Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry! I totally didn't realize how long it'd been since I updated this fic. I checked the date the other day, and about fell off the couch. I feel so bad! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me... (hangs head in shame) I can grovel more if anyone needs me to... Anyone? Ok, on with the story! (I hope!)
Kagome...
Inuyasha tightens his hands on the hilt of his sword, a low growl leaving his throat as he glares at the woman holding his fiancé. The demon has very short black hair, and is wearing a dark-red, single-piece robe, similar to how his own robe looked when Kagome wore it in Togenkyo. Her feet are bare and there is a staff crossing her back.
The hanyou can see Kagome slowly turning red, a cross between fear and anger on her face as she struggles to keep the barrier behind her and the demon up. Inuyasha glances quickly past the pair to see Shippo lying flat on the ground--obviously knocked out--what looks like a burn on one side of his face. Sango is kneeling beside Miroku, helping the strangely confused monk to sit up, while Tsuta and Korogi continue to cry in the arms of the village's midwife. Inuyasha frowns quickly to himself.
What happened? And...where's Kilala?
The half-demon narrows his eyes as the woman speaks again, her sweet-sounding voice grating harshly on the boy's nerves.
"Did you not hear me...Inuyasha? I said, drop your sword or your woman will die," the red-robed demon says, pressing the point of her dagger into Kagome's throat.
Inuyasha sees the miko close her eyes as a trickle of blood starts down her neck, the blue of the barrier flickering behind her. He growls again before frustratingly throwing Tetsusaiga to the ground, the sword quickly reverting to it's smaller form.
"Thank you," the woman says, grinning wickedly as she releases Kagome's arm. The demon then smacks the priestess hard enough across the face to knock her unconscious and send her flying several feet away.
Without realizing what he's doing, Inuyasha sprints forward and grabs the woman by her own neck, lifting her off the ground and barely feeling the pain as her dagger slides into his chest, between his ribs. Sota--who had fallen off his back when the hanyou had run forward--quickly stands and runs over to his sister. Neither boy notices that the miko's barrier has been replaced by Miroku's, though it is unsteady while the monk tries to get his bearings.
"You evil..."
Inuyasha's growled words are cut off as he feels a burning pain slowly spreading from his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe. He narrows his eyes at the demon, who is grinning at him, despite her position.
"This is no ordinary blade...Inuyasha. It was made with my father's permission."
The hanyou frowns slightly, something in the woman's tone not settling well with him. It's now that the boy notices the light honey-colored gaze staring back at him.
"What do you want?" he hisses, tightening his hold on her neck. "There's nothing of value here. You..."
Inuyasha's words are cut off as he feels a slight tickling on his feet. He quickly glances downward, becoming slightly dizzy as he gazes at his blood-soaked shirt and jeans.
"Oh...I doubt that," the woman says, quickly bringing her free hand up and grabbing the half-demon's wrist--twisting it so that Inuyasha releases his hold on her.
The boy stares in shock as the demon forcibly removes his grip, then yanks the dagger from his chest and brings that fist up to connect with his jaw. Inuyasha doesn't even make any sound as he goes flying backward, smashing through the wall of one of the few huts that is still standing.
The woman grins, turning back toward the barrier and the panting monk she can see chanting behind it, the pregnant woman holding him up.
"Where is the grave?" she asks, walking forward. She curses silently when the barrier rejects her. "Very well. I will just use the miko then," she says, turning toward the still-unconscious Kagome and a frightened Sota. A low growl to her right gets her attention.
"I don't...think so," Inuyasha says, bending to grab his sword as he leans against an angry Kilala.
The demon blinks a few times, grinning again when she sees the hanyou struggling to stay upright. "Having trouble...Inuyasha? And just what do you...?"
The demon's question is cut off as...something goes flying past her head, just grazing her left cheek. She turns, glaring at the young boy now standing in front of the siblings, his chained weapon swinging in one hand.
"And what do you plan to do, demon sla..."
The woman's eyes narrow as something like a cold wind flows over her, though there is no breeze. She quickly spins around, her light eyes narrowing angrily as she sees the person standing behind her. The demon's amber gaze sweeps slowly over the scene before coming to rest on the hanyou.
"You are bleeding, Inuyasha."
-------------------
"Hey, Ichigo! Check out those hotties over there!"
The red-head cringes as his light-haired friend nods to a place behind their group, giving him a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows in the process. Ichigo doesn't even bother to turn his head.
"No," he says, poking at some of the stray pieces of rice on his plate. Ichigo sets his fork down, laying his head back to rest on the top of their booth.
"But...Ichigo..."
"Leave him alone, Keigo. You know he and..."
Chad breaks off suddenly, glancing sideways at his friend--a slight reddish tint to his dark cheeks.
"S...sorry, Ichigo. I know it must still be hard to talk about her," the tall brunette says, reaching forward and taking a sip from his glass. "She..."
"Let's just talk about something else--ok?" Ichigo asks, bringing his head forward and placing it in his palms.
The other three boys watch their friend in awkward silence for several minutes, before Mizuiro quietly suggests a change in topic.
"Uh...how is the job hunting going, Ichigo?" the black-haired boy says, pushing a strand out of his eyes. "Have any other companies...?"
"No," Ichigo mumbles, raising his eyes to the others. "None of the other publishing companies have any openings now, but I did manage to get an offer. For the University."
"The University?" Chad asks, tilting his head in slight confusion when Ichigo nods. "How did you get a job there?"
"And doing what, exactly?" Keigo adds, frowning at the red-head. "I thought your degree was in..."
"English and Communications," Ichigo says, nodding again. "Remember the girl in our Lit class Freshman year? Kagome?"
