InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ She Who the Prophecy Foretold ❯ If Dreams Are Like Movies Than Memories Are Films About Ghosts ( Chapter 73 )

Chapter 73 - If Dreams Are Like Movies Then Memories Are Films About Ghosts

 

 

When they'd received the call they were certain it was a mistake. There was no way that their son, who'd never had any behavioral problems at home or at school, would take a knife into a crowded mall. They immediately rushed to the police station where they'd been directed to go, hoping to clear the mess up easily. When they arrived they were taken to an office and asked to wait.

 

“This has to be a mistake. This just has to be a mistake,” Mrs. Hojo repeated for the eighth time since they'd entered the station. Mr. Hojo was stalking around the room like a caged tiger ready to pounce on whoever came through the door. He knew that his son couldn't have possibly done something so stupid. Finally the door opened and an officer walked in.

 

“Hello, my name is Officer Nori and I'm handling your son's case for the time being.”

 

“There has to be some mistake,” Mrs. Hojo said, nearly in tears. “My baby Hiroshi would never do something like this. He's a good boy!”

 

“Well, Ma'am, Sir, if you would allow us to question him then we can get to the bottom of this. You can choose either to be present with him during questioning or leave it to us and sign a waiver. You can watch from the observation room if you like.”

 

Hiroshi Hojo's father looked at his nearly hysterical wife for a minute before deciding. “We'll sign the waiver. She wouldn't do anyone any good in there right now and I can't leave her alone.”

 

“A wise choice sir.” The detective flipped through a few forms in his folder before pulling out the one he'd prepared in hopes of the parents agreeing to sign it. It was always a lot harder to interview a suspect, especially a young one, when the parents were present. They always seemed more afraid of what their parents would say or do if they confessed than they were about the police officers and the possibility of jail time. “If you would look this over and make sure everything is correct, then sign here,” he pointed to a line around the middle of the sheet of paper, “and here,” he pointed again, this time at the bottom. “And then I'll take you to the observation room and we'll get started.”

 

Mr. Hojo glanced over the form, checking his son's information, before signing on both lines the officer had indicated. Dropping the pen, he turned and helped his wife from her seat. They both followed Officer Nori without a word. When they walked into the room he'd led them to, the first thing that they noticed was another officer standing there and then they saw their son. Both had a sudden and instinctive feeling that this wasn't going to end well at all. Hojo was staring right at them, or at least it looked like he was, but in reality he was staring at himself. The strange babbling hadn't stopped or even slowed since Detective Nori had left to speak with his parents.

 

“This is Officer Tantei. He'll be staying in here with you and will do his best to answer any questions you have about the process.” The Hojo's nodded and with a quick bow Officer Nori walked out of the room and into the one beside it.

 

 

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He wanted answers and he wanted them now. Whatever had happened to Rin had to have been bad for her to be reacting so strongly. And somehow it had something to do with the wolf. Just the thought that Kouga had something to do with her being so upset, so terrified, made him want to rip the wolf prince limb from limb. The little girl in his arms was so sweet, so cheerful, and so accepting. She seemed at home with her pack, with demons, like they were her true family. She accepted him as a hanyou without question or qualm just like Kagome had. She was special and she needed to be protected, shielded from whatever frightened her so badly. This little Kagome look-alike, she riled the protective nature in him, made him want to ensure that she was always safe and happy, that she was never afraid or in danger.

 

He wished he could make the world perfect for her, just like he wanted to for Kagome. The way things were now, the constant battles and ever present danger, the constant threat from their enemies; it wasn't what they deserved. They deserved a world of peace, where no one set out to hurt anyone else, where everyone accepted everyone else, where everyone was friends. Sure, he knew it wasn't possible, that even after they defeated Naraku there would still be evil in the world, but that didn't mean he couldn't try.

 

Inuyasha sat for a while trying to figure out a way to get Rin to talk about whatever it was so they could understand before he realized. “Jaken!” he hissed, loud enough to get the toad's attention but not so loud as to wake the sleeping little girl nestled in his arms like a baby.

