Chapter 2 – Lavender Bones
Note: This is my first fanfic, so please be gentle! Constructive criticism is always welcome!
There are two songs for this chapter:
Lavender Bones by Stand Atlantic
You are the Moon by The Hush Sound
You can find the playlist on Spotify under the same name as the fic. I'll be updating it as the chapters progress.
~oOo~
There was a storm rolling in.
Kagome gazed pensively into the camp fire, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees as thunder grumbled threateningly along the early night sky. She had grabbed her raincoat from her iconic yellow backpack earlier in anticipation for the storm. It lay next to her in a bright red heap which she fingered idly; she was exhausted. The small clearing within the black pine forest where they had made their camp gave her an ominous vibe which set her teeth and reiki on edge. The tree branches shook above her in the increased wind blowing from the sea. With the flickering firelight, it almost seemed like they were reaching for her, wanting to bestow upon her their wooden embrace. From the small clearing beneath the trees where they had made their camp, Kagome could see the ocean. The forest sat on top of a cliff overlooking the sea. It had been a long time since they had been to the ocean during their hunt for the Shikon Jewel shards.
She just wished they were here on better circumstances.
It had been six months since the defeat of Naraku and wishing the Shikon Jewel away. While Kagome had always known that peace would never be instantaneous upon his defeat, she never imagined the hard battles that would constantly plague them for months on end.
The power vacuum left in Naraku's wake seemed to invite every demon in the province to come out of the wood work and fight for suddenly unclaimed territory. Inuyasha and his pack received a never-ending stream of requests for assistance from villages who had heard tales of their deeds and were inundated by demons wreaking havoc. And with Sango pregnant, that left all the work to Inuyasha and Kagome, occasionally Miroku would join them if the job wasn't too far from Edo. Now that they were wed, he never liked to stray far. During the times he did join Inuyasha and Kagome, Shippo remained behind to offer the pregnant demon slayer company in her husband's absence.
That was how Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagome currently found themselves camping in the woods outside of a seaside village, a three day walk south of Edo. Young women were disappearing in the night without a trace. All anyone found the next morning was an empty pallet and no signs of a struggle. There were no screams in the night to alert the townsfolk of an attack, nor any testimony of bodies being taken away, they just disappeared. Thus far nine young women in the village were missing and the whole scenario screamed of youkai involvement. To add to the perplexing situation, the village had no wealth or major resources, or any other fathomable reason to be having a persistent demon problem. They were having difficulties comprehending what the motivation could be.
Earlier that day when interviewing the villagers, a rumor had spread that it could be a Ningyo from the Ryugu Sea Cave situated a few miles south of the village. Apparently, seeing Ningyo in the area was a fairly common occurrence for the village, but they were rarely bothered. Noting that the youkai pretty much kept to themselves and incidents only occurred if the humans fished too close to their territory. Occasionally, a foolish male villager would stray too close to the caves and be lured into the waves by their dreadful song, never to be seen again. But it had been many years since an incident occurred and they lived in relative peace with one another.
Upon examining the latest empty bed, Inuyasha had managed to sniff out the faintest whiff of wet moss, but not much else. Nothing indicated any Ningyo had even entered the village, let alone any other demon that he could tell.
It wasn't a promising start.
"Perhaps they're being taken away to be eaten." Miroku had suggested tapping his chin.
Inuyasha frowned, "Keh, if that's the case, this demon sure is a glutton. Nine women over the course of a week just seems like a lot to be consumed. No, I think it's something else."
"How do we even know it's one demon?"
Inuyasha shrugged, "Call it a gut feeling." Turning to Kagome, "Do you sense anything?"
She shook her head, tired eyes taking in the scene, "No, nothing. What's our next move?"
"We'll stay in the forest on the outskirts of town, see if we can catch anything coming in or out." Inuyasha rested a clawed hand on Tessaiga's hilt and sniffed the salt saturated breeze, "We're in for a long night, there's a storm coming in."
