InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time Soul Exodus ❯ Chapter 7: =Dreams, Pain and Life= ( Chapter 7 )

Written by: Zelix

A/N: Oh well, less and less people review but so what? I'll just keep writing anyway and hope for a miracle… besides, those people who are waiting for more and don't review (Grr…) I would hate to disappoint them, so… even though you people are ungrateful bastards :) I'll still keep writing, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that's related to Inuyasha, I do own Arc though and if someone intends to copy him without my permission I'll F*** you up!

"Talking"

`Thinking'

[Check the bottom for details]

*Flashback/Switch in Time or place*

=Used when mentioning a technique, attack or something important=

If this was a TV series:

Opening: Chihiro Yonekura - Butterfly kiss

Ending: Hikaru no go - Bokura no boken

Time Soul Exodus

Chapter 7: =Dreams, Pain and Life=

He couldn't move… his body felt like it weighted a ton, like it was tied down by invisible chains and bonds, all he could do was stay there on the ground on his knees… everywhere around him there was nothing but darkness, it stretched out into the horizon and was so pitch black that just looking into it made your eyes blurry…

Arc didn't know where he was or what was happening, he couldn't move or even talk, his voice was dead in his throat… his demonic instincts, traits and senses were gone as well and his strength as a human wasn't there either, it was as if this… dimension had sucked out every last drop of his strength, all he could do was see and hear…

The darkness was silent around him, nothing existed here… no light, no sound, no nothing… he felt helpless, absolutely helpless and it scared him to no end, his breathing was rapid and unsteady, he could see his own breath forming in front of his eyes like it was winter but he couldn't feel the cold, nor the heat, his body was naked and yet he didn't feel any warmth or cold… this place was like a void, a void where nothing existed except you yourself but you could do nothing in this place, it felt like this place was taunting him silently… like it was saying: "Look at you, so high and mighty and now you're like a helpless baby…" And that both scared and pissed him off, his demon blood was furious for being helpless and his human side was scared to no end about all this.

After a long silence, he began to think: `What is going on? What happened? I was in the woods, fighting those insects and… what happened then…? Oh yes, I carried Chizu towards the village but… I passed out… damn… I passed out right in the middle of the enemy territory! Chizu… goddamn it… I failed, I was supposed to help her and her mother and then find my mate but, it seems like this was all I could do, kill a few insects before they got me… I really am pathetic, even at the very end I could do nothing, besides get a little child killed along with myself… Kagura, Chizu, everyone… I failed already…' He was gritting his teeth and was clenching his eyes shut, his entire body was shaking from the anger and self hatred he felt, he felt like a loser, a loser who couldn't do anything right… he then figured out what this place was, this must be the so much rumoured after world, the place where you go when you die… or this might be the reception area where you wait your turn to be judged.

Arc didn't care anymore, whenever he was sent to heaven or hell, it would mean that Kagura would soon follow him… wherever she was, her heart would break from being separated from her mate and it was his fault, his weakness and stupidity had gotten both himself and her killed, he hated himself so much at that moment, so much that it made his stomach turn.

Then, he felt something touching his cheek… something warm… his eyes snapped open and what he saw made his heart stop, it was something that filled him with hope, warmth, fear and confusion… in front of him, surrounded by a faint blue light was Kagura, his soul mate…

She didn't wear anything either but he wasn't focusing on that, his mind was racing with millions of thoughts, not one of them making sense but one feeling did: He felt so relieved and happy that his heart was about to burst with that feeling… his eyes trembled and began to fill with tears, after 4 long months… 4 torturous months… he saw his mate again, looking just as beautiful as the day he met her… no, with that light around her, that soothing light, it made her look so beautiful his eyes hurt just by looking at her, the feel of her arm on his cheek and the warmth it gave in this otherwise dead void was so soothing… Arc tried to say something but his voice wouldn't work, his mouth moved but no words came out…

He then heard Kagura's voice inside his mind: "Arc, my mate…" That was when the mark on Arcs neck began to vibrate like a heartbeat, her voice… then he realised it, this wasn't the hereafter, this was the link he had to her! They're bond! He then remembered this, this had happened before… 4 months ago, when he was wallowing in despair and anger from being separated from his mate, this dream occurred… though at that time it was not nearly this accurate or strong but in that dream he had felt her presence, it was so close yet so far away, as if something was between them.

It made sense now, his mate was 500 years in the past so they're bond had been weak but now, now that he himself was here in the past as well the bond they shared was stronger… but… even though he could feel her in his mind and soul, how come he couldn't talk or react to her? Why couldn't he move?

