Title: Crisis
Author: TheSuperNinja'sCrabcake
Summary: It was dark and cold. They were running out of water, and fights were springing up. With all of the dangers of the Feudal Era, this wasn't how Kagome imagined her death, trapped underground after a subway accident, unexpectedly human danger surrounding her. And the last thing she expected was for a fellow passenger, a youkai, to be the only one on her side. KurKag.
A/N: The italicized portion at the beginning of each chapter is a flashback to going-ons in the train before the wreck. The chapters will be current time, post-wreckage. I wanted to tell both stories, but I also didn't want to delay the plot and risk everyone's interest.
The subway rumbled underneath her feet as it traversed its terrain, jostling Kagome slightly into another passenger and causing the large yellow pack that she had on her shoulders to almost topple them both over.
The man hissed before righting himself, smoothing his pristine suit, and placing his hands back almost regally over the handle of his suitcase. At the glare that he shot backwards at her, she muttered a quick apology, biting back her comments on how rude he was. Then again, she had almost practically thrown him to ground.
The pack was irritating to lug around but it was immensely handy at times. Mama and Souta had moved into an apartment to be closer to her new job, and Kagome would often visit or stay with them, but would mainly return to Higurashi Shrine to help Gramps run the shrine during the week and to traipse back to the past. Mama, especially now that there was an increase in her salary, made sure to send her back with as much supplies as possible—stuffing the back full of anything that they might possibly need on their journey. And though it seemed that Kun-Loon overprepared her bag, Kagome knew that she was just trying to protect her and ensure her safety in the only way that she could.
After they had defeated Naraku, the power of her, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru's combined attacks had shattered the Tama, scattering it once more throughout the Sengoku Judai.
And if she was being honest with herself, she was happy. She hadn't been forced to choose between the Sengoku Judai and her time—a decision that she had been dreading ever since she had first made friends in the past. Without Naraku looming over their heads and in the shadows, they were able to travel more leisurely—there wasn't as big of a rush this time to collect the shards before him. Due to this, Inuyasha was more inclined to allow Kagome to go home at least once a week to attend her final year of high school and visit her family.
It was…well, if you didn't count all of the youkai trying to constantly kill them, it was nice. Existing within both worlds and being able to be with both of her families was what she had always wished for, and Kagome's spirit felt calmer than it had in a long time.
"Okasan," a small voice suddenly whispered as a particularly bad shake jostled everyone in the packed car again. Glancing to her side, Kagome caught a little girl clenching her teeth as she failed to hide her face in her mother's black pencil skirt, fingers fisted in the tight fabric. "I'm scared. There's something wrong."
"It's just the subway shaking because of how fast we're going," the woman laughed, placing her hand on top of the child's hair comfortingly. "It will stop soon. We're halfway there."
Kagome tightened her grip on the pole next to her, her lips pressed into a thin line. She had ridden the subway many times on this route to school and to Mama's and never had the ride been so unstable. Trepidation settled uncomfortably in her gut, and she suddenly felt sick, her stomach dropping to her feet—and she wasn't sure why.
One: Cheery Yellow
The loud screeching of the wheels on the tracks and the subsequent crunch of metal, screams, people, and bones was one of the most sickening sounds that Kagome had ever heard in her life, and she had heard a lot of gruesome things. And as the pain pounding in her head was drawing her further and further into the waking world, that sound was the only thing still ringing in her ears. The talkative chatter, of numerous voices roaring as one as conversations swarmed around her, had silenced.
As her eyes pried themselves open, her consciousness climbing up like it was being held down underneath a deep sleep, a moan tore itself dryly from her throat. She tried to raise her hand to bring it to her face, but found that she couldn't and that pain spidered up her arm with the movement. She swallowed, her tongue feeling thick as she tried to wet her mouth and form words. When she opened her lips, the air was dank and humid, and floating dirt clambered to coat her tongue.
"In-Inuyasha, what hap…"
As another moan of pain whimpered from her throat, Kagome remembered that she wasn't in the Sengoku Judai. She couldn't be. The last thing that she remembered…
"Dear, don't stay too long this time. And don't let Inuyasha make you neglect your studies!" And the hug, warmth, love, kiss to the cheek. Fingers waving goodbye. Body moving cheerfully, skirt swishing, pack heavy—
She was…she was at her mother's, and she had gotten on the subway to go back to the shrine. And then something had gone wrong—terribly, terribly wrong.
Did I hit my head, Kagome wondered fuzzily as she tried to think through the fog that seemed to have encased her mind and body. Dazed, she tried to open her eyes but the brightness once again pierced her skull, and her ears were ringing with unfamiliar screams and this unbearable screeching. Resisting the urge to shut them, she kept them open, waiting for her eyes to adjust painfully to her surroundings.
