Dreamscape

by kirayasha aka kira

A tiny spider demon's web gives Bankotsu, Jakotsu, Suikotsu, and Renkotsu some insight on their respective lovers' lives...

Dreamscape

By VegaSailor & kira

The tiny spider youkai set to work spinning her web. She was hungry and she loved feasting on the dreams of the hapless humans who stumbled into her web. She especially liked it when a pair of lovers would come her way as they usually had the best dreams. But she was so hungry that she would have settled for a lone samurai's dreams of the girl he had left behind. So it was with great interest that she watched the lone man, carrying an armful of firewood, who approached.

Closer… just a little closer…that's it! she thought as he approached. And just as usual, the man failed to see her gossamer threads, scattering her magic as he took several paces past the place where they hung on the tree like a normal spider's would. But unlike an encounter with a normal spider web, the man yawned a few times before settling down to sleep… and to dream…

Suikotsu opened his eyes to find himself in a completely unfamiliar place. He looked around at the bare room and slowly sat up. "Where am I…?" he said softly.

A young child, dressed in the robes of a Buddhist acolyte, closed the shoji and turned around, startled to find someone there. "Who are you…?"

Suikotsu sighed as he rubbed his face tiredly. "Uh… Suikotsu."

"Oh… I'm Renjiro. Why are you in my room?"

"I don't know; I just sort of woke up in here…"

The little monk-in-training nodded. "Oh…" He peered intently at Suikotsu and smiled. "I can kinda see right through you." His eyes went wide. "Are you a spirit?"

Suikotsu looked down at his transparent hands. "Umm… maybe I am…" He smiled sleepily at the child.

"Oh." Renjiro grinned back at him. "I've never seen a spirit before! Seki saw one once. He got to go with one of the head monks to some daimyo's house to exercise it."

Suikotsu chuckled softly. "Well I guess now you're one of the lucky ones …"

Renjiro laughed delightedly. "Yeah!" He suddenly grew serious and said, "But don't worry; I promise not to exercise you."

"Thanks. And I promise not to possess anybody…"

"You're welcome!" Renjiro said with a smile. "And thank you too!"

Hikaru, an older monk who was in charge of looking after a group of boys including Renjiro, walked past his room and heard the young acolyte talking to someone. Since the six year old had been sent to his room for playing a prank on a fellow acolyte named Arata, he should not have had anyone in his room to play with. Doubling back, the older monk opened the shoji and looked inside.

"Who are you talking to, Renjiro?"

Renjiro stood up and faced the monk. "No one, Hikaru-sama, I was just talking to myself." He bowed. "Forgive me if I've disturbed you."

"That's alright." The older monk smiled. "But aren't there any chores you should be doing?"

"No, Sir. I had just finished them when Sorata-sama came and told me to go to my room as punishment for tricking Arata into eating the offerings." A tiny smile briefly twitched the corners of his mouth upwards which Hikaru echoed.

"Alright. But don't be late for dinner." The old monk turned to go. "Renjiro?"

"Yes?"

"Tomorrow morning I want you to come get me before breakfast as I want to show you how to leave your breakfast as an offering."

"Yes, Sir!" Renjiro bowed at the older monk's retreating form, before closing the shoji. He turned to Suikotsu and said, "Wow! He didn't even know you were there!" He looked at his ghostly visitor in amazement.

"I must be a spirit then… Funny, I don't remember dying."

"Yeah…" Renjiro frowned. "But Hikaru-sama can see spirits, so it's really strange he didn't see you…"

"Maybe that's because I'm your special spirit."

The six year old's face lit up. "Yeah!"

Suikotsu smiled. "So, what do you do around here, Renjiro-chan?"

"I umm… study the sutras and other holy writings with Katashi-sama, and Fujitaka-sama teaches me and a couple of other boys how to read and write. And umm… when I'm not studying, I have chores to do and sometimes they let us have a special day where we can do whatever we want."

"That sounds nice… are you a good monk?"

Renjiro nodded. "It is, but I'm a not a monk yet. I try to be good though. And I'm going to be a monk when I get older."

Suikotsu nodded. There was something about the little acolyte that was vaguely familiar, but he had no idea why that should be.

"So how long have you been here?"

"Hmmm…" Renjiro sat down, facing him, as he thought it over. "I think it's been two summers. Some monks came to my village when I was really little and they told my parents I was really smart and I could learn a lot of stuff here." He sighed softly. "I haven't seen them since. Do you know if they're okay? And do they miss me? I kinda forget what they look like, but I do think about them."

Suikotsu sighed. "I'm afraid I can't answer that, Renjiro-chan."

"Oh…" the six year old said disappointedly.

"But I'm sure they're alright and that they miss you very much," Suikotsu quickly reassured him.

The little boy nodded. "Are you hungry, Suikotsu-san? I am and I think it's almost time for dinner. I can bring you back something if you like?"

Suikotsu smiled. "You're forgetting I'm a spirit and we don't feel hunger. But thank you for thinking of me."

Renjiro smiled, before frowning. "Then why do the monks leave food out for spirits in the temple?"

Suikotsu thought it over. "Maybe some of the wandering spirits get hungry."

"Oh… So you don't mind waiting here for me until I come back?"

"No."

"Good, cuz I don't want you wandering around so you don't get exercised, cuz I like you. You're a nice spirit."

"Thank you and don't worry; I'll stay here." Suikotsu smiled at him, before turning his head towards the shoji when he heard a loud ringing, and back.

"Okay! That's good as that's the bell calling us to dinner. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?" He bowed, and turning away, he quickly slipped out of the room.

Suikotsu leaned against the wall and closed his eyes as he settled down for a quick nap to while away Renjiro's dinner time. He was mildly surprised to hear the shoji open again. "Forget something?" he said softly.

"Suikotsu-san…?" Renjiro said as he entered the room.

Suikotsu looked up, and opening his eyes, he was surprised to see a slightly older version of Renjiro approaching him.

The boy smiled. "You came back! Where did you go? I felt so bad when I came back from dinner and you were gone and I was so worried they had exorcised you."

"I'm sorry… I, uh, got a message from the heavens above."

"Yeah?! Did you see the Buddha?"

"No," Suikotsu said, regretting the lie. "I just get messages from him from time to time."

Renjiro nodded. "Oh… So what did he say?"

Suikotsu sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."

"Oh…" He shrugged. "Well, umm… Do you mind watching me sweep? It's part of my chores and I need to go do it."

"Not at all."

Renjiro smiled as he set down the scrolls he had been carrying on the low table in his room. And as he left the room, he waited until Suikotsu also exited, before closing the shoji. He silently beckoned the ghostly claw-bearer to follow. They made their way outside, Renjiro pausing every so often to greet a passing monk, before they found the garden shed. Suikotsu waited outside while his young friend went in to get a broom.

They quietly headed towards the large courtyard in front of the temple. It was littered with the dried remains of the large maple's leaves and they made a soft rustling sound when Renjiro walked on them.

"I guess as long as no one's around, we can talk while I work."

Suikotsu looked around. "I don't see anyone."

"Good…" Renjiro started sweeping the temple's courtyard. "I'm glad you came back, Suikotsu-san. I know this probably sounds silly, since we only spoke for a few minutes, but I missed you and I liked talking to you. I was so worried you were exorcised, but when I didn't hear anything about a spirit roaming the place and what was done about it… I figured you had been reborn or something… Then I thought about how nice it would have been to know you when you were alive as I could see, when I was little and didn't know anything, you were, no are a good person," Renjiro said shyly.

"Actually you might be very disappointed if we were able to meet before I died."

"Why…?"

"I wasn't exactly a good follower of the Buddha while I was alive. I used to be though…"

"No…? That's surprising. I mean he talks to you now, so maybe he forgave you and he's giving you a second chance because of how good you were. Or maybe the Buddha saw the goodness in your heart that's still there…"

Suikotsu nodded as he thought it over. "Maybe…And maybe this afterlife is penance to make up for the things I did before."

"It could be…" Renjiro frowned. "I'm sorry, Suikotsu-san, if I don't sound very sure about it, but there's still so much more I have to learn. Maybe if I knew more, I could be sure you're doing the right thing and your penance won't be long and then you can get reborn. Maybe the Buddha saw that your mistake was something you had no other choice but doing, and instead of making you get reborn as a frog or something, he's giving you a chance to get reborn as a person. Maybe you were very close to nirvana?"

"Maybe…" Suikotsu said softly.

Renjiro stopped sweeping, and looking over at his ghostly friend, he said, "Don't be sad, Suikotsu-san, you're back on the path to enlightenment as Yoshi-sama would say!"

Suikotsu could not help smiling at his childish enthusiasm. "So what do you hope to do with your life?" he asked.

The young acolyte thought it over as he started sweeping again. "I would really like to help Ryuuichi-san with his forge. He knows how to work metal and make it into the most beautiful things that are useful too! But all he lets me do is sweep his workshop floor and help Kioshi-san gather firewood for him."

"Well that's where most apprentices start."

"They do? But I also help Hajime-san sweep the kitchen floor and bring him firewood too. He also makes me wash the vegetables and the pots and pans after dinner. But I don't think I'd be happy working in the kitchen even if he is a kind man."

"I used to be a doctor and when I was in training all I ever did at first was gather herbs, clean instruments, roll bandages and run errands, and other miscellaneous stuff."

"Really? That's what my friend Satoshi does. He's older than me and is like my big brother. He helps Masaki-sama take care of us when we're sick. He likes helping people like that."

"That's nice."

"Yeah…" Renjiro sighed. "I wish Arata was as nice."

"Who?"

"Arata… he's an acolyte like myself and sometimes we have to work together, but he always manages to goof off, leaving me to do everything, and then he takes all the credit for it and has the nerve to say I didn't help!"

"He sounds like a jerk."

"Oh yeah…" Renjiro rolled his eyes.

They grinned at each other.

"No one really likes him as he does that to everyone," Renjiro added.

Suikotsu chuckled. "I bet it'll come back to bite him one day."

Renjiro laughed. "It probably will and if not in this lifetime, there's always the next one."

"That's the spirit!"

Renjiro smiled. "Anyway, I need to get back to work. Why don't you sit on the steps and enjoy the sunshine? Satoru-sama likes to spend his mornings doing that."

"Okay, I think I will. So if you'll excuse me…?"

Renjiro nodded and went back to sweeping the courtyard while Suikotsu turned and headed towards the temple's stairs. He climbed a few of them, before sitting down to watch his young friend. The autumn day was unusually warm and pleasant, and it was not long before Suikotsu drifted off to sleep. The next thing he knew someone was anxiously calling his name.

"Suikotsu-san! Wake up!! The temple's on fire and it's spreading!! Suikotsu-san!! Suikotsu-san!! Please wake up!!"

Suikotsu reached up to rub the kinks out of the back of his neck. He yawned and leisurely stretched, and when he opened his eyes he was surprised to see Renjiro was on the cusp of becoming a man. But what had surprised him even more was the look of fear in his eyes and the soot that smudged his face and clothes.

"What's wrong…?" Suikotsu said sleepily.

"The temple's on fire! I tried to put it out, but it's too much. Come!! We can't stay here!!" Renjiro cried out over the roar of the fire.

Suikotsu nodded. The place felt very warm and bits of smoldering ash floated on the breeze, spreading the fire throughout the monastery.

"There you are! Come, Renjiro, before you get burned!!" the old monk, Hikaru, called out.

"Hurry, Suikotsu-san!" Renjiro hissed before he reluctantly went over to them. While one part him realized Suikotsu was probably in no danger from the fire, guilt over accidentally starting it made him worry about his ghostly friend.

"Are you okay?" Hikaru asked.

"Yeah… I'm fine. I tried to put it out, Hikaru-sama, but… but…" Renjiro started crying as the old monk put an arm around him.

"It's okay…" he soothed.

"There he is!!" Arata cried as he came over to them with a group of monks in tow. "Renjiro started the fire! I saw him do it!"

"What?"

Renjiro looked up and shook his head as the old monk pulled away from him. "No…"

"He's lying! Renjiro has a pet demon he talks to! He calls it Suikotsu-san! And I bet the demon told him to burn the temple down!" Arata said.

"No!! That's not true!! You take that back, Arata!"

"Are you sure, Renjiro?"

"Yes!!"

