Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or its characters. I do own, however, the original characters: Alden, Cora, and Setsuko. Using my original characters in your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.

Chapter 5

Horrific Dreams

That damned spirit's chains became drenched with its own blood. Its red eyes were shut tight; it squinted as it pulled and used all of its strength. The shackles were bound tightly, impossible to break free from, it seemed. But that damned spirit kept tugging and toiling, pulling with excruciating pain and agony. Fire began to rise up from beneath the spirit, burning and scorching it, as it persisted in its escape. It did not yield to the flames however, as more screams were heard not to far off from it. It kept its mouth shut completely; teeth clenched tightly, the pain seeming utterly insufferable. It finally managed to muster an unknown vigor, a boundless strength that caused its chains to begin to crumble and its shackles to fall loose.

"Ah!" Alden shot up his head abruptly, awakening from another successive nightmare in the midst of the night.

He sat up for a while, wiping a screen of sweat from his forehead, gathering his breath again.

"What do these dreams mean? Why won't they stop?"

Alden lay his head back down and turned over. His mind was slightly unsound for a while, but slowly, he drifted off back to sleep.

In the morning, Alden awoke to a dreary gray sky and a light drizzle of rain. Cora was already up and dressed in her clothes, which she washed, along with Alden's. She noticed Alden was up now.

"Hey, you're up," she said. "We really kicked butt yesterday, huh?"

"Yeah," Alden said quietly.

"Pf! You had a dream again, didn't you?"

"Yeah. These are different though. Ever since we've been here Cora, I've been having these dreams that seem to be, I don't know, telling a story. They all relate to each other. They're similar."

"Hm. You're dreams are normally weird. Like about random things."

"Yeah, I know. But these aren't just random images. They're clear and tell something."

"Pf! Whatever, Alden. I'm sure they'll start being random again."

"I don't know....."

Alden stood up and watched the raindrops land gently on the ground from the window. Cora rummaged through her backpack for a book, and began to write something in it. Meanwhile, someone appeared through the doorway; it was Kagome. She was slightly wet, uncovering herself from her raincoat.

"Hi, Cora! Didn't know if you were up or not."

"Hey, Kagome. Yeah, we're up. I was just writing in my notebook here."

"Oh, like a diary?"

"Yeah. I don't spell good though."

"I never was good at spelling either."

"I just try my best to sound the words out. Alden helps me fix them later."

Kagome noticed Alden was looking out the window, as the light rain continued to drip from the now clouded sky.

"Alden has been having weird dreams," Cora said to Kagome. "He's had nightmares ever since I can remember, it's just a normal thing once you get used to it, but he said that he's been having even stranger dreams ever since we came here."

"Really? What kind?"

"Don't know. I never asked him."

"Well, we're going to eat soon. Come over to the house, and we can talk more about it."

"Okay, Kagome!"

"See you."

Kagome left the abode without talking to Alden; he seemed deep in thought and didn't want to disturb him or worsen whatever seemed to be troubling him.

After Alden got dressed and ready for the new day in the Feudal Era, and Cora finished jotting a few more sentences in her notebook, they left for breakfast at the adjacent abode, where everyone was just sitting down and getting comfortable. Sango was conversing to Kagome about Alden, but stopped once he and Cora appeared through the doorway.

"Good morning everyone," Cora greeted them. "Yum. Breakfast!"

They both sat down; Cora next to Kagome, and Alden next to his sister.

"I have some things from home here," Kagome said. "Here, look, Cora."

"Oh, these look like Pop Tarts! Hey look, Alden. Have one."

Alden took one from his sister and ate it. He seemed to be still very much lost in his mazy thoughts, mulling over his peculiar dreams and trying to decipher a meaning from them. They were, after all, very clear and unusual, and they seemed to be, each night, continuing, as if weaving together a story.

Miroku shattered a tedious silence.

"That was pretty impressive, Alden, how you deflected that demon blast," he said. "Not even I could willingly do that. Tell me, how did you do it, in fact?"

"Yes, that was most intriguing," Myoga said.

"Well, Myoga. Where have you been?" Inuyasha asked.

