Trinity Blood Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadows of Time ❯ Chapter 12

[ 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.

Author's Note: Just a few things to mention here. The first is that due to a Mediaminer glitch, some of you might have already seen this chapter. It was supposed to remain hidden, however for some unknown reason, it still provided a link to the chapter. For those people, you have my apologies that this won't be a new chapter for you.

Secondly, I'm stunned that this story has been nominated by the Feudal Association for the Best Angst category. I'm amazed that this story has been so well received.

For the last note, I've gotten quite a few reviews from people who have never seen Trinity Blood before, but would like to. I have the dubbed version, in avi files on my computer and I'd be more than happy to provide links to where they can be downloaded from. If any of you would like them, just let me know through a review with a way to contact you, or an email. I'm ecstatic that this story has generated such interest in the series and thank you for all the reviews and encouragement. I'm seriously considering a second IY/TB x-over sometime in the future.

Chapter Twelve

It would still be a few hours until daybreak arrived when Inuyasha and Miroku finally strode up to the door of Jinenji's hut. Of course, it was of no surprise to either of them to see that there was no movement within the dwelling. As much as Miroku disliked the idea of waking the hanyou and his cranky mother, they had no other options. Resolutely, he strode forward and rapped on the door, hoping that it wouldn't take long for the two to awaken.

Inuyasha's ears twitched in agitation when the knock went unanswered. Frustrated by the situation, he banged loudly on the door. “Oi! Wake up, you old hag!” he shouted, his voice loud enough to penetrate even the deepest of sleep. The reception he got wasn't likely to be all that welcoming, but at least it would get the job done.

“Inuyasha, perhaps a little diplomacy would be in order? We do need their help after all,” Miroku stated blandly and gave the hanyou a sharp look of reprimand. He knew that his friend was worried about Kagome's safety, they both were, but to rile the woman up before they could tell Jinenji what was going on would cause more of a delay.

“The hell with that, we don't have time to play around here,” Inuyasha snapped impatiently, “What happens if Kagome gets sicker while we're waiting? It's going to take another two hours or more just to get there and the sooner they get up, the faster we can get moving.”

Suddenly the door was flung open and they were suddenly face to face with the old and rather irritated woman who they had so rudely awakened. Oh, it's you,” she said, her frown deepening and her voice reflecting her growing annoyance, “What do you want at such an ungodly hour?”

“Pardon our intrusion, but we need your son's help. You see, Lady Kagome has fallen ill and we do not have the medicine on hand that she requires,” Miroku said calmly, in spite of the situation's urgency and casting Inuyasha a warning glance not to irritate the lady any further.

“Kagome is ill? Tell me what is wrong please, I'll do my best to help her,” Jinenji said from behind his mother, peering over her smaller frame to look at the two men. It wasn't unusual for someone to awaken them in the middle of the night with a request for herbs. It was actually a common occurrence since they were on better terms with the villagers, but it was an uncommon occurrence to hear it was the miko needing his help.

“She was poisoned by a damned snake demon. You got anything to cure it?” Inuyasha asked, his voice betraying little of the relief that he felt upon hearing the other hanyou's voice. Kagome had touched Jinenji in a way that few people had managed to do and Inuyasha was grateful that the other man was willing to help. He didn't want to contemplate just what condition she would be in if they had to return to village and hope that Kaede could prepare an antidote.

“She was bitten?” Jinenji asked, his brow furrowing with worry and confusion. It was rare that the snake demons attacked humans since they tended to be so reclusive, but he knew that Inuyasha would not lie about something so serious.

“Actually, she was scratched on the leg. Apparently, one of the Southern varieties traveled a bit farther than expected and she was injured by one of them. We didn't realize that she'd been poisoned until she began showing the symptoms. Can you help?” Miroku asked, hoping that the explanation would be enough and they could get back to camp.

“Of course, give me a moment if you please,” Jinenji stated calmly and moved towards the back of the hut, leaving the others standing at the doorway. While he was frequently called on to help others, it was rare that he went out of his way to go to them. But for Kagome, he had no intentions of just handing the herbs off to her friends and wishing them well. There were certain methods that could be used to bring out the most of the healing plants he grew in the field and much of that ability was based on experience, something that just telling the men outside wouldn't suffice.

The old woman gave a sigh and turned from the door, leaving the two men to follow her inside. Without sparing them a glance, she moved to stand beside her son, “You're going to go to her, aren't you?”

“I have to help her, mother,” Jinenji replied quietly while packing the plants he would need for the miko. Dying by the poison of a snake demon was a horrible way to suffer and there was no telling just how badly off the girl was now. There was a chance that he wouldn't be able to help her as it was, but he had no way of knowing the answer to that particular question until he got there.

