InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Remnants of the Spider ❯ The Caves Pt. 1 ( Chapter 39 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lady Sianna 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 11.11.2009 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 253 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 11.11.2009 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 253 | Status: Work In Progress
Remnants of the Spider
The Caves Pt. 1 __________________________________________________________________ ______
Roused by the thin beams of sunlight which had so kindly focused right on her eyelids, Kagome made the reluctant ascent back into the conscious world. Yawning quietly behind a cupped hand the miko stretched the muscles of her back before running her fingers through her sleep mussed hair.
She soon sat up and rubbed bits of debris from her eyes. As she slowly gathered her bearings the miko looked around their little campsite noticing that she was the first to wake. Even Sesshoumaru was still asleep. Settled at the base of his tree, she noted that he seemed a bit closer than she remembered from last night. They had each drifted off to sleep after ingesting a ridiculous amount of pork. Inuyasha had done a surprisingly good job cooking and tenderizing the meat. It would have been a shame to let it go to waste.
Her wandering attention eventually focused on the demon lord and she began to wonder if his back might hurt. Actually, he appeared markedly more comfortable than one would expect for a person who had slept sitting up against such an uninviting surface.
Looking around her Kagome double checked that the others were still sleeping. Once she was satisfied that they were, the young priestess felt free to indulge in the slightly guilty pleasure of observing the daiyoukai at her leisure. He was quite a striking creature after all. Sure he could be a jerk most of the time, but at least he was pleasant to look at. She had always known that but had never really allowed herself to think it openly. He looked so peaceful just sitting there, she noted with vague fascination.
Her continued perusal soon focused on shimmering silver tresses as they spilled down his unarmored, silk-covered chest. Her lips parted soundlessly as her eyes trailed the glimmering strands down his body until they pooled into the shaded grass at his side. She had been that close to him, she remembered suddenly. Only one night ago, she had shared a bed with him and slept comfortably at his side. The memory heated her cheeks and brought a coy little smile to her lips.
All of a sudden she was reminded of her evening bath with Sango and the unexpected declaration the woman had made. ‘You’re in love with him!’ her friend’s gleeful voice echoed through her mind. The miko huffed quietly. “That’s ridiculous.” she murmured as she began to untangle herself from her sleeping bag.
“What is ridiculous?”
Though she had not seen his lips move, Kagome knew that there was only one person who could produce that voice. Her movements instantly stilled.
“W-what?” she said intelligently, her heart beginning to race.
“You were looking in my direction and mentioned that something was ridiculous.” His head lifted slowly and his eyes met with hers for the first time this new day. “Should I be insulted?”
“N-No!” she said a little too loudly in her haste to withdraw any perceived slight against his person. “I-I was just…”
“Also,” he cut in as if she had not been speaking, “I find it necessary to point out the impoliteness of staring.”
Kagome felt the color drain from her face. Knowing that he would be able to tell whether or not she was lying she began, “I’ll neither confirm nor deny whether or not I was staring,” she said slowly and was somewhat pleased with the nonchalance she was able to add to her voice. “On a completely unrelated note however, I would like to ask… how long have you been awake?”
“Since before dawn.” was his immediate answer.
A nervous chuckle burst from Kagome’s lips in spite of her lack of surprise at his answer. “I see…” she said quietly.
When the miko did not deign to say anything further, Sesshoumaru decided to remind her of his previous question. “What is ridiculous?” he asked again.
“Oh,” she said as if somewhat startled. “It was nothing… really. Sango and I were talking last night; just girl stuff you know. It’s nothing you would be interested in. She umm… she just said something that was really silly, and when I looked at you…” she trailed off realizing that she was just on the brink of rambling her way into a conversation which would promise a paramount level of embarrassment. “It was nothing,” she finished lamely.
The daiyoukai gave her a long, assessing look which served to make her ten times more nervous than she already was. ‘I wonder if he eves dropped on our conversation last night.’ she muses and succeeded in making herself even more uncomfortable under his lingering gaze. There was a point when she would never have suspected such a thing of him, but she had learned that Sesshoumaru was far nosier than he appeared to be.
No longer willing to ignore his unfaltering scrutiny, Kagome folded her arms over her chest and turned away from him. “Didn’t you just say that it was impolite to stare? That applies to you too you know!”
Chancing a glance at him from the corner of her eyes, she was quite discouraged to see the slight smile that tilted the corner of his lips. “Whoever said I placed any importance on such mannerisms?”
