InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Every Soul ❯ The Sound Of Doom ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2

 

The Sound Of Doom

 

 

 

“Kagome are you sure?”

“Yes Inuyasha! For the hundredth time I'm sure!”

“You definitely sense a jewel shard in this direction then?”

“Do we need to clean out those dog ears of yours? I said yes! Just keep going this way. I'm sure we're almost there!”

“Well there's no need to be sassy about it.”

It had been one week since Inuyasha's last encounter with Kikyo and three days since Kikyo's fated meeting with Naraku. Their fiendish plans were already well under way but Inuyasha and his friends had absolutely no idea. They were a little wrapped up in other problems at the moment. Such as the jewel shard that Kagome had sensed earlier that morning of which they were now trying to pinpoint the location.

Kagome and Inuyasha had sprinted ahead of the group, Kagome riding piggyback with Inuyasha holding her steady. Being half demon he could run much faster than any of his friends, even the transformed Kirara, so he and Kagome had gone ahead so Kagome wouldn't lose track of the jewel shard and they had left Miroku, Shippo and Sango far behind. They were running through a wooded area about thirty miles west of Inuyasha and Kikyo's home village, the village where Kaede lived and which had been the site of Inuyasha and Kagome's greatest challenge since banding together to find the shards of the sacred Shikon Jewel which Kagome had accidentally shattered. While Inuyasha sprinted towards the jewel fragment Kagome had sensed, she had time to ponder once again the amazing events of the last several days.

She still had trouble believing it. Kikyo had nearly killed her when she had come back early from an excursion home and seen Kikyo trying once again to kill Inuyasha. Kagome had managed once again to break through the spell that Kikyo was using to trap Inuyasha and Kikyo had tried to strangle Kagome to death to cease her interference. Inuyasha, being still undecided about which girl he wanted more (and in his defence, a little groggy still from Kikyo's power) was decidedly hesitant in saving Kagome's life. This had made her extremely angry and she had cast off back to her own time, determined never to see Inuyasha or step into that time period again. Inuyasha, now faced with losing Kagome from his life forever, had been forced to finally listen to his heart and had decided that while he still wanted to save Kikyo from her purgatory, he was in love with Kagome and really wanted to be with her always. All this had come out during a second confrontation with Kikyo during which she had managed to injure Inuyasha but was once again defeated. Kikyo had left beaten with the knowledge that her spells would no longer have an effect on the (finally) enlightened Inuyasha. Kagome and Inuyasha had left together and after a heartfelt conversation in Kaede's hut where Kagome had tended Inuyasha's wounds and they had shared their first kiss (well, the first kiss with Kagome awake and aware anyway) they had left the village feeling much more free to show their feelings for one another. Well sort of.

“Kagome did you fall asleep back there? I've been running for a good ten minutes here and I'd like to know that I'm going in the right direction. Hello!” Inuyasha's impatient voice cut through the fog of Kagome's memories. She looked up to see where they were. They had exited the forest into a clearing where the sun shone so brightly it was blinding. Kagome had to squint for a moment to let her eyes adjust and when she did, she felt it.

“Inuyasha STOP!”

Inuyasha, startled, stopped so suddenly that Kagome was thrown backwards to land on the ground a few feet behind him. Rubbing her sore bottom and cursing her own lack of concentration, Kagome gingerly stood up and gave Inuyasha a sour look. “Way to hold on there Inuyasha. I may never sit down again.”

Inuyasha had gone to help her up and once she was on her feet he said in a stern but amused voice, “Well if you had been paying attention, I wouldn't have had to stop so suddenly now would I?”

“You need air brakes buddy.”

“Huh? Air brakes? What the heck…”

“Inuyasha! Kagome! Are you all right?” Miroku's voice came from several yards behind them. A few seconds later, they appeared. Miroku, Sango and Shippo, all riding a rather large Kirara over the last of the tree tops. As they reached the spot where Inuyasha and Kagome stood, Kirara came in for a smooth landing and her passengers jumped off and ran towards their other friends. The cute and young fox demon Shippo dashed over to Kagome and leapt up into her arms. She had become a sort of surrogate mother to him since he lost his own parents and joined the group and since her last threat to leave the feudal era forever, he had been particularly clingy. Kagome barely noticed however, she was still trying to find the jewel shard she had sensed. She could feel its presence but couldn't see it, even though she turned in several circles looking all around the clearing.

Miroku and Sango walked over to where Inuyasha stood impatiently watching Kagome. “Kagome, do you see it yet?”

