InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mika- the Inu Ookami Hanyou ❯ Koga's Dream and Inuyasha's Nightmare ( Chapter 23 )

Koga's Dreams and Inuyasha's Nightmare

 

Mika exited the tunnel and screeched to a halt mere inches from the edge of a cliff. “Where…where am I?” she thought as she looked down the face to a winding river below. Looking around the area by the light of the stars, Mika realized her tunnel had led her to a mountain path sparsely populated with trees. She looked out over the cliff admiring the view of the surrounding area before heading up the trail to the caves above. As she gazed out over the cliff face, Mika grew more amazed at the view before her.

 

The moon shimmered on the thin sliver of river as it flowed from a nearby waterfall to coil its way to the sea. As she gently breathed the clean mountain air, she was able to identify most of the scents from the surrounding forest and allowed it to clean her weary body, as a natural form of aroma therapy. Closing her eyes, Mika listened intently to the sounds of the night, the harmonious violin music of the crickets serenading the meals of the nocturnal creatures, the screech of an owl on the hunt for a midnight snack, the snap of a twig as the rabbit dinner scampered down its hole, and the faint squabbling of two wolves over… who was suppose to be on guard duty? Mika's eyes snapped open as the arguing wolves moved closer into view.

 

“I knew that this peaceful moment would inevitably come to an end,” she thought as she turned her attention to the approaching wolves.

 

“I thought Koga told you to go on guard duty four hours ago and that I was to relieve you?” a humanoid wolf demon with a white strip of hair across the top of his head said to his as yet unseen companion.

 

Shortly the second man, with short white and black hair appeared near the first, replied, “I thought he wanted both of us out on patrol tonight. Something about his feelings of impending doom, if I recalled.”

 

“Well, Ginta, I think it had more to do with what was going on in his portion of the cave as to his reasoning to get rid of us for the night. Nothing has been around here since the harpies were cleaned out and with our numbers dwindled due to Kagura's attack, there's not much to patrol anymore,” the demon with the Mohawk explained.

 

Ginta looked at his companion as he replied, “I'm beginning to agree with you Hakkaku. Now let us find a nice place to sleep until morning. We'll just tell Koga that we were on patrol all night and he wouldn't be the wiser.”

 

“Yeah, except that I don't think he's as stupid as you two make him out to be,” Mika replied from the path.

 

Both demons, shocked at the unexpected presence sprung into action. One thrust a pike at her, leaving the point aimed at her throat as the other leveled a sword toward her. “State your business here, human!” Hakkaku said, as fear laced through his command.

 

Mika gently moved the pike's blade from her throat with her good hand as she replied, “I've come to speak with Koga, leader of the Eastern Wolf Demon Tribe. Is there a problem or will I have to resort to violence?” To emphasize the question, she raised her remaining hand to the sword over her shoulder.

 

“It is late and he would not be up for a visit just now. It is customary to come in the morning or during day light hours. You're lucky to have dealt with us, for other guards would have attacked first and asked questions later,” Ginta replied, easing his sword down a bit, but still kept it at the ready just in case there was a problem.

 

“I can't wait until morning; I need to speak with him now!” Mika continued forward, moving past the two slack jawed demons as she replied, “I will see my uncle and you cannot stop it.”

 

“M…Mi…Mika?” the two demons stammered as they stared in the wake of the defiant hanyou.

 

Ginta looked at his companion as he asked, “That was Mika, right?”

 

“Yeah…I'm pretty sure because that's the same armor that she had on before she left after the fight with Sesshomaru. But what happened to her appearance and her arm? She looks human and injured,” Hakkaku replied.

 

Then all of a sudden both wolf demons' eyes got really big as one thought hit them at the same time, “Koga is going to KILL us! We'd better stop her!!”

 

Mika slowly approached the cave opening, marveling still at the beauty of the valley below in the calm depths of night. “I could stand out here for hours, just staring at the country side. And to think that Koga gets to do this every night, I guess this makes him a pretty lucky wolf,” Mika thought as she was about to enter the cave before her.

