Hello again! Pennath here with yet another chapter! I hope you enjoy this one as much as the others. One small note, Inu Yasha and co belong to Rumiko Takahashi but original characters are mine. Please do not `barrow' my characters without my permission... I just get cranky and annoyed.
______________Chapter 5____________
A short time later, Miroku, Sango and Shippo had gone back through the well. Inu Yasha and I were in my room; me in the bed and the hanyou sleeping on a futon on the floor. Mom had reluctantly agreed to let us share the room after I had convinced her that it would keep everyone else from getting sick. She had already made everyone down two glasses of orange juice each to stop any infection. She kept the aspirin and cough syrup within easy reach.
I was tired and was afraid to sleep. I didn't want to dream again. I should have asked the others about dream youkai. Damn. I watched Inu Yasha on the floor. We'd pulled his yukata off him, taken away Tetsusagia, and given him his own pajamas; Mom having found some of dad's old clothes. To say that the hanyou hadn't been happy would be an understatement. I'd had to sit him and then help mom pull his clothes free. I don't know what mom did with his clothes and sword- I think she must have hidden them.
The light from the outside lights and last flitter of sunlight filtered through my window, making patterns on Inu Yasha's face. The hanyou slept on, oblivious. I reached out and touched his forehead. He continued to sleep, turning toward me and curling up slightly. I scratched behind his dwindling ears, massaging the muscles that twitched beneath my fingers. He was so cute when he was asleep, so harmless. It was when he was awake I had to stay on my toes. Inu Yasha's skin was warm beneath my hand, but being half youkai, his body temperature had always been higher than mine. Gauging a fever was almost impossible. He coughed in his sleep, strands of dark hair appearing in his silver mane.
I blinked. I was such a dunce. I'd been so busy I'd forgotten tonight was the new moon. I groaned into my pillow. It was my fault he was sick. Crap. At least he was safe here; even being sick wasn't lethal, just really uncomfortable. I continued to stroke his head absently, wondering what I was going to do about sleep. I reviewed the last bits of my dream again. I didn't recognize the woman, and the whole thing with Sesshomaru was just plain weird.
"A secret. Learn the secret. Secret to what?" I muttered, continuing to run my hand through Inu Yasha's hair. I sighed, my eyes closing. I tossed the blankets off me, hot and uncomfortable once again. I needed help and I had no idea how to get it. I glanced at my desk, at the Shikon shards that twinkled in the rays from outside. "I don't suppose you know anyone who could help me, ne?" I asked them quietly. They continued to refract the light. One particularly bright beam struck the jar and made the shards glow. The jewel shards split the light and rainbows danced on my ceiling. I watched them till my eyelids became too heavy. How pretty...
I was in a forest. More accurately, I was in Inu Yasha's Forest standing by the well. I scratched my head. Now what? I looked around. Nothing was burning, no strange muttering women had shown up, birds were chirping- it was a normal scene. "Inu Yasha!" I called and walked further into the forest. "Oh Inu Yasha!" I continued walking, searching for my friend.
After a time, I neared a clearing. I climbed a small hill and had a perfect view of the flower covered field beneath me. I saw a figure, scratching its head and looking very confused.
"Oh, crap." the figure screamed. "Where the hell am I!?" The person paused and sniffed. Ears rotated on top of the person's head.
"Inu Yasha?" I descended into the field slowly and stopped a foot or two away.
"Who?" And then the figure turned toward me and stole my breath away. I faced a youkai-that much was clear- but I had never seen one like him before. Yes, him. The figure in front of me was defiantly male- no, he wasn't nude; just wearing a pair of baggy boxers. Two wolfish ears twitched and rotated on top of his head. A tail swished back and forth behind him, the same color as his hair. His skin had that golden brown coloring that spoke of time spent in the sun, well-defined muscles rippled under the surface as he moved. An unruly mass of chocolate colored hair cascaded down his back, ending in a more molted pattern. The hair stuck up in places and gave him that sleep-tousled look. I stared when I got to his legs. His legs were the like the hind legs of a wolf; he walked on his toes, the arch of his foot lengthened before meeting his ankle. And every last inch of him was covered with a fine coat of dark fur.
