InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ She Who the Prophecy Foretold ❯ Dangers in Dreaming ( Chapter 75 )

Chapter 75 - Dangers in Dreaming

 

 

 

Souta was tossing and turning in his bed. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. It was like he was just off to the side, but he couldn't make them hear him no matter how loud he yelled. He couldn't make them see him no matter how many times he waved his hands in their faces. He was on the outside looking in and he couldn't warn them. At first he hadn't the slightest idea where he was but after looking around and taking in those standing around him Souta decided that he had to be in the feudal era.

 

Sesshoumaru was there, standing tall, wearing his armor and swords. Behind him were seven boys that he'd never seen before, but just from their appearances they had to be Sesshoumaru's sons. He recognized Shippo, Miroku, and Sango from the pictures Kagome had taken for her scrapbook. There was a little girl too, and he figured she had to be Rin. An ugly, short little green thing with huge yellow eyes was just behind and off to the side of Sesshoumaru's left leg. He didn't have a clue as to who that was. Then there was Kirara in her tiny form, Kazue too, and a rather large two headed dragon. Finally, Inuyasha stood next to his brother as they all watched in silence.

 

Kagome took a few steps forward, and no matter how loud he yelled he couldn't get through to her. She couldn't! She just couldn't touch it! Horrible things would happen if she did, but there was no way to stop her. Souta watched in defeat, tears streaming down his cheeks, as she took what was offered to her. She dropped to her knees and emptied the small bag on the ground before her. Souta rushed to kneel beside her. Maybe he could stop her. Maybe he could make her see or hear him. He had to keep trying! He just had to! His sister was in danger and she had no idea. No one did, as everyone was still just watching her, each ready incase she needed defended from those who brought the thing, but they made no move to keep her from touching it.

 

Kneeling to her right, Souta looked down at the five tiny objects. He could see it. He could see the blackness, the evil inside one of them. Four gave just a pale purplish shimmer, but the fifth, that was the dangerous one. It was full of ill-intent, ready and waiting to deliver it on his sister.

 

Souta was whimpering as he thrashed under the sheets. His forehead was beaded with sweat and his cheeks were stained with trails of tears. His hands reached out to stop it but found nothing but air. His whimpering got louder and louder until Hiromi could hear him through their shared wall. She jumped out of bed and pulled on her robe as she moved quickly in the dark. Opening her son's door, she flipped on the light and sat on the edge of his bed.

 

“Souta? Souta, honey, you need to wake up,” she said in a soothing tone. She didn't want to scare him further but she needed to help him escape from whatever it was that was frightening him so badly. She gently grasped his shoulders and shook him slightly. “Souta, it's just a dream. You need to wake up.” Just when she was about to shake him again his eyes shot open and met hers. What she saw there frightened her more than just a little bit. Her son's eyes, his brown eyes, were no longer brown at all. As she stared into the blue that reminded her of both Kagome and her husband she fought to keep from crying.

 

He'd never said anything about Souta. He never warned her. It wasn't fair, not in the slightest. They were already taking her only daughter and now they were going to take her son away too? She didn't think she could stand it. She couldn't live without both her children. Living without their father was hard enough.

 

When he finally realized that he was safe in his bed, in his room, in his house, and in his time Souta let out a sigh of relief. It was just a dream. Kagome was safe in her room down the hall. Nothing was about to hurt her. His sister was just fine. When he looked into his mother's eyes though, for a second he thought that it hadn't been a dream after all. She looked terrified and so sad too.

 

“Mama?” he asked in a whisper. “Mama, what's wrong? Is Kagome alright?”

 

“Kagome? Yes, Souta, your sister's fine. You were just having a nightmare. What was it about, Souta? Tell me what happened in your dream.”

 

The boy closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember. It was like it was just out of reach, and every time he moved closer to catch it the memory floated further from his grasp and faded away just a bit more. “I… I can't remember, Mama. I know Kagome was in it… and there was something… something I had to stop her from… I… I don't know.”

 

“It's alright, sweetheart. If you can't remember then you can't remember. It was just a dream.” Her voice was quivering as she tried to soothe her son. He was too young for this. They couldn't have him. The Kamis just couldn't have him. She wouldn't let them take him too. She refused. As she calmed herself mentally she heard her little boy let out a sigh. She focused on his face once more and when his eyes opened she really did start to cry.

