InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Midnight Blood ❯ Unknowns ( Chapter 2 )

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Author's notes:

NEW AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well since I don't have a beta, I have to go back and look for errors myself. And low and behold! I found some. Grammar and spelling have been fixed! YAY! Working on the next chapter, it will be up as soon as I'm done, thank you for your patience!

Ugh, it's the beginning of the story and ALREADY I have writer's block…I had to go back and rewrite this twice because I didn't like the pacing. Nonetheless, it's done! So I hope you enjoy.

Sequel to my story “Nightwalker.” If you haven't read that story yet, I suggest you do if you don't want spoilers or if you want to make sense of this story better. If you don't care, well, I hope you enjoy yourself anyway.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, nor do I take credit for Romiko Takahashi's genius. I'm not that good at marketing.

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REVIEWERS: Thanks again for the reviews! They keep my motivation going!

@UNISTAR: Thanks for noticing Narek and Chase there, very perceptive…I feel like I don't have a lot of surprises on my sleeve now, you sneaky person you! Also, Lucy may know something. Thank you for the review! ^_^

@SLPENDID GODDESS: You leave some dynamo reviews! Thanks! I was worried that I was losing my touch with the lemons, but I guess not. ^_^ Glad you liked!

@BABSIE_BR: Thank you SO much for your awesome and inspiring review! To be honest, I didn't know if anyone was interested in Narek and Lilliana, but I'm happy to see that someone cares for my OCs.

@SPEXCHIK: I'm really glad you enjoyed “Nightwalker.” Also, I'm glad that you'd like to see some Narek/Lilliana along with Inu/Kag, plus you're the only one that picked up on Claire/Xander and I'm happy you liked the parings. Thanks so much for the wonderful review!

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Chapter Two: Unknowns

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Lucy led Kagome down into the city, far from the family's main house up in the hills. Since the end of the Kings' War, as it was called, ten years ago, Sesshoumaru, the new nightwalker king, had set up a permanent home for himself in the mountains of the San Fernando Valley in California. The house was not too far from Los Angeles, a city where many nightwalkers lived. It allowed the family to go down to city if they needed. Since Los Angeles was a place where many people all over the world came, such as tourists, immigrants, people visiting their family from school, it seemed like a proper place to set up headquarters. One thing that was very different from Japan was the fact that not too many humans wondered through the streets, even the smaller ones in residential areas. Most people drove to where they needed to go, and it was the recreational areas like malls or parks that were usually populated. It was a good thing too, Kagome thought. Since most nightwalkers were asleep, and not too many people were out, they could move about unnoticed.

Kagome stared at Lucy's back, wondering what she was thinking and when she would finally stop so they could talk. Kagome tried not to yawn. Her irritation was rising as she followed Lucy through a deserted residential area. Lucy finally stopped beneath a large tree. She leaned against the trunk and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Kagome thought she looked like a child out for a stroll. In fact, Lucy's body had probably stopped aging at twelve or thirteen. She was short and thin, too thin, with black hair that reached her shoulders, red eyes and slightly tanned skin. Kagome knew that Lucy's appearance was deceptive; possibly, she could be older then Inuyasha, and that was saying something since her mate was over seven hundred and fifty.

That was the only way Lucy could know so much about her, about what Kagome was: a fourth generation nightwalker, a nightwalker that shouldn't exist. In fact, Kagome thought, she had a feeling that her status as fourth generation was exactly the reason Lucy had come to see her, like she had done many times in the past.

“Let me guess,” Kagome began, “you want to talk to me because there's something special about my blood that could put me in danger from these attacks right?”

Lucy looked at Kagome dryly. “No, I'm here to interrupt you and your mate's time together.”

Kagome crossed her arms. “My sarcasm is enough for the both of us. I don't need you to get cheeky too. It's hot and I'm sleepy and I want to get this over with. So start.”

Lucy's eyes glowed redder then blood and Kagome wanted to step back but she gulped instead. “Watch it girl. Or I might save myself the trouble and kill you instead of warn you.”

Kagome breathed in. “Okay, so what is it?”