Kagome could only sigh in exasperation. She should have guessed he would say something like that. Scanning her immediate surroundings, the miko came up short when she could not find something suitable to throw at him. It was just as well, she decided fairly quickly. He had never really taken personal attacks very graciously anyway. He most likely wouldn’t douse her with poison, but it still probably wasn’t a good idea.
Turning back to him, the miko pulled her trump card and licked her tongue at him. The slight widening of his eyes was her welcomed reward and she immediately resumed her previous struggle to escape her bedding. She freed herself seconds later and the priestess made no further eye contact with him as she collected her bathing supplies and clothes. “I’m going to go wash up and change.” she said without turning around. For unknown reasons which were probably just as ridiculous as licking her tongue at a daiyoukai, the miko felt that if she looked back at him, it’d give him a chance to retaliate.
Not bothering to wait for an answer, she made her way to the edge of the clearing.
In the back of her mind, Kagome was starting to realize that Sesshoumaru seemed to enjoy ruffling her feathers, so to speak. Well, she sure showed him!! Her method may not have been the most sophisticated, but it sure shut him up!!
With a light heart she made her way to the spring she and Sango had shared the night before. A small smile on her lips she began to hum quietly to herself. Yes, she was feeling rather triumphant this morning not only because she had managed to silence the great inu lord but also because she had escaped without answering his question for once.
She could only hope that he would forget about it and not bring it up again.
Sesshoumaru quietly watched the miko’s retreating form as she disappeared into the tangle of trees at the edge of the clearing. She had exposed her… her tongue to him. He knew it was done as a childish act of retribution for his baited comment, but the feeling it inspired in him could by no means be described as such.
His heart had actually skipped a beat upon seeing the tiny pink appendage she had so deliberately brandished in his distinct direction. His mind quickly began to conjure not-so-innocent images, but he managed to banish them to the back of his mind before he could react to them physically.
‘That was… unexpected.’ he mused to himself as he redirected his attention to some indistinct point high above the trees. He was feeling a little warm, slightly restless, and his throat had suddenly gone dry.
The miko’s behavior, youthful and unintentional that it seemed to be, was eliciting more and more powerful erotic reactions from him as of late. Even yesterday as they flew together on his cloud he had had to use more focus than what normally would have been necessary just to keep them aloft. Having her so close to him for such an extended period of time had been… difficult. On more than one occasion it had been necessary to force his mind into the safety of dry boring meditation to keep himself from wondering what Kagome might have on beneath her haori, or how nice it might be to find out.
‘You do realize…’ a dark voice whispered from somewhere deep in his subconscious, ‘that she is probably bathing at this very moment.’
Without his explicit command, Sesshoumaru’s eyes darted toward the edge of the clearing. Correcting himself almost immediately, he turned his attention back to the sky and suppressed his wayward thoughts before they could fully conjure the image of a certain wet and naked miko.
This was truly becoming a problem, though how it could be resolved was yet to be determined. As he considered the matter, the daiyoukai was revisited by a thought which had come to him the morning after he had shared the miko’s bed. These vaguely and not so vaguely tempting thoughts were visiting him with more and more frequency, but they were also usually accompanied by a something which was vaguely unsettling. For so long he had looked down upon humans, so was this accompanying sensation a lingering trace of human abhorrence, or was it the idea that she might not welcome his advances if he decided to pursue a more intimate relationship with her?
Yes she was human, but that was inconsequential at this point. Besides, she was not simply human, she was so much more than that. She was uniquely… Kagome, he realized for the first time and a nearly imperceptible smile formed on his lips.
As for the latter… perhaps it was time to find out. __________________________________________________________________ ______
With their morning tasks completed and their small campground cleared and left behind them, the travelers were now making steady progress toward the dreaded caves.
For this endeavor flight was not an option as the woods were thick and any available entrance to the caves would be missed from the sky. When they had started out the mood had been reasonably light as tension between the inu siblings had mysteriously diminished to a nearly untraceable level. Though most of the traveling party was curious about this new development, no one dared to question it.
As they trekked deeper into the forest, the light conversations began to taper off as waves of apprehension rolled off the miko, the primary distributor of the idle chatter. Instead, the only sounds that accompanied them were the crunching of twigs at their feet and the occasional crash of a low falling branch as Inuyasha used his sharp claws to remove it from their path. From his position at the head of the group he was the one to clear the way for his companions while also keeping watch for hidden dangers that might lie ahead.