 

Seeing his mother break down in tears was something he'd never experienced before. She was always so strong. “Mama? Are you alright?” He sat up in his bed and wrapped his arms around her. “Why are you crying, Mama? What's wrong?”

 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Hiromi whispered as her arms wrapped around her son and she held him tightly. “Thank you.”

 

“Mama?”

 

“It's alright sweetheart. I'm fine. Everything is fine.” And it was for the moment, because when Souta had opened his eyes once again, she didn't see the ocean blue of her daughter or husband but the dark chocolate brown of her own eyes. Whatever had just taken place, for whatever reason, she was given a reprieve. He wasn't going to be taken away from her, at least not soon, which was all she could really ask for, more time. If he had to go then he had to go, but at least she knew that she had more time. She released him after pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Go back to sleep honey. You've got school in the morning.” She closed his door quietly before returning to her own room and her empty bed.

 

Souta didn't protest as he lay back down, resting his head on his pillow. He couldn't remember a thing from his dream. All the fear and worry he'd been filled with when he first woke had disappeared completely. He wondered for just a moment what had upset his mother so much but his tired mind won out in the end. Just before he closed his eyes in sleep he glanced out his bedroom window, the glow of the moon reflecting, just for an instant, off of bright blue eyes.

 

 

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It was happening again. She was running through the forest path, the wolves nipping at her heels. No matter how hard she tried to run faster they were still gaining on her. She knew what was coming but couldn't prevent it when she tripped and fell. Again there was the pain, the agonizing unimaginable pain as she felt their fangs sink into her flesh, tearing at her. They were eating her alive! Then the pain seemed to fade away. Finally she couldn't feel it anymore and slowly the darkness crept into her vision until there was nothing but black.

 

Kagome shot upright in her bed, panting and covered with sweat. Sesshoumaru was sitting beside her, a concerned look in his eyes. He'd tried but he had been unable to wake her from the dream. He knew she was suffering, terrified and overwhelmed with pain but he couldn't help her escape it. He couldn't protect her from her dreams, no matter how much he wished he could. His great strength and power were useless against the torments of her own mind.

 

“Was it the same?” he asked her quietly, not wanting to startle her like he had the last time she woke from her nightmare.

 

She only nodded before slipping out of the bed. He watched her naked form as the moonlight shimmered and reflected off of the fine layer of sweat that covered her. Kagome disappeared into the bathroom and he could hear the sound of running water. He rose and walked into the smaller room behind her, seeing her splashing water on her face. When she looked up she was startled by the sight of him standing directly behind her in the mirror. “You scared the crap out of me,” she mumbled, her hand on her chest as if trying to slow her racing heart. A low moan slipped from her lips as he slid his arms around her body and pulled her to his hard chest.

 

“This Sesshoumaru did not intend to frighten you.” One hand moved up to lightly cup a breast and her head rolled to the side, allowing him to place soft kisses on the curve of her throat. “I am concerned about the nightmares you are having. You should not be able to experience true pain in a dream.”

 

“It's not a dream,” she whispered. “It's a memory. It's Rin's memory, of her death, of the pain and the fear. She experienced it then and then she had to suffer it over and over as dreams. It's not fair. There has to be a way to stop them.”

 

“They stopped on their own before. If she is indeed having them again, we will find a way to help her sleep safely.”

 

Kagome nodded and examined the mirror in front of them. “You're tall,” she murmured.

 

He smirked before returning to his task of tasting the sweat on her skin. In between kisses his tongue snaked out and traced a hot path on her tingling flesh.

 

“And you have a serious oral fixation.”

 

He lifted an eyebrow at her and she giggled. “This Sesshoumaru cannot resist the taste of you. And the view is quite enjoyable as well. Perhaps we should spend more time in front of this mirror,” he said with a naughty smirk.

 

“Not now. I need to be asleep right now, not being groped by an eternally horny dog demon.”

 

“Another time then?” his deep voice asked slowly, his breath brushing against her ear.

 

“Of course,” she whispered back before slipping out of his arms. He allowed her to go reluctantly and followed her as she returned to the bedroom. He watched as she pulled on a long nightgown, silently mourning the covering of such a delicious sight. “I need to get a bottle of water. Do you want anything while I'm downstairs?”

 

“This Sesshoumaru will accompany you.”