But it was his face that got my attention; the features were familiar though I knew I'd never seen him before. I would defiantly have remembered this guy. His eyes were large like Inu Yasha's were, cat slitted too, but they were more bronze in color. He blinked and they changed color, from that pure bronze to bronze tinted lavender. Under those exotic orbs was a muzzle. Just like a wolf's muzzle but not as long. The corners were turned down in a frown at the moment. Even though he looked rugged, there was a slight feminine delicacy to his features. Again, an odd feeling of familiarity swept over me. He scratched at the stubble on his chin with a clawed hand. "Who?" he asked again and I shook myself.
"I'm looking for my friend, Inu Yasha. I thought you were him. Sorry to bother you." I bowed shallowly and turned to head back the way I had come. I was getting the hell out of here. For all I knew this was going to be another awful dream where I died horribly; the only switch this time was that I had a different killer.
"Wait!" He jogged over and kept pace with me. "Look, I don't know any Inu Yasha but I'm really lost. Where are we?" His tail swished and brushed my back. I kept walking, looking for anything that might be a hint as to where Inu Yasha might be. I was beginning to know how Dorothy felt when she landed in Oz. Maybe if I ignored him, this guy would go away...
"God Dammit!" And I felt strong hands close around my arms. I yelped in surprise as the youkai picked me up, wrapping his tail around my waist and setting me on his back. "I have no freaking clue why I'm here and dreaming of a place I've never been before- or why you're in my dream for that matter- but I will not sit back and take it!" I didn't know what he was talking about but, strangely, we were on the same wavelength. The youkai continued to grumble to himself and sped up his pace. I had to hang onto his shoulders to be stable and not fall off. I felt the tension in his shoulders as his knotted muscles moved against my hand.
I blinked. Riding like this was exactly like riding on Inu Yasha. Whoa, de ja vu. "Uh," I stuttered and watched one ear swivel in my direction as the youkai dodged low branches. "My name's Kagome." The other ear turned my way. The youkai slowed down to a walk. He turned his head to look at me over his shoulder. One reddish bronze eye looked at me
He offered me his hand, awkwardly grasping mine gently but firmly. "I'm Taomaru; nice to meet you." His eye turned blue bronze and crinkled at the corners. He smiled, exposing sharp teeth, though I doubted he was being menacing. I smiled back and realized with a jolt whom he reminded me of. I gasped and his smile faded, his eyes taking on a grayish tint, and he bent at the knee to let me get off. His tail unwound itself and his ears drooped as he watched me stumble backwards.
I couldn't help but stare at him. I knew. I knew where I had seen his face before- on two very different people. He dipped his head to one side, his hands in the side pockets of his boxers. His tail curled around his feet, twitching occasionally and causing the light to sparkle off the lighter locks of his hair and fur. His eyes had turned completely gray, and he gave off a general feeling of sadness and being uncomfortable. I was instantly sorry that I had reacted so badly.
Trying to make amends, I walked back toward him. He inched back, his tail sweeping the ground. "I'm sorry." I said. "I reacted like that because I finally realized where I've seen you before." He arched his brows at me, his eyes changing color again from gray to purple. His ears zeroed in on me and he straitened. "You look like two brothers I know who are as different as night and day. It was just a shock to see their facial features on your face."
He scratched at his chin, his brows drawing together. "Yes, that would be a shock to anyone." Scratch, scratch. He walked toward me with a tentative smile. "I hope they aren't that bad..." He trailed off, looking around. His eyes changed from purple to orange. "Where are we?" He didn't look happy as his ears rotated this way and that, his eyes searching the area.
I looked around. Everything looked fine to me. "We're in Inu Yasha's forest. Village is that way and the well is over here." I pointed each out. He looked at me blankly. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" I asked flatly.
"Correct, but I do have an idea as to what is going on." He looked at me, completely serious; his eyes back to the bronze I had first seen. "Kagome, I believe we are in what is known as a dream mesh. Some how, your dream and mine have meshed-" he illustrated by taking my hand and intertwining his fingers with mine- "together and this is the result.' He looked at me and seemed to see through me. "Are you a dream riding human?"
"A what?" Then I understood. "No! This has never happened to me before."