Suikotsu stood there helplessly. He wanted to help his young friend but he felt powerless to do so as he feared whatever he could do would only get him further in trouble. So he trailed behind them as they dragged Renjiro away.

The ghostly claw-bearer watched impotently as they spent the next three days trying to get the "truth" out of Renjiro. The thirteen year old stuck to his story about bringing a flask of sake to Akihiro-sama, and sneaking a taste of it as he was cold, and he also stated he no idea how everything caught fire, despite being exorcised and beaten when that failed. In the end the monks decided that Renjiro was really a hanyou and that Suikotsu was his demonic father. They also decided that having a hanyou in their midst was a dangerous thing as who knew what evil plans Suikotsu and Renjiro had for the monks, so he was cast out. Before they let him go, the claw-bearer watched in horror as they branded Renjiro on his forehead, yet he felt a certain amount of pride in the boys' stoicism. It was then that he realized that his young friend was in fact his fellow comrade-in-arms and future lover, Renkotsu.

And with nothing more than the clothes on his back and a handful of rice, Renjiro was thrown out of the monastery. He trudged along in the cold rainy morning from village to village, looking for a place to stay, only to be threatened and chased away. He also felt terribly alone for his ghostly friend had disappeared again. The thirteen year sighed dejectedly and crawled under the drooping boughs of and old pine. It was not the greatest shelter, but at least it semidry. Renjiro leaned against the trunk, and drawing his legs up against his chest, he wrapped his arms around them. Trying hard not to cry, he rested his head on his knees.

"Renjiro, what exactly happened?"

The thirteen year old looked up in surprise. "Suikotsu!"

"Yes, it's me."

Renjiro choked back a sob. "They said you are a demon… And… that… that…" he started crying.

Though he hated to do it, Suikotsu pressed him for details. "And…?" he prompted as he sat down opposite the boy.

Renjiro tried hard to control himself. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly while Suikotsu patiently waited for him to continue. "That you seduced me into burning down the monastery… because you wanted to make me a full demon like yourself," he said softly.

"What…?" Suikotsu, who had been watching Renjiro's ordeal from the shadows, still found the monks' ignorance and stupidity unbelievable.

The boy nodded and wiped away his tears. "They blamed you even though I told them it was an accident and when they refused to believe me…" He looked up at Suikotsu, his eyes full of unshed tears. "They exorcised me, Suikotsu-san!"

"You know I never tried to do that," the ghostly claw-bearer said softly.

"I know…" Renjiro started to cry again. "It was me… I coughed and the sake caught fire and it scared me so I dropped it and that's how the place caught fire. I tried to show them, but they refused to let me and they said it was all your fault!"

Suikotsu looked at him helplessly, and as he now knew exactly what the mark on Renjiro's forehead meant, he exclaimed, "Sweet Kami-sama, what have they done to you?!"

"Nothing…" He looked away as he tried to cover up the mark.

"It's alright; you can tell me."

Renjiro swallowed as he looked up at him. "They branded me a hanyou…" he said softly, yet Suikotsu could still hear the hurt in his voice.

"What…? Why…?" the claw-bearer said, although he knew exactly why. My poor Ren… How could those stupid bastards be so cruel and call themselves holy men?!

"Because they said only a youkai or a hanyou can breathe fire like I can…and they wanted to warn anyone who saw me to be careful…" Renjiro said as the tears slid down his cheeks.

"Bastards…"

Renjiro nodded and wiped away his tears. "What do I do now, Suikotsu-san? I'm hungry and I have nowhere to go…"

"I think there's a village up ahead."

"So…"

"You might try and see if someone will take you in there."

Renjiro shrugged and said bitterly, "No one wants me, Suikotsu-san…"

"I think you should still try. What have you got to lose?"

"Yeah, I guess so…Maybe I'll get lucky and find place out of the rain."

"Right, it's certainly much better than sitting here."

Renjiro managed to smile a tight little half smile and Suikotsu smiled back comfortingly at him. "Thanks…"

"You're welcome. Now come, let's go. We have a new home to find for you."

"If only it were that easy, Suikotsu-san." Renjiro crawled out from under the tree.

"You'll never find anything if you keep thinking negatively like that."

Renjiro sighed. "I know, but it's hard to positive when you're cold and hungry."

"I know…"

They came out of the forest and into a meadow. Renjiro hated the rain falling on his head and soaking him further. He was sorely tempted to go back and wait out the rain but fear of losing his only friend at the moment made he run after Suikotsu.

"Oh good. We're not as far away as I thought."

"Yeah…?" Renjiro said hopefully. The winter rain had soaked him to the skin and the cold was beginning to sap what little strength he had.

"Yes, I think I see smoke up ahead."

"Good… How much longer do you think it'll take…?" Renjiro said as he shivered. "I'm getting tired of walking in the rain…"

"I think it's less than half a ri away."

The boy briefly brightened at the thought of finding shelter out of the rain and possibly a meal. "Yeah…?" He smiled happily, before frowning. "But what if they don't like me like the last village I was in…?"

"Then we'll keep looking until we find a person with a good heart."

Renjiro nodded. "Do you think I'll ever find somebody like that?"

Suikotsu smiled reassuringly. "I know you will."

"I hope so…" He smiled back.

They walked on in companionable silence. Suikotsu was beginning to fear that he had made mistake about the village. He was worried it would turn out to be abandoned and the smoke he saw was from a passing army who had torched the place, driving the people away.

"Do you think there's someone in that building up ahead, Suikotsu-san?" Renjiro asked, a tiny bit of hope creeping into his voice.

"I don't know. Why don't we go see?" If there is, I hope they can look past the mark and see what a good boy you are, Renjiro…

They slowly made their way towards the large shed-like building. A thin plume of smoke trickled out from the chimney and they could hear the sounds of someone moving around inside as they approached.

"Damn it!! The stupid fire's gone out again!! Why won't it stay lit?!"

Renjiro looked over at his ghostly friend and whispered, "What should I do, Suikotsu-san?"

"Offer to light it for him."

Renjiro nodded and walked over to the open door of the blacksmith's shop. "Sir…? Do you need any help with that?"

"Hunh?" The old man turned around. "Wh…where'd you come from?"

"Out there…" Renjiro shivered.

"Come inside, boy, out of the rain."

Renjiro looked over at Suikotsu who nodded, before timidly going inside. "Do you want me to light the forge for you?"

The old blacksmith snorted in amusement. "I don't think can, everything is too wet, including you, my young friend."

Renjiro smiled as this was the first nice person he had met since getting thrown out of the monastery. "I think I can… Do you have any dry wood? It can be something as small as a twig; all it needs is to be dry, Sir."

"That, my young friend, is the tough part… finding something dry."

"If you tell me where to look, I can help you."

"Never mind…" The blacksmith, spotting a piece of wood, picked it up and handed it to him. "It seems I found some. Now let's see what you can do."

Renjiro, held up the wood, and closing his eyes, coughed on it where it sparked into flame. "How's that?"

"Amazing…!"

"Yeah…?" Renjiro smiled, and then his eyes went wide as a panicked look settled over his features like he was caught doing something wrong.

"What's the matter, boy?"

"Nothing…" Renjiro swallowed nervously and looked to his ghostly friend for support.

The old blacksmith stared at him for a few minutes, taking in the brand and the bald head that was more at home on a monk that a peasant child, as Renjiro wondered if he was going to have to leave again.

"Tell me, boy, why is a child like you wandering around alone in the rain?"

"I lost my…home," Renjiro said softly.

"Aah… I see. These are very dangerous times…"

Renjiro bowed his head sadly. "I can go if you want…"

"No, don't go. A child shouldn't be cast out in the rain."

Renjiro looked up at him in surprise. "You mean I can stay…?"

"You're welcome to stay the night and we'll decide what to do with you in the morning."

"Thank you, Sir!"

"Now come, let's go over to my home and get you into something dry before you get a fever or worse." The old blacksmith ushered Renjiro out of the shed and towards his home. Suikotsu followed them and as he tried to enter the home he found himself back inside the shed.

"What the…?"

"Suikotsu-san…? Is that you…?" A tall muscular young man smiled broadly at him.

The ghostly claw-bearer turned at the sound of the voice. "Ren…?"

Renjiro laughed. "Have I changed that much?"

"Yes… No…"

"It's okay, Suikotsu-san, I know I'm a far cry from that skinny little kid you once knew. So how've you been? I've missed you, you know."

"I…I…" Suikotsu sighed. "I'm sorry, Renjiro, to me it was only a few heartbeats ago that it was raining and the old blacksmith took you in and now…" He smiled. "Now you're all grown up."

"Yeah…" Renjiro rubbed the back of his neck as he smiled. "The old man was very good to me; he taught me how to work metal and gave me a home and a family. Come, look at this!" He moved over to the wall and pulled a few sketches down off of it. "My friend, Genji-san, is an old veteran and he lost his arm in the war and shattered his jaw… these sketches are of the new arm I made for him and this one is the jaw I made. I would love to someday find a swordsmith to teach me how to properly make swords, as I've been experimenting with different forge temperatures, but I can't seem to get the hang of making steel that's lightweight yet strong, like a fine blade."

Suikotsu nodded. "By the way, I like the bandana, it suits you."

"Thanks! The blacksmith gave it to me. He said it would be a good way to cover my bald head as well as the mark… I remember when my hair did grow back; it felt uncomfortable in the heat of the forge, so I just shaved it off again and kept it that way. Now, I'm so used to wearing it and having no hair that I don't even give it much thought."

Suikotsu nodded. "I see…"

"Geshi…?"

Renjiro looked over his shoulder and called out to the strange man who slowly limped over to them, "Nothing, Genji. I was just thinking out loud." He turned back to his ghostly friend and whispered, "I'd introduce you, but I don't think he can see you, and I don't mean it's because he only has one eye."

"That's alright, Renjiro."

"Gishi gunnh… gesh…" Genji said.

"Where's the man with the broken sword?"

"Geshi…" Genji pointed with his good arm at the three men who stood in the shadows of the doorway.

Renjiro nodded and gave his ghostly friend a slight shrug, before he walked over to them. "Can I help you?"

Suikotsu felt his mouth drop open when the three men entered the forge. There, along with his younger self, stood his leader Bankotsu and his paramour, Jakotsu. This must have been the day they recruited Renjiro and Genji.

"Yeah… My Baby here's a bit dull and I was wondering if you could sharpen her for me. I also think I've got a crack in her too."

"Let me see it..." Renjiro examined the halberd while Bankotsu held it out for him. "Yes… The blade is a bit dull, but it's not cracked. That's just a scratch."

"Good… so you think you can quickly fix her?"

"Yes…" Renjiro said distractedly. He had been surreptitiously watching the cross-dresser and the claw-bearer as they looked around the forge, and when Jakotsu noticed his sketches, he called out, "Uh, please don't touch that!"

The ghostly Suikotsu chuckled. Despite a preference for Ukiyo-e prints featuring Kabuki actors and love scenes involving male prostitutes, Jakotsu also loved Renkotsu's sketches. It did not matter in the least if they were of new weaponry or portraits of his fellow comrades-in-arms or even nature scenes and landscapes, Jakotsu could and often did spend hours going through the fire-breather's sketches much to Renkotsu's annoyance.

Walking over to his younger self, Suikotsu whispered, "Do whatever it takes, my friend, but don't let that one get away…"

"Did you say something, Jak?"

"No… But take a look at this, Sui." The cross-dresser pointed to the sketches. "You can relax, I promise not to touch them," he called out to Renjiro. "What do you make of them?" Jakotsu whispered to the claw-bearer.

"They look like some kind of weaponry…"

"That's what I thought…"

The two grinned at each other as they continued to look around the forge.

The ghostly claw-bearer strolled over to where his friend was working on the halberd. "Renjiro, listen to me carefully, these men are going to ask you to join up with them. Do yourself a favor and go with them. They'll take your friend Genji as well."

Renjiro nodded as he sharpened the blade and satisfied that all would go as it should, Suikotsu gave Renjiro a little wave before he left the forge...

"Hey, Sui, you ready to go back? I think this'll be enough firewood to get a good fire going for dinner. We can always look for more later. Sui…?" When the claw bearer failed to answer, Renkotsu looked around hoping to spot him. "Sui…?" Renkotsu called out before he saw him lying under a tree. As he ran towards him, he dropped bits and pieces of the firewood, but that was the least of Renkotsu's worries as he was afraid he would find his friend and lover dead.

