Hey everyone. I think I'm back on the ball for now, and hopefully won't leave you all hanging again. Apparently this story got nominated for the best portrayal of Kagome at A Single Spark Awards. Thanks to whomever it was! I got an email about it, and it made me feel bad for not updating very often. ^_^; Behold, the power of guilt! Hehe. Thanks for reading and reviewing, and I hope you all enjoy the next chapter!
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My protector. My friend. A person I care deeply for. A person who would never admit to having any such feelings in return, for after loving once before, all he found in it was disaster.
Here I am involved in a moment… A moment I might have once blushed at the thought of, and wondered with some hope if it could ever happen. I'm the center of his attention, and he has said the words I never would have thought him capable. This moment I am in his arms, and his expression is one of tender love. A moment that lasted no longer than the playful wink of an eye, but with far greater lasting effect…
Kagome did not react with joy. She was confused, hurt, and most of all, she did not want to be in Inuyasha's arms. She couldn't control the tears that escaped.
Her reaction was swift, and occurred before anything remotely resembling rational thought could begin to process through her mind. She pulled away from the embrace and gave Inuyasha a solid strike to the head. He blinked with almost comical surprise.
"Let me go!" Kagome yelled, and tried to wriggle out of his grasp.
Inuyasha's grip tightened and Kagome yelped in pain. Her eyes widened with fear and alarm. "You're hurting me! Let me go," she pleaded once more, cringing as his claws pierced her side.
"But, Kagome, why? Don't you love me?" Yellow eyes reflected innocence and surprise at her protests.
Kagome remembered the last conversation they had shared, with Sesshoumaru not that far away. She had wanted Inuyasha to tell her that he cared about her, and that was why he had searched for her, and protected her all this time. His response had left her hurt and greatly angered.
"Well, ah, I, how else would I find the Shikon shards?" he finally managed to say.
Wrong answer, Inuyasha. I should have known. I didn't know it would hurt this much, but he'll never admit to having any other reason for caring, will he? I should have known. Wrong answer… The sorrow came, unbidden and uncontrollable. Kagome stared down at the ground, and her tears fell silently upon the grass. Sunlight struck and danced upon them as they fell, and they glittered happily.
Kagome shook her head at the memory, and at the Inuyasha that held her now. "You're not Inuyasha. You're NOT INUYASHA! Sit! Sit! SIT! " she screamed desperately.
There was no reaction to her words. No glow of an active spell about Inuyasha's neck, no sudden plunge into the ground.
What's happening?! Kagome fought fiercely, becoming a blur of angry feet and balled fists. Finally she was released, and she fell to the ground in a painful heap. She felt the warmth of blood at her side and back, where Inuyasha had gripped her.
"Kagome…?" Inuyasha was looking down at her with a hurt, troubled expression.
Kagome turned away from the confused face of "Inuyasha" and stumbled away into the forest.
"Sango! Miroku! Shippou! Help me!" Kagome cried, running heedlessly through the underbrush.
Her friends did not respond. "Please!" she cried, wide eyes darting as she searched for them.
As she ran, the trees around her blurred into unrecognizable shapes just beyond her teary vision. She let out a sob of fear and confusion, unable to articulate her despair in any other way. Fearing a pursuit, she ran with a frenzied desperation, arms over her head as she tried to deflect the low hanging branches that seemed to be reaching out to grab at her.
Oh, God. I'm in another world, Kagome thought. And it's all crashing down on me…
She stumbled over the protruding root of a tree and fell solidly to the ground.
Or else I'm losing my mind. The tree branches nodded in silent agreement as Kagome pulled herself back up and began to run once more.
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Sesshoumaru found Rin and Jaken still fast asleep, and Kagome missing. Her bow and arrows rested peacefully against the cave wall, the bag that was a gift from the strange old woman abandoned on the floor. Her clothes were still laid out to dry.
Sesshoumaru stood over the slumbering toad demon. "Jaken," he said, and received a loud snore in response. He promptly gave his servant a swift kick to the head.
