Trinity Blood Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadows of Time ❯ Chapter 8

[ 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.

Author's note: I may be a few days late in posting the next chapter since I'll be traveling to NC for the Animazement convention. Updates will resume once I return to FL.

Chapter Eight

It had been almost two weeks since that first night and they were no closer to finding any trace of Naraku than they had been when they'd first started the hunt. It didn't help matters that the sun was at its peak, beating down upon them relentlessly, sending both the temperatures and their tempers soaring. The only respite was the fact that there was a breeze that went to great lengths in making them just the slightest bit more comfortable. Unfortunately, it only did so much and the group eagerly looked forward to the point when they would come across the small streams and creeks that happened to be in their path.

Nor was there any attempt at conversation once it became clear that it would only lead to more arguments. Never before had there been quite so much tension between the group, but none of them knew just how to break it. Each was burdened with the knowledge of what was to come and they were dealing with it in the only way that they knew how. Yet none of them were willing to give up and it was that perseverance that kept them going even when they longed to stop for a while.

Eventually though, Inuyasha knew that the group would be forced to stop for a rest and he was keeping a close eye on his traveling companions for signs that they were pushing themselves too hard. Kagome was the one he was watching the closest and although she had given in and accepted Sango's offer to ride on Kirara for a bit, it wouldn't last long. With that heavy fur coat, even the fire cat was feeling the effects of the heat and Kagome wasn't about to push Kirara's endurance just to avoid walking for a few more steps on her own.

Fortunately, Inuyasha could scent the telltale signs of a village in the distance and he knew it would be a good stopping point. If nothing else, the others could rest while he questioned the villagers to see if there had been anything they deemed strange going on. What had surprised him was how well the two priests were holding up, he'd expected far more trouble with them than what he'd received.

The light scent of smoke reached Shippo's nose, causing it to twitch. “Is that a village up ahead?” Even he wouldn't feel ungrateful for the possibility of stopping, although he hadn't been walking all that much. There were an abundance of shoulders that he could perch himself on, making sure not to remain with one person for too long. To do so would not only end up in muscle strain for his ride, but it would also call attention to the fact that he really couldn't be bothered to walk if he didn't have to.

“Yeah it is. I think it's time we started questioning some of the locals,” Inuyasha replied as he started to scan the surrounding area. While nothing seemed out of place, something still felt slightly off. His intuition told him it wasn't Naraku, but that didn't necessarily mean that they'd walk away from this area without learning something.

The announcement brought an undercurrent of excitement to the group, but Kagome didn't join in. Instead she was staring at the way Inuyasha was walking, taking in his tense posture and the way his hand lingered on the hilt of his sword.

“You sense that something is wrong, don't you?” she asked quietly which immediately quieted the others down. Even if they didn't always get along, Kagome trusted Inuyasha and if his gut instincts were telling him that something was out of place the message had best be heeded.

A quick glance was directed at Kagome and Inuyasha nodded, “Something's been here recently.” With each step that brought them closer to the village, the feeling of unease increased and it was finally made clear when the breeze shifted. “Shit,” Inuyasha cursed, “we've wandered into panther demon territory. They're close but they're not directly in the village.”

“We are getting close to the mountains again. I'd like to think that it might be the humans that encroached on their territory this time, but we have no way to be sure,” Sango replied, her brow furrowing with concern, “as much as I hate to say it, we might not be able to rest just yet.”

Even as Tres was moving closer to Kagome now that there was an identified potential threat nearby, Father Nightroad had moved up into the fore of the group until he was walking next to Inuyasha, “So who is the panther tribe? It sounds like they've given you trouble before,” he asked, needing to know just what they were about to walk into.

“Not this group exactly,” Inuyasha said quietly and altered the group's direction so they wouldn't head directly into the village, “We met another tribe back a few years ago. They'd taken an entire village hostage and they were going to sacrifice them so they could resurrect their God. Unfortunately, they managed to bring the bastard back but he turned on them and killed half of the demons who were responsible.” There was no chance that this particular tribe was attempting the same thing, but that didn't mean that he trusted their intentions to be benevolent towards the villagers.

“So then, how did you defeat their God?” Father Nightroad asked curiously. The Catholic Church proclaimed that there was only one God and anything else was heresy, but as he was learning, things were not quite so cut and dry. While he didn't know if this panther god was an actual god or in fact a demon, it was clear that the beliefs of these people were vastly different from his own.

“Keh, me and my bastard brother ended up taking the rest of them out along with their God. That bastard ain't coming back, but that doesn't mean they ain't up to no good. Sooner or later they'll end up going after the villagers so it's better that we check it out now and deal with them if it's going to be a problem,” Inuyasha gritted out, his expression turning to one of grim determination. He wasn't about to allow the demons to sacrifice these humans or any others for some hare-brained scheme.

“But if these demons haven't done anything,” Father Nightroad protested weakly. Perhaps it was the pacifist in him but he was reluctant to hunt down these particular demons that weren't necessarily causing any trouble. In fact, the village looked to be rather peaceful and it was a hope, however slight, that they were coexisting peacefully.

Normally Miroku wasn't one to advocate violence without cause, but in this instance even he wasn't too keen on allowing this to go by without at least checking it out.

“You should know that the last panther demons we ran into kidnapped Kagome and were intending to kill her as well,” he said, knowing full well that if Father Nightroad's protective instincts didn't come into play then Father Tres' would. He'd been watching the two closely and he was beginning to wonder if the tall man followed her so closely just because of his orders or if it was because he genuinely liked her.

“Should they make such an attempt this time, they will be eliminated,” Father Tres replied and looked to Father Nightroad, his expression hardening. It was yet another of the differences between them. While Father Nightroad preferred to give people the benefit of the doubt, he dealt in absolutes whenever possible. The fact was the panther demons had been known to cause problems before and hearing that the miko had already been a target for them once didn't sit well with him at all.

“Very well, we can at least investigate. Perhaps they are checking their borders and have no ill intentions,” Father Nightroad said, acquiescing for the time being. It would seem that the others knew these types of demons better than he did and for now, he would follow their lead.

“Not likely,” Inuyasha scoffed, “these demons care about one thing, themselves. You need to get it through your head, Nightroad, demons hate humans. If they're in the vicinity then they're obviously up to no good.” Sooner or later the man would come to realize just how different things were from his own time. He just hoped that Abel figured it out quickly or he just might end up getting someone hurt in the process. But he'd worry about that later; there were more pressing things on his mind. Abruptly he stopped, causing the others to do so as well.

“Kagome, why don't you and Tres go to the village? There's no need for you to be in the middle of this fight,” he said quietly, hoping that for once she'd agree. Not only was she tired but also she didn't have a weapon which would leave her depending on the others to keep her safe.

“Why should I remain behind? I can fight too,” Kagome began to protest and then realized she didn't even have a bow with her. That was easily remedied, however, as it would only take a few minutes to detour to the village. Surely one of them would be willing to supply her with a weapon and then she could stand beside the others if it came to a fight.

”Right, and I suppose you plan to fight with your bare hands,” Inuyasha said and rolled his eyes in exasperation, “besides, it'll be safer for you there. Let us handle this garbage, it won't take long.”

“If it's no big deal then it shouldn't matter if I come or not,” Kagome argued although something told her this was one battle she wasn't going to win. It was in the expressions on the faces of everyone around her and for once, she felt like an outsider looking in.

“Kagome, maybe you should go to the village,” Sango said carefully, not wanting to set off the miko's temper, “it's been a long day, and everyone is tired. You could get a bow and come back but by then there's a chance the fight would be over anyway. Why don't you and Father Tres see about procuring rooms for the night?” It was a weak attempt at placating Kagome's need to help, but it was the best that Sango could come up with on such short notice. She could only hope that it would be enough.

“But,” Kagome said uncertainly, her gaze shifting from Sango to Inuyasha and then back again. “I thought that we were only going to be stopping for a little bit, we'll be losing hours of daylight that we could be searching.”

“Keh, you're forgetting that we might learn from these demons just where Naraku is. If he's nearby we're not going after him without some preparation which includes getting you a bow,” Inuyasha said as if the idea was his to begin with. Truthfully, he'd planned on packing up and moving on after stopping for a few minutes to rest, but if this was what it took to get Kagome to give in then so be it.

For a moment Kagome said nothing, debating the sincerity of Inuyasha's words. She'd seen what the panther demons could do before, but Inuyasha had gotten considerably stronger since then. Not to mention the fact that Father Nightroad would be with them as well, and although she hadn't seen him fight yet, she knew that he could be a dangerous opponent when he felt the need. “Fine, but you better not be lying, Inuyasha. It'll be nice to have a hot bath for a change,” she said and then grabbed Tres' hand, “Let's go. I'm sure we can find something to do in the village while we wait on them.”

“Positive,” Father Tres replied and allowed the girl to drag him off towards the village. Keeping her safe there would be easy enough and she seemed to be in an amiable mood, which was always a plus. While he himself would prefer to fight alongside Father Nightroad, keeping the miko safe was one of the mission priorities.

Inuyasha watched the pair head off towards the village and shook his head, “Well, at least she'll be out of the way for now, although something tells me if we don't wrap this up, she'll be coming to see what's taking so long.” He could picture the girl doing exactly that, too. “Maybe I should have warned him to sit on her if she so much as moves towards the door,” he muttered beneath his breath.

“As amusing as that visual is, I'm sure that he wouldn't need to resort to such measures,” Father Nightroad said, although, the mental image of the man doing just that had made its way into his mind. 'Poor girl, it's a good thing he's no longer an android. He would have crushed her.'

“You don't know Kagome very well, do you?” Shippo replied with amusement before dashing off after the retreating miko. Given the choice, he'd rather stay with her than possibly become a target for some overgrown feline. Especially when there was the possibility that he'd be able to convince her to grab him something to eat, he was rather hungry after doing all that traveling.

