Chapter 3 – Chaos Again
Note: A lot is happening, and I have a lot of thoughts about where I want to take this story.
The song for this chapter is:
Chaos Again by Driveways
You can find the playlist on Spotify under the same name as the fic. I'll be updating it as the chapters progress.
~oOo~
The storm was in full effect.
A torrential deluge was assaulting the forest beside the sea. Jagged lightning streaked across the pitch-black sky followed immediately by booming claps of thunder. A cruel westerly wind shrilly added its voice to the cacophony, drowning out all other sound. It was a wonder that that half-breed was keeping up with Kakumaru at all. It had been a very long time since the stealthy sika youkai had felt like prey. But with the dog demon on his heels, he needed to use all his skills to lead the mutt further into the woods, away from the cliffside. His master was depending on him and Kakumaru was never one to disappoint.
He stood embraced within the limbs of a great tree, antlers looking like branches themselves, and he focused on blending in with his surroundings in hopes of eluding the dog for the time being. Kakumaru wasn't sure how the dog was tracking him, between the wind and the rain, there was no way he was being tracked by scent, and the demon prided himself over his absolute control of his aura. The sky was illuminated once more.
"There you are bastard!" Tessaiga destroyed the tree where Kakumaru had stood only moments before.
The deer youkai took off in a flash through the woods, focusing his youki into one of his shuriken, he threw it behind him, hoping to hit his mark.
"Too slow! Wind Scar!" the red clad hanyou shouted.
Feeling the change in air he lunged to the right, landing nimbly and continuing his path through the trees. At this rate, he was at risk for serious injury and he still had more work to do. Deciding he needed to put more space between himself and the incessant pup he quickly threw up a barrier between them. Instead of slowing down or changing direction so as not to hit the umber brown barrier, Inuyasha used two hands to grip his sword. The blade changed to red and with a mighty leap he cut through the barrier.
Golden orbs met green and a fang filled smirk crossed Inuyasha's face.
This was the first moment that Inuyasha had fully laid eyes on his opponent. He had been moving strictly off of instinct before, focusing his ears and eyes on tracking the minimal movement from the youki opposing him. To the half-demon, after years of hunting Naraku and dealing with his tricks; this stranger was good, but not that good.
The sika had dark brown skin and small white spots freckling his exposed skin. His long brown hair was tied into a high ponytail which was plastered to his neck and shoulders from the rain. A ten-point rack adorned his head like a hostile crown. He wore an unassuming brown haori and hakama, the same color as his skin. Around his waist was tied a dark green sash which held his sheathed sword.
The sika's hand dropped to the katana at his hip.
"Wanna tell me what this is all about? I've offended a lot of demons in my time, but I don't think a deer ain't ever been one of 'em. If I had to guess, I'd say you're the bastard who's been snatchin' all those girls from the villiage."
The sika wordlessly shifted his stance, he needed to buy just a few more minutes.
Shoving soaked bangs out of his eyes, Inuyasha tried again, "Hey! You deaf? I asked you a question!"
Kakumaru wasted no time pulling out his sword and springing at the half-breed. Not expecting an immediate attack, Inuyasha barely had time to parry. Fighting in such close quarters limited Inuyasha's special attacks. He had to rely on his skills with a sword to engage this enemy.
Inuyasha parried again and countered with a strike of his own, moving into the offensive, "That all you got?" he growled when their swords locked together, sparks flying from the friction they both imparted on their blades.
Another flash of lightning and grumble within the sky.
Rain beat upon both demons as they fell apart then came back together in another vicious set of attacks, more or less evenly matched. Each opponent dancing between the role of hunter and hunted. The sika youkai had yet to speak and his stoic expression reminded Inuyasha of his half-brother, that just enraged him more. Kakumaru leapt into the air, his katana held high, ready to strike again. With no other evasive tactic available to him, Inuyasha used a gnarled wet tree behind him as a springboard; however, his right foot slipped against the slick bark at the last moment causing him to lose his balance momentarily.
If not for his demon reflexes, it would have been the end of the match. Instead, Kakumaru's blade sliced quickly from left shoulder to right hip, causing an anguished cry to come from the half-demon.
Inuyasha fell to kneel on the ground, Tessaiga sticking into the earth to help balance him. Blood began to spill from the would immediately mixing slickly with the deluge, he was panting heavily with the shock of it.
