A/N: Here is the next chapter of this one! Hope you all like it! Please review and let me know what you think.
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Dream of Me
Chapter Eleven
"Inuyasha…thank you so much for everything that you've done for me over the past few days…" Kagome whispered. "I've gotten myself into a lot of trouble lately, haven't I? But you have helped me through all of it…" she smiled, wrapping him in a hug.
Kagome reached up and began to massage one of his ears. From somewhere deep within his throat came a contented growl. He reached for her hand.
"If Sesshoumaru had not agreed to help you, I would have lost you yesterday, Kagome." He told her, enveloping her hands in his own.
Kagome nodded. "I know, Inuyasha. We can both thank him the next time we see him…" she promised him. "That's twice now that he's helped us out in a very short period of time…"
"Yeah, it is…" agreed Inuyasha, grinning at Kagome and moving the hair from her face. He heard something make a small clink noise, and thought it was the jewel shards which hung around Kagome's neck.
Smiling, Kagome reached down and pulled out the silver locket that Inuyasha had given her while she had been in the hospital.
He stared at it. "You're still wearing that?" he whispered.
She nodded. "I always keep it on, Inuyasha, because you gave it to me. I keep it right there, close to my heart…" she pointed.
"Ahem…" It was Miroku. He was looking up at the pair from the ground. They were perched in a tree, and there was no doubt in Inuyasha's mind that there were some very lecherous thoughts swimming around in the not-so-holy monk's head. "Are you two coming down sometime before next century, or should we all just eat without you?"
Inuyasha instantly looked as if he was going to beat the monk to death. He did his best "Keh," before picking up Kagome and jumping to the ground.
"Don't even think about saying a word, monk." He warned.
"My lips are sealed, Inuyasha…" he smiled.
"They had better be," he warned, shooting a death glare towards the monk as he followed Kagome inside the hut.
After a heaping healthy bowl of ramen, Kagome leaned up against the wall of the hut and began to yawn, the sleeplessness of the last couple days instantly evident in her dark brown eyes. Inuyasha studied her with concern etched in his features.
"Are you all right, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked.
Kagome would have replied, had not everyone in the room replied for her.
"She's probably just tired." Sango and Miroku piped in.
"She needs her rest." Shippo frowned. "She's been through a lot."
"I'll be fine," Kagome told him, eyeballing everyone in the group. "I'll just get a little bit of sleep and then we can start looking for Naraku again tomorrow morning if you want."
Inuyasha sighed and nodded. "All right."
Kagome nodded, closing her eyes and almost instantly falling into a deep, dream-filled sleep. Dreams? No…these were nightmares. Kagome was perfectly still as she slept. More than once, she had tried to cry out…hoped to wake up…but it didn't happen.
"Inuyasha…where is everyone?" she called out, but there was no answer. She shivered. She was all alone, and surrounded by blackness.
All of a sudden, the blackness began to fade away, and Kagome found herself standing in front of the sacred tree…the place where she had first met Inuyasha what seemed like forever ago. It had, in reality, barely been three years. She sighed with relief. When she was near the sacred tree, she always felt safe and at peace.
"Inuyasha, I wish you were here…" Kagome called out. "I don't like being out here by myself." She admitted to no one.
"Kagome?" She wheeled around when she heard Inuyasha call out her name. He was standing only a couple steps away, smiling one of his rare smiles at her.
She smiled back and took several steps forward until she was standing right in front of him. "I'm glad you're here with me…even if this is all a dream." She sighed.
He put a finger up to her lips and she quieted instantly.
"It's all right, Kagome. Everything is going to be fine." He promised.
"Inuyasha…" she whispered.
He did not reply, but instead walked over and sat at the base of the sacred tree. He pat on the ground next to him, and Kagome hesitantly joined him.
"Inuyasha…" she repeated.
"Shh, Kagome…" he whispered. He leaned in slowly and kissed her softly on the lips.
