InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Nightwalker ❯ Enigma ( Chapter 21 )

I forgot to say something. This story takes place in the year 2001. Also, I got the BEST review EVER! Wow. Thank you so much, you know who you are! And so this chapter is dedicated to you, lovely Quimera-chan.

 

Anyway, I've been having a BAD week! UGH! Philosophy, it is SO hard because I have a dofus for a teacher. I have an assignment due and guess what, he hasn't even gone over what I'm supposed to write my paper about!

 

Also, quick note, this chapter might feel a little slow, but I kind of did that on purpose to make it feel as long as the story in it takes place. There's a lot of text, but I hope you enjoy anyway.

 

ALSO, PLEASE FORGIVE ANY SPELLING/GRAMMER MISTALES. I've looked over the chapter, but my brain is too tired from attempting to write a term paper without instruction so I might have missed a few things…

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, he belongs to Romiko Takahashi and I won't take credit for her genius!

 

 

 

 

Part Twenty-One: Enigma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December Eleventh, Yerevan, Armenia

 

 

Three months Kagome hadn't heard news from the rest of the family. Even Lilliana and Natalia, who had been assigned to remain with her, had no news to offer. The last piece of news she had heard was that Sango and Miroku were taken to a hospital, where they fully recovered enough to move over the course of three weeks. Rukiya had taken them back to Hong Kong and they had successfully blended back into society. Kagome was glad for them.

 

Yerevan was ankle deep in snow. Though she had gotten used to the new setting, Kagome would be lying if she said that she wasn't bored. There was a point when she wished an attack would happen. Lilliana had been right when she said that nightwalkers avoided the area. For the most part, the city was peaceful.

 

Since she had arrived in Narek's, and Lilliana's, badland, she had settled into a routine. She would get up early in the morning, exercise and spend the rest of the day wondering the city. If it were cloudy enough, Lilliana would join her. The nightwalker had taught her enough Armenian so she could be move about on her own. Phrases like, where to find things and ask for a purchase. She had long since memorized the town, its beautiful structure. The structures stood tall and made of stone, many of the buildings in the squares were covered with statues, fountains in the center. The air was clean and there were many areas with farms, chickens and dogs running about.

 

Since staying with Natalia and Lilliana, Kagome had begun to notice their nightwalker characteristics. Shortly after they had first arrived in late September, Kagome had experienced her first lesson about nightwalker instincts. It had been cloudy and she was walking with Natalia and Lilliana by her side.

 

“They are talking about you.” Natalia smiled. Lilliana looked over to a group of human boys that had been standing close by in the street corner. Kagome watched as they looked Lilliana up and down. One of them came close and began speaking to her. Though she couldn't understand what they were saying, she could tell by the boy's playful tone that he was trying to flirt.

 

That was the first time she had ever seen a nightwalker's hunger. Lilliana's eyes had darkened and her eyes followed the boy's every move as though she were memorizing his mannerisms. Kagome released that she had seen the exact same reactions with Inuyasha. Lilliana agreed to walk with the boy, and she came back later, her eyes their normal green and her skin carrying a healthier glow.

 

Since arriving, Lilliana's true nature began to slowly reveal itself. Around Natalia she was so at ease and Kagome was slowly beginning to get used to her presence. Being around the pair of them, Kagome began to understand why nightwalkers were as they were and who Lilliana really was.

 

“Why don't you go visit?” Natalia's voice could be heard from the hall as Kagome entered the apartment they were temporarily staying in. It was a two bedroom on the ninth floor of a stone building.

 

Wondering what Natalia was speaking of, Kagome walked closer to the bedroom the two nightwalkers shared. “I'm not sure they will let me in. It's been years since I last went.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Kagome asked when she entered the room.

 

“I've been trying to get Lilliana to go visit the house she was born in for the last ten minutes, but she's unbearably stubborn.” Natalia shook her head.

 

“Is that house even standing?” Kagome asked.

 

“For once you and I are on the same page.” Lilliana sighed.

 

“Why would you want to go there anyway?” Kagome asked as she removed her coat. Though Lilliana often warned her that it was frigid cold in the winter, Kagome still spent most of her days out into the city, treating through snow.

