Disclaimer: I do not own NightWalker: Midnight Detective or Inuyasha. They, as well as the characters, belong to their rightful creators and their distributors. The only things I own are the slight changes that I make within the story.
AN: 'Ello everyone! Sorry for the long wait for this update but lots had happened and it didn't help that I was going through a bad bout of Writer's block.
Anyways, for everyone's patience in waiting for this, I present Chapter 8 – The 4th Night.
4th Night:
The Golden Dawn Approaches Part 1
Shido was sitting at his desk, thinking about what Kagome had told him and Yayoi when they had returned from killing the Night Breed that took over Taki Ryuichi's body.
The lavender-haired vampire was surprised to hear, after telling Kagome what happened with the Night Breed, that the said night breed was in fact a hybrid of sorts between a Youkai and a Night Breed; able to take on a human host like Taki Ryuichi but allowed its host to live normally unless the host was in danger, like how Taki was being chased down by Shido and the police.
All in all, it was a helpful but instinctual entity that could help people like Taki from their vegetative state; completely harmless and, as Kagome said, 'Protects the hand that feeds it as a way to pay its rent'.
Kagome's knowledge about this breed of hybrid was amazing and very helpful, explaining a lot to him in why Taki didn't turn into a complete Night Breed but kept its human form.
And even though Shido tried to ask Kagome if she knew anything about the Golden Dawn, Kagome told him that she never heard anything about it.
That conversation was took place about three weeks ago, right after he and Yayoi came back to the office once Taki Ryuichi and the hybrid possessing him were finished off.
Before Shido was about to think about what the Golden Dawn could possibly be, Yayoi called, saying they got another case.
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Kagome sat with two of her old school friends, trying to calm their crying from what had just happened. Her three old friends, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi took a day or two off from school in Tokyo to come visit her in Yokohama. The miko was surprised but couldn't turn down the suggestion of going out with them after making sure that her kitten friend Luna was okay by herself.
As soon as it started to get really late, Kagome offered to walk with them to the train station, through the red light district. As they were talking, Ayumi noticed that there was something on Yuka's back. When Yuka checked, her hand was covered in blood… and after Kagome told Yuka to stay calm, the girl started to shake from the shock before she fell to the floor dead.
As Eri and Ayumi screamed, Kagome quickly reached for her cell phone only to find that its battery was almost out. Cursing at her luck before seeing a few pedestrians close by, just standing and staring at her friend's body in a puddle of her own blood, she yelled at them to call an ambulance and the cops.
Now here she was, trying to calm her friends who were still alive after hearing from the ambulance that Yuka was dead. It hurt her to know that one of her old friends was dead and was killed unbeknownst to her and her other friends.
A female officer came to lead them to one of the patrol cars to head to the station but Kagome said that she'd stay behind and wait for her 'boss' to pick her up.
By this time, she caught sight of Shido and Yayoi taking a look at the body and made her way to them.
"Phantom Slasher?" Shido asked before Yayoi replied as the vampire took a look at the body, "there have been thirteen such cases in this district already. The victims die from shock of discovering their blood. The crime always takes place in crowded areas or public streets."
"Gee, I never heard of a showy phantom killer before." Guni said as she came out from behind Shido's hair.
"Any witnesses?" Shido asked.
Yayoi looked at him with a raised brow, "Would I even bother to call you here if I had any witnesses?" After Guni muttered that she had a point, a sad tone came to Yayoi's voice as she added, "Besides… the latest victim is one of Kagome's old high school friends from Tokyo. She, along with two others, was in town to visit Kagome, since they hadn't seen her since the incident at her family shrine. They were on their way to the train station so Kagome could see them off. The red light district is a shortcut to the station."
Shido sighed at this, never thinking that another person close to Kagome would be a victim of a Night Breed attack.
From the other side of the crime scene tape, Kagome watched Yayoi kneel, saying that what bothered her was the wounds Yuka received on her back before a man came up to them, saying that it was a night breed that was responsible and informing Yayoi that the central unit was on the search for the Breed.
Kagome lost interest in what they were saying as her eyes looked to where Yuka was lying with a cover over her. Lost in her thoughts, she never heard Yayoi say her name until she felt Shido's hand rest on her shoulder. Looking up to him, she sighed sorrowfully before accepting the vampire's embrace and following the two adults to Yayoi's car.
