II. Underground operations
Sesshōmaru was bored. Of course, this was a natural result of one's attendance at a 5-hours long meeting with babbling halfwits on the various affairs of Surface. The stuffy office smelled of chemicals and its furniture was bare, modern, and brittle. The days of ceremonial meetings in ornate war chambers with tea ceremonies had vanished like petals on the turbulent rapids of Time.
He brusquely decided that it was quite enough ; he had bestowed the required attention for this petty matter. His face did not vary from his passionless mask as his golden eyes grew colder, their weight almost soul-crushing. The accountants in front of him flinched and blanched visibly.
He dismissed them with a flick of his wrist, a glint of his claws, and they scuttled hurriedly for the exit, absurdly insectan in the motion.
They had left their papers behind in their haste. Blinking in annoyance, he once again pondered the wisdom in being the interlocutor of the human creatures, when he suddenly felt a brush of holy against his aura. Eyes narrowing minutely, Sesshōmaru instantly swept the surroundings with his senses to locate potential threats along with the owner of this aura. He could detect the occasional rodent, small life forces in the ground, and vast expanses of metal. In vain, the holy energy had disappeared beyond his reach as swiftly as it had appeared…
It had been a century since he had last felt such an aura, and he had thought the shrine maiden's true trade long forgotten. Alarmed, he considered the situation if they were exposed, his jaw tightening slightly. Was there even a probability ? The humans had grown complacent and relegated 'monsters' to the dark of their closets, after all.
Still, he was mildly disturbed by the fact he felt as if, for some reason, this aura should have been stronger.
After having determined that the aura's possessor would not be coming back anytime soon, Sesshōmaru had left the room. He was walking purposefully, almost gliding, through convoluted corridors carved in rock. The stone was rough, the tunnels seemingly formed by nature and chance. They were dark and damp, with a tangy aftertaste of earth and mud, and air that had traveled through the dark recesses of the underground, spinning its tale of frightened creatures, untouched treasures and pulsating life to those willing to listen.
He advanced still, and stepped in the abyss without breaking stride.
ﺺ
She just had to investigate. Kagome checked her brown, burly backpack one last time, attempting to settle her jumbled nerves. It was illegal, sure, but she was doing this for the greater cause. Surely the Kami would protect her…
Her 'burglar' outfit consisted of a brown long-sleeved shirt with multi-pocketed black denim trousers and on top a black sweatshirt. It was completed by sturdy leather boots, comfortable and convenient.
Over the years, she had grown to value practicality, and so she planned accordingly.
She hurried in the streets, eyes straying towards the hidden moon by habit. She could hardly make out a few stars, a small feat in itself, but certainly not enough to direct herself. How unpractical that would have been back then, she mused.
The night was silent, with only the distant rumble of a passing car. She found herself lengthening her pace, anxious in the unexpectedly oppressive atmosphere. Ahead of her, she distinguished the steady glare of a subway entrance. There ! Heading down the flight of stairs, she validated her ticket and stepped on the platform.
Said platform was almost empty, it really was that late.
Kagome thought it was time for a small pep talk. She had done her homework and googled stuff. She had a plan of the rail system and info on how to progress. She could do this !
She waited for the next train with a mix of apprehension and anticipation – finally, some action ! –, as it announced its arrival with a loud screech. Careful, she staid put until all the passengers had left before making her move.
She quickly slipped into the tunnel, stealthily hugging the wall. She really hoped no one had noticed, no camera had recorded her. She suppressed a wince when this possibility crossed her mind, before mentally reigning herself in and focusing her attention on the task. She definitely didn't want to get caught dead by a train. Scratch that, better pay attention to the phrasing, girl ! She had no death wish. Though dealing with the police would be a bit tricky. " Yes, you see, I was trespassing but only to check on what could possibly be humanity's doom. Really, don't mind me, just passing by..."
Marshalling her courage, she broke in a trot. She thought she had a few minutes, between two and five, before the next train. Right ahead, four hundred meters exactly, she had plotted her first hiding place. Hurrying along the ghostly security lights, she jogged next to the rails. The darkness was alive with faded scripts and alien noises, but the tunnel was bigger than what she had pictured. Her footsteps echoed weirdly and she could almost hear the peculiar hiss of the trains in this underground labyrinth. She was nowhere out of breath when she slumped in a niche, folding on herself with her legs tucked beneath, she was happy to see. She still had some of her old endurance, after all !
She checked her fluorescent watch nervously as the minutes ticked by, with no sign of the imminent train. Had there been an accident ? Was it only late ? She chewed on her lip worriedly.
After several minutes curled up and stressed, she finally heard the rails vibrating. The train sped by her hiding place with nobody making big signals at the windows, which she took as a good sign of no one noticing her !
Still, she wondered at the train's timing. It couldn't be that late, right ? She whacked her forehead when it hit her ; of course, less trains at night ! How stupid of her, really.
Determined to make the most of this, she scrambled up and hurried into the tunnel.
Hello !
Summer, summer... I am actually still working, a lot, and have less time to write - work reports before pleasure !
I hope you enjoy this story, I will try and write approximately 1,000 words for each paragraphs, but don't expect a precise count off !
I write for my pleasure, and post my work here to share with you, but I don't really have a schedule, so I'm sorry if you have to wait a bit between chapters :)
As always, I appreciate all feedback - and, remember, this is a fanfiction, all the characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Much Love,
~ LittleKatt
P.S : I don't have a stable connection, but I'm still working on the story and currently researching a bit more, it's been a while since I read the manga.
Updated : Thursday 4th of August