 

“Stop!!!!” the two wolf demons pleaded as Mika was about to step foot into the cave. Mika turned to face the men as she started to pull her sword from its sheath.

 

“He'll kill us if we allow you to pass, Mika,” Ginta said as he tried to catch his breath.

 

Mika returned her sword to the sheath, and grabbed her Buck knife instead. As quickly as she could move without injuring her shoulder, Mika knocked out the two demons, dropping them at the foot of the mouth of the cave. “I said that I needed to see him tonight you idiots. Now it's not my fault if you wake up with headaches in the morning and a major butt chewing,” she said to the unconscious men at her feet. Turning once again to the cave, Mika quickly entered and moved toward the back to where she heard some sounds coming from the blackened depths.

 

Mika closed her eyes as various mental images crossed her mind. “Great, this is the one that makes `Hustler' look tame. Now to get his attention without barging in,” Mika thought. Looking back at the pile of unconscious wolf demons, a sly smile crossed her face.

 

“Koga…KO…GA!!!” Ginta's voice called from the hide covered entrance.

 

“You have a visitor!” Hakkaku's voice followed.

 

From behind the hide covered door, Koga could be heard cussing the timing of the two as he scrambled out of bed. A female voice could be heard, whining that he ignore the two ingrates and stay in bed. “Couldn't it wait until morning?!” he demanded roughly, ignoring the whining female, as he pushed the hide aside, expecting to crack some skulls for the interruption. As his eyes moved from the dirt floor of the cave up a pair of leather clad legs, a bandaged covered stomach, leather and armor enclosed chest to the pale human face and pained blue eyes of a woman a look of shock crossed his face.

 

“M…Mi…Mika? Is that you?” He stammered as the shock of his niece's appearance sunk in.

 

As he stepped from behind the hide, Mika glanced from the deeply tanned muscular chest, to the piercing blue eyes, noticing briefly his dark brown hair hanging down his back, free from its usual pony tail, as she replied, with a slight smile, “Who else would show up this late at night?” Mika leaned heavily on a nearby wall as the exertion of manipulation of her voice, though temporary, took its toll. “I came here to bring you to my dream world so that I can show you, as well as others the world I come from, to share what I'm willing to give up to be with my family,” she continued, rushing through her explanation as her vision rapidly became blurry and her sense of balance lost all perception of up and down. Mika slipped into unconsciousness as a result of the multiple exertions of the evening and her multiple injuries taking their toll. Before she was able to collapse on to the floor, Koga grabbed her lithe frame and carried her to his bed of hides, the mysterious female having vanished as if she was never there.

 

Koga watched over his niece as she slept. He brushed a stray hair from her face as he looked over her bandaged shoulder and stomach. “What happened to you?” he said aloud although he knew she couldn't hear him. As Koga watched over Mika, he saw how frail she looked, pale with shallow breathing similar to her mother, before her death, which caused tears to well in his blue eyes. He eased onto the bed, pulling her into his lap, placing her head against her chest as he pulled her carefully into a loving embrace.

 

“I never meant for this to happen. For you to get injured, far from home and the family that loves you. Please comeback to us. Comeback…to… me,” he whispered into her hair as he held her tight.

 

From under his neck, a whimper escaped Mika's throat as she whimpered, “Can't…breathe!!”

 

“Oh… Sorry about that,” Koga replied as he loosened his grip around her body.

 

Mika looked blurrily into Koga's blue eyes as she regained her bearings. “Were you crying over me?” she asked in a mere whisper.

 

Koga smiled at her concern, “You are worth every tear of happiness.” He brushed a few more stray hairs from her face as he got a little more serious, “Now what was this about taking me into your dream? How can you do that?”

 

Mika pushed herself gently away from the well muscled chest of Koga as she replied, “This is one of my abilities as a half demon apparently. Not only can I walk into dreams but I can also speak to dead spirits, such as my paternal grandfather. I'm running out of time and I have one other person to include in this dream before it's too late.” She carefully got back on her feet, using her good arm for support against the wall. Koga quickly regained his footing and helped Mika remain upright.

 

“Let's get you back to the others so you can get back to your reality,” Koga replied as he carefully lifted her, bridal style with her good shoulder against his chest. “Just tell me where we're going.”