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The car ride was silent until Yayoi apologized to Shido about what happened to the chief inspector before taking a glance in her rearview mirror to see how Kagome was doing and saw the young girl was looking out the window as if deep in thought.
'She must be trying to figure out how she didn't sense the night breed…' she thought. Earlier, as they were walking to the car, Shido asked if she had sensed anything prior to her friend, Yuka's death. But Kagome said that she didn't sense anything; not a trace of the Night Breed's energy. And now, the young girl was trying to remember anything that may have been off when she was with her friends, just moments before Yuka was killed.
Kagome only gave half an ear to what was said between Yayoi and Shido before she heard the older woman say that the cases of the night breeds have prompt the central unit's involvement and that the situation was getting sticky.
As it started to get really silent and after wondering how the Night Breed could've gone passed her undetected, Kagome let out a sigh, running out of ideas on how the night breed who killed her friend Yuka got by her undetected. Not to mention, she didn't know how she'd be able to explain this to Yuka's family.
Her sigh had caught Shido's attention, bringing him out of his thoughts on what Cain had meant by the Golden Dawn, "Kagome-chan? You okay?" This question earned him a hard slap on the shoulder from Yayoi and her muttering, "what kind of question is that? She just lost one of her friends."
"I'm fine, Shido-san. I just don't know how that night breed came so close to us without me sensing it." Kagome answered them, very bothered and knowing it couldn't be because she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. Come on! They were in a Red Light district where they would be sure to run into drunks and, even if the possibility was slim or not, they could also run into a freak out for blood.
"It's really bothering you that much?"
"Yes! There's no way a lower leveled Night Breed could get passed me without me sensing it… unless it was getting help from a more intelligent and stronger being to help conceal its presence, which would be an entirely different story." Before Kagome could say anymore, she felt Shido's hand gently grasp hers from behind his seat.
"Don't worry, Kagome… we'll find the Night Breed that killed your friend. I promise."
Despite the feel of Shido's hand on hers, squeezing it reassuringly and the sound of him voice sounding so soothing as he made his promise, Kagome still couldn't help but feel her insides sink at the ominous feeling, like something bad was going to happen and soon.
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A few days had passed since Yuka's funeral and Kagome did what she could to help her friend's family to prepare for their daughter's funeral and offer what comfort she could despite that she felt responsible for not preventing it. Yuka's parents were grateful for the help and support while never blaming the miko for what had happened.
Even though Kagome was sad about her friend's unexpected passing, the miko knew that her friend wouldn't want her to cry despite that she kept hearing a lot of Yuka's family, minus her parents talking behind her back calling her heartless for not shedding tears for her friend.
They pretty much got an earful from Yuka's parents before the service was over and Kagome left to go back to Yokohama. After the funeral, Kagome just went back to Yokohama and back to school.
Right now, they had just let out for the day and Kagome was just walking out the front gate when she was stopped, "Hey, Higurashi-kun!" Turning to see who was calling her, Kagome was met with three girls. One of them she recognized as her old classmate, before she took her exam to become a senior, Yamazaki Riho. The other two were also classmates and close friends of Riho. Altogether, the three girls were a part of her 'fan club'.
Said club was small but a majority of the girls in the school were smart enough to not be a part of it and admired her from afar. But the three in front of her worked inside the club as Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. For some reason, their President remained unknown.
They looked at Kagome with worried expressions before the one who had called out to her, Riho – the treasurer – spoke, "Higurashi-kun, we heard that the latest victim from the Phantom Slasher killings was one of your friends… we're so sorry."
"It's ok. Even though I miss her, I know she's in a better place now. She won't get hurt anymore… plus, she wouldn't want me to be sad." Kagome said softly. Despite that she could sometimes find them a bit nosey when it came to her personal life and such, it wasn't in her to be rude. Don't get her wrong; the three girls in front of her were all sweet and very kind but sometimes they could be very nosey when they wanted info about her.
'They're usually like the paparazzi…' Kagome thought.
Riho couldn't help the clenching feeling in her chest as hearing Kagome's answer. Ever since the beautiful, model-like boy came into their class, Riho would admit that the beautiful boy was very attractive; like a being out of a manga that was filled with beautiful boys. And as the day turned to weeks before he went into a senior class, Riho started to fall for the beautiful boy.
