Quote Prompt
Title: Nightmares
Author: ginnekomiko
Prompt: Quote
Words: 570
Characters: Rin, Kohaku
Summary: Rin has a nightmare about the past. Kohaku understands.
Nightmares
She found herself running through a dark forest. Tall, muscled, figures bounded after her. Their weapons raised as if to strike, the scent of blood followed them everywhere. Just when she managed to elude them, they did the unthinkable.
They turned into wolves.
Try as she might, she could not outrun wolves.
They caught up with her and then those teeth…
“Kyaa!”
She bolted upright.
Everyone else was fast asleep.
Jaken-sama was snoring loudly.
A dream?
Sesshomaru-sama wasn’t anywhere to be found.
Rin clutched her body tightly.
It was just a dream, right? But then, why did it feel so real? Why did it always feel so real?
“Rin…?”
Kohaku-kun.
“Sorry, did I wake you,” she asked.
“So you did scream. I thought I was dreaming.”
She nodded. “Sorry.”
“Anything the matter?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I was just remembering.”
“Bad things?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
She could feel his eyes on her. What did he feel with those eyes? Sadness? Was it pity, maybe?
“It’s hard to sleep when you remember the bad stuff, huh?” he said.
“Yeah.”
“What did you remember, if you don’t mind me asking?” he asked.
“Bandits and wolves. It’s always bandits and wolves. Sometimes the bandits are wolves, or the wolves turn into men. I try running away from them, but they always catch up to me and kill me. What about you, Kohaku-kun? Do you have bad things that keep you up at night?”
“Necks,” he whispered. “Heads falling from their bodies; the blood is everywhere. I can’t get it off of my hands…”
She scooted closer. “But Kohaku-kun isn’t like that.”
“You don’t know that,” he said as he turned away from her.
“Kohaku-kun, can you kill wolves?” she asked after awhile.
“Easily,” he answered.
“What about bad men?” she asked.
“Them too.”
“Is it alright if Rin sleeps near you? In case the wolves or men come back?”
“You sleep on Ah-Un’s back. I’ll sleep by his side. If anything bad comes after you, both of us will get it.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you! Kohaku-kun!”
***
It was a silly little idea on his part, but it seemed to work for her. The security of the dragon soothed her. He couldn’t compete with that beast, but still, she had asked for his company when she was scared.
Was it because he was also human? Maybe it was because he would understand her innate fears more than the demons ever could.
Even small ones like Jaken could stand up against the things that scared them.
Maybe he was reading into this too much. Maybe she just curled next to him because he had a sickle at his back and he knew how to use it.
He knew how to use it alright.
His own nightmares were filled with horrors he had only begun to cover in words.
Why had he told her about those dreams?
She was much too young to understand them.
Then again, maybe she wasn’t.
It was as she said; she had her own nightmares to deal with.
Wolves and bandits, huh?
Hers were simple, childish fears, but they could still be crippling to someone who had lost everything, like she had.
He listened to the sounds of the forest.
Something was moving.
Wolves.
Or was it bandits?
No wonder she needed the dragon and the words of a demon slayer to help her sleep.
Author: ginnekomiko
Prompt: Quote
Words: 570
Characters: Rin, Kohaku
Summary: Rin has a nightmare about the past. Kohaku understands.
Nightmares
She found herself running through a dark forest. Tall, muscled, figures bounded after her. Their weapons raised as if to strike, the scent of blood followed them everywhere. Just when she managed to elude them, they did the unthinkable.
They turned into wolves.
Try as she might, she could not outrun wolves.
They caught up with her and then those teeth…
“Kyaa!”
She bolted upright.
Everyone else was fast asleep.
Jaken-sama was snoring loudly.
A dream?
Sesshomaru-sama wasn’t anywhere to be found.
Rin clutched her body tightly.
It was just a dream, right? But then, why did it feel so real? Why did it always feel so real?
“Rin…?”
Kohaku-kun.
“Sorry, did I wake you,” she asked.
“So you did scream. I thought I was dreaming.”
She nodded. “Sorry.”
“Anything the matter?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I was just remembering.”
“Bad things?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
She could feel his eyes on her. What did he feel with those eyes? Sadness? Was it pity, maybe?
“It’s hard to sleep when you remember the bad stuff, huh?” he said.
“Yeah.”
“What did you remember, if you don’t mind me asking?” he asked.
“Bandits and wolves. It’s always bandits and wolves. Sometimes the bandits are wolves, or the wolves turn into men. I try running away from them, but they always catch up to me and kill me. What about you, Kohaku-kun? Do you have bad things that keep you up at night?”
“Necks,” he whispered. “Heads falling from their bodies; the blood is everywhere. I can’t get it off of my hands…”
She scooted closer. “But Kohaku-kun isn’t like that.”
“You don’t know that,” he said as he turned away from her.
“Kohaku-kun, can you kill wolves?” she asked after awhile.
“Easily,” he answered.
“What about bad men?” she asked.
“Them too.”
“Is it alright if Rin sleeps near you? In case the wolves or men come back?”
“You sleep on Ah-Un’s back. I’ll sleep by his side. If anything bad comes after you, both of us will get it.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you! Kohaku-kun!”
***
It was a silly little idea on his part, but it seemed to work for her. The security of the dragon soothed her. He couldn’t compete with that beast, but still, she had asked for his company when she was scared.
Was it because he was also human? Maybe it was because he would understand her innate fears more than the demons ever could.
Even small ones like Jaken could stand up against the things that scared them.
Maybe he was reading into this too much. Maybe she just curled next to him because he had a sickle at his back and he knew how to use it.
He knew how to use it alright.
His own nightmares were filled with horrors he had only begun to cover in words.
Why had he told her about those dreams?
She was much too young to understand them.
Then again, maybe she wasn’t.
It was as she said; she had her own nightmares to deal with.
Wolves and bandits, huh?
Hers were simple, childish fears, but they could still be crippling to someone who had lost everything, like she had.
He listened to the sounds of the forest.
Something was moving.
Wolves.
Or was it bandits?
No wonder she needed the dragon and the words of a demon slayer to help her sleep.