“Dream Eater”
by Mindmelda
Chapter Five:
Yume
Inuyasha began to sniff the air in a frustrated manner. One could not smell a ghost. His amazing youkai sense would be of little or no use to them. Nor would his strength. This quandary before them required other talents.
“It’s going to be up to you, Kagome,” he said. “What do you sense?”
“I’ve never done anything like this before,” Kagome said despairingly. “I can only try.”
Sango was kneeling near Miroku again. “Perhaps we can lure this yurei, this ghost, to us,” Sango said, staring at Miroku’s drawn, pale face.
“How?” said Kagome.
“I-I didn’t tell you everything that Yume said to me,” whispered Sango.
“Why not?” demanded Inuyasha, striding over to Sango and glaring down at her.
“It’s personal!” she cried, “I was embarrassed!”
“We need to know if it will help Miroku,” said Kagome softly, putting a hand on her friend’s shoulder.
She gave Inuyasha a ‘back off’ look. “You can tell me, Sango.”
Sango nodded her head slowly. “I’ll tell you Kagome, you’ll understand.”
“Inuyasha, take Shippou over there and leave us alone,” said Kagome in a no-nonsense tone, pointing into the forest.
Inuyasha glared at her, but slung the tired kitsune child over his shoulder and stomped off into the forest.
“And I know how well you can hear,” yelled Kagome, “so be a gentleman and keep going!”
“FEH!” said the hanyou, climbing a far off tree while Shippou clung to him sleepily.
“He’s such a pain sometimes,” said Kagome, off-handedly.
Sango nervously cleared her throat.
“Sorry, Sango,” said Kagome, seeing the obvious distress on her friend’s face.
“Miroku, he’s being tormented because of me,” said Sango sadly. “It’s all my fault.”
“What?” asked Kagome, not sure she’d heard correctly.
“The ghost, she told me I’m being betrayed by love the same way she was.”
“I don’t understand,” said Kagome in a puzzled voice.
“She thinks I’m in love with Miroku and he’s betrayed me. She’s making him suffer to pay for that.”
“Oh,” said Kagome. Nothing intelligent to say came to mind. Sango was looking at the ground, not wanting to meet Kagome’s eyes.
“It’s not true, is it?” asked Kagome, finally.
“I-I don’t know,” whispered Sango. “Sometimes, I get so angry when he flirts with other women. I know it’s nothing, that I shouldn’t even care...”
“But, why does this Yume, the ghost, think you’re in love with Miroku?” asked Kagome.
“Because I’m jealous.” Sango hid her face in her hands. “It’s my unwanted jealousy that’s killing him!” she cried.
Kagome looked at her friend. “No, it’s this creature that’s killing him,” she said to Sango. “She’s wrong, it’s her own pain she can’t let go of, it has nothing to do with you.”
“But, my hate, my jealousy drew her.” Sango still hid her face in shame.
“Perhaps,” conceded Kagome. “But, maybe if you admit your feelings, the jealousy will take care of itself. Miroku has no idea you feel this strongly for him, does he?”
“No, I’d never let that happen,” said Sango, stubbornly. “I won’t be one of those silly village girls hanging all over him!”
“Why not?” asked Kagome. “Maybe those girls are there because they see the same thing you see.”
“What’s that?” asked Sango unwillingly.
“Someone who underneath his flirting, smiles and songs is very lonely and needs someone, the way we all need someone.”
Sango raised her eyes.
“If it’s not going to be you, Sango, someone he obviously cares for, it will be someone he cares nothing about. It’s very hard to always be alone.”
Sango frowned at her. “I never thought of that.”
“Maybe you should.”
Sango looked down at the monks drawn features again. “I’m sorry, Miroku,” she whispered.
An unannounced breeze ruffled the clearing, shaking the leaves from the tress, like the heralding of a sudden storm. Kagome looked up.
“I sense something,” she said quietly, looking in the direction of the old village graveyard.
“Yume!” she called out, getting up from her knees beside Sango and Miroku.
She saw a flash of red out of the corner of her eye.
“Inuyasha!” she cried. The half demon was beside her before she knew it.
“I heard something,” said the hanyou roughly, looking around suspiciously.
“This is something you may not be able to protect me from,” said Kagome.
“I can try,” said Inuyasha fiercely.
“Show yourself, yurei!” he challenged, his voice raising above the increasing wind.
“I want only the monk,” said a hollow female voice that somehow wrapped around the sounds of the wind.
“You can’t have him!” said Inuyasha, drawing the Tetsusaiga
“That won’t work!” cried Kagome, grabbing his arm.
“I won’t let this creature kill Miroku!” said Inuyasha, shrugging off her hand.
“Wait!” exclaimed Sango. “Let me try!”
Sango rose and walked to the middle of the clearing.
“YUME!” she cried loudly. “Please, take me instead,” she pleaded, dropping to her knees.
Kagome gasped. “No, not that!” she said. “Sango, no!”
“It’s the only way,” said Sango, closing her eyes tightly and bowing her head in surrender.
“Look!” said Inuyasha. He tightened his grip on his weapon.
A haze of light came toward Sango. It slowly coalesced into the shadowy shape of a beautiful woman.
“So, foolish girl, you wish me to take you instead of your lover?” said the ghost’s hollow voice.
“Sango!” said Miroku weakly. His eyes fluttered as he tried to open them.
“He’s not my lover!” said Sango. “He hasn’t betrayed me, Yume. Take me and leave him be!”
“But, he makes you sad, he must suffer,” insisted the droning voice of the yurei.
“I’ve caused my own misery by not being honest about my feelings,” said Sango.
