Author's Notes: Okay, so I owe everyone a big apology for taking so long with this chapter. But I have a good reason, if you all will just hear me out. First, I had AP exams all last week, which are finally over, praise the lord, and I think I did okay, so that was a time-consuming event. And then, I have a shoulder injury I've been dealing with for the past three years as a swimmer, and this past week it had a really nasty flare up that has put my arm in a sling, so basically I've been typing this chapter with one hand, and my left hand at that (in case anyone is wondering, I'm right- handed). So it took me a while, plus my mind has been a little clouded lately with pain medication. But finally this chapter is done, and I think I've managed to root out all the errors I made by only typing with my left hand. I hope you like it, and thanks for your patience.
The action doesn't really get started until the next chapter, but this one isn't boring, and I consider it to be important. And for those of you who are guessing what's going to happen, let me just say that some of you are right on. Again, like in all my stories, I can't say who specifically is right because that would give it away, just know that some of you are completely in tune with my brain right now (so much, in fact, it's kind of scary). Other then that, all I can say is enjoy this chapter, and thanks, as always, for your wonderful reviews, they mean the world to me. Thanks, and enjoy!

Power2thepink: You know how a soprano is a woman with a really high, lilting voice? Well, a mezzo-soprano is a woman who can go just as high, but has a fuller, richer, bigger sound. That's me! Thanks for the review!

Fireice24: Yeah, yeah, cereal, serial, what's the difference, right? lol Darn, and I thought I was perfect, with no mistakes. Oh well. Thanks for the review!

FrameofMind: Yeah, I noticed those errors too AFTER I posted the chapter. Darn. Oh well, no body's perfect, right? And to think, I even took an AP English class to learn what an allusion is. And speaking of AP's, did you take the AP US History test? Man, that was a random DBQ, eh? lol What play are you in? And go mezzo-sopranos! Thanks for the review!

InuyashaGirlie: You had to take the AP English test too? Man, was that a really 'open' second essay prompt or what? What was your topic? How do you think you did? I'm not sure I did very well, because I ran out of time. Thanks for the review!


Title: Soldiers in a Timeless Battle

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Thirteen

Rating: PG-13 (for language and, at times, sexual implications)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.


The dew was extra beautiful the next morning as the rescue crew, as Nancy had so honorably dubbed them, woke and began to move about, preparing for the journey that lay ahead. Kouga and Ayame, who had been curled up by the fire, looking, for all intensive purposes like two house dogs, sat up and stretched, yawning dramatically, and Miroku appeared from the adjacent room where he and his wife had slept, rubbing his eyes.

"Have either of you seen Sango this morning?" he asked after he'd cleared his throat of its usual morning gunk. Both wolves shook their heads, and the monk nodded, looking around to confirm that his wife was in fact not around at the moment.

"Good morning, everyone," a cheerful voice announced, and light flooded the main room as Nancy pulled aside the door flap and entered, Sesshoumaru behind her. The blonde looked exhausted, like she hadn't slept all night, and even the demon lord beside her looked worn out, though he bore it better. But when Miroku glanced at his hands, he saw that they held several maps, and he understood why they looked so tired.

"Good morning," Ayame replied once her eyes had adjusted to the sudden amount of light, rising to her feet and arching her back for a long stretch, her spine cracking slightly as it settled back into place.

Sesshoumaru sat down by the hearth, where Kaede was currently trying to start a fire, and looked around briefly. "Where is Rin?"

Miroku indicated the back room where he had come from. "She's back there, still asleep with Shippou, Gideon, and Kirara."

He nodded and then glanced at the other adjacent room, raising an eyebrow meaningfully. "And Inuyasha? Is he awake yet?"

Everyone sighed in unison, clearly not looking forward to the moment when the hanyou would wake up and show how much he appreciated being sedated. Kouga was the one to answer. "Not yet, but I'm sure he'll be up soon. He never sleeps that much normally, so his body is probably ready to get up and move about."

Sesshoumaru didn't reply, but instead glanced back at Kaede in irritation as she flicked a small amount of ash in his face as her old hands fumbled, dropping the fire sticks. She shook her head and muttered something about a clumsy old woman before glancing at the demon lord apologetically. "Forgive me, Sesshoumaru; I'm afraid my hands just aren't as steady as they once were."

