A moment please. ::holds up hands for silence:: Thank you all very much for reviewing and email- I appreciate it very much and feel better about posting my story. A lot of questions have popped up and I just want to explain a few things. ::clears throat::
A lot of people have been writing me about why I don't just post the whole story if it has been completed. Well, it's because I am juggling work, school and trying to edit two stories and write the latest installment of this story. As it is, there will probably be a lapse between the end of Sick Days and its follower War On The Horizon :: is editing the last as we speak::
The relationship in this one is pretty straight forward and towards the end- and starting in the next chapter- this becomes more adult. I do mean swearing and yes... ::blushes slightly:: this becomes what is commonly called a lemon (has sex). For those of you who are rolling your eyes and becoming annoyed, in my opinion it is tastefully done and not excessive.
One last point, a lot of you are picking up on the bite form last chapter and you are correct- there is a very big significance to it. Unfortunately, you will have to read the rest of this story (all of its parts, not just Sick Days). Please don't get intimidated! I am keeping the same level of quality with all sections!
With all that out of the way, please enjoy the chapter- I am still trying to post a new one each day, bear with me. Any problems please feel free to IM me or email me- click my name, it's all there.
Chapter 8
Dreaming…
I opened my eyes and I was back in the dream mesh. I knew it instantly because I was back in the castle, the one I had sensed Inu Yasha in. I blinked several times, wondering if I was imagining the whiteness that surrounded me. I felt hot breath along my skin and a wet tongue licked my face. I rubbed the slime away. "Sesshomaru?" I asked, following the big nose up until I could locate his eyes. The amber orbs looked at me benignly; one eye peering at me for a closer look. I offered a hand to scratch his great floppy ear and was rewarded with the privilege of doing so. It was unnerving to be petting a dog three stories high, but then again, everything had been weird; in a dream, everything made sense: elephants in pink tutus could trot by and it would still somehow make sense.
As I scratched behind Sesshomaru's ear I looked around, trying to assess the situation. The youkai had wrapped his long fluffy tail around me and laid it near his head as he stretched out on the marble floor. His soft white fur was the softest bed I had ever slept on and I was grateful to him. I said as much and he licked me again. In one fluid motion, Sesshomaru rose from the floor, muscles bunching under the soft fur. He trotted down the hall, woofing softly, and letting me sit astride his neck. While riding I continued to scratch behind his ears and he purred in thanks.
Sesshomaru walked over the splintered remains of a massive doorway never batting an eye. The doorway led into a large bedroom- large enough for three Sesshomarus in full dog form to lie on the bed. Dust had settled in a fine blanket over all the sparse furniture except for the ones that appeared to have been moved or damaged. If you ignored the lack of upkeep, the room was immaculate. In the very center of the spacious area were two familiar figures- Inu Yasha and Taomaru. The two seemed to be arguing and looking at deep groves carved in the floor that had previously been hidden by the bed.
"What are you talking about? Where's Kagome?" Inu Yasha yelled, Tetsusagia drawn and ready for battle. Taomaru merely frowned at the hanyou, obviously unimpressed.
"Have they been like this the whole time I've been away?" I asked Sesshomaru. I felt muscles move as he nodded. I crawled over his head, between his ears and slid down the slop between his eyes to sit on his nose. I turned around and looked into his amber eyes. He blinked. I sighed, watching my reflection in the youkai's eye do the same. I felt worn out and looked it; swinging from one crisis to another has that effect on people. Sesshomaru sniffed awkwardly, almost knocking me from my perch. I rubbed his nose in thanks then looked for a way to get down. We were closest to the bed and I finally took a flying leap off Sesshomaru's nose, landing safely on the mattress. I bounced high several times, the effect like that of bouncing on a trampoline. I finally stopped being thrown into the air and propped myself up, looking over at the dark haired youkai and hanyou.
