A/N: Something short. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Alas, he belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Otherwise Miroku would be mine and he wouldn't wear such baggy robes. Swahahaha!

In His Dreams….

"Inuyasha! Why did you betray me?"

Inuyasha tossed fitfully in his sleep. Silver hair askew and red haori rumpled, his eyebrows were twisted in pain and confusion. Kagome watched the scene from afar. These nightmares seemed to be coming to him more and more frequently. But no matter how much Kagome would question him on what they were about, he would simply brush her off with a loud 'Feh!' and deny having any such thing.

Kagome sighed. It was only too obvious that the hanyou would see his night terrors as a sign of weakness. Of course he would deny them. She shook her head and frowned. Laying her head back down into her sleeping bag, she gazed thoughtfully as the hanyou let out a small whimper.

If only I knew what he was dreaming about, Kagome thought to herself. Maybe then I could find a way to help him.

She slowly let her eyes flutter close. Inhaling deeply, her frown deepened. If only she knew…

She suddenly felt a sharp surge of pain rip through her lower abdomen. It felt like she was being torn in two! Frantically, Kagome tried to open her eyes and panicked even more when she realized that she could not. She tried to scream but nothing came out. Tears swam down her face in terror as she continued to spiral down into a never-ending abyss. Darkness surrounded her as she fought to stay conscious from the grueling pain. What was happening to her!

As suddenly as it started, it stopped. A flash of white light lit up her entire vision and she found herself squinting through the intense brightness of it. Warily, she looked around. It appeared as though she were on a high mountaintop. Brown, scraggy rocks surrounded her and ahead she could see a flat plateau of some sort. Above her gray stormclouds swirled violently and the sky rumbled ominously. The air smelled heavy with the promise of rain.

Kagome stepped forward in this ethereal landscape. Where was she? And how did she get here? She felt a strange urgent need to reach the plateau before her. If only she could get there, all her questions would be answered. She was sure of it.

Scrambling forward, she picked a clean path through the tumbled landscape. Climbing around boulders and bracing herself against the chilled wind, she realized that she should've been colder and should've felt draftier in her short skirt. Glancing down, she noticed that she wasn't wearing her school uniform at all. It appeared that she was wearing the garbs of a priestess instead. Hands going quickly behind her head, she realized her hair to be pulled back into a low sort of ponytail. She frowned deeply. What on earth was going on?

Nevertheless, Kagome continued to trudge onward slowly. As she got nearer and nearer to the plateau it began to drizzle slightly before picking up into a raging downpour. Cold rain lashed against her pale skin and the water ran dripping down her forehead and chin. Kagome felt like crying. Why was she being forced to go through this? As her salty tears mixed with the pouring rain sliding down her cheeks, she finally stumbled onto flat ground. She slumped down exhausted from her trek and shook silently as the wind ravaged her tiny body.

Why? Kagome cried. Why am I here? What did I do to deserve this?

A sharp pain tore through her right shoulder and she cried out into the night. Warm blood spilled down her shoulder blade and she could feel it trickling down her arm. She cried harder. The pain was excruciating.

"Why?" she heard herself whisper aloud. Slumped on the ground a new object caught her attention. A long bow and a quiver of arrows. If only she could reach them. She grimaced as her damaged arm reached out to grab the weapons.

"Why?" she cried louder, the sound of her own voice surprising her. It seemed harsh, cold, and oddly distant. Standing up quickly she whipped around, arrow stretched taut across the bowstring.

At the edge of the plateau a red and silver figure stood silently, his clothes billowing in the wind. Her attacker. As he stepped closer into view her eyes widened in shock. She screamed indignantly and shouted, "Why did you betray me, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha stood silently, a look of broken hurt and confusion etched across his face. He staggered a few steps forward, his right arm outstretched weakly as if to grasp her. "K-Kikyo."

Kagome took a nervous step back. Her eyebrows furrowed. He thought that she was…Kikyo! Glancing down into a puddle of rainwater she drew in a sharp intake of breath. Gazing back at her from eyes made of fire and ice was the image of the dead priestess. How?—she didn't even have time to properly think before she felt her head turn and her eyes focus on the hanyou before her.

"How could you do this to me, Inuyasha!" she felt Kikyo's cruel voice tear through her throat.

Inuyasha's face crumpled. He appeared speechless for a moment and he cast his eyes downward. "I didn't do it, Kikyo," he whispered so silently that she could've sworn she imagined it. "You should know I didn't."

"I don't believe you!" Kagome sneered, arguing against her will. She was so confused. Why was she in Kikyo's body?

"Kikyo, stop for a moment and just listen to me!" Inuyasha pleaded. Kagome felt her hands slowly relax as she removed the arrow from her bow. Glowering, she stared at Inuyasha expectantly.

