Chapter Two: A Connection
Kagome hiked up the sun-dappled trail, feathers tickling her insides with excitement. She was so inebriated by zeal that she hardly noticed her panting breaths or her heart racing in her chest. They were almost there. They, being a loose term as she stopped to yell back down the mountain.
"Mama! Souta! Hurry up! It's only a little farther!"
Far below on the steep, wooded slope, her two companions rested on a fallen tree, their water bottles tipped to their lips. They eyed her coolly as she continued to yell, in no hurry even when she abandoned them to climb further.
"I can't believe how much energy she still has," Souta muttered when she disappeared around the bend. "We've been hiking all morning and now it's the afternoon."
Mama smiled and ruffled his hair. "I'm just happy that she has energy, aren't you?"
"I guess."
"Besides, she's used to hiking up mountains. She was doing this for some time not long ago. Remember?"
He nodded.
From beyond the trees, they heard her yell again, her persistence spurring them on.
"Come on, Souta. She said it's only a little further."
He grumbled but slid off the tree and tucked his bottle back into his bag. Mama joined him, putting hers away as well, and then she patted his shoulder as they began their hike yet again.
Ahead, Kagome giggled as she tromped up the leaf-choked trail, the way made by passing animals rather than by people. It was complete wilderness now, but even without the familiar roads she remembered it. The mountains were still the same. A sprawling range, the slopes looked like a slumbering tiger and they were climbing across its head.
She peered down at the sheltered field at the beast's side, hunting for the last vestiges of an old fortress hidden there. Black beside the rich greens, she spied the rotted stumps of hewn wood and the regular angles of decayed foundations. The faint echo of the proud band of exterminators that had once thrived there.
Earlier that morning, she had guided Mama and Souta to it, the place where Sango and Kohaku had grown up. They had explored the remnants of the different buildings until they found the courtyard. A blooming meadow now, together they burnt incense to honor the many that had died there.
A pang of guilt struck deep, hitching her breath. With Miroku by her side, she wondered if Sango was buried there somewhere among the flowers. Then the she shook her head, driving the thought from her mind. She had promised herself that she wouldn't think about them that way. They were alive and happy in the time that they belonged.
A dark shadow caught her eye through a veil of trees, and her moment of sadness evaporated. They were at the tiger's eye.
"Mama! Souta!" she shouted, "I found it! We're here!"
Without waiting for them to answer, she disappeared into the dense foliage. Heading towards the shadow, she tromped through the pine needles and brushed aside the undergrowth.
Out of breath, Mama and Souta finally made it to where she had vanished. After exchanging looks, they too entered, following the path that she had forged.
She weaved her way through the last of the undergrowth to stumble out into a clearing. Edged with craggy rock, she wandered through it, puzzled. She was at Midoriko's Cave, wasn't she? Hardly eroded at all, the mountainside looked right, but where was the cave? Her eyes pouring over the rock, she was soon joined by her family. In silence, they stood together.
"So, where's the cave, Kagome?" Souta asked finally.
"I don't know," she replied, frowning. Then her expression brightened, and she walked towards the mountainside. "It all looks familiar except for this spot. There's a boulder here that wasn't here when I visited last, and I think it's exactly where the opening is supposed to be."
Stepping in close, she inspected the boulder. Her fingers glided over it until she discovered something soft and fibrous. Sweeping the dirt away, she revealed the weathered remains of a hemp rope. Curious, she gave it a tug and it disintegrated in her hands.
"It looks like an old seal," Mama observed as she leaned in for a look. "Meant to keep people out…"
"Or to keep something in," Kagome finished.
She nodded.
"Looks like something already got in," Souta added. The two women turned to find him kneeling beside the boulder. With a stick in hand, he prodded at a clump of pine needles, brushing them away from a hole that had been dug between the rock and the mountainside.
Joining him on the ground, Kagome peered into the gap and at the scratch marks that carved it. "It looks like it was done by an animal. Caves make popular dens."
The others agreed.
"Well, I hope it's still not in there." Slinging her backpack from her shoulders, she set it down on the ground by the mouth of the hole. A moment later, she was on her hands and knees, shoving it through while she crawled in behind it.
"Is she crazy?" Souta asked, dumbfounded. "Who knows what's in there?"
"Then you can keep an eye out. If any animals come, make sure they don't go in the cave after us," Mama said with a gentle smile and then she took off her backpack. "Kagome, wait for me! I'm coming too!"
"All right, Mama!" she answered, her voice muffled by the rock.
Souta stuttered, his eyes flashing from his mother to the encroaching forest that surrounded them. When he looked back, she was gone.
Shrugging off his backpack, he cursed under his breath. "Damn it."
"I heard that," Mama announced cheerfully as she crawled. Reaching the end of the hole, a beam of light found her. She smiled. She then unzipped her bag, fumbling through the pockets until she felt a metal rod.
"Have you got it?" Kagome asked.
"Yeah," she replied, pulling out her flashlight and clicking it on. Once she was on her feet, she dusted off her knees and looked around.
"It's so dark," she said, astounded by the black void wherever the light beams didn't touch.
Hearing scuffling behind her, Mama moved out of the way so that Souta could get through.
"Do you need any help?" she asked.
"No, I'm all right."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am!"
Kagome giggled. "Souta's fine, Mama. He considers himself the man of the house."
"Does he? Your grandpa might have something to say about that."
