A/N: I like this chapter it practically wrote itself. The Italics in this chapter represent dreams.
No Sesshy in this one but there is someone else yay!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the laptop in which I write these stories with.
Ari groaned as she awoke she felt the soft grass beneath her hands and a small smile escaped her as she opened her eyes and saw the clear skies above her. She slowly got to her feet and wiggled her bare feet in grass, she spread her arms wide and twirled, a bubble of laughter escaping her as her green dress swirled round her ankles. Wait, dress she wasn't wearing a dress before was she? Before? Before what? Who was she? She had a vague idea in her mind but it was fuzzy and every time she thought she had the answer it slipped from her. She saw a stream not too far away and rushed towards it keen to see her reflection and looking at her reflection she saw the familiar green eyes, long jet black hair, pale complexion and full red lips. What was unusual though was the unfamiliar circlet adorning her head it was gold in colour and twisted in a loop on her forehead and resting in that loop was a glittering emerald.
"Princess!" A voice shouted and Ari turned towards it running over the hill was a pretty young woman with medium length hair. She was wearing a battle uniform and attached to her back was a broadsword. "There you are Princess, I have been looking all over for you?"
"Do you mean me?" Ari asked uncertain. "Where am I? Who are you?"
"Did you fall and hit your head?" The woman asked.
"I think I must have." Ari said looking around her she noticed that the area where she had woken up was dark and distorted. Absently she began walking towards it only to be pulled back by the woman.
"I am Katrina your bodyguard and you are Princess Arianna of the mortal realm." The woman, Katrina, told Ari.
"Arianna yes that is my name," Ari said thoughtfully. "It seems familiar to me."
"Come Princess I must escort you back to the palace, your father will be worried sick." Katrina said and pulled Ari back the way she had come from and onto a horse. "We must have your head looked at too."
"What is that place?" Ari said pointing to the darkness and just for a moment she thought she saw a flash of brilliant gold.
"Nothing, that place is nothing." Katrina said hurriedly and guided her horse back along the road.
When they entered the palace grounds Ari saw a man standing in front of the castle. A castle flashed in her mind, an enchanted ceiling, an old talking hat and twinkling blue eyes. Blinking she focused back on the man who had descended the steps upon their arrival and helped her dismount the horse. He had a crown upon her head with the same emeralds as the one in her circlet; Ari assumed that this was her father.
"My darling daughter you have returned to me at last." He said with a boisterous laugh and hugged her but Ari was confused.
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" She asked.
"Dead good heavens not for many more years I hope." The King said.
"Your Highness, the Princess has had a fall and seems to have lost her memories." Katrina said bowing.
"Is that so? Katrina take Arianna to her room I will send for the physician." Katrina did as ordered and pulled a rather confused Ari to her room.
When Ari entered the room she felt out of place, it was a lavish room decorated in the finest of materials. The bed frame was made of solid oak and the bed itself was decorated with the finest furs. Fur, she remembered running her hand through fur, she remembered it wrapping around her when she slept in the lap of...she couldn't remember. There were fur rugs all over the room and a soft looking chair next to a bookcase, a vanity with a large mirror, a writing desk. So many things, so big. Small, a cupboard, clothing too big, a small child was it her? Ari stumbled back and into Katrina who gently took hold of her head and lead her to the bed.
"You will probably feel better when the physician arrives and you have a nice long sleep."
Ari laid on the bed and stared up at the canopy of her bed, the physician came and went telling her to get plenty of rest and soon she would remember. She soon fell to sleep.
Dear Miss Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
A bank loomed before the small child all crooked like it would fall over...
OoO
"Gringotts the wizard bank, ain't no safer place 'cept perhaps 'Ogwarts 'O course." It was a giant that spoke.
Enter stranger but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
OoO
"Do you mind," A ginger haired boy said motioning to the seat opposite her.
"Not at all." She replied.
"I'm Ron by the way Ron Weasley."
"I'm Arianna, Arianna Potter."
OoO
"You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others Potter..."
