Beyond the Darkness
:::
A/N: Here's chapter 45. Thanks so much for R&R'ing, guys. It honestly brings a smile to my face every time I read a comment that says they genuinely like my writing and want me to continue. (: Thanks so much for you heartfelt comments. Gosh, I'm so tired right now, and I don't even know why. It's not even that late. Okay, well, here's 45. R&R please and enjoy! :D -Michele
::Forty-Five::
InuYasha raced through the forest, tracking Sesshomaru's scent. If he'd transformed into that dog, then something had to be wrong. Had he somehow snapped with Nikala? If so, she was in greater danger than she realized, and InuYasha had first-hand experience.
Nikala … he groaned in his mind. I told you he was evil!
He could hear his friends catching up to him, Kagome's voice calling his name echoing through the forest, but he didn't slow down. If Nikala was in danger from Sesshomaru, he had to hurry to her rescue. Besides, she was pregnant. Demon or not, Nikala was extremely vulnerable at this point.
As he entered a certain area of the forest, he immediately stopped in his tracks, golden eyes wide. He sniffed the air, the familiar foul stench entering his nostrils.
"Naraku," he muttered.
Naraku had been here, and so had Sesshomaru. Had they had showdown? No; the surroundings looked not to have experienced any recent battles. But still — Naraku had been here.
"InuYasha!" cried Kagome. He didn't turn around, but the clarity of her voice told him she couldn't be more than a mile away. When he finally did turn around, Kirara and Miroku were just stepping through the threshold of forest trees, carrying their passengers.
"Was it really necessary to run off like that?" panted Miroku, as Shippo jumped from his back so he could rest.
"Naraku's been here," InuYasha said, ignoring Miroku's question. Everyone's eyes widened.
"What?" Kagome gasped.
"His scent's strong as hell, and so is Sesshomaru's. The two must have met."
"Could that have trigged Sesshomaru's dog-state?" asked Sango.
"I don't know. Probably not. Sesshomaru's too calm a bastard to let Naraku get to him. He knows how to contain himself," grumbled InuYasha.
"Unlike someone we know," Shippo muttered underneath his breath. InuYasha shot him an icy glare and before he could retort back, Kagome cut in.
"So what about Nikala and the others? Were they here too?"
InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, I smell them all. Which means they probably all ran into Naraku." Shippo gulped and his eyes widened. Would his pregnant mother be able to defend herself against someone like Naraku?
"We should probably get a move on, then," said Miroku suddenly. "We need to leave now if we want to catch up to Sesshomaru and Naraku." He stood and brushed his robes off. Kagome leaped down from Kirara so Miroku and Shippo could take her place. InuYasha allowed her to mount his back and the group of them sped off.
* * *
A-Un followed Sesshomaru's trail in the air. Both Jaken and Rin waited anxiously to reach their lord. Though Sesshomaru was much more powerful than Naraku, there had still been that time in the past where Naraku attempted to absorb Sesshomaru into his disturbing demon body. But Jaken feared for Sesshomaru even greater this time because, as the dog demon, he was draining his energy and would need to get away to rejuvenate. If Naraku were to take advantage of this (should he find out) … Jaken shuddered, not wanting to think of the outcome.
Not only was Rin concerned for Lord Sesshomaru, but she was afraid for Nikala and the baby. Were they all right? Would Naraku at least take mercy on the expectant mother because she was going to have a baby any time soon? She prayed with all her might that he would. How could someone be so heartless towards a pregnant woman anyway, she thought. She had to be safe, she just had to be. Plus, wherever Naraku was, Kohaku was sure to be around, and Rin knew for a fact that Kohaku would take good care of Lady Nikala. After all, he'd taken care of her herself before.
Suddenly, A-Un seemingly ran into some sort of invisible wall and lowered itself onto the ground. Rin and Jaken dismounted it and walked towards the invisible wall. Jaken lay one hand on it and immediately pulled it back, as if he had been shocked.
"Blast! It's a barrier!" he cried. He knew he wouldn't be able to get through unless someone lowered it. Sesshomaru was on his own.
"Oh no! Lord Sesshomaru! Lady Nikala!" cried Rin, clapping her hands over her mouth. "We're never going to get through!"
Jaken took a couple of steps away from the barrier and twirled his Staff of Two Heads above his head. "Maybe the wrath of my Staff of Two Heads will burn it down!" He slammed the pole to the ground, the old man's head facing the barrier. The old man's jaw fell open and out came balls of bright orange fire, but as the fire hit, the barrier deflected them, bearing absolutely no damage. The fire thinned into the air.
"Curses," sighed the imp as he slid to the ground. Rin was right; they were never going to get through.
The two of them sat there for some moments, unsure of what they could do, when A-Un began to stir, facing its two heads behind them. Rin and Jaken looked over their shoulders and jumped up.
"InuYasha! What are you doing here?" cried Jaken angrily, but Rin had a different approach. She smiled gleefully at the sight of her friends.
"Shippo! Kagome!" she exclaimed, running towards them.
"I can ask you the same thing, imp," sneered InuYasha to Jaken while Kagome embraced Rin. "Shouldn't you be chasing after Sesshomaru?"
"We were, but we ran into this barrier," explained Rin, pointing behind her.
"Rin!" cried Jaken in protest. InuYasha eyed the imp warily, and then glanced towards where Rin pointed.
"A barrier?" Sango questioned.
"Yes. We were traveling in the air after Lord Sesshomaru when we hit the barrier," Rin said.
"Naraku's, no doubt," Miroku said. Rin nodded in agreement.
"And because Sesshomaru's practically 'barrier-resistant', he would be able to just waltz right through it," sneered InuYasha.
"How dare you speak ill of Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken cried, flailing his twiggy arms and pointing a finger at the half-demon. InuYasha rolled his eyes with annoyance.
"Oh shut up, imp. I'm the one who's going to get us through the barrier," he said. Jaken fell silent, for he remembered the last time InuYasha broke down Naraku's barrier: when Sesshomaru was almost being absorbed by Naraku. Jaken glowered at him.
Rin's eyes lit up. "Really? You're going to get us to Lady Nikala and Lord Sesshomaru?" InuYasha nodded and withdrew Tetsusaiga.
"Is Ma alright?" Shippo asked, worried. Rin's smile faltered.
"She's been kidnapped by Naraku. That's why Lord Sesshomaru went after him," Rin explained. Shippo's eyes widened in terror and Kagome gasped.
"The baby!" she cried.
"Ma!" Shippo cried after.
InuYasha glared. What exactly did Naraku want with Nikala? Was she going to be another sick experiment, or was he luring Sesshomaru again, like he had with Rin? Suddenly, Tetsusaiga's magnificent white blade had shifted to a brilliant blood red. Everyone stood back and watched InuYasha lift his blade over his head. With a loud yell, he swung his blade down on the invisible wall. The barrier dispersed and revealed Naraku's manor, along with one of the largest swarms of demons any of them had seen, as if they had been waiting for them to break through.