Focusing on his assailant, he dipped his claws into his wound, "Blades of Blood!"
The deer easily side stepped his attack.
"You're – going to have to do more than that to take me down – fucker!" he growled, gnashing his fangs.
To Inuyasha's surprise, the demon no longer seemed to be paying any attention to him. The deer's face was turned to the east, head tilted to the side like he was listening intently to some unknown sound. Green eyes shifted back to gold and with a short bow, he melded into the woods like a phantom.
Inuyasha cast all of his senses out, thinking that he was about to be ambushed. Yet as the minutes ticked by and nothing happened, he slowly released some of the tension in his body, dropping his guard.
What the fuck was that all about? I need to get back to the others and make sure they're ok.
He painfully raised himself off of the ground, sheathed Tessaiga, and began to slog back the way he had come as quickly as he could manage. He needed to find his friends and reassess the situation. There was no way that this was just a random attack, but he couldn't focus on the why or who until they were all safe and back together again.
His pack needed him.
~oOo~
Kagome awoke in a daze, lying face down on a pebbly beach, cool waves shoving against her rhythmically as the tide rose around her. The sky was a melancholy shade of grey and a fine mist drizzled over her skin chilling her. She rose slowly onto hands and knees and scrutinized her surroundings. The beach itself was littered with piles of massive petrified driftwood; twisted roots spread wide like gnarled fingers while knotted trunks were stripped smooth from time and sea air. Lichen creeped across their bodies giving them a slightly furred appearance.
She stood shakily and looked across the craggily coastline, jagged stones pressing into her bare feet. Far into the surf were enormous outcroppings of rock covered in moss and sparse pine trees. The cliffs behind her were impossibly steep with no way up that she could discern. Gazing along the beach she noted that it and the cliffs seemed to go on for quite a way in either direction before curving out of sight, giving the region a vague crescent appearance. With no identifiable features that she recognized, she peered into the sky, trying to get her bearings based on the sun's direction, but all that was apparent was the oppressing grey haze and drizzling mist.
I don't remember the beach surrounding the village being so rocky or there being any huge outcroppings…where am I? Looking down at herself she realized she was wearing the same clothes that she changed into after her bath, to include her raincoat. She tried to remember anything that could have led her here, but all she recalled was changing after her bath – then waking up on the beach.
"INU-YA-SHA! MIRO-KU! ANYONE, HELLO!" she shouted across the shore only to be met with the sound of surf crashing around her.
Deciding that she needed to find some type of civilization and her friends, she chose to head left and delicately started along the coastline, clambering over driftwood when there was no way around. She walked for what seemed like a small eternity, finally reaching the curve of the beach and walked around it, only to come upon more curving coast. After several turns around the beach and more small eternities, she began to notice that the surrounding outcroppings of rock looked familiar. She pinpointed an oddly shaped string of rocks which looked like a little Loch Ness monster some ways out and burned it into her memory, then started following the coast once more. This time, as she came around the corner, her eyes immediately went to the unique outcropping.
"There's no way," she murmured, "that it's the same rocks."
Thinking that she needed a new plan, she peeled off her cheery red raincoat and dropped it unceremoniously at her feet. Hurrying along her pebbled path, she continuously glanced behind her to ensure the coat was still there, it's jolly red was in stark contrast of the gloomy landscape and shone like a beacon. Reaching the opposite edge once more, and for the umpteenth time checking that her coat was still there, she rounded the corner only to immediately come upon her coat at her feet. With great unease, she turned back around the corner she just came from, only to see the pinprick of her red jacket on the far side of the beach. Heart pounding, she did an about-face and picked up her coat.
Kagome wet her lips nervously and thought hard, had she somehow stumbled into a different dimension? The miko was very familiar with interdimensional travel, she'd done it often enough. This situation reminded her of the portal to the netherworld through the pearl in Inuyasha's eye. The pearl…the ruby chrysalis!
Suddenly her memory came back to her, the siren song, hurrying through the trees and down the trail, the storm, the red glow, the cave, the jewel.
An inky voice that slithered and whispered.
