Dream Eater
Chapter 1
Kazaana
(AN: I don't own any of the characters in Inuyasha. I do write little non- profit stories about them. That's all, I promise. Okay, I lied. Sometimes, we play Twister. Naraku always wins, but he cheats. It's the tentacles. I told Inuyasha we shouldn't have invited him. But no, he keeps thinking he can beat him. Stupid dogboy! No biscuits for you tonight! )
The force of the air rip was tearing his body apart, as he always knew it would one day. It engulfed everyone and everything around him. The roaring was echoing in his ears and he felt as though it was coming through his skull.
"Get away!" he screamed, but it was too late. The last thing he saw was Sango's face distorted in agony as she was drawn inexorably to her death.
He awoke trembling and gasping, still held by the images of the dream. For a dream it was, more accurately, a nightmare.
"Sango," he whispered.
Keilala's sensitive hearing awoke her and she sniffed the air. The smell of fear permeated the room by Miroku. She went quietly over on small feet and mewed questioningly at him.
The others were asleep, and Inuyasha was up above them in a tree. Miroku tried to calm himself by controlling his breathing. Soon the trembling stopped.
"What do you sense, Keilala?" whispered Miroku.
Keilala mewed again and jumped into his lap, rubbing her head against his rough outer robes.
"Just my own fears, ne?" he said under his breath. But, he knew there would be no further sleep for him this night.
Morning came in a few hours, and Miroku watched Kagome stir in her sleeping bag, and Sango soon afterwards in her bed roll of blankets.
Inuyasha leapt quietly down from the tree where he'd slept and came to stand in front of the monk.
"Kinda restless last night, weren't you?" he asked roughly, his arms folded inside the sleeves of his haori.
"I did not sleep well," admitted Miroku.
"The stink of fear is still on you, houshi," said Inuyasha.
"It was just a nightmare," insisted Miroku.
"Must have been some nightmare," said Inuyasha.
"Are you all right, houshi-sama?" asked Sango, as she sat up in her bedroll, listening to their conversation.
"I'm fine," he lied, but somehow relieved to hear her voice. The nightmare had been too real.
"Sango?" he asked, "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, Miroku," she said. "I'm sorry you did not." She bestowed a sympathetic look upon him that made him feel slightly better.
"After we eat something," said Kagome "We need to be on our way. I know I sensed a jewel shard yesterday, but then it was gone. I don't get it."
"Perhaps you were mistaken, Kagome," said Miroku gently. He had a slight headache from lack of sleep. He leaned over and rubbed his temples.
"You don't feel well," stated Sango, frowning at him slightly. "Don't lie."
"It's nothing," he said. "Just a restless night."
"You look pale," she said, coming over and kneeling by him.
"Don't concern yourself with this," said Miroku, speaking more sharply than he intended to.
Sango sat back, and then averted her eyes. "If you wish," she said simply and stood up to leave.
He almost wished she had slapped him.
Kagome looked at Miroku with her brows raised, but said nothing.
"No need to bite her head off," said Inuyasha, glad for once that he wasn't being the rude one.
"I should apologize," said Miroku, looking at the doorway where Sango had left.
"You'd better!" exclaimed Kagome, tossing her head back in an indignant gesture.
Sango walked over a small knoll, where the others couldn't see her. She sank to the grass with a sigh, and absently stroked Keilala's fur to ease her hurt feelings.
"That was inexcusable," said a mellow voice behind her. "And I'm so sorry."
"It was understandable," replied Sango carefully. "Everyone gets irritable."
"Still, you did nothing to deserve my being irritable with you," Miroku said gently, sitting down beside her.
"It's best forgotten," said Sango in what she hoped was a neutral tone.
"Allow me to make amends," he said, "and then I shall be able to forget."
She nodded. "If it will make you feel better, you can grant me a request."
"It will." He smiled at her. Sango noticed that he still had dark circles of fatigue under his usually brilliant violet-tinged dark eyes.
"My request is that you sleep well tonight," she said softly.
He bowed his head, "I do not know if I can grant that request, but I shall try."
"How long have you had these nightmares, houshi-sama?" asked Sango.
He exhaled, finally raising his eyes. "A fortnight now."
"That long?" Sango exclaimed in surprise. In an impulsive gesture of sympathy, her hand reached out to cover his.
"I had no idea," she said.
"It is..disturbing," he admitted. "I know that everyone has the occasional nightmare, but I have had the same one every night for two weeks now."
Sango shook her head slightly. "That is not usual. Can you tell me what your dream is about?"
