A TALE FROM THE PAST
by Kittymui
CHAPTER XV
: DREAM SEQUENCE :
Kagome was walking around in an endless dark space, dressed in a thin white kimono. Her chestnut eyes were scanning her surroundings, looking for something to focus on other than the creepy blackness.
'Where am I?' she thought with uneasiness filling her soul. 'What is this place?'
After walking some more, she suddenly found herself standing inside a familiar bedroom and she abruptly came to a halt. The place was softly illuminated by diffused sunlight and the paintings on the screens that partitioned the space brought back memories from the distant past.
Before she could figure out where she was, a voice from behind caught her by surprise.
"Kagome."
She turned to the voice and held a hand before her mouth in shock. "Sesshoumaru onii-sama!" she gasped.
"You have finally returned," said the tall dog demon before her. He was wearing his usual clothing and armor with his fluffy white tail draped over his right shoulder. The gold of his eyes made the crescent moon mark on his forehead stand out and there was a strange serenity radiating from his demonic features.
His silvery white hair slightly jolted sideward as he spread out his arms. "Come to me," he said with a calm voice, but it didn't sound like an order.
Without hesitation, Kagome started walking towards him. Slowly, she leaned onto his chest and waited for his arms to wrap around her body. "I-I missed you so much..." she whispered in his white haori. She knew this room. It was her bedroom back at the fortress and it felt good to be back again.
The demon placed his arms around her and hugged her back. "I missed you too...Kagome."
She slightly cringed when her name came out in another voice. It sounded much harsher and colder than before and she pushed away a little to look up.
Her body froze and her eyes widened in an instant when she saw in whose arms she suddenly found herself. "N-Naraku..." she articulated his name, barely able to make it sound more than a gasp.
After so many years, his looks haven't changed for one bit. His wavy hair was still as dark as the night and his eyes couldn't be more vexing with their bloody red glow. It felt as if they were piercing through her soul and she quickly averted her gaze. "L-let me go," she said as she tried to pry off his arms.
"You know," he spoke with a voice that sent shivers down one's spine. "You've made it very hard for me girl. It took me a great deal of time and patience to break that barrier of yours."
Kagome paused in her movements and shifted to look back at him. "T-the barrier's broken? B-but that...that means..." she stammered in disbelief.
"It means...you're dead," he finished her sentence.
"That can't be! I-I can't be dead...I can't die yet!" she gasped in disbelief.
A smirk appeared on Naraku's face. "If you're not dead, then how can I be standing here?"
Despite her struggling, his grip on her only tightened. "Come with me," he offered.
"To where?" she asked.
"To the rest of your family."
Kagome blinked in puzzlement. "My family? Where are they?"
"In hell of course! Where else?" he replied flatly, as if it was the most normal thing to happen.
"Wh-what?"
"They're dead, Kagome, just like you," he added. "Your dear brother's there as well."
Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Sesshoumaru onii-sama?"
"Oh yes, we've been sparring a lot and I must admit that he's a terrific fighter," he commented.
Hearing that, Kagome narrowed her eyes. "You liar! Sesshoumaru onii-sama would never do that! He'd rather kill you than waste his time on sparring with you!"
Naraku smirked. "Clever girl, but it won't do you any good now, since you'll be coming with me whether you like it or not."
"No!" she cried and struggled for her life. To her shock, the bedroom was suddenly filled with blazing flames and a circle of fire was closing in onto them. "Let me go!" With her eyes closed to protect them from the heat, she hammered as hard as she could on the lord's chest with her fists.
All of a sudden, the grip around her body disappeared, causing her to topple forward on the floor. She slowly opened her eyes and realized that Naraku was nowhere to be found. Instead, she found herself surrounded by a cage of fire, trapped, like a helpless bird. She wasn't inside the fortress anymore as everything outside the cage was pitch black. Tears emerged as she thought how powerless she was right now, but as soon as the salty liquid escaped her eyes, it evaporated into the air, leaving no traces behind on her face. Overwhelmed by the high temperature, Kagome curled into a ball on the floor and prayed for someone to save her.
Her ears twitched when she heard a distant voice through the crisping fire.
"Kagome!"
'Who's calling me?' she wondered as she darted her eyes around, but the stinging heat and blinding light of the flames forced her to avert her gaze. Eager to find out who the person was, she began to push herself up from the floor.
"Kagome! Get down!" the voice commanded.
She listened to the voice and let herself fall down on her stomach again. With widened eyes, she watched how the cage of fire split into several large pieces and cascaded to the floor around her.
A silhouette ran to her side and knelt down. "W-who are you?" she asked, realizing that it was a man.
"There's no time, let's get out of here first before we dehydrate too much!" he suggested and lifted her up bridal style.
"At least...tell me your name..." she pleaded, but her savior didn't seem to have heard her as he dashed into an unknown direction. "I-it's no use, we can't escape..." she murmured to herself.
"Look!"
Kagome perked her head up and looked around. Hope began to fill her heart when she saw a dot of light before them. 'Is that...the exit?' she thought hopefully and turned to her savior.