 

Jaken scrambled over to the hanyou, wondering what he sounded so angry about. He was pretty sure he hadn't done anything to upset Inuyasha, so why was he glaring like that? “Yes, Inuyasha? Is there something you need?”

 

“Yeah, I'd like some fucking information. You follow him around. You had to be there when it happened. She said she was running, trying to get to Sesshoumaru, but she didn't make it. Do you know what she's talking about? Was she injured somehow? You should know. It had to be while she was with you and Sesshoumaru. What happened with wolves?”

 

Jaken appeared to be thinking for a minute before he finally replied. “Young Rin has been injured several times after running off on her own or somehow being separated from us, but she was never seriously hurt and as far as I know she's never had an incident with wolves, not while she has traveled with my Lord.” He paused for a moment, staring at the ground and wracking his little toady brain for something, anything that would add some illumination to the child's odd behavior and dreams. She was always such a happy and fearless girl, so this was all very out of character for Rin. When a thought struck him he looked up and stared at the girl still curled up in Inuyasha's arms.

 

“When she first began to follow Lord Sesshoumaru the child never spoke. She would smile and laugh but she never uttered a single word, and after a while we began to think that she was mute. When she finally spoke it was like the dam broke and the girl never shut up! But that wasn't my point. What was it again?” He scratched his chin while looking around as if the answer would float to him if he waited long enough.

 

“How did she come to follow Lord Sesshoumaru to begin with?” Sango asked. Everyone murmured their agreement. They had all wondered about it since the first time they saw the little human girl with the vicious human hating demon lord.

 

“Oh!” the little green demon cried out, happy to have something he could actually answer, at least partially. “It was soon after my Lord was hit by the Windscar. The Tenseiga carried him away to safety, leaving no trail for me to follow. It took me several days to finally locate him. When I arrived he was standing in the middle of a forest path just looking down at her. When he turned and walked away she started following us. I tried to stop her but my Lord ordered me to leave her be, that if she wished to follow him it was her choice.”

 

“So you don't know how they met? Or why he was just standing there looking at her? That does not give us much to go on. We know no more now than we did last night when she had the nightmare the first time,” Miroku said, sounding as frustrated as Inuyasha felt.

 

“That wasn't the first time she had the nightmare,” Jaken popped in. “She had the same nightmare, at least we assumed it was the same, every night for months when she first joined us. She never spoke to tell us what she was dreaming of but she always whimpered and cried until one of us woke her. And then she wouldn't go back to sleep on her own. I still don't know why he allowed it then, but Rin could only fall asleep again after being woken from her nightmare if she was in my Lord's lap, quite like she is now in yours, Inuyasha.”

 

“But how did you get the nightmares to stop?” Sango asked curiously.

 

“I don't know how they were stopped. They just happened less and less frequently until they finally stopped happening altogether.”

 

“So then whatever she's dreaming about happened before she joined your pack, but she said she was running to Sesshoumaru but she didn't make it,” Inuyasha said thoughtfully.

 

“So it is only logical to conclude that whatever the source of the nightmares is occurred after she first met Lord Sesshoumaru but before Jaken located him,” Miroku thought aloud.

 

Jaken's eyes widened as he remembered something, something he'd never taken the time to worry about. Now, however, it definitely needed consideration. “When I was looking for Lord Sesshoumaru, I could sense he was near and the scent of wolves and howling was in the air. I remember thinking that I hoped the wolves hadn't found my Lord while he was injured, that he didn't need to fight a whole pack of wolves so soon after being wounded. When I found him, he was looking at her… there was the scent of wolves again, very strong where they stood, and there was the scent of blood as well. Even with my weaker sense of smell I could tell that the wolves had massacred a nearby village. But there was a strong scent of blood at that very spot where she stood. Her clothes were torn but she had no wounds and she gave no indication of being in pain. I don't know what to think, what could have happened to explain it. This Jaken fears he can be of no more help. Only my Lord and Rin can fill in the blanks.”

