Trinity Blood Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadows of Time ❯ Chapter 16

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

Working Title: The Shadows of Time

Author: Ryukotsusei

Fandom: Inuyasha and Trinity Blood

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Violence, torture, character death, 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.

Author's Note: I'd like to thank BlueUtopiah and Madmiko for taking the time to beta this chapter. I'm hoping to have the next one up on schedule, but I can't make any guarantees. As many people know, tropical storm Fay is currently on her way through Florida and within the past 48 hours she's dumped 25 inches of rain where I live. Needless to say, our house flooded and we managed to get ourselves, the pets and some of the electronics out of the house. The rest is a complete loss and we're currently ensconced in a hotel room. The next update will depend greatly upon where we're staying at that point in time, and whether or not we have internet access yet. Thank you to everyone for your patience and for your reviews.

Chapter Sixteen

Although little more than a week had transpired since their last encounter with Kouga, Inuyasha was dreading the passing of each day because he knew that it wouldn't be long before the wolf demon joined them again. As such, he'd pushed them all as hard as possible in an effort to put as much distance between the group and the direction that his rival had vanished in, even though it was a faint hope at best that it would put the other male off for long.

'I don't care how much the idiot wants to help, if he gets in my way he's getting his ass kicked all the way back to those caves of his. Not even Kagome will stop me this time, not if she doesn't want to have to deal with her two guard dogs getting pissed. I didn't think it was possible but they just might hate that jackass more than I do.' Not that another physical confrontation would have surprised him any, not when the two priests took their job of protecting Kagome so seriously. Once you added the convoluted love triangle into it that they had going on, kidnapping the girl in the middle of her bath had left hard feelings all around.

In fact, Inuyasha was willing to lay money on the fact that Nightroad would have been more than happy to kill Kouga had he not stepped in and broken up the fight. The animosity lingering between the two had been palpable and everyone had breathed a sigh of relief when the wolf finally left. But not knowing exactly when the man was going to return still put everyone on edge and it was beginning to show in the way that tempers were rising. 'As much as I hate to do it, we might have to take a day off soon. Totousai's place isn't too far into the volcanic fields and there's a chance the fool might have heard something.'

However, before that was a possibility they had to get there first which meant another couple of hours of walking. At least they were getting closer though, he could tell by the increasing scent of sulfur in the air. Gods only knew how the swordsmith could stand to live in such conditions for so long, the smell alone was enough to give him a headache, but there was no way of avoiding it. So far no one had complained; however, with this group it was only a matter of time before the subject was brought up. 'I just hope I don't end up having to bash heads together once it does'.

“Oi, Kagome!” Inuyasha called out to the miko, “How you holding up over there?” Although more than one person had suggested that she ride Kirara now that they were getting into rockier terrain, Kagome had resisted their efforts and insisted on walking on her own.

“I'm fine, Inuyasha,” Kagome replied, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. It was sweet that he was so concerned over her well being, but with her injury almost completely healed she didn't see the need for the special treatment. Only when the muscle in her leg began to cramp up to the point of being unbearable did she give in to their urgings and right now she just wasn't at that point yet.

The urge to roll his eyes was strong but somehow Inuyasha managed to resist for the moment. There was no point in provoking her, not when she seemed so hell-bent on proving that she was completely recovered from her injuries. “Just don't overdo it alright? It's another hour until we leave this damned forest and then at least an hour more before we reach Totousai's. We can rest there for the night, I'm sure the old geezer will...”

Kagome looked up sharply when the hanyou trailed off and her eyes narrowed. Something had obviously grabbed his attention if the way that he was staring off into the distance was anything to go by. “What do you see?”

Instead of answering Inuyasha gave Kagome a stern look. “Stay here, I'll be right back.”

With that he began running, leaving the others behind. The faint sounds of battle reached his ears with the shifting of the breeze and it brought with it a long familiar scent, Sesshoumaru. Although he had no real desire to help his half-brother out, he needed to know whether or not their own journey was going to be impeded by the fact that the other demon was there. Not to mention, if something had managed to engage him in a fight it was likely that they'd be similarly detained as well.

“Oh, he did not just tell us to stay here. Come on,” Kagome snapped, taking off after the hanyou. 'Whatever got his attention, it has to be important. Is it Naraku?' There was a distinct chance that it was either him or Kanna, neither of which Inuyasha was prepared to deal with on his own. The Tetsusaiga was a powerful weapon but that wouldn't stop him from getting his soul sucked out by that damned mirror if the void-demoness was around.

As expected, Sango and Miroku followed her immediately, as did Tres and Shippo. Only Father Nightroad seemed to second guess her decision although he quickly caught up with her, determined not to be left behind.

“Kagome, are you sure this is the wisest course of action?” he asked, giving her a slightly worried look. Whatever had caused Inuyasha to take off had to be serious and he'd told her to stay behind for a reason. The girl was not a fighter, in fact she was far from it despite the amount of determination that she had. It was best if she stayed away from the fight and left the battling to those who were trained for combat, but he also knew that she wouldn't settle for staying on the sidelines.

“Stuff it,” Kagome snapped while she ran, barely giving the Crusnik a sideways glance. “If it's Naraku, Inuyasha won't be able to handle him on his own. Do you really want to just stand by waiting to become a target because the jerk wouldn't tell us where he was going?” That had happened to her far too often in the past and she wasn't about to allow it to happen again. Where before it had been Kikyo causing him to run off now it was some unknown factor since the undead miko was no longer around to divert his attention.

The sharp rebuff had Abel raising a brow in surprise but he had to concede that she did have a point. Guarding against the unknown did put them at a bit of a disadvantage. Forewarned was forearmed as the saying went, which was something he couldn't disagree with. So instead of arguing with her about ignoring what Inuyasha had said, he concentrated on paying attention to their surroundings while they followed the hanyou.

However, they didn't have much farther to run since Inuyasha had come to an abrupt stop and they were able to catch up to him in a matter of moments. The sight that greeted them though had most of them staring in surprise. The last thing that they'd expected to see was Lord Sesshoumaru battling what looked like giant lizards, although even that description was lacking if one was trying to describe their ugliness.

“What... are they?” Kagome asked in a whisper, her eyes glued to the scene before them. For all his speed, Sesshoumaru had only managed to destroy one of the beasts since they seemed to be quite adept at blocking his attacks. Even the blows he managed to land appeared to mostly bounce harmlessly off their armored scales.

“Basilisks,” Sango replied uneasily, pitching her voice low so as not to attract their attention. “Whatever you do, don't move. They can petrify a person with one look so don't stare into their eyes.” The legends surrounding these beasts were many and although she'd never seen one in person before, she'd heard the tales of those who had tried to fight them. Many had lost their lives and the few that had survived had been scarred for life.

“But, shouldn't someone help him?” Father Nightroad asked in concern, his eyes following every movement the demons made. The tall demon at the center of it all moved quickly, almost faster than a normal person would be able to follow with their eyes. Perhaps he was even as fast as most Methuselah, if he were to speculate, but the sword he wielded didn't seem to be an adequate defense against these creatures in spite of the random energy attacks it seemed to unleash.

“Keh, knowing Sesshoumaru he's toying with them. I don't see why we should have to get involved,” Inuyasha proclaimed and turned to leave the area. This was trouble they didn't need and if his brother was capable of taking care of it on his own, so much the better.

“This isn't something you toy around with, Inuyasha,” Sango replied quietly and made no attempt to move. With so many of the creatures in one spot to do so would be foolish. “Something had to draw them all out; it's rare to see a swarm like this.”

“You think it might be Naraku?” Miroku asked uneasily, wishing - not for the first time - that he had the wind tunnel at his disposal again. Only the fact that it hadn't returned led him to believe that Naraku was still trying to remain undiscovered. To have such a blatant declaration of his continued existence would put an end to any disbelief that remained in the minds of those they came across.

Although Sango hadn't wanted to come right out and say it, the question needed to be answered. “There's no way of knowing for sure but if I had to make a guess, I'd say most likely. A swarm like this usually moves for only one reason: a female in season. Since I don't see a queen in the group it's unlikely that that was the cause, which doesn't leave many options left.”

“Well why didn't you say so in the first place?” Inuyasha growled irritably, drawing the Tetsusaiga, “You guys stand back and stay out of this. I'll take care of these damned things and then we can get to the bottom of this.”

“Inuyasha, wait!” Sango called after him, but of course the hanyou ignored her. “Dammit!” The quick movement had alerted the basilisks to the fact that they were standing there and it made them easy targets. Even if Inuyasha hadn't meant to do that, they were now basilisk fodder and it guaranteed that they were going to have to fight to stay alive.

“Miroku, come with me. Tres, Abel, get Kagome the hell out of here while we hold them off!” she shouted and mounted Kirara, scooting forward enough that Miroku could sit behind her. Already, three of the damned demons were heading in their direction and she knew that this would be a difficult fight. “Remember what I said. Don't look into their eyes and aim for the neck. It's their most vulnerable area.”

Kagome watched the three of them launch themselves into the battle and even though she wanted to help, she knew that there wasn't much that she could do. It still didn't make things any easier for her to watch and it was difficult not to become involved. Over the sounds of the fighting she could hear the banter between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, who was rather irritated by the fact that they'd interfered in the first place. 'Doesn't Sesshoumaru realize he needs our help?'

“It would be wise to relocate to a secure position,” Tres advised, taking in the precariousness of the situation calmly. To remain so exposed would leave them open to attack, not to mention the fact that he could tell the miko was trying to figure out a way to help their friends. That was something which couldn't afford to happen and as such, it was best to remove her from the situation entirely. Already one of the basilisks was down now that Inuyasha had joined the fight; it was only a matter of time before the rest were dealt with.

“Good idea,” Father Nightroad said with a slight nod of his head, placing his hand on Kagome's shoulder, “We should go while Sango and Miroku have them distracted.” Although he and Tres could likely aid in the fight, it would leave Kagome on her own and he hadn't forgotten about the possibility that Kanna was lurking in the area. For now it was best if they allowed the others to handle the problem until something happened where they could be of use.

Reluctantly Kagome nodded her head and allowed the two priests to lead her and Shippo away from the immediate area. Once the fight was over she had no doubts that Inuyasha would be able to find them quickly. Moving like shadows they entered the foliage, allowing it to close in around them. Gradually the sounds of the fight became fainter, leaving them to the illusion that there wasn't a battle taking place, one which involved their friends.

The sounds of something heavy moving through the forest towards them caused all four to stop short, senses alert, wondering if they'd been followed. Both Tres and Abel tensed, readying themselves for battle, while Shippo immediately moved out in front of them, sniffing the air carefully. Eyes widening in terror, he turned to face his friends, whispering, “It's coming!”

“A basilisk?” Kagome asked quickly, her eyes darting around the forest surrounding them in an effort to find a better defensive position. Her senses weren't telling her that one of the cursed creatures had followed them, but that wasn't to say one of the beasts hadn't broken off of the main group. What else could it be crashing through the underbrush like that?

Shippo's answer was cut short when a high-pitched scream split the air and dread filled Kagome's heart; she knew that voice. Moments later another one she was quite familiar with could be heard, “It's Rin and Jaken. They're in trouble, come on!”

This time none of them questioned the miko as they followed her deeper into the forest. Clearly the first voice had been that of a child and couldn't be ignored. The fact that Jaken was there and trying to protect the girl meant that she was obviously someone important, but the small toad demon wouldn't be able to hold off a basilisk for long.

“Hold on, Jaken, we're coming!” Kagome shouted ahead, knowing that the toad would hear her although he was likely to scoff that he didn't need their help at all. While it was unlikely that she would be able to do anything herself, she was well aware that Tres and Abel were far from helpless and a bullet would likely penetrate the demon's armor whereas a sword had failed.

Unfortunately, it was the noise they produced while breaking through the brush which made the situation even more perilous than it already was. Jaken was doing a fair job of holding the creature off with the staff of two skulls but he made a mistake by turning to look at them. Doing so had diverted his attention just enough that he was swept out of the way by a powerful claw and then paralyzed by the beast's penetrating gaze. “Rin, run!” he was able to get out in his last moments before his body was turned to stone and he knew no more.

“Master Jaken!” Rin cried out in terror when she saw that the toad demon had been entranced by the basilisk and she just knew that she was going to be next. This time it was unlikely that Lord Sesshoumaru would be able to save her and it would be her fault for not doing as she'd been told. Woodenly she tried to get up as the toad demon had commanded but for some reason her legs just refused to cooperate with what her mind was screaming at her to do. The weight of what had happened came crashing down on her and tears began to trail down her cheeks even though she'd been trying to hold them back. She knew it was over when she felt her body starting to fall and she closed her eyes tight, waiting for the impact she knew was coming when she would hit the ground.

However, the moment that the basilisk turned its stony gaze upon her a loud crack split the air, causing her to cover her ears and shriek in surprise. Was it some sort of new attack that the demon had unleashed upon her? A second bang filled the air and it was quickly followed by something heavy falling. Uneasily she opened her eyes to see the basilisk lying on the ground, bleeding from two holes in its body and the surrounding tissue was quickly disintegrating. Before she could wonder how they got there, a tall red-haired male stalked up to the creature, his gaze stony as he began to examine it.

Tres stared dispassionately at the creature which tried to lift its head to look at him. The warning about its gaze was fresh in his mind and he wasn't about to allow anyone else to fall victim to it. Quickly, he slammed a boot down on top of its head and pinned it into place before firing another two rounds into it, finishing the job. Only once it had completely quit moving did he holster his gun and turn back to Father Nightroad and Kagome. “Target eliminated. However, the corpse will draw others, we should relocate.”

