"You learned to run from what you feel, and that's why you have nightmares. To deny is to invite madness. To accept is to control."
― Megan Chance
Dancing in the Dark
Chapter 3: Nightmare in Karakura Town
Kagome hummed contentedly, taking another bite of her rice ball. Orihime frowned slightly; it was as if she'd forgotten there were other people around.
Though she would have liked to escape the chaos at their table in a similar manner, she hadn't mastered the art of ignoring people yet.
She inwardly let out a sigh as Rangiku went back to trying to pry information out of the other girl.
… Personal information.
"Sooooo Kagome, is it? Have you ever had a boyfriend?"
Kagome blinked at her, wiping her mouth of the crumbs. "Yeah."
"Ohhhhhhh!" Rangiku squealed, "Details! Name!"
Kagome stared at her now, her eyes glazed over as if she was reliving something. "Inuyasha."
Orihime's eyes widened, 'She asked me when my 'Inuyasha' was coming to save us… does this mean that she had someone like Ichigo protecting her?'
She certainly didn't need protection anymore.
The table was silent as an unknown strain fell upon it, and suddenly, in a movement so swift it caused everyone to jump, Kagome shoved the rest of her rice ball into her mouth.
"Dowone." She mumbled around the food and stood up abruptly.
Rangiku let out a while, "But Kagome! We haven't even gotten to know each other yet…"
"Sorry girls, but I need to borrow Kagome." Someone cut in and Ichigo appeared, putting an arm firmly around her tiny shoulders.
Kagome raised an eyebrow at him, "Oh? So soon? Shouldn't you be hanging out with your friends?"
Ichigo snorted, "Right now you're more important."
A pang of jealousy swept through Orihime as her eyes zeroed in on the arm wrapped casually around Kagome, but she quickly bit her lip and looked away. There wasn't much she could do about it if Ichigo liked Kagome. It wasn't like he belonged to her. 'And besides, she saved Chad and I.'
Kagome, unaware of the feeling of the other girl, tossed Ichigo a snarky smile and reached up to flick his nose. "That doesn't sound like a good habit to get into. Choosing me over your friends I mean." She reached up and grabbed the hand he was holding onto her with. He cast her a stunned look as she pulled on him, "Well? Are you coming?"
He shrugged and proceeded to pull her away from his stunned friends.
Once he was sure they were out of hearing range he whispered, "You're who I think you are, aren't you?"
Kagome nodded, her expression instantly going from teasing to mildly serious, "I'm an undercover CIA agent from America sent to find out all your dirty secrets." Leaning in, her lips twitched as she whispered solemnly, "I hear you see ghosts."
He rolled his eyes, "Oh come on." He glanced around himself before leaning to her ear and breathing, "You're my sister."
She tipped her head to him, accepting the title, "I'm that too. But mostly a secret agent."
Ichigo nodded faintly too distracted by his own thoughts to become annoyed by her nonsense, he sent a wave to Keigo who was staring at them in frozen shock, "And you were the one in the park weren't you; that girl who was defending Orihime and Chad?"
Kagome sent him a slightly sly look as they passed a couple of whispering girls, "Yep! And you're the guy that saved us. Thanks for that by the way." She pushed his shoulder playfully and held a door open for him.
He was confused for a moment, when had she taken charge? 'And why the stairwell? Why does she want to go… to the roof?' Then, his brain processed what she had said and his brow creased. "It wasn't much saving on my part. Urahara and Yoruichi had to come rescue me." He'd failed to protect his friends. 'And apparently my sister too.' He thought glumly.
The air seemed tense with his sudden return to depression and she sent him a concerned glance. 'I knew it.' There was a brooding air around him; she'd seen it when they'd introduced themselves back in the classroom. She'd dismissed the feeling, thinking that she was sensing it because they were twins. However, she thought about how easily he was beating them before she had left and now finding that he'd been saved himself… there was more to it than that.
"Why?" She sensed him stiffen and turned to face him just as they reached the door that would lead them to the roof. "You were doing amazing when I left."
Ichigo finally removed his arm from around her shoulders in favor of opening the door, "Nothing I'm just going to tell you. We might be twins but I don't know you." He shot back, and Kagome couldn't help but think he sounded like a sulking child.