 

“That's it then,” Inuyasha said with a frustrated growl. “In the morning I'm going to ask Sesshoumaru about it. There's something bothering her and I need to know what it is. If she's afraid of the wolves for some reason, if that's why the nightmares came back, then we'll either have to give up our plans or keep her out of them. If I find out…” the hanyou allowed his thought to trail off. If he found out that Kouga had something to do with why Rin was so terrified and traumatized he would skin the wolf with his bare hands. He ran his fingers through her dark hair, mostly to soothe himself since she was still asleep, wondering just what his brother would tell him.

 

 

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Sesshoumaru sat with the sleeping Kagome leaning on his shoulder while Hiromi pulled the car into the driveway and put it in park. He didn't want to wake her, not yet. She'd been through a lot today and it was only half over. She needed a break before she began studying with her friends. The taiyoukai looked closely at the small mechanism that held what Kagome had called his `seat belt' in place. Remembering what she'd done, he pushed the red button and the belt popped loose. He repeated the process on Kagome's belt, moving it from across her chest before shifting her slightly. Hiromi had opened the car door for him and he slid out with Kagome held comfortably in his arms.

 

“This Sesshoumaru will return for our purchases. Kagome is in need of a short rest before the studying begins.”

 

“Alright,” Hiromi agreed. “I'll make a snack for the girls and tell them to relax for a while, and that they can start their studying after Kagome's had a short nap.”

 

“Thank you,” the demon lord said with a small bow of respect. By then the girls had already opened the door to the house so he made his way inside and up the stairs, opening Kagome's door with one hand while supporting her limp body with his other arm. He laid her gently on the bed and sat beside her for a moment, just watching her sleep. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful as she slept. All the stress and worry she tried to keep hidden from everyone but that he could see was gone, giving her a small break from it all. Finally he rose after kissing her lips softly. He closed the door silently and headed back down the stairs.

 

When he went outside he saw that Hiromi had left the back hatch of the car open for him and he carried everything inside, taking two trips not because he needed to but because he needed the extra time to think. When everything was safely inside and the hatch closed carefully, Sesshoumaru went back inside, closing the front door behind him. A glance in the living room told him that Kagome's friends didn't seem to mind the delay, as they were sitting on the couch chatting and watching television while nibbling on chips and white cheddar popcorn. He made his way into the kitchen and sat down at the table, watching Hiromi in silence for a few minutes as she bustled around, apparently already preparing dinner.

 

“Whenever you're ready, Sesshoumaru.”

 

“Hm?” he asked, the sound a slight variation to his classic `Hn'.

 

“You wanted to talk to me about something, didn't you?”

 

He studied her face carefully, trying to figure out how this human woman knew his thoughts.

 

“A mother just knows these things, dear. You're worried about something?”

 

“It is not so much that this Sesshoumaru is worried as it is Kagome. She believes you will be angry or disappointed if you conclude that she is no longer what she called a `virgin'?”

 

Hiromi looked at him and smiled. “I know she still is, but I also know she won't be for long. I just wasn't expecting to see her buying things from Victoria's Secret.”

 

“It was not her idea. Her friends wished to go into the store and I was intrigued by the items.”

 

“I didn't figure she'd pull you in there.”

 

“No. But Kagome is worried that since girls in this era marry later in life than in my era you would disapprove of our relationship. I told her that you do not hold her to the standards of this age but she was not convinced. She has enough to be worried over and I do not think she should worry herself over this.”

 

“So you want me to talk to her?”

 

“That is the problem.”

 

“She's afraid to talk to me about it? I suppose it is my own fault for not having `the talk' with her a long time ago. I guess we're both going to have to suffer through it because I don't want her to be embarrassed or feel guilty about sex. She doesn't need to be either. Don't worry; it'll be fine. She won't be worrying about it too much longer.” He nodded his appreciation of her understanding. “I'm curious… this demon courting, how long does it usually take?”

 

“It varies greatly between demon pairs. There are certain steps I must follow but it is my decision as to what pace I take them, and I would make the determination based on Kagome's comfort level.”

 

“And you haven't even asked her yet?”

 

“No, not officially, though she is well aware of my intentions.”

 

Hiromi smiled at him. “You'll make an exceptional mate. You're always concerned about her. I know you'll be very happy and she will be too.”

 

Sesshoumaru looked suddenly at the ceiling, furrowing his brows.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“Kagome is whimpering, but she is still asleep.”