 

She shook her head. “There's no reason for us both to go. You get back in bed. I'm a big girl. I can go downstairs alone. I'll be right back.”

 

He frowned but he allowed her the privacy she apparently desired. The taiyoukai lay back down, resting his head on the pillows and stared at the ceiling. He needed to find some way to stop the dreams. When it had been just a one time thing it didn't bother him as much as it did now that she'd had it twice in one day. It had to mean something, but he couldn't figure out what.

 

As she made her way down the stairs into the darkness Kagome thought. `Something's not right. I'm worried about Rin. Maybe Sesshoumaru should go check on the kids while I'm at school tomorrow.' She didn't bother to flip the switch as she entered the kitchen, instead just allowing the illumination from the city lights that shone through the windows guide her. She squinted a bit as she opened the refrigerator door and the kitchen was bathed in a yellowish glow. She leaned in and grabbed a bottle of water before moving to look out the kitchen window towards the well house. She shifted to lean her elbows on the counter. “Shit!” she cried out a little louder than she'd intended. “Damn it,” she whispered to herself.

 

Just like she'd expected, Sesshoumaru was at her side in a second. He'd felt her pain and heard her exclamation and when he entered the kitchen he could smell her blood. “You seem to have a habit of being injured,” he said with a smirk before lifting her up to sit on the counter. He flipped on the light before inspecting her foot. There was a tiny trail of blood running from her big toe down the sole of her foot, a small shard of glass peeking out from her skin. Apparently her mother had missed a bit. “This may hurt,” he warned her before he carefully took hold of the bit of glass with the tips of his claws and pulled it out, setting it on the countertop a ways away from where she sat.

 

She hissed in pain, but was surprised when it ended suddenly. Realizing her toe felt oddly warm Kagome looked down to see her inu taiyoukai with her big toe in his mouth. She tried, really she did, but she couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight. She felt as his tongue slipped across the small wound a few more times before he released it and studied it closely once more. He gave a small nod before standing upright again, stepping between her legs and pulling her close to him. Looking down, Kagome was relieved to see that he'd taken the time to pull on pajama pants before his dash downstairs. She really didn't want to have to explain a naked demon in the kitchen if anyone else had heard her and came to investigate. She kissed him softly but a moment later her back stiffened and Sesshoumaru's head turned quickly to look out the window.

 

 

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It was happening again. She was running through the forest path, the wolves nipping at her heels. No matter how hard she tried to run faster they were gaining on her. She knew what was coming but still couldn't stop it when she tripped and fell. Again there was the pain, the agonizing unimaginable pain as she felt their fangs sink into her flesh, tearing at her. They were eating her alive! Then the pain seemed to fade away. Finally she couldn't feel it anymore and slowly the darkness crept into her vision until there was nothing but black.

 

Rin shot up with a gasp, her eyes wild as she searched the clearing. Without a second thought the little girl was up and running, moving as swiftly as her little legs would carry her. She couldn't do this. She couldn't have these dreams again every night. She couldn't make it without her Lord Sesshoumaru, her Papa, and she found that she really wanted her Mama too. She needed those warm protective arms around her. Sure, Inuyasha was alright and he was trying to make her feel better, but it just wasn't the same. Rin glanced behind her, half expecting to see the wolves chasing her again. Finally she could see it. She didn't bother to slow down, instead just taking a running jump before her little body descended into the dark depths of the Bone Eater's Well.

 

Inuyasha shifted a bit in his sleep. Something felt off, but he'd had the same feeling for the last two nights so he attributed it to the small but annoying ache of a missing Kagome. He didn't notice that their camp was missing their other, much smaller miko as his mind relaxed once more, allowing him to slip into his dreams again.

 

There was a bright flash of blue light in the clearing for a moment but then there was nothing. No cries of an injured little girl, no sickening thud that would have signaled her hitting the bottom, nothing. But five hundred years in the future in that very same spot there was a little girl who found herself in absolute darkness. She couldn't see the sky above her like she'd expected. There was no light from stars. She couldn't see a thing and it terrified her already frightened mind. She slid down the wall, pulling her knees to her chest, and she cried.

 

 

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At first she thought she'd imagined it but from the look on his face something or someone had just come through the well. Sesshoumaru's voice was barely a whisper as he said, “Inuyasha… something must be wrong.”