Miroku, Sango and Kirara made up the group’s center, while Sesshoumaru and Kagome lingered a short distance behind. In the moist shaded forest beneath the thick canopy of trees, the air was almost uncomfortably humid. The scents of vegetation and wildlife were thick in the air, but it was Kagome’s restless aroma which kept drawing the daiyoukai’s attention.
“What is wrong?” he heard himself ask unexpectedly.
The miko started but made no move to look at him. “Nothing.” she said quickly but he noted how her hand drifted to the oversized bow she had slung over her body before their earlier departure from the clearing.
“Do not lie.” he commanded sternly.
The miko sighed. “It’s just… I don’t… I don’t like caves you know. They kinda creep me out.”
“Hn.” the demon grunted softly in acknowledgement of her admission.
“Anyway,” Kagome spoke up again wanting to change the subject. “I’ve been thinking about what you said; you know, about the keys. I think the different colors might give us a hint as to where they’re hidden.”
“That is a reasonable assessment.”
Silence descended on them again before a voice from the front of the group drew everyone’s attention.
“There it is!” Inuyasha announced as he broke into a light sprint. Making haste, the other members of the traveling party followed his lead and soon arrived in a tiny clearing. Mostly surrounded by trees and thick meandering vines, one side of the clearing was blocked almost entirely by a small mountain of moss covered stone. At it’s base was a craggy opening not much higher than Kagome’s waist.
“This is it?!” she asked incredulously. She wasn’t really sure what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this! It looked so… small. “This is the entrance to the cave?!”
“It would be wise to lower your voice.” Sesshoumaru spoke up immediately. “If there are creatures dwelling inside it would be to our advantage to keep the element of surprise on our side should it become necessary to fight.”
Kagome covered her mouth and nodded. “Sorry,” she whispered quietly as she sent a wary look to the cave’s diminutive entrance.
To everyone’s surprise, Inuyasha made no move to argue with the elder inu and in fact gave a slight nod before he too turned his attention back to the cave. “I’ll go first.” he said as kneeled before the opening.
“Wait,” Kagome called to him as she removed her heavy bag from her shoulder. “It’ll be dark inside.” she elaborated as she began to dig through the contents of her pack.
Within a moment or two the miko had managed to locate two strange stick-like objects.
“These are a flashlights.” she answered the group’s unspoken question as she flipped her back closed again. Standing she made her way to the hanyou’s side offering him one of the flashlights while she kept the other. “See you just shake it like this,” she began as she shook the device with a rigorous up and down motion.
Observing the demonstration, a dark chuckle erupted from Miroku’s lips which he promptly attempted to disguise as a cough. Only his perverted mind seemed to get the joke, and he shut his eyes tightly to prevent any further outbursts. Once the shaking was completed, Kagome pushed a small red switch and a circle of light appeared on the ground where the stick was aimed.
Inuyasha gave the miko a dubious look. “It’s pretty bright out here so you can’t really see the light that well, but trust me it’ll help a lot inside a dark cave.”
“If you say so.” the hanyou shrugged as he repeated the motions of Kagome’s earlier demonstration. With his hand moving twice as fast as the miko’s had and the faint look of concentration on his face, laughter escaped the lecherous monk again. Understanding finally dawned and Sango smacked her husband on the shoulder even though a rosy hue now painted her cheeks.
No one seemed to notice their interaction or Sango’s strategically averted gaze before the hanyou finally stopped and pushed the little red switch. “Alright.” he said from his place on the ground. “Here we go.” And with that, he disappeared into the cave.
“Since you have the only other flash-light,” Sango began, stumbling slightly over the unfamiliar word, “You two should go last.” she told Kagome as she shot a quick glance at the inu lord by her side.
Before the miko could respond, the huntress turned away and knelt before the cave’s entrance. “Ready Miroku?” she asked as the monk knelt beside her.
“As much as I’m ever going to be.” he said with a faint smile.
With Kirara trailing closely behind them, they too vanished into the cave.
“Shall we?” Sesshoumaru’s calm voice broke into Kagome’s thought before they could meander too far from the present.
Making an unhappy face the miko looked down into the dark hollow of the cave’s entrance and suppressed a shudder. “I guess.” she said with evident uncertainty as she lowered herself before the small opening.