They both knew I was there by now, Sesshomaru looming over me, marking my presence. A healed Taomaru leapt up onto the bed and greeted me with a smile. Inu Yasha wasn't far behind; as soon as he hit the mattress he sat beside me, keeping a wary eye on Taomaru.
"Now that we're all here, spill it Tao." I commanded. I was not in the mood for games. I wanted answers and I wanted them right now. Taomaru blinked in surprise then nodded.
"Kagome, I saved Inu Yasha but the dream eater youkai got away."
"Dream eater youkai? You mentioned that earlier but didn't elaborate."
"Yah, sorry. A youkai that eats dreams then, eventually, the dreamer himself." I had an awful thought.
"It was attacking Inu Yasha. Is it possible it harmed him?" My voice was a little too anxious and Inu Yasha huffed at me.
"I'm fine, damn it! Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" he growled, sheathing Tetsusagia angrily.
Taomaru cocked his head, a birdlike gesture. "Have you run into problems in the waking world?" He looked at Inu Yasha, studying the hanyou until the latter bristled and growled.
I nodded. "I woke up and Inu Yasha wasn't the same Inu Yasha I knew." I blushed but couldn't help it. Memories of how different Inu Yasha had been, the sensation of his lips on mine, body pinning me to the bed; all of these feelings flooded my mind and made it impossible for me not too blush. Talking about Inu Yasha as if he weren't there was also embarrassing, not helping my blush any. How was I supposed to explain to these three just what Inu Yasha was doing when I wasn't sure myself- or comfortable enough to voice it?
Nodding understandingly, Taomaru asked no more, just looked between the hanyou and I. "When I found him, he was already under assault. It is possible that she, the dream eater, may have harmed him not just in the dream mesh but physically. Is the change more of a personality shift?"
"I am right here! I am fine, god damn it! Now let's go kill this thing!" Inu Yasha roared. Absently, I reached a hand out and scratched his ears, just like I had been doing in reality. I felt him start then pull away roughly, almost knocking me over. He growled at me when I looked at him questioningly. Sesshomaru moved his head between us and growled loudly. I think the youkai was defending my honor; the idea made me smile and scratch Sesshomaru's cheek as I thanked him. I was in for a long session this time.
Reality.
Mrs. Higurashi's concern was mounting drastically. Inu Yasha caught Kagome as she sunk to the floor, scooping the girl up in his strong arms. The hanyou turned toward Kagome's mother, whining softly at the woman, quietly asking what he should do. It would have been helpful if she knew.
"Let's get her up stairs, Inu Yasha." She said, pointing in the appropriate direction and walking to the kitchen cabinet that held all the assorted cold remedies. Mrs. Higurashi pocketed the doctor's number along with the bottles and boxes, listening as Inu Yasha leapt up the stairs. She could hear his footsteps above her as he went into Kagome's room. With dread settling in her stomach, the mother made her way up the steps balancing the medications.
Dreaming.
Sesshomaru moved his head, allowing Inu Yasha to sit at my side. The dog youkai hopped up onto the mattress, settling in a comfortable position a little bit away from us. Inu Yasha watched him warily, one hand still on his sword. Taomaru made a half growl/ half purr noise in Sesshomaru's direction, the white furred youkai making the same noise in response. I looked at Inu Yasha in confusion, my question written all over my face. The hanyou shrugged. "I don't know either." He said gruffly and went back to watching the two men.
"Taomaru, you said earlier that in a dream mesh, the more buried aspects of a person's personality become more obvious." He nodded at me, smiling faintly, encouragingly. More confident now, I continued speaking, resting my chin in my hand and tapping my finger to my lips. "We saw this plainly when Sesshomaru didn't try to eat me and then became a child. I assume that means his more buried personality points are being unsure of himself and nurturing toward others." Sesshomaru's ears had perked in my direction, his head cocked to one side; in short, he didn't look exactly happy but didn't look unhappy either. "Sorry, Sess." I added apologetically.
