InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mika- the Inu Ookami Hanyou ❯ Kagome's Dream ( Chapter 18 )

Kagome's Dream

 

Mika took a deep breath as she thought of her cousin, Kagome, falling into a deep, deep sleep. As she thought of Kagome, she entered a long dark corridor with numerous doors on either side. Slowly Mika was able to pick up Kagome's familiar essence as she continued down the corridor of doors. As she approached the end of the hallway, Mika noticed that one of the doors seemed slightly lighter than the others, as if a huge spot beam was shining on it for a reason. Silently she approached the door, hesitating only for a moment as she touched the door handle. Quickly pulling her wits about her she opened the door to reveal a classroom full of students, with their heads bowed in concentration at the test before them. Mika quickly glanced over the students, spotting Kagome mentally freaking out toward the middle of the room.

 

As she moved to enter the classroom, Mika felt a cool breeze move past her legs. Looking down at her own attire she noticed Kagome's all too familiar school uniform. “You've got to be kidding ME!!” she screamed in her thoughts.

 

A voice entered her mind as a ghostly hand laid on her shoulder. “If you don't like it, change it. This is your dream as well,” her grandfather replied.

 

Mika concentrated for a second or three, envisioning a rather business casual appearance of black slacks and light blue short sleeved shirt. As she reopened her eyes Mika saw the clothing change and thought, “That's better, now for my appearance.” Mika concentrated a bit to mask her markings before she entered the classroom. Mika quickly looked around the room to see geometric shapes, trigonometry and algebraic equations on the surrounding black boards. “So this must be her math class. I know she's been having problems, but I didn't realize the extent of it.” Quickly Mika approached Kagome's math teacher quietly as not to disturb the students taking their test.

 

Oblivious to the whole event, Kagome mentally cursed herself for not having studied more while in the Feudal Era. “I'm going to kill Inuyasha if I don't pass this test. I'm so far behind that I may never catch up and I won't be able to get into high school with my friends and graduate.” She continued to work on the test, hopelessly lost in the complex quadratic equations and trigonometry.

 

Mika spoke to the teacher in hushed tones as she explained to him that there was an emergency at the Higurashi Shrine and that Kagome was needed at home immediately. “There was an accident and her grandfather was badly injured. I know that she's in the middle of a test, but I'm sure that we can make an arrangement to have her make it up in the near future, say on Friday during lunch?”

 

The math instructor looked at the struggling girl as he replied, “She's been here for all her other tests, despite the numerous health issues that have plagued her this school year. I'm sure that we'll be able to set her up with a make up exam on Friday.”

 

“That will be perfect. I thank you for your compassion,” Mika replied as she bowed to the teacher, showing her respect of him. Leaving his desk, Mika approached Kagome and placed a gentle hand onto her cousin's shoulder. Not expecting the touch nor hearing Mika walk up to her, Kagome let out a small squeak as she jumped out of her chair.

 

Once she regained her composure, Kagome asked, “What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the states?”

 

Mika leaned toward her cousin's ear as she whispered, “It's a long story, one that I'm sure I will be explaining more than once tonight. Just grab your stuff and follow me out the door.”

 

Kagome looked up at her cousin with confusion on her face as she said in a mere whisper, “I'm in the middle of a math test, which I'm probably going to flunk. What are you trying to do, get me failed from this class?”

 

“Look, I'd like to discuss this out in the hall, if you don't mind. I've already talked to your instructor and he is letting you make this up on Friday. Now please, grab your stuff and let's get going. I'm on a tight schedule,” Mika replied in a harsh whisper, trying her best to keep her temper under control and not disturb the rest of the class.

 

Kagome continued to protest as she quietly packed her bag with her pencils, notebooks and text book. Seeing the frustration, loss and confusion in her cousin's eyes, Mika quickly whispered into her ear, “I'll help you with your homework when I get back. I'm practically a math wiz and can help you in other areas of your studies as well, seeing as I graduated High School last year with a 4.0 grade point average and honors.”

 

Kagome gasped a little, not realizing how smart her cousin was nor did she expect help with her failing grades due to her travels in the Feudal Era. “Thank…you, Mika! I'll greatly appreciate your help. Kami knows that I need it.” She grabbed her back pack and followed Mika from the room.