"Sui! Wake up!!" Renkotsu leaned forward to gently shake Suikotsu awake. As he did so, he brushed against the same spider web Suikotsu had walked into, and fell into a deep sleep beside him…

Renkotsu woke up from the warmth of the sun on his face. Throwing an arm over his eyes, he cracked them open and tried looking around, but gave up when the glare proved to be too much. So he rolled over onto his side and slowly pushed himself upright. Sitting up, he slowly opened his eyes and was shocked to find himself in the middle of a meadow. He quickly checked himself over for signs of injury, sighing in relief when he found none. Still, it did not explain how he got there or even why, but the place was beautiful and he decided to stay put in case the others had gone for help.

"Are you alright?" A feminine voice called out to him from behind.

Renkotsu waved. "Yeah, I'm fine, Jak. I must have fainted or something. I hope Sui isn't worried…" he trailed off in surprise as he looked over his shoulder. Instead of the wiry cross-dresser heading his way, there was a young woman waddling over to him as fast as her swollen belly would allow.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she said breathlessly as she came over to him.

Unfortunately, all Renkotsu could manage was a stupid sounding, "Hunh?"

She smiled impishly at him from behind her sleeve. "I asked if you were alright. Are you hurt? Or did you feel faint from the heat?" She opened her fan and fanned herself briefly before directing it at him. "You know, I'm surprised it's so warm after the cold spell we just had. You know, I can almost pretend it's summer again instead of fall. If only the flowers would start blooming …" she said wistfully.

Renkotsu nodded. "Yeah… and thanks for your concern, but I think I'm alright," he said as he started to get up.

The woman held up her hand. "Please sit! My husband's a doctor and he'll be here soon. Since it was so hot this summer and I was ummm… indisposed..." She blushed prettily. "My husband said because it's not so hot any more, it would be okay to meet him here for a picnic." She frowned as she peered intently at him. "Forgive me for saying so, but you really don't look so good. You're very pale…" she said as she reached up to gently touch his forehead for signs of a fever. However, instead of touching him, her hand nearly passed through his head, startling her. "Oh my!"

Renkotsu reached up and tried to grab her hand, going through her the way she went through him. "What the hell?!" he swore.

She shrank back from his anger. "I don't know…" she said softly, and gathering her courage, she tried to touch him again with the same result. "It would seem you're here, and yet you're not here…Are you a ghost?"

Renkotsu looked as shocked by the possibility as he felt. "Uh… I guess I am…" He frowned. "But I don't remember dying…"

The woman nodded and looked at him sympathetically. "Perhaps that's why you're here, although there hasn't been any violence in these parts, yet… to the south, yes." She frowned as she thought it over. "And my husband never said anything about a man getting killed here. If he had known about it, then I would not be here waiting to have a picnic with him, nor would I be sitting here talking with you… and there's no umm… body here…"

Renkotsu nodded. He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. "Who are you…?"

"Forgive me; I'm Sedako, wife of Suiichi. My husband's the doctor for our village." Her lips curved up briefly in a smile.

Sedako…? Suiichi…? Why do I feel as if I should know you…? "My name is Renkotsu."

"You're welcome to sit with me while I wait for my husband, Renkotsu-san."

"Uh… Sure; I have nowhere else to go."

Sedako smiled at him, trying to lighten his mood. "Were you from around here, Renkotsu-san? I mean before you…ummm… died?"

"I'm not sure…" Renkotsu said sadly.

"I see…" Sedako nodded. "Perhaps that's why you're here, so you can remember what happened to you and move on."

"That would be nice; I would at least like to know why I'm dead and who killed me."

"Yes… although it may not have been a violent death, Renkotsu-san. Perhaps you died from the sickness that swept through here a few years ago. Half the village died before my husband was able to save them."

"Hunh… maybe… Oh fuck!! That means I can't haunt anyone!"

Sedako looked away when he swore, a delicate blush spilling across her cheeks. "Yeah… she said softly. "And who was it you wished to haunt?" she added conversationally as she silently forgave him his rudeness.

Renkotsu rubbed his forehead in an attempt to cover up his discomfiture over not only swearing in front of a pregnant woman, but having said woman pretend he never did in the first place. Dropping his hand, and looking her in the eye, he said, "I'm sorry… that sort of slipped out…"

"All is forgiven, Renkotsu-san. My husband has also been known to swear on occasion."

Renkotsu nodded. As a doctor, I bet does… I know Suikotsu does when he can't figure out what's making someone sick. "I had hoped to haunt whoever killed me."

"Oh… I hope you won't haunt my husband for not being able to save you. He tried so hard when everyone was sick that he nearly killed himself from the exhaustion. I was so worried about him."

"Hmmm… That sounds like Suikotsu…"

"Suikotsu? What an unusual name. Is he your brother or a friend of yours? And is he a doctor too? I bet if he is, my Suiichi would especially love to meet him. He's still alive, no?"

Renkotsu shrugged. "I'm sorry; I don't know if he is or not…"

"Oh… Yes…" Sedako reached out to put a comforting hand on his arm, only to have it go through him. "Forgive me…" She looked away to hide her embarrassment. "Perhaps he's still alive." She looked him. "If he wasn't I'm sure you'd know. Maybe you're here to comfort him about your passing."

"Hmmm…" Renkotsu nodded. "I didn't think of that…"

They both looked up at the sound of the dry fall grass rustling as someone walked through it.

"I'm back, Sedako-chan! Oh! Who's your new friend?" Suiichi said as he set down the large, cloth wrapped, stacked boxes that contained their lunch. He bowed to Renkotsu. "Hello, I'm Suiichi."

Sedako held out her hand to her husband who gently took it, giving it a gentle squeeze, before letting go. "Husband, this is Renkotsu-san."

Suiichi sat on the ground next to his wife. "Greetings, Renkotsu-san. What brings you to our village?"

Renkotsu was stunned. He had no idea Suiichi was his dear friend and would-be lover, Suikotsu, until he came face to face with him. "Uh…" he said softly.

"Husband," Sedako said softly. "Renkotsu-san is a ghost…And he has no idea why he's here. I thought maybe he was a patient of yours."

"Hmmm…" Suikotsu studied Renkotsu's features as he tried to recall if he had treated him or not. "I'm sorry; I don't think you were, but then I've seen so many lately that it's hard to keep track of them all…" He frowned. "Wait… did you say 'a ghost?'"

Sedako smiled as she nodded.

"It would appear so…" Renkotsu said. "Although, I don't remember dying."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Is there anything we can do to help your spirit rest in peace?"

"I don't know…" Renkotsu shrugged. "I shouldn't be dead." He looked slightly confused and the young married couple felt badly for him.

At this time in your life, Sui, I was back in the blacksmith's shop learning a trade and I had no idea you even existed, Renkotsu thought.

"You are welcome to stay with us until you figure things out."

Renkotsu looked at him in surprise.

"I know I probably wouldn't do this for anyone else… but I get the feeling you're a nice spirit and not a vengeful one. And I feel that my wife is safe around you…I know it sounds crazy, but…"

"Say no more and I thank you…" The ghostly fire-breather smiled.

"You see what a good man I married." Sedako giggled behind her sleeve.

"A very good man indeed."

Suiichi felt his cheeks heating up, reminding Renkotsu of his future lover. "Thank you…"

"Aah!" Sedako gasped. "Shall we head for home? I'm sorry; I'm not hungry, dearest husband. My stomach hurts again. Aah! The pains are getting sharper and closer together." Just as suddenly as the pains had hit her, they left. "Although, for some strange reason I feel fine now." She smiled at Suiichi. "Don't look so worried, Husband. They're gone now. Maybe I'm having those false pains the midwife told us about."

"Yes… But I still think we should get you home just in case our child has decided now's the time to be born," Suiichi said softly. He looked over at the ghostly fire-breather. "You're welcome to come with us, Renkotsu-san."

"You sure?"

"Yes…" Suiichi scooped his wife up in his arms and started back the way he came.

After spending a minute vainly trying to pick up the lunch boxes, Renkotsu abandoned the idea and hurried after them.

Renkotsu walked up the steps to Suiichi's house, following discretely behind as it looked as though the young doctor's wife was going to have her child. What little the fire-breather knew about the incident was that both Sedako and their child had died. As he entered the house with a heavy heart, Renkotsu closed his eyes and sighed. Opening them, he discovered he was in the middle of war-torn village.

"What the hell…?" he said as he looked around. A few paces away from him, Suiichi was kneeling and holding a wounded child in his arms.

"It's alright, Hana-chan, I just need to bind your wound and then it won't hurt so bad…" Renkotsu heard him say over the roar of the battle raging around them.

The child moaned softly as Suiichi laid her on the ground. Turning away to look behind himself, Suiichi reached for the bag of bandages he had with him. There was a sharp cry of pain form the girl, prompting the doctor to turn around in time to see a samurai pulling his spear out of her lifeless body.

"What the hell? What did you kill her for? I could have saved her!!"

"I have orders to kill every man, woman, and child in this village. I just put her out of her misery. You know as well as I do, she would have died from those wounds."

"But why? That's such a waste of life!"

"They're the vassals of the rival daimyo…He dies, they die too," the samurai explained in a tone that said he was clearly stating the obvious. "That's how life is. Now I think I'll put you out of your misery too." The samurai raised his spear.

Suiichi looked up at the man in horror. He still had his hand in the bag, and as he removed it, he felt his scalpel. He pulled out his hand, and quickly standing, he stabbed the man in the chest.

"Sweet Kami-sama… what have I done?"

Renkotsu, who had been standing there, watching the scene unfold, said softly, "So that's how it happened…"

Suiichi grabbed his head as a searing pain shot through it. He screamed in agony and when the spell passed, he was grinning wickedly. Looking wildly around, Suiichi spotted a few soldiers and took off after them, killing them before they could even react.

The ghostly fire-breather walked over to the dead child and looked down at her. No wonder he snapped… He was about to kneel next to her, when he heard a familiar voice behind him say, "Prepare to die!"

Renkotsu turned to face him. "Too late; I'm already dead."

Suiichi stopped short, confused by Renkotsu's admission. "You're dead?"

"I'm afraid so, though you can try stabbing me and seeing what happens if you don't believe me."

Suiichi grinned wickedly at him. "Okay!" He stabbed at Renkotsu and was very surprised when he went right through him. "What the hell?!"

"I told you so…" Renkotsu smirked.

Suiichi frowned. "Yes, you did…" he said, and spotting live prey, he ran through the startled fire-breather, taking off after the live soldiers.

"Hey!!" Renkotsu cried and ran after him.

"What?!" the future claw-bearer said, not breaking his stride.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" Suiichi paused and turned to face Renkotsu.

Renkotsu halted in front of him. "Going on a killing spree."

"Because it's fun…" Suiichi chuckled.

"Since when?"

"Since that bastard came and set me free!"

"Oh…"

Suiichi quirked an eyebrow at him and said, "You have a problem with that?"

"No… but it just seems so senseless when you don't have a real purpose for killing."

"But it eases the pain…" Suiichi frowned. "And it keeps him at bay!"

"I see…" Renkotsu said sadly.

Suiichi grinned wickedly at him in return when it hit him. "You do?" he said in surprise.

"I think so…"

Suiichi shrugged. "If that's all, then I'd like to go…" He turned to leave to go search for other prey.

"Wait!! Do you remember a woman called Sedako?"

Suiichi paused and turned around. He walked over to Renkotsu, narrowing his eyes at him. "She sounds vaguely familiar…" he said unconvincingly. "How do you know of her?"

"I saw you with her once… When she was big with child…"

Suiichi grabbed his head, and falling to his knees, he moaned in pain.

Renkotsu knelt and tried to put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Suiichi ignored the question and when he stopped moaning, he dropped his hands and looked up at Renkotsu. The ghostly fire-breather felt badly as the future claw-bearer looked like a lost child. "Do I know you…?"

"Yes… Ummm… I was the ghost you and your wife met some time ago."

Suiichi nodded. "My wife… she tried to have our son back then…" He raised his hand to his mouth and stared in horror at his bloody hands. "Wh…what happened…?"

Renkotsu sighed. "There is a darkness inside you. It was released when the samurai killed that girl.

