InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ One Last Summer ❯ The Meeting ( Chapter 14 )

 

 

 

 

One Last Summer

 

Chapter Fourteen

 

7:28 PM, Friday, July Fifth. (Tomoshibi oite sono mizu)

 

"Where's Ban-chan?" Sesshomaru asked snidely, his question sounding more like a demand. Across from him, Kagome snapped her head up from what appeared to be a very interesting plate of food.

 

"Hm? Oh, Bankotsu. He left." She spoke as if it meant nothing to her. Maybe it didn't? The thought brought a small smile to the mental image of himself, deep in his mind. The image that had emotions. Or, at least, showed them a bit better than Sesshomaru.

 

"I thought you two were the best of friends."

 

"Pfft… as if. He's… just someone I used to know, now. We were friends, but people change. Some don't." She replied easily, and went back to poking at her meal.

 

The two sat in silence for the last moments of their meal, until Rin came rushing back from the fish pond in the front of the restaurant. Although she claimed to do nothing but look and point, and stand securely on the bridge that separated the diners from the pond, her hands and the hem of her yellow sundress were suspiciously wet.

 

 

 

 

2:21 AM, Saturday, July Sixth. (Miroku's Apartment)

 

 

 

It seemed that she could never get comfortable in this bed. Pulling her legs closer to her, Kagome wrapped her arms around her knees in her sideways position on Sango and Miroku's bed. First it was too hot. She rapidly tore the blankets off of her, but the quick assault of cool air made her scramble to pull them back up. The mattress made too much noise, the pillow suffocated her, and someone, somewhere else in the apartment building was blasting music.

 

Not that she minded; it was good music.

 

The week had flown past in what seemed like a mad dash to forget the past, and to start anew. Sesshomaru rarely came home before eight each day, and when he did, Rin was just barely awake. Sure, the ten-year-old was ten years old, but for all the running she did all day long, it sure tired her out before nine, her bed time.

 

He would leave for work early, and would return late, only stopping to exchange greetings with the help, and Rin. Never would she catch him looking her way, although, strangely enough, she felt a longing. Sure, he never exactly made conversations with her so often, but they had talked. She had met his eyes, and laughed.

 

Only six hours ago, he had returned home from work, and found Rin and herself playing out back, where a huge swing set was placed. The two enjoyed the time they got to spend outside. Maybe there would be time to go to the park tomorrow… er, today.

 

He took them out to dinner, as he usually did on Fridays and Sundays, and as always, Rin had left the table to go view the fish. There was always fish.

 

 

 

10:18 AM, Saturday, July Seventh. (Taishou Manor)

 

 

 

Sitting at the island counter in the kitchen as they usually did, the two girls watched, sipping their milk and biting into a cookie, as the day started. Servants rushed around, InuYasha repeatedly walked in and out of the kitchen, grabbing more food each time, and Sesshomaru shuffled his business papers.

 

"Where are you going today, Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin asked quietly. She had hoped that today the three of them, possibly even the terrible trio, could spend the day together.

 

"Meeting. There will be no trip to the beach today. We will save that for tomorrow." He replied without looking up from his papers. Golden eyes flicked back and forth between the lines on the paper, and narrowed every once in a while.

 

"Can Kagome-chan and I go to the park?" The young girl tried, and got a nod in response.

 

"Uh… Rin, I don't have a car to get you there…" It was true. On Tuesday, Kikyo had borrowed the car to bring herself down town for her job, and, as luck had it, broken it. The car was now in the shop, and had been for the last four days.

 

Kagome had to scramble to contain herself as a pair of keys was thrown her way. She looked up at Sesshomaru, only to find him walking out the door, briefcase at hand. 'Is… is he serious?! I mean, he knows me well enough, but that's the problem! I can hardly drive any better than Souta can! And He's only eleven!'

 

The girl cherished the set of keys in her hands, as she watched the silver-haired man disappear out the front door. Rin, meanwhile, had been cheering at the chance to go to the park, and hopped off the stool to call up the boys. It only took a matter of seconds for them to be convinced that everyone needed a day at the park! Especially with Kagome as the chaperone…

 

 

 

12:54 PM, Saturday, July Seventh. (Taishou Manor)

 

 

 

It wasn't the fact that the boys lived far away from the mansion that had taken so long. It was the fact that Sesshomaru had left Kagome with a set of keys. To which car, it took almost half an hour to figure out.

