Yup. Late because I was busy with another fanfic. Sorry 'bout that.
Darker Than Night
Chapter 11: Chasing You... Again
Last time...
"Rin isn't an idiot, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled. "She will know what we're doing with Yami! And when she figures it out... what will you do then?"
~O*O~
Kirara's ears perked up when she heard the sound of feet running in the halls. She kept her eyes closed, her body curled into a small furry ball in her own cushion, hoping that the sounds would go away that she would be able to get back to sleep.
Growling slightly as the children's cries and laughter grew louder, her ears bent to her back of her head. Suddenly, everything was quiet and a woman's soft voice could be heard. One of the cat's eyes' opened, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening outside, through the doors. When the woman finished scolding the children and shooed them away, Kirara sighed and closed her one eye again, resting at ease.
She almost jumped when the door slammed open and Sango entered with a frustrated groan, landing right next to her pet on the futon and lying down on her belly. Kirara sat up and tilted her head at her master, wondering what could have made her make such an entrance.
Sango sighed in the covers of her futon, and turned her head to face the kitten. Looking at her pet's eyes, she knew she couldn't stay in a bad mood forever, and gave a small smile. Kirara licked her master's nose, her two tails swaying as she tried to cheer her up.
The princess pat her pet's head gently and whispered, "I don't know what to do anymore, Kirara."
She sat back up, and her cat continued staring at her, expecting her to say more. Sango groaned again and mumbled, "It's been four days, we got back three days ago, everyone's depressed but children don't seem to realize it... They're lucky to not have a care in the world." She stood up and walked to her bathroom slowly. Kirara followed.
Before washing her face, Sango stared at her reflection in the small basin of water. "As soon as we gathered the survivors of the village, we headed to the closest town to drop off most of the villagers. Some wanted to tag along, and it took me such a long time to finally decide to let them come... And when Lutaru warriors asked if the expedition would be resumed, I couldn't say a word. It's thanks to Bankotsu we came back home."
Passing her hand through her hair, she added, clearly troubled, "Just look at me. What kind of lousy leader am I? I hesitated to bring survivors because it might cause Kagome to remember what happened constantly. I didn't know what to say about the search because I didn't want to leave Kagome behind, all alone..." Her voice cracked.
"It may be two little things, but what if it happens again?" she asked herself. "What if I can't decide between my friends and my duty? Will it put everyone in danger?" The water in the basin suddenly made small waves, and she realized the tear that fell from her cheek.
"Look at Bankotsu," she continued, starting to sob, "He's so sure of himself, he practically has everyone's respect. His father is missing, yet he seems to be doing perfect. I don't even know what I would do if I were left alone!"
"I can't even comfort my own friend!" Kagome's smiling face appeared in the water for a second, before the image disappeared from the water's ripple. "She lost her whole family to the enemy, and God knows what they're going to do to them. I'm trying and I'm trying but nothing seems to make her feel better. I should know what to do but I don't!"
Kirara jumped onto her master's shoulder and licked the tears away. When Sango looked at her, she meowed and stared with big innocent eyes. With Sango's head completely turned towards her, she reached out so her little black nose could touch her master's.
Sango blinked, and Kirara mewled again, as if to say "It's okay".
The girl smiled warmly and pet her. "Thanks. Somehow... even though you can't talk, you always find the right way to make me feel better." Kirara mewled happily and jumped down.
After washing her face, someone knocked at her door. Drying the small droplets of water off her face, she made her way to the door. "Coming! What is-"
She stopped suddenly when she saw Bankotsu standing in front of her looking a little uneasily. Sango heard word about some soldiers. The prince of Lutaru was found with Kagome in each other's arms after the village was burned down. It didn't make her worried, but she did conclude that there was finally something going on between the two. "Hello, Bankotsu," she said after a moment of observing him. "Is... everything alright?"
A scratch on the prince's face was covered in fresh medicine, so he must have arrived from the medical rooms. His eyes, usually full of life and light, seemed dull, and his small grin didn't make him look any better. "Is Kagome with you?"
