Beyond the Darkness
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A/N: Well, a lot has happened today. First, Farrah Fawcett dies from her fight of cancer, and then couple hours later, Michael Jackson dies from a cardiac arrest. Whoa! Isn't that ultra crazy? Jeez. I mean, two incredibly huge celebrities died on the same day. :O Anyway, I have another chapter for you and I just finished chapter thirty. I'm going to try and write more chapters of my VK fanfic, since I picked up my VK book last night and was suddenly inspired yet again. Hopefully something will come to me. ^-^ Well, enjoy the chapter. It's getting a bit to the "whoa" factor, and I hope I don't make it too mature for those younger audiences, but if I do, you know have a warning. Okie dokles. R&R pleasies. Chanku! Ciaoooooo!!! :D -Michele


::Chapter Twenty-Eight::


"We're off to help Kagome fill her water bottles and to search for more herbs for her foods," Nikala called to Sesshomaru, Shippo grasping on to her hand. Rin was sitting beside Lord Sesshomaru, but immediately stood up and ran towards her.

"Can I come too?" she asked. Nikala smiled widely and nodded her head.

"Of course you can, dear one," she said sweetly. Rin smiled and grabbed on to Nikala's empty hand. Shippo looked at Rin curiously. Did she think of his mother as her own too? What had happened to her own parents?

Sesshomaru stood up as well and walked with his natural grace towards his lover. Nikala looked up into his golden eyes and notice them smile at her with such love, though his lips formed a perfectly straight line.

"Will you be okay out in the forest without me?" he asked softly. Rin giggled at his affection and protection for his mate.

"It's so sweet how Lord Sesshomaru talks to Lady Nikala!" she whispered to Shippo behind Nikala's legs. Of course, Sesshomaru had heard her, but chose to ignore it.

Nikala giggled. "Of course, love. I'm a strong fox demon, aren't I?" she mused, letting go of Rin to stroke Sesshomaru's face. Sesshomaru held her hand to his cheek before she let it go.

"Of course you are. Don't be reckless like with the beetle demon," he warned.

Nikala sighed. "I had that under control. Besides, I'll be with Kagome. She's a powerful priestess, remember?"

Sesshomaru didn't respond, but let her hand go.

"I'll be fine," Nikala reassured. "Try talking with InuYasha. Maybe we could work on searching for that arm of yours," she suggested and grabbed a hold of Rin's tiny hand again. Sesshomaru's face grew repugnant from the thought of having to befriend his ignorant half-breed half-brother. He turned away from her.

"Sesshomaru…" Nikala groaned, knowing the look on his face. She rose an eyebrow and sighed when he didn't look back at her. "Well, we're off. Kagome's waiting."

With that, Nikala turned around, holding on to both children, and walked away towards Kagome, who was waiting just outside the clearing. Sesshomaru watched her leave, watching how her tail swung serenely back and forth. His eyes lingered there for quite some time, slowly dropping his gaze further down.

No! he shouted in his mind. What is wrong with you? Now is not the time for perverse thoughts!

His eyes wandered back at the others. The demon-slayer seemed okay, but the monk was definitely questionable. What was with his staring at his mate? His eyes normally lingered on her body for quite some time than one would normally look at a person. He would stare at her for hours on end, even when he conversed with his companions. The demon-slayer knew what was going on, Sesshomaru presumed, because she always smacked him upside his head when she caught him staring.

Perhaps I should show him who Nikala belongs to? thought Sesshomaru, his irritation rising more and more. Nikala was Sesshomaru's mate; how dare another man lay eyes on her?

But he was soon interrupted by Jaken's voice.

"My lord! It's the half-breed. He's coming!" he whispered, tugging on Sesshomaru's hakama. Sesshomaru then sensed InuYasha coming up from behind him, glaring.

"Okay Sesshomaru. What's the deal? Why are you still here?" InuYasha growled, pointing one of his sharp-clawed fingers at him. Sesshomaru stared at him, again with a look that showed he had no interest in what InuYasha had to say. He turned his back and began walking towards a sturdy log to sit down on. InuYasha growled again and followed him.

"Hey! Sesshomaru! Listen to me when I talk to you!"

Sesshomaru sensed Miroku and Sango's head turning their direction.

"Oh no, InuYasha's going to do something stupid," Sesshomaru heard Miroku whispered.

"Butt out, Miroku!" InuYasha snapped, also hearing what the monk had muttered.

"Your friends know you well," Sesshomaru said smugly. InuYasha growled and grabbed hold of Tetsusaiga's ratty handle, pulling it out of its sheath. It transformed into the magnificent fang of his father, the handle now strong and adorned with fur at the edge where the blade began.

"Shut up, Sesshomaru. Come on! Let me kill you!" InuYasha raged on. Sesshomaru looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"No thank you. I have no interest in battling you," he replied, looking away.