~oOo~
Risking a quick peek at the hanyou resting his back against a tree, hands in his sleeves, Kagome longed for a day where she wouldn't have to fight so hard and could focus more on the things which were important to her. Nothing brought her more joy than knowing she was being helpful, but the truth was, she desperately needed a break. The years of hunting jewel shards, fighting demons, and defeating Naraku, she was weary.
To top things off, tensions between her and Inuyasha had been present for some time now. While Miroku had immediately proposed to Sango and wasted no time in starting their marital lives together, Inuyasha continued to act like they were just friends one second then sweethearts the next.
Any time she brought up their relationship the hanyou found any excuse to change the subject, even going so far as to ignoring her questions altogether. This isn't how love was supposed to feel; full of gnawing anxiety and a weary loneliness that seemed to pervade her very bones. Kagome always thought that after Naraku's defeat, their budding relationship over the years would evolve into something more. Instead, the exact opposite seemed to be true.
She felt strung along by his hot then cold attitude, like he was stitching her into his life when he had time and not sharing a life together like Miroku and Sango seemed to do effortlessly. Sometimes, between jobs, they would walk hand in hand through Inuyasha's forest, occasionally sharing chaste kisses and or a gentle caress.
They were temporary fleeting thrills.
Whenever she tried to take things to the next level physically, he would panic and take off into the trees. Kagome felt like an addict, constantly returning to him for the next hit of affection that he would ration out to her in impassioned looks and tender kisses. She felt out of her depth, resigned to just float along in this one-sided relationship, unable to gather the courage to do what she subconsciously knew needed to be done.
Once, she had cornered him alone at Goshinboku, demanding that he be honest with her about his feelings and if he had any intention of changing their current relationship. Kagome needed to speak her mind and hear whatever justification he had lined up; but, in the end, he couldn't even look her in the eye. Sighing exasperatedly, attempting to get her temper under control, she came to the conclusion that she didn't want to fight with him. She was upset and had her doubts about if the relationship was even worth pursuing, but after everything they had been through together, she didn't want to feel regret for not trying her utmost. Having him in her life in any capacity should have been enough, she thought. She shouldn't force the issue.
So, she tried her best to cover up the aching sadness which consumed her, like bruising waves on an isolated sea, leaving her skin in lavender tones.
Miroku cleared his throat to gain her attention from across the fire, "Kagome, I overheard some villagers speak of a hot spring right through the trees. Perhaps you should go and relax before the storm comes?" he smiled encouragingly.
"Feh, she don't need to go to no damn hot spring. We've got work to do monk! She may stink but there's time for that later."
She snapped her head towards him, cerulean eyes filled with hurt as pink reiki crackled around her visibly, "I stink do I? Sit boy! Sit boy! SIT BOY!"
"Ahhhhh!" his face slammed repeatedly into the ground leaving a small crater where he lay.
Miroku sighed heavily, When is he going to learn?
Giving a satisfied nod, she proceeded to gather the things she would need for her bath, "Thanks Miroku, I think I'll take you up on that. Did you hear about which way?"
"They said about a ten-minute walk east of the village through the forest. My guess is not far from here." He stood and picked up her red raincoat, placing it gently around her shoulders, "In case it starts to rain while you're gone. Don't forget your lantern, Kagome."
"Having a wife has made you so considerate, Miroku." she gave an icy glare towards the hanyou. "Perhaps you can give a few lessons to Inuyasha!" huffing indigently she grabbed her lantern from her bag, added it to her collection of bathing accoutrements, and proceeded to storm away from the camp in search of the promised hot spring.
Grumbling incoherently, Inuyasha raised himself up from the ground, spitting out a mouthful of dirt in the process.
"Now why the hell would you go and suggest a thing like that! You know we're here on a job, we ain't got time to dilly dally with no bath!"
