"Ginkotsu, do you think Kagome is still angry with me?" Renkotsu asked as he rapidly wrote numbers and equations with one of Kagome's pencils into one of her notebooks. "Because if she isn't, I think that maybe I'll ask her to get me one of these paper books with these lines in it. And some of these," he said, holding up the pencil.
"If she's still mad at you, I'll ask her to get them for you. I hope she's not mad at me," Ginkotsu worried.
"Why would she be mad at you? You threatened to blow my head off to protect her. Girls like that kind of stuff!" Renkotsu declared.
"Yes, but I also shot at Inuyasha last night. Girls don't like that kind of stuff!" Ginkotsu countered.
"Hey, too bad if the dog demon man doesn't like getting shot at; just remember what he did to you! It seems like a lot of people, like our big brother, are forgetting about your troubles..." Renkotsu frowned.
"Big Brother hasn't forgotten me. And Suikotsu certainly hasn't forgotten about me!" Ginkotsu pointed out.
"Yeah, Suikotsu is peeved because he doesn't have his power anymore! As far as Big Brother, he's pretty much claimed Kagome as his woman! You saw the look on his face!" Renkotsu answered back. He put the pencil down and mused, "I'll bet right about now, he's making Mukotsu's widow quite merry indeed..." To his satisfaction and amusement, Ginkotsu began to growl. "I know how you feel, my best brother...it's not fair, is it?"
Ginkotsu let out a harrowing sob. It said nothing, and everything, all at the same time. Renkotsu remained silent. Of course you are miserable! You have virtually no body left. You are dependent upon all of us to survive. And not only that, but now Bankotsu is with the girl you fell in love with, and there's absoulutely nothing you can do about it. Even if he wasn't with her, could you ever be? I think not, Ginkotsu, I think not...
"Renkotsu, my brother, please...take the jewel shard out of my neck!" Ginkotsu suddenly begged. Renkotsu dropped the notebook in shock, then stood up on Ginkotsu's platform.
"Do you realize what you're asking me to do?" he gasped.
"Yessh...I'm asking you, no, I'm begging you, to end this!" Ginkotsu cried. "You can keep my jewel shard, too. I'm sure you'd like it. I know you could use it better than I could!"
Renkotsu considered this all for a moment. Damn, he hated when people sprung things on him like this! On one hand, if he were to take the jewel shard from Ginkotsu, he'd have two jewel shards, and Ginkotsu would finally be at peace. On the other hand, once Bankotsu found out what Renkotsu had done, he'd kick his ass for sure, and he'd be able to, since the bastard had five jewel shards now...
So, with a hiss and then a growl, Renkotsu snapped back, "Ginkotsu, that was not fair! Don't try to play on my sympathy again! You should know that it won't work anyway; I'm selfish, I always have been, and I want you around! You're my...my person! You don't want me being all alone, do you? I mean, who else can I talk to? Suikotsu? You never really know who you're talking to when you talk to him, do you? Or Jakotsu? Would you like to see me commit suicide again? And you know talking to Banktosu is like sticking a bomb into your mouth, you might as well just give it up, because he's more of a schemer than the rest of us put together. Anything you say to him can, and will, be used against you, my friend! I can't believe you'd be so insensitive to me!"
"Gee, when you put it that way, I guess I was being selfish, wasn't I? Do you really need me?" Ginkotsu asked.
Renkotsu patted Ginkotsu's metal cheek. "More than you know," he replied. Ginkotsu was a simple soul, Renkotsu thought as the mechanical one started rolling forward once again. Ginkotsu doesn't understand Big Brother. He thinks everyone is as simple as he is. But Renkotsu knew far better. He learned never to underestimate Bankotsu, even if the boy could barely read and write, even if he sometimes pretended to be some kind of idiot/fuck-machine/goon...
The sun was bright that day, as it was late spring, and the bridge was busy. In his guise of orange-draped impoverished monk, Fumihiko lowered his straw-hat covered head as a rather odd trio passed his way. The one nearest to him was a very young man, probably no older than sixteen, who carried a giant gleaming halberd. Another tall lanky fellow rode a horse beside him, but he was dressed in woman-like clothing, and also wore a straw hat. Behind them walked a huge giant with nearly green hair and skin to match.
