InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Darkness in the Hearts of Light ❯ Dreamers ( Chapter 5 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter Five - Dreamers

Ran’s ears perked as she canted her head into the wind and went ridged.

“What is it old girl?” The old man followed her gaze. “My senses aren’t what they used to be you know.”

Suddenly the white wolf burst into ferocious snarling, the pink of her gums flashing as every sharp tooth was bared.

The old man took a step back and called over his shoulder to his grandson.

“Kioshi! We’ve got company!”

The young man appeared through the doorway of the one-room shack.

“What’s..” He paused as a human-like form landed in their small clearing and began to approach them with the quiet confidence of a cat. His skin was as pale as the moon’s light, haloed by hair as black as night, and yet every strand reflected in it the hues of a rising storm. His ears parted his hair as their long elegant form stretched back into unusually long points. Most remarkable of all were the demons’ eyes as they danced wildly with an electric blue color and seemed to catch the light in strange and unusual ways.

Thunder rolled above where only moments ago existed sunlit skies.

“I believe you have what is mine,” he motioned with his hand towards the ramshackle hut.

“Raiju, I would never have guessed,” the old man stepped between the youkai and the small shack containing Kagome. Kioshi stepped up alongside his grandfather. “This isn’t your usual style.”

“Haru, it’s been a long time, and I see you’re still an old man.” The demon snickered darkly. “I’d have thought you’d have been long dead by now.” Raiju threw a hand dismissively out as though shooing a fly. “I would assume you’ve been nursing her back to health? I think I’ll put an end to that.” He began approaching the shack, his eyes meeting neither of the other two men’s.

Kioshi’s hackles went on edge as his fury mounted. He stepped in Raiju’s path and snarled.

“What do you want with her?”

Raiju’s eyes glimmered for a moment as the shadow of a smile passed over his lips.

“Aren’t you a brave little boy..” The youkai looked the young man over.

Infuriated, Kioshi started after Raiju but was stopped by his grandfathers’ harsh grip on his arm.

“Stand down, Kioshi. He may be more than you can handle right now. What is it you want with Kagome, Raiju?” Kioshi was careful to stay directly in Raiju’s path as the two older men spoke. He felt uneasy that his grandfather knew this demon and yet remained so calm.

“So you really don’t know who she is, do you? I thought of all people, you would sense it, Haru. She is the reincarnation of a powerful miko that once protected the sacred jewel… the Shikon no Tama.”

Kioshi looked to his grandfather. The look in his old eyes spoke of understanding but Kioshi had never heard of it.

“Shikon no Tama?” The young man furrowed his brow.

“It’s a crystal of great power, Kioshi; but it can also cause great harm when it is in the wrong hands.” Haru addressed the youkai once more. “As I had heard it, the jewel went missing 50 years ago.”

“You’ve lived a hermits life. The Shikon no Tama is back in our world. Unfortunately, that girl you have in there shattered it.”

“She must have great spiritual power then, if you are treating her so delicately, Raiju. You aren’t afraid of her, are you?”

“She has the power to purify the jewel, and with her death nothing can stand in the way of it reaching its ultimate potential.” Lightning ripped through a nearby tree as thunder roared above.

“You aren’t able to approach her, are you? Not when she is at full strength. That’s why you were attacking her from a distance. You are afraid of her.”

“I fear no one, Haru. You most of all should know that.”

Lightning tore through the air again and crashed with roaring power above. In that flash of blazing fire, Raiju moved with the swiftness of wind to pass the two men and enter the place Kagome lay sleeping with a growing fever. Neither of the two could see the youkai move; yet both sensed where he was going.

“Kagome!” with a great speed of his own, Kioshi turned and all but flew through the doorway after the demon. A sudden swell of astonishing power threw the young man from the hut as light poured through every open crevice and crack of the wooden structure with a horrible, burning intensity.

