A/N: All Inuyasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi!

The Long Awaited Adventure

by Ivaliny

Chapter 6

"When Nightmares Come True"

"Help me!" came a blood curdling scream from inside the forest.

Slithering, hissing, gnashing, effortlessly intertwining their large bodies through the forest following the scream, their claws reached forward.

"Get down!" yelled a commanding voice from above.

She screamed again,"Help me!" and dove down to the ground. Looking behind her she saw fierce golden eyes coming closer.

Rin woke up gasping for air, sweat dripping off her body as a cold chill swept over her. Looking around the quiet campsite, she realized it was only a terrible dream. She let out a sigh of relief and rubbed her eyes, then began to sooth her pounding temples. Her dream seemed so real. So real, she thought she could feel and smell the monsters' breath on her neck. So real, the golden eyes seems comforting and familiar.

Around her, her friends were peacefully sleeping in the early morning cool air. Inuyasha's fuzzy ears were twitching, and Miroku was cuddling his blanket with a smile, both lost in the dream world around their weakening campfire. She smiled at the two, slipping out from underneath her own blanket to stretch her legs noticing Sesshoumaru still hadn't returned. Quietly, she stumbled her way towards the stream's edge, knelt down, cupping her hands in the refreshingly cool water, and splashed it onto her face. The water felt good on her sweaty skin, heart still racing from the nightmare. She let out a dramatic sigh, shaking the water off her hand as she stood up.

"Rin," a voice from the forest stated enthusiastically.

She jumped, noticing a large dragon shaped shadow,"Freddy?"

She shadow chuckled,"I was surprised to see you at such a late hour."

He shoulders slumped,"I couldn't sleep."

"Why not? Don't you humans always need your beauty sleep?"

Rin blushed,"I had a nightmare."

"Oh,"he nodded with understanding,"do you mind telling me what it was about?" She walked towards him, and sat down, leaning against his strong, massive dragon body.

"It was scary! I was being chased by two snake like monsters that could fly. They were super fast and so real! They made hissing noises in the back of their throats, and they smelled like burning sulfur."

"'Breathers?" he interrupted thoughtfully. " They're the fastest dragons that can travel from the north to the south in just a few days. They're equipped with the ability to breathe fire." Frednicio snorted,"Some dragons get everything, but not me, no, I get diddly squat." Rin smiled and placed a hand on his arm comfortingly.

"It's not like I'd want to be a 'breather though, because all of them work for Warrik." Rin swallowed back the lump in her throat caused by the mentioning of his name.

"Do you think my dream could come true? I've always heard that some do. Do you think this is on of them?" She asked, a little frightened by what answer he could tell her.

She felt his shoulders shrug,"Who knows. I know you're gifted with many talents," Rin frowned,"but I do not know if foretelling the future through dreams is something that you can do. You'd have to ask Miroku about that." She let out a heavy sigh, worried about Warrik and his 'breathers. So many people were counting on her to defeat him, and she felt hopeless. She hadn't even mastered the stick properly, and yet time seemed to be dwindling away in front of her. She now knew and understood, though, that fighting Warrik was her destiny. Why else would she have been magically zapped into a painting? Because of this, she knew she had to succeed, and not worry about what lay in the future. But it was hard.

"Do not worry, little Rin, you will be protected no matter what happens. Inuyasha and Miroku wont let anything bad happen to you, and neither will I." He gave out a comforting purr from the back of his throat and a friendly smile. She returned it with a hug for his kind, and comforting words.

"Thanks, Freddy."

He let out a growl filled with content, which hummed through her body. "You should get some rest, little one. You may have to make up for the lost time tomorrow. Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't seem like a very patient demon."

She nodded and headed back towards the camp, watching as her dragon friend leapt into the sky, soaring higher and higher above the trees for a midnight stroll. She loved watching him fly with his massive wings sprawled, soaring on the crisp night air. Watching him until he was out of view, she began her stroll back, walking along the streams edge, deep in thought, but suddenly bumped into something warm and hard. She looked at what it could be and was faced, nosed pressed, against someone's armor. Raising her head, narrowed golden eyes that shimmered from the reflection of the crescent moon in the stream, glared down upon her.

"What are you doing?" He asked, making her jump, but returned the question with a glare as she rested her hands on her hips defensively.

"Do you make it a habit of trying to scare me?"

Sesshoumaru didn't answer, instead he ignored her and stared with interest at the stream. For the first time since she had met him, he wasn't so tense, and her first reaction wasn't to get mad and yell at him. Maybe it was the moonlight, but something about him seemed different. He still had his arrogant aura engulfing everything around him, and his expression still held a bored and uncaring edge, but there was something underneath that she hadn't noticed before.

