InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Guardians ❯ A Different Kind Of Dream ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I'm only saying this now, and I will never say it again in this fanfic. I don't own InuYasha. Happy? Anything else though, is © me, S. Nicole in 2004

AN: This is a rather odd story that I just thought of writing one day, so forgive me if it sucks….

A Different Kind of Dream

You know how sometimes, dreams can be thought of as real? Well, that's what happened to me one night as I fell asleep, and boy, was it freaky…

As soon as I lapsed into peaceful slumber, I found myself, dreaming, I knew, seemingly floating in a blue substance, too cerulean in color to be water. Then, I fell through it, appearing out of nowhere in the middle of a small clearing, large thick trees surrounding me. I noted that it was night, stars littering the night sky above me. I stared at my "dream" surroundings. For some odd reason, I did know for once that I was dreaming. Isn't that kind of, I don't know, WRONG? Then, I suddenly felt an extreme pressure around my throat, and my feet left the ground, as I was dangled in the air. My air supply was cut off and my vision grew hazy, but I could make out the arm holding me attached to a body clad mostly in white.

"Foolish human. Who are you to intrude on my land?" demanded a male's voice.

`Aw kuso,' I thought, `AND I can feel stuff?! This has got to be the worst dream ever.'

"Impudence will not be tolerated. Answer!"

I choked, my throat hurting too much to help me now, so I did the only thing I could. I clutched at the hand holding me up and swung my foot into my attacker's side. I heard a grunt of pain and the hand didn't let go, but loosened giving me a small amount of air and I struggled until he was forced to drop me. I hit the ground with a thud and massaged my abused throat, barely staying on my knees. Immediately, I felt, rather than saw, the hand right next to my neck, dripping with poison. Or, at least, it looked like poison. Then I knew who had attacked me and who I just kicked. One of the guys I had really admired up until now.

Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands. Holy *bleep*.

"Shine, ningen," he growled.

Man, this would really hurt. I shut my eyes tightly waiting.

"Sesshoumaru-sama? Why is there a pretty lady on the ground? Is Sesshoumaru-sama going to hurt the pretty lady?" inquired a small voice from the trees.

I opened my eyes.

Out of the surrounding foliage came a little girl with a bunch of flowers, a toad youkai after her.

"Human! Girl! Lord Sesshoumaru told you to remain hidden!" it squawked at her, but was ignored.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" asked the girl.

"Rin. You did not listen to me," said Sesshoumaru, taking his hand away from my neck.

"Gomen Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin got curious!" replied Rin, then seeing me again, hurried over and knelt beside me.

I tried a feeble smile, but failed.

"What's your name, pretty lady?" asked Rin.

"I'm Nicole. And you are Rin?"

Rin nodded eagerly. "Hai, hai! Rin is Rin! Will Nicole-chan play with Rin?"

"Er, well, it seems Lord Sesshoumaru-sama had other… plans… for me," I replied, glancing at the Taiyoukai, who merely looked impassive.

"Oh! Sesshoumaru-sama was doing something with Nicole-chan?"

"Uh, NO Rin. Lord Sesshoumaru was… um… about… to, um, … kill me?" I said, looking at the ground.

"Sesshoumaru-sama should not kill Nicole-chan. Rin knows what it is like to be killed and that is not very fun at all."

"Oh, yes, I should think so," I said, smiling.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Can Nicole-chan come with Rin and play?" she asked, pleading.

"No, Rin. Go, wait with Ah-Uhn. I have business here."

The little girl looked doubtful, but obeyed, saying, "Well, Sesshoumaru-sama, can Nicole-chan come visit again?"

"Perhaps, Rin. Go."

As soon as Rin left, Jaken, the toad, squawking after her, the Taiyoukai shifted that cold gaze to me and boy did I feel it boring into my "pathetic human skin".

"Since Rin was here, I will not kill you this time, human, but should you trespass another time, do not expect such consideration from me again," he said monotonously.

"Er, sure, I guess. It's not my fault I came here. I mean, this IS my dream," I said, partly to myself.

And, for that little remark, I was once again keeling over, having been struck by a backhanded blow to my neck, which surprisingly didn't make me go flying.

