Darkshadow At Midnight

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha

What Holidays Bring

Chapter 52: The Search

"What...what are you all doing here?"

Aina looked at the five people standing on her front porch. Kita stepped up first, pushing Aina's door open. This forced Aina to stumble back a bit.

"W-what do you think you're doing!?" Aina yelled. "You can't just barge into my house!"

"Shut up." Kita hissed, her slit cat pupils dilating from her anger and irritation. "You're going to tell us where Kagome is, and I warn you not to even try to lie."

"W-what?" Aina stammered. "Kagome? Why are you asking me? InuYasha's her mate, right?"

InuYasha growled, and then tried to move past Kita. Bankotsu grabbed his arm,

"Stop. We need her alive, InuYasha."

Aina looked past Kita, and at InuYasha. His eyes were tinted red. Aina felt fear slowly beginning to cloud her thoughts.

"How did they know to come here? I didn't think this would happen. I wasn't supposed to be found out. What am I supposed to-"

"You fool, calm down." A voice suddenly intruded her mind. "One of them is not only a full fledged demon, but a psychologist, so she will read your actions."

"N-Naraku?" Aina blinked in surprise, and then jumped when Kita suddenly grabbed her by the front of her shirt.

"Where's Kagome!?" she hissed.

Naraku's voice returned, "You must not, under any circumstances, lead them here."

"But wasn't that Kikyo's intention?" Aina asked.

When there was no reply, she clenched her hands into fist. Did Naraku's plan fail? Did Kikyo go against his orders? Aina wasn't completely in the loop, so she didn't know what was going on.

"You're not going to answer me?"

Aina blinked, and finally actually looked at Kita. Everything about her seemed to be darker. Calmer.

"I told you. I don't know where she is." Aina said slowly, relaxing her clenched hands. "I called her earlier to see if she was awake. That was the last time I spoke to her."

She wasn't sure if they knew about the phone call. If they did, they could use it against her to see if she was lying, but if they didn't know, they could tie it as her being apart of Kikyo's plot. Aina was in a bind, and Naraku was of no help to her. Perhaps, finally, something was out of his hands. To only Kikyo's benefit, of course. Aina was nothing but bait for her. She hadn't gotten why Kikyo had left a note for InuYasha, but now she knew. Had he found it yet?

"Oh? You called her?" Kita asked, a smirk coming to her face. "So early in the morning? How ironic."

Aina didn't have a choice. She looked toward InuYasha's pant pocket, and saw the white sheet of paper poking out. Aina pointed,

"What's in your pocket?"

Kita didn't get easily distracted away from Aina. In fact, her smirk only grew. InuYasha looked down, and saw the paper. He pulled it out of his pocket, and looked at it curiously.

"A note?" Miroku asked.

Bankotsu nodded, "Clearly, they did not want this search to be a dead in. We're being lured in."

InuYasha quickly opened it. His eyes scanned across the paper quickly. Sango stepped closer, and looked over his shoulder, reading aloud,

"It'd be idiotic to take Kagome, and leave you no trail, wouldn't it? How would I get you back then? You'll probably figure this hint out yourself, but allow me to help as you're not always so bright. Aina."

Aina's eyes widened. Kita's smirk had widened to the point her pearly white teeth were showing.

"You really are a dumb bitch." she said with a laugh. "You pointed out a note that you clearly already knew was there, and that note just revealed to us that we were definitely right coming here. You have nothing else to hide behind, figuratively speaking, of course. As if I'd let my mice even find a corner to cower in."

"So you going to tell us where Kagome is, or should we just let Kita and InuYasha sharpen their claws on you?" Bankotsu asked, looking at her with pity.

Aina felt her heart beginning to pound. She watched as Kita's hazel eyes seemed to darken. Both she and InuYasha looked at her with bloodlust. For the first time, she saw the true maliciousness of the demons that'd inhabited this world. Aina felt Kita's hold loosen on her collar, and that frightened her as she did not know what that meant for her. She exclaimed,

"Okay! Okay! Please don't hurt me. I...I'll help you! I'll take you to her!"

While InuYasha began to growl only louder, Kita let go of her entirely. Her hazel eyes were brighter, and her smile even more so,

"That'a girl. You made a smart decision."

Just as she'd released her, InuYasha shoved past Kita, and grabbed Aina by the collar again. He growled,

"You rotten wench! I thought Kagome was your friend! Do you know what Kikyo could be doing to her right now!?"