“What should we do about Jaken?” Kagome asked uneasily, and looked wearily at the toad demon. If Jaken died now, how badly would that alter the future for them? Would it make a difference since they were now rewriting the past? Somehow she just couldn't be sure of anything at this point, but she couldn't leave it to chance either. Jaken had played a part in her coming here in the first place, and for that reason alone she was unwilling to leave the waspish demon behind regardless of how irritating he could be at times.

“Lord Sesshoumaru can use the Tenseiga on him, right?” Shippo asked uncertainly while walking over to Rin. Just because she knew who he and Kagome were didn't mean that she was necessarily going to be at ease with Tres and Abel there. They couldn't afford trouble out of the child now, not if any of them wanted a chance of surviving.

“Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru will save Jaken,” Rin said confidently with a nod of her head. In her mind the Tenseiga could heal anything and Jaken was no exception, even if he was rather gray-looking right now. With wide eyes she turned to look at her savior, “Who are you? Did Lord Sesshoumaru send you to look after Rin?”

“Negative, we were in the immediate vicinity when we happened to hear your distress call,” Tres replied automatically, not giving any thought to the way the child was looking at him in surprise. The question really wasn't important to him anyway; all that mattered now was that they get moving, with or without the child, "We have to go now." Turning, he reached for Kagome's arm knowing that Abel would understand and back his move.

Kagome raised a brow at Tres and shook her head although she made no move to pull her arm away. “Rin, we'll find a way to help Jaken but I need you to come with us for now, okay? Another basilisk could come; we need to get someplace safe for now.”

“We can't leave Master Jaken alone,” Rin said stubbornly, making no attempt to move. She couldn't just leave Jaken there while he was petrified. She knew that she was responsible for her current condition; to abandon him now would be unconscionable. Surely with how easily the miko's friend had killed the demon, they had nothing to worry about, right?

Knowing that the girl wasn't about to budge, Kagome sighed and shook her head at Tres and Abel. Already she could see the stubborn set to Tres' chin and she knew that she was up for a fight. But how could she go along with what they wanted? If they tried to take Rin away from Jaken physically, there was every chance that the girl would fight them and attract attention they didn't need. Like it or not, they weren't going anywhere without the girl's cooperation. “Are you sure you won't come with us, Rin? It shouldn't take Lord Sesshoumaru long to finish, Inuyasha is helping him at the moment.”

Rin looked at the miko curiously but, no, she wasn't about to move no matter what the miko said. She knew that if that were the case, it could be a longer wait than first anticipated since the two half brothers were likely to fight each other as well. “We can wait here; Lord Sesshoumaru would be upset if Rin left Jaken alone. Who are they, Kagome?” she asked, indicating the two tall men who were standing guard over them.

“The names of the dead do not matter; Naraku is tired of their continued interference of his plans to kill the miko,” Kanna said as she stepped out of the shadows and into their line of sight. With emotionless eyes she stared at the small group of people before her while holding her mirror firmly in place. Through it she knew that Naraku could see everything and soon he would know that her mission was accomplished; perhaps then her master would allow her to rest, much the same as he'd done for Kagura.

“Rin, Shippo, get out of here. Go get Inuyasha!” Kagome ordered, never taking her eyes off of the void-demon. She didn't have to look at the others to see they were tensing in preparation for a battle; enough time had been spent educating them on just what this particular demoness could do. Now she could only pray that for once the two children would listen and not try to sit there questioning what she said. It was a risk sending them both off but having them stay to have their souls ripped out was not something she wanted to put either of them through if she could help it.

“He will be too late to save you,” Kanna replied dispassionately, although she allowed the human child to run off. By the time the inu-hanyou arrived she intended to have their souls in her possession and his interference would be dealt with. Perhaps she could trap his soul also. Once secured, the only thing that would free them was her death and she would not give into an eternal sleep until she'd accomplished what she'd been ordered to do.

“You're a fool if you think I'll just let you take our souls, Kanna. Your mirror couldn't even handle mine before and it damned sure won't take out the three of us this time,” Kagome countered, unshouldering the bow she'd been carrying. Of course, she was well aware of just how effective an arrow was likely to be but she was hoping that either Tres or Abel would be able to take the demoness out while she held her attention.

“Your beliefs will not change the outcome this time, Kagome, and fighting will be in vain. Give in and allow my mirror to take control,” Kanna replied calmly, allowing her power to flow into the mirror that she was holding. Immediately the surface began to glow softly and its energy called to their souls. Gunfire filled the air, but all it took was a quick adjustment of the weapon and the bullets were absorbed through the glassy surface.

“Dammit,” Kagome swore and notched an arrow. Already she could see the silvery mist rising from both Tres and Abel and while both were still on their feet, she knew it was only a matter of time before they collapsed. She had to end this quickly. “I won't let you win!”

Although he'd been the first one to take a shot at the demoness, Tres was feeling the effects of the mirror the hardest and he was finding it hard to concentrate on his target. An overwhelming feeling of weakness swept over him, driving him down to one knee, but he was determined not to give in. All it would take was one shot and the enemy would be destroyed but how was he to give such a fatal blow when he could barely see the target?

Kagome could feel the man's determination waver and she quickly notched another arrow, “Don't you dare give up on me, Tres! Just hold on for a few more seconds!”

The arrow was quickly loosed and it cut through the air towards Kanna, but predictably it was absorbed into the mirror as well. Kagome bit back a curse when her attack failed to do its job and she found herself longing for the day that her arrows would have busted the damned thing to hell and back.

Kagome's voice came to Tres as if crossing a great distance and the sheer desperation in it had him resisting against the pull on his soul. With great effort, the red-head forced himself to his feet again and leveled his guns at the demon, trying to destroy her. His vision was hazy, but he wasn't about to allow that to stop him from taking a shot. Instinct steadied his hands and the desire to protect had him squeezing the triggers.

Kagome resisted the urge to cover her ears when gunfire filled the air and instead concentrated on steadying her own aim. As expected, the bullets weren't having any effect and at this point Tres was only wasting ammo, but she hoped it was enough of a distraction for her own attack to work. The second arrow was loosed at the exact moment that Father Nightroad went to his knees, causing her aim to veer just enough to the left. Kagome could only watch helplessly when her arrow disappeared into the forest.

Any thought of firing another arrow at Kanna was quickly destroyed when a familiar sound had her gut coiling in dread. All the noise had attracted another one of the basilisks and no doubt it was coming to investigate. She had to end this quickly; otherwise, Kanna wouldn't have to worry about killing them with her mirror. Taking a deep breath, Kagome closed her eyes and then spun in place, aiming straight for where she knew the beast to be. Hoping that her aim was true, she released the arrow just as the basilisk reached striking range. A sharp twang resonated from the bow string seconds before the demon lashed out, cleaving through the bow, but it was too late. The arrow hit its mark moments later and began purifying the demon.

“One down,” Kagome muttered and tossed the useless bow to the side. In her peripheral vision she could see that Tres had lost the battle and had slumped to the ground, his guns completely empty. Abel, on the other hand, was on his hands and knees, panting heavily while his soul attempted to enter the mirror but something was preventing it. 'Of course! He's not exactly human and the mirror isn't equipped to deal with demonic souls, or even those of a Crusnik. That has to be why more of my soul hasn't been taken yet!'

For his part, Abel was fighting his own private hell from the pain of his soul trying to be removed. Each moment was agony, making it difficult to control the beast within that begged to be unleashed. Would giving in give them the advantage they needed? Even now he could see Kagome running towards Kanna, although he couldn't be certain just what she intended on doing.

Kanna was similarly puzzled, both by the miko's actions and by the fact that her mirror was not absorbing either of their souls. Repeatedly she called to them, only to have the man's soul hover just beyond the surface of the glass and resist the call. The pressure against the surface was immense and she knew that if she didn't succeed soon, she was going to have to release it, lest the mirror break. However, she never got the chance, for a scream echoed through the clearing from the silver-haired male and it was followed by the glass of her mirror shattering into thousands of pieces.

A blinding light spilled from the broken surface, temporarily dazzling them all as the souls erupted from the mirror and began rushing towards the bodies they'd been pulled from. Tres was the first one to recover his soul and life came to him in a rush, along with a blazing hatred for the one that had caused it. Angrily, he snatched up his guns and trained them on the demoness but to his chagrin he now found the clips to be completely empty.

The confusion caused by the mirror breaking was all the opening that Kagome needed and, while Kanna was distracted, she slammed into the smaller demon and sent them both tumbling to the ground. It wasn't enough though and Kagome knew that if she wasn't careful Kanna would find a way to escape. Furiously, she punched the smaller female in the face, not caring in the least about the blood that sprayed from the demoness' nose and splattered across her clothing.

“Where is Naraku?” She growled and pulled her fist back for another blow despite the ache that was forming in her hand. While she normally wasn't one to advocate a beat-down, Kagome was more than fed up with the hit and run tactics Naraku had been using. If beating the information out of Kanna was what was necessary, then so be it. After she got what she needed to know she would release the demoness to death, never to carry out Naraku's plans again.

“You'll never find him you know,” Kanna whispered, trying to break free of the hold the miko had on her. While the blow she'd suffered had caused minimal damage, she ignored the pain from the injury with little difficulty. Naraku had inflicted far worse in the past, and Kagome was going to have to do better then that if she hoped to keep the slight advantage that she had gained for the moment.

“Wrong answer,” Kagome snarled and hit the demoness again. A gentle hand on her shoulder was shrugged off roughly. One way or another, she was going to get her answers. Naraku had a lot to answer for, the least of which was her own death. The bastard was determined to kill everyone that she cared for and that was something she couldn't forgive.

Father Nightroad wasn't the least bit put off by Kagome's reaction and to a large extent he could understand her anger. Rage seethed through the bond they shared and he knew well that if it wasn't Kagome interrogating the demon, Tres would be next in line.

“Kagome, it's alright. We'll get the answers out of her, don't worry,” he said gently, trying to calm down her as well as his partner. Now that the danger was over they could think rationally and figure out what their next move should be.

The words held little effect on her, but Kagome knew that the others would be far more... effective at getting answers out of the girl. If nothing else, she'd heard of the inquisition and knew that the methods occasionally employed by the Vatican were at times more barbaric than anything that she'd heard of being utilized here in Japan.

“Fine,” she snarled after a moment and roughly shoved the small demoness back against the ground before standing up.

Tres immediately snatched Kanna up off the ground, not caring in the least that his grip was likely to leave bruises on her later. His eyes narrowed to mere slits and he stared down at her, “You will give us Naraku's location now.”

“Your demands are pointless; Naraku knows that I have failed. Even if I gave his location now, he would not be there when you arrived,” Kanna said tonelessly, clearly not intimidated by the glares she was receiving.

“If you think the bastard is getting away that easily you're more of an idiot than your master is,” Inuyasha sneered, his expression one of distaste as he walked out of the shadows, followed quickly by Miroku and Sango. The basilisks had been difficult to defeat but were by no means impossible. Between him and Sesshoumaru, they'd wiped them out in short order. When he heard the gunfire he'd feared the worst, however the last thing he expected to see was Kanna in the redhead's hands. The crimson blood that dripped down the front of her face was an unexpected sight, although he couldn't say it bothered him in the least, “Damn, who worked her over?”

“You should have seen it, Inuyasha! I don't think I've ever seen Kagome so mad before, and if it hadn't been for Father Nightroad she'd still be hitting her I bet,” Shippo said eagerly. The look of disbelief on Inuyasha's face didn't surprise him any, he wouldn't have believed either it if he hadn't watched it himself.

“Damn, Kagome, and you were telling me that I had anger issues?” Inuyasha smirked at her, the expression on his face showing both surprise and amusement. The look the girl threw at him promised pain if he kept on his current course of conversation but it wasn't enough to stop him from drawing some satisfaction from the moment.

“Yeah, well, what was I supposed to do? Ask her if she'd like to enjoy a cup of tea while we were waiting on you to hurry up?” Kagome countered, her voice laced with irritation, “I did what I had to and it's not like I had some rope to tie her up with.” As satisfying as it had been to hit the other girl, Kagome knew that her hand would be paying for it later. It was already quite sore and she was already sporting faint bruises along her knuckles.

The brief glimpse of white through the trees caught both Tres and Abel's attention, causing both of them to tense. Seeing their reactions, Inuyasha turned to look and see what they were watching before sighing, “If you're going to sit there and spy on us, you might as well come out, Sesshoumaru.”

“Spying is beneath me, Inuyasha. You would be wise to remember your place,” Sesshoumaru stated blandly and stepped out into the open to get a better look at the two newcomers to his half-brother's group. His nose wrinkled in distaste. Humans were truly a waste of a demon's time, with very few exceptions. He was only here for one reason, his retainer.

Seeing the demon lord, or rather who was with him, had Kagome sighing in relief. She had been worried about whether or not Rin would make it back to him and it was a weight off of her soul to know that the girl had been successful. The last thing she had wanted was to be responsible for was the little girl's life.

“Lord Sesshoumaru! Lord Sesshoumaru! Here's Master Jaken, can you fix him?” Rin asked anxiously from her spot beside the frozen toad demon. She'd seen her lord accomplish many things with the Tenseiga that she considered miracles, but would it work on someone who had been turned to stone?