A shudder racked her frame. She had to figure out what to do next. Obviously, someone had wanted her to find that jewel, but for what purpose? She peered out across the waves, an awful idea forming in her mind. If the beach went nowhere, and the cliff was far too steep to climb, there was only one direction left for her to go…
"Out to sea," she whispered, eyes growing wide.
Right now, she was literally acting out the definition of insanity, turning the corner of the beach over and over again, hoping for a different result. She had already proven to herself that the beach went nowhere and there were no other options here on land. Kagome was a decent swimmer and could certainly hold her own; however, the thought of ocean currents and rouge waves gave her pause. She was all alone, no one would be able to save her if she got into trouble, and Kagome was a magnet for trouble. On top of that, what if the sea was also some interdimensional nowhere-loop-space and she just swam on forever until cold and fatigue took her beneath the whitecaps.
"This is a terrible idea, but it's the only one I have," she worried on her bottom lip, scanning the horizon for any other signs which might change her course of action.
Finding none, she tied her hair back into a ponytail with a band from her wrist, draped her coat over a passing branch, and headed towards the water. The rippling waves lapped capriciously at her body, pulling and pushing her with each crash. Before she got too deep, she picked an outcropping of rock far in the distance as a point of reference and started to swim towards it. Whenever a wave threatened to crash over her, she took a deep breath and plunged beneath the surface to avoid being dragged back to shore.
After making it past the larger waves, the ocean seemed to mellow and her swim became easier; nevertheless, the prolonged effort was taking a toll on her stamina and she was nowhere near the outcropping she had picked. She stopped to tread water and looked back at the beach, it was barely recognizable from where she swam, she couldn't even make out her red rain jacket. Kagome was starting to get tired and a stitch in her side was making itself painfully known.
'This was the stupidest thing I've ever done,' she thought anxiously, 'Should I try to make it to that rock or head back?' At this point, she wasn't even sure if she could make it back to the beach and there were no other rocks close to her to give her a break.
Treading water and lost in thought, it took Kagome a moment to realize that something had brushed against her legs.
Screeching with fear and finding renewed strength, she swam as fast as she could towards the rocks.
'Of course there would be something in the water, why wouldn't there be!?' she lamented, 'Just keep swimming! Don't look back!'
Ignoring her own advice, she quickly glanced behind her, half expecting to see a shark fin in the water. She cried out when the water gave a distinct ripple of something swimming immediately beneath its surface. The water parted on either side of the creature without actually breaking surface tension. It was moving swiftly and with ease, there was no way she was going to outswim it in her fatigued condition.
For the first time since finding herself in this interdimensional bubble, Kagome attempted to call forth her miko abilities. She stopped swimming and pictured her reiki creating a pink barrier around her. But – nothing happened, she could feel her reiki there deep within her, but was unable to call it to do her bidding.
Without warning she felt something grab her ankle and pull.
Having barely had enough time to take a gasping breath, she was drug into the depths of the murky sea. Kagome tried to kick with her free foot at whatever had her, but the partial breath she managed to take wasn't enough to sustain her. Clawing at her throat, a handful of bubbles rushed out of her mouth. Just as quickly as it snatched her, the thing let her go and she struggled back to the surface.
Taking gasping breaths and coughing up briny seawater, Kagome fought to keep treading water. Again, the creature grabbed her ankle and in preparation of the potential drowning, she inhaled deeply, hoarding as much precious air into her lungs as she could manage, before she was submerged again. This time, she doubled over and attempted to pry herself loose with her hands. As she touched her ankle, she felt what seemed like a clawed hand grasping tight, the water was too dark and murky to see anything clearly.
The pressure on her lungs started to become too much and more bubbles spewed from her lips. The offending hand released her once more and Kagome sluggishly pushed herself back to the surface. Sputtering, tears in her eyes, she could feel the salt coating her from the inside out. This unhurried lesson in drowning continued to repeat itself. She would be dragged into the dark ocean and right when she was on the cusp of passing out, she would be released to flounder back to oxygen.
Rinse and repeat.
By the fourth time, she was sure she was going to die. She was pulled so far beneath the water that she felt the ocean floor beneath her hands as the creature dragged her through the sea. Kagome was soon out of air and proceeded to tumble in and out of consciousness. Her waterfilled lungs were on fire, every nerve ending seemed to scream, she could register her body shutting down and her heart was close to pounding out of her chest.
