Incarnated
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and never have or will.
Summary: What made Bankotsu into a mercenary? Before he became a monster, he had been training to be a soldier so as to protect the two people that ever truly loved and accepted him for what he was: a half demon that looked human but had the mark of a demon.
ENJOY!
Bankotsu held her tightly, his nose buried in her hair so as to take in her scent of black raspberries and white tea, it always had the ability to calm him and now was no different as he immediately felt the tension leave his shoulders. He held her as close as he humanly could, he didn't want to leave her, or their family, and the security and love they gave him. He feared what would happen to them once he was gone, would they forget him and move on. He didn't want to think that, but he worried what would happen to him, would he be the same man when he returned to them.
"Bankotsu calm down, everything will be alright," she cooed, pulling away just enough so that he could see her pale but beautiful heart shaped face. Looking at him with the most beautiful eyes, he marveled at the swirls of ever changing blues that always shifted to match her mood and right now they were a brilliant sapphire that glowed against her seemingly glowing ivory skin. Normally adoring her curved body would be the traditional white and red miko garb that she wore on any given day, yet this morning she still wore the simple white kimono she had worn to bed last night. And she looked lovely still, her hair tumbling over her shoulders in unruly raven colored waves helping her to look more of a normal woman instead of a powerful miko.
Kagome had been everything he wasn't since they met when she had taken him in with her only question being if he had somewhere to sleep that cold winter's night nearly five years ago, the silver fox kit on her shoulder looking just as worried for him. She was everything he wasn't; soft and gentle yet strong and outgoing. He, who was weak and shy, an abomination having been born from a human man and demon woman. He who was impure and seen as unholy had been graced with her kindness and seen the purity of her heart and soul. No one could compare to her light; a miko, pure in every way. He saw the hurt that lay in her eyes for she had been lonely for so long because even though having been placed as her villages miko, she had not been permitted to live within instead forced to live in the small stone and wooden shiren within the forest.
Her hand came up to caress his cheek bringing him out of his wandering thoughts. He leaned into her soft and willing touch, finding comfort in the reassurance in her words and actions. "I'm sorry," he said softly, pressing his lips against the palm of her hand.
"No need to be sorry," she smiled. She looked as if she were to continue yet she withdrew her hand and turned around quickly and just in time to catch a seeming ball of silver, the force causing her to fall back into his chest, which caused him to stumble back in surprise.
"Kagome save me! They're trying to kill me!" The silver ball cried from his secure place within Kagome's arms.
He could feel her aura begin to change, it slowing coming to life at her growing anger. "Shippo, was it the villagers again?" she asked but the very ones she questioned came running up the shrine steps with fierce cries of anger, each calling for the death of the small fox demon that cowered within Kagome's arm. Shippo trembled fearfully, his silver fox ears flat against his silver head of hair with a hue of red making it look almost peach in color.
As the villagers approached the frightened fox tike jumped from Kagome's to Bankotsu's that quickly opened for him allowing him to seemingly burrow into the opening of his haori in the tike's search for safety. He watched with anger as Shippo closed his teal eyes and cried into his chest.
Bankotsu was filled with rage as he could only watch as fifteen male villagers approached their hut with various sharp farming tools as their weapons. All of them coming with an intention of killing both him and the small fox demon, and all that stood in the way of them doing doing just that was Kagome. Bankotsu didn't bother in stopping his growl as the villagers came closer and closer to his family.
Even being a half demon, he could do nothing because he had no way of controlling his strength or the powers he did sometimes possess. The majority of the time he looked and was seemingly human aside from his strength with the only time he had any true power being the night of the full moon where he had the ability to control the elements. The only thing that told people he had demon blood was the deep purple colored demon he'd received from him mother along with his demonic aura. This is one of the reasons he had to leave, he wanted to train with another elemental, to get stronger so as to protect Kagome as she had been protecting him since they met.