“Stay close.” she heard the demon lord say and was surprised to see that he was right behind her waiting for her to enter the cave.
Kagome took one last deep breath of fresh air before she ducked into the cave’s mouth. Initially, the ceiling was as low as the entryway and both miko and daiyoukai were forced to drag themselves along the surprisingly smooth floor little by little.
Realizing that she needed both hands to move efficiently, Kagome reluctantly sacrificed her limited visibility and tucked her flashlight into the folds of her haori. It was a decision she would soon regret as there was a steep drop just a few feet into the cave. A heavy gasp burst from the miko’s lips as she felt herself going over the edge. She was just short of screaming her head off when a powerful arm encircled her waist. She was pulled firmly, but gently against an equally powerful, armor plated body, and Kagome held on gratefully.
Sesshoumaru slowed their descent by driving his sharp claws into the stony floor. Four shallow grooves marked their path as together they slid down the rocky slope.
Her initial shock having faded, Kagome actually found herself enjoying the ride. Sure it was pitch dark and she got scrapped by the occasional jagged rock, but Sesshoumaru reassuring embrace made it all worth while.
‘Just because I enjoy being close to him that doesn’t mean I’m in love.’ she thought giddily if not slightly defensively to the phantom voice of her demon slaying friend.
Soon enough they were at the bottom of the stone gradient. Once he was sure of the floor’s stability, Sesshoumaru released the miko and carefully rose to his feet. The chamber in which they had arrived was massive; far larger than any of them could have predicted though it was difficult to see precisely how spacious it truly was.
With the glow of Inuyasha’s flashlight, he could see the silhouetted forms of the monk, slayer and his brother but not much else. Extending a hand he helped the miko to her feet and she immediately withdrew the other flashlight and switched it on.
In a whispering voice that seemed appropriate for the shadowy space, Kagome scolded her friends for not warning her of the drop.
“Sorry,” Inuyasha spoke up, “But that wouldn’t have been a very good idea.”
Giving him a quizzical look which was mostly lost in the dark chamber she asked, “And why not.
He did not answer her verbally but instead aimed his flashlight to the unexpectedly high ceiling. Gasping quietly, Kagome was decidedly displeased to see that the cave’s craggy canopy was covered with bats.
It might not have been so bad if they had been small mortal creatures, but these were very large, very dangerous-looking bat demons. __________________________________________________________________ ______
The Caves Pt. 1 __________________________________________________________________ ______
Roused by the thin beams of sunlight which had so kindly focused right on her eyelids, Kagome made the reluctant ascent back into the conscious world. Yawning quietly behind a cupped hand the miko stretched the muscles of her back before running her fingers through her sleep mussed hair.
She soon sat up and rubbed bits of debris from her eyes. As she slowly gathered her bearings the miko looked around their little campsite noticing that she was the first to wake. Even Sesshoumaru was still asleep. Settled at the base of his tree, she noted that he seemed a bit closer than she remembered from last night. They had each drifted off to sleep after ingesting a ridiculous amount of pork. Inuyasha had done a surprisingly good job cooking and tenderizing the meat. It would have been a shame to let it go to waste.
Her wandering attention eventually focused on the demon lord and she began to wonder if his back might hurt. Actually, he appeared markedly more comfortable than one would expect for a person who had slept sitting up against such an uninviting surface.
Looking around her Kagome double checked that the others were still sleeping. Once she was satisfied that they were, the young priestess felt free to indulge in the slightly guilty pleasure of observing the daiyoukai at her leisure. He was quite a striking creature after all. Sure he could be a jerk most of the time, but at least he was pleasant to look at. She had always known that but had never really allowed herself to think it openly. He looked so peaceful just sitting there, she noted with vague fascination.
Her continued perusal soon focused on shimmering silver tresses as they spilled down his unarmored, silk-covered chest. Her lips parted soundlessly as her eyes trailed the glimmering strands down his body until they pooled into the shaded grass at his side. She had been that close to him, she remembered suddenly. Only one night ago, she had shared a bed with him and slept comfortably at his side. The memory heated her cheeks and brought a coy little smile to her lips.
All of a sudden she was reminded of her evening bath with Sango and the unexpected declaration the woman had made. ‘You’re in love with him!’ her friend’s gleeful voice echoed through her mind. The miko huffed quietly. “That’s ridiculous.” she murmured as she began to untangle herself from her sleeping bag.
“What is ridiculous?”