“What? We can't take the time for you two to walk and there's no way Kirara can carry you. Just give us the stuff and tell us how to use it,” Inuyasha protested loudly. While he could understand Jinenji's desire to be there, they'd already wasted enough time and he doubted the hanyou would be able to keep up with them.

“Tch, don't worry about me, Inuyasha. My old bones wouldn't tolerate the trip, but my son is more than capable of keeping up with the two of you, so don't you worry,” the old woman chided the hanyou sternly. While her son dwarfed the two men standing by the fire, he was by no means slow and, in reality, should be able to keep up with them without much of a problem.

Inuyasha looked ready to lose his temper and Miroku put a placating hand on the man's shoulder, “We'll leave that to your discretion, I know that neither of you would jeopardize Lady Kagome's health.” It was that statement that kept Inuyasha from arguing further because they both knew the truth of it. There was also a nagging suspicion that told him there was a chance that whatever Jinenji planned on giving the girl could be dangerous if prepared incorrectly. For that reason alone, he would have acquiesced to the horse hanyou coming along and if Inuyasha was smart, he would as well.

“Thank you,” Jinenji said quietly and gave his pack one final look, “Were there any other injuries? I noticed the others did not come with you.” While he had everything he needed to treat the poison, he didn't want to get there only to find out that there were other injuries to deal with. It was best to be prepared now, rather than to have to send someone to gather what he would need later.

“Yeah, Kagome's got a burn on her chest that we still haven't figured out where it came from and Tres is pretty banged up too. She had to sew his leg up and he said something about broken ribs. You got anything that'll fix that?” Inuyasha asked, more than ready to take advantage of Jinenji's healing abilities since he was basically offering to treat the lot of them.

“A burn? Yes, I can treat that, but the ribs will have to heal on their own. There's not much that will help a broken bone besides being splinted,” Jinenji replied calmly and began packing more herbs now that he knew the extent of the damage the miko had suffered. Curiosity lingered in his mind as he worked and wondered just who Tres was, but questions could wait until they were traveling. There wasn't time to stand around for idle conversation while the poison was coursing through Kagome's body.

'Well shit, I guess I should have expected that. There's only so much even he can do for a human. At least Kagome will be taken care of though; we'll worry about the priest later.' The thought briefly crossed Inuyasha's mind while he watched the healer packing his things, but a quick glance to the old woman made him realize that he was being scrutinized intently. “What are you staring at?” he snapped in irritation.

“Don't get snippy with me, young man. I expect that when you return you'll be ready to discuss payment. Nothing comes for free boy,” the old woman said testily. It was to be expected that there would be payment for healing the injured members of their party, but she wasn't even looking for money necessarily. Even if it were the miko returning to their hut once she felt better, just to spend a day or so keeping her son company, she'd consider the debt paid.

Sensing an impending argument, Miroku quickly intervened by stepping in between the two of them. “Of course, we will gladly clear up any debt that this will incur,” he said calmly even though the con man within him protested the idea of paying for anything. However, any money they were forced to spend would be well worth it if it meant that Kagome recovered and they could resume their journey. 'There's no telling if Naraku is planning something for while we're gone anyway, so we've got to hurry.'

Jinenji ignored the commotion going on between them since there was no point in arguing. He would have done it without asking for anything, but his mother was ever the practical one and it was through her bargaining skills that they kept themselves fed. Once he was finished, he shouldered the pack and turned to his mother, “I will return soon. Please be sure to rest while I'm gone.”

“Don't worry about me, just take care of yourself and that girl,” the old woman said and gave her son a gentle smile, “You should go, there's no telling how long these two have traveled to get here and times a wasting.” With that, she shooed the three of them out the door and closed it behind them. Wearily, she returned to bed, knowing that daybreak would come soon enough and there were still chores that needed to be done, whether her son was home or not.

Sensing the clear dismissal and Inuyasha's readiness to get going, Miroku climbed onto Kirara's back and settled in place. “Okay, let's move as quickly as possible. If you need us to slow down, Jinenji, please let us know,” he said and waited for the hanyou to nod before nudging the fire cat into action.

“That won't be necessary,” Jinenji said and true to his word, he set off at an easy run. While his size was intimidating, he was by no means slow and his endurance would allow him to keep up the ground eating pace that they were setting.

“We'll see about that,” Inuyasha muttered and sprang into the lead, leaping from tree to tree. They'd wasted more than enough time and if it looked like Jinenji wouldn't be able to continue on, he'd be more than happy to take the plants and instructions how to use them on ahead while he and Miroku followed at their own paces.