“He must suffer,” said the ghost, uncomprehending of Sango’s pleas.
“Sango, she’s not listening!” said Kagome. “She’s insane!”
“He betrayed me,” said the yurei’s insistent voice. “They are all betrayers.”
The apparition turned away from Sango, and began to drift slowly towards Miroku’s prone form, lying under the tree.
“NO!” said Sango. “Kagome, help him!”
Kagome hesitated, then drew a sacred arrow from her quiver.
“Get away from him!” she yelled at the yurei.
“He must suffer,” intoned the woman’s hollow voice.
Kagome let the arrow fly. As it struck the apparition, a flash of green sickly light exploded.
“Got her!” yelled Inuyasha, triumphantly.
“Oh no!” said Kagome, a second later, “What’s that?”
A huge snake like creature with the head of a woman rose up against the forest.
It cackled obscenely. “The pathetic creature you knew as Yume has been sent to her final rest by your arrow, Miko. But, I, the Oni am still here!”
“A snake demon!” hissed Inuyasha through clenched teeth.
“I have used her to feast on many!” boasted the hideous creature.
“For the last time!” snarled Inuyasha. He drew back his weapon and lunged full strength at the Oni.
Miroku’s eyes began to open. “Sango!” he called weakly. Kagome and Sango ran to him.
“The dreams are gone?” asked Sango, looking searchingly into his eyes.
“What the hell is that!” asked Miroku groggily, trying to rise from the ground.
“An Oni,” said Kagome. “It was using the yurei to incapacitate young men to feast upon. The ghost fed upon their dreams, the Oni on their flesh.”
Kagome shuddered.
“You’re safe now,” said Sango, to Miroku.
“Only if Inuyasha can destroy that snake demon!” said the monk, struggling still to rise.
“You’re still too weak!” insisted Sango. “Inuyasha can deal with this. I’ll help him, if need be.”
The cries of the hanyou’s fierce battle with the Oni still reached their ears, although partially obscured from view by the thick forest.
A final bloodcurdling scream from the Oni’s throat and its death rattle told them all they needed to know.
“That’s the last feast for that thing,” said Inuyasha, wiping the venomous looking blood off of Tetsusiaga as he came over to them, grinning ferally.
Shippou bounded down from his hiding place in the trees, with Keilala.
“I was going to help you, Inuyasha!” said the kitsune.
Kagome laughed, partly with relief and at Shippou’s silly boasting.
“You’re not hurt?” she asked Inuyasha.
“Nah!” he said, brushing the question aside. “How’s the houshi?” he inquired, looking at Miroku.
“Much better now,” he said in a still-weary voice. He smiled. “I had the strangest dream.”
“I’m sure!” said Kagome.
“This one wasn’t a nightmare,” said the monk. He winked slyly at Sango and put his hands behind his head in reminiscent pose.
“I seem to recall it involved you,” he said to Sango.
“REALLY!” said Sango, indignantly.
“Yes, you were offering yourself to some hideous creature to save me,” he said, suddenly serious. “If it were only true, I suppose I would be forever in your debt.”
“You have saved all our lives many times,” said Sango, stiffly. “I’m sure I would do the same for you.”
“Ah, yes, of course.” Miroku sighed. “Well, it was only a dream,” he said sadly.
Kagome giggled. “Yes, but aren’t dreams often more true than reality?” She winked at Sango, who blushed furiously and averted her eyes.
Inuyasha snorted. “Women!” he said. “What kind of nonsense is that, Kagome? Dreams are just dreams.”
“Do you ever dream about me?” she asked the hanyou coyly.
He blushed. “I don’t remember,” he mumbled. “Come on, let’s find somewhere else to camp, this place gives me the creeps.”
He walked over to the monk and pulled him to his feet. “If you can’t walk, I’ll carry you,” he said roughly.
“I think I’ll be able to go a short ways,” said Miroku, leaning on his staff.
“I’ll help you,” said Sango, suddenly. “You can lean on me.”
“Really?” asked Miroku, in faint surprise. “You trust me all of a sudden?”
“Of course,” said Sango. “You’re too weak to do anything anyway.”
“Oh, yes, right,” he agreed. Sango went over and he slid his arm around her shoulders.
“Let me know if you need to rest,” said Sango solicitously.
“Oh, I will,” said Miroku earnestly. “Better hold on to me tightly, wouldn’t want to fall and hurt myself, or anything.” He winked at Inuyasha, who rolled his eyes.
“I can’t believe she’s letting him drape himself all over her like that,” he said disgustedly to Kagome.
“Maybe she doesn’t mind,” said Kagome. “Besides, I think they’re sort of cute together.” She looked behind her to watch Miroku say something in Sangos’ ear, and she smiled and nodded her head.
“You would!” said Inuyasha. “I suppose you want me to act silly like that.”
“Act any way you like,” said Kagome archly. “Like I care!”
“Oh, you care!” said Inuyasha. “Not that you can tell me what to do!”
“You’re impossible!” cried Kagome. “I wish that Oni had eaten you!”
“Not likely!” yelled Inuyasha. “Why don’t you just admit it, you’d miss me if I were gone. And, who’d protect you, silly wench?”
“I can protect myself just fine!” insisted Kagome.
“Right!” scoffed Inuyasha.
“Would you two shut up!” complained Shippou, “I’m trying to take a nap!” He was riding on Keilala’s back.
“Yeah be quiet, some people are trying to have a conversation!” said Miroku, grinning and leaning on Sango’s arm. She smiled back at him.
“Feh,” said Inuyasha.
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