InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Impossible Dreams ❯ Chapter Seven ( Chapter 7 )

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Author's Notes: Thanks so much for reviewing, everyone. I don't have time to write anything long today, or give out any responses to reviewers, but I will next time, I promise. I just have one thing to ask of any of you who are willing: the website I was asked to put up a story for an award told me they changed their policy and don't allow authors to nominate their own stories any more, which makes sense, so I was wondering if SOME OF YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO NOMINATE ONE OR MORE OF MY STORIES. You can nominate any of them, completed or not, and more then one can be put up, but I would like to drop a subtle hint that I was hoping `Soul Therapy' would be one of them. If none of you think my stuff is good enough, I understand, but if you do, then proceed to this website: http://protege.just-in-dreams.com/index2.html Thanks so much, and enjoy chapter seven!

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Title: Impossible Dreams

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Seven

Rating: PG-13 (rated for language, violence, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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DEDICATION: For Ted Dorsey, the greatest coach I will ever have, the most wonderful and patient mentor I will ever know, and the best friend I could have asked for. Thank you for everything you did for me in my life.

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Cold.

Kagome shivered as the wind blew against her already chilled body, rain drenching her soiled blue gown, plastering the fabric to her skin as she walked. Her feet felt like they were weighted as she practically dragged them through the mud, her toes sloshing against mud and water inside her shoes. She had never felt so incredibly dirty or wretched in her entire life…nor so alone.

Salty tears mixed with the rain on her cheeks as Kagome thought back on her ruined home, and the hard, cruel fact that her father was dead. It was true, she had not loved him like she had her mother, and at times had even gone so far as to say she hated him for what he did to the slaves, but…she would never have wished him dead. And now she was all alone in the world, with no one to turn to, and no where to go.

"Perhaps fate was being cruel rather then kind to let Inuyasha save me," she whispered, pulling the neck of her dress up closer to her chin, though it barely reached, and provided little warmth. "At least then I wouldn't be in this situation."

No, an inner voice reminded, then you'd be dead.

Sighing in frustration, Kagome fell to her knees yet again on the mud-drenched road she had been following for the past two days. If someone had passed by at that moment, they would have seen a young woman with her hands folded primly in her lap, her head bowed, and thought she was doing nothing more then praying. And, in a way, she was…to her mother.

"The world has gone mad, mama," she whispered, recalling the two other mansions she had passed that had also been destroyed and abandoned. It was like someone had ignited a fire that could not be put out with that first revolt at Hojo's home. "Those men…" Kagome recalled the slaves back at her own home, looking at her with cruel eyes, but softening as she pleaded for her life. Finally, an older man had stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, though she had jolted at his touch out of fear.

"Don't be afraid, lady Kagome," he had said. "We won't hurt you."

"But you cannot stay here," another, younger man had continued, his voice colder.

"Where would you have me go?" she asked, her voice suddenly calm as she looked from one unfriendly face to another. She was at their mercy, wholly and completely.

"Away," the man replied generally, clearly having no idea himself, but making it clear that he wanted her gone.

On impulse, Kagome had glanced back over to where Inuyasha was currently talking to Kouga, calming the wolf-man down after having been fighting with several of the other slaves. She thought about calling to him, calling for help, but then thought better of it. He had already saved her life twice…she could ask no more of him.

"Very well," she said, her voice surprisingly calm as she rose to her feet and managed to hold her head high, clinging to the few threads of pride she had left. "I am truly sorry for all the pain my father put you through, and…" she lowered her head then in sadness, "Even more sorry that I failed to become your friend. Forgive me…" And with that she had walked away, not once looking back, knowing that if she did the strength she had managed to summon would vanish in an instant.