 

"It's this one!" Kohaku pointed to a small, shiny silver one.

 

"No, that one doesn't look old enough for this key! It must go to this one!" Souta ran up to another small car, but this one a vibrant red.

 

"Boys…"

 

"You guys have it all wrong. It goes to this one!" Shippou shouted at the top of his lungs, all the way across the room. He pointed to a gigantic, black monstrosity that barely seemed to fit in the garage. Both boys 'oohed' and 'aahed' at the sight, and ran up to run their fingers along its shiny surface.

 

"Boys…"

 

"I know! Maybe it goes to the motorcycle!"

 

"Now why would he leave keys to that?"

 

"Yeah, we all know Kagome would fall off it, the second she got on."

 

"Well then the keys are probably for the one next to it!" The group then ran off to observe and poke another car, this one another small one, but sleeker and faster looking than all the rest. It was a plain black, but so clean that every single inch of it shimmered.

 

"Boys…"

 

"Or maybe it goes to that -"

 

"BOYS!" The three gulped, and looked over the where Rin and Kagome were waiting next to the sleek, and fast looking car. In Kagome's hands were the keys, dangling from her fingers as she leaned against the side of it.

 

"I told you the keys were for that one…"

 

 

 

1:24 PM, Saturday, July Seventh. (Meiru Park)

 

 

 

Parking the car, Kagome celebrated her successful drive to the park, with one nice child, and three twerps singing along to the radio. Quite loudly. The four kids hopped out of the car and ran off towards the park, while Kagome groaned and followed behind them.

 

"Don't get lost!" She yelled at them, as they all sped off in different directions, and different corners of the park.

 

Kagome maneuvered her way through the playground, and sat on a secluded bench, under a blossoming tree. Sighing in relaxation, she took a good look around the park. After a few moments, the girl began to notice that something seemed a bit peculiar for a park, in the middle of the day, during the summer…

 

There were no people in the park, besides the five of them…

 

Come to think of it, she couldn't hear any sounds of birds chirping, animals playing, or any other noise. All that was heard was the sounds of the four playing, and the whispers of the trees as their branches danced in the wind. Far off in the distance, the clangs and crashes, and screeches of tires on pavement could still be heard, since the North end of the park was next to a busy street.

 

It was like the park had been vacated, by all life, except for that growing out of the ground. Kagome briefly glanced at the monkey bars, where Rin had been playing moments before, only to find the young girl missing.

 

She glanced at the jungle gym, for Souta.

 

The slide, for Kohaku.

 

The swings, for Shippou.

 

None of them were anywhere. 'Maybe they're just playing hide and seek? Yeah, it's probably just a game; a trick they're playing on me.' The thoughts would have gone on, gullible and peaceful, if it had not been for a piercing scream that rang through the air.

 

'RIN!'

 

Kagome jumped up from her seat, running towards the other end of the park, where she had last heard the scream come from. Just as she reached the shrubbery, though, a sharp pain struck the back of her head, and Kagome's world went black.

 

 

 

2:44 PM, Saturday, July Seventh. (Taishou Corp.)

 

 

 

Sesshomaru sat patiently and quietly at his seat on the right of the head of the long conference table. The head of the table was reserved for whoever owned the company the conference was being held at, while the right was for his heir, and the left was for his greatest valued business partner or competitor.

 

Currently, the only one missing was the seat across from his; the greatest valued client and competitor. A loud clang of doors alerted the members already at the conference table that the last of the group had arrived, and they all quickly took their seats; as to not look like a fool.

 

"I apologize for my lateness. I was… caught up in other matters." Naraku spoke smoothly and confidently, and took his seat across from Sesshomaru. Cold golden eyes met smirking ruby ones, as they set of into a staring fest that only the sound of Mr. Taishou clearing his throat broke.

 

"Yes… well, welcome, Mr. Onigumo." The elder Taishou straightened in his seat, and began to announce the newcomers to the alleged conference table.

 

Sesshomaru glared at Naraku from his seat across the table, and spoke in a harsh, but hushed whisper.

 

"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Onigumo."

 

"My pleasure, Sesshomaru." Naraku answered back snidely, smirking at the younger Taishou. Sesshomaru, although he did not look it, was only a few years junior to the man seated opposite as him, and Naraku knew it as well. He used the advantage to rub it in his face of the three years more of experience that he held, stating that Sesshomaru needed a partner to show him the ropes when he took over his father's business.