Slowly Sesshoumaru unsheathed the Tenseiga, waiting to feel the familiar pulse that emanated from the sword when it encountered someone in need. It was like a heartbeat that called to him, echoing through his soul, demanding that he take action, but until he felt the familiar energy the sword would do nothing towards healing anyone. It was now up to the sword in his hands to make up its own mind.

“Stand back, Rin,” he ordered quietly and waited for the girl to move out of the way. Already he could see the messengers of death working to pry the demon's soul from the petrified remains, yet he knew that they would fail in their endeavors. Once his ward was clear of the immediate area, he brought the blade cleanly through Jaken and waited for the sword's magic to take effect. For several long moments nothing happened but then in a shower of light the hard shell that had been covering the toad exploded, allowing Jaken to crumple to the ground.

Roughly Jaken pushed himself up off of the ground and glanced around frantically before spotting Rin and Sesshoumaru standing just a few feet away. “I'm alive!” he squawked loudly and quickly began crawling across the grass to kneel at his lord's feet. “Oh thank you for saving me, M'Lord!”

“Silence, Jaken,” Lord Sesshoumaru said tonelessly. It was only the fact that the Tenseiga had responded that the toad was even alive at all. The reasoning behind it really didn't concern him; however, the fact that Jaken had failed in his duty to protect Rin did. Yet, continuing to remain in his half brother's presence was annoying and as such, Jaken would be dealt with at another time. “Rin, let's go.”

“Coming, Lord Sesshoumaru,” Rin said enthusiastically and fell in step with the demon lord. A bright smile covered her face as she turned to look back at Kagome and wave at her. The miko and her friends had always struck her as a bit odd, but nice nonetheless. Perhaps another time they could stay and visit for a while.

Although her temper was far from calmed, Kagome waved back to the child and watched the three disappear into the forest. Only once they had vanished did she turn to look back at the others. “So what do we do about Kanna?”

At this, Sango stepped forward, “Let me take care of her. There are ways of making demons talk, she'll be no exception.” Of course, she normally didn't condone torture but this was a part of her profession and Kanna was nothing short of an enemy. Already she was making a mental list of the plants she could use that would work on the demoness.

“Your efforts will be futile, for Naraku knows that I have failed in my mission. One by one each of you will fall and you will be powerless to stop him,” Kanna said quietly, closing her eyes. There was no way that Naraku would allow her to give up his location, of that much she was certain. Already she could feel his presence lurking in the back of her mind and it felt as if he was weighing his options. The slightest of smiles touched her lips when his decision washed over her. It was over. “Remember my words.”

“What the hell!” Inuyasha exclaimed when Kanna crumpled to the ground without a sound. Before he could take a step towards her, the body that had been made from Naraku himself began to crumble and turn to dust, only to be picked up by the gentle breeze blowing through the clearing.

“Naraku killed her,” Kagome said through gritted teeth. Her fists clenched in anger with the knowledge that any hope they had of getting information on where the bastard was located had just blown away on the breeze. “Dammit, we were so close!”

“It's a loss, but not so great of one that cannot be overcome,” Miroku said calmly, trying to be the voice of reason. “If Naraku thought it necessary to remove one of his more important incarnations it has to mean that we're close. This also leads me to believe that he's not as recovered as we feared; otherwise, he wouldn't be so hasty in his actions. He doesn't want us to confront him, not yet anyway. I think we're on the correct path for what it's worth.”

Father Nightroad nodded his head. “Indeed. Naraku has made a tactical decision that increases his chances of success. The longer he avoids us, the more time he has to consolidate his own power.” Something told him that this would all come to a head soon because there was no way that they'd stop in their push to find Naraku now. However, there was an added issue to deal with and that was the fact of ammunition again. They just couldn't take the time out to return to the well a second time to get more. However, there was one possibility and it gave him pause.

“Oi, what are you thinking over there, Nightroad?” Inuyasha asked when the man fell silent with a pensive look on his face, “If you've thought of something then spill it, dammit. We don't have time to sit here.”

“You said that your friend Totousai was a swordsmith, did you not?” Father Nightroad asked, his mind quickly working to come up with a solution to the problem at hand. At Inuyasha's nod he continued, “We're coming up with a problem of ammunition again and we don't have time to travel back to the well. However, your friend is accustomed to metal working and gunpowder is not unknown in this time period, even if the recipe is not as refined as our own. Is it possible that he might be able to recreate the bullets if we provide him the supplies and an explanation on how it works?”

The question made them all pause for several long moments. Kagome shifted uncomfortably and tried to remember everything she'd ever heard about the way bullets were made. “I don't know,” she began uneasily, “even if you could explain the process to him, he doesn't have the equipment needed to produce them.”

“I'm not gonna pretend to know what she's talking about but one thing Totousai can do is work with metal. If either of you two can draw out the design of the crap he needs, he could probably recreate it for you,” Inuyasha said, his ears twitching in irritation. There was no way in hell they were going back to the village now. If it became absolutely necessary they would either leave Tres at a nearby village or Nightroad could protect him as far as he was concerned.

“But that could take days,” Sango protested immediately, “There's no telling where Naraku will be by then.” While she wasn't familiar with the machinery that they were speaking of, she was well acquainted with the concept of making her own weapons and it was a tedious process to say the least. "We just don't have that much time to spare."

“What's worse, a couple of days or the couple of weeks that it would take to get back to Kaede's?” Inuyasha countered quickly. All he wanted at this point was to figure out what the hell they were doing. It wouldn't hurt to ask Totousai and the old coot owed him after the last jam he'd helped him out of. If nothing else, they were headed there anyway and it put off the headache of telling Tres there was a strong chance that he was going to be left behind, at least for a few hours.

“He's right,” Miroku interjected before Sango could counter the hanyou's argument, “Short of leaving Tres somewhere while we hunt for Naraku, I daresay this is the most expedient way of dealing with the problem. Somehow I doubt that our friend would acquiesce to such a suggestion anyway.” The look on the redhead's face quickly confirmed that; he had already looked ready to kill something. He knew that the moment that the possibility of leaving Tres behind was put forth, whoever the one was who even made the suggestion was likely to be on the receiving end of that anger. Just because he happened to be out of ammunition did not mean that Father Nightroad was as well and something told Miroku that Tres could indeed use the Crusnik's gun quite well.

“Absolutely not,” Kagome cut in, putting the nix on the suggestion. No one was getting left behind, even if it meant they had to go back to Kaede's. What would happen if Tres was attacked by something while they were off hunting Naraku? The man would be a sitting duck! “Either we all go or none of us goes. You heard what Kanna said, he plans on taking us out one at a time. Do you really think Naraku would pass up on an opportunity like that?”

“She's right,” Inuyasha said and crossed his arms. Leaving Tres on his own just wouldn't be wise when he took that into consideration. 'Damn, it would have been better if Abel had been the one to run out. At least he's got another way of fighting.' Like it or not though, that wasn't what had happened. But that did give him another idea, at least temporarily. “Hey, Tres,” he called, getting the redhead's attention, “You can work your partner's weapon right?”

Curtly Tres nodded his head, “Positive. I can operate any firearm from our time.” The look of relief that passed over their faces gave him little comfort. If nothing else it served to irritate him further. He was supposed to be Kagome's guardian but he'd been rendered all but helpless in the last fight. To add insult to injury, with his weapons being unusable it made him nothing more than a burden to the group. The brief talk of leaving him behind had stung more than he wanted to admit and it was a small consolation that Kagome had objected so strongly. Just the fact that it had been mentioned at all was troubling.

“Fine, if you don't mind, Nightroad, give him your gun. It's not like you need or use the damned thing anyway,” Inuyasha said, thankful that they had at least found a temporary solution. “We'll still stop at Totousai's to ask if he can make the bullets. We don't need you running out while we're in the middle of a fight.”

“Fine, then let's get moving. It won't be much longer before night falls, I'd like to get there by then,” Sango said blandly. She wasn't exactly happy with the compromise but it was better than going all the way back to the village. Quickly, she mounted up on Kirara and gave Miroku a hand so he could climb up behind her. Shippo was also perched on his shoulder which put the load at about the limit that the firecat could carry but she really didn't feel like they had a choice in the matter.

When Inuyasha looked at Kagome expectantly, she sighed. She knew exactly what he was asking and, right now, she didn't see the need to argue. She wanted to reach the swordsmith's cave just as quickly as the others and walking would only slow them down. Abel and Tres were in good enough shape that they could run without much problem although she worried from time to time if the redhead's ribs still caused him pain. But he hadn't even mentioned them lately, so she was forced to assume that they were well on their way to healing. Nodding once, she watched Inuyasha go down on one knee and with practiced ease, slid onto his back. Only once she was situated did she look at the two priests, “It shouldn't be too much farther but let us know if you need to stop for anything, alright?”

For a moment, Father Nightroad could only look at the miko in surprise before he nodded, “ We'll be right behind you.” While he understood the need for getting there quickly, he could feel just how unhappy this made Tres and he really couldn't say that he blamed him. Not only had Kagome had to save them from Kanna, now she was relying on the inu-hanyou to get to their destination. Even he felt the slightest bite of jealousy but it was nothing compared to how Tres was feeling.

Tres said nothing in response and merely followed behind them with what seemed to be a permanent scowl etched upon his face. What he wanted to do was to order Kagome to remove herself from Inuyasha's back but he could see how logical, not to mention efficient, the move had been. To object now would only prolong the amount of time that he had to watch the half-demon carry her, and that would increase the feelings of irritation coursing through him with every step he took.

Those feelings weren't lost on Kagome either and she tried to send a feeling of reassurance to him, but it didn't help much. She knew that once this trip was over she was going to have to sit down with him and try to figure out exactly what the problem was. She could tell it didn't stem from just one source so it was hard to pinpoint just what was causing it. Getting answers from him with everyone around wasn't likely to be easy either.'Maybe I can ask him to take a walk with me once we get to Totousai's. A short walk might do the trick.'

“He'll be alright,” Inuyasha said while leaping over another fallen tree. If he hadn't been able to pick up on the taller male's anger, he certainly had noticed the way Kagome seemed uneasy on his back and continually looked back at the two priests to make sure they were following. Reassurances were going to be in order to keep the group from falling apart and he sighed as he realized that once again the responsibility was resting on his shoulders. 'I hope they get this worked out soon'.

“Yeah, but what's wrong with him in the first place? He knows we'd never leave him behind and I doubt you carrying me would cause such an... intense anger in him,” Kagome said worriedly and looked back at the man for what had to be the tenth time in as many minutes.

The question had Inuyasha rolling his eyes in disgust, “Don't be stupid, Kagome. You saw the way he looked when the fight was over. What male likes it when his woman has to save his ass? If it wasn't for you he and Nightroad would both be dead.” Really, how hard was it for her to figure out? Even he had known what the problem was within the first couple of moments after the fight.

“I should have known,” Kagome muttered beneath her breath. To her it hadn't mattered who had finished the fight so long as it was settled and no one was hurt. Apparently though, such an affront to a male's pride was something that called for much sulking. Of course, she doubted that reason was all of it, but it would make sense that that was what had triggered the whole thing in the first place.

The rest of the trip was done in silence because neither of them were sure of what to say and Kagome knew that asking Inuyasha's advice on how to resolve the issue would most likely end up as a futile attempt. So when they arrived at the entrance to the cave, Kagome heaved a sigh of relief and slid off on Inuyasha's back. When she tried to send a smile in Tres' direction though, it was met with a look of regret. Sighing heavily, she followed Inuyasha towards the entrance and prayed that Totousai was home.

“Hey, Totousai! Are you in there, old man?” Inuyasha yelled, ignoring the formalities of politeness. So help him if the guy was out flying around on that three-eyed cow he was likely to end up strangling someone while they waited for him to return.

“Eh! Who's there?” The voice echoed from the darkness of the cave, alerting Inuyasha to the fact that the man was at least home, even if he was as senile as ever. Stalking forward, he peered into the entrance. “It's me, old man. Either get out here or let us come in. We need to talk to you!”

“Inuyasha?” Totousai queried, sticking his head out of the entrance, blinking a few times to allow his eyesight to adjust, “You didn't break the Tetsusaiga again, did you?”

“Of course not,” Inuyasha groused and walked into the entrance, motioning for the others to follow him. He wasn't about to wait for an invitation, not when they could stand there for hours before Totousai figured out that they needed something. Quickly his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness and he could see that not much had changed. A futon remained in one corner and the rest of the area had been taken up with the tools of the swordsmith's trade.

“So what are you here for?” Totousai asked curiously, one scrawny hand coming up to rub the top of his head uneasily. Inuyasha didn't just turn up for no reason, especially not with the entire group in tow and then some. “Who are they anyway, Inuyasha? I'm a busy man, if it's not the Tetsusaiga I'm afraid I won't be able to help you. I can't afford to set my other customers aside.”

With this question Kagome stepped forward. “Please hear us out, Totousai; we really need your help. These are my friends Father Nightroad and Father Tres.” She indicated with her hand just who she was referring to, to avoid any confusion. The bald head nodded in understanding although the swordsmith didn't take his eyes off her. Taking a deep breath she continued, “I'm afraid that their weapons don't have anything to do with swords but you're the best weapons master we know. I'm hoping that you'll be able to help us.”

“Best weapons master you say? Tell me more,” the old man said, rubbing the end of his beard thoughtfully. Of course his talents with swords were well known throughout Japan but to be known as a weaponmaster made his pride swell. Just maybe he could set his current job aside in order to help the girl out.

“What do you know about guns?” Inuyasha cut in, wanting to get right to the point. Kagome might have managed to pique his interest but they couldn't just stand there stroking the man's ego either.