Lucy stepped toward Kagome and began to circle around her. Poking and prodding here and there, she said, “Have you felt strange recently. Any sudden pains, or things going wrong with your senses?”

Kagome shook her head. “Then,” Lucy continued, “I take it you've heard about the sudden attacks on nightwalkers?”

Kagome nodded, feeling more and more like a cancer patient as Lucy touched the skin above her heart and told her to breath in. “Do you know something about it?” Kagome said.

“Perhaps.”

Kagome felt her face heat up, but it wasn't because of the sun. “`Perhaps?' I don't appreciate being left in the dark! If you have something that I should know, I'd like to know it so that I can defend myself, especially since my being a fourth generation nightwalker is involved somehow. You're always like this. You appear out of nowhere, give me a check up, tell me something ominous about my body and then leave before you explain.” Kagome rounded on Lucy, holding the shorter nightwalker by the shoulders and glaring at her. “You will tell me this time how I'm connected to what's going on, or at least tell me why you can't fully explain.”

Lucy sighed. “All I can say is that, if I am correct, and these attacks are happening for the reason I think they are, then you're in danger. If this problem is not what I fear it to be, or if it's not quickly resolved, I'm afraid I cannot elaborate.”

“Why!” Kagome demanded.

Lucy looked at her darkly and Kagome let go of the shoulders and, this time, she really did take a few steps back. “There are some things even I'm too afraid to say, because some would misuse all that I know. Trust me when I tell you this Kagome: whatever is happening, if it is not what I fear is happening, then it's better I do not tell you. The knowledge would only put a burden on you, and it may tempt you to do something horrible.”

Kagome shuddered. “So what can you tell me without revealing that terrible something?”

Lucy looked up toward the sky. “I'd say that I want you to stick close to your family, not to leave the main house, but, knowing you, and you're inability to sit still, I know you'll just ignore me, even if I insist it's for your own good. But I warn you to be as careful as possible. Do NOT take these attacks lightly or let these attacks catch you off guard, and don't you dare go anywhere alone. If your body begins to feel strange, contact me at once. Or if you're in danger, you can reach me with your mind.”

“So,” Kagome said, “you can hear thoughts, just like Rukiya.”

Lucy grunted. “You cannot even begin to fathom what I can do. Now, I'll lead you back to your home.”

“I can find my way back by mys-”

Lucy pinned her in place with a sharp look. “You should also be wary during the day. Nightwalkers can always be tricky, you'd do well to remember that.”

Kagome closed her eyes tightly and groaned. There was no point in arguing, she thought as she began to follow Lucy silently through the city. They moved much slower then usual since they had to run from shady area to shady area. Though the sun was hot enough to make her wish she could be back in bed with Inuyasha, Kagome's thoughts kept going back to what Lucy had told her. Something dangerous, so dangerous that Lucy dared not speak of it unless she needed to, had to do with fourth generation nightwalkers. Kagome was half curious and half terrified and she felt her skin prickle as though they were being poked with tiny needles whenever she thought about it.

What was so special about her status anyway? She wondered. Kagome knew what she was. There were two types of nightwalkers: natural-born nightwalkers, who were born as they are, and human-born nightwalkers, who were once human before they became nightwalkers. According to the family, natural born nightwalkers had a one hundred percent chance of changing a human into a nightwalker. A human that was changed by a natural born was called a second-generation nightwalker. A second-generation nightwalker also had the ability to change a human, though chances of the change was now fifty percent, but the ability to change a human would not transfer to the person they created. A third generation nightwalker did not have the ability to change a human, since the ability thins and almost disappears by then. But Kagome's creator had been third generation and he had changed her into a nightwalker.

According to Lucy, this was because, though the ability to change a nightwalker does thin for third-generation nightwalkers, it does not, in fact, disappear completely. Instead, there is a much lower change of creating a nightwalker but it is dangerous.