"Kikyo!" Aina exclaimed in fear; she turning her head, frightened by the redness of his eyes. "Kikyo, she told me that Kagome had stole you from her, and I was trying to help the actual victim here! You hurt Kikyo! You-"

"What do you know!?" InuYasha interrupted with a growl, releasing her so roughly that she fell onto her butt. "I didn't realize that you were there when everything happened!? Kikyo left your fate in our hands. Once we find where they are, we could easily kill you. Do you think Kikyo cares!? What does that tell you!?"

Aina looked up at him with wide eyes. She felt the blood draining from her face. Realization dawned on her. He was right. Why else would Kikyo leave it to her to bring them? Why else would Naraku stop helping her? Aina felt her eyes burn slightly, and she looked down. Kita sighed, and then stepped forward, patting InuYasha on the shoulder,

"Relax, InuYasha. We've gotten what we wanted out of her. Well, we've gotten the satisfaction of knowing we have a map to Kagome, but we got something. We don't need her getting all emotional on us. She got sucked into a situation she didn't understand, and they most likely used the envy she felt toward Kagome to make her help them."

"As if that was all." Bankotsu said, making Kita look at him. "She's only a human, and one that has probably had no experience with demons until now. I've seen one, too many like her on missions to kill some demon like the one who has her under his influence. Even if he decided not to use whatever ability he has to make her do what she's doing, he could have easily of threatened to kill her. The one fatal flaw for most humans is survival. It doesn't matter who you supposedly love, promise to protect with your life, or entity you've devoted your life to. In the end, facing death, what can we do other than be selfish? What can we do when all we want is to find our place where demons now dominate? It takes a lifetime to have another mentality. One that doesn't make you choose survival over friends, and family. It's usually only people like...like Sango, who grew up amongst demon specialist, or me...an assassin. Humans like us are the few that managed to not get such a pitiful mentality like this one..."

The room was silent. InuYasha, Miroku, Sango, and Kita all looked at him. Bankotsu blinked,

"What?"

Kita started to laugh. Miroku scratched the back of his head, and Sango covered her mouth, looking down. InuYasha growled,

"Are you done with your damn speech!? You've wasted two minutes we could have spent finding out where Kagome is!"

"Oh. Sorry." Bankotsu said, coughing into his fist.

Kita breathed heavily, holding her side, "Okay, ah. I'm done. Sorry, InuYasha. All seriousness, now. Aina. Get up."

She leaned down, grabbing the girl by the arm to only have her yank away. Aina looked up at them all with tears in her eyes,

"What's so funny about everything he said!? I'm nothing special in this world! Try being in my place for a minute! Demons are more intelligent, demons will rule, the only hope we have as humans is to find a good position below them. That was all I was told as a child! It was either that, or marry one of you hell bound demons! For one second, a man actually paid attention to me, and I wanted to believe I was doing something right! If I've got the story right now, wasn't it the same for Kagome? She's a human just like me. No demon specialist, no assassin, no miko. None of those things! Another human struggling to find happiness in this damned world! I fell in love with a demon, but unlike for her, he did not feel the same for me! How can you all be so cruel to me when she did the same!?"

The room was filled with silence, but only for a short moment. Kita sighed,

"Well, I hate to break it you Aina, but you still didn't get the story right. Kikyo's ill in the head. She's bitter, and untrustworthy. It was expected by everyone that the relationship she had with InuYasha would end as soon as he found someone better suited for him. Yeah, InuYasha didn't do it in the best way, but it is what it is. Perfection is not in life's vocabulary. You do what you can, the best you can. It doesn't matter who you are. If you don't try hard enough, the failure of your life is on you. Kagome's fault was being hung up on the sadness she felt toward her deceased brother, and hatred toward her parents. We have to keep moving, because life isn't going to wait. It's not our fault that you can't grasp that. It's not our fault Kikyo couldn't, either. It would have been smart had someone gotten her admitted, but we were too late, and we're all paying the price. So in the end of my rant, life is only what we make it out to be. If you pursue happiness and joy, you'll find it. However, if you pursue jealousy and misery, you'll find it. That's all I have to say, and thus, the end to this conversation that Bankotsu started."

She shot him a look, and he gave a twitch of a smile.

"Now get to your feet. You're going to point us in the direction of Kagome, and hopefully afterward, you'll remember my words and fix the shit I'll call your life." Kita continued. "We all clear on that?"

"Whenever you all decide you're ready." InuYasha grunted, waiting impatiently at the door.

Kita pulled Aina up to her feet, "We know InuYasha. I'm sure Kagome is fine though. Even though she's an ordinary human, she's not the one to stay down."