 

When he went to pull away and head to the well house he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. “It's not Inuyasha. It's Rin,” Kagome said in surprise before running past him, grabbing a flashlight on the way out the back door. She turned it on while she sprinted across the shrine courtyard and she almost slammed into the sliding doors of the small wooden building when she tried to stop. She threw them open in an instant. “Rin?” she called out into the darkness.

 

Sesshoumaru was behind her, surprised that she was moving quite so fast. He almost hadn't been able to catch up in their short run. When he entered the dark little wooden room he could hear the shuffle of Kagome's feet as she hopped down the stairs.

 

“Mama?” a little voice echoed up from the depths of the dry well.

 

Kagome was at the edge of the well now and shined her light down, hoping to find Rin unharmed. “Rin! What are you doing here? What's wrong?” She could see the tears glistening on the child's cheeks and her heart twisted in her chest.

 

“Mama!” Rin gasped out. “Mama, I was so scared! They were chasing me again!”

 

Sesshoumaru stood beside Kagome and looked down at the human girl he loved as a daughter, seeing her tormented eyes. “Rin, everything will be alright, but you must calm yourself.”

 

“Papa?”

 

Kagome took over again. They needed to get her out of the well and she didn't want to risk another trip across time by jumping in. “Rin, can you see the ladder?” Kagome shined the light on the ladder her grandfather had put in for her and watched as Rin took a few small steps over to it. “Climb up, sweetheart. Everything's going to be fine.”

 

Rin's shoulders shook with silent sobs but she began to climb. She only needed to go up three rungs before she felt hands grabbing her wrists. She was lifted out of the darkness and into her Mama's arms effortlessly, as if the girl weighed no more than a grain of rice. Rin threw her arms around Kagome's neck and held tight. “I… I had the dream… again,” she said between sniffles.

 

“I know, sweetheart. I had it too. It's alright. It's not real, Rin. I know it's scary and it hurts but it's just a dream, just your mind replaying a memory. That is never going to happen to you again. You're safe and you're strong. You just have to remember that. It isn't really happening. It's all just a bad memory.”

 

Sesshoumaru leaned in and wrapped his arms around Kagome so that Rin was cradled between their bodies. When she felt him there, the little girl twisted and wrapped one arm around his neck in a vice like grip, her other still holding on to Kagome. “Shall we go inside?” he asked softly.

 

Kagome nodded her agreement and tried to move, finding herself rooted to her place. “Rin, honey. You've got to let one of us go so we can go inside.” There was a little sigh and a sniffle before Sesshoumaru was released and both arms were around Kagome once again. There was a tiny pang of jealousy for a moment that his little girl had chosen Kagome over him, but he pushed it away. It was ridiculous to be jealous over the attentions of the daughter they now shared. Kagome was already walking up the few wooden stairs and he moved to follow her. He slid the doors closed quietly and walked along behind the two most important girls in the world. He closed the back door and grabbed Kagome's forgotten bottle of water before heading up the stairs and into Kagome's bedroom.

 

 

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A pair of ocean blue eyes opened, staring up into the darkness. He'd felt it when she disappeared from this world, from this era, and found himself wondering how she'd known that she could pass through the well. He was worried, not knowing why she would have jumped into the well in the dead of night. He wondered what Hiromi would think when she saw the little girl. The resemblance was uncanny, Rin looking just like a young Kagome, right down to the brown eyes. It had been her eyes that let him know it was time for him to go, to return to the past. When Kagome's eyes started changing, brown one second and blue the next, he knew that it had been set in motion.

 

He wondered how long it would be until Rin's changed too. It couldn't be too far off if she passed through the well successfully. He sighed as he thought of his wife. He hadn't had the nerve to tell her. It had been hard enough to explain to her why their daughter would be different. He couldn't tell her that not only was he leaving, not only would Kagome's life take an unexpected course, but that their son would as well. It would be happening to Souta soon as well, if it hadn't already. He could only hope and pray that she would forgive him for not warning her. He knew she would recognize the signs. He knew she would figure it out.

 

Yes, it was Kagome's path to walk, but she didn't have to walk it alone. She had her friends and her new family that the feudal era had provided. She had the four parts of her heart, her seven treasures, Rin, her kitsune son, and her brother. When the time came, it would be only Souta who could save her. It would be the bond between siblings that would keep her from being lost forever to the darkness and eternal torment she would suffer without him, her salvation from the worst evil imaginable. And Rin had her part to play as well.