To change a human into a nightwalker meant that the human must have already been dying. The nightwalker must bite into their heart and send their venom and their blood into the human. The must pull away, only an instant before death comes completely and then the change would begin. Only a really powerful and intelligent nightwalker could put in enough venom and blood that won't kill the human, and pull away the moment before death comes, and that was just what Kagome's creator was. But, Kagome thought, how did any of this make her any more special then other nightwalkers? Lucy never elaborated much on how exactly she was different. All Kagome knew was that all fourth generation nightwalkers inherited all of their creator's powers. There is much more, Kagome thought as she looked at Lucy's back, that she is not telling me.

When they reached the house, Lucy turned back to Kagome and reminded her to be careful once more before she left. Kagome tried not to think about their meeting. All she wanted was to crawl back into bed. The sun was beginning to give her a headache, and she found that she could barely keep her eyes open. She circled the house and jumped into the window that led to Inuyasha's room. When she got in, she almost screamed as her heart did a flip. Inuyasha was awake and dressed; he was sitting on the bed with his arms crossed, staring angrily at her.

Kagome gulped, staring at him as a long silence came between them. “Uh…hi.” She said finally.

Inuyasha got off the bed and walked toward her. “By all means, ride it off. Never mind the heart attack I nearly got when I woke up to find you gone, with your scent fading from the house.”

Kagome fidgeted, wishing that he wouldn't look at her so harshly. “Sorry, I-”

“You what? Forgot something from your old home and decided to leave the house during daylight to go get it when you know that there's something dangerous happening?”

Kagome bit her tongue to keep herself from yelling at him. While she was annoyed at his incriminating tone, she could see why he was so worried. Not to mention, Kagome reminded herself, that she was the one who was keeping a secret liaison from him. Finally, she said, “I didn't mean to make you worry. I just wanted to get some fresh air.”

Inuyasha crossed his arms again. “In the middle of the day?”

“O-okay, fine. I…just wanted to be alone for a little while and I thought, with the family resting and all…”

Inuyasha scowled. “And you thought it would be nice to leave without telling my anything about where you were going?”

Kagome bit the inside of her cheek. “Well, you were sleeping so nicely, I didn't want to wake you up and-”

“Then why didn't you leave a note?”

Kagome covered her eyes and took a deep breath. “Look,” she said, “I just wanted a little moment alone. I didn't go to far, honest. Plus, I'm sleepy and it's hot. I'm sorry I left without telling you.”

Inuyasha's arms went moved from his chest till his fists were resting on his hips. “Can you please stop looking at me like I broke out of jail?” Kagome huffed.

Inuyasha shook his head and then turned toward the bed. “You're lucky I didn't wake anyone else up when you disappeared, otherwise you'd be getting it from everyone else too.”

Kagome inched toward the bed slowly. “So, am I off the hook?”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her. “I'd rather, you not leave the house alone. What if something had happened to you?”

Kagome patted him on the shoulder. “I'm sorry. I promise to tell you the next time I disappear.”

“I'd like it better if you didn't disappear period.” He pulled off his shirt. “I'm too tired to argue, just promise you won't leave the house alone next time.”

Kagome watched as he took off his clothes. The heat was beginning to invade her thoughts, and, had she not been so tired, she would have pounced on him. Instead she shook her head and said, “Okay, I'll try not to go out alone and leave you a message next time.”

Inuyasha raised a brow at her as he slipped into the sheets. “Ugh, it's too hot to argue!” He fell against the bed with a huff. Kagome pulled off her clothes and slipped into bed next to him, emptying her mind from the heat, Lucy, and all the unanswered questions that floated around in her head. But the one thing she couldn't empty her mind of, was the guilt that tugged at her heart.

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When Kagome woke the next evening, Inuyasha was already gone. She rolled over onto her back, wondering where he was and trying to clear her mind from the haziness of sleep. It was the pulsing of her fangs that drove her out of bed. She dressed and wondered down toward the longue, wondering what she should do. It was the scent of blood and meat that drove Kagome into den. When the entered the room, her jaw dropped. Claire, Natalia, Lilliana, Albier and Taiki were standing around a table. In the center of the table were two large, dead deer. Kagome came close to the table just as Claire was sucking on her bloody fingers. “Where did this come from?”