 

Lilliana was silent for a little while. “There's a part of my memory that's missing. Nat is trying to get me to revisit some places here in hopes that I might remember something.”

 

“What's wrong with your memory?” Kagome asked, curious.

 

“A portion of my human life is gone.” Lilliana answered.

 

“Sometimes when a nightwalker is born, they leave behind memories of their human lives. Sometimes it's permanent, but most of the time they will remember during the course of their nightwalker days.” Natalia explained. “We think, well I think, that Lilliana will get stronger with all of her memories.”

 

“A memory is just a memory. So I don't remember my life between the ages of seven to when I turned twelve, what difference does it make?” Lilliana huffed.

 

“What if there are important experiences in those memories?” Natalia countered.

 

“I was an incompetent human child. How could I know anything in those times?” Lilliana countered. Kagome fought to hold back a laugh.

 

“But, Lilly, don't you feel incomplete without them? Aren't there things in your mind that need answering?” Natalia asked. Lilliana opened her mouth to retort but went mute instead.

 

“Even so,” Lilliana continued stubbornly, “what's the point?”

 

“Is there something you don't want to remember?” Kagome asked.

 

Lilliana blinked at her. Her eyes drew away from Kagome's face and toward the floor, confusion swirling in them. “There is something I am curious about. I always see a figure in my dreams. Maybe if I went back to my home I can find out who that is.” She said.

 

“A figure? Perhaps a relative?” Natalia mused. “I wonder who she is.”

 

“He.” Lilliana corrected. “The shadow is male.”

 

“Oh?” Natalia gave her a coy smile. “Did you have a secret love?” She teased.

 

“Nat!” Lilliana gave her a push.

 

“Oh sweet, young Lilliana, a victim of tragic love!” Natalia cooed dramatically, placing her hands on her heart. Kagome let out a puff of laughter till Lilliana sent her a scathing look and she muffled her chuckles.

 

Trying her best to ignore Kagome and Natalia, Lilliana rose and headed toward the door, pausing before going through it. “On the next cloudy day, I'll go see what I can find.” She said.

 

Natalia pocked Kagome's shoulder, whispering in her ear, “All it took was mentioning a little love interest and she's off to find out about her past.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Kagome's delight and Lilliana's chagrin, the next day was cloudy. Adding an even more daunting factor to Lilliana's chore, Natalia refused to accompany and advised Kagome to do the same, saying it was best not to pry into Lilliana's memories. So Kagome spent her daily walk with Natalia that morning. It didn't last long because a young boy crossed the street. Kagome noticed how Natalia's eyes darkened and followed him till he came to a halt by the bus stop. Though she knew what Natalia was going to do when she excused herself and walked toward the boy, Kagome couldn't help asking.

 

“Oh, I'm going to go talk, invite him to walk, lure him into an alley bite his neck, you know.” Natalia said in a casual voice as though bloodsucking was a normal day-to-day event. Smiling from the inside joke, Kagome let her be, knowing she'd see her later.

 

When it became too cold for her to handle, Kagome found herself back in their apartment, warming water for her tea. When she entered the living room she was surprised to find that Lilliana had already returned, sitting on the couch and staring at an unopened box in her hands.

 

“What is that?” Kagome asked as she leaned against the arm of the couch.

 

Lilliana looked at her before returning her gaze to her hands. “A box full of old photographs. My mother spent a lot of money getting these.” She said as she lifted the lid.

 

“So your house was still standing?” Kagome asked.

 

“Yes, and the lady of the house was kind enough to let me go to my parents' old bedroom and lift the floorboard my mother used to hide things in.” Lilliana smiled nostalgically.

 

As Lilliana went through the old box, Kagome noticed pictures of Lilliana's mother and father. She had her mother's hair and shoulders. Different pictures of people Kagome didn't recognize passed through Lilliana's hands till she pulled the last photo from the box, pausing to stare at it longer then the others.

 

Curious, Kagome looked over to see. In the black and white print, there were five men and one woman. The man and woman stood side by side, while four younger boys, all dressed in suits like their father's, stood in front of them from shortest to tallest. Three of the boys looked like their father but the tallest had his mother's beautiful oval face, yet his father's masculine stance.

