Chapter Thirteen: Together Again

Kagome appeared before him. She had a dark look in her eyes. She spoke coldly to him, "Bankotsu…you have betrayed me…that girl, Ming Chan, do you not like her? I see it in your eyes. Now I realize what a fool I was to get myself killed. I should have let you die…you didn't even know if the water the stupid old geezer handed you was really the Water of Resurrection…you brainless fool…"

"Wait, Kagome!" Bankotsu couldn't believe it. The girl who he'd fallen in love with was now blaming him for her death.

"Shut up. You should die for your trickery," she snarled, fading into the darkness.

"Bankotsu!" It was Kagome again, but she wasn't evil. "Oh, you're here!" she giggled, throwing her arms around him.

All of a sudden there was a shot, and she slumped to the darkness, a blank look in her eyes. "You failed to protect me…"

The dark Kagome came back. "I hate you. Forget about me, move on. I hold no room in that heart of yours…" she spat, fading into nothingness.

"Wait, Kagome!" Bankotsu was confused.

The happy Kagome now reappeared before him, the same dull look in her eyes. The hole that she's been shot was still there. She spoke in hushed tones, "You have failed me. You are no longer worthy to be my lover…go away…"

"You traitor! You should die!"

"You have and always will fail to protect anyone you love…"

"STOP!" Bankotsu yelled. His head was pounding. He couldn't take it anymore.

Bankotsu shot up from his bed. The blue covers slumped to the floor. He was panting, remembering the horrible nightmare he just dreamt. Kagome… he thought miserably, burying his face in his pillow and nearly crying again. He just missed her so much.

That nightmare…what was it about? He wondered, looking up and staring absently at the bedpost. Kagome blamed me for not being able to be the person she'd always wanted. She called me a traitor, and blames me for her death. Is that just a vision, or is it a bad omen? Well, it is bad. That stupid geezer, tricking me…

He looked at the scattered ashes of his girlfriend that lay on the table. "Will I ever bring you back to life, Kagome?" he whispered into the stillness.

He could hear her voice. Deep within his mind, he talked with her.

Bankotsu! Didn't you get the Water of Resurrection?

Yeah, I did, but it didn't work. Why? I think that old geezer is a–

No, it's your fault you didn't test it first. That wasn't the Water of Resurrection.

It wasn't?

No, it was the Water of Purification. Go back there, and bring a dead something with you. Make sure that old fart doesn't trick you again…

Bankotsu shook his head. "All right, I know what I have to do," he told himself. He went and killed a bird somewhere.

And there he traveled back, meeting Ming Chan again. "What, you're back already?" she asked, stopping by him. "What happened? Did you get her resurrected?"

"No, stupid senile old grandpa tricked me," he said, climbing aboard.

"Oh, well, I'll take you back," she said, shrugging. "Hope you beat some common sense into that sou."

"Sou?" Bankotsu went blank. He couldn't understand that Chinese word (of course, you're probably all wondering how Japanese Bankotsu can speak to Chinese Ming Chan, doncha? Well, actually, Ming Chan was born in Japan, but she moved to China, so she knows both languages.).

"Old man," she answered patiently. "That cheap, phony, senile…"

Bankotsu said, "All right, we get your point."

They got there when the sun was rising high into the sky. Ming Chan wished Bankotsu the best of luck. He went in and found himself at the hot springs again. "Old geezer!" he hollered. "Get out here right this instant and get me the Water of Resurrection! No trickery!"

The senile old guide came along, but when he saw Bankotsu he yelled, "Didn't I tell ya not to come back here, you young fool?!"

"You tricked me!" Bankotsu hollered right back. "I'm not leaving until you give me the right formula!"

The old man said, "I most certainly gave you the Water of Resurrection, dastardly young pup!"

"You did not! You gave me the Water of Purification!" Bankotsu retorted.

The old man scratched his head. "Are you really sure that I gave you the wrong thing?" he asked finally.

Bankotsu nodded. He shrugged, shuffling off and taking a tube from his house. He went to a different spring muttering, "I'm too old to know which is which these days…"

He held it out to Bankotsu. "Surely this is it…" he said uncertainly. Bankotsu took out the dead bird he kept in his bag and poured the water on it. Not even a twitch of life.

"Nope," Bankotsu said, handing the tube back and shaking his head.

The old man went to a different spring, and filled it up with water. This?"

Bankotsu tried, and…"Nope, not right."

The old man was getting frustrated. "Is that stupid friend of yours so important you have to make me shift to everything you say, you delinquent, delirious young scalawag?!" he cried.

Bankotsu whacked him on the head. "Shut up, you old fool," he said angrily. "It's not my damn fault you don't know which is which!"

Finally the old man went to a hot spring that was separate from the others. He scooped up some of that and handed it to Bankotsu. He poured it on the bird and it…jumped right out of his hand! It was back to life! "Yes!" Bankotsu yelled joyfully, punching the air.

The old geezer filled the jar up with the Water of Resurrection. "Now, if you come back here again…" he warned, "I'll turn ya into roast pig!"