 

He closed his own blue, but once brown, eyes against the darkness, hoping and silently praying that Hiromi would understand… and that he would someday have the chance to explain it to her. She, at the very least, deserved an explanation.

 

 

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Kagome flipped on the small lamp on her desk before she sat down on the edge of her bed, Rin still in her arms. Sesshoumaru closed the door behind him and sat down next to her. Neither knew quite what to say. Really, how do you soothe a little girl who was reliving her own excruciatingly painful death in her dreams? It was a fairly unique situation and the solution was not forthcoming.

 

It was Sesshoumaru who finally spoke. “Rin, how did you get to the well?”

 

Wide brown eyes looked up at him as she removed her face from Kagome's throat. “Rin was scared. Rin just ran.”

 

“But how did you know the well would let you through?” Kagome asked curiously.

 

Rin turned and looked into Kagome's worried eyes. “Rin… doesn't know. Rin needed her Mama and Papa.”

 

Kagome felt a wave of guilt overtake her. If she'd been there, or if Sesshoumaru had stayed in the past with the children then Rin wouldn't have been so frightened. She wouldn't have run from the safety of their camp through the dark dangerous and demon filled woods and jumped into a well that might not let her pass. Her little body could be lying bleeding and broken in the depths of the Bone Eater's Well in the past. Kagome found herself silently thanking every Kami she could think of that the well had let her pass. Sesshoumaru's thoughts were following a similar path, chastising himself for leaving the children under the care and protection of another as well as wishing he had warned Inuyasha about it. But the dreams had stopped so long ago he hadn't even thought of them as a possible issue his brother might deal with. They both stopped their self-deprecating thoughts when they heard a tiny yawn.

 

Kagome smiled before carefully shifting until she was under the covers with Rin lying beside her, held securely in her arms. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smile at the sight they made. Not for the first time he caught himself noticing the similarities between the two girls. If not for the difference in eye color they could pass for mother and daughter or siblings. Taking a moment to imagine what his and Kagome's children would look like, the demon slid his way into the bed with them. The two lay facing each other with Rin snuggled safely between them, Sesshoumaru's right arm resting on Kagome's waist. Feeling more secure than she'd ever felt before, Rin slipped off to sleep immediately.

 

`What do we do? How do we stop her nightmares?' Kagome asked silently, her blue eyes meeting his gold in the dim light.

 

`This Sesshoumaru is curious as to why the dreams have suddenly returned. She has not had them for over a year.'

 

`Maybe she wasn't having them because she felt safe with you.'

 

`Perhaps, but she has been at the palace for several days without myself present and did not suffer the dreams then.'

 

`I don't know. But what about Inuyasha and the others? They must be worried about her. How did she get out of the camp without waking anyone?' They both tensed for a moment before relaxing. `Well, I guess that explains that.'

 

Sesshoumaru let out a sigh and slid back out of the bed again. `I shall go speak with him. She will stay here for the night. You should go back to sleep. You have exams in the morning.' Kagome simply nodded and yawned before closing her eyes, Sesshoumaru quietly left the room and made his way towards the well house one last time that night.

 

 

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Inuyasha woke with a start. Something was wrong, and it wasn't that Kagome was missing. He sat up quickly and looked around; trying to determine what was off. In just seconds his mental head count yielded the problem. Rin was missing! But what happened? Someone would have woken up if an outsider had come and taken her away and there were no new scents in the clearing. But then that meant that she left on her own! Where would a little human girl go in the middle of the night alone? He got up quietly, not wanting to wake the others just yet. He could still smell her, so she hadn't been gone long.

 

Following her scent trail, Inuyasha quickly found himself looking down into the depths of the well. Her scent ended right there, inside the well, but she wasn't down there. His eyes narrowed as he thought for a moment before deciding it was worth a shot. The hanyou jumped into the well, feeling the magic carrying him five hundred years into the future. When his feet settled softly on the dirt at the bottom of the well he jumped out and into the well house. Taking in a breath he knew that not only had Rin made it successfully to Kagome's time but that Kagome and Sesshoumaru had both retrieved her. He let out a sigh of relief. At least now he knew she was safe.

