AN: a quick note to every one confused about the last chapter. Inuyasha was not the youkai who attacked Kagome, he rescued her. (read the third last paragraph of last chapter if you are still confused.)

Disclaimer: I don't down Inuyasha and characters in this story.

Chapter 6 – When Dreams

They had decided to skip school for that day, mainly because people bandaged in a mummy-like fashion would probably cause an ample amount of suspicion in front of the gates of one of Japan's most prestigious high schools.

The apartment was relatively empty after Sango and Miroku left, early in the morning with Sango back in her human form and Miroku without the slightest clue what had really happened the night before. Why a youkai would have joined the Hunter, Kagome had no idea and she had no wish to begin a topic on that, either.

So it was only her left in the apartment.

Her and a certain silver haired hanyou.

She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, remembering again the sickening sights of last night. Had the hanyou not stopped the blow from the rogue youkai, she would have been dead, no human would have withstood the direct attack of a youkai's thrusting claws and lived; though as strong as she was, Kagome was still undeniably human, she was still undeniably vulnerable.

Then there was the red, the redness of Inuyasha's haori, the redness of his blood, so distinct against the black fluid that stank of death and decay from the wound of the youkai where Inuyasha had simultaneously struck. The sound of his haori ripping and the sound of her own voice ringing out in alarm and surprise in the darkness before he and the youkai both stiffened for a silent second. He had turned then, perhaps knowing that it had ended and looked at her.

"It is the first time you have called me by name.. I am.. glad."

She could still remember the breathless flutter inside as those words reached her, remember the jolt of panic when crashed to the ground, remember pang of fear when she thought he wasn't breathing. A smile graced her lips, what a joke, she, a Hunter, worried about the life of a prey.

" Can't you be a bit more gentle!"

The snapping and slightly arrogant voice dragged her back to reality, dark brown eyes opened and she glared at the hanyou, who was comfortably lying on the couch beside her whilst she did her best to patch him up.. "I have never heard of a youkai in their true form," she replied dryly, pulling at the dressing non-too gently. "That needed bandaging."

Inuyasha winced and managed to look mildly guilty at that, or at least, Kagome thought she saw a flash of guilt across his face before he yelled back. "Is that all I get for saving your worthless hide!?"

"I never asked you to save me" she replied, "Besides, how did you know where I was last night? Were you following me?

*~*~*~*

"Feh", Inuyasha muttered, looking away from her demanding eyes slightly. "Why the hell would I follow a wench like you!"

Truth was that he had followed her, traced her movements through the dark streets with his youkai senses that night. For what reason? He wasn't sure, after she had pointedly suggested that he had no business near her, he was ready to leave her alone with that human, that human, Inuyasha flinched at the sudden rush of anger at the thought of the man. He had touched her, the image of last night rushed through his mind in a blinding red. The hanyou shook his head, causing the girl to look at him inquiringly, what was the matter? Why would he care who touched the wench? It made no difference to him, she was nothing.

"What's wrong?" he heard the girl ask, the same words as those she had said to him the first night of their encounter, yet now with a hint of worry in her voice.

Worry? From a Hunter that had wanted him dead?

"None of your business." He snapped, masking the confusing with his usual arrogance. The girl stiffen by the slightest fraction by his side. Then the weight beside him shifted and he felt her standing up.

"I'm going to get some sleep," he heard her inform, her voice quite against the still room. Inuyasha turned back to her, yet finding that she had already slipped away. He stared blankly after her turned back, had she been somehow offended by what he had said? It was none of her business after all! The door of her room slammed forcefully from somewhere out of his sight and Inuyasha sighed, the human mind was difficult to interpret.

Eyes surveyed his surrounding, white walls that lacked decoration, yesterday's food left unfinished on the tables, piles of junk layered into the corner. She was rather untidy for a human, Inuyasha decided, much more less organized than the houses that he had stole from in the past. Though it seemed that she had lived here for quite a while, alone perhaps? The girl's scent was everywhere, in the couch, on the bandaged, in the air, her scent and the faint wisps of scent of the two Hunters that had left.

He chuckled inwardly, so much for a being a Hunter, the older female, Sango, as he had suspected, was a youkai, a traitor of her own race.

Why? He had asked, out of curiosity before she had left, not that he had really cared about what she hunted, it wasn't unusual, after all, for youkais to kill each other on sight. But what had puzzled him was why she had sided with a weak specie such as the humans.

"I.." she had replied after a moment of hesitation. "I have no wish to be alone..again."

It startled him, that a youkai other than him had understood the meaning of loneliness, an emotion not many of his kind possessed, though instead of seeking company, he chose to hide that feeling.

Such emotions only made him weak. Just as it had with the female youkai, her forming an invisible bond with the human girl, with that of an inferior specie. Though it was some bond, he knew, a youkai vowing to protect another even without the promise of the Mark. But then, didn't the girl risk her own life to save the female youkai?

Didn't he risk his life to save the girl?

It was not an option whether to save her or not, he debated, an unavoidable action because of the promise. But why the fear for the Hunter when she stood on the lines of life and death? Why was there no trace of doubt for his own life when he rushed forward?