She huffed, crossing her arms and shooting him a look that clearly said she didn't believe he was being honest about his reason, "Is that so?" He remained defiant and Kagome's eyes softened. She heaved a sigh, "Then tell me this… what were those things?" Her voice got lower, "They didn't feel like demons."
A flashback of the big one pushing against her barrier came unbidden to her mind, 'No demon would have survived that.'
Ichigo once again froze up, 'Should I tell her?' He didn't want his family brought into the fight; especially not a member he didn't know for sure could take care of herself. 'Can she?' He tried to remember. By the time he'd gotten there, she'd collapsed.
He hadn't seen her powers and he sucked with sensing spiritual pressure so he was at a loss.
Kagome shot him a glare as if she had read his thoughts, "I can take care of myself you know!" She growled out, her famous temper starting to boil over, "I've faced opponents just as tough as those guys before." 'Stronger.' She mentally admitted.
Of course he didn't need to know that she'd had help.
Let him think that he had an ultra-powerful sister.
"…" Ichigo's eyes dimmed as a little of the fight left him. Regardless of whether or not she really COULD do anything, she could still see hollows and that meant she could be targeted by them for her soul. He couldn't just let her go out into the world defenseless like that. "I don't want to bring you into it." He admitted, he ran his fingers through his short hair with a frustrated sigh.
Kagome's brow ticked and she snorted, 'And I don't want to get involved.'
Neither of them would be getting what they wanted.
"I AM going to, as you say, 'get into it'." She spit out, "I'm not going to sit back while you fight!" 'At least not while the guys are that tough. Family comes first.'
Ichigo's own eyebrow twitched, they obviously had a temper in common and his had gotten sick of lying dormant. It was time for it to come out to play. "Come on! You don't seriously think I'm gonna tell you when you ask like that!"
"Then I'll ask one of your friends down there." Kagome shot back, "The girl with orange hair and smaller boobs than Rangiku… Orihime right? She owes me. She'll tell me everything I want to know."
While Ichigo was slightly disturbed that Kagome was identifying his friends in order of their chest size, he wasn't going to back down. 'Who does she think she is? I'm not going to put her in danger!' But she was also a spitfire; he'd have some trouble getting her to cooperate. "You wouldn't."
"I would."
"No. You wouldn't." He mimicked her drawn out word and watched as she turned away childishly.
"Would too."
He gave an exasperated groan, "No, you wouldn't."
Turning to face him, she puffed up her cheeks, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Would."
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair in an agitated fashion, "Whatever."
Her anger dispersed and a feeling of pride swelled into her chest.
Kagome: 1 Ichigo: 0
Kagome's lips curled into a victorious smile and her eyes flash with mischievous glee, "Anything else you'd like to argue about?" 'I'll beat you no matter what!' Her mind was greedy and itching for a fight with the orange haired boy.
Ichigo huffed and his eyes narrowed, "…"
Remembering what they'd been fighting about in the first place –in her victory she'd momentarily forgotten- she returned to the task at hand.
Making him tell her what she'd defended Orihime and Chad against the day before.
"Then tell me what's going on!"
He was stricken by her determination and decided, for her own safety he had to tell her something. "Ask away." He replied, defeated. Logic was returning to him now that he wasn't mad and he remembered what he'd decided earlier –how he'd forgotten was a mystery to himself. She had to know.
If she headed into a fight with a hollow without knowing what she was up against the unfortunate results would be his fault; he didn't want that on his hands.
Kagome pursed her lips, unaware of his inner dilemma, "What were those things?"
Ichigo rolled his eyes, 'Girls.' "Assuming those 'things' you're talking about are those two we fought yesterday… they're called hollows."
"Hollows?" Kagome's brow furrowed, 'What on earth is a hollow?'
Her brother appeared frustrated with this response and at a loss for words. "…"
"Ichigo?"
He sat down awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Maybe I should explain… from the start." Suddenly he wished he had Rukia's sucky drawings, it would be a lot easier to explain if he did.
Not that he'd tell her that.
"-Alright."