Suiichi closed his eyes and hunched over and for a minute, Renkotsu thought he was going to be sick. "I… I remember that… I remember when she was born… and I remember her name was Hana… My Sedako-chan wanted to name our child Hana if she bore me a daughter…"

"Sweet Kami-sama… it all comes together…" Renkotsu said softly.

"Tell me… what's coming together…?"

"I met your future self," Renkotsu said without thinking.

"My future self…?"

"Sorry; I didn't mean to say anything out loud."

"It's okay…So how did we meet?"

"It was later on, after you had joined a band of mercenaries."

Suiichi looked at him in surprise. "I did… or I do…? As what? Your doctor?"

Renkotsu smiled. "And warrior."

"Warrior?" Suiichi laughed. "I could never willingly take anyone's life."

"No, not you, but your darker self could."

"My darker self…?" Suiichi was confused as he had no real knowledge of his darker half's existence until now.

"It's the reason why you have blood on your hands."

Suiichi was horrified to hear that. "Oh sweet Kami-sama… no…"

"Suiichi, you must be strong."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Suiichi wailed and grabbed his head again.

"Remember you must be strong," Renkotsu said firmly.

Suiichi chuckled. "I am the strong one."

When Suiichi looked up at him, Renkotsu could see his violent side was once again in control.

"Then how did you lose control before?"

"When the samurai killed that little girl he was taking care off, the 'good doctor' was so horrified it was very easy to convince him to kill the man in revenge. And when he became so sickened over the thought of what he had done it was easy to break free. It's only when I get tired that he manages to regain control."

"Interesting…"

Suiichi snorted in amusement, frowning slightly when he noticed his prey had escaped. "Damn it!! You let them get away!!"

"Oops, that's too bad…" Renkotsu smirked.

Suiichi glared at him. "You stopped me on purpose!! You know…" He grinned wickedly at Renkotsu. "If you weren't already dead, I'd kill you for that. Kill you slowly and painfully…"

"But I'm already dead, so you're out of luck."

"Yeah… a real pity, eh?"

Renkotsu shrugged. "At least you won't tire yourself out now."

Suiichi nodded and he smiled as new "prey" came into view. "Oooh… new prey. And don't think you can stop me this time. You see that boy standing over there with the woman…?" He motioned with his scalpel at two people, who Renkotsu saw was Bankotsu and Jakotsu. "They'll soon be joining you in the afterlife." He pushed through Renkotsu as he began to stalk them.

"Careful, they might be stronger than you think," Renkotsu warned.

"I don't think so. That boy looks half-grown to me and besides, how strong can a woman be?" Suiichi called out to him.

Renkotsu grinned as he trailed along beside him. "Well, why don't you attack them and find out?"

Suiichi looked at him in surprise. "You're not going to stop me?"

"They look like they can handle themselves."

"Heh! And that soldier I was about to kill didn't look that way to you? You're one funny ghost, you know that?" he said before he took off towards them; scalpel held out, ready to slice them to bits.

Renkotsu watched smugly as his future leader and his paramour easier defeated Suiichi. He hid in the shadows as they tied the raving future claw-bearer up while they decided what to do with him. As the night wore on, Renkotsu silently observed them. Things were definitely interesting, as Suiichi alternated between his violent side and his good doctor persona, but nothing prepared him for the sight of Jakotsu wantonly molesting Suiichi in his sleep. Renkotsu closed his eyes as the strong desire to beat the crap out his future leader and the cross-dresser, fueled by the embarrassment he felt over his future lover's humiliation, washed over him. When the rage passed, Renkotsu slowly opened them. He was surprised to see it was now morning and even more surprising, Suiichi had the wiry cross-dresser by the throat.

"If you ever touch me that way again I'll slice you up so badly your friend over there won't recognize you, understood?"

"Yes…" Jakotsu squeaked.

"Good." Suiichi slowly let go.

Renkotsu chuckled softly as Jakotsu grabbed his throat and backed away.

"Uh, Suikotsu…?"

The claw-bearer sighed. "What?"

"I'm sorry; I couldn't help myself… we were wondering… actually I was wondering…" the cross-dresser rambled on, "If your balls were as big as I thought they were… and ummm… they're pretty big…" Jakotsu smiled ingratiatingly at him.

"You know, you're lucky you're a …" Suikotsu looked him up and down as if trying to figure out what exactly the cross-dresser was. "Whatever you are… because you're soft and sweet, like she was, when you want to be… But you're also a pain in my ass. A very big pain if you must know." Suikotsu laughed as Jakotsu tittered into his sleeve. "Seriously… can I ask you something?"

"Sure…"

"Why 'Suikotsu' of all things?"

"Ummm…" The cross-dresser held his chin as he mulled it over. "Well, Aniki-chan's name is Bankotsu-"

"I know that. And I also know you two aren't brothers, at least I hope not."

Jakotsu laughed. "And mine's Jakotsu, and I know you know that too…" the cross-dresser said sweetly. "And I thought it would be cute if you had a name that sounded like ours."

"So you named me Suikotsu because you thought it was cute?" Suikotsu said as he quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah!" Jakotsu smiled, before frowning. "Why…? Don't you like it?"

Suikotsu opened his mouth to say something, before closing it and chuckling. "I don't know… but I guess I'm stuck with it, hunh?"

"Yeah!" The cross-dresser giggled.

Renkotsu closed his eyes as he shook his head over Jakotsu's antics. He found it unbelievable that after all the cross-dresser had done to him, Suikotsu still could not get all that angry at him. When he opened them, the scene had shifted, and he found himself standing there, along with the others, just outside the old blacksmith's shop.

"Are you sure he can fix my Baby quickly for me?"

"Yes, Oo-Aniki. I had asked around town while Jak and I were scouting out the best places to destroy that would cause the most confusion, and everyone said to come here," Suikotsu said.

"Yeah, I heard that too, Aniki-chan."

"I guess I have no other choice, hunh?"

"No…" Suikotsu said apologetically.

"Alrighty then…" Bankotsu said as he approached the blacksmith's shop. "Hello?! Anyone here?"

"Yes…? Can I help you?"

Renkotsu watched as his younger self met his future new "family." Things played out pretty much as he remembered they did. He sharpened Bankotsu's Banryuu and polished out the scratch, yelled at Jakotsu to leave his sketches alone and then his favorite memory happened. Suikotsu came over to him as he was cleaning up and asked him about the metal arm he saw lying on the workshop table, for that led to a conversation about his friend Genji. And when Renkotsu reached back to rub his neck tiredly, knocking his bandana askew and revealing the brand, Suikotsu never said a word about it, nor did he react as if Renkotsu was a monster.

"Is this an arm?"

"Yes. It's for a friend of mine; he lost his in the wars and I felt bad for him so I've been experimenting with making him a replacement one," the future fire-breathing member of the Shichinintai said. "The one he has on works much better than this one."

"I see…"

"Yeah… My friend's resting out back, if you want I can get him and you can see it up close."

"It's alright; you don't need to disturb him."

"You sure?"

"Yeah…"

"Gesh?"

"Hey, Genji! Come're."

Genji lumbered over to them and soon he was involved in their conversation as Renjiro excitedly explained what he was doing to improve the old veteran's quality of life while Suikotsu listened intently.

They spoke for awhile about it before Bankotsu walked over to them along with Jakotsu. "Hey, ummm... look, you two seem like good people and uh…"

"We heard someone was planning on torching the town…" Jakotsu added. The cross-dresser shrugged when Bankotsu glared at him.

"I heard the same thing. It could be just a rumor, but I don't think you should take the chance. Perhaps they can come with us, Oo-Aniki?"

Bankotsu nodded. "You welcome to, if you want…"

Renjiro frowned as he exchanged puzzled glances with his friend Genji. "I don't know…"

"Gishi…"

Renkotsu looked at his future comrades-in-arms and he knew from the grim look on Bankotsu's face that this was a test and that if his future self decided to stay he was as good as dead. Looking down at his transparent hands, the fire-breather walked over to his younger self. "Don't be an idiot, Renjiro, go with them!" he said. Giving them all one last look, he headed outside to make sure the destruction had not yet begun…

When both Suikotsu and Renkotsu failed to come back with more firewood, Jakotsu volunteered to go get them. Giggling, he said, "They're probably somewhere having a bit of fun before they come back, Aniki-chan. I think we should have some fun too while we wait. I can always go look for them when we're done or if we're having too much fun ourselves, they'll come back without us having to go look for them."

"Not now, Sweetness. And don't pout at me like that either! When they go to sleep, I promise you, we can have all the fun you want. But right now we need to get this fire going so we can have some dinner before we go to sleep."

"Who cares about dinner, when I've got a very tasty dumpling right here?" Jakotsu came over and knelt behind his lover, throwing his arms around him. "I could happily eat you for dinner and breakfast, not to mention lunch…" he said huskily in Bankotsu's ear.

"I'm sure you could, but what about the rest of us?" Bankotsu said as he removed the cross-dresser's arms from around his neck. Turning to face him, he said, "Jak, you have two choices; one you can go look for them while I sit here and figure out how to get a roaring fire out a pile of twigs, or two you sit here and figure that out while I go look for them and bring back some fire wood. So what'll it be?"

Sighing softly, Jakotsu got up to go. "I'll be back real quick, okay?"

"Good…" Bankotsu said distractedly as he fussed over the fire.

Jakotsu wandered off in the direction his fellow teammates had gone and it wasn't long before he found them sleeping under the trees, the fire wood Renkotsu had gathered scattered in a trail leading to them.

"Hmph! That must have been some nookie if both of you are sleeping it off," he smirked. Kneeling between them, Jakotsu gently shook Suikotsu. "Wake-up, Sui! Aniki-chan wants that firewood and quickly." He shook him again when the claw-bearer failed to wake up. "Sui…? What's wrong? Why won't you wake up…?" The cross-dresser yawned and shook his head to clear it. Turning his attention to Renkotsu, he tried waking him instead, and as he did so he brushed against the silken tendrils of the spider youkai's web. "Ren! Get up! Something's wrong with Sui, and he won't wake up!! Ren…?" Jakotsu yawned again. "Shit! What's wrong with this place….?" He stood up and took a couple of steps when he fell to the ground, a tiny tendril of spider web caught in his hair. He was soon fast asleep like the others…

The little boy did a double take. One minute he was there, playing by himself in one of the gardens surrounding his home, and the next there was someone sleeping under his favorite climbing tree. Heedless of the possible danger from the intruder, he ran over to him. Squatting next to the sleeping individual, the little boy said, "Who are you?"

The intruder woke up, and yawning, he looked around to see who had addressed him. "Hunh?" he mumbled, his eyes going wide when he realized who it was who had awakened him. He was so excited by the sight before him that he completely forgot the question. "Aniki-chan!! Oh how cute!!" he squealed in delight as he tried throwing his arms around the little boy. "You're so cute, Aniki-chan!!"

The little boy, trying to act tough, stood up as tall as he could and folded his arms across his chest. "I'm not your Aniki-chan! I don't know you!" Narrowing his eyes, he said, "Are you an intruder?"

"No!! I'm your 'Sweetness!' It's me Jakotsu!!" The cross-dresser giggled. "That's right; we won't meet until you're older." He giggled again and a smug knowing little smile danced across his lips.

"We don't?" the younger version of Bankotsu said as a puzzled frown settled on his features.

"Nope!!" Jakotsu giggled again. "You come and rescue me…"

"I do?"

"Yup!" The cross-dresser was all smiles. "And it's the happiest day of my life!"

The five year old Bankotsu scrunched his face up in thought. "Are you my betroved?"

Betroved? Jakotsu blinked. Oh, betrothed! "Ummm… yeah… you could say that…" He giggled.

"But you're old…" Bankotsu said with all the seriousness a five year old could muster.

"I am…?" Jakotsu blinked as he chewed on a fingernail. "Well… I am a lil older than you are…" He smiled. "But it doesn't matter as you love me very much."

"I do…?"

"Oh yes!! Very much so! We're always having fun together!" Jakotsu giggled again.

"Yeah?" The five year old grinned. "What kind of fun?"

"Let's see… We go on missions together, hang out drinking sake and," he giggled, "we like to nookie…" Jakotsu giggled again as he imagined a more grown up Bankotsu and himself together.

"Wait a minute! I've never seen you before, so how can we be having fun? And Haha-ue won't let me drink sake yet." Bankotsu frowned.

Jakotsu flicked his wrist as if to dismiss the five year old's concerns. "Oh, that all happens after you come rescue me," he said.