"Why, I've been around, Master Inuyasha, did you not see me? I was, um, well, watching the demon battle from afar."

"Figures. Cowardly flea."

"Inuyasha, stop. Leave Myoga alone," Kagome said.

"Ahem," Myoga cleared his throat. "Well, anyway, the demon blast. That demon was indeed pretty powerful. After the jewel shards, I suppose. But what I don't understand is how Master Alden was able to deflect it. Master Inuyasha went directly into the blast, and Tetsusaiga did not even phase its power. Yet when Master Alden swung the futuristic umbrella, it sent it straight back at it. Tetsusaiga is indeed very powerful, but how was this simple contraption able to do it when Tetsusaiga could not?"

"Hm. That is an interesting point, Myoga," Miroku said. "Perhaps it is made of a specific material that has a capacity to deflect the demon blast."

Myoga hopped over to the umbrella, which was propped up against the wall, near the doorway where Alden had left it. He and Cora had used it to travel through the rain from their abode. Myoga scrutinized its material closely, as well as its handle. Nothing peculiar seemed to strike him.

"Nope, nothing unusual," he said, feeling the material. "That is very peculiar."

Myoga mused over the matter for a while with Miroku; the others began to converse about other things. Kaede came into the room and served hot herbal tea to everyone. Alden remained engulfed in the reminiscence of his nightmares, while Cora and Kagome talked about food. Sango was silent, as she looked over at Alden; she worried something was bothering him. Kilala and Shippo played together cheerfully, chasing each other around and jumping. Inuyasha sat with his arms crossed, attempting to tune out Kagome and Cora's trivial conversation.

"When are we going to go out and look for jewel shards?" Inuyasha thought in frustration. "We've been sitting here getting nothing done for days now. We have to do something soon!"

Kagome and Cora laughed at each other's stories. But they soon fell silent as they noticed that they were the only ones talking. Kagome looked over at Alden and decided to ask him about his dreams that seemed to be disturbing him.

"Alden, your sister told me that you've been having nightmares," she said. "I was wondering what they were about."

"Well, Kagome," Alden said abruptly, out of his silence. "I've been having nightmares ever since I was young, there's nothing I can do about it."

"But Cora said you've been having extremely strange and disturbing nightmares ever since you came to the Feudal Era. Is that true?"

"Well, yes, Kagome. Terrifying dreams. And they aren't like the old dreams I used to have all the time. They're clear; very clear, as if I'm watching everything take place from a distance."

Myoga looked up, listening to the new intriguing conversation.

"What are they about, do you remember?"

"Yeah. They're so clear, and I can remember them to the last detail."

"Hm. Nightmares, eh?" Myoga commented. "Do tell."

"Well, in these nightmares I've been having, it's always very dark. Then suddenly, out of the ground comes fire blasting everywhere, and I can hear screams, like people are in a lot of pain. There's a lot of moaning and suffering, but I can never see any people or anything, it's always fire and shadowy figures. But then, out of nowhere, I see a particular shadow that seems very demon-like. I can never tell if it's a person or not, it's blurry and shadowy despite all of the fire and steam. But this thing, whether it's a demon or a person, is always pulling these chains, trying to escape. It struggles and in my recent dreams, it revealed its glaring red eyes and its bloodied shackles. In the nightmare I had last night, it escaped from its chains, and then I woke up in a sweat."

"Hm. Interesting. And you say you've been having these nightmares ever since you got swept from your time to ours, Master Alden?"

"Yes. And each night I get more pieces of the story. Each night, the same shadowy, blurred figure trying to escape, and at last, it has."

"Hm. Very interesting."

Myoga stopped to think for a moment.

"Well, what is it, Myoga?" Inuyasha asked, annoyed with the flea's pause. "Spit it out!"

"You don't come across this type of dream very often, it's uncanny. And the story; that is what's even more peculiar. The screams and the moaning, the shackled shadowy figures, the fire and steam. This sounds as though it's a nightmare of Hell!"

Everyone was taken aback by Myoga's conclusion, especially Alden. He had gone ghastly pale, slowly remembering all of the agonizing aspects of his dreams. The unbearable gravity, the torment and agony, the wailing of the shadows, the extreme despair. It all seemed sublimely hellish.