“Christiano spotted a few of them in the forest while he was guarding. Thought we'd be hungry so he brought it here. Taiki, you might like this piece.” Albier pulled a soft, mushy part from the deer's belly and gave it to Taiki, whose whole face was covered in deer blood. The toddler bit into the food as though he hadn't eaten in years.

“Where are Kagura and Sesshoumaru?” Kagome asked as she helped herself to a piece of raw meat.

“Meeting.” Said Claire, biting into a leg.

“Kanna came by earlier. They want to warn the other big shot families of the danger. Don't eat that!” Albier pulled a bone away from Taiki. The boy pouted but, a moment later, Albier gave him another soft piece of meat and Taiki began to devour the food greedily.

“It's almost like his parents don't feed him.” Kagome said.

Natalia laughed. “It's because his fangs are still too small. They're growing and they itch, so the kid loves to bite into things. You know, like teething for human babies.”

“I want that piece!” Taiki pointed to a leg. Kagome looked away as Albier began to pull the leg lose from the rest of the body. She looked at the table. Pieces of meat and blood were splattered all over the wooden surface.

“We're so messy.” She said.

Claire licked off her fingers and then grinned at Kagome. “Yeah, well we were starving! Sesshoumaru doesn't want us leaving the house for a while, and that means no hunting. And I haven't had deer meet in like, ever! I get tired of feeding from humans, you know. It's so goood!”

Kagome swallowed and said, “Oh I know what you mean. I've had enough fish to last me a lifetime, and human blood gets tiring sometimes.”

“You'd better stuff your face then, especially you.” Claire said.

“Why?”

“Because you have guard duty tonight with Nat and Lilly.”

Kagome looked at Natalia. “Sesshoumaru said you shouldn't waste time just sitting around. It's only fair.”

“But so soon?”

“Don't worry. At least the three of us will be together.” Lilliana said.

Taiki suddenly hiccupped and looked at Albier with a dazed expression. “Onii-san.” He yawned. Albier reached for a napkin and began to clean the boy's face and hands before he lifted him onto his shoulders. “I better get him cleaned up and put him sleep before he passes out.”

Natalia giggled as Taiki fought to keep his eyes open, his hands digging into Albier's sandy hair. “You'd make a good father Al.”

“Non, merci, Natalia.” Albier said.

“Oh come on, you're practically Taiki's surrogate parent.”

“You're lucky I have to get Taiki-kun here to sleep or else I'd sock you.” Albier turned to leave the room.

“I'd like to see you try! Remember the last time the two of us spared?”

Albier rolled his eyes and left the room, just as Taiki began to slump forward and rest his head against Albier's scalp. “There goes our little prince.” Said Claire. She turned the carcass on the table over and Kagome heard a crunch as Claire pulled a bone out from the deer's back and began to lick the blood off. “It's so boring being stuck here. No hunting, no going outside…Old Gloomy is being way too cautious.”

“You mean Inuyasha?” Kagome asked as she reached for another piece of meat.

“No, I mean Sesshoumaru. We've been through hell back when we fought against his old man. I think we can handle whatever is coming out way. I mean, we beat the old king right?” Claire looked around.

“I don't know.” Lilliana began to speak. “In the war, we knew what we were up against. This time, we don't. The nightwalkers that are after hearts, we don't know why they're doing it. And from what we've seen so far, they seem to be unusually powerful…I think he's right to be so careful.”

“Come on, we can handle some old nightwalkers. We did away with the old bastard ten years ago didn't we?”

“Yeah, but-”

“Don't get too cocky Claire.” Lilliana cut Natalia off. She looked at Kagome, Natalia and Claire with an intense look. “We may have won that war, but I doubt we would have gotten the chance to succeed, if it weren't for a certain someone's interference.”

Claire rolled her eyes. “Puh-lease. We could have totally-”

“No. We couldn't have. If it weren't for Narek, as much as I hate to admit it, we might not be here.”

“I can't believe you're defending that traitor! Even if he had been doing it with good intentions, he lied to us for almost one hundred years! He terrorized us and attacked us! You can't tell me that you can forgive him after years and years of lies and torture!” Claire banged her fist on the table, glaring furiously at Lilliana. Kagome and Natalia watched, frozen, waiting for Lilliana's reply.