“So how did this happen?” Jinenji asked the monk that was only a few feet away, matching paces with him. Encountering a rogue band of snake demons was certainly an odd occurrence, but then for a burn to happen as well. Specifically, a burn that even Inuyasha had said they didn't know how it had gotten there? Something wasn't adding up and he needed to know just what was going on.

“Lady Kagome and Father Tres encountered the snake demons after they fell into an underground cavern when the earthquakes hit. From what I gather, his injuries were mainly caused by Kagome falling on top of him, but her burn we're still not certain of. It happened afterwards, when she'd fallen asleep,” Miroku replied uneasily. It still didn't make sense to him and he was becoming more and more certain that Naraku was behind it all.

There was that name again and Jinenji's brow furrowed. The man certainly hadn't been with the group the last time he had seen any of them and Kagome hadn't made a mention of anyone outside the group. It was his curious nature which caused him to inquire further, “Is Tres one of Kagome's friends?” He wasn't jealous by any stretch of the imagination. No, instead he looked upon any one Kagome considered worthy enough to be a friend to be someone worth helping if he could.

“You could say that. Tres is... from Lady Kagome's village,” Miroku replied after a moment's thought. He couldn't exactly say that he along with Kagome and Father Nightroad came from the future, so this was the best compromise he could think of without telling a lie. As it was, it was stretching the truth nearly to the breaking point.

“I see,” Jinenji said after a moment's thought, “I am surprised she did not return home. It seemed as if... she missed her family the last time we spoke.” In spite of the girl's outward appearance, he could always see the deep seated loneliness that she tried to hide. In many ways, it drew him closer to her, for that was one thing they both shared and now it made him want to help the miko even more.

“She did, but she was forced to return when Naraku killed her family,” Miroku replied quietly. Sooner or later it would become common knowledge that the bastard was still alive and he would rather Jinenji hear it from them than by a rumor that might hold little of the truth about what happened.

“How terrible,” Jinenji said sadly, mistaking the monk's meaning behind the words, “Hopefully, they can rest in peace knowing that their deaths were avenged.”

“Like hell,” Inuyasha replied with a growl, joining into the conversation, “You aren't listening to what he said. She came back after Naraku killed them, meaning that bastard is still alive. He played us all for fools, but he didn't expect Kagome to survive the attack.” It was more than a little lie, but Inuyasha really didn't feel like explaining to the other man that Kagome had in fact died and spent the next millennia roaming the Earth as a ghost.

Jinenji could only stare at Inuyasha in horror upon hearing those dreaded words. So many had already died by Naraku's hands and to hear that he hadn't been killed like everyone had thought filled him with dread. Just how many more would suffer before the demon was forced to pay for his crimes?

“And he knows that you're hunting for him now?” Jinenji asked finally, his mind going back to the explanation of how Kagome had gotten hurt in the first place. Somehow the fact that the snake demons had been there to injure her didn't seem like some weird accident anymore, but he wanted the final confirmation.

“I'm sure he does. We haven't exactly been quiet about it, even if we haven't been announcing that we're searching for him,” Miroku replied from the fire cat's back. Seeing the speculative look on the hanyou's face he ventured onward, “What are you thinking?”

“I believe if Naraku knows that you search for him, he may have been the one to send the snake demons that attacked Kagome and her friend,” Jinenji said. While he didn't know the complete details behind the attack, it seemed strange that an entire clan of demons would relocate themselves without a little persuasion.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Inuyasha muttered and scanned their surroundings, “It just seems like a hell of a lot of trouble for him to go through if he's just playing with us. It makes me worried that he knows something about the future that we don't know yet.”

“You're right. Several key things would have had to have fallen into place just right for him to succeed,” Miroku said thoughtfully, “getting the snake demons to cooperate would have been the easiest to accomplish, but the earthquakes and the cave in? How would he have known that we'd be in that exact spot?”

“Maybe it wasn't just meant for Kagome,” Inuyasha replied irritably, “When we got down there they'd taken the demons out, but there was more than enough of them that Naraku probably thought they'd manage to take at least one of us out. The only thing that doesn't fall into place is the earthquake and I've never known that the bastard could control the earth before.”

“Perhaps it does,” Miroku said, a thought hitting him out of the blue, “Remember Gakusanjin?”

For a moment, the memory did little more than draw a blank in Inuyasha's mind, but suddenly it clicked into place, “Of course, the guardian of the Fuyoheki stone. When he moved, it was enough to cause minor tremors. If Naraku found someone of similar size...”