“Such a precocious child,” Father Nightroad murmured and then shrugged his shoulders, “Well then, shall we go?” The sooner they finished this little side trip the sooner they could rest. 'Perhaps I can persuade them into providing a cup of tea.'

“Right, let's move,” Inuyasha replied, immediately falling back into his natural role of the group leader. His sensitive sense of smell was what guided them in the direction they needed to go and it wasn't long before he realized that this group of demons wasn't as small as he'd first suspected. Even from here he could tell that there were at least ten individuals, something that only solidified his belief that they were up to no good. “Be careful everyone, we're not that far away from them.”

“How many?” Sango asked, her eyes scanning the tree line warily. Their continued advance didn't seem to be attracting any attention but she wasn't going to be lured into a false sense of security. The panthers were cunning and had adapted to the environment in order to survive. Stealth was a way of life for them and they wouldn't be seen until they decided to reveal themselves.

“Ten, maybe more,” Inuyasha replied quietly. Every one of his senses were screaming at him, alerting him to the danger that lurked just ahead, but still he pushed on and before long the forest enveloped them. Except for their footfalls it was silent, not even the birds dared to call out a warning to them.

“But where are they?” Miroku murmured quietly. The shadows seemed to engulf the surrounding area, hiding the forest's secrets from their view, but he knew that the enemy was near and they had to be prepared. Already he was reaching within the folds of his robes for a handful of sutras in preparation for the upcoming battle.

“All around you,” Isamu, leader of the panther demons called out from his perch in a nearby tree, “What is your purpose for trespassing upon our lands, half breed?” They'd smelled the foul stench of the dog from nearly a mile away and waited patiently to see if he would come. However, it was no surprise to see the hanyou standing before them. It was in both of their bloods for the two races to fight and nothing would change that.

“I think you've got it wrong you stupid cat, you're the one trespassing on the villager's land. So why don't you pack your shit and leave, before you get hurt,” Inuyasha ground out and cracked his knuckles for emphasis. The ultimatum wasn't necessary though, he'd known from the beginning what the answer would be. So when the ice shard was thrown at his head it didn't come as any surprise and he leapt out of the way easily.

“Foolish dog, always believing that you can defeat us. Neither you nor the humans will drive us from our rightful lands! As for your pathetic threats, you will not find us such easy opponents like the southern tribe was,” Isamu called out arrogantly and leaped to another tree easily, not wanting to provide a clear target for the hanyou nor the humans that had followed him.

“Tch, one stupid cat is just like another,” Inuyasha replied and drew the Tetsusaiga from its scabbard, “prepare to die!” As he spoke, he unleashed the wind scar and watched the unleashed energy race across the ground on a collision course with his opponent. The tree took the full force of the blow and exploded in a shower of debris. “Keh, too easy,” he said arrogantly, “how about the rest of you? Are ya gonna be stupid like your leader or are ya gonna leave like I told you?”

“You truly are an idiot, hanyou,” Isamu scoffed from his new perch, “your attack is far too slow. Did you really think that I would fall so easily?” His eyes gleamed in the darkness, carefully gauging his opponent. Even from this distance he could see the wind twining around the massive blade and that was what would give him the advantage over the hanyou every time. By the time the fool could unleash an attack, he'd already be moving out of harm's way.

A scowl appeared on Inuyasha's face and he turned to face that mocking voice, “So you're fast. That don't mean shit really if all you're doing is running, but then what else should I expect from a cat? Stand still and fight, you coward!” Viciously he leapt forward, raising the Tetsusaiga high over his head, his intent clear. Out of the shadows, Isamu materialized and Inuyasha smirked, he had a clear shot now and he didn't plan on wasting it.

“Raging storm,” Isamu whispered while stretching his hands towards the skies. The slight breeze that surrounded his body intensified immediately and began leeching off of his youki, lending power to the attack he was about to unleash. The sheer force alone was enough to rebuff the hanyou and send him crashing back to the ground. A smirk formed upon the panther's face when he noticed the minuscule tears in the man's haori, no doubt caused by the shards of ice blowing about on the wind.

“Take cover,” Sango shouted, hoping that the others would hear her over the wind. It sounded like a tornado was coming through and she knew that without some sort of protection, they were likely to be torn to pieces by the ice. Apparently the others had heard her though if the way they were pulling back meant anything. Only Inuyasha remained, most likely because he was too hard headed to concede that even he could bleed to death with enough injuries.

“Like hell if I'm going to run,” Inuyasha shouted back and stood his ground. 'Let them retreat if they want, I'll be the one to take this bastard out.' So the panther could throw around some cold air, his haori should be more than enough to counter most, if not all of that.

“Idiot,” Sango swore beneath her breath and turned to face Miroku who was using a large tree to shield himself from most of the storm. The winds were getting fierce and the ice was now cutting through some of the more fragile branches, causing the foliage to further reduce visibility. “We need to get out of here, we can't fight under these conditions,” she shouted, hoping that both the monk and Father Nightroad would be able to hear her. With the wind blowing so strongly, Miroku's ofuda would be rendered useless and her main weapon now was the katana at her side. She hadn't managed to get back to the village to replace her hiraikotsu, not that it would have done much good in these conditions anyway.

Their prey was escaping, but Michiko merely looked on in amusement from her spot in the shadows. At her side stood Natsu, her twin. Even he seemed to be enjoying the way they were scurrying about, trying to avoid their leader's attack because he didn't make a move to stop them. Of course, it could have been fun trapping the three within their own minds, leaving them helpless to the storms onslaught but they wanted to play. It was curious though, from what she remembered there were three males and two females in the group that had killed Naraku, one of which was a child. “It seems they've lost the miko and the kitsune, dear brother. Wherever could they be?” she asked in amusement. If the rumors were true, the dog wouldn't have let the female out of his sight unless it came to a battle. She had to be hiding somewhere.

“Ah, you're as perceptive as ever, Michiko,” Natsu replied with a smile, “I was wondering when you would notice that the group split up before coming to us. I imagine that even now she's making herself comfortable in the village with the kitsune and the male left as her guardian.” He could see the cruel expression crossing over his sister's face and knew that a hunt was about to begin. It would bring great status to their tribe if they were the ones to slaughter the famous miko who had destroyed Naraku.

“Someone should tell her it's impolite to skip out on formal introductions,” Michiko purred in satisfaction, “Such a naughty girl to breech protocol like that, she needs a lesson in manners.” And she'd take great satisfaction in being the one to give it to the miko as well. Her human guardian wasn't a concern; he would fall first should he make the mistake of getting in their way. Besides, they had a score to settle. Everyone who had participated in the slaughter of the southern tribe would die; it was only a matter of time.

“Indeed, dear sister,” Natsu replied thoughtfully before his gaze landed on their companions. A calculating look crossed his face before he made a decision, “Toshi, you will follow the monk and the slayer along with Kuri, Kozue and Haruko. Deal with them however you wish, just don't let them leave this forest alive.”

“Perfect,” Michiko nodded with satisfaction, “the rest of you will follow us. We will deal with the miko in our own fashion. 'There is no way she can hope to take on six of us at once and live. I'll enjoy feasting on her blood even before its had a chance to cool.'

“We'll take care of them and join you once we're finished here,” Toshi replied, his voice hard with determination. Gut instinct told him that the miko wouldn't be an easy target and it was quite likely that she'd still be fighting by the time they finished with these three. “Kuri, Kozue, you know what to do,” he said, gaining the twin's attention.

“Of course,” Kuri snapped at the elder male in irritation before leaping off the tree branch and racing after the three retreating humans. Soft footfalls reached his ears, alerting him that his twin was following just as he'd expected. Carefully he reached out for the other's mind, neither daring to speak a word and give away their location. 'Are you ready?'

'Quite. We just need to get ahead of the fools and cut off their escape. Once we get their minds subdued, Toshi and Haruko can pick them off with ease.' Kozue left the thin mental thread between them in place and quickened his pace. Their method of attack was dangerous and nearly unstoppable, but it left them at an extreme disadvantage since both of their minds would turn inward to confront their enemies. Having backup on the outside became necessary since that would be the only thing keeping them from dying by an unseen attack.

Once Sango was certain they were a sufficient distance away from the storm she slowed and looked her companions over. Neither of them seemed to be worse for wear thankfully since she was well aware of the fact that they'd been followed. “Stay alert you two, we've got company,” she said quietly before reaching for her sword. As of now, she was wishing she'd brought extra masks for the two men so she could use one of her poisons, but since she hadn't, she needed to make do with what she had.

A sigh escaped Father Nightroad's lips before he drew his gun, preparing to take aim on any demon that made an adequate target. Any chance of resolving this peacefully was gone and now they were going to be forced to fight. As if on cue, two panther demons materialized out of the shadows directly in front of them. Clearly they had something in mind since they'd positioned themselves close enough that they could touch, yet, far enough away that they couldn't be taken out in one hit. Carefully he sighted the pistol on one and called out to them clearly, “Hear me now; this does not need to come to bloodshed. Leave now and we will each go our separate ways.”

“You're forgetting it's you who are trespassing on our lands and we don't see the purpose in allowing you to leave. It was your leader which instigated the fight, we shall finish it,” Kozue replied icily and reached out to take his twin's hand. The second they touched the connection intensified and his eyes blazed with a hypnotic fury which was meant to ensnare their prey.

It was the slightest hint of movement off to the left which distracted Father Nightroad and enabled him to escape the mental connection that the panther established within a matter of seconds. The sound of Sango's katana hitting the ground was what alerted him to the fact that there was something terribly wrong. “Sango,” he shouted, hoping to gain her attention but she remained unmoving, her eyes fixed on the demons in front of them. “Release them at once,” he growled and leveled the revolver at the demon he'd traded words with only a few moments before, but he got no answer.

