long enough to tell anyone that she was okay. She would never see Sango or Shippo or Miroku or-

But she wouldn't have seen Inuyasha again anyway. She had killed him. This was all her fault. She didn't deserve to live. She should just let Kikyo stab her to death, let it be over with. But as she came to this conclusion, Kikyo said, "You fool. You didn't kill Inuyasha, I did. I switched the mushrooms. If I couldn't have him, I wasn't going to let you have him either." Then, inexplicably, she dropped the knife. Seeing her chance, Kagome picked it up. "Kikyo, don't make me do this. I don't want to but I will." Kikyo just gave a cold smile and yelled, "Inuyasha! Help me! Kikyo's trying to kill me!" The cold wind was back. It blew through her and made her clothes rustle. Then it started to strangle her. "What? I'm not-" She remembered the pale red clothing she had seen accompanying the wind last time. It's Inuyasha! Kagome realized.

Kikyo tried to kill me with cats and then by possessing Sota, but Inuyasha was protecting me. Now he thinks Kikyo is me and I'm Kikyo, and he's just trying to protect me again. That's why Kikyo did all this with the clothes and hair and even the scent. "Inuyasha, it's me. Kagome! Kikyo's just trying to trick you again. Inuyasha, please!" The wind, to her surprise, made a sniffing noise. Then it stopped choking her and moved to Kikyo. He must have recognized my scent even though the kimono smelled like Kikyo, she realized. "No, wait, I love you! I killed you for your own good. This bitch was corrupting you!" Kikyo screamed. Her hair was blowing around wildly. There seemed to be a tornado, picking up books and papers and the like. Kagome couldn't even see Kikyo anymore. As she watched, there was a single shrill scream. Then the tornado cleared, and there was nothing left of Kikyo but a green sailor-style school uniform.

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"Mom! I'm home!" Kagome yelled as she came in. Mrs. Higurashi ran to her daughter from the kitchen. "Kagome, are you alright? I mean, you're not…" She looked her daughter over, then said, "No, I guess you couldn't be. You're here, aren't you?" This seemed to be a rhetorical question, so Kagome didn't answer. "Well? Aren't you?" Okay, so it wasn't rhetorical, Kagome thought. "Yeah Mom. I'm really here and I'm all right. Why wouldn't I be?" With an odd look in her eye, Mrs. Higurashi said, "Oh, no reason." She doesn't know that I remember Inuyasha yet, Kagome realized. She's trying to protect me from whatever she saw.

"Mom," she said gently, "I know about Inuyasha. I just remembered today at Kikyo's house. It was like, the images suddenly flooded back to me." She looked up and saw that her mom was crying. "Mom, it's okay. I'm okay now. Can you tell me what happened to make you worry about me?" The older woman forced herself to stop crying, then said, "When you were next door, I sensed a soul. It was dying, but not leaving its body behind like souls usually do. This one was taking its body with it the next world. Then several soul collectors came and stole it. I could almost hear what they were thinking. They thought, 'Finally, she has come back to us.' The soul collectors left. I don't know where they went, but they took the soul with them. And I thought…I thought it was your soul they had. It was a soul so much like yours, but also different. It didn't have the carefree playfulness that yours has."

For a moment they stared at each other in shocked silence. Finally, Kagome said, "But, that would mean that you're like me. You're a miko." The other laughed, almost bitterly. "Yes, daughter. I'm a miko. Like mother, like daughter." The soul she saw must have been Kikyo's, Kagome realized. Her soul collectors finally came and got her. It seemed a fitting end for someone who stole people's souls in order to stay alive herself.

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The voices were still there when she went to sleep that night. This time, however, they didn't yell at her. We wanted to thank you for giving her back to us. Now we will have her for all eternity. We won't be bothering you again. The nex night, as she expected, they weren't there.

