Chapter 3: a nightmare

MEGAN'S POV

The next morning I woke up alone. I had groped around the bed, looking for Sesshomaru, but all I had found was silk linen.

"Sesshomaru?" I called out groggily.

When I got no answer I got out of bed and put on a white kimono with red sleeves.

When I walked out onto the balcony that was attached to our room, I was shocked to see that the moon was still high in the sky. I could have sworn that it was morning.

I wonder where Sesshomaru could be this late at night.

Suddenly I noticed the same strange purple cloud floating quickly toward the castle.

Naraku…

I turned around and ran into the hallway, calling out to Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru!" I yelled, "It's Naraku! Sesshomaru, where are you!"

Suddenly a dark shadow crossed in front of me. I stopped dead and watched it as it raced towards me.

Just as I turned to run it swirled around me before appearing in front. I watched in horror as the shadow turned into Naraku himself.

"Naraku…" I whispered.

His red eyes locked onto my green ones.

Oh god…this is so not happening.

Where is Sesshomaru?

Suddenly Naraku's hand shot out and wrapped around my upper arm. I screamed as he pulled my face close to his.

"I will come for you later my dear…" he hissed.

What the hell was he talking about.

Suddenly I sat up straight in bed, my hand grasping my chest. I breathed in deeply and wiped a drop of cold sweat from my brow.

It was a dream…

Looking to my side I saw Sesshomaru's form leaning over me.

"Megan? Megan are you with me?" he said softly.

I nodded shakily, "I had a bad dream that's all."

Sesshomaru looked at me with his molten gold eyes. It was almost as though he was trying to figure out what I was thinking.

"You were calling out to me," he said, " and…you said his name. You sounded afraid. Do you want to tell me what happened in your dream?"

I tried to stop my hands from shaking, "I woke up and you weren't there. I thought it was morning, but the moon was out and it was still dark. I saw Naraku coming so I went to look for you but you weren't there. He found me…he said that he would come for me later. It scared me."

Sesshomaru ran a finger down my cheek, and when he pulled away I noticed that I was crying. He pulled me into his lap and softly kissed away my tears.

"I can still feel his grip on my arm," I sobbed.

Why am I acting so stupid? It was just a dream…

But then why did it feel so real?

Sesshomaru rubbed my back softly. He went to my arm and slowly pushed up the cloth of my kimono. When he reached my shoulder he stopped and I could feel a deep growl grow in his chest.

I looked down at my shoulder and gasped.

On my shoulder were five oval like bruises where Naraku had grabbed me in my dream.

Sesshomaru placed his fingers on each bruise.

"What does this mean?" I whispered.

Sesshomaru pulled me back into his chest and stroked my hair.

"You must have done it in your sleep, " he whispered softly in my ear, "but don't worry. I will protect you no matter what."

SESSHOMARU'S POV

I sat in the garden, pondering the events if the night before.

I had woken up when I heard her calling out my name. When I looked at her she was asleep, but she was thrashing around with a panicked expression on her face.

I had tried to wake her, but she merely continued to grasp to the bed sheets as if a lifeline.

"Naraku…" she whispered in horror.

My heart had twisted in my chest. She was trapped in a nightmare and I couldn't help her…

Suddenly her eyes shot open and she started to cry. I hated seeing her cry.

When I had seen the bruises on her arm, I didn't know what to think.

It had been just a dream… hadn't it?

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

I looked at my side to see Rin looking up at me with her big brown eyes.

"Yes Rin?" I asked.

"Master Jaken wished for me to tell you that lunch is ready."

"Very well Rin. Where is Megan?" I asked.

"She is bathing in the hot springs. She said she will join us in a few minutes, " Rin said.

She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the dining hall.

Megan entered the room a while later. Her hair was still damp and it curled around her delicate face. She was wearing a forest green kimono that brought out her already bright green eyes. She looked stunning.

"How are you?" I grasped her hand from across the table.

She looked at me and smiled, "I'm ok thanks. It was just a dream, nothing to worry about."

Although she sounded sure of herself her eyes shone with uncertainty.

MEGAN'S POV

The shower had calmed me down a bit I guess, although I made sure that I stayed away from the shadows.

After lunch I went back to our room at went into my backpack that have traveled with me to the past. In it I still had duck tape, my mp3 player and a few spare changes of clothes. Taking out the mp3 I checked the battery, it was only half full. Shrugging my shoulder I lay on the bed and turned on 'unwritten' by Natasha Bedingfield.

I closed my eyes and hummed along to the tune. I didn't hear the door open. Or the sound of footsteps walking towards me.

