InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Midnight Blood ❯ Lost ( Chapter 15 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

By: ji-an

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Author&# 8217;s Notes

Look who’s back! And with a LONG update this time. This is by far the longest chapter I’ve written for Midnight Blood, about 20 pages to be exact, even without author’s notes. Aren’t you proud of me? Also, fifteen is one of my favorite numbers! So for chapter fifteen, it’s no surprise that I included some things I reaaaaally like. I wonder if you guys can figure out what those are? *wink*
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DISCLAIMER: I don’t own Inuyasha, nor do I take credit for Romiko Takahashi’s genius.

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Dedicated to Reviewer-Goddess for being just so badass.
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@REVIEWERGODDESS (AKA SplendidGoddess): Yes, I never said Lucy was someone you could trust, or predict for that matter. And aw, you were worried about Lilliana. Don’t worry, you’ll find out what happens, but I won’t say it will be all sunshine and roses (evil smirk). Lady, can you predict the future or something? Do you have the same superpowers as Lucy (oops spoiler, not really), or are you so observant that you notice all these little details without me telling you? As for who saved Kagome, you’re going to have to wait a little while to have the answer, but I will say that it was not Narek, or anyone you would expect. Speaking of Narek-get to reading will you! OH! AND I LOVED YOUR REVIEW! Have I said that before? Well, I’m saying it again. ^_^ Thank you so much. You SO RULE!
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Part Fifteen: Lost

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I nuyasha grunted in pain the moment he came out of the darkness and the tiniest glow of light hit his eyes. He brought his palms up to cover his face and pressed inward. It was like being a newborn and opening his eyes for the first time. Yet, pain or no pain, he was grateful to be out of that dark forest. He didn’t know how or why, but something in him had spurred him to leave that forest. He had felt as though he shouldn’t stop moving, slowly, but surely, out of there. Yet it was strange, he thought. He had never been afraid of being alone in the wilderness before. Nature was his turf, having spent more time out alone in the far reaches of the world where man wouldn’t normally go then being in a city or town. Here, however, he had a sense that he was being watched, or worse, preyed upon. Whatever had been in that forest, whatever caused the rustling of trees and bushes, was not something he wanted to run into.
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‘‘Yeah, best to get as far away from that place as possible. Though it still doesn’t answer the question of where exactly I am, and the ‘place where all true nightwalkers are born’ doesn’t answer it either. You hear me voice? Are you going to explain now?’’
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There was no answer. ‘‘If you’re going to talk within my own head, you could at least answer my questions. Pain the ass.’’ He walked.
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The plain before him was bathed in a red glow from the crimson moon above him. Only the sound of silence reached him, no birds flew overhead, no rodents scampered through the black grass, and only the scent of moist soil reached his nose. As far as his senses could detect, he was alone, yet he felt completely exposed in that wide area. With nothing to hide or camouflage him, he found himself constantly looking over his shoulder. The only thing he could do, the only thing his body told him to do, was to keep moving forward. So he kept walking and waiting for a change in scenery to give him some sense of where he was. The plain was endless and barren, only red and black from the sky and ground surrounded him. It was like being in a never-ending gothic painting.
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Thus, his heart gave a sudden squeeze when he spotted a lump in the distance. He rushed forward but suddenly stopped. Here, there was no place to hide, only to run. Whatever was in front of him could be anything from a rock, an enemy, to some sort of creature he had never seen before, and, considering his surroundings, and his circumstances, it wouldn’t surprise him if it were. So he walked slowly, breathing and listening, and, once he was several yards away, the figure came into focus, and the familiar scent reached his nose. He broke into a run.
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‘‘Lilliana!’’ He called as he came nearer. She raised her head in response, but quickly went back to resting her forehead against her knees. When Inuyasha reached her, he found that she was covering her eyes with her hands.
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‘‘Hey,’’ he placed a hand on her back, ‘‘you okay?’’
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‘‘Y-yeah, I’m fine. It’s just-my eyes hurt.’’
