InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Malice ❯ Nightmares: Shifting Shadows ( Chapter 32 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 32: Nightmares: Shifting Shadows

Naraku, or what was once the proud spider, lifted his eyes from the rocky ground before him, and sniffed, some small, still somewhat functional part of his broken mind trying to analyze the shifting scents of the world he found himself in, since, in this place, eyes really didn't work.

Oh, not that there wasn't light - of a sort. But it was tiny, barely letting on that it was there, and illuminating nothing but itself. Glowing moss that grew on the sides of the cavern...

Not much light, and not enough to see by, but enough to lift the blackness just a tiny bit.

Not that it mattered to him.
Darkness. But it's not dark enough, no it's not... we are not deep enough, are we... no we aren't. It soothes... but we need more.

He cackled to himself, flinching when the sound echoed eerily around him - but it did help him realize that he was in a very large cavern.

Too big... not safe enough, no we aren't. We want a smaller place...

Part of himself still realized who he was, but that part was buried under fear, and rage, and hatred, and though it was slowly crawling back out from under that avalanche of battered emotions, it would never be whole again; it was now broken, shattered, having several different shards of itself speaking within its mind.

Which was the reason for the we.

Ka-go-me, Ka-go-me, he muttered as he scurried past a large section of glowing rocks, that name the only thing that illuminated all the dark places in his mind.

Come to me, come to me... he stopped again, fearfully, hearing a faint scratching noise from somewhere ahead, and cowered down, immensely grateful for the concealing darkness as he peered blindly ahead, straining with every sense to try to figure out what was moving in his darkness.

He waited there, minutes creaking by with mind-numbing slowness; but he was a spider, and they had patience if they had nothing else, and after a time, when no more noise filtered to him, he once again began moving, heading further down, deeper into the absence of light.

Ka-go-me, Ka-go-me, step into my web, little girl... in his mind's eye he could see her, slender, dainty, dark hair and white skin... and he snickered to himself as he slithered across the rocks he had hidden behind... she looked good in the red of her blood... Ka-go-me, Ka-go me, he crooned, wanting nothing more than to lure her into his web, and taste her blood again.

But first... we have to find a good place to hide, a good, dark, small place, where enemies can't reach us.

And beginning his chant of her name again, he scooted and slunk and slithered through the thick blackness of the cave, instincts telling him to go deeper, go darker...

But how far down can you go before earth ends - and hell begins?

Kagome knew she was dreaming. She knew she was.

But once again, like before, it didn't matter.

Only this time, unlike before, she was in charge, it was her with the power, and not Naraku.

She wandered in his broken mind, astounded, feeling like Alice in Wonderland... that fairy tale had always confused her, and it was a good analogy for now - because the spiders mind was in fragments, leaving a person feeling that the world around them was completely unrecognizable.

Inuyasha... what did you do to him, I wonder? To cause this much damage?

With a shake of her head, she caught sight of a mass of something moving, squirming around, and she almost wanted to vomit; it was like watching a huge pile of maggots...

It was the youkai that he'd devoured over time, all shrieking, miserable, hellish parts of the whole that was Naraku - and all trying to escape.

Now that's kinda funny, really - now that his ship is sinking, they all want to desert...

Why don't I help them do just that?

Closing her eyes, she began to glow, a searing pink light beginning to emanate from her as the shifting mass became aware of her, and bellowing, screeching, they tried to shift themselves away from her...

But there was no escape, and piece by piece, her purifying power began engulfing them, one by one, the pile shrank, and Kagome finally stopped, and stepped back in satisfaction as she considered the pile of youkai still trying to escape her wrath.

It had shrunk greatly.

She was pulled from her contemplation by a distant scream - a scream of rage, of pain, and she shivered, fully aware of what it was...

It was Naraku, screaming at the loss of more of his power, more of his youki gone.

I will strip you of all of it, you bastard, before I'm done, and all that will be left of you is a husk - one that I will take great pleasure in handing over to the others - all those whom you've harmed.

They will all get a chance at you.

She woke slowly, and sat up, fumbling with her flashlight, she held it point down and flipped it on, needing a little light. I hate this darkness... it presses. It's like it has a will of it's own - hatred of it's own. It's no wonder Naraku was drawn to a place like this.