Miroku turned towards the disheveled hanyou, folding his own hands into his sleeves to mimic his friend, he settled down against a tree, "Inuyasha, I don't claim to know what's going on between you and Kagome, but it's obvious to me that she hasn't been her happy self for some time now. Even in the midst of hunting jewel shards, she always seemed to find a silver lining. But now, whenever she thinks no one is looking, you can see her sadness."
Inuyasha at least had the sense to look guilty, his ears flattening against his skull while he looked everywhere but at Miroku's face.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Miroku watched the panic enter Inuyasha's eyes before he steeled himself and exhaled worryingly, putting his face in his clawed hands.
There was a stretched beat of silence.
Right when Miroku thought that his friend wouldn't say anything he sputtered, "It's – it's not that…Arg! It's not that I don't care for her, it's just that…"
"It's just that she's not Kikyou." Miroku said flatly.
Inuyasha's face flew up, amber orbs locking with the monk, "How'd you know?"
"I didn't, it was just a lucky guess. Let me venture another, you haven't spoken to Kagome about how your feelings for her and how they've changed since Kikyou has passed." He said it like a statement instead of a question which it was posed as.
Inuyasha couldn't maintain the eye contact and instead stared at the fire, which crackled merrily without any regard of his somber mood.
"I love her, but I don't think I love her in the same way that she loves me. Every time she pushes for more, it feels like a betrayal to Kikyou. And the fact that they look so similar, sometimes I'm worried that Kagome is just a replacement, ya know? I don't think I could ever be with her, in that way." a light blush graced his cheeks. "I just don't want to hurt her."
Miroku nodded sagely, "You should tell her that."
"I've tried! But she always looks at me with those big blue eyes and it's like the words die in my throat. And I get out of there as fast as I can."
"It's cruel to string her heart along, Inuyasha. Best tell her the truth and give her time to heal. What you're doing now just seems to be delaying the inevitable."
"I just don't want to lose her friendship is all. She's my best friend." he whispered, eyes never leaving the flames. "I swore I would always protect her."
"I can't say for certain, but I don't believe that Kagome would want to lose you as a friend either. She cares too much, especially about you. Be honest and then work on mending that friendship. You may be protecting her physically, but it seems you are hurting her in all other regards."
Inuyasha let the words sink in, knowing they were the truth, "When'd you get to be so wise, monk?"
"Ha! I've always been wise, you all just underestimate my abilities." Miroku chuckled, smiling kindly.
Inuyasha smiled back, "Yeah yeah." he paused, facing turning serious again, "I'll talk to her when we get back. You're right, it won't be easy but it's the right thing to do. This has gone on long enough. In the meantime, not a word out of you!"
Miroku raised his hands defensively, "My lips are sealed."
They settled back into companionable silence, each contemplating their lot in life, a flash of lightning briefly ignited across the sky.
"Smells like it'll be raining soon. Hope Kagome isn't gone for too much longer." Inuyasha glanced in the direction she had left through the trees.
His right ear swiveled, "Miroku! Get down!"
Only an ironclad trust and years of battling together made Miroku follow the order without any hesitation. He flew to the ground just as a shuriken pierced the tree he was previously resting against.
"A shuriken? Inuyasha, where did it coming from?"
Before Miroku had raised himself from the ground, Inuyasha was already on his feet, moving quickly into the trees the opposite direction of where Kagome had gone. Two more shuriken flew simultaneously towards him, he stopped and transformed Tessaiga, easily batting them to the side with his blade.
"They're coming from this direction but I don't sense anyone!"
He stood amongst the trees, every sense on high alert waiting for some movement to give the perpetrator away. Amber eyes scanned to the right, then the left, before flicking up into the trees…
'There!'
Hidden within the dark foliage was an unknown youkai. Even with his heightened eyesight, Inuyasha couldn't make out its form. He had just enough time to jump out of the way as two more shuriken sunk into the ground. He looked back to where the youkai had been perched only to find it empty, he heard a rustling behind him, and Miroku's heavy breathing.