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‘‘Let me see.’’ He pulled her hand away from her face. ‘‘You’re bleeding.’’
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‘‘What? Ugnn.’’ She pressed her palms against her lashes again.
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‘‘What happened?’’ Inuyasha said as he whipped the blood away with his sleeve.
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‘‘I don’t know.’’ She leaned her cheek against his hand as he whipped the blood away. ‘‘I remember being in the library with Kagome, and I had this feeling as though I were in danger.’’ She pressed her arms against her chest. ‘‘I felt as though something were coming after me. Next thing I know, I was sinking in water. I don’t know how, but I got out and found myself in darkness. I kept going until I came out here, until I couldn’t feel that panic anymore, and then my eyes began to hurt.’’
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‘‘That feeling of being in danger again?’’
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Lilliana blinked another tear of blood. ‘‘You felt it too?’’
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‘‘Yeah. When I got here, I felt like I had to keep walking. Had to get someplace safe.’’
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Lilliana whipped the tear off with her sleeve and looked at him. ‘‘Where do you think we-Inuyasha!’’
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‘‘What’s wrong?’’ He jumped up, looking around. Nothing but empty plains.
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‘‘T-there’s something on your head.’’
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He slapped his hands against his scalp. ‘‘What?’’ Something soft and fluffy met his fingertips. Inuyasha pulled, and then yelped in pain. ‘‘Ow, what the-’’
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Lilliana wobbled to her feet. He bent forward so that she could inspect his crown, only to hear her gasp and grab the top of his head a second later.
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‘‘Hey! What are you doing?’’ Inuyasha tried to suppress a laugh as she began rubbing something sensitive on his head.
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Lilliana stepped back and looked at him. ‘‘You don’t feel any different?’’
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‘‘Not really. Why? What’s on my head?’’
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She pressed her fingertips to lips. ‘‘Well, um.’’
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‘‘Well, what?’’
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‘‘It looks as though your ears have migrated to the top of your head and morphed into little, white dog ears.’’
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‘‘This is no time for joking, Lilliana.’’
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She took hold of his wrists and guided his hands to the side of his head where his ears were, or should have been for his fingers traced smooth skin. Taking in a sharp breath, he reached for his crown and found two fluffy triangles growing out of his head. He snapped his fingers, and felt the unmistakable tingle of sound in the ear. ‘‘What the fuck is this!’’
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‘‘How on earth did you not feel the difference?’’
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‘‘Well maybe I had more important things on my mind. Like, where we are, getting someplace safe, and where you and Kagome were.’’
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‘‘Don’t snap at me, Inuyasha. I’m just as confused as you are.’’
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‘‘You’re right. I’m sorry.’’
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Lilliana looked as though she had swallowed something sour. She covered her mouth with her hands, but Inuyasha saw her cheeks rise. ‘‘What’s so funny? This is hardly the time to be laughing.’’
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‘‘I know. I’m sorry, it’s just that you’re ears flattened against your head when you said that.’’
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‘‘Lilliana.’’ He somehow managed to make her name sound like an annoyance.
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She sobered in an instant. ‘‘We should-ow!’’
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‘‘Not again. What’s causing these tears of blood? Does it hurt when you blink?’’
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‘‘No, the pain comes and goes. Maybe I just need to get used to the light. But never mind that for now. We should get moving. I don’t like the idea of being out in the open like this.’’
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Inuyasha looked around. ‘‘I don’t like it either. Let’s just keep walking.’’
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They traveled for a several moments in silence. Inuyasha kept his eyes, nose, and his new ears, focused on their surroundings, but all he could hear was Lilliana hobbling behind him. He stopped and asked her if she had hurt herself, but she insisted she was fine, and they continued on in silence once more. He found himself wondering where Kagome was. The last he heard her voice was in that lake that nearly swallowed him. He hoped that she had found her way out of there just as he and Lilliana had. The idea that she was here and alone irked him. In fact, being there himself had been enough to cause him severe stress. He didn’t know how or why, but his body was on edge, as though he were preparing for battle, but against what?