InuYasha could help but to grin at that as he turned, and then opened the door. They all went out, and got into the truck they'd rushed to rent half an hour earlier. When everyone was in the car, InuYasha started it up, and then backed out of Aina's driveway.

"InuYasha." Kita started as they went off down the road.

He glanced at her, "What is it?"

"Naraku. Doesn't that name sound familiar?" she asked.

InuYasha glanced in the rear view mirror, seeing Aina looking down at her hands, "A little, but I can't remember who it is exactly. Maybe he was some competitor of Dad's. It's the only reason I can think he'd assist Kikyo. She's not exactly richest person ever. It's been months, and I'm sure she's dry out of cash if she was paying him. He has to have a motive."

"Yeah." Kita sighed. "In any case, I want to end this. For all of us."

Before InuYasha could say anything, the sound of a phone ringing went off. Kita sat up straighter, reached into her pocket, and then pulled out her cell phone. She looked at the caller I.D., and frowned.

"Who is it?" InuYasha asked, a part of him hoping it was some unidentified number, and when she answered it, it'd be Kagome.

Kita sighed, "Sesshomaru."

He sighed heavily. Kita pressed the talk button, and then pressed it to her ear,

"What's up, Sesshomaru?"

"What are you getting yourself into, Hoshi?" he asked casually.

Kita bit her bottom lip. How did he know? They were still mates. He probably felt her get all riled up when Aina opened her door. Curse her lack of control. She took in a breath,

"Kagome's in some trouble is all. We're going to get her back, and then all of this crap will be over. Why?"

Kita could hear it now.

You have a son, Hoshi.

He's not even one yet, Hoshi.

You're being reckless, Hoshi.

Fool.

Stupidity.

Childish.

The list of things he could say could go on, and she knew she would predict right on one of them. Kita absentmindedly looked at her nails. She wondered if he'd ever grasp the concept that they weren't together anymore. Kita knew how to take care of herself, and she was not weak. When would he stop trying to be her mate?

"Don't get yourself killed. If you can handle that much."

"Sesshomaru, I'm perfectly capable of-wait, what?" Kita blinked, dropping her hand into her lap.

Did he just...wait, what? Sesshomaru said nothing more. The next thing she heard was something that sounded a lot like a car door slamming, his usual soft sigh, and then...then the call went dead. Kita looked around.

"What?" Bankotsu asked, noticing how she was looking around with wide eyes. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

"More like I'm expecting the world to end." she replied, removing the phone from her ear. "Sesshomaru called, questioned me, and then instead of reminding me we have Yukio, told me not get myself killed. He said I could handle that much. It sounded like he was getting out of a car. Maybe he's about to go to work? It's a bit late for him. He's usual in by like six, or seven. Maybe he just slammed a door to express his irritation. He sighed too. That's a bit much though, isn't it? For someone as emotionless as him, right?"

Kita blinked, staring forward blankly. Bankotsu laughed. She frowned, and then glared back at him,

"What's so funny?"

"Do you hear yourself? You're trying to analyze everything he said, and did. You should be happy. He's finally giving you his support, and backing off. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yeah, but something about it is weird. It feels off." she muttered.

Bankotsu laughed again, "You're just not used to it. Stop reading into it."

"I don't know." she said, unconvinced, crossing her arms, and then sighing.

Sesshomaru was just a weird person. Even when he wasn't around, or did what she wanted him to, he managed to irritate her in some way. Now Kita would spend the rest of the ride wondering what he was doing. He just had to call.

"You going to start pointing, or what?" InuYasha suddenly asked, looking back at Aina when they stopped at a red light.

Aina sighed, and then looked up. She looked around, observing where they were before speaking,

"Keep going straight, and I'll tell you when to turn."

"InuYasha, wait." Kita sat up straighter, turning toward him slightly. "Lets take Miroku and Sango back first."

"What for!? We don't have time-!"

"Sango's pregnant, InuYasha." Kita interrupted, giving him a glare. "I know you want to hurry, but let's not put Sango in danger."

InuYasha glanced in the rear view mirror at Sango, and then Miroku who looked at him with agreeing eyes. With a growl, he turned the wheel sharply.

"Shit!" Bankotsu clenched at Kita's seat as InuYasha began to drive the car even more recklessly than he had been just now.

Kita looked at InuYasha before sighing, and settling back in her seat. She was just as anxious as him, but if Sango lost another baby...would he be able to live with that?

