InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In Dreams ❯ Destiny ( Chapter 3 )

~*Disclaimer: Not yet.

"…" - speech

'…' - thoughts

--- - change in scenery or time

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Rating: PG-13

Genre: Drama/Romance/Horror/General

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Destiny

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~*Sango*~

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Where am I?

The last thing I remember is preparing for bed after a particularly long day. I remember Inuyasha had insisted on searching for that bastard, Naraku, but after several hours of nothing, we'd settled down. I can recall fetching firewood with Kirara and Shippou, and then watching Kagome-chan light the wood with those strange fire sticks of hers.

I remember lying down amongst the trees in a small clearing, my weapon by my side and Kirara at the other. I remember warning Houshi-sama to keep his distance.

But if that is so, where am I now?

I sit up from my sleeping position on the ground, and reach instinctively for Hiraikotsu…

…!

Where is it?

My hand gropes around, but I can't find my boomerang. Instead, it is met with the smooth bumpiness of… a futon?

My eyes widen in slight surprise.

I thought I'd fallen asleep on the dirt ground…?

But then my eyes scan around me, and I discover that I am outside no longer. I am in a strange room, lying upon a large futon that would have been designed for two. In fact, there are signs that another has lain just beside me. But who?

Right now, I am alone.

Where am I?

I raise my head, and discover that the room is nicely decorated- and that I can almost recognise it…

…

Of course!

This is exactly like the vision of a dream house that I'd always wanted as a child! The walls are brightly decorated with various trinkets that I had loved to play with as a child. There are some paintings…!

Gasping, I stand, and rush towards the wall directly across from me.

My hand reaches out and slowly touches the smooth surface of a painting.

I remember this!

My eyes widen. This had been painted by my mother!

It depicts the landscape of the area where my old village had once stood- but I don't understand. This very painting had been destroyed when my village had been demolished by the demons…

I step back.

Something is not right.

"Kirara?" Where is she?

My question is answered as the soft footfalls of a four-legged animal patters into this place.

I turn around.

There she is- but this neko-youkai is different from the one I know.

This demon is not as young as I remember, and-

-What is this?!

My beloved partner is leading an entire party of kittens!

Six in all, the cream coloured young ones follow what I presume to be their mother to my side, and they are followed by another older cat- their father. The seven on the ground swarm around my feet, rubbing their sides against my legs as if we were friends.

When had this happened? When had Kirara mated?

I'm puzzled, and set down the larger mother neko.

My hands reach to play with the rosary around my wrist- a habit I had picked up since Houshi-sama had given it to me.

But instead of finding the smooth beads, I see that my wrist is bare- and that I am no longer wearing my traditional clothes.

What's this?

I look down at myself, and discover that I am no longer wearing my usual yukata or my exterminator's outfit as I usually do. Instead, my yukata is looser, more like those of the villager women in Kaede-baa-san's village. However, it is a little more elaborate than their simple clothes.

I look up, greatly puzzled.

Where am I?

What has happened to me?

Where are my companions?

My attention is caught by something shining on the opposite wall. Curiously, almost forebodingly, I walk towards it, afraid of what I could find.

Hn?

It appears to be a mirror of some sort- something that only the rich noble ladies can afford.

I gasp, but not at the value of the luxury item.

I'm startled by my reflection.

I no longer look to be 16. In fact, I am much older now, and I seem more like the mother I can only barely remember. Slowly, my hand reaches out to trace over the smooth lines of my face. My hair seems so much longer than I can remember it. My magenta eyes blink at myself- are they deeper than I remember?

And on the edge of the mirror, where smooth metal lies unadorned, I notice writing. I recognise it as being the smooth kanji script of Kagome-chan, only it's become more sophisticated: "Congratulations to the newly wedded couple. May you be blessed with many children…"

Newly wedded? Who's that? Is it I?

Where am I?

Slowly, I turn around to face the doorway of this room. The quiet mewling of the felines disrupt the silence, and I walk towards the outside.

Once I have crossed the doorway, I can feel my mouth drop open.

"How can this be?" Even my voice is deeper than I can remember- I have aged, though how, I know not.

I cannot believe it!

This cannot be real!

Even though my exclamations were unvoiced, somebody answers them. "But it is!"

Before I can turn my attention to who had spoken, I am transfixed by the scene that greeted my eyes.

My village.