“Fool, your opponent is me,” Toshi snarled and knocked the pistol out of the human's hand before he could get a shot off. Easily he could see Haruko circling around to the man's other side and waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. First they would take care of this particular nuisance and then they'd be able to deal with the other two at their leisure.

“If you insist,” Father Nightroad replied and deftly moved out of the way of what would have been a nasty slash of the claws and retrieved his gun before they could stop him. Clearly these two weren't playing and each took turns at attempting to drive him within striking distance of the other. It made it difficult to get a clear shot in, but when the opportunity presented itself, he took it. The sharp crack of gunfire echoed through the trees, but the feline was far too fast and the bullet embedded itself into a nearby tree.

“Even your pathetic weapon will not be able to save you,” Haruko snapped and rushed at the human, using his momentum to throw the silver haired male off balance when he drove his shoulder into a soft, unprotected side. A kick followed, throwing the strange human back into a nearby tree. “Finish him, Toshi and then we can join the others in feasting upon the miko's flesh,” he said, wanting to get this fight over with. 'Perhaps she will be a better opponent than any of these simpletons.'

While the impact had hurt, it hadn't taken Father Nightroad out of contention. If anything, it made him more determined than ever now that he knew they intended on pursuing someone who had nothing to do with the current situation. “You leave me no choice then,” he whispered to the approaching male who clearly meant to claim his life, “Nanomachine Crusnik 02, power output forty percent, activate.” There was no need for anything stronger, not for these demons who had to rely on mind control in order to win their battles.

The transformation was immediate and it halted Toshi in his tracks. “What are you?” he whispered in horror, watching the man's hair lift upwards on some invisible breeze and his inky black wings unfurl. The very idea that this man was a demon was unthinkable, there wasn't any youki to be felt, but he certainly wasn't human either. Shaking his head quickly, he prepared to spring. Whatever the man was, it didn't matter. He was still going to die.

“What I am not important,” Father Nightroad replied coldly and readied his scythe to block whatever attack the demon might throw at him. Had he been a normal human, he wouldn't have seen where the two felines disappeared. But he had the sight and as such, he wasn't going to be misled so easily. The attack came from the side, too quickly for most to see, but he was ready. Just as the panther came within range, he lashed out with the scythe and cut clean through the male's shoulder, severing his arm. Blood splattered the ground liberally and the shriek of agonized pain could without a doubt be heard all the way down in the village.

“You bastard,” Haruko snarled in fury, “you're going to die for this!” Anger coursed through his body, lending strength to the power he was gathering in each of his hands. Play time was over; it was time to get serious. With a cruel smile he hurled twin bolts of lightning, knowing that it wouldn't matter where they impacted. The electricity would spread out to the surrounding area and engulf the man in its hellish embrace before he could think to move out of the immediate area.

The thought that the demon sought to use electricity against him was amusing to say the least and the look on his opponent's face when the attack failed brought a smile to his lips. “To survive you must know your opponent, but that is a lesson that may be too late for even you to learn,” he said coldly and then moved as quickly as the demon had mere moments ago. Yet Haruko made an attempt to escape, seeking to prolong his life even if it was by only a few moments. Eagerly, Father Nightroad gave chase and just when the panther was certain he had a chance of escaping, he struck. The blow struck the panther's legs and sliced easily through the bone, cutting them off just above the knees. Ruthlessly he allowed the scythe to continue its arc upwards, cutting into one of the twins that held his teammates immobile.

The feel of warm blood splattering against Sango's cheek along with the break in the web that had them enthralled, broke the hold that it had on her. Shock and surprise stunned her for a moment, whatever she'd been expecting; it certainly wasn't what she was seeing now. “Father Nightroad?” she gasped in surprise, making him pause in his advance towards the last remaining demon. When she'd listened to Kagome speak of the vampires in her books, what she'd imagined certainly wasn't the way the priest was appearing now. He looked positively demonic with the way his features had sharpened, becoming more delicate than she'd thought possible.

“Lady Sango, look out!” Miroku yelled, seeing that in her astonishment she'd left herself wide open to attack. 'Dammit, if she's going to do this every time he turns then I'm going to have to grow eyes in the back of my head to protect her!' Quickly he threw the ofuda and hit the panther square in the chest, buying just enough time for her to react.

“Dammit,” Sango snarled and launched an attack of her own. The ofuda would only work for so long and she didn't want to waste what advantage Miroku had given her. Before the panther could react she plunged the blade deep into his chest, piercing the heart cleanly. A strangled cry of pain escaped the demon's lips but she didn't let up on the pressure until her sword erupted from his back. Only then did she yank it free and allow the demon to fall to his knees with his lifeblood pouring out.

Before either of them could start firing questions at him, Father Nightroad held up a hand, “We must check on Kagome, apparently the others split off the main group to deal with her and Father Tres.” He didn't have to tell them just how worried he was about that particular situation. He'd seen how effective his revolver had been against the four that had confronted them. Even though Father Tres was still considerably faster than he was, he doubted it would do much good in this instance. No, something more would be needed to take care of the demons and he was afraid that they would be virtually defenseless. No words were spoken as the three of them took off running towards the village, trusting that Inuyasha was indeed holding his own against Isamu.

~In the village~

“I can't help but feel I should be out there,” Kagome said with a sigh and looked out the window of the room they'd found themselves in. They were far enough away from the forest that they couldn't hear the sounds of battle, but the occasional flash of light told her that at the very least, Inuyasha was using his wind scar.

Calmly, Father Tres regarded her, contemplating just how the miko before him shared some similarities with his fellow AX members. It was strange, in many ways she was a lot like Sister Esther with her willingness to throw herself into her work. But in other ways she reminded him of the Cardinal with the single minded determination and the ability to use whatever force she deemed necessary to get what she wanted. As a matter of fact, that was exactly what she was attempting now, although she wasn't blatantly proclaiming she was going, yet anyway.

“We will remain here until the others return,” he stated calmly even though he knew it wasn't the answer she wanted. He hadn't come all this way, abandoned everything he'd ever known and turned human just so the girl he was meant to protect could run out and get herself killed.

“But what happens if they need us out there?” Kagome countered, slightly miffed that the dejected expression hadn't worked on him, “All of our friends are out there right now and the panther demons aren't pushovers. I should know I've dealt with them before.” So she'd been kidnapped at the time, but pointing that out right this second probably wouldn't help her case any. “I can get a bow and we can head out there before the fight is over,” she tried to sound casual as she waited to hear what his next words would be.

“Negative, your friends would not appreciate your efforts and it could endanger the mission,” Father Tres replied, not the least bit swayed by her little speech. It was clear that she was concerned for the others but he wasn't about to change his mind. It was then that he noticed the determined set to her jaw line and he knew that she was about to up the stakes.

“If you don't want to go then fine, stay here. I'm going to find the others. Shippo, you stay here with Kirara and protect Father Tres, I'll be back,” Kagome said and began to walk towards the door, intent on finding the inn keeper. Surely the man would be able to lend her a bow so that she would at least be useful.

Although the conversation had been amusing to a point, being told to stay behind was not something Shippo intended on doing. “Kagome, wait,” he called out and jumped up from his place where he'd been sitting on the floor.

However, allowing either of them to leave wasn't going to be tolerated. Before Kagome could reach the door, Tres had closed the distance between them and grabbed her wrist in a gentle but firm grip. “I cannot permit you to leave at this time,” he felt compelled to say even though he knew she wasn't going to listen, “go back to the futon, I'm sure they will return soon.”

“No, if you want to make sure that I'm safe then come with me. I know how to fight, I'm not going to sit here and do nothing,” Kagome said and snatched her arm out of his grip. While she could understand his concern, she wasn't going to sit back and allow the others to fight all of the battles without her regardless of what anyone else thought.

Steeling himself for the battle he knew was coming, Father Tres grabbed the miko around the waist this time and hauled her up over his shoulder, “Negative, I will not permit you to leave until the others return.” There was more than one way to ensure that she didn't move and if he had to, he'd tie her up to gain her compliance. 'I wonder if Shippo would go and acquire a length of rope in order to restrain her.'

“What are you doing?” Kagome squeaked from her position over his shoulder. The move had taken her completely by surprise and now all she could do was hang on as best as she could. “Dammit, put me down,” she said, beginning to struggle in his grip.

Having reached the futon he saw no need to deny the request, so he sat Kagome down on the mat. The indignant look she gave him nearly had him chuckling in amusement, but somehow he managed to refrain and keep his stern expression firmly in place.

“That wasn't funny and if you don't watch it, you might find yourself with your own necklace just like Inuyasha,” Kagome said with a huff and pushed herself up to her feet a second time. The slightly raised eyebrow that the priest was giving her made her scowl in irritation. 'Oh he's taunting me now to see what I'm going to do!' Straightening her clothing she began marching towards the door again and had nearly made it when for the second time in as many minutes, she found herself upside down and dangling from his shoulder.

Quickly he carried her back to the futon and without warning the miko, Father Tres deposited her on the futon again, staring at her to see just whether or not she would comply after failing a second time, “This is becoming tedious, remain seated. You will not accomplish your goal.”

“Hey, you could have put me down a little easier you know,” Kagome groused and glared up at the redhead. The slight snicker coming from her left immediately grabbed her attention, turning her irritation on the kitsune sitting beside her, “It's not funny, Shippo!”

Although her glare intensified, he felt fairly certain that she wouldn't take serious offense to his amusement. 'If nothing else I'm sure Father Tres will protect me seeing that I have to survive in the future.'