She slowly shook her head. "Sorry. I've only seen her this morning, and when we finished eating breakfast, she left." Immediately after eating, Sango went up to her room and blurted everything to Kirara. As her best friend said "Bye," she looked worse than the time she and Bankotsu fought.
"Oh," he responded quietly. "I see..." A moment of silence. "Was she always like that ever since... you know... the village?"
"Well she stayed at the medical unit the day we came back, and she came back to serving me. But..." Sango lowered her head. "I'm giving her the space she needs to recover, maybe, but I never know where she's going... She only shows up in the morning, but that's it."
"So she isn't getting better."
She shook her head. "I'm afraid not. And it's going to take a long time before she does." Looking back u pat him, she asked, "So I suppose you haven't seen her either?"
"I've been with the doctors for a day as well, but no, I didn't find her. And I'm visiting the medical unit from time to time to take care of my scars." He brushed the scratch on his cheek with his finger and frowned. "Stupid injury," he grumbled.
Sango smiled slightly and said, "I don't think she'll mind if you were the one to talk to her."
He blinked. "Hm?"
"Though you've only met recently, she's already comfortable around you." "Though I don't understand why. She won't tell me either..." she added to herself. She smiled. "And I told you already. Back when you had a fight, she was ruined. And by how she looked, I think she would have done anything to gain your forgiveness. She cares about you, and maybe you're the right person to comfort her this time."
Bankotsu was surprised to hear her say that. Maybe she and Kagome were so close that they understood each other perfectly. They both probably knew what was best for the other. It reminded him of himself and Jakotsu. How they knew everything about each other, almost to the point of being capable of reading each other's minds.
"Well," she said as she slid the door to close it, "I have to get dressed and wash myself for the day. And you can start searching for Kagome soon, if you want to." She smiled to him. "Start by the archer's unit and medical unit. People might have seen her there recently. Or, you can wait 'til nightfall at her room's door. Even if she is feeling down, she still has to sleep somewhere."
"Alright," he replied. "I'll do that. Thanks."
He quickly went down the stairs and made his way to the archery unit. From what he knew, all the training with weapons was done outside the main building, in some small temples connecting to the main house. "She probably did pass by there," he thought. "She might have trained alone too."
He knew the feeling of losing someone close to him, especially when it was his fault. He did anything he could to get better, to be better, so that a situation like that would never happen again. He trained his leadership like crazy when his father disappeared. Surely, Kagome was training her archery skills so she could be better, right? Or at least to release her frustration...
In the narrow hallway connecting the archery house to the main temple, he greeted those who bowed to him with a quick nod and smile, sometimes mumbling a short "hello". As he passed the main doors and continued his way straight to the training room, he couldn't help but look around and feel impressed with how everything was organised.
The first room didn't seem like much. It separated into three hallways. The two hallways on the edge lead to the men and women's locker-rooms, and the one in the middle lead to the next rooms.
He made his way to the corridor in the middle and smelled food. The room was filled with lively voices and the smell delicious meals for lunch. Walking up to a table full of men, he interrupted their conversation immodestly, "Excuse me? Where can I find the head of the archery unit?"
At first, the man who was talking seemed annoyed that he was suddenly cut off by a stranger, but when he was realized who spoke, he swallowed hard. Full of respect, he stood up, bowed, and answered, "Sir Takeo is probably in the training grounds right up ahead, sir!"
"Thank you," Bankotsu replied. He took a quick glance at what they were eating. There was steaming soup, bowls of rice, and a plate full of mixed meat and vegetables that could have made his mouth water, if he were hungry. He wondered if he should ask for a bite, but he reminded himself that he was searching for Takeo.
"Sorry for disturbing you," he apologized and left.
In the training grounds ahead, he couldn't hear anyone speaking, to his surprise. Only the sound of string being pulled back and arrows flying and hitting their targets kept the area alive. The prince blinked a few times to get the sun out of his eyes before looking at what was happening.
There was a line of archers, girls and boys of all ages, shooting arrows at targets, some far and some very close. Behind the front row was another line, the next archers waiting for their turn.