In order to somehow get close to Kagome, Riho joined his fan club, becoming the treasurer. Despite all the info they could get, there wasn't much known about Kagome other than his moved to Yokohama from Tokyo for unknown reasons concerning family and that his younger brother always visited on weekends unless one of the brothers had plans or was working.
Aside from that, they couldn't find where Kagome lived or where he worked. The only inkling they had on his part time job was that he was working at a PI office and that was it.
Riho was brought out of her thoughts when one of her friends spoke, "Well, Kagome-kun… if there's anything you need, whether it's to talk or something, all the teachers and your classmates are here for you."
Kagome's soft and polite, yet slightly sad smile made Riho's heart skip a beat before he answered, "Thank you… I really appreciate the concern but I'll be fine. It'll take time before the pain of her loss lessens, but I'll be okay."
'Higurashi-kun…' it was also Kagome's strength, along with his sensitivity that attracted Riho to Kagome to the point where she easily fell in love with him. Everything that was Kagome was what she always wanted in a boyfriend. One who was kind, considerate, and loving while also strong, not afraid to voice his thoughts, and stood up for those he cared about.
After smiling at the girls, Kagome looked to her wristwatch and say that time, "I'm sorry, you three, I've got to get going. I still need to stop by the store for groceries and cat food for Luna." Once she bid them goodbye, Kagome made her way to the grocers she usually shopped at.
The miko in boys clothing never noticed the longing Riho had in her eyes as she watched her walk away.
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'Hmm… what would be good to have for tonight? And I know that Luna will like the small serving of fresh tuna for her…' Kagome thought with lightness in her step as she made her way home; one arm holding a bag of produces and cat food while in her right, with her schoolbag, was a separate bag that had the mentioned tuna and some meat she got on sale.
Hearing the grunts of a couple of men up ahead, Kagome looked up to see some movers carrying a sofa wrapped in plastic to their truck. Right behind them, a familiar face was carrying suitcase.
Recognizing the woman, she grinned a little before calling out and quickening her pace a bit, "Megumi-san! Konnichi-wa!"
The light brunette woman set her suitcase down before looking up and noticing the raven-haired teen, "Oh! You're the part-timer from that detective agency…"
Kagome gave a slight bow as she introduced herself, "I'm Higurashi Kagome." Noticing the logo on the side of the truck, Kagome asked, "Are you moving away?"
Megumi, when she first went to the Detective agency, she wasn't surprised that they had a high school student as a part-timer but what really surprised her was how beautiful the boy was and that his boss allowed him to go with them out on the field during cases. Setting her suitcase down, she smiled, "Yes. I'm moving in with my parents in the Setagaya district." She then looked at the apartment complex where she and her fiancé lived, "There's just a lot of memories here…"
Feeling bad for the loss of her lover because of a Nightbreed, Kagome spoke, "I'm so sorry… about losing Taki-san…" with a little more strength in her voice, she finished, "But I'm sure that everything will be okay… he'll always be with you."
"Yes… Ryuichi-san is with me. He's right inside me." Megumi answered, her hand resting on her navel.
Blinking, Kagome asked, "Megumi-san… are you expecting?"
"Yes! I'm gonna be having his baby- Ryuichi-san's baby."
Kagome was silent for a while before she asked, "How long…?"
Megumi gave a like laugh before answering, "Just a little over two months or less. And I still need to set up appointments with an obstetrician once I'm with my parents."
Although, Kagome knew that the creature that possessed Taki Ryuichi's body was like a mix between a Nightbreed and a Youkai, she didn't know what would happen to a child conceived after intercourse between a normal human and a human possessed by the creature. For all she knew, it was a fifty-fifty percent chance that the child will be completely human or be a hanyou.
After seeing the motherly glow in the older woman's eyes, Kagome didn't want the older woman to worry. Shido had told Kagome that Taki Ryuichi didn't change from his human form, so there was a chance that Megumi's child didn't have any of the Nightbreed/Youkai's blood.
"Congratulations, Megumi-san. I hope the baby's healthy when it's born." Kagome said, hoping that the baby will be very healthy once it's born.
"Thank you. I believe the baby will be very healthy, if all his kicking and stretching he's been doing."
To make sure that there might not be a trace of Nightbreed blood, Kagome asked, "May I… feel?"
