Woot woot...Erbby has a second story! I know, I know, it's been quite a while since I put up my first story, but I still had to finish this one (and I'm not even done with this one yet!), but I got impatient and decided to break this up into chapters! So this is my new Inuyasha story starring Bankotsu and Jakotsu of the Shichinintai...it is Yaoi (in the later chapters) and there is some violence and language...so...Disclaimer anyone?
I do not own Inuyahsa, Bankotsu, Jakotsu, or the Shihinintai...they are property of Rumiko Takahashi-san and their other respected owners. I just like to write stories about them! Also...keep in mind of the ages...Jakotsu is roughly three years older than Bankotsu in this story, and Jakotsu's siblings are: Sister (2 years older than Jakotsu); Brother (5 years older than Jakotsu). And, I do not support child abuse...it is a horrible occurance in this day and age...it is only in my story for interesting background story! Now, if you will, please enjoy Erbby's first chapter to...Always There For You.
The moon was full that night. A woman ran with her three children to a small, one room shack on the mountain side.
"Is the baby here yet?" the woman asked, running into the house. Sitting on the floor was a pregnant woman in labor with a man by her side consoling her.
"No, not yet, Ruri-san," the man said.
"Oh, I hope it's a girl," Ruri exclaimed. Her three children stared at the woman in pain. The youngest one, a boy, looked up at his mother, pulling on her sleeve.
"Haha-ue, what will the baby be called?" he asked. She looked down at her child and snorted.
"How should I know, Jakotsu," she snarled. Jakotsu looked down at the floor in shame.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. He then heard a slight laugh from the pregnant woman. He looked up at her.
"Thank you for your concern, Jakotsu. I'll be sure to give the baby a fitting name, just for you," she said. Jakotsu smiled, joy filling his every pore.
"Thank you, Hanako-san," he said.
Suddenly, she let out a piercing scream.
"The baby's coming!" cried the man. Many minutes later, the three children heard the scream of the newborn baby.
"Well, let us see her," Ruri yelled excitedly. The man turned his head to look at Ruri.
"I'm sorry, Ruri-san," he said, holding the baby in his arms. Hanako lifted up her head.
"Akira…what's wrong with my baby," she said, worrying filling her voice. Akira shook his head, smiling.
"Oka-san, what's wrong with the baby," Ruri's daughter said. She down looked at her daughter and shook her head.
"I don't know, Haru-chan," she said. Akira turned around, presenting the baby to Ruri and her children.
"Ruri, it's not a girl," he said smiling. Ruri's oldest child smiled.
"Then it's a boy!" he said. He looked up at his mother. "It's a boy, Haha-ue, just like me and Jakotsu!"
Ruri snorted once more. "Well, I'm happy for you, Kioshi. You're possibly the smartest boy ever figuring that out for yourself," she said, a sarcastic tone filling her voice. Kioshi bowed his head down in shame.
"Well, Hanako-san! What are you going to name him?" Jakotsu asked. Hanako stared at Jakotsu.
"I don't know, Jakotsu," she said. Jakotsu smiled.
"I think it should be like mine!" he said. Ruri stared at her son.
"Jakotsu, let Hanako name her own child," she said.
"No, Ruri-san, it's alright. I told Jakotsu that I would name the baby for him," she said. She then turned her head to Jakotsu. "Something that sounds like Jakotsu…" she said.
"Hanako, please, you don't want a name like Jakotsu. Go choose a name you like," Ruri said.
Hanako stared at Ruri. "Ruri-san, I like Jakotsu's idea. He's a smart little boy," she said. Jakotsu looked at Hanako and smiled. She returned the smile and stared lovingly down at her baby.
"Something that sounds like Jakotsu…" she said aloud. She then gasped happily. "I've got a name!" She turned to Jakotsu and smiled. "Bankotsu," she said.
Jakotsu stared at Hanako and thought of the name. Bankotsu, he thought to himself. He smiled and nodded his head. "I like it, Hanako-san!" he said. Jakotsu walked over to the new born child and placed his hand on Bankotsu's forehead. There seemed to be an odd connection between the two, a connection that filled the room with a warm glow.
"What did I tell you?" Ruri yelled, tossing Jakotsu to the floor.
"But Oka-san," Jakotsu started to say, pleading to his mother.
"Never, ever address me so casually!" she yelled, hitting Jakotsu over and over again. She left the room after spitting on her child.