"Oh okay." Bankotsu stared his new friend as the cross-dresser beamed back at him. "What's nookie?" he asked innocently.

"And don't worry about the sake; you'll more than make up for it when you're older." Jakotsu grinned. A few seconds later it hit him. "Eh? Nookie? Don't you know what that is?" He blinked, and having grown up in a bathhouse, at this younger Bankotsu's age, he knew exactly what nookie was, having seen it on numerous occasions.

Bankotsu shook his head.

Jakotsu thought it over for a minute. "It's what grown ups do for fun…" he explained as Bankotsu stared at him intently. "Ummm... it's how your parents made you. You've seen it, right?"

"No."

"No? Don't you sleep in your mother's room?"

Bankotsu shook his head again. "I have my own room."

"You do?" Jakotsu asked as the five year old nodded. "Ummm… so you've never seen your parents naked together…? Or maybe your father doesn't live here?"

"No. Chichi-ue lives here, but he and Haha-ue have separate rooms too, though sometimes I've seen Chichi-ue go into Haha-ue's room."

Jakotsu smiled. "That's when they nookie."

"Oh… but what is nookie?"

The cross-dresser thought it over. "Well…ummm…" He was suddenly finding it hard to explain with this younger version of Bankotsu staring intently at him. "Well, they ummm…get naked and they kiss and touch each other and ummm…then your father'll get on top of her and she'll yelp while he grunts…" He flashed a fake forced smile at the five year old whose eyes had gone wide as saucers.

"They kiss? EEEWWW!! That's yucky!" Bankotsu stuck his tongue out and made gagging noises.

"Yeah… But it's not yucky at all! In fact you like kissing me as you're always telling me to shut up and kiss you."

"EEWW! I don't wanna kiss you! Girls have cooties!" the five year old glared at the cross-dresser.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Oh yeah! That's why you like kissing me, cuz I'm not a girl!" Jakotsu laughed.

Bankotsu was completely bewildered as the person in front him looked more like one of his sisters than his brothers. "Hunh? You're not?"

"Nope…" the cross-dresser smiled.

"Then why do you have make-up on like Haha-ue?"

Jakotsu was a bit taken aback by that. "Ummm… Because I like wearing it and besides, you think I look much prettier this way."

The five year old shrugged. "Oh, okay. Ummm… How do you know all of that stuff that's going to happen?"

"Ummm… I don't know… I don't even know how I got here… Hehehe… uh, I just know." Thinking it over, Jakotsu cocked his head to the side as he tapped a finger on his lips. "I know you told me to go get Ren's and Sui's asses back to you, and they were asleep and I couldn't wake them up and next thing I know you're a lil kid…" He looked around. "But I do know this isn't we live…" Jakotsu sighed.

"Who are Ren and Sui?"

"Ren is your second-in-command and Sui is your fourth. I'm your third-in-command, cuz I'm not as smart as Ren. But at least I don't have a stick up my ass like he does."

The five year old was utterly confused. "Command of what?"

"Your army! We're so tough; we only need the seven of us!" Jakotsu said proudly. "Hell! Everyone's heard of us and they're all scared shitless of us too!"

Bankotsu's face lit up. "I'm in command of an army?! Amazing!"

"Isn't it? And you love me so much, that I don't care that I got demoted when Ren came along…"

"Ummm… Okay… Who's Ren again?" Bankotsu, puzzled, looked up at the cross-dresser.

"Your second-in-command. He's the bald guy with the stick up his ass…" Jakotsu giggled. "He loves Sui and Sui loves him back…" the cross-dresser sighed.

"Oh… can we pull out the stick? And who's Sui?"

Jakotsu laughed. "Kami-sama knows I've tried, but I think it's stuck in there for good…" He laughed again, thinking about it. "Sui's your fourth-in-command. He was your third and then we got Ren and Gin…"

"Oh… Who's Gin?" Bankotsu looked around. "And where's my army? I don't seem them anywhere…"

"Gin's your fifth-in-command. He's a good friend of Ren's. And your army's back home, wherever that is…" Jakotsu sighed sadly.

"But this is my home."

"Really? But we don't live here when you're older."

"But this is where I've always lived, with my mother and father and sisters and brothers…"

"Oh… Well, when you get older and we get rich and famous, we build a nice big home. And Sui has the best garden!" Jakotsu giggled at the memory of all the fun he had in there with Bankotsu. "We're always getting trouble for nookying under the hydrangeas."

Bankotsu made a face. "We nookie? EEEEWWW!"

Jakotsu giggled again. "Trust me; you think it's the best fun you've ever had." The cross-dresser winked at him.

Bankotsu rolled his eyes. "Really? I don't think kissing someone would be fun." He made another face sending the cross-dresser into another giggle fit. "Blech!" the five year old said.

"Oh, there's more to nookying than that…" Jakotsu chuckled. He cocked his head at the five year old and grinned. "Although, I think I'll let you discover that on your own."

"Okay."

"So, ummm… what do you do around here for fun?"

"Stuff… but right now I'm hiding from one of my brothers. I got him in trouble and now he's looking for me."

"Really? You pissed him off, hunh? I would gladly beat the shit out of him for you, but as you can see…" The cross-dresser reached out to touch Bankotsu but his hand went right through him. "I can't seem to touch anything here."

"Whoa!!" Bankotsu's eyes went wide as saucers. "You're a ghost!"

"Yeah…?" Jakotsu held up his hands and looked at them as he turned them over and over. "I guess I am, but as far as I know, I didn't die…I just fell asleep next to Ren and Sui."

"You seem like a good ghost… Want to see my room?"

"Okay." Jakotsu laughed. "It's too bad I can't touch anything as we could get up to a lot of mischief together, you know?"

"Maybe not; I'm in enough trouble already."

"Yeah…? But when you're older, you didn't let a lil thing like trouble worry you." Jakotsu smiled as he followed the five year old to his room. "You know, I'll do my best to protect you from your brother, okay?"

Bankotsu shrugged. "I don't need protection; I just need to get bigger and stronger so I can beat him up."

"Aniki-chan, one day you're going to be so strong, you can beat anyone up including Kyo!"

"I will? That's great!" Bankotsu's grin quickly became a frown. "Who's Kyo?"

"Your…" Jakotsu said as he attempted to count on his fingers. "Ummm… sixth or is it seventh-in-command…? I don't know… he's just the last one in charge in case we're all dead or something."

"If we're all dead, what's he in charge of?"

"I don't know…" Jakotsu shrugged. "But that's what you told him."

The two of them walked down the halls of Bankotsu's home, while having a serious conversation about the chain of command in the five year old's future army. They had made it nearly all the way to Bankotsu's room without incident, when someone came up behind them and grabbed the five year old by his braid and picked him up.

"Hey, Shorty!"

"Hey, Asshole! Put him down!" Jakotsu growled, although the young man appeared not to have heard him.

"Put me down, Shin!!" Bankotsu tried kicking him.

"'this the brother you got in trouble?" Jakotsu asked.

"I'm going to pay you back for getting me in trouble with Chichi-ue over your mess, you little runt!" Shin said.

"Eh? What mess?"

"You knocking over that bowl of inky water on Chichi-ue's desk! You know you're not supposed to be playing in his study!"

"I didn't do that! You did, Stupid!" Bankotsu said defiantly.

Jakotsu grinned. "That's telling him!"

Bankotsu's brother narrowed his eyes at him. "You did it and you know it!"

"Did not!! You did it!!"

"You did too!" Shin glared at his little brother. "I saw you do it and so did Kazehiro!"

"Kaze's a big fat liar like you are!"

"Takes one to know one, peewee."

"Hunh? I'm no lil peewee!"

"That's certainly true," Jakotsu said to no one in particular. "In fact he's got a great big peewee…" The cross-dresser giggled.

"Oh, yes you are, Shorty!" Shin said as he dropped his little brother, and kicking him, he said menacingly, "And if you ever tattle on me again to Chichi-ue, I'll do far worse to you!"

Shin stormed off towards his own room, Jakotsu running along after him. "Listen, Asshole, you ever touch him like that again…" The cross-dresser, outrunning Bankotsu's older brother, stood in front of him and glared as Shin walked right through him. "Hey! Come back here! I wasn't finished talking to you!! Oh hell!" Jakotsu sighed and trotted over to where Bankotsu was picking himself up off the floor. "You okay, Aniki-chan?"

The five year old stood there, sniffing back his tears. He was making a great effort not to cry in front of Jakotsu, but he could not hold back the single tear that coursed down his cheek.

"Awe… don't cry, Aniki-chan, that's my job…" Jakotsu said as he tried to wipe the tear away with his kimono sleeve.

Bankotsu wiped it away himself. "I'm not crying."

"Yeah…? Well, I am…" The cross-dresser sniffed and rubbed his finger under his nose. "Aniki-chan?"

"What?"

"Promise me that when you're older, you'll bring me here. I so wanna kick that asshole's ass!"

Bankotsu managed to smile at that. "Promise!"

"Great!" Jakotsu grinned. "So where's your room? I feel like we've been walking for hours…"

"Follow me!" Bankotsu said, the enthusiasm returning to his face.

"Okay!"

Bankotsu led the cross-dresser down the hall and made a right, where he walked passed two doors and stopping at the third, he slid the shoji open. "We're here," he said, moving aside to let Jakotsu in.

The cross-dresser stood there speechless for a second as he took in the ornate surroundings. Finding his voice, he exclaimed, "Whoa! What a lovely room!!" Jakotsu looked at the five year old and smiled. He slowly circled the room, looking at everything. He was astounded to learn that his best friend and lover came from such a rich background. What was even more amazing to the cross-dresser was that he simply gave it all up to start over at Jakotsu's side.

"Yeah! And it's all mine!!" the five year old said, pulling Jakotsu from his reverie.

"You're so lucky!!" the cross-dresser said as he turned to face him. "I never had my own room when I was your age. I had to share it with my mother and sister and then when…" He sighed sadly. "When they left, I shared a room with my foster mother…"

"Oh… where'd you live?"

"In some stinkin' village's bathhouse," Jakotsu said as he sat down on the floor.

"Oh? Was it really that bad?" Bankotsu came over and sat opposite him.

Jakotsu nodded. "Yeah, I hated it." He smiled. "That's the place you rescued me from."

"Oh… I've never been to a bathhouse before, we have baths here."

"Well, one day you'll get to see it, but honestly, it looks the same as the baths you have here, except there's more rooms to it. And you pay to use it and someone'll wash you there so you don't have to, and you can nookie afterwards if you like or before…" The cross-dresser shrugged.

Bankotsu looked at him in surprise. "Nookie happens in the bath too?"

The cross-dresser nodded. "Bathtub nookie's fun!"

The two of them giggled.

Just then, someone knocked on the shoji's wooden frame.

"Go see who's there," Jakotsu said.

Bankotsu got up and slowly made his way to the shoji. "Who is it?"

"Ban-sama, your father wishes to see you!" the servant called out.

"Let's go see what he wants," the cross-dresser said as he stood up to leave.

Bankotsu, however, looked really nervous as if he were dreading this moment.

"Don't worry," Jakotsu soothed. "I'm here with you. I know I couldn't do anything with your brother, but maybe your father can see me."

The five year old looked doubtfully at him, before sliding back the shoji. The two exited the room, Jakotsu trailing along behind Bankotsu. Before long, they reached Bankotsu's father's study, and opening the shoji, he entered. Jakotsu followed him in and the next thing he knew he was in a tent…

"Who the fuck are you?" an angry voice called out to him from behind.

Turning around, Jakotsu blinked when he saw an older Bankotsu sitting at a low table, where he had been writing.

"Aniki-chan? Don't you know me?" He looked around the tent. "And where the hell are we?"

Bankotsu rolled his eyes. "Military school. I'm learning how to be a leader of men."

"You're a very good leader." Jakotsu smiled.

"You've been watching me, hunh?" The thirteen year old grinned. "Yeah, I pretty much run the place, all of my peers answer to me, or should I say my fist."

The cross-dresser laughed. "No, I actually haven't seen you in action here, but I do know that you're a great leader! We used to hang out together, going from job to job, until one day you decided we should form our own army and I asked you if we could recruit some cute guys and you told me not to be an idiot."

"Hunh? When did I do all of this…?"

"A couple of months after you rescued me… Why?" Jakotsu blinked.