Miroku nodded solemnly, “All he would have needed to do was to wait until we were in position to trigger the earthquakes. We came in from a different area, bypassing the area of the cave in altogether which would explain why it wasn't triggered earlier. I doubt Naraku was in the area, but it's a good bet that he was watching what happened and that's why he waited until we were in the mountains.”

“Exactly, that area made perfect sense because it was open and a natural choice for us to go to given the circumstances. Having a bunch of trees nearby would have increased the danger. All Naraku would have needed to do was weaken the rock structure enough to collapse,” Inuyasha said, his anger growing by the moment. Even now the demon was manipulating the situation to his advantage and they'd just left Kagome alone.

It didn't matter that she had not only Sango, but also Tres and Abel there to protect her. Sango was still missing her main weapon, Tres was injured, and Inuyasha still wasn't thrilled with how reluctant Abel was about killing enemies. 'Shit, I should have stayed behind. What happens if Naraku picks now of all times to attack?'

It wasn't difficult for Miroku to figure out what the worried look on Inuyasha's face was for. In truth, he didn't blame him because there was no way that Sango would be able to fend Naraku off on her own if he decided to attack. The only thing that was on their side was that he doubted Naraku had fully recovered enough to do so. If anything at all happened, he'd have sent someone else there to do his dirty work.

Still, that didn't mean they had time to dally. “We should probably hurry,” Miroku said and gave a pointed look to Jinenji who nodded and picked up the pace. Even Kirara felt the urgency and began flying faster, matching the hanyou's speed. With a little luck and with Buddha on their side, nothing would happen before they arrived back at camp.

~A few hours later with dawn approaching~

At one time Abel had believed that seeing the sun breaking over the horizon would bring a sense of relief to the group, but even as the shadows of night were being driven away, he knew that it had been nothing more than a fanciful dream. If anything, it set them even more on edge for they could see just how badly the poison was affecting Kagome's body and there was nothing that they could do until Inuyasha returned with whomever this healer was that they'd gone to speak to.

Their only hope lay in Inuyasha and Miroku returning soon, but he had to wonder if even now they were too late. The miko's breathing was labored and her skin had taken on an eerily translucent quality. Even her lips were tinged blue and sweat dotted her brow, despite Shippo's best efforts to wipe it away.

Wearily, he looked over to his partner who was staring at the girl with a look of intensity that he'd never seen Tres display so openly. It saddened him to know what caused it as well, because he knew that if he could feel Kagome's growing acceptance of death so easily, then Tres could as well. It'd become clear to all of them that she was losing the fight to survive and that she'd only managed to hold on for as long as she had because of them. 'I pray that you hurry, Inuyasha, I fear that she will not last much longer. No matter how strong her will to survive has been, everyone has limits and I believe she's reached her own.'

Yet, even though they all knew that death was lingering around her still body, no one wanted to break the silence and speak the words. It was as if merely mentioning the possibility would make it a reality and no one wanted to shoulder that responsibility.

'Dammit, where are they?' The question had run through Sango's mind so many times by now that she was ready to begin pacing just to keep herself occupied. To her way of thinking, at least one of them should be back by now. If she were to be honest with herself, she knew that Kirara had no hope of keeping up with Inuyasha if he was determined to move as fast as he was capable of. The hanyou had to have made it to Jinenji's by now and knowing Miroku, he'd have likely told Inuyasha to go on ahead.'So where are they? Jinenji wouldn't have refused to help, would he?' The very thought was inconceivable, but she couldn't help but wonder if that was what happened.

Her thoughts could have easily continued in the same vein, spiraling in circles as they tended to do, but she was yanked out of her worrying by the sound of something crashing through the underbrush. “What the hell?” she muttered and peered through the trees in an attempt to see just what the hell could possibly be making such a noise.

The question was on the lips of the others as well and Tres rose to his feet, regardless of the pain that he was in. Within moments, he had his guns drawn and pointed in the direction that the sound was originating from. Endless possibilities ran through his mind; however, the most probable one was that they were under attack and if that were the case, he'd be more than happy to terminate the life of the ones making the attempt. Helplessness was not a feeling that he was used to and he'd had more than enough of the sensation while watching Kagome slowly give into the poison. A fight would ground him again and put him back onto familiar ground for long enough for him to vent part of his frustration.

The situation was within a moment of coming to bloodshed when Shippo bolted away from Kagome and directly in front of Tres, causing the redhead to pause. His accuracy was near perfect and there was little chance of hitting the kitsune given the demon's small stature, but all the skill in the world would not recall a bullet if the child happened to make an unanticipated move.