Ichigo blinked, peering at her face. 'Was she talking or something?' She was looking at him expectantly. Whatever she had said would have had something to do with the explanation he'd been offering…
"Well… there's this place called Soul Society, it's where spirits rest in peace." He tapped his chin as she looked on, intrigued by his story already. "And there are two types of spirits. First, there is a normal spirit or a Whole. Those spirits are the good kind that you see on the streets. The second kind is a Hollow, an evil spirit. Hollows attack both living and dead people to devour their souls."
Kagome's mood darkened and Ichigo just barely heard her hiss, "More soul eaters."
Ichigo ignored her and tried to think about how to term his next words, "I'm a soul reaper; a being that kills 'hollows' and helps 'wholes' rest in peace." He looked her in the eye as she once again became immersed in his story, "Normal people can't see soul reapers either."
"The students don't seem to be having any problems seeing you."
He huffed slightly, "That's because I'm a substitute soul reaper; meaning I'm still alive. Other soul reapers are wholes that have passed on or people who were born in the Soul Society." He gave a satisfied nod, "And that's all you need to know."
"You're keeping a lot of secrets," his sister replied, "Is that wise?"
Ichigo turned his head away, "I don't want you getting involved any more than you have to; my friends are already in enough danger without me having to worry about you."
"Please, Ichigo. I'm not a child; you don't have to worry about me." Her hand fell onto his shoulder, "I take care of myself." 'I won't be your responsibility.'
With her piece said, she headed down the staircase; surprised when Ichigo never followed her down.
A worry crept into her and her eyes searched the courtyard even as the bell rang for lunch's end.
She never saw familiar orange hair amongst the crowd.
Souta coughed as he struggled to keep up with his jogging sister; Kagome had invited him on one of her famous 'runs' earlier to prepare him for the soccer team.
This run was a little too much for him and he wondered if he really had to be fit enough to go through this torture every day if he wanted to get on the team.
Kagome slowed to a stop at the end of the block and he bent over with his hands on his knees.
Looking up at his sister through his pants he hoarsely replied, "Y-you're not even breathing hard…"
"I'm used to it," she shrugged, "With all the running I did in track last year I've gotten pretty high endurance. You on the other hand… we're going to have to get you used to it."
The mildly confused look in his eye was quickly hidden by dark, teasing intent. "You can't make me run with you."
"Oh~ho! But I can!" Her eyes glinted evilly and she reached forward, wrapping him in her arms. He squirmed and complained against the tickles that followed, but she relented only when he promised he would go with her every day.
The sibling moment was short-lived however, when Kagome leaned to his ear and whispered, "We're being watched, doing reveal anything."
He tensed a little, but then relaxed again. "Sis, I forgot to tell you, I met Karin today; she's the captain of the soccer team."
The blank expression sent his way only made him want to smile, "Karin? Our sister Karin?"
"Yeah, Karin and Yuzu are the twins. We're not in the same class, but Karin is on the soccer team." His eyes lit up, "Oh! They've invited us to dinner tonight."
Kagome winced, "Tonight?"
"What's wrong with tonight," he asked with a raised eyebrow, "You can't have much homework."
"Yeah, but I don't really feel like having a confrontation with our dear brother."
Souta's lips twitched, "You met Ichigo?"
"He's infuriating."
"The same could be said about a certain sister of mine." He shrugged and rummaged through his pocket, taking out a mini pack of pocky and stuffing a piece in his mouth, "Like brother like sister."
She rolled her eyes, "I'm not that bad."
"All I'm saying is that you're TWINS. You might have more in common than you think."
Kagome's eyes narrowed and she smiled innocently, "Let's finish our run, little bro."
Souta squirmed uncomfortably while Kagome prowled around him, looking at him from every angle before finally speaking, "… You've got to be kidding me."
He blushed and shifted awkwardly, "I-It's just… Karin says that Y-Yuzu…"
Stifling a laugh, Kagome slapped a hand over her face, "You're wearing a suit to a family dinner! Do you have any idea how absurd that is?"
Her brother blushed, "Well it's too late to change now! The dinner is at 7:40!" He glanced over at the clock on the microwave and flinched at the time.
7:35.
Kagome sighed and grabbed his arm, storming through the house like a madwoman until they reached his room; where she then proceeded to rummage through his closet. "Um let's see… Okay! Khakis and a blue t-shirt... I'm sure Yuzu isn't expecting the perfect gentleman to come waltzing through her door." She grabbed the items and shoved them into his arms, "Change."
