Trinity Blood Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadows of Time ❯ Chapter 20

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

Title: The Shadows of Time

Author: Ryukotsusei

Fandom: Inuyasha and Trinity Blood

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Violence, torture, language, lemons, spoilers for the 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: It's hard to believe that this story is coming so close to being over, I don't know what I'm going to do with myself when it's done lol I do have another Trinity Blood/Inuyasha crossover idea mulling around in the back of my head, I just need to put it to paper. On the bright side, this story was voted Best Crossover for the Inuyasha Fan Guild's 3rd quarter. Thank you to everyone who liked this story enough to vote for it!

Chapter Twenty

Tres stared down into the miko's pale face and gently brushed her sweat soaked bangs away, wishing that there was something he could do to make her feel better. A mere two months had passed since the argument outside the half finished house, but it seemed almost like a lifetime ago. To say that he was out of his depth was an understatement, but then again, so was everyone else.

Two weeks ago, he'd been forced to admit that Kagome needed something that none of them could provide and he'd traveled to the port to find someone willing to deliver a letter for him. It was addressed to the Vatican and he hoped that Father Nightroad would somehow manage to get it. It had been a bitter moment when he realized that without Abel there, he risked losing everything.

Even now Kagome was too weak to get out of bed and it took most of her energy just to hold a conversation now. Where only a week ago she'd been attempting to take advantage of the outdoor sun, now she didn't even ask to see it. It was a worrisome development and it had become a constant fear of his that he'd wake up one morning to find that she had died in her sleep.

Sensing his increasing worry, Kagome opened her eyes and tried to smile up at him in reassurance. The small gesture took most of her energy, but to her way of thinking it was worth it. While all she wanted to do was go back to sleep, she knew that the redhead was near frantic and she needed to calm him somehow. “What time is it, Tres?”

“Nearly evening,” he said quietly and moved to take one of her hands. Her skin was exceedingly warm to the touch, a testament to the fever that had begun to plague her body. It was times like this that he was thankful that Kaede knew what to do for her, because he certainly didn't. This was beyond his limited experience and all his knowledge on human anatomy was worthless in the face of the difficulties Kagome was experiencing in her pregnancy. All he could do was try to make sure she was comfortable and make sure there was nothing she needed. “Are you hungry?”

“Thirsty,” Kagome replied quietly and wished that she could actually eat like he wanted her to. Unfortunately the effort that it took was too exhausting and most of the time it didn't stay down anyway. Whoever had termed it morning sickness had to be demented, because it struck during any part of the day it felt like. And the faint hope that she had avoided that particular affliction since it hadn't happened in the first trimester had been shattered like an ant under the fist of an angry God.

“I'll get you some broth,” Tres replied and moved away from her side to fill a small bowl with the clear liquid. While it wasn't much, it was better than nothing and it was his hope that the herbs it contained would help her fight the fever off again. Already they'd stripped the blanket's off of her to help bring her temperature down, and there wasn't much more that they could do, aside from let the herbs do their job.

Seeing the redhead return, Kagome tried to push herself into a sitting position so that she could drink the broth, but her arms shook under the strain of her weight and the sudden change in position left her lightheaded. She was just about to lay back down to avoid the possibility of passing out when she sensed the man beside her begin move.

“Allow me to help you,” Tres said quietly and set the bowl off to the side. Carefully he pulled the girl into a sitting position before settling in behind her. He could tell the moment that her face drained of color that the shift in position had been too abrupt and she wouldn't be able to sit up on her own. It was telling that she said nothing to protest his actions, when at one point she would have grown angry at the mere thought that she needed help. But now she took his aid with a quiet resignation and he missed that spark of indignation she had so openly displayed in the past. Once she was leaning against his chest, he picked the bowl up again and helped bring it to her lips. For the briefest of moments he saw the look on her face told him that she disliked being fed, but he knew that it was necessary. It was enough that she had enough fire left to even show that much; it was better than nothing at all.

