As an introduction to the fanfiction enterprise I would like to state that this is my first fic. I would also love to shower my beta reader, Volpone, with fudge and many pictures of Kurama, being as she is so wonderful. Enjoy!
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Six Underground
By: Cheap Libertad
Chapter One - Strung Up To Sleep
A persistent buzz fizzed at the back of her head.
Lazy bits of golden pollen flittered across her vision, obstructing the pristine view of the sky.
It was the feeling in the pit of your stomach.
A slight warm breeze drifted across the field sending shivers through the stalks of glittering wild flowers.
It was the tingling itch, sent crawling across your skin, when you know someone is watching.
The sun's light dimmed as thin wisps of cloud passed over its surface.
Something was off.
Kagome was having difficulty thinking as the grass tickled her bare legs. It was so warm and fuzzy. She let her eyes droop as a sigh passed her lips. Everyone had decided to laze in a mutual silence. Inuyasha was brooding in the trees, as Shippou lay curled around her pack. Miroku was stretched out in the tall grasses, and Sango was sitting a few feet away. A bird sang in the forest, the pollen danced and the leaves rustled. It was so perfect.
Kagome glanced in Miroku's direction. His hands were twined behind his head, eyes closed and his expression peaceful. Sango would be relieved, if she had been there. Kagome cocked her head to the side. No Sango. That was odd. She had been there just a moment ago.
The throb in her temples was now a persistent ache.
A grunt sounded, signaling Inuyasha's displeasure. He was rummaging noisily through her pack, no doubt in search of ramen.
"Wench," he barked. "I'm sick of all this ramen! Where's the variety?" Kagome blinked. She sat up lethargically and gazed at the orange clad figure submerged in her belongings. Something had surely been wrong with that comment, but currently other matters took precedence, such as the instance of his clothes. The girl mused upon the fact that lime green and orange did nothing for Inuyasha's complexion, as a shadowed impression emerged from the forest. It slithered through the field making the comical impression of an obese white slug. Kagome noticed this and sat, gazing lazily at the white pelt as it came closer. She giggled as it caught on a stone and violently jerked backwards.
"Would you stop that already?" snarled a voice from inside the slug. The tail end huffed and shifted. "Don't turn your back to me!" Shoving ensued until both parties came to an abrupt halt. The mass heaved then began to rise. Kagome had crawled to the pelt's side, and was currently contemplating the best way to prod at it.
"Wait, wait, wait! I think she's here." Whispered another voice. There was a pause and a shift in the silky white fabric.
"What do you mean she's here? Of course she's here, why wouldn't she be?"
"I mean she's here." There came a muffled 'oh' as the slug became deathly still. Slowly it made a turn in Kagome's direction. "Told you." The girl watched as the slug unraveled to reveal that it was, instead, a baboon skin. This seemed eerily familiar, but Kagome was much too preoccupied with her warm, fuzzy feeling to act upon it. There came an evil cackle as the mask was thrown back and two dark heads popped from beneath the layers of fabric.
"Boo!" they chorused. Kagome grinned; they were cute. It could have been the red eyes or the pallid complexion, even the enormously evil aura saturating the air, but something struck her as indefinitely wrong in labeling the first of the pair 'cute.' The man then grinned, once again proving there was something denouncing this awkward choice of adjectives. Kagome chose to ignore her senses and giggle merrily. The second of the pair smirked and patted his accomplice upon the head.
"See!" he said with arrogance. Kagome recognized this to be the tail end. "My woman can sense your dirty hide anywhere!" The first man scowled and grappled out from beneath the pelt. He sniffed the air, once, twice, and stopped to turn in Inuyasha's direction.
"Bonjour honey!" he cooed, prancing merrily to the shade of the trees. Shippou glanced up sleepily and started in shock. The man was now firmly attached to a tree, gazing lazily up at its occupant. "Inuyasha! Come down to see me!" he whined. Kagome was now thoroughly confused.
"Kagome," came the tail end. "I've decided that we're joining Naraku. His plans are good; I've seen the sketches. The only down side is you belong to Kagura now. She wanted a mate and you were first choice." Kagome's mind had chosen to discard all information after 'Naraku.' She'd heard that name before but the fuzzy feeling was being pesky. She tried to get past it but her concentration was broken as Sango appeared.