'Fuck, this guy is quick. I didn't even sense his aura or smell anything.'
"Sense anything?"
The monk composed himself, regulating his breathing and pushing his aura to encompass the area.
"Nothing, any idea who that was?"
"No clue, but the fucker's fast." Inuyasha picked up one of the shuriken from the ground and gave it an experimental sniff.
"Anything?"
A confused look crossed the hanyou's face, "Smells like this forest, wet moss and…" recognition crossed his face. "It's our guy who's taking all the women from the village."
"You're sure?"
"Positive, my nose don't lie. It smells like wet moss, but not this type of moss." he pointed to some lichen covering a nearby tree.
"Damnit!" Inuyasha shoved Miroku out of the way just as another shuriken lodged itself in the ground.
"Miroku, get to Kagome! Protect her! This fucker's mine!" Inuyasha took off into the forest.
Picking himself up from the ground and tightening his grip on his staff, Miroku sprinted back the way he came, hoping Inuyasha found whoever was attacking them, praying that Kagome wasn't the next victim.
'I have to make it in time!'
~oOo~
"That Inuyasha! Always putting his foot in his mouth. What is wrong with him!" Kagome pushed through the undergrowth, lantern glowing bright, and finally came upon the hot spring.
The pool wasn't nearly as big as the one her and Sango bathed at in Edo, but the steam curled invitingly never the less. Casting her reiki out in a wide bubble, she focused on detecting any other auras. Even though Miroku was settling into married life she wouldn't put it past him to sneak a peek. Satisfied that she was alone, she began to strip out of her jeans shorts and yellow tank top. The summer sun had warmed her skin with a decadent bronze tone. Her long legs were rife with muscle from all the traveling she had done across the feudal era. Kagome's ample chest and hips were complimented by a narrow waist giving her an hourglass figure. Glancing at her reflection in the water, she tested a smile.
It didn't reach her eyes.
Her cerulean orbs roamed over her features, noting the light freckles which splashed across her nose like constellations under the dark purple splotches beneath her eyes. Her raven hair was long and a bit unruly, having not had a haircut in several months. She blew her bangs out of her face. A lot had changed in the four years since she first fell down the well.
She looked tired. Where was the overly optimistic girl who made friends with demons and battled monsters to save the innocent? This older Kagome just looked like she needed her own fifty-year nap. She wondered if there was anyone she could convince to pin her to her very own Goshinboku, maybe then she wouldn't be so exhausted all the time.
Slapping at her reflection in the water she finally decided to get in, hissing as she slid into the hot pool. Gathering her soaps, she went about her business. Once clean she reclined back against the edge and gazed up into the night sky. Lightning flashed.
"One…two…"
Thunder rumbled.
"Not far now. I should probably head back soon before they start to worry." She climbed out of the spring, dried herself off, and quickly changed into some yoga pants, a blue long sleeve shirt, and her sandals.
Shadows all around you
as you surface from the dark
Kagome whipped around, "Hello? Is someone there?" she could have sworn she heard faint singing.
Emerging from the gentle grip
of night's unfolding arms
"Hello!?" she called into the night. She definitely heard it that time. A woman's voice, melodic and sorrowful. But where was it coming from? She cast out her reiki again, but there was no one there.
Darkness, darkness everywhere,
do you feel all alone?
Kagome circled the spring, noting that the voice appeared to be coming from the direction of the ocean.
Lightning forked throughout the sky, illuminating the forest. Thunder immediately followed. She heard the rain hit the trees before she felt it. Kagome was thankful that Miroku reminded her to grab her raincoat. Slipping it on, she ensured the hood was up, grabbed her lantern, and headed toward the direction of the voice, leaving her soaps and towel behind. She could always come back to get them later.
The subtle grace of gravity,
the heavy weight of stone
"Do you need help? It's ok, I'm a miko! I can help you!"