 

The inu hanyou opened the well house doors and was half way to the house when he met a half-dressed Sesshoumaru. He couldn't help but laugh at the sight of his all powerful and ruthless brother in nothing but red pajama pants covered with little white puppies. “I can't believe she managed to get you to wear something like that!” Inuyasha said between bouts of laughter. It was just too funny! Just a glare from Sesshoumaru shut him up though.

 

“How is it that Rin made her way to the well without your notice? You are supposed to be ensuring their safety and you lose a young human child in the middle of the night?” Sesshoumaru's voice was low and angry, and Inuyasha knew that he was lucky not to have already been reprimanded in some very unpleasant and painful way.

 

“I... I don't know how she snuck off. She was sleeping right next to me! I never felt her move. When I woke up and she was gone I followed her scent to the well.” Inuyasha said quickly in his own defense. “How did she get through the well anyway? I thought only Kagome could, and us because of the beads.”

 

“We do not know. She is being troubled by nightmares again and said she wanted Kagome and I. Apparently it allowed her to pass, though the exact reason why is unknown.”

 

Inuyasha nodded. “I was gonna come in the morning and ask you about the nightmares. She said something about wolves and you. Jaken said she had them for a while after she started traveling with you but he couldn't explain why, what caused them, or how they stopped. Where is she anyway? Upstairs with Kagome?”

 

“Yes, Kagome has exams in the morning so they are both sleeping. She will stay the night. Come back in the morning and we will discuss the source of her dreams. I am unsure as to why they have returned so suddenly, but I will figure it out.” He was silent for a moment before continuing. “How are the pups and kit handling the separation?”

 

Not sure how much to say, Inuyasha decided to be as vague as possible, at least while his brother was so obviously angry with him already. “They all miss her, but we've been keeping busy. Kaede's been helping them practice their new powers. They wanted to surprise Kagome with how much they learned.”

 

Sesshoumaru nodded. “You should return. If they wake and find you missing they may get upset.”

 

Inuyasha nodded. “I'll be back in the morning.” The two brothers turned and headed in opposite directions, nothing else needing to be said. Inuyasha heading back through the well while Sesshoumaru made his way back upstairs to sleep with both his love and his little girl in his arms.

 

 

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Kouga was still sitting in the middle of his otherwise abandoned campsite. Finally his headache had faded away into nothing but an uncomfortable memory. Now if only the memory of how he'd ended up naked in a cave would come back to him. He'd done nothing but think the whole time he'd been sitting, but he still had no idea. He couldn't remember anything after breakfast with his pack. And where in the hell had they gotten to? He couldn't understand why they would have left the camp. He didn't even know why he'd left. There was no sign of a struggle, no hint of a fight, so it appeared that they left of their own free will. The longer he thought about it the more confused he got. Something odd was going on, but as to what it could be he was clueless.

 

Finally his stomach decided for him that it was time to give walking another try. Hopefully this time he wouldn't end up on his ass with a sore nose and forehead. He still didn't understand that part either. How could he have possibly walked into something that felt like a solid wall but was completely invisible? And then how could it be gone seconds later? It just wasn't possible. It wasn't. But then that only left the idea that he'd imagined it completely, something he refused to believe. He wasn't crazy. He was sure of it.

 

Letting out a frustrated growl, Kouga rose to his feet and walked slowly towards the edge of the clearing, intent on finding something to eat. He was absolutely starving! He let out a sigh of relief when he reached the tree line without running into anything, while at the same time scolding him self for being worried about something so absolutely ridiculous. Feeling secure in his safety and sanity once more, the wolf prince picked up speed, sniffing out any possible prey. Catching the scent of a deer to the east he turned, ready to pursue his midnight snack. He'd taken just three steps when the ground fell out from under him. He landed with an `Oomph' and lay there flat on his back for a few moments, completely stunned.

 

Finally Kouga sat up and took in his surroundings. He was at the bottom of a pit! It had to be at least twelve feet straight down. How could he have missed it? And where the hell did a twelve foot pit come from anyways? He was certain there had been nothing even close when he'd surveyed the area before setting up camp in the first place. While he was thinking, Kouga's right hand came up to scratch at his left arm. He looked up again, seeing the stars twinkling through the treetops.