"Of course." With Megumi's permission, Kagome set her schoolbag and plastic bag of meat and tuna on the ground before gently resting her hand on the older woman's belly. Feeling the growth of her stomach, Kagome knew Megumi was right about being a little over two months. Feeling the baby's aura, she could also tell that Megumi was unknowingly right about the baby being a boy.
Looking deeper into the baby's aura, Kagome could also feel that there was a slight dark feel mixed with the purity of the newborn. The feel was so slight that if she hadn't looked so deep, she would've missed it. But overall, Kagome doubted that the darkness would develop as the baby continued to grow within his mother's womb. Although Kagome wasn't going to doubt that the power wouldn't awaken once the child reached puberty.
Not to mention it felt like she was around four months pregnant or more, rather than around two months, like she said. 'The genes of something supernatural speeds up the pregnancy a bit. Or it could be an aging disorder from humans. As for the baby's power… right now, it's dormant. Either it'll disappear, stay dormant, or grow as the child grows older. Nothing's certain right now…'
She smiled softly, "You're right… with how much he's moving, he'll be a very healthy baby."
Seeing that the movers were ready to go, Megumi excused herself to allow Kagome to go home while she gave the men the address to her parents' home and the go ahead to leave.
Once she was about a block or two from Megumi's apartment complex, Kagome sighed before thinking aloud, "I may not want to… but I'll have to tell Shido-san…" after deciding that she'll put some food down for Luna and her groceries up when she gets home, she would have a late dinner and go see Shido and Yayoi about Megumi being pregnant.
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"What do mean Otsuka Megumi's pregnant?" Shido's voice sounded through the office and, not doubt, through the hall outside.
"Kagome, are you sure that she's pregnant?" Yayoi asked, a little calmer than Shido.
Kagome frowned with her light frown on her face, "You don't have to yell Shido-san. And yes, you guys heard me right when I said that Megumi-san's pregnant with Taki-san's baby. And from what I felt in the baby's aura, it's gonna be a boy."
"Kagome, it wasn't Taki we were chasing, it was a Breed." Shido spoke with a little force, despite what Kagome had told him about the creature that possessed Taki's body being a hybrid between a Nightbreed and a Youkai.
"We've got a problem. Suppose she's carrying a cross-breed…" Yayoi started before Shido finished with Guni on his shoulder, "The mother's life is at risk."
"And I thought I told you guys that the creature that possessed Taki-san's soulless body was a hybrid of sorts between a Nightbreed and Youkai. Besides, from what I felt in the baby's aura, the baby is more human while what I could feel of the creature's aura was very little and dormant. There's no telling what the baby's fate will be once it's born." Kagome argued, not understanding why Yayoi, Shido, and Guni were so worried about the future of a baby that's not even born yet.
Without their notice, hanyou and hybrid children are born everyday. Hell, some even pass on their unknown demonic genes without knowing. What's the big deal? It's not like Megumi was gonna give birth to the seed of Chucky.
"But say, those serial attacks recently… and Kagome's friend's death… the random slashings, I mean. Can it be that Megumi's the culprit?" Guni asked, looking between the two humans and vampire.
"It's not impossible." Yayoi answered, having all theories being plausible.
"I highly doubt it." Kagome's answer caught the attention of the three in front of her before she continued, "If the being that killed Yuka and the victims before her was Megumi-san, I would've felt her human aura whether she's under the influence of a Nightbreed hybrid; I'm that sensitive when it comes to human and inhuman auras. And what I felt from Megumi's baby was an almost completely clean slate; very much like a normal human baby despite that its growth rate is slightly faster than a normal human's. But that can be an aging disorder in humans.
"The only thing that derives it from for normal fully human babies is that he has only an almost undetectable aura of a nightbreed/youkai. This power is so slight that there's a chance that it won't affect the baby's life, even if it's born. And Megumi will be fine during and after her pregnancy, since there's no danger in carrying a hybrid child unless the child's darker aura is more than its human aura. If that should happen, then the mother of the child would be in danger of losing her life while giving birth but even that won't happen unless she's strong in mind, body, and soul."
"Kagome…" Shido understood what Kagome was saying since she had come across more cases like this than him when it came to Youkai but she had never had any experience with Nightbreeds.
"Shido, what I'm trying to say is that there's no being in existence that is born evil. And even if I'm wrong and the baby is a nightbreed, would you really have the heart to kill it?"