Just as she was about to fully lose consciousness, it was Inuyasha's voice in her head that comforted her in what she assumed were her final moments.
'Kagome,' he said, 'You have to fight. You're giving up too easy, wench.'
A familiar sadness washed over her, 'Inu – yasha, don't worry about me, the ocean floor feels fine. I'm just a little tired is all. I – I think there's a light up ahead. I'll just go there and rest for a bit.'
'If you follow it, you're dead. What happens to our epilogue then?'
'Seems like we'll never find the end…'
It was unlike him to be so poetic. Warm memories of the past few years with Inuyasha and her friends seemed to flash before her eyes, quietly befriending the ghost she was rapidly transmuting into.
'If you follow it, you're dead,' he whispered once more.
Kagome thought that maybe she felt her body begin to rise, then the light up ahead got brighter and brighter.
Finding comfort in Inuyasha's presence and drowning slow – the chaos around her started to feel like home.
She blacked out entirely.
~oOo~
Something was pressing painfully into her chest.
"Come on, damn you! Breathe!"
Kagome wanted to follow the order but seemed unable to control any of her bodily functions, to include forcing any amount of air into her lungs.
More persistent pounding on her sternum.
"I always forget how delicate humans are," the voice said exasperatedly, "I can hear your heart beating, albeit slowly which means you're not dead yet – I just need you to breathe, human!"
Kagome began to throw up water, coughing profusely. Strong hands rolled her to her side as she gasped and struggled for air. Long minutes crawled by and with every drag of oxygen she pulled into her lungs, Kagome came more into consciousness.
Cold hands brushed back Kagome's wet bangs from her face and crooned, "It seems we have a fighter on our hands, how delightful."
"Inuyasha? Where – where am I?" Kagome croaked, her voice sore from the amount of salt water she had inhaled and the drowning she had suffered. She carefully sat up and opened her salt-caked lashes, above her a dim light shone. It barely pierced the blackness of wherever they were, but it seemed like a distant skylight within a cavern of some sort.
She could vaguely make out a shape sitting next to her, "Am I, dead?"
A melodic laugh seemed to echo around them.
"Not dead per say just not strictly alive either. Here you require no food or water, have no need for sleep, you just exist."
"What does that mean? And I was in the ocean, where are we now?"
"It means, you were brought into the demon jewel for some unknown reason and we are currently in a cave that I've been using as a safe place."
"Wait, we're inside the jewel? Safe from what?"
"My! So many questions!" the tinkling laugh came again making Kagome smile slightly despite her pains, "Let's start with introductions and go from there, I promise to answer as many questions as I am able. I will begin, I am Shinkai, Queen of the Ningyo and bearer of the Calamity Tempest Stone. Or, at least I was. I am unsure if the stone transferred to my sister or not when I was cast into the jewel by my ex-lover and, I assume, creator of the ruby chrysalis, Azamuku," she hissed the name menacingly causing the hairs on the back of Kagome's neck to rise and goosebumps to travel along her arms and legs.
Kagome coughed wretchedly, feeling her throat tear with the force of it, blood welling in her throat. Doing her best to clear the obstruction, she gasped, "A Ningyo? The description from the villagers made you seem like mermaids, all fish tails and luring men to their deaths with your song."
Shinkai tested the word, "Mer – maid? Yes, I think I like the word. It has a virtuous ring to it. My people take many forms, in the sea we have tails which mimic the forms of sea creatures, on land we have legs just like you," Kagome felt a hand on her knee, "Those of us in the royal family have wings as well."
Kagome heard rather than saw said wings. There was a rustle and the air moved in all directions as Shinkai spread her wings wide in the darkness. Kagome wanted to run her hands over the appendages just to help with the budding visual she was creating in her mind's eye, but felt it rude to touch someone so intimately whom she just met. Instead, she pictured Ariel with angel wings. That'd have to do for now.
Folding her wings back to rest behind her, Shinkai commanded, "Now tell me, who are you and how did you find yourself within the jewel."
"I'm Kagome, a miko –" and proceeded to recall her tale.
"And after I touched the ruby chrysalis, I woke up on the beach. Couldn't figure a way off of it, it was like some weird space-time loop! Every time I rounded the corner I would wind up on the other side of the beach where I started, so I figured I'd try the sea…that's when something kept grabbing me and I nearly drowned. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in a cave here with you," she coughed once more, this time Kagome spit out the blood away from her companion.