Suddenly, he raced forward and before she had any time to think about what was going on he embraced her tightly. She struggled silently for a moment before standing awkwardly with her hands at her sides. Inuyasha shook slightly and she realized he was crying.

"Kikyo," he whispered. Kagome's eyes twisted in pain at the sound of the name. "You have to believe me when I said it wasn't me." Inuyasha poured his heart out to her—Kikyo—and told her everything about Naraku. He recounted how Naraku was once Onigumo, the bandit. It was he who pitted each against the other. It was all in Naraku's diabolical scheme to get the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls.

Throughout this ordeal, Kagome had been closing her eyes tightly, crying silent tears. In this one moment she realized, Inuyasha would never embrace her like this if she had been Kagome the schoolgirl. Or Kagome the shard detector. He would never pine for her the way he pined for Kikyo. He was only doing this now because he thought that she was Kikyo.

But I'm not! Kagome wept. I will never be another Kikyo…no matter how much I look like her.

As she opened her eyes she suddenly realized that she was standing near a boat dock. She could no longer feel Inuyasha's embrace. It confused her. She looked up to see Inuyasha holding out a hand to help her climb out from the canoe that she was standing in.

Kagome felt herself smile as she took the proffered hand. Her foot caught something and she tumbled rather gracelessly into Inuyasha's arm. "Forgive me, Kikyo? Forget the past and Naraku?" Inuyasha whispered into her ear.

Kagome felt Kikyo's voice answer as though it were an immeasurable distance away. "I forgive you, Inuyasha. I know you would never betray me."

Kagome felt a hand lift her chin so that she was looking into golden-amber eyes. Her breath caught and she felt a blush begin to creep through her cheeks. Her eyes looked up wistfully as she felt his breath against her face. She knew what was going to happen next. She wished it wouldn't. Somehow this was far worse than ever spying Inuyasha and Kikyo's meetings from afar. Oh, yes, she knew exactly what was going to happen. And she absolutely dreaded it.

Inuyasha kissed her.

Despite herself, she let her eyelids flutter close. His kiss was so loving and tender. She clung onto him tightly as her knees began to give way. He took his time, slowly exploring her mouth, moving his lips gently against hers. She held onto him furiously, never wanting this moment to end. It was like a fairytale. It was almost like a dream.

Kagome's eyes flew open as Inuyasha continued to kiss her. That's it! It was all a dream! Kagome willed herself to wake up, but found herself unable to. Then, the strangest thought occurred to her. What if this wasn't her dream? What if—she focused on the hanyou who was currently attempting to make her mind go blissfully blank—what if it was his dream that she had somehow stumbled into?

But how could that be possible? she chided herself mentally. How could she enter into his dreams?

But why else did you take the form of Kikyo? that nasty little inner voice responded back smartly.

Kagome was at a loss for words. What if that voice was right? What if she really was just a pawn in one of Inuyasha's dreams?

But that would mean…

She didn't want to think about it. She couldn't. She closed her eyes tightly and kissed him desperately.

Inuyasha pulled back from her, eyes glazed over with pure happiness. "Kikyo," he smiled. Kagome felt a sharp pain shoot through her heart as he slowly brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

Please don't say, please don't say it! Kagome pleaded inwardly as she felt Kikyo's face smile and look up dreamily. Inuyasha grinned wider revealing his tiny fangs.

"I love you."

His declaration left Kagome screaming on the inside as Kikyo's body tingled in ecstasy. She felt herself smile wider as her arms—against her will—threw themselves around Inuyasha's neck and she began to kiss him again, fuller and deeper.

Kagome was in a mental daze by the time she felt Kikyo's body pull back from the strong arms of the half-demon. Her mind was in a state of shock. This can't be happening. I can't be hearing this! "Inuyasha, I will always love you! Promise you will stay with me forever?"

Inuyasha smiled and Kagome felt her soul break into pieces. "I promise, Kikyo. I will always be yours."

In that single moment, Kagome felt a part of herself die as an unbearable realization finally hit. She would never, ever have Inuyasha. It just wouldn't happen. She sobbed violently on the inside as a terrible pain shot through her heart. She valiantly tried to fight back her tears as a lonely void threatened to consume her. She knew only one person could fill that hole, but he never would. She would remain an empty shell forever.

Kagome cried out as she understood that Inuyasha would never be with her. He had already promised himself to a woman that had died over fifty years ago. Kagome envied Kikyo with every ounce of her being. That woman had stolen Inuyasha from her before she was even given a chance! As the scene slowly darkened Kagome cried even harder, knowing that his heart had been claimed from the start.

OWARI

A/N: Thank you for reading. Remember! Kagome is an undeveloped miko. I merely used that idea so I could play around with a newfound ability of entering Inuyasha's dream. So don't hurt me:cringes in corner:

Mini-dictionary
Hanyou- half demon
Miko- priestess