'...eh?' she thought puzzled when she caught a glimpse of the object that he was carrying on his back. As she traced the outlines of what should be the hilt of a weapon, she realized that she had seen it before. It was a long hilt with a crescent shaped figure attached to the end. 'B-Banryuu?' she though wide-eyed and turned to look at the owner. 'Then...then he must be...'
"Ban...kotsu..." she whispered softly.
As soon as she said the name, a flash of light blinded her temporarily as they have reached the exit, and she shielded her eyes. After adapting to the bright sunlight, she moved away her hand and turned to the one who saved her. A gasped escaped her lips as she realized that it really was him.
His bangs and long thin braid danced along with her raven tresses as fresh breezes welcomed their return.
Her staring drew the assassin's attention and he turned to look down at her. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Kagome noticed that both his eyes had lost their hazy gleam. "Your eyes..." she began. "Y-you can see?"
"Of course I can," he replied with a smile.
Nervously, she shifted from his perfectly blue-gray eyes to look at the dark cross on his forehead. "But the poison...how did you-"
"You're beautiful, Kagome," he cut her off.
The sudden compliment made blood rush up to her cheeks and she averted her gaze in embarrassment. 'I-I must be dreaming...'
"This is not a dream Kagome," Bankotsu voice cut off her thoughts. "This is reality."
Surprised that he could read her thoughts, Kagome turned to him, but to her shock, Bankotsu's form began to fade away. "Bankotsu?" she called and reached out her hand to him. The image of the assassin vanished completely before she could touch him and she suddenly found herself lying between some thick roots of an old leafless tree behind her. "Bankotsu!" she called out, but there was no reply except for a long echo of her own voice.
When she gazed up to the sky, she saw how the sun disappeared behind thick gray clouds. As the last ray of sunlight became blocked, tiny white flocks began to fall down from the sky and soon, the entire landscape was covered with a layer of snow.
An icy breath caressed her cheeks and she immediately curled herself up into a ball against the trunk. Exploring her surroundings with her eyes, she found nothing but an open field before her. Even the dark cave of earlier was nowhere to be found. It was only her and the old tree.
"C-cold..." she moaned as she watched her breath escape her lips.
Her body became heavier by the minute and she couldn't find any more strength to remain awake. 'Is this it...?' she thought to herself. The snowy white landscape in front of her was becoming darker and darker and she realized that she was beginning to lose consciousness.
'It's so quiet...' she thought to herself with closed eyes. 'I'm...'
"Kagome? Kagome...what's wrong?"
She recognized Bankotsu's voice but couldn't respond or open her eyes because of the fatigue. One dream after the other and she didn't know what was reality anymore. Where was she now? The icy winds had stopped torturing her but the trembling of her body refused to end. "S-so cold..." she breathed weakly. 'T-this is a dream...' she told herself. 'I'm still dreaming...'
She knew something had been placed on top of her since the pressure on her body increased, but the additional weight had only made breathing more difficult, it did nothing to warm her up.
"Is this better?" the voice asked.
"Cold..." she replied with a trembling voice. Frustration ran through her mind as the weight on top of her disappeared. 'What is happening to me now...?' she thought tiredly. She felt herself being lifted up and soon; the coldness was replaced by a very warm presence. It felt as though she was leaning against a lighted stove, but the soft beating that drifted to her ears made her realize that it was someone's chest. And that someone was most likely Bankotsu.
She felt two arms wrapping around her and relaxed as her body began to regain its normal temperature. Even within the arms of an assassin, she felt secure and safe. As she listened to his calm heartbeat, she felt sleepier by the second. 'That's funny...why am I feeling sleepy inside a dream...?' she thought tiredly before darkness consumed her mind once again.
: END DREAM SEQUENCE :
.-.-.-.
The first thing Bankotsu did the next morning was checking the fever of the girl sleeping in his arms. With a hand on her forehead and the other one placed on his, he measured the difference in temperature.
At the same time, a soft mew sounded from beside him and he smiled. "Don't worry, her fever is gone," he reassured the fire cat.
"In other words, it's time for you to get your hands off of her," a voice rudely interrupted the calm atmosphere.
Bankotsu's ears twitched, he was a bit startled to hear Sango's voice as he thought she had already left for her usual duties.
"Now that you've woken up, you owe me another explanation," she demanded.
Carefully, Bankotsu scooted away from the wall he was leaning on with Kagome in his arms and he placed her onto her futon. "She had a high fever yesterday. When I checked her wounds, I found out it was caused by an infection so I put some herbal medicine on all of the wounds before changing the bandages," he explained while pulling a blanket over Kagome's body. "While Kirara was away to look for you, Kagome mumbled in her sleep that she was freezing. I tried putting more blankets over her body, but she kept saying that she was cold, so I decided to warm her up using my own body temperature."
The silence that followed didn't keep him from doing his normal morning activities as he was convinced that he didn't do anything wrong. He got to his feet and made his way towards the sink and washed his face. "Look, I'm not asking you to believe me, but at least trust me that I wouldn't do anything to harm Kagome."
"Why should I?" she spat annoyed.
"Because I want my head to stay where it is right now!" he snapped back.
"I don't trust or believe you," she said after a while. "But I trust Kirara."