“No Inuyasha I don't see it yet.” She said snidely back. She was looking really hard and it was driving her crazy being able to feel it but not see it. Shippo had his face screwed up in concentration too as he looked (although he didn't have the sight that Kagome possessed) for any sign of a jewel fragment.

“Well hurry up will ya? It's not like I don't have better things to be doing.” Inuyasha crossed his arms and turned his back to Kagome who shot him an angry look, huffed her own indignation and went back to searching.

Miroku and Sango watched this exchange with the usual expressions. Sango looked unimpressed and Miroku looked like he was having trouble keeping a straight face.

“Is it me Miroku or are they fighting even more than they used to?” Sango asked shaking her head as Inuyasha yelled at Kagome once more to hurry up and she yelled back at him to stuff it where the sun doesn't shine.

“Of course they are.” Miroku said with a barely concealed grin on his face. “Inuyasha and Kagome have always fought. However, before everything that happened with Kikyo, they always fought in order to hide their true feelings from each other and us (although they were never very good at doing it). Now, despite the fact that they don't have to hide it anymore, they fight even more and for no reason because they're so used to it, they haven't figured out how to have a relationship without it. It's their personalities. Especially Inuyasha's.”

“That makes absolutely no sense you realize that.”

“I never claimed it would make sense Sango, it's just the way it is.” It was Miroku's turn to shake his head as he saw Inuyasha stalking over to Kagome no doubt intending to give her a hard time for the stuff it remark. He ran over to Inuyasha and jumped in his path before he could reach Kagome. Miroku just shook his head at Inuyasha who scowled but turned and quickly leapt to the other side of the clearing. Miroku sighed and said, “Kagome is there anything we can do to help you look?”

“Thanks Miroku but I don't think so.” She sighed loudly her frustration. “It's kinda frustrating though. I can feel the shard. I know it's here. But I can't see a darn thing. We should be right on top….” Before the last word left her lips, she felt a rumble in the ground below her. She stopped speaking and stood perfectly still. “Shippo did you feel that?”

“Feel what Kagome?” Shippo asked looking puzzled. He jumped down out of Kagome's arms and landed on the ground beside her just in time to feel another rumble in the ground, this one stronger than the last. “Huh? Kagome what was that?”

“I don't know Shippo but I don't think I like it. Hey Inuyasha…”

“What?” Inuyasha said grumpily, not turning around. “Have you finally found the shard?”

“Not exactly. Could you come here a moment please?”

Inuyasha had just enough time to turn around and register both the suddenly loud rumbling noise and the look of shock on Kagome's face when the earth opened up and swallowed her and Shippo whole.

“KAGOME!” Inuyasha roared and leapt towards the now gaping hole in the earth.

“Inuyasha! Wait!” Sango yelled as she and Miroku were knocked off their feet by the sudden upsurge of earth. It took just a few seconds for the movement of the earth to stop and when it did, they regained their feet and also ran towards the hole. They were too late however. Inuyasha had withdrawn the Tetsusaiga from its sheath and it had immediately turned into the huge and intimidating blade worthy of Inuyasha's father's legacy. Before Sango could yell again, Inuyasha was halfway down the crater, yelling for Kagome and Shippo.

Sango and Miroku stopped at the edge of the crater and cautiously looked down into it. The hole was huge! It ran so deep that they could not see the bottom. There were jagged chunks of rock that had not seen the sun for centuries sticking out from the sides of the gigantic crater and they could see Inuyasha, still yelling, jumping from rock to rock going deeper and deeper into the ground. Sango yelled for him to wait one more time but as they watched, Inuyasha's yells slowly faded and then they could see him no more.

“Oh my God.” Sango said quietly enough but her face betrayed her calm voice. Her eyes were wide open and her hand was partially covering her mouth. “Oh my God, Miroku what just happened? They were just standing in the middle of the clearing and then out of nowhere this huge crater appears and they're gone! It happened so quickly and..” she looked around her. “This hole doesn't span the length of the clearing. I can't believe an earthquake did something this precise.”

“I don't believe it did Sango.” Miroku said with an intense look on concentration on his face. “I don't think that anything natural could have created this hole.”

Sango saw the look on Miroku's face and didn't like it. “Then what did cause it?”

Miroku looked away from the hole finally with a look of extreme concern on his face. “I think, Sango, that provided and Kagome and Shippo survived the fall, they're about to find the jewel shard she had been sensing.”