He looked away. "I'd rather not," he said. "The dream is of a somewhat...personal nature."
"Am I in your dream?" asked Sango, curious.
"Yes," he whispered.
He felt a sharp sting on his face. He looked up, shocked.
"I'd prefer NOT to be the subject of your perverted dreams!" said Sango, outraged.
"But, but!" he spluttered, holding his face. "Sango, you misunderstand, it wasn't THAT kind of dream!"
"Oh," she said, now embarrassed. "I'm sorry I slapped you then."
"Not that you couldn't be," he said, reconsidering.
She raised her hand to deliver another smack, when she realized he was joking and instead gave him a disgusted look, rose and walked away.
"At least I'm awake now," Miroku sighed and stood up, following her back to their camp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They spent an exhausting day searching for the faint glimmer of pulsing power that Kagome felt coming from a nearby jewel shard.
"I just can't seem to focus on it," she said, frustrated. She sat down and raked fingers through her sweaty hair.
"Could there be something obscuring its power emanations?" wondered Miroku out loud.
He knelt and leaned on his staff. "If you don't mind, I'd like to rest a bit. It's late in the day and we'll need to make camp soon anyway."
"Of course, Miroku," said Kagome wearily. "I'm not getting anywhere anyway." She sighed and flopped down on the grass.
Inuyasha snorted, "Well, if you need to rest, I'll call it a day." He gave them a disgusted look that obviously meant, "Feh, weak humans!" and began to search around for a tall tree from which to take watch.
"Anyone hungry?" asked Kagome, reaching into her backpack and withdrawing some fruit.
Sango thanked her, holding out her hand. Kagome looked around and noticed that Miroku was already asleep, slumped against the base of a nearby tree.
Sango noticed the direction of her glance. "He's exhausted from lack of sleep," she said, her fine brows drawn down in to a look of concern.
"He can't keep this up much longer," Kagome agreed.
"It's not normal," mused Sango. "People don't have the same nightmare every night for a fortnight."
"No," said Kagome. "I've never heard of that happening."
"Could it be some sort of a curse?" Inuyasha's voice made them startle a little as it came from behind them.
Sango raised her brows. "I hadn't thought of that," she admitted.
"I've felt something odd for a few weeks, ever since I thought I detected the jewel shard we're hunting for, but can't quite name it," said Kagome. "I wonder if it's connected to the strange dreams Miroku is having?"
Inuyasha flicked an ear, squatting down and tilting his head towards Kagome, a thoughtful look on his face. Golden eyes squinted at her.
"I keep getting that creepy feeling you get on the back of your neck when someone is watching you, but I can't pin it down, can't smell it, and I can't hear anything," he finally said.
"I just assumed I was imagining things after a while," he said, shaking his head so that the silky silver strands of hair settled over his upright ears.
"One of us needs to stand watch over Miroku tonight and see if they can detect anything," concluded Kagome.
"We'll take turns so that none of us gets too tired," said Inuyasha.
"I'll take the first watch," he added. "Then you Sango, then Kagome."
The women nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sango felt a large warm hand on her shoulder and started awake.
"It's me, Sango," said Inuyasha. His amber eyes glowed in the dark like lamps.
She shook off sleep, raising quickly and going to sit next to the sleeping young man. He seemed peaceful and relaxed for now, his head cradled on one arm.
"So, you detected nothing?" asked Sango of Inuyasha, who shook his head.
"Not a thing," said Inuyasha. "No nightmares, either. He's been sleeping like a baby."
"I'll call out if I hear or see anything," said Sango.
She leant against the base of the tree and watched the gentle rise and fall of the monk's breathing as he slept.
It soon became difficult to fight sleep. She rose and walked a short distance away, swinging her arms and rubbing them to stimulate wakefulness.
Sango heard an indistinct sound behind her and whirled around.
Miroku's head tossed to one side and his eyes, only a few seconds before peacefully closed, now were squinted in anguish.
"No!" he murmured hoarsely, tossing his head back and forth.
Sango went over to him quickly, kneeling alongside of him on the ground.
"Miroku!" she said, taking him by the shoulders and shaking him.
"Sango!" he said, his gloved hand twitching as he began to thrash his legs.
"I'm here!" she said, trying again to shake him awake. But, whatever the dream, its grip upon him was too powerful.
A loud moan was wrenched from his lips and two small tears of pain slid down his face from under closed eyes.
The eyes snapped open and looked at her unknowingly.
"You were dreaming again," said Sango, still holding his upper arms.
"No more," he mumbled, dropping his head against the tree.
Sango braced herself a moment, and then realized he had fainted.