She didn't have to leave on her own, Kagome knew. All she would have had to do would be to ask Sango, Shippou, or Kouga to come with her, and they would have without question. But she couldn't do that to her friends. They deserved to be happy, with their fellow comrades, who had shared the same pain and suffering, and not bound to a heartbroken young woman with nothing but the clothes on her back to help them. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if Sango had wept for her, or if Shippou had cried that she was gone. Kouga will comfort them, Kagome told herself. And then, without warning, his face came into her mind, unbidden, and she felt herself take in a sharp breath.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome felt her lips curve upward in a slight, sad smile as she thought about the hanyou, with his stern amber eyes, which had held so much shock in that moment when she had so willingly freed him of the diamond shard. Glancing down, she was momentarily enraptured by it's now brilliant pink light as it hung off of her wrist, and touched it gently with her fingers.

"I hope you are happy now to be free," she whispered, still looking at the shard. "And I hope that my setting you free can help you to understand how grateful I am to you for saving my life." She closed her eyes and allowed his image to consume her mind. "Do you miss me at all? Do you know that you taught me more in the short time I knew you then anyone else I have ever known?"

Kagome jumped slightly as a loud crack of thunder rang through the air, jolting her out of her thoughts, and she let go of the shard, watching as it fell back to rest against the underside of her wrist once more. "Why did things have to change, mama?" She wondered aloud. "Why did you have to leave me? Why did the world have to become so cruel?"

Memories of a time, long ago, flooded her mind. Images of her home, filled with light and laughter, the candles lit and the lanterns glowing with warmth while musicians played a gay waltz. Kagome could remember standing against a wall, dressed primly, her hair curled, watching as the adults danced, and gazing steadily at one woman in particular…a woman with short brown hair and laughing eyes.

"My mama's the most beautiful," she would proclaim proudly, and several of the other little girls would give her hard looks, though they wouldn't say anything in return, which Kagome took to mean they agreed.

She remembered how Hojo would sometimes be there, with his long, gangly legs and large eyes, blushing as he tried to act grown up, bowing and asking her to dance. The adults would all coo and compliment them as they clumsily made their way about the dance floor, often nearly falling to the floor whenever Hojo would try and dip her at the waist like he saw the adults do, eliciting tolerant laughter from the older guests.

And Kagome remembered her father, happier then, coming and taking her hand and leading her out to the middle of the floor for everyone else to watch as he bent low to put an arm around her waist, taking her right hand in his, and slowly twirling her around the room. He had been so different then…so happy…so kind.

"Father…Hojo…" Kagome felt her body shake again with sobs as she thought about the fact that they were gone, and never coming back. She had been so afraid for her own life before, when the house was on fire, and then when the slaves had surrounded her, that it wasn't until now, when she was alone and had a chance to think, that grief settled over her as thick as the storm clouds above her head. And such grief she had, remembering their smiling faces, Hojo's concerned blue eyes whenever she coughed funny, always ready to help her, and her father, pulling her behind him after her mother had died, promising to be loyal to Naraku in order to keep his daughter safe. She had hated him for it then, but now, all she wanted was to see his stern face again, if even for just a moment. She couldn't believe that some of the last words they had exchanged were in the form of an argument. How could she have been so cruel?

Thunder crackled again, this time followed by lightening, and Kagome realized she could be in danger sitting out in the middle of the road as she was. Glancing around, she spotted a large tree several yards to the left of where she was, and decided that was her best chance of safety. Granted, it wasn't much safer then being out in the open, but it was better then nothing, and more for her mental security then anything else.

The ground beneath the large tree was just as wet and muddy, but Kagome didn't care, feeling like she was already dirty enough to last a lifetime. Finding a spot where the tree's roots came up in such a way that they formed something of a chair, using the trunk as a back support, Kagome decided to take a seat, and managed to curl up, slightly, into a ball to keep warm.

A part of her just wanted to give up, and let her body die right there and then, and never have to worry about loneliness and grief again. But then she thought about Inuyasha, and how he had risked his own life to save hers, and knew she couldn't do that and dishonor him in such a way.

"I'll make it out of here, somehow," she promised the empty space around her, and was surprised at how strong her voice suddenly sounded. "I will survive…I will."

It was warmer under the tree, where the wind could not reach her, and Kagome felt her body begin to succumb to the exhaustion that had been waiting in the wings since she had first run away from her home two days ago. Closing her eyes, she listened to the thunder and the sound of the rain, and it lulled her to sleep.