That was when her voice reached his mind again: "Arc, there is not much time left… even though we have just been re-united… this is where we must say farewell…" Those words, they hit Arc straight into the core of his heart like an ice dagger, what was she saying?! There was no chance in all the hells of the underworld that he was going to say `farewell' to her! No!! He would not let her go…

Kagura's face then turned into a sad one as the light around her began to fade slowly, making Arc struggle against her chains but it was useless, they wouldn't give even an inch, why? Why wouldn't they let him go!? Her voice reached him again: "I am so sorry my mate, but there is nothing I can do about it anymore… I always knew that you would come for me, I always had faith in you but… it is too late, my bond to you is fading and I cannot stop it… I wanted to be with you again but… I was too weak to fight back, so this is where I must say good-bye… I love you, my mate and even if we meet again, I will not be me anymore… I am so glad that I could feel our bond one more time, I am so sorry that I caused you so much pain my mate, I hope… that you can forgive me for not being strong enough… good-bye…" With that, her form began to fade away into her darkness, leaving Arc alone, struggling against his binds and chains like a madman and soundlessly with teary eyes kept roaring out her name, feeling they're bond weakening until he couldn't feel her presence anymore…

When her presence disappeared, so did the chains and binds that held him, the instant they let go, he ran like crazy to the spot where Kagura had stood and kept calling out her name, this time his voice was working again but the only thing that answered to his voice was silence… he kept calling out to her until his voice didn't work anymore, he couldn't feel they're bond anymore, it was like someone or something had cut it off and he couldn't re-connect it anymore… his eyes trembled as tears began to freely flow down his cheeks, he collapsed onto his hands and knees on the grounds as he kept saying her name over and over again, his body shaking with sobs and hatred… he covered his face with his hands and cried, because he could no longer feel her presence or the bond between them, his heart was aching from the empty feeling it left behind… his body was shaking violently from the loud sobs and cries he made and he could feel his demon side howling from the loss as well… at that moment, his human side and demon side were in perfect agreement, they're feelings were one at that moment: Both felt like ending it all, end they're own life.

Then Arc felt something rising in his mind and soul, something enormous was coming out and he could do nothing to stop it… not that he wanted to anyway. After a small moment of silence, Arc suddenly lifted his tear stained face towards the sky of this darkness and let out the loudest, strongest and scariest roar he could muster, the sound of the roar made the darkness shake and vibrate from the sheer feelings that it held… it held all the pain and sadness that Arc had suppressed for the duration of the four moths of separation from his mate… though, while he was roaring, his eyes opened, his eyes had become silver with red-eye balls…

Then his fingers stretched slightly and turned into silver coloured claws and became slightly covered in scales, then from the top of his eyebrows three wolf like claw cuts went across his eyes all the way to his cheeks, his hair became more longer and beast like looking and his fangs lengthened… then his holy powers also reacted by beginning to spin around him and formed a ball like shield around him, the colour of his shield was white mixed with light blue, yet you could see pink in it as well.

This went on for a minute before it stopped, the shield around him dissipated and disappeared while his Youkai traits went away as well, leaving him in his human form. Arc then felt all his strength leaving his body and he collapsed on the floor(?) and just went numb… his eyes were still shedding small tears and he was only remembering the times he had spent with Kagura, his soul mate… no other memories passed through his mind except the memories he had with her, all the good and bad times… it made his heart ache with loneliness, this was what it felt like when you had nothing left to live for, they're bond was gone for some reason and he didn't have the strength left to even stand anymore… he might as well be dead…

After another long moment of silence, he then began to remember what she had said to him, the last words she said… what did she mean by: "I was too weak to fight back?" Or with: "Even if we meet again, I will not be me anymore?" What did that mean? When she had said those, she sounded ashamed and weak… as if… as if…

He suddenly got up with lightning like speed and thought: `It was as if… as if someone had broken her will! Yes, that's it! Our bond is gone but… (Feels his neck) Yes, the mark is still there! If she was dead then the mark would disappear and I would lose my will to live, I would then die from heartache but the mark is still there! It means that she is alive but someone or something has blocked our bond, meaning she is out there somewhere… waiting for me…'

With that, he clenched his fist and roared towards the darkness: "I will find you! No matter what happens, no matter who gets in my way I will find you again!! Just wait for me, I will be there… even if I must search for you until the end of time!!!" Then he could see the darkness around him fade away and light began to come in, the light felt warm… it reminded him of Kagura's touch… he then thought: `Yes, I will find her because without her, my life is meaningless and empty… she is my heart, my soul… my life itself and nothing, I mean NOTHING will stop me, I will find her… and kill whoever is responsible for making her sound so beaten and weak, no matter who it is…' Then the light became so intense he had to close his eyes, then everything around felt like it was fading away and he could feel his own body disappearing somewhere, but not before feeling something he hadn't felt in quite a while: Hope, hope of finding her again.