"I don't know what your nightmares could mean exactly," Myoga continued. "But it seems as though they present some kind of omen."

"Yes, the irregularity of his dreams seem like an omen indeed," Miroku agreed. "And the way he is able to remember the details so distinctively is even more remarkable."

"They've been like this ever since Cora and I got transported here," Alden said. "They've been haunting me every night."

"Feh. It's nothing," Inuyasha said.

"I don't know, Inuyasha, I know my omens, believe me," Miroku said. "Bizarre dreams like this shouldn't be overlooked or ignored. It could be a harbinger of something catastrophic."

"Feh. Whatever. Believe what you want, monk."

"Alden has been having nightmares before I was even born," Cora interjected. "Pf! I don't think we should worry about it."

"But that's what makes it even more intriguing," Myoga said. "That his regular abstract nightmares would suddenly change into these detailed images of Hell."

"It is indeed interesting," Miroku said. "But, perhaps they will pass."

"But Master Alden, please do tell us if you continue to have these intense nightmares," Myoga told Alden. "It may prove to be important."

"Okay, no problem," Alden said.

"But what is even more puzzling is the demon battle last night," Miroku said. "How Alden managed to deflect that powerful blast from the demon."

"Yes, I've been thinking over that matter too," Myoga said. "But, I haven't managed to even come up with a hunch or any slight theory for it."

"Nor I," Miroku concurred.

"Hm. Do ye think it may be perhaps something of the supernatural?" Kaede wondered, coming back into the room with more tea. "Because it seems to me, a supernatural strength this young man suddenly possessed."

"It could be possible," Miroku said. "But how so?"

"Well, some people just possess supernatural abilities. Look at my sister, such an extraordinarily powerful priestess."

"So, Lady Kaede, you think perhaps Alden may have some sort of power?"

"Aye. It may be."

She took a small sip of her tea, while Miroku thought over her words.

"That is probable," Myoga said. "But what sort of ability, and how so suddenly? Because, Master Alden, you haven't had this ability before, I assume?"

"No," Alden said. "I don't have anything supernatural about me. I never had."

"Hm. When you deflected the demon blast, did you feel different?"

"Well, it happened really fast, and I was really concerned for everyone, so I don't know how to describe it now. I just knew that I had to do something; I was determined. For a brief moment though, I felt a surge of power flow through me, and the next thing you know, the demon was down on the ground."

"Hm. Even more interesting."

"Feh. It was simple raw power," Inuyasha said. "Nothing supernatural about it. We were training all day, and Alden got stronger due to my expert teaching skills."

"Pf! Hahaha!" Cora laughed.

"What?!?"

"Oh, nothing....."

"Feh. Whatever."

"But Master Inuyasha, Tetsusaiga couldn't even withstand the blast, and yet Alden was able to deflect it," Myoga commented.

"Feh. The demon caught me off guard," Inuyasha said. "That's all."

There was much discussion on the debate: for was it some supernatural force or power that was granted to Alden in desperation and concern for the others, or was it just his normal strength and determination? It remained controversial by the end of breakfast, as the others began thinking of other things, such as Inuyasha with jewel shard collecting.

"Come on, we should be looking for jewel shards by now!" Inuyasha said, conspicuously frustrated. "We've been sitting here in the village for days now!"

"There's no way we're going after the jewel shards now!" Kagome told him. "We're not doing anything dangerous until Alden and Cora are back safely in their own place and time."

"But, Kagome, Naraku could be getting more shards by the second....."

"Inuyasha, don't you think this is more important?"

"Feh. They can come with us. They're prepared to deal with more demons."

"Listen, Inuyasha! I don't want anything to happen to them. They're brother and sister, lost in a completely new world filled with demons and evil things.....I don't want anything to happen."

Kagome was very somber when she said this, her eyes showing concern and almost sadness, forcing Inuyasha to yield to defeat.

"Fine, Kagome. We'll wait until we can ensure them a safe way back home."

"Thanks, Inuyasha."

It had ceased raining now, and she left him alone outside the abode, joining Sango and Cora on the wet grassy hills, who were talking about Alden.