 

“Maybe she's having a bad dream.” Hiromi couldn't help but smile again as she took in the empty chair her demon son-in-law had been sitting in just seconds ago. He was already upstairs.

 

 

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Hojo looked up as the door finally opened. “Are my parents here? Did you tell them what I said?” he asked as the police officer took a seat across from him at the table.

 

“Your name is Hiroshi Hojo, correct?” Hojo nodded. “I need you to answer aloud for me.”

 

“Oh, yes, I am Hiroshi Hojo.”

 

“Your parents have given me permission to ask you some questions about what happened today. There are some things that need to be cleared up and we wanted to give you the chance to tell your side of the story. So, tell me what you were doing at the mall this morning.”

 

“I stopped at her house, at the shrine, and her grandfather said she was at the mall with her friends and that thing. It took me too long to get there be…”

 

“Slow down, son. Whose house did you go to?”

 

“Kagome- my Kagome- oh, you want her last…Higurashi. Her name is Kagome Higurashi.. I was worried about her because that thing, he was planning something. He's evil, a monster or a demon. I had to save her. I'm her Prince Charming and my damsel was in distress, or at least I thought she was. It was too late. I got there too late. He'd already changed her, or replaced her, or infected her or something. I don't know. All I know is that it wasn't Kagome. No, it wasn't my Kagome!” Hojo looked confused for a moment, as if he was thinking. And he was. He was busy trying to figure out when Kagome had changed. She's seemed fine Friday afternoon, or he thought she did.

 

Officer Nori found himself staring at the boy who apparently had very little need to breathe between sentences. “Higurashi, Kagome, you said? And she lives on a shrine?”

 

“Her family runs the Sunset Shrine and they live on the grounds.” His voice got louder and faster as more worries flooded his mind. “Oh, Kami, I hope the rest of them are alright. He could have gotten them too! Mrs. Higurashi is so nice, so sweet, just like my Kagome. She doesn't deserve this. Someone needs to tell her that it's not Kagome!”

 

“Not Kagome?” the officer asked.

 

Hojo nodded rapidly. “That thing… it looks like her and it sounds like her but it's evil, just as evil as the first one. He threatened me yesterday, told me to stay away from her, that she was his. But she's mine! She's always been mine! I couldn't let him take her away from me!!!” Hojo was almost yelling again as he thought of the possibility of Kagome being with another.

 

Officer Nori was trying his best to glean relevant information from the boy's ranting, but something was definitely wrong with this kid. He sounded like he was having some kind of psychotic break. He obviously wasn't living on the same planet as everyone else. No, this kid had a planet all to himself. “Kagome, she's your girlfriend then?”

 

“No, well yes but no too. She's my soul mate and we're going to get married and spend the rest of our lives together. But she wasn't ready for a relationship so I waited for her. I was waiting until she was ready. But then that thing, that thing was there and he tainted her. He turned her into a monster too!”

 

The officer leaned back in his chair and looked at the boy. There wasn't much point in taking notes. He couldn't keep up with the crazy things spurting out of the boy's mouth, and they were video taping it anyway. He decided that he would simply keep the boy talking and try to figure at least some of it out. “Alright, Hiroshi, I need you to slow down. So Miss Higurashi wasn't your girlfriend officially, but she was going to be?” he asked, buying into the delusion to see where it would take him. Hiroshi nodded his head quickly, and when he started to open his mouth to speak, the officer held up a hand for silence. “And someone else has taken her away from you somehow?” Another nod. “Alright, I need you to start from the beginning.”

 

 

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Inuyasha had finally put Rin down, settling her carefully on the bedding. He was hungry and apparently so was Shippo since the kit had insisted on having meat for dinner. He'd refused the jerky from their supplies, wanting fresh meat, not dried. The hanyou shook his head. Of course the kit was hungry and craving meat. He'd expended a lot of his youki today. Inuyasha took Yoshi and Shin with him to hunt and they returned quickly. Soon the scent of roasting rabbit filled the camp, making everyone's mouths water in anticipation. Since everyone seemed incredibly hungry from their busy day Sango set out to make ramen as well and everyone was slurping down instant noodles while they waited for their meat to be done. They boys and Shippo claimed theirs after just a few minutes, preferring it at least mostly raw. Ever since they'd tried it Kagome's way they'd wanted it cooked just a bit. The heat of the flames seemed to bring out the flavor and made the texture much more appealing.