"What's the point wench?" Inu Yasha demanded. I sighed and for a long moment considered just backhanding him to shut him up. Instead I turned toward him, a frown on my face.
"Sit!" I said and the hanyou obediently slammed into the mattress. He clawed at the bed; deep slashes making feathers flutter through the air. His efforts would do him no good however until the spell ended. Taomaru stared at him, mouth hanging open. Sesshomaru was doing the doggy version of Taomaru's surprise- ears perked toward Inu Yasha, eyes wide, mouth closed. I cleared my throat and the two youkai looked back at me, still slightly surprised.
"Is it possible that what ever the dream eater youkai did to Inu Yasha affected me completely and his body in reality?"
The dark haired youkai blinked, eyes turning pure bronze as he thought about my question. While he thought quietly, Inu Yasha got to his feet glaring at me. "Why did you do that, huh?" He came closer, hands balled up into fists. His desire to hit me sang through his body, a visible tension that made him shake. My jaw dropped and I crab walked backward, watching as he stalked toward me; the whites of his eyes turning red, the pupils blue. His face was in shadow, only his eyes showing, and he was suddenly a feral thing of anger and barely contained violence.
"Inu Yasha, calm down." I tried to keep my voice level but my fear crept in anyway.
"You have made me submit for the last time bitch!" He snarled, cracking his knuckles, the nails lengthening. Behind me Sesshomaru growled menacingly, moving his huge paw and sweeping me into his forelimbs for protection. I watched Inu Yasha move, a fluidity to his movements that only appeared when his demon blood took over. He growled, the sound making the hair at the back of my neck stand up and try to crawl down my spine. I was afraid, totally terrified, and my mind refused to cope with what it was seeing.
My Inu Yasha was my friend, my crush, who defended me and protected me from harm. This Inu Yasha was not mine, never could have been. I shrank further back into Sesshomaru's warm fur when Inu Yasha's form seemed to change. I could see the black stripes on his cheek now as his outline blurred just as Taomaru's had when the youkai changed into his wolf form. Inu Yasha's body began to change shape, the image of a white dog almost as big as Sesshomaru was visible. Fully transformed, Inu Yasha was a formidable sight; he threw back his head and howled, teeth half the size of my body lining his jaws.
Sesshomaru had risen to meet his brother's challenge, shielding me underneath his body. Inu Yasha's hackles rose, barring his teeth at the bigger Sesshomaru. A dark shape slammed into Inu Yasha, sending the smaller dog flying off the bed. I hadn't noticed it before, but Taomaru's dark wolf form was bigger than either white- very, very big. With all of them transformed I could see the differences between him and the white dogs. Taomaru must not have been a pure wolf youkai- a wolf dog mix possibly- because he was broad shouldered, too heavily muscled, his skin pulled taunt over them. His chest was wider, his tail slimmer, than either Sesshomaru or Inu Yasha but all three looked eerily similar. It was interesting food for thought despite the situation.
A sharp volley of barking from all three youkai made me nearly deaf. I covered my ears and saw Inu Yasha leap back onto the bed, crouched and ready to spring at Taomaru. It would have been a horrific fight it Inu Yasha hadn't suddenly lurched to one side, shaking and pawing at his head. He howled his pain, the sound ending in a scream as he shrank back to his normal size. He clutched his head, swaying and before I knew it I was running toward him. I dodged between Taomaru's and Sesshomaru's legs, catching Inu Yasha as he collapsed. He lay in my arms, his lungs laboring for breath. "Kagome?" he asked so softly I almost missed it. He opened one normal, gold eye and looked up at me before completely passing out.
"What- what's going on?" I looked at Taomaru, the now humanoid youkai looking at us in concern. I blinked away tears and noticed I was crying for the first time. I buried my face in Inu Yasha's hair, trying to calm down and think rationally. I felt a twinge inside, a sharp pain around my lungs that made it difficult to breath. I ignored it, and was rewarded with the muscles in my arms seizing as well as the sharp pains in my chest. I ground my teeth, looking up into bronze eyes. "Is she causing this?" I ground out, feeling muscles jump under my skin. It hurt and I had had my fill of pain for the last two days.