*~*~*~*

It was a dream that she recognized. Her surrounding landscape, the ancient sakura tree standing, with it's flower covered branches reaching towards the heavens

Kagome was on the top of a hill in her dream, with the sun, sending warm rays of light onto the parts of her skin that were not covered by her sky blue kimono.

She was waiting.

For what? For who?

That she did not know, but at least she knew she was waiting, she was always waiting. For at times whoever she was waiting for would turn up, at least a shadow of him would. His back turned towards her with his black haori whipping in the wind.

Then there was the longing that didn't belong to her, her soul would cry out to him with such emptiness that shook her core, a cry begging for the figure to turn back, begging for him to look at her..

Why such emotion? Who was he? Her mind sought the answer from its depth, a level that was not part of her conscience. Yet she found only resistance, a lock without a key. Why try to hide? She asked that part of her that she had not been aware of before, after all, that part was still a fragment of her.. correct?

There was no reply, her body shifted, a movement involuntary to her. But she accepted that, it had always been like that, this particular dream, she was not in control of her own body, she was merely an observer. An observer forever waiting for the event to happen, yet forever disappointed.

"Show me," she murmured in her mind and she felt her body flinch. "Show me!" she repeated, this time more forcefully, almost commanded-like as a rush of impatience washed over her. Why the impatience? Kagome couldn't help wondering, she had waited all those years.. why the impatience now?

It.. it was as though.. someone had wanted her to find out..

Someone too, was done with waiting.

The resistance stood still for a second, then collapsed.. Yet there was no change to sunny surrounding about Kagome, no change in the rain of pale pedals from the Sakura tree..

"Midoriko"

Her mind jumped at the sound of the voice, yet her body turned toward it as though recongnising the name. Someone was standing behind her. Inuyasha? No, not Inuyasha, the man had lacked the silver hair and golden eyes of the hanyou, he was human. Yet the features of him and Inuyasha had held striking similarities

"You are late!" the word seemed to jump out of her mouth by itself, a overwhelming gladness came over her, she didn't care whether he was late or not.. she was simply gratified that he was here.

"Will you ever forgive me, my lady?"

Kagome felt a smile forming across her lips, the happiness was infectious, dissolving the thousands of question that had formed in her mind. Who was this man? Who was Midoriko? .. Who was.. she?… what was.. why is... It was slipping, Kagome knew, yet strangely, she didn't seem to mind her conscience been taken over.. she would allow it.. just once.

Her body moved towards the man, sinking into his arms. "Of course," she murmured as she snuggled against him. Neither said much more after that, both lost in their own thoughts. Doubtful thoughts, aching thoughts.

"Is.. everything?" She finally broke the silence, unable to hold onto the question any longer.

"Yes," he answered, evidently thinking of the same thing she had been wondering. "I'll go tomorrow."

"..I..see.." she buried her face in his black haori, hiding the overflowing tears that had appeared without warning in her eyes, an overwhelming emptiness, an immense sense of loneliness. She had promised herself that she would not cry today, too.

It was then she felt strong hands against her shoulder, lifting her until her eyes met with his purple ones. She loved those eyes, how they glittered when he laughed, how they deepened in colour when he was in thought.

"Don't cry," he murmured to her, "I'll come back.. for you.. I ..promise."

I Promise...

*~*~*~*

Her eyes fluttered open, immediately she knew something was not right, instead of the normal empty space on her side, it was filled.. by the sleeping features of the hanyou.

Fury rose even before the worries of what the hanyou had done to her in her sleep and she half rose, preparing to kick him off the bed in her most aggressive manner. Yet the movement had obvious alarmed Inuyasha and his eyes flew open. But instead of scrambling for his life, he laid, unmoving, watching Kagome with a steady gaze

"Why the surprise, Midoriko? You are already.. mine."

*~*~*~*

End of chapter 6 – When Dreams

AN: That was one of my long chapters to make up for the long interval in between updates, I assure you there won't be too many of those.

To every one that thought Inuyasha was talking to Kikyou.. -_-;;;. I probably would change the story to suit the prediction, but everything I have posted up to now was written before I decided to post the story onto ff.net so I really couldn't make any big changes or I'd be writing the entire fic again.

The second part of the chapter in itallic was Kagome's dream, it might seem a little weird, but it is a dream!

*~*~*~*

insomni-maniac: wow, I'm touched..

Kay Kylo: ^_^

Death's essence: I know the intervals between updates are becoming longer, but I'll make up for it with longer chapter.. sorry.

bonessasan: Inuyasha wasn't the one being hunted, he just happen to rock along..

ssp51201: some good observations you had there, since this story is a Au, I have no obligations to link it to the actual plot of the anime, though it does link.. Sango is a youkai btw.

sashlea : one does kind of feel sorry for Hojou..* kicks stupid guilty conscience*

To everyone that reviewed, thank you so very much!. And to everyone who commented that I don't update, I am sorry..

Btw: exams next week and the week after, but I'll update again after the exams.

RicePaper