"The...long-haired brunette? With the dark eyes that you could just get lost in?" Keigo asks, a slightly dreamy look coming onto his face.
Ichigo rolls his eyes before responding. "Yeah; that's her. Well, I've had more than just that one class with her, since she's also an English major. Kagome..."
"Doesn't she have a fiancé?" Mizuiro asks, interrupting.
"Yeah," Chad says, before Ichigo can speak again. "I had a Sociology elective with her; there was a guy that always waited for her after class. Didn't smile much..."
"That would be Inuyasha," Ichigo says, a slightly strained tone in his voice. "Anyway, I went to dinner at her mom's place last night..."
"Oh, yeah. Your dad is dating her mom--isn't he? Does Kagome look like her mother?"
The red-head fists his hands under the table, silently threatening the shorter boy across the table. Mizuiro simply gives him an innocent look.
"Siore's hair isn't as long, but yes, Kagome looks like her mother," Ichigo says, rushing through his next words so that he doesn't get interrupted. "Anyway, Inuyasha and I ended up talking, and I told him about not having a job. He's a graduate in the Paleontology Department; said that the guy who edited their research papers had retired, and they were looking for someone for the position. I start Monday."
The other three boys sit in thoughtful silence for a few minutes, each considering the red-head's words.
"This...Inuyasha? He offered you a job? Just like that?"
Ichigo glances to the burly-looking man sitting on his left, Chad's overly long bangs hiding most of his face. The red-head shrugs.
"Yep. If I take the position, it also helps him out, as the staff and grads can focus on their research. It's not a publishing company, but..."
"Kurosaki? Ichigo Kurosaki?"
The four boys turn their heads as a pretty, dark-haired hostess walks up to the booth, frowning slightly at the red-head. Ichigo nods, his expression reflecting the girl's.
"There's...a phone call for you, Mr. Kurosaki," she says, a confused look on her face as she turns back to the wait station near the front of the restaurant. Ichigo gives his friends a bewildered glance before sliding out of the booth and following the girl.
"Did they say who it was?" the boy asks, trying to think of anyone who might need to get in touch with him. The only one who knew where he had gone was his father, but Isshin was supposed to be over at Siore's again.
"No," the waitress says, shaking her head. "He just asked me to look for a young man with...with..."
The girl stops, glancing quickly at the boy red hair, a similar blush creeping onto her cheeks. Ichigo sighs.
"It does stand out--doesn't it?" the boy says wryly.
The hostess gives Ichigo a small smile before turning to the phone sitting on a lower shelf of the station, handing him the receiver before pressing a blinking button. She picks up a few menus and walks a couple to their table to give Ichigo some privacy.
"Hello?" Ichigo says, turning to the glass door separating the lobby from the inside, his eyes widening as the person on the other end speaks.
-------------------------
Inuyasha narrows his eyes at his brother and breathes in deeply a few times before he collapses, slumping onto the ground beside the nekomata, the pool of blood around his body continuing to widen.
Sesshomaru watches him for a few seconds before turning back to the demoness. He doesn't speak, but simply continues to stare at the woman, his eyes betraying nothing.
"Sesshomaru," she finally seethes, her clawed hands clenched in anger.
The demon lord raises one refined brow, but still doesn't speak. Instead, the youkai glances past the dark-haired woman, staring at something behind her. The demoness turns in time to see a blue ball of light hit her squarely in the chest, knocking her backwards into the air with a quiet yelp.
As the woman falls to the ground in front of the demon-lord, Kagome takes a few seconds to look around, noticing that all of the remaining youkai have either been taken care of--courtesy of Kilala, Kohaku, and Sesshomaru--or run away, after seeing their leader go down. The miko sees Miroku slowly lower the barrier, slumping back against Sango as a wave of exhaustion hits him.
The slayer's younger brother takes his leave of the siblings and walks over to Shippo, bending down and placing one hand to the demon's cheek.
"It is a burn, but it doesn't look too bad. Should heal within a few days. I don't know how she could have knocked Shippo out, though..."
"She threw something at them," Sango says, nodding her head toward the kitsune, then at her husband. "Shippo took the brunt of it; knocked him unconscious and made Miroku confused as hell..." The tajiya glances down at the monk, pushing his bangs to the side as the boy still tries to get his bearings, shaking his head every few seconds.
Kagome, meanwhile, has slowly raises herself to her knees, and is leaning sideways against her brother as she brings one hand to her neck. The miko gingerly touches the small wound that is still bleeding freely, then moves her fingers up to the bruise forming on her cheek, and the swelling making it hard to see out of that eye.
"Take me...to Inuyasha," the girl mumbles, glancing in rage at the woman lying unconscious at Sesshomaru's feet.
Sota nods hesitantly, helping his sister to stand and walk slowly over to the hanyou. Kagome kneels beside her fiancé, trailing her fingers slowly over one cheek while Inuyasha watches her in silence--his breathing coming in gasps as the dark red liquid continues to flow out of the wound in his chest.
"Bring me the dagger," she says, looking up at Kohaku.
The slayer nods and heads over to Sesshomaru, who is watching the scene in silence. He glances down at the demoness before him, his gaze slowly hardening as he looks at her.
"Kuroshi."
Kohaku stares in shock as the demon-lord grabs his wrist, stopping him from picking up the weapon.
"Do not...touch the blade," the youkai says, his eyes narrowing before he releases the boy, seizing the weapon himself and walking over to the priestess.
Kagome and Sota stare with wide eyes as Sesshomaru kneels beside his brother, lying the weapon on the ground beside him.
"It was foolish, Inuyasha, to be injured by The Black Blade of Death."
I'm gonna start on the next chap, cause I still feel bad about this one being late. And kinda short. Is Inu in trouble, do you think? ;)