“Well that's not going to happen again,” she said pointedly, looking first at Shippo and then at the priest staring at her. Again there was that gleam in his eye that told her he was silently laughing at her and it pissed her off further. 'Fine, you want to play? We can play.' Before Father Tres could figure out what she was doing, she'd made a dash for the window with the intent of climbing through it. 'Once I get outside he won't bother with this slinging me over his shoulder garbage.'

But the action was something he'd been expecting and as she prepared to dive through the window he grabbed her for the third time. Kagome; however, had no intentions of going quietly and now that she wasn't in danger of falling on her head, she began to struggle in his grip.

“Cease your struggles, Kagome,” Father Tres replied sharply but the command went ignored. Just as he was preparing to let her go and reposition his hold, her foot managed to connect with the wall which gave her just enough leverage to completely upset his balance. Feeling himself falling backwards, Tres braced himself for impact but something he couldn't compensate for was the miko's weight landing on his chest.

The muffled groan beneath her had Kagome stilling in place, his struggles ceasing for the moment, “Oh my God, I'm sorry!” She didn't want to think about how hard the floor was, especially with her weight adding to the problem. Quickly she scrambled off of the fallen man and spun around. “Are you alright?” she asked worriedly, her plan of running from the inn abandoned.

“Positive,” he replied even though he was certain his ribs would be aching for a few days to come. One thing he would never do was underestimate her determination to get what she wanted, that was for certain. She could have broken her neck attempting a reckless move like that but it hadn't deterred her trying.

“Heh, sorry about that,” Kagome replied uneasily, debating on just what her chances were of making it to the door before he managed to get up. 'Well since he's alright, I don't suppose I need to stay here, do I?' With that thought in mind she spun in place and ran for the door, saying a quick prayer that she would make it this time. But luck wasn't on her side this time either and a warm hand wrapped around her ankle, yanking her to the floor roughly, “Dammit, Tres! You're like static cling, what's it take to get you off?”

The struggling girl continued to flail and at one point nearly escaped his grip. As a last ditch effort, he pinned her in place with his own body, ignoring the scandalized gasp coming from the kitsune and the surprised squeak coming from the fire cat. “You are being irrational,” he said sternly, although his words seemed to make absolutely no difference. In fact, it only seemed to increase her struggles which caused a reaction in his body that he certainly wasn't accustomed to. Whatever it was, it was certainly making him uncomfortable and just when he began to ponder the reaction, Kagome stilled, her eyes going wide with surprise.

“Oh my God,” Kagome whispered and froze in place. There was no mistaking just what was pressing against her leg and by the confused look on his face, Father Tres had no idea what was going on. This certainly hadn't been what she'd been thinking of when she'd decided to make a break for it and now she didn't know just how to get out of this particular predicament. Mortification filled her knowing that she'd put herself in a compromising position with apriest of all people. What would the others say if they were to walk in and see just what she'd done? “I... I'm...” she began, not entirely sure what to say.

Curiously, Father Tres stared down into Kagome's face, taking note of her stunned expression. Carefully, he pushed up on his hands to get a better look at her which caused the lower half of his body to rub up against her again. The sensation was... odd and not exactly unpleasant, but the more interesting result was the squeak it got out of the girl beneath him. “Status report, Kagome. Why is your face turning red?” he asked, shifting against her a third time, thinking that perhaps his weight was a bit too much for her smaller form.

“It's... nothing,” Kagome hurried on to say and placed her hands firmly against his chest, “umm... Do you mind letting me up now?” She prayed that the question would distract him enough to drop that particular line of questioning. 'Oh man, I hadn't even thought about that aspect of him becoming human. How the hell am I supposed to explain this one? Better yet, can I pawn it off on one of the guys without having to explain why he needs to know?'

“Are you going to attempt an escape again?” Father Tres asked, for once enjoying that he'd managed to set her off balance, “If so we can remain in this position until the others return.” Drastic times called for drastic measures and if this is what it took to keep her from so foolishly running off then he doubted that any of the others would blame him for taking such a step.

“I'd think you better agree, Kagome. I think he's serious,” Shippo replied from his spot on the futon. Even he didn't know what to make of the situation, but one thing was for certain, he didn't want to see what would happen if Inuyasha and the others caught them in such a compromising position. It wouldn't matter just what had caused it, the hanyou would hit the roof in thinking that Kagome had been taken advantage of. 'Never mind that it's Kagome's fault they ended up like that.'

“Okay, I promise I won't try to leave again. Just please, get off,” she said quietly and then breathed a sigh of relief when he did as she asked. Really, he was cute and all, but she really hadn't looked at him like that. 'Aren't Catholic priests supposed to have taken a vow of chastity or something? Oh man, I might be responsible for tempting him and not even knowing it!' Eagerly she pulled herself up off of the floor and prepared for the apology she was going to have to give. Yet as soon as she looked up at him her eyes widened in shock, “Father Tres, what are you...”

“Get down,” Father Tres ordered harshly and the moment she'd hit the floor he fired off a round, hitting the demon that was rushing towards the open doorway. It took the beast square in the shoulder, but instead of going down like it was supposed to the panther kept coming.

The sound was deafening and Kagome could do little but cover her ears against the noise. Unsure of what was going on; she scrambled behind the redhead and looked towards the door in growing horror. Outside there had to be at least six panther demons and every one of them looked to be determined on getting into the room. It was then that she realized that the window was open and making sure to remain behind Tres, she raced towards the opening in order to shut it. “Dammit, I've got to shut the window!”

“Negative. Kirara, remove Shippo and Kagome from the immediate area while I dispense of the threat,” he replied coldly but never took his eyes off of the doorway. Gunfire was holding the demons back but for how long he wasn't certain. He'd managed to hit the one but it wasn't a fatal blow by any means. In fact, the demon seemed to have shrugged the wound off like it was nothing, leaving him to wonder just how effective his weapon was even going to be.

“Are you crazy?” Kagome shouted even as Kirara assumed her larger form, not caring about the damage the flames would do to the flooring. Already Shippo was climbing on the fire cat's back and preparing to make a run for it so it was of no surprise when Kirara head butted her in a reminder to get moving. “I'm not leaving him, go ahead, and go, Kirara!”

For a moment Kirara seemed to be indecisive, but a decision was going to need to be made quickly. There was no way for her to take Kagome unless she willingly got on her back since the window was far too small to drag the girl through. As it was, she would barely fit with her mounted and the miko would be forced to crouch low over her shoulders. But to remain would mean keeping Shippo in danger as well and eventually she was forced to accept the fact that Kagome would not abandon the priest. With a nod of her head acknowledging the command, she leapt through the window and took the kitsune clear of the danger.

Kagome stared after the retreating fire cat and knew that she'd made the right choice. There was no way in hell she was going to just leave Father Tres here to fight the damned things by himself, there had to be something that she could do. For now though she stayed behind the man while watching the demons carefully. They seemed to have figured out that so long as they didn't give the man a clear shot, he wasn't going to land a killing blow. All that he was managing to do was waste his ammunition with how quickly they were darting out of the way. 'What's going to happen when the clips run out? We'll both be helpless then!'

It was a concern that was bothering Tres as well and he'd taken to only firing when he was certain he had a clean shot. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the demons from moving at the last minute. It was as if they knew that his ammo was limited although he was certain they'd never seen weapons like his before. It was a vexing problem and the miko remaining behind only made things worse.

After seeing yet another bullet graze one of the panther demons, Kagome bit back a curse. This just wasn't working and something had to give soon. 'If only I had my arrows, I could take the damned things out then.' The thought continued to plague her for several long moments before she got an idea. Quickly she moved to stand beside Father Tres, although she didn't reach for him right away. In combat mode, she wasn't sure how he'd react. “I have an idea,” she said quietly, knowing that he would hear her, “do you trust me?”

“Positive,” Father Tres responded immediately, although he didn't take his eyes off the door. It almost seemed as if the demons were playing with them now which gave them just a bit of time to think of an alternate plan. The question was what did the miko have in mind?

Hearing that simple word, allowed Kagome to breathe a sigh of relief. “Just work with me here,” she said and began to focus her power into her hands. It was difficult reining the rouge energy in, but before long her hands were glowing with the energy. Only then did she lay them gently on his hand while being careful not to interfere with his ability to fire the gun. With satisfaction she watched the glow beginning to seep into the weapon. “When you have a shot, take it,” she said, her confidence beginning to grow with each passing moment.

A slow smile crossed his face when he figured out just what Kagome was doing. While he had no idea if it would work or not, he wasn't about to go without testing her little idea. What was truly amusing; however, was that the demons themselves didn't seem to realize the mortal peril they were now in. As was the pattern, two demons rushed towards the door at once and immediately Father Tres trained the gun on the first one. The laser sighting landed squarely in the middle of the panther's chest and he squeezed the trigger. Unsurprisingly, the demon moved to the side but he was ready for that and the second bullet traveled directly into the path that his opponent had taken. Not even a cry of pain managed to escape the enemy's lips when the bullet slammed into its shoulder and the purifying energy that surrounded it destroyed the demon from the inside out.

“Natsu!” Michiko cried out in horror. Heedless of her own safety she rushed to him, thinking that there might be something she could do. More gunfire rang out, but she was oblivious to the danger she'd put herself in. Two bullets pierced her body and the holy energy slammed into her, forcing her head back in a silent scream of agony. The pain was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before and the last thing she saw before her life was extinguished was the triumphant look on the miko's face.

“Ha! Two down,” Kagome said excitedly, although she was careful not to take her hands from the priest's hand. While she had no idea exactly how many were left, this discovery just evened up the odds for them and she wasn't going to feel regret for the killings that had just happened.