Chapter 1
Kazaana
(AN: I don't own any of the characters in Inuyasha. I do write little non- profit stories about them. That's all, I promise. Okay, I lied. Sometimes, we play Twister. Naraku always wins, but he cheats. It's the tentacles. I told Inuyasha we shouldn't have invited him. But no, he keeps thinking he can beat him. Stupid dogboy! No biscuits for you tonight! )
The force of the air rip was tearing his body apart, as he always knew it would one day. It engulfed everyone and everything around him. The roaring was echoing in his ears and he felt as though it was coming through his skull.
"Get away!" he screamed, but it was too late. The last thing he saw was Sango's face distorted in agony as she was drawn inexorably to her death.
He awoke trembling and gasping, still held by the images of the dream. For a dream it was, more accurately, a nightmare.
"Sango," he whispered.
Keilala's sensitive hearing awoke her and she sniffed the air. The smell of fear permeated the room by Miroku. She went quietly over on small feet and mewed questioningly at him.
The others were asleep, and Inuyasha was up above them in a tree. Miroku tried to calm himself by controlling his breathing. Soon the trembling stopped.
"What do you sense, Keilala?" whispered Miroku.
Keilala mewed again and jumped into his lap, rubbing her head against his rough outer robes.
"Just my own fears, ne?" he said under his breath. But, he knew there would be no further sleep for him this night.
Morning came in a few hours, and Miroku watched Kagome stir in her sleeping bag, and Sango soon afterwards in her bed roll of blankets.
Inuyasha leapt quietly down from the tree where he'd slept and came to stand in front of the monk.
"Kinda restless last night, weren't you?" he asked roughly, his arms folded inside the sleeves of his haori.
"I did not sleep well," admitted Miroku.
"The stink of fear is still on you, houshi," said Inuyasha.
"It was just a nightmare," insisted Miroku.
"Must have been some nightmare," said Inuyasha.
"Are you all right, houshi-sama?" asked Sango, as she sat up in her bedroll, listening to their conversation.
"I'm fine," he lied, but somehow relieved to hear her voice. The nightmare had been too real.
"Sango?" he asked, "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, Miroku," she said. "I'm sorry you did not." She bestowed a sympathetic look upon him that made him feel slightly better.
"After we eat something," said Kagome "We need to be on our way. I know I sensed a jewel shard yesterday, but then it was gone. I don't get it."
"Perhaps you were mistaken, Kagome," said Miroku gently. He had a slight headache from lack of sleep. He leaned over and rubbed his temples.
"You don't feel well," stated Sango, frowning at him slightly. "Don't lie."
"It's nothing," he said. "Just a restless night."
"You look pale," she said, coming over and kneeling by him.
"Don't concern yourself with this," said Miroku, speaking more sharply than he intended to.
Sango sat back, and then averted her eyes. "If you wish," she said simply and stood up to leave.
He almost wished she had slapped him.
Kagome looked at Miroku with her brows raised, but said nothing.
"No need to bite her head off," said Inuyasha, glad for once that he wasn't being the rude one.
"I should apologize," said Miroku, looking at the doorway where Sango had left.
"You'd better!" exclaimed Kagome, tossing her head back in an indignant gesture.
Sango walked over a small knoll, where the others couldn't see her. She sank to the grass with a sigh, and absently stroked Keilala's fur to ease her hurt feelings.
"That was inexcusable," said a mellow voice behind her. "And I'm so sorry."
"It was understandable," replied Sango carefully. "Everyone gets irritable."
"Still, you did nothing to deserve my being irritable with you," Miroku said gently, sitting down beside her.
"It's best forgotten," said Sango in what she hoped was a neutral tone.
"Allow me to make amends," he said, "and then I shall be able to forget."
She nodded. "If it will make you feel better, you can grant me a request."
"It will." He smiled at her. Sango noticed that he still had dark circles of fatigue under his usually brilliant violet-tinged dark eyes.
"My request is that you sleep well tonight," she said softly.
He bowed his head, "I do not know if I can grant that request, but I shall try."
"How long have you had these nightmares, houshi-sama?" asked Sango.
He exhaled, finally raising his eyes. "A fortnight now."
"That long?" Sango exclaimed in surprise. In an impulsive gesture of sympathy, her hand reached out to cover his.
"I had no idea," she said.
"It is..disturbing," he admitted. "I know that everyone has the occasional nightmare, but I have had the same one every night for two weeks now."
Sango shook her head slightly. "That is not usual. Can you tell me what your dream is about?"