"Oh…" The future leader of the Shichinintai quirked an eyebrow at the cross-dresser and said, "When do I rescue you?"

Jakotsu shrugged. "I dunno…You came by one day for a bath and a bit of fun." He giggled. "I think you had just completed a mission and you decided I was pretty and good fun and when you walked out you took me with you." He giggled again. "It was the happiest day of my life!" Jakotsu sighed happily.

"Really? Was I on my own?"

The cross-dresser nodded. "Yeah…"

"Wonderful…Yes, now that would be something really great." Bankotsu grinned.

Jakotsu, slightly confused, said, "Yeah? But you don't stay on your own for long cuz you have me and then we find Sui, Ren and Gin, and Mu, and Kyo…"

"Yeah, but I'd be calling the shots, right?"

Jakotsu nodded. "Yup! Although you always listen to what Ren has to say, and afterwards you'll ask me if it's a good thing to do." The cross-dresser smiled.

"Yeah, but that's strategy. The point is, I make the final decision, and no 'superior officer' can tell me what to do, because I'm the superior officer."

"Yup! And everyone respects you and calls you 'Oo-Aniki' and the best part is… everyone's afraid of us!! We can call the shots and get paid whatever you demand!!"

The thirteen year old grinned. "I'm starting to like this future."

Jakotsu, also grinning, said, "I love it too!! And the best part is the time I get to spend alone with you…" He sighed happily like a lovesick girl.

Bankotsu's grin turned into a grimace of disgust. "Hunh… I don't know. My taste has never really run towards boys…"

"Hunh?" Jakotsu blinked as he was completely taken aback by that little revelation. Swallowing his hurt, he said, "But you always want to nookie with me… except for the times you want to go whoring…" Annoyed, he looked away and back. "But you always do come home to me. And you've told me several times how much you love me… You mean you were lying…?" Jakotsu trailed off softly. He was devastated by this turn of events and he wanted to be as far away from here as possible.

"Ummm… I don't even know you yet…"

Jakotsu looked away from him and shrugged. "But you do know me…" he said softly. "I met you when you were six."

"Look, all I know of you is you're some spirit who showed up one day when I was a child, telling me of my future. When I told my parents about it, they kept telling me it was a dream, a fantasy, and then you disappeared, so I thought they were right." Bankotsu looked down at his work and started writing. "I really don't know you."

"I'm sorry I disappeared! I was right behind you and I fully expected to be with you when your father talked to you, but I wound up here instead," Jakotsu said sadly. He was very hurt by Bankotsu's attitude. "But if you don't want me here…" He trailed off softly and shrugged. "You know what?" he said angrily. "When you come to the bathhouse… do me a favor and leave me there, okay?" He wiped at the angry tears that were spilling down his cheeks.

Bankotsu, annoyed at the cross-dresser's girlish behavior, retorted angrily, "Well, if you're gonna be such a crybaby about everything, maybe I will!"

"Fine!!" The cross-dresser glared at him, and turning to leave, he marched out of the tent only to wind up exactly where he was before he had left. "Oh fuck!! I'm stuck here with you!"

Bankotsu looked up from his work and sighed heavily. "Great! I'm stuck with a ghost who dresses like a girl and whines a lot."

"Oh Yeah? Well I'm stuck with a lil shit whose ego's bigger than he is!"

They glared at each other in silence. Bankotsu at thirteen was a mass of whirling hormones and confusion, while Jakotsu at the same age, had been taught to control himself and be subservient to the wishes of his clients. Unfortunately, Jakotsu had no idea that his future lover was reacting in the same way he would to some girl he found attractive, by pushing her away with his words and obnoxious behavior. He was deeply wounded by Bankotsu's attitude and all of his insecurities came flooding in, leaving him unable to deal with it. So he sat there crying softly as Bankotsu did his best to ignore him.

Rolling his eyes at the soft whimpering, Bankotsu said, "At least I'm not a whiney crybaby…"

"I may be a whiney crybaby as you so nicely put it, but at least I'm not a lil shit!" The cross-dresser turned away from him.

"Hey, fuck you!" Bankotsu said angrily. "I didn't ask for you to be here! I like being alone when I'm in my tent!"

"Yeah? Well I don't want to be here either!" Jakotsu turned around again to glare at the thirteen year old. "You're sooo lucky you're not one of my clients or I'd charge you extra for the attitude!"

"Oh yeah? Well you're lucky you're a ghost or I'd kick your ass right out of this tent!"

Jakotsu laughed bitterly. "I wish you would kick my ass out of this tent as I'd enjoy that a lot more than sitting here with you!"

"Fine! You sit over there and I'll sit over here and we'll each pretend the other isn't there! Besides, I have an assignment to do anyway!" Bankotsu said contemptuously.

"Fine!!" Jakotsu huffed. I hope you fail it!!

Bankotsu, hearing the call for the soldiers to go to their next training session, smacked his hands down on the table. "Shit!" He got up quickly and left the tent.

"Hey! Where're you going, you lil shit?!" Jakotsu called out to him as he stood up and hurried after him only to find himself standing outside the bathhouse. "What the hell…?"

Bankotsu, looking scruffy but in good spirits, his Banryuu balanced delicately on his shoulder, was walking towards the bathhouse.

Jakotsu turned around and spotted him. "Hey! Don't you dare go in there!!" he yelled as he hurried over to block the young mercenary's way.

"Hunh? Why not?"

"Because I don't want a lil shit like you getting my hopes up! That's why!" The cross-dresser was still hurt and angry over Bankotsu's previous rejection of him.

The young mercenary looked up at him. "Do I know you…?" he said calmly.

"I'm sorry to say 'yes!'" Jakotsu spat back at him.

Bankotsu paused, and thought it over. He chuckled as he suddenly remembered the cross-dresser. "Oh yeah! You're that ghost that showed up a couple of years back! Sorry about the attitude, I was having a really bad day. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm feeling a bit scummy and I would like to take a bath." He moved to the side of Jakotsu and continued on his way.

Jakotsu's mouth hung open for a few seconds, taking that all in, before he realized Bankotsu had walked past him. Hurrying after him, Jakotsu said, "You hurt my feelings and you toss off a 'sorry' as if it were nothing?" He blinked, outraged at this new level of attitude from Bankotsu. "There's no way I want you going in there! Go take a fucking bath in the stream! Now get!!"

I'd like to see you stop me, Bankotsu thought. "Now, as I remember you were provoking me by having an attitude too."

Jakotsu blinked in surprise. "Me having an attitude…? I don't do that…"

"Well you did." The young mercenary politely stepped around the shocked cross-dresser again and continued on his way.

"No, I didn't!" Jakotsu ran after him.

"Yes, you did," Bankotsu said smugly. He was thoroughly enjoying the verbal sparring with the cross-dressing ghost.

"Are you sure…? I've never heard anyone say I have an attitude before…"

Bankotsu shrugged. "Well, first time for everything as they say."

Jakotsu laughed. "Oh yeah…But you still shouldn't go in there…" The cross-dresser was afraid of finally meeting Bankotsu, only to be left behind.

"Sorry, but the bath calls to me. And I believe it was you who said I was supposed to rescue someone there."

"Yeah…Me…" Jakotsu said softly when it hit him. "Wait! You're going to go through with it? You're really going to rescue me?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you…" Jakotsu said softly as he wiped away a tear. Swallowing, he quickly added, "Make sure you get the room key with the snake in the grass painted on it. That's me…"

The young mercenary nodded. "I'll be sure to do that."

"Thank you again… I don't know if I can go in there… ummm… do you think you'll fall in love with me?"

Bankotsu shrugged. "Who knows…? I do like your spirit though." He winked at Jakotsu.

Jakotsu smiled. "You do…?"

"I said it, didn't I?"

The cross-dresser nodded, and frowning, he said sadly, "But you… ummm… you said you wanted to be with women."

"Well, let's see if you can change my mind."

"Okay," Jakotsu said with a smile. "I still don't think I can follow you in… But I do know that I liked what I saw enough to give you special treatment."

"Thanks!"

"You're welcome…" Jakotsu leaned towards Bankotsu, trying to kiss him, and nearly fell through him.

Bankotsu chuckled. "Too bad you're a ghost."

Jakotsu giggled. "But in there I'm not…"

"Exactly…"

"So go already before I get a different client!"

Bankotsu, laughing, turned around and headed towards the bathhouse as Jakotsu watched him go…

Bankotsu watched the flame on the pile of twigs sputter and go out. He sighed wearily, running his hands over his face, before getting up to go look for his missing comrades. "Oh for Kami-sama's sake, what the hell's taking them so long? It's just a stupid fucking pile of firewood," he grumbled. He trudged along, nursing his anger and annoyance at having to go look for them. He had taken about fifty paces when he spotted his comrades lying unconscious under the trees. Rushing over to them, he gently shook his paramour, trying to wake him up; when he touched the spider youkai's silk that was caught in Jakotsu's hair. Without any warning, Bankotsu fell over unconscious next to him. The next thing he knew he was standing in front of a familiar bathhouse…

"What the fuck?" Bankotsu exclaimed as he took in his surroundings.

The child sitting outside on the veranda waved. "Hi! Are you lost? I can help you find your room…"

Bankotsu looked down and was shocked to see his paramour as a small boy, and even at that age, Jakotsu was dressed like a girl. "Uh… no…"

The six year old cross-dresser shrugged. "Okay… you didn't see my mother did you? She left here with one of her clients… They were taking my baby sister somewhere, I think…" He blinked. "She's sick," he said as if that explained everything.

"Oh dear… Poor thing…"

Jakotsu made a face. "She's a pain in the ass…My mother's always fussing over her." He pouted.

"Well, mothers do tend to fuss over their babies…"

"She only fusses over her cuz she's a stupid girl." Jakotsu rolled his eyes. "Got anything to eat? I'm hungry…"

"Sorry, I'm afraid I don't."

The six year shrugged again. "It's okay… I'll find something later…Oh, look!!" He smiled happily, and jumping down from the veranda, Jakotsu ran over to some weedy flowers to watch a butterfly flitting amongst them.

"It's very pretty," Bankotsu said as he came up behind him.

"I love them! I wish I was a butterfly so I can fly around everywhere!" he turned and smiled at Bankotsu.

"Well, you look as pretty as a butterfly."

Jakotsu giggled delightedly. "That's what my mother calls me; Chou-chan!" He sighed. "I wonder when she's coming back…"

Bankotsu swallowed hard, but he managed to keep a smile on his face for the younger Jakotsu. "I'm sure she'll be back soon," he lied as he knew from what little Jakotsu had told him of his past, she was not returning.

Jakotsu nodded. "I've been waiting all day, though…" He shrugged it off. "Wanna play with me?" Jakotsu looked around and when he saw they were alone, he whispered, "You can do it for free…"

Bankotsu smiled. "Sure, I'll play with you. Wait, what do you mean by 'for free?'"

"All the girls ask for money when they do stuff, so I figured I should too… but I like you; you're nice even if you're a bit see-through…" the six year old cross-dresser frowned, then smiled.

"See-through?"

"Yeah… I can kinda see right through you… you're like that stupid bitch Water Lily's fancy kimono that Boss-Man gave her."

"Okay… What do you see when you look through me?"

"The flowers and stuff…" Jakotsu giggled. "Why?"

Bankotsu looked down and saw that the six year old had been telling the truth. He was somewhat transparent.

The six year old smiled. "So, do you wanna play with me?"

"I'll try to though I don't know how well I can play since I'm a ghost."

"You're a ghost?" Jakotsu blinked. "What's a ghost? Is that like a client?"

"A ghost is a spirit," Bankotsu explained, "usually of a dead person."

Jakotsu was confused and he looked it. "You're dead?" He blinked.

"I don't know…" Bankotsu said. "I don't remember dying."

"Okay." The six year old shrugged. "Can you still play with me? I'm bored and the butterfly's gone…"

"Sure, what would you like to play?"

"Ummm… I don't know…? What do you wanna play?" Jakotsu motioned Bankotsu towards him and whispered, "You're supposed to tell me what to do…"

"Ummm… Ever play 'hide and seek?'"

Jakotsu shook his head. "No…How do you play?"

"Well… what games do you play?"

