A/N: Thank you so much to innocentanimefan and kakkn for their reviews on the last chapter, it's amazing that you guys have stuck to this story and continued to read it despite my sporadic updates. :) On that note, thank you to everyone who has done the same.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, this story will be ending in a couple of chapters but hopefully I do it justice. A sequel is also in the works, but I shall not be posting that until I have written at least half of it because I seriously don't want to leave anyone hanging for as long as I have done while writing this.

So, whether you have been here since the beginning or just started, enjoy the last couple of chapters! :)

Timeless

Chapter 17 - Confrontation

The sounds of footsteps coming towards them were becoming clearer and each of the two groups tensed in their hiding spaces as they waited for the approaching group to let itself be seen. They knew that they most probably had the element of surprise on their sides, which was always an advantage.

And it most certainly was so. Neither group running towards the two groups expected someone to jump out from in front of them as one was being chased and the others were the ones doing the chasing.

Inuyasha gave a subtle nod, one that was barely noticeable in the dark atmosphere of the caves. But everyone's senses were on high alert, any movement was visible to them, no matter how small it may be.

Swiftly and silently they jumped out from behind the small outcropping that they had been hiding behind. Inuyasha had Tetsusaiga drawn and Sango had Hiraikotsu drawn as well, much to the consternation of Miroku. He had his own staff drawn, as well as having several sutras at the ready while Shippo and Kirara had readied themselves for a fight as well. Kagome sent a short prayer upwards before clearing her mind and readying her bow and arrow; she would need all of her concentration right now.

The sight that met them was not one that they had expected.

Naraku and Kikyo nearly crashed into them, ducking Tetsusaiga and jumping backwards, just out of its reach.

"Naraku." Inuyasha ground out, glaring at the man that had caused him so much pain and so many troubles four years ago.

"Inuyasha." Naraku nodded and nobody missed the way that his eyes briefly scanned the area, looking for a way to get past them.

The two groups faced each other, neither moving as their breathing was the only sound.

"I am sorry." One could have expected many things, but an apology from the man that had made their lives a literal hell two years ago wasn't at the top of that list.

"What?" Inuyasha finally managed to get out. The apology had astounded him as much as everyone else, maybe even more.

"For what I did two years ago. I cannot say that I was out of my mind as I was not. I was perfectly aware of what I was doing and yet I believed it to be right. But being reborn, being given a second shot at life, it is more than I could have ever expected. I never want to travel down that road again, as it only led me towards destruction the last time." Naraku looked genuinly regretful and Kagome found it hard to doubt him. There was something within her telling her that he was being truthful.

And the fact that he was hiding Kikyo so protectively also made her more inclined to believe him. After all, which kind of black-hearted man would hide another person behind their back in order to protect them?

None that she knew of, was the correct answer.

"How can we know that you aren't lying?" Inuyasha hissed, his own doubt at the fact that he wasn't having any actual doubts about Naraku's sincerity of all things flaring. There was more to this situation than met the eye.

"You can't." Naraku shrugged. "There is probably nothing that I can say or do to alleviate those doubts and you are completely justified in that."

"Did he have some sort of personality transplant?" Sango hissed quietly at Miroku,

"I'm starting to believe so." Miroku replied just as quietly, eyeing the demon in front of him. Like Inuyasha, he couldn't help but believe that there was more to this situation that they were being led to believe.

"And I am also sorry about what I am about to do." Naraku said and immediately everyone's guard went up.

What they weren't prepared for though was the intense blast of the magic spell that hit them. Surprisingly though, Kikyo, who still hadn't said one word, and Naraku just ran past them, they didn't even try to harm them.

"Did they seriously just blast us with a spell in order to get past us?" Kagome asked, still being stuck to the floor due to the spell.

"It appears so." Miroku replied.

All Inuyasha did was groan in frustration.

Now they would have to wait for the spell to wear off before they could follow Naraku and Kikyo.

Great.

~.~.~.~.~

"We should split up. Naraku and Kikyo could have gone either way." Midoriko pointed out to Hisashi who growled at her in annoyance. He could damn well see that himself, he didn't need her to point out the obvious to him.

"Okay, then I'll go left and you go right." He said and she nodded, not willing to fight about his domineering attitude right now.

"Okay." And she ran down the right path.

It was the last time that she saw him alive.

