A/N: So, I finally updated. This will probably be the only one before Christmas, though I'm going to really try to get another chapter done. Okay, no promises, but...yeah.
I'm sure not many people read this story. Oh well, I'm having a lot of fun with it. More than I am with ACE, that's for sure. So far, I'm thinking there aren't going to be more than ten chapters more. I'm going to try for no more than eight, but I'm saying ten just in case it ends up being longer than I think it's going to be.
So, thanks for all of the reviews people gave me. I'm always open to comments, questions and suggestions...especially when they make me laugh.
Now, enough talking. Enjoy the chapter, and in case I don't get another out, Merry Christmahanakwanzuka!
Youko dodge another bomb attack. It was beginning to grate his nerves, always having to move out of the way. He should have been on the offense, damn it! You'd think, all the time he spent sparring with his underlings, that he would be in better shape to fight this fiend! But no, he was still playing defense to a mutilated crow.
Not that he should be one to judge. It had been only a short period of about five minutes, but the toll was already being taken from the two fighters. Both had already gained a decent collections of minor cuts and bruises to decorate their skins. In addition, Youko sported a practically useless arm and a nice gash running the length of his left leg. Karasu, on the other hand, had only a single gouged eye. It made it harder for him to see his right side, but it wasn't enough by far to aid Youko in the battle.
It didn't help that about a minute into the battle, the second half of the curse kicked it. So, consequently, he also had a skull-splitting headache working against him.
He had to think, and fast. Time was passing, and sooner or later the girl was going to be the prime target. As soon as Karasu found out that Youko was distracting him, for reasons the fox still hadn't figured out, then he would start directing his attentions to the maiden. That couldn't happen, or Youko would be beaten to a pulp by the women under his command.
Another bomb exploded, catching Youko in his thought pattern and adding another potentially fatal wound to Youko's list. He flew back from the impact in his stomach, an arm cradeling against the bleeding appendage in an attempt to stem the flow of crimson liquid.
I can't get distracted! he berated himself. He knew that, if he didn't block everything and close his mind to everything but his opponent, neither of the two castle dwellers would make it out alive. And, for both their sakes, he had to make sure they got there in as many pieces as possible.
A whistle was heard, and Youko's instinct kicked. He ducked just in time for a thud to be heard over his head, telling him that Karasu had shot into the tree. Instead of either male idling the time away, both fighters leapt to their feet (or, in Karasu's case, to his wings) and took defensive positions.
Youko was breathing hard, and the last injury was causing him too much pain. It had hit something vital, obviously, since his vision was dimming and he was beginning to get dizzy. A black spot appeared in the corner of his vision, blocking the unconcious wench from his view.
Karasu hiss again, making Youko's ears retract to his skull again. "Damn you, you bastard buzzard! Why won't you just fly away? Or, better yet, why not drop dead and save me the trouble of slitting your goddamned throat?" He growled, a predatory sound made deep in his throat. This was taking too gods-forsaken long! It should have ended five minutes before it began!
Karasu raised in the air again. He had a glint in his eye, one that spoke volumes to Youko. The crow demon began to spiral. Rising higher and higher in the air, he slowly gained altitude on the doomed prince. Both parties knew that this would be the final strike in the battle. And both knew only one would come out alive.
Kagome blinked. She had been staring ahead for a good chunk of time, but she couldn't remember seeing anything. The last thing she could recall was feeling her impending doom loom before her in the form of a giant black crow...
Kagome looked around slowly in the sky, her eye searching for the black sign of the demon. The last time she had seen it was when it had headed straight for her, bloodlust wafting off the creature in waves that every forest creature could feel. Then she had blacked out, and woken up just moment ago. Which lead to where she was now...roughly.
Wait, she told herself. Was it really blacking out? I could have sworn I saw a flash of white. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Now that she thought of it, she really did remember seeing a flash of white. Closer to silver, if she wanted to be technical.
She wondered where it came from as she stood. What could have possibly brought a flash of white, besides dieing and seeing it in tunnel formation? She had always thought people blacked out. After all, when you closed your eyes, you blocked all light from entering your irises and essentially blacked your vision out.
"Unless it was a person!" she concluded as her eyes fell on the prince of the castle, lying slumped against a tree. Kagome wondered why he was there. Wasn't he last seen frightening her off in his ever-so-cozy castle? She wondered if he had something to do with the demon. She spun in a slow circle, looking everywhere for a black body or the red eyes to show that the thing was still alive.
She couldn't find either, only a large, rose-like, flowering plant that grew in the near center of the thicket. She hadn't remebered seeing it before. She definately would've remembered it. Had she been knocked out longer than she thought? Long enough to have a plant grow?
Get a grip on yourself, woman! she berated herself, shaking her head. If that were the case, you'd be an old, grey bitch hobbeling around with a knarled walking stick. She spun to face the only other person, the prince, and marched over to him.
Gathering her anger and frustration and compacting it into a fine point, she shouted "What's going on here? I mean, where the hell did that wierd demon go, and why are you just lying there?" Kagome reached down to glare at him, then noticed a couple things.
First was the fact that he wasn't breathing very well. The fox demon was taking shallow breaths that sounded ragged.
Second was that he looked entirely too pale. Of course, that was comparing him to the way he had looked before, which was pale to begin with.
Third was the pool of blood surrounding him, the wounds gained in fighting still bleeding sluggeshly.