 

“This boy…” Lilliana ran her fingers over his face. When Kagome stared at him, she felt her heart speed up. The boy had such a sad face. Was it the pose they were asked to take for the snapshot (the others had a similar countenance) or was it that his eyes were so expressive even in the black and white that made him look so depressed.

 

“I've seen him before.” Lilliana focused on the picture as though she wanted to memorize every spot of it. Strangely enough, Kagome felt that the boy was familiar to her as well. Lilliana turned the paper over, reading the writing on the back.

 

“The man in this picture was my father's best friend. These are his wife and four sons. Odd: it doesn't say their names.”

 

“He's so cute.” Kagome couldn't help but say.

 

“Who?”

 

“The tallest one.”

 

Lilliana stared at the picture till Kagome's teapot shrieked to tell her that her tea was ready. When Kagome came back to sit down next to her, Lilliana still hadn't recalled whom the tallest boy was.

 

Natalia arrived, asking them if Lilliana came to a revelation. Lilliana shook her head. If anything, this venture made her more confused then before, she confessed to Natalia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three more days passed and Lilliana did not recall anything, and the mystery of the boy in the photograph remained. Kagome watched her pace at night, trying to learn something but to no avail. What was even stranger was that Natalia mentioned something about recognizing the boy as well. However, one evening, Kagome awoke to a conversation between the two nightwalkers that pushed her thoughts about the boy aside.

 

“When did she call?” Lilliana asked.

 

“A few hours ago. About time.” Natlaia huffed.

 

Kagome held completely still, waiting for her mind to adjust. “What did Rukiya say?” Upon hearing the name of another family member, Kagome was fully awake. She tried to keep herself calm and her breathing even, hoping that Natalia and Lilliana would think she had a spasm in her sleep. It worked. After being silent for a moment, they must have decided she was still unconscious and resumed their talk.

 

“Not too much. She said she was being watched and would hold her mental connection for a short while. She told me about the nightwalkers that are close to us.”

 

“Enemies?” Lilliana gasped.

 

“No. She says Albier is close.”

 

“And the others?”

 

“According to Rukiya, the family has been dispersed for about a month. She hasn't had any word from anyone other then Albier.”

 

“What about the war effort?”

 

“Rukiya wouldn't spare me any details.” They were quiet for a while and Kagome wondered if they were done speaking.

 

“I hope Christiano is safe.” Natalia muttered.

 

“Nat…” Lilliana said sympathetically.

 

“ I'm fine.” She brushed the subject off, her voice devoid of emotion. “I just can't stand being away from him this long.”

 

Kagome felt her mind wander. She wondered what Christiano was thinking being away from his mate. She had not realized that Natalia would miss him so. She hadn't mentioned him once till tonight, so Kagome assumed she wasn't worried. Since Natalia was always smiling and easygoing, it was hard to tell if she was hurting underneath.

 

Kagome frowned, wondering if Lilliana was the same way; if she was hurting from being divided as well. They all had such a strong front. Kagome thought about Inuyasha and how he always had his stony, serious face. Was he worried about being apart too?

 

Speaking of Inuyasha, she hadn't seen or heard from him in months. Sometimes her thoughts would linger toward him when she had nothing else to think about. During the first month of their separation, Kagome scolded herself for wasting a second thinking about him. Now, she was more inclined to wonder what the family was up to and what Inuyasha was doing.

 

More importantly, she wondered if he faring well. How long could he go without her blood? Was he tired or weak from being sober for three months? Kagome remembered that he said when a family member gets too cold, it would mean they are either weak or dying. Had his temperature dropped? She saw Claire in her mind, and how Claire was pale and unmoving that night back in Tokyo. Kagome fought against shuddering and held even more still when Lilliana spoke again.

 

“I'm worried about Inuyasha.” Kagome froze. “I don't think anyone has ever fasted for three months straight. It would be nice if Rukiya gave us news about how he is when she next contacts us.”

 

“I'm a little concerned for him too, but I think, that if something did happen to him, we'd already know about it. For now, we should go back to hunting the area for information. Rukiya wanted to know how our research for bloodstone has been going.” Natalia sighed.