The young man flipped several gold pieces in Fumihiko's direction. Fumihiko stared at the coins but did not touch them. This caught the young man's attention, and so he turned to face Fumihiko head on. "Please say a few prayers for us, monk," he asked.
Fumihiko glanced back down at the coins, then laughed. "That's not enough for me to say prayers for myself, let alone for the Kotsu Brothers..." he replied. The cross-dresser whipped out his sword, and the giant growled and reached for Fumihiko, but the young man simply raised his hand and they stopped in midair.
"You have a very loose tongue indeed to speak like that when you seem to know exactly who you are talking to," Bankotsu frowned angrily.
"You people are not very easy to miss, truth be told. I had to laugh that one of you would be looking for divine aid," Fumihiko smirked.
Jakotsu took out a paper fan and snapped it open. Kyukotsu's stomach growled. Bankotsu glanced behind him and grinned. "You hungry, Kyukotsu? Well, he looks rather robust for a monk, come to think of it..." Jakotsu cackled as he fanned his pretty face. Fumihiko stood up and gave them all a serene smile.
"I seriously doubt that even you people would dare attack a monk on a very public bridge," Fumihiko snickered as he sauntered off.
Bankotsu was not one to be dissed so easily, it turned out. He followed Fumihiko across the span of the bridge, and when they all reached the other side, Fumihiko turned to the city gates of a large town. The guardsman let him through easily, seeing how he was dressed. The Kotsus, however, did not fare so well. As Fumihiko strolled down the packed dirt street, he heard Bankotsu protest, "He's no monk!"
Yes, that's true, lad, at least, not anymore. But you don't know who I really am, surely... Fumihiko thought as he made his way, with Bankotsu's coins in hand, back to his workshop. No more than five minutes after he started working with the chemical compounds once again, three very familiar mercenaries busted in.
"How did you find me?" Fumihiko gasped.
The young man smiled, and it wasn't a smile that made one feel warm and fuzzy inside, that was for sure. "See Jakotsu? The coins worked!"
"Coins?" Fumihiko breathed, then glanced at the gold on his worktable. He took a gourd from the table and drank from it...
"Don't you blow that crap in my face..." Bankotsu warned, but a mere second later, Fumihiko unleashed an inferno from his mouth. Bankotsu was just barely able to block the flames with Banryu. When Fumihiko saw this, he panicked.
"How did you track me using coins? What do you really want with me?" Fumihiko stammered as Bankotsu grabbed him by his neck.
"Big Brother used an enchantment on the coins. He wants to prove something to me, that his coins can help track someone better than my skills. Trust me, you're more dazzled than I am..." Jakotsu yawned.
"An enchantment?" Fumihiko gasped.
"Hey, what do you mean, you're not impressed?" Bankotsu growled.
"Well, I can't use those coins! Only you can, since you are the one with the magic powers," Jakotsu reported, rolling his eyes.
"Magic powers?" Fumihiko stammered.
"I'm hungry," Kyukotsu complained.
"I'm getting out of here!" Fumihiko yelled, making a run for it out the back door after setting off one of his smoke bombs to cover up his escape. He made it as far as the alleyway before Bankotsu was charging after him.
Fumihiko raced through the streets, knocking down anyone who got in his way. He expected at least one of them to be right behind him, but they were not. Hmph, so much for the Kotsu Brothers... Pleased with himself, especially for not taking those gold coins with him, Fumihiko decided to resume his impoverished monk act and ask for alms at the best inn in the town; he'd worked up an appetite.
It was at this inn, nearly an hour later, that two men approached Fumihiko, one from the back door and one from the front. He knew he'd have no way to escape without blowing his cover completely, and he wasn't going to give the young and brash Bankotsu the satisfaction of running from him once again.
Bankotsu, for his part, sat very gracefully before Fumihiko. Jakotsu did likewise, and then took Fumihiko's pot of tea and handed it to Bankotsu. With impeccable skill, worthy of a samurai's tea ceremony, Bankotsu poured Fumihiko a cup of tea. Fumihiko took the tiny cup and glared up at Bankotsu as he brought it to his lips. "What are you two doing here? Where's your big friend?"