Though she had not seen his lips move, Kagome knew that there was only one person who could produce that voice. Her movements instantly stilled.
“W-what?” she said intelligently, her heart beginning to race.
“You were looking in my direction and mentioned that something was ridiculous.” His head lifted slowly and his eyes met with hers for the first time this new day. “Should I be insulted?”
“N-No!” she said a little too loudly in her haste to withdraw any perceived slight against his person. “I-I was just…”
“Also,” he cut in as if she had not been speaking, “I find it necessary to point out the impoliteness of staring.”
Kagome felt the color drain from her face. Knowing that he would be able to tell whether or not she was lying she began, “I’ll neither confirm nor deny whether or not I was staring,” she said slowly and was somewhat pleased with the nonchalance she was able to add to her voice. “On a completely unrelated note however, I would like to ask… how long have you been awake?”
“Since before dawn.” was his immediate answer.
A nervous chuckle burst from Kagome’s lips in spite of her lack of surprise at his answer. “I see…” she said quietly.
When the miko did not deign to say anything further, Sesshoumaru decided to remind her of his previous question. “What is ridiculous?” he asked again.
“Oh,” she said as if somewhat startled. “It was nothing… really. Sango and I were talking last night; just girl stuff you know. It’s nothing you would be interested in. She umm… she just said something that was really silly, and when I looked at you…” she trailed off realizing that she was just on the brink of rambling her way into a conversation which would promise a paramount level of embarrassment. “It was nothing,” she finished lamely.
The daiyoukai gave her a long, assessing look which served to make her ten times more nervous than she already was. ‘I wonder if he eves dropped on our conversation last night.’ she muses and succeeded in making herself even more uncomfortable under his lingering gaze. There was a point when she would never have suspected such a thing of him, but she had learned that Sesshoumaru was far nosier than he appeared to be.
No longer willing to ignore his unfaltering scrutiny, Kagome folded her arms over her chest and turned away from him. “Didn’t you just say that it was impolite to stare? That applies to you too you know!”
Chancing a glance at him from the corner of her eyes, she was quite discouraged to see the slight smile that tilted the corner of his lips. “Whoever said I placed any importance on such mannerisms?”
Kagome could only sigh in exasperation. She should have guessed he would say something like that. Scanning her immediate surroundings, the miko came up short when she could not find something suitable to throw at him. It was just as well, she decided fairly quickly. He had never really taken personal attacks very graciously anyway. He most likely wouldn’t douse her with poison, but it still probably wasn’t a good idea.
Turning back to him, the miko pulled her trump card and licked her tongue at him. The slight widening of his eyes was her welcomed reward and she immediately resumed her previous struggle to escape her bedding. She freed herself seconds later and the priestess made no further eye contact with him as she collected her bathing supplies and clothes. “I’m going to go wash up and change.” she said without turning around. For unknown reasons which were probably just as ridiculous as licking her tongue at a daiyoukai, the miko felt that if she looked back at him, it’d give him a chance to retaliate.
Not bothering to wait for an answer, she made her way to the edge of the clearing.
In the back of her mind, Kagome was starting to realize that Sesshoumaru seemed to enjoy ruffling her feathers, so to speak. Well, she sure showed him!! Her method may not have been the most sophisticated, but it sure shut him up!!
With a light heart she made her way to the spring she and Sango had shared the night before. A small smile on her lips she began to hum quietly to herself. Yes, she was feeling rather triumphant this morning not only because she had managed to silence the great inu lord but also because she had escaped without answering his question for once.
She could only hope that he would forget about it and not bring it up again.
Sesshoumaru quietly watched the miko’s retreating form as she disappeared into the tangle of trees at the edge of the clearing. She had exposed her… her tongue to him. He knew it was done as a childish act of retribution for his baited comment, but the feeling it inspired in him could by no means be described as such.
His heart had actually skipped a beat upon seeing the tiny pink appendage she had so deliberately brandished in his distinct direction. His mind quickly began to conjure not-so-innocent images, but he managed to banish them to the back of his mind before he could react to them physically.
‘That was… unexpected.’ he mused to himself as he redirected his attention to some indistinct point high above the trees. He was feeling a little warm, slightly restless, and his throat had suddenly gone dry.