 

After everyone had eaten, Miroku and Inuyasha took the boys for a bath since everyone was absolutely filthy from their day's work. Operation Preparation had been a messy one. Sango sat and watched over Rin with Jaken, Kirara, Kazue, and Ah Un. Everyone was still worried about her and curious too, wondering what had happened to her to cause her such frightening dreams and memories.

 

 

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Rin looked around, wondering where she was. A noise drew her attention and she saw the well that Kagome used to travel between times. There was a scuffling sound and then she saw a hand reach out of the depths and grab the side of the well. As she looked on Rin watched Kagome climb out of the well, looking around in confusion.

 

“Mama!” she called out, but Kagome didn't turn her way. “Mama!” Rin cried out louder as she ran to the miko's side. “Mama, can't you hear me?”

 

“The god tree! I can always find my way home from there!”

 

Rin furrowed her adorable little eyebrows. She reached out to touch Kagome but found that her hand passed right through. As Kagome started to run through the forest Rin followed behind her, not wanting to lose sight of her Mama here in what she now knew had to be a dream. `Mama looks different' she thought. `Younger.'

 

 

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Kagome was walking through a forest, weaving between trees. She noticed that she held a rice ball and a small wooden cup of water, and in the distance she could see a flash of white. As she got closer and closer she realized that she was looking at Sesshoumaru. She couldn't control her feet or her mouth. She couldn't talk, couldn't call out to him to ask him what was going on, and how and why they were back in the past. She didn't remembering going through the well. The last thing she remembered was snuggling with Sesshoumaru on the car ride home from the mall. Slowly it dawned on her that this had to be a dream.

 

“You are wasting your time. I don't eat human food.” Sesshoumaru's voice was cold but it didn't sound threatening.

 

She couldn't stop herself as she leaned down and set the rice ball and water on the ground a few feet in front of the demon lord, and before she knew it she was skipping away towards what appeared to be a village. As she approached the small clearing of huts Kagome began to realize that this wasn't an ordinary dream. She was caught in what seemed like someone else's memories, but `whose memories' was the question. In the blink of an eye it was no longer light out and she was standing almost knee deep in water, bent over and trying to catch a fish. A bright light shone on her as someone lifted a torch from the shore.

 

“We knew it was you! We take you in and feed you and you dare steal from us? We'll teach you.” Kagome was dragged out of the water and found herself surrounded by grown men hitting and kicking at her. She tried to get away at first but soon was curled up in the fetal position trying to avoid the blows. It was horrible! Kagome had never been beaten, not like that. She'd been injured, sure, but she'd never been outnumbered like she was experiencing now. As she looked herself over she realized that she was just a child. `How could they?' she thought since she couldn't speak. `How could they gang up on a little girl?'

 

 

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Rin stopped at the edge of the clearing Kagome had run into, just taking it all in. There was her Uncle Inuyasha, but he was hanging from a tree by an arrow and he looked like he was sleeping. Kagome climbed up the vines and was soon tweaking his ears, making Rin laugh. Suddenly there were others in the clearing, demanding to know who Kagome was and what she was doing in Inuyasha's Forest. Rin noticed that Kaede was among them.

 

“I didn't know this was called Inuyasha's Forest. Uncle Inuyasha has his own forest?” she asked herself since it was obvious no one could see or hear her.

 

She followed behind as Kagome was dragged to the village. She blinked and found herself inside Kaede's hut while Kagome and Kaede sat across from each other eating and talking. There was a loud crash coming from outside before someone screamed, “Demon! A demon is attacking the village!”

 

 

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Officer Nori glanced at his notes before continuing. “When did you first see this other male?”