"What was the last thing you did before bed?"
The image of the Shinkon Shards seeming to glow in the house lights and the rainbows on my ceiling flashed through my mind. "...oh hell." He cocked his head at me and I explained about the Shinkon Shards and my suspicions about a dream invading youkai.
"So, there was no one to ask and you wished for help." He shook his head. "One hell of a yell you got there. The mesh could have happened for two possible reasons; one, because of your wish and, two, because of a dream eater youkai's magic. If those are the correct reasons, then our problems are solved."
I looked at him. "They are?"
He nodded. "A dream mesh ends when all dreamers involved are back in their respective dreams. The whole landscape, as it were, is a patchwork formed from bits and pieces of everyone's dream. Common ground like this won't work to end the dream mesh- you have to find the individual dream of each sleeper."
I frowned. "But how do you know which dream will belong to who?"
"That's where things get interesting. You have to know the people you're with. That solves the problem of how to end this. Now, as to how to deal with the youkai..." He cupped his chin in one hand, his index finger tapping against his lips. I sat on the floor while he thought.
In reality...
Mrs. Higurashi stepped into the room, quiet as any cat. A washcloth was draped across each of her shoulders, her hands occupied by the half-filled bowl of water she held. The door closed with a soft click behind her. She navigated the dark room carefully, finding Kagome's desk more by memory than by sight. She set the bowl on the surface, mindful of any objects that may be in the way. Kagome's mother deftly stepped over Inu Yasha and pulled the chain that turned on Kagome's bedside light.
Light blossomed and cast a soft halo over the two sick children. Kagome was sound asleep, almost falling out of her bed. One arm was outstretched, her hand hidden under the blanket that lay on the floor covering Inu Yasha. Mrs. Higurashi frowned, eyeing the sleeping covered lump on the makeshift bed on the floor. Dark hair stuck out from under the blanket by her feet. Dark hair? Mrs. Higurashi knelt on the floor between the two beds, stepping over Kagome's hand. Mrs. Higurashi turned down the blanket that hid Inu Yasha from view.
He had a fever, the heat radiating off his skin and prickling along Mrs. Higurashi's hands. She blinked. Inu Yasha looked... human. His dog-ears were gone, as was his silver hair. Instead, hair the same color as Kagome's cascaded across his shoulders and the pillow he was almost on. The woman was tempted to wake Kagome up and ask if this was normal when hanyou were sick but decided against it after looking at the sleeping girl.
At least Mrs. Higurashi had solved the mystery of where her daughter's hand had gone. Kagome's hand was in a loose fist beside Inu Yasha's forehead. In response, the dog demon had curled around her hand, pushing against it as he panted. The hanyou had also curled upward, almost tucking his head under, his body bowing out and upward. Buyo, the fat cat of the household, sauntered into the room. Kagome's mother frowned at him but scratched behind his ear obligingly. She never understood how the cat could get into locked rooms- he just seemed to appear out of thin air. The cat sniffed at Inu Yasha and lay down a few feet from him. The cat curled up, bowing his body upward. Looking down on the fuzzy ball, the feline looked almost like a perfect circle. Mrs. Higurashi looked from one to the other- they were exactly alike. It was as if, even though Inu Yasha was half dog demon, his mannerisms were more feline.
Wet cloth in one hand and one of Kagome's spare brushes in the other, Mrs. Higurashi set to work. She draped the cloth over Inu Yasha's forehead, letting the moisture cool him off. Kagome's mother took hold of Inu Yasha's long damp hair and began brushing it, being mindful of tangles. Kagome had always liked it when her mother had brushed her hair, regardless of the situation; it was worth a try on Inu Yasha. His hair was silky, though unkept; Kagome's mother was hard pressed to avoid pulling too much on his hair and causing him pain. She did manage it though, finishing the project by braiding his hair. She used one of Kagome's scrunchies to tie it off. Mrs. Higurashi mopped his face with the cloth and loosened his pajama top- Inu Yasha had tangled himself in it.