“Thank you,” Kagome whispered when he took the bowl away. As humiliating as it was to have to be tended like this, she was just grateful that he was even willing to do it. As hard as she tried, there were some things she just couldn't manage herself anymore and asking for help made her uncomfortable. While she knew that the others would do whatever she asked, it made them worried and anxious. True to his nature, Inuyasha had snapped at her on more than one occasion when she'd somehow dropped a bowl or a cup before. He'd felt sorry for it immediately afterwards, but that didn't take the sting of his words away, or the bitter feeling that they left behind because it only enforced the idea that she was helpless at the moment. That, more than anything else, was a feeling that she detested with every fiber of her being.

A few moments later, Inuyasha walked into the room and he immediately took in Kagome's appearance and a look of concern crossed his face. She didn't seem to be any better than she had been the day before, but not any worse either which was a blessing. But for how long she'd remain like that? None of them could begin to speculate. He'd been hoping that the new herbs that Kaede had given her would be doing some good, but it seemed that their effect was limited at best.

“How are ya feeling?” he asked at last, looking her over critically. He noted that she was eating at least, which was in improvement from earlier when they couldn't even wake her up to have lunch.

“I'm doing alright, Inuyasha. I'm just a little tired,” Kagome replied, not wanting to worry him any further than he already was. Now that she'd drank part of the broth, she found her eyelids getting heavy again and it was only a matter of time before she nodded off. As much as she'd like to spend time talking with the two men, she knew it wasn't going to happen.

“Why don't you get some sleep then,” Inuyasha said quietly and then looked at the redhead behind her, “Come outside with me, Tres; I need your opinion on something.”

In spite of the carefully worded order, Tres' expression never changed and he made no attempt to move. He'd just come in from working on the house, and he was loath to leave again so soon, even if the miko was already closing her eyes. While moving her was unlikely to really wake her up, he didn't want to disturb her either.

Seeing the man's reluctance, Inuyasha sighed, “It won't take long, okay? Then you can come back in, we're done on the house for the day.” While he could probably say what he had to say with Tres where he was, he didn't want to have this conversation in front of Kagome anyway. If nothing else, it would get her worked up when she should be resting as much as possible.

“I'll return soon,” Tres whispered against Kagome's temple and then helped to ease her back against the futon. Once he was sure that she was as comfortable as possible, he stood and followed the hanyou outside. To his surprise, the other man didn't stop on the other side, but continued a short distance away. Only once they'd stopped did he confront the hanyou. “What did you wish to say that couldn't be said inside?”

“I've been talking with Kaede and I know that you're not going to like what I have to say, but we're running out of options. At the rate Kagome is going, she's not going to survive the delivery and there's not a damned thing that we can do about it,” Inuyasha said bitterly. Every option that they could think of had been exhausted and now all they were doing was watch her wither away.

“The herbs,” Tres said, but was quickly cut off before he could finish his sentence.

“Are doing nothing, but buying her a few weeks at most,” Inuyasha said abruptly, “look it's touching that you want to be the one that does everything for her, but we're out of ideas. I need to know where to find Nightroad. It's a long shot, but since he's one of these damned vampires, he might know how to save her.”

“You intend to go after him?” Tres asked, although he kept the surprise from entering his voice. While he couldn't say he liked the hanyou's idea, he had to admit that it had merit. Besides, wasn't that his own intention when he'd sent the letter? There was no point in arguing, not when it was obvious that it needed to be done. While he'd never concerned himself with a Methusela's biology beyond how to kill them quickly, Father Nightroad would be quite familiar with it, assuming thats where this problem was coming from. His own knowledge of the genetics behind the Crusnik project was woefully lacking and the only person who could answer those questions was over a thousand miles away.

“We don't have a choice and I'm the only one suited to going anyway. It'd take you months to get there and that's time we don't have. At least I have half a chance in hell of getting there in time and dragging his ass back. If he can't help her, then we'll try and come up with something else, but we have to do something,” Inuyasha said, almost daring the redhead to contradict him. His fists were clenched in preparation of knocking some sense into the priest, but to his surprise it wasn't necessary.

“Fine, what will you need? Maps?” Tres asked quietly. While he didn't have any world maps with him, he was certain that some could be acquired at the port. Even though they wouldn't be 100% accurate, they'd be more than suitable for what Inuyasha needed.