The miko’s behavior, youthful and unintentional that it seemed to be, was eliciting more and more powerful erotic reactions from him as of late. Even yesterday as they flew together on his cloud he had had to use more focus than what normally would have been necessary just to keep them aloft. Having her so close to him for such an extended period of time had been… difficult. On more than one occasion it had been necessary to force his mind into the safety of dry boring meditation to keep himself from wondering what Kagome might have on beneath her haori, or how nice it might be to find out.
‘You do realize…’ a dark voice whispered from somewhere deep in his subconscious, ‘that she is probably bathing at this very moment.’
Without his explicit command, Sesshoumaru’s eyes darted toward the edge of the clearing. Correcting himself almost immediately, he turned his attention back to the sky and suppressed his wayward thoughts before they could fully conjure the image of a certain wet and naked miko.
This was truly becoming a problem, though how it could be resolved was yet to be determined. As he considered the matter, the daiyoukai was revisited by a thought which had come to him the morning after he had shared the miko’s bed. These vaguely and not so vaguely tempting thoughts were visiting him with more and more frequency, but they were also usually accompanied by a something which was vaguely unsettling. For so long he had looked down upon humans, so was this accompanying sensation a lingering trace of human abhorrence, or was it the idea that she might not welcome his advances if he decided to pursue a more intimate relationship with her?
Yes she was human, but that was inconsequential at this point. Besides, she was not simply human, she was so much more than that. She was uniquely… Kagome, he realized for the first time and a nearly imperceptible smile formed on his lips.
As for the latter… perhaps it was time to find out. __________________________________________________________________ ______
With their morning tasks completed and their small campground cleared and left behind them, the travelers were now making steady progress toward the dreaded caves.
For this endeavor flight was not an option as the woods were thick and any available entrance to the caves would be missed from the sky. When they had started out the mood had been reasonably light as tension between the inu siblings had mysteriously diminished to a nearly untraceable level. Though most of the traveling party was curious about this new development, no one dared to question it.
As they trekked deeper into the forest, the light conversations began to taper off as waves of apprehension rolled off the miko, the primary distributor of the idle chatter. Instead, the only sounds that accompanied them were the crunching of twigs at their feet and the occasional crash of a low falling branch as Inuyasha used his sharp claws to remove it from their path. From his position at the head of the group he was the one to clear the way for his companions while also keeping watch for hidden dangers that might lie ahead.
Miroku, Sango and Kirara made up the group’s center, while Sesshoumaru and Kagome lingered a short distance behind. In the moist shaded forest beneath the thick canopy of trees, the air was almost uncomfortably humid. The scents of vegetation and wildlife were thick in the air, but it was Kagome’s restless aroma which kept drawing the daiyoukai’s attention.
“What is wrong?” he heard himself ask unexpectedly.
The miko started but made no move to look at him. “Nothing.” she said quickly but he noted how her hand drifted to the oversized bow she had slung over her body before their earlier departure from the clearing.
“Do not lie.” he commanded sternly.
The miko sighed. “It’s just… I don’t… I don’t like caves you know. They kinda creep me out.”
“Hn.” the demon grunted softly in acknowledgement of her admission.
“Anyway,” Kagome spoke up again wanting to change the subject. “I’ve been thinking about what you said; you know, about the keys. I think the different colors might give us a hint as to where they’re hidden.”
“That is a reasonable assessment.”
Silence descended on them again before a voice from the front of the group drew everyone’s attention.
“There it is!” Inuyasha announced as he broke into a light sprint. Making haste, the other members of the traveling party followed his lead and soon arrived in a tiny clearing. Mostly surrounded by trees and thick meandering vines, one side of the clearing was blocked almost entirely by a small mountain of moss covered stone. At it’s base was a craggy opening not much higher than Kagome’s waist.
“This is it?!” she asked incredulously. She wasn’t really sure what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this! It looked so… small. “This is the entrance to the cave?!”
“It would be wise to lower your voice.” Sesshoumaru spoke up immediately. “If there are creatures dwelling inside it would be to our advantage to keep the element of surprise on our side should it become necessary to fight.”
Kagome covered her mouth and nodded. “Sorry,” she whispered quietly as she sent a wary look to the cave’s diminutive entrance.
To everyone’s surprise, Inuyasha made no move to argue with the elder inu and in fact gave a slight nod before he too turned his attention back to the cave. “I’ll go first.” he said as kneeled before the opening.
“Wait,” Kagome called to him as she removed her heavy bag from her shoulder. “It’ll be dark inside.” she elaborated as she began to dig through the contents of her pack.
