Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha and co. I don't own any of the songs that I put into the story, except on cd's. But I do own Shiori, Miyu & Koshin Hakogami, Kil Kai-another snow demon from feudal times & Aisu-female snow demon from feudal times, they are all mine.
AN: " " is speaking, ' ' is thought
AN. As the Slacker, I'd like to say sorry for the delay. I've been very busy. And it's hard to find time to write. Thanks for being patient with me. I hope you guys like this, I'm having a little difficulty with some of the parts of the this story & my editor is slacking. And thanks to those that read & review. The reviews mean a lot.
Now on with the show.
Glossary:
youkai-demon
inu-youkai-dog demon
ningen-human
ookami-wolf demon
osuwari-sit
aisu-ice
Chapter 15: Meeting in Dreams
About two hours after Sesshomauru, Rin and Kil Kai left, Shiori returns from her flight. She lands in the clearing where her cousin and new friends were sleeping. The only person who notices her return is Inu Yasha, who wakes up as soon as she lands.
He waits till she has transformed back to her human appearance, before asking, "So, where did you go?"
She just smiles. "What are you my mother, now? Don't worry, Mom, I didn't go too far and no one saw me." She then grabbed her sleeping bag and unrolled it. She stretched out on her back and looked at the stars.
"How close are you to Kagome?" Inu Yasha asked, quietly from over her left shoulder. He'd jumped down from the tree so he could talk without waking the others.
Shiori turned her head and looked him straight in the eye. "Very close, but I think you have a reason for asking that question so let me ask one: How much do you care for her? I know about the previous miko in your life. I want to know what are your feelings for the one in you life now. I need to know what you plan to do."
Inu Yasha swallowed loudly, but he never took his eyes off of hers. He didn't answer right away, he sat and thought carefully.
Shiori could see thoughts and emotions fly across his face and eyes. She could tell that he was thinking about his feelings. She waited patiently for him to answer.
He then concentrated on Shiori and answered. "I love Kagome. I love her with all my heart. I just don't know how to tell her. I don't know what would happen if I tell her."
"You're also afraid that she would reject you," Shiori stated, kindly. "You also think that you're not good enough for her."
He hung his head and hid his eyes under his bangs. "Yeah," he said quietly.
Shiori smiled, "Don't worry about her response. She loves you, Inu Yasha."
His head snapped up to stare at her in surprise.
"I could see it and so can your friends. Also, if you're worried about the whole half-breed thing not making you good enough for her, well, you don't have to worry. As long as you love her, treat her right and stick by her, you're good enough. Trust me, our family will not give a damn about your pedigree," the last was said with a big grin.
Inu Yasha was quiet for a few seconds to let what Shiori just said sink in. Then he was wearing a big grin. "Yeah, I guess my pedigree is not important." The grin slowly disappeared. "Does she really love me?"
"Yes, you twit. She loves you. She wants to be with you, but she doesn't want to pressure you. She's afraid that you only see her has a replacement for the other woman. She doesn't think that you see her for herself. You should talk to her soon," Shiori advised.
He nodded his head, "I think you're right. I will, and thanks." He went back to his tree, but before jumping back to his branch, he looks at a sleeping Kagome as if he would memorize her face.
Shiori smiles and stretches back out on her sleeping bag. She begins to doze and soon dreams.
At this time in the Western Lands:
It was with that last image that Sesshomauru sat straight up in bed. It was still night out, with a waxing moon. "What the hell?!! What is going on?" He laid there for a moment, trying to figure out what was happening.
Sesshomauru got out of bed and walked to his balcony. He was wearing a pair of sapphire silk pants, no shirt covering his muscled chest. He walked out onto the balcony, being bathed by the moonlight. He looked like a god cast in silver as he surveyed his lands. Then, turning his face up to the moon, asked, "What does this dream mean? Why am I even dreaming about this woman and as a child? It makes no sense."
He was talking to himself, something he rarely does, that is how intrigued he was. He stood there for a few minutes more and decided he would not get any answers tonight, so he walked back to bed. He lays down and in no time he's asleep. And dreaming again of a fiery, blue eyed, half-breed.
Back at the clearing:
Shiori woke laying in a sunny meadow with a lagoon and waterfall. She sat up with a smile. She was wearing a blue two piece bathing suit, her hair down almost to her waist. She stands up and sees her friends in the lagoon. She waves to them and they wave back.