"Yes. Kagome, wake up again. Escape and leave her to us." Taomaru said fiercely, nodding toward the also humanoid Sesshomaru. Both youkai looked at each other, determination written in their eyes and the lines of their faces.
"No," I chocked out, my head feeling as if it would explode. In my arms Inu Yasha stirred, his hands clenching and unclenching. Muscles flexed under his skin and I knew he was trying to wake up but was being prevented from doing so. Anger flared through me, anger so strong at the pain we were being subjected to that the only word for it was hate. I hated this youkai, hated it with a passion, and that hate fueled whatever power lay hidden inside me.
I screamed so abruptly, the two men jumped. I screamed again, one ragged breath after another, shrieking my rage and pain. Fire coursed through my veins, burning my body from the inside out until it reached the surface; it's outlet. I couldn't see, my eyes shutting of their own accord, and didn't care; my power knew where it was going and eyes were not necessary. It rushed out, seeking its target. My power found the bream youkai and seared her, hurt her, caused irrevocable damage. I heard her scream and a part of me was satisfied while another part raged that the damage wasn't enough, that it would never be enough. I fell backward, eyes too heavy to open, seeming to drop forever until someone caught me. I was exhausted and wanted desperately to sleep when I remembered that I already was; lucid dreaming at its best. My body felt hot and raw, every brush against my skin felt like it was pinching exposed nerves. I yelped and panted and was finally set down on some soft material. Strong arms encircled me, pinning me against a lean chest. This person's touch didn't hurt me, something that distantly surprised me.
I opened my eyes a bit, a moment of reality, looking up into blank, gold ones. I wanted to cry; Inu Yasha was still screwed up and the youkai was still out there. I wanted to say his name, to say I was sorry that I couldn't stop her, but I was too tired and my eyes closed. I fell back into a thankfully dreamless sleep.
A lot of people have been writing me about why I don't just post the whole story if it has been completed. Well, it's because I am juggling work, school and trying to edit two stories and write the latest installment of this story. As it is, there will probably be a lapse between the end of Sick Days and its follower War On The Horizon :: is editing the last as we speak::
The relationship in this one is pretty straight forward and towards the end- and starting in the next chapter- this becomes more adult. I do mean swearing and yes... ::blushes slightly:: this becomes what is commonly called a lemon (has sex). For those of you who are rolling your eyes and becoming annoyed, in my opinion it is tastefully done and not excessive.
One last point, a lot of you are picking up on the bite form last chapter and you are correct- there is a very big significance to it. Unfortunately, you will have to read the rest of this story (all of its parts, not just Sick Days). Please don't get intimidated! I am keeping the same level of quality with all sections!
With all that out of the way, please enjoy the chapter- I am still trying to post a new one each day, bear with me. Any problems please feel free to IM me or email me- click my name, it's all there.
Chapter 8
Dreaming…
I opened my eyes and I was back in the dream mesh. I knew it instantly because I was back in the castle, the one I had sensed Inu Yasha in. I blinked several times, wondering if I was imagining the whiteness that surrounded me. I felt hot breath along my skin and a wet tongue licked my face. I rubbed the slime away. "Sesshomaru?" I asked, following the big nose up until I could locate his eyes. The amber orbs looked at me benignly; one eye peering at me for a closer look. I offered a hand to scratch his great floppy ear and was rewarded with the privilege of doing so. It was unnerving to be petting a dog three stories high, but then again, everything had been weird; in a dream, everything made sense: elephants in pink tutus could trot by and it would still somehow make sense.