Under her ministrations, the hanyou calmed. He relaxed, uncurling his body and panting less. He began to stir; Mrs. Higurashi could see his eyelids fluttering as he tried to open them. "Hahaue..." his voice was weak, but steady. Inu Yasha tossed his head back and forth, one hand seeming to hunt for Mrs. Higurashi, the other taking hold of Kagome's hand. He hunted for her with his stuffed nose, coughing when it irritated his throat.
In the end, even after all you've been through; you're still just a child. The older woman thought. She tucked a loose lock of hair behind his ear. His hand gripped hers suddenly, his eyes half-opening but not looking at her. Kagome's mother gave a small smile that wilted when she realizing that he wasn't awake; his eyes, though open, remained a blank pale gold. She cupped his cheek with her hand, caressing it with her thumb. "Go to sleep," she said softly. "No one will harm you here." She rewet the washcloth in the cool water, wrung it out, and placed it on his head. His eyelids closed slowly, letting his head lay against her hand. His lips brushed against her palm as he mumbled, "Kagome's hahaue..." He sounded confused.
Mrs. Higurashi pulled her hand away slowly. She ran her hand lightly over his hair, smoothing it and comforting him. She turned to Kagome next, feeling her daughter's forehead with her free hand. Kagome's fever had gone down and her lungs sounded better. The only thing that was worrying was Kagome's sleeping position. Her body faced away from Inu Yasha, toward the wall, her outstretched arm had her pulled diagonal across the bed. As her mother watched, Kagome shifted position, rolling back toward Inu Yasha and curling up. Through out it all, her hand remained in Inu Yasha's. "Inu Ya...sha... where..." Kagome mumbled.
In the dream mesh....
"Right!" Taomaru clapped his hands together. I looked at him, wondering what pearls of wisdom he would bestow upon me. I sighed mentally, watching his ears rotate, and wondered how I had become so darn sarcastic.
"As I said, this dream mesh ends when all involved are back in their dreams. Now, I doubt that you and I are the only ones involved."
That got my attention. "How do you figure?" I stood up and walked over to face him. He blinked at me, looking thoughtful. As I watched, the fur covering him began to recede, leaving his tanned skin bear. His legs became human legs, the bones shifting easily. His tail was still present, fluffy and swishing the ground behind him; like Sesshomaru when he had let his tail down, though far shorter. Taomaru's wolf like ears also remained, and again I was strongly reminded of Inu Yasha.
The youkai ran a hand through his hair, pushing back the offending strands and exposing his forehead. Usually this wouldn't be anything exciting except that now I could see something that had been hidden before. I was standing and leaning against Taomaru before I knew it, tracing the revealed mark and indulging my curiosity. The mark was a perfect tear drop- nothing spectacular but interesting none the less. "What is it with youkai and these damn marks on their faces?" I asked, not really expecting an answer. Admittedly I had only seen one on Sesshomaru and he had a crescent moon on his forehead and two stripes on each cheek.
Taomaru snorted and tossed his head, effectively pulling away from my hand. His hair fell forward, hiding the mark again. "Anyway," he began. "On to the subject at hand. You said that you were trying to find your friend Inu Yasha. If he was nearby then he may have been ensnared in the dream mesh as well."
"True," I replied. "But would he get caught because we were touching or because we're good friends?" Our relationship was a bit more than `friendship;' it was more like on again, off again kinda/sorta boyfriend/girlfriend. Confusing? Yah, me too.
"If you two are close emotionally," and Taomaru eyed me with green eyes. "Then there would be a high possibility he would be pulled in by your distress. If you two were physically close when you went to sleep, then he is most assuredly in here somewhere."
I sighed. I had been afraid he'd say that. A twinge to my left made me look in that direction. "I sense something." I answered the youkai's unasked question. He wordlessly dipped to the side to allow me to grab on. I locked my legs around his waist and away we went across the patchwork landscape. We ran out of forest soon enough, passing through a short dark tunnel and into a brightly lit area. Taomaru slowed to a slipping stop, his feet getting no traction on the shiny floor.
When I saw who I had sensed, I fell off Taomaru's back. Literally. I sat on the tiled floor and stared at the man before me and at the strangeness of the new landscape. The city stretched out beneath us, the immense view from Tokyo Tower making the buildings below us tiny. Everything was lit, blinking city lights advertising various businesses, neon signs and figures moving merrily. Cars traced out the streets below us, disappearing into the darkness. It was beautiful and enjoyable- or would have been if the person standing against the railing hadn't Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands.
