InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Cavern ❯ Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or YuYuHakusho.

 

~CavernII~

 

“GAH!”

 

She screamed and jumped back, scrambling feverishly away from the sight of those hellish red eyes glaring out at her from the dark. Ohmigod, ohmigod…Her hand automatically reached for the back of her left shoulder before she realised-

 

No weapons.

 

Kagome groaned. What in the world was she supposed to do now? She wasn't Sango - she could barely throw a punch without breaking a sweat - and she didn't know how to use anything besides her bow and arrows anyway. And even if I could, in this darkness I'd be having trouble trying to find a rock to throw!

 

A threatening growl rumbled throughout the cavern, its deadliness evident in its soft tone. Kagome almost wailed in despair. Why was it that she was the one who always found the scary demons? Inuyasha would have loved a good fight with some creepy glow-in-the-dark-eyed youkai, but nooo. It had to be her, didn't it?

 

Her heart was beating frantically, her breathing already quickening past the normal rate. Scared out of her mind, she hesitantly lifted one of the hands covering her face to peek out at the demon she'd unluckily encountered.

 

The eyes were gone.

 

This time Kagome couldn't suppress the whimper. In her mind, the only thing worse than knowing there was a potentially threatening demon in front of you, was not knowing exactly where it was. For all she knew it could have been right behind her, just waiting there silently for her to turn around…

 

She didn't look. She was too chicken, and for once she didn't mind admitting it.

 

Unconsciously she began mumbling under her breath. “This can't be happening. This really can't be happening…”

 

“Grrrrrrrr……”

 

She yelped, and drew herself back from where the sound had come from. That one was really close! She tried to inch further away again, using every molecule of skill she had to make as little noise as possible. The second growl had sounded more like a harsh purr, bringing images of deadly, ferocious demon felines to her frazzled mind. Despite her efforts to calm herself, Kagome still felt like sobbing. She was lost in the dark with a demon that she couldn't see, had no weapons to kill it with, and worse, even if she could see it, she was so damn scared she could barely move!

 

“Ohh…” a whoosh of warm air blew across the light hairs at the nape of her neck. “I am so screwed!”

 

“Is that so?” A smooth voice asked her from the dark, shocking her so much that she let out a petrified scream.

 

“AAAAAAHHH!” She wailed. “Who are -you - how…?” She spun around, searching frantically for the owner of the voice, cursing her weak human senses for being so impaired. After a few moments, she lowered her outstretched hands and let out a breath of pent up air. Okay, I'm getting seriously spooked here.

 

She decided to be brave. “Whho's o-out tthere?” she stumbled over the words and her voice trembled fearfully as she spoke.

 

There was no reply. Nothing. No voice, no movement, no creepy, malicious eyes. Nothing. Just silence.

 

Maybe I imagined it? She found herself thinking, and she took a small step backwards, relaxing with the reassurance of no immediate threat.

 

Squish.

 

Her leather-clad sole met the warm flesh of silk-soft skin.

 

“Get off my foot, human.”

 

“Eep!”

 

She scrambled forwards, her heart jumping up to her throat and falling back down again in an increasing rhythm. I knew there was someone there, I just knew it!

 

“Sorry!” she said rapidly, breathlessly. “It's just that there's no light and I can't see and I'm so tired and scared and I wasn't sure if anyone was here and you didn't say where you were so I had no idea you were there and I don't exactly know where I am anyway so that doesn't help, and, and - hey!” she suddenly realised. “You really scared me, you know!” she finished.

 

Youko Kurama, spirit fox, legendary Makai thief and all round demon sex-god raised one silver brow. “I apologise,” his tone was dry. “I was unaware that it was normal behaviour for humans to sit in the darkness talking to themselves.”

 

She huffed. “I wasn't talking to myself! I was-er-talking to the…the-” Realising that under no circumstances was she going to get out of this without looking like a total idiot, she quickly, if not subtly, changed tactics. “Hey wait! Hold on a minute. Who are you anyway?” And what are you doing in this weird place?

 

He was obviously a youkai. That much she could discern from his voice alone. But neither the softness of his foot nor the honeyed smoothness of his voice could provide an apt enough description of his character. And it would be just my luck to get stuck in here with a total weirdo. Kagome grimaced. She had seen a ton of crazy demons in her time in the feudal era and each one had been worse than the last. Maybe he'll be like Kouga, she thought hopefully. After all, when she'd first met the cocky, young wolf prince they hadn't exactly been on the best of terms either, but they'd still managed to make it work. Somehow.

 

“Um, excuse me,” she decided to be polite. “I'm Kagome. What's your name?” There was no reply, so she tried again. “Nice to meet you. Do you have a name? Hello?”

 

When he continued to ignore her, she lost patience. “Hey! Are you gonna answer my questions or not?”

 

“Be silent,” he ordered curtly. He no longer sounded amused. “I'd rather not have to listen to your attempts at idle conversation.” The words were laced with lethal intent, made more menacing by the eerie calmness with which he spoke.

 

Kagome gulped, laughed nervously. “Um, okay.” She took another step forward. Don't mind me; I'll just disappear right now… She wanted - no, she needed - to get as far away from him as was physically possible. He's definitely not the kind of demon I want to be hanging around with! She thought, deciding that the better option would be to make her quick getaway now.

 

Okay, here I go…

 

Still hesitant, she began to quietly sidle away.