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Inuyasha rocked back and forth in the old rocking chair that had once belonged to some nobleman, listening to the thunder pound the ground outside. Looking around, he noticed all the sleeping bodies around him, covering the hardwood floor, and sighed, clenching his fists slightly in frustration.

Ever since their rebellion at the Higurashi mansion, Inuyasha, Kouga, Sango, Shippou, and Miroku had been gathering a large following of former slaves, including many from the Higurashi home, which was something he wasn't happy about. He had not spoken to them since Kagome's disappearance, furious when they told him they had forced her to leave, rather then killing her, and acting like that was a good thing. After raging for several minutes Miroku had finally managed to calm him down, assuring him it wasn't worth it, and ever since the hanyou had lapsed into an unusual mode of silence.

Kouga had been furious as well, and took to disappearing for long periods of time while the rest of the group continued moving, returning after several hours looking desolate that he hadn't found her. A part of Inuyasha felt like he should be helping the wolf-man, considering he had his nose back and Kouga did not, but his pride got in the way, and so instead he remained silent and, bluntly put, pissed off.

It was strange…all he had ever wanted was for the spark of rebellion to catch fire throughout the land, and yet, now that it was happening, all he could think about was a ridiculous woman. They came across abandoned, ruined mansions every day, like the one they were using for shelter now, along with more and more former slaves looking to join their band, and together they slowly made their way toward the west, and toward the castle where Naraku now lived, and where Inuyasha had once called his home. And still, with all of that, Inuyasha was not happy, and it was all because he didn't know where Kagome was, if she was safe, or if she was dead.

And why did he care anyway? He certainly didn't love her, he knew that. After all, he had loved his mother, and knew what love felt like. But at the same time, there was something about the young woman that stirred in him protective feelings he had not felt in over seven years, since his parents had been murdered and he and his brother separated.

Instinctively, he reached up to feel the black diamond shard, like he always had when feeling frustrated, and when his fingers only touched his chest, he was reminded again of the fact that he was free, which unfortunately only caused him to remember who had freed him in the first place.

She had purified the shard without even questioning his motives, and when he had looked into her eyes, he had seen nothing but trust. He remembered how she had looked in that moment; dirty, her hair in tangles about her face and coming loose from the braid that fell down her back, her skin gray and her eyes red-rimmed from the exposure to the smoke in her room. And none of that had mattered, because beyond that, he had still been able to see a spark…and such a spark it was…in her dark eyes. "You saved my life already," she had said, "So it would make no sense for you to kill me now."

He smiled as he remembered her logic, knowing, even at the moment she spoke, that it was true. He had lost the desire to kill her that day when they had sat in the dirt, like two little children, and talked, her legs crossed in a very un-ladylike fashion, his own posture slumped, his hands in his lap, while he listened to her every word. She had said then that she just wanted to die, that she missed her mother, and he had known at that moment he could not kill her. And then, when Hojo had interrupted them, she had smiled and practically said he had permission to kill her, and she would not hold it against him, and that had only made the desire within him stronger to make sure she lived.

"Kagome…" It was the first word he had uttered in almost two days, and he found it disturbingly ironic that it was her name. What was she doing to him? Why did he care so much? What was it about her that made him feel like a moth helplessly being drawn to the warm flame of a candle?

She freed you, a voice in his head argued, and he couldn't help but nod his head in agreement. It was true. She had given him back his life…the life he had missed and longed to have back since it was first taken away from him seven years ago. And more then that, she had done it with complete trust in him. He couldn't even remember a time when someone had as much faith and trust in their eyes as she had at that moment when she reached out, without hesitation, and took the diamond shard in her hand.

The thunder was receding as the sound of footsteps reached his ears, and Inuyasha turned his eyes to the left to see Kouga staggering into the large space that used to be a dining hall, with large windows facing to the east, where the sun would rise the next morning. He looked tired, and more then that, desolate, which told Inuyasha his search had, once again, been unsuccessful. Still, he had to ask anyway, for the sake of habit.

"What did you find?"

Kouga slumped his shoulders and fell into a sitting position against one of the far walls. "Nothing…as usual. Not even a trace of her presence anywhere."