"Silence, human. I will not have you state that this land is a mere dream! This Sesshoumaru is real, as are my ward and servant! You must be a dream yourself, which, although illogical, must be the only explanation, for you have strength that even I dislike to admit about and you have managed to break my grip once, but it will not happen again. Now, leave."

"Uh… I don't think I caught anything except for the last two words. Sorry, say that again?"

"Must you make me repeat myself?! It was already stated that impudence will not be tolerated!"

`Am I supposed to be working him up?' I thought to myself, `Or is it just me?'

In the distance, a glimmer of lightness began to show, signaling the beginning of daybreak. At the same time, I felt myself slowly beginning to dematerialize.

"Whoa, this feels weird," I said, staring at my rapidly disappearing body.

"Remember my warning, human," were Sesshoumaru's final words before I heard no more.

My eyes shot open to see only the whiteness of my bedroom ceiling. That was one weird dream. It felt… too real. I started to move, but a sharp pain shot through my whole neck and windpipe. I tentatively touched the area with a finger and winced in pain as the sensitive skin protested at its treatment. I somehow managed to get out of bed and stumbled to my mirror feeling way too exhausted than would be normal.

`Oh My Gawd,' I thought, staring at myself. My eyes were a bit bloodshot from lack of rest or something, but all along my neck was light purplish-blue, the darker parts being exactly where Sesshoumaru from my dream had gripped me. On the side that he'd struck was the darkest, a blackish-indigo color. Very attractive.

This was way too weird, not to mention I had to go to school like this?! People would think I was sexually assaulted or something! What was I supposed to tell them? That I'd had a run in with the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands in my dream and he nearly choked me to death?! Uh, NO, I don't think so. I did my best to wash myself up and applied concealer as much as I could to make it look normal enough. When I was done, the majority of my neck looked okay, save for the worst parts, which looked all mottled purple-black. There was nothing I could do about that though.

"Well, live with it, Nicole!" I tried to tell myself, but it only came out as a few feebly croaked noises. Then I realized that Sesshoumaru in my dream, though he didn't seem to actually crush my windpipe, had done something that I would have felt later that morning. Ooh, that stupid youkai!

I laughed at my folly, though it came out as a breathy squeak. Me call a Taiyoukai, especially Sesshoumaru, stupid?! Ha, that was only too wrong.

I barely managed to survive through school, everyone asking me if I was okay and that I should tell someone about what happened. I laughed at some and glared at others for the looks of pity they were attempting to give me, even though I was far from needing it because if Sesshoumaru found out, I'd be dead human meat, or so I thought.

That night, I slipped into dreams again. I appeared in time to see the sun just go down and looked around to see a flash of white again as I had the previous night. This time, I dropped and lashed out with a foot, catching something with a grunt. Quickly, I stood, to be met with the pulsing waves coming off of the evil broadsword, Tokijin. Inwardly, I groaned. Not again. What was it with these dreams?!

I attempted to apologize, but my bruised neck and windpipe allowed no sound to come out.

"Human, did I not inform you that should you trespass again, you would be killed?" he said coldly.

I shrugged and tried to explain, but it came out as a breathy rasping sound.

"Who are you?" he demanded, glaring at me.

I opened my mouth and pointed to it, shaking my head. Gold eyes narrowed in scrutiny. I was surprised the guy hadn't already killed me.

"Very well," he said, raising a cold hand to my neck. I flinched thinking he WAS going to kill me, but when he took his hand away, I found I could speak again.

"Now, answer me," he commanded.

"If you are asking for my name, it's Nicole, which you hopefully already know, but most likely forgot since yesterday," I said.

"Your true calling. Not the pitiful name those foolish humans gave you."

As though my mouth had a mind of its own I replied, "Sapphire Nicole Reimiko Kirashi Qing Li Lim."

"So," he said softly, "you are the one."

"Uh, excuse me?" I asked, confused.

Silence for a minute or so, then, "You are to come to my castle a moon's cycle from this day. When that time has come, everything will be explained."

As soon as he said that, he was gone in a flash of white, leaving me there in the night staring at the place he had just been standing. What was I to do? Should I follow his orders and go? I suppose I had to, because obviously the Taiyoukai wouldn't have anything to do with me if he had a choice…