Beyond the Darkness
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A/N: Hhhhhola ya'll. How are you doing? Agh! The three-hour Lost episode (which is actually a recap and then a two-hour episode after) is gonna start in THREE MINUTES! I can't believe it's the season finale! Oh no! :O Anyway, enjoy the chappie. R&R and chankies! XD -Michele
::Chapter Thirteen::
The scent of Naraku filled the forest as a chill ran down Nikala's spine. This only made her tail tighten itself around his fur even more, but Sesshomaru didn't seem to mind.
Rin poked her head from behind Nikala and Sesshomaru as they stood in front of her like a protective guard. Jaken had finally caught up to Sesshomaru, huffing and puffing out of breath.
"My lord…" he gasped. "It's Naraku. He's here!"
"Maybe not, but I think someone has come in his stead," replied Sesshomaru, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the area. He rested them on one part of the forest where an opening in the trees lay exposed.
A young woman dressed in a beautifully patterned kimono carrying a fan walked out from the opening of the trees. Her red eyes were narrowed into a glare as she came face to face with Sesshomaru and his crew.
"Kagura!" cried Jaken. "What are you doing here?" He pointed a tiny, green finger accusingly at her.
"Looking for you, imp," Kagura smirked. Jaken widened his eyes and shuddered. Her red gaze turned to Sesshomaru. "I was actually searching for you, Lord Sesshomaru," she said, but then her eyes rested on the beautiful fox demon next to him and she grinned wickedly. "But looks like someone beat me to it. State your name, fox demon."
Nikala narrowed her eyes and tilted her chin upward aristocratically. "No one to your concern," replied Nikala. Kagura smirked again.
"Your right; I don't care for any fox demons, but I'm just curious to know who the new companion is of Lord Sesshomaru. Those don't come around so often, do they?" She looked over at Sesshomaru. "I just want to know who Naraku's new target will be, after the girl incident."
Sesshomaru gave her an icy glare as he growled, being reminded of how Naraku had taunted him by trying to devour Sesshomaru and his power, and then kidnapping Rin and forcing him to follow after. It was the whole reason they were out to seek Naraku in the first place: to destroy him.
"What do you want, Kagura?" hissed Sesshomaru. Kagura was startled by his tone, but kept her face firm.
"Just letting you know that that offer to kill Naraku for me in exchange of the Shikon Jewel shard is still open," she bargained. She reached into her kimono and pulled out a tiny fragment of a pink, sparkling jewel. Nikala widened her eyes at it.
"The Shikon Jewel shard?" she asked with surprise. Sesshomaru and Kagura turned to Nikala with curiosity.
"What do you know of the Jewel?" asked Kagura in a sneer.
"The Thunder Brothers came after my village for it. Both of them carried many fragments of the Jewel. They destroyed everyone in my village with their gained power from the Jewel and were only hungry to find more shards," explained Nikala.
"And they killed your mate in the process," Sesshomaru murmured. Nikala looked into his golden eyes and nodded.
"Yes, that's right."
"The Thunder Brothers are dead now, but our bargain is not. What about it, Lord Sesshomaru? Will you take the offer?" asked Kagura.
"My answer still stays the same: no. I will not kill Naraku for you, or for a Shikon shard. I have no interest in those shards," said Sesshomaru.
"Lord Sesshomaru already has all the power he needs. He is the strongest demon in all of Japan. No Shikon shard or Jewel can give him any more power," Jaken boasted. Kagura sent him a nasty sneer, which sent chills down Jaken's spine, but he still tried to stay strong. "Try anything nasty, Kagura, and you'll feel the wrath of my Staff of Two Heads."
Kagura cackled. "Ha! Stupid little imp. Like your staff could win against my wind?"
"If you're done pestering us, it would be nice if you could step out of the way for us to pass," Sesshomaru said coldly to Kagura. She stopped taunting Jaken and turned to him, meeting his glare with her own.
"You're after Naraku anyway, I should have known. It was a waste of time to try and give you the shard anyway. Just so you know, though," Kagura's eyes landed on Nikala, who glared her topaz ones right back at her, "I'd keep her safe and away from Naraku. He will use anything to distract you and use your vulnerability against you." Sesshomaru glared even harder and realized she was referring to Nikala as his vulnerability. Kagura pointed her fan to the conjoined tails of the fox and dog demon. "You both better be careful," she warned again. Then, she plucked a feather from her hair.
