Owari Nai Yume; Unending Dreams

Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!T-T

Yes, I'm back, and this story is done. I had writer's block for ages then it suddenly and rather violently hit me. I wrote this all up in two days, so enjoy the end of Owarinai Yume; Unending dreams and look out! There may be a sequel, in a year or two. Hey, university is alot of work!

Chapter 15

It was dark in this little hut and there was barely enough fire wood to keep the tiny flames going for more than another few hours, perhaps not til dawn, and he could see Kagome was already shivering in her sleeping bag. She had refused his warmth twice before that evening saying she was fine, but that certainly didn't seem the case. He would have joined her in the bag, but she had forbidden him from doing any such thing in a manner that made him truly fear. So, instead, he sat watching the fire, hoping it would give a little more warmth to the hut. Even he was starting to get chilly in the midnight air.

He turned his attention from his numbing fingers to the sounds around the hut. Since they had arrived and Takumaru vanished as if into thin air, he had neither seen nor smelt hide nor hair of anyone besides Kagome and himself. That worried him, especially since that meant they could be snuck up on just as easily as that demon had been able to disappear. He wouldn't let such a thing happen, not when they were so close to getting the old Kagome back, the warm Kagome that always was happy and smiling and doing everything she could to make them all happy, not that things could every really get back to how they had been. To many things had happened. His chilled hand reached up and touched his lips unconsciously. She hadn't mentioned it, not once. It had been a week and she had not said one word about it, not to him at least. He didn't understand how she couldn't, but then again, he hadn't brought it up, had he?

He didn't have a chance to complete his musing when he heard the door to the hut open revealing Rie who seemed completely unaffected by the chill. Even her breathe refused to mist as she breathed. She smiled as she looked over at Kagome before turning back to him.

"I thought I would find thee awake."

He didn't reply, merely watching the woman. It was odd, for a demon, she had an amazingly pure aura. She let the smile drop off and for a moment, he was reminded of the look that had often graced Kikyo's feature, business-like and distant.

"I am here to discuss the price, and receive it too, I hope."

"What do ya want?" he asked, unable to stand not knowing. Mushin had told him to watch what he promised Rie, but it was too late for that. He had already promised anything, and anything she asked, he would give.

The smile returned, not amused but satisfied, like she had known he would ask that. In all probability, she had. He wasn't a hard man to figure out. "What I ask is nonnegotiable. If I do not receive it, I shall not help your friend."

"I already said anything, Rie, and I will not go back on my word."

She had that satisfied smile again and nodded, her eyes trailing to the sword that he held possessively against his shoulder. "That is what I desire, the steel cleaving fang, the fang of the Great InuTaisho."

He blinked in a mix of surprise and disbelief. His sword, she wanted his heirloom, his Tessaiga. He almost yelled out how dare she ask for such an item, but he remembered his promise, anything, and the sword wasn't worth as much as Kagome, but, it sealed his demon nature away, it protected him and his friends. Without it, would he become some kind of beast and kill them all? Kill Kagome? That would make this all in vain, but, if he refused, Kagome would become Kikyo and this trip would have been in vain anyways. Besides, perhaps if Kagome remained as Kagome, she'd be able to make him change back without it.

"A promise," he whispered as he took hold of his sword and passed it to her, "is a promise."

She took the blade and smiled, caressing the sheath in her hands. "I shall return at dawn. See that she is awake."

He nodded and watched as she walked away, his sword in her hands.

InuYasha watched as the demon chanted over some tea in a language he didn't understand. Kagome watched too, silent. She had barely said a word since he had woken her up. Even now, she seemed half asleep, half dead as she sat in the middle of the still frigid hut. She wasn't shivering when the demon handed her the tea and told her to drink, nor as the demon chanted in that same language, shaking something like a rattle made out of some odd kind of fruit. He didn't say anything. His role was wait and watch, so he watched the demon chanting and he watched Kagome staring out at nothing. As Kagome lay down the cup of tea, the demon stopped chanting and the room, for the first time, went still. Even the fire seemed to be silent. It was another moment before a light surrounded Kagome, dark and malicious.

Kagome's eyes opened wide as a wind rose in the hut, freezing him as it blew out the fire so the only light came from her glowing eyes. Painful cries escaped Kagome, cries that seemed more tormented than angry, more sad than dangerous. As suddenly as the aura had surrounded her, it was gone, leaving them in the dark as the rain poured outside. There was just enough light for him to make out Kagome's body going limp and falling to the ground. He caught her before she hit ground as Rie started a new fire in the pit.

"It is done."

He didn't look at the demon, he didn't feel a need to look away from the still girl in his arms. "You're certain?"

"Very. The spirit was unwilling to submit, but now it is locked away. It poses no threat now."

He nodded. "Thank you."

The demon witch remained silent. "Thee may rest here until daybreak, but then thee must depart. Takumaru shall lead thee off the mountain."

She was at the door, opening it to leave them. "I'm in your debt."

She paused as her hand touched the payment he had given her. "Nay, thy debt to me has been paid. Your debt is to her. See no more misfortune comes to her. It may cause her more harm than this."

He looked up then only to find that the demon had disappeared in the rain.

Kagome looked around at her surroundings, the field full of flowers in every imaginable colour, a wooden bridge crossing over a small stream, the sky so blue, it scared her with its intensity. She was all alone in the field that seemed to go as far as the eye could see. There was noone else and nothing that broke the monotony or the silence. The wind made no sound as the grass and flowers swayed, the stream made no sound as it travelled over the rocks, there was only her breathing and her ever quickening heart beat. Not being able to take it anymore, she yelled out: "Is anybody there?"

"There is no need to yell," came a soft voice from behind her, "I am right here."

Kagome turned around in a near panic to see a woman with long black hair and a pale face. She appeared to be in her late twenties but her blue eyes glowed with a depth that could only come from hundreds of years of life. She was dressed in ancient armour, a long sword hanging at her waist and she moved with the ease of a dancer and the power of a warrior. Kagome looked at her in awe, recognizing her but unable to believe it.

"Midoriko?"