She returned to her attempts to start the fire, but after watching the old woman rub her sticks together for several minutes, to no avail, Sesshoumaru sighed in annoyance, saying, in a very irritated voice, "Oh for heaven's sake, woman!" Then, with a swipe of his claws against the wood, a fire roared to life, startling everyone.

"Wh-where did you learn how to do that?" Nancy finally stammered, her blue eyes reflecting the flames in awe. Sesshoumaru just shrugged.

"I didn't learn how to do it, I have always been able to do it. My claws are sharp, and I can move them fast enough that it starts a fire the same way your pathetic sticks do."

"Oh," Nancy just nodded, still staring at the flames in shock. "Well, I can do that to, you know, start an instant fire." Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow doubtfully, though his eyes had a playful glint at her attitude.

"Is that so?"

"Yes," Nancy crossed her arms, trying to look confident, but as usual feeling very unnerved by his display of power.

"And how do you go about starting a fire?"

"It's called a match."

"A what?"

"Never mind," She waved her hands as though to say the conversation was over, clearly not in the mood to explain what a match was, and so they both shrugged and went silent as she moved to sit at his side.

The door flap was pulled aside once more, letting in the sunlight, and everyone turned to see Sango standing there, her hair loose from its usual ponytail. Her face looked slightly puffy, and her skin seemed paler then usual.

"Sango, are you alright?" Miroku asked, coming to her side, and the demon exterminator sighed, leaning into his embrace, but still managed to smile.

"I'm fine, Miroku, don't worry. I just took a little walk this morning."

"Are you sure? You don't look well, and you seem a little warm."

She shook her head and pulled away from him. "I'm fine, honest. So, what's happened so far this morning?"

They all shrugged, and Kaede brought forth a pot of water to boil in order to make tea. "Nothing important, child, I was just about to make some breakfast."

Sango blanched at the mention of food, but that seemed to go unnoticed as she quickly sat down by the fire, trying to quell her stomach, which was currently doing flip-flops.

Unfortunately, before Kaede had a chance to cook, a loud howl reached their ears, coming from none other then Inuyasha, who was currently standing in the doorway to his room, his amber eyes flaring dangerously, outlined, slightly, in red as his fingers clutched the sword at his side.

As one, the culprits responsible for putting him to sleep for so long turned their heads to meet his gaze, everyone except Sesshoumaru shrinking back slightly at what they saw. To say Inuyasha was mad would have been the biggest understatement of all time.

"Somebody has some explaining to do," the hanyou hissed through clenched teeth, darting his eyes back and forth between all the occupants of the room, who were deciding to remain uncharacteristically quiet. He growled in frustration and started to pull tetsusaiga out of its sheath as a warning. "Well?"

"Look, um, Inuyasha," Miroku began, trying to hide the tremble in his normally calm voice, "Don't be upset with us. It was for your own good."

The hanyou narrowed his eyes even more, making him look downright frightening at that moment. "What do you mean it was for my own good, Miroku?"

"Um, well, we didn't want you to do anything foolish. And, well, we thought it would be best if, well, you just sort of went to sleep for a while."

Inuyasha growled again, and the monk cowered slightly, moving to sit next to Sango, who rolled her eyes at his cowardice before directing her attention at the seething hanyou before her. "Look Inuyasha, we only did it so that you wouldn't go off on one of your ridiculous, temper-driven crusades to get Kagome back without a plan."

"What do you mean one of my ridiculous crusades?" he snapped. "I am perfectly capable of getting my mate back! I can protect her!"

"No one said you couldn't," the demon exterminator replied, her voice surprisingly calm despite the fact that her heart was currently beating faster then that of a rabbit.

"Then what are you saying, woman?"

"That you can sometimes rush off and do something stupid when you're angry," Sango snapped, "Like you are right now."

"Oh, you have no idea how pissed off I am right now," Inuyasha replied, his left hand clenched so tightly into a fist that a string of blood ran over his fingers from where his nails had pierced his skin.