“Shippo!” Father Nightroad yelled, trying to call the kitsune out of harm's way, but the demon didn't heed him in the slightest.

“It's Inuyasha and the others,” Shippo yelled back and rushed on ahead to meet the hanyou, uncaring of the danger he'd managed to throw himself into. All that mattered was that they were back and Kagome would be on the road to recovery soon.

Immediately, Tres lowered his weapons, but the kitsune's words were not lost on him. Shippo had said others, instead of Inuyasha and Miroku which meant they'd brought someone back with them. Perhaps it was the healer they'd spoken of, the thought made him relax ever so slightly although he did not move from his protective stance in front of the miko.

Although they'd been told that Jinenji was a horse hanyou, nothing could have prepared Abel or Tres for what they saw when Jinenji came into view. Somehow they'd been expecting someone with a more normal appearance, such as how Inuyasha looked. The surprise they felt quickly vanished; however, when the immense hanyou made his way over to Kagome and knelt beside her. The worry was clear to see in those shining eyes and Abel was relieved to see that Jinenji understood the severity of the situation.

“Can you help her?” he asked at last, moving back to the miko's other side and watched the hanyou closely as he checked her symptoms.

“It's difficult to say,” Jinenji replied after a moment and turned to look at the silver haired male, “Poisons are always difficult to treat, more so when they're of a demonic variety.” He'd known it was bad the moment he'd touched the girl, but there was a glimmer of hope to be found. It had struck him as strange to feel the presence of two foreign entities when he'd laid his hands upon the girl; however, there was no indication that they had inflicted any harm upon her. Instead, it seemed as if they were helping her to fight off the poison, as much as was possible anyway.

Father Nightroad was taken aback when Jinenji laid one of those massive hands upon his shoulder and he could feel the man's energy coursing through him. “What are you doing?” he whispered, resisting the urge to pull away from the healer.

“You are one of them, aren't you?” Jinenji asked, his eyes shining brightly with understanding. While he didn't know just how a bond had formed between this man and his friend, it was clear that he was attempting to help her in any way he could.

“One of them?” Father Nightroad asked uneasily, uncertain of what the healer wanted to know.

“One of her protectors, surely you know of what your soul is doing, do you not?” Jinenji asked, continuing to pursue the line of questioning, “You are neither human nor demon, yet I sense no evil. Instead, you have done much to contain the poison.” Slowly he turned to face the redhead who was staring at the both of them impassively, “You are the other?”

“How did you know that?” Sango asked, interrupting whatever Tres had been about to answer. If Miroku or Inuyasha had opened their mouths about the bond, she was going to have to have a long talk with the both of them. While Jinenji could be trusted, this wasn't something that they wanted to have become common knowledge. She still wasn't convinced there wouldn't be side effects to the bond and there was no telling just what would happen if Naraku found out. 'The bastard would try to take out the both of them, just to see if the backlash would kill Kagome in the process and it just might work. Dammit, why couldn't they have thought about these possibilities before they took such a drastic step?'

“The bond courses through her. It's strong, but growing weaker with each moment that passes. It was fortunate that you took that step,” Jinenji said, looking at Father Nightroad in approval, “It was the connection you both have with her that's carried her this far. A question still remains however; will you do what is required to save her?”

“Of course, just tell us what we have to do,” Father Nightroad said firmly, not looking away from the healer. He didn't have to have glanced Tres' way in order to know that he felt the same. Whatever the cost was, they'd do it. More than just Kagome's life was at stake here and they weren't about to shirk in their duties to her or to anyone else they'd pledged to protect.

For a moment Jinenji said nothing and just stared at Father Nightroad as if he was peering into his soul. Finally he asked, “What are you?”

The question was not exactly unexpected, but Abel was still uncertain as to whether or not he should answer the question. Even though Vampires and the very idea of a Crusnik were inconceivable for this time, he still wasn't comfortable with announcing just what he was. There were still far too many raw emotions built around the fact that he was what many would consider an abomination, a creature that had been created as a weapon and nothing more. Yet, something told him that it wasn't just curiosity that drove the hanyou to ask such a thing. Warily, he looked over to Inuyasha for guidance since he was the one who seemed to know Jinenji the best with the exception of Kagome, who wasn't in any condition to answer them.

The slightest of nods from Inuyasha settled the matter and with a sigh, Father Nightroad gave in, “Originally I was a human; however, through certain,” he paused, trying to think of a way to explain the advanced technology that had developed him. The words wouldn't come to him; however, and he was forced to go with as simple of an answer as possible, “A certain spell changed me into a vampire of sorts.”

