An Unlikely Pair

Eighteen

Kagome found herself sitting in a field of flowers. She couldn't see anything else around. All she knew was the land was not even here: there were many hills.

She stood up and noticed she was wearing a long white dress with a baby pink ribbon tied around her waist. The short sleeves had many small white flowers wrapping all around them. It was almost like a wedding dress.

A soft breeze blew from behind her and she turned around. Someone stood there in an all white tux-looking outfit, from at least what she could see of him. Kagome approached the man slowly. He did not turn to look at her. When she walked around him she could see his eyes were closed as if he was in a dream.

"H-Hey," Kagome stuttered out, waving her hand in front of his face. "Are you okay?" Then she saw the markings. It looked like something had been roughly scrubbed off as if he didn't want whatever had been on his face. When she looked closer, she could see a faint outline of lines on his cheeks. His hair covered his ears, so she couldn't see them.

"He can't hear you," a voice said. "He doesn't even know you are there."

Kagome looked around. "Who are you?" she asked.

"You don't recognize my voice?" It sounded like a girl. "How sad, I was hoping you'd remember someone who worked with puppets."

Kagome blinked and saw what the voice meant. Strings like hair were wrapped around the male in front of her's arms and legs. It was such fine hair she could barely see it. She took a step back. "Y-Yura," she said.

"So you do remember?" Something hit the ground behind Kagome. She turned around and saw the hair demon standing there, a red comb in her hand. More strings of hair were twisted around her fingers.

"What do you w-want?" Kagome asked.

"Oh? You haven't realized it?"

"What?"

"You're stuck in a dream loop," Yura said. "You've been here many times, you just forget each time."

"A dream loop? What's that?"

"It always starts the same way: you find him here in this field and after a while you wake up in a cabin in the woods with your friends. Kit, might I add, being one of them."

"Kit?" Kagome was looking at Yura like she was crazy. "I don't know a Kit..."

"Hmm," Yura started, putting a finger to her chin. "She's probably better known to you as Kagura of the wind." Kagome took a step back. "Now you remember," Yura smiled.

"How do I get out of this dream loop?" Kagome asked.

"I haven't seen anyone do it yet," Yura replied, putting a hand on her hip. "But the way to do it is to get the Twin Soul from Waru."

"How do I do that?"

"That is up to you to make a choice," Yura said. Her image began to fade away. "Go and wake up, now."

In less than two seconds, Kagome found herself staring at the wall of the cabin. She sat up. Kit was asleep in the corner, Sango was at the adjacent wall with Kirara, Miroku was sitting and sleeping just inside the door an Shippo curled up where Kagome's feet were. She could clearly remember talking to Yura, a demon that had been killed a long time ago.

Something walking around outside caught her attention. She got up and slowly and quietly made her way out to the source. She didn't have to go far. She stopped when she saw Sesshomaru standing just at the tree line. She blinked and he was gone. Am I imagining things? she asked herself.

The sun was barely above the horizon, so things were still pretty dark out. "One more thing," Yura's voice said. "You have three days to get that jewel or you will start a new dream loop."

"How many have I already gone through?" Kagome asked.

"About two thousand."

"T-Two thousand? Has time been stuck in these three days for that long?" Kagome asked in shock.

"Actually, there is only a certain part of the world frozen in these few days," Yura replied. "Until you get that jewel to reverse this 'curse' upon you, that part of the world will never go on in time. But you have to do it soon, or this part will be destroyed and forgotten."

"Is there an easier way?" Kagome asked.

"Hmm, there might be one," Yura said with a sly tone. "But you will have to find it yourself." Her voice faded as she spoke until it blended in with the sound of the wind.

"Wait! Yura!" Kagome called out. There was no response.

A small piece of animal skin drifted in front of her feet. She picked it up and saw it had writing on it. "I will be your guide," it said. It flew from Kagome's hands and into the trees. She followed it carefully, making sure to look for signs to show her the way back to the cabin. Everything looked the same except for the moss patterns. She tried to remember them. She kept walking until she saw someone sitting against a tree. She knew instantly who it was, but she didn't know why this piece of animal skin led her to him.

She didn't go any closer. She turned around and went straight back they way she came. Something tells me he's a part of my future, she thought. But I don't know why that is...