It probably feeds off the malice in his soul...

She started when she felt a hand touch her arm, and then she sighed, bringing up her own hand and covering his.

"Inuyasha..." she trailed off.

"What's wrong, wench? Did you have another nightmare?" he asked quietly.

"Sort of, I guess... but not the way you're thinking. I..." she hesitated, feeling uncomfortable with how much she'd enjoyed Naraku's suffering in her dream, "I purified more of his youki. It was... horrible, being in his mind. I've never seen so many fragments like that - whatever you did to him... killing him now would actually be a mercy."

Inuyasha tightened his grip on her hand, then reached around with his other arm and pulled her into his lap, wrapping her up in his arms and covering her with his trailing sleeves as he nuzzled into her neck.

"Keh," he said finally. "The bastard deserved every bit of what happened to him - and whatever else he's got coming. Don't start feeling sorry for him, wench," he warned.

"I'm not... not really," she defended herself, "its just that--"

He broke in, tightening his arms around her. "I know. You feel bad because you don't like feeling hatred towards anyone, and it scares you just how much you do hate him. But that's normal, Kagome. He hurt you, just like he's hurt so many others, and we all hate him for the things he's done."

"I know," she sighed. "It just doesn't feel like me anymore, that's all. I think... I think I hate him more for that than anything. Because now I don't know how to feel in my own skin - I'm not sure who I am anymore."

He smiled a little as she snuggled her head into his chest. "Stupid girl," he said affectionately, finding it easy to articulate here, in the dark, "you're still Kagome. You couldn't ever be anyone else. Most normal people don't like the dark - you're no different."

Kagome blinked. "I guess I hadn't really thought of it like that."

A voice came out of the darkness, then. "He is correct, miko. You have changed since this Sesshoumaru met you - but only in that you have grown. Your soul still shines in the same manner it did then."

Inuyasha snorted. "Listen to the bastard, Kagome... for once, he actually said something that made sense."

Kagome chuckled, well able to imagine the daiyoukai's eyebrow climbing into his bangs. "Be nice, Inuyasha. Stop antagonizing your brother."

"Half," came the double reply, and she giggled.

"Does it really matter?" she asked, and they both fell silent. "I didn't think so."

She sighed, then sat up, pulling away from her mate's embrace, and stretched, yawning. "So, how long have we been asleep?"

"Approximately five hours," came the reply ghosting back from Sesshoumaru.

"Hmm. Then I guess it's about time to eat something, and then start walking again."

Inuyasha hugged her again, then let go, waiting while she scrambled up, and began digging in her bag for some of the wrapped meats they'd saved from the wolves hunting trip, and handed them out as the others slowly stirred and began sitting up.

"We need to get to the cavern with the river running through it - the water we have will only last so long." Kagome directed her comment at Sesshoumaru, and wasn't surprised to hear him stand and move ahead of the group a bit, obviously attempting to scent something out.

After a little while, he moved back to the group, and came to sit near his brother. "Naraku did not go that way - but there is the scent of something living coming from the direction that we must go to reach the water."

Inuyasha scowled into the darkness. "Keh. It ain't like we didn't figure there were other things down here - we'll just have to be careful, but as much as I hate it, we do need the water. Besides, we've got the maps - there's only so far that Naraku can go."

Kagome pulled hers out, and knowing that the rest of the group was listening, spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "The cave that has the water is here - and Naraku is heading this way." She pointed out the routes for Inuyasha to follow. "It's been a long time since I've been in these caves - but I think that from where we are now, we can make it to the river in about a four hour march."

"Okay, so then another four hour march back, and that wastes most of a day right there." Inuyasha growled, he wasn't too happy about any of this. He wanted his mate out of this damn place and back in the world above - the world of light, where she belonged.

"It can't be helped, I'm afraid. But still, once that's done, if we're careful with the water, we should be able to keep enough for a week. And then, from here... that farthest cavern is about another day's march. So... two days."

"It is acceptable. Two more days, we destroy the spider, and we leave here. Simple." Sesshoumaru was realistic, even he, youkai or no, would need water, so being upset about the side trip was a waste of time in his opinion.

As the rest of the group began talking in muted tones, Kagome shivered.