 

“Have you found anything? I've spent many nights looking and there's no clues here either.” Lilliana echoed Natalia's sigh.

 

“I'm beginning to agree with Claire. Maybe the bloodstone doesn't exist.” Natalia said sourly.

 

“But without it, we wouldn't know who the real king is supposed to be.” So that's what it was for, Kagome thought.

 

“This would be so much easier if the next heir to the throne was decided the way humans do it. Why couldn't his children just succeed him once we throw him off his stupid pedestal.” Natalia growled.

 

“But his children are…well it doesn't matter anyway. I hope the others are safe.” There was some shuffling and the sound of footsteps.

 

“Me too.” Natalia sighed.

 

It took Kagome a few seconds to realize it, but the sound of Lilliana's harmonious voice filled her ears. She didn't recognize the song nor did she understand the words that were being sung, but she suddenly felt peaceful. As she tried not to fall asleep just yet, Lilliana's song making it difficult, her thoughts returned to Inuyasha again.

 

Would he be able to take care of himself without nourishment for so long? What if he found a new way to sustain himself. Kagome scowled in the dark. What if he was over his addiction and biting other girls without a care in the world. She tried not thinking about that. What would happen when they met again? Would he have to bite the moment he saw her? Lilliana sang louder and Kagome really wanted to close her eyes. Drowsiness settled in her mind and Kagome drifted off to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another week went by and nothing changed. Lilliana still didn't recall anything about her past, and there was still no news from the family. Natalia kept her mind open everyday in case Rukiya contacted her. Kagome went about with her daily routine again, except this time, her thoughts hinged on a certain nightwalker.

 

She hated being in the dark. After their talk in the night, it was clear that Lilliana and Natalia hadn't really been keeping much from her; they were just as lost as she was. The worrying didn't cease. Now that Kagome could read a small shimmer in the eyes as a signal for emotional pain, she noticed more often the anxiety in her caretakers' faces.

 

Nothing special happened and Kagome was ready to pull her hair out. She grew more apprehensive by the day and began fear the worst. No communication from the family could have meant that they were unable to talk. What if they were hurt? What if Inuyasha was hurt because he hadn't bitten her in so long?

 

Kagome couldn't help wondering what happened to that jerk, especially after their awkward farewell. She really did leave him on unfriendly terms. Their talk in the woods, before the battle that led to her imprisonment here, hadn't been the best way to say goodbye. At first she smoldered herself in bitter satisfaction that he would put himself down about what they had done, but as the months dragged on and she didn't hear a word, she forgot about her smugness.

 

She began to miss Claire and her charm. It wasn't that Lilliana and Natalia were gloomy, it was because Claire had an uplifting presence that made everyone cheerful. She missed Claire's rainbow cap and belt, and the way she was always listening to the music from her MP3 player. She missed Bill and Albier too and how they used to tease Claire.

 

Most of all, she missed Sango and Miroku. She knew they would be fine on their own, but she sometimes couldn't help but feel jealous that they had their normal lives back while she did not. She wished she could have gone with them. Since they had left, she was once again the only human in the family. Even though it was just Lilliana and Natalia now, Kagome still felt out of place. At least, Kagome thought, it was only two of them and not ten, but soon that would change.

 

It was late in the evening. Kagome was looking out the window of the living room and into the silver snow below. Lilliana was singing again. It seemed she did that often to calm herself. As she listened to Lilliana, Kagome saw Natalia turn a page over in the book she was reading. It was beginning to look like another boring night when Kagome heard Lilliana stop singing suddenly. She stood, her eyes wide.

 

Startled, Kagome asked, “What's wrong?”

 

Natalia rose to her feet, blinking. The two nightwalkers turned toward Kagome, looking past her. Gulping, Kagome willed herself to turn her head, but didn't see what had caused Lilliana and Natalia's sudden alertness. They pushed her aside as they opened the window she had been looking out through a moment before.

 

Kagome was about to protest that the cold air was coming in, but a moment later, a familiar face stepped in through the window. Natalia closed the opening and pulled him inside, dusting the snow off him. Kagome felt her heart bounce. Finally, someone from the family had come.