"You would do great you know it's all here in your head and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness there's no doubt about that...No?...Well if your sure better be GRYFFINDOR!"
OoO
It had been a week since Ari had woken in this strange place with no memories and she had been stuck in the same routine. Get up, bathe, eat breakfast, sit at court, walk in the gardens, eat lunch, play chess with dad, watch soldiers train, eat dinner, read a book, go to sleep. Sleep is what scared and thrilled her the most the nightmares would come then or where they memories? Memories of what? She was a Princess not this girl-who-lived right? But they looked so similar how could that girl not be her? But there was no Dark Lord was there? Then why was she here? Only her dreams would answer that question, it seemed every night she dreamed she would get back a year of this other her. She prepared for bed that night with a sense of anticipation and closing her eyes she wondered what she would see tonight.
OoO
She was flying on a motorcycle the giant Hagrid beside her, flashes of light, masked men.
Hedwig dying
"It's her we've found her."
OoO
A wedding, laughter, happiness
"They are coming run...they are coming"
OoO
A locket, anger, hate.
A lake, the sword, Ron, destruction of the locket.
Captured, Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix
"It's her, call him Lucius." Darkmark, Dobby, A thrown knife.
OoO
"We need to break into Gringotts and you're going to help us."
"It's the Gemino curse everything you touch multiplies."
"Ari can you see it"
There the cup it calls out in a strange tongue.
A dragon.
OoO
Hogsmeade, alarms, Aberforth, Portraight. Hogwarts
"The consequences will be severe."
"You seem to have a severe breach in security."
The doors open, Order of Phoenix.
Battle
Diadem, cursed fire, boat house, snape, memories.
"You kept her alive so she could die at the right moment."
"Arianna Potter the girl-who-lived come to die"
"Do not pity the dead Arianna, pity the living."
"It's your choice."
OoO
It's over good won.
"Congratulations on passing the Healer exams."
"I'm leaving, I wish to go to Japan."
OoO
The Well.
The boy with the dog ears, Inuyasha.
An evil sword, Tokijin.
A male with strange markings on his face and golden eyes, Sesshoumaru.
OoO
A kiss, passionate and heated, soft and lingering.
"Lord Fluffy Jackass"
"Why did you leave me again?"
"I didn't do it on purpose."
OoO
The sword of Gryffindor went clattering across the ground.
"Would you like to see what else I have been developing."
A phial with liquid in it.
Hard to breath.
Swallow.
Darkness.
OoO
Ari awoke, sitting bolt upright she panted. She remembered everything, she had to leave, she had to get back.
Sesshoumaru.
She needed Sesshoumaru but she knew this time he wouldn't be coming. No, this time she would save herself. She gasped when a figure appeared through the shadows and would have screamed if it hadn't been for those golden eyes peering at her.
"Sesshoumaru?" She said desperately.
"No but you were close." The figure stepped into the moonlight and Ari gasped, this male looked like a perfect mix between Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha.
"Inu-no-Taisho." Ari breathed out amazed.
"Second time's a charm, but you may call me Toga." He replied grinning. "I will answer all of your questions once we are away from here."
Ari quickly changed throwing on the green dress she had worn when she awoken on the field. She allowed Toga to pull her out of her room and down the stairwell. Getting out of the palace was easy, it was once they got the wall leading out of the palace where they encountered the problems.
"Seize them." Ordered the King and the soldiers swarmed out to surround them, Toga growled and slowly drew the So'unga its aura pulsing with evil intent. Toga was quick to deal with the soldiers and picking Ari up around the waist he jumped up and over the wall. He ran fast and everything around them blurred but Ari realised he was taking back to the grassy field she had awoken in, he set her down once he arrived.
"You not pass." Katrina said blocking the way out she held up her broadsword and Toga once again unsheathed So'unga. They engaged in a fierce battle and Ari was left amazed at the sheer skill displayed. "You know full well that you are at a disadvantage being in this realm."
"Indeed, but I will fight and win because I will not allow to ruin the one chance my son has at happiness." Toga growled savagely as his sword clashed with Katrina's once again.