The exterminator wasted no time in jumping atop Inuyasha's admirer and clinging like a leech. The man screeched and began to claw at the parasite.
"Get away! Get away from him! He's mine!" Cried Sango. Kagome was now convinced her friend was suffering from a mental relapse. Just as Shippou leapt to Sango's rescue, a gargantuan white dog plummeted from the sky. His jaws dripped with a green liquid, which tasted suspiciously like maple syrup.
A gust of wind twirled around the field, shattering its image and blowing about bits of everything. Soon the plain and its occupants were nothing but darkness.
Kagome's vision began to blur as the throbbing in her head traced a path down her body. She desperately clawed at the feeling, but resistance proved futile. Soon she had been engulfed and was swimming in a sea of purple skittles.
"How nice," she murmured, eyes closing. The skittles began to morph into a thick liquid and slime congealed about her body. The cold, slick substance jolted her from the trance. Laughter echoed from beneath the sea of eyes.
"Tisk, tisk, tisk my little miko," it chided. "Must we be so weak as to forget our enemies? Have we misplaced our concerns? Though it was nice, wasn't it? Your ignorance was lovely, wasn't it?" There came a sharp smack and Kagome's head whipped to the side, her cheek stinging. "I suggest you sharpen yourself lest you become another pawn. Although, you know I do so dearly enjoy pawns, Kagome." The voice was now breathing into her ear. "I suggest you adapt girl, or I will shatter you." Her eyes, which had been sealed closed, snapped open to behold the chilling face of Naraku. Kagome tried to struggle but she was frozen. Naraku placed a hand upon her chest and pushed. Pain sizzled where he touched, but she was helpless as he sent her further into the ocean of blood and organs.
Naraku let a finger glide to her lips, smearing them with the red substance. A thin layer if ice began to formulate upon her skin as her body became submerged. Kagome felt herself grow tired and her vision blacken about the edges. She gazed up at Naraku in horror as he sent a shock of magic to bore a hole through her abdomen. She tried to squeeze her eyes shut as she choked, but they refused, causing her to gape as blood poured from her stomach to mingle with the ocean. Naraku's laughter boomed within her head as everything began to fade.
"Sharpen, sharpen, sharpen! We needn't things to be dull! Now do we Kagome?"
Jerking upwards, the shock of black splattered in a dark blotch against the stark walls. A dull thud was heard as skull made sharp contact with concrete. The monotonous drone of formulas, matrices, and inverse multiplications came to an abrupt halt, as a blaring squeal sounded from the speakers. With a final sterilized squeak the dry-erase marker was closed. The professor sighed and fluttered a hand at the class, signaling a reluctant dismissal. A mass of students hurried for the exits, eagerly awaiting the frivolous routine accompanying their dulled lives.
Kagome's breath was ragged as she clutched at her heart. Her chest was burning and she was shivering from the cold, though she had doubt that the classroom was the cause. She brought a hand to her stomach and traced the ripped edges of her shirt. Panic hit as Kagome scrambled to her feet and raced from the classroom. She ran through the hallways, desperately shoving open the bathroom door. Mumbling apologies to the girl now sprawled upon the floor; she lunged into the largest stall and collapsed.
Shivering, Kagome sat leaning against the door, afraid to see what else had remained from her dream. Gathering her courage, she shakily walked to the mirror and pulled down her shirt. She inhaled sharply.
This was different.
A faint red handprint could be seen, the flesh peeling around its edges.
She'd had dreams of Naraku previously but none had left lasting impressions. Kagome slumped lifelessly against the wall, her books splayed about the floor. The bells rang for class but they were ignored.
She debated asking for explanations. Kaede would be the most likely candidate for help, but some things were just personal. Miroku was always an option, if being sexually harassed was your thing. Sango had enough problems as it was, and Inuyasha would just become violent. She had dealt with the nightmares for weeks now. She could pull through it! Nothing should prove challenging after the Feudal Era. Risking your life everyday as well as the total lack of hygienic items was difficult enough, but the traveling companions and weeklong hikes were hazardous.
The past two years had proven a trial as the jewel shards became scant. She'd been faced with more difficult situations and lived, so why was this dream proving so painful to swallow? The girl gathered her books and huffed. She was strong; she'd done this before. She was determined to fight back.
Kagome shuddered. Who was she kidding? Her dreams were progressing and it scared her horribly. The lancing, icy pain she felt had become a lasting presence and still the dreams tortured her through sleep. She stayed awake at night to avoid the dreams, but after a week of short naps the loss of sleep caught up to her.