He watched silently wishing he was strong enough to protect her, she was his world. There would never be anyone else he'd rather spend his life loving and protecting. She was his heaven, his saving grace, his sun and the very thing that kept him on earth.
"Give us the demons!" One of the villagers roared waving his weapon of choice above his head, the villagers behind him doing the same.
"Why?" Kagome hissed between her teeth, ready to defend her friends.
"They killed our cattle!" One cried. "One of them raped my daughter!" cried another. "They've cured our lands!" the villagers cried with anger. "They're monsters!"
"Shut your lying mouths!" Kagome yelled a spark of her ki dancing around her now shimmering skin making the villagers silent. "Everything that comes out of your mouths are lies! Bankotsu and Shippo would never do such horrid things! The only monsters I see are you! Now leave before I decide to give punishment to the truly wicked and it won't be them," she growled releasing more of her ki which crackled dangerously causing the villages to jump in fright.
"This isn't over," One yelled pulling at the shoulder of the men, who went by the name of Nomaru, an attractive village man seeming to be the next headmaster with the last quickly growing ill and without an heir to take his place. Nomaru seemed to be the most desirable amongst the women, the younger -unmarried- women throwing themselves at his feet in hopes of marriage. Yet the male had been stoking the shrine as of late with growing interest in Kagome. Of average height and build, with black hair and pale brown eyes, there wasn't anything extraordinary about the human, he was extremely normal.
Kagome rolled her eyes as she watched them scurry away. She turned around and offered them a gentle smile as her power subsided as she quickly calmed down, as if it never happened.
"Maybe I should stay," Bankotsu said softly, wishing he could stay, but he knowing he couldn't. He was unpredictable; he could hurt Kagome and Shippo if he didn't train. He wanted to protect them, instead of them allows protecting him.
"Stop worrying Bankotsu, everything will be fine," She cooed again while rubbing his upper arm trying to comfort him.
He sighed before nodding. Shippo left his arms to hop onto Kagome's shoulder where he nuzzled her cheek causing her to giggle. The sound of it making his heart melt as he watched them, this was family and to keep them safe he had to leave.
"Then I should be heading out," He mumbled grabbing his bag and throwing it over his shoulder.
He smiled as he ruffled Shippo's hair, being careful of his ears. "Stay out of trouble, okay?"
"I can't promise anything Bank~," Shippo snickered before jumping down and running off into the hut.
Bankotsu shook his head as he watched after the small kit. He turned back to Kagome only to nearly fall backwards as she threw herself at him. His bag fell from his shoulder his body frozen in place, his dark blue grey eyes wide as he looked at the woman he loved with all his heart. Her eyes were shut tightly as she not only press her body but lips against him.
She pulled away unable to look at him, her cheeks red with embarrassment. Unable to do anything but look at her, his mind still trying to process that she had just kissed him. The heat of her lips on his still lingering on his, as he looked at her cute face.
"Bankotsu I'm-" She started but never finished as he kissed her. He pulled her close to him, one of his arms wrapped around her waist while he used his other hand to cradle the back of her skull. He pushed everything into that kiss, all the love he'd been too afraid to show. He shivered his body hardening at the soft moan that left her throat. He licked her lips, seeking entrance. With a moan she opened her mouth and his tongue swept through her mouth brushing against her own that hesitantly moved against his. He took the time to memorize the sweetness of her that only she could possess and the way her body leaned and fit so perfectly against him.
He pulled away when his lungs began to burn, a reminder that both of them needed to breathe. A small chuckle left him smirking as he watched turn bright as a tomato while breathing heavily.
She laughed nervously in turn trying to hide her embarrassment before she looked at him with pale sad blue eyes."Promise me you'll come back," it came out as a soft whisper. She dropped her gaze while worrying her bottom lip.