"Ummm… I like to play 'see if I can get the butterfly to sit on my hand,' and I like to play with my mother's make-up and clothes cuz the bigger girls always tell me how cute I look." He smiled. "But mostly I sit outside and watch my stupid baby sister… The other girls won't play with me cuz I'm not really a girl…" He frowned, and scrunching up his face, he said, "The bigger ones do… But I don't think we can play those games cuz you don't have girl parts, or do you? I never seen a ghost before."

"Uh… No, I don't. Well, let's see if we can find some more butterflies."

That brought a smile to Jakotsu's face. "Okay!" he said happily as he tried holding onto Bankotsu's hand. Catching sight of an approaching woman, Jakotsu said snottily, "What do you want?"

The woman came over to him and slapped him hard across the face. "Don't take that tone with me, brat!"

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Bankotsu said more for Jakotsu's benefit than hers as he had a feeling the woman could not see him.

The six year old's eyes welled up with tears. "Bitch!" he muttered angrily under his breath, before continuing out loud, "Sorry…"

"That's right, brat, you'd better start showing me some respect, because I'm your mother now."

Frowning, Jakotsu said, "What? Don't be stupid! Ofukuro's coming back!"

The woman laughed. "She's not! She ran off with that client of hers and took your sister, and left you behind to pay off her debt."

"You're lying!" Jakotsu cried as Bankotsu watched helplessly.

"Go ask the boss, he assigned me to look after you and teach you how to pay off your debt."

The six year old glared at her and turned to leave, before pausing. "Are you coming with me, Ghost-san?"

"Uh… yeah."

"Who the hell are you talking to?"

"My friend Ghost-san. I guess he doesn't like talking to bitches like you…" Jakotsu said sweetly before he turned and continued on his way, with Bankotsu following along behind him.

"Who was that?"

"Water Lily… she's a bitch and everyone hates her. She nookies with the boss, so she thinks she owns the place," the six year old said matter-of-factly.

Bankotsu, taken aback by the six year old's jadedness, said, "Oh… Well, she certainly fits the description of a bitch."

"Yeah!" Jakotsu giggled. "I wish you could meet my mother, she's nice and so is Sparrow." He smiled and whispered, "She sometimes gives me rice balls when I'm hungry…"

"She sounds nice…" Bankotsu said as he wondered what happened to make Jakotsu grow up to dislike women so much.

The six year old nodded. "She is… Wanna meet her when I'm done?" He entered the main part of the bathhouse. "Hey, Boss-man! Boss-man?"

An older man looked up from his ledger. "Have we a problem?"

Jakotsu shook his head. "No…"

"Then why are you bothering me when I'm busy?"

"Ummm… Water Lily said Ofukuro's not coming back. She said she's my mother now…"

"That's right; she is. Now, run along and let me get back to work. She's going to show what you need to know."

"Really? But I don't like her."

"That's too bad, kid; now go. I'm very busy and I don't have time for your shit," the boss said as he went back to work; ignoring any further outbursts from Jakotsu.

Bankotsu's eyes widened as he realized what was in store for the six year old. "Come on, Jak. Don't hurt your throat over him." He did his best to hurry the six year old outside.

"Okay… Ummm, Ghost-san, why'd you call me Jak?"

"Isn't that your name?"

"No… It's Jakotsu, but everyone calls me Chou-chan. That's the name I'm going to use when I get older and go to work here. So what do you want to do, Ghost-san?"

Bankotsu tried not to look as sick as he felt. "I think you should go away from this place before it's too late."

"Hunh? Why? What if my mother comes back and can't find me cuz I'm gone?"

Bankotsu got down on his level, doing his best to take Jakotsu's shoulders in his hands as he could not really touch him, and said sadly, "I think those guys may be right; I don't think your mother's coming back."

Jakotsu's eyes welled up with tears. "Why isn't she coming back?" he said. He stared intently at Bankotsu as the tears spilled down his cheeks.

Bankotsu said helplessly, "I don't know… But I do know that you need to get out of this place. They'll make you do horrible things if you stay here."

Jakotsu's eyes went wide. Crying softly, he asked, "What kinda things…?"

Bankotsu stood there, debating with himself on whether or not to tell Jakotsu and just how he should tell him. "They will…" he said softly, "…make you nookie with people for money, whether you want to or not."

Jakotsu looked up at him, wiping his tears. "I know that," he said, rolling his eyes. "Ofukuro told me that and so did Sparrow. She said my first time is going to be really special and I'll make a lot of money that day and they'll dress me up really pretty…" He smiled. "That's what they did to Sparrow last week, and she got to spend the next day in bed and didn't hafta do anything! And she let me come in her room and stay with her…"

Bankotsu sighed sadly. "Yeah, but then you'll have to do it over and over again, and you won't be treated so special every time. You should get away while you can."

"But I don't have any place to go…" Jakotsu said plaintively.

"You could find a place, I'm sure there are a lot of people who'd take in a cute little kid like you."

The six year old shrugged. "I dunno… I never left here before. Maybe if you weren't a ghost, I'd leave with you, wait, I can't go …" Jakotsu said sadly. "Ofukuro might still come back."

"You need to leave before something bad happens to you; a child your age shouldn't be doing this kind of work."

"But I can't go, Ghost-san! I have nowhere to go… besides, someone'll probably just bring me back here anyway…" the six year old said sadly. "That's how Bluebell got here. Some man brought her here and left her behind."

Bankotsu bowed his head sadly. "I promise, when I can I will come back and rescue you from this place."

Jakotsu smiled. "You will? But how can you rescue me if you're a ghost?"

"I'll find a way."

"Okay!" Jakotsu said happily. "Ummm… Do you want to meet Sparrow? She's not busy anymore. I saw her client leaving when we went to talk to the boss."

"Okay." Bankotsu nodded and followed the six year old to one of the many room in the bathhouse.

Jakotsu banged on the door. "Hey, Sparrow-chan! Come're! Sparrow-chan!!"

From inside the room, a young girl called out, "Come in…"

Jakotsu slid back the shoji and Bankotsu saw a young girl sitting there. She was little more than a child herself and she smiled happily when she saw Jakotsu.

"Come, Ghost-san!" The six year old turned towards Bankotsu and motioned for him to follow. "Sparrow-chan, this is my new friend, Ghost-san! He's a ghost!" Jakotsu said as he entered her room.

Bankotsu, attempting to follow, found himself in a different room. He felt a sharp pang in his heart when he noticed Jakotsu naked and curled up on the floor. The six year old was crying softly as the two other people in the room argued. Bankotsu hurried to his side, as he had a feeling he knew what had gone on in here, and he knelt, trying to put a comforting hand on Jakotsu's shoulder. Blinking back his tears, Bankotsu suddenly found Jakotsu gone, and when he looked around, he saw the cross-dresser was slightly older and more poised as he tried seducing his client. Smiling, Bankotsu closed his eyes as he shook his head and this time he found himself just outside one of the bathhouse's doors. A smug little smile spread across his lips when he realized this was Jakotsu's room, until he heard the sound of crying coming from within.

"Stupid Bitch!! That was my money! I earned it, not her!" Jakotsu grumbled angrily as he threw a balled up kimono across the room. "Now I'll never get out from under that debt…" he wailed. The young cross-dresser sank to the floor, crying.

Bankotsu passed through the shoji like it was not there. "What did she do?"

The young cross-dresser quickly sat up and wiped his tears away. "Nothing!" Looking over his shoulder, he was relieved to see Bankotsu. "Oh, Ghost-san, it's you!" He smiled happily. "You came back to visit me! Are you going to rescue me now?"

Bankotsu shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately not yet…as I still have no real body…"

Jakotsu sighed. "Too bad… If I don't get out of here soon, I'm going to kill that bitch. She fucking stole my money!! I was saving the extra that my clients gave me so that I could pay my debt off faster, when she found it and took it. The bitch!!" He threw a floor cushion across the room.

"Then get it back from her!"

Jakotsu sat there and blinked. "How…?"

"Stand up to her. If you don't stand up now, she's going to keep walking all over you."

The cross-dresser thought it over. "Well, I suppose I could do that…"

"And if she hits you, hit her back."

Jakotsu looked at him in surprise. "Really?" He blinked. "You have no idea, Ghost-san, how many times I've gone to sleep at night dreaming I was doing just that." The cross-dresser smiled.

"So why not do it?"

Jakotsu suddenly looked uncertain as it was one thing to live out your fantasies in your dreams and another to make them real. "Well, what if the boss gets mad at me for doing that? The bitch is still fucking him every chance she gets."

Bankotsu smiled. "What's he going to do? Throw you out?"

"I wish!" Jakotsu said with a laugh. "No, he might beat the shit out of me for it," the cross-dresser said seriously.

"And so what if he does? At least she'll know you won't take her shit lying down."

"Yeah…" Jakotsu smiled and stood up to leave. "I'm going to do just that!" He left his room, Bankotsu in tow, and headed towards Water Lily's room. Standing just outside it, he pounded on the shoji's wooden frame. "Hey, Bitch! Water Bitch?! Open up!!"

"Go, Jak, go!!" Bankotsu encouraged.

The young cross-dresser turned towards him and giggled. "Water Bitch!!" He pounded on the shoji. "Get your ass out here right now!!"

Just as he was about to bang on it again, Water Lily threw open the shoji. "What do you want, brat?"

"I want my money back, Bitch!"

Water Lily laughed in his face. "Yeah? Well it's my money now."

"The hell it is! Now give it back!!"

"Make me!" Water Lily laughed again as she started to close the shoji.

Jakotsu held the shoji open, and pushing his way in, he said, "I'll be happy to and then some!" He closed it behind him.

Bankotsu smiled as he watched the cross-dresser enter the room, before sitting down just outside of it, twiddling his thumbs. He could hear the sounds of fists hitting flesh as Jakotsu vented all of his pent up frustrations when it came to his foster mother. He hated her as he hated no one else for she was brash and obnoxious and had treated him more like an unwanted guest than a loving son. While most of the whores stole make-up and clients from each other as well as the odd kimono, most would rather die than steal money from each other as they knew that was their only way out of there other than death.

Jakotsu proceeded to beat Water Lily senseless. Some of the other girls, who weren't busy, heard the noise and ventured out of their rooms to see what all the fuss was about. A few of the braver ones banded together to knock on Water Lily's door, ready to try and give her a hand if was client out of control.

Peach Blossom gathered her courage and knocked on the shoji. "Water Lily, is everything alright?"

Her eyes went wide when Jakotsu answered, "Get the fuck out of here, Peach Blossom!"

Terrified, the girls exchanged glances before Peach Blossom took off towards the main area of the bathhouse where the boss greeted the guests and Bankotsu decided to trail along behind her.

Jakotsu was still beating the defiant Water Lily. "Where…is… my… money…?" he asked, punctuating each word with a blow to her face.

Meanwhile, Peach Blossom had reached the boss. He was busy with a customer and she frantically tried to get his attention without alerting the customer that something was wrong. Finally, when she could not take it any more and was about to leave, the boss looked past the customer, and sighing, he said, "What's wrong, Peach Blossom?"

"Motojime-sama, Chou-chan's gone crazy!"

"What?" Motojime looked at her like she was the crazy one, and quickly turned his attention back to customer. "If you'll excuse me," he said as he walked over to the girl. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her roughly away from where the man waited. "You'd better be telling me the truth here. Now, what exactly is wrong?"

Peach Blossom swallowed nervously. "Chou-chan's beating the crap out of Water Lily."

Motojime laughed. "You're joking? That lil shit wouldn't hurt a fly. Now stop bothering me and get back to work. You've got a customer." The boss turned to the man waiting there and waved him over to them. "Sir? Peach Blossom will show you the way."

"But Water Lily was screaming," Peach Blossom hissed softly.

"Screaming?"

Peach Blossom, still looking upset over the incident, nodded. "And Chou-chan yelled at me too."

"He did?" Motojime was starting to get worried as this was totally out of character for the gentle cross-dresser. "Go take care of that man, Peach Blossom. Cricket?! Come here and watch the front for me."

As her boss spoke quietly to the old prostitute, Peach Blossom took her customer by the arm. "So sorry for the delay, Sir; if you'll be so kind as to come with me?"

The man nodded as she led him towards her room. "Is something wrong?"

Peach Blossom smiled. "Oh, it's nothing; just a little argument between friends, that's all."

"Oh… I see. You girls arguing over who's prettier again?"

Bankotsu, who had been following them, snorted in amusement as the man's comment reminded of him of something Mukotsu would say.