______________Chapter 5____________
A short time later, Miroku, Sango and Shippo had gone back through the well. Inu Yasha and I were in my room; me in the bed and the hanyou sleeping on a futon on the floor. Mom had reluctantly agreed to let us share the room after I had convinced her that it would keep everyone else from getting sick. She had already made everyone down two glasses of orange juice each to stop any infection. She kept the aspirin and cough syrup within easy reach.
I was tired and was afraid to sleep. I didn't want to dream again. I should have asked the others about dream youkai. Damn. I watched Inu Yasha on the floor. We'd pulled his yukata off him, taken away Tetsusagia, and given him his own pajamas; Mom having found some of dad's old clothes. To say that the hanyou hadn't been happy would be an understatement. I'd had to sit him and then help mom pull his clothes free. I don't know what mom did with his clothes and sword- I think she must have hidden them.
The light from the outside lights and last flitter of sunlight filtered through my window, making patterns on Inu Yasha's face. The hanyou slept on, oblivious. I reached out and touched his forehead. He continued to sleep, turning toward me and curling up slightly. I scratched behind his dwindling ears, massaging the muscles that twitched beneath my fingers. He was so cute when he was asleep, so harmless. It was when he was awake I had to stay on my toes. Inu Yasha's skin was warm beneath my hand, but being half youkai, his body temperature had always been higher than mine. Gauging a fever was almost impossible. He coughed in his sleep, strands of dark hair appearing in his silver mane.
I blinked. I was such a dunce. I'd been so busy I'd forgotten tonight was the new moon. I groaned into my pillow. It was my fault he was sick. Crap. At least he was safe here; even being sick wasn't lethal, just really uncomfortable. I continued to stroke his head absently, wondering what I was going to do about sleep. I reviewed the last bits of my dream again. I didn't recognize the woman, and the whole thing with Sesshomaru was just plain weird.
"A secret. Learn the secret. Secret to what?" I muttered, continuing to run my hand through Inu Yasha's hair. I sighed, my eyes closing. I tossed the blankets off me, hot and uncomfortable once again. I needed help and I had no idea how to get it. I glanced at my desk, at the Shikon shards that twinkled in the rays from outside. "I don't suppose you know anyone who could help me, ne?" I asked them quietly. They continued to refract the light. One particularly bright beam struck the jar and made the shards glow. The jewel shards split the light and rainbows danced on my ceiling. I watched them till my eyelids became too heavy. How pretty...
I was in a forest. More accurately, I was in Inu Yasha's Forest standing by the well. I scratched my head. Now what? I looked around. Nothing was burning, no strange muttering women had shown up, birds were chirping- it was a normal scene. "Inu Yasha!" I called and walked further into the forest. "Oh Inu Yasha!" I continued walking, searching for my friend.
After a time, I neared a clearing. I climbed a small hill and had a perfect view of the flower covered field beneath me. I saw a figure, scratching its head and looking very confused.
"Oh, crap." the figure screamed. "Where the hell am I!?" The person paused and sniffed. Ears rotated on top of the person's head.
"Inu Yasha?" I descended into the field slowly and stopped a foot or two away.
"Who?" And then the figure turned toward me and stole my breath away. I faced a youkai-that much was clear- but I had never seen one like him before. Yes, him. The figure in front of me was defiantly male- no, he wasn't nude; just wearing a pair of baggy boxers. Two wolfish ears twitched and rotated on top of his head. A tail swished back and forth behind him, the same color as his hair. His skin had that golden brown coloring that spoke of time spent in the sun, well-defined muscles rippled under the surface as he moved. An unruly mass of chocolate colored hair cascaded down his back, ending in a more molted pattern. The hair stuck up in places and gave him that sleep-tousled look. I stared when I got to his legs. His legs were the like the hind legs of a wolf; he walked on his toes, the arch of his foot lengthened before meeting his ankle. And every last inch of him was covered with a fine coat of dark fur.