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‘‘Lilliana, about that feeling of yours.’’
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‘‘Yeah?’’ She sounded nervous.
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‘‘Do you feel anything right now?’’
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‘‘No.’’
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‘‘What did you feel before we,’’ he swallowed, ‘‘before we came to this place?’’
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She stopped walking. He took several steps before stopping himself. ‘‘I,’’ she covered her heart, ‘‘I knew something was coming for me. I felt like I had to run, to get out of there. That voice we heard in the darkness, I knew it was coming for me.’’
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‘‘That’s not what I felt. I felt sick, and panicked, as though I was being hunted. Seems as though you predict when something is coming, and I can sense it physically.’’ He was half-lying. Inuyasha felt guilty watching Lilliana shift her weight nervously from one foot to another, not understanding why she could sense impending danger, but he just couldn’t bring himself to tell her about his inner ‘‘voice.’’
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He didn’t even know if he could trust that voice. It hadn’t spoken to him since he was in the lake. For all he knew, the voice in his head, and the voice he, Kouga, Lilliana, and Kagome heard in that dark, paranoid abyss could be one and the same. No, he thought, it was better to figure out where they were, and find Kagome, then to question such things, especially when there was no one he could get answers from. There was no doubt that he was not in the human world. It was too real to be a dream, and being in a place where he didn’t know what to expect or how to navigate was terrifying.
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‘‘I wonder what Lucy is thinking now.’’ Lilliana interrupted his thoughts. ‘‘All that trouble caging us like animals, and then we get thrown down into this place. I feel like a wounded deer out in the open here. I just hope that there are no wolves, so to speak.’’
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‘‘I don’t really care what that bitch and her lackeys are doing right now. I’m finally out of that place. Once I figure out where the fuck I am, I’m finding Kagome and getting the three of us out of here. Bet Sesshoumaru’s going to kick all our asses when we get back to the family. Come on.’’
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Thinking about his brother and family made his body feel hot and heavy. Sesshoumaru and the others didn’t know what slaves were. There could be more attacks happening against them at that very moment, and there was nothing he could do about it. Something burned in his chest. It made his head hurt; he felt angry. It was helplessness. There had been only two times in his whole life where he felt such an emotion. He burned with the need to attack something, anything to purge himself of the weight that pressed against his heart, a strange feeling when juxtaposed with the sense of wariness and impending doom he was feeling about their current situation.
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Helplessness. His mouth felt bitter. The last time he had felt that disgusting emotion when he had fought with-
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‘‘Kagome!’’ Lilliana yelled.
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Inuyasha whirled around just as Lilliana darted to the side, running toward a figure in the distance.
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‘Speak of the devil.’
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‘‘Shut up!’’ Inuyasha growled.
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The voice only laughed.
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He ignored it and watched as Lilliana reached Kagome and threw her arms around her. The two women collapsed into the grass, with Lilliana on top. In the distance he heard sobbing, and he could make out phrases like, ‘‘I’m sorry’’ and ‘‘I never should have.’’ The two women looked into each other’s eyes, both whipping away tears of blood from their faces, sniveling, smiling weakly and speaking really quickly. They hugged and stood.
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Kagome opened her mouth to say something as he got nearer, but, suddenly, he couldn’t hear her. The world around him lost focus and melted as colors bled into each other like wet paint. Kagome stood in front him, the only clear thing in his vision. Her scent reached his nose, her honey scent, mixed with the scent of fresh forest: his scent. His clothes suddenly felt too warm. Hell, she was overdressed herself. He wanted something, from her. No, he needed her. Not just her, he needed to be in her, to hear her blood scream for him just like his was screaming for hers.
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‘Mine.’ The voice said possessively.
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He watched as she stared at him. Her eyes darted to the top of his head, and a look of surprise flickered across her face. He took another step and she narrowed her eyes at him. Her body, bathed in the red glow of the moon, the blood from her eyes, fresh, mixing with her scent. He yearned to taste it, to taste her, all of her. How would it feel to press her pale skin against his? How would she look writhing underneath him? He shivered with the need, with the wish to run to her and claim her right there in the black grass. His blood and body was screaming to do it, but his mind couldn’t. He’d terrify her.