“Oh Miroku we have to help them! Kirara!” Sango called behind her to her loyal and unique cat who had retransformed back into a small, adorable kitten once relieved of her passengers but who immediately changed back into the ferocious, larger than a mountain lion kitty and ran to her mistress' side. The bond between Sango and Kirara was so strong that Sango had to only say Kirara's name and look at her and the amazing cat knew what had to be done. She ran her head underneath Sango, lifting Sango up and flipping her over onto her back. Kirara then flew up several feet about the crater and after circling it a few times to get a proper layout, she practically dive-bombed headfirst into the mouth of the hole with Sango hanging on tightly. Sango yelled to Miroku just before they descended out of sight. “Miroku! You wait here for us! Kagome and Shippo might be hurt! Keep watch for us coming back.”

“I'll not fail Sango. Just find Kagome and Shippo safely. Oh and if you have time, you might as well bring back that hard-headed Inuyasha too!” Miroku called out in his best light-hearted voice and as he watched, feeling rather helpless, Sango and Kirara followed Inuyasha's path down into the mouth of the crater that was beginning to look, to Miroku, like the gateway to hell. As it was, the image was bothering him so much that all his attention was directed towards the crater, looking for any sign whatsoever that his friends would be returning, not only alive, but also unharmed. If he hadn't been so absorbed in his concern he would have noticed the two figures whispering and pointing at him while sitting in a tree not 50 yards away. By the time he did notice, the bloodshed and death were already well underway.

 

After what seemed like forever, Inuyasha had finally reached what appeared to be the bottom of the crater. It was pitch-black dark but being not only half-demon, but half dog-demon he had the rather useful ability to see decently in the dark. He looked all around him trying to get a feel for his surroundings. There were ragged pieces of rock and out-croppings of dirt everywhere. There were cracks in the ground where the earth had not settled completely. He looked above him and could see the faintest glimmer of light from the mouth of the fissure. He wasn't the best with numbers but if he had to guess, he would put his depth at more than 300 feet. He returned his gaze to his level; desperately trying to see anything, hear any sign of Kagome and Shippo. His only comfort at the moment was that he hadn't found their broken bodies on the floor of this fissure when he had landed. But the fact that he couldn't see or hear them now worried him greatly. Not only for the obvious danger from the fall, but because he knew that wherever they were now, it was highly likely that they weren't alone. He could smell demon all over the place. And it was a particularly rancid stench too. The smell of a something long forgotten which should have stayed that way. Inuyasha had to cover his nose, the smell was so strong it was making his eyes water. And he needed his eyes as clear as possible at the moment. After a few minutes, Inuyasha was able to adjust his breathing so that it was shallower and the smell wasn't bothering him so much. He looked around him once again and this time was able to pick up what looked like a network of tunnels, some small, some much larger and all nearly impossible to pick out in the dark. Inuyasha strained his eyes, trying to make out how many there were. It looked like far too many for comfort. All at once he thought he knew just which demon he was smelling down here.

“Oh Lord no. KAGOME!” He called out to whichever tunnel might be hiding her. There was no response save for the continuing echo of his increasingly frantic voice and a bit of crumbling dirt that was dislodged from the impact of the sound waves.

“Inuyasha!” A voice from somewhere above him!

“Huh? Kagome is that you? Where are you!?” He squinted his eyes again trying to see anything above him. He had a glimpse of something large briefly blocking out the pinpoint of light above him and then he heard a soft `flump' sound beside him. He didn't have to see to know who it was. His sniffer was never wrong. His voice showed his disappointment. “So you decided to join the party down here eh Sango? Where's the monk? Didn't feel like getting his holier than thou hands dirty did he?”

Inuyasha's voice was one of deep sarcasm but it didn't fool Sango. She knew he was just feigning contempt to hide the intense worry she knew he must have been feeling. “I told Miroku to stay up top and keep watch for when we come back in case Kagome and Shippo are injured and we need help getting them out.” She used the sound of Inuyasha's voice to approximate the direction he was in and began making her way gingerly towards him.

“Kagome is fine!” Inuyasha shot back angrily. “They're both gonna be fine. I…”

“I take it you haven't found them yet huh?” Her voice was one of worry and relief. “I know how you feel Inuyasha I really do. We'll find them.” Sango tried to sound comforting while she picked her way over the uneven terrain. She could feel Kirara beside her having no trouble whatsoever. Her cat eyes were even more effective in the dark than Inuyasha's. “Have you been able to see anything useful down here?” She was reaching out with her hands in the dark so she wouldn't walk into anything and knew she had found Inuyasha when she heard his grunt of pain.

“Ouch! Sango that was my eye!”

“Sorry Inuyasha but it's not like I can see much of anything down here.” Sango was glad it was dark so Inuyasha couldn't see what a hard time she was having keeping a straight face.