Within a moment or two the miko had managed to locate two strange stick-like objects.
“These are a flashlights.” she answered the group’s unspoken question as she flipped her back closed again. Standing she made her way to the hanyou’s side offering him one of the flashlights while she kept the other. “See you just shake it like this,” she began as she shook the device with a rigorous up and down motion.
Observing the demonstration, a dark chuckle erupted from Miroku’s lips which he promptly attempted to disguise as a cough. Only his perverted mind seemed to get the joke, and he shut his eyes tightly to prevent any further outbursts. Once the shaking was completed, Kagome pushed a small red switch and a circle of light appeared on the ground where the stick was aimed.
Inuyasha gave the miko a dubious look. “It’s pretty bright out here so you can’t really see the light that well, but trust me it’ll help a lot inside a dark cave.”
“If you say so.” the hanyou shrugged as he repeated the motions of Kagome’s earlier demonstration. With his hand moving twice as fast as the miko’s had and the faint look of concentration on his face, laughter escaped the lecherous monk again. Understanding finally dawned and Sango smacked her husband on the shoulder even though a rosy hue now painted her cheeks.
No one seemed to notice their interaction or Sango’s strategically averted gaze before the hanyou finally stopped and pushed the little red switch. “Alright.” he said from his place on the ground. “Here we go.” And with that, he disappeared into the cave.
“Since you have the only other flash-light,” Sango began, stumbling slightly over the unfamiliar word, “You two should go last.” she told Kagome as she shot a quick glance at the inu lord by her side.
Before the miko could respond, the huntress turned away and knelt before the cave’s entrance. “Ready Miroku?” she asked as the monk knelt beside her.
“As much as I’m ever going to be.” he said with a faint smile.
With Kirara trailing closely behind them, they too vanished into the cave.
“Shall we?” Sesshoumaru’s calm voice broke into Kagome’s thought before they could meander too far from the present.
Making an unhappy face the miko looked down into the dark hollow of the cave’s entrance and suppressed a shudder. “I guess.” she said with evident uncertainty as she lowered herself before the small opening.
“Stay close.” she heard the demon lord say and was surprised to see that he was right behind her waiting for her to enter the cave.
Kagome took one last deep breath of fresh air before she ducked into the cave’s mouth. Initially, the ceiling was as low as the entryway and both miko and daiyoukai were forced to drag themselves along the surprisingly smooth floor little by little.
Realizing that she needed both hands to move efficiently, Kagome reluctantly sacrificed her limited visibility and tucked her flashlight into the folds of her haori. It was a decision she would soon regret as there was a steep drop just a few feet into the cave. A heavy gasp burst from the miko’s lips as she felt herself going over the edge. She was just short of screaming her head off when a powerful arm encircled her waist. She was pulled firmly, but gently against an equally powerful, armor plated body, and Kagome held on gratefully.
Sesshoumaru slowed their descent by driving his sharp claws into the stony floor. Four shallow grooves marked their path as together they slid down the rocky slope.
Her initial shock having faded, Kagome actually found herself enjoying the ride. Sure it was pitch dark and she got scrapped by the occasional jagged rock, but Sesshoumaru reassuring embrace made it all worth while.
‘Just because I enjoy being close to him that doesn’t mean I’m in love.’ she thought giddily if not slightly defensively to the phantom voice of her demon slaying friend.
Soon enough they were at the bottom of the stone gradient. Once he was sure of the floor’s stability, Sesshoumaru released the miko and carefully rose to his feet. The chamber in which they had arrived was massive; far larger than any of them could have predicted though it was difficult to see precisely how spacious it truly was.
With the glow of Inuyasha’s flashlight, he could see the silhouetted forms of the monk, slayer and his brother but not much else. Extending a hand he helped the miko to her feet and she immediately withdrew the other flashlight and switched it on.
In a whispering voice that seemed appropriate for the shadowy space, Kagome scolded her friends for not warning her of the drop.
“Sorry,” Inuyasha spoke up, “But that wouldn’t have been a very good idea.”
Giving him a quizzical look which was mostly lost in the dark chamber she asked, “And why not.
He did not answer her verbally but instead aimed his flashlight to the unexpectedly high ceiling. Gasping quietly, Kagome was decidedly displeased to see that the cave’s craggy canopy was covered with bats.
It might not have been so bad if they had been small mortal creatures, but these were very large, very dangerous-looking bat demons. __________________________________________________________________ ______