Another bell sounded and Kagome gathered her school supplies. She zipped up her jacket to cover the hole in her shirt. Taking a deep breath, she shoved open the door and started for her class.
The acidic taste in her mouth was constant. Kagome had passed the remaining hours of school uneventfully, but a lingering presence cowered at the fringes of her consciousness. The week's events had taken their toll and her poor nerves had been through shock therapy. She was now increasingly paranoid, but could no longer deny the presence of demonic auras lurking about. Kagome jumped as the wind whistled overhead.
The weather was eerily bright and vivacious, seeming to put an effort into unsettling her. She glanced around nervously, then straightened herself. There was absolutely nothing to be frightened of. Kagome silently chided herself, she was being foolish. There were no demons lurking about in the present. She was just being paranoid. It could all be blamed on an overactive imagination, and all the occasions of time travel.
She crossed the street and headed for the store, remembering her promise to buy groceries. She also needed supplies for the Feudal Era, her week was ending and soon she would have to return to Inuyasha. The door slid open automatically and Kagome strolled into the air-conditioned marketplace. A chill crept up her spine. She was being watched.
The wheels of her shopping cart squealed as she started off the isles. Grabbing shampoo and soap, she flung it to the basket. There was a clang as the cart was forcefully halted. A book was lying in the floor. Kagome picked the thick paperback up to inspect it. The Warring States was scrawled upon its cover in bright red marker. There was no title. She opened it to find a rough sketch portraying a gigantic dog, acid dripping from its jowls. The next page was a similar sketch of three swords, and the next a miko. Kagome dropped the book as if it burned.
She rushed through the store grabbing anything that might come in handy, then dashed to the register to pay. Tapping her foot anxiously, she shoved the money away and rushed to gather her bags. There was an unnaturally frigid blast of air but Kagome did not spare a glance upward. Piling the items into her arms, she whirled around for the exit.
A screech brought her attention back to the register where the cashier was scuttling backward. Oozing, milky saliva was quickly piling upon the counter. It splattered across the magazines and to the floor. Kagome looked to the ceiling. The vent was dripping slime. Wasting no more time, she bolted to the doors.
Her shoes tapped noisily upon the concrete, echoing loudly in the deathly silence. It was wrong. The silence was never this prominent. Kagome curled into herself and quickened her pace. This was wrong. The auras became stronger, driving closer. They were all around, drawing into a circle. She could see the shadows lengthening. They slithered through the cracks in the pavement. Dropping her bags, Kagome dove into a sprint. This isn't happening, she thought furiously.
The sun was setting as she rounded the corner onto her street, the demons on her heels. Her sides were cramping as her thighs seared with protest.
She was almost there.
Panting and gasping for breath, she reached desperately for the shrine. A cackle sounded from behind her and she could hear the scraping of claws upon the pavement.
Only a little bit further.
Kagome could taste the malice seeping into the air as her lungs burned.
The steps were only a stride away.
A slick, numbing hand grasped at her ankles. She felt herself topple forward and to the pavement and the glacial feel of fingertips burning her skin. She grappled for the shrine's railing. Shuddering, Kagome clawed at the ground vainly trying to propel herself upwards. Another hand grabbed for her legs, but in a final burst of energy she lunged for the steps. A hiss sounded and the hand about her ankle disappeared. Kagome frantically made her way to the shrine, and burst though the doors.
Heaving, she collapsed, trying wildly to calm her heartbeat. The silence was overwhelming. Kagome wished her mother were present but her family had gone to a school concert. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she slumped to the floor, eyes closing. This couldn't be happening. Youkai did not exist in the future, yet they had been clawing at her heels just moments ago.
A soft scraping sound had the frazzled girl scampering from the door. A piece of paper fluttered in the air, landing perfectly in her lap. Kagome was afraid to turn it over but curiosity won out. She flipped it over and gasped. The book had been placed and whoever had done knew where she lived.
No matter how much she tried to deny it, it was true. The youkai were massing together and were after her. She was not 'just being paranoid' and this fact disturbed her. Looking to the page crumpled in her hand, Kagome drew in a shaky breath. The tiny, blank face of Kikyo stared at her from the paper. It was irrefutable, and fate was clearly sadistic.
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