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Sorry this took so long, I was trying to decide how to go about this but I've figured it out now.
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Mysteries Within the Shadows: Part IV – Dreams and Awakening. (Oohhh, this one has a real title!)
Sesshoumaru cracked his eyes open only to find them assaulted by a blindingly bright light. He stubbornly opened them fully only to have to blink and wait for them to adjust to the brightness. As it happened, Sesshoumaru had been staring almost directly at the sun, explaining the temporary blindness. Slowly his other senses started to register in his fogged mind. He was lying down, presumably in a field, as he could see grass out of the corner of his eyes. But the ground was inclined, suggesting that he was on the slope of hill. The grass swayed as a gentle breeze wafted across the area. Sesshoumaru inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, a sense of nostalgia washing over him. The air smelled of honeysuckles and lilies. The scents of several herbs were also present, however they were less fragrant and Sesshoumaru couldn't remember their names.
'It smells like the castle gardens. Mother's garden…' Sesshoumaru sighed heavily. "Why am I here?" he ask the blue sky in a quiet voice. The breeze came again; only it carried something else along with it. 'Laughter? Whose…' Sesshoumaru's eyes widened a fraction of an inch with realization and he sat up abruptly. As he had thought, he sat on a hill near the edge of a forest. He could make out the castle's outline through some mist to his right. But down below him was the source of the laughter. A young woman sat on an embankment next to a bubbling creek of clear water. Her long white hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. But it was restrained further as the hair from the ponytail was trapped in a tight braid that brushed down her back and its tips grazed the ground. She was wearing a pale green kimono with embroidered yellow flowers and a yellow sash to match, which also brought out her golden eyes. Her skin was pale and flawless, but it was adorned with a mauve crescent moon on her forehead. Sesshoumaru watched as she giggled again at the young boy standing before her. The boy, her son, couldn't have been very old, three or four at the most. He wore a dark red kimono, which matched the red markings on his cheeks and forearms, and black pants underneath. He possessed all of his mother's colorings; pale skin, white hair, golden eyes, and even the crescent moon on his forehead. Upon closer inspection, through the grass Sesshoumaru could see the long, fluffy, white tail that had caused him hell for a good portion of his young life. The boy had his hands cupped in front of him, with the small green head of a toad sticking though a hole in between his fingers. He smiled at his mother, exhilarated that he had made her laugh. The mother's laughter ended and she reached out to brush the back of her hand against her son's cheek."You're right, Sesshoumaru. He does look like Jaken." She laughed again having said this and the boy laughed with her.
Sesshoumaru watched the pair detachedly. 'Why? Why am I watching the last time I…I saw her alive?'
"I'm going to go show it to Father!" the boy said happily as he turned away from his mother and started to run back to the castle.
Sesshoumaru watched his childhood self run through the tall grasses back toward the castle. Once he disappeared into the mist, Sesshoumaru turned back to his mother. She had closed her eyes and sighed as the breezed caressed her face. She looked so peaceful, sitting there calmly among the flowers. Something suddenly dawned on Sesshoumaru. 'I wasn't here to see this. This can't be a memory. Then how?' He stood and pondered this among other things as he watched his mother sitting next to the creek, humming some song to herself. They stayed as such for several minutes before Sesshoumaru senses started to scream at him. What had started out as a subtle vibration in his senses that had been overlooked was now an overloading of his system that sent adrenaline shooting through his body as something moved toward them. His mother below him sensed it as well as she stood and swung around, facing him. Sesshoumaru did likewise, giving his back to her, although he had a suspicion that she couldn't see or hear him. Sesshoumaru peered into the dark forest, making out a darker shape in the shadows. It was large, and bulky, but he could discern any real features.
"You might as well come out! I know your there!" his mother called out behind him.