He looked away. "I'd rather not," he said. "The dream is of a somewhat...personal nature."
"Am I in your dream?" asked Sango, curious.
"Yes," he whispered.
He felt a sharp sting on his face. He looked up, shocked.
"I'd prefer NOT to be the subject of your perverted dreams!" said Sango, outraged.
"But, but!" he spluttered, holding his face. "Sango, you misunderstand, it wasn't THAT kind of dream!"
"Oh," she said, now embarrassed. "I'm sorry I slapped you then."
"Not that you couldn't be," he said, reconsidering.
She raised her hand to deliver another smack, when she realized he was joking and instead gave him a disgusted look, rose and walked away.
"At least I'm awake now," Miroku sighed and stood up, following her back to their camp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They spent an exhausting day searching for the faint glimmer of pulsing power that Kagome felt coming from a nearby jewel shard.
"I just can't seem to focus on it," she said, frustrated. She sat down and raked fingers through her sweaty hair.
"Could there be something obscuring its power emanations?" wondered Miroku out loud.
He knelt and leaned on his staff. "If you don't mind, I'd like to rest a bit. It's late in the day and we'll need to make camp soon anyway."
"Of course, Miroku," said Kagome wearily. "I'm not getting anywhere anyway." She sighed and flopped down on the grass.
Inuyasha snorted, "Well, if you need to rest, I'll call it a day." He gave them a disgusted look that obviously meant, "Feh, weak humans!" and began to search around for a tall tree from which to take watch.
"Anyone hungry?" asked Kagome, reaching into her backpack and withdrawing some fruit.
Sango thanked her, holding out her hand. Kagome looked around and noticed that Miroku was already asleep, slumped against the base of a nearby tree.
Sango noticed the direction of her glance. "He's exhausted from lack of sleep," she said, her fine brows drawn down in to a look of concern.
"He can't keep this up much longer," Kagome agreed.
"It's not normal," mused Sango. "People don't have the same nightmare every night for a fortnight."
"No," said Kagome. "I've never heard of that happening."
"Could it be some sort of a curse?" Inuyasha's voice made them startle a little as it came from behind them.
Sango raised her brows. "I hadn't thought of that," she admitted.
"I've felt something odd for a few weeks, ever since I thought I detected the jewel shard we're hunting for, but can't quite name it," said Kagome. "I wonder if it's connected to the strange dreams Miroku is having?"
Inuyasha flicked an ear, squatting down and tilting his head towards Kagome, a thoughtful look on his face. Golden eyes squinted at her.
"I keep getting that creepy feeling you get on the back of your neck when someone is watching you, but I can't pin it down, can't smell it, and I can't hear anything," he finally said.
"I just assumed I was imagining things after a while," he said, shaking his head so that the silky silver strands of hair settled over his upright ears.
"One of us needs to stand watch over Miroku tonight and see if they can detect anything," concluded Kagome.
"We'll take turns so that none of us gets too tired," said Inuyasha.
"I'll take the first watch," he added. "Then you Sango, then Kagome."
The women nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sango felt a large warm hand on her shoulder and started awake.
"It's me, Sango," said Inuyasha. His amber eyes glowed in the dark like lamps.
She shook off sleep, raising quickly and going to sit next to the sleeping young man. He seemed peaceful and relaxed for now, his head cradled on one arm.
"So, you detected nothing?" asked Sango of Inuyasha, who shook his head.
"Not a thing," said Inuyasha. "No nightmares, either. He's been sleeping like a baby."
"I'll call out if I hear or see anything," said Sango.
She leant against the base of the tree and watched the gentle rise and fall of the monk's breathing as he slept.
It soon became difficult to fight sleep. She rose and walked a short distance away, swinging her arms and rubbing them to stimulate wakefulness.
Sango heard an indistinct sound behind her and whirled around.
Miroku's head tossed to one side and his eyes, only a few seconds before peacefully closed, now were squinted in anguish.
"No!" he murmured hoarsely, tossing his head back and forth.
Sango went over to him quickly, kneeling alongside of him on the ground.
"Miroku!" she said, taking him by the shoulders and shaking him.
"Sango!" he said, his gloved hand twitching as he began to thrash his legs.
"I'm here!" she said, trying again to shake him awake. But, whatever the dream, its grip upon him was too powerful.
A loud moan was wrenched from his lips and two small tears of pain slid down his face from under closed eyes.
The eyes snapped open and looked at her unknowingly.
"You were dreaming again," said Sango, still holding his upper arms.
"No more," he mumbled, dropping his head against the tree.
Sango braced herself a moment, and then realized he had fainted.