“Premature celebration is not advised at the moment,” Father Tres said calmly, keeping his gaze on the demons lurking just outside the building. They had taken a far more cautious approach now and he could see the calculating expressions even from where he stood. Now more than ever the demons were determined to eliminate them, if nothing else in revenge for the two deaths the miko had just caused.

“Oh, don't be like that. We got two of them, I'd say that's pretty darn good considering we never tried this before,” Kagome replied. It didn't matter if he wanted to be cautious about it, their chances were a damned sight better than what they were and that had a tendency of boosting hope, if even just a little. Yet a feeling of unease settled in the pit of her stomach when the demons outside vanished from sight, “Wait, where did they go?”

“We must relocate,” Tres stated quietly and looked towards the window. As he thought there was a shadow lurking just beyond, “Back up carefully, we must maintain a secure position.” There was no way that he could cover both the door and the window from the position they were standing in now, but from the corner he would be able to keep them both in sight.

'Careful he says. I guess now would be a bad time to remind him that I've got two left feet and I don't dare let go of his hands. I'm not sure how easy it would be to establish the connection again.' Still, she knew that she had to try and do her best so when he started backing up slowly, she followed as best as she could. Before long they were secure in the corner which gave them a clear shot to either the door or the window and once again she felt secure in their position. 'Let's just hope they don't decide to make their own entrance trying to get behind us.'

Father Tres scowled when one of the panthers made an attempt to come through the window at the same time one began making a try for the doorway. The main entrance was quickly defended, but when he turned the gun to the window he found one flaw in the plan he'd devised on such short notice. Kagome's arms weren't nearly as long as his own were and when he'd shifted positions she was scrambling to move her hands along with his own. Plain and simple, this just wasn't going to work. “Kagome,” he called, gaining her attention immediately.

“You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you?” she asked, already trying to figure out a solution to the problem. There was no way in hell she could match him for arm length and this last time she'd very nearly lost contact with him. An idea came to mind suddenly and she wondered why she hadn't thought of it before. “Hold still for a minute,” she said and ducked underneath his arm before he could ask her what she was doing, “you can shoot from closer to your body right? You know, like in those American western movies?”

Tres arched an eyebrow in her direction because he'd never heard of an American western movie, but his ability to hold a gun in various positions couldn't be questioned. Immediately he pulled his arm closer to his body which allowed her to relax slightly as well. Now all they needed was for one of the damned cats to give him a clear shot again and they'd be back in business.

The change in position nearly had Kagome breathing a sigh of relief since keeping her arms locked in one position was beginning to put a strain on them. Somehow though, she was sure that the panthers were analyzing just what their chances were now since they weren't bothering to challenge either entrance again. “What are they waiting for, an engraved invitation?” she asked beneath her breath and sighed. Until Inuyasha and the others came, it appeared as though they were trapped since the demons weren't coming in, and there was no way in hell they were going out there.

“They are assessing their chance of success,” Tres replied without much concern. He had no doubts that the others would arrive sooner or later and then they'd be able to attack from both sides, eliminating the threat that the panthers posed. It was just a matter of time.

“I guess that means we'll be waiting a while then,” Kagome replied wearily and leaned back slightly. She felt him tense, but he didn't insist that she move away and considering the trouble he'd given her earlier, she felt justified as using him for a resting place. “I wonder how the others are doing?” she asked although she didn't really expect much of an answer. The man behind her certainly didn't know anything more than she did at this point.

“Given optimal conditions, their success rate is 97.65 percent. There is no cause for concern,” he replied automatically, trying not to think too hard on the fact that she'd just mistaken him for a wall to rest upon. Instead, he concentrated on the mission at hand which was ensuring they got out of this predicament alive. Most likely the others were making short work of their opponents, it was just a matter of time and if Father Nightroad was aware of this splinter group that had come for them, he was quite probably on his way back to the village even now.

The comment caught Kagome off guard for a moment and she peered up at him curiously, “How do you do that? Calculating percentages and stuff so fast, I thought Midoriko turned you completely human.” It had been something that she'd noticed before. While his mannerisms weren't quite so stiff now, he still didn't act completely human either, but she'd been passing it off believing that he just needed time to adapt.

“Midoriko was unable to complete her mission and parts of my processing capabilities remained unchanged. It could not be helped,” he replied automatically. To be honest, he was rather relieved that a part of his formatting had been left largely untouched since it made him a more efficient fighter. The hard part would continue to be adapting to life as a human, or as close to human as he could get anyway.

Before Kagome could make any further comment, the sound of shouting reached her ears, “What's going on now?” Her voice held a hint of exasperation and dread. 'Oh God, I hope the demons haven't taken to hunting down the villagers now.' Most likely they'd taken cover long ago, but with some people there was just no way to be certain.

In fact, the source of the screaming was from some of the villagers, but not because the panthers had turned on them. The current reason for the screams was because they'd never seen a Crusnik on a rampage wielding a very large scythe which appeared to be made out of blood. The first demon never stood a chance and was cut down just as he turned to defend himself. All it had taken was running into an incoherent Shippo wailing that Kagome was trapped within the hut and the weapon Father Tres was using wasn't working against the demons.

The scent of gun powder tinged the air and Abel knew that regardless of whether it had worked or not, his partner wasn't going down without a fight. The fact that the felines were all circling the building also told him that the pair was still alive inside, although whether or not anyone had been injured wasn't known just yet. Footsteps could be heard behind him, signaling the arrival of both Sango and Miroku. Wasting no time he leapt into battle, fully intent on eliminating what threat remained.

Sliding to a stop, Sango stared at the sight playing out before her with wide eyes. It hadn't taken long for the remaining demons to surround the priest and they were now sizing him up as if trying to determine just what he was. Not that Father Nightroad seemed concerned; he was merely standing there and waiting for them to make the first move. It was an eerie sight to say the least with his eyes glowing a blood red and his hair standing on end. Moments later all hell appeared to break loose and they were forced to watch from the sidelines, as Father Nightroad took on the four demons alone.

“Shouldn't we help him?” Miroku asked his voice laced with concern. Even though he'd been at the last fight, he still wasn't sure how the priest had managed to defeat the demons which had captured them with such little trouble.

Suddenly Father Nightroad disappeared from view, moving far too fast for them to follow. Even Lord Sesshoumaru hadn't managed to attain such speeds, at least not to her knowledge. “Stay back, Miroku,” she warned, just as the Crusnik reappeared and sliced through two of the remaining three demons. Now only one remained and Sango knew what it was planning the moment it started to move. “Don't let it get in the building,” she yelled, calling out a warning to the vampire. If the panther managed to get inside there was a chance he could use their friends against them.

However, the moment the demon appeared in the doorway Father Tres took aim and fired. With the panther so distracted by his partner, it wasn't concentrating on the danger that lurked within and that mistake was ultimately its downfall. The body slammed to the floor and then quickly turned to ash. “Target eliminated,” he said and allowed Kagome to disengage her hands from his own before holstering his weapon.

Now that the danger was over, Kagome wasted no time in rushing outside, but seeing Father Nightroad in his true form made her pause. The look of wariness on his face made her raise an eyebrow in surprise. It was almost as if he expected her to scream in fear and loathing. “That's a new look for you, Father Nightroad. I like it,” she said with a reassuring smile. It was obvious he was self conscious about his appearance at the very least and she wasn't about to add to that. Freaky hair aside, he wasn't all that intimidating in appearance and she could see that it was her friend underneath the changed appearance.

Before the priest could answer however, Inuyasha arrived on the scene looking a bit ragged and worse for wear. “Inuyasha! Are you okay?” Kagome asked anxiously, her eyes scanning his beleaguered form. Frost coated his body and tiny ice crystals lingered in his hair, but what was worse was the ghostly blue tinge his skin had taken on.

“Keh, I'm fine. A little snow ain't gonna kill me,”Inuyasha replied testily, although he was secretly pleased that she still seemed to be concerned over his well being. 'But at the same time I'm glad she isn't going into overprotective mode of hers.' So what if it had been more like a blizzard, she didn't need to know that. Curiously, he stared at Father Nightroad and arched a brow at his appearance, “Are you sure you ain't a demon? And why the hell did you leave them alive?” Disgust colored his voice as he looked at the mangled panther demons weakly trying to pull themselves up off the ground even though they were missing some rather important body parts. Given the amount of damage to their bodies though, they weren't likely to live long.

“Quite sure, and in answer to your question, I've taken a vow not to kill,” Father Nightroad replied just as testily and allowed his appearance to shift back to normal. It was a relief that his more powerful form wasn't being met with fear, it would have made traveling with the group infinitely more difficult if they had. However, the only one whose opinion truly mattered was Kagome's, because if they were to split off on their own, she'd have to be able to accept it in order for them to continue working well together.

“A vow not to kill? That has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. What are you planning to do against Naraku then, scold him and tell him not to do it again?” Inuyasha scoffed, regarding the taller male with irritation. 'Why'd he even bother coming here if he can't even finish a fight? If these fools manage to survive they'll come back seeking revenge.'

“I kill only when necessary and this time, it was not. When the battle with Naraku comes, only then will I forego that promise to myself,” Father Nightroad replied with an eerie calm. Sometimes killing was unavoidable, but he didn't consider this one of those times. He'd spared the panther demon's lives, it was up to God now whether they survived the wounds or not. The incredulous stares that the others were giving him went ignored in favor of looking at the condition of his gloves. The claws he'd sported had torn through them yet again and now the material was in desperate need of repairs, something he wasn't exactly good at, “I don't suppose any of you know how to sew do you?”

Pursing her lips, Kagome walked up to him and grasped one of his hands gently, examining the gloves carefully. The material looked to be of a decent quality so it would be fairly easy to repair. “I can take care of this tonight if you want. I'm sure that we can find some needle and thread around here somewhere. Assuming that they don't toss us out because of the damage,” she said, knowing that it was a real possibility.