A low chuckle emanated from the forest as the creature stepped forward. 'No wonder.' Sesshoumaru mused as he looked at the emerging being. It was covered from head to toe in a midnight black cloak, nothing was uncovered. Sesshoumaru watched in fascination as the cloak shifted and moved, there was no breeze now, and the creature had not stirred. It was moving on it's own. 'A living darkness…'
That was when he saw it; a murky haze at the corners of his vision.
"Wha…" With this comprehension, the haze spread rapidly over his entire vision, and darkened. Sesshoumaru felt himself fall backwards but could do nothing to stop it. He tried to brace for what he felt would be an inevitable impact with the ground, but it never came. He knew he was falling, he could feel the air rushing past him, catching his hair, whipping it across his face and over his shoulders. The scent of honeysuckles invaded his olfactory senses again and the soft song that his mother had been humming came to his mind. The combination of the two worked almost as a sedative and calmed the adrenaline that was racing through his body. Sesshoumaru felt his heart slow and his eyes drift shut. He opened his eyes to see nothing but a dark void around him. He was falling through it, or was it passing him by? Sesshoumaru closed his eyes again; there was nothing to see. There was only one thing he knew for certain, he had no idea what was going on.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
InuYasha watched the pair as they slowly walked through the woods together. He sat high in an old, twisted and knotted tree, where he had woken up shortly before. Some of the initial disorientation that he had experienced was still with him, but not enough to hinder his observation. The wind was almost howling around him, whipping his long white hair about him. He folded him sensitive ears against his head, the air was chilly but the wind was like driving ice. It was a very late winter storm, he knew. The winter had been strangely mild, and spring had come early. Even though it had seemed that the winter had lost to the warmer months, it still had a finger wrapped around the continent, and had sent this storm as if in defiance against the other seasons.
InuYasha almost had to close his amber eyes as the wind picked up and started to drive a blinding snow. He tried to peer through the dense cover to locate the two he had been watching, only to be dismayed. When he failed to discern their forms, InuYasha carefully weaved his way down the icy braches of the tree.
When he reached the bottom, he again attempted to find them. InuYasha's eyes started to dart around frantically, searching. He felt himself sigh in relief as he finally made out their faint outlines. It was a woman and a young boy, her son. They had been out earlier that morning, collecting the herbs and such that the mother had needed. But the weather turned dangerously cold, and the sun had been dimmed by thick, brewing clouds. As they had started back, the storm had broken. And now they had to fight their way back to their small hut. No one would come looking for them, realizing that they might be caught in the storm. They didn't live in a village, but out in a lone, poor hut in the wilderness. They only went to the village when they needed supplies that they couldn't find.
The woman's husband had died two years before, leaving them at the mercy of his first-born son from his first marriage. The boy's half brother hadn't thrown them out, but he had made it clear that he didn't want them there either. So it seemed to those outside the family that they had left of their own violation. So now they were on their own. And they very well could have frozen to death out in the storm. But InuYasha knew that they wouldn't, he had seen this before.
The young woman had tied her calf length, ebony hair at the nape of her neck, to keep it out of the way. Her dark bangs clung limply to the pale skin of her forehead and slightly into her violet eyes. InuYasha could see that her face was set in grim determination as she pushed her was through the rapidly building snowdrifts. Her black and blue kimono hung heavily from her body, its hem and sleeves were crusted with ice.
The boy walked slowly behind her, his small hand clenching the back of her kimono tightly. He had his head bowed against the driving winds, his waist length white hair bellowed out behind him, blending with the snow. His red hakama and yukata, like his mother's kimono, was crusted with ice.
InuYasha walked sluggishly behind his mother and himself, reminiscing and worrying. He remembered how this story ended. Before he knew it, he could see their small hut not far ahead of them. He could see the relief on his mother's face as she saw it as well. The old thing looked ready fall apart under the pressure of the wind and snow.
When they were no more than a hundred feet from the when a loud crashing emanated from within. InuYasha watched as his mother as she heard the noise and stop in the snow. He could only watch as she looked warily from the hut to glance behind her at her son. She turned to face him, having made her decision, and knelt in the snow, in front of him. From his vantage point, InuYasha could see her mouth move but strain as he might, could make out the words. He didn't need to, he would remember them until he died; the last words from his mother.