"Oh, he's outside, I think he's selecting which horse he's going to eat..." Jakotsu answered.
"Charming..." Fumihiko responded. "Now, please tell me what you want with me!"
Bankotsu ignored the question for a moment, pouring a cup of tea for Jakotsu. Jakotsu took it from his brother, then took the pot and poured Bankotsu a cup. Fumihiko supressed a groan while the two mercenaries sipped tea. Jakotsu watched him grind his teeth, then laughed softly. "What's so funny?" Fumihiko demanded.
"Let me give you a little friendly advice. You seem especially stressed, and I think I know why. Put yourself into the hands of a man who knows what he's doing," Jakotsu answered with a wink. "And don't forget to scream really loud when you come..."
Fumihiko gagged on his tea. Bankotsu advised him very quickly, "Don't make a scene!"
"You come here with a giant left outside with the horses, and a flamboyant queer next to you, and a huge...whatever the hell you call that thing on your shoulder, and you tell me not to make a scene?"
"My weapon is Banryu. Jakotsu has as much right to come in here as someone who parades around as a pious monk, when the three of us know far better! No monk has a workshop filled to the brim with gunpowder and explosives. You got a...thing with fire?" Bankotsu asked knowingly. He touched the flame from the small oil lamp set beside them. It crept onto his fingertip, and Fumihiko drew in his breath as he watched this unbelievable display. "Fire...it's the easiest element to conjure, the easiest to manipulate, but it's also the most difficult to master, isn't it? The trick, of course, is not to get burned..." Bankotsu offered the flame to Fumihiko, who tried to take it into his hands, but could not hold onto it. It burned too much! He dropped the flame, and it landed in front of them, nearly taking hold onto the floor. But Bankotsu snuffed the flame with an overturned teacup. "You asked us what we want with you. We know who you are, and who you used to work for. In fact, he was so irate, he offered us a great sum to catch you and kill you. I turned him down."
"You did? Wait, I'm confused. You turned down an offer of money to kill me, but then you chase me down to kill me for free?" Fumihiko frowned. "Are you two completely mad?"
"No, we're not mad, we're mercenaries, not assassins!" Jakotsu hissed.
Bankotsu added, "He'd told us enough about you to enable us to track you down. I specifically wanted to find you after I heard about what he alleged you were able to do. After seeing that workshop, my information was confirmed. Are you getting tired of playing with fire, but getting burned? We've got a proposition for you..."
"Hey, where were you just now?" a metallic voice interrupted. Renkotsu gave himself a little shake, returning to the present. It turned out that Jakotsu had been the one to track him down to that inn. To this day, Renkotsu was a bit annoyed with himself, that he'd let himself get caught so easily. But then again, his entire life changed that day. No more begging for handouts and coin, no more getting chased by fools who did not understand his genius! With the Band of Seven, Renkotsu had a vast fortune at his disposal (as soon as they got to that damned cave) and no one would dare risk the wrath of Bankotsu by attacking one of his brothers! In time, Bankotsu even managed to trust Renkotsu enough to appoint him the second-in-command. Renkotsu had always thought that Jakotsu would have been selected for that honor, but for his part, Renkotsu had to admit that the eccentric fellow's grace in accepting Bankotsu's decision did him great credit.
"Ginkotsu, I wonder if I give Kagome a lot of notes on her various school subjects, if she might in exchange tell me more about Naraku. I don't understand why Big Brother is so secretive about the one who gave us jewel shards to bring us back from the dead, but I'd sure feel like I was in a better position to act if I knew what we were dealing with," Renkotsu complained.
"We should find out who Onigumo really was," Ginkotsu said.
"I know I've heard that name before, but I can't remember when or where. Let's just keep going, Ginkotsu. With any luck, we might make it there first!" Renkotsu declared as Ginkotsu rumbled down the road.
Sorry, this chapter's a little slow. Next chapter, the cave and what happens there!