 

Within a few minutes, Mika and Kagome were walking down the long dark corridor. “Do you mind telling me what is going on?” Kagome asked, breathing heavily as she tried to catch up to her cousin.

 

Without looking back, Mika replied, “I'm gathering you all into my dream so that I can show you what I'm giving up to be with you. I have only…” Mika glanced at her watch as they continued down the hall. “…I have less than ten and a half hours to get this finished. Hopefully that will be plenty of time, barring any unforeseen complications.”

 

As they continued down the corridor, the scene changed into one of a dark forest. The trees lined the once dark corridor, to form a tunnel of tree branches and leaves. Pushing their way through the mess, Mika picked up on a familiar scent. The hackles on her neck raised as her hands went to the waist of her slacks. Groping for the familiar weight of her buck knife, her fingers found only the fabric of her pants.

 

“Damn it! What do I do now?” she thought, continuing to lead Kagome through the tunnel, toward impending danger.

 

The reassuring feeling of her grandfather entered her mind again as he replied to her question, “The same principle applies here as it did in the classroom. No matter what dream you're in, you have control of what you have around you.”

 

“Thank you, Opa,” she thought as she concentrated on her knife. Suddenly the familiar weight of the hilt was in her hand and she pulled it from her sheath.

 

Kagome looked at the knife as they continued down the tunnel, “What's that for? Are we headed toward danger?”

 

“I'm not sure,” Mika replied as the familiar scent changed as they approached the end of the tunnel. Spread out before them was a beautiful mountain lake rimed with trees of both deciduous and coniferous varieties. Near the edge of the lake a demon knelt, getting his fill of water from the glacier fed lake.

 

As the two girls slowly approached, the demon raised its ugly head as he caught the scent of the hanyou. He looked directly into Mika's eyes as hers went wide in fear and disgust. Moving onto its feet, the bull demon lumbered toward the duo.

 

“What… the hell… is that?” Kagome stammered.

 

“That is the demon that I killed with Tetsusaiga,” Mika replied flatly, glaring at the one armed demon as he approached.

 

The bull demon glared at Mika as he approached, “It's so nice to see you, wench. Now if you would please, die.” He charged the duo as he snorted and his eyes glazed a red tint. Mika pushed Kagome out of the way as she avoided the onrushing demon.

 

“Keep out of the way, Kagome! I'm going to try and draw it away. Hopefully I can think of something before this gets out of hand!” Mika yelled as she moved toward the lake, her knife in her hand. Kagome nodded and headed toward the timberline, away from the charging bull demon. As Mika saw Kagome take cover, she quickly thought of ways to defeat the demon. “If only I had my sword,” she thought as she moved closer to the lake edge.

 

“Why can't you have your sword? Is it missing?” a subtle male voice entered her mind. “Remember you're in control of your dreams.”

 

Mika cursed herself under her breath at forgetting the basic rule of this realm. She took up a defensive position on the edge of the lake as she quickly thought of her beloved sword, Nueva Luna and her demonic appearance. The bull demon charged toward the seemingly unarmed girl, oblivious to the sudden appearance of the hilt peeking over her right shoulder. Feeling the familiar weight of her sword across her back, Mika quickly grabbed the claymore and brandished it toward the demon, impaling him upon its length. He gripped Mika around her slender throat, oblivious to the sword protruding from his back.

 

“I thought I told you to die, wench! Are you having a problem hearing me?” he demanded as he squeezed tighter.

 

Mika's eyes glazed over as she quickly raised her hands to his face. Her vitriol claws dripped onto his remaining arm as she slashed at his neck, ripping his jugular vein in the process, drenching the young hanyou in blood. As the bull demon sneered at Mika with a death rattle in his throat, he noticed a slight change in the young hanyou. His eyes grew wider as the scent of the hanyou changed to that of a full demon. Mika's eyes flashed open, revealing the vibrant green irises as she snarled at the demon.

 

“Wh…wh…what… are you?” he chocked out feebly at the horrific creature in front of him.

 

With a sly smile and a demonic laugh, Mika replied, “Your worse nightmare.” She concentrated all of her demonic energy on her blade that still impaled the bull demon. Once the demon realized his predicament, he tried to remove the blade from his gut. Mika released the `Arctic Dragon' along the blade of her sword, vaporizing the demon into nothing. His screams vanished into the surrounding forest as Mika lowered the sword to the ground, breathing heavily, fighting the demonic urges that flowed through her body.