Only one young man was out of place. He walking from person to person to correct their position or to praise them. He did not speak loudly, every word he said was a whisper to the ear, and he nodded at every strike hitting a bull's-eye on the target. Bankotsu recognized Takeo.
The young captain caught his eye and walked towards him. "Bankotsu sir," he said quietly. "What bring you here?"
Thinking that he should keep his voice down as well, he replied softly, "I'd like to ask you something."
Takeo must have heard the seriousness in his tone, for he frowned. He clapped his hands loudly and announced, "Second session over! Third session starts in another hour!"
Some people sighed in relief and stretched their arms. They all started walking towards the cafeteria to eat, chatting about their every good hit. Some started taking off their equipment and went directly to the locker-rooms.
"You didn't have to call them off," Bankotsu told Takeo. "It could have waited." But he knew he was lying, because with Kagome's situation, nothing could wait. Not for him, at least.
The captain grinned. "No, it's about time for everyone to eat anyways. And if I were to speak with you, it would be somewhere private, I suppose? I don't want to bother the disciples with any loud noise, it can be a nuisance to their concentration."
"So that's why everything is so quiet here..." he thought. "Then I'd like to ask you about Kagome. Has she been here since the village's..."
He could barely finish his sentence with the change of the teen's expression. Takeo's eyes grew dark, and he slowly shook his head. "Apparently not. I've asked some other older archers if they've seen her for the past few days, but it seems that nobody's really spotted her training since that day."
Bankotsu was disappointed, but he didn't let it show. "I see."
"And if I had seen her, I would have tried to talk to her," he added. "Last time I saw her, she was in the medical station, crying in her sleep." His gaze was dark and full of sorrowful feelings. "With her family taken away in front of her own eyes... I can't imagine what she must be going through. And I've tried searching for her a few times around the temple, but I have my duty here as captain as well... I just wish I could do something for her."
The prince could see that Takeo cared for her. He seemed just as worried as Sango. Though he and Kagome might have been rivals in the past, it didn't change the fact that they were teammates and good friends.
"I'm going to find her," Bankotsu said firmly. "And I'll see what I can do to bring her spirits back up." He smiled. "Before you know it, she'll be in here training and you'll bicker all you want with her."
Hearing those words from him, Takeo grinned a little. "I think that will be nice. Thank you, s-, I mean... thanks."
As Bankotsu walked away, he said, "And good luck. Kagome has always been good at playing hide-and-seek."
~O*O~
The sun was going down, and Bankotsu has been walking around and asking questions all day. In his room, he sighed and lied down on his futon. So far, nobody's said that they've seen Kagome at least once every day. With small clues like that, he would never be able to find her.
Lying down on his side, back facing the door, he wondered, "What could she be doing now?"
Before he could list anything, Jakotsu opened the door and exclaimed, "So you did come in here!"
After the day he's been through, he wanted nothing more than to rest in peace and quiet. Grumbling, he said, "Hey. What do you want?"
The cross-dresser heard the bad mood in his tone. "Well that sounded rude. I was wondering how you were doing. I didn't see you all day, and Shishinki was getting worried."
"Yeah, well tell him there's nothing to worry about."
Jakotsu walked over to him and narrowed his eyes. "What's with you? You don't seem very nice today. Did something bad happen?"
Bankotsu sighed and turned to lie down on his back. He placed his hands under his head and looked up at the ceiling. "Nothing bad. Just... tired. Because of everything that's happened, you know?"
"Sorry to say this, but you don't have time to be tired." His best friend sat down next to him. "The incident at the village interrupted our venturing to Lutaru. So Shishinki and some other soldiers are wondering if we're going to continue the search."
The prince almost forgot about it. But he knew what was important to him then. "It'll have to wait a while. Lord Isamu's kinda shaking right now, after one of his villages destroyed like that. I know I would be. I don't think it'd be wise for the prince of Lutaru to just ditch him like that, he might need us here."
"You may be right," Jakotsu agreed. "But don't you think that's more than enough reason you should go?"