 

“Once you're outside the cave, you'll go down the mountain path a ways to a tree covered tunnel,” Mika replied, snuggling even further into his chest, seeking the comfort of his warm, loving embrace as if she were a mere child.

 

Koga arched an eyebrow as she gave the directions. He'd been all over these mountains and there was defiantly no tunnel which fit her description. “Maybe she's becoming delusional from all the trips she seems to have made this evening. I'll humor her, and then return to the cave if it proves to be wrong,” Koga thought as he moved through the fire lit caves to the main entrance. He paused by his two lieutenants as they lain sprawled on the ground, softly snoring in their forced slumber.

 

Looking also at the downed wolves, Mika implored, “Don't be too harsh on them. They were only following your orders. I had to knock them out.”

 

With a sly smile at his niece's kindness, he replied, “I'll deal with them in the morning. I'm sure that they will have some excuse, but I'll try and go easy on them as you have suggested. Now, while we're traveling back to this tunnel of yours will you explain what happened to you?”

 

Mika tried to smile, but the effort was too much, taking a shaky breath she replied, “I don't see why not.” She began to explain a little of the dreams from her adventure so far that night, glossing over the main portions of the dreams and focusing on the fights and resulting injuries.

 

When she got to her shoulder and the person responsible, Koga's hackles raised as he demanded, “Where was Inuyasha when that witch fought you? I thought that he swore to protect you?!”

 

In Inuyasha's defense, Mika replied, “He didn't know I was there, or else I probably wouldn't have been injured. It's not his fault, really.”

 

“When I get my hands on him, I'm going to…” the remainder of his threat escaped his thoughts as they appeared in front of the tree lined tunnel. “What…what is…that?” Koga stammered as stood in amazement at the tunnel entrance.

 

“This is the tunnel to my dream, now please hurry. I'm almost out of time and there's one other to bring back before I can show you my home,” Mika replied. Koga quickly moved through the tunnel, exiting it almost as fast as they had entered. His eyes widen in continued amazement as his eyes took in the wonders of the surrounding mountains and glacier fed lake. To get Koga's attention and snap him back to the current situation, she elbowed him gently in the ribs and then pointed toward the distant fire. Like a bullet, he was off, not running at full speed to create his signature tornado, but fast enough that they arrived in a reasonably short amount of time.

 

Once Koga had entered the firelight, Inuyasha immediately got up from the fire and stormed toward the wolf. Koga carefully put Mika down as he also advanced on the human looking hanyou, hackles raised. Nose to nose, the two faced off. “What do you think you're doing here, half dressed, mangy wolf?” Inuyasha demanded.

 

“I was asleep, you dumb mutt! Now I can see the reason you couldn't protect Mika. Your sense of smell must not have been working. I guess that I'll have to protect her from now on, seeing as you're not in any position to defend her. So don't you worry about her, mutt face!!!” Koga countered.

 

The two bickering males continued to trade insults as Mika slowly moved back toward the tunnel. She rubbed her temples as the argument continued, causing her already weakened body to fight her desire to move forward. Noticing the haggard look on Mika's face, Kagome moved toward her, ignoring the bickering men.

 

She placed a gentle hand on Mika's uninjured shoulder as she suggested, “Why don't you come over to the fire and take a break. Have some hot chocolate to rejuvenate your strength.”

 

Mika looked at her cousin, seeing the worry and concern in her chocolate eyes. Taking a deep breath, Mika looked at her watch, noticing that she's only been gone an hour and a half, replied, “I guess taking a little break will help right now. I passed out when I got to Koga's and I don't think it would be appropriate to do again, considering my next objective. I have a little time that I can spare. I just hope the chocolate is not too hot; I don't have time to wait for it to cool off.” The two women moved back toward the fire, taking seats on the sleeping bag and a piece of wood, as the testosterone enraged male dominance struggle continued.