"Oh my," she whispered, feeling just a bit queasy. She kneeled on the ground, one hand going to hold her stomach while the other held her mouth. Her eyes widened as she saw just how extensive the wounds were. "Oh no, you lost a lot of blood!"
Kagome looked around frantically for something, anything, to stem the flow. Spotting nothing, her mind on the edge of panic, she grabbed one of Youko's hands. "Sorry about this," she said to the unconcious prince. Taking one of his razor-sharp nails, she quickly sliced a good portion of her skirt to use as bandage material.
Pulling Youko toward her, Kagome began to bind his stomach. She fumbled a bit before she got into a comfortable position. "Alright, so I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm in a forest with at least four demons that are out to get me for living. I've got an unconcious jerk on my hands, and I have to somehow get him back to the one place I don't want to go."
She tied off the ends and glared at him. "You are such a pain, did you know that? Oh well, it's not like I have a life to live. It's not like anyone in the village will miss me. Okay, so maybe Hojo would." She pursed her lips, casting her mind out for a way to get the both of them up and moving.
"I am so going to make you pay for this," she muttered as she stood. Grasping his arm, she threw her wieght back and lifted him, sloppily, to his feet. He began to collapse quickly, so she sidestepped and put her shoulder under his arm. "Now, which way do I go?" She spotted a broken trail to the left of her sight and started towards it.
She nearly tripped five times before getting to the path. She paused momentarily, her breath coming in short gasps. "Yup, definately going to make you pay."
Youko's side was on fire. His head ached with every movement. He could hardly feel one of his legs and one of his arms. He felt like he had been disembowled, dragged across the courtyard, sliced to tiny, minute pieces, then slapped hastily back together again. Only whoever put him back had forgotten a few bits.
He tried to open his eyes. Weights hung on them, refusing to budge no matter how hard he tried. He also tried to speak. It felt as if knives had been stuffed down his throat at the last minute, followed by a nice, cold glass of lemonade. Without the -ade. The only thing he managed was a small, rasping groan.
It seemed enough, though. As soon as the sound was out of his system, three heads appeared above him. On the left was Yuusuke, right above him was Kuwabara, and on his other side was Hiei.
Yuusuke smiled. "Hey, he's awake! Damn, Kurama, we thought you'd sleep for the entire month!"
Youko tried to ask how long he had been out, why they were all there, and what had happened to the girl. He still couldn't manage to say anything.
As he watched, the three men were herded away from his view. He heard Shizuru's voice berating them for not giving him enough breathing room as someone unseen helped him to sit up. A glass of spring water was thrust under his nose. He drank greedily, feeling as if he had been wandering a desert his entire life and just now stumbled upon an oasis.
Yukina appeared at his elbow, taking the glass from him and refilling it. "Are you feeling better, Kurama-ouji?" she asked in a concerned, if soft, voice.
The prince cleared his throat slightly. "Yeah, I think so." He could already feel the curse taking control, helping to speed along his recovery. At the rate it was moving, he figured he would only be bedridden for about a day or so. That would be perfect, since he didn't like staying put for a long period of time.
He opened his mouth to ask how long he had been out, when he was hit over the head. Hard. He spin as fast as his stomach wound allowed and narrowed his eyes at Keiko. "What the hell was that for, bitch?" he yelled.
Keiko blinked, unfazed. Youko could hear Yuusuke growling at him for insulting her. Keiko matched Kurama's look, glare for glare.
"You said you would get her back, but you never said you'd nearly kill yourself in the process. You could have let one or two of us go and help, you know." She crossed her arms. "But no, the Great Prince Youko Kurama is too big a man to ask for help. No, he needs to do everything on his own. Including falling unconcious in the middle of a goddamned cursed forest with only an unexperienced girl for protection and three other bloodthirsty demons out looking for him!"
Youko growled. "I didn't ask to have that damned curse kick in! And it just so happened that I knew all of that, yet none of you would have come with, would you?" He crossed his arms, mimicking Keiko.
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "And did you think to ask, Oh Mighty One?" Youko didn't answer. "I didn't think so. And now you've lost two weeks of time that could have been put to better use! Like trying to get this curse lifted!"
Youko's eyes widened. "Two weeks?" he inquired in a squeaking voice. Keiko nodded. Kurama's mood swung, and he immediately pinned the blame on the woman he had to go save. "That woman! When I get my hands on her-"
He was cut short when he was slapped. One hand went up to his cheek. He was met by three furious women.
Shizuru, the one who had slapped him, looked like her hair would spontaniously combust at any moment. "Now you can just stop right there. Kagome did nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing to warrent your anger."
Yukina looked disappointed. "She was the one to carry you from where you collapsed to us, where we could care for your injuries. She even used her skirt as a makeshift bandage."
Keiko put fisted hands on her hips. "The curse wasn't kicking in when you were injured, and we don't know why. So if it wasn't for her, none of us would be having this discussion right now."
All three women gave him one more look, then exited together. Youko was left with Yuusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei trying to hide their amusement. Youko turned his anger towards them. "And just what is so funny?" he snapped.
Yuusuke shrugged while Hiei and Kuwabara looked in other places. "Nothing much, but I think you should know something. Besides saving you, Kagome has hardly left your side since she brought you here." Yuusuke's grin gave the fox demon the distinct impression of a satisfied cat. "And I think we all know why."
End Chapter
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