The adults and Pixie before her were silent before she continued, "You said that Taki was dead; that his soul passed on. But that doesn't mean that the body is really dead. Technically, the body was alive; still breathing, with a beating heart, and brain that could still subconsciously think. It only needed another soul or being to make him move. And I told you the night that you killed Taki-san that the Nightbreed/Youkai hybrid was harmless and made the body change slightly when it feels that its host's body is in danger. There had never been a case where hosts like Taki-san conceive a child with a human female so it's uncertain what will be the baby's fate. All we can do is let time take its course and allow the child to grow and develop and see if its darker power will stay dormant, grow, or dwindle before the child reaches puberty."
Everyone was silent, letting what Kagome had said sink in before Guni voiced her opinion "She… kinda has a point."
Shido looked solemn for a moment, "The Golden Dawn…"
"Shido?" Yayoi asked before the lavender haired vampire continued, "the 'golden dawn' that Cain was talking about… is this what he meant?"
"You're absolutely right, Shido." Another voice sounded within the office, making the occupants keep on their guard, turning to the front door before the entire room was engulfed in shadows. The only thing that was visible was the front door before it opened slowly and Yayoi brought out her gun while Kagome prepared herself for any kind of attack.
Soon, almost out of thin air, Cain appeared, stepping into the light, revealing a man with wavy golden hair and matching golden eyes as he continued, "Cross-breeding between humans and the Nightbreeds signifies the beginning of a new age."
Kagome frowned at this, "Where the hell did you hear or find this? How can something unknowingly common be the Golden Dawn? I mean, the birth of a child that's human and something else, like a Youkai or nightbreed isn't that rare."
Cain's sights then turned to Kagome with an unreadable emotion in his cold eyes, probably a little crossed from someone like her questioning him about his findings.
Before he could say a word to her, Shido demanded, "What is it that you want, Cain?"
Looking to his former lover, Cain decided to let the human girl's questions slide as he answered Shido, "I'm here to take you back."
"What?"
"I see you're still messing around with humans. Why don't you give it a rest already? If we vampires were the land, humans would be the clouds drifting across over it. Such a futile existence…" Shido then demanded Cain to leave, not wanting Kagome to hear Cain's words and risking her trying to fight the older vampire to shut him up.
"Shido… how can you be so rude… to a lover who's come all this way to see you?"
This seemed to have struck a nerve in Shido as his eyes flashed gold and he bit his finger, using his blood like bullets targeting Cain. But the older vampire phased out, making the blood miss him before Yayoi started shooting only for the same thing to happen.
Gritting her teeth, Kagome pointed her fore and middle finger toward Cain before making a swift cutting formation as she recited, "Rin, Pyo, Toh, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, ZEN!" Before a burst of energy short forth from the pattern she made and toward Cain.
Even though the miko didn't have as much luck as Shido or Yayoi, Kagome's choice of attack still annoyed Cain, despite that his form was only an illusion for precautions.
"Shit, he's an illusion." Kagome voiced in frustration.
"Of course. I've been around a lot longer than Shido and a holy human child like you." Cain answered, his voice holding a snide tone, "You can't beat me."
His form then faded to nothing. But before his presence completely vanished, Cain's voice rang, "I will come back for you another time, Shido." With those words, the shadows that had engulfed the office vanished before the door closed. But soon his last words made dread seep into them, "and by the way, it looks like Otsuka Megumi has been captured by the NOS."
"WHAT?" Yayoi yelled before she and Shido went for the door to stop them. As Kagome was going to follow, Shido told her to stay in the office.
"Shido-san, please, I can help protect Megumi-san and her baby." Kagome protested.
Before she could protest any more, Shido grabbed both of her arms firmly before asking, "Kagome-chan, I'm asking you… for your own safety and so you won't get involved with the NOS… please stay here. We'll be back with Megumi-san."
And with that, Shido left to catch up with Yayoi, leaving Kagome in the office, understanding the circumstances of what's happening.
Sighing helplessly, Kagome prayed, 'I just hope… that they'll be all right… along with Megumi-san and her baby…'
Almost FIVE complete pages. I'd say that's pretty good considering how long this hadn't been updated.
I hope you guys enjoyed this. Reviews with nice compliments are appreciated, I don't take kindly to flames, and any suggestions are welcome as well.
Until next time.