Seven becomes eight

chapter two: Interruption

Reina had awoken from her sleep shortly after that and had been with the Band of Seven for about a week and a half now, she met all the members and seemed to give them nicknames as well, she didn't call Bankotsu by a nickname. Walking out of a tent she ran out towards Ginkotsu "Ginko-nii-chan!" she shouted, coming up to the man with machinery as most body parts. "Yesh?" he muttered in his hard to understand voice. "Do you know where Bankotsu is?" she asked, tilting her head. The large piece of metal moved his almost human head in the direction of Jakotsu talking to Bankotsu. Reina smiled and nodded "Thank you!" she said and ran to them.

Bankotsu sighed "Finally!" he whined. "What took you so long? I didn't know you were slow physically too. . ." he muttered. Reina clenched her teeth and punched Bankotsu in the face again "Ouch. . ." he mumbled, rubbing his cheek.

He sighed again and Jakotsu took over "We need you to protect these," he said, holding out three shiny jewel fragments strung on a necklace. "Pretty. . ." Reina muttered as she nodded and took the necklace, putting it around her neck "Okay," she said and whipped around "I'll protect them with everything I got, okay?" she mumbled and ran off into the woods. Bankotsu put a hand out "Wait–" He called. "Damn she already left..." The leader mumbled and folded his arms. "Maybe she's just mad that you like her." Jakotsu teased. "Right...right. Wait, what!? I do not like her!" Bankotsu protested. "Right..." Jakotsu said sarcastically. "But anyways...she's cute isn't she?"

Her feet stepped slyly in the grass, she glanced around, her eyes scanning through the throng of undergrowth. The girl's ears caught voices in the distance, she turned her head toward them, her eyes blinking. A red blur appeared out of the distance and she felt strong energy oozing from it. "KAZE NO KIZU!" the blur yelled, sending a strong stroke from his sword. Blades of light came straight for Reina, she barely dodged it, jumping away and sliding hard against the dirt, scrapping her cheek. She winced for a second and wiped the dripping blood off of her face, standing to her feet. Reina grit her teeth. "What do you want!?" she yelled, clenching her fists. The blur came into focus, it was a boy in a red kimono and had silver hair. "Keh, what is she? Her scent is too confusing. . .at first she smells like a human and then a demon. . ." the boy whispered to a girl in strange clothes. The girl shrugged and looked at Reina "Who are you, may I ask?" she asked. Reina frowned "Onikotsu," she mumbled, her eyes narrowed. She put one hand on the top of her sheathe. The boy narrowed his eyes "Onikotsu? Sound like a name from the Band of Seven but. . .she isn't familiar. . .I thought they were all boys," the girl said, holding a red bow in one hand.

"Who are you? And what do you want!?" Reina yelled, clenching her fists."I'm Kagome. That's Inuyasha," the girl said. "Why do you have those?" Kagome asked, pointing to the jewel fragments around Reina's neck "None of your business!!" she replied and turned away, scampering out of the clearing into the dark forest. Inuyasha growled "Not yet, girl," he grunted and charged after her, his claws flexing. Reina heard his running and veered to the side, hiding for a second. "Where'd she go!?" Inuyasha growled, glancing around. "You should look where you're going," whispered a voice behind him. Reina unsheathed her sword, it was long and sharp, showing no use before. She clenched her teeth and swung it hard at Inuyasha's back, sending him flying into a tree. "Damn. . ." Inuyasha murmured, wiping blood from his mouth. He got up and turned, seeing Reina was not there. "What is she? Her face has marks similar to Sesshomaru's..." he asked himself. Kagome ran up to Inuyasha and asked "Are you okay?" Inuyasha nodded and sheathed his Tetsusaiga, walking in the other direction than Reina's.

Panting, Reina collapsed to her knees, her chest heaving. Coughing, she whipped the wound that had reopened on her face. She struggled up and walked back to her camp. She reached there, and glanced around, Mukotsu and Kyokotsu weren't there, she shrugged and sat against a rock. Reina stared at the ground, her eyes shaded. Bankotsu walked up to her "What happened to you?" he asked, a tint of worry in his voice. "This necklace. . .they tried to take it," she murmured. "Who is 'they'?" replied Bankotsu. "Inuyasha. . ." she whispered "Kagome." Bankotsu clenched his fists. "I'm gonna kill them for what they did to you..." He thought as Reina looked at him. "I'm fine..." She mumbled and stood up. "This is nothing." He blinked, those words had come out of his mouth the first day they met. Bankotsu leaned in closer, making Reina's eyes widen slightly. "You're not lying are you?" He asked, narrowing his eyes seriously. Blinking Reina shook her head. "N-no." She replied, her face turning pink. Bankotsu placed his hands on the rock and tilted his head downward. "I hate liars..." He whispered. "W-what are you–" She begun to ask before Bankotsu fell forward on her, as if he fainted. Reina fell onto the ground, being crushed by Bankotsu and his heavy armor. "Wha!" She whined and squirmed around.

Jakotsu peeked out of the tent at them and then at Mukotsu. "Well...freak that didn't work." He mumbled and walked out of the tent, pulling the sleeping Bankotsu off of Reina. Mukotsu had originally made a poison to make Bankotsu kiss Reina out of Jakotsu's request, but he hadn't tested it so he didn't know how it would turn out.

Reina frowned childishly at Jakotsu. "What the heck happened!?" She yelled, on her knees and glaring at him. "Well I can expla–" Jakotsu began but was cut off by her. "Lalalala! Excuses, Excuses." She said and spun around, giving Jakotsu her back to look at. The mercenary thought Bankotsu was going to kiss, but obviously from Jakotsu's reaction, something made him almost do that. She made her heart calm down and beat a normal pace. Jakotsu had already left with Bankotsu. Reina brought up a hand and touched her lips. Why was her heart so excited about that? Her face was red too.