The blank look that he received then had him sighing, “Think of a vampire as a form of demon, which lives off of the blood of living creatures.” It wasn't exactly correct, but it was the closest he was going to come without launching into a long explanation that they didn't have time for. “Why the question? Does it have bearing on the bond?”

“The bond? No,” Jinenji replied with a shake of his head and unshouldered the pack he'd been carrying, “But it will have bearing upon the cure. The reason demonic poison works so quickly upon humans is because of the energy infused in it. Even a miko's abilities would not be able to counteract it without help, and I was going to ask Inuyasha if he'd be willing to infuse his blood with her own, given that he is both demon and human. My own would have worked as well; however, there is a chance that her body would reject either of ours because of its foreign energy. She has not the strength to fight off two different types of youki. However, I believe with the bond that you share, yours would be acceptable.”

“But, I'm not exactly a demon either,” Father Nightroad replied, his voice thick with worry. If his blood was what was needed then he'd gladly give it, but he didn't want to risk her further injury or problems because of what he was. In that case, perhaps it would be better if Inuyasha were the one to do it.

“No. But you have been accepted into her soul and that, perhaps, will make the difference. You've already said that you were willing to help her, have you changed your mind?” Jinenji asked, his voice almost challenging the man to revoke his offer to help.

“No,” Father Nightroad said firmly, “Tell me what you need me to do.” He knew that if Inuyasha and Sango weren't objecting to the suggestion it meant they trusted in Jinenji to do the right thing. He would have to place his trust in the man as well.

“First, I'll need to make an infusion of herbs which will allow her to rest more peacefully while we work,” Jinenji replied and pushed himself off of the ground to relocate to the fire. To his relief, the others had kept water available and heated which cut down on preparation time.

Inuyasha watched Jinenji carefully as he began laying out his herbal remedies and he recognized a few of them right away. When he saw that the man had dakudami along with him, he breathed a bit easier. It was a plant that was quite useful in blocking poisons and with luck, would do just that with Kagome. While he wasn't thrilled about the idea of having to use the Crusnik's blood, the reasoning behind it was sound and he couldn't argue.

There was also Kumazasa laid out ready for use which was a strong herb used to prevent infections. While it was a little late for that, it would most likely be helpful in killing off the infection that was present and prevent more from forming. Right now he was willing to take all the help they could get.

Once Jinenji had all of his herbs laid out, he grabbed a tuber from the Oninoyagara plant and began crushing up the end to make a fine powder. Under most circumstances he'd rather administer it as a tincture, but they didn't have the time to make it. Instead, he added the powder to a cup of water and mixed it thoroughly. Once he was satisfied with the color and scent, he handed it to the male hovering near Kagome, “She needs to drink this before we can begin. It will sedate her and allow her to rest easy while we work.”

While Tres was suspicious of anything that the girl had to ingest, it wasn't as if they had much choice in the matter either. The question of how to administer it to Kagome was the next problem that they'd have to deal with. Very little knowledge had been imparted to him on actually treating humans of illnesses. He'd only been concerned with the most efficient ways of killing. However, he'd seen just how well trying to wake her enough to drink had gone over when Inuyasha and Miroku were gone. It just wasn't going to work, but he wasn't sure what would, so expectantly, he turned to look at Abel, hoping he would have the answer.

It was the look of consternation on Tres' face which had Abel moving. As much as he might end up regretting this later, they couldn't just waste time while trying to figure out how to get the tea in her. “Here, let me,” he said, and took the tea from his partner, “I need you to sit her up slightly so that she doesn't choke.”

Thankful that the Crusnik was going to take charge of the situation, Tres gently lifted the girl up and settled her back against his chest, ignoring the protest of his aching ribs. However, when his partner began to bring the cup to his own lips, Tres paused, “Father Nightroad?”

“Just hold her,” Father Nightroad replied and took a mouthful of the tea. It was impossible not to grimace over the bitter taste and it was all he could do not to spit the liquid back out. He had to wonder how in the hell people managed to stomach this sort of medicine. Yet, he didn't and he tried to ignore the wide eyed stare his partner was giving him as he gently cupped Kagome's face and pressed his lips to hers.

Tres could only stare in surprise as the Crusnik tilted Kagome's head farther back and forced her mouth open. An unnamed emotion swelled up in his chest, yet he was unsure of how to react so, instead, he held Kagome as carefully as he could and stared, unable to tear his eyes away.

The look on the Priest's face was enough tell Inuyasha that Tres was becoming more certain about his feelings and he wasn't exactly happy with the fact that Abel had his lips on the girl. However, he wasn't exactly telling him to get the hell away from her which said a lot about their partnership as well. For the first time in weeks, he began to have a bit more hope that this would actually manage to work itself out, without it coming to bloodshed.

