"Kagome!" Inuyasha called. He heard her yelling for him, but he caught Akumakuusako's scent. And when he did, Kagome didn't respond to any of his calls anymore.

He ran through a small hallway, running with all his might, his feet pounding the floor.

"Kagome!" He called again, running into the entrance room. "Kago-" Inuyasha stopped.

Kagome was entangled in a column of roots, across the room, bleeding. The pointed roots were peirced through her hand and were cutting her skin. The roots stretched from the floor to the ceiling, and Akumakuusako was sitting in a thrown next to her.

Rage filled Inuyasha's heart. "What did you do to Kagome?!" Inuyasha yelled, glaring at Akumakuusako.

Akumakuusako looked at Inuyasha amuzingly, with a hand on his cheek. He looked lazily over at Kagome. "All she's doing is dreaming."

"Bastard." Inuyasha snarled, unsheathing Tessaiga. "Let her go!"

Akumakuusako sighed dramatically, still looking at Kagome. "Then I'd be bored just like I was for the past few years," He turned his head and looked back at Inuyasha, smiling. "Her nightmares are especially tasty." He narrowed his eyes, and they flashed red.

"Damn you to hell!" Inuyasha yelled, charging. He raised his sword, and brought it down heavily onto Akumakuusako. At the last second, though, the demon dodged and appeared a few feet away.

Damn. He's a lot faster than I thought. Inuyasha thought bitterly.

"Did you know, that girl has a lot more nightmares than you think?" Akumakuusako hissed slyly.

"What's that?" Inuyasha adjusted Tessaiga, and it gleamed in the firelight of the torches.

"It's not just during the night. They haunt her during the day, no matter how much she hides it." Akumakuusako looked at Kagome with hunger, his eyes growing wide with desire. "They were slowly driving her into madness."

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome in disbelief. He really looked at her, seeing how torn she was.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. How could I have not seen Kagome like this?!

"Her nightmares were so bad, she cried in her sleep without even knowing!"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled, charging at him. "Leave Kagome alone, let her go! Wind Scar!"

The Wind Scar flew right through Akumakuusako, and the demon shimmered and regained solid form.

"What?" Inuyasha cried out.

The demon chuckled. "You can't touch me!" He kicked Inuyasha in the gut with incredible force, and Inuyasha was scent flying backwards into the opposite wall.

"You know, Hurukai really did damage on her." Akumakuusako looked down at inuyasha with a smirk. "She never healed, not even close!" Inuyasha lifted his head, and started to stand. "Even if you did kill Hurukai, his visions entered Kagome's mind and tortchered her!" Akumakuusako spat.

Kagome was still unawake, but her eyes started to poor watery tears.

What's happening to Kagome?

"Tsk, tsk." Akumakuusoka shook a finger. "She's so far into her nightmares right now she's crying. Only people with tormented souls do that."

Kagome's soul is... tormented?!

Inuyasha swung Tessaiga suddenly, trying to get the element of surprise. But it sailed through Akumakuusoka and hit the wall. Inuyasha's head was lowered, but he was growling deeply.

Kagome never healed. She was suffering that whole time! And... Kagome's suffering right now!

Inuyasha lifted his head, and Tessaiga started to turn purple. Akumakuusoka narrowed his eyes in puzzlement.

"What is this?" Akumakuusoka hissed softly, taking a step back.

Inuyasha raised Tessaiga. "You've been watching us for days, so you thought you knew all of our tricks, including Tessaiga's attacks." Inuyasha snarled, charging. "But you didn't see everything! Meido Zangetsuha!"

"What?" Akumakuusako yelled. A Meido appeared, slicing right through him. He was sucked in, and Meido closed.

Silence.

Inuyasha was panting, but he quickly put Tessaiga away. "Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, running over to her. He reached for her, but a barrier made him stumble backwards. "A barrier?!"

Inuyasha growled in frustration. What's going on? Akumakuusoka is dead, but why is his barriers still working?!

----------------------------------

Kagome couldn't take it.. She couldn't take the images anymore. They were all so awful.

she killed. She stood, shaking and frightened. She ran away, tears flowing from her. The horrible thing was, was that those turned to blood aswell. Kagome couldn't flee from it, it was like she was being followed by the nightmares, and she couldn't escape from them.

anything about it.