“Kioshi!” Haru rushed to his grandson’s side. Kioshi was trying to stand as the light faded and the forest fell silent. Neither had noticed as sunlight immediately began to trickle through the treetops once more.
“I’m alright, Grandfather,” Kioshi fought to stand with his grandfather’s help. “But Kagome..!” He pushed away from the old man and ran to the doorway only to find Raiju slumped and barely standing against the far wall. His arm was hidden beneath his cloak as blood slowly seeped through the woven fabric and dripped onto the dusty floor. “Ka.. Kagome?” Kioshi’s gaze fell next on her quietly sleeping form. Nothing had changed about her yet an amazing power still crackled in the air around them.

“It seems you over-estimated our young miko, Raiju.” Haru snickered with confidence.

“Raiju!” Kioshi was overcome with a sudden swell of rage as he flew into Raiju and snapped him across the face with his balled fist. The force of it almost threw the demon through the wall behind him.

“KIOSHI!” Haru looked furious. Hearing his name called distracted Kioshi for only a breath of time but Raiju took it as his opportunity to retreat. He drew what power he could through his body and leapt upwards through the roof, shattering it. Shards of wood splintered everywhere raining down with it leaves and whatever else had long been collecting on the old shack.

Snarling again, Kioshi leapt through the breech after Raiju but he was gone. “Kisama!” The young man turned from his perch on the roof to see Haru below walking from the shack towards the fire. Ran was still nowhere to be seen but he could feel his grandfathers irritation even from there. It was music he didn’t want to hear. Instead, he turned and easily leapt back through the ragged opening to see to Kagome. The sunlight poured in after him and lit the small shack overbearingly. He hadn’t noticed it before, but not a bit of the shack had been charred from her assault; it seemed as though Raiju had been the only thing damaged.

“Amazing..” he peered around but was drawn back to her as she stirred with nightmares again. Her brow was beaded over with a heavier sheen of sweat than before.

“The fever must be getting worse,” he sighed. He could feel his heart still pounding in his chest. “What are you that when even asleep you have so much power? You’re more than a miko, aren’t you?” He took a cloth from the bowl of water they had been using to cool her temperature.

Kioshi carefully wrung the cloth of water and folded it appropriately. He was a little nervous to touch her directly after what he had seen her do to Raiju. His fear was that the same might happen to him, but his concern overrode his dread as he gently sat beside her and stroked her brow with the cooling water.

He let a finger stray a touch to her skin. It was a connection as this that allowed him to peak into her dreams, but he held himself back for a moment as he looked into her closed eyes and furrowed expression. She was scalding to the touch

Without warning, she began to flail in her dreamy haze as though fighting against something or someone. The back of Kagome’s hand fiercely latched onto Kioshi’s wrist. Suddenly he was thrust into her mind with tremendous force; his heart pounded terribly as it skipped beats to match the rhythm of hers. His vision, too, began to fail as his mind incorporated itself into hers.

“Aieee!” Out of the blue, Kioshi felt a slap sting across his face.

“What was that for?” Kioshi stammered as Kagome came into view when his vision finally cleared.

“Kioshi! Ahh, sorry about that, you surprised me.” Kagome waved her hand dismissively.

The young man rubbed at his cheek vigorously to make the stinging go away.

They were sitting in a beautiful clearing where a well sat disused and overgrown. Birds were singing as though from a memory. It was all so real that Kioshi found it difficult to remember where he really was.

“I’m glad to see you are in such good spirits, considering.”

“Considering?”

He nodded. “Don’t you remember?”

She looked at him blankly for a moment.

“Eh, never mind,” he shook his head and was content to lean back onto his arms. Maybe it was better that she not know. Worrying never did anyone good, especially when they were trying to heal from such an injury as hers.

“No, tell me. I can see it in your face. Something’s wrong isn’t it?” She looked a little defiant as she crossed her arms.

“You looked like you were having a bad dream,” Kioshi tried to laugh it off but his face was reddening. Something about her made him feel comfortable as if he was where he was meant to be with her and never had to leave.