“I was more thinking about an idea of where he's at and if I'm going to need to break in somewhere to find him. I doubt your officials would appreciate it if I took the wind scar to their precious buildings,” Inuyasha said with a snort. Yet if that's what it came down to, he'd be more than happy to do so. No one was going to stand in his way of finding the Crusnik.

“I would not search for him directly at the Vatican. Times are too dissimilar from where we came and he would not be able to fit in. However, I believe that he will be found in the general area. Being so close to what he considered home has given him a measure of peace,” Tres replied after a moment of thought. If he was being truthful with himself, that peace that Father Nightroad had found was all too fleeting and often times he could feel the Crusnik's grief and regret behind the bond. In some ways, it seemed like Kagome was handling her emotions better than his partner and for that, he felt a small amount of compassion towards the man. They'd been through much in their friendship, and there was no denying that he was a direct cause of the other man's unhappiness.

“Figures,” Inuyasha said with a snort, “he's not going to make this easy on us, is he? So am I going to run into problems going through the city or are they used to demons in this time?” The less hassle he had to deal with the better and already he could imagine the hell that would be raised over a hanyou walking through the city.

“Concealment would be the best option. Even in this time, demons are rarely documented and those that are, are subjected to exorcisms. If the inquisition should capture you...” Tres trailed off and gave the hanyou a meaningful look. While there was a chance that Inuyasha would be able to escape, he wasn't about to wager on his odds. Especially when one considered that miko's weren't the only humans with holy abilities.

“Great, I'm back to wearing a hat then,” Inuyasha muttered beneath his breath. He had no doubts about his abilities to handle whatever the humans could throw at him, however, it would mean a delay in finding the Crusnik and he didn't have the time to fuck around.

Tres looked back to the hut for a moment, before turning back to Inuyasha, “When will you depart?”

“Tonight. I've already talked to Sango and I'll be taking Kirara with me. We'll cover more ground that way,” Inuyasha said quietly. Sango had even offered to go with him to help with the search, but he had to decline. He'd be pushing himself as hard as he could to get back in time and Sango might be needed here anyway. She'd been instrumental in keeping Kagome's spirits up in the face of how bleak the future was looking.

Tres merely nodded, he expected as much. Now that the decision had been made he was surprised that Inuyasha hadn't left already. “Are you going to inform Kagome that your leaving?”

“It's not like I have much of a choice. If we don't, she's going to wonder where I went,” Inuyasha said unhappily, “this isn't something we'd be able to keep a secret for long.” That very question had been something that both he and Kaede had agonized over. They didn't want Kagome thinking that they were dragging Abel back against his will, even if that's what was going to happen, because Kagome would beat herself up over it. Yet, they didn't want her thinking that one of her constant companions had up and vanished for no reason either. It was treading a fine line of what was best for her, and in the end, they realized that they were going to have to tell her.

“Then you should do so soon,” Tres replied and began walking back to the hut with Inuyasha at his side. Kagome might well be asleep, but she'd probably wake up enough for this.

That was the last thing Inuyasha had expected to hear him say. He'd expected more of an argument, throughout the entire conversation really and Tres had managed to surprise him. Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest as he walked beside the redhead, “What changed? I'm surprised you aren't pitching more of a fit.”

“Kagome's welfare comes before my own and this is something that I cannot resolve for her. If having Father Nightroad return will help her, I will not stop you,” Tres said, his voice completely devoid of emotion. No, he wasn't happy, but if it came between sharing her with his partner, or neither of them having her at all, it was a clear choice. For her, he would do this.

“Good to see you've figured it out,” Inuyasha said, just before he pushed the mat aside. Immediately his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he scowled down at the woman on the futon, “I thought you were going to be sleeping.”

“Can't, not until you tell me what's going on,” Kagome said, fighting back the yawn that wanted to break free. It would have been entirely too easy to go ahead and succumb to the sleep she so desperately needed, but she knew that something important was about to happen; she just wasn't sure what. There had been no mistaking the firm determination coming through the bond whenever she focused on Tres and it seemed he had come to some sort of decision.