My old village, as it had been before attacked by all those youkai, stands before me as I remember it. And not only the buildings stand, but I can recognise the different people here as well. There are the children I used to frolic with and watch over. There's the old woman who treated me for my illnesses.

Everybody is here!

And then, I'm distracted by a couple of arms wrapping around me.

"Isn't it wonderful?"

I recognise that voice.

"Hou-houshi-sama?"

I whip around, staring up into his face, my mouth wide open.

There he is!

But is it he?

He has changed- his hair is longer, yet still in its small dragon tail. His violet eyes still twinkle mischievously, and the gold piercings in his ears still glint at me. However, his clothes are slightly different. He has discarded his outer purple robes, and is garbed only in black. Now, he cocks his head and raises an eyebrow.

"Houshi-sama? Come now, San-chan, you dropped that years ago!"

San-chan?

"I-I did?"

He draws me close, replying with a question, "Don't you remember? It was only a few days before we became married, after all."

My heart has stopped.

I can't help but stutter as I gently ease out of his embrace. "M-married? Us? Now?"

Now, his face is full of worry. "Are you feeling okay, Sango? You seem a little overwhelmed."

Overwhelmed? 'Overwhelmed' is an understatement! We're married? When did this happen? From what I can remember, our relationship carried as far as him proposing, but now we're married?! What happened to Naraku? Kohaku?

If I thought that was shocking, then his next words knock me for an even bigger loop:

"It must be the baby. You shouldn't strain yourself when you're pregnant- even if you have carried two before."

Pregnant?! Two before?!

"I- what?!"

He shakes his head, clucking his tongue, and gently helps me sit down on the soft grass that is just in front of our house.

"Calm down, San-chan. We are visiting Kohaku later, after all."

My heart fills with hope. "Kohaku? He's not dead?!"

My husband shoots me a strange look. "Of course he's not! Sesshoumaru revived him after we defeated Naraku, remember?" He then raises his voice to call, "Omaro! Hitomi!"

From the streets run two children that seem to be strangely familiar. One, the boy, has short, black hair and brilliantly magenta eyes, while the younger girl has longer hair and violet eyes.

"Kami-sama…" They look just like me… and… and… him!

My husband ruffles the elder's hair and pulls the younger into a hug. "You two, go get your mother some water now, okay?"

They nod and smile, running off towards the stream that I remember runs near the village.

I still can't believe this! What happened? When did all these years pass by, and so quickly? But then I'm broken out of my musings by something familiar- something annoying-

"Miroku…" My voice is deceptively sweet though I am not quite used to using his name.

"Hai?"

"Your hand…"

His reply is innocent. "What about it?"

I whip around, smacking him over the head with the palm of my hand. "Remove it!"

He pouts at me, the offending hand now rubbing his abused head. "If I can't do it now, when can I do it?" His expression suddenly becomes naughty, "When we're in bed?"

I can only gape at him, my eyes as wide as the rice bowls I use, before he chuckles and kisses my forehead. We sit for a while in a comfortable silence, me trying to make sense of the entire situation. The quiet patter of footsteps draws my attention to the right, and I see our children approaching. The elder, who I assume to be Omaro is carrying a cup of water, while the younger, Hitomi, holds a lovely flower.

They reach us and chorus, "Here, haha-ue," holding out their contribution.

I can't help but smile as a warm feeling floods my chest.

So this is what it's like to be a mother.

The children settle beside my husband and I, my daughter placing the blue bellflower in my hair. I take a sip of the water, my other hand instinctively covering my belly.

This life isn't so bad- and it suddenly hits me where I am.

"I'm home…"

And that's when the scene changes.

In the blink of an eye, I am alone, sitting among the destruction that is my village.

I glance around frantically, but there is nothing there- there is nobody there. Nothing, except the ghostly remains of what had once been a busy, populated village of the exterminators. Nothing stands- everything has collapsed.

"Omaro? Hitomi? Miroku? Kirara?" I call, but nobody responds. The area is filled with an abnormal quiet broken only by the occasional thunk of wood hitting the ground.

What happened?

Then, the deathly silence is shattered by slow footsteps headed towards me.

"Hello?"

I stand, and notice that I'm wearing my exterminator garb once more. The village clothing has gone, and on my back, I carry the heavy boomerang made of bone. My hair is tied up in its familiar ponytail, and my armour is strapped on tight.

Where am I?

