Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Chapter Three: Dreams

September 22nd - Evening

Feeling miserable Kagome climbed the stairs to her room and flopped on the bed. She couldn't get Hojo's sad face out of her mind. To make matters worse, he had to go and act all UNDERSTANDING about how she didn't love him back.

She sighed heavily. I'm the worse person ever. What's wrong with me? Hojo is the perfect guy. He's nice. He's sweet. He's thoughtful and understanding. Why can't I love him?

Rolling to her side she reached for her phone. She had to call him and say… well… something! She should apologize. Her fingers hovered about the phone. But would that just make things worse? Kagome groaned. Of course it would. Though Kagome was a genuinely nice person who never intentionally hurts anyone, saying the wrong thing at the worst time was one of her specialties.

"I'll talk to him tomorrow," she decided.

"Talk to who?"

Kagome threw her pillow at the door. "Quit eavesdropping on me you little brat!"

Her little brother peeked from behind the door and stuck is tongue out at her before blowing a raspberry. He laughed and took off down the hall as his older sister jumped out of bed, pillow/weapon in hand, and chased him through the house.

When Kagome finally made it back to her room she felt much better, thouroughly exauhsted, but better. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that her little brother was antagonizing her on purpose to cheer her up.

It worked.

With a smile Kagome changed into her pajamas and brushed her hair. She gazed at the girl in the mirror.

"I wonder if you have an annoying little brother too," she asked her reflection.

Kagome gasped and dropped her brush. Something in the mirror moved! Leaves. There were leaves blowing through her room. She spun around, but her room was just the same. No leaves. In fact, her bedroom window was shut tight.

Maybe I really am going crazy… She shivered.

Crawling into bed she pulls her covers up to her chin. It wasn't that she was cold, but she felt the odd need to be protected. Though she couldn't say from what. She pulled her stuffed dog from the nightstand and hugged it close. She didn't care if people thought she had outgrown sleeping with a stuffed animal, it brought her comfort… plus no one would know. She smiled at the memory of her explaining to her mother how the little white stuffed dog chased away the nightmares. Her mother had patted its head and had told it to keep protecting her little girl.

Slowly she began to drift away in sleep. She saw the falling leaves, but this time she felt a breeze. She found herself looking into a pool of water. No, it wasn't her… not exactly.

Kagome gasped. It's the girl in the mirror!

The girl gasped in surprise as well. "You're real!" the girl exclaimed. All Kagome could do was nod. She couldn't find her voice. "What is your name?"

"K…Kagome…" She took a deep breath. "I know you. I've seen you so many times… I was beginning to think that I was crazy! Who are you? What's your name?"

"My name is Kikyo. I am a miko. I have seen you as well, though I know not how."

"Miko?"

"A priestess," she explained gently.

"How cool!" Noticing Kikyo's confused expression she elaborated. "Exciting! Wonderful! I'm nothing, just a school girl. But my grandpa is a priest! We live in a shrine." Kagome smiled in embarrassment. Here she was trying to impress a real actual priestess with her grandfather's rather questionable priesthood.

"Perhaps," Kikyo said softly, "perhaps that is how we are connected." She raised her hand and pointed a finger towards Kagome's heart. "Perhaps you are a miko as well."

Kikyo touched above Kagome's heart. The air sizzled, and a pink light seemed to surround them. Kagome gasped at the tingling feeling in her chest.

Then she woke up.