“Guns?” Totousai's large eyes blinked towards the inu-hanyou in surprise, “What do you need with a gun? They're a dreadful weapon requiring little skill. You stick with the Tetsusaiga, my boy, it's all the weapon you'll ever need.”

“It's not for me, you old coot! It's for them. I keep telling them a sword's the way to go but we ain't got the time for them to learn how to use one,” Inuyasha said, shooting a superior look over at the two. Maybe now they'd listen to him when he tried telling them that their weapons were all but useless, but the look of disgust on their faces immediately convinced him the attempt was pointless once again. Both of the men looked like they were ready to take their frustrations out on him at a moments notice and with a sigh he turned back to face the old swordmaster.

“Good, good. No guns for you my boy. Now that that's out of the way, it was nice of you to visit, but I don't have time to talk. Stop by some other time!” Totousai said, believing the discussion to be over. The sword he was working on now was an important job, one that he'd been paid double for. However, when his guests didn't move, he paused, “Was there something else you needed?”

“Totousai, we need to know if you can make bullets like this,” Kagome said and pulled a casing out of her pocket for the swordsmith to examine, “I know you need a special machine for it but Father Nightroad can make you a diagram showing how it's made.”

“I don't know,” Totousai said uncertainly although he made no move to hand it back. Carefully he examined it, his eyes scrutinizing the piece of metal carefully. The thinness was exquisite and although it would be difficult to replicate, he had no doubts that he could do so. “What's in it for me?”

“What's in it for you?” Inuyasha snorted in disgust, “You get to live. Cause if we don't have enough of these for the next fight, Naraku might just get away and where do you think he's gonna come first since I'm sure he's seen that we're visiting you?” It was a dirty tactic to use, but Inuyasha wasn't about to apologize for it.

“So the rumors are true then?” Totousai muttered, not wanting to believe it, but not seeing a reason to deny it either. He'd thought it odd that Naraku had died so easily, especially if Kouga's retelling was to be believed. “Fine, show me your diagram and I'll make my decision.”

Father Nightroad stepped up and directed the old man towards a bare patch of earth where he'd be able to draw the design that would be needed. He didn't bother to ask for any sort of parchment since he knew that paper in this time period was a luxury and, based upon his first impression of the swordsmith, he was unlike to have any on hand. A small twig was precisely what he needed to begin the outline in the dirt. “This machine has several moving parts but I'm sure that you'll be able to accomplish that. It's about this high...”

Their voices trailed off and Kagome leaned against one of the walls, knowing that this could take awhile. Totousai was nothing but thorough and it would probably take some time before they had come to any sort of decision. “Hopefully this won't take long,” she muttered beneath her breath.

“We already know that Totousai has the capabilities but I wonder, does he have the materials on hand?” Miroku asked quietly while he watched the two of them converse. “Gunpowder has many different ingredients and I doubt that he has them in supply considering that he wouldn't have a use for them.”

“You're right,” Kagome said with a sigh and tried to think about what she knew of the substance. Most of the ingredients that she'd heard of hadn't been put together until the nineteenth century and it was unlikely they could get their hands on it now. “Out of curiosity, do you know what goes into it? The method I know of hasn't even been discovered yet.”

“I don't, however I'd be willing to bet that Sango does,” Miroku said quietly to both the miko and the exterminator. His calling was generally a peaceful one and he normally couldn't be bothered with learning about this sort of thing; however, it was right up Sango's alley with her profession. It was highly unlikely that the woman would object to helping now since with her assistance they could get this accomplished faster.

“I'm familiar with the technique,” Sango said the moment the miko's eyes trained on her, “the components are relatively inexpensive but dangerous to work with.” It wasn't something that she'd mess with if there was any way around it, but then it wasn't her getting into it either. Totousai wouldn't be any worse for wear if an explosion happened seeing that he had the ability to breathe fire at any time he chose.

“As I thought. If you wouldn't mind, might I persuade you to make a list, Sango?” Miroku asked and reached into his robes for a scrap of paper and a quill with which to write. It was fortunate that he kept a small ink pot on hand as well for emergencies such as this; otherwise, whoever went to retrieve the supplies would be stuck with memorizing the list of ingredients. With a small smile he handed the items to the exterminator and watched her reluctantly begin to write.

“I suppose it's too much to hope that the village might have some already made so we don't have to go through the trouble of making it ourselves,” Kagome muttered with a sigh, although she knew that the fact that Sango knew how to make it at all was better than nothing.

“You might be surprised, Lady Kagome.”

The unexpected voice had the miko looking down in surprise, “Myouga, what are you doing here?”

“Keeping Totousai company, of course,” Myouga replied and leaped upwards towards her shoulder. However he didn't make it far before he was caught in the rather strong grip of a man he hadn't met yet, but had become familiar with nonetheless. “My pardons, I meant her no harm. You must be Father Iqus.”

“Positive,” Tres replied curtly, peering at the flea demon in his hand. Ordinarily he wouldn't be concerned over something so small, but he'd learned in the months since he arrived in this time period that nothing was to be taken for granted. "Now, state your business."

“Yes, well, I'll get to that in a moment. It's a pleasure to finally meet you,” Myouga said, and waited for the man's grip to relax. Only once it had did he attempt to move again and brush his clothing off. "I really wish you wouldn't have done that," his voice came out in a whining tone that had everybody wincing slightly, "I try so hard to stay presentable-looking and then something always happens to make me look rumpled."

“Wait, you know of Tres already?” Kagome asked with an arched brow and no small amount of worry. Somehow the flea continued to surprise her with what he happened to know and this time she had to wonder if perhaps the small demon had been spying on them. But if he had, wouldn't Totousai have known that they were coming?

“Of course I do. Did you think that your friends wouldn't garner their fair share of attention during your travels? I must say that Naraku's survival was a surprise and I'd been hoping that they were nothing more than vicious rumors. However, I doubt that you'd come all this way for just a social call,” Myouga replied with no humor. “I know that your group has been avoiding villages when possible, but news still travels fast. I daresay that they've attracted almost as much attention as you did when you arrived.”

“I suppose that would make sense,” Kagome said after a moment and gave Tres a good once over with her eyes. “Both you and Father Nightroad do tend to stick out, just a bit anyway.” That was putting it a bit mildly, but it really wasn't any worse than she had when she first arrived. At least they weren't running around in outfits that gave the world panty shots every time they turned around.

“Our appearances are irrelevant, continue with your explanation. Will gun power be easily procured at this village?” Tres asked, impatient to get on with it. The sooner they solved the ammunition problem, the faster they could continue the hunt for Naraku.

“I cannot say for certain, however, there is a chance that the you'll be able to acquire some from the shop keeper. Being so close to the lava fields means that sulfur is in abundant supply and gun powder is easily marketed. However, if they believe that you are a person with dangerous intentions, I wouldn't expect that they will part with their wares so easily. These are still hard times and they are plagued by bandits and thieves,” Myouga said quietly and looked over at the man critically, “News of your presences has traveled fast, to be certain, but I do not believe they will welcome you so easily. You'll need someone to accompany you who can vouch for your character.”

“Fine, I'll go with him,” Inuyasha replied from across the room. Listening to Nightroad and Totousai had long ago bored him, so he'd tuned them out. Hearing that half of their problem might already be solved had gotten his attention immediately.

“I'm afraid that won't be so easy, Inuyasha. As I said, times have been hard and this village has suffered much because it is so prosperous. Being a demon would bar you entrance, as would being a hanyou most likely,” Myouga replied carefully, trying not to set the man off. Even he had to be careful when entering that village because people were so wary. Inuyasha's reputation as one who helped to defeat Naraku was unlikely to be enough to grant him entrance into the village.

“Like they could keep me out,” Inuyasha scoffed and crossed his arms. It would figure that they'd forbid demons entrance even though it was likely that it was ordinary humans causing all the trouble.'Shit, one little bump in the night and these idiots are up in arms, thinking they're under attack.'

“Of course they couldn't, but do you really want to ruin any chances of getting the stuff we need?” Shippo asked from his spot on the ground. While he could understand Inuyasha's irritation, he thought the hanyou was too impulsive and not thinking things through. “Or would you rather go all the way back to Kaede's?”

“Who asked you, runt?” Inuyasha snapped, even though he knew that the kitsune had a point. Of course, he could just take the stuff if necessary, but he didn't want to think about the hell Kagome would put him through for that when there were easier ways of getting what they needed.

“Shippo's right,” Sango snapped impatiently and looked up from the list, “we shouldn't have to be doing this in the first place, but since there's really no choice, one of us is going to have to go.” With that, she gave a sidelong look at Tres and didn't flinch back from the look he gave her. This was twice now that he'd run out of ammunition and it was getting rather tiring to deal with. Sooner or later the man was going to have to learn to ration his supplies before someone got killed because of his thoughtlessness.

Kagome watched as Tres turned around and walked out of the cave. She couldn't help but shake her head with resignation. While he might not have shown just how angry he was, she could tell that the comment had rubbed him the wrong way. Sooner or later something was going to break through that icy shell he'd put up and that anger would come spilling out.'The gods had better help whoever it's directed towards. That's one man that I wouldn't want to provoke.'

“So, who's going to the village then? Neither me or Inuyasha can go, and Tres can't go by himself,” Shippo asked curiously, ignoring the tension that was mounting in the room. Even though he wanted to go, he knew it just wouldn't be possible this time. Nor did he believe, that Tres would be so accepting of traveling with certain members of their group at the moment. Father Nightroad wouldn't work because the villagers would be suspicious of him as well. In his mind, either Miroku or Kagome would have to be the one to go, but was sending the miko such a good idea?

Before he could voice the question though, Kagome spoke up, “I'll go with him. Right now _probably wouldn't be a good time to send anyone else with him.” If nothing else, she knew that she was more likely to get him to open up than any of the others, except for perhaps Abel and he was needed here.

“Kagome, I don't think that's a good idea. You don't have your bow and he's down to borrowing Father Nightroad's gun,” Sango said, her brow furrowing in thought,. “Miroku, I think you should go instead. You're good at negotiating prices anyway.”

At this, Miroku's brow raised and he shook his head, “I don't think that would be wise. We're most likely to be troubled by demons, and frankly, we'd need more than just my sutras if it were to come down to a fight. You're forgetting where we are. Swords are not the only weapons that Totousai has here.”

“He has a point you know,” Shippo said and looked around the room. While swords were the predominant weapon, there were others, such as spears and pikes. There was even a chance that Totousai had a bow hidden away somewhere if they were lucky, perhaps one that had been left by a former customer.

“You're right, Shippo,” Kagome replied thoughtfully and made her way over to the swordsmith who looked to be deeply involved in his own conversation with Father Nightroad. “Excuse me, can I interrupt for a moment to ask you a question, Totousai?”

“Of course. What is it that you need, Kagome?” Totousai asked curiously, giving the girl his complete attention. The diagram that the priest had been showing him was beyond interesting and he could easily see how he could forge something of the sort with a day or so of work. However, it wasn't often that the miko came to ask him for anything. Usually it was Inuyasha just demanding and Kagome trying to play mediator.

“You create swords for a lot of different people, right?” she asked and when she received a cautious nod, she continued on, “What do you do with the weapons they already had? Do they take them when they leave or are they left behind for you to have?”

“Well,” Totousai began and stroked his beard thoughtfully, “most of the time, they take their things with them. The only time they really leave anything behind is if they were in a jam when they came here in the first place. Say if they break their sword like someone else we know, whatever cheap piece of garbage they pick up to use temporarily is left behind and I melt it down for scrap.”

“Hmm, I thought as much. Has anyone ever left a bow behind before?” Kagome asked, hope coloring her voice. If he had one, she'd be surprised, but pleased nonetheless. Even if it wasn't in the best of conditions, it was better than nothing and she could always get a better one at the village.

“Bows, bows... Hmm, you're in luck, Kagome. I think I might have what you need over here,” the sword smith said indulgently and stood up. Quickly, he led the miko over to a side chamber where he stored most of the stuff that he considered unusable. Bows were actually a quite common commodity since they were easily obtained if one was in a hurry to get a weapon. Fortunately for the girl, most of the people couldn't use them well, and as such, it wasn't worth the effort in keeping them. For the most part, he'd been using them as kindling, but there was a chance he still had a couple of them left.

The darkness of the room had Kagome squinting to see just what Totousai was talking about, but already she could see the outline of a few bows and quivers propped against the wall.

“Perfect,” she breathed, and picked up the first one so she could examine it. The wood was rough and had suffered through some hard use, but perhaps it was still usable. Gingerly she pulled back on the line and prayed that it wouldn't snap. Unfortunately, she could hear the wood cracking under the pressure of the draw and reluctantly, she set it to the side. There was just no way she'd be able to fire more than one arrow with it.

The second bow she laid her hands on was slightly more promising. It wasn't a weapon that a master archer would have, but it was certainly better than the first one. While the wood wasn't perfectly smooth, she could feel the elasticity in it when she drew it back. The weapon had definitely seen better days, but it would more than suffice for what she needed on this trip. “This one will work just fine, thank you, Totousai.”

“It's no trouble at all,” he replied and watched the miko pick up the quiver full of arrows that had been situated next to the bow. He certainly had no use for such a thing and if it was what she needed, he was happy to get rid of the weapon. "I'm glad it can be of some use to you."

