Trinity Blood Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadows of Time ❯ Chapter 4

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

Title: The Shadows of Time

Author: Ryukotsusei

Fandom: Inuyasha and Trinity Blood

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Violence, torture, language, lemons, spoilers for the entirety of both series just to be safe, and the possibility of out of character characterizations. Read at your own risk.

Pairings: Tres Iqus x Kagome Higurashi x Abel Nightroad

Chapter Four

The massive airship lay before them and Kagome couldn't help but look at it in awe. She'd never seen anything quite like it. She'd never felt comfortable venturing away from the Goshinboku even though Shippo had asked her if she wanted to accompany him each time he was forced to leave for a short time. “It's huge,” she said quietly to the kitsune standing beside her, “but why would there be a port here? The cities are gone.”

“The cities might be gone, but there's still plenty here that would interest the archaeologists. If you walked about ten miles to the north you'd encounter the remains of Osaka and there's a fairly large group of scientists there looking for what they call lost technology. Missiles and other weapons left over from the last world war are all prized discoveries and go for a premium. That's why this port is here, they need supplies delivered periodically,” Shippo explained calmly, ignoring the puzzled looks he was getting by a few of the port workers that were lurking nearby. To them it seemed like he was talking to himself since it took a lot of effort on Kagome's part to make herself visible to the average human. It wasn't worth expending the energy most of the time and the rest, well Kagome didn't find many people worth talking to since she would be forced to explain her story and lay her guilt out for the world to see.

The explanation seemed plausible, but it still had Kagome raising an eyebrow in the redhead's direction, “There's more to it than that. I refuse to believe that we just happened to need a lift on the day that the airship was returning to the continent and even if it was, we're going further than it would normally.” The entire situation seemed too convenient to have just happened like that, but when had Shippo had the chance to arrange it? He really hadn't left her sight the previous evening.

“Well no,” Shippo replied with a grim smile, “I keep telling you the company has quite a bit of pull. I just called in a few favors.” Well, that was stretching the truth just a bit, but he wasn't about to tell her that. In Sesshoumaru's lifetime he'd used much of it to build up a reputation and he wasn't above using violence when necessary to get his point across. Being the dog demon's partner extended that same reputation his way and when he called his 'acquaintances' needing something, they were all too happy to supply him with whatever he needed. Hence, the unscheduled airship just waiting to take them to Rome.

Hearing this Kagome snorted in amusement, “More like bullied them into it.” When Shippo looked at her in surprise, she shook her head, “I've known you for how long now? I may not have watched you around these people, but I know how it works. Sesshoumaru wouldn't have put up with friendly negotiations, not when he wanted something. My question is when did you pull this off?” Even after all these years the kitsune still thought her to be the naive teenager that he'd met back in the feudal era. Unfortunately she'd lost that same innocence a long time ago, even if he didn't want to face that horrible truth.

“Tch, when you begin meditating you really do shut everything out, don't you?” Shippo asked in amusement. He'd only spent the better part of the morning on the phone arranging this little trip, something that she should have noticed. But instead she'd been in a trance, trying to prepare herself for what she knew was coming. Not that he blamed her though, assuming this worked she was in for one hell of a shock being revived. Unfortunately, he didn't know whether or not the person he needed to speak to would even be willing to grant his request.

Kagome blinked in surprise at the revelation, she could have sworn she only put herself into a light trance which should have allowed her to listen to everything that had gone on around her. During that time she supposed that the kitsune continued sleeping, but apparently she'd been mistaken. “Never mind,” she sighed, “How long until we leave?”

“As soon as we board, it looks like they're almost ready to take off,” he replied easily and began leading her up the platform that would take them to the first deck. Normally they could look forward to a couple of days worth of travel, but that was time that they just didn't have. Fortunately, this particular airship had no problem reaching a decent traveling speed and with luck they'd reach Rome within six hours.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Kagome asked, giving the redhead an impish grin and moved out ahead, leaving him to hurry and catch up. Quickly she past the entrance and entered the lobby to admire the spaciousness of the interior. 'Wow, this is like something out of a movie.' Even the furniture seemed too luxurious to be sat upon, even if she had a body to do so. For a moment she couldn't help but be excited by the prospect of living again and it showed in the way she moved.

Even Shippo was slightly surprised when he stepped inside and dropped the small traveling case that he'd brought with him. When he'd requested transportation he'd been expecting the usual transport vessel at best and had been marginally surprised to see that it wasn't, but this went far beyond what he'd been expecting. But by the same token, he wasn't about to question his good fortune either since this beat sitting on a supply crate for the next several hours. 'Looks like we're on our own too, just as I...'

“Master Shippo, I was wondering how long it would take you to get on board. Do you have the miko with you?” Jaken asked, staring expectantly up at the taller demon in anticipation of an answer.

'Okay so we aren't alone, my mistake.' The thought was rather uncharitable, but Shippo wasn't particularly remorseful. He didn't really want to have to listen to the toad blubber over what had happened and make Kagome feel any worse than she already did. “Of course she's with me, Jaken. What did you think, that I'd just leave her there?”

“I can never tell with you,” Jaken replied irritably, “you'd think you'd show some gratitude after the trouble I went through to make sure you weren't traveling like a sack of garbage. Now that you're the sole owner of the company you have an image to maintain.” The words hurt to speak them, but it was nothing less than the truth. If he allowed the red head to gallivant around like he usually did he had no doubts that Lord Sesshoumaru would come back from the grave just to kill him himself.

Showing a distinct lack of grace, Shippo dropped down onto a nearby chair and sighed, “Don't remind me, alright? So I take it you're responsible for this. Please tell me you were able to make us an appointment at the Vatican.” Throughout the morning he'd attempted to make contact with some of his friends within the city, but he'd been unable to even get beyond an answering machine and, as of yet, none of his calls had been returned.

“I'm afraid that's a miracle even I can't pull off,” Jaken said and moved to sit in a nearby chair. The piece of furniture dwarfed his small frame, but he wasn't of a mind to care about his own appearances. “The rumors are that the Pope was attacked sometime last night, but I haven't been able to confirm anything. They're being exceedingly tight lipped about the entire thing, but if I were to wager a guess it's that disgusting Naraku behind it all.”

“He's making his move already then,” Kagome whispered quietly and moved to look out a nearby window. To her surprise they were already airborne and she hadn't even felt the ship take to the skies. 'He certainly isn't wasting any time, but why? What's so important about attacking one of the world leaders now?'

“Shit,” Shippo cursed beneath his breath, realizing the complications that this meant for both him and Kagome, “If this is true, then it'll be a cold day in hell before they welcome us into the Vatican, must less want to listen to us. I'll be lucky if they don't attempt to shoot me on sight just for knocking on the damned door.”

“Are you always this foolish?” Jaken snapped, his beady eyes flashing in irritation, “A thousand years and you still don't look at the big picture. What Lord Sesshoumaru ever saw in you I'll never know.” Despite the angry glare being thrown his direction the toad continued on his tirade, “What are you going to do, knock on the door and graciously say okay when they tell you to get lost?”

“Of course not, but I damned sure ain't going to get my head shot off just because they're worried about another attack,” Shippo growled. While the toad had a point, he'd had more than enough of his intelligence being questioned, “Maybe I should just throw you over the gate to deliver a message to the Cardinal that we need an audience.”

“What?” Jaken squawked indignantly at the very suggestion, “Need I remind you that this is your responsibility? If you can't get an appointment then do what you kitsune are known for! Sneak in or have your instincts become addled in your advancing age?” Okay, so technically he was older than the kitsune, but that didn't matter at the moment. The point was the taller demon wasn't using his brain and if Lord Sesshoumaru was here he'd be delivering a proverbial kick in the ass to the male staring at him now.

Throughout the exchange, Kagome had been staring at the both of them with wide eyes, unsure of what to make of the argument. But when Shippo stood up and began advancing on the toad demon she moved in between them, they couldn't afford to be fighting amongst themselves at the moment. “Now, Shippo, you know Jaken is obnoxious, but I'm sure he's under a lot of stress. Cut him a little slack,” she advised gently, hoping to calm the kitsune down. They couldn't afford to be fighting, not when they had more pressing things at hand. Naraku had already killed those closest to them and the carnage would only continue with each passing day that he was allowed to live.

“Yeah well, I've heard sky diving is a perfect way to relieve stress and I think Jaken needs flying lessons anyway,” Shippo grumbled yet made no further move towards the toad. To this day he still didn't know how Sesshoumaru had put up with the little beast for so long, even if he was good at performing menial tasks. Any further complaints he might have given died upon seeing the sorrowful look on the miko's face and he sighed, “You're right, let's just focus on the task at hand.”

“You know I really hate when the two of you do that,” Jaken complained although he was careful not to say something that would set the kitsune off again. It was clear Kagome had stepped in and stopped the argument from progressing, even if he couldn't see or hear her. It was amazing the way Shippo deferred to her even after all these years, it was almost as if the red head was domesticated or something. Jaken snorted softly at that thought, the very idea of a miko having such control over a demon was disgraceful, but then again his opinions never were taken into account when it came to this particular woman. Besides, she was the only one who could bring him the vengeance that he so desperately craved for his lord's death. For that he would set aside his natural dislike for her kind.

“Well it's not like we've got much of a choice until we can get Kagome the body she needs,” Shippo replied with a trace of bitterness. Did Jaken really think that they'd be going through all this willingly? Kagome was dead for God's sake and he wasn't going to ask her to exhaust herself in an attempt to project just so the toad could hear her voice. It was enough that he could, and if necessary, he would relay her words to the smaller demon. In the meantime, Jaken could suffer; he really didn't give a damn.

The kitsune's words brought up something that Kagome had been wondering about since he had announced they were going to Rome. Clearly he had something in mind or he wouldn't have seized on the idea so quickly, but she couldn't help but wonder if there was a way for her to live again, why hadn't they thought of it before. Was there a way that she could have led a normal life long before now? The thought was depressing, but she pushed the thought away, not wanting to dwell on it. Instead she focused on what was to come. “Shippo, just how do you plan on doing that anyway?”

Instead of answering right away, Shippo returned to his previous spot on the couch and leaned back against the soft cushions. “I'm not entirely sure that we can,” he replied after a moment's thought, “but it's the best chance we've got. While Sesshoumaru might not have approved of the way the humans used the technology we had developed, he kept tabs on just what they were doing. Even before the Mars colonization project began, they were developing methods to reproduce the human body. It started with cloning specific body parts, but it wasn't long before they'd succeeded in cloning an entire human body.”

Kagome pursed her lips before nodding, “I remember they were experimenting on that with animals before I died. They'd only managed a few different kinds though, sheep and dogs if I remember right and it was far from perfect.” In fact, she remembered thinking how the entire idea was ridiculous. It was one thing to want to use the technology to help people regain missing limbs, but to reproduce a pet? No, she hadn't been terribly impressed with the claims that had been thrown around at the time.

“Right,” Shippo replied easily, “the technique was far from perfect, but it was the foundation that they needed to clone humans. Once they'd perfected that, they began researching the possibility of bioengineering human DNA so that they could control the aging process. It was thought that there were certain people that were important enough in the world to warrant playing God. In the end, they perfected the process and soon they were marketing the idea of humans having an extended life span. Needless to say, it was latched onto like a starving man with a piece of bread.” Shippo remembered having many such discussions with both Sesshoumaru and Kouga many years ago. At the time, the idea of humans having the life cycle of a demon hadn't particularly pleased Sesshoumaru, especially considering that he believed they were an inferior species, but there hadn't been anything that he could do about it. It was bad enough that demons were slowly dying out and those that were left had become content with the idea of further diluting the lines by interbreeding with humans.

“It wasn't long after that the Mars colonization began,” Jaken chimed in, happy to be contributing to the tale, “The Earth was on the brink of collapse, the natural balance destroyed with the prolonged life spans that humans had created for themselves. Two different factions set themselves up and eventually those who had embraced the changes that technology had brought left for Mars, leaving us and the remaining humans to try and salvage what was left of the Earth.” Personally he would have been perfectly fine with all of them leaving if they would have just stayed gone. But unfortunately they hadn't been so lucky.

“And shortly after, war followed,” Kagome murmured thoughtfully. At the time she hadn't been terribly interested with why it was happening, just that it was and there was nothing that she could do beyond warn Shippo to the danger she felt fast approaching. It had been enough, barely, but they'd made it through even if everything they'd ever known had been destroyed. Shortly after, Kouga and Sesshoumaru had moved to the continent while Shippo remained behind. Perhaps it was selfish of her to ask him to stay, but at the time she couldn't bear the loneliness that would come from being left behind.

Shippo nodded slightly, that much was ancient history. “As you know, when the humans returned from Mars they had changed into the Methusela. Between the bioengineering they'd done to themselves and the discovery of the Bacillus, it had mutated them into the vampires we know today. With the addition of the alien technology, they were superior to the humans that had remained behind. As you know, humans fear what they don't understand and war quickly broke out between the two races. There was no way the Methusela would accept being considered less than human, especially when they'd become more powerful.” Even though he'd remained in Japan, he'd still kept in contact with the others and they made sure that he was kept up to date on the events that were unfolding. Not long after, the Catholic Church had seized power and brought about some measure of peace, even though they were technically still at war with the vampires.

“This is all well and good, but it still doesn't answer my question,” Kagome replied uneasily. Were they taking her to some sort of lab so they could clone her body? In that case they'd need some sort of DNA sample and her body had been destroyed long ago. She failed to see how this was going to help.

“I'm getting to that, Kagome, don't be impatient,” Shippo chastised her gently. Really, even though centuries had passed, that was one fault she'd never been able to get rid of which was rather ironic. After all, what did she really have to be impatient about anymore? Seeing the irritated look that was being thrown his way he decided to get on with the explanation, “Because it was the genetic engineering that had started all of this, the Catholic church decreed it to be against God and banished its use which resulted in every company which offered the services to be shut down. Even if most people have moved on and don't give it a second thought, we're more than aware that the technology is not lost.”

“Of course it isn't,” Jaken scoffed in annoyance, “You'd have to be a fool to not notice how those that have been in power over the past centuries have not had extended life spans. The only thing that's shortened them has been the war and assassination attempts. That's how that weakling Alessandro ascended to power.” He'd only had the misfortune to meet the boy once and that had been more than enough. How in the hell a human that was so easily pushed around had come to power, he'd never know.

“So they're still practicing it even though they believe it to be responsible for the state the world is in now? Hypocrites,” Kagome said, although it was without heat. There was no way she was going to condemn them for doing something that anyone else would have done.

“Human nature,” Shippo replied with a shrug, “but in this instance I'm glad they're so damned predictable. It might be difficult to convince them to use it to create you a new body, but they have the ability.” And if push came to shove, he wasn't about to hesitate in using violence to get what he wanted, but somehow he didn't think it would come to that, not if it was true that the Pope had been attacked.

“Alright so that explains how it's possible, but don't you need my DNA to do that and how are you going to get my soul into the new body?” she asked, curiosity getting the best of her. Although she wouldn't complain too much, it would be extremely weird to wake up in the morning and see herself as someone else.

“I'd thought about that, the DNA thing, and frankly we're going to have to make due with what we can get. Hopefully there's someone there willing to hand over a few strands of hair, because my own DNA won't work. As soon as your soul entered the body, it would purify the flesh since it was demonic and we'd be back at square one,” Shippo replied with a sigh, “but on the bright side, I do have a theory about how your body would appear.”

“You're referring to how suspiciously alike both that dead priestess and Kagome looked,” Jaken stated matter of factly, instantly picking up on the theory that Shippo was suggesting.

“Right,” Shippo confirmed with a nod, “I'd seen the way Kagome's family looked and I have to say, there was very little family resemblance between them. However, more than one person mistook Kikyo and Kagome, although there were distinct differences. I believe that Kagome's soul is powerful enough that it unconsciously manipulated her body to take the appearance it had wanted. If that's the case, there's no reason it shouldn't do so again.” That was what he was hoping for anyway, but they'd have to wait and see if that's what actually happened or not.

Hearing that was actually a bit of a relief to Kagome and her expression relaxed ever so slightly. She really didn't want to look like anyone but herself, but if she did, it couldn't be helped. At least she'd be alive again and that would be better than what she had currently.

“You have a plan then for implanting her soul within the body?” Jaken inquired. He too was curious as to just how the kitsune planned to accomplish such a thing. Although he wasn't sure what it entailed, he seriously doubted that Shippo would use the same method that Urasue used to shove a piece of Kagome's soul in the clay doll that resembled Kikyo.

Shippo closed his eyes and considered the question before answering it. Much of a kitsune's nature was secretive and rightly so, to reveal too much would give a person power over the kitsune's soul. While he had no problems trusting these two, there was always the chance of someone overhearing, and because of that he wouldn't reveal too much. “Every creature, be it a human or demon has a connection to the spirit world, but most of them don't know how to tap into it. I do and it's through that connection that I'll manipulate the energy surrounding the body into accepting her soul.”

“Tch, kitsune and their secrets. Must you be so mysterious?” Jaken muttered beneath his breath. The explanation had been about as clear as mud, but based on Shippo's smug expression, he wasn't planning on enlightening them anytime soon. But still, it made him wonder, if Shippo could do this for Kagome could he possibly do it for Lord Sesshoumaru? He could easily provide the DNA necessary to begin the cloning process, it was just a question of if the red head could find his Master's soul or not, just as he'd done with Kagome's.

“Of course we do,” Shippo replied with a grin, “we wouldn't be kitsune otherwise.” With that he stood and walked towards the stairway which would lead to the deck, he needed the fresh air.

~Just over six hours later~

Shippo was rather grateful that the rest of the trip had been relatively uneventful. Most of the time had been passed halfheartedly listening to Jaken ramble on about the responsibilities that he'd be expected to pick up until he'd finally put his foot down. Apparently the toad hadn't realized that by hunting Naraku, it would mean that he wouldn't be there to make corporate decisions and the hunt was by far the most pressing matter to deal with. 'Let the suits handle the company for now, I'll worry about what happens next after Naraku is dead.'

Of course that had stunned the toad, but to his credit, he didn't protest any further. It left Shippo alone so he could contemplate just what they had to do in order to see the Cardinal. As expected, much of it would depend on whether or not the rumors of an attack were true and now that he was off the airship, there was no doubt. Security swarmed the port, checking every single passenger that went through the building. Now more than ever he was glad that he had his illusion firmly in place while Jaken has so generously made sure that he had the passports he needed because it was clear he was going to be questioned.

Kagome moved beside him and surveyed the sheer masses of people that had congregated in the building. Armed guards patrolled the building and their clothing made them easily noticeable. However, there was yet another person who stood out to her, making her pause. “Who's that? He looks important,” she asked and pointed to a rather broad shouldered man who was clothed differently than anyone else. The black and silver trench coat he wore made him look rather foreboding and his expression didn't look any friendlier either.

Quickly Shippo looked in the direction that Kagome was pointing and sighed. “It figures that they would be here,” he muttered beneath his breath and looked over to Jaken, “we're going to have to play it carefully. No doubt they're looking for anyone suspicious so keep your cool alright?”

“Don't worry about me, Mr. Hakashi, we'll proceed through the security check out so you can get down to business,” Jaken replied, instantly falling into the mode of Shippo's assistant. They had to perform flawlessly because while an ordinary human might make mistakes, as a general rule the elite members of the AX did not.

If there was one thing that Kagome disliked it was being ignored and her irritation showed clearly on her face, “Am I going to get an answer or not?” She didn't see what the problem was, they were far enough away from the man that he wouldn't hear them talking.

“Easy, Kags,” Shippo cautioned and reached down to pick up his small suitcase, “that man is a member of the AX; they're sort of like the personal guard to the Vatican. It looks like the rumors were true and they've stationed guards to watch and see if he shows up again.” That was the best explanation he was willing to give at that point and he wasn't about to mention Naraku's name on the off chance that the man could catch bits and pieces of the conversation.

Kagome nodded in understanding, “I see, so what do we do now then?” She eyed the long lines, wondering if they were going to have to wait for hours just to get through them. The thought was disheartening, they had to get moving if they were to catch up to Naraku anytime soon. There was just no telling how long it would take to create the body that she needed.

“We do what any other high ranking suit would do,” Shippo replied firmly, “we use our money and reputation to push our way to the front of the line.” Taking that approach was sure to garner attention, but it would look even stranger if they were to stand around and wait like the commoners. For now he'd take the lesser of two evils and hope that they wouldn't be speaking with any of the AX members lurking in the area. Where a normal human wouldn't sense his demonic energy, there was no telling whether or not the men from the Vatican could.

Knowing that it was up to him, Jaken began walking towards the line with a scowl on his face. It was times like now that he was thankful for the brat's abilities with illusions, otherwise, he'd have better luck clearing these humans by torching them with the Staff of Two Heads. “Excuse me,” he snapped impatiently at one of them who had walked in front of him and just stopped, “Make way for Mr. Hakashi, you fools.” By now they were attracting a fair amount of attention, but at least people were moving out of the way.

On the outside, Shippo had schooled his expression to one of sheer boredom in watching Jaken part the masses before him, but inside he was rolling his eyes. As much as he wished that the act that the other demon was putting on was just that, an act, he knew better. Jaken had to be one of the nastiest tempered demons when he got right down to it, he was just too damned small to do anything with that attitude.

Spotting his prey, Jaken marched right up to the head of security, “You there, who do I speak to so we can cut this security nonsense and leave? Mr. Hakashi has an important business meeting to get to and he cannot be delayed, “he said stiffly, hoping to intimidate the human into bowing to his will.

“I'm sorry Sir, but we're in a high priority situation here. Both of you are going to have to wait your turn, just like everyone else,” the supervisor said with a sigh. This was the part that he hated about his job, dealing with the stuck up snobs that had entitlement issues took up most of his time. The suits just couldn't understand how they weren't any better than anyone else when it came to getting through the checkpoints. Now as he stood there in front of the ugly man, he could predict the response he was going to get. 'Any moment now...'

“That is not acceptable,” Jaken snapped in irritation, “do you know who you're dealing with? Mr. Hakashi is a very high ranking official in Nariyuki Corporation and it's imperative we make this meeting!” Jaken knew that he had gotten the man's attention by the way his eyes widened and for the briefest of moments he thought he'd won.

Indeed the supervisor had heard of the Nariyuki Corporation and he knew that the redhead standing behind the nasty assistant was likely to be personal friends with the president. He paused only for a moment to consider his choices. If he refused, then most likely the man would cost him his job once he made a few calls, but on the other hand, if he allowed them special treatment he was looking at getting fired anyway. Sighing heavily he shook his head, “I understand your concern, but the answer remains the same. If you'd just get in line you'll be through quicker than you will if you stand here asking for things I can't allow.”

“Why you! I'll have your job for this,” Jaken sputtered in indignation. Now he wished he did have the staff in his possession, he'd take great pleasure in showing this person just who he was dealing with.

“Dear God, is he always like this?” Kagome muttered under her breath, ignoring the look Shippo threw in her direction. After spending a handful of hours in the toad's company even she was ready to drop kick him. 'Would it have killed him to ask the man nicely? It's no wonder he said no!'

Hearing the disturbance had immediately gained Father Nightroad's attention and as much as he wanted to ignore it, he couldn't. What he wanted was to be back in the medical ward making sure that both his sister and the Pope were being attended to properly, but as it were, he'd been needed here while the Cardinal called in some of the other operatives from out in the field. So here he was, stuck in a port with irate people who weren't any happier about being there than he was. While he couldn't blame them, they needed to show a bit more patience. Calmly, he walked up to the three men standing there, two of which were arguing, and smiled with some difficulty. “What seems to be the problem here?” he asked pleasantly, hoping to diffuse the situation.

'Shit!' Shippo thought to himself, he had been hoping that they wouldn't draw that much attention, but there didn't seem to be any helping it now. “There's nothing to concern yourself with, sir,” he said, trying to keep his tone respectful as possible. There was no sense in pissing off the wrong person, especially when they were going to be asking for their help later.

“Shippo, if we're going to be dealing with these people later why not try to make friends with them now? If you can get his help it'll be easier to get into the Vatican, won't it?” Kagome asked uncertainly. The silver haired man which had come to resolve the problem seemed nice enough and while it was setting her senses off, it wasn't in an all together bad way. She could sense the blood he had on his hands, but it was tempered with regret and somehow, she felt that they could trust him.

“Excuse me?” Father Abel blinked in surprise and looked around for who it was that had spoken, “Who said that?” He was positive that he had heard a female voice saying that they needed his help to get into the Vatican, in Japanese no less. Very few even spoke the language anymore, but it was one that he had learned long ago. Were they there to attend Mass or were they coming for another, more sinister reason. While he couldn't be sure, he refused to jump to conclusions, so instead he played it safe for now and didn't ask outright what their intentions were.

“What the hell? He can hear me?” Kagome gasped out, surprise overtaking her expression. So far the only one who had been able to do so without a conscious effort on her part had been Shippo. With wide eyes she turned to look at the kitsune and asked, “Who is this guy?”

“Of course I can hear you Miss... Um, where are you exactly?” Father Nightroad asked, again, this time switching to Japanese while looking around for the woman speaking, but not finding anyone. 'Where are you?And what is your purpose?' If this were another attempt to infiltrate their defenses to strike out at another of their circle, they'd find there would be hell to pay for even considering such a plan.

“Great, he can hear me, but he can't see me. This is just perfect,” Kagome complained bitterly, ignoring the incredulous look that Shippo was giving her. “Oh don't you look at me like that, what were you planning to do? Tell him that he was hearing voices?” Softly she snorted and crossed her arms, “Look, Mr... whatever your name is. My name is Kagome and I have a slight problem here because I'm dead. Is there somewhere we can go to talk? I think you might be able to help us.”

Father Nightroad blinked a couple of times while processing just what it was that he was hearing. Now they definitely had his interest, even if it hadn't been for the voice appearing out of nowhere. The name alone would have grabbed his attention seeing as that had been the one spoken by the demon during the attack on his sister. The added bit of information that she'd given about being dead only served to further arouse his curiosity. Hadn't this monster mentioned that he killed the woman named Kagome? Quickly he nodded, “I'm Father Nightroad and of course we can talk, if you would follow me.”

“I hope you know what you're doing, Kagome” Shippo said with a sigh and turned to follow the priest out of the building. If she'd accomplished anything it was that security was no longer an issue, but what problems had she put in place of that red tape?

“Like Jaken was doing any better,” Kagome replied, immediately defending her actions. Speaking of the toad, he was doing a rather impressive imitation of a fish some distance back and if he didn't hurry he was going to be left behind. 'At least we're finally getting somewhere.' Just as they were about to reach the doorway, the other AX member that she'd noticed earlier approached, leaving her to wonder if they were going to get anywhere after all.

Tres stopped just a few feet away from the small entourage and looked them over carefully, “Is there a problem, Father Nightroad?” Unless his partner had received new orders, they were not to leave the premises for another three hours. The two men standing there didn't look particularly suspicious, but that meant nothing under the circumstances. Everyone was to be looked upon with suspicion, no exceptions.

“They may have pertinent information, Father Tres,” Father Nightroad replied quietly, “I'm taking them to see Lady Caterina and she can determine what needs to be done.” Something told him that what they had to say was rather important and they could not afford to allow these three to slip through their fingers.

The meaning behind Father Nightroad's words were not lost upon him and immediately Tres nodded, “Understood, I will accompany you back and assist in the interrogation.” Immediately he turned and walked up to the two guards stationed at the doorway, “Post more sentries, we must return to the Vatican.” While his orders had been to remain at the port, he also had a duty to assist Father Nightroad in escorting any suspects back to be questioned.

Shippo felt rather uneasy about the entire situation, but there was nothing to be done about it right now. Something felt off about Father Tres and he wasn't quite sure what it was just yet. With a sigh, he followed Father Nightroad out the door while the other man brought up the rear, no doubt to ensure that they didn't attempt to escape.

Soon enough Father Nightroad had gotten them into the car that had been waiting to take them back to the Vatican and he observed the two that he could actually see carefully. Now that he had a good chance to look at them, something seemed off and he felt no remorse in coming right out and asking them about it, “You're not normal humans, are you?”

“Tch, it took you long enough to notice something. We're not human at all,” Jaken replied irritably, unsure of how the hell this had happened to begin with. All he knew was that Kagome had something to do with it and once again he'd been left in the dark. 'I should have just stayed on the ship and saved myself the trouble of working with these two.'

“Speak for yourself, toad,” Kagome shot back. She was rather proud of being human, even if she didn't exactly have a body at the moment. “I am human, or rather, I was,” she muttered beneath her breath and turned her head to stare out the window.

Before Father Nightroad could respond to Jaken's cryptic statement, Tres asked a question of his own, “What are you then?” Before the question wouldn't have been necessary and he would have labeled them as Methusela, but now with demons around they couldn't be certain.

Seeing no reason to keep it a secret any longer, Shippo was the one to answer the question. “We're demons, Kagome excluded of course and we've discovered that we might have a problem that's related to one of your own.” Immediately he noticed the suspicious and skeptical look he was being given, but he wasn't about to drop his illusions right now. That could come later, once they were behind the gates of the Vatican.

“You speak of the Shikon jewel and the demon who controls it,” Father Nightroad stated cautiously and waited to see what their reactions were. It seemed unlikely that these three were working for the demon in question, it would be foolish for them to take such a direct approach.

“You've done your research,” Kagome replied quietly, turning her attention from the passing scenery, “I'd rather not have to tell this tale more than once, how long until we reach our destination?” Somehow she doubted it was very far, but she wanted to be sure.

Father Nightroad looked towards the window, looking for any trace of the woman who spoke, but still he saw no sign of her. “We'll be there soon and then you can explain what you are to Naraku and how he came to kill you.” From what little she'd spoken about her condition, he could tell that it was a sensitive subject, but still, they had to know the entire story.

“Who are you speaking to?” Father Tres asked his partner while allowing his scanners to search the car. Although he could not see anyone else, he was certain that Father Nightroad had information that he did not.

“Ah, that's right,” Father Nightroad replied with a slight laugh, “You cannot see her can you? Father Tres, the third person with us is a woman by the name of Kagome.” It was an impromptu introduction at best, but they weren't going to get much better than that. Suddenly the car slowed and he turned his attention back to the two demons staring at him, “And here we are. Now if you three would follow me, I'll take you to the person who can help us get this all straightened out.” Once the car stopped, he opened the door and exited the vehicle.

“It's about time,” Jaken scoffed and allowed himself out of the car. He was more than fed up with the situation as it stood and he had not been impressed with their escorts.

Hearing yet another tirade about to start, Shippo snapped at him, “That's enough, Jaken. If they decide to gag you I am not stopping them.” The warning glare that he gave the smaller demon seemed to be enough to quell another outburst for the moment, although, he had his doubts on how long it would last. Heaving a sigh, he followed Father Nightroad across the courtyard and nearly rolled his eyes at how quickly the humans within the compound appeared to gawk at them. 'I haven't even dropped the illusions and they are acting like we're from a side show circus.'

“Yes well, we aren't quite that extreme, I don't think,” Father Nightroad replied with a reassuring grin. He wouldn't say that they'd be treated to far worse if they found that they had malicious intentions. A pin drop could have been heard in the emptiness that surrounded them in the hallways. Despite the fact that he could feel the eyes and ears pressing in around them, their audience was being suspiciously quiet.

“You might not be, but believe me, Shippo would. So would I for that matter if I could actually get a hold of the tape to shut him up,” Kagome replied in amusement, “Would you believe this is actually mild for him? He's usually far worse.”

Father Nightroad couldn't help but chuckle, “You know, somehow that wouldn't surprise me, Kagome.” And it was true, after what he'd seen at the port checkpoint he could easily see the man being far worse than he was now.

“I don't know what it is you said, you wretched girl, but don't think you can insult me and get away with it,” Jaken muttered beneath his breath. Somehow he just knew that she was picking on him and Shippo wouldn't do a thing to stick up for him. “I swear, neither of you have changed in centuries. Why did I have to get stuck with the both of you?”

“Because we're the only ones that will put up with you,” Shippo supplied helpfully, ignoring the squawk of indignation that soon followed his statement. Fortunately, he was spared from having to listen to the toad because they'd reached a rather ornate door and Father Nightroad was knocking on it.

“Enter,” Lady Caterina called out and looked up upon seeing the door open. She'd already known who it would be, given that she'd just spoken with the head of security at the port and had been informed of that her team had left. Immediately her gaze went to the two men that were standing between both Tres and Abel. Nothing about them looked particularly out of the ordinary, but they wouldn't have been brought here without a reason. “Father Nightroad, Father Tres, to what do I owe this visit?”

“Well, not to put too fine of a point on it, your Grace. The people I bring before you have some information on Naraku and the jewel. This is Mr. Hakashi,” Father Nightroad supplied, indicating Shippo with his hand, “and this is... Jaken.” He could see that he'd caught her attention and wanted answers to the many questions they had, but he wasn't finished yet, “There's another visitor here and Kagome's situation is... rather peculiar.”

“Kagome?” Caterina echoed, instantly recognizing the name from the reports she'd received earlier, “Please, do begin the explanations now.” She didn't want to make any assumptions as to what was going on without hearing the story, but one thing she did know was that Kagome was supposed to be dead and there clearly wasn't a third person for her to see.

“Allow me,” Shippo said and allowed the illusions he had placed on both him and Jaken to fall. Gasps of surprise immediately followed, but to the human's credit, they didn't attack. “To begin with, we may as well get this out in the open. Jaken and I are demons and together with Kagome, we've been fighting Naraku since the feudal era nearly fifteen hundred years ago. As you've probably guessed, Kagome is in fact dead and it's for that reason we've come to you for help.”

“I think perhaps you should start from the beginning,” Lady Caterina replied and leaned back in her chair, preparing for a long story. Now that her suspicions were confirmed she was waiting to see if there was any possible help that these three could offer.

Nodding slightly, Shippo took a seat in a chair directly across from her without bothering to ask. He wasn't about to make himself uncomfortable in the process of telling this tale. “I guess I should start by explaining just what the Shikon is,” he began, “I'm not sure how much you know about it, but the jewel's story begins with an ancient priestess named Midoriko.”

“She was the person who created the jewel, was she not?” Lady Caterina asked, attempting to confirm whether or not the scroll had been accurate. If these newcomers could provide verification of what little information had been in the scrolls it would go a long way towards establishing some trust and credibility in her eyes. If not, then she would have to assume that whatever else they said would have to be viewed as suspect.

Nodding once, Shippo continued, “Yes she was. A great battle had taken place between Midoriko and some of the more powerful demons at the time. It lasted for days, neither side giving an inch, but eventually she was overwhelmed. As the demons were attempting to devour her, she forced her soul from her body and trapped the demons within the sphere that formed. The souls are the source of the jewel's power and it can be tainted if it falls into the wrong person's hands. It's now obvious that's exactly what's happened.”

Father Nightroad moved to stand next to the desk and gave Shippo a concerned look, “Just what is this jewel capable of?” While he'd battled Naraku while the demon was holding it, he knew there was a good chance that the full power of the Shikon had not been revealed. Just what sort of disaster were they facing when Naraku chose to strike again?

With a sigh, Shippo answered the question, “Everything. There's no limit to what the jewel can accomplish. At one time we believed that it could be destroyed with a wish and used that method to banish it, but as you can see, it didn't work like it should.” At this point he fixed them all with a serious look, “We've seen mere shards of the jewel reanimate the dead. In Naraku's hands, it allows him to control them in any manner that he chooses. With the entire jewel he's managed to destroy one of the most powerful demons to walk the Earth and now the only person who has a chance to fighting him is standing before you dead.”

“You mean Kagome then,” Lady Caterina stated, wishing that she could see this person who was reputed to be so powerful. Which brought about another interesting question, “If you don't mind my asking, how did she die?”

“I was stupid enough to believe that Naraku was dead,” Kagome muttered beneath her breath. The images burned into her memory would haunt her forever, of that she had no doubt.

Father Nightroad raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, “Naraku is the one that took your life then?” The news didn't sit well with him, especially considering that he'd been hoping there was something they could do to use her in Naraku's destruction.

“Would you rather be the one to tell them what happened?” Shippo asked her gently, “It'll cause too much confusion with both of us speaking when only Father Nightroad can hear you.” While he didn't want to force her to retell the tale, some things only she could answer, and sooner or later, they'd want Kagome to reveal herself. It would help if they could see her as he did.

“Not really, but...” Kagome trailed off and moved closer to the desk, “they need to see in order to know, don't they?” Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and concentrated, focusing on pulling the power from her soul in order to manifest a physical representation of herself. By the gasps that surrounded her, she'd known that she'd succeeded.

Lady Caterina swallowed hard seeing the translucent form standing before her with sorrowful eyes. Although she appeared to be uninjured, blood coated her skin and clothing, giving the girl a rather morbid appearance. “What happened to you?” she asked as gently as she could.

“In order to explain that, I must tell you how Naraku came to be. I was in fact a reincarnation of a powerful priestess by the name of Kikyo and she had been entrusted with protecting the jewel. But in addition to this, she took on the normal duties one would expect from a miko such as tending the sick and wounded. One day she found a horribly burnt man who lay on the brink of death and being who she was, she could not deny him aid,” Kagome said quietly, her eyes taking on a far away look as she remembered the images that she'd gotten from her predecessor, “Unfortunately for her, this man, by the name of Onigumo, was wicked and full of hatred for his fellow man. When he laid eyes on Kikyo he was entranced by her power and beauty, but he was further seduced by the fact that she protected the Shikon.”

“It would have been better for all of us if she'd left him to die,” Jaken growled in distaste. How could the woman have allowed him to live, knowing that he held such evil in his heart?

“Even she would not be able to deny the truth in that statement, Jaken, but the fact still remains that she held compassion for him and it led to her death,” Kagome replied without any malice clouding her voice, “In the end, Onigumo realized that he would never be able to walk again, his body had been too badly burned and Kikyo would never look at him as a man, merely a patient to be tended to until he succumbed to his wounds. Unwilling to give into his fate, he spoke to the demons lurking nearby and offered his body as a sacrifice to them if only they would lend him their strength and power. They accepted and Naraku was born.”

“And afterwards?” Father Nightroad asked solemnly, knowing that there was far more to the tale that hadn't been spoken as of yet.

Kagome stared down at the surface of the desk and gazed at her reflection for several moments. Even now she could see the similarities between herself and Kikyo and it made her stomach churn. All this death because Kikyo had been unable to destroy the jewel the first time and then, she followed right in her footsteps. It was a bitter pill to swallow. “What happened next? Naraku took to following Kikyo and discovered that she had a half demon for a lover and his jealousy overwhelmed him. He became convinced that if he couldn't have her, he'd at least have the jewel, so he came up with a plan to destroy them both. There was no way he could get his hands on the Shikon otherwise. It was so easy,” she said bitterly, “As much as Kikyo and Inuyasha proclaimed to love each other, neither one had the trust that was needed to avoid what was to come. She wasn't happy with her lover having demon blood and wanted to use the jewel to turn him into a human. Inuyasha on the other hand had been shunned his entire life and he'd latched onto the affection she'd shown him with a blinding loyalty, but little trust. When Naraku used an illusion to appear as Kikyo, he believed that she had turned on him.”

“And so they both perished then?” Lady Caterina asked calmly. While it was indeed a tragic tale, she had little sympathy for the two lovers. She'd seen far too much in her lifetime and had become hardened to life's tragedies.

“Not exactly,” Kagome replied, raising her gaze away from the table to look into her eyes, “Naraku also took Inuyasha's form and went to the place that they were supposed to meet at to make the wish. He was beyond furious that she would waste the wish in such a fashion and using her lover's form, he struck her down and delivered a fatal injury before seeking out Inuyasha to trick him as well. In the end, Kikyo managed to make it back to the shrine where she found the true Inuyasha making off with the jewel. With the last bit of her strength she used an arrow to pin him to the Goshinboku tree, but instead of killing him, it put him in what was supposed to be an eternal sleep. Only then did she give her sister Kaede instructions to burn the jewel along with her body which was supposed to destroy it.” But what was supposed to be and what actually happened were two totally different things, leaving Kagome to wonder if the jewel would ever be destroyed.

“Obviously it didn't work though. Kikyo was foolish to believe that something so simple would destroy the jewel,” Jaken added, distaste coloring his words. Honestly, he didn't know which of the two was more pathetic, Inuyasha for loving the woman or Kikyo for looking for ways to shirk her duty to protect the damned thing.

“We all make mistakes, Jaken,” Shippo replied wearily. Even if he wanted to place the blame squarely on Kikyo's shoulders he couldn't, not when they all shouldered some of the responsibility.

“And mine was probably the biggest of them all,” Kagome said, picking up the thread of the story, “Although I didn't realize it at the time. I was born five hundred years after Kikyo's death with the jewel laying dormant in my body. I never even knew it was there until my fifteenth birthday when I went into a well house on my family's shrine. I'd never listened to the legends surrounding it, I thought they were only fairy tales. So when a centipede demon erupted from the bottom and dragged me down the well, I panicked and unleashed some of the power trapped inside of me. It bought me enough time to climb out of the well, but I was no longer in my own era. The Goshinboku combined with the powers of the Shikon transported me into the past, fifty years after Kikyo's death. I wasn't sure why at the time, but now I know that it was to set right the things that had gone wrong.”

Lady Caterina stared at the spirit incredulously, “You mean you were able to travel through time?” Although the scroll had made mention of it she'd dismissed it as nothing more than fantasy, despite the amount of power that Naraku had shown. 'Is it even possible? It has to be, what could she possibly gain in lying about this?'

Slowly Kagome nodded, knowing that it was a hard idea to accept, “I understand if you have your doubts, even my family thought I was crazy until I was able to show them proof, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Originally when I came out of the well, I saw Inuyasha sleeping, pinned to the tree. Soon after though the villagers found me and thought I was a kitsune wearing an illusion.” At the time it hadn't been funny, but after knowing Shippo for so long, it was slightly amusing. She couldn't help giving him a warm look, but she quickly sobered again, “Unfortunately, the centipede demon hadn't forgotten about me and she attacked the village. At the time I hadn't given much thought to what I needed to do, beyond getting the demon away from the village so I ran into the woods. I managed to make it back to the tree, but this time, Inuyasha had awoken. Maybe it was the fact that the jewel had come out of dormancy or maybe it's because I have Kikyo's soul. Either way he was awake and rather pissed when he saw me.”