Because there was something else here, in these caves. Something malevolent - and she was almost positive it would take advantage of the advent of Naraku into it's domain with alacrity.

This wouldn't be an easy in, easy out finish. They might not make it out...

At all.

Kagome was more right than she thought.

These caves were home to an ancient evil - one almost forgotten by the world of light above, though still spoken of in tales meant to frighten the unwary, most put no stock in the old tales...

And for that, the group now hunting within its confines would pay the price.

However, by no means would this be an easy group to devour, and this evil thing was well aware of that. This group held power, more power than it had ever seen.

Even the broken remnant of the spider that crawled through it's home held power, though it was diminishing, but it's soul was so black that the nameless evil that haunted these caverns was delighted; it would make a most worthy vessel.

And once its mind had been devoured, the body could be taken, and with that new strength, the possibilities for taking the others would become greater.

This was a worthy goal for the evil thing, and it grinned to itself as it slithered after the spider, making no noise, and leaving no scent. The only time the spider would hear it, was when it wanted him to. After all, new vessel or not, this evil thing only lived to torment and devour - and it would enjoy toying with the cowering one before it...

And then it would enjoy toying with the others after it.

It had been eons since an opportunity like this had come along...

It would not hesitate to take what was being handed to it.

Sesshoumaru came to an abrupt halt as just a hint of a certain scent reached his sensitive nose, and he narrowed his eyes, before closing them and lifting his nose to scent the air again.

"Inuyasha, come here."

His voice came, abrupt, and the hanyou exchanged glances with Kagome - whatever he was sensing wasn't good.

"What's the problem?" he asked as he stepped forward, thrusting his hands into his sleeves.

"We are not alone in this cavern. Something moves ahead of us - and it is attempting to hide, meaning it doesn't wish to be found - at least, not at this time."

Inuyasha, scowled, hands clenching beneath his sleeves as he sniffed the air himself, and tipped his ears forwards, beginning to pick up the slightest sounds of motion. Damn it! As if that bastard Naraku's not bad enough - now there's something else down here!

I really, really don't want Kagome down here...

With a low growl, he said, "Have any idea what it is we're dealing with?"

"No... at this point, I cannot tell." He cast a quick glance at his brother. "But..."

"Well? What?!"

"They are not small. And there are several - at least. They are also carnivorous."

"Shit."

A brow rose. "Indeed. I suggest that from here on out you keep your mate closer than you have been. Do not let her leave your side."

"Feh, as if I would! Don't need you to tell me that, ya know. Do we tell the others?"
"Yes." With a half-turn on booted heels, he softly called for the group to move up, and relayed the information to them, not really surprised by the professional way they handled it.

"Youkai, or mortal animal?" snapped out Sango, and Sesshoumaru's brow once again climbed into his bangs.

"We cannot know for certain at this time, so it would be best to prepare for the possibility of either or. But I will say this... most mortal animals do not choose to live so far down."

Sango nodded at that, catching the same from Kikyou as she turned her head. "That's true."

Sesshoumaru turned at that, and began walking once more, followed by a very watchful Inuyasha who had Kagome plastered to his back - if she were any closer, she'd be inside his clothing with him. The rest of the pack fell into line behind them, and they continued on, although at a much slower, more cautious pace.

Kagome didn't even bother with trying to see or hear anything, but she did, as she could sense that Kikyou was also doing, send out her miko senses. If it were indeed youkai, then they'd be able to sense it.

It didn't take long before she was able to pick up what they were soon to be facing...

"Inuyasha!" she said, voice barely more than a strained whisper. "It's a nest of snake youkai!"

"Fuck! Oi, Sesshoumaru, did you get that?" he questioned.

"Yes, Inuyasha, I heard." He stopped and turned back towards the group, motioning for them once again to join him.

"We have a problem. The miko has stated that she senses a nest of snake youkai ahead of us. As the taijiya can tell you, snakes are difficult to kill - and we will be hampered by our surroundings. At this point, we need to stop, and re-evaluate things."

Inuyasha scowled at his mate as she started to protest. "Forget it, wench! For once, Sesshoumaru actually makes sense." He growled, then sighed.

"Naraku will just have to wait until we can figure this out."

A/N: Yeah... I'm having a bit too much fun with these caves. They provide such a naturally horrible ambiance to the story...

Amber