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‘She’s yours. You want her! WE want her. Want to hear her scream, want to feel her heart beating against our hands.’
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‘‘No.’’ He chocked on the word for his throat ached from holding himself, and his growls of lust, back. Sweat tickled between his eyes, his burning eyes that could only see Kagome standing before him, looking at him as though he had lost his mind.
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‘Why do you resist? She’s our mate! Her body and soul are a part of you just as yours are a part of hers. I. Want. To fuck her.’
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Why was he resisting? It wouldn’t hurt now would it? Yes it would. After all, she was his mate, and it was hot. Didn’t matter, she’d hate him even more. The moon was red, and she was right in front of him. But her feelings were not. Could she not feel what he was feeling? Could she not sense his arousal? Of course she could. Then why did she look like at him like he was about to eat her? She was shaking, she was saying something, she was yelling at him. He couldn’t hear her voice. The only things he could feel was his body wanting her, and voices in his head. One voice yelled at him to stop himself from doing something stupid, and that voice kept him in place. But the other voice-
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‘If you won’t do what we both know you want to do, then I will. She’s mine, and now that we’re in this world and I’m finally awake, I will have her.’
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His feet moved. His arms reached out for her shoulders. ‘Mine.’ His mind screamed, begging him not to go any further, but his body had other plans. Anger swirled in her eyes. He had to stop this, but all the strength he had couldn’t stop his hand from reaching for her neck, for finding her pulse. Blood. She was injured! He couldn’t do that! ‘Mine!’
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Pain. He blinked. Something hard was below him. His face burned, and so did his stomach. He pushed himself up on his elbows. ‘‘Ow.’’ He puffed out a shaky breath, his chest felt as though it had been hit by a hammer. Looking up, he saw Kagome standing above him with her fist still in the air, and her face contorted into a scowl. ‘‘What is wrong with you?’’ She hissed.
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He managed to regain his feet, only to have her poke him with each sentence of her appraisal. ‘‘First you glare at me, then you rush me with your eyes glowing red like that, cut my shoulders and neck with your claws and try to bite me! I knew you were angry, but this is going to far! Is this really how you feel? Hateful enough to actually want to hurt me? And here I thought you couldn’t be any more of an asshole!’’
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Inuyasha walked backward with each poke, trying to listen to her. His head felt as though it were empty. What had just happened?
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‘‘What? All those horrible things you said to me weren’t enough? Now you want to hit me too?’’
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The headache of confusion in his mind was suddenly replaced with the clarity of fury. He stopped retreating and leaned forward so that his forehead pressed against hers. ‘‘You’re one to talk about hitting, bitch.’’
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‘‘What did you call me?’’ She wrapped her fingers around his neck.
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‘‘Are you going to deny when you backhanded me?’’ He grabbed her wrists, squeezing hard.
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‘‘You didn’t give me any other choice, bastard.’’
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‘‘Oh, I’m so sick of hearing that excuse. You know what-’’
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‘‘Enough already! Both of you, stop it!’’
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Kagome kept her eyes on him, but he turned his head toward Lilliana. ‘‘Let go of her.’’
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He released Kagome’s wrists and pushed her away. She looked fiercely at him, bloody tears falling from her eyes. Surprised, he reached out toward her face, but she smacked his hand away from her in disgust. ‘‘Don’t touch me!’’
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‘‘Why you-’’
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‘‘Enough! Inuyasha! I have no idea what you were tying to do, but pull yourself together! And Kagome, stop trying to pick a fight.’’
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‘‘Me? I am not picking a fight!’’
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‘‘Quiet!’’ Lilliana’s shout was so loud that the grass around her shook. ‘‘Look around you! Look at us! We’re tired, injured, and have no idea where we are!   Now is not the time for you two to be at each other’s throats! We have bigger worries, and are you two really going to be that childish and pick a fight rather then focus on the bigger issues at hand?’’