Sitting up and looking at his friend for the first time he arrived, he asked, "What do you mean? We can't just leave-"
"I mean, if we go searching out there, we may find a Lutaru village full of refugees of the Massacre. We can have them come and join us, and that way, Ando will have more forces to protect their villages, don't you think?"
Bankotsu stared at him, dumbfounded that he'd give such an answer. Jakotsu grinned proudly. "You weren't expecting that from me, were you?"
"No, not at all."
"Well, to be honest, Shishinki told me a little about it."
"Then that explains it."
The prince lied back down, concentrating. "You do have a point. But I don't think it's a good idea to leave with that kind of reason. The emperor still needs us here, and there's no guarantee we'll find anyone on our first expedition. And even if I did force the life out of our soldiers, I doubt they'd be able to travel far enough to even get to a village."
"Then give it some time," Jakotsu insisted, "Two, three days, in a week if we have to, but the sooner we go, the better. Grab new, strong soldiers, you don't even need to bring an Ando warrior. The sooner we find a village and get clues about where your father is, the closer we're getting to our goal. With reinforcements, we can protect both clans much better, right?"
Bankotsu didn't reply. Instead, he thought deeply about his words and wondered what his father would do if he were there. Most likely, Lord Hokotsu would do anything to get his son, he'd even go alone if he had to.
"Alright, tell everyone that we'll be leaving in three days, early in the morning. It's the original team, we're doing as if our expedition wasn't interrupted. If some can't make it, find healthy replacements. Sango doesn't need to go either, I'll take one captain, that's it. But I need Koga there for us."
Jakotsu grinned. "Great, I'll see who I can find." He stood up and started walking out the room, when he asked, "Are you going to tell the emperor about this?"
He nodded. "Yeah, in a moment."
His friend left, and the sound of steps echoed in the hallways. He sighed. "Just what am I going to do? I'll have to find her before I leave, but will I even get the chance to do that?"
~O*O~
Before he knew it, Bankotsu had fallen asleep, and when he woke up, it was already pitch black outside, though some rooms and lanterns brightened the temple. The building was noisy, filled with people walking around to get their supper.
He bolted up. "Crap! I had to talk to Lord Isamu!"
And a minute later, he was out in the hallway, smoothing his ruffled clothes and making sure he didn't look too messed up. "Let's hope he isn't eating right now..." Interrupting the Lord's supper would just be rude, and he would have to speak to him some other time. And he couldn't let that happen, with the rush he was in.
He made his way to the second floor, and headed for the emperor's room. He wasn't surprised that there weren't many people in the hallways. They were all probably getting ready to eat. Thinking of food made his stomach grumble as well.
"I'd better go to the kitchen downstairs after this," he thought.
As he got closer and closer to the room, he quickened his pace. He wanted to get this over with as fast as he could. After all, Jakotsu might have gathered everyone up already, and may be waiting for the emperor's approval.
Though he was in a rush, he abruptly stopped when he saw something in his path. The area being completely empty, it wasn't hard to notice the shadow in the middle of the hallway.
When he looked closer, he figured out that it was a girl, or perhaps a man with extremely long hair. She was holding something long in her hand. "... A bow?" However, she was covering her face with her hair so he couldn't tell who she was at all. But by how she looked, she didn't seem like she was in a good mood... "Kinda scary looking," he thought.
She continued walking straight ahead towards him, though she didn't seem to notice him at all.
As she got closer, he could find more details in her figure and clothes, and everything about her became more and more familiar. Until eventually, he started asking himself questions. "No... It can't be..."
His eyes grew wide with horror and disbelief as he started to recognize her. From so far, she seemed like a stranger. How could she have transformed into something so... different?
Bankotsu saw something red drop to the floor, and it came from her. He froze.
Blood.
A trail of it.
Suddenly running towards her, he grabbed her shoulders violently and forced her to look at him. "Kagome!"
When her eyes met his, she seemed shocked, and he saw light- life -in her eyes. The bow dropped from her hand. He most likely scared her by grabbing onto her so suddenly. She probably didn't even know he was the one standing in front of her. But he didn't care.