When he pulled back, Kagome tried for a third time. "Inuyasha, I…" Suddenly she felt something warm pooling around her knees. She looked down, and nearly screamed.
Collecting in a pool around her knees was her own blood. She looked at the dark red liquid in disbelief. Then she heard Inuyasha start laughing. She gasped. She felt her breathing slow. It was getting harder and harder to get air in her lungs. Inuyasha continued to laugh.
"Inu…yasha…" Kagome choked.
This time when she looked down, she saw the cause of her sudden pain…the cause of all that blood. Inuyasha's sword was sticking through her stomach. Inuyasha reached over, roughly jerking the sword from her middle, and staring at the blade. It was soaked in Kagome's blood. She blinked several times as her breathing became harder and harder.
"Why…?" she managed before she fell fully to the ground.
Inuyasha was talking to Miroku about the jewel of four souls when he noticed it. He sniffed the air, and turned to look at Kagome.
"What's wrong?" asked Miroku, concern in his eyes.
"Kagome is in distress. I can smell it…" he whispered.
The two friends carefully stood and walked over to Kagome, who was still apparently sleeping. Inuyasha cocked his head sideways in confusion. "What's wrong, Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered.
"Inuyasha!" Miroku screamed.
Inuyasha, however, had already realized it. Kagome was suddenly bleeding. A lot. Inuyasha yelped. The smell was so strong that it was almost sickening to him. He pulled the covers back off of her body, and nearly screamed.
"Oh, my god! Kagome!" he yelled. There was a large stab wound in Kagome's stomach, and Kagome was already lying in a pool of her own blood.
"How did this happen, Inuyasha?" demanded Miroku.
"Do you think I know?" Inuyasha finally screamed. "Kaede!" He hollered. "Kaede, please! Come quick! Kagome is going to bleed to death!"
Kaede ran in as quickly as her legs would carry her and dropped to her knees beside Kagome. "What happened, Inuyasha?" she asked.
"I don't know!" Inuyasha repeated.
Kaede took a deep breath. "Inuyasha, run as fast as your legs can carry you to the sacred tree. Run, and get me the herbs that you find there. Get all of them quickly, and get some cold water from the stream, and then hurry back to me. Quickly!" she commanded.
Inuyasha nodded and ran from the room and into the woods.
"You're dying, Kagome. And there is nothing anyone can do about it. You're bleeding to death…" Kagome could hear Naraku's voice taunting her as she slowly grew weaker and weaker.
"It's…not real…" Kagome whispered. "An…illusion…"
"Really?" Naraku's voice smirked. "Where do you think all that pain is coming from, Kagome? This is all very real, indeed. You're slipping away. You'll be gone soon. Nothing but a memory…"
"No…" Kagome gasped.
Naraku smiled. Finally, she could actually see him. "I'm going to speed up the process for you…" he chuckled. Kagome caught sight of another sword. It seemed to be nothing but a plain katana.
"No…" Kagome repeated.
Naraku laughed, and plunged the sword downward into Kagome's already open wound in her stomach. She gasped and screamed in pain.
"Ah!" Kagome's body shot up as she screamed in pain, and her head fell back and hit the pillow.
Inuyasha jumped. "Kagome!"
Kagome was awake now. She couldn't move her body, and she was in intense pain. "Naraku…" she managed to choke out.
"What?" asked Miroku and Sango in unison.
"Naraku…" Kagome repeated, nearly choking on the word. Her voice grew softer, and she took a deep, haggard breath.
"Calm down, Kagome, please. It'll be okay, I promise…" Inuyasha whispered.
"Inuyasha…" Kagome cried. "It…it hurts…so much…" she managed.
Kaede took a step back, shaking her head from side to side violently. Her eyes were cast down towards the ground. She sighed and turned away.
"Kaede…is she going to be okay?" Inuyasha demanded, noticing the look in the old woman's eyes. "Is Kagome going to be all right?"
