Chapter 7

Kagome just barely contained a whimper as her mother drove into the parking lot to the hospital. Last time she went here, the doctors gave her a vaccination shot. It was hell in that tiny room because Inuyasha had went berserk and gave one of the assistants a black eye and threatened someone's family among other things. The buildings around her still stood tall and foreboding.

"If your mother tricked us again, we're getting the hell out of here," Inuyasha promised, sitting beside her. Kagome agreed.

Seiko sighed tiredly as she parked in one of the many available parking spaces. "We're here," she said with a falsetto voice.

"I don't wanna be here though," Kagome pouted, crossing her arms.

She was quiet for a long minute. "I don't want to, either, sweetie. But we have to, today." Looking up at the rear view mirror, she smiled at her moping daughter. "Is Inuyasha here with us?"

Her eyes widened and she looked at Inuyasha's own surprised face before she nodded. "Uh-huh."

"There are..." Seiko sucked in a deep breath, " some things Papa and I have kept from you, Kagome. But things will get better."

"What kind of things?" Inuyasha asked, his brows drawing together.

"What kind of things?" Kagome repeated.

"...We'll see what we can get explained today, but you might have to wait until you're older." With that, Seiko got out of the car.

Kagome followed, confused as ever.

Inside, you could hear a pin drop. There was only one receptionist with no one in the waiting room; she typed loudly on the keys of her computer, as if she was unnerved by the silence as well.

"Hi. We have an appointment with Ms. Hidaka, today. Kagome Higurashi." Seiko politely told the receptionist.

Kagome glanced around. Everything was glaringly white with the exceptions of red signs showing various directions. One of the fluorescent lights flickered, making her sidle closer to Inuyasha's side.

"Subject number?"

Reluctantly, Seiko answered, "Four-six-three."

"Subject four-six-three..." she nodded to herself, "Up the elevator to the third floor. Room one-oh-eight."

"Thank you." Grabbing Kagome's hand, Seiko left the waiting room at a brisk pace. Kagome grabbed hold of Inuyasha's hand and just lifted her feet into the air between them, not wanting to run after them with their longer strides. Inuyasha held up most of her weight and if her mother noticed, she didn't mind.

"Lazy ass," Inuyasha told her with a lighthearted sneer to which Kagome just grinned.

The elevator went up smoothly and Kagome dropped to her own feet, still holding both hands. When the elevator doors slid open, it was like they were in a different building. The walls were painted in lavender with various paintings decorating it and the furniture laid out in the hallway- chairs, small tables, vases, and such- were a pleasant peach color. There were a couple of people sitting in chairs outside of various rooms, looking about the same age as her mother. A woman waited outside of one of the rooms looking in their direction. Her blue eyes were stern on them and it made Kagome glance away.

"Miss Kikyou Hidaka?" Seiko held her hand out. "Thank you-"

"There's no need," the woman, Kikyou, replied with a hand raised. "It was our fault to begin with. There's no telling what could happen when raised outside these walls."

"...Yes," Seiko agreed hesitantly.

"So... little Kagome," Kikyou smiled at her. "You probably don't remember me at all. You were a baby when we first met. How is your 'Schizophrenia'?"

Kagome shook her head in confusion, gripping Inuyasha's hand tighter.

Her eyes followed along her arm to the hand that held someone firmly. "Can you introduce me to your friend?"

"Um, h-he's Inuyasha," Kagome said shyly.

Kikyou held out a pale hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Inuyasha."

When Inuyasha stared at it weirdly, Kagome nudged him. "She wants to shake your hand," she stage whispered to him.

He hesitated, releasing Kagome's hand as he hovered near Kikyou's. Their hands touched and Inuyasha's eyes widened when she gripped his firmly and shook it. "I can... touch her..."

Kikyou's smile softened. "Unfortunately, I can't hear or see you, yet. But that will come with time."

Seiko finally spoke, "Ms. Hidaka, Inuyasha has been with Kagome since she was able to talk. I'm still wondering if he's dangerous to Kagome or not..."

Kikyou released Inuyasha's hand. "Well, it's natural for a mother to feel that way, but I can assure you that Inuyasha isn't hostile, especially not to Kagome."

"There were so many 'accidents' this past year..." Seiko drifted off, worry marring her features.

"Come into my office, we'll talk more in there." Kikyou stepped aside to let them in, shutting the door behind them. "I've been keeping records, myself. If anything, Inuyasha is extremely protective of Kagome. It wouldn't be wise to distrust that."

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed, finally able to shake off his surprise. The office kept the same style as the hallway, with the exception of a large, cherry oak desk sitting in the back of the room and plushy-looking, navy chairs sitting in front of it. Three windows lined the back wall, draped with thin, peach-colored curtains and giving the room more light than it needed. A bookshelf stood off to the side, filled with various thick novels and self-help books. On the other side, a blue reclining chair meant for laying down with pictures of Kikyou's family and her degrees hung on the wall.