 

As Mika drank the offered cup of hot chocolate, her headache increased in intensity, which resulted in her search of her rucksack for some Ibuprofen to assist in the defense against the headache. Taking the medication, Mika downed the remainder of the hot chocolate and stood up from her sleeping bag. “I'd better be off. I hope to be back soon,” she said to Kagome, Sango and Miroku. “When I get back, I'll explain what's going on to everyone.” Looking at the still squabbling men, Mika also commented, “Would you please make sure that they've stopped by the time I get back? They are beginning to get on my nerves.”

 

Miroku commented, “When those two get together, this is the normal result. However, they are normally fighting over Lady Kagome. You should be flattered.”

 

Kagome started to blush at Miroku's comment as Sango smacked the hentai as she replied, “They are her uncles you pervert.” She turned back to Mika as she replied, “We'll try something. Now get going.”

 

Mika turned toward the distant tunnel, walking slowly to assure that she would not trip over any large rocks. “I have to finish this quickly so I can see my mother. Now… for my father…Will he accept me? Reject me? How do I approach him? Does he even…sleep…dream…have a…heart?” She thought as she moved a little farther from the camp, only to be stopped short by a blur of fur and skin.

 

“Where do you think you're going?” Koga demanded, standing effectively between her and the tunnel.

 

“I've to get one last member of this little party, remember. Now please move, Koga. I'm almost out of time and powers,” Mika replied.

 

“For once, I agree with that mangy wolf, you're not going anywhere without us,” a voice came from behind Mika. Turning slightly she saw Inuyasha coming up behind her with a very angry look on his face, mixed with concern.

 

Mika took a deep breath as she thought, “Why me?”

 

Once Inuyasha was next to Koga, assisting with the blockade of the tunnel, Inuyasha continued, “You're in no condition to continue this `objective' of yours. I know you want to show us something, but with all that you've been through this night, is it really worth it?”

 

Mika's eyes flashed green as his words struck home. Trying to keep what remained of her composure as her temper flared, she replied, “Is it worth it? Is IT… worth running ragged for my family? To show them the love and compassion that I'm willing to give up that I've had for over 18 years? To bring them to the only place that I've known as `home'? To leave the place where all my memories begin and make me feel as if I'm apart of something? To me it is very much worth it!!” As she completed her thoughts, Mika saw the mixed looks of hurt and amazement on her uncles' faces as her words sunk in. In a softer, more comforting tone she continued, “I'll be fine in the morning after a few more hours of sleep, and a hot meal or two. Now if you two will excuse me, I have one last member of this group to get and I have only an hour and a quarter left before my time is up.” She moved toward both men, giving each a loving embrace and kiss on the cheek before moving toward the tunnel again.

 

Once they realized that she was no longer before them, both Koga and Inuyasha spun to see her halfway to the tunnel. “Hey, we're coming with you!!!” Koga said as they moved toward Mika.

 

Mika closed her eyes once she stopped moving toward the tunnel, making a fist with her good hand as she tried to calm her already enraged temper. Through clenched teeth, Mika ground out, “Go back to the others and SIT DOWN and be quiet! I've just about had it with both of you!!!” Without another word, or a look over her shoulder, Mika returned to the tunnel, unaware of the two, eighteen inch deep body shaped impressions in the rock strewn shore, nor the groans emitted by the prone figures.

 

As she disappeared into the tunnel, Miroku moved closer to the impressions, examining the effects of the `sit' command. “Kami, those are pretty deep, even by Kagome's standards. She must have been pretty mad about something,” Miroku commented as he looked at the two men.

 

Slowly, Inuyasha extracted himself from his body shaped crater, carefully checking for broken bones before moving any further. He casually glanced at Koga's indentation and let out a low whistle. “I guess she has more power than we gave her credit for. But how did she know the damn subjugation word?”

 

Koga carefully pulled his slightly bruised body from his hole in the shore with a quizzical look on his face. “What do you mean `subjugation' word? Does this happen often?”

 

Inuyasha glared daggers at the wolf demon as he replied, “Only Kagome is able to do this. But apparently in the dream world, the rules have changed.” Once both subjugated men crawled from their furrows in the lake shore, they returned to the campfire with Miroku and the girls, each person thinking about the angered and injured hanyou as they waited for her return.