Inuyasha felt his heart clench slightly, but ignored it, instead rising from where he was sitting to step outside, where he knew Miroku, Sango, and Shippou were sitting, the kitsune having wanted to watch the thunder storm. He found the woman and child asleep on the porch, curled up against each other, with Miroku sitting beside them staring at the horizon, and the hanyou decided to sit with his old friend.

"Kouga's found nothing," he said before he had a chance to really think about how he must be sounding at that moment: like he was actually worried.

"I know," Miroku replied, not turning to look at Inuyasha as he spoke. "It's been two days…she's probably far away from us by now…that is, if…" he trailed off, but Inuyasha knew what he wanted to say, and what he was thinking. She was far away, if she was even still alive.

How long could she survive, he wondered, on her own? The world had become very dangerous for anyone who wasn't a slave…frankly, it had become dangerous for anyone. Naraku would soon come to shut down the rebellion plaguing his lands, and he would do it with great force. Unfortunately, Inuyasha was the only one who had his full strength back…the other demons would be useless to defend themselves. And as for Kagome…she wouldn't even stand a chance. He shuddered at the thought, and an image, unwillingly, came to his mind, of the night his mother and father died.

A loud crash resounded throughout the castle, and Inuyasha turned around with fear in his young eyes. "Mama!" he cried, and she was instantly there, dressed in her elegant robes of state, her long black hair falling down her back, her dark eyes full of love and comfort as she opened her arms and surrounded his small body. His fear slowly ebbed away in her embrace.

"It's alright, my love," she cooed, running her hands through his hair gently. "The battle is far away…it can never come here."

He nodded against her abdomen, where he had buried his face in her robes, and remained silent, only to cry out in fear a second later when another loud crash reached his sensitive hanyou ears. "Mama, make it stop!"

She turned her head, her elegant white neck almost seeming to flash in the moonlight through the window, and slowly, taking her son with her, stepped onto the balcony to see what was going on. Her body went rigid, and Inuyasha, unable to control his child-like curiosity, turned to see what had her so frightened.

A large, dark mass was moving quickly toward the castle over the lands below, and with his sharp eyes he could see that they were riders on dark horses wearing capes. He began to tremble, and his mother put a hand around his shoulders to pull him close as she turned around to call for someone. "Sesshoumaru! Sesshoumaru, come quickly!"

Her stepson, and Inuyasha's half brother, appeared an instant later, the usual passive look on his face, but the minute he saw the threat moving slowly toward them, Inuyasha saw a rare amount of fear flicker across his otherwise stoic face, and in that moment felt truly afraid. "Se-Sesshoumaru?" He stammered, and the older demon turned his sharp eyes on his little brother.

"Come, Inuyasha," he commanded firmly, though not cruelly, extending his hand, which the hanyou refused to take until his mother forced him to.

"Go, sweetheart," she whispered in his ear, "Sesshoumaru knows what to do. I will join you soon."

It wasn't long after they made their way down to the cellars and shut the door that the sounds of feet above them told them the enemies had broken into the castle, which meant only one thing: Inutaisho had failed…for the first time, he had failed to protect his family and his homeland.

The din grew until it was nearly unbearable for the hanyou and the demon and their sensitive ears, but Inuyasha found some small comfort in his mother, who continued to hold both boys to her fiercely, Sesshoumaru, for once, not pushing her away, but instead welcoming her strength and her love. They clung to each other like that for what seemed like hours, until finally, suddenly, the door was thrust open by some immense blast of power, and Inuyasha came face to face, for the first time, with Naraku.

Trembling, he whimpered and balled his hands into fists as his mother moved him and Sesshoumaru behind her protectively as the cruel man smirked at them, his upper face hidden by a baboon's mask.

"So…" He cooed, walking toward them, "You are the great wife of the mighty Inutaisho." He stopped about five feet away from them. "I suppose you are beautiful, like they say you are. But you're still just a meek human, and no threat to me."