She started to sprint through the woods, stopping only briefly when she thought she may have heard her name being called, but it was difficult to tell through her panting and the downpour. The dulcet melody was leading her somewhere, maybe to the missing girls from the village!
You don't see what you possess,
a beauty calm and clear
Kagome flew through the forest like a banshee, searching for the secret siren who summoned her towards the ocean. Praying that it was a sign leading her to the lost women. Bursting through the trees she suddenly careened to a halt, waving her arms to balance herself so she didn't topple down the cliff which she had unwittingly stumbled upon. Balancing herself on the edge she skittered backward, losing a sandal over the edge in her haste, adrenaline making her heart pound through her chest.
'That was a close one. I almost fell into the ocean.' A nervous chuckle bubbled from her lips.
Laying on her stomach she peered over the edge to see if she could reach her sandal. The fierce gale coming off of the sea threatened to snatch her lantern from her hand. Squinting into the storm she spotted a faint red light coming from, what seemed to be, a cave halfway down the cliff side beneath her. Gripping her lantern tightly, she raised it higher to cast a better light. To the left she could see a path leading from the cliff to the cave below.
All the light that you possess
is skewed by lakes and seas
The song wasn't coming from the sea, it was billowing up from the cave. The haunting melody summoning her through the storm. Scooting herself carefully backward, she took off her other sandal, leaving it on the ground.
'No point walking around with only one sandal.'
Kagome's jacket was doing her little good keeping her dry from the onslaught of rain which threatened to drown her. Her hood had fallen down some time ago and her hair was a dripping mass atop her head. She wiped the droplets from her eyes, concentrating on the path ahead of her. Making her way down the rocky trail, she could have sworn she heard her name again. She glanced back to the top of the cliff but couldn't make anything out between the darkness and the rain.
Almost to the entrance of the cave, Kagome nearly slipped off the trail when a rouge wave bashed itself against the cliff face causing foam and spray to slicken her path. In an effort to stay on the trail, her grip slipped from her lantern and it tumbled into the sea below, quickly sinking beneath the waves. She pictured herself being drug beneath the tumultuous surf, instead of her lantern, and crushed against the waiting rocks below. Deciding that was not the way she wanted to make her entrance into the netherworld, she slowed her pace but resolutely continued her treck down the path. She had to save those girls. From her perspective, which involved being both freezing cold and drenched with sea spray, the red glow from the cave seemed to shine brighter, beckoning her into the comfort of its dry depths.
The shattered surface,
so imperfect,
is all that you believe
The voice resonated around her, the sultry sound of it snaking its way into her eardrums and urged her to continue. At the mouth of the cave, she pressed her back into the cliff and cautiously peeked inside, the wind whipping her wet hair to and fro. The cave itself wasn't terribly big, she could see the back of it from where she stood, and no one seemed to be lurking inside to ambush her, nor were the lost women waiting for her to rescue them. Confused as to what was going on, she slowly crept into the cave.
I will bring a mirror,
so silver, so exact
"Hello?" she called perplexedly, her own voice echoing off of the cavern walls.
The song was coming so clearly now, yet she was obviously the only one in here, and where was the red glow coming from?
Moving cautiously towards the back of the cave, she noticed a small red jewel sitting on the floor near the back wall.
So precise and so pristine,
a perfect pane of glass
Kagome crept towards it, she didn't have a good history with jewels and was immediately on guard as to what this particular one's purpose was. The song and the light were both coming from the jewel, she observed curiously. Wanting to get a closer look she squatted down and studied it. She recognized it as a ruby, but…what was that shape? Some type of oval? No, it was more intricate than that.
"It kind of reminds me of a chrysalis – a ruby chrysalis." she murmured to herself pupils blowing wide and sodden hair dancing in a preternatural wind. Shadows convulsed on the walls around her.
I will set the mirror up,
to face the blackened sky
You will see your beauty
every moment that you rise
Something compelled her to touch it.
And once the seed of that thought took root in her mind, it grew and blossomed into a festering inexplicable madness, whispering whispering whispering.