Quickly, Kagome made her way back out to the main room where the others were waiting. The look of exasperation that both Inuyasha and Sango gave her went ignored though. She wasn't going to let them dictate to her where she could and couldn't go. Tres certainly wasn't going by himself and even Miroku had all but said that she was the best choice.

“That's one problem solved,” she said, looking at them both with a bland expression, fully expecting the argument that was likely to follow.

“I still don't think it's a good idea,” Inuyasha protested, right on cue. “What if Naraku attacks while the two of you are alone?” That, more than anything else, bugged him beyond belief. Alone, the two of them weren't about to be able to hold their own against that bastard.

“Well, unless you fancy spending a night alone in the woods, I don't see much of an alternative,” Kagome replied, trying not to snap at her friend. She knew it was just because he was worried about her, and with good reason. Naraku's threat still loomed in their minds, and it was all too fresh to be dismissed so easily.

“Wait just a damned minute! Who said anything about staying overnight?” Inuyasha asked, his eyes going wide with surprise. Now he was liking this idea even less than before. Having the group split up for so long was just asking for problems and if there was a way to prevent it, he was damned sure going to find it.

“Take a look outside, Inuyasha. We've got maybe an hour of daylight left, if we're lucky. It's going to take at least that long to get to the village and the store is likely to be closed. If we wait to go until the morning, it's just going to be that much longer until we can get started on this. At least by staying the night, we'll only lose an hour or so getting back,” Kagome shot back. While she might not like the idea of traveling under such dangerous conditions, giving Naraku time to plan and act was worse.

“An hour or two isn't going to make a damned difference if Totousai doesn't have the machine ready yet,” Inuyasha retorted. While he might have lost interest in that part of the conversation, he'd heard the sword smith state that it would take him around a day to complete the machine based on Nightroad's diagram.

“I guess it's too much to ask for you to actually listen all the time, isn't it? We don't know if we'll actually be able to get the gun powder there or not. If all we can get is the ingredients, we'll be busy making it while Totousai is busy,” Kagome replied hotly. She wished that just once he didn't have to be so damned difficult. “If you want to come along, then fine. Just realize that you'd be sleeping outside unless you manage to find a way to sneak in unnoticed!”

“There ain't no one that's going to see me if I don't want them to,” Inuyasha said with no small amount of arrogance. “Besides, it isn't like I've never slept outside before. One more time isn't going to be a big deal.” In fact, sleeping outside was pretty much a way of life for him even before the hunt for Naraku had begun. If nothing else, he'd feel a hell of a lot better going with them.

“Fine, you come with us. We'll stay overnight and come back first thing in the morning,” Kagome acquiesced quickly, knowing that there was no reason to object to Inuyasha coming with them. With luck, the extra precaution wouldn't be necessary, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Now that that had been settled, Kagome turned to look at Sango, “Is it alright if we borrow Kirara?”

Slowly, Sango nodded and finished up the list of what they'd need. While she still didn't think it was a good idea to send Kagome off to the village, she knew that with Inuyasha there, no one would touch the girl. “Here's the list,” she said and handed it over to the miko before turning to the monk, “Miroku, you'll need to give them the money in order to purchase the supplies.”

“Of course,” Miroku replied with a sigh, “It's not like they can be expected to perform the same services that I could in order to receive the supplies as payment.”

“You mean Kagome won't con people like you will,” Inuyasha said with a snort of derision. Times were hard enough without cheating people out of their money and all of them knew it. However, it seemed to be something that Miroku was frequently willing to overlook whenever it suited his purposes.

“Your words wound me, Inuyasha,” Miroku protested half heartedly, even though he knew that the hanyou spoke the truth. Still, he never took from those who weren't well off in the first place, so he felt justified on the nights that he felt an ominous presence lurking near a village. Reluctantly, he pulled his coin purse from the folds of his robe and handed it to the miko, “If you wish to make it to the village before dark, you should probably leave soon. “

“Is there anything else we need to get before we go?” Kagome asked while tucking the money into her pocket so that it didn't get lost. Now that she had the list, money and a weapon, the only thing she could think of that needed to be done was inform Tres that they were leaving and that they'd have company. Somehow she doubted he'd be willing to talk with Inuyasha traveling with them, but it was worth a shot. If nothing else, she could always corner him once they were settled in a room. 'He won't have a choice then, he'll have to talk to me.'

“I do believe you have everything that will be required,” Miroku said and then looked over to the Crusnik, “Unless you have something that you'd like her to pick up, Father Nightroad.” There was no way that the miko was walking out of the cave without the man knowing she was going and this was the only way to get him to pull his head out of the sand, so to speak.

Father Nightroad's head jerked up immediately upon hearing his name being spoken, and for a moment he wondered just what it was that he had missed when everyone looked at him expectantly. He knew that Kagome was going, he had figured as much when she went looking for a bow, but had something else been decided upon while he was speaking with Totousai? “Are you leaving already?”

“Yes, we'll be leaving in just a couple of minutes,” Kagome replied with a slightly amused grin when she saw the befuddled expression on the Crusnik's face. Half the time she was certain that his clumsy and awkward demeanor was nothing more than an act, but at other times such as this one, she wasn't so certain.

Quickly, Father Nightroad pulled himself to his feet and made his way over to her, “You have the list and everything else you need?” While he wasn't exactly happy to see that she was going to the village, he knew that she was the only one likely to be able to help Tres to calm down. If it wasn't for that one little detail, he'd have offered to go with her himself.

“Yes, we'll be gone overnight, so I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow morning,” Kagome replied automatically. The moment the words left her lips, a look of surprise covered the priest's face, but it quickly vanished. However the speculative gleam that entered the Crusnik's eyes had Kagome swallowing hard. She would have had to have been dead in order to miss the sharp bite of jealousy that came resonating through the bond before it quickly vanished.

Even so, she'd known what she'd just felt and hastened to reassure him. Before anyone could react, she grasped his hand and pulled him down so that they were nearly touching. “It's not like that,” she whispered softly against his ear. Truly she had no thoughts about seducing Tres in order to get him to open up to her. Eventually, she knew that something would happen between them, but she was content to allow him to make the decision of when he wanted to come to her.

“Kagome,” Abel said with a sigh and brought a hand up to caress her cheek, “You may not think so, but I'm not a fool and neither is he. Half the reason for his anger is...” Reluctantly he trailed off, remembering that they had an audience and two of the members had demonic hearing. It wouldn't do to blatantly announce that most of Tres' anger was because of the jealousy that he was unsure of how to deal with. With a sigh, he shook his head. 'I guess it will end up working out somehow.'

When he didn't continue, Kagome pulled back slightly to look at him curiously and then frowned when he shook his head again. It'd be nice if he'd just come out and say what he'd been thinking, however, she knew by the expression he wasn't going to say anything more. Sighing heavily, she tried to give him a smile, “Everything will be fine, don't worry. We'll see you tomorrow.”

“Be careful,” Father Nightroad replied and then blushed when the miko brushed her lips against his cheek. As much as he wanted to return the display of affection and then some, it wouldn't be appropriate behavior. So instead, he caressed her cheek with his fingers before releasing her. All he could do was pray for their safety and hope that she managed to help Tres through the difficulties he was having, while maintaining a hold on his own uncertain emotions. 'We need to get things settled between us all soon, but what the resolution will be remains to be seen.'

Throughout the discussion, Tres had stationed himself near the entrance. It was far enough away to remain unobtrusive, but close enough that he could watch everything that had transpired and now he had seen enough. Resolutely, he stepped forward, his expression one of an icy calm and apparent detachment, “Prolonged goodbyes only serve to delay our departure. If we wish to leave, it must be now.”

Inuyasha nearly rolled his eyes at that particular proclamation, even if he happened to agree with the redhead. Hedidn't particularly want to stand there while Kagome and the Crusnik made doe eyes at each other either.'If they don't cut it out, someone's going to end up vomiting.' Impatiently he cleared his throat, catching their attention, “He's right. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back. You two can continue with that sappy shit later.”

“You wouldn't know sappy if it bit you in the ass,” Kagome muttered beneath her breath, although she knew that Inuyasha had heard her by the way his ears had twitched. Of course, Abel was left sputtering by the hanyou's comment, which wasn't all that surprising. The Crusnik had that innocent act down pat. With a long suffering sigh, she went towards the entrance and then turned back towards the others, “We'll see everyone tomorrow. Coming, Kirara?”

In response, the fire cat trotted up behind the miko and once they were all outside, she changed into her larger form. For a moment, there seemed to be some confusion about who was going to mount first and Kirara eyed them impatiently. She wasn't exactly happy about the night's trip, but she wasn't going to deny them help either. However, that didn't mean she was going to stand there all night, waiting for them to figure out what they were doing.

When Kirara took the opportunity to head butt Kagome in the thigh, the miko looked down at her in surprise. Immediately Inuyasha knew what the problem was and it was his turn to sigh. The girl was always used to riding behind someone and Tres was making no attempt at moving.

“Just get on already, Kagome,” Inuyasha snapped impatiently. Whatever the man's motives were for just standing there, it wasn't his problem. All he wanted to do was get moving and they weren't helping matters.

“I'm going, I'm going. Don't be so impatient,” Kagome replied huffily and straddled the fire cat's back. Once she was in place, she was forced to move forward a bit when Tres decided he was going to sit behind her. It was a bit of a surprise when she felt his arms slide around her waist and a surge of possessiveness echoed down through the bond. 'These two are going to be the death of me yet. And here I thought that we women were bad with the jealousy and possessive tendencies.'

“It's about damned time,” Inuyasha muttered and shook his head. Before either of them could make a comment though, he began running in the direction that he knew the village to be. 'The three of them need to figure shit out and soon. I'm beginning to feel like a fucking babysitter here.'

No words were spoken as Kirara set off after him, moving swiftly through the rapidly cooling night air. The shadows were lengthening around them, bearing witness to the fact that night was about to fall. Ordinary mortals would be helpless in the darkness, but these four moving swiftly were anything but helpless to the creatures of the night.

The pace was grueling, but necessary, and none of them were about to slow in their headlong dash. A sense of urgency wove itself around them, dispelling the fragile illusion of peace that could be found in the darkness. From time to time, Tres tightened his hold on the miko, although she wasn't sure if it was to reassure her or a prelude to something more. Nor was she about to question it, she just accepted it for what it was, a touch that reminded her that she was not alone.

That touch was the one constant through the journey and she was thankful that she had at least that much for support. Even Inuyasha seemed tenser than usual and Kagome knew just how uncertain he was about what dangers might be lurking in the darkness. While he was a skilled fighter, neither she nor Tres would be of much assistance under the circumstances, and every so often she whispered a prayer to the Gods for their safe arrival at the village.

More than once, Inuyasha had stopped sharply, having sensed the danger that lurked nearby, but nothing ever manifested itself. For that much, he was grateful and even he breathed a sigh of relief when the outline of the village became apparent.

“We're almost there,” he called up to them and pushed himself to even greater speeds. Kirara, of course, could keep up rather easily with him, so it only took a few more minutes before they came to a stop on the outskirts of town.

Carefully, Kagome slid off of the fire cat's back and looked at Inuyasha, “I guess this is where we part company, isn't it?” At his nod, she sighed heavily, “I guess the first thingwe need to do is find the inn and the shop.”

“That's easy,” Inuyasha replied and scented the air carefully. Although the scent of humans made it difficult to discern many things, he could at least give her a direction to start, “The market is in the center of the village, but it doesn't seem like it's active, so you'll have to wait until morning.”

“Perfect,” Kagome replied with a touch of exasperation. While she'd been expecting as much, she'd still been holding a small amount of hope. “Can you tell us where the Inn is then? And where do you plan on sleeping for the night?”

“Don't worry about that, I'll be nearby if there's a problem,” Inuyasha stated firmly, brushing that half of her question aside. He had no intention of letting the girl out of earshot, even if she did have Tres nearby to protect her. Scenting the air again, he pinpointed the area with the largest amount of humans, “It's over there, see the large building over to the left?”

Kagome had to squint and stare for a few long moments before she nodded. No matter how hard she tried, she'd never see as well in the dark as he did. “I see it, sort of, anyway. I suppose the only thing we can do tonight is get a room and go to the market first thing in the morning.”

“Positive, that is the most logical course of action,” Tres said quietly and moved up to stand beside the miko, “You have the appropriate currency for the transactions we wish to conclude?” His first impression of the village wasn't anything spectacular, but if they had the supplies that they needed, it would be well worth the trip.

“Yes, I have the money,” Kagome replied and fingered the pouch of coins that she'd procured from Miroku. The look that had been on the monk's face when he handed over the money had been that of a man parting with his favorite mistress, something that still made her shake her head in mirth. “We should be going. If we stand out here too long, people are going to get suspicious.”

“As if they're not going to be suspicious as it is,” Inuyasha groused before leaping up into a tree. He knew that Tres was likely to be looked upon with suspicion, even if Kagome was not. His style of dress was too unusual to not have people question his origins. As it was, the only reason that the miko wasn't likely to be suspicious was because they'd traveled this area often enough, there was a good chance that someone would recognize her. 'Kagome would kick my ass if she heard me say this, but this is one time that the similarities between her and Kikyo might be of some help.'

“Thank you ever so much for that brilliant observation,” Kagome replied dryly before shaking her head, “Come on, Tres. Let's head to the inn before Captain Obvious up there decides to point out something else.” She couldn't help but laugh when she saw the scowl form on Inuyasha's face, however, to the hanyou's credit, he didn't say anything in return. That in itself was likely a blessing since once the two of them squared off, it was likely to continue for hours and she was more than ready to find a warm bed to fall into.

