A/N: Thank you so much to innocentanimefan and kakkn for their reviews on chapter fifteen, as well as .X for their review on chapter 3! :)

RxExR!

Timeless

Chapter 16 - Deeper Into The Caves

As when they had travelled back into the past by five hundred years, when they returned to their own time they also managed to land in a beautiful pile, limbs tangled in what seemed like a work of art.

"I'm kind of getting tired of this." Yukari commented rather casually as she got up without a sign of discomfort and brushed herself off. Sesshomaru nodded in agreement as he also stood up easily and brushed some dust off of his clothes. Inuyasha glared at his brother and companion from the ground, they looked way too unbothered by time travel.

"It is kind of painful." Kohaku agreed as he helped Jaken up. The smaller demon didn't even complain but simply accepted the help Kohaku offered. Over the past few months, especially since Yukari had joined their group, he had come to tolerate and even like Kohaku, something that he wouldn't even have thought of a couple of years back.

"Sango, sweetheart, are you okay?" Miroku had already gotten up and was hovering around Sango rather nervously, checking that everything was okay.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She muttered. She seriously could not wait until the baby was born, the way that everyone was treating her like she was some sort of fragile flower was beginning to seriously annoy her.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha merely used her name as a question as he helped her up.

"I'm fine too." Kagome smiled sweetly at Inuyasha and he smiled back and for a couple of seconds the two of them were lost in each other's gazes.

Shippo snorted as he looked at his two love-struck friends. Finally they had admitted their feelings for one another. Kirara was telling him in several meow's of how it had all happened and he had to say that it was quite amusing to listen to, although Kirara had probably not liked them kissing so extensively while on her back as much.

"If you two are finished making fish eyes at one another, can we move on?" Sesshomaru asked, feeling slightly annoyed at the way his brother was wearing his emotions on his sleeve. Yukari snorted and then began to laugh at what he had said, the exasperated expression on his face being hilarious in her opinion.

Ah-Un made a sound that sounded like a chuckle while Kohaku and Jaken had a hard time to not laugh or chuckle. Sesshomaru wouldn't take them laughing as nicely as he took Yukari laughing. If he didn't know any better then Kohaku would say that the demon lord had a soft spot for the woman, but considering who Sesshomaru was, it was probably just the fact that he would die if he killed her that prevented him from getting too angry at her.

"Fish eyes?" Miroku snorted and the corners of Sango's mouth twitched upwards as her eyes danced in mirth.

Inuyasha shot his brother a glare while wearing a blush on his face and Kagome flushed a deep red.

"I think that Sesshomaru and the rest of us should take one path and you lot the other." Yukari said, still smiling, after her laughter had passed.

"We're going now?" Kagome looked slightly confused.

"Where?" Shippo looked up and down the two different corridors that led away from the main cave.

Miroku had to admire the way that Yukari had put that, she was obviously quite diplomatic, although he guessed that that had a lot to do with putting up with Lady Satomi for an extended period of time. Not only was she keeping Sesshomaru and Inuyasha apart, she was also giving them something to do straight away, meaning that the two brothers wouldn't get all tense and excited about jumping into action.

"Yeah, to go and catch Naraku." Sango said to Shippo and Kagome who both nodded in return, having reached the same conclusions. The quicker they caught Naraku, the better. And they knew from the traces of his smell in the air that he was in this cave.

"Okay, here you go." Yukari popped one clip on Sesshomaru's nose and another one on Jaken's. The smell of the herbs that repelled demons were still strong here although it wasn't as strong as it had been outside of the caves.

Sesshomaru sent her a pointed glare that she decidedly ignored. Jaken on the other hand looked relieved that he wouldn't have to contend with the awful smell anymore. Kohaku allowed himself a small smile.

"Left or right?" Inuyasha asked after he, Shippo and Kirara had employed the same technique to avoid the smell of the herbs.

"We'll take right." Sesshomaru said decidedly, growing tired of the indecision that hung in the air.

"Okay, then we'll take left." Kagome sent Inuyasha a look that he wisely heeded. He had been ready to argue with his brother about why he should take the left while Sesshomaru took the right but correctly decided that it really wasn't worth Kagome's ire and a possible 'Sit boy!', something that he hadn't heard in nearly two weeks.

"Take care." Sango said softly and Yukari nodded back in response, showing that they all returned the farewell. Kohaku quickly hugged his sister and smiled at the others before rushing after them, Sesshomaru having already begun to stride ahead into the pathway of the cave with determination, the others being not far behind.

"Well I guess that it's time to go then." Miroku said with a sigh, not really looking forward to a possible meeting with Naraku.

"Yeah." Kagome reciprocated the feeling that his voice had held in her sigh and looked at the dark tunnel that wound through the rock face to their left.

"Well then, come on." Inuyasha took Kagome's hand and they both went forward, blushes adorning their cheeks and amused smirks on the faces of their companions.

~.~.~.~.~

"Naraku." Naraku looked up as the voice of Kikyo floated towards his ears and struck a chord within his heart.

"Yes?" A rare but genuine smile adorned his face.

"It's time to leave. We have amassed enough power." Kikyo's eyes were soft.

"Let's go then." He said, the affection in his voice for once unmasked as no one else was around.

"Yes, let's." She replied and they left the cavern that they had been residing in, easily slipping past any sentries or guards, their hands occasionally brushing against the other's as they went through the narrow passageways between the many caves.