"InuYasha. I want you to go over to the cherry tree and climb up into it. Stay there until I come get you."
The boy looked up at her questioningly, but her tone and face made it clear that there would be no argument. It was the same look that she had when she told him that he had to be proud of what he was, and who his father had been, and even his brother. Whenever she had that look on her face, she would never listen to anything contrary to what she was saying or believed. So the boy InuYasha practically dragged himself over to the only cherry tree near their home, wondering what his mother was doing.
The Lady Airin, the wife of the late Demon Lord of the Western Lands, crept slowly to the entrance to the hut, probably silently praying that it had been the wind. 'But it wasn't.' InuYasha said to himself silently. He clenched his eyes shut. She would go into the hut, and after a few minutes of waiting in the cold, InuYasha would hear her scream and he would run inside to find her dead. As the icy winds whipped about him, InuYasha was filled with a sudden and deep desire to know. To know exactly how she had died, and what she had gone through. He forced his eyes open in the blinding snow and walked forward in pace with his mother. She reached the opening to the hut and hesitated only slightly at the bamboo flap before she pushed it aside and stepped in. InuYasha was right behind her, but when he moved to push the flap his hand passed through it. InuYasha pulled his hand back and stared at it blankly. 'I have no affect on this world but it does on me.' He realized as he glanced upwards at his damp and half frozen bangs. InuYasha looked at the flap again and hesitantly pushed his hand through it again. When he heard his mother move on the tatami mats on the other side, everything evaporated from his mind except getting to her as he stepped through the door.
His eyes widened as he entered the dim hut. His mother stood in the center of the room, as she was facing away from him, he couldn't see her expression. But he could have imagined his own as his gaze shifted to the other side of the one room hut. In the shadows, something moved and sifted, continually changing. It was taller than him and it towered over his smaller mother. She took a step back as it advanced toward her. Despite the fact that he knew she would never hear or see him, InuYasha started forward yelling her name.
But as he lunged for her as darkness suddenly enveloped him and pulled him backwards, the image of his mother and her murder slowly faded as InuYasha continued to fall backwards. The air around him felt hot as it gently brushed against his skin, a stark contrast to the weather from his memory, or had it been a dream? He had no real time to think on it as a searing pain sliced through his mind. A strange feeling washed over him as the pain ebbed. He wasn't falling anymore, he was lying somewhere, on something rather hard and uncomfortable. Almost afraid of what he'd see, InuYasha cracked open eyes that he didn't remember closing.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kagome almost wept for joy when InuYasha cracked his eyes open after almost twelve hours of unconsciousness. Relief washed over her as she watched him open his eyes fully; they were a bit hazy but comprehension seemed to be dawning.
"InuYasha?" She said softly, leaning closer to him.
"Is he awake?" Miroku asked from his position by the fire pit.
Kagome looked and him and nodded, smiling brilliantly. She turned her face back to InuYasha to find him looking up at her questioningly. She was about to speak to him when a new dilemma made itself know.
"It seems that this one is waking up as well." Keade voiced from her seat next to Sesshoumaru.
"You may wont to move away Keade." Sango cautioned from where she sat petting Kirara. "There's no telling how he will react to waking up in a strange place."
"I am not a wild animal that will lash out wildly." Sesshoumaru winced when the words left his mouth sounding nothing like they should have. His throat was dry and his voice hoarse for some reason.
"Could have fooled me." InuYasha taunted as he struggled to sit up, brushing off Kagome's attempts to help him do so. Sesshoumaru rose to a setting position as well but with much more grace than InuYasha. Keade, unmindful of any danger slowly rose from her position next to him and walked stiffly over to the fire pit to start a soup of their dinner. Ignoring the barb and the daggers being glared at him by his brother, Sesshoumaru turned his gazed to Kagome.