InuYasha became enraged. What in the world was Sesshomaru blabbering? How could he say that he was not interested in battling InuYasha? Wasn't he his number one opponent? His arch-enemy? After all, Sesshomaru wanted InuYasha dead so he could take his fang. Well, here was his opportunity— not that he was going to win, of course, but still! InuYasha was standing right in front of him, ready to fight, and Sesshomaru didn't have a care in the world about it.

"Why not?" InuYasha shouted. "Try and take Tetsusaiga away from me! Try to kill me! It's what you want!"

"And since when do you care for what I want? Tell me, little brother: are you actually developing feelings for me?" Sesshomaru snuck a glance at him through the corner of his eye. InuYasha looked taken aback.

What? Why in the seven hells would InuYasha develop feelings for Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru?! Of all people! Was he joking? He had to be joking.

"No! Of course not!" InuYasha spat.

"Then tell me why you are getting so worked up on displaying my desires? Shouldn't you be trying to attack with surprise, rather than to confront me? It's what a smart demon would think to do. Apparently that doesn't really apply to you, does it?" Sesshomaru said, really getting underneath InuYasha's skin. InuYasha, now beet red and eyes glowering, he raised Tetsusaiga and took a swing at Sesshomaru, roaring in the process.

"RARRRRRGH!"

InuYasha swung the Tetsusaiga at Sesshomaru, but missed and struck the now-crumbled log instead. Sesshomaru had swiftly dodged the blade's swing and stood behind InuYasha, his arm rose and wrist twisted, ready to strike him in surprise. His fingers began to glow with that bright light he had sliced the beetle demon with.

"Seshomaru, no!" Miroku cried in protest. InuYasha turned behind him to see Sesshomaru armed and swung at him again. Miroku and Sango quickly grabbed their weapons— Miroku's staff and Sango's boomerang bone— and ran to InuYasha's side.

"Back down, both of you!" Sango ordered. InuYasha glared at her, but Sesshomaru chose to ignore the both of them all together. His focus was on InuYasha.

"How dare you interfere in Lord Sesshomaru's battles! He will kill you too without any hesitance!" Jaken chimed. Sango and Miroku threw daggers at Jaken as Miroku hit him on the head with his staff.

"InuYasha, Sesshomaru, please… what is going on?" Miroku asked, trying to remain calm.

"Have you two suddenly lost your minds? Why is it that you two decide to go into battle when Nikala and Kagome leave?" Sango questioned.

"Not to mention the little ones, Shippo and Rin," Miroku added.

"This is none of your business! You two butt out of this! I'm going to deal with Sesshomaru myself, since no one else will," InuYasha spat, glaring back at his brother. Sesshomaru studied InuYasha with slightly narrowed eyebrows.

"Sesshomaru posed no threat to us when he arrived with the others," Miroku explained. "There was no need to take action."

"Are you kidding?" InuYasha asked with disbelief. "How the hell could Sesshomaru not pose a threat? He's evil! All he cares about is himself and gaining the Tetsusaiga! Have we forgotten who Sesshomaru really is?"

Sesshomaru clenched his fingers and a low growl escaped his lips. InuYasha eyed him suspiciously.

"How dare you say I only care for myself?" he whispered menacingly. "Have you forgotten who I travel with?"

"Exactly why we should be suspecting you! You can't fall in love, Sesshomaru! It's not in your nature!"

"I am a dog!" Sesshomaru roared. "It is absolutely in my nature to fall in love! You wouldn't know since you only have half the traits us full dog demons possess! You are in no position to speak to me that way!" Sesshomaru breathed sharply. Jaken stared at him with admiration, his bug eyes wide and proud.

"I am Lord Sesshomaru, the most powerful demon of all Japan, Lord of the Western Lands. You dare defile me, bring me to shame, claim that I possess no love in my heart? Nikala of the fox demons is my mate. I am attached to her, as she to me."

InuYasha's lip twitched. Sesshomaru unsheathed Tokijin and crossed blades with his brother.

"What do you have to say to that?" Sesshomaru hissed as he stuck his face into InuYasha's through their blades. His eyebrows were narrowed downward. Not only had he insulted Sesshomaru, but he had insulted his mate too, at least the love they had between each other. Did InuYasha believe that that love was not real?

"It's… impossible for you… to love," InuYasha said with a struggle, having a hard time believing.

Sesshomaru backed off on the swords and sheathed Tokijin once again. His eyebrows remained furrowed over his brilliant golden eyes.

"Anybody can fall in love, InuYasha. Even Sesshomaru," Kagome's words echoed in InuYasha's mind.

"The reason I am here is because Nikala wants to be here," said Sesshomaru, not taking his eyes off of his half-brother, "and I will not stand to be apart from her. I will not stand to risk losing the woman I've finally fallen in love with."