But it was his face that got my attention; the features were familiar though I knew I'd never seen him before. I would defiantly have remembered this guy. His eyes were large like Inu Yasha's were, cat slitted too, but they were more bronze in color. He blinked and they changed color, from that pure bronze to bronze tinted lavender. Under those exotic orbs was a muzzle. Just like a wolf's muzzle but not as long. The corners were turned down in a frown at the moment. Even though he looked rugged, there was a slight feminine delicacy to his features. Again, an odd feeling of familiarity swept over me. He scratched at the stubble on his chin with a clawed hand. "Who?" he asked again and I shook myself.
"I'm looking for my friend, Inu Yasha. I thought you were him. Sorry to bother you." I bowed shallowly and turned to head back the way I had come. I was getting the hell out of here. For all I knew this was going to be another awful dream where I died horribly; the only switch this time was that I had a different killer.
"Wait!" He jogged over and kept pace with me. "Look, I don't know any Inu Yasha but I'm really lost. Where are we?" His tail swished and brushed my back. I kept walking, looking for anything that might be a hint as to where Inu Yasha might be. I was beginning to know how Dorothy felt when she landed in Oz. Maybe if I ignored him, this guy would go away...
"God Dammit!" And I felt strong hands close around my arms. I yelped in surprise as the youkai picked me up, wrapping his tail around my waist and setting me on his back. "I have no freaking clue why I'm here and dreaming of a place I've never been before- or why you're in my dream for that matter- but I will not sit back and take it!" I didn't know what he was talking about but, strangely, we were on the same wavelength. The youkai continued to grumble to himself and sped up his pace. I had to hang onto his shoulders to be stable and not fall off. I felt the tension in his shoulders as his knotted muscles moved against my hand.
I blinked. Riding like this was exactly like riding on Inu Yasha. Whoa, de ja vu. "Uh," I stuttered and watched one ear swivel in my direction as the youkai dodged low branches. "My name's Kagome." The other ear turned my way. The youkai slowed down to a walk. He turned his head to look at me over his shoulder. One reddish bronze eye looked at me
He offered me his hand, awkwardly grasping mine gently but firmly. "I'm Taomaru; nice to meet you." His eye turned blue bronze and crinkled at the corners. He smiled, exposing sharp teeth, though I doubted he was being menacing. I smiled back and realized with a jolt whom he reminded me of. I gasped and his smile faded, his eyes taking on a grayish tint, and he bent at the knee to let me get off. His tail unwound itself and his ears drooped as he watched me stumble backwards.
I couldn't help but stare at him. I knew. I knew where I had seen his face before- on two very different people. He dipped his head to one side, his hands in the side pockets of his boxers. His tail curled around his feet, twitching occasionally and causing the light to sparkle off the lighter locks of his hair and fur. His eyes had turned completely gray, and he gave off a general feeling of sadness and being uncomfortable. I was instantly sorry that I had reacted so badly.
Trying to make amends, I walked back toward him. He inched back, his tail sweeping the ground. "I'm sorry." I said. "I reacted like that because I finally realized where I've seen you before." He arched his brows at me, his eyes changing color again from gray to purple. His ears zeroed in on me and he straitened. "You look like two brothers I know who are as different as night and day. It was just a shock to see their facial features on your face."
He scratched at his chin, his brows drawing together. "Yes, that would be a shock to anyone." Scratch, scratch. He walked toward me with a tentative smile. "I hope they aren't that bad..." He trailed off, looking around. His eyes changed from purple to orange. "Where are we?" He didn't look happy as his ears rotated this way and that, his eyes searching the area.
I looked around. Everything looked fine to me. "We're in Inu Yasha's forest. Village is that way and the well is over here." I pointed each out. He looked at me blankly. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" I asked flatly.
"Correct, but I do have an idea as to what is going on." He looked at me, completely serious; his eyes back to the bronze I had first seen. "Kagome, I believe we are in what is known as a dream mesh. Some how, your dream and mine have meshed-" he illustrated by taking my hand and intertwining his fingers with mine- "together and this is the result.' He looked at me and seemed to see through me. "Are you a dream riding human?"
"A what?" Then I understood. "No! This has never happened to me before."
"What was the last thing you did before bed?"