"Why did you bring me here?"
Kagome blinked at him for a moment, causing Sesshoumaru to wonder if the girl was stupider than he had originally thought. Suddenly Kagome blinked, and started as if coming out of a trance. She had been utterly shocked that Sesshoumaru had asked her a question. She silently wondered if had been meant as an insult to InuYasha.
"Well, after you both fell unconscious, Rin came running out of the woods and asked me if you were going to be alright. We then decided that it wouldn't be safe to leave her with Jaken given the glares he was giving her. And she probably wouldn't have come with us if we hadn't brought you."
Sesshoumaru looked at her for a moment, as if to judge whether she was telling the truth or not, then nodded his head and looked away.
"And I want answers." She stated bravely, glancing from the Hanyou beside her to the Demon Lord across from her. Sesshoumaru turned his gaze back to her and lifted an eyebrow about a quarter of an inch.
"I want to know what happened in that field. Something's going on and I want to know what."
"What are you talking about?" InuYasha spat at her.
"You," she said shoving a finger in his face and had to resist the urge to 'beep' his nose, "have been an absolute ass the past couple of days."
"And you," she said turning to glared at Sesshoumaru, she didn't dare point at him, God knows she probably wouldn't get her finger back. "Rin tells me that you have been rather irritable and violent the past couple days as well."
"When is he not violent?" InuYasha demanded.
"And when aren't you an ass?"
The situation would have deteriorated from there had a certain little girl, kitsune and toad not chosen that moment to rush through the tatami door.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!!!!" Rin cried happily as she threw herself at him and circled his neck with her arms. Kagome would have paid five hundred dollars for a camera to get a picture of Sesshoumaru's face at that moment. He was as startled as she had ever seen him, his golden eyes slightly wider then usual and locked on the small girl in his lap. He collected himself quickly and set Rin away from his person. He stood then and looked down at Kagome who was smiling slightly.
"If you want answers then ask the idiot on the floor. We are leaving." He said coldly as he picked up his swords and armor off the floor. The fact that they had had the audacity to remove them angered him, but the thought that they could have killed him at any time infuriated him. Rin looked up at him sadly as he started for the door. As she and Jaken started to follow, Sesshoumaru halted at Kagome's voice.
"Sesshoumaru." When he paused she continued. "I would really like your input on this."
Sesshoumaru simply narrowed his eyes slightly and continued to the door.
"Sesshoumaru." She said again as he was about to step out the door. He sighed heavily and turned his head slightly to look at her.
"Stay."
He was startled to look down and see something glowing around his neck.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The red light faded as its power source ebbed, the surrounding walls returning to their normal hues of grays. The room was small, not much bigger that a closet. All four walls were solid stone; no windows and one door that remained locked and shut. It was only opened if he came. The room was shabbily adorned with a short, half rotted table and straw on the floor to substitute a bed. At the center of the table set a large crystal, cut into the shape of a prism, on a wooden stand. The red light that it had been radiating died completely as the figure next to the table collapsed to the cold stone floor with a clanking of metal. It couldn't even have been considered a person when looked closely upon. Pale, waxen skin was stretched tight over bones and gaunt muscles; every rib could be counted. The shackles that hung loose from fragile wrists and ankles looked too heavy for the creature to move. It laid there completely motionless except for the heavy gasps of breathe that wracked it torso. 'Soon…' it thought dismally, 'they will come soon.'
MUHAHAHAHAH!!!! I'm done part 4 woohoo!!!!!! J Who is this mystery person at the end? Will we ever know? Well, I know, but you don't. HAHA! Ahh the perks of being an author. Anyway, look forward to the next installment of As the World Turn, argh, no, wrong one. Mysteries Within the Shadows.
Please REVIEW!!!!! Flames will be scoffed at and put out with and extinguisher.
-sama – Lord or Lady
hanyou – half demon/half human
youkai – demon
kitsune – fox spirit or demon