"How did you get hurt?!" he demanded. He took a quick look at the blood dripping on the floor, and searched for its source.
Kagome noticed what he was trying to do just as he found out where she was bleeding. When she tried to hide it, Bankotsu took her arm and examined it thoroughly. Her right hand was bleeding heavily from cuts and showed a few bruises.
He seemed furious. "What happened?!" he asked. "Did someone do this to you?" He thought of anyone who could do this, and only thought of one man. "Did Renkotsu show up and attack you?!"
She tried to take her arm back, but his grip was firm, and he wasn't letting go without an answer. She wasn't very strong either. "I-it's nothing," she replied, almost lifelessly. "Don't worry about it."
"Don't worry about it?! Kagome, just look at your hand, it's bleeding like there's no tomorrow!" he almost started shouting. "Do these cuts look like nothing to you?"
Again, she trashed. "It's alright, just let me go!"
"Damn it, Kagome!" He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him in the eyes and calm down. And he also forced himself to calm down. It seemed to have worked. "Tell me who did this to you," he said coolly.
She was hesitating to tell him, he could see it in her eyes. But eventually she answered as she avoided his gaze, "No one attacked me or anything. I did it to myself."
Bankotsu was confused. "What?"
"Look at how I'm wounded," she said as she raised her hand a little, to the level of his eyes. "Do you really think someone could have only damaged my hands?"
He checked her hand again, and this time, she didn't try to free it. When he took a closer look, he realized that she wasn't bleeding as much as he thought. The red liquid wasn't dripping from her entire hand, only from three of her fingers. More precisely, the cuts were all on her fingertips.
Taking a small step back, he examined her from bottom to top. She didn't seem hurt anywhere else, though the top of her kimono and her face showed that she was sweating. "So she..."
Before confirming his thoughts, he glanced over at the bow she had, now lying on the ground. The middle of the string was completely red, and a drop of blood ran down its side. It looked old and worn out.
Looking back at Kagome, who turned her gaze to the bow as well, he couldn't find the words to speak. His heart suddenly felt heavy, and he also felt like looking away. So what he thought earlier was true. She really did work her butt off on her archery skills.
He slowly released his grip on her hand, but didn't let it go.
"Have you been training like this every day now?" he asked, his voice low and gloomy.
Kagome simply nodded.
"At what time of the day?"
"Two hours before supper, " she replied monotonically. "Training's over by then and everyone leaves."
"And nobody's seen you?" he continued, still staring at her injured hand.
"Takeo would stay sometimes. I wait for him to leave."
Bankotsu then stiffened, but asked another question. "And what do you do for the rest of the day?" His voice started to grow louder, slightly shaking.
"I go into the forest."
"To train there too?" he asked, looking directly at her face, though she wasn't looking at him.
Kagome nodded again.
She felt his grip tighten again, and shake. It was starting to hurt, but she held herself back from showing any sign of pain. He was probably trying to keep himself from crushing her hand out of anger. She didn't know why he was angry, but she didn't try to think about it. Kagome hoped he'd just leave her alone.
"Oh, damn it!" he suddenly cursed.
She felt him tug on her hand, and the sound of cloth ripping followed. She snapped her head back up in surprise, and saw him tearing the cloth of his sleeve. "What is he doing?" That cloth was expensive, one of Ando's best fabrics... The emperor himself offered it to him!
Wearing the same shocked expression, she watched him wrap her hand in the cloth. "Wha... What are you doing?" she stuttered. The small hint of surprise in her voice was nothing compared to what she felt inside.
With the piece of fabric in his mouth, his words were muffled. "We ha'e to sto' the b'eedin', first o' all, right?"
"Huh?"
He spat out the rest of the cloth, still trying to wrap her hand. "I may not be an expert in medicine, but I at least I know the basics."
After some time, he still wasn't finished. In fact, he seemed to be having some trouble. He was frowning, turning her hand in many angles and wrapping and unwrapping the bandage over and over again.
"Wait, I've got this..." he said as his expression focused.
Kagome couldn't help but give a little smile. Maybe he knew what to do, just not how... "Even though that's not the first step... you have to get it cleaned first." But she didn't dare say it aloud.