Jakotsu cowered on the floor in the fetal position. He had bruises and scrapes all over his body, including a black eye and a bloody nose. His older sister, Haru, stood above him, staring at him. Jakotsu looked up at her.
"Get out of here!" he yelled at her. She gasped and ran out of the room, calling for her mother. "Damn it, she's going to tell mother," he said, starting to cry.
He heard his mother's outraged yelling from the other room and her storming footsteps towards the clothed door.
"Jakotsu, why did you yell at your older sister?" she yelled, grabbing his neck and lifting his from the ground. Jakotsu struggled in her grip and tried to breathe, but her hand was wrapped around his small neck so tightly, air couldn't come in or out.
Haru started to tug on her mother's robe. "Oka-san, please stop, you're hurting him!" she yelled. Ruri looked down at Haru.
"What do you think I'm trying to do, Haru-chan. Both of your brother's know how much I despise them!" she explained to her daughter.
Tears started to swell up in Haru's eyes. "No, no, NO!" she screamed, and ran out of the small room and into the other.
Ruri dropped Jakotsu and ran after Haru. Jakotsu twitched on the floor, gasping for air. He then heard screams from Haru and his mother's trademark yelling.
"Why are you hurting your prized possession, Haha-ue," he said in a smug tone.
"Because, Jakotsu-chan, Haru stood up for you." Jakotsu turned around to see his brother clouded in the darkness of the room.
"Ō-Aniki, you were in here all along?" Jakotsu asked. Kioshi nodded.
"Haha-ue doesn't notice me anymore, only if I speak. She's too busy beating you or loving Haru to notice her oldest child," he said. Jakotsu lowered his head in shame.
"Ō-Aniki, I'm so sorry," he said, bringing silence to the small room. The only noises to be heard were the sniffles of their sister and the soft tender voice of their mother. Their mother never wanted to harm Haru, that's what they knew. If she ever hurt Haru, she would always end up comforting her to no end. Jakotsu let out a hateful laugh under his breath.
"Haru is lucky to have such a loving mother," he said. He looked at Kioshi, who did nothing but stare. Jakotsu then heard a familiar voice from the other room.
"Ruri-sama, is Jakotsu here?" the voice asked. Jakotsu stood up.
"Bankotsu," he said. He heard Kioshi laugh and looked down at him.
"You hang around with that kid?" Kioshi asked. Jakotsu nodded his head.
"Yeah."
"Jakotsu, he's four! He's still so young! Why do hang around with a little kid?" Kioshi said. Jakotsu looked at the cloth door to the other room and smiled.
"Because, Ō-Aniki, he's the only person who truly cares for me," he said, darting out into the other small room of the shack.
The little dark haired boy was thrown into the dirt. "You filthy child! How dare you steal food from the field," said the man who tossed the boy to the ground. The boy stood up and spit out dirt from his mouth. He stared at the village headmaster, his eyes filled with rage.
"I was hungry," he yelled. The village headman grabbed the boy by the front of his clothes and slapped him across the face. He dropped the boy and stared at him.
"That's not an excuse!" he said. The village headman began to walk away, but suddenly turned around to face the boy. "The next time we catch you stealing food, we'll throw you out of the village. I don't care how young you are, Bankotsu!" he said, turning away.
Bankotsu stood up and brushed the dirt from his clothes. "That old bastard," he said under his breath. The six-year-old boy looked out towards the mountain where his small, shack-like dwelling sat. His parents had been dead for three years and the only "family" he had was his close friend, Jakotsu. Suddenly, Bankotsu heard his name being called.
"Bankotsu-chan!"
He turned his head and saw Jakotsu running towards him, waving his arms. Bankotsu smiled and started walking towards his friend. "Hey, Jakotsu," he said. He noticed Jakotsu's arm and how bruised up it was, but Bankotsu knew that his friend usually had different kinds of scrapes and cuts all over his body.
Jakotsu came to Bankotsu with a look of worry. "Bankotsu-chan, what happened to you? You look so dirty," he asked. Bankotsu sighed.
"I'm really hungry, Jakotsu. I haven't eaten in days and I tried to steal some food from the field, but the headman caught me and scolded me," he said. Jakotsu put his arm around his young friend.
"You should have told me, Bankotsu-chan. I could've given you some food," Jakotsu said. Bankotsu laughed and looked up towards his friend.
"Really?"
Jakotsu laughed. "Of course, let's go get some food for you," he said.
The two boys came to Jakotsu's house, hearing noises from inside.
"What are you doing, Kioshi," said Jakotsu's mother from inside the house.