"Just calm down, Inuyasha," Kaede tried in her elderly voice, which was usually so soothing. Unfortunately, today all it did was inflame the already raging inferno that was Inuaysha's temper.

"Shut up, old woman, I don't need your advice!" he yelled, causing Kaede to blink in surprise as he whirled back on Miroku.

"It was in the tea, wasn't it?" he demanded, and the monk tried to act stupid.

"W-wh-what was in the tea?"

"The drug, you stupid baka! It was in the tea, wasn't it?"

"Um, I wouldn't call it a drug," Miroku fumbled for words as he twisted his hands into a knot in his lap.

"Then what would you call it?"

"Um," He glanced up at a furious Inuyasha, his eyes occasionally flashing red, and lost control of his courage. "It was Kaede's idea, not mine!" he wailed. "She is the one who gave it to you, not me!"

The hanyou whirled around and glared at the old miko who, for once, actually looked nervous about what the hanyou was going to do next. Quietly, as though he wasn't staring right at her, she began to move toward the door. "I'm going to get some more water for tea."

At the mention of tea Inuyasha lost it completely and growled, snarling as he leapt after the woman with a vengeance. "Oh no you don't! No more tea! I won't fall for that one again, old woman! You get back here!"

For a woman of her age and height, Kaede could move surprisingly fast, which she proved as she hobbled away from the hut for her life, hoping the hanyou would get a hold of his senses before he actually caught her.

"Inuyasha," she called over her shoulder, not bothering to look, "Just calm down, please. I did it for your own good."

"How can it be for my own good?" He hollered back, gaining on her. "You're keeping me away from Kagome! How is that for my own good?"

Seeing that the miko was in danger of being hurt, Kouga decided to step in. "I'm coming, Kaede," he hollered as he dashed in front of Inuyasha and swept the old woman into his arms, running away with all his might as the hanyou poured on more speed to catch the fleeing pair.

"Cowards!" He hollered. "Get your asses back here and fight me!"

"I'm no coward," Kouga called back as he ran in circles, trying to tire Inuyasha out, "Because I'm not the one chasing after a harmless old woman!"

"She is anything but harmless! She drugged me! Now put her down, wolf- man!"

"Not on your life, dog-breath! You'll have to catch me first, and as you can see, I'm still the faster man!"

Inuyasha growled in rage and continued his pursuit as Miroku, Sango, Ayame, Nancy, and Sesshoumaru watched in amusement. It really was, when you thought about it, a funny scene; Inuyasha chasing after Kouga, who was desperately clinging to a pudgy Kaede as she clung to his neck for dear life. Add to that the fact that the two demons were throwing insults at one another, and the situation was downright hilarious.

Miroku was the first to lose it, falling to his knees in laughter, and for once Sango wasn't far behind, clutching her sides as she giggled uncontrollably. Nancy had thrown her head back in laughter as well, and even Sesshoumaru had a smirk on his face. Only Ayame seemed the least bit concerned.

"Am I the only one who realizes someone will get hurt before this is all said and done?" She asked aloud, causing the others to manage to gain control of their emotions for a brief instant.

It was Sesshoumaru, again, who stepped forward to fix the problem, an annoyed expression on his face. "My brother is an annoying whelp of a man who doesn't know when to shut up or put aside his temper." Raising his fist in the air, he waited as the pair continued in their circle, bringing his arm down forcefully at just the right instant, a howl of rage telling everyone he'd hit his mark.

As the dust settled, they all saw Inuyasha sitting on the ground rubbing his head furiously, glaring up at his brother, who seemed oblivious.

"What did you do that for, baka?" The hanyou demanded. "Why are you suddenly helping them so much?"

Sesshoumaru glared back at Inuyasha. "Because you are making a fool of yourself, and that is an embarrassment to me. So just shut up and be grateful I didn't kill you."

Everyone except Nancy just shook their heads in exasperation, but the blonde couldn't get over what she had just heard. Sango gave her a worried look, and put a hand on her shoulder in concern.

"Nancy, are you alright?"

"Um, yeah, but, is it healthy that Sesshoumaru just threatened to kill Inuyasha?"