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Inuyasha gave Kagome a quick glance and then looked away. ‘‘I don’t have any interest in hearing any bitching.’’
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‘‘Excuse me? I’m the one that doesn’t want to hear anything from you.’’ Came Kagome’s reply.
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‘‘Will you two grow up?’’
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‘‘Stay out of this, Lilly. This is between me and him.’’
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Inuyasha turned as the sound of flesh striking flesh. Yet before he could even think about being smug at the red mark on Kagome’s cheek, Lilliana’s hand hit his cheek next.
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‘‘You two,’’ she said, drawing her hand back, ‘‘are the worst.’’ A tear of blood dripped from her chin. ‘‘Instead of coming to an agreement, you choose to pursue a past argument. For all we know, we could be in danger right at this very moment and the two of you are fighting! It’s already been said and done! Move on! There is a time and place to deal with your drama, and now is not the time!’’
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Inuyasha pressed his hand against his cheek. Now both sides of his face had been hit by both women. It stung, but it didn’t hurt half as much as the truth of Lilliana’s words. She was panting in frustration, her eyes passing over him and Kagome like an exhausted mother who had just wrestled her squabbling children apart. He faced Kagome.
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‘‘Hey.’’
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‘‘What?’’
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‘‘L et’s call it a truce. At least until we get out of here.’’
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‘‘Fine.’’ -_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Good.’’ Lilliana said. ‘‘Let’s go. Kagome, you lead. Inuyasha bring up the rear.’’
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Kagome wasted no time in getting in front of Lilliana and walking ahead. She didn’t even look back, and Inuyasha was grateful she hadn’t. He walked behind the two women silently, concentrating his thoughts within himself and trying to understand what had just happened. Then, for a second, he stopped walking, his chest tightening as he remembered what he had almost done.
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‘‘Inuyasha, get a move on!’’ Lilliana called from ahead of him.
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He stared at the girls ahead of him, walking farther away while he stood still. Maybe that’s what he deserved, their backs on him, after what had almost happened. Inuyasha fisted his hands in his hair. If Kagome hadn’t hit him-if she hadn’t-god damn it! His anger at her, at being reminded of the fight they had before coming here, had erased what had happened to him, to his body and thoughts. But, now that he thought about it-he had never lost control like that before, not even when Kagome was human. Sure, when they mated he fell into a sort of trance, but he had never felt trapped within his own body, unable to stop himself from going against his own will. He had always been able to hold himself back somehow, but, just then, it was as though he were being controlled from the inside. And the worst part of it all was, Inuyasha clenched his teeth, was that part of him had wanted to continue.
`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~ `~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~ `~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~ `~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~ `~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~
‘& #8216;We’re not getting anywhere. Let’s take a break.’’ Lilliana said. Kagome agreed. They had been walking for hours and still there was no end to the plain ahead. She was tired, she was hungry, and her feet ached. At one point the three of them had broken into a run, and, even after running for nearly an hour and a half, there still was no end in sight. The only thing that interrupted the dreary scenery were a few black trees every now and then. Kagome sat down and sighed. Inuyasha stayed on his feet, pacing. He looked as though he were trying to solve some kind of complex, mathematical problem, but each time he even came close to an answer he had calculated wrong. Why else would he walk around looking so deep in thought and then frown in frustration, shake his head, and start all over again? Just what was he thinking about?
-_-_-_-_-_-
Kagome tapped her forehead to get herself to snap out of it. What did she care? He was probably still fuming over the fight they had. What else would make him look so irritated? She focused her attention on Lilliana instead. She was sitting in front of tree with her knees drawn to her chest. Her eyes were still shedding tears of blood. Kagome whipped her own cheek, which came away red. Why weren’t Inuyasha’s eyes bleeding like theirs? Was it because he was natural born?
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘The bleeding isn’t stopping.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Lilliana whipped her eyes. ‘‘No it’s not. Do you think it’s the light that’s causing it?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Kagome shrugged, but didn’t have time to answer because Inuyasha let out a frustrated huff. ‘‘Damn it.’’ He finally sat down.