His flashlight flickered on. "Let's go."
"I don't think you need your flashlight, Souta." Kagome teased, "You can just go by the glow of your blush."
The girls laughed and Souta grumbled.
Their tormenting done for now, they began to walk through the cave. Refreshing against their skin, the cool air brought relief after trudging through the summer's heat outside. This weekend vacation had been quite a surprise for all of them. Tending the shrine for the season's regular influx of guests, they were often too busy for a break, especially now when they needed it the most.
Mama looked at Kagome, her daughter's flashlight beam flitting all over as she chattered on about the cave's history. She hadn't seen her this energetic in months, not since the way through the Bone-Eater's Well had closed. It had hurt her to see her so depressed, especially when she realized that she didn't know how to fix it. Then last week she thought that perhaps if Kagome could share and revisit someplace in the past, she wouldn't feel like she had lost something. It was all still there, just a little faded now. Her friends had jumped at the chance to help, agreeing to look after both the shrine and Grandpa. And as a result, they were now delving into the sacred cave where it had all began, sharing the adventures and creating some of their own.
"Being a little insulted, Midoriko tossed Inuyasha out. I swear, sometimes he was such a…" She paused. "Mama, are you listening?"
"Yes, of course," she replied.
Kagome frowned, unsure of her sincerity. Her mother was so difficult to read sometimes. Rather than continue, she walked on instead, her beam settling on the path and the stalagmites that peppered it. The thrill of finding the cave had subsided, replaced by an unexpected ill feeling. There was something out of place. And as she thought about it, she realized that it lacked the soothing presence that she remembered, leaving her to wonder if it was still Midoriko's cave. Had she vanished completely with the destruction of the Shikon-no-Tama? Was she finally at peace?
Sparkling white, something on the ground caught her eye.
"I see something," she called out as she walked over to it. Stooping to a crouch, she set her flashlight down. Then with a finger, she prodded the pile of white dust before scooping up some into her palm. "It glitters."
"Yes, it does," Mama agreed as Kagome poured it back and forth between her hands, the grains dazzling in the light. "What is it?"
"I don't know. I don't remember it being here before, but it reminds me of sand."
"Only brighter."
"Yeah, and it's finer and lighter too."
"Like glass?"
"Crystals," Souta said.
The two women turned to face the boy.
"This is a cave," he added.
Kagome frowned. He had a point. "But I don't remember any crystals let alone their dust. None of this seems right."
Shining her flashlight down the tunnel, their mother pointed to the scattered drifts ahead. "Either way, there's more of it deeper inside."
Dumping the dust back on the ground, Kagome stood up.
With trepidation, they walked on. Glimmering against the black rock, islands of white swelled into branching peninsulas until the last of the ground was swallowed up. It was firm under their feet, sinking only enough to create fine imprints as they passed.
Soon, the tunnel opened up into an enormous cavern. Overcome with awe, they gasped as they entered. Rippled in waves before them was a shimmering sea of white. Imagined currents of crystal broke against dark monuments of rock and through a crack in the ceiling, the summer sun shone down, reflecting nuances of lavender amid the white. Warmed directly beneath the rays, a stone pillar stood. Something was in front of it.
Mama leaned forward, whispering to Kagome as she pointed at the pillar. "What's that over there? Is that where the priestess is? Is that Midoriko?"
Kagome shook her head. "It can't be. Midoriko was suspended by the demons she battled. I don't think she's here anymore. I can't feel her presence."
"Many years have passed."
"I'm sure she's free now, and because of that I'm happy that she's not here for me to show you."
"Then this must be something new. Something that happened after you left."
Kagome nodded, and she took her first step out into the cavern. Close behind, Mama and Souta followed, relying on her experience to keep them safe.
As she approached the pillar, she realized that it was something human that stood against it. Then a moment later, she recognized it as a naked man. No blush of embarrassment came to her cheeks though. Paler than alabaster, it was a statue, a breathless marvel of art that would be wasted in a museum display surrounded by fluorescent lights and plaster walls.
When she met the stone platform beneath it, Kagome stepped up, leaving her family behind as she went on to investigate.
The statue was strikingly clean compared to the rest of the cave, and she looked up at the blue sky through the crack in the ceiling, thinking of the rainwater that must pour down on it with every storm. Her gaze returned to the statue and her brow furrowed. Protruding from its chest was a rusted sword. With slumped shoulders and a drooping head that hid its face, the statue seemed to hang from the blade. Cascading around its head were long locks of hair as brilliant as the crystal dust. She reached out to touch them and gasped when her fingers glided through the strands, leaving them to sway languidly in the air.
"He's real!" she blurted out, her voice awash with excitement. She had found someone from the past. She had a connection. Her caution was gone, and she clasped him on either side by the jaw. Cold but soft, she could feel his flesh and bone. And slowly, she lifted his head up, his hair parting. She finally had a connection.
A terrified gasp escaped her, and she stumbled back. Losing her balance, her foot slipped off the edge of the platform and she fell, landing in a spray of dust. Caught between coughing and groaning, she struggled to sit up. Mama and Souta rushed over to her side.
"Are you all right?" they asked, her mother helping her to sit up.
Kagome nodded fervently, her coughs subsiding. But her face was still white with fear.
"So, what's wrong? Do you know who it is?"
"Yeah."
"And?"
"It's… It's Sesshoumaru."
Mama and Souta looked at each other. "Who's that?"