With Kagome

Kagome could hear the swishing sound of water when she began to wake up. This wasn't the first time she'd begun to wake up, though. She couldn't remember the number of times she started to wake up to only have that rag shoved in her face again. When she opened her eyes, everything was blurry at first, but it soon cleared. Kagome turned onto her side, and began to push herself up. She looked around to find she was in a room that had little, to no furniture. Kagome got off the bed, and then walked to one of the windows. She looked out to see nothing but water. A lake house? The window looked like it could be opened, but there was nothing but water beneath the house. She wondered if the entire house was on water.

Kagome looked toward the door to the room she was in when she heard a loud thud. She heard a voice that was deep, and raspy. It was quickly followed by a loud, shrilling voice she quickly identified as Kikyo. The words were muffled, so she couldn't make out what they were saying, but it didn't sound like a pleasant conversation. When she heard footsteps coming toward her door, Kagome backed toward the furthest corner. The door opened, and Kikyo stepped in, slamming it behind her. Kagome's eyes had at first narrowed, but they widened slightly when she saw the red mark across her face, and the cut on her cheek and bottom lip.

"Don't give me that look." Kikyo spat angrily, turning away slightly and wiping at her face. "I did what I had to do to insure I got my end of the bargain. Naraku isn't exactly trustworthy."

Kagome didn't know what to say to that. In fact, it didn't even sound like she was talking to her. It was more to herself. Kikyo looked pale. There was a light coat of perspiration on her face, and Kagome couldn't help feeling concerned. Albeit was more concern for the baby, but how could the baby be okay if the mother wasn't?

"Are you alright? You don't look well." Kagome said, taking a step forward.

Kikyo looked at her. Rage was clear in her eyes.

"Am I okay?" she asked, storming toward her. "I'd be okay if you hadn't taken InuYasha away! I wouldn't be going through any of this!"

Kagome instinctively put her arms around her stomach. Kikyo didn't even notice. She raised her hand, and let her palm crash into the side of Kagome's face. It left a burning sensation, but Kagome was quick to recover. She looked up, and then brought a hand up, shoving Kikyo back lightly,

"Keep your hands off me. Why must you do this?"

"Should I repeat myself!?" she spat.

Kagome retorted, "I didn't take InuYasha from you, he choose me! I didn't force him to leave you, Kikyo! He had a choice. I'm not going to lie to your face, though, and say I had nothing to do with the outcome. I felt something toward him, and I pursued it despite your warning. I'm sorry, but..."

"But it is what it is?" Kikyo finished. "You are nothing but a whore. InuYasha should thank me later when I tell him I mopped the floor with your blood. He should be happy to know he'll only have to father one child."

"If you think I'm going to let you just kill me and my baby, you're wrong." Kagome retorted.

Kikyo grinned, "And what abilities do you have to defend yourself against me? A trained miko? You're nothing but a plain human."

"A human with a reason to fight, to live. I wish I could talk you out of this. I wish I could make you consider the safety of that baby growing inside of you, but I know you won't listen to reason. So I'll do whatever I have to, to survive." Kagome replied.

Kikyo scoffed, "You'd be doing me a favor by killing this thing in me, but I'm afraid I'm too far along in this pregnancy. Demon babies, even if born prematurely, have a far better chance of survival unlike those of human premature babies. Plus, the most damage you could do to me is knock me over, and induce an early labor. That won't stop me though. I'm not going anywhere until I watch you take your last breath."

Kagome looked into Kikyo's mad, wide eyes. It was in this moment she looked truly crazy to her. She needed to do something, because Kagome knew the last thing Kikyo was doing right now, was lying. She could see the desire Kikyo had for her demise. Kagome clenched her hand over her stomach. She wouldn't let Kikyo kill her baby, but at the same time...she did not want to kill Kikyo's. All she had to do was get out of this room, and try to escape the lake house. Surely she could manage that?

Kagome began to back away from Kikyo until her back hit the wall. Seeing this, Kikyo sneered,

"Don't even try it. Your time is now."

She jumped at Kagome, but she managed to move away just in time. A faint, pink mist began surround Kikyo. Kagome did not turn her back on Kikyo. She quickly moved back toward the door. Kagome reached back, and grabbed the doorknob only to find that it was locked. Kikyo laughed,

"You idiot. As if I came in here, and left any opportunities for you to escape."

"It could be that." Kagome said, continuing along the walls of the room, making sure to stay away from her. "That...or you're trapped in here just like me. There is a reason for your cuts and bruises, right?"

"Shut up!" Kikyo yelled, running toward her. "Keep your mouth shut about things you don't understand!"