Souta watched his sister head out of his room and into the hall, shutting the door behind her. "Speaking of dinner, what are you making?" He sniffed the air as he changed, hurrying through and almost putting his pants on backward.
"Oden." Her voice was muffled but he could tell she was probably back in the kitchen, "What did you think I was doing while you were fooling around with that tux?"
Souta shrugged and opened the door, shuffling through to head into the dining room. He quickly picked his watch off the table and put it on, "I thought you were going to stand around waiting for me to finish." He joked, a small smile on his face.
He heard her scoff, "Please! That suit was at least two sizes too small for you. If I'd waited for you to get it on, I'd have fallen asleep."
A light blush appeared on his cheeks and he entered the kitchen, seeing her run around with a blue apron on over a white V-neck and jeans. "Why are you making so much?" He said quickly, hoping to divert attention from the embarrassing wardrobe disaster, "You didn't get an admirer on your first day did you?" He grinned cheekily, "Did you invite your new boyfriend over for a home cooked meal?"
Kagome made a face somewhere between disgust and amusement, "I've said it before and I'll say it again. 'Boys are weird'." She paused briefly and glanced at him, "Besides, I don't think relationships are a good idea right now Souta."
"Good," he replied, "I don't feel like scaring guys off right now. I'm too busy with soccer to make a good plan."
Kagome rolled her eyes and reached over to ruffle his hair, "It's official; you're as weird as the rest of them. Anyway, you don't want to be late do you? Shoo." She quickly followed with the corresponding hand gestures.
"See you!" He got the hint when he glanced at his watch and waved to her quickly, running on jelly legs down the street. She watched from the doorway as he came to the threshold of the small clinic and knocked on the door.
It was opened by a small girl with light brown hair and a big smile. 'Yuzu.' Kagome decided, losing herself for a moment as she watched the girl embrace her brother. "Where's Kagome?" The words were muffled, even with the amount of reiki that Kagome was unknowingly focusing into her ears. "She was busy tonight." Yuzu hugged Souta again, hiding the tears that had made their way into her eyes, "Oh." She ushered him inside and the door closed behind her.
Kagome tried to ignore the longing that entered her, but glanced over at her shoes anyway. Without much thought she slid them on, took off her apron, and grabbed her purse.
In truth, she hadn't wanted to go to the dinner because she was afraid. The idea of having more siblings was hard enough for her to grasp, but what really terrified her was her father. He gave up Souta and her; he'd given up any right he had to know them.
But despite this, she walked down the sidewalk and her eyes never left the clinic. Stopping, she watched the silhouettes of her family through a window from across the street. Someone was running back and forth, while two shorter figures laughed or backed away.
Kagome shook her head and started toward the nearby park feeling hollow, unaware that someone had moved the window curtain and was now watching her go from inside the clinic.
Brown eyes closed and his large hand shook against the curtain as he wanted his eldest take off running. 'I'm sorry Kagome.'
His daughter, ignorant of her father's plight, continued running from the house. She ran until she reached the park and took shelter in the trees.
She wandered around in the forest, not seeing anything and unaware of the time that passed. The undeniably numb feeling had taken her and she wasn't the slightest bit aware of anything.
Crunch! 's and Crash! 's sounded around her as something large fought its way through the thick foliage, but still Kagome remained oblivious.
And then a loud screech sounded, causing Kagome to not only snap out of her trance, but to grab her ears and cry out.
Her eyes moved back and forth in a frenzy as she tried to find the source of the horrible sound but the loud Crack! 's and Snap! 's confirming its position only served to scare her more. And finally, the creature broke free of the foliage.
It was huge.
Its body looked like a group of barbies that had been taken apart and put together again –without making sure you were putting the right part on the right doll. Its arms were twice as long as its body –which was huge- and there was a hole in its chest. Its legs were tiny though, and it looked like it had a hard time standing on such wobbly, small things.
Its skin color was a sickly grey and a white mask covered its face.
Overall, she wasn't sure if she was scared of it or if she felt sorry for it.
Kagome had never seen a hollow before, but she figured that this creature was what her brother had spoken of. "Hey there big fella."