“It's nothing for you to worry about, Kagome,” Inuyasha said quietly and knelt down beside her, “I came to tell you that I'm going to be gone for a few weeks, but I'll be back soon alright?” He just hoped that it didn't take any longer than that. The length of the boat trip if nothing else would depend on the weather. After that, it didn't much matter since he and Kirara could push through anything short of a blizzard.

Although it hadn't been said, there was only one thing that she knew of that would send Inuyasha off at this point in time. “You're going after him, aren't you?”

“Yeah. We need to know if there's anything else we can do to help you and he's the only one that might have the answers,” Inuyasha said and waited to see what her reaction would be. If she was thinking clearly, she wouldn't fight him on this subject since she had to realize just how precarious the situation was. Even if she wouldn't think of herself, she would think of the child she was carrying.

For a moment Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep shuddering breath. While she didn't like the fact that Inuyasha was likely to drag the man back by his hair if he had to, she no longer had the strength to argue. If Abel wanted to help, she would be grateful and if he wanted to leave immediately afterwards... she'd deal with that when the time came. “Do you think you can?”

“Yeah, don't worry about that. I'll find him for you,” Inuyasha replied. Failure was not an option at this point. The fact that he'd spent so much time with the Crusnik could only help their cause and even if the man had changed his attire, there was no way that he could change his scent or energy signature. “Just try and hold on while I'm gone, alright?”

To this Kagome smiled weakly and nodded, “I'm not giving up yet, Inuyasha. And... thank you, for everything.” For the first time in months, she felt as if a burden had been removed from her shoulders and while she didn't know how long it would last, she would savor every last moment of the relief she'd been given.

“Don't mention it... and don't start crying either,” Inuyasha said, his brows furrowing when he saw the tears welling up in her eyes. They'd seen far too much of them lately. Nowit was time to fix the problem so she wouldn't have a reason to cry anymore. “I'll be back soon, so don't give up.”

Kagome nodded once and watched Inuyasha walk out the door without saying another word. Now she was alone with Tres again, but she was hesitant to look over at him. She knew that he wasn't happy, but he'd held his peace and she knew that it was to avoid upsetting her. “Thank you too, Tres. I know this must be hard for you.”

Tres inclined his head in surprise and then moved to sit near her. “It is the best course of action,” he said with the slightest shrug of his shoulders. The choice had been made and he knew it was the correct one; it wasn't something he was going to dwell on if he could help it.

“I know... But, I'm also aware that you're not happy about him coming back and... I'm grateful that you're willing to put your differences aside for me,” Kagome said quietly when he took her hand in his, “You know, I don't blame you for what happened.”

The statement had Tres looking down at her in concern. “Why would you?”

“I knew, Tres,” Kagome said and held onto his hand tighter so that he couldn't pull it away, “I don't know how I knew, but eventually I realized that Abel wouldn't have left without a reason. Maybe it's because I can feel him more strongly than you do, but once I reached out to him again, I figured it out. He never wanted to leave, but he felt that he had to so that you could be happy. And... you knew that he was leaving, even if you never said anything.”

That realization had hurt as much as the day that Abel had left, and for a while, she wanted to blame him for causing her and Abel such pain, but she couldn't. It had taken her remembering how she'd felt when Inuyasha couldn't choose between her and Kikyo to do it though. The memories of the pain and self loathing returned, and she remembered how she never felt good enough. In the end, she supposed, that was how Tres must have felt when the woman he'd given his entire life up for couldn't devote herself just to him. Only then had she been able to put aside the anger that she'd felt and begin to forgive the man at her side for what he had done.

The revelation left Tres unsure of what to say. He'd done more than his share of lying to her over the past six months, but he couldn't bring himself to deny it. “I see,” he said at last and looked away from her, not wanting to see the hint of condemnation that he was sure would be lurking in her eyes. Surely even though she held no anger towards him now, she had to at least feel something akin to betrayal because of his actions. But when he stole a glance over at her, he was surprised to see none of those emotions lurking there.