“I'll go speak to the headmaster of the village,” Miroku replied. In truth, he was probably the best suited to doing such a thing, Inuyasha's skills at negotiations weren't exactly up to par and neither were Kagome's for that matter. Even though their reputation was quite well known, some humans were reluctant about allowing half demons among their boundaries much less full demons. Surely by now word had spread too about Father Nightroad not being normal and he didn't exactly want to have to explain just what the man was when he didn't understand it completely himself. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Kirara returning with Shippo on her back and he knew that it would only be a matter of minutes before the villagers swarmed them with demands for an explanation.

“Yeah, you go ahead and do that,” Inuyasha remarked and then turned to survey how much damage had been done to the hut they'd been given to sleep in. From what he could tell there wasn't any serious damage, but something else caught his eye. “Hey, Kagome, what the hell happened here?” he asked, kicking at a rather large pile of ash, allowing the breeze to pick up part of it and carry it away, “Did you pick up some added tricks in the future, or did you pick up a bow after you got here?”

“Not exactly,” Kagome said with a shrug, “I channeled my energy through his guns and it worked to purify the demons. I'm kinda surprised though, I wasn't sure if it would work or not.” Now that they knew it was possible it might come in handy, although it was a very impractical way to fight.

The casual comment had the hanyou raising a brow in surprise, “How'd you manage to do that?” For the longest time the miko hadn't been able to channel her energy into the arrows much less anything else, so it was a bit of a surprise to learn she'd picked up a new ability.

“I dunno, I just did,” she commented, trying to figure out how she would explain the process of separating energy from her soul. “I just focused and it came to me. I think it was because we really didn't have much of a choice. It was either it worked or the demons were going to make it inside.”

“Wait a minute! I thought he was supposed to be able to handle anything that posed a threat to you?” Inuyasha said, leaping onto what the miko hadn't come out and said directly. God knew he'd heard it enough over the past couple of weeks whenever he questioned the priest's abilities.

“It was hard for him to get a clear shot with such a small target. Father Tres hit them plenty of times, but he couldn't get a solid hit in,” Kagome countered, jumping to the man's defense, “Besides, weren't you supposed to be the one keeping them from coming to the village?” To this she arched an eye brow and waited rather impatiently for a response.

“Keh, I took on the leader. These three were supposed to take care of the rest, so don't ask me how they got away from them,” Inuyasha groused, crossing his arms defensively. He didnot want to be the one considered responsible for letting most of the tribe get back to the village when he was the one that had been forced to freeze his ass off in subzero temperatures.

“I guess it doesn't matter,” Kagome said, rubbing the bridge of her nose to ward off the headache that was well on its way to forming, “The panther tribe won't be bothering this area anymore, and that's what counts. Did you find out if they were working with Naraku or not?”

“Isamu wasn't exactly forthcoming with information, but with the beating he took, if he did know anything I'd say he was under coercion not to talk. But, I don't think they were working for Naraku. Most likely they'd picked this spot for an easy meal, we just got in the way of their plans,” Inuyasha replied with irritation. All that work had been for nothing really if one discounted the safety of the villagers and he wasn't out to save the world, just the people who were directly affected by Naraku.

“So we're no closer than we were before,” Sango said quietly and gazed about their surroundings. It looked like whatever Miroku was doing was working since the villagers were coming out again and some were even tending to the bodies of the demons which were strewn about. Most likely they wouldn't be given a proper burial, but that wasn't her concern.

“Don't worry, he won't be able to hide forever,” Father Nightroad said, laying his hand on Kagome's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. A sidelong glance over at Father Tres had his brow furrowing however. The man was diligently checking over his weapons and looking none too happy with what he was finding. “Is there something wrong, Tres?” he asked, gaining the man's attention.

“Conclusion has yet to be determined, what is your ammunition status, Father Nightroad?” Father Tres asked and holstered his own weapons. It was troublesome that he'd expended so much ammunition in the fight, but it couldn't have been helped. The problem was he only had four more full clips on him and once those were gone the weapons would be useless.

“I haven't really had the chance to use any yet,” Father Nightroad replied, instantly seeing the problem, “How bad is it?” If Tres was almost out of ammo then they were going to have to stop and figure out a way to work around the issue.

“There is a high probability that the supply will be exhausted before we reach Naraku. An alternate ammunition source must be found before then,” Father Tres replied. While hand to hand combat training had been programmed into his CPU before, he did not want to be forced to rely upon it, especially when he still wasn't fully accustomed to the new body.

“If your weapons can't work then what are you good for?” Inuyasha asked, unable to believe what he was hearing. This in fact was precisely why he disliked guns so much. Without the bullets, then they were pretty much useless. 'Keh, this is why people should stick to swords.'

“Inuyasha, don't start,” Kagome snapped in irritation. The last thing they needed was another argument within the group. “It wasn't our fault that the supplies didn't come through with us so we'll just have to figure something else out.” Just what that was going to be on the other hand, she wasn't exactly sure yet, but she was positive a solution would be found.

“Like what? Do you see a merchant around here that carries that sort of thing?” Inuyasha retorted and then looked to Father Tres, “Is that the only weapon you can use or do I dare hope you've been trained in something useful like with a sword?” Somehow he wasn't counting on it, but he could hope, couldn't he?

“That's it!” Kagome exclaimed and a smug expression crossed her face. The thought she'd just had would solve this problem and a few others, like another change of clothes for instance. 'Not that I'm complaining or anything, but I wish these fit better. I guess I should be happy they went shopping for me at all though.'

Shippo blinked up at her from his perch on Kirara's back, “What's it, Kagome?” Normally when the girl had an idea it was well worth heeding because Inuyasha was as useless as those guns he was claiming to dislike in instances like this.

“Of course there aren't any gun shops around here, and back where I came from they're rare, but not impossible to find,” Kagome said with a grin, which had them all wondering just what she had in mind. Of course whether or not they actually had something comparable to what Father Tres had she wasn't sure, but it was the best chance they had.

“Are you saying we should backtrack all that way just to go to your village and get the stuff we need?” Inuyasha said, his tone turning to one of contemplation. On one hand it was a reasonable idea, but could they really take the time?

Kagome nodded, “That's exactly what I'm saying, Inuyasha. We've got the problem of an inadequate ammo supply, not to mention we lost all the clothes that we'd brought.” When the hanyou didn't appear to be entirely convinced she went for the killing blow, “And we don't have any of the food that you like. If you were to take Tres to my time, you both could get the things we need and then come back.”

“Need I remind you that me and you are the only ones that can go through the portal? I'd be able to go, but he'd have to stay behind and I'm not sure what kind of bullets he needs,” Inuyasha stated, mildly irritated that she'd send him to retrieve stuff like an errand boy. The food sounded like a good idea, but anything more than that would be difficult. He wouldn't know the first thing about what types of guns the priest used.

“Actually,” Father Nightroad said, putting up a hand to forestall the argument about to erupt, “it's the subjugation necklace that allows you to pass through because it creates a bond between you and Kagome. Father Tres has a similar connection; therefore, the portal will allow him to pass.” All in all he was getting rather tired of the confrontational attitude that was being thrown about without care.

“Bond?” Inuyasha said suspiciously and looked over Father Tres closely, “what bond do you have with Kagome?” To his knowledge he hadn't been fitted with a rosary and if he had, the miko damned sure wasn't using it on him which just wasn't fair.

“Midoriko formed a bond between Kagome and us in order to complete the connection needed for us to travel through the portal,” Father Tres stated calmly, seeing no reason to lie to the hanyou. He was rather surprised to see how disgruntled the man was over that particular bit of information, but Inuyasha's acceptance was not a priority.

“Like hell. If I gotta be stuck with these stupid beads then you should too. They should have rosaries too, Kagome,” Inuyasha said, pointing at the two of them in order to emphasize his point. 'If I have to suffer the indignation of a collar then they should too dammit!'

“Now why would I do that, Inuyasha?” Kagome asked, trying not to smirk, “After all, neither one of them has tried to take my head off. I can't say the same for you.” With that she turned and walked back into the hut, ignoring the curses that were spewing from the hanyou's mouth. 'Okay, that was a low blow I admit, but he just walked right into it.'

Weakly, Father Nightroad laughed, “She is rather outspoken, isn't she?” Personally, it really wouldn't have mattered to him if they had been forced to wear a rosary, because he was willing to lay money on the fact that they wouldn't have given her cause to use them. However, it didn't matter since it wasn't needed to begin with.

“Well, that's Kagome for you,” Sango replied with a shrug and turned to Inuyasha, “Does this mean we're returning to the village tomorrow?” It was a shame that they were going to be losing so much progress, but she really didn't see any way around it. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time they'd had to do this for some reason or another.

“No,” Inuyasha said and shook his head, “It'd take too long to get there and back with everyone following. I've got something else in mind if you'll let us borrow Kirara.” There was no reason to drag everyone back if he didn't have to and without so many added people, they could move a lot faster.

“Ah, I see. You'll have Father Tres ride Kirara and make it there and back in half the time,” Sango said, easily realizing just what it was the hanyou had in mind. In her mind the idea was far preferable because she really had no desire to take time out of the search, even if it meant she could see Kohaku for a day or so.

“Less time than that. I figure if we don't stop and we head straight back instead of detouring like we had been, we can make it there and back in just under two days,” Inuyasha said with a glance over to the priest. It'd be a hard push, but so long as the man managed to hang on, he didn't see why they couldn't do it.

“The plan is acceptable,” Father Tres replied immediately and then turned to his partner, “You will remain behind, and carry out the mission priority. With the energy surge of the recent battle, it is unlikely that any threat will manifest itself in the time we are absent.” And even if it did, he had no doubts his partner could take care of it.