 

`So how does a pit show up out of nowhere?' he asked himself. `It doesn't,' he thought in answer to his own question. His left hand started scratching the back of his neck while his right hand made its way behind him to attend to an itch on his lower back. `So someone had to dig it, but there wasn't a pile of dirt anywhere. Where did the dirt all go? It had to be a lot. This is pretty deep! And why didn't I see it?' Soon he was contorting himself in attempts to reach the middle of his back under his armor. The itching was driving him crazy! Seconds later he was stripping off his armor and furs, trying to scratch at places that should never itch quite like this. It was absolutely insane, and it was making him feel that way as well. He just couldn't scratch everywhere that itched all at once. He needed more arms!

 

`Why am I so itchy?' was all the wolf prince could think while clawing at him self in a desperate attempt to end the annoying feeling. It was while he was scratching his scalp like crazy when he finally had a semi-intelligent thought. `I wasn't itchy before I fell in this hole! It has to have something to do with it!' He looked down at the dirt he had just landed on and noticed a fine white powder covering the entire bottom of the pit. Leaning in to take a closer sniff, trying to discover just what it was, all he ended up with was an itchy nose. He'd never smelled anything like it before and had no idea what it was. He did, however, suspect that it had something to do with his incredibly itchy state. In that case, he had a plan. He would put an end to this infernal itching if he had to slice his own skin off to do it!

 

Grabbing his furs and armor, Kouga used the power of the shards in his legs to leap straight out of the giant hole. Forgetting once more about his hunger, the wolf made a mad dash to the nearest water source. The hot spring was just too far away. He'd never make it. He was having a hard enough time running, carrying his clothing, and scratching everywhere at once. Finally he reached the stream and splashed through to the deepest area in the middle. The wolf prince knelt in the ice cold water, dropping his furs and armor to the side but still in the stream, and began scrubbing at his still itchy and now raw skin.

 

The cold water felt wonderful, and it seemed to be helping. Deciding it was working, he flopped onto his back and wiggled on the sandy bottom like a dog trying to scratch its back, which was actually pretty close to being accurate. The friction of the sand soothed some of the itch that he hadn't been able to reach while the water seemed to be slowly but steadily reducing the irritation problem as a whole. He submerged his whole head, using his claws to scrub furiously at his scalp, face, and neck.

 

He wanted to scream. Even his more personal bits itched! If someone had walked in on the wolf prince, they would have gotten the wrong impression as he rubbed and scratched at some of the worst of the itchy intimate places. It just felt too good to soothe the annoying sensation; he couldn't help but let out little moans and growls of pleasure. Finally the worst of the itching seemed to be gone, and he set to ensuring they didn't return.

 

He grabbed his furs and forced them under the water, swishing them around rapidly in an attempt to remove any of the unidentified powder that might remain. Kouga was certain now that the itch was due to the white substance, and he wasn't taking the chance of putting his furs back on just to get itchy again. It just wasn't going to happen. When he was satisfied that his furs were adequately clean he pulled them out of the water and wrung them out as best he could before tossing them on the shore. He did the same with his armor, making sure to run his hands over the inside and outside of his chest plate. Again, when he was convinced he got it all he tossed the armor onto the shore near the still sopping wet furs.

 

Kouga sat in the softly running water for a while longer, making sure his hands were as clean as they could be and waiting to see if the itching returned. His entire body was shivering violently, and he found himself wishing that he had another set of furs. He couldn't put on the soaking wet ones. Not only would they be uncomfortable and heavy, but they would smell. Even as a wolf, the scent of wet wolf fur still wasn't pleasant. Deciding he would just have to wait until they dried, Kouga sloshed his way to the shore and allowed his body to drop the ground, utterly exhausted. His confusing and frustrating day finally got the better of him, and he couldn't fight the drowsiness for another minute. The wolf prince fell asleep right where he lay, armor to one side and wet furs to the other, not the slightest bit concerned about his nudity or any possible dangers of sleeping out in the open. Even if he had been worried, he wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. He was just too tired.

 

 

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When Inuyasha returned to the feudal era he caught the scent of Kouga on the air. Noticing that the wolf was no longer in his campsite, the hanyou decided to investigate, mostly out of his own curiosity. They'd set up some traps that wouldn't need their presence to work and he couldn't help but wonder if the annoying wolf prince had fallen prey to one of them. He followed where the scent led him and almost laughed aloud at the sight. Kouga was lying on his stomach on the shore of the stream, his feet still half in the water, completely naked. As he took in the scene he spotted the wet furs and armor sitting around the very unconscious demon. Now he just had to know.