“Was that really necessary?” Tres asked coldly, inclining his head slightly to look down at the woman walking beside him. While he had known that the hanyou hadn't taken serious offense to the pet name, Tres had to wonder what would prompt Kagome to bait him in such a fashion.

The man's tone had Kagome looking up at him sharply, “It's called playing, you should try it sometime, Tres.” She hadn't forgotten the attitude he had been giving off earlier and she wasn't about to allow him to turn it on her. Oh, she knew what the motivation was behind it, but that didn't make it acceptable either.

“We do not have time for playing games. We need to focus on the mission and destroying Naraku,” he replied curtly and increased his pace in an attempt to put an end to the discussion.

“Oh, like we're really going to get a hell of a lot done when there's nothing we can do until morning. One little comment and all of a sudden I'm not being serious enough about it?” Kagome asked with a scoff. She was trying not to allow his attitude to grate on her nerves, but it was a futile attempt at best. 'Getting stuck with hardheaded men seems to be a bad habit. Maybe I should have asked Abel to come instead. At least he'd be able to see the humor in what I said.'

“Need I remind you, miko, that our enemy is currently alive and is the one responsible for the destruction of the future as we know it?” Tres asked coldly, leveling a look at the girl that would freeze water before moving ahead of her again. He knew that his words were purposefully meant to hurt, but he felt justified in saying them since he believed that she needed to be reminded of exactly why they were here. 'It's time to be serious, not engage in pointless banter. We need to concentrate on the mission at hand.'

The words had been like a slap in the face and Kagome stopped dead in her tracks to stare at his retreating back, unable to believe what she'd just heard. Quickly, she hurried after him, more than ready to lay into him, “Excuse me?”

“Hey,” Inuyasha hissed from the roof of a building, getting the miko's attention, “As interesting as this lovers' spat is, get your asses moving and get to the inn. Neither one of you are going to be doing any of us much good fighting out in the middle of the damned courtyard!” He'd been listening to the entire conversation with growing irritation and he was about ready to kick both their asses for being so stupid.

As much as Kagome hated to admit it, this was one time that Inuyasha was right. Surely by now they were attracting attention even if no one had come out to speak to them yet. It wouldn't do any of them any good for the village to turn them away. Then they'd be forced to return to Totousai's empty handed. Angrily she caught up to Tres and leveled a glare at him, “We aren't finished with this.”

“Acknowledged,” Tres replied and said nothing further to the girl. He was well aware that he'd managed to push her buttons, but at least now she was acting more seriously. He could feel her anger easily, and to his surprise the sense of worry nearly matched it, however, it wasn't coming from the miko. 'Father Nightroad has become aware of the situation, if not the circumstances behind it.' Something told him that if things did not get resolved soon, the Crusnik would arrive to settle the dispute between him and the miko. A grimace crossed his face as an unbidden thought entered his mind,'As if we didn't have enough interference already.' Quickly, he led Kagome to the entrance to the inn, but she stopped him before he could open the door.

“Times are different here,” she stated in way of explanation and then knocked gently on the door. Through the thin wood, she could hear the soft footsteps of one of the occupants inside approaching. Moments later, the door opened to reveal the thinly lined face of the one she assumed to be the innkeeper. “Good evening.”

“May I help you?” The old woman asked after carefully scrutinizing the woman standing in front of her. The method in which she and her companion were dressed was certainly unusual, but she recognized the girl, even if she'd never spoken to her before.

“I hope so, we're in need of a room for the night. Might you have one available?” Kagome asked, carefully and put an unassuming smile on her face despite how irritated she was with the man at her side. Once they were in a room, she could ask him just where the hell he got off, but they had to get inside first.

“One room for the both of you?” the old woman asked uncertainly, looking between the couple standing in front of her with interest. She hadn't heard of the miko getting married, but then the village that she'd come from was quite a distance away. Perhaps news just hadn't traveled that quickly. If that was indeed the case, she would have plenty of gossip to speak of later.

The question had Kagome blushing slightly, because she knew exactly what the old woman was thinking. Sharing a room alone with a male was practically unheard of, unless the woman had been properly married. There was the option of asking for two rooms, but to do so would put them both at great risk for an attack if something should manage to slip past Inuyasha.'I guess we're going to have to let people believe that it's so. I just hope she doesn't ask too many questions about where and when.'

“Yes, one room would be fine,” she said and then hastened to add, “we were recently married you see.” It was a complete lie, but the truth would have taken far too much explanation to go through. While they weren't married in a conventional sense, the bond that they shared was far stronger than any wedding vows.

“Ah, I see. I'd like to offer you my congratulations. May your union be swiftly blessed,” the old woman said with a gentle smile before stepping to the side, “Please come in and I will show you to a room.”

“Thank you very much,” Kagome replied politely and stepped into the building with Tres following her closely. Once inside, Kagome removed her shoes and motioned for the redhead to do the same. Fortunately, he didn't protest the action and she gave a small sigh of relief. 'We really don't want to offend our hostess or anyone else in town while we are here. We'll have to be careful.'

“You're quite welcome. Tell me, you are the one called Kagome, are you not?” she asked while leading them through the main room.

“Oh yes, and my husband is called Tres,” Kagome replied softly. It was a bit of a surprise that the woman was choosing to deal directly with her instead of the priest considering how it was usually the men who conducted business while the women remained silent. 'It's probably because I'm more familiar than he is.'

“It is a pleasure to meet you both. I've heard many tales of your journeys through the years, honored Priestess. Tell me, what brings you to our village?” Curiosity was eating her alive since everyone believed that once the terror that Naraku brought was over, the miko would remain in her own village. That was obviously not the case and she was praying that this visit didn't portend a calamity of some sort.

“We've come to visit your market place since we were told that this village has certain items we're in need of,” Kagome replied and arched a brow at the woman walking beside her, “How much will the room be for the night? I'm afraid that we'll have to leave early in the morning since the rest of our traveling companions are waiting for us a few hours away from here.”

Slowly, the woman shook her head, “Do not trouble yourself with the charges for one room. It's a privilege to have such an honored guest in our midst, especially after your recent wedding." Silently, the woman said a prayer to the Gods as she looked at first Kagome and then Tres, taking note of the red-head's determined and annoyed expression. If indeed they were recently married, then it was likely that he wished time alone with his new bride and she was hindering that desire with idle chatter. "I am sure that your presence here will bring us favor from the Gods. Ah, here we are.”

Politely, she opened the door for the two visitors and stepped to the side so that they could enter, “You'll find linens in the closet. Is there anything else that you'll require for the night?”

As tempting as it was to ask for a hot bath to be prepared, Kagome refrained. Gently, she shook her head and smiled, “We'll be fine. Thank you again for giving us shelter on such short notice.”

“It's no trouble at all,” the old woman replied and then stepped out so that she could close the door gently. After bidding them goodnight, she returned to the front room where her needlework had been put aside.

Once the door had closed, Kagome turned to look at the redhead who was currently examining the large futon on the floor as if it had suddenly become the most interesting this in the world. His actions weren't helping her frayed nerves and frustration edged her voice, “Alright, what's your problem this time?”

“There is no problem to speak of,” Tres replied without bothering to look up at her. He was well aware of what she was referring to and at the moment he had no desire to deal with it, even though she'd told him earlier that they were far from finished with this particular fight. To do so meant that he would have to own up to the fact that he was upset over everything that had transpired since the last battle and he just wasn't ready to let it go.

“Oh cut the crap, why don't you?” Kagome snapped in irritation and stalked up to the redhead, “You've been acting like a jackass ever since this afternoon and I want to know why. Is it because I was the one to bring Kanna down? Cause if it is, I'll tell you right now that you're being stupid and need to get over it.”

The statement had his expression darkening even further than it had been both at her boldness in making such a statement like that to his face and for thinking such a thing about him in the first place. “Your assumptions are unfounded and unwarranted. I suggest you actually put some thought behind your words and learn what it is you speak of before you open your mouth,” Tres replied coldly and turned to face the miko.

“Are they?” Kagome asked imperiously, “You sure didn't look happy that I was the one to finish the fight and then that little display of jealousy was just the icing on the cake. What, did it offend your sense of manliness that a woman had to do something you couldn't in order to save the day?” She knew that the questions were likely to piss him off, but she was beyond caring. One way or another, they were going to work these problems out.

When the redhead didn't say anything, she continued to push on, “Or am I completely off base here? Would you be acting the same way if Abel had been the one to do what I did? Cause you know that he could have as well. You were the only one in real danger of losing your soul, you know? If he had changed forms, he could have easily taken Kanna out. How would you have acted then?”

“Father Nightroad's status is immaterial at this point. His lack of action endangered the mission. If he had been capable of subduing the target as you say, then he must be held accountable for his lack of action,” Tres replied and turned from her, shrugging his heavy coat off in the process. It irked him that what the miko said was likely the truth. He'd felt the rage coming off of the Crusnik and there had been no mistaking the surge of power coming from the man. Irritation flowed through him with the knowledge that they'd all been put in danger because Father Nightroad couldn't embrace his true form and he was forced to admit to himself that was the crux of the problem. It wasn't an admission he was comfortable with making, and not for the first time, he found himself wishing there was a way he could let Kagome know this so she could help him work it out. Unfortunately, he wasn't about to break the silence about the thoughts that continued to plague him, but only because this was one of those instances in which he was uncertain of how to proceed.

At this, Kagome rolled her eyes as if to say that he was being incredibly dense, “Is that your way of saying you just don't want to admit that I'm right? Face it, you're mad and I've become an easy target. Well, I've got a news flash for you, Tres. I didn't do anything wrong and I'm not the one that suggested we leave you behind either, so go find someone else to get pissed off at. I'm not in the mood to play the part of your little whipping girl at the moment.”

“The suggestion should never have been made in the first place. My orders are to remain with you, regardless of the situation. You are under my protection, no one else's, and the others would be doing well to remember that,” Tres replied testily, his anger quickly coming back to the surface with the memory. There would have been no way in hell that he would have accepted the decision, even if Kagome had agreed to it. Caterina's orders superseded anyone else's, including Father Nightroad's if it came down to it. "If the suggestion is ever made again, I shall make sure no one ever has the audacity to forget it a second time."

Kagome blinked in surprise at the venom she heard in his voice and the surge of jealousy that came from him as well. Carefully she walked up to him and placed a hand on his arm. Apparently, this had been something that had been bothering him for quite a while. “Tres, you know that they're just trying to do what's best for us all, right? We wouldn't leave you behind, no matter who suggested it.”

Aside from a tensing of the muscles beneath her fingertips, the redhead gave no indication of having heard her. Gently, she squeezed his arm and allowed some of her irritation to drain away. Now, what Abel had been trying to convey earlier became clear. It wasn't just the fact that she'd been the one to protect him, it was everything combined. 'In spite of his partnership with Abel, Tres sees himself as my sole guardian and I've been ignoring the fact that he's given up everything for me. He's risked it all, including his life more than once and I've been blind to his feelings throughout it all.' That, more than anything, she knew, had to irritate him to no end. 'I've been so stupid. How could I forget that?'

“I'm sorry,” she said at last, after taking that moment to try and see things from his point of view. The man before her, to her knowledge, had never wanted to be a human in the first place. It was only because someone dear to him had asked it of him that he'd even come with her, accompanying her on what most would consider to be a suicide mission. And then to be thrown into a different time period, and cursed with emotions that he'd only dealt with on a limited basis would try the strongest of individuals. Was is any wonder that he didn't know how to deal with them? 'What can I do to help him now? How can I possibly help him accept all these changes that he never even asked for?'

Tres turned to look at her, taking in her expression warily, “Are you?” Was she apologizing for the whole fucked up situation, or only pieces of it? Did she realize just how difficult it was watching the way sheinteracted with the others? Even the seemingly innocent touches that happened during the day to day activities between her and the Crusnik were grating, because it felt like he was being left out. It was like he was just a bystander to something important, watching something he couldn't be a part of. Then to watch her touching Inuyasha as she had been doing earlier in the day was just too much. Just how much longer would they force him to suffer in silence, leaving him to deal with the overload of emotions that he hadn't the experience to deal with?

“Of course I am,” Kagome started to say, but she was quickly stopped when the redhead pushed her up against the wall, his stare containing an intensity that had her swallowing hard. “Tres, what are you doing?”

“I'm not so sure you are, miko,” Tres replied quietly, keeping the girl trapped in place. He could feel the uncertainty surging from her and it nearly made him snort at the absurdity of it all. Didn't she know what he wanted from her? Determined to make things clearer, he leaned down and captured her lips in a bruising kiss. While he might not have had any experience, he'd been watching her with the Crusnik for far too long not to know what to do.

The action had caught her off guard, he could tell that much by the way that she gasped and grabbed at the thin shirt that he wore. Yet she made no move to push him away and so he took that as his cue to see just how far that he could push. The softness of her lips against his own was exquisite and something he wished to savor, but at the same time he needed more. Deftly, he slipped his tongue into her mouth and was pleased when she began mimicking his actions, even going so far as to press her body closer to his own.

Whatever hesitancy that the miko might have been feeling vanished within moments and the emotions that Tres felt resonating through the bond made one thing clear, she wanted this as much as he did. Now he could understand why his partner seemed almost anxious to get time alone with the girl. He would have acted the same way. But now was not the time to be thinking of the Crusnik, and he resolutely pushed those thoughts away. He was more content to concentrate on the girl in his arms and the way that she felt against him was making it extremely easy to do just that.