"Wait, Kagura," Jaken said. "Where is Naraku hiding? If you're telling us to go after him, surely you must tell us where he is."
"Shall I?" Kagura said and she threw down the feather, which became big enough to carry her and one of person. She sat on her knees as she scanned the faces of Sesshomaru's affiliation. "Well, I guess you'll soon find out." And with that, she flew up into the air, the wind trailing at high speed behind her, blowing against Sesshomaru's group, and disappeared.
"Who was she?" asked Nikala to Sesshomaru after she had left.
"Naraku's spawn," replied Sesshomaru. Nikala cocked her head in confusion.
"His spawn? So shouldn't she not be telling you to go after Naraku and kill him? She offered a Shikon Jewel shard in exchange for his death!" Nikala exclaimed.
"Kagura's rebelling against Naraku, so we think," said Jaken. "Naraku holds her heart in his hand, and if Naraku is dead, then she will be free."
"So Kagura wants to kill Naraku so she can live freely," Rin pitched in.
"And Kagura knows that Sesshomaru is the only demon that is strong enough to kill Naraku. Except from our last encounter; that pitiful half-breed InuYasha tried to prove himself stronger than my lord!" Jaken exclaimed.
Nikala widened her eyes, as did Sesshomaru, but not as wide as the fox demon's.
"Jaken," Sesshomaru said sternly.
"InuYasha? A half-demon? He's traveling with Shippo! You mean to tell me you've run into them before?" she asked.
"Yes, of course! Lord Sesshomaru is only chasing after him to kill the despicable half-breed he calls his brother."
"Jaken!" Sesshomaru barked, baring his teeth and glaring at Jaken. Jaken widened his bug-eyes and gulped. What had he said to set off Lord Sesshomaru?
"InuYasha is your brother?" asked Nikala softly. "And you're going after him to kill him? But he's traveling with Shippo! Surely he must be a good person. Tairoku said he was taking care of Shippo!"
"Tairoku is dead, isn't he? How does he know InuYasha?" asked Rin to Nikala, but she ignored her question. Her focus was set on Sesshomaru.
"It will be easier to find him now. You know this InuYasha. He's your brother," she whispered, and then she smiled. "He's your brother!"
"Half-brother," Jaken corrected. "Lord Sesshomaru and InuYasha share the same father, but different mothers. InuYasha was born from a human mother."
"Regardless of who he was born from, InuYasha and Lord Sesshomaru are still related. Why hadn't you told me he was your brother when I said he was looking after Shippo?" asked Nikala.
"He is not someone I am proud of. I am ashamed to be related to someone who has human blood in their veins," Sesshomaru whispered so that Rin could not hear.
"But he's watching my Shippo, my kitsune. Surely that must change your heart," said Nikala, equally as soft as she grabbed for Sesshomaru's hand, entwining her fingers with his own. Sesshomaru stared at her beautiful face, her eyes wide with innocence.
"My lord! What is this affection you are giving?" cried Jaken when he saw his and Nikala's fingers entwined. Sesshomaru sent a growl towards Jaken, who immediately cowered behind A-Un.
Never speak to him like that again, Jaken! he told himself mentally.
"You've never seen a small fox boy trailing around with InuYasha? He's very small, auburn hair and a golden tail. He looks a lot like me," said Nikala.
"A small fox boy…" Rin pondered. Suddenly her eyes lit up with utmost surprise. "I can't believe I hadn't remembered before! Lord Sesshomaru, we have run into this fox boy before! We've come across Shippo when we've run into InuYasha in the past! We know Lady Nikala's son!" Rin's face was full of excitement. "My lord, we have to find InuYasha. We have to find Shippo!"
Sesshomaru looked at Rin's happy and determined face for a long time. He couldn't recall ever seeing a fox boy with the similarities of Nikala, but then again, whenever they'd run into InuYasha, InuYasha had been Sesshomaru's main focus. Anyone else didn't matter to him. He just wanted him dead.
With Nikala's newly regained scent of her son and Sesshomaru's strong scent of his distasteful half-brother, Sesshomaru knew that they would definitely find her son very soon. Now that she knew InuYasha was his brother, she'd be relying on him even more.
I can't let her down, he thought, for the first time thinking for others. I can't let her down because… well because I'm in love with Lady Nikala.