~.~.~.~.~

"Looks like my brother is busy again." Sesshomaru said almost conversationally as they left their spot behind the cave wall in order to continue searching for Naraku. They had hidden there, waiting for the footsteps that they had heard to get closer and to ambush said person.

Nobody had turned up however.

Instead, the footsteps had veered off the path that would have led towards them and had travelled into some other direction.

So they had waited for a couple minutes to see if that person would return but it seemed that they wouldn't. And so they had left their spot and were making their way towards the sounds.

And Sesshomaru was probably right - only Inuyasha's group would make that much noise. Or a group of lowly and inexperienced demons. But somehow, seeing as this place was quite well organised, Yukari doubted that.

Their footsteps were silent, even Kohaku's - he had spent enough time learning how to be silent from Sesshomaru - when they heard another pair of footsteps nearing them. They were quiet, so quiet that they nearly missed them. And they would have, had that person not been running.

Sesshomaru sent a look to the rest of them and they nodded, understanding what it was that he wanted them to do. Without making a sound, Jango and Kohaku crept around the corner and stayed there in order to make sure that no one came from behind. Ah-Un stood at the other corner, blocking the way there. And Yukari made herself scarce by hiding in a crevice in the wall, in case Sesshomaru wanted her to attack the person that was coming towards them. Which, if he deemed the demon or person too far below his strength class, then she probably would have to do so.

Sesshomaru himself lent against the wall casually, watching the tunnel in front of him carefully, his posture exuding confidence but his eyes remaining ever alert.

He did not want to take any chances.

"Mio-" The voice was that of a woman's and Sesshomaru took in her appearance carefully. Long dark hair, she held herself regally, her eyes and startled voice being the only thing that indicated her surprise.

Her arm went to her back and she pulled forth an arrow, notching it into her bow.

A miko then.

"Who are you?" Her voice was fierce and she was glaring at him disdainfully. "A demon?"

"Indeed, I am." Sesshomaru graced her with a reply, noting the hatred that immediately flared in her eyes.

"I recognise you. You're Sesshomaru, the Great Demon Lord of the West." The woman's eyes narrowed even furhter.

Kohaku had his hand over Jaken's mouth quicker than he could blink. There was absolutely no sense in giving their position away only because Jaken believed that everyone should be addressing his master as 'Lord' Sesshomaru.

Yukari on the other hand, furowed her brows. She recognised that voice.

"And what of it?" Sesshomaru was still sizing her up, deciding whether she was worth his time or not. Something told him that there was more to this woman than she let on. Her initial reaction of him had been too quick to be the reaction of a normal person. This woman wasn't just your ordinary miko.

"It just means that I'm going to kill you." She stated calmly, her voice betraying her anger to him. It was just a subtle undercurrent but he was used to reading between the lines, to understand the hidden meanings within everything, he had to, as the Great Demon Lord.

Sesshomaru sent her a scathing look and the woman flinched slightly as Yukari allowed herself a small smirk. Sesshomaru could be absolutely terrifying, there was no doubt about that.

But what annoyed her still was the wave of nostalgia that spread through her as she looked at the woman. There was something about the way that she was holding herself, the way that she was holding that arrow, poised to shoot Sesshomaru without a second thought.

The bow and arrow...suddenly it clicked into place.

"They didn't hate you and yet you hate them." Yukari stepped forth from her crevice in the wall, ignoring Sesshomaru's warning glare, instead concentrating completely on the woman.

"Who are you?" The woman's guard was up, she was still pointing the arrow at Sesshomaru, but her eyes were trained on Yukari. Panic, fear and anger filled her eyes.

"You're the miko from that time." Yukari stated, almost trance-like, as she took another step forward. Her eyes suddenly rolled back in her head and Jaken squeaked as the horrifying image of her white eyes met them. The woman flinched at the sound and her head shot up, seeing them clearly.

Sesshomaru was looking surprisingly worried.

"They killed your beloved, they took his life. You will never forgive them. You hate them, you always have." Yukari continued, oblivious to the world around her. Sesshomaru knew what this was, this was one of her rare spells of foresight or hindsight. She could look into the past or future but whenever she did, and it was mostly involuntary on her part, something else always triggered it, she was completely defenseless, she lost all sense of her surroundings. Which was possibly the worst thing that could have happened in this case.

