InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow's within the Darkness ❯ Chapter 1: Liberation from the Darkness ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Author’s Note:  So here’s something new and random… I’m sorry, I know I haven’t updated anything recently but I hope you enjoy!  Reviews are always welcome… hell so are flames too! Hehe

Koenma shivered lightly as he entered the dungeon.  He was heading towards the dungeon’s deepest levels… and the darkest.  As he descended the spiral, stone staircase he could hear the screams and yowls of despair and pain grow louder the deeper he went.  Finally, he reached the deepest, darkest level; floor seven and everything was silent.  Opening the iron door, he was greeted by an inky blackness, a blackness that had never seen the warmth of the sun.  It was a truly terrible darkness.
Grabbing the torch by the door, he steadied himself to enter the darkness.  “My Prince, you need not enter if you don’t want to.” A burly guard spoke suddenly.
“No, I must.  If someday I’m to rule this realm, I can’t have any fear about a dark floor.”  Koenma replied with a deep breath.
The guard gave him a toothy grin.  “No, young Prince you should fear, especially in a place such as this.  Fear begins caution, and caution wardens deeper thoughts.  Every great leader has fears; they just don’t let it dictate there every action.  But in a place such as this, fear may be your only ally walking through these halls of evils older then even your father.  Show no fear however.  But what do I know, I’m only a guard.”  Then he fell silent and didn’t speak again.
Finally, he stepped through the threshold and into the darkness.  The iron door squealed horribly as it closed behind him and the sounds of the locks latching sent a hollow ringing that bounced off the cold walls.  Taking another deep breath, he continued walking down the corridor.  He could hear shuffling and hissing from the creatures locked behind the thick iron doors as the light from the torch seeped into their usually dark cells.
He had a 5 min walk through the darkness.  As far as he knew, it was the deepest anyone dare go in centuries and even for some, that was too long.  Many found that it even with a bright torch, the combination of black, moist walls and the thick, dead, power laden air, many were driven mad or even suffocated in these halls.  The ones that were driven mad usually ran into the blackness never to be heard of again.  However, the ones that were lucky enough to be found came out wild eyed and mumbling about creatures and shadows that roamed the blackness of the unlit halls.
‘No! I can’t think of that right now.’  Koenma wiped the sweat droplets from his head.  ‘One-hundred more feet and I’ll be at the cell.’   Just as he was beginning to feel like the walls were closing in on him, he felt a sudden but small change in the air. The air seemed to lighten.  The walls and even the darkness around him seemed to lighten.  ‘I’m getting close.  I have to be.’  
As he continued walking the walls began looking brighter… cleaner… until they were a dull white before he reached a shine iron door.  This door was different from the others he had passed thus far.  This door looked new and shiny, while the others has be rusty and nearly black in color.  The other doors had had massive locks; some even had more, while this door had none.
This door was unlocked, but even so he dare not enter without announcing himself.
Clearing his throat, he knocked softly though the noise his knuckle make against the iron door echoed causing several hisses and grunts to sound from several nearby cells.
“Who goes there?” The voice was soft and clear, even though it was behind the thick door.
“I am Prince Koenma, son of King Yami.”  He had tried to sound important and confident, but even in his own ears, his voice was unsteady and it sounded more of a question then statement.
“Enter.”
Steeling his self for whatever was in there, he entered the only occupied, unlocked cell on the 7th level of the dungeon.
*****
Boton played with the tip of her ponytail nervously as the Spirit Detectives entered Koenma’s office.
“Hey guys, long time no see!”  It had been over a year since there had been need to assemble the team officially.  Yukina had set up several gatherings but neither Boton nor Koenma had been able to attend on account of work.
They quickly greeted the cheerful reaper before Yusuke quickly got down to business.  “So, where’s the toddler?”
“Well, actually I get to brief you on the case while Koenma retrieves the… object you’ll need to protect.”  Boton paused.  “While, I guess I can’t say object… but… ah… Well, let me start from the beginning.”
“That would probably help.”
“Ok, so a couple of weeks ago a very old file appeared on Koenma’s desk. After he went through it and finished deciphering the ancient text, he realized that it was an unsolved case file from over 500 years ago.  Well, there was only one witness and she had been captured and brought in for questioning, right?  Well, according to King Yami’s notes, she had gone mad ranting and raving.  Then King Yami had her locked in solitary confinement.”