As everything blurrily came into focus, the overpowering light from before faded into just a familiar blue shining that hummed around her and prickled through her veins.
My reiki?
As her mind was becoming more clear, Kagome became aware of the copious amount of healing energy pouring out of her, working furiously as it enveloped her own skin with a soothing balm. Swallowing dustily, Kagome forced herself to move her head to the side, the movement feeling like she was lifting thousands of pounds.
Cerulean eyes widened, her heart thundering like a hummingbird in her chest as it coursed adrenaline through her body.
"Nng, n..no," Kagome whimpered, her eyes swimming with tears as her fingers shakily reached out towards the obstruction, the pain fully registering in her brain with the sight. "…itai."
The pole that she had been sitting near had been twisted sharply, now jagged—and now piercing directly into her hand, impaling it into the rocky wall that she had been thrown into. The weightlessness that had been rocking through her was evident by the way her feet slightly dangling off of the dark floor of the underground tunnel.
We crashed, Kagome realized through the pain, trying to force herself to focus on logic rather than the way pain was radiating through every inch of her abused body or the way that her lungs wanted desperately to hyperventilate. Dear kami, we actually crashed.
Reaching up, Kagome gripped the metal tightly with her free hand, ignoring how the jagged edge sliced into her palm and caused azure light to ripple. Her breath shuddering through her and ignoring the fright that was shivering up her back, she yanked roughly with all the strength that she could spare. She bit her tongue as she held back her scream as the metal ripped free of her skin, tearing precious tendons, and her body dropped to the ground heavily, crashing to earth.
She panted, trying to think through the pain and the black dots that were swirling in her vision. The damp dirt of the tunnel was cool against her blistering cheek, but the rest of her body had fallen on something soft but firm. Eyes tiredly turning, energy draining as her reiki worked overtime to heal the external and possibly internal wounds that she had acquired, she caught sight of ironically cheery yellow.
Her back stung from where she had landed on a particularly hard part of her pack, but besides that it had cushioned her fall, saving her from further injuries. There were tears in some places but, other than that, it seemed to be fully intact.
With a huff of exhaustion, Kagome laid her cheek back on the ground, thanking the fact that her powers had grown after the completion of her soul. Warmth embraced her hotly before cold once again began to infest her aura, dormancy once again replacing the activeness of her reiki as it finished instinctually healing her injuries, the light taking the pain and disappearing, finally leaving her in dimness.
Whatever had been pressing harshly down on her lungs before was gone and Kagome gulped in air, almost coughing with how much oxygen she was suddenly desperately craving. After enough air had soothed her hyperventilation, Kagome's breath stilled abruptly when she heard footsteps crunching the gravelly dirt. Her fingers twitched in the earth, apprehension and her heart running through her in a thundering race as she clenched her eyes closed.
The man whistled, peering down closely at her—brown eyes wide. "Woah. This lady got thrown pretty far, ne?"
"C'mon, Gai-san," another voice chimed, the rustling of fabric sounding as he most likely tried to pull along the other man. "She's dead. We need to keep looking for other survivors so we can get them help."
Kagome couldn't help the irritated groan that escaped her as she heard that cheeriness in his voice. "I'm alive," she said, her voice flowing effortlessly as she pushed herself into a sitting position, her cerulean eyes piercing the men where they stood with their vibrancy. Her long, midnight hair brushed her elbows as she finally propped herself against the wall before she began to stand on two unsteady feet before them, fingers trailing against the cemented wall. The sunshine-colored backpack nudged sharply into her leg.
"Are you rescue workers?" Kagome asked, when they continued staring and quiet had settled uncomfortably between them all. Her previously injured hand, now with skin flawlessly smooth, was clutching at the fabric of her chest, trying to still the painfully hopeful beat of her heart.
"Oh no," the man with what looked like brown-hair laughed, and Kagome found her heart sinking in her chest as she heard the heavily hysterical edge to the sound. "We're passengers too. The tunnel is sealed off in both directions, we've already checked."
This has been an idea that I've had for a KurKag fic for over half a year and I'm so happy to finally be getting it out! I had been struggling on which part of the story to begin it at—there were so many angles that I could have started at. Finally, I decided to do flashes on the train before everything and the chapter be about post-wreckage.
Also, so everyone knows, Kurama will officially meet Kagome around chapter three or four.
Again, this is another low-priority fic, so please review with your opinions and such! I love to hear them and they cause updates to come faster as well since I get excited! Thank you for reading and hopefully reviewing!
-Eryn "Ninja" Silvenia