Abruptly, Kagome tore her lips away, trying to get a grip on what was happening. Yes, she wanted him, but was this because he wanted her as well or was this moment just because Abel had gotten something that Tres hadn't as of yet. Her breathing was ragged when she looked into his eyes, “Are we... really doing this, Tres?”

“Yes,” Tres replied without hesitation and leaned in to capture her lips a second time. He wasn't going to give her a chance to doubt or to question his motives. He needed this, he needed her. While instinctively he knew that she cared about him as much as any of the others, it was hard to shove his feelings of jealousy aside. He wanted her, all of her, instead of the small piece that he'd been granted. Oh, he'd be able to accept sharing her in time, but at this very moment he wanted nothing more than to erase the thought of his partner from her mind. Drawing on his memories, he allowed them to guide his actions. While he plundered her mouth and stole her breath away, he took her hands into his own and lifted her arms until they were pinned against the wall. A moment of holding them there was enough to convey that he didn't want them moved. Once he was certain she understood, he slowly ran his hands down her body until he found the first button of her blouse.

A growl of frustration nearly escaped him when the obstruction decided to be difficult and for a moment, it was tempting to just rip the garment down the front. A small part of him realized though, that wouldn't be in his best interest, especially since they'd have to return to the others sooner or later. He had no desire for any of the others to see more of her than necessary and he would gladly take the head of anyone foolish enough to look at her in such a fashion. In the end, it wasn't necessary because the buttons slid free with greater ease, baring her skin to the cool night air and allowing him his first glimpse of the prize that awaited him.

When the redhead pulled away, Kagome was left in a daze and wondering why he had stopped. The answer began clear though when his fingers freed the front clasp of her bra. Obviously he knew exactly what he wanted, and he wasn't wasting any time about going for it. The wash of cool air had her nipples tightening in anticipation, but to her surprise, he bypassed that temptation completely in favor of going for the waistband on her pants. 'Two can play at this game.' A wicked smirk crossed her lips and she lowered her arms from where he had placed them only moments before. The tension between them was reaching a feverish pitch and she knew just how close he was to saying the hell with it and ripping the clothing from her body by how jerky his movements had become. Quickly, she grabbed at his belts and pulled them free, ignoring the obstacle his shirt presented for the moment. There'd be time for taking that off later, but for now she wanted to move beyond the strip tease stage.

Their pants hit the ground simultaneously, but where Kagome stepped out of hers, Tres didn't bother. He made short work of the scrap of lace that covered her most intimate of areas and tossed the ruined fabric away from them. Before he could do more than lay his hands back on the miko though, she surprised him by wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Hold onto me,” she whispered into his ear and once she was sure that he had a good grip on her hips, she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her actions clearly caught him by surprise, but to his credit he didn't ask her any questions. For once he seemed content to allow her to dictate their actions and for that she was pleased.

The moment her heated flesh touched his own, Tres knew what she was expecting and he was more than ready to give it to her. Quickly, he resettled their weight until her back was resting firmly against the wall before he reached down to guide his hardened length into that waiting heat. Wetness coated the tip when he rubbed it against her and he wanted nothing more than to drive in hard, but the feelings that threatened to overwhelm him had him hesitating. Oh, he instinctively knew what his body was telling him and he was loath to end their encounter so soon. But there was just no way that he'd be able to hold out for long.

Kagome's body was tense with anticipation as he continued to tease her and finally it just became too much for her to continue enduring. The feel of him touching her so intimately, but holding back was maddening. Quickly, she readjusted her grip on his shoulders and shifted her weight, driving her body down on his shaft. A soft gasp escaped her lips as he started to fill her, but the action only gained her a couple of inches at best.

“Move your ass,” she whispered desperately into his ear while trying to use her weight to take more of him in.

The ability to think became a thing of the past when she did that and he became nothing more than a slave to his own desires. Ruthlessly, he pushed her back against the wall and withdrew just enough to give her warning before driving into the hilt. The sharp breath she took stroked his ego while other parts of her stroked his cock and he wouldn't have it any other way. There was no way in hell he'd be able to last long, but that was no longer a concern. All that mattered was the way that she felt and the overwhelming pleasure he experienced while he took her forcibly against the wall. Now that he had a taste of her, there was no way in hell he intended on watching from the sidelines. She was his and he was going to make damned sure that she and everyone else would never forget that fact.

Kagome could only hold on while he stole her breath away. There was no room for her to move, she could only feel while he took possession of her body. Every nerve stood on end and she became acutely aware of everything around her, the roughness of the wall behind her, the heat of his breath against her neck and the way his arms clung to her. It was as if he were afraid that she'd disappear if he loosened them.

As much as he wished to draw their encounter out, Tres knew that he'd reached his limit. Sweat trickled down the sides of his face, plastering his hair to his skin as he moved faster, driving deeper into that exquisite tightness that surrounded him. The rhythmic movement between them quickly dissolved into a series of frenzied jerks and Tres gave himself over to the pleasure that he'd never experienced before.

Slowly, Kagome ran her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck, but she didn't voice her slight disappointment. There was no way that she could blame him for being inexperienced, and waiting as long as he had, he couldn't be expected to perform like a seasoned professional. For now, she was content to enjoy the sated feeling that radiated from the man holding her so closely, but even that, she knew, would come to an end sooner or later.

Sensing that the position wouldn't remain comfortable for long, Tres lowered the miko down carefully until her feet were firmly on the floor. What he wasn't expecting though was the saucy wink that she gave him before sauntering over to the futon. Was there something more to come that he wasn't aware of? Determined to find out, he quickly kicked the pants off from around his ankles and followed her over to the bed.

“So nice of you to join me,” Kagome commented with a grin. Now that the edge had been taken off of his desire, she was more than willing to find out if the stories she'd heard about men were true. Sure, there was a recovery time to contend with, but she was certain that she could have him ready to go again in no time. It would just take a bit of experimenting to see what turned him on. Arching a brow, she patted the mattress next to her, indicating that he should lie down before she shrugged the open shirt off of her shoulders. Clothing was definitely optional at this point in time and if things went the way she was hoping they would then the shirt wouldn't be needed anytime soon anyway.

Seeing the woman discarding the last of her clothing had Tres doing the same with his own shirt. It had been somewhat surprising that she'd ignored that garment on him completely, especially seeing that he'd noticed the way she tended to stare when he'd removed it in the past. So he felt no remorse in taking his time in sliding the thin material from his body, just so he could enjoy the way her gaze darkened with lust while she watched.

Soon after, Kagome surprised him by grabbing his hand and pulling him down with her. Before he could question what she expected of him though, the miko had managed to push him over onto his back and was now hovering above him. Silky, black hair trailed over her shoulder, brushing over his skin almost teasingly while she looked at him with a predatory gleam in her eyes.

“Whatever should I do with you?” Kagome mused to herself, allowing her gaze to trail over his body hungrily. The man was definitely a piece of work to be admired and now that she had him alone, and naked, she was more than ready to map out every inch of his body with her lips and hands. 'Not that he'd have a reason to object, and maybe he'll get some of his own ideas in the meantime.' The thought had her leaning down to trail soft kisses over his jawline. His soft hum of contentment had her snickering, “What, you didn't think we were finished, did you?”

“Negative,” Tres lied easily, even though that's exactly what he'd thought. Kagome, it would seem, was full of surprises, but he wasn't going to complain. He was more than ready to see just what she had in mind while he caught his breath from his earlier exertions. His body was pleasantly tired, but something told him that the miko wasn't ready to sleep, not by a long shot. His suspicion was confirmed when her hand began trailing lightly along his chest and gentle fingertips lightly traced his nipples before continuing on its downward path, its destination clear.

The slow pace she was using had to be driving the redhead to distraction if his expression was anything to go by, but she was having entirely too much fun exploring the rest of his body. The muscles of his abdomen tightened when her fingertips ghosted over them and then lingered for a few seconds. Really, she was going to have to ask him to go shirtless more often once their quest was over. They'd get nothing done, but at that point, would it really matter?

Tres could feel his body tightening in anticipation of her hand finally reaching its goal, but the miko was taking her own sweet time. Impatiently he took her by the wrist and guided her hand to his thickening length before pausing to see just how far she was willing to go with this little game.

“Wow, are you trying to making up for lost time?” Kagome asked with an arched brow. While he wasn't completely hard yet, he was damned close. What surprised her was the sheer thickness her hand was encountering. If she'd taken the time to look at it before they'd come together the first time, she probably would have had second thoughts about moving so quickly. Now though, she had no doubts and she definitely wanted more of him. There were other things that would come first though. This time she had no intentions of coming away from this encounter without being fulfilled as well.

“I hope you're not under any delusions that this is only a one-time thing,” Tres replied huskily and threaded his fingers through her hair. Now that he'd had a taste of her, it was something that he intended on having regularly. She was like an addiction and he had no plans of giving her up.

“Oh, trust me, what I want from you won't be satisfied with just one time,” Kagome whispered before taking the opportunity to slide further down his body. The resistance on her hair was slight enough that it didn't hinder her movement. Their gazes remained locked, even when she reached her goal and she made certain that he was aware of every touch she was about to give him before she ran her tongue along the underside of his shaft. The way his expression changed to one of surprise nearly had her giggling, but somehow she refrained. She was going to enjoy seeing just how far she could push him before he demanded to take her again.

At one point, Tres would have sworn that nothing could have seemed more erotic than the way the miko looked in the throes of pleasure, but she was continuing to surprise him. The way her tongue ran over his flesh seemed almost experimental, but she was quickly gaining in confidence and when she finally wrapped her lips around the tip, he almost lost it.

It was only the fact that Kagome noticed the way his hands tightened in the blankets that she pulled back. She was going to have to take things slow for both of their sakes, otherwise her fun would end all too quickly. Now, more than ever, she was going to have to watch for the smallest of signs and take her cues from his body. Determined to make this last, she stretched herself out alongside his body and ran teasing fingertips down the length of his shaft. The way his hips left the bed told her just how eager he was for something more and it made her feel powerful to think that she could bring him to such a state.

Her grip was gentle as she encircled both hands around his shaft and stroked it slowly. Licking her lips, Kagome stared into those brown eyes and smirked at the way they widened ever so slightly. She wasn't a fool, she knew that he'd probably gotten himself off in order to take care of any feelings of arousal that he'd had over the past few months. But to have someone else do it was another story. Experimentally she tightened her fingers and giggled when his hips bucked up on the downward stroke. Oh yes, someone was definitely enjoying the attention she was giving, but at the same time, she was feeling a bit neglected.

“Oh, Tres,” she murmured seductively, drawing his name out to focus his attention on what she was saying. When she was certain that she had him, she slid her legs open just enough to expose herself to his view. When he just stared, lost in a haze of his own pleasure she decided she was going to have to show him what to do and started guiding her fingers downwards.

Any uncertainty he might have been experiencing became clear to Tres when he watched her take one of those sinful hands from his cock and use it to tease her own nipple, plucking on it gently. Now, more than ever, he was thankful that she'd come to the conclusion they would need to stay overnight, because he would have hated to attempt something like this with all the others around. Not that that little detail would be stopping him in the future. Of course, the others would likely object to having these sort of activities going on around them, but at the moment he didn't care.

An obscene moan pulled him out of his musings, and he watched with rapt attention as a single finger disappeared into that wet heat he'd indulged in once already. A second finger slipped in easily, coated with their combined essences. By now the miko had completely abandoned the idea of pleasuring him and was concentrating on herself. It was then that Tres realized just how selfish he was being by not reciprocating. Quickly, he set about correcting the situation by sliding a calloused palm along Kagome's inner thigh, causing her eyes to fly open.

This was exactly what she'd been wanting and when he finally reached his goal, Kagome resumed pleasuring the man lying next to her. A low moan of approval escaped her throat when he thrust his fingers inside of her. Wantonly she threw her head back, savoring the sensation of being penetrated while her lover worked her body over. While he might have been inexperienced, it somehow made the feelings between them more genuine and she found herself craving more. Abruptly, she found herself rolled to her side and an insistent tongue probing her depths. With her body strung so tightly, it only took moments for her peak to crash over her. The suddenness took her off guard and she had no time to stifle the moan that filled the room.

Tres pulled back only when the tremors wracking the miko's body subsided and an arrogant smirk crossed his face. He would never have guessed that Kagome was such a vocal lover, even with the impromptu performance he'd been given the one time. It wouldn't surprise him if even the hanyou lurking about outside had heard her, which in his mind was all to the good. Now even Inuyasha would know just how responsive she was to his touch, and surely it would get back to that damnable wolf as well.

“I'm not sure I want to know what that sadistic smirk is for,” Kagome said archly and moved away from him, only to rise up on her hands and knees. Coyly she looked over her shoulder and winked at him, “But I can think of better things we could be doing with our time instead of talking anyway... Unless I've somehow already managed to tire you out, that is.”

With that she wiggled her hips ever so slightly, enticing him to get up and get down to business. He'd have to be dead not to know what she wanted when she spread her knees ever so slightly and arched her back, it was just a question of how quickly he was going to move his ass.

The answer wasn't long in coming, and within moments, Tres had settled himself in behind her. If this was what she wanted, he wasn't going to hold back in giving it to her. With a firm hand encircling his cock, the redhead ran the tip over those slick petals, teasing her with the knowledge of how close he was to fucking her. Impatiently, she bucked back against him, but without the aid of gravity, gaining entry was going to take a bit more work this time.