The answering screech had her covering her ears again.
"Hey hey! Don't get too excited over there."
"Foolish human." The hollow ground out and lunged, breaking branches and trees alike. It was tough looking, but it was also slow and the crowded space was making it hard for the thing to get at her.
It was almost too easy to dodge it.
The downside was that as slow as it was, she didn't have a weapon and it clearly wasn't going to leave her alone. Eventually she would make a mistake…
"I could kill you like I hurt Mistress Centipede." She considered idly, glancing at her hands for a split second, only to have to dodge an incoming hand.
"Your soul smells so delicious."
"Thanks, but I'd prefer it not become a five-star dinner course." She muttered, pausing as an aura brushed against hers. 'So he is still watching me.' "Then I should give him a show."
The hand came again and she sprang onto it; running up its arm and across to the junction between shoulder and neck.
Kagome took a deep breath and closed her eyes focusing on her powers, "Please work." She whispered, highly aware of the hand that was reaching to slap into her; if it hit, she would die. Her eyes snapped open and she pressed her glowing hands to its neck and forced more power into the hollow through them.
A tremor went through its body, like a human that had been electrocuted, and it gave a horrid screech that cut off suddenly.
It wasn't until she was falling that she realized what had caused its abrupt ending, but it was made much clearer with the pieces falling with her.
It blew up.
She hadn't been sure what her powers effect on a hollow would be, but the way it self-destructed proved it wasn't a good reaction.
Kagome braced herself for a harsh and painful landing and was met with no surprise when it came.
The wind was knocked out of her lungs and debris dug painfully into her back but Kagome didn't make a sound.
There isn't a feeling quite like watching your daughter run for the hills. If Isshin had asked himself what he'd feel if he saw such a thing, he probably would have responded with 'hurt' or 'sad', but that wasn't what he felt watching her go.
He wasn't sure of a word that could describe it.
Agony? Heartbreak?
No. It was something worse than that.
He looked up from his seat to focus is eyes on his youngest son. At least Souta had come, he wasn't sure how he would have taken two of his children rejecting him.
Souta got along very well with Karin and Yuzu especially and Ichigo had seemingly taken to him well.
Isshin broke from his thoughts when Souta called his name. Looking at his youngest son, he was surprised to find the boy had an eyebrow raised.
'He must have said something.' "What was that?" Isshin asked, a grin breaking out on his face, "I didn't hear you."
"You'll have to forgive the old man's ears." Ichigo replied, looking up from his food to wave his fork at the father of five.
Isshin narrowed his eyes, "This old man can still beat you in a fight. Have some respect."
"You're dreaming grandpa." Ichigo replied fleetingly, biting into a spoonful of corn.
As Isshin stood, so did Souta, waving his hands defensively, "I just asked if you could pass the salt!"
"…" His father's eyes went from Ichigo to the salt next to his hand, then back. They narrowed.
As if to answer his silent accusation, the soul reaper looked up and raised an eyebrow. "The salt? It's right here kid." He carelessly tossed said product to his younger brother, smirking when Souta -barely- caught it upside down and salt spilled all over the table.
Isshin sighed, unable to find it inside himself to scold his children when his daughters broke into varying intensities of snickers and giggles.
Shaking his head he returned to his seat, completely unaware of the large smile on his face.
Kagome sat up, ignoring the pain in her ribs and the various cuts on her body –from the sharp, broken branches- and allowed her hand to glow pink as she healed herself.
Kagome sighed as all the aches disappeared and stood. For a moment she found herself back in the trance she'd started in; then she felt it.
The lonely, angry feeling was disappearing, leaving only the longing. She wasn't scared anymore.
If she wanted to know her family… why should she be afraid of that?
She had no reason to be.
Deciding quickly, she started to make her way through the woods…
…Only to find that she was no longer in the park at all. She stood outside her father's clinic.
Her brow furrowed, 'That's weird.' Maybe she had walked back while she was thinking? It wouldn't be the first time she had gotten lost in her thoughts and found herself in a different place than where she had started.
She walked the remaining feet up to the door and raised her hand to knock, only to pause. What if they were done eating?
What if they didn't want her there?