“I.. When was I asleep? I didn’t realize I had been dreaming.” Kagome looked a bit stunned.

“Eh, never mind about it. Really. It’s rather warm here, isn’t it?” Kioshi changed the subject.

“I know! It’s soo hot I really wish I could just go home and sit in the air conditioning, but for some reason the well won’t work. I can’t help but think Inuyasha had something to do with it to keep me from going home again. That selfish bastard,” she was clenching her fist.

“Air.. conditioning?” Kioshi looked puzzled.

“Oh, it’s a machine that cools the air. At this time of year its wonderful!” She let herself fall back into the grass with her arms outstretched. “Even the shade feels hot here. Its almost too much to stand,” she moaned exasperated.

“Machine?” She laughed softly at him.

“Never mind.” She lay there quietly for a bit as he watched her. “You know, you remind me a lot of Inuyasha.” Her eyes searched his kind face. “Anyway, did.. did you have something on your mind, Kioshi?” She wasn’t looking at him anymore but was instead staring up at the sky through the leaves.

“N..no. Well, I was curious about this.. Inuyasha. Who is he?”

“Inu.. Yasha..” Her eyes fell into a dreamy gaze if not a little hurt. “That’s right, somehow I forgot that you haven’t met him. Well,” she huffed a bit. “He’s a selfish jerk that only cares about using me to collect the Shikon shards.” Her eyes took on a sad expression despite her angry words.

“You.. care about him, don’t you?”

“No! Who could care about someone like him.” She turned on her side and sighed softly. Kioshi reached over and gently touched her shoulder. “First he tells me to go and then he tells me to stay. Why can’t he just make up his mind? Sometimes,” she turned her gaze to his with watering eyes, “he gets this look in his eyes with so much caring but I don’t know if it’s for me or for Kikyo.”

“I can’t see why it wouldn’t be for you.” The tenderness in his voice was unmistakable.

“Kioshi?”

His blushing was ferocious. He had to look away from her gaze.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so direct. I should go. I need to check your wounds and change the bandages anyway.” Kioshi moved to stand but Kagome’s hand suddenly reached out and grabbed his. He had forgotten himself.

“Wounds?!” A look of fear washed through her eyes.

“Yes, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say anything, but in the waking world your body was severely wounded.”

Kagome’s hand relaxed its grip on Kioshi and she looked down a little.

“I.. I think I remember a little now. That explains then why the well doesn’t work either, doesn’t it?.” She looked away. “None of this is real, is it? Then, Inuyasha didn’t rescue me this time.” The last she muttered beneath her breathe as she touched a tender point in her left shoulder and winced. “Thank you, Kioshi.” Kagome’s face remained down turned. He thought he saw the glitter of a tear falling but it was hard to tell.

The world around them began to fade into darkness gradually. The form of it was dark and deeper than night as it snuck in on cat-like feet; yet the light remained around the two as they spoke.

“The only thing we ask is that you get yourself well. You are safe here with us until then.”

“Tell me, where are we if this isn’t the ‘waking world’? Are we in a dream of some sort?”

“Well, yes, mostly. I’m surprised you figured it out so quickly. We’re in your sleeping mind, your dreams.”

“Are.. are you real then?” Her dark eyes looked into his with confusion and reached out to touch him, to see if he was whole, she was shocked when the skin of his hand felt real to her and pulled back a bit. “This.. place feels so real to me.”

He grabbed her hand into his for reassurance.

Kioshi rubbed the back of his neck with hesitance. “You’re heart is here. That’s why it’s so real to you. Dreams have their own reality as much as the waking world does.”

“Then, how can you be here? You seemed so real, or are you part of my dream, too?” Her hand was holding onto his again, squeezing tightly. Kioshi thought he could feel a slight tremble running through her as she spoke.

“I am real. Just a visitor though.” With each heartbeat he could see forms and visions surrounding them and then darkness. They were shrouded flashes of her memories.

“But, how? How’s that possible?”