It was slow going, but eventually Abel managed to get all of the tea into the girl and pulled back. The uneasy expression on Tres' face was enough to make him withdraw even further. He could feel the slight tremors of jealousy radiating off of the man and he knew that for now at least, he needed to back away and give the redhead space to figure out what he was feeling.

“That was well done,” Jinenji said quietly and continued to prepare the poultice that would be needed to draw the poison out. He hadn't missed the subtle interaction between the two men either, but it wasn't his place to interfere either.

Father Nightroad shrugged slightly, “It was the only way to give it to her. We tried giving her water earlier in the night, but she choked on it.” If he had thought of that method earlier he would have done it. However, he didn't know what Tres' reaction would have been then. Something told him that the only reason he hadn't objected now was because it was a necessary medication.

“That is not surprising,” Jinenji replied and examined the mixture critically, “It is time. I need a portion of your blood now to complete the poultice.” He knew that applying the blood directly to the wound was the quickest way to introduce his energy into her system, short of ingesting it. However, he was not about to ask either the miko or her companions to participate in such a thing when this was just as efficient and would produce the same results.

There was no hesitation on Father Nightroad's part as he reached for the dagger that Sango had used earlier in the evening. Thankfully, the slayer had taken care of sterilizing it again, just in case that she needed to cut away any more necrotic tissue so he didn't have to worry about introducing the poison or infection into his own body. Quickly, he removed one of his gloves and sliced cleanly through the skin on the palm of his hand. Immediately, blood welled up from the wound and he held the injured appendage towards the healer, “Hurry, the wound will heal itself quickly.”

“I will be finished long before that happens,” Jinenji said and took a hold of the Crusnik's wrist, guiding it over the bowl of crushed herbs that he'd prepared. Precious drops of the fluid dripped over the paste, coating it a dark crimson. True to his word, he had collected enough before he felt the man's power beginning to flow to the injury in preparation of sealing it.

Once his hand had been released, Abel allowed the wound to close and then wiped the blood from his skin. While he retrieved his glove, the hanyou was busy mixing the paste in preparation for applying it to the girl's injuries as Tres watched with interest.

“How long do you think this will take to work?” he asked at last, needing to know just how long of a wait they were in for.

“The poison has progressed deep within her body; however, I can feel the power within you,” Jinenji replied thoughtfully, relying on his skills of empathy to gage just how strong the man's will to help the girl was. “With the strength of your blood and the dakudami, there is a chance that the effects of the poison will be nullified before the sun sets. However, she will be weak for several days to come. It will be important to keep the wound clean; otherwise, the infection will spread. I will provide you with enough tea to last until you can find an inn to stay in; she cannot remain outside, exposed to the elements.”

As much as he wished that he could offer them shelter within his home, there just was not enough room for the entire group. The thought of taking the girl alone crossed his mind, but it was dismissed quickly. Assuming that Inuyasha allowed it, he knew that the other two males would object vehemently. It was the way of the bond and it was not something within his power to interfere with anyway.

“We were talking about returning to the village anyway. You're right, Kagome can't stay out like this, and staying at an inn might cause problems,” Inuyasha said, already considering what their options were.

If they were to stay at a nearby village they'd be protected, but not as well as if they were back at Kaede's'. The villagers there knew exactly what was going on and if anyone strange happened to wander into the village, they'd be notified immediately.

“That sounds like a wise course of action. She should be able to travel within the next twenty four hours, provided she is not walking,” Jinenji said while moving towards the girl and unwrapped the bandages. His gaze turned critical as he checked her appearance to ensure that the tea she'd been given was doing its job. Sensing that she was indeed comfortable and unlikely to protest her wound being examined, he began unwrapping the bandage.

He didn't recognize the scent of the salve that had been slathered on the wound, but it didn't seem to have any harmful effects. Still, it needed to be removed just in case it wouldn't react well with the poultice he'd just made. Calmly, he looked at Shippo and held out his hand, “May I have the rag please?”

“Okay,” Shippo replied and handed the scrap of cloth over to the hanyou. When he saw what was about to happen he went to Kagome's side, even though she was still resting against Father Tres, and took her limp hand in his own. To his surprise, she showed no sign of realizing just what was going on, even when Jinenji began scraping the ointment out of the wound, causing the blood to begin flowing again.

Jinenji's nose twitched at the scent, but he didn't say anything while he prodded at the abused flesh. Whoever had cleaned the injury last had done a good job and to his surprise, he wouldn't have to cut any more of the tissue free. Instead, all that needed to be done was to pack the poultice into the wound and wrap it up again. His fingers worked quickly but gently, spreading the paste into the gash.