Arc felt groggy, his entire body felt like it was under extremely high pressure or something similar… he briefly wondered what was going on? His eyes refused to open and all his other senses felt like they had been paralyzed, he could also feel his Youkai blood going ape inside of him… must be the after effects of using so much and to be frank, it felt quite nauseous.

It took a little while until his eyes decided to obey his brain and opened up at last, the first thing he saw was a roof made out of wood… `Wait a minute… roof? What the hell is a roof doing in the middle of a goddamn forest?! (I need to know something, does it fit that Arc swears during his thoughts but avoids it during talking or does it not fit at all?) Just what happened after I collapsed…? Who…?' That was when he heard someone approaching, he tried to get up but his body was both stiff and aching so he couldn't even make it into a sitting position.

The curtain like door to the hut he was in (He saw the walls and such so he figured he was in a hut) was pushed aside and a person entered the hut, he couldn't see right away who it was since the light from outside blinded him temporarily, his eyes felt like he hadn't used them in ages… or more like all his senses had restarted or something…

He felt someone kneeling besides him felt a soft hand on his forehead, the hand was soft yet it held certain hard points, he could recognise those hard points without a second thought: Bow marks, since his mothers hands were full of them from the years she had used her bow in the feudal era so he could tell them when he either felt or saw them… then his nose picked up the persons scent, it was… a woman, no doubt about that, most likely a little over 30… not to mention she had the feel of holy power around her, she was a Miko (Priestess) no doubt about it since he could feel his own suppressed holy powers resonating with hers, she wouldn't be able to sense his since his mother had taught him VERY well how to hide it.

As his eyes got used to the light, he saw her face and if he wasn't already mated he would have fallen in love on the spot… just kidding, she was beautiful yes but he wasn't really the kind of a guy who falls for every beautiful girl/woman he sees. She was dressed in a white and red Miko outfit, (Like Kaede's or Kikyo's) her hair was rich brown coloured, it was about neck long and had a pure scent around it, her skin was slightly reddish but not too much, then her eyes were also brown like her hair: To sum all it up, a total babe.

Arc then heard her saying to him: "Good, you're awake, you had all of us scared there when you arrived…" Her voice was smooth and quite calming, yet it didn't stop him from looking at her with confused eyes. He had arrived here? When? How? As if seeing the look of confusion in his eyes, she chuckled and asked: "You don't remember at all do you?" He just shook his head saying `no' with that same confused look in his eyes and she answered with a humorous smile: "Well, it was almost dawn when a villager came to me and said that a `really strange looking man has entered the village looking like he was walking in his sleep and is holding a girl!' So I came over and saw you walking like a drunken old man before you collapsed right before walking into the lake… you're lucky you know, had you dropped there while in that state you would have surely drowned."

Arc didn't even try to comprehend how embarrassed he was at the moment, he was also relieved… he had made it into the village in his practically unconscious state… but he had walked like he was drunk? Almost fallen into the lake? Shit, if his dad ever heard about this then he would never hear the end of it.

His mind was still a bit fuzzy but he managed to ask with a hoarse voice: "Who… are…you…?" Talking hurt quite a lot, his throat felt like it was full of sand and talking made it itch and burn, he had really pushed his limits hadn't he? The Miko heard the hoarseness in his voice and while filling a small cup with cold water from the water basket in the hut, she said with a small smile: "My name is Sumira, I'm the Miko of this village… here, drink this." Sumira helped Arc rise into a sitting position and since his arms felt like they weighted a ton she helped him drink the cold water down his throat.