“Of course, the village should be safe enough until the two of you return,” Father Nightroad conceded. The idea of a two days rest sounded good to him anyway and when Inuyasha wasn't around to provoke the girl's temper, she was rather pleasant to be around.

“Fine, we'll leave in the morning. In the meantime, let's get some rest, you're going to need it in order to keep up,” Inuyasha said and then walked into the hut that Kagome had disappeared into. Hopefully she was in a better mood then she had been or it was likely that he'd be sleeping on the roof yet again, just to stay out of her way.

Even though he was ready for a rest too, Father Tres remained outside for a few more moments because Miroku was approaching. Once the monk was within conversing distance, he pulled him aside, “You are familiar with the method in which Kagome's holy energy works?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Miroku replied, giving the taller male a considering look, “Why do you ask?” In fact, he had an idea seeing that he'd witnessed just how the final demon had been purified, but he wanted to be certain before he jumped to any conclusions.

“The miko demonstrated the ability to channel her energy through my weapon. However, it is not an efficient method of execution and hinders our optimum range of movement. Is there a way to rectify the problem in which physical contact would no longer be required?” Father Tres asked, not bothering to mince words. The miko's ability to channel energy could be a great asset, but only if the physical limitations could be worked out.

“Ah, I thought as much,” Miroku mused and pondered the question, “It's no secret that Lady Kagome can channel her energy into objects, but I've never known her to attempt such a thing through a person before. By all rights, the energy that you possess should have absorbed hers. It's the same process in which demons are destroyed, but since you possess no youki, there would be no conflict between them and thus you would not suffer any damage.” It was a simplified explanation; however, he saw no need to go into greater detail.

“But that is not what occurred,” Father Tres replied, immediately grasping the concept. What the monk had put forth was plausible; however, there was more to it than that.

Miroku nodded in response to the statement, “True enough and frankly I've never heard of such a thing before. Perhaps it has something to do with the bond that formed.” In fact, everything that existed between Kagome and the other two males was because of that bond and he was left to wonder if Father Nightroad's sudden transformation was driven by the need he felt through it. If they'd truly been in danger, most likely the priest would have felt her fear and reacted accordingly.

“The original question still remains. Is there any way to work around the physical limitations?” Father Tres asked again, becoming slightly impatient with the lack of answers. Yet he knew that this man was the only one likely to be able to solve the problem for him.

“Perhaps,” Miroku conceded, although he was uncomfortable with even providing that much of an answer, “Unfortunately, we don't know if it was the bond that allowed her to do that. I guess the answer would be for her to attempt the same thing and see if it works.” Of course he had no illusions of the redhead handing over his weapon, not that he would want him to anyway. If he were correct, then something as simple as a dagger would suffice. Unless he was mistaken, the only two people that the energy would channel through would be the two priests. They dared not risk taking the chance with Inuyasha or Shippo due to their demonic energy.

Throughout the conversation Sango had remained silent; listening to the two men speak. It had become quite apparent that the priest had more issues then just the possibility of running out of ammunition. If this little experiment didn't work, just where would that leave him as far as fighting went? What sort of protector could he be to Kagome if he couldn't even defend himself then from their enemies? “She can test it out on me,” Sango said quietly, gaining the two men's attention, “You wouldn't make a good choice, Miroku, because there is a chance that your own energy would influence the results. We wouldn't be able to tell whether or not the energy came from you or her.”

“Good point, Miss Sango,” Father Nightroad chimed in. He'd been wondering about the very same thing, but hadn't wanted to disturb the conversation when there was a good chance either Miroku or Father Tres would have brought it up on their own. “I'll volunteer myself as well. Since I share the bond with her too, it stands to reason that if it works for both Father Tres and me that it is indeed what allowed her to do such a thing. If not, then there's a chance there's something else at work and we need to look to alternate reasons she succeeded.

“Then perhaps we should go and speak to Lady Kagome about this. I'm sure that she's tired, but this shouldn't take too much more of her energy,” Miroku stated calmly, “Shall we?” Without waiting for an answer he made his way inside the hut and then paused, startled that neither Inuyasha nor Kagome were attempting to fight with one another. 'Hm... Either they're too tired or they've finally gotten over this little power struggle they've been having. Either way, it's a nice change from the arguing.'

“Oh hey, Miroku,” Kagome said in greeting although she raised a brow at the slightly surprised expression on his face, “Is everything okay?” A vague worry began in the pit of her stomach and she hoped that the villagers hadn't changed their mind about allowing them to remain for the night. She'd just gotten finished arranging her futon to her liking and was looking forward to a long, relaxing nap.

Cheerfully, the monk waved a hand to reassure the girl that there was nothing wrong. “Oh, every things fine, just fine, we were just discussing your new ability and I was wondering if you'd care to demonstrate it again, now that we're all here,” he said while moving out of the doorway so that the others could enter the hut.

“Again?” Kagome asked and leaned back against the wall, confused as to why he'd want to see it now, “I'm rather tired and I don't think there's anything more to shoot at, unless you know something that I don't.” In which case he'd be far more upset than what he was, which was not at all really. In that case, a demonstration could wait as far as she was concerned.

“Oh no, we weren't expecting the two of you to shoot anything, Kagome. Rather, we'd like to see if you can channel your energy through anyone else or if it's just Tres,” Father Nightroad said cheerfully and moved to take a seat next to her. He gave a lopsided grin to the hanyou who was looking at them as if they'd lost their minds. Most likely it was out of concern for the girl over how much energy she'd already expended, but there was nothing to be done about that. 'He'll just have to understand that doing this could benefit the entire team.'

“I see," she said slowly. “Well it can't hurt to try I suppose. Who's playing the guinea pig this time?” she asked, looking curiously at the other occupants of the room. Father Tres looked as impassive as ever, but that really wasn't a surprise. Everyone else though seemed to be intrigued and curious by the idea, making her wonder just what they'd talked about after she had left.

“I'll do it. I'd like you to try it with me first since we're almost like sisters.” Sango replied immediately with a slight smile and moved to sit in front of the miko. “So what do we do now?”

“Um, well I laid my hands on his like this,” the miko said, and then grasped the Slayer's hands in her own. “Just relax. You really don't need to do anything, just let the energy flow through your hands.”

Instead of replying, Sango did as she'd been told and allowed herself to relax completely. She really wasn't sure what to expect so she watched the other girl closely, waiting for the signs that would make it obvious as to whether or not it was working. A light pink glow made her look down at her own hands and she could see the energy that was radiating off of the miko and the way it disappeared into her own skin. “Strange, I don't feel anything at all,” she murmured to herself. There wasn't any sign of her own hands glowing either that would signal she could tap into the energy that her friend was pouring into her.

“Interesting, so it won't work for Sango," Miroku said, trying to hide the disappointment he was feeling as he turned to the next man in the room, "Father Nightroad, would you like to try?” Miroku asked quietly which gave Kagome the go ahead to release her hold. Now more than ever he was certain that the bond had something to do with it, but until he saw the results with the other priest he wouldn't voice his opinion.

“Of course,” Father Nightroad replied immediately and removed his gloves before setting them off to the side where the miko could see about repairing them later on. Warm hands settled over his and she squeezed gently in reassurance, surprising him slightly. Physical contact wasn't exactly something he was accustomed to and his intuition told him that she was aware of that fact. Despite his friendly and outgoing nature, he tried to keep some form of distance between himself and others and she seemed to be bridging that gap quite easily.

Before he could ponder that line of thinking any further or ponder the implications, an exhilarating rush of power swept into him quickly followed by the comforting presence of the girl holding his hand. “Amazing,” he breathed out and stared down at his hand, reveling in the sensation sweeping through him. Quickly his eyes met hers and he was swept up by the emotions he saw there. But it couldn't last forever and at last he was forced to look away, lest he be drawn in further.

“What the hell are you blushing for?” Inuyasha asked, his ears twitching with annoyance. While he wasn't sure what the hell this little experiment was all about, he didn't like the look on the Crusnik's face. The last time he saw a similar expression had been when that hobo idiot had asked Kagome to accompany him on a date and she'd accepted. While he had given up any possible romantic interest in the girl, he wanted to see her settle down with someone normal, yet strong enough to protect her. He didn't consider a cannibal vampire to fall within the category of normal.

“Pardon me,” Father Nightroad said and looked to Kagome apologetically, “That... wasn't quite what I was expecting and it caught me off guard. I think it worked though which confirms the theory.” Uncomfortably he shifted beneath their stares and cursed the fact that he hadn't been prepared for the sensation of being touched by her energy. The look he saw in her eyes confirmed that she'd felt it too, but that thought made him uneasy. He couldn't afford to allow something like that to happen again, not if he could help it.

“Indeed it has,” Miroku said, not bothering to comment on the moment that seemed to pass between the miko and the priest. That Inuyasha had commented on it confirmed that it wasn't something he had imagined. There wasn't time to contemplate such things when there were other issues to worry about. “This brings us back to the original question of can Kagome channel her powers through your weapons without physical contact. I believe that given what we've just witnessed it can be; however, it doesn't appear to be that the bond is strong enough to do so at the present time,” he said, his brow furrowed in thought. 'Could the bond be strengthened to that point though and, if so, would these three even consider doing such a thing?'

“You mean there's a chance they can tap into my energy at any time?” Kagome asked, allowing her hands to fall back to her lap. She'd been unsettled by the rush of emotions she felt coming off of Father Nightroad and she wasn't sure what to think of them. First and foremost was an intense grief that one would never suspect by just looking at him, but it had been followed by a feeling of both peace and protectiveness moments later. At least until he'd broken physical contact anyway. 'I guess actually touching them makes it easier to feel emotions through the bond. I wonder what he's so sad about?'