Bankotsu looked up at Jakotsu. "What's going on?" he asked.
Jakotsu just stared at the house, hate and rage filling his face. He shook his head and walked into the house, inviting himself to the outraged screams of his mother and older brother. Bankotsu quickly followed Jakotsu into the small house. The first room was empty, with the exception of the cooking pot by the wall. The screams were coming from the other room.
"Jakotsu," Bankotsu said, worry filling his voice.
Jakotsu didn't listen. He walked into the other room and saw his sister standing by the doorway. His mother and brother were fighting in the far corner. Jakotsu turned to his sister.
"Haru, what's going on?" he asked. She didn't answer. "How typical of you; you're always the bystander," Jakotsu said, looking down at the ground with disappointment.
Haru had no comment. She just stood there, staring at her mother and older brother, yelling in the corner.
Bankotsu tugged on Jakotsu's clothing. "Jakotsu," he said again. Jakotsu shook his head and stared at his feuding family.
"Where did you find that sword, Kioshi? Answer me," Ruri yelled. Bankotsu and Jakotsu reacted with expressions of shock.
"A sword?" Jakotsu asked, walking towards his mother and brother. "Ō-Aniki has a sword?"
His mother turned her head, staring at Jakotsu with hateful eyes. "Yes, Jakotsu, your Ō-Aniki has a sword! And do you know what he's going to do with that sword?" she asked.
Jakotsu shook his head.
"Jakotsu, take your friend and get out of here!" Kioshi yelled from behind his mother. She quickly turned around and slapped her eldest child across the face.
"Shut up! Now go ahead, go and kill yourself just like you wanted!" she yelled. Kioshi stared at his mother and collapsed on the ground, still holding the sword close to him. He started to cry and Jakotsu ran to him.
"Ō-Aniki!" he screamed. He knelt down beside his brother and stroked his hair.
"Jakotsu," Kioshi said. "I'm only doing this to escape. I can't handle this anymore! I just can't handle the abuse, the neglect, or the trauma. No, not anymore! It's just too much!"
Jakotsu shook his head, tears starting to stroll down his face. "No, Ō-Aniki, don't!" he said, watching Kioshi unsheathe the sword. Kioshi laughed under his breath.
"Jakotsu, before I go, I have to tell you something very important," he said. Jakotsu's eyes widened as his brother prepared to end his torment.
"No, Ō-Aniki, don't go!" Jakotsu yelled.
Kioshi dropped the sword and placed his hand on Jakotsu's cheek. "Jakotsu, Haha-ue doesn't love you, she doesn't love me, and she never loved our father," he said.
Ruri gasped. "Kioshi, what are you talking about?" she angrily asked.
Kioshi stood up and stared at his mother. "He needs to know what you did! He needs to know that he too must leave this hellhole for his own good!" Kioshi yelled. He looked down at his brother. "But not this way, not this way. Jakotsu, you're going to leave this place and prosper."
Kioshi bent down and grabbed the sword.
"NO!" Jakotsu yelled, reaching out to his brother.
Kioshi shook his head. He held the sword high above his head. "Jakotsu, the night you were born, Haha-ue killed our father with the same sword I am holding in my hands. I saw his murder with my very own eyes! You see, Haha-ue was upset that she bore another 'unholy boy,' as she called you. So that night, Haha-ue killed our Oto-san! And I doubt she would ever deny it," he said. His final words became memorable as he thrust the sword into his stomach.
"NO! Ō-ANIKI!" Jakotsu yelled.
Kioshi fell to the ground and laughed with his last breath. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he drifted off into the other world.
Chills ran up and down Bankotsu's spine. He fell to the floor and started to cry. He looked up at Haru and saw her struggling to keep her emotions to herself. But she still said nothing in defense for her brother.
Ruri stared at her dead son and let out a grunt. "Well, good riddance to bad rubbish," she said, walking out of the room. Haru hesitantly followed her mother, staring at her dead brother. She shook her head and walked out of the room.
Bankotsu stared at the dead young man in the center of the room. Jakotsu was lying on top of him, crying.
"Jakotsu," Bankotsu said, sniffling. There was no response. Bankotsu stood up and walked towards Kioshi and Jakotsu. He put his hand on Jakotsu's shoulder. Jakotsu looked up at Bankotsu. The both of them had an immense amount of tears in their eyes. Bankotsu struggled to speak. "I don't…remember my mother or my father well, but I do remember…how I felt when they died. But Jakotsu, I'm here for you and I will always be here for you," he said.