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘What’s the matter? Did you fry your brain thinking so hard?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Instead of a glower, Inuyasha looked at Kagome with a defeated expression and then shook his head. Kagome tilted her head to the side. ‘‘What’s gotten into you?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘It’s nothing.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘If you say so. Anyway Inuyasha, when are you planning to take those hair ornaments off?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Take what off?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Those aren’t hair clips.’’ Lilliana chimed in. ‘‘They’re his ears.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Kagome wasn’t sure if she should laugh or shout. ‘‘Excuse me?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘I’m being serious. See for yourself.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Inuyasha jumped to his feet. ‘‘Hey!’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Curious, and surprised at his reaction, Kagome stood and reached for his head.
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Oh no you don’t!’’ Inuyasha stepped away from her reach. Kagome rushed toward him. He jumped up and back away from her. Grunting, Kagome ran forward, and, before Inuyasha could bounce upward to avoid her, she pounced against him.
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Are you crazy!’’ She grabbed his shoulders, hoisted herself up, wrapped her legs around his chest to support herself, and finally reached his crown. Instead of plastic hair accessories, what she touched was soft and warm.
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘D-dog ears?’’ She gasped. Inuyasha jerked in surprise when she touched the sides of his face. ‘‘No way! They’re not there! These ARE your real ears!’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Ow! Don’t yank of them! Kagome-mmph-get your boobs out of my face, woman!’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Bet you never said that before!’’ Kagome said as she held the fluffy, white triangle between her fingers. ‘‘What. The. Hell. How did this happen? Did it hurt?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Would you stop-aah!’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Kagome rubbed an ear between her forefinger and thumb. ‘‘They’re so soft! How cute!’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Get,’’ She felt Inuyasha’s hands on her legs and waist, ‘‘off!’’ He pried her off him as though she were a cat that had sunk her claws into his leg. Kagome landed on her feet softly but still advanced on him.
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘They twitch too! Just like a puppy! Oh, let me touch them!’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Hey, stop trying to-’’ He jerked away from her hands, ducked when she tried to reach for his ears again, grabbed her wrists, but she didn’t give up. ‘‘Come on! Please!’’ She jumped up and down. Grunting, he slid his leg between hers and made her trip. Placing her gently on the ground, he held her hands in place beside her head.
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Knock it off! We have bigger things to worry about then dog ears!’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Kagome looked up at him and giggled. ‘‘Your ears went flat against your head when you said that.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Inuyasha turned his head toward Lilliana and glared at her when he noticed that she was trying to hide her smile. Letting go of Kagome, he walked off, talking under his breath. ‘‘What a kill joy.’’ Kagome said, lifting herself up and staring at the little triangles twitching on Inuyasha’s head.
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘What’s this? The two of can be within ten meters of each other and not argue?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Be quiet Lilliana.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Kagome felt her face get warmer as Lilliana laughed. ‘‘You can stop now.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Oh, do let her continue. I quite enjoy the sound of her laugher.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
All the mirth in Lilliana’s voice vanished. The air around them filled with the chill of fear instead. Kagome turned as she heard footsteps, only to see Inuyasha run up to them. ‘‘I know your scent, you shit! Where are you?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘I can’t move.’’ Lilliana cried.
-_-_-_-_-_-
Kagome tried to go to her, but found that her body wouldn’t respond to her commands. Inuyasha grunted next to her. ‘‘Damn that fucker! Narek! Let go of us right now you coward!’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Let go of you?’’ Said Narek as he appeared from behind the tree Lilliana was leaning against. ‘‘Now why would I release my prey? A bit counterintuitive for a hunter, now isn’t it?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Shut up, you fuck!’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Narek pointed his index finger at Inuyasha, and then twisted his hand so that his finder pointed downward. ‘‘Kneel.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Kagome cried out as fire sizzled it’s way up her arms and legs, and she fell to her knees, keeping her upper half up on shaky arms. It was like being pinpricked by thousands of lit matches. She could hear Inuyasha scream from the pain, and saw him struggle to remain standing out of the corner of her eye. ‘‘I should have known.’’ Inuyasha said. ‘‘You were the one that brought us here.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Narek drew a horizontal line in the air with his thumb and Inuyasha slumped forward, hacking. Blood dripped from his lips and into the ground. ‘‘I assure you that I had nothing to do with whomever, or whatever, it was that brought you here. Although, I am intrigued as to why you three were guided here.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Kagome forced her head to look straight at him, speaking through burning lips. ‘‘G-guided? What do you mean? Where are we?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘According to Lucy-’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘That bitch.’’ Inuyasha said between coughs.