"My brother doesn't appreciate the fine art of cartwheeling," Cora said, while turning a swift flip. "Sometimes I wish I had an older sister."

"You must love him a lot though," Sango said.

"Pf! He does get on my nerves at times though."

"I have a younger brother too, Cora."

"Really? Where is he?"

"He's um....."

Sango didn't want to tell her story to Cora.

"She's just a little girl," Sango thought to herself. "I won't be able to tell her what happened. To my family.....to Kohaku....."

Fortunately, Kagome was approaching them at the time, and Sango used this opportunity to change the subject quickly.

"Oh, hi, Kagome," she said.

"Inuyasha can be stubborn sometimes and very one-track minded," Kagome said. "But I know he has a heart underneath all of it. I know he understands."

"Sango, where's your brother?" Cora intervened persistently.

"Well, Cora, he's....."

There was a temporary pause.

"With family," Kagome said, understanding Sango's intention. "He's with Sango's family right now. She's just traveling with us for a while, and helping us locate Naraku."

"Oh, I see. Is your family all demon slayers, Sango?"

"Yes, Cora. They are."

"Wow. Even your little brother?"

"Yes. His name's Kohaku. I do anything I can to protect him. Just like how Alden knows he has to protect you."

"He does," Cora admitted, her heart momentarily speaking for her. "But still, he can be a jerk sometimes."

Sango and Kagome both smiled, and Cora did too.

The day proceeded without much disturbance or trouble; it was a very restful day, despite the intense musings over Alden's nightmares and the debate over the nature of his ability to deflect the demon's blast. Inuyasha was however, still tormented by frustration, despite Kagome's words. He remained haunted by thoughts of Naraku obtaining more jewel shards, and by being able to control the well's magic. Kagome watched Cora run, alongside Shippo and Kilala, as Sango began to wonder about her own brother. Miroku discussed theories with Myoga, as Kaede told tales of the supernatural and mulled over everything as well. Alden ripped some pages out of Cora's notebook and began writing all about his nightmares, carefully considering every detail, image, and emotion. He eventually, however, became disturbed by his own writing, and let the pages be carried off by the wind. He stood up, and began to walk over to Sango, plagued by now exceedingly tempestuous thoughts.

"My nightmares.....what do they mean?" he thought. "Hell? What's wrong with me? Am I possessed by the devil? Ugh. There's Sango. Maybe I should go talk to her. I was comfortable talking to her last time. But....."

Alden's feet carried him to her slowly. His mind raced with abrupt thoughts, his heart beat against his chest. Sango was sitting off to the side, laughing at Cora's attempts to teach Kagome how to do a difficult cartwheel. She noticed Alden approaching her from behind.

"Hey, Sango," Alden said. "What has everyone been up to?"

"Um, nothing," Sango replied. "Just resting."

Alden sat down next to her. She looked back at him and blushed feverishly; she hid it hastily.

"Is there something wrong, Sango?"

"Um, no nothing," she said.

Then came an unwanted silence, while Sango's face eventually returned back to its normal state.

"Quick! Think of something to say to her," Alden thought to himself, his mind now clearer. "Hm. Oh, I know. I'll ask her to meet me at the lake tonight, that way I'll be more prepared to talk her, without thinking about everything else that's been going on in my head."

"Sango, tonight you want to meet me at the lake? I'm curious to know about your past, and your brother. I know you wouldn't want to tell it in front of everyone. But then again, if you may not want to talk about it with me....."

"Oh, no. It's okay," she said. "I may actually feel better."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be pulling at things I shouldn't be."

Sango began to blush again; it began to irritate her. She realized her now intense attraction to him; she was deeply infatuated.

"No, it's okay. We can actually relate to each other, you know? Having siblings that we care so dearly for."

"Yeah. But are you sure?"

She nodded, and a conspicuous blush came across her face again. She didn't know if Alden had realized her blushing or not, since he did not say anything about it.

Night came extravagantly; the sky was ornately dressed with gleaming stars, and the moon hung in a crescent like a shining bracelet. Alden looked up at it from the abode's window, having just finished taking a private bath in the springs, though it was cold. He got himself dressed comfortably, and prepared to set out to meet Sango at the lake.