Suddenly two strong arms wrapped around me and I went ridged.

Before I could scream the figure turned me around and placed a kiss on my lips.

I relaxed.

It was just Sesshomaru.

I returned the kiss and then pulled away, "You scared me."

He lay beside me and pulled me into his embrace, "I apologize, I didn't mean to startle you."

I nodded and smiled, resting my head on his chest, letting him run his fingers through my hair. He twisted his finger around a curl, released it, and let it bounce back into place.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"I am now," I said.

We lay there for a while, just holding each other. After a while I looked up at Sesshomaru to see that he had fallen asleep.

I smiled, kissed him lightly and then carefully got out of bed without waking him.

I decided to go to the garden for a while and practice archery.

When I got there I noticed Rin was already at the archery range, trying to pull back a bow.

"Hello Rin," I smiled, "What are you doing?"

She looked up at me and frowned, "Rin wants to learn how to do archery like you. But Rin cannot pull back the bow. I am not strong enough."

I smiled and took the bow from her.

"It's probably because it is a 90 pound bow Rin. Even I have trouble pulling it back."

I went over to where the other bows were kept, and I found a smaller bow that was only 15 pounds.

"Here," I said, handing it to her, "Try this one."

She pulled it back easily and smiled, "Rin likes this one!"

I laughed and picked up a 45 pound bow, "Ok Rin, show me what you can do."

Her face became very serious as she placed the arrow in the bow and took aim. When she released it, the arrow went about two feet and then fell to the ground. She looked up at me with a big frown and tears in her eyes. I kneeled in front of her and hugged her.

"Don't worry Rin, I show you."

I told her to put another arrow in the bow.

"Ok now Rin, I need you to relax completely," I said softly, "do not grip the bow, but let it rest in your palm. Now, instead of holding onto the arrow, place your pointer finger above it on the string and your other two fingers below the arrow on the string."

She did as she was told.

I thought for a moment. The bows weren't like the ones back in my time. They didn't have an arrow knock or anything else, so the arrow started to fall when Rin placed her fingers on the string.

"Ok Rin, I want you to place the end of the arrow between your first two fingers, but not with the finger tips."

She did as she was told, and when I looked again it seemed like she was ready.

"Ok, now when you release it, don't move until the arrow hits the target ok?"

She nodded and pulled back the bow.

"Bring your pointer finger to the corner of your mouth and let the string rest on your nose," I instructed.

She did as she was told and then released it. It flew across the lawn and hit the target in the top right corner.

Rin turned and smiled up at me brightly, "Was that good?"

I hugged her, "That was very good Rin. Keep practicing."

Rin kept on shooting arrow after arrow. When I decided that she was ok, I picked up my own bow and began to practice.

Suddenly Rin let out a little cry and sunk to the ground, holding her arm. I knelt beside her.

"What happened Rin?"

"The string bit my arm!" she cried.

I smiled and looked at her arm. There was a long purple and blue bruise on the inside of her arm from where the string had hit her.

"Its ok Rin, it didn't bite you," I said, "just make sure that you keep your elbow tucked in so that that doesn't happen again."

She nodded, but seemed reluctant to pick up the bow again.

I went back over to the bows and found a piece of leather and some string. Going back to Rin I held her arm and wrapped the leather around the bruised area and then secured it with the string.

"What will that do?" she asked.

"If the string hits your arm again, then it will hit the leather so you won't get hurt," I said.

After another hour or two of practicing Rin yawned and put her bow back.

"Rin is tired," she said, "Will you tell me a story before bed?"

I smiled and nodded, "What story would you like to hear?"

Rin smiled and held out her arms so I would carry her, "I want to hear the one about the girl from the future. She reminds me of you!"

I smiled, all knowing, and picked her up.

SESSHOMARU'S POV

I woke up to see that Megan was gone. Walking onto the balcony I saw her and Rin practicing archery.

I decided to let them be for now.

I went to the hot springs and took a quick bath before bed. The hot water against my skin was refreshing and I stayed in longer the I should have.

When I went back into the room I noticed that Megan was already getting ready for bed.

"Did you put Rin to bed?" I asked.

"Yes," she nodded, "She wanted to hear the story of the girl from the future again."

"You should be careful," I said, "she is smarter then she looks. She may figure out that it is your story someday."

She shrugged and got into bed, "It doesn't matter. I promised myself that I would tell her when she gets older anyway."

Taking off my kimono and climbing into bed beside her, I kissed her cheek.

"If that is what you want," I whispered.

"Goodnight Sesshomaru," she yawned.