Chapter Two

            Kagome knew that this was a dream, because as odd as the feudal era might be, there were never, not ever, frogs with fairy wings dancing with angel mice over fields of singing daisies.  A white puppy came pouncing through the daisies towards her, happily chasing the fairy frogs and angel mice.  She smiled at the puppy and held out her hand towards it. 

            The puppy leapt into her lap, licking her face.  Kagome felt so overwhelmed with joy and contentment, she laughed out loud, hugging the small dog. 

            "Well, little thing, this is an odd place that we find ourselves in, is it not?"  Kagome said to the puppy, scratching it behind the ears.  "Perhaps we should find our way home?  You know, you remind me of certain friend of mine…  I think I'll call you, Inu-chan!  Cause you sure are sweeter than Inuyasha!"

            Inuyasha… Kagome wondered what had happened to the hanyou.

            The puppy barked, and ran away from her a short distance, then turned and cocked his head at her.  The puppy barked again, trying to get her to follow.  Kagome stood, laughing, and chased after the playful white puppy.

            He led her away from the field of singing daisies, towards a stand of tall trees.  Kagome shouted to him, "Wait, puppy!" and the white dog came bounding back to her.  The puppy seemed bigger now, than it had in the field, and Kagome noticed it was wearing a collar of beads and sharp teeth.

            "Silly puppy, wait for me.  What's in there, anyway?"  She wondered, looking at the trees.  As if on cue, a huge youkai burst from the grove, blood dripping from fangs that could have been as long as she was.

            Inuyasha watched pensively as Kagome suddenly became more agitated, as if she were having a very bad dream.  She murmured something, but he couldn't understand what she was saying.  The hanyou picked up her hand, watching her worriedly.

            Miroku and Sango had taken the wailing kitsune outside, where he wouldn't bother the sick villagers.  They sat by a stone well, drawing water.

            "Does this seem like an awful coincidence to you?" Sango asked Miroku, "That as soon as you and I, and Inuyasha, the three fighters of our group, were away a demon attacks Kagome?"

            Miroku nodded, "Someone deliberately led us away, and they must have known that Kagome would stay to help the villagers.  The attack was meant to kill her."

            Shippou, who was sitting at their feet, looked up at the two of them.  "Will Kagome be alright?  She's not going to die, is she?"

            "We don't know yet, Shippou, but I don't think so.  Kagome is very strong."  Sango comforted the little fox.

            With a small sigh, Shippou commented, "I hope she'll be okay.  I should have saved her.  If I were bigger, I could have saved her, and then she wouldn't have gotten hurt!"  The kitsune looked on the verge of tears again, so Sango was quick to comfort him.

            "No! If you were bigger, you would have come with us, to catch Naraku, and then who would have run for help?  Kagome would have died for sure, Shippou.  You did save her!"  This logic seemed to calm him greatly, and he wandered back to the temple, to keep watch over her.

            "Inuyasha, do you think Kagome will be alright?"  Shippou asked, when he arrived at their side. 

            The hanyou was hunched beside the unconscious girl, gripping her hand, when the kitsune entered.  But as soon as Shippou spoke, he jumped into the air as if he'd been shot.

            "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"  Inuyasha yelled, giving Shippou a sound thump on the head.  But then he seemed to calm himself, saying, "I hope so, Shippou."

            Kagome, what were you thinking?  Inuyasha thought to himself, settling back down beside her.  You could have died, Kagome.  You could still die!  Why didn't you send for me sooner?  Why did I leave you in the first place?  I promise, Kagome, that if you just wake up, I'll never let you get hurt again.  I swear it!  Just wake up.  Please, Kagome, just wake up…

            Inuyasha closed his amber eyes, unable to look at her any longer; unable to look at another woman dying.  Shippou mistook the hanyou's gesture, and suggested he take a nap.  "I can keep an eye on her, Inuyasha.  Why don't you go get some rest?"

            "I don't need any rest!" Inuyasha growled.  "You must be tired after your run, Shippou.  You take a nap, I'll watch you both."

            The kitsune stretched and yawned.  "I guess so, but I don't know if I can sleep."

            "I know how ya feel…" Inuyasha muttered.  Suddenly Kagome stirred, muttering something again.  Did she just say Inu-chan?

            Kagome gasped, staring at the youkai and the jewel shard embedded in its forehead.  Pushed backwards she looked to the dog, Inu-chan was growing, right before her eyes.  Now he was as big as she was, if not bigger!  He seemed almost transformed, a snarling guardian between her and the violent youkai.

            In the same moment, the demon and the dog lunged at each other.  Inu-chan went for the youkai's throat, while the youkai snapped at him, trying to catch him right out of midair.  Inu-chan dodged the huge dangerous jaws, and clawed at the demon's face.  Kagome could almost hear Inuyasha's voice, Iron reaver, soul stealer!  The youkai screamed in pain, raising its own claws to tear the white dog to pieces.  Kagome wasn't sure how, but Inu-chan managed to evade the youkai, and deliver vicious attacks to its midsection.

            Kagome suddenly found a bow in her hands, and a quiver of arrows on her back.  Without hesitation, she fired directly at the shard.  The arrow flew straight and true, striking the Shikon shard with a burst of light.  The demon fell, clutching its face.  In an instant though, it was recovering and beginning to stand again.

            In a white blur Inu-chan attacked, tearing the youkai to shreds.  The fight was over in seconds.  The dog's speed and agility, as well as the vague feeling of familiarity amazed Kagome.

            As Inu-chan returned to her side, he remained very large, though he didn't seem as big as he had fighting the youkai.  His soft white back was easily level with Kagome's waist.  She dropped to her knees, throwing her arms around the dog's soft white neck, burying her face in his fur.  She had a sudden feeling of overwhelming recognition, as if it were the hanyou, hugging her back.  He just reminds me of Inuyasha.  That's all.  This is all just a dream anyway!  An incredibly real, and very odd dream.  But still, just a dream.  It is just a dream, right?

            "You're just a dog, right?"  She asked out loud, pulling away.  But only to find herself staring into a pair of very familiar amber eyes, and a laughing fanged smile.

            "INUYASHA!!"  She leapt backwards, completely surprised by the hanyou's sudden appearance.

            "Inu-chan, Kagome?"  He laughed, standing up.

            Kagome stood up, flustered and blushing.  "Well- You- you- well- well- SIT!"

            She dusted her hands, smiling.  "Ah… smoking crater…"