The image of the Shinkon Shards seeming to glow in the house lights and the rainbows on my ceiling flashed through my mind. "...oh hell." He cocked his head at me and I explained about the Shinkon Shards and my suspicions about a dream invading youkai.
"So, there was no one to ask and you wished for help." He shook his head. "One hell of a yell you got there. The mesh could have happened for two possible reasons; one, because of your wish and, two, because of a dream eater youkai's magic. If those are the correct reasons, then our problems are solved."
I looked at him. "They are?"
He nodded. "A dream mesh ends when all dreamers involved are back in their respective dreams. The whole landscape, as it were, is a patchwork formed from bits and pieces of everyone's dream. Common ground like this won't work to end the dream mesh- you have to find the individual dream of each sleeper."
I frowned. "But how do you know which dream will belong to who?"
"That's where things get interesting. You have to know the people you're with. That solves the problem of how to end this. Now, as to how to deal with the youkai..." He cupped his chin in one hand, his index finger tapping against his lips. I sat on the floor while he thought.
In reality...
Mrs. Higurashi stepped into the room, quiet as any cat. A washcloth was draped across each of her shoulders, her hands occupied by the half-filled bowl of water she held. The door closed with a soft click behind her. She navigated the dark room carefully, finding Kagome's desk more by memory than by sight. She set the bowl on the surface, mindful of any objects that may be in the way. Kagome's mother deftly stepped over Inu Yasha and pulled the chain that turned on Kagome's bedside light.
Light blossomed and cast a soft halo over the two sick children. Kagome was sound asleep, almost falling out of her bed. One arm was outstretched, her hand hidden under the blanket that lay on the floor covering Inu Yasha. Mrs. Higurashi frowned, eyeing the sleeping covered lump on the makeshift bed on the floor. Dark hair stuck out from under the blanket by her feet. Dark hair? Mrs. Higurashi knelt on the floor between the two beds, stepping over Kagome's hand. Mrs. Higurashi turned down the blanket that hid Inu Yasha from view.
He had a fever, the heat radiating off his skin and prickling along Mrs. Higurashi's hands. She blinked. Inu Yasha looked... human. His dog-ears were gone, as was his silver hair. Instead, hair the same color as Kagome's cascaded across his shoulders and the pillow he was almost on. The woman was tempted to wake Kagome up and ask if this was normal when hanyou were sick but decided against it after looking at the sleeping girl.
At least Mrs. Higurashi had solved the mystery of where her daughter's hand had gone. Kagome's hand was in a loose fist beside Inu Yasha's forehead. In response, the dog demon had curled around her hand, pushing against it as he panted. The hanyou had also curled upward, almost tucking his head under, his body bowing out and upward. Buyo, the fat cat of the household, sauntered into the room. Kagome's mother frowned at him but scratched behind his ear obligingly. She never understood how the cat could get into locked rooms- he just seemed to appear out of thin air. The cat sniffed at Inu Yasha and lay down a few feet from him. The cat curled up, bowing his body upward. Looking down on the fuzzy ball, the feline looked almost like a perfect circle. Mrs. Higurashi looked from one to the other- they were exactly alike. It was as if, even though Inu Yasha was half dog demon, his mannerisms were more feline.
Wet cloth in one hand and one of Kagome's spare brushes in the other, Mrs. Higurashi set to work. She draped the cloth over Inu Yasha's forehead, letting the moisture cool him off. Kagome's mother took hold of Inu Yasha's long damp hair and began brushing it, being mindful of tangles. Kagome had always liked it when her mother had brushed her hair, regardless of the situation; it was worth a try on Inu Yasha. His hair was silky, though unkept; Kagome's mother was hard pressed to avoid pulling too much on his hair and causing him pain. She did manage it though, finishing the project by braiding his hair. She used one of Kagome's scrunchies to tie it off. Mrs. Higurashi mopped his face with the cloth and loosened his pajama top- Inu Yasha had tangled himself in it.
Under her ministrations, the hanyou calmed. He relaxed, uncurling his body and panting less. He began to stir; Mrs. Higurashi could see his eyelids fluttering as he tried to open them. "Hahaue..." his voice was weak, but steady. Inu Yasha tossed his head back and forth, one hand seeming to hunt for Mrs. Higurashi, the other taking hold of Kagome's hand. He hunted for her with his stuffed nose, coughing when it irritated his throat.