~.~.~.~.~

"They're gone." Midoriko looked around almost in wonder as she took in the cavern that no longer held the two people that they had been watching so closely for the past three months.

"I can't believe it." Hisashi said almost in a stupor before properly erupting. His swearing and cursing could probably be heard from the entrance to the caves but she honestly could not bring herself to care.

Would their true objectives finally be revealed?

She truly wondered what they were.

~.~.~.~.~

"Did you hear that?" Yukari looked up in suprise to find Sesshomaru having directed the question at her. After becoming accustomed to his normal agenda of ignoring her, she was almost shocked to see him speak with her so directly.

It felt good none the less though.

"Yeah, I did." She nodded in reply.

"So we're following that voice?" Even Kohaku had heard the long string of expletives that had echoed around the corridors and halls within the mountain.

"Yes." Sesshomaru said and they all followed him, Yukari smiling a mysterious smile of hers that Jaken, Kohaku and Ah-Un found surprisingly beautiful. They wondered if Sesshomaru had seen it too.

~.~.~.~.~

"Are you going to stand around swearing all day or are we actually going to go and find them?" Midoriko asked with irritation laced into her voice. Hisashi had gotten progressively more annoying over the past couple of weeks and she was about to reach her limit in terms of her tolerance of him and his attitude and temper.

"We're going to go." Hisashi practically snarled at her and she narrowed her eyes at his back.

He would be the first to go when she finally put her plans into action.

And being on the top of her 'hit-list' would not offer him any happiness.

~.~.~.~.~

"You also heard that, didn't you?" Kagome asked and the others nodded in reply.

"Yeah but its in the direction that my brother went in so we'll let him deal with it." Inuyasha said. Miroku absently wondered whether it was even possible to gain maturity merely by admitting to a person that you loved them in one form or another.

"So we continue straight ahead?" Sango asked.

"Yeah, straight ahead. It didn't sound like Naraku anyway." Miroku said and Shippo and Kirara bounded on further, intent on sensing any danger as soon as possible. It was practically pitch-black anyway.

~.~.~.~.~

"They found out that we've left." Kikyo said, shivering slightly from the cold in the tunnel in a manner that was rather reminiscent of of Aimi.

"They won't catch us." Naraku whispered, hugging her close. "And we'll be gone soon, our plan is fail-proof."

Kikyo merely nodded, enjoying the warmth that his embrace was offering, relishing the feelings of security and belonging.

Feelings she had believed she would never experience ever again.

~.~.~.~.~

"We're at some crossroads." Kagome commented as she looked at the way the path widened to accomodate for the many paths to meet and twist away from one another once more.

"Shh, someone's coming." Inuyasha whispered and they all grew quiet and readied themselves. It was time.

~.~.~.~.~

"Which way now?" Kohaku asked and Sesshomaru and the others looked around as three paths stretched away from the one that they were currently on.

"We can ask the ones coming towards us right now." Yukari stated idly.

Sesshomaru smirked. Finally they would get some action.

Jaken knew that if he wasn't so accustomed to his Lord, he would most certainly be shrinking back in fear from the expression on his Lord's face. It was positively frightening.

~.~.~.~.~

"I think I know where they went." Hisashi suddenly stated and Midoriko looked over at him with an expression that read finally.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" She asked, knowing that she would have to do something to release the stress that had built up within her soon otherwise she might actually explode.

"Nothing." Hisashi griped and they made their way into the tunnel network, Midoriko's hand twitching to take her sword and lop of Hisashi's head. The way that he was holding that arrogant head of his practially called for her to do it.

But doing it would probably make too much noise and pull attention towards her, something that she really didn't need when trying to run through the caves as silently as possible to avoid alerting Naraku and Kikyo that they were chasing after them.

~.~.~.~.~

"Kaede, what's wrong?" The old miko looked over as Ayumi's voice met her ears and she smiled slightly in her direction before turning back to view the magnificent sight that was the sun setting over the horizon.

"I don't know my dear, I just have a strange feeling in my gut." She replied as Ayumi joined her in watching the last light of the day flicker before letting the stars come out and shine brightly onto the earth below.

"Your gut feeling is probably right." Ayumi mentioned and Kaede allowed herself a small chuckle, internally agreeing with her. Over the past three months Ayumi had managed to nearly effortlessly slip into the routines of the village and it seemed as if she had settled quite well.

The girl had also opened up to her after a couple of weeks and told her about the problems plaguing her mind and Kaede found that the young woman had appeared relieved to finally get it off of her chest. She had walked around with a slight spring in her step afterwards, almost as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders merely by talking about her issues.

"My sister would have said that the setting sun represents the end of an old era and the beginning of a new one on a night as clear as this one, especially as the planets are all aligned perfectly and there wasn't even a cloud to be found during the day today." Ayumi broke the silence. A sad sigh followed that statement.

"My sister would probably have said something similar." Kaede said in response, thinking about her deceased sister and wondering why the strange feeling just wouldn't leave her alone.

"I wonder how Kagome and the others are doing." Ayumi whispered softly as she pulled her knees closer to her and made herself more comfortable in the grass.

"They will be fine." Kaede stated, completely sure that they would be.

After all, there was no way that that group could possibly lose. She closed her eyes and remembered her vision. Many things would happen but a great many things still lay ahead of them so they simply had to be alright.

But none the less she hoped that they would come home soon, if only to quench the worry of the young woman sitting next to her.