As I scratched behind Sesshomaru's ear I looked around, trying to assess the situation. The youkai had wrapped his long fluffy tail around me and laid it near his head as he stretched out on the marble floor. His soft white fur was the softest bed I had ever slept on and I was grateful to him. I said as much and he licked me again. In one fluid motion, Sesshomaru rose from the floor, muscles bunching under the soft fur. He trotted down the hall, woofing softly, and letting me sit astride his neck. While riding I continued to scratch behind his ears and he purred in thanks.
Sesshomaru walked over the splintered remains of a massive doorway never batting an eye. The doorway led into a large bedroom- large enough for three Sesshomarus in full dog form to lie on the bed. Dust had settled in a fine blanket over all the sparse furniture except for the ones that appeared to have been moved or damaged. If you ignored the lack of upkeep, the room was immaculate. In the very center of the spacious area were two familiar figures- Inu Yasha and Taomaru. The two seemed to be arguing and looking at deep groves carved in the floor that had previously been hidden by the bed.
"What are you talking about? Where's Kagome?" Inu Yasha yelled, Tetsusagia drawn and ready for battle. Taomaru merely frowned at the hanyou, obviously unimpressed.
"Have they been like this the whole time I've been away?" I asked Sesshomaru. I felt muscles move as he nodded. I crawled over his head, between his ears and slid down the slop between his eyes to sit on his nose. I turned around and looked into his amber eyes. He blinked. I sighed, watching my reflection in the youkai's eye do the same. I felt worn out and looked it; swinging from one crisis to another has that effect on people. Sesshomaru sniffed awkwardly, almost knocking me from my perch. I rubbed his nose in thanks then looked for a way to get down. We were closest to the bed and I finally took a flying leap off Sesshomaru's nose, landing safely on the mattress. I bounced high several times, the effect like that of bouncing on a trampoline. I finally stopped being thrown into the air and propped myself up, looking over at the dark haired youkai and hanyou.
They both knew I was there by now, Sesshomaru looming over me, marking my presence. A healed Taomaru leapt up onto the bed and greeted me with a smile. Inu Yasha wasn't far behind; as soon as he hit the mattress he sat beside me, keeping a wary eye on Taomaru.
"Now that we're all here, spill it Tao." I commanded. I was not in the mood for games. I wanted answers and I wanted them right now. Taomaru blinked in surprise then nodded.
"Kagome, I saved Inu Yasha but the dream eater youkai got away."
"Dream eater youkai? You mentioned that earlier but didn't elaborate."
"Yah, sorry. A youkai that eats dreams then, eventually, the dreamer himself." I had an awful thought.
"It was attacking Inu Yasha. Is it possible it harmed him?" My voice was a little too anxious and Inu Yasha huffed at me.
"I'm fine, damn it! Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" he growled, sheathing Tetsusagia angrily.
Taomaru cocked his head, a birdlike gesture. "Have you run into problems in the waking world?" He looked at Inu Yasha, studying the hanyou until the latter bristled and growled.
I nodded. "I woke up and Inu Yasha wasn't the same Inu Yasha I knew." I blushed but couldn't help it. Memories of how different Inu Yasha had been, the sensation of his lips on mine, body pinning me to the bed; all of these feelings flooded my mind and made it impossible for me not too blush. Talking about Inu Yasha as if he weren't there was also embarrassing, not helping my blush any. How was I supposed to explain to these three just what Inu Yasha was doing when I wasn't sure myself- or comfortable enough to voice it?
Nodding understandingly, Taomaru asked no more, just looked between the hanyou and I. "When I found him, he was already under assault. It is possible that she, the dream eater, may have harmed him not just in the dream mesh but physically. Is the change more of a personality shift?"
"I am right here! I am fine, god damn it! Now let's go kill this thing!" Inu Yasha roared. Absently, I reached a hand out and scratched his ears, just like I had been doing in reality. I felt him start then pull away roughly, almost knocking me over. He growled at me when I looked at him questioningly. Sesshomaru moved his head between us and growled loudly. I think the youkai was defending my honor; the idea made me smile and scratch Sesshomaru's cheek as I thanked him. I was in for a long session this time.