 

The hanyou made his way towards the wolf's camp, watching where he stepped to make sure he didn't fall into one of his own pranks. That would definitely not be the highlight of his night. He checked the hidden traps one by one until he found it. He actually had to sit down to make sure he didn't fall as he laughed his ass off. Apparently the `itching powder' Kagome's mother had provided did its job well. He found himself wishing they hadn't missed it. It would have been hilarious to watch Kouga scratching everywhere. It had to have been bad for him to try to wash it off in the stream. That water was cold! The hot springs would have only taken a few more minutes but the very state he'd found the wolf in told him that a few more minutes was too long.

 

Inuyasha crept back into camp quietly, making his way to where Miroku slept. He nudged the monk with his foot, gently at first. Of course, Inuyasha was anything but patient, and soon the gentle nudges turned into a rather rough kick that woke his friend instantly.

 

Miroku was up, on his feet and ready to fight in an instant, relaxing only when his tired eyes recognized his very annoying companion. “Did you have to kick me?” he hissed in frustration. “You could have just said something!”

 

“I tried gentle monk. You didn't budge. Come here, and bring the camera! You've gotta see this!”

 

Miroku's eyes brightened instantly. He was having way too much fun with the pranks and the camera. He was going to have to ask Kagome if he could use it more often. It made him feel artistic, like he was painting a beautiful scene with just the click of a button. “What happened? What'd he do?”

 

Inuyasha smirked. “Two words: itching powder.”

 

He needed no more convincing. “Where?”

 

“Come on,” the hanyou said with a quick tilt of his head. “I'll show you.” He turned and went to leave the clearing but stopped after just a few steps and turned around. He made his way to Kazue and quietly asked her to keep watch while they were gone. He wasn't as surprised as he'd expected to be when she answered him. Now he knew that she wasn't dumb, she just hadn't wanted to talk to him that first day. “Thanks,” he whispered before he and the monk disappeared into the dead of night.

 

Miroku couldn't believe the sight when they finally arrived. It was just too funny! He snapped a couple of quick pictures before the two took pity on the wolf. Inuyasha grabbed both of Kouga's hands and pulled him farther away from the stream so his feet were no longer in the cold water. Miroku checked the furs and found that they were mostly dry, covering as much of the wolf's bare body as possible. Deciding that it wasn't enough, that he would be in danger if left in his unconscious state, they rearranged him to sit under a tree before covering him again. They lay his sword under one hand, Inuyasha having picked it up somewhere between the wolf's camp and his resting place. Miroku plastered a sutra to the tree over Kouga's head that erected a barrier around the defenseless wolf that would hide him for several hours. By the time it wore off he would be ready to wake and able to protect himself.

 

When they were finished they returned to camp, Miroku slipped back in beside Sango and wrapped his arms snugly around her body. He couldn't keep the smile off his face when she leaned back into him, one of her hands coming up to rest on his arm. Inuyasha smirked at his friends before joining the dog pile he'd left earlier, the warmth of the bodies of his nephews and Shippo lulling him back to sleep.

 

 

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Kagura was ready to tear her hair out. The old witch still hadn't returned and she really didn't want to stay the night in her smelly cave, but she didn't see any other choice. Naraku wanted to see her as soon as possible and she didn't dare return without her. The wind witch found herself poking through the odd combination of dried herbs, ancient looking scrolls, and jars of disgusting looking liquids just to pass the time. She picked up several different scrolls one at a time, unrolling them to see if they were something she could read to pass the time. Over and over she was disappointed, finding nothing but lists of ingredients and spells she had no interest in. But when she unrolled one that had been sitting on a shelf away from the others, her eyes widened.

 

“What do we have here?” she said softly to herself before sitting down and immersing herself in the words and symbols before her. She didn't understand it all, having learned how to read partially from the knowledge Naraku had possessed when he created her from his own body but mostly through pure boredom. The bastard's castle had a library that no one ever ventured in so she could have the place to herself and often did, spending hour after hour looking through boring historical accounts and somewhat interesting legends. But this, what she was looking at now, it had the potential to grant her freedom. If what it said was true then that meant that he was destined to be defeated eventually. Maybe with this information she could help move things along a bit faster.

 

 

 

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