 

--

 

Youko Kurama remained mostly unconcerned with the human currently scurrying away from him, even though he was aware she was doing so. What did he care for the fears of a petty inconsequential human? He was far too busy trying to figure out where he was.

 

For his part, Youko wasn't much used to being lost or trapped in any situation outside of his control. In fact, the very idea of him being taken captive against his will was so ludicrously unimaginable that it was almost funny.

 

And yet here he was.

 

The scowl that adorned his sharp features was miniscule. His thin silver brows lowered imperceptibly; a slight curve of his lip to show his distaste. Only those who knew him well (to be honest, there was only one person, and that was Kuronue) would have been able to spot the subtle difference from his usual expression of apathetic indifference to this - absolute annoyance.

 

Youko was in a bad mood. He couldn't remember how he'd come to be where he was; that was surprising in and of itself. But what was infinitely more distressing to the fox demon was that he felt tired, weak and abnormally weary. And earlier, when he had tried to produce one of his more deadly flowers, the tiny, brown seed had remained dormant and inactive in his hand.

 

Youko knew that could only mean one thing.

 

His youki was suppressed.

 

Suppressed, he automatically reminded himself, but not destroyed. That at least, was worth remembering. His pride had already suffered enough when he'd woken up barefoot and cold on the wet, stone floor. He wasn't sure it could take much more abuse than that.

 

He'd risen slowly, his body feeling achy and stiff, only to find that the cavern was entirely obscured by a darkness too deep even for his youkai eyes. Then he'd tried to let some of his youki slip through, to give himself some of the extensive night vision that was one of the many characteristics of his natural demon form. After less than a few seconds though, the vision wore off and he'd been forced to return to his original state of unmitigated blindness. That was another sharp blow to his ego.

 

Youko sighed, annoyed. Yes, he was weaker, but he was still able to function moderately well - nothing close to his normal standard, but that was to be expected, he supposed - and although it was a shame he could no longer use his rose whip to kill at long distance range, he'd get over it. He'd have to.

 

He tossed his silver head impatiently, flaying the silken strands away from his body. To his surprise and immediate annoyance, he couldn't seem to figure a way out of his current predicament. Youko frowned. Surely by now his entire band of thieves would have recognised that he was missing. The longer he stayed away, the greater the chance that one of them would decide that they were worthy enough to replace him, resulting in a full-scale battle for leadership amidst the group. Not that I'm particularly worried, he thought, unconcerned, but it would be slightly wasteful to have to kill them all for disloyalty, and then have to spend another several months searching for thieves worthy enough to replace them. And really, I just don't have the time or the patience for that kind of thing.

 

Besides, he considered suddenly, who knew what calamities would be going on there without him to lead them? His mind conjured up images of his own personal treasuries burning wildly, and mountains of his gold and money piled up like sticks on a pyre. Their secret hide-out in the forest set the dramatic backdrop for the red and gold flames, surmounting into a rather disturbing image indeed. Yes, he decided, returning would have to be his immediate priority for the moment.

 

An abrupt burst of loud speech shattered the overbearing quiet in the cavern. Youko's head shot up, unsettled to be caught off guard.

 

“WELCOME, WELCOME ALL!” A loud, distinctively accented voice boomed. Youko felt his ears burn with pain. “WELCOME TO THE CAVERN OF UNTOLD MYSTERIES!”

 

Bright light suddenly flooded the gloomy cave, lifting the veil of darkness to reveal what lay hidden beneath. Kagome, abruptly illuminated for all the world to see, gave a surprised squeal before staring about the place in amazement.

 

Youko himself was not unaffected. Now that he could see, he realised the cavern was not as he'd imagined it to be. Jagged rocks like daggers piercing out of the floor of the cavern littered every stony surface, the walls and the ceiling too. A giant gaping hole was cut into the ground, the beginnings of its sharpened edge not too far from where he stood. From out of the corner of his eye, he saw the human girl jump backwards in fear.

 

“Welcome to the cavern of untold mysteries!” Although the voice had lost its deafening quality, it still retained a certain edge that allowed it to project the words far and wide. “Welcome to the mystical burial ground for restless souls and their counterparts! Only two may be permitted to enter - as one cannot face the challenges inside alone!” While it was speaking, two large boulders moved in sync away from the wall, revealing a single unlit passageway built into the cave.

 

Like a vendor selling a bad product, the voice taunted them loudly. “Come, human, come, demon. Enter if you dare!” A bright torch flared within the mouth of the entrance, accentuating the invitation.

 

The entire thing looked pathetic, tacky and undeserving of his time, and yet despite all that, Youko felt the beginnings of excitement stirring within his chest. A challenge, he thought, golden eyes darkening with intensity. It'd been so long since he'd been put to the test, and this challenge - pathetic though it was - had the potential to actually be quite difficult. After all, he remembered, his senses had been on alert the whole time and yet he hadn't felt any presence enter the cavern. Magic, perhaps. He shrugged indifferently. Whatever it was, he'd be ready for it.

 

He raised his eyebrows to the girl. “Well? Do you intend to go in or not?” And then he strode off, not bothering to check if she followed.

 

At the trail's opening he paused and looked up, his eyes latching onto a minute demon insect, buzzing away when it realised he was watching. He followed its path until it disappeared from his sight.

 

Well. A feral grin curled up from the corners of his mouth. This would certainly be interesting.

 

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