Frowning, she tried to figure out what it was that she hadn't noticed before, but hadn't realized she was staring at him like an idiot.

"Is there a reason why you're staring at me like a dumbfounded, idiotic child?" he asked.

She blushed. "I had a nightmare, " she stated, and he cocked his head to the side. "Oh, that was for your earlier question," she stuttered, and for some reason unknown to her, he cheeks began to glow an even brighter red, but still, she couldn't take her eyes away from him. His hair glimmered in the soft moonlight; silver locks swishing in the light breeze. Though she thought she could stare at him for hours, because everything about him right then just seemed to fascinate her, her body betrayed her when she let out a loud yawn, making her eyes water. She blinked back the tears, smacking her lips, swallowing back the remnants of the yawn.

He stood beside her, straight and stiff, watching her. The look he gave her wasn't cold or soft, but he did seem somewhat interested, but it quickly vanished, replaced by an emotionless stare.

"Go to sleep," he ordered unenthusiastically. "I don't want to fall even more behind because of your tiredness."

She yawned again, realizing just then how tired she was. Too tired to say something smart assy, she nodded and made her way again back to the campsite. Already hearing Miroku's thunderous snoring, she smiled, and looked behind her.

"Goodnight, Sesshoumaru."

He didn't move nor acknowledge her wish, but she knew he heard her, which was all that mattered. Maybe she had judged him wrong and too soon. Maybe there was something inside him that he didn't want her to discover. Maybe he really did hate her, but whatever the case, the small, slight difference that she saw in him that night made her realize there is something more to the powerful, arrogant, and snobbish demon lord of the West, than what she had first noticed. She had a sudden urge to know him more, to figure out what was truly underneath his mysterious masquerade.

Alright, I'm going to give him another chance. There's more to that demon, and I want to know what it is. How bad could he really be? Maybe he's acting rude because Inuyasha is traveling with us. She nodded her head in agreement. I'm going to try and get him alone tomorrow. She nodded again, reassuring herself while snuggling up under the blanket. Yep, that's exactly what I'll do!

Over the past few days, trying to find a time to talk to Sesshoumaru became impossible. First, Miroku swamped her with new spells, which she learned quickly, surprising her teacher of her potential. Second, Sesshoumaru was being just as impossibly bossy, controling, and boring as ever, possibly even more. She was finding it very hard to remember to give him a second chance. He was so impossible. Finally, the third reason was every time Sesshoumaru wasn't being his insufferable self, he and Inuyasha would bicker over stupid things, just like ordinary siblings. It was starting to get on her nerves.

"You don't have to be a jerk about everything!"yelled Inuyasha.

"I'm not a jerk, you're just incompetent." Rin sighed, ignoring her studies.

"Just because I'm not a full demon doesn't make me incompetent!"

"I'll always be better than you,"Sesshoumaru stated with a bored sigh.

Inuyasha balled his fists, ready to fight. "Yeah, right!" he yelled sarcastically. Sesshoumaru ignored him and kept his fast pace, nose high in the air.

"Rin, why aren't you practicing? We don't have that much time," Miroku reminded her about the yelling.

She was starting to get a headache.

Inuyasha stopped walking and pointed angrily at his brother. "Stop yer walkin' and fight me, you coward!" Sesshoumaru just kept walking,"I'm not going to stoop to your level."

For some reason or another, everyone's nerves were running on empty. Miroku would get impatient with Rin if she stopped practicing; Rin was tired of all the bickering: and to make it worse, the two brothers seemed to be extra aggitated, making the journey even more unbearable. The lack of sleep caused by her reoccuring nightmare added to the extra weight of exhaustion she felt already on her body. She had meant to ask Miroku about her dream, but considering his mood as of late, she decided anytime wouldn't be the right time.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru stopped in the middle of the pathway, which Inuyasha took as an invitation to fight, charging towards the taller demon, who in return whacked Inuyasha across the chest, sending him flying.

"Be still," the demon ordered.

Miroku gasped,"I sense something dark coming!" Rin could feel the presence as well, which made her heart beat faster, anxious for what was to come.

Inuyasha drew his sword,"Let them come!"

Miroku touched Rin's arm protectively,"It's not a demon,it's something else."

"Dragons," Sesshoumaru said, eyes narrowed towards the sky.

"Whatever,"Inuyasha growled,"Dragons, demons; whatever, let 'em come!"

Miroku turned towards Sesshoumaru,"They're coming up fast from the south."

Inuyasha sniffed the air,"I smell something burnt, like really bad eggs."