Jakotsu jumped into Bankotsu's arms and kept crying. "Bankotsu-chan," he said. "Thank you."
The small shack of a house was falling apart, and Bankotsu knew it was. However, he did nothing to help it; he wasn't planning on staying any longer. He looked around his "home" and left, kicking a wall.
"Well, this should last for about another day or two," he said. He walked away from the house he grew up in, heading for Jakotsu's violent dwelling. He stood outside Jakotsu's home until he was sure someone was there.
"You know, you should really work on that attitude of yours, Jakotsu. If you keep it up, no woman will want to bear your child," Bankotsu heard Ruri-sama yell.
"Why should I care what any woman cares about? I hate women!" Jakotsu yelled in response.
"Yup, he's here!" Bankotsu said, laughing. He walked through the cloth door and saw Haru sitting on the floor, stirring something in the cooking pot. He kept walking through the small room. The screams from the other room where Jakotsu's older brother had killed himself in five years ago had not ebbed.
"Jakotsu!" Bankotsu yelled, entering the room that held unpleasant memories. He saw Jakotsu being pressed against the wall by Ruri, bruises all over his body.
"Ō-Aniki!" Jakotsu yelled happily, tossing his mother off of him, running to Bankotsu.
Ruri stared at her son and Bankotsu, confusion filling her face. "O-Aniki? Did you just call him…Ō-Aniki?" Jakotsu's mother yelled in rage.
Jakotsu stared at his mother evilly. "Why, yes I did, Haha-ue," he said.
She started to grind her teeth together. "That's what you called that ungrateful brother of yours! I never want to be reminded of him! Why must you remind me of him?" she yelled.
Jakotsu laughed. "Haha-ue, when I think back on that 'ungrateful brother of mine,' I remember how weak he was. You see, Bankotsu is stronger than Kioshi, and even though he is younger than me, he's a much better role model than Kioshi," Jakotsu explained.
It didn't seem to work. "I don't care why you refer to Bankotsu as Ō-Aniki! Just never say it around me!" Ruri was furious and charged at her son and Bankotsu. She started to hit and punch them both. Bankotsu managed to push her off and ran into the other room. However, Jakotsu stayed, trying to fight back. Bankotsu watched from the other room.
"Jakotsu, stop! Get up! Come on," Bankotsu pleaded.
"It's not going to work, Bankotsu-san. Let them be," Haru told him, never making eye contact.
Bankotsu looked at the pregnant young woman. He then quietly laughed. "So, how's your baby's father doing?" he asked.
Haru lifted her head with a gasp. Tears started to stroll down her face and she threw her face into her hands. "No, no, NO!" she yelled.
Bankotsu left the tormented family and waited out side of the house. When the moon filled the sky, he walked back into the small house. Jakotsu was lying on the floor with more bruises than ever before. The cooking pot was still filled with food.
"Well, I guess no one ate dinner," he said softly. Bankotsu knelt down beside Jakotsu, shaking him awake.
"Jakotsu, Jakotsu, wake up. I have to tell you something," Bankotsu said.
Jakotsu slowly opened his blood shot eyes. He was startled when he saw Bankotsu. "Ō-Aniki," he said softly. "What are you doing here?"
"Jakotsu, I have to tell you something," Bankotsu said.
Jakotsu laughed and sat up. "Ō-Aniki, you just said that," he said.
Bankotsu shook his head. "Who cares? Jakotsu, let's leave this filthy place," he said.
Jakotsu looked into his friends eyes. "What do you mean?"
"Let's leave the village and never come back. They don't need us any more than we need them," Bankotsu said, excitement filling his every pore.
"Well, what are we going to do when we leave?"
Bankotsu laughed. "We'll train! We'll train to become strong men, the strongest men this land has ever seen. No one will want to come against us; they'll be too scared of our strength! What do you say?"
Jakotsu laughed, shaking his head. "I can always rely on you to come up with a stupid idea like this," he said. Bankotsu stared at Jakotsu, disappointed. Jakotsu laughed again and patted Bankotsu head. "Sure, why the hell not? I'll go with you, and I'm sure as hell we'll be the strongest men anyone has ever seen."
Bankotsu's face lit up and he jumped onto Jakotsu, hugging him. "Thank you, Jakotsu. Thank you so much. There's no one else in the entire world that I would want with me, except you."
Jakotsu laughed and let his head rest on Bankotsu's shoulder. "I feel the same way, Ō-Aniki."