Inuyasha: The Story Continues

Chapter 14: The Dreams That You Wish Were True

Izayoi's POV 

"You sure seem to be taking this whole wind tunnel thing well." I told Mochigo. 

"It actually doesn't feel like I have it," Mochigo told me. "And it's not like it hurts me or anything. It's the glove that's actually kind of weird."  

"Well at least it doesn't hurt." I said. 

"Hey look up ahead," Ayuma spoke. We all looked to see that it was a village. "It's a village. We should ask to see if they've seen or heard anything about Naraku." 

We raced down to the village in a hurry but I came to a stop when I reached the bottom of the hill. "Guys stop," I spoke. Everyone stopped and looked at me with concern. "Look." 

We all looked to see that there were villagers all over the ground. "Are they....dead?" Shippo asked. 

I bent down and felt the neck of one of the villagers. There was still a pulse. The villager was breathing evenly. "No," I answered. "They're just sleeping." 

"Sleeping?" Kayuma asked. 

That's when we heard someone running towards us. I turned to see that it was a small boy, no more than 10. He was running towards us with tears running down his face. "Help!" he cried as he ran and hugged my leg. "Mother, Father, they fell asleep! They won't wake-up!" 

"Calm down," Ayuma told the boy as I picked him up. "What's wrong little one?" 

The boy calmed himself down and then cleared his eyes of tears. "A demon came by, and made everyone fall asleep." the boy explained. 

"A demon?" Kayuma asked. 

The boy nodded. 

"Do you know what it looked like?" Mochigo asked. 

"It looked like a normal man, and he called himself 'the sleeping man'." 

"Sleeping man?" I asked. 

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We waited for nightfall, when the boy told us the demon showed up. "Here comes a demonic aura." I warned the others. 

A large wind gust hit us and when it settled, we saw that it looked to be a young man that had short black hair, brown eyes, and a wicked smirk. "A pleasure to meet you," the man spoke. "Just like Naraku informed me." 

"So you're working for Naraku then?" I asked with rage. 

"Why else would I bother doing this?" he questioned. 

"Tell us what you've done to the villagers." Ayuma ordered. 

The man laughed. "Why I've allowed them to dream sweet dreams of happiness," the sleeping man said. "And soon you shall share in the same fate." He threw some powder at us, making us all cough. Suddenly, I felt tired. 

'Not again.' I thought before losing consciousness.

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I was in darkness. Where was I? And what about the others? Were they okay? Then the smell of soup filled my nose. It smelled so good. 

My eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the light of a hut. I felt hot and I soon realized I was right next to a fire. "What the?" I asked as I sat up. 

I looked around the hut and saw that it was my home, the hut that I had grown-up with my parents. "Where am I?" I asked. "Why am I here?" 

As I got up, I walked around. Everything was exactly correct. The arrangement of the beds, the rooms perfectly cleaned, and the food room had everything. The whole house was down to the detail. 

"How is this possible?" I asked. 

"Izayoi." a familiar voice called. 

I turned around slowly and almost collapsed with shock; standing at the door was Papa. He was smirking at me with a bit of happiness. "Papa?" I asked with tears in my eyes. 

"Well it took you long enough to wake-up," he said. "You've been asleep for 3 weeks with a fever." 

"Papa!" I said as I ran towards him and hugged him tightly, tears falling down my face. 

"Izayoi, calm down, it's all right." he tried to calm me down. 

"Papa, it's you." I sobbed. 

He wrapped me in his arms and I couldn't help but cry even more. 

That's when I heard someone come into the hut. I looked over Papa's shoulder and saw that Mama was standing there. I gasped. "Mama!" I said as I let go of Papa and went to hug her. 

"What's wrong Izzy? Why are you crying?" Mama asked. 

"I, I missed you so much." I sobbed. 

Mama smiled and held me. I missed her and Papa. Now I had them......but why? How was this possible? Wasn't I trying to find......? Soon I remembered. I let go of Mama and backed away. 

I looked at the ground and cried, but not with happiness but with sorrow. "Izayoi, what's wrong?" Papa asked.

"Get away." I whispered. 

Papa must have looked at me with a questionable look, along with Mama. 

"I said, get away!" I said loudly. 

"Izayoi, don't speak to your Father and me like that!" Mama scolded. 

"But you're not even here." I said. 

The both looked at me questionably. 

"We're right here Izayoi." Papa told me. 

"No," I shook my head. "You're not here. All of this, is just a dream. You're just part of my dream." With that, I looked at my dream parents and hugged them both. "But, I wish you were real. I wish you were actually here. I need you." 

They looked at me and then I felt them hug me. "Izayoi," dream Mama whispered. "I know this is hard for you, but you need to be strong. Someday, we'll be reunited again, as a family." 

"Even if this is some dream, we still love you," dream Papa said. "We'll always be in your heart." 

I sobbed, knowing that there was nothing else I could do. 

I jolted up from my sleep and saw the Sleeping Man growling. "How did you wake-up from your dream?!" he said. 

I grabbed my arrows and pinned him to a tree. "You," I growled. "You showed me my dream. I want to see my family. But, Naraku's tricks won't stop me!" I fired my finishing arrow and the Sleeping Man was purified. 

Once he disappeared, everyone slowly woke-up. 

"What happened?" Shippo asked. "I thought I was dreaming of being with Father again." 

"I was in a dream, where I was with Father and Mother again." Ayuma said. 

"Me too." Kayuma chimed in. 

"And me as well." Mochigo said. 

"It's all over guys," I told them. "We can rest without fear of the Sleeping Man now." 

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We stayed in the village that night and I allowed myself to dream of being at home again. I ate dinner with my dream parents, and even played a game of cards with them- which dream Papa lost at. 

Dream Mama and I laughed. I looked at them both and soon realized I would wake soon. 

"Bye." I waved before walking out the door. 

I looked back and saw them both waving at me. I waved back. "Make sure to beat Naraku so we can come home." Papa told me. 

"I will Papa, I promise." 

I intended to keep that promise, even if it was in a dream. 

This chapter was one of those chapters that really tugged at my heart strings a little, like Chapter 13. Please comment and tell me what you think.