Peach Blossom giggled. "Oh yes, our vanity is getting the better of us again, I'm afraid."

Her customer laughed. "Well if you ask me, I'd say you were the prettiest one of all."

"You're too kind, Sir."

"Thank you."

Bankotsu, growing bored with their flirting, hurried back to his future paramour. He entered Water Lily's room and watched with smug satisfaction as the cross-dresser beat her to a bloody pulp.

"It's… in… the… cabinet…" Water Lily gasped out as she tried to remain awake long enough to get him to stop.

It was exactly what he wanted to hear and Jakotsu, dropping her, hurried over to her tansu. "Where in there? Answer me, Bitch!"

"In… the… cabinet…"

The cross-dresser growled in frustration as he ransacked it. "Ah… here it is." He grinned broadly. "And if you ever take anything from me again…" he trailed off menacingly.

"Uh, Jak," Bankotsu said. "Your boss is coming this way."

"He is?" Jakotsu paled. "Shit! What am I going to do, Ghost-san?" All of his anger had faded the minute he got his money back and now Jakotsu was panicking like a little kid who knew he was about to get caught doing something naughty and now regretted it.

Bankotsu sighed as his behavior was very much like his future paramour. "Getting out of this room would be a good start."

"Ummm…Yeah…" Jakotsu left the room and walked straight into his boss. "Sorry…"

"Oh crap…" Bankotsu said softly as Jakotsu's boss glared at him, before entering Water Lily's room.

The cross-dresser, however, wasted no time in hurrying back to his own room. "Oh shit! Ghost-san, you've gotta help me!"

"Well, now that you're caught, stand firm on what you did and tell him what happened."

Jakotsu nodded and sat down. "And that'll help? Oh hell…What if he decides I have to take on her debt as well? I'll never get out of this hell-hole!" He started to cry.

"Ah, shit! I didn't think of that…"

Jakotsu laughed despite his tears. "You didn't? Damn… I'm fucked in more ways than one…"

Bankotsu looked at him apologetically. "At least none of the other girls are going to come near you from now on."

"Yeah…" The cross-dresser wiped the tears from his face. "Although, I wouldn't mind it if Sparrow came near me…" he finished softly.

"Well, you can always reassure her that you'd never hurt her."

"I can't…" Jakotsu wailed as he started crying again.

"Why not?"

"She's… she's dead… She got a fever and she never woke up…"

"Oh…" Bankotsu said sadly.

"She was the only one who was ever nice to me here, after my mother up and left, and they let her die…" Jakotsu dried his tears. "The boss said he couldn't afford a doctor and that was it. He got mad too when nobody wanted to work after they took her body away…" he sobbed. "But Water Lily worked and said it served Sparrow right for getting sick."

"I think Water Lily deserved what she got from you and much more."

"Yeah…? I wish Water Lily was the one who got sick and died," the cross-dresser said bitterly.

"I guess bitchiness keeps the body strong…"

"You think…?" Jakotsu said as he looked up at his ghostly visitor.

Bankotsu shrugged. "I don't know…"

Jakotsu made a little sound of disgust. "I don't want to talk about her any more…"

"Me too…" Bankotsu said. He smiled, hoping to lighten the mood. "You know, I wish I could rescue you now…" He sat down next to the young cross-dresser.

"I know…" Jakotsu said as he smiled back. "But hopefully, I won't have to wait too long."

"Yeah…" Bankotsu said as they leaned towards each other in a kiss. Unfortunately, they passed right through each other.

"Damn! And you look so nice and kissable, Ghost-san." Jakotsu giggled as he sat up.

Bankotsu smiled. "You do too…"

Before Jakotsu could reply, the bathhouse owner violently slid back the shoji. Stepping inside, he hurried over to him. "What the hell is the matter with you, Chou-chan? You could have killed her, you asshole!"

"Nothing. That bitch started it!" Jakotsu felt his heart hammering in his chest, but he pressed on, drawing courage from Bankotsu's presence only to wilt under the boss's harsh glare. "She stole my…ummm…"

"Tell him what that bitch did, Jak."

"She stole my money. I, I, ummm… I had a lil put aside that I got from some customers as a 'thank you' gift for being so good. I was going to give it to you when I had a lil more as I was hoping it would cover the cost of my mother's debt."

The boss narrowed his eyes at Jakotsu before he back-handed him hard across the face, sending the cross-dresser sprawling onto the floor. "You did, hunh? Well since you're so good at what you do, it'll be easy for you to take over Water Lily's duties while she recovers." He savagely kicked the cross-dresser. "You start now, so get your lazy ass up off the floor and make you self presentable, or I swear I'll haul you down to Yoshiwara and sell you to an eel house!"

"Yes… sir…"

Bankotsu watched as Jakotsu painfully got to his feet. He drew his dignity around himself like the finest silk kimono and took a few wobbly steps towards the door. He looked much older than his thirteen years; in fact he looked much older than Bankotsu had ever remembered him looking. It pained the young leader of the Shichinintai to know he was powerless to help him at the moment and only the thought that he actually did rescue him a few years later kept him from pulling his hair out in frustration.

"Hey! Wait for me, Jak!" Bankotsu called out, and pushing through the angry bathhouse owner, he hurried after the cross-dresser. Bankotsu followed his future paramour outside only to wind up inside the bathhouse itself. He stood there, stupidly gazing at the cross-dresser as he cleaned up the room in preparation for his next customer.

"Ghost-san! You came back!" Jakotsu smiled warmly at him. "I'm sorry, I can't really talk and spend time with you as much as I'd like to, as I'm expecting a customer any time now. Perhaps we can talk later on…?" The cross-dresser fixed his hair, and giving it a few pats to make sure it would stay put, he said impishly, "You know, you can even stay and watch if you'd like."

Bankotsu blinked and muttered stupidly, "Ummm…Yeah, it's good to see you too, Jak."

Jakotsu laughed. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to; just promise me you'll be back soon. Three years is too long a wait." He reached into a small recess in the wall and took out a tiny mirror and a pot of lip rouge. Opening it, Jakotsu rubbed his pinky in the rouge before painting it on his lips.

Bankotsu sighed. "I'm sorry; it was three years to you, but three heartbeats to me…"

"It's okay. I don't think I could be mad at you if I tried."

"Thanks…"

"So, do you think today's the day you'll finally rescue me?" The cross-dresser smiled impishly. "I haven't forgotten what you once told me, you know."

"I don't know… it could be, and I'm glad you remembered."

Jakotsu laughed. "It was the only thing that kept me from going crazy. I hope it's today."

"Me too."

"You do?"

"Yeah… by the time I rescued you, I was tired of wandering around by myself. And I was very lonely too. You know, you also rescued me in a way." Bankotsu smiled.

"I did?" Jakotsu threw his arms around Bankotsu's ghostly form. He giggled as he went through Bankotsu. "Damn! I forgot I can't touch you…"

"Yeah…" Bankotsu leaned towards him as he desperately wanted to kiss his future paramour, when the soft sound of the shoji sliding back stopped him. Looking over his shoulder, he felt his jaw drop when he saw a younger version of himself enter.

"Hello…"

Jakotsu bent over and picked the bucket up off the floor. "Hello…" he said as he straightened and turned towards his client. "I'm Jako…" he said softly. His eyes briefly flickered towards his ghostly visitor and back to his client.

"I guess I'll be going…" Bankotsu whispered. "Don't forget you've got to rescue him," he said to his younger self as he left the room…

The tiny spider youkai sighed contentedly. She was full from all the dreams she had feasted on and she lazily pulled up the gossamer thread that connected her to the sleeping men. Thank you for the delicious dreams you've given me…They were much appreciated. Now sleep… She let out another silken thread as a gentle breeze blew through the trees and just like an earthly spider; she threw it up into the wind to hitch a ride on it.

Suikotsu was the first to awaken. Yawning, he rolled over and onto the wood he had dropped when he had walked into the spider youkai's web. "OWW! Shit!!" He quickly rolled over the other way and sat up. "What the hell…?" Suikotsu swore softly as he looked around. "Ren?!" The claw-bearer gently shook his lover.

"Hmph….?" Renkotsu said dreamily as he opened his eyes. "Sui…? What happened? Why am I lying on the ground?" The fire-breather slowly sat up. "And what's wrong with Oo-Aniki and Jak?"

"I don't know… I guess we all must have passed out."

"Will you two be quiet; Aniki-chan and I are trying to sleep…" Jakotsu said sleepily.

"Excuse me!" Renkotsu said testily. Lowering his voice, he said to the claw-bearer, "Do you remember anything before you passed out? I kinda remember seeing you lying there and thinking you were hurt… but what really stands out is the dream I had…"

"Really…? I vaguely remember looking for firewood and I also remember having a strange dream about you…"

"Yeah…?"

"Yeah. I dreamed you were a little boy, Ren, and that you thought I was spirit and I saw some happy times and some not so happy… But the weirdest part about it was I got to see my little dragon grow up." Suikotsu smiled. "I saw you go from a sweet little boy to the man you are today."

Renkotsu looked away, somewhat embarrassed by his lover's comments. "Really? I dreamed about you too… although it wasn't a happy dream. I saw her andthat was the only happy part. Sedako-san was such a lovely woman…"

"I know…" Suikotsu's warm smile turned sad. "Go on… what else did you dream about?"

Renkotsu sighed. "I also saw what happened to you… you know, when the army swept through your village and the senseless killing of the villagers and…"

"You saw that?"

"Yeah… and I saw Jak's initiation of you. You know if he had done that to me, I'd have killed him and taken my chances with Ban."

"Yeah… But I don't he could have helped it at the time. And I think the gods made him do it, Ren, so that we could talk and I could see what he was like. And he could see that he could trust me, so he could convince Oo-Aniki to trust me too. By the time we met you, I was starting to bring my two halves together again…" Suikotsu sighed sadly. "Not that I could ever really be whole again…"

"It's okay, I like, no love, the Sui I see before me," Renkotsu said with a smile. "I feel like I understand you so much better now, and you know what, after meeting the 'whole' you, I think I prefer this Sui."

Jakotsu growled in frustration as he slowly slipped out from under Bankotsu's arm and sat up. "What part of 'be quiet so we can sleep' don't you understand?"

"Sorry, Jak, Ren and I were trying to figure out what happened to us."

"Oh…" The cross-dresser smiled. "Well, I had the most wonderful dream about Aniki-chan…" he sighed happily.

"If it involves sex, I don't want to hear about it," Renkotsu said.

"Oh, no… I got to see him when he was little!" Jakotsu giggled. "If you think he's cute now, you should have seen him then! Then he got older and turned into a real shit!" Jakotsu flicked his lover's forehead.

"Hey!! What the hell was that for?!!" Bankotsu said as he sat up.

"Sorry, Oo-Aniki, we didn't mean to wake you."

"That's alright…" Bankotsu said, and turning to Jakotsu he asked, "So you saw me as a kid? I saw you as one too."

"You did?! Was I as cute as you were?!"

Bankotsu grinned. "Cuter."

Jakotsu giggled, and throwing his arms around Bankotsu, he pulled him close.

"Oh hell!! That's it! I'm leaving! Come on, Sui!" Renkotsu said as he stood up and hauled the claw-bearer to his feet. "We'll meet you back at camp." He turned and started back.

"Ren…?" Suikotsu said as he hurried after him.

"Wanna have some fun…?" Jakotsu said huskily in his lover's ear.

Bankotsu sighed as he pulled his paramour's arms away from his neck. "As much as I'd like to, Sweetness, I think we should go back too."

Jakotsu pouted. "Okay… as long you promise we can have some fun later…"

"I promise." Bankotsu stood up. "Besides, after that nap I just had, I'm going to need something to tire me out." He grinned wickedly as he pulled his paramour to his feet.

"Good!!" Jakotsu giggled. "Aniki-chan, do you know why we had the same-ish dream?"

"No, and nor do I care…The only that pisses me off about the whole thing is I woke up right before the good part."

"Good part?" Jakotsu slipped his arm around Bankotsu's shoulder as they made their way back to camp.

"Yeah, I had just met you in the bathhouse and I can't believe I fucking woke up right before we had fun!"

"No shit?! I woke up like that too!"

"Really?!" Bankotsu said.

"Yeah… You think it means we're meant to be together…?"

"Nah… I know so…"