"There," he said when he finished. He let the hand go, a satisfied and proud grin on his face. All trace of anger was erased. "That's one step done."
Kagome twirled her hand around, examining the bandages. "How is it? Not too tight?" he asked.
Looking closer at how he treated it, it reminded her of the work of a careless child. "It's good enough," she lied. "I'll have to fix it later..." she thought as she refrained from giggling or laughing at the 'art'.
"Now listen up," he spoke, suddenly sounding very serious. "I want you to take care of that wound from now on. Don't let it get worse, and don't train so much. And I don't want you to continue getting yourself hurt like that. If anyone saw that out in the open, they'd start to panic. And that's an order."
Kagome blinked, and thought carefully of the words she was going to choose. She looked down and said quietly, "... I can't obey that."
Bankotsu glowered. "Why not?"
"I have to continue training!" she suddenly exclaimed. "I have to get stronger to win them back...! If I weren't so weak, my mother and Sota wouldn't have been kidnapped!" The image of her family members smiling appeared in her mind again, just as it did the days after her loved ones were taken away.
"My village might have been saved! But because of me, they're all in the heart of danger... who knows what they could have done to them already..." Her voice shook and grew quiet. "I have to get stronger... I can't let this happen again to someone else... And I have to get them back..."
On the inside, she was keeping herself from adding another detail. She couldn't believe that Inuyasha was the one to take away her brother. She couldn't. But she saw it happen with her own two eyes.
Just before the attack, the two of them were talking freely, as if they were old friends. And the next day, he was her ultimate enemy by taking Sota away and practically annihilating her village.
"I'm so naive to believe that nothing bad would happen between us!" she screamed to herself as she trained other days before. "Kagome, we're in a war against them! There will come a time when you'll fight him, whether you like it or not! Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" An arrow hit a bull's-eye. "But why does it hurt so bad...?"
She felt a tear run down her cheek, and she quickly brushed it away. She has already cried so much. She wasn't going to cry again. She had to show him how determined she was to continue training.
She looked up at him, and said firmly, "So I can't go with that order!"
He stared at her, his facial expression unreadable. Kagome prepared the replies she would have to speak if he refused.
After a moment, he sighed. Did he give in?
"I'm all right with you training," he said. "But I don't want you to push yourself too far with it, like what you're doing now. And you have to stop avoiding everyone from now on too!"
She stiffened for a moment, and retorted, "I'm not-"
"Don't deny it, you know it's true!" he cut her off with a swift hand movement. "First, if you train so hard to the point where you're killing your fingers, you're not going anywhere. You're fingers will just get worse, and you won't get better! You know your limits, you have to respect them!"
This time, Kagome wouldn't let herself get interrupted. "To get better, I have to pass my limit!"
"Maybe you do, but by the way your fingers look, you're passing them way too much!" he exclaimed, looking angered.
"Also, do you realize just how worried everyone is?" he demanded. "Every day, they try to find you to find a way to make you feel better, to comfort you, but you're just running away. That isn't making anything better, not for you, and certainly not for anybody!
"You should know that that's the reason why Takeo waits outside the training hall after everyone's out." He remembered to bring up that detail. "It's not by being alone that your skills are going to get better! There's a reason why, since the very first day of an apprentice, a kid works in teams! "
Kagome was left speechless, though she tried to find something to say to go against him. But she knew he was right, he was right all along. Even if she hated to admit it. Yet, not long ago, she thought that avoiding the people around her would save them the trouble from sticking with her terrible mood...
Bankotsu sighed again, and his voice was softer, "Believe me, I know what it feels like. I've lost plenty of people in the past before, and most of the time, I thought it was my fault. But sulking and staying away of the ones who love you aren't the best choices. It won't make you move on."
"... I'm not going to be here in three days." He decided to mention his depart. "I'm going on another expedition, so I won't be here. But even with me gone, you have to promise me something..." He held out his pinky. "You're not gonna hurt yourself or stay away from everyone. Actually, start that as of today. Got it?" He grinned, hoping that she wasn't too full of pride to do the same mistakes again.