"What do you know?" The woman between them spat. "You've never lost a loved one to a demon, you've never seen their inards splayed out before you. You've never had to just sit there beside them as they die because you were too weak to protect them. You don't know anything!" Her voice had risen towards the end, she was completely infuriated.

"Your hate will destroy you. It has consumed you and your sister's ancestor will be the cause of your death one day. You will not fall at the hands of a demon, but at the hands of one who sympathises with them. As the pale moon rises and covers the sea, the heart of a queen, encased in ice, will shatter and break. Three steps forth and three steps back, her heart's desire will be fulfilled." Yukari's voice was fading, Sesshomaru could see that the trance was coming to an end.

"You! You're that girl from five hundred years ago!" The woman looked at her in shock, her anger quickly beginning to grow even more. "You stopped me once, you will not stop me again!" And she swung her bow around and let loose the arrow. Sesshomaru rushed forward in an attempt to stop her and Kohaku, Jaken and Ah-Un also left their places.

The woman ran back down the way she came.

"Yukari?" Kohaku kneeled down next to her as she awoke from her daze, the arrow piercing her chest. "Yukari, are you alright? Talk to me, tell me if you can hear me!" Kohaku was holding her gently in his arms, refusing to let her slip from the trance into oblivion. Jaken was pacing up and down, knowing that if she died, then Sesshomaru would as well.

Sesshomaru was staring down at her, his eyes unseeing.

"Her name is Midoriko." Yukari coughed softly, her voice breaking. "She's the priestess who's heart became the Shikon no Tama."

"You saw this?" Kohaku asked and Yukari nodded softly.

"Go after her Sesshomaru, find Naraku. If the two of them collaborate then you might all lose. Her spiritual powers are overwhelming and she's completely fueled by her hatred of demons." Yukari swallowed heavily. "The bond's breaking, the arrow pierced my heart. Her aim is really good." She chuckled slightly and Kohaku admired her strength for still being able to smile and find some humour in this situation. "You're free." She smiled gently and her voice broke at the trembling fear that lay underneath her false bravado.

She was afraid of the death that was approaching her.

"I-" For once, the mighty demon lord appeared to be lost for words.

"Go." She said softly. A look passed between them, a look that even years later Kohaku would remember. It's intensity was astounding, the message passed between them was something that was for them alone.

"Take her to the surface, treat her." Sesshomaru's voice was harsh and Kohaku flinched slightly. He and Jaken also shared a look, but a look of a very different kind. It was a rare look of understanding, of knowing exactly how Sesshomaru's mind worked and what he meant, despite perhaps not quite knowing it himself.

"Come on Ah-Un, let's go." Kohaku picked Yukari up carefully. Her breathing was laboured, her eyes closed as the life began to seep out of her.

Kohaku knew that Sesshomaru wouldn't only possibly physically die, should Yukari leave the world of the living.

~.~.~.~.~

"Inuyasha, can you move yet?" Miroku asked as he lay, flat on his back, counting the number of cracks in the ceiling once again.

"No. I can wiggle my hand though." Inuyasha sighed, annoyance and anger having taken up residence in his whole body.

"Damn Kikyo for being so adept with spells." Sango muttered, quite angry herself.

"I'll kill her, I really will." Kagome's thoughts were dark and the others looked over at her. Yeah, none of them were taking this particularly well. And Kagome wasn't taking this well at all. After all, she had been essentially one-upped by the woman that always one-upped her.

"Shippo?" Miroku asked, having reached crack number twenty-five.

"Sorry Miroku." Shippo apologised. He had been trying out a variety of different kitsune spells in the hope that one might free them. No such luck so far.

"Kirara?" Sango asked.

A couple of disgruntled meows gave her her answer.

They all sighed in unison. Really, only they would manage to get themselves stuck like this. They all wondered what divine force they had upset at some point.

"I solemnly swear that I will never stare at another woman for as long as I live." Miroku stated, his eyes closed as if in prayer.

"I swear that I will no longer entertain thoughts of murdering my husband in his sleep." Sango said in a similar fashion.

"I will not be jealous of someone who I don't need to be jealous of ever again." Kagome said, taking a deep and cleansing breath.

"Oh and I also promise to eat celery from now on."

Kirara felt a sweat drop run down her head. What kind of things were they apologising for?