"Ah yes, the drowning, my apologies little miko," Shinkai said sheepishly, "I meant to take you here to my cave swiftly, but I always forget how often humans need air to stay alive beneath the waves. I have no difficulties breathing on land or sea, and I do not often deal with humans, so it is not something I actively considered when I decided to grab you."
A beat of weighted silence fell between the two women, "You mean to tell me, that it was you who grabbed me? If you can breathe air just fine, why didn't you just come above and talk to me! We could have come up with a plan instead of you terrifying me half to death! Actually, scratch that, fully to death, there was nothing half-assed about that drowning," Kagome shot a glare at her cohort but was unsure if it was received or not due to the darkness. "Wait, was it you who called me here? The singing, it – it sounded so sad. I thought it was leading me to the missing girls."
"My people often sing to the sea; it calls to us endlessly and we cannot help but return the melody. I have sung much since entering the jewel, but with no intention of summoning you. Do you remember any of the words?"
Kagome thought back to the hot spring. Singing softly on her torn throat, "Shadows all around you as you surface from the dark,"
Joining Kagome, Shinkai harmonized the next line, "Emerging from the gentle grip of night's unfolding arms."
"Little miko –"
"Kagome. My name is Kagome."
"Kagome then, yes that is my song, but it was not my intent of cursing you to this nowhere place, and for that I am sorry. And please understand, I needed to move swiftly as soon as I saw your form in the water. He's been hunting you since the moment you entered the jewel, I'm sure of it."
"Who's he?"
Afraid of speaking his name too loud, lest he hear, Shinkai leaned towards Kagome's ear and whispered, "Ikuchi, the Great Serpent of Storms and Madness."
The name, although whispered, had a reeling effect on Kagome. She pictured infinite blackness stretching out in all directions, consuming all the light in its path, yearning for more. She suddenly wished she was back on the nowhere beach instead of this pitch cave. The darkness felt smothering.
"You say you are a miko, have you not sensed his aura? The hunger? He is the insatiable leviathan which preys on auras tinged with sex or violence."
Kagome tried her best to tap into her miko powers once more, but nothing happened again. She shook her head, "There's something wrong with my powers, I can't seem to get them to respond to me. Why is he hunting me?"
"He is a voracious beast, and you are the only one here with an intact aura. Perhaps it is for the best that you cannot reach your powers, it would only make you easier to find. The only reason I managed to find you before he did was because I was headed back to my cave when I caught sight of those divine legs of yours," Shinkai leaned close once more, this time running a clawed hand down Kagome's back sensually, "A pretty little thing like you, I will have to try my best to keep my fangs to myself," she purred.
Kagome swatted at the hand which had continued to stroke her back, causing Shinkai to giggle, "Uh, thanks, I think? Based on the context clues here I'm guessing you mean – umm, sex," Kagome could feel the blush creeping across her cheeks, "and not the violence part."
Shinkai laughed again, "Who says it has to be one or the other? Pleasure can be found in pain."
Kagome squeaked and moved away from the Ningyo; but, due to the darkness of the cave, she failed to notice the broad watery hole which led back to the ocean. Choking on sea water, Kagome felt powerful arms lift her.
"Can't – can't see," more coughing, "a damn thing in here."
"You cannot see? Huh, another thing I have forgotten about humans, weak eyesight. No wonder you were so quick to deny my advance, you have been unable to bask in all of my exquisiteness," Shinkai sighed dramatically.
Patting her gently on the back, Shinkai said, "I find your virginal sensibilities refreshing and quite adorable. Should we escape from the jewel, I would like to invite you to my palace within the Ryugu Sea Cave. It is not often my people accept visitors, but I would make a special exception for you. I'm sure Kaito would find you most amusing."
Smiling timidly, Kagome nodded her head, "I accept. But first, we have to come up with a plan to get out of here. Any ideas?"
Shinkai hesitated, "I have an idea, but I must admit, it is not ideal," Shinkai shifted uncomfortably.
Kagome took a deep breath, "Well today is the day for following through with terrible ideas. My last one brought me to you, and I only had to suffer a mild drowning. So, what's the plan."