Kagome's eyes flew open wide when her lover gave a sharp thrust and began impaling her on his shaft. The change in position was definitely something to contend with, although she wasn't about to complain about the way he was stretching her. If anything, it enhanced the man's sheer girth and she couldn't wait for him to take her hard. The tightening of his fingers on her hips was her only warning as he pulled her back a second time, driving himself in to the hilt.

“Oh my god,” she panted with her head hanging down while she adjusted to the intrusion. Now she knew why her friends had always snickered and whispered about this position whenever the topic of sex had come up. It was everything the rumors had claimed and then some. Thoughts of the past were quickly swept away as the redhead took away her ability to think. Nothing else mattered. All that was left was what was happening between them and there was no way that thoughts of the past were going to intrude on their time together.

Sweat slicked their bodies as they moved together and the air was filled with the soft moans of pleasure that the miko made. Breathing heavily, Tres draped his body over hers and wrapped an arm around the woman so that she was pinned in place beneath him. It made moving all that more difficult, but the increased contact made it worth it. He loved having her against him like this and the raw feeling of possessiveness was nearly overwhelming. This was where she belonged, in his arms, no one else's.

Feeling the emotions surging from him, Kagome turned her head just enough to look into his eyes. Never before had she felt so wanted, so needed as she did now and it was a feeling she wanted to immerse herself in. Boldly, she instigated another kiss and claimed his lips, pouring her own feelings into that one caress. No words of love were spoken, nor were any needed. Each of them knew exactly how deep the emotions between them ran and it made their joining that much sweeter.

Carefully, Tres guided his lover to lay on the futon, taking care to remain buried inside of her. Only once she was resting comfortably on her side did he move again, this time more slowly. It was an exquisite torture for the both of them, but neither was willing to rush things. A smirk crossed his lips when he looked into her eyes and the questioning look he received went unanswered, at least verbally anyway.

Ever so slowly he brought his hand up to caress her breast, teasing the hardened peak with a single finger. The pleased hum of response he received only emboldened him into taking greater liberties. Every reaction was taken note of for later use, for he had every intention of learning just what would please her the most. But for now, he knew what would bring her to the pinnacle of pleasure that he'd seen once already and he was anxious to see her reach those heights once again.

Kagome's breath caught when his hand began the downward journey, his destination clear. Through heavily lidded eyes she watched as he took his own sweet time in getting there.

“Please,” she whimpered, trying to get him to hurry and give her what she wanted. It was all she could do not to grab his hand and show him exactly what she wanted him to do, but somehow she resisted.

Although her plea was insistent, Tres wasn't through playing with her just yet. His thrusts were still slow and controlled, driving her to the brink and holding her there while his fingers hovered just above the tiny bundle of nerves that would drive her over the edge.

“Please?” he queried, his voice tight with the strain of controlling his own need. There was no way he was going to last much longer, not at this stage in the game, but he wanted to feel what it was like to have her come while he was buried deep inside of her.

It was clear to Kagome what he was doing and the color of her eyes had darkened in warning. Her tone was low and demanding as she hissed what she wanted him to do, “Touch me, dammit!”

For a second he debated whether or not to give into her demand, but his decision was quickly made when her hand began to push his out of the way. Clearly, she intended to finish herself off, and that was something he couldn't allow. His hand encircled her wrist, and yanked it away while he stared into her eyes. He could see that she was torn between yelling at him and begging for her release, but that didn't stop him from holding her for a few seconds more. Only once he certain that she'd gotten the message did he release her and give the woman what she wanted.

“Oh god,” she moaned the moment his fingers touched her, no longer caring who might hear them. Insistently, she pressed against his hand, urging him to move them faster and bring her over the edge. To her relief, he didn't hold back and within moments she was calling out his name while her body trembled with pleasure.

Tres was unprepared for the way that his lover tightened around him and the surge of need that coursed through him caught him off guard. There was no holding onto that tight rein of control that he'd been maintaining and he knew it. Eagerly, he gave into that desire and gave a final thrust, emptying his seed into her. Breathing heavily, he withdrew and rolled over onto his back.

With great effort, Kagome rolled over until she was facing him and she couldn't help but giggle when she saw his expression. “You know, it's probably a good thing that we don't have to leave until morning.”

Tres raised an eyebrow at that statement and waited for her to continue. He could only hope that she wasn't about to tell him they still weren't finished. At this point in time, he doubted that part of his body would respond again without at least a few hours of rest.

“Almost as if she'd read his mind, Kagome shook her head, “No, I'm not going to ask for a repeat performance just yet... Maybe before we leave though...” A smirk crossed her face then, that was definitely an idea, but one to be considered later.

“Then what is your reasoning for that statement?” Tres asked when she'd fallen silent. He could almost see the gears turning in her head as she thought about whatever devious plan she had in mind and something told him that he needed to know exactly what her thoughts were.

“Oh, I just thought it's a good thing because I don't think I'm going to be able to walk any time soon,” Kagome said with a rueful grin. Even now her thighs were still quivering and no doubt if she tried to walk now, she'd embarrass herself.

A smirk of pride crossed his face when he heard that statement because he was the one responsible for putting her in such a state. Of course, he wasn't about to inform her that he was most likely suffering from the same affliction and didn't have the energy to bother himself with attempting to stand. If any residual weakness remained in the morning, he'd deal with it however necessary. To his way of thinking though, it was either a blessing or a curse, depending on how you looked at it, that they'd brought Kirara with them. If they hadn't, there would have been no way in hell they'd be making the journey back just yet.

~Elsewhere~

Outside, under the cover of darkness, two rivals sat on the rooftop of the inn and lamented to each other about what they'd lost; and about what could have been if either of them had managed to win the miko's heart. Neither could say they were happy about the current developments, in fact their moods were a mixture of sorrow, anger, and regret. However, in the end, they both agreed that they would bear it and deal with their feelings in their own way, if only for Kagome's sake.

“Think they're finished?” Inuyasha asked quietly, but not bothering to look over to his companion. Instead, his gaze remained trained on the moon while he thought about how drastically life had changed. At one time, he might have hoped that it would have been him in that room with the miko. But there had been too many mistakes, on both of their parts, and now, someone else had filled the space he'd once occupied in her heart. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he couldn't hold it against her, not when he bore the majority of the blame.

“They'd better be,” Kouga replied, his voice tight with irritation. The last thing he'd been expecting when he'd caught wind of Inuyasha's scent was to find the man sitting on the roof to an inn. Nor was he expecting to hear the sounds echoing up from the room below. While he knew that she was beyond his reach now, this just served to further drive the truth home. His woman was down there in the arms of another male, and there wasn't shit he could do about it. 'No, not my woman. I guess I was too blind to see that she was never mine to begin with.'

“And if they're not? What are you going to do, go down there and demand they shut the hell up and go to sleep?” Inuyasha snapped irritably. Somehow he wouldn't put it past the demon next to him to attempt just that, but he knew just how well the priest would react to such an intrusion. It was clear that Tres still harbored a grudge against Kouga, and this time, there was a good chance that the man would eliminate the wolf. Assuming of course, that Kagome didn't kill him first for walking in on them.

For a moment, Kouga actually considered the idea. While he knew that there was no breaking the two up, they could at least be courteous enough to keep the noise down. A small part of him couldn't blame the redhead however, if it had been him, he'd have gotten the miko to scream his name much more quickly than what had happened. A smirk crossed his face in spite of it all, “Nah, you heard what happened. The boy sure as hell took his own sweet time in getting her off. He either doesn't know what to do with it, or he's got a pencil dick. They'll probably go to sleep now anyway.”

At this, Inuyasha started laughing at Kouga's audacity. The wolf certainly had a lot of nerve to speak of things he knew nothing about. Still, it was amusing to see how off base he was, at least in one respect. “Pencil dick?” he repeated with a shake of his head, “I hate to break it to you, Kouga, but that one down there is a piece of work. I doubt Kagome's going to be in any shape to walk tomorrow.”

“And you know this how?” Kouga asked with a raised brow. Somehow he couldn't picture Inuyasha as being one to check out another man's dick, although that might explain just why the man never got off his ass to go after Kagome.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, “Because, Dumbass, Kagome was the one who was taking care of his injuries after they were both trapped underground. I stood guard more than once while she helped him bath and I hate to say, that thing would put most men to shame.” It wasn't a lie either, although he'd been wondering if Kagome was going to run screaming the first time she saw it hard. He'd almost been willing to lay money on it, but now he was glad he hadn't brought the idea of a bet up.

“Watch who you're calling Dumbass, dog shit. So he's got a big dick, that's even worse. Obviously he doesn't know how to use it then. I hope the other moron is better with his, otherwise they're never going to get laid again,” Kouga replied with a shrug of the shoulders. The news would have made him happy, if he hadn't have known that Kagome was not the type to take a lover on the side. It had shocked him to the core when he'd found out she'd been bonded to two men as it was.

“I'll call you a dumbass when you're acting like one. And I'd say he did pretty damned well for himself considering that he wasn't even human six months ago. Don't worry about Kagome, they've got it covered,” Inuyasha stated and looked at Kouga, just so he could see that smug expression turn sour.

“Not a human? What sort of shit did you smoke before I got here?” Kouga asked incredulously. If Tres hadn't been human six months ago, then what the hell was he? His energy was completely human, as was his smell. Abilities wise, he seemed to be sorely lacking and was actually holding the group back from going to Naraku now.

“I wasn't smoking anything, Stupid. I meant what I said, he wasn't human. He came from Kagome's time when they have machines that can pass as a real person. Somehow she tapped into the jewel's power even though Naraku has it, and wished him to be human,” Inuyasha said by way of explanation. It was greatly simplifying things, but he didn't see where he needed to go into the specific details. Besides, he still didn't understand half of it either and he didn't want to bother trying to bullshit his way through it.

“Why the hell would she do that?” Kouga asked dubiously. While he didn't know much about the machinery from the miko's time, surely having a being that couldn't be injured as easily would be a hell of a lot better than what they'd ended up with.

Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders and looked up at the night sky again, “In her time, the well was destroyed by a war. In order to get back, they had to use the Goshinboku and Midoriko's spirit. Don't ask me why, it just happened.”

“Sounds like a piss poor trade to me,” Kouga replied, still not convinced. But it didn't matter, what was done was done and there wasn't any changing it. “What about the other guy? What's his story?”

For a moment Inuyasha remained silent. In his opinion, Abel was the more useful of the two, but he was also the one with the most emotional baggage. Even he knew the man was still struggling with what had happened, and honestly, Inuyasha wasn't certain how things were going to work out. It would be telling to see how the Crusnik reacted once they returned, because surely the man had to know what had happened between his partner and Kagome.

“He's the one you don't want to mess with,” Inuyasha said at last, breaking the silence that had stretched out between them, “You've seen him fight and I have no idea why he didn't kill you when you went at it. By all rights, you should have died before I'd even got there.”

“That's a crock of shit if ever I heard it,” Kouga scoffed, even though he knew that what the hanyou said was true. He'd been barely holding his own against the man, and if something had been holding him back then Inuyasha was probably correct. It just wasn't an admission he had any intentions of saying out loud.

“Think what you want, but I've seen him fight, and feed,” Inuyasha responded quietly. Although the Crusnik had a definite distaste for demonic blood, it was the closest he was going to find to a vampire's in this age. At one time, he'd questioned Abel as to why he continued to hunt when normal food would sustain him and the answer had surprised him. Each time he used his greater form, it took energy and the longer he went without feeding, the weaker he became. It was only because he refused to put Kagome at risk by being unable to defend her with all of his strength, that he sought out demons that were strong enough to survive through the ordeal.

“It wouldn't surprise me if he's the one that manages the killing blow on Naraku this time,” he continued, almost as an afterthought.

“No he won't, not if I reach him first,” Kouga replied grimly. Although he knew that each one of the others had a reason to want Naraku dead, he still had every intention of taking him out himself, if at all possible.

“You're an idiot,” Inuyasha said with a snort, “Let me guess, you're going to go on ahead and try and hunt the bastard down while we're stuck at Totousai's, aren't you?”

“You're not as dumb as you look, dog breath,” Kouga retorted quickly, “You and the others are going to have to take a couple of days to get your shit together. If I can find Naraku and take him out first, it means Kagome doesn't end up anywhere near that bastard again. I'd say it's worth the risk, don't you?”

“I still say you're being stupid, but I'm not gonna try and stop you if that's what you want to do,” Inuyasha said after a moment. Kagome was likely to skin him alive if she realized that he was sending the wolf off to find the enemy, but the way he looked at it was that there was every chance Kouga would turn up empty handed. After all, how many years had they all been searching in different directions without seeing a trace of him? If nothing else, it was worth it just to get the wolf out of his hair, he had enough to deal with already.

“It's about time you grew a brain,” Kouga replied with a smirk, “Do me a favor, don't tell Kagome I stopped by or where I'm going. It's nice to know that she'd be worried about me and all, but she'd also insist on leaving right away. Give me a chance to catch up to the bastard first, if we can keep Kagome out of the fight this time, let's do it.” That was his ultimate goal in seeking the hanyou out this time, and he knew that Inuyasha would grant him that one request. If nothing else, they both wanted to keep the girl safe and the best way to do that was to keep her away from Naraku.

“Fine, but if she finds out you went on ahead, I'm not covering your ass,” Inuyasha said and nodded his head in agreement. While he knew that Kagome wanted her revenge for her family's deaths and her own, he didn't relish the idea of her being anywhere near the bastard either. “I'll do what you want, Kouga, but just this once.”