 

Albier removed his coat and hung it up to dry. “Made it.” He stretched tiredly. Natalia gave him a crushing hug. After assuring the two other nightwalkers that he was fine, and happy to see them, Albier began to explain his sudden appearance.

 

“I don't have a lot of time. I have to get going again soon.” He began.

 

“What is it Al?” Kagome asked.

 

“I've come to tell you guys something from Rukiya. She's not using her mental link with us for now. There's a new…uh, development.” He said.

 

“What `development?'” Lilliana pressed.

 

“You'll know soon enough, but that's not important right now. I have good news and bad news. The good news is that everyone is fine, including Inuyasha.” He added when he saw the worried looks on the girls' faces.

 

“What's the bad news?” Kagome was almost afraid of knowing.

 

“Things aren't going so well with the war front. We've been busy, but I don't have time to tell you about that.”

 

“Why are you in such a hurry? You weren't followed here were you?” Lilliana made a move to look out the window for intruders.

 

“No, no, no!” Albier huffed, stopping her. “I wasn't followed! Listen, Rukiya told me to tell you guys to be ready to leave at any time. We need to move again and regroup. She says that a family member will try to get her as soon as they can and tell you guys where we have to meet up.”

 

“You mean our meeting place isn't decided yet?”

 

Albier rolled his eyes at Natalia. “No, not yet. Things are still a little hectic.”

 

“Don't leave us in the dark! Tell us what's been going on Al.” Lilliana grouched impatiently.

 

Albier stole a glance at outside. “You will find out, just not from me! I have to get going. It was great seeing you guys!” Before anyone could stop him, Albier had already grabbed his coat and bolted out the window.

 

“He felt frantic.” Natalia remarked after he was gone.

 

Lilliana put her hand on her heart. “At least he, and everyone else, is okay.”

 

Kagome let out a puff of relief. “But what did mean that things weren't going too well?”

 

“We'd have to wait till another family member comes to find out.” Natlaia said.

 

Kagome threw her hands into the air. “I'm so sick of waiting! I'll be an old lady by the time this is over!” She stomped her foot.

 

“At least you were safe for the last three months.” Lilliana countered. “Better then being thrown around battle and running for your life.” She hissed.

 

Her outburst made Kagome remember that they were here and waiting too. It still didn't help her impatience though. Sensing the tension, Natalia spoke up. “This isn't the time or place to stage a fight.” She said. Lilliana sighed and walked off. Kagome, tired of distressing, decided it was time to go to sleep. She stomped to her room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although Kagome was used to waking up to be alone in the middle of the night, she was surprised that Lilliana and Natalia weren't there when she opened her eyes later that night. After Albier gave them a hint of how badly things were supposed to be going, she assumed that they would stay to guard her. A rush of adrenaline and slight fear came from the idea that she had the apartment to herself without any watchful eyes for a little while.

 

Kagome pushed herself out of bed and leaned against her window. Shining white snow glowed from the moonlight on the ground. It covered the streets like a fluffy blanket. Shadows loomed over the snow from the streetlights and when she stared at them long enough, Kagome felt as though the shadows were moving. She turned away from the window, her eyes adjusting to the dark as she looked around her room.

 

Something moved out of the corner of her eye and before Kagome could even turn, her window burst open, a gust of frosty wind ruffling the contents of her room. She rushed and wrestled the window closed. Breathing in, Kagome moved to go back to bed, but that was before her eyes found an unfamiliar figure.

 

Kagome opened her mouth and brought up her fists up, but she was pushed into her bedding before she could even jab the intruder. She squirmed and kicked, but the being pushed her arms over her head, let his weight drop, and covered her mouth. Kagome panicked, searching through the dark.

 

“I'll let you go if you hold still.”

 

Kagome felt her skin boil. Eyes narrowing, she nodded and he lifted himself off of her. Coming to a stand, Kagome felt her irritation rise as she looked at his back. Three months without a word and he comes in from her window, almost causing her to have a heart attack.

 

Biting back her angry remark, Kagome asked, “How did you find me?”

 

“Followed your scent. It wasn't easy, the entire town is covered in it.” Inuyasha looked about her room, sniffing.

 

“Are Natalia and Lilliana doing well?”