"Expelliarmus." Ari shouted pushing her hand in Katrina's direction pray desperately that it would work. To her utter happiness it did work and Katrina's sword went flying away and Toga took advantage of the opportunity to thrust his sword into her chest.
Toga grabbed Ari's hand and led her to the dark place she had seen the previous week and together the stepped through to the other side. Once they were safely through Ari turned and looked back at the place that had been her home for the past week and gasped. Everything was dead and sinister, the trees had no leaves and the branches were sharpened to deadly point, the grass was decayed and mangled. The stream in which she had seen her reflection was a stream filled with blood.
"You see that realm as it truly is now." Toga said softly. "Come we must talk."
Ari nodded as she followed him into a hallway and hearing a door close behind her she saw that the way she had come was now locked. Toga lead her into a study and motioned for her take a seat he took the other, Ari sat and let out a small groan at the softness of the chair. It was like sitting on a cloud or at least she imagined this was what a cloud would feel like. She stared at Toga for awhile, he looked so regal sat reclining in the chair and she could easily see where Sesshoumaru got his kingly aura from.
"You can ask me the questions I know are burning inside you little one."
"What was that place?" She asked.
"That was the dream realm, it takes your dreams and allows you to live them out until you get so comfortable you don't even realise you have become a prisoner and once you do it's too late. The 'King' takes your soul and either devours it or forces the victim into a life of servitude." Toga replied.
"How come I went there?"
"When Naraku made you swallow the sedative it had some unforeseen side effects. Your body rejected it and in a burst of wild magic your body disappeared from Mt. Hakurei and ejected your soul to keep you safe until your body recovers. You were sent to the dream realm because you were unprepared for your soul to be ejected so harshly and latched onto the nearest realm with living beings in it."
"So where is my body? And where is Death?"
"I do not know where your body is but Death is currently protecting it whilst it heals. He sent me as his replacement because whilst I am someone you would recognise I am not known to you. I have become your...shall we say guardian angel for the lack of a better term and that position can't be filled by someone you know."
"So where am I now?"
"You are in a safe house within the spirit realm. The house leads to all the other realms, but for cases like yours it was specially designed, for you are neither dead nor living at the moment and so you do not belong in any of the realms."
"When will I go back?"
"It will take some time for your body to recuperate but whilst you are here you are going to train with your sword."
"Are you going to train me? How can I train if I don't have the sword with me?"
"I am not going to train you little one the previous master of the sword is and the sword is always with you dear girl, you need only call for it."
"Do you know how Sesshoumaru is?" Ari asked blushing lightly.
"He is my son how could I not?" Toga replied. "He is searching for you with the physical sword of Gryffindor as his guide he is bound to find you is he not?"
"Yeah I'm sure he will." Ari replied with a smile.
"He cares for you greatly," Toga said smiling. "I thought he would always be doomed to a life of loneliness but then you became his shining star. I never thought it would be a human who taught my son to love, but I suppose that's fate's way in creating irony. You are perfect for him, you complement each other so well."
"He's a possessive jackass most of the time."
"Yes I suppose he is," Toga said with a rumbling laugh. "But can you really blame him? You are beautiful, powerful, honourable and not afraid to stand up to him if you were around in my time I would have snapped you up a lot quicker than my eldest has. He is much more possessive with you than with anyone else because he wishes to mate you and to an Inuyoukai their mates or potential mates come first. He'll get even worse when you're carrying his pups."
"You say that like it's just going to happen." Ari said blushing madly.
"Oh little one you truly are innocent, I never seen my son not get anything he doesn't want and I can honestly say he wants you more than he has wanted anything before." Toga laughed at Ari's blushing face. "Now there are a few people who want to talk to you before you start your training."
Ari heard the door open behind them and turning to peer round the chair she gasped in surprise.
"Mum? Dad? Sirius? Is that really you?"
A/N: So the ending was a little predictable but she's in the spirit world of course she is going to run into her parents.
Did the me entering Toga into the picture surprise you? Or did you guess it was going to happen?
Please review