Sesshoumaru said nothing, did nothing. He just stood there in front of the staring up at the sky, while Inuyasha grew more anxious, breathing and growling heavily in his chest. They all stared up in the direction of the demon lord, and saw a dark speck in the distant sky zoom down towards them. The closer the speck came, they realized it was only Frednicio flying down towards them way too fast, but soon more tiny specks followed him.

"Run!" roared Frenicio, loudly from above, but Rin couldn't, she was frozen in fear and curiousity. "Run!"

Miroku watched in horror as the specks following Frednicio turned into what looked like slithering snakes in the sky, pursuing the tailless dragon with lightening fast speed. Inuyasha tensed up on his sword, already smelling the blood he was going to shed.

"Run you, idiot!" he yelled towards Miroku."Get out of here! I'll get these beasts!"

Miroku pushed Rin forward as she began to run. He was following closely behind as she heard his determined breaths of air quicken. She looked behind her to see Frednicio so close to the tops of the trees now, breaking off branches as his feet brushed against them, still being quickly pursued by the slithering monsters. The dragons split up as one stayed behind Frednicio, gaining speed.

"Run, Rin!" Miroku yelled behind her,"Just run!" So she did. She ran as fast as she could.

Sesshoumaru leapt high into the sky, so high he was out of view. Inuyasha growled at his brother, and soon Rin heard behind her the clash and clank of Inuyasha's sword echoing through the forest floor. She could feel Frednicio's wings behind her and Miroku as she ran. She wanted to look behind her, but a low rumbling hiss stopped her curiosity as the crackle of a burning fire and the smell of burning flesh swept across their nostrils. Frednicio let out a load roar, tumbling head first into the ground. The impact of the fall behind them sent wind and dirt flying onto their skin, sending tiny stabs of pain around them. She couldn't stand it. She had to look.

Frednicio was on fire, gnashing and clawing at the large, flying serpent above him. There was blood and roars poor from his body. The serpent dragon was gnashing away at the friendly giant. A look of complete horror crossed her face, and she looked back behind her, stumbling along the forest floor.

"Miroku,"she yelled desperately,"help Frednicio!"

He shook his head,"No, I need to protect you!"

She was almost in tears, in tears from running so hard, in tears from the smoke around her, and in tears for her scaley friend. "No!" she cried,"I'll keep running, but you help Freddy! He needs you!"

Reluctantly he slowed down and made a u-turn towards the fighting dragons. She ran as hard as she could, stumbling over logs, unexpected digs, and leaves scattered across the ground. She didn't have time to think. She wanted to know what happened to Sesshoumaru. She wanted to know what happened to Inuyasha. She wanted to know what happend to Frednicio. She wanted to know what happened to the dragons. But her mind couldn't think such horrible thoughts. All she could think about was pushing her self harder and harder, running faster and faster. She could faintly hear Inuyasha's battle yells, Frednicio's roars of pain and fury, and Miroku's enchantments. She thought she was almost safe, but then a hissing behind her made the hair on the back of her neck to rise. One of the dragons was slithering effortlessly through the trees towards her.

She let out a blood curdling scream, her heart pounding in her head, and ran faster than she ever imagined, but the dragon was gaining on her, and she felt a sudden since of deja vu cloud her mind. The dragon was now only several feet behind her. She could feel it's hot breath upon her back; sulfur and burnt vegetation wafted across her nose, making her gag. This is it! I'm gonna be burned like a human hot dog!

"Help me!" she screamed out, now wishing she hadn't made Miroku help Frednicio. The dragon was closer, opening it's mouth. "Help me!" she screamed again. He stuck out it's slithery tongue, touching, tasting Rin on the back of her neck, forcing out something that resembled a hissing, maniacal laugh.

"Get down!" yelled a power and commanding voice behind her. Without thinking she obeyed, diving down to the ground quickly. A whip of green light barely missed her head as it sliced through the dragon's scales. The dragon seemed to have choked on something as it's body and head crumpled to the ground on top of her. She screamed again as the dragon's headless, convulsing body scratched at her skin, but it didn't last long, because somehow she was suddenly in someone's arm, leaping into the air, holding on tightly to an armored waist. She looked up to see piercing, fearless golden eyes.

"Se-Sesshoumaru?" she asked in shocked weakness before the world around her turned fuzzy and black.

A/N: Woo, now wasn't that an exciting chapter or what! I thought this definately was a fun chapter to write. I hope you all liked it! I'm so sorry that it took so long to type up chapter 6. I actually wasn't planning on procrastinating that long, but I got really wrapped up in my artwork, so I didn't work on my story. Sorry! I hope you all can forgive me by sending wonderful reviews and comments! I'll get started typing chapter 7, which I still haven't titled yet, as soon as possible!The next chapterwill begood! Thanks for reading so far! Please comment and review! I loveth to hear what you all have to say!