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘The three of you were dragged here. By what, or by whom, I have no clue. As to where were are,’’ he spread his arms, ‘‘this world is called ‘Zenith.’ It is the place where all natural born nightwalkers originally came from.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘What?’’ -_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Did you never question how nightwalkers came to be or where they originated from, Inuyasha? This world is where you would have been born, had nightwalkers never crossed over into the human world.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘So why are you here? Were you ‘dragged’ here too?’’ Lilliana said.
-_-_-_-_-_-
Narek reached for her face, cupped her jaw in his hand, and tilted her chin up so that she would look at him. ‘‘Don’t you dare touch her you shit!’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Without turning to look at Inuyasha, Narek snapped his fingers and Inuyasha doubled over, holding his stomach as though someone had just punched him. ‘‘To answer your question,’’ Narek said, looking into Lilliana’s wide eyes, ‘‘I’m here to kill you three.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘No longer Lucy’s lackey then are you?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘On the contrary, it seems as though Lucy has outgrown her need of you. Yet, I’m curious,’’ Narek hand slid down to Lilliana’s throat, ‘‘what is so special about the three of you that Lucy would rather have you dead then in this world? Why forsake you when she went to all the trouble to lock the three of you away?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘I guess we’ll never know will we?’’ Lilliana said. She flinched when Narek’s fingertips traced her cheeks.   ‘‘Lucy did instruct me to kill you, but she did not say when. Of course, I could just kill them.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Don’t!’&# 8217;
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Is that pleading I hear in your voice, Lilly?’’ Narek leaned in close to her so that his body pressed against hers.
-_-_-_-_-_-
‘‘Let go of her, you bastard!’’ Kagome cried.
-_-_-_-_-_-
Narek snapped his fingers and Kagome felt her throat burn as though he had just fed her acid. Blood sprinkled into the grass as she coughed. Forcing her eyes upward, she could only watch as Narek used his thump to clean bloody tears from Lilliana’s face. ‘‘Your eyes haven’t gotten used to the air pressure from this world.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Lilliana squeezed her eyes shut. ‘‘Don’t touch me.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Narek leaned in close and said something in Lilliana’s ear. Kagome couldn’t make out the words, but he must have said something shocking because Lilliana’s eyes flashed open. ‘‘You’re lying.’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
He reached into the pocket of his short, leather jacket and pulled out a switchblade. ‘‘Am I? Of course, it doesn’t matter to me where it’s closed or not. I am fascinated by this world, and have no intention of leaving soon.’’ Lilliana was transfixed on the knife as Narek flipped the blade open. She lifted her shoulders, threw her head from side to side but couldn’t break free. She panted with the effort. ‘‘What do you want from me?’’
-_-_-_-_-_-
Narek smirked. ‘‘From you?’‘ He pressed the blade into his free hand, cutting a line of red on his palm. ‘‘Something we both know you’ll never give me.’’ He brought his bloody hand up to his mouth, and, to Kagome’s horror, pressed his lips against Lilliana’s.

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A/N
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Again, I apologize for any ridiculous formatting issues. I have tried to get something that works with mediaminers strange new system. I had no issues back when Midnight Blood started, but for some reason, MM.org just doesn’t accept that formatting anymore, so for those of you that get multiple e-mails about re-uploads, it’s me, trying to make the writing readable.   I hope you enjoyed reading. PLEASE REVIEW! And thanks again!