In the end, even after all you've been through; you're still just a child. The older woman thought. She tucked a loose lock of hair behind his ear. His hand gripped hers suddenly, his eyes half-opening but not looking at her. Kagome's mother gave a small smile that wilted when she realizing that he wasn't awake; his eyes, though open, remained a blank pale gold. She cupped his cheek with her hand, caressing it with her thumb. "Go to sleep," she said softly. "No one will harm you here." She rewet the washcloth in the cool water, wrung it out, and placed it on his head. His eyelids closed slowly, letting his head lay against her hand. His lips brushed against her palm as he mumbled, "Kagome's hahaue..." He sounded confused.
Mrs. Higurashi pulled her hand away slowly. She ran her hand lightly over his hair, smoothing it and comforting him. She turned to Kagome next, feeling her daughter's forehead with her free hand. Kagome's fever had gone down and her lungs sounded better. The only thing that was worrying was Kagome's sleeping position. Her body faced away from Inu Yasha, toward the wall, her outstretched arm had her pulled diagonal across the bed. As her mother watched, Kagome shifted position, rolling back toward Inu Yasha and curling up. Through out it all, her hand remained in Inu Yasha's. "Inu Ya...sha... where..." Kagome mumbled.
In the dream mesh....
"Right!" Taomaru clapped his hands together. I looked at him, wondering what pearls of wisdom he would bestow upon me. I sighed mentally, watching his ears rotate, and wondered how I had become so darn sarcastic.
"As I said, this dream mesh ends when all involved are back in their dreams. Now, I doubt that you and I are the only ones involved."
That got my attention. "How do you figure?" I stood up and walked over to face him. He blinked at me, looking thoughtful. As I watched, the fur covering him began to recede, leaving his tanned skin bear. His legs became human legs, the bones shifting easily. His tail was still present, fluffy and swishing the ground behind him; like Sesshomaru when he had let his tail down, though far shorter. Taomaru's wolf like ears also remained, and again I was strongly reminded of Inu Yasha.
The youkai ran a hand through his hair, pushing back the offending strands and exposing his forehead. Usually this wouldn't be anything exciting except that now I could see something that had been hidden before. I was standing and leaning against Taomaru before I knew it, tracing the revealed mark and indulging my curiosity. The mark was a perfect tear drop- nothing spectacular but interesting none the less. "What is it with youkai and these damn marks on their faces?" I asked, not really expecting an answer. Admittedly I had only seen one on Sesshomaru and he had a crescent moon on his forehead and two stripes on each cheek.
Taomaru snorted and tossed his head, effectively pulling away from my hand. His hair fell forward, hiding the mark again. "Anyway," he began. "On to the subject at hand. You said that you were trying to find your friend Inu Yasha. If he was nearby then he may have been ensnared in the dream mesh as well."
"True," I replied. "But would he get caught because we were touching or because we're good friends?" Our relationship was a bit more than `friendship;' it was more like on again, off again kinda/sorta boyfriend/girlfriend. Confusing? Yah, me too.
"If you two are close emotionally," and Taomaru eyed me with green eyes. "Then there would be a high possibility he would be pulled in by your distress. If you two were physically close when you went to sleep, then he is most assuredly in here somewhere."
I sighed. I had been afraid he'd say that. A twinge to my left made me look in that direction. "I sense something." I answered the youkai's unasked question. He wordlessly dipped to the side to allow me to grab on. I locked my legs around his waist and away we went across the patchwork landscape. We ran out of forest soon enough, passing through a short dark tunnel and into a brightly lit area. Taomaru slowed to a slipping stop, his feet getting no traction on the shiny floor.
When I saw who I had sensed, I fell off Taomaru's back. Literally. I sat on the tiled floor and stared at the man before me and at the strangeness of the new landscape. The city stretched out beneath us, the immense view from Tokyo Tower making the buildings below us tiny. Everything was lit, blinking city lights advertising various businesses, neon signs and figures moving merrily. Cars traced out the streets below us, disappearing into the darkness. It was beautiful and enjoyable- or would have been if the person standing against the railing hadn't Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands.