Trinity Blood Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadows of Time ❯ Chapter 6

[ 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, character deaths, language, lemons, spoilers for the entire 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

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Trinity Blood. The series belong to Rumiko Takahashi, and the late Sunao Yoshido. I make no money off of this fan fiction.

Special thanks to KogasHentaiLuver for taking the time to beta this chapter. And thank you to everyone who has chosen to review thus far.

Chapter Six

The sound of water running nearby alerted Kagome to the fact that they were no longer in the future. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked at her surroundings, taking in the lush foliage that surrounded them, free of the taint that would corrupt it centuries from now. “We made it,” she whispered, her eyes happily meeting Father Nightroad's. 'I'll finally be able to set things right.'

“It looks that way,” Father Nightroad replied and then gazed down upon his partner who was still lying upon the ground. “Is he going to be all right?” Although the man looked to be at peace, he still hadn't awoken and until he did, Abel would continue to be concerned. There was no precedence for something like this having happened before and he had no idea how long it would be until Father Tres would be back to normal, whatever that was.

Gently, Kagome brushed the man's bangs away from his forehead testing the temperature for any sign of a fever. Thankfully there were none, but she had no idea if allowing him to remain asleep was a good idea either.

“I think he will be,” she said at length and then reached into a pocket to fish a handkerchief out of it, “Father, can you do me a favor and wet this down? There's a stream just on the other side of that copse of trees.”

For a moment Father Nightroad hesitated, looking around the surrounding area. The tales he'd been told spoke of many demons that roamed Japan and now they were in the thick of it all. How safe would it be to leave the miko here and unprotected, even for a couple of moments? Father Tres certainly couldn't protect her at the present time, but they couldn't remain stationary forever. They needed to get the man up and moving so they could find Kagome's group of friends. Finally, he sighed, really they had no choice. Thankfully the stream wasn't that far away and he'd be within shouting distance.

“I'll be back momentarily. If something happens, call for me,” he said quietly and took the proffered handkerchief.

Kagome watched him hurry off and calmly surveyed their surroundings. She wouldn't say that they were safe and free from attack, but the possibilities were severely diminished seeing that they were in Inuyasha's forest. If nothing else, the hanyou had always taken his duties seriously and kept the majority of the dangerous demons out of the immediate area. It made things easier for the village and as such, gained him greater acceptance by the villagers. Still, it was rather peaceful here and Kagome was hard pressed to keep from relaxing completely. Even the breeze that stirred her hair seemed to be soothing, welcoming her back to the time she'd left behind. 'I never thought I'd see this place again, why did I ever leave?'

While she stared at the surrounding forest, though, she forgot about the man who she'd held so carefully. It was the feel of her fingers running absently through his hair that finally brought Father Tres around, his brow furrowing with the unfamiliar sensation. Slowly his eyes opened and he stared at the woman's face while uncertainty began to make itself known. Never before had he felt confusion or any of the accompanying emotions, but he was experiencing them in abundance now, among other things. Hell, he'd never truly had a full range of physical senses before so acquiring a sense of smell and taste were decidedly odd. Quickly he tried to take stock of what damage he had and realized that he no longer had the capabilities to do that. While he still had the capabilities to analyze a situation faster than most humans, his physical body no longer responded to the mental query in the same fashion. Licking his dry lips, he spoke, “Kagome Higurashi, what is our status?”

Hearing her name had jerked Kagome out of her thoughts and she stared down into Father Tres' face with surprise, “Oh you're awake! Good, we were beginning to worry.” When he moved to sit up she went to help him, but to her relief, he needed no assistance, although he was still looking curiously at her. It was amusing; he was showing far more expression now than he had in the short time that she'd known him. “In answer to your question, we made it and Father Nightroad is just beyond those trees over there.”

Speaking of the Crusnik, he'd just finished soaking the flimsy cloth and came back to the small clearing they'd arrived in. He was pleased to see that Father Tres was now up and looking only slightly worse for wear, “Father Tres, it's good to see you decided to rejoin us. How are you feeling?” The wet material in his hand continued to drip and he looked at it uncertainly. Well I guess we won't need this any longer.'

“I will be fine, Father Nightroad,” Father Tres replied firmly. While he couldn't quite understand everything his body was trying to assimilate, sooner or later he would become accustomed to it. In the meantime, he would deal with things the best that he could. There was no way he would show just how unsettled this had made him; he couldn't afford to show weakness. Carefully he stood and extended his hand towards the miko, “We shall accompany you to the village, priestess Kagome; lead the way.”

Nodding slightly, Kagome took his hand and used it to pull herself up. It took a moment to regain her balance, but soon enough she was steady and allowed herself to let go. “It's this way,” she said and began to lead them in the direction of the village. While they walked she looked covertly at her companions, wondering how to broach a subject that had been bothering her for a while.

Father Nightroad; however, didn't fail to notice the uncomfortable way she'd been looking at them. “Is there something wrong, Ms. Kagome?” he asked sincerely. If there was something bothering her it was best to address the problem now before they needed to deal with the next problem this trip would bring.

“There's nothing wrong exactly,” Kagome began and then sighed, “It's just, you don't have to address me so formally you know. I don't need the title to go along with my name; just calling me Kagome is good enough.” It would have been easy to deal with and tell them to stuff it had she not known that they were doing it out of respect for her position, but there was no way she could deal with it for very long, especially if they were going to be traveling for months like she feared. Having Miroku continue to address her, as Lady Kagome was bad enough, but three of them? That would quickly go beyond the realms of irritating.

The request had both men looking at her in surprise since it wasn't often that they dealt with people that didn't insist on being addressed properly. Sure, when dealing with the common population it was a given, but the courtiers and other officials of high rank could be rabid about protocol.

“My apologies,” Father Nightroad said with a smile, “we did not mean to make you uncomfortable. We're just...”

“Just used to dealing with people too stuck on themselves, I understand. If you're fine with appellations then you'll be comfortable here. The villagers are notorious for using them as soon as they figure out you're someone of importance, but I've never seen the need,” Kagome replied and continued walking down the path. In the distance she could see the village and it appeared as though nothing had changed which made her happy, but she couldn't help wondering just where Inuyasha was. Surely it wouldn't be long before he scented them and came to investigate.

Father Tres looked at her oddly and then shrugged. In his experience, those with power were more than happy to throw their weight around and even as loyal as he was to Lady Caterina, she was no exception. While she had a good heart and was concerned about the people, she wouldn't hesitate to wield the power she held with an iron fist if the need arose. “It is because you are from another time and were not born into a position of power,” he said quietly after a few moments, “it alters your perception.”

“That's possible,” Kagome replied with a slight nod, she'd been tossed into this life without so much as a by your leave and had been expected to adapt immediately. Surely if it had been Kikyo arriving in her time, she would have been just as stunned by the way Japanese culture had adapted, even to the extent of integrating some western influences. As it was, both Father Nightroad and Father Tres were going to have a hard time becoming accustomed to living in the feudal era since none of them had any expectations of returning to their own time.

Before they'd walked any further than a couple yards, Father Tres suddenly pulled out his guns, training the laser sights on the foliage just ahead and off to his right.

“Show yourself,” he ordered, his voice reflecting the cool ruthlessness that had dominated his life. Whatever it was that had approached wasn't very large, but he knew that it wasn't something so ordinary as a rabbit or even a deer. Instinct told him that the intruder was specifically seeking Kagome out, although for what reason he hadn't determined yet. There was a chance that it was one of her friends, but in that case, why skulk around in the bushes as if planning an ambush. When no response came he fired two shots just shy of the bushes to show that he meant business.

“K... Kagome,” Shippo stuttered and came out from the undergrowth as the man had ordered. He hadn't been sure just what Kagome was doing back from her time, nor why she'd had two strange men with her and had hidden himself in the bushes. With his keen hearing he would have been able to determine if she was in any trouble and if she was, use a surprise attack that would hopefully be enough to allow her to get away. But now that advantage was gone and one of the men was pointing something at him that he didn't recognize. When it had fired it almost reminded him of the few guns he had seen, but they didn't look anything alike. Was it a weapon from Kagome's time and if so, how did they get here? He wasn't all together certain what was going on, but the one thing he did know was that if these men were enemies then both he and Kagome were in trouble.

“Shippo!” Kagome gasped and ran towards the kitsune, picking him up protectively before glaring at Tres who had only just lowered his weapons, “Dammit, what were you thinking?”

“Killing Naraku and protecting you are our only priorities. He should have announced his presence,” Father Tres said curtly, turning narrowed eyes on Shippo, “Next time do not present yourself in ways which an enemy would do.” As much as he disliked the idea of harming a child, if the situation came up again the outcome would be the same.

“Wait a minute, Naraku's dead cause Kagome killed him already. So she doesn't need your protection, not when she's got me and Inuyasha. Besides, who are you to tell me what to do? I was only trying to make sure Kagome was safe and I'm not convinced you're not trying to trick her somehow,” Shippo shot back, confident that now that he was with Kagome and knowing she wouldn't allow anyone to touch him, “Come on, Kagome, Inuyasha's at the village.” At least then with the hanyou present they could figure out what was going on and Inuyasha could decide what to do about the two strangers looking at him so strangely.

The stricken look that appeared on the miko's face when Naraku was mentioned was enough to spur Father Nightroad into action. Putting on a bright smile he stepped forward, “So this is Shippo, is it? We've heard so much about you from Kagome! It's a pleasure to meet you.” The wide eyed look the kitsune was giving him revealed that he'd been clearly caught off guard and regardless of the circumstances; it was rather amusing seeing just how great the differences were between the kitsune now and what he would become in the future. It was a pity that time had hardened him so greatly, but with luck, that would all soon change.

Instantly diverted from his earlier thoughts, Shippo's gaze darted from Father Nightroad to Kagome and back again, “You've been talking about me, Kagome? I thought you couldn't tell anyone about your visits here.” His nose twitched taking in their unfamiliar scents, “Who are they anyway? They smell... strange.”

Strange didn't begin to cover it, but that was beside the point. Kagome's natural scent normally carried the strange scent prevalent in her time, but these guys were blanketed in it. His nose twitched again and his brow furrowed. Come to think of it, Kagome smelled different as well and suddenly he wasn't so sure that was even his friend anymore. Quickly he jumped down and eyed the three of them, prepared to run at any moment and get Inuyasha's help. “I don't know who you are, but tell me what have you done with Kagome!”

“Shippo, it's me,” Kagome protested and knelt down in front of the kitsune. When he backed away from her warily, a look of sadness crossed her face, she hadn't even thought about the possibility that she'd be challenged like this. If Shippo were having his doubts, just what would Inuyasha say?

“So much has happened since I left, Shippo,” she said gently, trying not to allow her emotions to run away with her, “and I'll tell you soon, but you must believe me when I say it's really me and these two are friends.”

“Prove it,” Shippo countered uneasily, unsure of just what to believe. His nose shouldn't deceive him, but at the same time, the woman's mannerisms and appearance were just what he'd expect from his friend. The look of hurt in her eyes made him shift indecisively. He wanted to believe her, but his sense of smell wouldn't lie, would it?

“The color of your father's fox fire was blue and it bathed us in its protective glow during the fight with Hiten and Manten. As it disappeared, you heard your father's voice telling you that he trusted us to take care of you and to remain with us,” Kagome whispered and gazed upon the kitsune softly, knowing that that simple statement should be enough. It wasn't common knowledge that the elder fox had spoken to his son and it wasn't until much later that Shippo had even confessed that much to her. To this day, not even Inuyasha was aware of the fact that she'd been entrusted directly with Shippo's care, he just believed that the spirit did what was necessary to protect his son and then passed on as he was supposed to.

Hearing that, Shippo walked back into her comforting embrace and allowed her to hold him as closely as she wanted to. It was obvious that there was something deeply wrong, troubling the girl, but he couldn't fathom what it was. “What happened to you?” he asked quietly, his words meant for her ears only even though his attention never strayed from the two strange men.

“I can't talk about it yet,” Kagome replied wearily, “not until we find Inuyasha. He needs to hear this too.” Truthfully, she didn't think that she could tell the story more than once and the idea of having to endure the heartache of reliving what happened even one time was getting to her. No, once would be more than enough and while she knew that Shippo was only concerned, he was going to have to wait just a few more minutes.

“Then spill it cause I'm already here,” Inuyasha replied and dropped down out of a nearby tree. The sound of gunfire had caught his attention a few minutes before and it had brought him running. However, his senses were conflicted about the girl as well, she didn't smell right, but gut instinct told him that she was indeed the miko he'd seen off to the well only a couple of days before. The appearance of two strange men was disconcerting, but since Kagome wasn't exactly panicking about their presence, he wasn't going to leap to conclusions. If they proved themselves to be a threat he'd have no problem taking them out then.

“Inu... Inuyasha?” Kagome stammered, whirling around to face the hanyou. Time stood still for several long moments and something within her broke. Abruptly she threw herself at him, heedless of the fact that Shippo was still in her arms. All that mattered was that the hanyou was there and he was safe. “Inuyasha!” she cried, tears streaming down her face as she collided with his chest and held him as tightly as she could.

That emotional outburst had been the last thing that Inuyasha had expected, but he didn't push her away. Instead his arms closed around her protectively while she sobbed into his chest as if the world had collapsed around her.

“Kagome, what's wrong?” he asked her gently, completely unsure about what he could do to help her. Whatever it was though, all she had to do was ask, and he'd see that it was done.

“You were... he... he killed,” Kagome stammered in between sobs. At the moment she knew she wasn't making any sense, but she couldn't bring herself to calm down. 'He's alive; oh thank God he's alive.' The thought that she'd never see her friend again had haunted her for so long and now he was standing in front of her. It was as if she was finally waking up from what seemed to be a never ending nightmare and her mind just couldn't cope with reality any longer.

“Who killed what, Kagome? You're not making any sense,” Inuyasha told her firmly, trying to get her to at least get a grip on herself so she could tell him what the hell was going on. Her hysterics were setting him even further on edge and when she continued to stammer he looked towards the two men again, “All right, someone tell me what the hell is going on here. Who are you and what the hell happened to Kagome to make her act like this?”

“I know you have questions, but perhaps there is someplace else that we can speak. Kagome's in no condition to talk at the moment and there's much to explain. Once we get inside we can get her calmed down and then we can tell you why we're here,” Father Nightroad said quietly.

The mood surrounding them had sobered considerably and he couldn't help but feel they were intruding on a private moment. He'd seen a glimpse of the grief the miko had kept hidden and seeing it overwhelming her so badly made his own heart ache. He knew all too well how hard it was losing a loved one and it was likely that he would react the same way if he found that his own loved ones were still alive and within reach.

As much as Inuyasha wanted to demand answers right then and there, the man had a point. They weren't likely to get anything out of Kagome in this condition and he knew it.

“Fine, follow me, but I swear if you two were the ones who did this to her I'll kill you both,” he threatened, his voice tense with barely restrained anger. In all the years he'd known the girl, he'd never seen her break down so badly. Without another word, he picked Kagome up and cradled her gently against his chest. He waited just long enough for Shippo to get himself situated so he wasn't being crushed between them before he started walking to the village.

Father Tres scowled at the man's retreating back, but said nothing. Being threatened hadn't sat well with him, but he wasn't worried about what the hanyou could do to him. It was irritating to see him walking off with the woman they'd been charged to protect as well, but he couldn't demand that he release her. It was obvious that the miko needed time to come to terms with what was going on and to separate the two of them was likely to cause even more problems. No, they'd have to give her the time that she needed and only then would they be able to proceed with the mission.

“She'll be fine,” Father Nightroad said quietly, reassuring his partner that there was nothing to worry about. He saw the look on the man's face and knew that he wasn't thrilled with how things were progressing. At the moment he wasn't exactly sure how well Father Tres was even handling the emotions that came with being human. While the man's expression was more revealing, he was still quite stoic and that in itself made it more difficult to read him.

“I wasn't worried,” Father Tres replied and didn't spare the Crusnik a second glance. Instead, his gaze remained trained on the pair in front of them, watching carefully to ensure that nothing happened that would call for him to take action. Just ahead he could see the entrance to the village and he was certain that their presence had already been announced. There were several people working in the rice paddies off to each side that had even stopped to watch them walk past.

Father Nightroad blinked in surprise and then chuckled, “I see. I shouldn't have presumed.” He refrained from further comment because he wasn't sure just what to say. Did Father Tres even know what worry was and, if not, how would he be able to say that's not what he was feeling? In the end he supposed it didn't matter, if his friend needed help understanding the changes he was going through then he'd do what he could to help. In the meantime, he'd just silently observe.

As soon as they crossed the gates, Kaede was there to greet them and Inuyasha couldn't be more relieved. Kagome had always had a certain bond with the miko and perhaps the old woman would know what to do for her. “Hey, old woman,” he called out of habit, “Can we borrow your hut? Somethings wrong with Kagome.”

Kaede refrained from rolling her eyes for the moment and nodded, “Aye, what seems to be the trouble with yon girl?” From what she could see Kagome didn't appear ill, but there was definitely something wrong. There seemed to be an aura of grief surrounding her and it wasn't often that Kagome could be seen clinging to the hanyou in such a fashion. Even Shippo appeared to be deeply concerned and was gazing between them with worry etching his features. The two strange men following the trio were clearly foreign, but so long as Inuyasha wasn't attacking them, she wasn't going to challenge their right to be there.

“I dunno, I found her with these three and as soon as she saw me she turned hysterical and starting blabbing about someone dying. I couldn't get anything else out of her and these two aren't talking,” Inuyasha said his voice taut with concealed emotion. The old woman seemed to have a considering look on her face before she nodded sharply and led them to the hut that they'd stayed in so many times before. Just before he passed the entrance, his eyes caught sight of purple robes coming closer, “Oi, monk, get your ass in here and bring Sango with you.” That was the good thing about having so many friends from different backgrounds, surely one of them would be able to help figure out what the hell happened.

“Set her down here, Inuyasha,” Kaede instructed calmly and began pouring more water into the pot that rested over the fire. It was fortunate that she'd been getting ready to prepare the evening stew; it meant that it wouldn't take long for the water to heat for tea. Carefully she began sorting through the herbs that would calm the girl enough that she could talk without relapsing into hysterics while Inuyasha got her situated. Only once she was comfortably seated with his haori draped over her shoulders did she turn to the other two. “So, might ye give us your names so that we may speak of what happened?”

“Forgive us for our rudeness,” Father Nightroad apologized to the old woman and gave Kagome a sympathetic look. “My name is Father Abel Nightroad and this is Father Tres Iqus. We're from the future, just like Kagome is and she was the one that brought us here to speak with you all.” As soon as he announced they were from the future, he could see the others tense, although, it was just slightly ridiculous; they couldn't have possibly believed that they were from this time. A rustle at the door signaled the arrival of two more people and what appeared to be a small kitten. 'That must be Miroku, Sango and Kirara which means we can begin explanations soon.'

“I thought as much, ye did not appear to be from this time,” Kaede replied and added the herbs into the hot water before stirring it slowly. It would only take a few moments and the tea would be ready. Based on the way Kagome appeared, the girl needed it badly, although to her credit she was no longer crying.

“Wait a minute, I thought only Kagome and Inuyasha could go through the well,” Sango countered, instantly suspicious of anyone who claimed to be able to traverse time like their friends. She didn't know what the hell was going on, but she didn't like what she was seeing, not in the least, and as such, she made sure that her weapons were close at hand. She might not have been able to replace the hiraikotsu just yet, but that didn't mean she didn't have other weapons at her disposal.

“Well about that,” Father Nightroad began, “we didn't exactly come through the well.” After he said that you could have heard a pin drop in the room and the stunned looks on their faces might have been amusing at any other time. But he knew that they were going to have issues proving their credibility. 'The sooner Kagome is able to make her explanations the better off we'll be. Until then we'll just have to proceed slowly and make what progress we can.'

“What do you mean you didn't come through the well?” Inuyasha snapped, “Just what are you playing at?” Unless there was another portal he didn't know about, this man was lying his ass off and he wasn't about to stand for it. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, ready to say the hell with it and beat the truth out of him.

“Easy, Inuyasha,” Kaede cautioned, and nodded towards Kagome, they didn't need violence to set the girl off again, “I'm sure there's an explanation for what Father Nightroad means.” The title was an odd one and yet another piece of the puzzle that had yet to be revealed. Just where these two were from and what did they have to do with Kagome? 'All will be revealed in time, of that I am certain.' Carefully she ladled out some of the tea and pressed the steaming liquid into the younger miko's hands, “Drink slowly, this will calm your nerves, child.”

“Thank you,” Kagome whispered and took the cup of tea. The first sip made her grimace with the bitterness, but she knew that it would do what it was supposed to. Silence reigned over the room while she finished her cup and by the time she set it down, she finally felt she could begin to tackle the problem. “I know you all have questions and I'll answer them the best I can. But in answer to the first one, we didn't come through the well. In my time, it's been destroyed and we had to use... an alternate method of getting here.”

The statement had Inuyasha staring in disbelief, “Wait, what do you mean the well was destroyed? What alternate method?” He'd known that something was wrong with the well when he'd attempted to jump through earlier in the day and couldn't pass, but he'd believed it to be because it had sealed itself, not that the damned thing was gone.

“Inuyasha, perhaps you should give Lady Kagome the chance to speak instead of throwing questions at her,” Miroku advised calmly although he was just as curious as to what she could have possibly meant by alternate method.

“I guess, I should start at the beginning,” Kagome said and took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. Her gaze turned to sorrow as she looked about the room at her friends and she wished she didn't have to be the bearer of bad news. “Naraku... is still alive. We didn't kill him like we thought we had,” she said and then waited for the outburst she knew was coming.

“No fucking way,” Inuyasha shouted and jumped to his feet, “we watched you kill the bastard. Miroku's wind tunnel is gone and you destroyed the damned jewel. I don't know how these new friends of yours managed to convince you that he was still alive, but I don't want to hear another word of it. Not one, fucking word. Naraku is dead, leave him in the past!” The very thought that anyone would pull such a sick joke was enough to make his blood boil and he wasn't about to stand for it.

“They didn't have to convince me of anything, Inuyasha! I saw him... I saw him with my own eyes,” Kagome snapped, her emotions swinging wildly from sorrow to anger within the space of a heartbeat.

“I don't care what you think you saw, but it wasn't Naraku,” Inuyasha protested vehemently. The others were staring at them in shock and he turned his irritated gaze on them, “What? You can't possibly believe this, can you?”

“Oh so now I'm imagining things?” Kagome got to her feet and stared up at him angrily. “Let me tell you something,” she said, advancing on the man she'd been so happy to see only moments before, “I know what I saw. I know what I went through and I don't need you telling me that I'm making this stuff up. Naraku is alive and well in my time and you want to know the best part?” Her voice was thick with hurt and sarcasm and Inuyasha was staring at her like she'd grown another head, but she wasn't about to stop, not yet, “I got to watch him hack my grandfather's head off with the Tetsusaiga! You're dead, Inuyasha; you just haven't figured that out yet!”

“What do you mean I'm dead? Like hell, Naraku couldn't kill me before and he damned sure wouldn't be able to kill me even five hundred years from now,” Inuyasha scoffed and looked at Kaede, “I think you need to examine her head or something cause she's clearly out of her mind.” He couldn't see how she'd made something like this up, but it just wasn't possible. There's no way in hell that he'd be killed by Naraku nor would he allow him to take possession of his sword. There had to be another explanation for it.

The accusation had Kagome longing to slap some sense into the hanyou, but she couldn't, she wouldn't do something like that to him. Instead she turned away from him and attempted to regain control of her raging emotions.

“I should have known,” she said, her voice shaking with rage, “I should have known that you'd act this way and tell me I was out of my mind. Everything just has to be a bad dream to you, doesn't it? I watched Naraku kill everyone I held dear and it means nothing to you. I end up pinned to the Goshinboku and burned alive like some Gods be damned witch and I'm imagining things. I waited centuries thinking there wasn't a damned thing I could do to stop this bastard and when I get the chance, I ended up stuck here with you telling me I don't know what the hell I'm talking about.” She could feel the multitude of eyes staring at her, but she refused to meet any of them. “You don't want to believe me, Inuyasha? Fine, don't. I'll go and find the bastard on my own,” she said quietly and walked out of the hut without another word.

“Kagome, wait,” Inuyasha called and turned to follow her. Although he still couldn't believe that what she believed to be true was in fact real, he knew that he'd crossed a line and the guilt didn't sit well with him. Clearly whatever had happened had hurt her deeply and he'd responded in the worst way possible. Yet before he could reach the door a whispered word reached his ears, sending him crashing to the ground, but he couldn't even complain about being subdued, he knew he deserved it.

“Establish your mission priorities, Inuyasha. If they are incompatible with our own we will continue without you,” Father Tres stated calmly and walked past the fallen hanyou, barely sparing the man a glance. He didn't have to go far to find the miko, she had only walked a short distance away before sitting down and leaning back against a nearby tree. The look on her face was one of pure dejection and a small part of himself felt sorry for her. None of them had been expecting Inuyasha to act like that and it had stunned him, especially with how fondly the girl tended to speak about the hanyou. Once he reached her, he knelt down in the grass beside her.

“Do you wish to abandon the primary plan and confront Naraku without your friends?” he asked quietly. The idea didn't bother him in the least, since with the girl's emotions tied up so tightly in what had happened it had set her off balance. She would be vulnerable until things were worked out between them and it made his job of guarding her more difficult.

The question caught Kagome off guard and she didn't answer right away. Already she was feeling bad about reacting so harshly, but still, it angered her that Inuyasha couldn't look past what he knew in order to consider other possibilities. She knew the truth of the matter yet there wasn't much she could do in order to convince him if he refused to open his eyes.

“I don't know what I want to do,” she said with a sigh and looked over at the man sitting next to her, “He can be so difficult sometimes and I know that sooner or later he'll come around, but can we afford to wait? Then again, if we go off on our own, Inuyasha would never forgive me for leaving him behind once he realized that I wasn't making this up.”

“I cannot advise you on the decision, but I would caution against waiting too long to make it. The Shikon is not the only artifact of power and it would be unwise to give Naraku the time to find another one to take its place. If you wish to proceed without your companions, Father Nightroad and I will stand behind your decision,” Father Tres replied calmly, gazing at the woman out of the corner of his eye. Either way was an acceptable option to him and he knew that Father Nightroad was unlikely to voice an objection so long as the decision was made quickly.

“I know,” Kagome said wearily. She almost wished that someone would take the decision from her, but that wasn't likely to happen, “You know, even if I were to decide we were going alone, Inuyasha is likely to follow us anyway. He'd go to make sure I stayed safe even if he was complaining the entire time about us wasting time.” It was the truth as Kagome saw it and she could even picture Inuyasha in her head, berating her with each day that past without a sign of Naraku. 'That'll get old within the first day and I know that Naraku isn't just going to pop up to reveal his hiding spot. We could be at this for months.' The thought was far from reassuring, but what could she do?

The feeling echoing through the bond they shared had Father Tres turning to look at her, “If you do not wish to be followed, we'll take care of the problem.” It might be difficult with the weapon the hanyou carried, but he had no doubts that between himself and Father Nightroad, they'd be able to take care of the problem.

There was no mistaking the threat in that statement and it had Kagome looking at the man with a raised brow, “As irritating as Inuyasha can be, I prefer him to remain in one piece.” No, if Inuyasha wanted to ignore what she was trying to tell him, then she couldn't change that, but she wouldn't stop him from following. 'If he gets too overbearing with the 'I told you so's' though, he'll find himself a one way ticket straight to hell courtesy of that rosary he wears.' The thought was uncharitable and she knew it, but she was still hurt by what he'd said to her.

“As you wish,” he replied with a shrug of the shoulders. If push came to shove, nothing said that the hanyou had to be dismembered. All it would take was one bullet and the problem of the half breed would be eliminated, but he wasn't going to say that and risk upsetting her further. “Are you ready to go back inside?”

The idea really didn't sound too appealing at the moment, not with how comforting the cool breeze felt against her skin. She needed a few more moments to compose herself and get rid of the anger that Inuyasha had invoked. “Maybe in a few minutes, you can go back inside if you want though. I'll be fine out here,” she said, believing that the man had no desire to be babysitting an emotional female.

“Negative, I will remain here until you decide that you're ready to return,” he said immediately. Whether the village was safe or not, leaving her alone to her own devices was out of the question. Besides, it wasn't as if he was uncomfortable sitting beneath the tree beside her. He could even ignore the curious stares they were getting; he knew that they'd be leaving soon enough.

~Inside The Hut~

“Sit down, Inuyasha,” Kaede ordered for the fifth time since Kagome had stormed out of the hut. Having him follow after her so quickly would surely result in disaster and she really didn't feel like having to listen to the two of them fight all night. 'From the looks of it the fighting will commence soon enough if Inuyasha realizes that Kagome decides that spending time with our new friends is preferable to sitting here arguing with him.'

“I don't need you telling me what to do, old woman,” Inuyasha snapped in irritation, but he did what he was told, “Why'd she have to throw a fit anyway? She could have at least stayed and we could have worked this out.” Even though he felt guilty, there was no way in hell he was going to show the others that he took responsibility for what had happened. “How do we know that she's safe with him anyway? Hey, Miroku, how about you bring her back? She'll listen to you,” he said, continuing on with his tirade and ignoring the incredulous looks that he was receiving.

“Kagome is perfectly safe with Father Tres, you have my word,” Father Nightroad interjected calmly. He could feel that the girl was slowly calming down which was most likely due to his partner's influence. “But,” he began, “I assure you that if you follow her with the intent of continuing to cast doubt on what she's trying to explain, she will not wish to remain here for long. Give her some time, she's been waiting over a thousand years to see you all again. The least you could do is attempt to understand how difficult this is on her.”

“So you know what happened then?” Sango asked curiously, “Kagome's time is only five centuries away and she's human. How could she possibly survive so long? Come to think of it, what did she mean that she died? She's never mentioned the ability to resurrect someone once they're dead and I'd like to think that Inuyasha would have noticed if she'd been brought back in the same method that Kikyo had.” For that matter, Shippo would have as well, so clearly she wasn't made out of grave soil and clay.

“It's a long story,” Father Nightroad replied and leaned back against the wall in order to make himself comfortable. If he could spare Kagome some of this headache then he'd do so gladly. “To begin with, Naraku is indeed alive. Not only has Kagome encountered him and died by his hand, he's also begun a plot to take over Europe with the Shikon jewel.”

“Wait a minute, the jewel is gone. Kagome made a wish and it was destroyed,” Inuyasha countered quickly. While he wasn't sure where the hell this place called Europe was, that was secondary to hearing about the jewel.

Father Nightroad nodded in acknowledgment to the statement, “That is what you all believed, but I assure you, that is not what happened. As best as we can figure, a wish drained the jewel to the point it was no longer able to exist on this plane, but eventually it grew in power and managed to reform itself in one of my colleagues.” The image of Sister Kate being ripped open by an unseen hand continued to plague him and while he was used to bloodshed, he never wanted to witness something like that again.

“So what you're trying to tell me is that Kagome's dead, Naraku's alive and the jewel is back?” Inuyasha asked, looking at him dubiously. While Kagome didn't smell as she did just a few days ago, she damned sure didn't smell like a corpse. Part of the story was being left out and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

“Correction,” Father Nightroad held up a hand, forestalling any argument, “Kagome was dead. Technology has greatly advanced over the centuries and we were able to recreate her body, but it would have been impossible to restore her soul if it hadn't been for Shippo's help.”

“Wait a minute,” Shippo jumped down from Miroku's shoulder to regard the man with wide eyes, “I helped guide Kagome's soul back into her body?” The idea seemed to be too incredible to be believed, but the kitsune knew that it would be within his power, assuming he found another fox to train him in the technique at some point.

The slightest feeling of relief began to sweep through him when he began to realize that they were finally listening instead of just reacting. “Yes, you did. In fact, you were the one that approached us when you realized that it was Naraku causing the problems. Had you not come to us, there would be little hope for the future.” As much as he hated to admit it, it was the truth. At the moment they were helpless to do anything to stop the man and if it hadn't been for Kagome, both the Pope and his sister would have perished.

“So how did Naraku find the jewel again anyway? Everyone believed a wish would destroy it so how did he know where to look,” Sango asked, unsure of what to make of the entire conversation. If Naraku was still alive then where the hell could he be hiding? Would he be able to cast the same barrier that he had in previous times in order to conceal himself?

“We always just assumed the wish would make the jewel disappear, but did we ever have any evidence to back that claim up?” Miroku asked and tried to search his memory for anything he might have heard. But nothing was forthcoming and in fact, he hadn't known that it could be destroyed until both Kagome and Inuyasha had mentioned a wish.

“Nay, that was nothing more than a theory that my sister believed in. She was so closely bonded to the jewel; we believed that if anyone would know what could destroy the Shikon, it would be her. Many nights we lay awake and discussed the possibility, but to my knowledge, even she could not say for certain,” Kaede said quietly, contemplating everything she'd heard so far. She knew better than anyone just how far from infallible her sister had been and now, she wished that she'd cautioned Kagome not to be too certain that the jewel would in fact vanish for good.

“But Kikyo wouldn't have screwed something like that up,” Inuyasha argued in the dead miko's defense. He still wasn't convinced that it was in fact Naraku. 'Keh, it would be like some low class demon to impersonate that bastard just to use Naraku's reputation. Humans are weak so they wouldn't be able to tell the damned difference. The only part that doesn't make sense is Kagome swore it was him. Could it be another shape shifter?'

“Inuyasha, your continued defense of my sister while admirable, is misplaced in this instance. Kikyo may have been wise beyond her years, but she was not all knowing and just as prone in making mistakes as anyone else. Or need I remind ye how easily she was tricked by Naraku and robbed of her life?” Kaede pointed out even though she knew that it would anger the hanyou. He'd always had a particular blind spot where Kikyo had been concerned and now was not the time to be falling back into old habits.

“How in the hell did he manage to kill me and take the Tetsusaiga if he didn't have the jewel yet? There's no way in hell Kagome would have died if I still had a single breath in my body, and he said the jewel reformed in his friend. Which means there's a big fucking time gap that no one has explained yet,” Inuyasha protested even though he felt like he was fighting a losing battle.

“Simple,” Kagome replied from the doorway, “he caught you off guard because you weren't expecting him to be alive. Don't worry though; you weren't the only one to die, although the others took a while.” Calmly she walked back into the room and resumed sitting down, although this time she put a bit of room between herself and Inuyasha. Until he was ready to apologize, she wasn't going to act like nothing had happened.

“Wait a minute, he killed everyone else too?” Shippo stared at her with wide eyes; he'd already heard that he somehow managed to survive, but how? With everyone dead he should have been easy prey.

“Not exactly,” Kagome replied with a sigh and rubbed her temples. What she wouldn't give for some Tylenol right about now. “Naraku knew that without the jewel he wouldn't be able to take out Lord Sesshoumaru and Kouga,” she said and then stopped to glare at Inuyasha when he looked as if he were about to go off on another tirade, “He just happened to catch Inuyasha off guard and by then, he realized that I wasn't from this time. To kill off the rest of you would have alerted the other demons after him that he was still alive, it would have been too coincidental to be anyone else.”

“So then, who did he kill?” Sango asked, although she had a sinking suspicion about just what and whom the miko was referring to. They were looking at a far greater time span than what they'd been dealing with before and after Kagome's time, anything could happen.

“Since the only person who knew that he was still around had been killed, Naraku was pretty much waiting for me to come through the well the final time. When I couldn't give him the jewel, he killed us all and I lost track of him after that. Because of the circumstances behind my death, I remained at the shrine while everyone else moved on. In the end, it was Shippo who found our bodies not long after we were murdered,” Kagome said and tried to keep from picturing everything that had happened that day. Taking a deep breath she pressed on, “Fortunately, Shippo realized who it was responsible. I dunno if it was the tentacles that gave it away or the irony of the fact that I was pinned to the tree in the same spot that Inuyasha had been, but he figured it out. He informed Lord Sesshoumaru and Kouga of what was going on and they began hunting for him again, but Naraku was hard to track. Eventually they lost all trace of him completely and it was thought that he might well have died on his own.”

“Figures that my brother and that damned wolf couldn't find him,” Inuyasha groused beneath his breath, “They should have made certain the bastard was dead.”

“In their defense, there were many things that came to pass that would give the impression that he could have been dead. The last world war would have done it considering most of the world's population was killed off,” Father Nightroad interjected calmly. He wanted to point out that if Inuyasha had done the same thing he was saying the other two demons should have done, they wouldn't be in this situation now, but somehow he managed to refrain.

“You're one to talk anyway, Inuyasha. You let Naraku kill you without the jewel and left Kagome to die!” Shippo shouted at the hanyou. Even though he hadn't heard the whole story yet he was already picturing Kagome tied to the Goshinboku and being burned alive, unable to stop Naraku. While he didn't know why he hadn't been able to stop the demon from hurting her, Inuyasha had promised to always be there to protect her and instead he was stupid enough to let Naraku kill him.

“Why you little! Get over here so I can pound you,” Inuyasha snarled in anger and reached for the kitsune. There was no way in hell he was going to tolerate being spoken to in such a fashion.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome snapped in warning, more than ready to use the necklace again if she had to. While Shippo might have been out of line, she wasn't going to sit there and watch the hanyou pound on the only one who had been there for her over the years. “Do you mind if I continue or should I wait for you to get over yourself and calm down?”

“Yes, we kind of need to know what all happened in order to understand all of this,” Sango added although she gave a warning look to Shippo that said he couldn't keep provoking Inuyasha as he'd just done. Kagome might be willing to stand up for him, but her protection would only go so far.

“To address the question of how he found the jewel, Naraku began killing off any women he came across that showed signs of being blessed with holy abilities. As the number of women continued to fall it increased his chances of finding the jewel considerably and finally, he found it within Sister Kate,” Father Nightroad said, picking up the thread of the story, “Once he had it within his power he began to increase the rate that he was killing and it no longer mattered who he was targeting. Human, demon, or vampire, it didn't matter.”

“Vampires?” Miroku said with a raised eyebrow, “Aren't they creatures of myth and legend?”

“And demons aren't?” Father Tres responded curtly. He was more than tired of the foolishness these people were exhibiting. The trust that Kagome had spoken of that existed between them so far in his opinion, hadn't manifested itself.

“Good point,” Miroku replied, realizing how foolish his question had sounded. With a slight shrug, he tried to divert attention from his unintentional blunder. “So what happened then?”

“Naraku somehow managed to kill both Kouga and Lord Sesshoumaru. Jaken was the one to contact Shippo and let us know what was going on. After that we went to the Vatican to look for help which is where we met Father Nightroad and Father Tres,” Kagome said, thankful that they'd managed to avoid the mythical being argument.

“And it was ye who managed to give yon girl a new body with Shippo's aid?” Kaede asked curiously. It was an extreme measure to have been taken and she wasn't sure how they had managed to accomplish such a feat, but it was one that she was grateful they had taken. “What convinced ye that she could help?”

The question wasn't exactly unexpected and Father Nightroad was prepared to answer it, “Naraku had infected two important people with a plague that we could not cure and Kagome managed to heal them both. One of which happened to be my sister.” It saddened Abel to know that the likelihood of seeing her again was slim, but he wasn't going to rule out the possibility either. His lifespan was far reaching, although he still didn't know what would happen once he reached the time period in which he'd been born.

“And that's why you came with her?” Sango asked, staring at the two men in a new light. She'd been in a similar situation with Kohaku and she could fully understand the sense of loyalty that came with owing Kagome so much. Even though it had only been a couple of days, Kohaku was recovering nicely and with luck he'd be able to put this all behind him. But if Naraku truly was alive, it meant her brother was at risk again. While she wasn't certain what Inuyasha's decision would be, her mind was already made up, she was going.

“None of us were sure whether or not she'd even be able to return to this time since the well was destroyed, but we were willing to attempt it. We owe Kagome much for what she's done and we will do anything to ensure that she is protected throughout this mission,” Father Nightroad replied sincerely. That protection, in fact, extended beyond this particular mission, but they were taking things one day at a time.

“So with the well being destroyed, how did you get here anyway?” Inuyasha asked, slowly coming to terms with what he was hearing.

“I had help from Midoriko,” Kagome said quietly, “Since I died, I've felt more in tune with the jewel and I've managed to tap into it a couple of times. It was her power that enabled us to come here, but there's no way for any of us to return. If I attempt to go and Naraku is dead, that means I've never died in my own time and it creates a paradox. Nor does the time line run, as it should. If Inuyasha were to attempt to use it now, it would take him to the shrine as it was when I died, instead of to the time where Father Nightroad comes from.”

“The well is sealed anyway, Kagome,” Shippo said quietly, “Inuyasha tried to go after you earlier, but it wouldn't let him through.” Hearing that had been a blow to his heart, but now if what Kagome was saying was true, she'd never be able to leave him again.

“That was probably because Kagome was dead on the other side and had not yet returned. With her soul back on the mortal plain, there is a chance that the well will work again. But she is correct; once Naraku is dead she will not be able to return. Nor is it a good idea to go back before then, for if Naraku should find her alive again he would not hesitate to kill her a second time,” Kaede advised wisely, her mind quickly reasoning just why the well would close off. With Kagome dead it had no reason to remain open.

“So the well should be open again?” Inuyasha asked, thoughts already beginning to run through his head. When Kaede nodded, he stood up and regarded those around the room calmly, “I'm going to check for myself. Sango, Miroku, watch over Kagome until I get back.” He wasn't about to completely trust these two men with the miko's safety, but if the story checked out, the suspicion he couldn't help but feel would lessen considerably.

Without another word he exited the hut and began to make his way to the well, moving at a fast pace. The scenery blurred by him and he ignored the calls of those villagers who were worried that there was some great emergency coming that would cause him to rush off like that. His mind was now set on seeing what lay on the other side of the well, assuming that he could get through in the first place. Just ahead he could see the wooden structure jutting out of the ground and he didn't pause in his rush towards it. Instead he leapt high in the air and dropped down into its depths, unsure as to whether or not the well would activate.

Blue light flared around him and soon he was falling through time, just as he'd done in the past. Nothing seemed to be different as of yet, but he still breathed a sigh of relief when he landed safely on the other side. What was unusual though was the fact that the only sound surrounding him was that of the wind blowing just outside the well house. No voices floated on the breeze which was unusual for this time of day if nothing else, Souta should have been tending to his chores under his mother's close supervision. 'But if what Kagome said is true... No! I cannot assume the worst, not without seeing for myself.'

No, he couldn't put off the inevitable, not when he needed to know the truth. Inuyasha jumped from the well's depths and slid the door open, stepping into the sunlight. The first thing that slammed into him was the scent of death and charred flesh, causing him to grimace and shield his nose with his arm. 'It... It can't be true.' The thought kept echoing through his head, but when he turned to look at the Goshinboku, there was no denying it. Although no body remained against the great tree, he could see the charred outline of a person approximately Kagome's size, leaving little doubt that someone had died there. 'But that means... Oh, Kagome, why?' With a heavy heart he turned to the house and began walking towards it, needing to make sure that none of the others survived. Perhaps one of the others had made it; maybe he had a chance to save one of them.

But as the door was pushed open, all hope of that was destroyed when the scent of rotting flesh hit his nose, making him long to turn the other way and ignore what lay ahead. But he didn't dare do that, he had to see for himself. Cautiously he walked towards the living room, unsure of just what would be waiting for him when he got there. When he arrived; however, he felt the overwhelming urge to retch and it was only through a supreme force of will that he managed to refrain from doing just that. It was one thing when the dead were unknown faces, people that he ultimately wouldn't give a second thought to, but that just wasn't the case here. Even though the bodies were gone, there was no denying the fact that they had been there and that was something that he just didn't want to accept. Blood coated everything, the walls, the floor, the furniture, and even the ceiling in places, leaving no doubt to the massacre that had taken place. Even worse was the fact that there were bits and pieces of internal organs, too small to clean up without giving the carpet a thorough cleaning and they were attracting bugs with their stench.

Unable to take it any longer, Inuyasha punched the wall and drove it clear through the plaster in an effort to vent his pain and anger, but it didn't help. Nothing changed the fact that he hadn't been there, he hadn't been able to protect Kagome or her family, and they'd all suffered for his inability to keep his word.

“Naraku, you bastard, you're gonna pay for this!” he shouted and then ran from the house, intent on getting back to the past so they could make plans to hunt the demon down. One way or another, he was going to make sure that Naraku paid for ever thinking that he could touch Kagome or her family and get away with it.

~Back In The Past~

Kagome sighed and tore her gaze away from the entrance to the hut. Inuyasha had only been gone for a couple of minutes, but something told her that he wouldn't remain in her time for long. 'Whether or not he comes back immediately afterwards though...' Another sigh escaped her lips when she thought about how hard it was going to be on him to find out her family had in fact died. Even if the hanyou had never said it, she knew that he'd accepted them as his own family as well and that learning first hand that they had died would be a particularly painful blow for the man to deal with.

A gentle hand landed on her shoulder, causing her to look up into a pair of soft violet eyes that were filled with concern, “Oh, hello, Miroku. Was there something you needed?”

“No, not really, Lady Kagome. I just wanted to make sure that you were all right,” Miroku said quietly and knelt down in an open spot beside the girl. Neither he nor Sango particularly knew what to say to her, but they knew that their friend needed comfort. The way Inuyasha had run off hadn't been surprising to him or anyone else, but it still drove the point home that Inuyasha still didn't believe what the miko was trying to tell them.

“I'll be fine,” she replied, but it sounded hollow even to her ears. In truth, she wasn't sure things would ever be fine for her again, but at this point Kagome was willing to take whatever she could get. The hanyou's actions had made her certain of one thing though. No matter what had happened and everything they'd been through, Inuyasha would never completely trust her. Perhaps that was what hurt the most and now having that pointed out to her was like rubbing salt into an open wound.

The pain in her voice didn't go unnoticed by any of the people that were seated in the hut, but there was nothing that anyone could do to ease it. Still, Miroku felt compelled to try. “You know that he doesn't mean to be so callous,” he said gently, “something like this would be hard to accept, not because it wouldn't be possible, but because he wouldn't want the events you've described to be true. To do so would be admitting that he had broken his promise to protect you and put an eternal stain on his honor and reputation.”

“I know,” Kagome whispered brokenly, “but it doesn't change the fact and I didn't come all this way just to fight with him.” A bitter laugh escaped her lips, causing everyone's expressions to turn into looks of concern. “You know,” she began, “I always found it hard to understand why he couldn't let Kikyo go because it had been so long since it happened, and then I finally realized that even though time had passed, to him it was only days before. I understand now though and the irony of the situation is hard to take. For me it's been centuries and to him not enough time has passed that he would even miss me being here.”

“That's not true,” Inuyasha said from the doorway, stopping any further conversation from taking place. He didn't need to look at their faces to know that they were each staring at him expectantly, but at the moment he couldn't even bring himself to look at them. Silently he crossed the room and knelt down in front of the miko, unsure of just what to say. Sorry just wouldn't cut it, not after everything that he'd just seen. He owed her so much more than that, the question was could he give it and would she be willing to accept what little he could offer.

When the hanyou's arms wrapped around her, pulling her forward, Kagome didn't attempt to fight the hold. The way his body trembled told her all that she needed to know. He'd seen and now he understood. A whisper of cloth was all she heard signaling Miroku's departure, giving the two of them the space they needed. “Inuyasha, I'm...” she started to say before a finger pressed against her lips, cutting her words off.

“Forgive me,” he whispered softly, his lips close to her ear. “I knew you wouldn't lie about something like this, but I didn't want to believe. I should have been there to stop it and I wasn't.” Guilt warred with anger, vying for dominance, but he couldn't allow either to take control, not right now. What he needed was to know that she didn't hold it against him and when her arms encircled his body, he knew what her answer would be.

“There was nothing you could have done, Inuyasha, even if you had somehow been there,” she said quietly, allowing her hurt and anger to drain away. Too much time had passed and she'd talked with Shippo far too many times to harbor any true resentment against the man now holding her for not being there. “Just promise me we'll get him. Even if I die again, promise you won't stop until he's dead,” she pleaded, knowing that only his own death would stop him from keeping his word once it was given.

For a moment his arms tightened around the miko before he held her at arm's length so he could look into her eyes once again. The pleading he saw in her eyes made his gut twist and his words were ground out around the pain he was feeling.

“You're not going to die again,” A hitch in his breath stopped his words momentarily “So help me God, Kagome. So long as there's breath in my body I won't let that bastard touch you again!” Quickly he tore his gaze away from her and stared at the other occupants in the room, “We leave in the morning. Everyone that's coming be ready by daybreak otherwise you're getting left behind. We're going to find this bastard and we're not going to stop until he's dead. By the time I'm finished there won't be enough left of his body to warrant building a funeral pyre.”