The old woman looked very sad.
"Kaede…" Sango whispered.
"Sango," Kaede frowned, "go get the kit."
"But…why?" Sango whispered.
Kaede took a deep breath. "Go get the kit, and take him to see Kagome." She ordered.
"What do you mean?" growled Inuyasha. "What are you talking about, old woman? Is Kagome going to be all right, or not?" he yelled.
Kaede's shoulders slumped slightly. "Inuyasha, I am so sorry. There is nothing more that I can do to help her…" she admitted. "I've done all I could. I'm sorry…" she repeated.
Inuyasha's eyes widened in horror. "What?" he gasped. "I've had worse injuries! I…" he stopped. He was a hanyou. Of course he would be able to survive such an injury. Kagome, on the other hand, was a mere human.
"I'm sorry…" came Kaede's voice, although this time it sounded far off.
Inuyasha said nothing, but instead stomped from the old woman's hut without so much as a word about where he was going. Miroku stared after him, but dared not say a word. Seconds later, Sango came into the room carrying a very upset Shippo on her shoulder.
Inuyasha stared into the bone-eater's well. Kagome was going to die. She was going to die, and he didn't even know how it had happened. He had to bring her family into the feudal era. They had to know. They had to see her. And meanwhile…he had to figure out a way to save her. He had to save Kagome. His Kagome.
He jumped into the well after a few more minutes of thought, and found himself in Kagome's era in a few seconds. He could hear no one outside.
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Kagome's mother was standing in the kitchen over a pan filled with beef and vegetables. When she saw Inuyasha, she stopped what she was doing.
"Inuyasha!" she smiled. "It's so nice to see you!" But her mother stopped short. Inuyasha was once again standing in her kitchen without her daughter. "Inuyasha…what is wrong…?"
Mrs. Higurashi's eyes widened when Inuyasha gave his response. He did not say a word, but she caught sight of a single tear making its way down the hanyou's cheek. She took a deep breath, nearly collapsing into a nearby chair.
"Mrs. Higurashi, please get Souta and Kagome's grandfather. You guys need to come back with me…" Inuyasha whispered.
Kagome's mother could only nod, and quickly left the kitchen.
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When Inuyasha returned, Kagome's face looked pale, and felt cold to the touch. She was still breathing, although Inuyasha could barely hear it, and her heart beat was just as faint. He looked to Kaede, who was still shaking her head, and was beginning to look sick herself.
Finally, the old woman got up and excused herself. Inuyasha followed her, and Kagome's family began to spend some time with her.
"Are you all right, old woman?" Inuyasha demanded, his voice distant.
She shook her head. "I will be fine. I just wish more could be done for Kagome…" she admitted.
Inuyasha looked up. Standing in front of him was his brother Sesshoumaru, Sesshoumaru's servant, and the little girl Rin. He had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hadn't even sensed them coming at all.
"What do you want, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha demanded.
"In trouble again, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru smirked.
Inuyasha growled. "Shut the hell up, Sesshoumaru!" he yelled.
"Inuyasha…I know what happened to Kagome." He revealed. "The same thing happened to Kagura…and the tenseiga will not save her."
"The tenseiga won't…" Inuyasha stopped. "Kagura died?"
Sesshoumaru nodded. "The tenseiga won't bring them back."
"I was hoping you wouldn't say that," Inuyasha whispered.
"It was Naraku, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru frowned. "This was his doing. I am not quite sure how yet, but he did it, and he did it without even so much as getting near Kagome or Kagura…" Sesshoumaru paused. "He is somehow mortally wounding them while they sleep…in their dreams…"
Inuyasha blinked. "What do I do?"
Sesshoumaru frowned. "The only way the girl would survive was if she was a hanyou or a demon. Even Kagura died of her injuries. No human could survive…"
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A/N: Cliffy? Sorry guys! Had to do it! Please review and let me know what you think!