"Meow." I swear that I will never follow another group of idiots that get me into this kind of situation again. Her 'meow' was very heartfelt.

Shippo sent her a look which she ignored.

"I promise to never play pranks on my master and try to humiliate him should he annoy me, which is practically daily again. Well, maybe one or two. He is rather annoying." Shippo said, deciding to follow the general trend of things.

A couple of minutes of silence followed.

"Oh come on!" Inuyasha finally yelled, his already limited patience having reached its breaking point.

"Let us go!" Kagome wailed.

"This isn't fair!" Sango let go of her frustrations as well.

"Meow." Life isn't fair. Kirara responded, but of course Sango didn't understand her.

"You do know that yelling isn't going to help us?" Miroku asked carefully, fully aware that they were all quite angry by now.

"We know." Inuyasha growled.

"But they're getting away." Sango continued.

"And we have to get them!" Kagome finished.

Miroku sighed. Really, they would have to practice patience once they got out of here.

"Now what do we have here?" A sinister voice asked and they all looked up, or at least, as far as they could lift their heads, in order to see a humanoid demon standing there, peering down at them with malice in his eyes. "If it isn't the famous Inuyasha and his band of merry followers."

Miroku felt sick to the stomach. This could not be happening, not when they were all paralysed by being stuck on the floor.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha ground out, his eyes never leaving the demon as he casually strolled around Inuyasha.

"Oh nothing really. Perhaps your deaths, perhaps information on which way Naraku and Kikyo went, perhaps that beautiful miko over there so that she can pay for what the other two have done." The man's grin was diabolical and Inuyasha felt panic overtake him.

He walked towards Kagome.

"You know, you really do look awfully like that Kikyo, wouldn't you agree?" The man ran his hand up and down Kagome's cheek and she felt a whimper escape her lips. This was bad. This was really bad.

"I wonder what you would feel like, writhing underneath me as I exact my revenge, hm?" The man's hands strayed further south and the others felt bile rise in their throats. There had to be something that they could do, something that would stop this from happening. Something-

Hisashi barely heard the whistling sound and he stared in horror down at his body as the upper half fell backwards, leaving his legs lying there to fall forward on Kagome who screamed once they touched her body.

Blood splattered all over the place and he stared up to see who had severed his body in half.

"Why?" He rasped out as a magnificent figure stepped over him.

"You were in my way." Sesshomaru stared down at the demon, a hard expression on his face, before continuing to walk down the corridor.

Life left him and his eyes grew blank and unseeing. Miroku, Inuyasha, Sango, Shippo and Kirara stared in horror at the two parts of the demon, who's insides still appeared to be moving. Sesshomaru was still walking away from them, not looking back once.

Kagome felt tears prick the back of her eyes as the blood of the man continued to flow over her. Whimpers escaped her and she could feel that she was losing control of her emotions and rational thinking.

Finally the man's body stopped twitching and they could begin to feel the spell lifting. Jaken quickly ran past them in order to catch up with Sesshomaru.

"Jaken!" Miroku called out, lifting himself up from the ground. Jaken turned to look back at him. "What happened?"

If anything, then he would have described Jaken's look as haunted. He then noticed that Yukari, Kohaku and Ah-Un weren't with them anymore. Which was strange as Yukari had never been more than a few metres away from Sesshomaru.

"They angered him." Jaken merely said before running off after Sesshomaru again. He didn't have any time to linger and explain to Inuyasha and his group why Sesshomaru was losing control. He had to make sure that Sesshomaru survived.

"We have to go after them." Sango stated, looking thoroughly rattled.

Miroku nodded.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Inuyasha was by her side, helping her up after discarding the bottom half of the man's body.

"I will be." Kagome stated, her knees shaking as she got back up.

"Meow." Kirara transformed into her larger demonic form and Inuyasha carried Kagome over to her, gently depositing Kagome on Kirara's back. Kagome had started to shake and she stared down at her hands, which were covered in blood, as the rest of her body was.

"It won't stop." She said and Inuyasha hugged her, disregarding the blood that was coating her.

"It will." He simply stated, holding her tight. "I have to let go now but I'll be right in front of Kirara, okay?" He stared at her and Sango and Miroku looked down over at them in worry.

"Let's go." Inuyasha marched on ahead, his expression dark, while they all followed behind him.

This time, things had gone just a bit too far.