She stared him, and wondered how she could have been so oblivious to what was she was doing. Worrying everyone, hurting herself, thinking that everything would really get better... And Bankotsu knew the situation best, especially with what happened with his father and clan...
Yet he could bring up such a wonderful smile.
She respected him for that. "I can do it too, then." She brought up her own pinky and locked it with his. "Yeah." She smiled to him, putting away all her sorrow and sticking his words into her mind. "This is the right way to become stronger, right?"
When their hands parted from one another, he seemed relived. His shoulders loosened, and the tense atmosphere disappeared. "So he really was worried..." she thought as she watched him relax.
And abruptly, he hugged her. It happened so fast that she barely had any time to realize what he was doing. The next thing she knew, she was in his arms.
"Huh?"
She couldn't bring herself to speak. It was too sudden. In an instant, she felt his strong arms wrapped around her, and she noticed how broad his shoulders were. His scent was everywhere. Her head was lying against his chest, and she didn't want to leave its comfort. But she continued asking herself, "What's he doing?"
"Thank God..." he whispered.
Kagome's face flushed at his husky voice. She tried to look at him, but couldn't move. Her heart starting beating faster in her chest, and she could hear it clearly. She wondered if he could hear it too...
"I'm glad I was able to see you again..." The words were barely audible. If Kagome weren't so close to him, she would not have heard them...
But listening to him speak just made her blush even more. It was so warm in his arms. But her head was feeling hot too. She knew she had to push him away. What if someone saw them? However, she didn't want to leave his embrace. On the inside, she wanted to stay there forever, just with him... "What... What's going on with me?"
Then, she finally stuttered a small, "U-um..."
Bankotsu realized what he was doing, and released her, taking a big step back. "Ah... S-sorry," he apologized as he looked away from her. Did she see a small blush on his cheeks?
"That was kinda sudden, right?" he laughed nervously.
Kagome didn't respond, and he quickly said, "Well, anyways, I have to go see Lord Isamu to tell him about the searching. S-see ya!" And he walked away without looking back.
When he was gone, she brought her injured hand up to her heart. It was still pounding, and she could hear the beating in her ears. She cupped a cheek. It was so hot. She realized that her breath was stuck in her throat, and when she let it out, her shoulders slumped. Was she really feeling that tense?
She could still feel his arms around her. His strong arms, his broad chest... She blushed again. She looked at her bandaged fingers. Despite how badly they were treated, she smiled, almost giggling. She pictured the time when he attempted to wrap them the right way. Feeling his warm touch... This time, she giggled.
Kagome brought the fingers to her lips. Why was she suddenly smiling? What was with the mood swings? "... What's going on with me?"
She shook her head. "No, no...! Nothing's really wrong. It's just because..." Because of what?
"Ohh..." She moaned. "Asking myself more questions won't make me feel better! I have to get this treated as soon as I can," she thought as she stared at the wound. Another image of her mother and brother came into mind. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru followed.
She clenched her uninjured hand with determination. Though she was uncomfortable with the thought of hurting Inuyasha, she had to choose. And her family and clan always came first, no matter how much she liked to be with him. "Just you wait Yami... I'm coming to get them back!"
Looking back up to the hallway, she reminded herself of the work she had to do. "I have to get moving!"
Kagome picked up her bow from the floor, but just as she took a step forward, a soft voice sounded from the shadows. "What a surprise. I've never seen Bankotsu embarrassed, much less when he was the one who makes the first move."
When she heard the voice, she froze. Did she really just imagine it? She hasn't heard such a voice in a long time, so maybe she misinterpreted it... Kagome slowly turned to look at the man who was hiding in the corner of the hallway, only to have her fears confirmed.
Renkotsu grinned. "Why, hello, Kagome. It's been a long time."
Now. Since the teachers are throwing more and more work at me, I might be updating in over a month. Especially since I'm going to be traveling someplace for two weeks as a school project.
Once again, hoped you guys enjoyed this one! Don't be afraid to review :)
Until the next chapter!
~FoxRain7~