The taijiya got to her feet. "If she really did say things in her sleep last night, it won't be long before she wakes up," she stated with relief.
"Where are you going?" he asked, following her footsteps to the door behind him.
"I'm going to buy new bandages and some food, you didn't think they would fall out of the sky, did you?" she replied flatly before exiting the house.
After the sound of the door closing, Bankotsu returned to Kagome's side with a clean towel in his hand.
While he cleaned her face and limbs, he thought about what happened yesterday when Sango came back. "Thank you Kirara," he said. "I would've been killed by your mistress if you hadn't stopped her."
'Liar...' he scolded himself at the same time.
A mew was the reply from the fire cat as she approached him from the side.
Bankotsu paused for a moment when he felt something touching his bandaged arm and smiled when he realized it was Kirara. "It's okay, you were just worried about Kagome," he forgave her. "I'm an assassin remember? Such a wound is nothing compared to what I had experienced in the past year."
He rinsed the towel back at the sink and dried his hand on his shirt. "I guess it's not really wise to leave Kagome alone right now," he reasoned aloud. "We'll just have to wait until Sango comes back."
.-.
About an hour later, the taijiya returned. The mixed smell of bread and herbs filled the room as she put the things on the low table.
"Good, you're still here," she said after a moment.
With a raised brow, Bankotsu turned to her fully.
"Kagome is going to wake up soon..." she paused before continuing. "...and when she does, I don't want you to be around."
Kirara slightly growled in protest, but was shushed by her mistress. "No Kirara, I won't let you stop me this time," she said boldly.
Bankotsu frowned as a small package was forced into his hands.
"Here's some food for you on the way. Now leave."
Dumbfounded, he couldn't find the words to argue with the taijiya, but he sensed that he wouldn't be able to win the argument. With a sigh, he stood up and prepared himself for departure.
Before he walked through the open door, he turned to where Kagome was on the floor. 'Goodbye Kagome...take care...'
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
A very short chapter...I know, but I had to stop here because of what I have planned to write for the next chapter. There will be a lot of thinking, some perspective changing and not to forget...fluff in the next chapter :). I'm sure the next chapter will be longer than this one! Be sure to look forward to it okay?
Greets,
Kittymui
.-.-.
'Italic': thoughts
"...": spoken words
-.-.-.-: time gap
-CAPSLOCKED WORDS-: noises
.-.-.
Next chapter: Chapter XVI
.-.
Okay, now Kagome's really going to wake up :). I guess it's not really that hard to figure out how she will react to Sango's explanation about Bankotsu's disappearance. But with a fractured leg and wounds on both her arms, what can she do? Will Bankotsu be too far away to reach when she wakes up? Read the next chapter to find out!
.-.
Vocabulary:
onii-sama: a very respectful way to refer to an older brother
taijiya: exterminator
.-.-.
REPLIES ON REVIEWS:
BelleDayNight: Now that you mention it...it does resemble the Kenshin routine hahaha. Hmm, I guess I explained it in a wrong way. The dark cross on Bankotsu's forehead is something that will definitely be passed on to descendants, despite what kind of partner you choose, so Kagome isn't going to have such a cross, but their child would if they had one :). Hahaha about that flashing back to the scene where Bankotsu kills Kagome, it's good to have that in the back of your mind, because I want readers to remember what the main plot is of the history-story hehehe. By making the history-story long, I was afraid that some readers might forget about the fact that it is a book, which we are reading through the main character's eyes.
darkenedmoonlightflame: Thanks! Hahaha I wish I had a button on myself with which I can start my inspiration immediately and get a chapter done within 2 hours :).
sessywuver: Hahaha, all these questions will definitely be answered in the future chapters, don't worry! Thanks for reviewing!
Wake-Robin: She will :)! I'll try to update as soon as possible!
sakurakitsune14: Thank you very much!
Skitzoflame: Hehehe, it all starts with trust :)! Thanks for reviewing!
blackrose113: Hahaha I wouldn't go that far to say that he loves her, but he does feel something for her. He knows where that feeling would get him to so he refrains himself before he gets too deep into it.
Angel of Darkness and Death: Thanks! Glad you loved it!
sesshomaruobsessed: Thank you! Yup, that's what I'm telling you. I know it's cruel but that's how the story goes :). And nope, Sango's definitely NOT going to like it hehehe.
Fluffy'sbabe: Hope you are feeling much better now! I'm touched to hear that you reviewed despite you were feeling sick...sobs...
Duzzie: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you liked it!
Miry: I can't wait myself either hehehe, because there's still a bit more to come after he finishes reading it. However, there are still more chapters to come before the final scene :) :grins:
lady-joker: Glad you loved it so far!
Sirayme: I enjoyed reading your review :) and all of the others too! I'm so happy to know that you don't mind me taking a bit more time to update! It removes a LOT of pressure hehehe, thanks!
Lady Kogawolf: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! I hope that you will follow this story to its end!
Posted: 1 May 2005
Last Edited: 1 May 2005
Spelling check: YES
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters of it. And I do not own whatever elements of this story that seem familiar and had already been used by other creative individuals before. But... I do own the idea of mixing all of these elements together into a new story!