InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dream a Little Dream of Me ❯ Breathe, Just Breathe ( Chapter 2 )

A/N:

 

Inu-Kaglover: Thanx for the review! Don't worry, the rest of the characters will be in the story. Inuyasha will be getting there soon - you get a glimpse of him in this chapter - and Shippo still a little while later. The rest may not come in for a while, but they'll be there.

 

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Disclaimer: No, he ain't mine. But personally, I think Rumiko's doing a pretty good job with him, so I'm okay with that…for now…muahahahaha.

 

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Chapter 2: Breathe, Just Breathe

 

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Kagome's senses were still overwhelmed as she awoke. She focused on the only thing she could distinguish among the myriad of things battling for her attention.

 

She heard crackling.

 

Trying to get up, she found her arms were too weak to support her weight. The crackling and popping grew louder and she began to hear voices. She began to panic as she realized she couldn't see.

 

Fighting the darkness that surrounded her she started struggling and lashing out with what little energy she had - and in her struggle her eyes popped open. With a grunt she flopped herself down flat on her back. She brought a hand to her forehead, “Please tell me I didn't just think I had gone blind because my eyes were still closed,” she groaned. As she turned her face it came to rest in the soft futon - wait - FUTON?!

 

That brought the jolt of energy she was looking for. The quick beat of her heart was all she heard as she began to scan the room, above all looking for any sign of her friend. Her breathing became more rapid as she looked over the room a second time, her eyes coming to rest on a dark corner. A deep sigh of relief flooded her entire being as she realized Sango was still with her, deep in sleep on her own futon.

 

Kagome crept over to her, keeping as quiet as possible. She had no idea what was in store for them, so she figured it best to let Sango sleep while she could.

 

The shadows played across Sango's face, dancing along her dark features. In the quick moments of light Kagome thought that Sango's skin looked slightly reddened, as if she had been exposed to a prolonged heat - but then the shadows would cover her face again and the glimpse would be gone. She had a feeling she was supposed to know something about that, but she couldn't remember yet.

 

Just then she heard the crackling again. The force of the sound overtook her senses, until she almost could not see Sango in front of her anymore.

 

Quietly she got up and tried to discern the source of the sound. It was coming from outside the room, along with the voices that had returned. She stood, half entranced as if in a forgotten dream, staring at the shoji door. There was a dim light coming through, a haunting dance played on the screen, a battle of light verses shadow…if only she could remember…remember…

 

A harsh voice from outside cut through her thoughts like a knife and she broke out of her trance. `Of course,' she laughed. `There's a fire outside.' She really had to stop taking everything so seriously.

 

But this just brought more questions. If there's a fire there must be people. Who are they? She silently moved toward the door, intent on answering these questions as they continued to flow through her mind. Where is this place? How did we get here? I don't remember any villages around here. Who else lives here? Why did they bring us here? How did…why did…

 

Her thoughts were cut short as she reached for the door only to have it slide open before she could touch it, her hand instead coming into contact with something warm instead.

 

Anger and surprise won out in her mix of emotions. “Hey, what's the big idea?!

The sound of a deep throaty growl drew her attention and she gasped as she finally looked up to see what she had bumped into - the face of an Inu demon.

 

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His calloused, clawed hand grabbed hers off of where it had landed on his chest and held it above her head. “I could ask you the same thing wench,” he growled out.

 

She continued to stare up at him, just as he stared down at her. Well, glared was more like it. There was something flitting across his eyes that she couldn't quite place.

 

“Feh.” And with that he dropped his gaze slightly and pushed her hand away, effectively pushing her back also. “Wake your friend up. Someone's coming to see you.” And with that he was gone, the door shut behind him.

 

Kagome stood there in a daze for a moment before turning back to Sango. That was weird. What did he mean `someone's' coming to see us? Who knows us? What is this place?! She mentally sighed. Crouching down she gently shook Sango's shoulders to awaken her.

 

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As soon as Sango's eyes were open she bolted upright, her slayer senses instantly on full alert. She surveyed the room, her demeanor staying calm, fighting the urge to be frantic. “Hiraikotsu,” she said simply.

 

“Huh?” replied Kagome.

 

“Where's Hiraikotsu? It's not here.”

 

“They must have it,” Kagome said, her eyes moving to the door.

 

“They,” breathed Sango. “Demons. There's so many of them the jyaki is almost suffocating.”

 

“Yes, I know. One of them was just in here, an Inu demon. He said someone's coming to see us.”

 

Both of them remained silent as they contemplated what this could mean for them.

 

“We're surrounded, you know. I've never felt so many in one place before. Do you know what this could mean?”

 

Sango stared at Kagome in amazement. She was excited?! Yes, she was excited. That girl could be quite strange at times.

 

“You don't mean…” Sango began somewhat hesitantly.

 

“Yes!” interrupted an exhilarated Kagome. “The youkai village - it's not just a legend. We're in it!”

 

Sango cut her off. “Kagome - shhhh! Keep your voice down. With youkai all around they're bound to hear us. But even with this many, what makes you think that the village is true? This could just be a large tribe.”

 

“But Sango, the rumors must have started for a reason. There's been truth to other of the old legends, so why not this one? Can you imagine? All different kinds of youkai living together in harmony - it's something to hope for so why can't it be true? If youkai can do it then humans should be able to do it and maybe the two could even exist together in peace!”

 

Sango almost winced at the excited smile on Kagome's hopeful face. One of the things she loved most about her friend was her naïveté and innocence, her ability to see good and hope in almost any person and any situation. She hated to be the one to shatter Kagome's dream this time.

 

“Listen Kagome, they did not bring us here in a peace effort. Granted, they didn't kill us and treated us decently. I have woken up in worse places before. But I cannot believe that they brought us here to treaty with us. How many demons have you purified Kagome? How many have I killed? No. They have no reason to trust us, just as we have no reason to trust them. Have you ever met a youkai who didn't want to kill you or harm the village?”

 

Sango paused for a moment, allowing Kagome to take all of this information in. She hated the look she saw on her friend's face, but she knew Kagome had to be prepared for what they might face.

 

She took a breath and cautiously started again. “Even if this is the youkai village, with understanding and kind youkai, what will happen to us? Especially if this is the youkai village - think about it Kagome. They couldn't let us go; they couldn't risk their secret getting out. You know there are those out there who would hunt the village down to extinction. Basically, whatever way you look at it we're out of luck.”

 

Sango looked down and began to rub her abdomen. “Oh, Sango,” Kagome said as she grabbed Sango's hands in her own, looking at her with sympathetic eyes.

 

She just opened her mouth to speak when the shoji door slid open. The two turned and looked with wide eyes on the fiercest demon either had ever seen.

 

“I am Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands.”

 

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Definitions:

 

Jyaki: demon energy, or aura

 

Shoji: paper-like walls used in buildings during the feudal era, also a type of screen used to divide a room

 

Youkai: demon