 

“Friday afternoon, I stopped by the shrine to bring her a get well gift basket. She's always sick with something or other and I like to do what I can to make her feel better. He was there when I got there, sitting next to her on the couch like he belonged there. I didn't trust him from the moment I laid eyes on him. He looked like a gangster or something. He even had tattoos on his face!”

 

“Okay, and did he say or do anything to you or Miss Higurashi during that encounter?”

 

“No. No, it was weird. He just sat there, quiet, and staring at me. And Kagome, my sweet Kagome... he had to have brainwashed her or something because she touched him, held his hand, and even crawled into his lap!”

 

“But nothing of interest occurred on Friday?”

 

“No, it was Saturday when he threatened me. I was following them, making sure she was safe and…”

 

“You were following Miss Higurashi and what appeared to be her boyfriend?”

 

“He wasn't her boyfriend! He'll never be her boyfriend,” Hojo screamed as he stood from his chair, knocking it backwards to the floor.

 

The detective didn't move, just looked up at the furious teen. “Sit down, Hiroshi. We are nowhere near done.”

 

The teenager sighed but bent down and righted his chair before sitting down again. “He's not her boyfriend,” he hissed stubbornly across the table.

 

“Alright, if you say so. You would know. What happened then? You said he threatened you?”

 

“He dragged me into an alley. I don't know how he moved so fast. One second I could see him sending Kagome into a coffee shop and the next thing I knew he was behind me. He threw me up against the wall and his eyes turned red, like blood or lava or something. His lips curled at me and I could see fangs, huge fangs, like vampire fangs or something! And there was this sound, this dripping `chsssss' sound and when I looked down he had huge claws and they were glowing bright green and something was dripping off them, out of them really, and when it hit the ground it ate away at the concrete like… like… like acid or something.”

 

“He snarled and growled when he talked. It was like… like he was a… a werewolf or something! He told me to stay away from her, that she was his. It was a warning, like if I went near her again; I knew he would kill me. But I had to warn her. I had to let her know that he wasn't what she thought he was. She held his hand while they walked between the shops. His arm wrapped around her waist. I even saw her kiss him. But she didn't know what she was doing. She couldn't have. He'd done something to her already. I didn't know it then, but when she growled…”

 

“Miss Higurashi growled as well?”

 

“I had to get her alone to tell her about him so I grabbed her while she was in line in the food court. She'd left him at the table with their bags.”

 

“So the monster, or demon, remained at the table and babysat the bags while Miss Higurashi bought food?” His tone was incredulous, taunting even. There wasn't any point in continuing. There was only place this kid was going and it was the loony bin.

 

“Yes! And I pulled her into the hallway so we could talk, but she didn't want to talk. She said that she didn't love me, that she loved him.”

 

“Why did you bring the knife with you to the mall to begin with?”

 

“I was trying to save her! I was gonna kill him… it if I had to. I knew he was dangerous. He had claws and fangs and I needed something, anything to protect myself and Kagome with. I don't know how he found us. I was sure he hadn't seen me. I don't know how he got there so fast, but he was angry. His eyes turned red again and he was threatening me, and Kagome was struggling and then she growled, like a giant dog or a wolf or something! It echoed in the hall it was so loud! At first I thought it was him again but the second time… the second time I knew. And then I dropped her. I guess the knife cut her somewhere because I noticed there was blood on it, but I just had to get away. I had to get out of that hall because he was going to kill me. I didn't mean to hurt her. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. But everyone needs to be warned. You need to go and find them and lock them up. You have to find out what they are before it spreads and there are no real people left! Didn't you find them in the hall? Or at least her? She hit her head when she fell. She didn't look like she was going to be getting up and walking away.”

 

“We found no evidence of a struggle in the service hall. There was no monster or girl. There was no blood. There was nothing to support your story.”

 

 

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It was day again and Kagome could still feel the pain. Her little body was covered with bruises and one of her eyes was swollen shut. Again she was making her way through the forest, this time carrying a fish and some berries. Kagome recognized the surprise that showed in Sesshoumaru's eyes before it was hidden away. Once again she set the food in front of him.