 

Kagome withdrew from the tree line, and slowly headed toward her cousin once the bull demon was dispatched. She'd witnessed the cascade of blood from the demon's neck cover Mika, causing her sense of smell to go completely haywire. Slowly, Kagome approached Mika, wondering how to help rid her suffering cousin of the blood smell. Suddenly it dawned on her; the lake was just a few feet behind the hanyou, if there was a way to get her into the water it would wash away the blood. As she quietly approached Mika from a blind spot, Kagome quickly charged the semi conscious girl, launching herself into Mika's chest. As the two girls fell into the water, Kagome pushed Mika further into the water, removing the blood from her face and shirt.

 

After struggling for a few seconds, Mika came out of the freezing waist deep water, gasping for air and cursing a blue streak. She glared daggers at her cousin as she pushed her bangs from her face. “What the Hell was that for, Kagome?! Are you trying to drown me?” Mika yelled as she slowly made her way out of the freezing water, pushing her bangs from her face.

 

“I needed to get the blood off you, Mika. It was messing with your system, like Inuyasha, it overpowers you sense of smell,” Kagome replied as she hugged her arms around her body, trying to get warm through the drenched school uniform.

 

Mika listened to what Kagome had said, realizing that she wasn't seeing red any more, nor did she have to fight the demonic urge to kill either. Glancing to the nearly half drowned girl shivering on the bank of the lake, Mika thought, “She was trying to save me.” She quickly waded out of the freezing water, toward her equally freezing cousin.

 

“I'll get a fire going as soon as we get to where we're going. It's not that much farther,” she replied. Mika quickly led Kagome toward the creek that poured out of the mountain lake. Beside the creek, roaring was a fire and a couple of logs for stools. Kagome rush toward the fire, enjoying the heat as it radiated from its bright existence. Mika approached the fire with caution, noticing that it vaguely resembled her camp at Opal Lake. As she moved closer, Mika noticed the detail with which the area was laid out.

 

“This is my camp at Opal Lake!” Mika exclaimed. Kagome looked at Mika with a look of both shock and confusion on her face.

 

“What are you saying, Mika? What is this place?” Kagome asked as she warmed herself by the fire, still shivering in her wet clothes.

 

Mika advanced on the camp, moving to the opposite side of the fire from Kagome, reaching for her rucksack. “I mean that this is where I'm camping tonight in north central Idaho. It's a glacier fed lake in the Salmon River Mountains. To think that this is my safe haven in my own mind, I'm glad that I took up hunting with my dad because when I feel at home this is it,” Mika reflected. She threw Kagome a spare sweatshirt from the bag and her pajama bottoms. “Put these on so that your uniform can dry by the fire. I also have a couple of blankets that you can wrap around yourself to stay warm.”

 

“Where are you going?” Kagome asked as she quickly stripped from the wet clothes. “It's the middle of the night. And you're dripping wet from your dip in the lake.”

 

Looking at Kagome, Mika replied, “I'll be fine. The cold water is helping cool off my over heated body from that fight. Besides, it will keep me awake for the rest of the night.” Mika thought back to what her grandfather had said and quickly glanced back at her watch. “Damn it! I only have ten and a quarter hours left!” she thought to herself. Quickly she moved away from the fire, back toward her sword a distance off as she continued, “I've got to get the others before my time is up. Please stay near the fire; it will burn all night without any fuel. If you get hungry, I think that I have some cheese and crackers in my rucksack, somewhere.”

 

“But… What about the…wild…animals?” Kagome whined.

 

Mika stopped for a second before she replied, “There's a .44 Magnum under the pillow. Pull back the hammer, aim for center of mass on the animal and squeeze the trigger. The safety is near the hammer, make sure that it is down before you squeeze the trigger, and you'll be fine. The fire normally distracts most animals and the gun will finish them off. You'll be fine.”

 

Before Kagome could protest again, Mika took off in a sprint toward the distant shore where she had taken an unexpected bath. She pulled up short of the sword sticking from the ground. Carefully Mika grabbed Nueva Luna's hilt and sheathed it in one fluid motion, grateful to have the weight across her back. She concentrated her thoughts on the next member of the group as she headed into the timber line of the mountain lake.