"What?" Sango glanced at the brothers, who were now walking back in their direction, Kouga in front of them, still carrying a Kaede who was so pale and stiff she looked like she could be a statue at the front of a temple. "Oh, that; don't worry about it, they threaten each other all the time."

"Oh," Nancy felt her heart begin to beat normally again, although she was still in a certain amount of shock. "Okay, if you say so."
Kagome had to admit that now her stomach was full she felt better. In fact, as much as she hated to admit it, she hadn't eaten that well in months, ever since she started college. Sukiono had pulled out all the stops, providing the two women with an elegant banquet of soup, salads, meats, and pastries fit for a king, and while at first they had both hesitated to eat any of it, fearing poison, in the end Kagome had given in to her growling stomach, Kikyou following soon after.

Unfortunately, now Kagome wished that she hadn't been so quick to eat and announce that she was full, because as soon as they had finished they had been escorted back to that damnable room she was once again pacing in frustration, feeling like a caged bird desperate to stretch its wings.

"How long have we been in here, do you suppose?" She finally asked Kikyou after a day had passed since their meal. The miko looked over from where she was lying on her back on one of the sleeping mats that had been placed in the room while they were out.

"I don't know; probably about a week, judging by the number of times the window has gone dark with night," she replied, her voice a little less formal then it had been at first. That made Kagome feel better, because now at least it wasn't like she was talking to a brick wall.

"A week, you say?" She sighed and slumped to the ground, bringing her knees up to her chin as she sat against one of the four walls. "Man, no wonder I'm going crazy."

Kikyou lifted an eyebrow at that statement. "Don't be ridiculous, girl, you seem fine to me. You're not going crazy."

Kagome sighed in annoyance. "It's an expression. I didn't really mean it, I was just exaggerating. Although, a part of me feels like it's the truth."

"If you think about it, Kagome, it isn't that bad in here. At least we're being fed and taken care of."

"Sure, if you call being locked away with no breath of fresh air being taken care of."

Kikyou gave her one of those you have no idea how bad it could be looks, and Kagome sighed, looking away in shame. God, she hated it when the older miko did that, and she'd had just about enough.

"Why do you have to do that?" She finally asked, her voice quiet, but still loud enough that she knew she had been understood.

"Have to do what?"

"You know, make me feel like an idiot all the time."

"I don't try and make you feel like anything; you make yourself feel foolish by making assumptions."

Kagome narrowed her eyes. "What is that supposed to mean? That I'm too stupid to understand, as always?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you meant it."

"Kagome," Kikyou let out a long sigh, "This is why I don't talk to you. It's impossible for us to get along, we're just too different."

"No, you make it impossible, not me," Kagome retorted, rising to her feet and glaring at her incarnation furiously. "I've tried so hard to be understanding with you. When Naraku was alive, only the gods know how desperately I fought to push aside my personal feelings whenever Inuyasha would run off to protect you and in the process abandon me." Tears were welling up in her eyes, and Kagome did nothing to push them away.

Kikyou just remained passive as she rose to sit on her knees in that trademark position that had become so damn annoying. "Inuyasha didn't abandon you, Kagome, he never did. He's your husband now, isn't he?"

Kagome felt herself laugh in frustration, her voice high pitched in anger. "You don't get it, do you? You really don't get it!"

"I don't get what?" Now even Kikyou seemed to be losing control of her patience, but Kagome didn't care. It was about time she acted human for once, instead of being so damn perfect all the time.

"You don't get that he loved you so much, he was willing, for the longest time, to go to hell with you after Naraku was defeated. You don't get that he was eaten alive by guilt every day after you came back to life, blaming himself for what happened between you two, and hating the fact that you had died while he had survived."

"Kagome..." Kikyou started to speak, but the normally patient human waved her hands furiously to silence her.

"No, I'm not finished yet!" Kikyou blinked several times, for once looking shocked, but Kagome didn't care. The dam had been opened, and all the years of pain and inner torment were finally flowing out of her in waves, and she could rail against the one woman she had wanted to hurt since she had first heard her name.

But before she could finish, Kagome felt her knees buckle, and she fell to the ground, sobbing, where she remained for several minutes. Suddenly there was a hand on her shoulder, and she was surprised to find herself looking down at Kikyou's red pants, realizing that it was the miko who was offering her some small amount of comfort.