Reality.
Mrs. Higurashi's concern was mounting drastically. Inu Yasha caught Kagome as she sunk to the floor, scooping the girl up in his strong arms. The hanyou turned toward Kagome's mother, whining softly at the woman, quietly asking what he should do. It would have been helpful if she knew.
"Let's get her up stairs, Inu Yasha." She said, pointing in the appropriate direction and walking to the kitchen cabinet that held all the assorted cold remedies. Mrs. Higurashi pocketed the doctor's number along with the bottles and boxes, listening as Inu Yasha leapt up the stairs. She could hear his footsteps above her as he went into Kagome's room. With dread settling in her stomach, the mother made her way up the steps balancing the medications.
Dreaming.
Sesshomaru moved his head, allowing Inu Yasha to sit at my side. The dog youkai hopped up onto the mattress, settling in a comfortable position a little bit away from us. Inu Yasha watched him warily, one hand still on his sword. Taomaru made a half growl/ half purr noise in Sesshomaru's direction, the white furred youkai making the same noise in response. I looked at Inu Yasha in confusion, my question written all over my face. The hanyou shrugged. "I don't know either." He said gruffly and went back to watching the two men.
"Taomaru, you said earlier that in a dream mesh, the more buried aspects of a person's personality become more obvious." He nodded at me, smiling faintly, encouragingly. More confident now, I continued speaking, resting my chin in my hand and tapping my finger to my lips. "We saw this plainly when Sesshomaru didn't try to eat me and then became a child. I assume that means his more buried personality points are being unsure of himself and nurturing toward others." Sesshomaru's ears had perked in my direction, his head cocked to one side; in short, he didn't look exactly happy but didn't look unhappy either. "Sorry, Sess." I added apologetically.
"What's the point wench?" Inu Yasha demanded. I sighed and for a long moment considered just backhanding him to shut him up. Instead I turned toward him, a frown on my face.
"Sit!" I said and the hanyou obediently slammed into the mattress. He clawed at the bed; deep slashes making feathers flutter through the air. His efforts would do him no good however until the spell ended. Taomaru stared at him, mouth hanging open. Sesshomaru was doing the doggy version of Taomaru's surprise- ears perked toward Inu Yasha, eyes wide, mouth closed. I cleared my throat and the two youkai looked back at me, still slightly surprised.
"Is it possible that what ever the dream eater youkai did to Inu Yasha affected me completely and his body in reality?"
The dark haired youkai blinked, eyes turning pure bronze as he thought about my question. While he thought quietly, Inu Yasha got to his feet glaring at me. "Why did you do that, huh?" He came closer, hands balled up into fists. His desire to hit me sang through his body, a visible tension that made him shake. My jaw dropped and I crab walked backward, watching as he stalked toward me; the whites of his eyes turning red, the pupils blue. His face was in shadow, only his eyes showing, and he was suddenly a feral thing of anger and barely contained violence.
"Inu Yasha, calm down." I tried to keep my voice level but my fear crept in anyway.
"You have made me submit for the last time bitch!" He snarled, cracking his knuckles, the nails lengthening. Behind me Sesshomaru growled menacingly, moving his huge paw and sweeping me into his forelimbs for protection. I watched Inu Yasha move, a fluidity to his movements that only appeared when his demon blood took over. He growled, the sound making the hair at the back of my neck stand up and try to crawl down my spine. I was afraid, totally terrified, and my mind refused to cope with what it was seeing.
My Inu Yasha was my friend, my crush, who defended me and protected me from harm. This Inu Yasha was not mine, never could have been. I shrank further back into Sesshomaru's warm fur when Inu Yasha's form seemed to change. I could see the black stripes on his cheek now as his outline blurred just as Taomaru's had when the youkai changed into his wolf form. Inu Yasha's body began to change shape, the image of a white dog almost as big as Sesshomaru was visible. Fully transformed, Inu Yasha was a formidable sight; he threw back his head and howled, teeth half the size of my body lining his jaws.