"Where are you going?" Cora asked.

"Huh? Oh, just going to look at the stars. See them up close and just look at them. Going down to the lake," Alden told her.

"Um, okay. Well, I'm tired, so good night."

"Okay. Good night. I'll be back, so don't worry about me not being here while you sleep."

"I won't. Bye."

He exited through the abode's doorway, and set off into the beautiful and enticing darkness.

"Since when is Alden so.....romantic?" Cora asked herself. "Unless....."

Sango told the others that she was going out for a walk.

"May I come alongside you?" Miroku asked.

"Keep your hands to yourself, monk," she spat at him.

Miroku was taken aback, as she left there hastily.

"What's her problem?" Inuyasha asked. "A little testy?"

"Hm. Yes, a little," Miroku said.

Miroku decided to wait a while for Sango to cool her unexpected temper off, and then he would follow her. He already had a hunch about her destination.

Alden reached the lake first. He meandered down the path, and sat down by the foot of a tree, watching the reflection of the moon on the water. Sango got there a few minutes later, slowly and quietly following her feet. She saw Alden and blushed again, feeling her face with her hands.

"Why must I blush so much?" she thought to herself. "Do I like Alden that much? I can't let him see my face though; it's embarrassing how I blush like a fool over him."

Alden didn't notice Sango's presence; he was in deep thought now.

"Was Sango blushing before when I was talking to her?" he mused. "Nah. It must have been my imagination, combined with my constant wishful thinking. Ugh."

Sango approached him abruptly, Alden taking notice of the sound of steps. He turned around.

"Hey, Sango," he said. "It's beautiful out tonight. Look at the sky."

"Yes, it is," Sango concurred, her face still slightly red.

Alden looked at her, noticing an entrancing face in the moonlight. She looked back at him, her face growing hot once more, as they both gazed into each other's eyes. Sango turned away quickly, Alden taking note of her actions and now conspicuous blushing; it wasn't his imagination. She looked up into the sky and beheld the beauty of the moon, not looking at him for a while, due to the persistent fear of blushing again.

"Sango, you don't have to tell me about your brother if you don't want to," Alden said.

"No, it's okay," she said. "I want to tell you."

Sango gathered her thoughts, deciding what and how to describe it to him, and began.

"My brother, Kohaku, and I trained to together to become demon slayers, with the help of our much beloved father. We worked together as a team, and as a family of course. But one night, we were called to eliminate a demon, but something went terribly wrong. Kohaku had slain father and our other comrades.....I found out that it was Naraku's doing; it was him that caused my loved ones' demise, and our family's ruination.....Kohaku had been possessed, and even attacked me. But after he realized what he had done, arrows were shot at us, and I thought he was dead. I was knocked out, and awoke in my grave. After I had found out the details, I swore I would avenge my family.....I swore I would kill Naraku. I also found out that my brother had not been killed, but been taken by Naraku to do his evil deeds.....but to sustain his life, meant he would not be in his right mind, but possessed once more....."

Sango had become overwhelmed with emotion; entirely engulfed in a pool of poignancy. She paused for a moment, and then spoke again, clasping her shaking fists tight.

"Now, I do not know what Naraku has done with him. All that I know is that I will avenge....."

She broke into tears, sobbing severely, no longer able to even talk. She threw her arms around Alden and cried into his chest. She did it so perfunctorily and without thought; she had not realized she done so. But her sadness had been swelling painfully within her, and she could no longer contain it.

Alden held her closely and let her eyes flood freely; he couldn't ever imagine what it was like to lose your own family, and your only sibling. Even though Kohaku was still alive, he knew that getting him back might be an impossible task.

Miroku's hunch had been correct; Sango did traverse the path to the moonlit lake. He however, did not expect to see what he now saw: Sango and Alden embracing, with her sobbing profusely. Miroku was a hidden spectator from the bushes, beholding the much unexpected sight; he had followed his accurate intuition.

"What is this?" he thought to himself. "Alden embracing Sango? But why is she crying?"