She was about to join her friends, when she noticed a tall figure dressed in white standing under a nearby tree. She becomes defensive, feeling her powers come to her call, when the wind blows the stranger's scent her way. She freezes. 'What the hell?' She slowly begins to relax. 'What is he doing here?!'
The tall figure sees that he has been noticed and begins to walk towards Shiori. It is definitely a he, because of the line of broad shoulders and the way he walks.
But Shiori didn't need to see his face to know who was walking towards her. "Sesshomauru, what are you doing here? Or are you just a figment of my imagination?"
Sesshomauru stops a few yards away from Shiori, trying not to be shocked by her clothing or in his opinion, lack of. He looks around for a brief moment before answering. "I wish I knew, Shiori. I seem to be walking in your dreams tonight. Or maybe, you are walking in mine."
She crosses her arms under her chest and glares. "This is my dream. Or I should say, memory. I don't see anything of yours here. So, if you please, tell me what is going on?"
He growls, "If I knew that, I would not be here. I would have left before you detected me." He is aggrevated that he does not have any idea of what is going on. Plus, he's aggrevated to the fact that he can't help but notice her body in the two piece. How could the great Ice Prince sink so low as to notice a half-breed female?
Shiori sat down on the grass and began to think. The image of her friends from home began to fade, leaving Sesshomauru and Shiori alone.
Sesshomauru remains standing, not looking at her.
She looks up at him, "Why don't you sit down and we can try to figure out what is going on?"
Without looking at her, Sesshomauru counters, "Why don't you put on more appropriate attire or is this normal where you come from?" He managed to sound a bit rude.
Shiori looks up at him and then scowls. Before his eyes, her clothes change into a pair of shorts and short sleeved midriff. "Is that better?" She asked, with a bit of bite of her own.
"Not really, but I suppose it would do," he countered, rudely.
"Thank you so much," she snarled.
This caught the taiyoukai by surprise. "For what?" he asked, a bit haughty.
"For reminding me why I shouldn't tolerate male youkai's but of killing them." With that, she stood up in one graceful move and paced to the edge of the lagoon. She took a deep breath and then turned. "There has to be some reason for you to be in my dreams. If we can find out why, then we can keep it from happening again." She added mentally to herself, 'And hopefully, I can keep the dream you from ever returning to me either.'
He walked towards her with his usual stoic mask on. "What reason could there possibily be for me to be in your dreams?"
"Well, if I knew that, then I would have already corrected the problem and evicted your ass out of my mind. But unfortunately, I don't know, if you do, then please enlighten me," she snapped back. Shiori really got tired of jerks, human or otherwise.
"You know you have a bad attitude. It's very unbecoming in a female," he bit back, trying to insult her. He was off the mark on that one.
Shiori just laughed in his face. When she stopped, she said, "What? You think I give a damn about your opinion?! Oh, you are a class act. But, seriously, why don't you leave and I'll ask around about how to keep you out of my head. And how to stay out of yours. Deal?"
Sesshomauru thought about this. He growled because he does not take orders from anyone, least of all an arrogant, outspoken, female hanyou who's beginning to get under his skin. He then smiled a little evil smile. "I'll agree on one condition."
Shiori was looking at the taiyoukai with barely veiled supicision. "Tell me the condition and I'll let you know."
"Very wise, but not to worry. The condition shouldn't be too terrible," he smirked.
"Yeah, right. Just get on with it, the foreplay is getting old."
"Fine, I'll leave tonight, if you spar with me the next time we meet," he stated.
"And what are the stakes?"
He began to walk away from the lagoon. He stopped and turned back, "I'll think on them and let you know." With that, he began to fade.
At the Western Palace:
Lord Sesshomauru was waking up with a smile on his face. "I'll definitely think about the stakes and you will lose, little hanyou. I won't let you beat me, and I will get you out of my head and my dreams." He then got out of bed and began to head towards the baths. He actually had a smile on his face, anticipating the match to come.
AN: Well, hope you guys like this chapter. And again, I'm so sorry that I have been slacking on updating. I admit that is was because of a bit of writer's block and because I got so caught up in reading the other wonderful stories on this website. How do you guys like it so far? Please read & review. Or I won't write any more!!! just kidding, please review.
I would like to thank my wonderful editor, ninjawarrior4life, my bro. glad you like it.
And thanks to everyone who has been reading this story from the beginning when I first started posting it. And to those who read and like it.
THX to all my readers.