Sesshomaru had risen to meet his brother's challenge, shielding me underneath his body. Inu Yasha's hackles rose, barring his teeth at the bigger Sesshomaru. A dark shape slammed into Inu Yasha, sending the smaller dog flying off the bed. I hadn't noticed it before, but Taomaru's dark wolf form was bigger than either white- very, very big. With all of them transformed I could see the differences between him and the white dogs. Taomaru must not have been a pure wolf youkai- a wolf dog mix possibly- because he was broad shouldered, too heavily muscled, his skin pulled taunt over them. His chest was wider, his tail slimmer, than either Sesshomaru or Inu Yasha but all three looked eerily similar. It was interesting food for thought despite the situation.
A sharp volley of barking from all three youkai made me nearly deaf. I covered my ears and saw Inu Yasha leap back onto the bed, crouched and ready to spring at Taomaru. It would have been a horrific fight it Inu Yasha hadn't suddenly lurched to one side, shaking and pawing at his head. He howled his pain, the sound ending in a scream as he shrank back to his normal size. He clutched his head, swaying and before I knew it I was running toward him. I dodged between Taomaru's and Sesshomaru's legs, catching Inu Yasha as he collapsed. He lay in my arms, his lungs laboring for breath. "Kagome?" he asked so softly I almost missed it. He opened one normal, gold eye and looked up at me before completely passing out.
"What- what's going on?" I looked at Taomaru, the now humanoid youkai looking at us in concern. I blinked away tears and noticed I was crying for the first time. I buried my face in Inu Yasha's hair, trying to calm down and think rationally. I felt a twinge inside, a sharp pain around my lungs that made it difficult to breath. I ignored it, and was rewarded with the muscles in my arms seizing as well as the sharp pains in my chest. I ground my teeth, looking up into bronze eyes. "Is she causing this?" I ground out, feeling muscles jump under my skin. It hurt and I had had my fill of pain for the last two days.
"Yes. Kagome, wake up again. Escape and leave her to us." Taomaru said fiercely, nodding toward the also humanoid Sesshomaru. Both youkai looked at each other, determination written in their eyes and the lines of their faces.
"No," I chocked out, my head feeling as if it would explode. In my arms Inu Yasha stirred, his hands clenching and unclenching. Muscles flexed under his skin and I knew he was trying to wake up but was being prevented from doing so. Anger flared through me, anger so strong at the pain we were being subjected to that the only word for it was hate. I hated this youkai, hated it with a passion, and that hate fueled whatever power lay hidden inside me.
I screamed so abruptly, the two men jumped. I screamed again, one ragged breath after another, shrieking my rage and pain. Fire coursed through my veins, burning my body from the inside out until it reached the surface; it's outlet. I couldn't see, my eyes shutting of their own accord, and didn't care; my power knew where it was going and eyes were not necessary. It rushed out, seeking its target. My power found the bream youkai and seared her, hurt her, caused irrevocable damage. I heard her scream and a part of me was satisfied while another part raged that the damage wasn't enough, that it would never be enough. I fell backward, eyes too heavy to open, seeming to drop forever until someone caught me. I was exhausted and wanted desperately to sleep when I remembered that I already was; lucid dreaming at its best. My body felt hot and raw, every brush against my skin felt like it was pinching exposed nerves. I yelped and panted and was finally set down on some soft material. Strong arms encircled me, pinning me against a lean chest. This person's touch didn't hurt me, something that distantly surprised me.
I opened my eyes a bit, a moment of reality, looking up into blank, gold ones. I wanted to cry; Inu Yasha was still screwed up and the youkai was still out there. I wanted to say his name, to say I was sorry that I couldn't stop her, but I was too tired and my eyes closed. I fell back into a thankfully dreamless sleep.