“And she’s been there ever since?” Kuwabara questioned quickly.
Boton sighed.  “That’s the thing… that’s the end.  There are no release forms or even death forms on her. Hell, there’s isn’t even paperwork saying there was any follow up question or a second interview was made.  But that shouldn’t be possible.”
“What floor is she on?”
“Huh?” She quickly looked up at Hiei.  “What do you mean?”
Hiei narrowed his eyes in annoyance.  “Which level of the dungeon has she been house in?”
Boton chuckled nervously, “I was kinda afraid you’d ask that… She’s on level 7, on the very edge of the shadows.”
“Seventh level?  I thought there were only 5 levels to the dungeon or at least that where in use?”  Yusuke inquire.  On more the one occasion he had helped the ogres escort an uncooperative prisoner to their cell.  He had been on every level down to five.  When he’d asked about where the spiraled staircase ended the ogres had simple said darkness.
Boton nodded.  “That’s true. We are currently only using floors 1 through 5 and that because floors 6 and 7 are full.”
“Hn, then she’s probably nothing more than a shadow of her former self.  Her mind is probably been shattered into a million pieces.”  Hiei turned to leave.  “It’ll be a worthless attempt to retrieve any information from her.”
“Well, that’s where we were hoping you could help us.  We figured with your Jagan, you would assist us in putting together her mind… her story.”  Boton spoke before the apparition left.  “If Koenma is correct, she’s been locked down there for over 500 years for no reason.”
Before Hiei had a chance to replied or even leave Koenma opened the room.  He spoke in a hushed tone, “I must ask all of you of to please keep your voices down and Boton please dim the lights ¾ of the way down.”  Once Koenma was satisfied that everyone had heard him and that the reaper had dimmed the light as he had instructed, did he enter his office.  On his arm, a hooded, cloaked figure rested heavily.  The only thing visible of the cloaked figure were her dirty hands with over grown nails and some dull black hair that fell from her hood.
The demons’ and even Kuwabara nearly gaged at the odor that drifted off the cloaked figure.  It was a mixture of feces, urine, sweat, blood, dirt, and age.  Aside from the smell, they were slammed with the figure’s energy.  It bathed everyone in the room with a cold, dull, ominous feeling.  However, even as the figure’s energy felt so disheartening, the energy wasn’t dark or evil in anyway.
“Would you like to sit?”  Koenma spoke gently as he patted the figure’s discolored hand.  “You’ve had a long walk.”
The figure was silent for a long moment. “No.”  Her voice was soft and clear.  “I… enjoy…” she wetted her lips as she tried finding the right words, “… enjoyed walking.”
The young Prince gently stroked her hand.  “Good, I’m glad.  Would you like to go get cleaned up while I speak with the others?  Boton is female and she can help you bathe if you like?”  He motioned the blue haired reaper forward.  “This is Boton, she’s one my assistant and you can trust her.  She’ll also get you some fresh clothes.”  Gently, he transferred the hand into Boton’s.
“Remember Boton, be gentle and patient.  The darkness has made her skin fragile and her mind slow to react.  She understands everything you say but she has had nothing but time.”  Koenma nodded towards the reaper as she nodded in understanding.  “Bring her back here once she’s finished.”  He watched as they disappeared through the back doors that would lead to his private bath.
“Ok,” He stated, turning his attention back to his team, “Questions?”
“Lord Koenma, what was she?  She didn’t feel evil.”  Kurama stepped forward a step, taking himself off the wall.  “Come to think about, she didn’t feel like anything that should have come from the bottom floor.”
Koenma sighed.  “You’re right.  She’s not nor was she supposed to be there either.  According to all the records that I was able to fine, she was only supposed to be in solitary for 3 days.  But something happened… I don’t know what but something did happen and it was purged from our records.  Actually, everything from that time period was destroyed.”  He moved to sit behind his desk, relaxing after his trip through the darkness that made up the 7th level.
“So, she’s not evil then?” Kuwabara questioned.
Koenma shook his head.  “As far as I can tell, no she isn’t.  However, the 7th level holds many evils and the very air down there is filled with a suffocating darkness.  It would be a miracle if she walked away without some sort of… side effects.”   He leaned back in his chair.