“Traitor or not,” Lilliana said in an angry whisper, “the fact of the matter is we wouldn't have won if he hadn't come into the fight back then. Defending him is not my point. I'm telling you that he knew more then we did and he was better prepared, and we wouldn't be here if it weren't for that. Sitting still and not having something to do won't do you any good once you're out there being attacked by those heart-hunting things. So stop inflating your ego and learn to be patient.”

Claire suddenly whipped face with her sleeve and stomped out of the room. Before anyone could say anything, Christiano and Bill wandered into the room with a bewildered expression. Bill looked at Lilliana and said. “Claire just ran out, calling you a bitch. Did something happen?”

Lilliana didn't reply. She reached for a napkin and began to clean her hands. “Nothing.”

“But-”

“Don't worry about it Chrissy.” Natalia said quickly. “Leave them be.”

“Okay.” Christiano said nervously. “By the way, it's your turn to guard.”

“Right. Help yourselves to the leftovers guys, I think we've lost our appetite.”

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“You shouldn't have been so harsh with her Lilly.” Natalia said as the three of them walked out of the house.

“I didn't say anything that wasn't true.” Lilliana replied.

“But you didn't need to say it so harshly.” Natalia said. “I mean, she was just venting and, well, Claire has always had a bit of a loud mouth.”

Kagome trailed behind them without saying anything. If she were to be honest with herself, she would say agreed with Lilliana. Narek, the nightwalker who had betrayed the family some ninety years before Kagome joined, was the key to their victory, if not their survival, in the war ten years ago. If Kagome had to guess, she'd say that Narek had safeguarded the whole family in the ninety years since he “betrayed” them. Kagome couldn't say she was fond of her creator, but she couldn't bring herself to hate him as much as she had done in the past. Lilliana though was a different story.

She had known Narek when back when they were both human. According to her, he had once been a gentle and kind young man who cared for everyone's well being. As a child, she had fallen in love with him. Yet, after he became a nightwalker, following the massacre that was the Armenian Genocide, he had chance into the cold, calculating man that they knew today. Kagome stared at Lilliana's back, wondering what she thought of Narek his deception was over.

“Were you really defending him back there?” Natalia said suddenly.

“What are you saying?” Said Lilliana, echoing Kagome's surprise at the sudden question.

Natalia faced her. “Narek. I don't trust him. Sure he did know more then we did, sure he and Chase are the reason I'm still alive, but I can't say that what they did was right. If he really knew of a way to fight off the king, why couldn't he have come to us about it and worked with us in secret? Why did he go out of his way to fool us for so long? Why the elaborate scheme?”

Lilliana didn't reply. She looked down at the floor. “Back when I was attacked in the woods,” Natalia continued, “I was knocked out. For a while, I think I slept. It was Chase who woke me and brought me to the others. He then told us that the rest of the family was in danger and that we needed to be there for them. The next thing I remember was that we were led to the king's stronghold by Alexander. Chase was just as elusive and secretive as Narek was. We may have won because of them, but I don't want them back in this family, not if they're going to lie to us like that.”

“I know that.” Lilliana snapped. “They're not a apart of this family anymore…I was just warning Claire that she shouldn't get overconfident.”

“But don't you-”

The sound of rustling leaves reached their ears. Natalia and Lilliana tensed as they looked around the woods. The scent of blood reached Kagome's nose. There was more then one. Suddenly, a group of nightwalkers stumbled into the clearing. Three men, covered in blood and bruises, were carrying an injured nightwalker. They walked slowly, dragging their bodies through the air as though they were wading through a thick mud. “Please,” one of them rasped, “we need help.”

The girls rushed forward, but when Kagome caught sight of the nightwalker that the rest of the men were carrying, she gasped. “Kouga!”

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Author's notes:

Yes, I'm evil…and how did my computer know automatically that I do my author's notes in bold?

Anyway, thanks again to my wonderful reviewers for their great words of encouragement. This is dedicated to you! I hope you enjoyed and please pardon the grammar/spelling errors.

Hope you enjoyed and please leave a comment! Till next time, Jian out!

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