 

“Who did this to you?” he asked, trying to sound like he didn't care either way. Kagome knew though that he was angry and concerned as well, even though it seemed like he was trying to deny it to himself as well as her. She laughed and smiled widely before turning and leaving once more. This time when she returned Kagome saw where this little girl lived. It was little more than a lean-to of rotting boards propped against one of the village's larger huts. She bent down to get a drink from a large cracked bowl sitting on the floor and inside she gasped as she saw her face. Even with the bruises and the black eye she recognized that face. `Is this real? Did this really happen to Rin?'

 

 

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The demon was after Kagome and soon her Mama was running back towards the forest, an ugly centipede woman chasing her. Somehow she found herself back at the god tree and saw as Kagome ran into the clearing. She watched on in amazement as Inuyasha suddenly woke and Kagome removed the arrow, releasing him from the tree. Then he fought Mistress Centipede, killing her easily. And then she was shocked to see him try to attack Kagome for the jewel. She looked on as Kaede threw the beads and Kagome sat the hanyou for the first time. She'd always wondered what the jewel she'd heard so much about looked like before it was broken and she got one better. Not only did she see it, she saw it come out of Kagome's side.

 

Rin thought it was amazing, being able to see what Kagome had experienced her first time in the past. She found herself wondering how Inuyasha had gone from trying to kill Kagome to protecting her so fiercely. She knew she was going to have a lot of questions to ask her Mama when she came back. When she opened her eyes again she found that she was lying on the bedding in their camp site. Realizing that she was finally awake she took a look around and saw Sango sitting by the fire.

 

“Where is everyone?” she asked softly.

 

“Oh Rin! You're awake! Miroku and Inuyasha took the boys for a bath. Do you wanna take yours tonight or tomorrow morning?” After deciding to take their bath tonight, Sango gave Rin some dinner and they sat in a comfortable silence. When the boys returned Sango and Rin took their turn in the hot springs. While Rin was away Inuyasha, Miroku, and the boys talked about what they had planned for the next day as well as what they would do if Rin didn't want to participate. If their pranks were causing her such terrible nightmares they weren't worth it. She could either stay at camp with Jaken and maybe Sango too, or they would completely give up their plans. Since it wasn't going to get dark for a couple more hours, when the girls returned they all decided to practice their holy powers some more. Once again they gathered in a circle and worked on their meditation like Kaede had shown them the day before.

 

 

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All around her everyone was screaming. She ran out of her pathetic little excuse for a home and her eyes widened. There were wolves everywhere, and Kouga! She saw Kouga in the middle of the village and heard as he told his wolves to eat their fill. She wanted to slap him, to scream at him, but suddenly she was running. Her little legs were carrying her as fast as they could but as she glanced over her shoulder she could see the wolves chasing her, gaining on her. They were nipping at her heels and Kagome could hear Rin's thoughts in her head. `I have to get to him! He'll save me! He'll protect me!'

 

`Is she thinking about Sesshoumaru?' Kagome wondered. Her thinking was cut short as she tripped and fell in the middle of the forest path. In less than a second they were on her, their fangs tearing through her flesh. She felt every second of it, screaming in her mind, begging for it to stop, but it didn't, at least not until everything faded to black

 

 

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He made it up the stairs in seconds. He had to wake her, to stop the nightmare. She was so afraid and she was in pain. He didn't know how it was possible for a dream to cause such realistic pain but now wasn't the time for curiosity. Sesshoumaru sat down on the bed and pulled her into his arms. “Kagome,” he said softly. “Kagome, wake up.”

 

Kagome opened her eyes quickly, wiggling out of his lap and as far away as she could get. She was looking around the room, eyes wild as she shivered in the far corner of the bed.

 

“Kagome,” he said, worry obvious in his voice. “It was just a dream. Everything is fine. You're safe in your room.” He listened as her heartbeat and breathing gradually returned to normal and she relaxed slightly. “Kagome, come here.” He opened his arms and she crawled into them, burying her face in his neck. She was still shivering and he could smell her tears.

 

“Oh my Kami, it was awful! It was terrifying and it hurt! It hurt so bad. She didn't make it to you. She didn't make it to you and they tore her apart!”

 

Sesshoumaru lifted a brow. “Who, Kagome? What did you dream about?”