 

"Well now. We have some matters to address. Starting with my retirement." Mr. Taishou stated, cutting off all conversation between the two.

 

"As you all know, my son, Sesshomaru Taishou, is my heir. He shall inherit the family company, and all of the programs Taishou Corp is associated with. Including The Tetsusaiga Corporation, The Tensaiga Corporation, what little I own of The Tokijin Corporation, and… The Sounga Corporation." Almost everyone, with the exception of a selected few, gasped at the last announcement.

 

"But sir… Mr. Taishou, Sounga Corp is closed… bankrupt… illegal." A random business competitor spoke up. Others protested, but Mr. Taishou silenced them all with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Yes… originally Sounga Corp was illegal… but with the right authorization, and endorsement, I believe my heir can make it work." Sesshomaru looked up at his father with a dark look scribble on his face.

 

'Father… what are you getting me into this time…'

 

"Mr. Taishou, not to be rude, but I object to some of your decisions." Of course, Onigumo Naraku had to be there to object to something.

 

"Oh? And what may your objections be?"

 

"Well, first, if I may inquire." Sesshomaru glanced at Naraku, his normally impassive face now tinted with worry. Sure, Naraku always had a problem with an announcement, that usually turned out to his benefit, but this time is had to do with the associations that Taishou Corp owned.

 

"Go ahead." His father was always one to listen to others' points of view.

 

"Is it true the Higurashi Kagome is the last living heir to the Associations?" Naraku asked, standing up and walking over to the screen on the wall that Mr. Taishou was already standing at. Up on the board was a diagram of Taishou, Tetsusaiga, Tensaiga, Tokijin, and Sounga Corp.

 

"Yes, it is -"

 

"Well then, isn't it true that now, since she is of age, Higurashi Kagome owns at least one fourth of Tetsusaiga, Tensaiga, and Tokijin? And the majority of Sounga?"

 

"Yes. Mr. Onigumo, where are you going with -"

 

"Then it must be true that the spouse of Higurashi Kagome, if she were to marry, would inherit her share of the Corporations -"

 

"MR. ONIGUMO. I think you have gone far enough. DO NOT drag Higurashi Kagome into this conflict anymore, or I will be forced to ask you to leave." Sesshomaru stated in a cold, chilling voice that scared half of the occupants of the room. Now standing up, he was able to see the looks on all of their faces, which was mainly surprise.

 

"Have I struck a nerve, Sesshomaru? After all, are you not her superior?" Of course he knew about Kagome working as Rin's babysitter. Somehow, Naraku knew everything.

 

"Shut your vile mouth, Naraku."

 

"Both of you! Sit down and act like refined gentlemen, Kami knows you two need to be told." Mr. Taishou muttered the last part under his breath, although he knew that they both heard him.

 

"Now, back to our pressing matters…"

 

 

 

4:17 PM, Saturday, July Seventh. (Taishou Corp.)

 

 

 

"What." Sesshomaru demanded of InuYasha as the younger man stood in front of him.

 

"Gosh, and to think all I did was stop by to say hello…" InuYasha replied, wiping fake tears from his eyes. He turned around, still sobbing, and was almost out the door when he heard Sesshomaru call him back.

 

"InuYasha. What is it you're here for." However feminine it was, InuYasha took the moment to skip back to his elder brother's desk, leaning over and smirking. He plopped himself down in a comfy leather chair, and propped his feet up on top of Sesshomaru's desk, toppling over the golden trimmed name plate that read 'Sesshomaru Taishou, Vice President' in thick, curvy letters.

 

"Seriously now. I've come to talk about what happened last weekend…" Internally, Sesshomaru groaned. He knew that InuYasha would come to talk about this soon, or he would have spoken with their father.

 

"There is nothing to speak about, Inu -" He started, but was cut off as the youth slammed a fist down on his mahogany desk.

 

"Cut the crap Sesshomaru. What were you thinking? You could have hurt someone. You could have hurt yourself." Golden eyes penetrated its twins as strikes of electricity struck between them.

 

"You know nothing, InuYasha." Sesshomaru returned to filing his papers, and pondering over Naraku's words. He had much to think about, and didn't have time for InuYasha right now.

 

"I know nothing? Oh, I know a lot more than you think. Do you know how easily Jaken spills information, when he is tickled enough?" The man's fingers stopped racing through the pages as this shocking information hit him.