Almost desperately, I run towards the source of the footsteps. The world has suddenly become encased in fog as anything and everything is misted over. I find that I cannot breath properly, and quickly strap on my mask.

And just as I start to slow down, I see a figure. It's approaching me slowly.

This is strangely familiar. "Kohaku?" Hope and happiness fills me at the prospect of seeing my brother. But something is not right. "No…"

He's covered in blood.

"Ane-ue…"

His eyes are dull- the eyes of one possessed. His armour, skin, hair- they're all soaked in blood, but his expression is blank. In his hand, the boy I recognised as my brother carried his chain blade; it too, is stained crimson.

"No…"

Suddenly, I feel a pain in my stomach, and glance down. My eyes fill with horror at the mangled mess of my abdomen. It has been sliced open, the armour having been cut clean through and I can feel the bile rising up my throat.

What happened?

I'm dying.

My brother slowly approaches, and even as he does, his arm raises, preparing to deal the final blow- to kill his own sibling. I look around desperately, hoping for anything to aid me, but I am instead, greeted with even more horror.

"Houshi-sama…!" He is lying on the ground, only inches away from me, but his eyes are dull. "No! Houshi-sama!" I rush to his side with a sudden burst of speed, but I know it's too late. "Miroku! Wake up!" Tears burn my eyes and I shake my head. "No!"

I raise my head, and my breathing stops.

"Kagome-chan… Inuyasha… Shippou-chan… Kirara…"

They're all there, lying lifeless on the ground with slash marks in their bodies.

"No… It can't be"

"But it is." I turn around slowly, forebodingly, and see my brother only a few steps away. His eyes are still dull, but his expression has changed. He's wearing a sadistic smile; one reminiscent of Naraku himself. "It's time for you to join them, ane-ue."

His arm slashes downwards, his weapon aimed for my heart, and all turns black.

"NO!"

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"NO!"

I wake up with a start, my hand held over my rapidly beating heart.

It's still night.

"What…?"

Sitting up, I find that I'm back in the small clearing I remember the group stopping in. Across the fire, Kagome-chan is sleeping in her squishy futon and Shippou-chan is beside her. Right behind the pair, is Inuyasha, sleeping, not in a tree as was usual, but leaned up against one.

My breathing begins to calm.

It was just a dream- no, a nightmare.

I stand, wiping away the tears that had gathered.

I need a walk.

Swinging Hiraikotsu onto my back, I begin to walk towards the forest. Kirara twitches in her sleep, most likely chasing dream mice.

Wait-

I count four… where's the monk?

"Sango-sama?"

I flinch, my reflexes kick in, and I suddenly swing the heavy boomerang around, but stop it inches away from Miroku's face. His eyes become wide, and he blinks at me owlishly.

My breathing heavy, I relax, allowing Hiraikotsu to fall to the ground.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!"

He shrugs, "I didn't know you were up." His expression becomes stern. "Why were you awake?"

I cast my eyes away, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. "Nightmare." But it wasn't entirely a nightmare, was it? Actually, the beginning had been pleasant…

No.

I shouldn't think about that.

He nods, his staff jingling by his side. "Understandable."

There is a stretch of silence in which I contemplate my dream.

"Houshi-sama?"

"Hai?"

"Do you think… dreams are prophecies?"

He glances at me curiously, something I can't describe in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" I frown in thought. "When we dream, does that tell us what has happened? Does it describe what is to come? What are dreams?"

He sighs, glancing up at the great sky. "Dreams are… dreams are things made up by the mind. Some claim they can be oracular. They could be our unconsciousness trying to convey some message. They could be the result of confused emotions; of hopes and goals. Dreams could be describing our deepest desires…" He drifts off, and his gaze has become unfocused. When he speaks, his voice is soft, "They could be our greatest fears."

"I see… But what do you think they are?" I challenge.

He turns to me. "I like to think that dreams, are just dreams- visions of what could be. I believe that they show us what would happen if we were to travel a certain path. Certainly, I don't presume that they show us what will be. We chose our own destinies; we live our own lives." As he says this, I notice his gaze has turned to his right hand.

His curse.

He speaks so powerfully- it's something I've never heard from him before, and I can't help but believe him.

"Yes…"

Slowly, shyly, I take his covered palm and gently close it. His glances up at me in surprise and I offer him a small smile. He returns it, and places his other hand over mine.

"We choose out own destinies…"

I need not to be afraid of my dreams-

Not when I will live my life how I want it.

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