The feeling of cold water in his burning and dry throat felt like he was drinking something straight out of heaven… the feel of the icy cold liquid taking out the burning heat within his throat and body felt intoxicating and least to say, if you could he would purr with delight. After he had drunk he the water, he laid his head back down on the small makeshift bedding he was laying on and sighed with relief… he would never have guessed just how good a simple cup of water would feel, so this was what it was like when you lived here, when you had to fight and struggle for living then something so simple like water tasted so freaking heavenly…

Then Arc remembered something and asked Sumira with a bit more wider eyes, his voice still small and rather weak: "What… what about… Chizu? She was… I was…" He cursed his mind, it was still in such a mess he couldn't form any decent phrases. Sumira first looked around him and then said to him: "Don't worry, she is at her home at the moment, I didn't want the =Moon priests= to find her so I snuck her home before they spotted her…" Arc was now curious and relieved, =Moon priests=? Who the heck where those…?

Sumira then said whispered to Arc: "By the way, you're really something aren't you? I don't remember anyone coming out the =Forest of Inuyasha= alive in quite a while… also, thank you." Arc looked at her with a `thanks for what?' kind of a look while blushing from the comment of him being something else before Sumira went into the shelf of the hut and took out a small bag, when she showed him what was in there his eyes widened… inside the bag were the berries Chizu had collected! He looked back and forth between Sumira and the bag with a goofy look on his face, making Sumira chuckle again, how can someone look like that?

Sumira then answered to him: "While you were unconscious and I snuck Chizu back to her hut un-noticed, she woke up and after I got her into the hut she told me all about you… Arc, wasn't it?" He nodded slowly and she continued: "Well, it is kind of hard to explain everything since I would need to start from the beginning but I'll tell you this, we'll talk more later: These berries are very good against the insects poison and might be able to help Chizu's mother but suffice to say is that we hadn't really had much luck in getting them lately… you must be familiar as to why right?"

Arc nodded and said with a small chuckle: "Yeah… a lot of dung beetles in the forest lately right?" He coughed a bit after saying that, Sumira just smirked and said: "Yes, that's why… but rest now, we'll talk more later." Arc just nodded again before closing his eyes, still feeling exhausted like hell, Sumira left the hut to let him rest for a while.

Right after she was gone Arc began to think: `So…I made it, good. Yet, who are these Moon priests? Could they be the `cloaked people' Chizu referred to? And what's more, this village has a strange feeling into it, it feels like… I don't know what it is but it's… unnerving, like a strange itch that you can't scratch.' Arc then heard another voice inside of him, his Youkai blood was up and talking again: {Exhausted already? What a weakling…} Arc just chuckled mentally and replied: `You've been talking to me awfully lot lately, I know that you're the Youkai blood within me but… how come we can talk like this?' The voice replied: {Because you're still too weak to survive on your own, that's why. You could say that I'm your `weaklings ABC of Youkai traits and strengths' And to be honest, I hate it.} Arc nodded to himself and replied: `Okay, I don't quite fully understand but I get the basic idea… you're supposed to teach me how to fight or something right?' the voice groaned and replied: {No, my purpose is to keep you focused during battle, since you've been quite the chicken shit, always running trying to run away and all so it is my job to make you find your fighting spirit or some shit like that…}

Arc chuckled at the voices choice of words before asking: `Okay, let's say I find this `fighting spirit' of mine, what then?' The voice snorted and replied: {Then it's adios between you and me, when you find your fighting spirit it means my purpose is over and then you're on your own, though you are a bit more interesting case than you're father was…} That made Arc open his eyes wide and reply: `My father? What do you mean?' The voice chuckled and answered: {Heh… that's for me to know and for you to find out, sorry kiddo but that's the rules. Anyway, toddles for now since I'm quite sure you'll be crying for my help soon enough.}

When the voice faded Arc tried to shout mentally at it: `Hey! Wait!! Tell me, why can't I control myself when I fight?! Why do I end up killing everything?! HEY!!' When there was no reply, Arc said the one thing that summed up everything he felt at the moment: "Shit…" There were just too many questions right now, where was Kagura? What had happened to her? What did that voice mean by mentioning his father? What was happening in this village?

Arc then groaned and rolled to his side and thought: `Fuck it… I can't think straight in this state… I should just rest and wait, I'll figure it out when I'm rested and well again, the exhaustion from overusing my body and going over my limit when those were my first battles sure wears someone down huh? Oh well…' With that, he was out like a candle, dreaming of the past memories once again…

To be continued…

"I have arrived in the village…

Now maybe I'll find some answers…

The cloaked people, the insects and the mysterious little girl Chizu…

… I hope I'll find more information about my mate, wait for me… please." - Arcerdo Higurashi.

Next chapter:

=Dying Village =

A/N: Okay, finally I got this one out, the next on will be up eventually but reviewing just might make the difference… if you know what I mean :)

- Zelix, see ya next time…