Kikyou took a seat at her desk and motioned for them to sit in the chairs provided in front of the desk. Inuyasha decided to lay back in the chair off to the side, crossing his arms under his head as Kagome plopped onto one of the chairs nearest to him.

"It's safe to assume that Inuyasha is her first 'imaginary' friend. Otherwise, Kagome most-likely wouldn't be sitting here," Kikyou told them, organizing the mountain of paperwork on her desk. "Honestly, it wasn't wise of my subordinates to test the outside world with our research, especially with one like Kagome."

"Oi, Kagome," Inuyasha called out, "Tell her to start explaining. I ain't getting any of this."

Kagome nodded and relayed his message to Kikyou, who looked thoughtful.

"Forgive me. We also shouldn't have left you in the dark all this time," Kikyou murmured. "You see, this research facility examines the impossible and we do are best to make it possible. Supernatural myths and legends intrigue us to challenge ourselves. Our superior believes that the world could be much more interesting and helpful if there were a few... abnormal things in life. Kagome, your father worked here as one of the assistants. He was probably the most enthusiastic and most dedicated of us all. He gave us you...

"Your official name here is Subject 463, otherwise known as 'The Dreamer', capable of making beings of any sort come to life. With this operation, we decided to let you live outside these walls- to see how our subjects could cope in a normal life. We thought that it would be okay, as long as we diagnosed you with a mental illness to explain to the normal people of society. Unfortunately, you were the wrong choice. Children can be influenced so much outside," Kikyou smiled, "It's why that creature lived under your bed. You must have watched a horror movie or ate sweets late at night, forcing your imagination into overdrive and spawning it under your bed, where you feared a monster would get you."

"So every time you had a bad nightmare," Inuyasha mumbled, "A demon was born."

"But what about Inuyasha?" Seiko asked, "You said Kagome wouldn't be able to 'dream' these things until she was older-"

"If she was left here," Kikyou said in a firm tone. "As I said, Kagome would be inspired more often to create creatures of her imagining outside the institute. We warned you so." She looked back at Kagome, "Before Inuyasha appeared, what was it that you thought about?"

"Um..." Kagome struggled to remember. Inuyasha had been with her for at least a year now. She remembered being scared to death when she woke to him right in her face. It had been around the time they have been moving a lot because... "Papa..." Her father had left her mother a couple months prior. Without the money he brought home, they have been forced to move away.

"I see..." Kikyou grabbed a pen and wrote something down on a piece of scrap paper. "It's too bad your father quit his job here. Now, I might not be completely accurate but I am thinking that Inuyasha was created to replace her father. Losing a parent so suddenly would be traumatic for any child. Kagome had wanted him back, and her imagination at this time would be completely active. Yes... Inuyasha was created right at the moment Kagome missed him most."

Seiko was silent, tears filling her gaze though she blinked them away rapidly.

"Now then, as Kagome gets older, depending on how strong she believes in her own imagination. Inuyasha will start becoming more visible and solid. Very soon, he will become real, a permanent fixture in life. Miss Higurashi, if that happens, I want you to bring Kagome back immediately. As of now, our company is forming a little base for our subjects to live freer with their family, if they wish. I'm sure it will be completed before Inuyasha becomes a reality."

Kagome glanced back at Inuyasha to find him hanging on every word, eying Kikyou with his natural distrust, but hope etched in his features. She smiled, happy for him.

"But," Kikyou slid the scrap paper she's been writing on to her mother. "It's only if Kagome continues to believe strongly in Inuyasha's existence. For the nuisances that come up, I've prescribed a special medicine that can be retrieved in the lobby. The pills, if taken regularly, should make the newest creations vanish."

"Thank you, Miss Hidaka," Seiko murmured, accepting the slip and standing.

Kikyou smiled at the both of them. "It's been an honor finally meeting with you all. I hope to see you, Inuyasha, next time we meet."

A/N: EXPLANATIONS HAVE FINALLY BEEN TOLD! I bet you're all glad for that. Also, we will be skipping through time to Kagome's teenage years next chapter. I know all of you wanted Kagome to be diagnosed with Schizo this chapter but I just couldn't work it out. So, you get this.

Warm-Amber92: Shh, keep it to yourself~

vampireinu95: I'm pretty sure I answered your question this chapter :)

j . wintercrow: Why didn't you tell me you couldn't see your username down here? I went back and fixed it.

Only two reviews this time ;_; is it because I was late last night? I'm sorry. I published this chapter earlier than usual because of that.

FxA