“I suppose you could say that it’s an ability I was born with. But strangely, it was when you touched me that it happened. I had no power over it this time, and it’s never been this strong before. Everything here is so real. I can even feel your heart beating as if it’s my own.” He peered around as her hand fell completely away from his in her thoughtfulness. Kioshi took the opportunity to stand.

“Kagome,” Kioshi gazed down to her. “Enjoy your dreams while your body heals, alright? You can make them into whatever you want, so make them happy ones. I should go.”

“What if, what if I don’t wake up? I didn’t even know this was a dream. How will I find my way back?”

“I’ll be here to lead you. Don’t worry too much, please? It won’t help you heal if you fret too much, alright?” Kioshi’s smile was gentle as his form began to fade and return to the waking world.
“Thank you, Kioshi.” He could only barely hear her as his spirit returned to his own body.

Inuyasha sat perched on the edge of the well, peering down into it as he had so many times before.

“Do you think he’s finally going to go?” Shippo and Miroku were watching from a safely hidden position.

“I don’t know, it’s only been two days now.” Miroku stroked his chin thoughtfully. “But then again, Inuyasha is awfully impatient when it comes to Kagome.”

Shippo nodded as they both looked on intently.

Suddenly, Inuyasha cocked his head in their direction with his ear twitching.

“Iieee.. Do you think he spotted us?” Shippo’s voice was shrill in Miroku’s ear as the monk quickly slapped his hand over the kitsune’s mouth. They both watched again to see if they had been spotted.

Inuyasha turned and leapt into the well, disappearing into its depths.

“Thank goodness.” Miroku sighed with relief and set Shippo down. “Let’s keep our fingers crossed,” the monk stood and brushed himself off. “Shall we head back ourselves, then?”

“Mmhmm,” Shippo nodded looking a little happier.

“Maybe Sango will need some special care after her battle with that youkai.” Miroku had a dreamy look in his eyes as he walked on towards the village.

“You lecherous monk. Don’t you ever think about anything else?” Shippo huffed a bit with disgust.

“Mmm, Sango.” He was already lost in his dirty little dreams.

“Oy, wait for me! Miroku?!” Shippo ran after him with his small legs. “Miroku!”

A flurry of red fabric swooped down in front of Miroku with a malicious sound trailing along after it.

“Kisama! I thought I smelled the stench of a corrupt monk and flea-ridden runt. What the hell are you doing spying on me?!” Inuyasha cracked his knuckles dangerously.

“Eh heh, well, I thought you leapt into the well!” Miroku took a small step back with an appeasing smile stretched over his features.

“Don’t try and change the subject!” the hanyou snarled.

“Just go get Kagome back already, Inuyasha!” Shippo took a breath for courage and balled his fist tightly as he stepped out from behind the monk. “Why can’t you just admit that you were wrong?”

“Nani?!” Inuyasha knocked the kitsune over the head repeatedly.

“Itai!” Shippo rubbed the swollen knots on his brow. “You bastard!”

“Really now, Inuyasha. Beating on Shippo isn’t very nice.”

“Would you rather I beat on you, then?” Inuyasha cracked his knuckles again, growling.

“Ahh, no. That’s alright,” Miroku’s voice was filled with poorly hidden amusement.

“Feh! Then stop spying on me!” He leapt into the branches and was gone before Miroku and Shippo had time to catch their breath.

“What a sour mood. Maybe we shouldn’t have been spying on him, after all.” Miroku looked at Shippo with narrowed eyes. The lumps covering his little head were glowing red with pain still. “Then again, it’s so much fun to watch these things play out!” Something about his expression pissed Shippo off more than he could stand.

“Miroku!”

“Ehh, heh, gomen, gomen!” He waved his hand dismissively and walked on.

“Inuyasha, I hope you go get her soon.” His whine was soft in tone. “I miss you, Kagome.” The kitsune looked back over his shoulder towards the well again. “Stupid Inuyasha!”

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