"Kikyou..." she whispered, almost as though she had gone mad and was now talking to herself rather then someone else. "The woman Inuyasha fell in love with. The woman who died so that she could be with him in the afterlife. The woman who was betrayed by Naraku, who had been innocent and kind and perfect in every way. The woman who is more powerful then I could ever hope to be." She sighed. "The woman who will always haunt my footsteps."

"Kagome," Kikyou whispered, unsure of what to say, and was stunned when she saw the pain in her reincarnation's eyes as she looked up. "Kagome, you have to know that's not true. You have more power then I could ever hope to have, and your heart is more pure then mine ever was. How do I know that?" She brushed away a tear as gently as an older sister would. "Because you were able to accept Inuyasha for who he was, and not try to change him into something else. I could not."

But Kagome was shaking her head, the pain still burning deep holes in her heart. "Do you know how I felt every time he ran to you?" She whispered, her voice choked with unshed tears. "Do you know how cold I would become whenever I saw the two of you together? Do you?"

Kikyou understood they were questions that were meant to remain unanswered, and so she simply stayed sill and quiet, allowing Kagome to vent all her frustrations.

"It killed me inside, whenever he would compare me to you. In the beginning, he did it on purpose, and that was easier to ignore. But later, when he started to have feelings for me, he would do it unconsciously, making little comments about what you used to do, telling me stories and sharing his memories with me whenever we were together, almost like he wanted to keep you in his heart, using his love for you as a wall to keep me out." Kagome hugged her knees to her body desperately, sniffling like a little child.

"Kagome..." Kikyou didn't know what to say. For the first time in her life, she felt guilty for being who she was, and sorry for Kagome, the girl who, in the beginning, she had envied so much for stealing Inuyasha.

"I know you have had a life full of pain," Kagome finally commented, looking up and even managing a small smile to curve her lips despite her tears. "I know that what you've been through deserves the pity of thousands, and I don't mean to make it sound like you made yourself a victim so you could win Inuyasha back. I know that if given the choice you would go back and fix everything so you never had to go through dying and being resurrected into a body made up of clay and soil."

Kikyou shivered at the memory, and unknowingly tightened her grip on Kagome's shoulder, trying to banish the cold feeling from her body.

"And that's why it was so hard to hate you," Kagome whispered, and the older miko opened her eyes in surprise.

"You mean, you didn't hate me?"

Kagome laughed at that, a shallow, empty laugh that almost sounded cruel. "Believe me, I wanted to. I wanted to hate you, because then it would have been easy to walk away from Inuyasha. I could have stayed in my time and never come back, because then I could have hated him for loving you. But I just couldn't." She shook her head, her face buried in her knees. "I just couldn't."

They sat in silence for several minutes, the only sound being Kagome's soft crying and the occasionally sniff of her nose. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, Kikyou took her hand and placed it under the other girl's chin, lifting up her face so they were staring right at one another.

As always, they both felt a jolt of shock at first, for they could almost be looking in a mirror, but once that passed, Kikyou took a deep breath and began to speak, trying to ignore the pain in Kagome's eyes. Clearly, she thought with an inner rip of her heart, this girl had suffered much more then she had ever given her credit for.

"Kagome, I never meant for you to be pulled into the mess that Naraku created. And," she looked down briefly in shame, "I never meant to hurt you the way I did in the beginning. But, like you, I wanted to feel nothing but hate, because that would have made things so simple." She rose to her feet, and Kagome watched as she began to pace the room. "I wanted to hate Inuyasha, because then I could just kill him and take my revenge. Even when I knew the truth about how I came to die, I wanted to hate him, because to allow love back into my heart would only complicate matters more then I wanted to handle."

She paused and turned, glancing back at Kagome sadly. "And then there was you, the girl who looked just like me, and who, in spite of myself, I felt threatened by, because while I didn't want to love Inuyasha, heaven forbid of someone else took my place at his side, especially a girl who looked just like me, who was my reincarnation, who held my very soul." She smiled to herself. "I wanted to hate you too, you know. I wanted to hate you, because I couldn't be completely alive without you dying. And I couldn't stand the fact that Inuyasha was willing to keep me in my state of walking between the worlds of the dead and the living if it meant keeping you safe." She paused. "But then, you saved me, and you protected me, and I didn't know what to think any more."