"When Azamuku," she spat his name like it left a foul taste in her mouth, "confined me to this hell, he separated my youki from my body. After much searching, I managed to find it," she opened her mouth and from under her tongue produced a swirling lavender pearl. "However, I have been unable to join with it. No matter how hard I try, it remains separate. I had been considering for some time now," she paused gathering her thoughts and returning the pearl to her mouth, "to persuade the great beast to help me restore my youki and then escape this place. The problem is, I don't have much to bargain with."
"Ok, so let me get this straight, you want to go see the sea monster, who potentially wants to eat me, in hopes that he'll help us…for free?" Kagome grimaced, saying it out loud did not create any type of miraculous confidence in the endeavor, if anything it made the whole situation sound ridiculous.
"That is correct."
"No other plan?"
"None."
"Well, you're right, saying this plan is 'less than ideal' is the understatement of the century." Kagome threw up her hands exasperatedly, "But if it's all we have, then we'll have to work with it. How do we find him?"
Shinkai seemed to consider, "As I searched for my youki, I noticed an area of water which is oily black. The aura and the oil seem to be bubbling up from something at the bottom of the sea. I'm fairly certain it's him. The way I see it, the ruby chrysalis and the Calamity Tempest Stone have combined to create this joint 'nowhere space', as you called it. From this cave, we can travel to the surface and head to that area, then we dive to the bottom of the ocean and see if he is lurking there."
"Sounds great, just one problem, I haven't magically learned how to breathe under water quite yet." Kagome said sarcastically.
Shinkai's whole body seemed to quiver with pleasure, "Do not fret Kagome my dearest, for now that I know of your human weakness, I will simply provide you with the kiss of life throughout our journey."
"The kiss of life," Kagome said flatly.
"Oh yes, since I can breathe beneath the waves, I'll just push air into your pitiful lungs through those tantalizing lips of yours. Feel free to praise my genius." Shinkai said smugly.
Kagome groaned, it's not that it was a bad plan, quite the opposite; it was just the obvious pleasure Shinkai seemed to gain from the act which made Kagome uncomfortable. But since today was the day of rolling with the punches, she decided to just go with it.
"Yes, yes, you're so smart and wonderful, and the most pious mermaid I've ever had the joy of coming across. Happy now?"
"You wound me with your sharp tongue, but if that's the best you can do, then I suppose I must be satisfied with the attempt," Shinkai said playfully. "Since there is no time like the present, I suggest we leave immediately."
Standing a few inches taller than the miko's five foot five, Shinkai reached out to help Kagome off the ground so she didn't fall into the watery hole again. She pulled the miko into an embrace, hands resting on her hips, facing one another, with Kagome's hands trapped between them. This action led to the unsettling realization that the Ningyo did not seem to be wearing anything at all, embarrassment crept across the miko's face once more.
"Here is the plan," Shinkai said seductively, "I will carry you this way through the water, wrap your hands around my neck," Kagome did as she was bid feeling silky hair against her fingers, "Perfect. My wings will propel us through the ocean with no difficulty. You will have to let me know when you require air, just use your fingers to tap my neck and I'll breathe into you. I recommend you keep your eyes close through the journey as we will be moving with much haste. Once we reach the surface, we will go through the skies until we reach the black sea. Diving into the waters to reach the leviathan will be – unpleasant I'm sure, but we will manage. We will have to keep our wits about us though. I have met the great beast only once before through the Calamity Tempest Stone and it was not an experience I would wish on my worst enemies."
Kagome shifted with unease in the Ningyo Queen's arms, "Are you prepared, Kagome?" Shinkai asked kindly.
In the barely there light, Kagome tried her best to see into the youkai's eyes to evaluate how confident Shinkai actually was in the plan; unfortunately, the gloom continued to prove to be too much for her human eyes.
Going with her gut instinct instead, she said resolutely, "Yes."
"Then let us be off. Close your eyes tight and remember, tap when you need to breathe. It will be several minutes to the surface at least."
Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and pressed herself tightly against the siren. Shinkai smiled lasciviously – fang peeking between her sensual red lips, positioned Kagome better within her grasp, then plunged the two of them into the dark waters below.
~oOo~
A/N: Thanks again everyone! If you like the story thus far, please leave some words of encouragement!