"GAH! Er, ah! Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken scrambled quickly to his feet, rubbing at the lump that was growing on his head. He blinked and looked about the cave blearily.
"What happened?" Sesshoumaru asked him, poised to deliver another blow.
"I don't know, Lord Sesshoumaru! Earlier I felt more tired than I ever had before, and I couldn't stop myself. I fell asleep," Jaken replied, his large yellow eyes full of confusion.
"Sesshoumaru… Where is Kagome? Why are her clothes still here?" Rin sat up, rubbing at her eyes.
"Jaken, stay with Rin," Sesshoumaru ordered, noticing that the little girl was still sniffling.
"But Lord Sesshoumaru-" Jaken began to protest. Sesshoumaru silenced him with a dark stare.
"Are you going to get Kagome?" Rin asked him, looking up at him hopefully.
"Yes, Rin. Stay here and rest," he told her. Rin nodded and immediately laid back down, reassured that her Sesshoumaru would take care of everything.
Sesshoumaru gathered up Kagome's clothes, as well as her bow and arrows before leaving without another word, his ire increasing by the moment. The entire situation left him none too pleased. He had been tricked, and Kagome had been spirited away during his absence. He could find no scent or trace of her abductor or where she had been taken. Once he was out of the cave, Kagome's scent seemed to disappear.
The demon lord could only think of one possibility…
A few minutes later…
The old house was cluttered, yet still clean. Somehow there seemed to be a method among the madness of bottles, bowls, and strange artifacts that adorned shelves and tables alike. Sunlight peered through a window, providing warmth for an old dog deep in slumber. Something boiled in a large pot, and the scent of lavender permeated the entire house.
"Well, I did give a warning. I thought I sensed the gripping of a demon around her heart. If he has taken her, her mind and soul belong to him now," the old woman said, shaking her head mournfully.
"What sort of demon is it?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"A demon that feeds on human souls. When the heart of a mortal is confused or dying, he enters the mind and takes over dreams. He turns the confusion to despair, using manipulations of emotion and thought to break the human of all hope. Once this happens, the soul is left bare, and he consumes it." She bowed her head. "Kagome is surely in great pain."
Sesshoumaru's jaw clenched slightly. "How do I find it then? It leaves no scent behind," he asked quietly.
"He barely exists on this physical plane of existence, so he is difficult to detect," she said, rubbing thoughtfully at an ear, faded blue eyes crinkled slightly.
"That is not helpful," Sesshoumaru replied flatly, beginning to grow impatient.
"Hmm, hmmm. I might know a way. But tell me, why is a powerful demon lord so interested in saving a simple human girl?" The old woman crossed her arms and gave him an almost stern look.
Sesshoumaru returned the look, frowning at her.
"Ah, as good a display of emotion as I expected! I fear that your fatherly tendencies toward the little girl Rin has left you capable of other emotions as well. If you do care for Kagome, the chances of you saving her are greatly improved. I wouldn't be surprised if you were one of the factors the demon is using against Kagome… I will give you a talisman that will help you to find her." She opened a large chest and began to rummage. A series of clanks, rumbles, and squeaks erupted as she dug through who-knows-what during her search. She finally pulled out a small blue stone that seemed to shine with a faint sapphire light.
"This stone contains a sealed demon of dreams, also known as the master of dreams, or a sandman. Concentrate your own power upon it, and it will help you sense where Kagome and the demon are. He will be too occupied with Kagome's dreams to attack you, but if he senses you he will double his attack on her and try to consume her soul before you can save her. The stone will help you get inside of Kagome's dream, where you must convince her to wake up. You must be careful, for if you press her too hard her mind could shatter along with the dream. If you manage to release Kagome from his grip, his physical form will manifest. It can only be destroyed by being purified or sealed." The old woman placed the stone in Sesshoumaru's clawed hand.
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Thanks for reading and for all the great reviews!