“Perhaps, but to do so the bond between you would need to be strengthened,” Miroku replied hesitantly. There were a few ways to do such a thing, but most of them weren't feasible in this instance. However, there was one option that would accomplish such a thing; they'd just need to spend a great deal of their time in close physical proximity. “If the three of you had the option to do so, would you take it?”

“What exactly would be involved?” Father Nightroad asked hesitantly after a moment. The monk's words hadn't been lost on him. This would include all three of them, not just Tres and Kagome like he'd initially suspected and before he agreed to anything more, he wanted to know what the consequences would be.

“To be honest, I haven't performed something like this before so I cannot give you a complete description. The bonding process itself is simple really given the fact that there's already one established. But if your question is to how things will change between you, I imagine it will be a matter of strengthening what is already there,” Miroku replied, his mind racing to see if there was anything more that he could give them. A strengthening of emotional ties would be certain, but that in and of itself wasn't necessarily a bad thing with how often Kagome tended to get into trouble.

Father Nightroad frowned and contemplated saying no. He couldn't afford to allow anyone to get that close again and he'd spent years holding everyone at arm's length. Yet these people were going to be the closest thing he could call friends for the next undetermined amount of years. 'Is this any different then what I've already vowed to God? I've sworn to do everything in my power to protect humans and if this is enough to keep that promise, would it be wrong of me to ignore the opportunity?' This was no longer about just protecting the miko anymore, but his long time partner as well. Being human made Tres vulnerable in ways that he'd never been before. “What must we do to begin the process then, assuming that Kagome and Tres are willing as well.”

Silence descended the room and Miroku looked to both Kagome and Father Tres, receiving a faint nod from the miko. The priest; however, remained as impassive as ever, but since he hadn't objected Miroku believed he was in agreement as well. Wordlessly, he pulled out a blank sutra and laid it out on the floor before him, “A sutra must be made which represents the bond between the three of you. Each must make your mark on it and then it must be burnt as an offering.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Kagome responded and looked towards the two priests, “We came into this having to make a choice in order to get here. If going a step further means we increase our chances of defeating Naraku, I'm willing to take it.”

“Go ahead and make the sutra then if you please,” Father Nightroad said, seeing no reason to prolong the decision any further. Through the bond he could feel the faint echoes of acceptance of the situation and he knew he'd made the right choice. When the monk removed a quill and began drawing the proper symbols he watched closely, taking in every detail. And finally, when the sutra and quill were passed over to him, without hesitation he printed his name neatly in the circle in which Miroku had indicated.

The sutra was passed to Father Tres next and he wasted no time in adding his signature to the paper. For a moment he'd wondered if Abel was going to say no and in truth, he wouldn't have held it against the man if he had. Enough had been sacrificed already to the cause and to be asked to give up more might cause a lesser man to balk, but they each had something to lose by not giving everything they had. Echoing through his mind was Lady Caterina's final words to him, telling him to do everything in his power to protect the girl he'd accompanied. Yet it hadn't ended there and the Cardinal's actions had left him uncertain when she'd touched his cheek briefly and asked him to give Kagome the devotion that he had shown to her over the years. It had been in that moment that he'd realized she wasn't expecting any of them to come back.

The wave of sadness that washed over Kagome had her looking at Father Tres, concern etching her features. “Are you okay?” she asked, gently laying her hand on his arm. 'Is he regretting doing this? I can't ask them to do something they don't want to do.'

“Positive,” Father Tres replied, but paused when he saw the uncertainty on her face. Clearly she wasn't buying the answer and needed a further explanation, “It was a memory, nothing more. Please, finish the sutra so we can proceed as necessary.” The concern she showed for him was foreign coming from someone other than the Duchess, yet he would accept it without question and try to do as Caterina had asked of him.

When Kagome continued to hesitate, Inuyasha decided to step in, “If you're going to do it then do it. Quit being so damned indecisive.” He was uncertain about the whole thing to begin with, but he couldn't come up with a decent reason to stop them. On the surface, he could see the advantages and since there was a bond between the three of them anyway he didn't see where it could hurt anything. Still, even Miroku didn't know what the full effect of strengthening it would be so he couldn't help but feel uneasy about the whole thing.

“Don't rush me,” Kagome replied absently and took the sutra from Father Tres. Instead of listening to the hanyou she'd been concentrating on the bond and trying to figure out just what the priest had been thinking.'He didn't seem to be lying; I guess I should just trust him. If something were wrong, he'd tell me.' Carefully she penned her name onto the last circle and then passed the paper back to Miroku.

Carefully, he set the sutra to the side and then moved the oil burner from the corner of the room to the center where everyone was located. Only once the small flame was glowing steady did he pick up the ofuda and touch the corner of it to the fire. As the smoke wafted up, he watched the two men move closer to the miko, leaving him to wonder if it had been a conscious move on their parts. 'Perhaps, it would stand to reason that a desire for physical contact would be one of the side effects. Until the bond completes, it would be best not to separate them unless it's absolutely necessary.'

“So is it done?” Kagome asked after the last of the paper disappeared. So far she didn't feel any different which came as a slight surprise. While she hadn't been sure of what to expect, this wasn't exactly it.

A slight nod accompanied Miroku's answer, “I told you it was a rather simple process. As to what happens now, I advise going with whatever feels natural to the three of you. Fighting the connection at this point would be counterproductive and most likely futile.” That was a bit of an understatement, but he wasn't going to put too much stress on it since doing so was likely to make them attempt just that and could lead to problems. Even now he could see the thin thread that connected the three and it had darkened from the pale pink that it had been previously to a vibrant red.

“Well then, what do we do now or can I dare hope for some time to rest?” Kagome looked at Inuyasha hopefully. Since they were in a village there would be no need to hunt, much less set up a camp. All that was left now was to get comfortable and unless she was mistaken, they were staying the night. Of course it was always a good idea to ask since the hanyou was known to change his mind on a moment's notice.

“I don't care; we're going to be here for a couple of days anyway. Finding Naraku is important, but I refuse to have to play babysitter to those two,” he said, indicating whom he meant with a jerk of his head, “when their guns become useless. Tomorrow I'm taking Tres back to your time so we can get the shit you guys need.”

“Don't be so rude, Inuyasha,” Kagome replied with a roll of her eyes, “but since you're going you might as well pick up a few things. Another backpack and change of clothes would be nice.” Lazily she stood up and stretched before making her way over to the futon and stretching out on it.

“Don't think I'm going clothes shopping for you, Kagome. I wouldn't be going back at all if I didn't have to and more stuff will just slow us down even more,” Inuyasha replied with a shrug of his shoulders. No one had a change of clothing really and they washed what they had when the need arose. Carrying around that heavy pack had been the cause of many a backache in previous times and now they didn't have that metal contraption that Kagome used to ride around on.

“Oh how quickly we forget, Inuyasha. Need I remind you that the backpack was what kept you fed a lot of the time? If we have that then you can fill it with ramen and potato chips for all I care as long as you bring me a complete change of clothes,” she said, pausing only to yawn behind her hand. If the truth were to be told she was still rather uncomfortable running around without a bra on and if Inuyasha was going back then he could be considerate and bring her what she needed.

“That's right, Kagome. Make me sound like I'm addicted to the stuff why don't you?” he groused sullenly, but made no attempt to deny her words. Having a supply of the food from her time could in fact be helpful so he'd give the idea some consideration. He wasn't going to go overboard though; otherwise he'd be the one carrying the bag.

Without waiting to hear his retort she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift towards sleep. The slight whisper of movement had her opening her eyes just enough to identify the one settling in next to her and to her surprise it was Father Tres. 'Strange, I thought he'd relax even in the village, but I guess not.'

Even though silence had descended when he'd initially moved, eventually the others resumed talking quietly amongst themselves. Not surprisingly, the topic was that of the bond, but Tres had already heard everything he wanted or needed to know. Now he was contemplating just what it was he'd felt earlier, just before the fight. It was in his very nature to analyze things, but they hadn't had the time earlier. Protectiveness for certain; however, that was to be expected. No, he was more concerned with the reaction he'd gotten when he'd pinned her to the floor.

'Damn human emotions.' Even now, he was no closer to understanding the damned things whether he was thinking of them in himself or in others. Even if he discounted his body's strange physical reaction, there was her own to consider. Carefully he reached out to touch her face, but hesitated just before his fingers reached their destination. During that time, she'd been so flushed, a reaction that he'd only seen occur when someone was sick, but clearly that hadn't been the case then. So what was it?

“Tres?” Father Nightroad queried, his voice kept low in order to keep from waking the girl. The gentle rise and fall of her chest told him that she was indeed asleep; however, he knew that it wouldn't take much to change that. More curious was the fact that his friend's fingers were a mere fraction of an inch away from her face and he seemed to be undecided about whether to touch her or not. 'Tres, what's going on in your head? Is it because of the bond or is it something else entirely?'

“Father Nightroad?” Tres replied, instantly yanking his hand away from the girl. The urge to touch her was strong; however, he wasn't going to carry through with that desire. Questions still lingered in his mind and he had a feeling that Abel could answer them for him, but did he really want to discuss it with him? Better yet, was this something to be discussed where the others might possibly overhear?

An inkling of what could be bothering his friend was coming to mind although Father Nightroad saw no reason to bring it up in front of the others. Instead, he chose a generic question since Tres was no longer looking at her as if he were seeing her for the very first time, “Is everything alright?” Most likely the poor man was confused and rightfully so, but if he needed help in understanding what it was he felt, he'd come to him for answers sooner or later.

“Positive,” Father Tres said, brushing the question off and then leaned against the wall, signaling the end of the discussion. Sooner or later he would figure it out on his own and if he couldn't, only then would he look to Father Nightroad for assistance.