“I will leave enough of the poultice with you to treat the wound for two days. Afterwards, a normal bandaging should suffice. However, she is not to be allowed to walk for the next two weeks and then only in moderation until the wound is completely healed,” he said firmly, making sure that they all heard his words. He knew Kagome well enough to know that there was every chance she'd be up and walking at the first opportunity which would hinder the healing process, but, if she was allowed to do that, it might ultimately rob her of the power to walk or even her life.

“Shit, that's going to be fun. We're going to have to tie her ass down,” Inuyasha said grimly. The memory of her feet being badly burned by the acid in the rock demon's stomach came to mind. 'Just great, if I thought she was bad about staying down that time, this time was bound to be a thousand times worse.'

“That will not be a problem,” Tres stated without hesitation. He'd seen firsthand how obstinate the girl could be when she put her mind to it. However, he'd also learned how to get her to acquiesce to his wishes and he wouldn't hesitate to use that knowledge to his advantage.

Inuyasha quirked a brow at that bold statement. “Is there something you know that I don't? Cause Kagome is not the type to just lie in bed just because we say so.”

Shippo looked back and forth between the two men before settling on Tres and giving him a curious look, “You're not going to lie on top of her again are you? I thought you were squishing her with how red she turned last time.”

Silence descended upon the group and Inuyasha stared at the priest with his mouth open, unsure of quite what to say. Whatever he'd been envisioning before, it hadn't involved Tres laying on her. “When the hell did this happen?”

“When you were all fighting the panther demons, Kagome kept trying to get away and finally he lay on top of her! I don't think I've ever seen her turn so red before, but she didn't start yelling at him or anything,” Shippo explained, pleased that he was able to answer the hanyou's question since he wasn't so sure that Tres was going to.

“That's an interesting way of stopping her from going anywhere,” Miroku said, tone turning to one of slight amusement, “And she didn't smack him or anything? My, my, it sounds like the two of you are becoming quite close indeed.” He'd fully expected there to be some sort of attraction between the miko and at least one of her guardians, and it appeared that he was right.

Father Nightroad rolled his eyes at the blatant innuendo that the monk was suggesting and turned his attention to his partner, “You should be more careful, Tres. Surely there were other ways to stop her from leaving than to lay on her.” Had things really become that out of hand that the redhead was left with no other option?

“Without having a rope on hand to tie her up? Not likely,” Inuyasha snorted, “Besides, if laying on her is what he needed to do to keep her out of the damned fight, then I'm not going to bitch.”

“That still doesn't mean it was proper,” Sango chimed in, a frown crossing her face, “What if someone had seen them like that?” They all knew that Kagome's reputation had taken enough damage because she used to run around in those short skirts all the time. To be caught lying with a man who was not her husband would have been scandalous to say the least and for some reason she just couldn't let it go.

“So what if they had?” Inuyasha countered, giving the slayer an irritated look, “You heard Shippo. It wasn't like he was taking advantage of her, he was stopping her from running into a fight. She also wasn't complaining and she damned sure wasn't offended; otherwise, we'd have heard about it by now. Hell, my guess is she probably enjoyed it on some level.”

“Indeed, just how long did they lay on the floor together, Shippo?” Miroku asked and looked over to Sango warily when he heard her take a step towards him.

“Not long, but....” Shippo paused and scrunched his nose, “they seemed to like pressing against each other. It was kind of strange, now that I think about it.”

“Alright, that's enough of that,” Sango said, having heard more than enough. Now she wasn't sure what the hell was going on between Kagome and Tres, but it damned sure wasn't something that needed to be openly discussed around Shippo. It was tempting to go smack the monk for asking the kitsune such a thing, but that would only lead to more questions. With an irritated glare, she turned her attention to both Miroku and Inuyasha, “We're going to talk later, and I want some answers.”

The statement made Inuyasha sigh and he threw a sour look over to the monk, “This is all your fault you know. You just had to open your mouth.”

“Please, this isn't the time to be discussing such things. Kagome is still quite sick and I'm sure that she would not appreciate being discussed in such a fashion,” Father Nightroad chided them all and sent a prayer up that the conversation would be dropped. The last thing he wanted to have in his head was the image of the miko and his partner pressing against each other intimately.

When they finally fell silent, he turned back to watching what Jinenji was doing. Something told him it was going to be a very long journey back to the village, but there just wasn't any avoiding it. All he could do was pray that they arrived without mishap and that they would be able to resume the journey soon after.

End of Chapter Twelve