 

“Sesshoumaru? Show me how you met Rin. Show me the first time you saw her until she started traveling with you.”

 

“Why? Did you dream about Rin?”

 

She nodded. “I was her in the dream. Please, just show me. I need to know.” She closed her eyes and he did the same before bring up the memory of the first time he saw the little girl in tattered clothing, when she tried to help him instead of fearing him as he'd expected. He showed Kagome as Rin brought him different kinds of food, including the time she came back looking as if she'd been beaten. He showed her when he found her mangled body in the path and how he brought her back with his sword. When he'd finished she was still crying, harder now. “It was real. She really went through it. She remembers it. She remembers it all.”

 

“Rin suffered from nightmares for several months, and she didn't speak a single word for quite some time. Kagome, tell me what you saw, or show me.”

 

Kagome shook her head. “You don't wanna know. And I don't wanna remember, not yet.” She glanced at the clock and gasped. “Why did you let me sleep so long? You should have woke me up when we got home!”

 

“Your friends are downstairs watching the `television' and eating snacks of some kind. They said they didn't mind relaxing for a while before you began studying.”

 

Kagome sighed and smiled at him. “I'm gonna go let them know I'm up so we can get started,” she said before leaning up and kissing him softly. “What are you gonna do while we're studying?”

 

“This Sesshoumaru shall read one of the books we purchased today.”

 

 

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Mr. and Mrs. Hojo were in shock as they listened to their son rant like he'd lost his mind. “What's going to happen to him,” she asked the officer.

 

“From what we've seen, he's going to be taken in for a mental evaluation. We'll go from there. Did either of you see any warning signs? Has he been acting strange lately? Maybe taking drugs?”

 

“My baby would never take drugs!” Mrs. Hojo shrieked, almost coming up out of her chair at him. Thankfully Mr. Hojo caught her. He didn't want two Hojo's in trouble with the law at once. One was more than enough.

 

“No, Officer Tantei, I don't believe he's on drugs.”

 

“He's always had a crush on that Higurashi girl. I tried to get him to move on, but he's always wanted no one but her. I should have stopped him, made him face reality. I should have known. He's my son! Why didn't I see it? He's got pictures of her all over the ceiling above his bed! Why did I not see it? Why would I not question that? My baby… my baby's insane. My baby boy…” She collapsed into tears in her husband's arms just as Officer Nori was leaving the interrogation room. He opened the door to the observation room and nodded at Officer Tantei who knew exactly what he wanted. It was time to call the boys in the white coats. And maybe they should bring a tranquilizer or twelve with them.

 

 

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Author's Note:

Nori - rule, ceremony

Tantei - detective

Hiroshi - generous

 

 

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Can anyone tell me where the title to this chapter came from? (Besides you Jenna. I know you know)

 

 

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Everyone that is reading this should be thanking Iloveprettysilverhair for your ability to read this new chapter. If not for her then not only would the chapters not be on ASS, but they would not have been uploaded anywhere because I refuse to post everywhere but one site.

 

So everyone, go read her stories. I especially recommend An Itch to Scratch (complete 3 shot) and Fancy Meeting You Here (In progress chapter story). She has a completed chapter story called Not Soon Forgotten, and a oneshot called Coming Out of the Closet. And there is also a chapter story in progress called Unexpected Circumstances. I love them all! Iloveprettysilverhair, or Jenna as I like to call her (It's a hell of a lot shorter!), is basically my beta and she keeps me going when I get frustrated, and in return I beta her new chapters (mostly cuz I like the sneak peeks!). Her work is awesome and everyone who reads mine should go and read hers. And then review. And mention me so she knows how you found her.

 

The Problem: Ever since the server change over on A Single Spark I have had trouble loading the site, and now I can't load it at all. If you know how to fix it for me, please, please tell me! I've cleared the cache and cookies, deleted temporary internet files, hell, I even wiped the DNS files but I can't get anything but an error message saying the site couldn't be loaded. It's really beginning to piss me off and I'm like five minutes away from wiping my whole damn computer to see if that fixes the problem! So if there's a delay in the next chapters blame the stupid web browser or whatever is doing such a horrible thing to me!