“So why are we here?  Boton said something about protecting her.”  Yusuke questioned.  “How do we protect someone that’s has enough energy to sweep us away at will?”  He was under no illusion about the female’s power.  The sheer weight of her power that had swept through the room when she and Koenma had entered had nearly brought him to his knees.  It made him more than a little nervous to think about if she had wanted to cause damage.  “Is she even safe to be around?”
The prince hesitated to answer, thinking carefully.  “I believe that she would not cause harm intentionally.”  A ghost of a smile touched his lips.  Just from the little time he had spent with the female, he had a feeling she wouldn’t hurt a fly unless provoked.  “As for protecting her… that’s not quite the right job description.  It would be more you guys protecting everything from her.  Also you’ll share the duties of trying to reintroduce her to life outside the hideous cell.  Later, once she settled down, we’ll try figuring out more behind this case she’s tied too.  Any more question?”
“This is a waste of time.  She would be better off if you left her down there,” Hiei growled without malice.
“I understand where you’re coming from Hiei.  I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, in fact I’m guaranteeing this will probably be one of the hardest missions you’ve ever be sent on.”  Koenma took a deep breath.  “But someone has to right this wrong, considering she was unfairly imprisoned for so long.  Don’t you at least agree with that Hiei?”  He smirked lightly as the dark apparition turned his graze away.
“Well, I’ve made arrangement with Genkai for her to stay at the temple.  She’s gonna need a quiet place to readjust to society.”
Just as they began wrapping the conversation up, the side door opened.  Boton walked through first, a large smile on her face.  “We’re finished!  And let me be the first to say she cleans up nicely.”  She led the other female out.  “You look wonderful; all you need now is a touch of the sun for the finishing touch.”
The woman that walked through the door was no longer dressed in the dark, hooded cloak but rather a deep blue, loose fitting kimono with a red orb.  Her skin was no longer a dirty gray color but a soft, nearly transparent white.  Boton had trimmed her nails back and brushed out her black hair, leaving it almost glossy.  Her skin around her face was sunken in from lack of proper nutrient and sun light.  Her eyes were a dull blue, though they seemed to sparkle some as she looked down at herself.  Everyone was just happy that the sickly odor had been replaced by a crisp, clean smell.  The only things that seem out of place on the woman were the cuffs and thin collar made of rubies that glowed softly with contained power.
Koenma stood and walked towards the two women.  “Ah, you look so much better.  You must feel great after a good scrub.”  Taking the woman’s hand, he guided her to stand in front of his desk.  “These are the people that I spoke about on our walk.”  He gesture towards each person as he spoke their names; “this is Yusuke, and the person next to him is Kuwabara.  Then that’s Kurama’s and the last but not least is Hiei.  These are the ones who’ll help you readjust to the outside world.  A lot has changed in so many years.”
The woman stepped forward, releasing her grip on Koenma, her face empty of all emotion. “Yu…suke, Kuwa…bara, Kura…ma, Hiei… It’s good… to see you.” Then, she surprised everyone by bowing lightly.
Kurama moved so he was standing in front of the woman. Bowing in return, he asked; “My I ask your name miss?”
Her dull blue eyes darkened with thought. Her stance stiffened and she didn’t move for several long moments.
Kurama was beginning to wonder if she was going to answer… or even if she remembered it, when her eyes widened and an odd sparkle enter those dull, lifeless eyes.  A small, odd smile even appeared on her lips.  He smiled softly back as her attention redirected on him.  “My name… I am Kagome.”  He watched as she slowly straightened her shoulders.  Even her chin rise a degree as she remembered her name.  She surprised everyone by continuing.
“I am Kagome Higurashi and I’m… I’m…” she trailed off for a moment, thinking.  “I’m… a… hm… a guardian… or was?”  Kagome seemed very confused, as she searched her mind for the answer.  “I can’t… I don’t know.  I am Kagome Higurashi.”
“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you Ms. Higurashi.”  Kurama greeted officially.
“Kagome.”
“Hum?” Kurama cocked his head slightly as he stared at the woman in front of him.  He watched as she pointed to herself.
“Kagome,” she stated plainly, making a cutting motion with her hand.  Again she pointed to herself, “Kagome” she said again, followed by the cutting motion again.
Kurama nodded.  “You just want to be called Kagome?”  She nodded once.  “Very well.  It’s a pleasure to meet you Kagome.”