Inuyasha shuddered at the man's harsh, cold tone, and the way he seemed to talk so easily about his superiority to his father, the king. Sesshoumaru, surprisingly, put a hand on his shoulder, and the hanyou looked up to see his older half-brother glaring at the man in the mask and, wanting to impress him, Inuyasha did the same, which only made Naraku laugh harshly.

"I see Inutaisho raised his sons to be just like him…foolish."

"You will not speak of my husband that way," Inuyasha heard his mother hiss in an unfamiliar voice, one that was cold and cruel. But Naraku just laughed again and began to pull something out from behind him…it was a bag that was stained red, and dripping something at the bottom. The foul stench of flesh and blood reached his nose long before Inuyasha's eyes could figure out what Naraku was holding, and he couldn't believe what his logic was telling him to be true.

"I will speak of the mighty Inutaisho however I wish, woman," Naraku hissed, and pulled forth a head from the bag…a very familiar head. "After all, I'm the one who won the battle."

"NO!"

"NO!" Inuyasha lunged forward, only too late realizing he was perched on stairs, and went crashing forward, head over heels, only to land on his rear in the grass down below, rubbing his head. "Shit! That hurt!"

"Inuyasha?" Miroku peered over the steps with a puzzled expression, moving down to check and see if his friend was alright, but doing so slowly, as though the hanyou would explode if he made any sudden movements. "Inuyasha, are you okay?"

"Damn!" he continued to curse. "No, I just fell down the stairs!"

"You were having a bad dream, my friend," Miroku tried to soothe, and Inuyasha stopped to think.

"A dream?" Miroku nodded. "So…it wasn't real. It was just a dream. God…it was just a dream." He put a hand over his face and took a deep breath.

"Was it the same one?"

"Yes."

"What's going on?" Sango was standing at the top of the stairs, along with Kouga and Shippou. "I heard you cry out, Inuyasha. Is everything okay?"

Humiliated and not wanting to sound like a child and admit that he had a bad dream, the hanyou did the only natural thing: he got angry. "Of course everything's okay. Can't a guy fall down the stairs and have nothing be wrong?" There was a heavy silence, and it was only after a few minutes that Inuyasha realized how that had sounded, and turned even more pink in his cheeks.

"Were you, um, having a bad dream?" Sango asked, looking at her hands, which were twisted into a knot at her waist.

"What?" He looked at her in disbelief. How the hell did she know?

"Well, Miroku said you frequently have bad dreams about the night your mother died, and, well, I was just wondering if you had that dream again."

Inuyasha sent a death glare in the direction of the former monk, who in reply just crossed his arms and looked away, pretending to admire the sky. "So what if I did?" He ground out. "It's no big deal, so it doesn't matter."

"I'm not saying it does, it's just, well…" She seemed not quite sure of what to say, and so went silent, which only irritated Inuyasha even more.

"Spit it out, woman!"

"It's just that Kagome had those kinds of nightmares too…about, well, her mother dying, and such."

"She did?" Inuyasha felt himself deflate at the mention of Kagome, hearing that she had the same problem he did. "How…um, how often?"

"All the time, really. I'd always be waking her up after hearing her screaming incoherent words."

"Poor Kagome," It was Kouga who spoke, and he now again looked like a lost puppy, unsure of what to do to find Kagome. The wolf-man was clearly more then just a little smitten with the woman, and that didn't help Inuyasha's temper one bit.

"Oh hell," he stood up, "Who cares where she is, or what she dreams about anyway? We're free, and that's all that matters!" He put a deep scowl on his face, but knew from the looks the others were giving him that he wasn't fooling anyone, and that was even harder to stomach then the idea that Kouga loved Kagome. The last thing he needed was anyone getting it into their heads that he cared about her.

Wait.

Cared about her?

"Shit," He began to stomp away, and Miroku called after him.

"Inuyasha, where are you going?"

"To find Naraku, where else, baka? Wake everyone else up, it's time to go."

"But Inuyasha, they've only slept for four hours."

"I don't give a damn. Get them up now. We're leaving!" It felt good to yell at someone, since he couldn't yell at Kagome for making him worry so much. He hoped that walking would give him something to do and take that insufferable woman off his mind…for the time being.