Lifting her chin with a finger he gave her a soft kiss before looking into her eyes that switched between being bright and pale giving him a glimpse of the conflicting emotions she felt."I promise,"
~o.O~O.o~
He growled angrily, pain and sadness clouding his mind as he looked at the scene before him. It had been little over a year since he'd last been in this part of the country. Tomorrow would have been the day he finally returned home to fulfill his promise to Kagome. But being so close and on the night of the full moon, he had used his demonic speed to race to the small shrine in hopes of surprising them. But the scene before him shattered any happiness of being home.
Fire lit the small shrine, illuminating the several villagers that looked on victoriously at their crime while standing close to the hut he had called home with Kagome and Shippo. The villagers had gathered around the small hut, many of them the men that had always been bothering them and accusing Shippo and him of many crimes. These men cheered thrusting their weapon over their head as they cried out against the demon lover/dark miko that had cursed their lands.
As the wind shifted the scent of blood drifted in his direction.
"NO!" He roared immediately knowing the mixed copper scents to belong to both Shippo and Kagome. Filled with total rage and anguish his beast came forth taking total control as it sought out their injured mate and kit in hope of finding them alive and killing those who had dared harmed what belonged to them. The ground began to shake and thunder roared out as lightning flashed in the suddenly stormy skies. He roared loudly grabbing the attention of the villagers. They cried in fright at the sight of him.
They would die, and he would enjoy it. In a second he stood before the frightened men some realizing what was about to happen while others stayed to ask for mercy. A dark laugh tore through him as with a single swing of his Banryu, several of the men were beheaded with their heads falling to side and their body's falling lifelessly to the ground. Those his blade did not reach ran like the others. With a wave of his hand the earth trembled opening up just enough to capture them before crushing them.
Once satisfied he hurried into the hut, his beast calm enough to allow Bankotsu control once more. Dropping Banryu he ran into the burning hut, he searched through the smoke with squinted eyes before finding Nomaru standing over two still bodies.
He trembled as he looked at their bloodied bodies. Kagome had curled herself around Shippo, no doubt in hopes of protecting him with her own body. Her miko garbs seemed only to consist of red from being so heavily soaked in blood with tears into the fabric showed matching wounds to the slice marks. Her raven hair fell to hide her face, her body motionless on the floor along with Shippo.
"She deserved to die just as you do, it was because of you that her purity was soiled," Nomaru told him with a very human growl before charging him with a sword.
Bankotsu's eyes bleed red once more and in a flash of demonic speed he disarmed the human and had his hand gripping Nomaru by the throat. Hoisting him up Bankotsu squeezed the life out of him with ease and no remorse, even smiling as the human struggled in his last moment of life. Nomaru fell to the ground in a limp mass on the ground.
Turning to Kagome and Shippo, Bankotsu picked them up as carefully as he could. His heart breaking as he caught sight of even more of the damage done to their bodies. Shippo had been beaten brutally by no doubt several men and several objects. Kagome's clothing had been torn forcefully in several places with hand marks adoring her once perfect skin, she's been tortured. He could only guess what else they had done to her.
He carried them out of the hut and into the forest where he found the small meadow like area that he had meet the two years ago. He set them gently beneath a tree, the full moon illuminating their bodies that were covered in soot and blood. He fell to his knees beside them unable to do anything but look at the two people who had mattered most to him. He had left to become stronger, so he could protect them, but he was too late to protect them.
Tears welled in his eyes but he was powerless to fight them as they fell.
"Bankotsu…" his name was a hushed whisper.
His head snapped up to Kagome's face his teary eyes widen with hope. Her breath was ragged and her eyes were the only thing to move, their bright sapphire depths pinned to his cobalt blues.
"You…came…back…" she panted. "I'm glad…I got…to see you…" then she fell silent her eyes falling shut and her head fell to the side. She was dead; he could feel her soul leave her body.
"NO!" He screamed to the sky. "No... Kagome!"
wolfYLady: Well there is our sad little one-shot, I hope you liked it and I hope to maybe write an squeal. Tell me what you think in a review.