“Here.” She felt Inuyasha hand grab hers and bring her roughly up beside him. “Can you see anything at all Sango?”

“Not really.” Sango squinted her eyes and tried to pick out anything, even the walls of the cavern they were in. Nothing.

“What about Kirara?” A low growl answered this and Inuyasha felt Kirara brush up against him. Inuyasha reached out and stroked her head. “I bet you can see just fine down here eh Kirara? Can you see anything of Kagome or Shippo? Anything at all?” There was silence for a few seconds then another low growl from Kirara and Inuyasha felt her moving off. He grabbed hold of her fur and moved along with her, dragging Sango along with him. A few seconds later Kirara stopped and with her teeth, grabbed Inuyasha's robe and pulled him to the ground. Inuyasha could barely make out an object on the cavern floor. He picked it up and turned it over in his hands trying to get the feel for what it was. Soft fabric, bunched in the middle.

“It's Shippo's bow.” Inuyasha said, his voice failing to hide how sick he now felt. “The one from his hair. It must have fallen out when…” He looked up, unable to continue and was barely able to see that the bow was at the entrance of one of the larger tunnels. He let out a deep exhale, not even realizing he was holding his breath, realizing that Shippo must have purposely dropped this when they were taken into the tunnel. It was a likely, not to mention comforting thought. “Come on.” He said, now with a steadier voice. “They must have come this way. He patted Kirara and said, “Lead the way.”

“How could they have gotten down here so fast? It hasn't been that long since they disappeared!” Sango asked still clutching Inuyasha's hand.

“I don't think they went anywhere themselves. Can't you sense it? They're not alone Sango. Let's go.”

The three friends walked precariously through the tunnel. It grew noticeably smaller and the ground took a definite slope downward as they continued for what seemed like to Inuyasha at least 15 minutes.

“Ugh God what is that smell?” Sango finally broke the seemingly impenetrable silence with a coughing fit. “It's totally foul!”

“It's the demon.” Inuyasha said simply. “It's been down here for hundreds of years not seeing the surface. That's a long time without fresh air.”

“At this rate the air is going to become toxic soon.” The last two words were muffled and Inuyasha knew that she had put her poison mask on.

“Kagome.” Inuyasha thought to himself, the beating of his already frantic heart now doubling. Was she lying somewhere down here dead of suffocation? Had the demon found them and killed them? He knew these were questions that would not help his state of mind at all but he couldn't help it. Here in the infinite darkness that was the cavern, his other senses were overwhelmed with nothingness so his imagination was on overload. He kept visualizing Kagome lying at the bottom of the tunnel, not breathing or perhaps (and this was somehow even worse) trying desperately to breathe, her face slowly turning blue from lack of oxygen, Shippo lying beside her, already dead because he was still so young. “Stop it!” He said in a loud whisper suddenly, more to his overactive mind than anything else.

“Inuyasha? Are you okay?” Sango's muffled voice to his left.

“Yeah. I'm fine.”

“But…”

“I said I'm fine! No more talking Sango. If that demon hears us we'll have no chance to save Kagome and Shippo.”

Sango wanted to ask Inuyasha which demon he thought it was but she knew he was right. The strangely smooth sides of the tunnel they were in acted like a loudspeaker. Every sound they made, be it voice or accidentally kicking a rock was amplified to an uncomfortable level. She would ask him about the demon later. If there was a later.

Inuyasha was just starting to get `really' impatient when suddenly he felt Kirara stop. With his hand on her hide he could feel her hair stand on end and he could hear a low, menacing growl. He still couldn't pick up Kagome's or Shippo's scent but the demon scent was making it hard and he was behind Kirara who, in her king size, was taking up a lot of the tunnel. She could smell something he couldn't. He didn't need to ask to know that it meant they were nearing the end of the tunnel. He squeezed Sango's hand and brought her in front of him and put her hands on Kirara, indicating that she should stay here with Kirara until he was done. He could barely make out Sango shaking her head vehemently but he grabbed her head in his hands and stared her straight in the eyes. She stared back just as defiantly but after a few minutes of mental arguing she finally gave in. She turned resignedly to Kirara and grabbed onto her like Inuyasha had instructed. Inuyasha nodded and drew out the Tetsusaiga. As always, with the transformed Tetsusaiga in his hands, he felt a lot more confident and was successfully able to chase away the disturbing images of Kagome lying dead or dying somewhere ahead. He turned once to give Kirara a pat on the head and then headed off down the last few feet of the tunnel.