She stopped her wild thoughts abruptly by knocking on the door. A few awkward seconds of anxious waiting ended with the door opening and her father standing in the doorway. She vaguely noticed he wore pink socks.
Other than that, he was average. Average height, average build, bright orange hair that matched Ichigo's and dark soulful eyes.
But Kagome didn't care about his appearance; she'd figured she took after her mother anyway.
"Kagome." He sounded stunned, but happy. "You came after all." Kagome peered up at him, waiting for the rage to come back, but instead found herself lost in his eyes.
Shaking herself from the hypnosis and looking behind him, she saw two nearly identical girls appeared behind their father and a pair of brown eyes –Yuzu's she concluded- and a pair of blue –must be Karin- peered at her with mixtures of shock. In the next moment, they were hugging her, "Big sister."
Ichigo was the next to appear; he took one look at her and rolled his eyes, leaving. 'Well that was heartwarming.' She thought, but idly noticed her mind felt sluggish. She ignored the brewing suspicion in her gut and gave her little sisters a squeeze. "So what's for dinner?" She asked quietly, avoiding her father's probing eyes.
"… We already ate."
"But we can watch a movie, can't we dad?" Yuzu chirped, releasing Kagome from her prison of arms and looking back at him.
He looked at his eldest daughter and seemed to contemplate for a minute, "That is alright." He finally decided.
Warmth entered her as he accepted her and she wanted to throw her arms around him. She took a step forward, only to feel a drop of water touch her skin. Looking up, she frowned, "It's starting to rain."
Karin and Yuzu released her, stepping away as the drop became many. "Who are you?" Karin asked and Yuzu stepped away in fear. "You don't look hurt. Why are you here?"
"Girls come inside, it's raining." Isshin said in a fatherly voice, bringing them tight against his sides.
"…Dad?" Kagome whispered hesitantly, "What's going on?"
He didn't turn. Perhaps he hadn't heard her?
"Dad?" She said louder, "Dad?!"
He remained oblivious and Kagome reached for him, missing the back of his shirt by only an inch.
The clinic disappeared and the streets fell away as Kagome found herself becoming farther and farther from her family.
Her panic set in and she ran after them, even as her brothers joined them and the rain became a downpour. Above them, the sun came out and they all laughed together.
Kagome ran faster, but even though they had stopped walking and sat down, distance kept growing. "Dad?! Souta?! Ichigo?!"
Her tears added to the rain when lightning struck behind her and she turned around on reflex. Gulping, she went to face her family again, but they were no longer there.
She was alone.
Thunder rumbled, lightning struck, and Kagome quaked with fear.
"It's your fault."
Pain gripped her chest and Kagome was thrown to the ground, turning over, she saw only darkness. Then, a face grew in front of her.
Miroku.
His expression twisted into hatred and burning anger, "This is your fault." He thrust something into her arms and Kagome yelled as blood mixed with rain and tears.
Sango.
Sango's head.
"I'm sorry," Kagome sobbed, "I'm sorry."
"You did this. You did this."
Sango's head shifted in her arms and Kagome looked down to find her brown, empty eyes staring right at her. "You did this." She whispered, "You did this to me; to us."
Faced with her closest friends' bodies, the overwhelming blood rain, and the all-consuming guilt Kagome could only think of one thing to do.
She screamed.
The scream didn't end when she woke up; if anything, it grew louder.
Her hands moved frantically to throw Sango's head from her and she rolled out of her bed in a state of panic.
It was with trembling lips and sobbing eyes that she realized that it had all been a dream. A vivid dream, but a dream nonetheless.
She breathed deeply, fighting against the sobs and shakiness, and pressing a hand against her mouth in a poor attempt to muffle the noise she made.
But it was too late for that.
Souta burst into her room, a knight in shining armor if there ever was one, and searched the room for her. Once he'd found her, he gathered her into his arms like one would hold a broken bird. "Shhh. It's okay."
Sniffling, Kagome reversed their positions, holding onto him like a lifeline. "I love you Souta."
"I love you too sis." He murmured and rubbed her back soothingly.
"Please don't leave me," her voice broke and she nuzzled his hair, "don't leave me all alone."
If the room hadn't been so dark, she may have seen that he was crying silently with her, "I'll stay, I promise."
ns 15.158.61.20da2