She stared off into space, and Kagome followed her train of thought, recalling the time when they had been trapped in the belly of the monster that ate the souls of priestesses. Kikyou had been nearly dead when she found her, separated from her soul stealers and losing strength, but when Kagome had been given the chance to leave on her own, she had instead stayed behind and protected her incarnation, carrying her to the heart of the monster and killing it, with Kikyou's help.

"Why did you save me?" Kikyou had asked then, once they were safe and the souls of the dead were breathing life back into her otherwise lifeless body.

Kagome had turned around then and given the miko one of her kindest smiles. "Because if you were to die, someone would be very sad."

Thinking that was the end, she had turned back around and walked away, barely hearing Kikyou mutter "The same goes for you" before disappearing. That was the first time they had found a common ground with one another, and Kagome would never forget it, so long as she lived. Nor would she forget the way she had come across Inuyasha that night, leaning against a tree, contemplating something. He had been out looking for her, and she was so overjoyed by that fact that, for once, she was completely happy.

"I meant what I said then," Kagome finally whispered, almost as though she were afraid of ruining the silence. A rare smile cracked her face, and Kikyou nodded in reply.

"As did I."

"You know," Kagome unfolded her legs and let them stretch out before her, "Sometimes I can't help but think that, well, if I hadn't been raped, Inuyasha would never have admitted his feelings for me."

Kikyou raised an eyebrow. "Why would you say that? He loves you, even I could see it, long before he came to grips with it himself."

But Kagome shook her head. "That doesn't matter. Even if he did love me for a long time, he was willing to push it away, to sacrifice it if it meant your wellbeing." She shuddered at the memory, of thinking about how she had almost lost him to Kikyou when he planned to follow the miko into Hell.

"He would have recognized it before it was too late," Kikyou finally spoke, sitting down next to Kagome. "And," she swallowed, "If he hadn't admitted it to himself, I would have made him say something."

"Really? But, I thought it broke your heart when he told you he loved me. At least, that's what he thought."

Kikyou nodded. "It did, but only in the sense that I realized I had truly lost him. On the other hand, his loving you set me free in a way I had not been since I was alive."

"What do you mean?"

Kikyou smiled and brushed a stray hair behind her ear. "While I was still tied to his love, and his devotion, I felt like I couldn't truly move on. And I also realized that we could never really get back to the way we had once been, we were both too tainted by the evil of Naraku and his cruel intentions. His loving you showed me that I could move on too."

"And then you found Gideon?"

"Yes," Kikyou's smile broadened, and her eyes adopted that soft warmth Kagome had come to associate with her husband.

"You really love him, don't you?"

"I do, in a way I never could have loved Inuyasha."

"Why's that? I thought he was the love of your life?"

"He was, in a way. But my love for Gideon is more mature, and I think is stronger because we are both older, and have known pain in our lives. He lost his mother and father to disease when he was very young, and I, well," she stopped, unsure how to finish, and Kagome nodded. You're the poster- girl for tragedy, she finished in her head.

For once, the silence that surrounded them was one of peace and understanding, and Kagome felt happy in a way she hadn't thought possible. She had made peace with the one woman who had tormented her otherwise joyful life for so long, and it made her conscience feel better, knowing she had purged herself of her anger and frustration.

Suddenly, she giggled, and Kikyou turned to her with a curious stare. "What's so funny? Not something I said, I hope?"

Kagome shook her head, her giggles turning into outright laughter, the first good laugh she'd had since their capture. "No, it's not you. It's just that, well, we're thought of as two of the most powerful priestesses around, and yet, instead of trying to escape, we're using our imprisonment for some much-needed bonding time."

That brought a smile to the older miko's face, and before long Kikyou found herself laughing too. Kagome stopped, listening to the sound and realizing that was the first time she had ever heard Kikyou laugh. It was beautiful, and Kagome thought in that moment the woman had never seemed more carefree.