"It's okay, Sango," Alden said. "I will be here for you."

"Ugh! Alden.....loves Sango? Sango?" Miroku thought, thunderstruck. "This cannot be. But.....Sango.....surely does not love him back?"

Sango continued to cry, and Alden persevered in consoling her as best he could. He knew however, that nothing he did would make her feel entirely better.

"I can only be there for her," he thought. "Nothing can make her feel completely happy. It will always be there in her.....I can't imagine what it would be like to lose Cora....."

Miroku decided it was best to leave; he knew that Sango had loved Alden back. The way they held each other and how they looked into each other's eyes, but he denied it at first. It was confirmed now however, and he left silently, as Sango's sobs echoed noisily through his mind.

After Sango had ceased her weeping, she became embarrassing and flustered, apologizing to Alden abundantly.

"No, I'm sorry, Sango," Alden told her. "I was the one that shouldn't have forced your painful past out of you. I shouldn't have let curiosity get the best of me."

"No, it's okay, Alden," she said. "I had to get that out of me. I'm glad I told you."

They looked into each other's eyes once more; however, Sango did not turn away this time. She blushed again profusely, and Alden smiled at this.

"Sango," he said. "I just want to tell you that I'm here for you. Don't be afraid to cry on my shoulder every once and a while."

She blushed even more vehemently, after her tears subsided.

"I want to be here for you, Sango," he said. "We'll make this our meeting spot, okay?"

She nodded, and Alden held her hands.

"But it's getting late now. I think I should go. I can't leave Cora by herself."

Sango smiled gently. They looked at each other one more time, before Alden headed back. After he left, Sango mused for a while still, staring into the calm waters of the lake.

"Am I so in love with Alden?" she thought. "He is so.....caring and understanding....."

She blushed again.

"But I have to keep my blushing under control! I know he probably already saw me, blushing at him so much, but I couldn't help it! I've never met anyone like him before....."

Alden approached the abode as quietly as possible. As he entered through the doorway, he noticed his sister lying down, with her back turned. He stepped slowly and carefully, attempting not to wake her, but it was to no avail; she was already awake.

"Hi, Alden," she said, turning over. "Where have you been?"

"I told you before. I just went to the lake," he told her.

"Pf! All by yourself, Romeo?"

"What are you talking about, Cora?"

"Pf! I know what you were really doing there, Alden. You never do anything romantic like stargazing, unless you like a girl!"

"Um, what are you talking about? Go to sleep, Cora."

"Pf! You know exactly what I'm talking about. You like Sango, don't you?!?"

Alden's eyes turned wide, taken aback at Cora's words. How did she know all this?

"How did you find out?"

"Pf! Ha ha! I knew it!"

"Ugh. How do you always know the girls I like?"

"Isn't it obvious, Alden. Duh....."

"I'm that obvious?"

"Pf! Well, actually, I don't think the others know, but I'm just so good like that."

"Ugh. Fine, I admit it."

"So, you were actually at the lake with her?"

"Yeah. But now go to sleep."

"Pf! Fine."

"But please, keep it a secret for now. I don't know exactly how she feels just yet.....and I don't want anything bad to happen or screw anything up."

"Okay, Alden."

Cora turned back over, obviously satisfied with her hunch that proved to be correct. Alden got changed and went to sleep as well, feeling a peacefulness of mind.

Sango started to head back to the sleeping village, where all was serenely quiet. Her mind, however, was throbbing and surging with her own loud thoughts.

"Does Alden even like me?" she thought. "I don't even know that! He probably knows that I like him, but will he say something about it? I told him all about my past, but he didn't say much; he consoled me. The next time we meet at the lake, I want to know about his past.....that's what I'll ask him. And, maybe I can find out if he has these feelings too about me, that I have for him....."

Sango entered the abode swiftly but silently, not disturbing the others. She got changed comfortably, and fell asleep, when her troublesome thoughts ceased spinning around in her mind for a moment.

Miroku saw Sango come in at last; his heart now felt a pulse of grief, he thought that he may have had a chance of Sango liking him. But now he knew that there would be no chance; he knew that she loved Alden. But who would now bear his children?