Kagome managed to jump out of the way. She would be able to use Kikyo's pregnancy against her. Kagome didn't even have a baby bump yet, and thus, was a lot more flexible. However, she could only keep this up for so long. Kagome could get sick, or dizzy at any moment due to her own pregnancy. She'd just have to pray hard that InuYasha found her before Kikyo could so much as lay a finger on her. Kagome didn't believe she'd be so lucky, but she could hope. She had to hope, or else Kikyo could get to her a lot more easily.

With InuYasha and the Others

"A house on water?" Bankotsu muttered as they walked down the path. "What were these guys doing? Enjoying their vacation up until they made their strike?"

"Or they just decided to find the most inconspicuous place. Are you really an assassin, Bankotsu?" Kita asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He glared at her, "Yes!"

"You sure?" she asked with a grin.

Bankotsu kept glaring as Kita walked ahead of him. He grinned, and brought his hand up, thumping Kita in the back of the head. Bankotsu heard a hiss, and jumped back when Kita turned on him. He laughed,

"Whoa, kitty. Down. Wait, I mean mew."

"Bankotsu-!"

"Would you two knock it off!?" InuYasha growled. "I knew I should have come alone."

"As if you could get Kagome out by yourself." Kita muttered.

InuYasha shot her a look. Aina walked past all of them, walking quickly down the path, and toward the front door. Kita hissed after her,

"You idiot! Don't just rush- InuYasha!"

InuYasha had caught up to Aina. Kita cursed under her breath, and began to run to catch up. Bankotsu was close behind. Once at the door, InuYasha didn't even bother trying the doorknob. He kicked the wooden door in, and then stormed in.

"Kagome!" he yelled. "Kagome, where are you!?"

"InuYasha!" Kita yelled, running up behind him. "Use your damn nose, and shut your-"

The door slammed shut behind them, and Bankotsu cursed under his breath. InuYasha looked back to see a tall man with long, jet black hair, and crimson eyes that seemed to shine in the dimness of the lake house. Aina looked at him with wide eyes, and then everyone else in the room. Things were about to get bad, and as a human, she didn't want to get in between it. She'd just have to speak with him later. With that, Aina turned, and ran off down the hall. Meanwhile, everyone focused on the man before them.

"You must be Naraku." Kita said, taking a couple of steps back.

He grinned, "That I am. Welcome. I'm glad you all made it here safely."

"Where's Kagome?" Bankotsu repeated for Kita, reaching his hand to his back.

Naraku smirked, and before they knew what was happening, the walls around them began to break. It was then Kita noticed the white, sharp objects bursting from Naraku's back. It looked like his very spine had left his body, and was now protruding outward as some sort of weapon. Before any of them could react, fragments of the bones were being shot toward them. They all managed to jump back, and avoid being hit, but they weren't given a minute to retaliate. Several dark green tentacles also shot from Naraku's back, and came at great speed toward all of them.

"Get out of the way!"

Bankotsu jumped back, managing to not be touched by the tentacles coming toward him by standing behind a pillar that was within the room. InuYasha cracked his knuckles, revealing his claws, and then cutting every tentacle that flew toward him. Kita, being a cat, managed to easily dodge every tentacle without having to cut them. She jumped up onto one of the tentacles, and charged toward Naraku. He looked up at her slowly.

"You're too slow!" she yelled.

Naraku gave a smirk. The extensions of bone shifted toward her. Kita heard Bankotsu yell,

"Kita!"

She cursed under her breath as Naraku released several of the sharp bone fragments toward her. Not only were they coming from the front, but he had tentacles coming toward her from every opening she could have taken. Kita quickly threw herself down onto the tentacle, and slid around it. Just as she released the tentacle to drop to the ground, another came and crashed into the side of her. Kita gritted her teeth when she felt something pop in her shoulder, but turned slightly with grace and sliced the tentacle right down the middle.

Several other tentacles came toward her. She lifted her arm to lash at one to only feel pain shoot through her.

"Kita!" she heard Bankotsu shout again.

She managed to jump back when Bankotsu threw his blades toward the tentacles, and stopped them from hitting her. Bankotsu ran to her side, and then touched her arm lightly,

"You're hurt."

"I'm fine! We can't st-"

"Why are you two idiots standing there!? Move!" InuYasha shouted.

Kita looked up just in time to see InuYasha running toward them, but to only be stopped by one of Naraku's bone fragment's going into his side. She exclaimed,

"InuYasha!"

Something slammed into the back of her, and she crashed into Bankotsu. They both went flying. Kita didn't know where they ended, because when they made contact, everything went black.

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Please review, and I'll have the next chapter up as soon as possible!