 

"Jaken…"

 

"So toady took the summer off because of your drinking problem, eh? That's what you have, isn't it, Sesshomaru? A DRINKING problem?" InuYasha grabbed a yellow stress ball on Sesshomaru's desk, and began to rip it to shreds with his nails.

 

"I do not have a drinking problem. I have a stress problem." He said, snatching back the yellow ball, opening a drawer, and shoving it in there.

 

"What were you doing that night?" He inquired of the elder man, his bangs covering his amber eyes.

 

"I was stressed. I went out for a few drinks before I returned home. That is all." Sesshomaru replied, swiveling around in his chair until he was facing the open window. He pretended to be searching for something in his file cabinet, while in reality he felt guilty. Too guilty to even face his own brother. Step-brother, but a brother, nonetheless.

 

"Goddamnit, Sesshomaru! Turn around and face me, tell me eye-to-eye that you do not have a drinking problem." Sesshomaru slowly turned around. The two stood up, and prepared to face off. It was troubling. He seemed to be having an easy time looking everywhere but the offending youth's eyes, but finally they met.

 

"I do not have a drinking -" For the last time, Sesshomaru Taishou was cut off as someone ran into the room. That one person better known as Kouga, heir to the Ookami Industries.

 

"Kagome, Rin, and the terrible trio have gone missing from the park today."

 

 

 

11:20 PM, Saturday, July Seventh. (Unknown Region)

 

 

 

Slowly, chocolate brown eyes blinked open as rays of moonlight shone down upon her. The owner of the eyes tried to reach up and wipe the sleep out of her brilliant orbs, but found it was difficult, as her hands were bound, and cuffed behind her. Her legs were bound as well, she soon figured out, when she tried to stand, but found that she could only wiggle up high enough that it hurt when she fell over.

 

Kagome's eyes jerked open in panic as she finally decided to take in her surroundings. Grey, cement walls, and a barred window to her left. Straight in front of her was a large door, that blended into the wall's grey coloring, but from the start she knew it was locked. Maybe it was the fact that she was tied and cuffed to a pole, or that there was a large lock on the door, or maybe the fact that she could hear the sounds of keys jingling as someone on the other side of the door unlocked it.

 

The girl screamed in terror as two large men came at her with knives, and cowered as they came closer. She could feel their footsteps stop as they were right before her, and crouched down.

 

One of the men held his knife out, and Kagome prepared for the worst… only to hear him cut the binds on her wrists. Next they cut the binds on her legs. There was no used for them, anyways, if her hands were cuffed to a large metal pole. She slit open one eye, and gazed at the men before her. They were huge, and husky, and could probably kill her with one hand, if they decided to snap her spine.

 

"Kukuku… look what we caught today. Leave." A new voice from the doorway issued, and the men hurried to get out of their master's way.

 

"Higurashi Kagome, what a surprise it is to see you here." Onigumo Naraku spoke to her, where he stood only a foot away. He let the door slam behind him, and as if he willed it to, it locked.

 

His red eyes gleamed in the moonlight the streaked through the barred window, however small it was, and she took the sight of him in. He wore dress pants and a dark dress shirt, while his suit coat was slung over his arm. His long hair was tied back, but a short lock of it was pulled out to frame his face.

 

"Naraku! Why have you brought me here!?" Kagome spat, jumping to her defenses as well as she could.

 

"Oh, quite contraire, my dear. It is not I that have brought you here, but my dear helpers… and look at that? They've brought me more gifts." His last statement was brought on as the door was unlocked and pushed open by the same two men, but this time they threw in four small bundles.

 

Their muffled voices rang through the binds, as they wiggled and squirmed, and willed their ways out of the ties they were caught up in. Kagome gasped, and tried to reach out to the bundles, to once again realize that she was cuffed to a pole.

 

"Rin! Souta! Kohaku! Shippou! What have you done with them? If you or any of your little friends have touched a hair on their heads, I will kill you myself!" Kagome growled maliciously, but Naraku only chuckled once again.

 

"Oh no, my dear. You wouldn't want to harm your future husband now, would you?" Naraku left then, still laughing, while leaving Kagome, tied to a metal pole, to untie the children before they ran out of oxygen.

 

 

Well now. There's your chapter fourteen, folks, if you'll take it. I really didn't enjoy typing up this chapter, and I think it is a bit rushed, but the story needed some plot, because all the rest of the chapters were fillers. The next few

chapters might take a bit longer, since I had a dull time typing up this one.

 

Please keep up the reviews, Love, Cat.