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Kagome was lying on her bed. She should have been studying for her math test tomorrow, but she couldn't concentrate. She was thinking about yesterday at Kikyo's house. And especially about Inuyasha. She knew now that she hadn't killed him, but she was still sad. Not as sad as she had been immediately after he died, but sad enough. Why did you have to leave me, Inuyasha? Warm tears began to roll down her face. They turned cold before they should have, and she realized the cold wind that was Inuyasha was back. She sat up straight just as Inuyasha became visible. He slowly became more solid, but when she tried to hug him her arms passed through him.

"Oh, Kagome. I missed you so much. I wish I could hug you, but I can't. I appear solid, but I'm not," Inuyasha said sadly. Kagome started to cry again, but Inuyasha stopped her. "I don't want you to cry anymore." Kagome made herself stop. "I love you so much," she said. "I love you too. Someday maybe we'll be together again. But right now you've got to go on living. Please, for my sake." Kagome looked at him, the ghost of someone she had loved so much, some one she still did love. "I will. As soon as I can, I'll go back to help Sango and Miroku with everything oer there. Just because Naraku is out of the way it doesn't mean there isn't any evil. The only problem is, I can't find my jewel shards. Mom must have taken them after…after I came back." She couldn't bear to say "After you died," which was what she was thinking.

"No she didn't. Kikyo had them. That's how she got through. I took them from her while I was…taking care of her." He dropped them into her hand. "Take care of yourself, Kagome. I'll see you in the afterlife." With that he began to disappear. "Wait!" Kagome yelled. He stopped fading for a minute. "Isn't there any way I could hug you, just one last time?" Inuyasha thought about that, then said, "There is one way. Concentrate on the last time you hugged me for a minute." The last time she had hugged him had been when he died. She didn't want to think of that, so she thought of the first time they had hugged, back when he had pushed her through the well to protect her from Naraku. He moved towards her and, just for a moment, hugged her. "Goodbye, Kagome." He faded away as she said, "Goodbye Inuyasha. I'll always love you."

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Despite what she had told Inuyasha, Kagome wasn't sure about what to do. "Should I go back? I should, shouldn't I? After all, I did promise him, and I want to see my friends. So I will. Thanks for helping me through that." Kagome got up and went to her room to pack, leaving Grandfather looking stunned. "Um, anytime. I'm glad to help."

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"Kaede! I'm so glad to see you! Where are Sango and Miroku?" Kagome asked a few days later when she went back to the feudal era at last. Kaede answered, "They be inside. Sango is having her baby. The stars say it be a boy. Sango is having a baby right now? I didn't even know she was pregnant, Kagome thought. But then, she had been away for a while. She ran inside, just in time to hear a baby crying. "Sango! I'm so happy to see you! Congratulations! He's so cute," she said, indicating the baby Miroku was holding.

"Miroku! I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" Sango said, "Kagome, is it really you? I didn't think you were coming back." Kagome knew what she meant. "You didn't think I'd remember you. Don't worry, I remember everything. I'll explain later." Sango tried to get up and hug her, but Kagome said, "There will be time for that later. Right now you need your rest." Sango nodded and said, "Miroku, let me see our son." He handed him gently to her, then hugged Kagome. "I missed you, Kagome." Kagome said, "I missed you too." She sat down by Sango. "So what will you name him?" Sango and Miroku glanced nervously at each other, then Sango said, "Well, if it's alright with you, we thought we would name him Inuyasha." Kagome thought about this. She thought she felt a cold wind, but it might have just been the breeze through the cracks in the hut. She smiled and said, "Yeah. I'd like that."

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A/N- Thank you so much for reading my fic. If you review I'll love you even more! Take that as a hint to hit that review button. I have a really funny story I could put on here, but I won't if I don't get reviews. So what did you think of this? I know, I got kind of fluffy near the end, but still. And thank you, by the way, to everyone who reviewed. Thanks especially to DemonFireGirlHotaru for putting me on her favorites list. And no, Bloody Vampira, I don't hate Inuyasha. In fact, he's my favorite characters. I just had to write this, don't ask me why. Anyway, r/r my other fics too! Ciao, bellbello!

~Lady Ryoko