 

Kagome pursed her lips. That's all he had to say? “They're fine.” She spat acidly.

 

“What's with you?” He asked.

 

Kagome glared. “Oh I'm just fine!” She turned her back to him.

 

“Did you miss me?” He asked suspiciously. Kagome couldn't see his face clearly, but she knew he was wearing a smirk.

 

“Hardly.” She replied automatically. “You put me through a guilt trip for the last three months!

 

“Still as hostile as ever.” He sighed so quietly she almost didn't hear him. “So where are Natalia and Lilliana?”

 

“I don't know.” Kagome replied harshly. “I woke up and they were gone.”

“You're alone?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Good.”

 

Before she made sense of what he said, he pushed her back into the bedding, hovering over her and holding her chin in his hand. It had been so long since Kagome felt the rush of her fast heartbeat since she started leading her dull life three months before. She almost didn't know how to handle it. It was so cold in the room, she was potently aware of how his burning skin touched hers, especially where he held her chin.

 

Kagome felt her heart flip when his face descended. When he breathed into her neck, shivers ran up her spin, his tongue ran over the surface of the mark he had left, now dulled after so long. A twinge of pain followed and Kagome felt drowsy again.

 

“Sleep.”

 

 

 

 

 

A second later Kagome had opened her eyes to the sound of someone exclaiming. “Inuyasha! When did you get here?” Kagome didn't move, absorbing where she was. She was in her bed, covered as though she never left it.

 

“Not too long ago.” He answered.

 

“I thought I heard a window open.” Lilliana mused. “How are you? Are you well?” She demanded.

 

“Fit as ever. I'm fine.” There was some scuffling of feet and then Natalia spoke. “Fasting for three months and your temperature has risen instead of dropped. That's strange. You're not tired at all?”

 

“No, but enough about me. You got word from Albier?”

 

The girls must have nodded because Inuyasha continued. “When did he come?”

 

“A week or so ago.” Lilliana answered. “He didn't tell us much. All we know is that things aren't going so well and that Rukiya can't talk to us mentally anymore. What's going on?”

 

Kagome felt her bed dip as someone sat on it. The nearness of Natalia's voice confirmed who it was. “Is there a new threat?”

 

“Yes and no. More like an old thread with newfound abilities.”

 

“Narek?” Lilliana's voice shook with booth fear and hatred.

 

“Yeah, and Fenrir and Hakudoshi too. They've been working very hard.”

 

Kagome ignored the news for a moment, trying to understand. It couldn't have been a dream…could it?

 

“Tell us everything.” Natalia begged.

 

There was a short pause before Inuyasha began their tale. “We took Kanna and her family to safety and she's been working to help us convince other nightwalkers to join our cause. Nothing has gone right. That bastard king's three favorites have been circling the globe `looking' for new recruits. If they refuse to join, they are killed before we can get to them.”

 

“We sent Claire and Bill report any nightwalkers that weren't allied with that bastard to us. They found a few families, but we only got to one in time. The others are dead. Fenrir has been hunting us, so we can't stay in one place for long. We had to keep moving, that's why no one contacted you and why Albier was in such a hurry. He's been leading her off and away from us for a while.”

 

“Rukiya is somewhere in Africa, also looking for nightwalkers to help us, but she hasn't found anyone. Sesshoumaru and Kagura have stayed with Kanna to help her and the rest of the family stay out of harms way as they move about.”

 

“What about Rukiya's mental connection? Why can't she contact us anymore?” Natalia fidgeted slightly.

 

“That's because that bitch Fenrir has expanded her mind reading abilities. She's tried prying into Rukiya every time she makes a mental connection, so Rukiya has been very careful not to leak any information that may harm us. There's more bad news, we have no idea where the nightwalker king is, and his damn followers are ahead of our every move. We'd be lucky to get a single nightwalker to join us let alone a whole family now.” He hissed.

 

“What about the bloodstone?” Lilliana asked. “Are we still looking for it?”

 

“We don't need to anymore.” Inuyasha growled. “I found it.” For some reason, he didn't sound at all pleased.

 

“Where is it?” Natalia asked excitedly.

 

“It's on Narek's right ring finger.”