“Tch, that's because he thought you were Kikyo, not because there was a fifty foot bug about to eat you,” Shippo threw in and raised a brow at the look of irritation that the miko gave him for that one, “What? It's true!”

“Getting back to the story,” Kagome said, glaring at the kitsune, “Since I wasn't trained in how to use these powers I didn't even know I had and Inuyasha was pinned to the tree, the demon ripped the Shikon out of my body and swallowed it, tapping into its powers. The villagers had arrived and tried to subdue it, but arrows against an armor plated bug quite frankly is like firing a pellet gun at an elephant. It doesn't do shit.”

“So what did you do?” Father Nightroad asked, trying not to grin at the look that crossed the miko's face when she said that. The analogy while amusing was probably quite true and he certainly wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that sort of attention. 'All the same, she certainly is strange for a priestess, not that it's a bad thing.'

“I made a deal with Inuyasha, I'd free him if he'd kill the demon. When he agreed, I destroyed the arrow sealing him to the tree and he made short work of Mistress Centipede. Unfortunately, he was still rather pissed about the entire situation that he'd found himself in and he still wanted the jewel for himself. This time he wanted to use it to become a full demon. When I told him that he couldn't have it,” Kagome trailed off.

“The idiot tried to kill you,” Shippo said, finishing the sentence for her, “That was how he ended up with the subjugation necklace. You know sometimes I wish I could have seen the look on his face the first time you used it on him?”

“That was the last thing I was paying attention to at the time, trust me,” Kagome replied dryly. Shippo found amusement in the oddest things at the strangest times, this was one of them. “Anyway, I ended up keeping the jewel, but through a strange set of circumstances it ended up getting shattered which led to me and Inuyasha coming to a truce of sorts so we could find the shards.”

“And that is where you met up with your comrades,” Lady Caterina indicated with a nod of her head. The scroll had specifically mentioned the fox, but strangely enough there had been nothing written about the green toad-like creature. That wasn't necessarily surprising however, legends had a tendency to change over time and there was a chance that the demon had been forgotten. He certainly didn't look very powerful.

“Yeah, I joined up with them shortly after they began the search, but Jaken here was never a part of the group. Instead he followed Sesshoumaru around and it was only after the final battle that we developed any sort of working relationship with each other,” Shippo explained, there was no way in hell that particular demon would have stuck around for that fight with Naraku. He would have run the first chance he'd gotten.

Tres, who had remained silent up until that point put forth a question of his own, “How did Naraku survive the final battle without any of you knowing?” Usually it was easy to determine whether a body has vital signs or not so he needed to know what had been different this time? What had given Naraku the advantage when the scroll had said they retrieved the jewel?

“I didn't even realize Naraku had survived until I had returned to my own time,” Kagome replied bitterly, “I returned home one day to find that the bastard was in my home and had taken my family hostage. Of course he demanded the jewel be returned to him, but that was impossible, I'd made a wish and it had vanished, but he thought I was lying. I was forced to watch as he tortured and killed them one by one until I was the only one left and when it was clear that I wasn't going to give him the jewel, he tied me to the Goshinboku and turned me into a human torch. All these years I've been unable to move on, tied to the shrine by the guilt of not being able to stop him from hurting them and now... Now I find out that he's somehow managed to find the jewel again and he's already begun the killing. He won't stop, not until he's destroyed everyone who can stand against him.” By the time that she was finished speaking her body was shaking with the pain and the rage of the guilt she'd been holding in for so long. Shippo reached for her, but there was nothing that he could do, not even offer her the comfort of his arms because his hand passed right through her.

Father Nightroad's eyes softened considerably and he wished that there was something that he could do to take the pain from her. However, there was little that he could do and he knew it. “If you know that Naraku has the jewel then you must have a reason for coming here. Is there something you can do to help us stop him?” He was certain that there was in fact something that she could do, after all, Naraku had given every indication that she'd done something to disrupt their fight. It was just a question of what it was and if it would end up being enough.

“There is, but to help you, we need your aide in return,” Shippo said, getting straight to the point, “Kagome's influence in this form is limited at best. She needs a new body in order to put a stop to the bastard.”

“I'm afraid that's beyond our capabilities,” Lady Caterina said with a sigh, “Prayer, while helpful, will not allow her to pass into the afterlife and reincarnate. The most we could do is an exorcism, but then there's no guarantee she'd return to Earth and even if she did, it could take years.” No, that would take far too long and by then hundreds of people would have died.

“I was afraid that you'd say that,” Shippo replied, his gaze holding the woman's easily, “and I'm afraid that's not an answer we can accept. You see, Nariyuki corporations was the one to produce the first working cyborg. Our company pioneered bioengineering. While we might not have ventured into the cloning aspect, we kept close tabs on the technology as it was being developed. Just like we've kept aware of who still maintains the knowledge of what's supposed to be lost. Namely, the church.”

The indignation rolling off the woman was palatable and Kagome knew that Shippo was treading a fine line. Taking a chance, she decided to step in and she prostrated herself in front of the woman, “Please, your Grace. I realize that this is a lot to ask and if the situation weren't so dire we wouldn't be here. I had accepted my fate, to endure it at the place of my murder, reliving the memories of what happened to both me and my family. But Naraku cannot be allowed to live, this cannot continue. Without the help of a powerful miko, there's no stopping him. While you might find someone that can hurt him, the jewel will step in and keep him from dying. Only I can purify the jewel, but I cannot do that the way I am now.”

Shippo watched the scene unfolding and his heart ached for what Kagome was putting herself through, all in an effort to appeal to the good that they knew lay in this woman. “Kagome,” he whispered sadly.

“I... I do not ask this for myself,” Kagome whispered and stared up into the Cardinal's eyes, willing her to believe what she was saying, “I do this for you and everyone else who might be affected by Naraku. How many more people have to die because of a mistake I made? Please, give me the chance to set things right. I have to stop him. Please.”

End of Chapter Four