Well, it's been a while... Here goes a new chapter.

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The demon was troubled, as he created the dream Kagome was lost in. She was a strange one, and he was having difficulty controlling her mind.

At least it had been easy to capture her. A simple illusion had drawn away the powerful demon in her company, and he had quickly accepted the fake letter as real. Once he was gone from the cave, it was a simple matter of coaxing the little girl and the toad demon into very deep sleep, and he had been able to enter quietly, slip the girl into his arms, and leave as easily as he had entered.

Kagome had first come into the demon's attention when he noticed her floating down the river, her body draped over a log and blood steadily oozing from a wound to the head. Sensing that she was still just barely alive, his interest had been piqued, and he had sent out his mind to follow her. His interest had greatly increased when she had been rescued, and much more so when he began to feel her strong emotions after she had finally awoken.

He could tell that she was a girl with love that ran deeply, and he was eager to see if he could exploit it. He saw the melancholy in her heart, her wish for one named Inuyasha to love her. Somewhere in there, possibly where even she could not see it, was a sense of bitterness toward the one she loved, as well as a certainty that she would never be as good as his former love. A certainty that no matter how she devoted her heart to him, he would never share those feelings with her.

The demon loved the thoughts that run seductively through the subconscious.

Then, as the demon watched, the girl began to have feelings for this other demon, Sesshoumaru. She found herself drawn to him, this man, who seemed distant and cold yet protected both the little girl and herself. Then the confusion of the heart began, and the demon knew that Kagome was a perfect host for him. He had protected her once himself, actually, when she had been in danger from the pig demon that held her captive. He didn't want his potential prey being killed by another demon; so he had shielded her with a wrapping of his power, which had coalesced into the form of blinding sapphire light.

Now he had her, and she was wrapped carefully within the images he fed into her dreaming mind. But she was not reacting as expected. Normally, within moments of his onslaught, the victim gave up without protest, leaving a soul wide open for the drinking. Kagome had reacted initially with despair, but it was quickly being shifted into determination. It would be hard to break this one's spirit.

Break it I shall. Then her soul will be mine... Let's take it further, shall we? Dark eyes narrowed in concentration, and the pale girl's slight frame began to tremble.

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"Kagome, what do you mean? Why do you care about finding Sesshoumaru? What you remember wasn't real," Inuyasha said, and grabbed one of Kagome's wrists.

Kagome's brown eyes widened with surprise. "Let me go, Inuyasha!" she demanded, cringing at the strength in his grip.

"I need to tell you everything that's really happened, Kagome," Inuyasha said, and scooped her up easily into his arms.

"Stop it, Inuyasha! Put me down! Si-" Before the command could be uttered that would invoke the power of the necklace about Inuyasha's neck, a clawed hand was placed firmly against Kagome's mouth. She scowled deeply.

What is going on? The whole world is going mad. Including Inuyasha. Thinking about the serious fight she remembered having with the dog demon that now carried her, she looked away from his face. The pain she had felt at his dismissal came tumbling back, and her cheeks began to blaze.

"Kagome... You know how much I love you..."

Those words flowed so easily, so simply from his mouth. They were uttered with a gentle tone, and his bright eyes were filled with concern. They were words Kagome had wished to hear from Inuyasha, some day... But was sure she never would.

Kagome stared at Inuyasha, stricken speechless. Then he was leaning toward her, and Kagome was incapable of turning her head away. Inuyasha's lips met hers in a gentle kiss. A moment that Kagome was sure she had always wanted... yet during the moment of unexpected tenderness, tears began to slip down her face.

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A little short, but still something! I know I've been neglectful, but life has been crazy lately. I'll update as often as my hectic schedule lets me! ^_^;