It was times like now that he wondered how she could be so forgiving when she'd been hurt so badly. Guilt wasn't an emotion he was used to feeling, but he was becoming quite familiar with it now. If his partner had remained, would this have happened? No, if he was to be honest with himself, he was the reason that Abel was gone. He was the reason that Kagome was wasting away, being devoured by a child that knew not what it was doing.

“Are you going to be okay with this?” Kagome asked, concern lacing her voice. In her heart she was certain that the Crusnik would want to stay, but only if Tres could come to accept it. Yet if he couldn't, she knew that Abel would withdraw again even if if wasn't all the way back to Rome. Most likely he'd stay in the area to be a part of his child's life if nothing else, but she wasn't sure how long she'd be able to endure that. To have him near, but unable to be as close as they once were would be torture.

“Positive,” Tres replied without hesitation. Even though he wasn't entirely sure of himself, he would try for her. Just the thought of the Crusnik returning had brightened her mood considerably and he would not take that from her. Only time would tell how this would work out for the three of them and much he knew, would depend on Abel. He wanted to see for himself just how his partner had weathered the past five months without Kagome by his side.

“Good,” Kagome said and closed her eyes, “I'm glad.” Although she'd sensed his uncertainty, it was a start and for the moment, it was good enough for her.

~On The Coast~

Inuyasha stared at the only boat on the port with an expression of disgust. He hated ships, he truly did, but there was no getting around the fact that they'd be needing one for this trip. There was just no way that Kirara could fly that far without stopping and unless they lucked out and came across an island midway, they would be in trouble.

Heaving a deep sigh, Inuyasha stalked towards the man that he believed to be the captain of the ship and wrinkled his nose in disgust. The putrid stench of alcohol and seawater covered the man, and Inuyasha was willing to bet that the guy hadn't seen a pool of fresh water to bathe in at least a year.

“Hey, old man,” he said, gaining the other male's attention, “When do you set sail?” He only hoped that it would be sometime soon and that he wouldn't spend too much time waiting around for the drunkard to get off his ass.

“Set sail?” The captain looked at the hanyou in surprise, “We just pulled into port an hour ago. We'll not be setting sail for at least another week. Restocking supplies and all.”

“A week? I don't have that long to wait, old man. What's it gonna take to get you to move your schedule up a few days?” Inuyasha asked in irritation. He'd be damned if he was going to hang around this port for that long while he waited for the man to restock his ship.

The captain gave a bark of laughter, “Move my schedule up? I'm afraid that won't be happening. The crew needs rest too. I'd be having a mutiny on my hands if I told them we'd be pulling out so soon. You should have gotten here earlier in the morning, you might have caught a ride on Tamaki's ship. They're going to the mainland.”

The scowl on Inuyasha's face deepened considerably. “This morning? How long ago did they leave?” It was early evening now, but depending on how long the ship had been traveling, there was a chance that Kirara might be able to catch up to it. They'd just have to hurry and pray that nothing went wrong.

“Eh? Just before noon I'd say, not like it makes a difference to you. The ship's already gone and if you're wanting a ride to the continent, you'll be waiting a week and paying a fare, just like everyone else who wants to get off this here chunk of land,” the captain replied with a crooked grin. In the hanyou he saw a perfect money making opportunity. 'He seems desperate enough o go. If he's still lookin' for a ride, I'd be willing to bet he'll pay double the fare. It's only right, him being a half demon and all.'

“Kirara,” Inuyasha looked down at the small fire cat sitting at his feet, “What do you think? Can we make it?” If anyone could gage wind speeds, it would be her. He wasn't going to ask her to fly him over the open ocean, not without being certain of their chances of reaching the ship. The main thing that would go in their favor would be that they'd be traveling along the coastline until they could reach the sea of Japan. If by some chance they couldn't find the ship, they'd be able to rest wherever they wished and possibly, find another port elsewhere.

Kirara immediately changed into her larger form, causing the old sea captain to take a step back in surprise. Wasting no time, she scented the breeze to gage how fast it was moving before bumping the hanyou in the side.

It was a clear order to mount if ever he saw one. Quickly he climbed onto the fire cat's back and held on while she launched herself into the air. For better or worse, they were on their way to bring the Crusnik back.