It was a dark serpent, slithering around all other thoughts and suffocating them beneath oily obsidian coils.
It was a blackhole, consuming everything in its path, insatiable, voracious…
Starving.
'Touch it.'
It seemed to croon.
'Touch it. Touch it. Touch it.'
The voice whispered in her mind, no longer a sorrowful melodic call, but rather a hissed command.
Someone, somewhere called her name.
With a gradually rising hand, Kagome touched the jewel.
~oOo~
Miroku tore through the underbrush towards the hot spring, his staff jingling with the force of his gait. He hoped that Kagome would forgive him for intruding on her bath. For once, he wasn't being an intentional letch and merely aimed to lend his assistance under Inuyasha's orders.
With a last push of stamina, he reached the spring just as the downpour began and was shocked to find it empty with the exception of Kagome's bath supplies which were neatly piled near the edge of the pool
Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted,"Kagome! Where are you?! KA-GO-ME!"
Fervently, he looked around the area for any sign of her, pushing his wet bangs out of his eyes.
'What's that? A light moving in the woods? Kagome's lantern!'
Running in the direction of the light he tried calling to her again, with no avail. The bobbing glow of her lantern suggested she too was running.
'Where could she possibly be going…'
He chased after the miko, legs pumping and sweat mixing with the steady deluge as he ran. He used his staff to bat away shrubs as he weaved between the trees. A streak of lightning made him shield his eyes, causing him to trip over a fallen log hidden behind a bush. Picking himself off of the ground, his robes soaked with rain and mud, he frantically looked around for Kagome's light.
"KA-GO-ME!" he called into the darkness; his own voice drowned out by the torrential rain.
Continuing his original path, he recognized the scent of the nearby ocean. Erupting through the trees, he skidded to a halt, as earth gave way to empty space. And there on the edge of the cliff, lay one of Kagome's sandals.
Moving towards the sandal, a dreadful thought came to his mind, 'Oh Kami…Please don't tell me she fell off the edge.'
Looking over the cliff side, heart pounding in his ears, he couldn't see her anywhere, instead he saw a cave glowing faintly with ominous red light.
'That must be where she was headed, but why? I don't see her anywhere!'
Panic started to set in.
Searching along the rocks for any sign of her body, he saw a small light bobbing to his left, Kagome's lantern. Looking closer he saw the reflection of her red raincoat, she was alive. He let out his breath in a rush, not realizing he had been holding it. She was safe and had found a path which would lead her down the cliff. Moving in that direction, watching her on the trail below, he cried out when a wave crashed against the cliffside, nearly knocking her from the trail, her lantern plummeting into the waves below.
She seemed to have slowed her pace, but was still headed towards the cave. Miroku moved as quickly as he dared down the slick trail, keeping one hand on the rocky wall at all times to ground himself in the squall.
"Kagome! Wait!" he screamed, between the wind and the rain, his voice barely carried.
She went into the cave, the monk's shouts going unnoticed behind her. Something wasn't right, she seemed to have a single-minded focus on reaching this cave. Even with the storm, from this distance she should have heard his call.
Finally reaching the cave entrance, he slipped inside to see Kagome squatting in the back of the cave, staring at something on the ground. Her hair was moving in a supernatural breeze and shadows spun in a maddening dance throughout the cavern
"Kagome!" he had made it halfway through the cave, hand reaching out to touch her shoulder when his fingers pressed against an umber brown barrier instead. "A barrier? Kagome! Kagome!" he pulled out several sutras and threw them at the barrier.
The fizzled as they made contact, the barrier holding firm.
Dropping his staff to the ground he pounded on it with both fists, calling her name again and again in hopes of reaching her.
Instead, he watched in horror as Kagome bent to touch a red jewel at her feet.
~oOo~
A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I'm hoping to have a new chapter posted at least once a week. Please leave comments with any notes or thoughts you may have!