"Like I'll let you, you old fool," he laughed, dancing for joy. He rushed back outside, where Ming Chan was waiting.

"What happened in there?" she demanded. "I could hear something that sounded like you two were involved in a scuffle!"

"Nothing, we just yelled at each other until the old man went to get the water, and I whacked him for screaming at me," Bankotsu said chuckling. "Hurry, I can't wait till I get home!"

Ming Chan said nothing. Her heart was pounding in her chest when he said the words, 'I can't wait till I get home!' "A-are you really sure you should go back there?" she quivered.

"What, you mean Japan? Of course!" Bankotsu said proudly. "I'll have my girlfriend back, as well as the ass-kicking gang leader who died protecting me!"

Ming Chan was hurt. In the short time she'd met him, she's fallen in love with him. Although she knew that he already had a girlfriend he loved, she blurted out, "I'm in love with you!" She gasped, turning tomato red.

Uh oh… she thought, turning away from him to hide the tremendous blush that spread across her cheeks like wild fire.

Bankotsu stared at her. Did she just admit…that she loves me? I don't believe it. I still get people who fall in love with me after I announced I already had a girlfriend, he thought, noticing the blush that was on her face.

I know he won't love me back. He has his girlfriend to resurrect, why should a common farmer girl like me bother? Ming Chan thought sadly. My heart…it hurts so much…

They reached the Korea airport, where Ming Chan said sorrowfully, "Well, we're here. Goodbye, Bankotsu Shitai…" A lonesome tear slipped down her cheek as looked straight at him.

"Don't cry for me, Ming Chan," he said. "There's someone else out there who'll love you…that's not me."

"You really think so?" Ming Chan asked, drying her tears.

"Yes."

"Thank you." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. Then, blushing furiously, she darted through the crowd and was gone. Bankotsu pressed a finger to his lips. She actually had the nerve…to kiss me?

Bankotsu arrived in Japan. He took a taxi back to his house, whereupon he flung open the door and rushed to the table where he'd laid her ashes. He gathered them together and poured the Water of Resurrection in them. His heart seemed to stop in his throat when the ashes started to form…

At the end of five minutes, Bankotsu once again was staring at the girl who he'd dreamed of marrying. She was flawless in looks, but she wasn't wearing any clothes at all! Bankotsu just realized she was completely nude.

He hurriedly dressed her messily in some of her clothes, trying to prevent the blush that stained his cheeks. Thank God blood didn't come out of his nose.

He set her down on the bed, then seated himself by her side and waited for her to awaken.

He waited…and waited…and waited…until seven hours later he fell asleep, exhausted.

Bright sunlight hit her eyelids. "Ugh…" she groaned softly, stirring. She opened her eyes. "Wait, where am I?" she wondered, sitting up and observing her surroundings.

Then she realized that this was her own house, the one she shared with Bankotsu, her mother, her brother, and her grandfather, the Higurashi shrine. She looked to the side, where Bankotsu slept. She smiled. He did this for me…

She decided to see if he would awaken. For another hour, Bankotsu snored away while she smiled as she watched his innocent young face.

He woke up. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the shining brown orbs of his girlfriend. "Kagome!" he shouted, almost knocking her over on the bed as he tackled her.

Kagome giggled. "Morning to you too, Ban. What happened in my absence?" she asked.

"Well…" Bankotsu recalled what happened before her resurrection. "Both Taisho brothers were afraid of me…Sesshomaru threw his gun at my feet…I nearly shot him to death with it…I cremated you, but then I went to China to obtain the Water of Resurrection…and I met a girl named Ming Chan. She took me to see the old geezer who gave me the Water of Purification, and took me back. I discovered that I had been tricked, and went back. The old geezer and I started hollering at each other, then we found the real Water of Resurrection, and I took it back. Ming Chan admitted that she fell in love with…but I told her that she had someone else out there for her…I came back and resurrected you…and then, now."

Kagome smiled. "Well, let's check up on Taisho, shall we?" she said slyly. As sly as any gang leader could. "Oh, and the presents…oh well, we'll do those later."

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha Taisho had gotten out of the hospital two days ago. They arrived at their home and knocked. Inuyasha answered door. His eyes nearly popped from their sockets when he saw Kagome and Bankotsu standing there, grinning.

"W-w-what?!" he stammered, staring at Kagome. "Are you a ghost? I saw Sesshomaru kill you!"

"I did die," Kagome said.

"Then how come you're alive?" Inuyasha said.

"Bankotsu resurrected me," she answered, smirking. "Now, let me see Taisho. I want to beat him to death for trying to kill my boyfriend, but ending up killing me."

"No need, I am here," Sesshomaru said tiredly, leaning on his crutches.

"Looks like Ban shot you bad. Ah, well, that means I don't need to beat you up for killing me," Kagome said airily, turning around.

They left. They gathered up the presents they'd bought for Mikorai and headed to each member's house. Sango was up first. When she opened the door, a miraculous sight beheld her eyes. "Kagome!" she screamed, flinging the door open and rushing down the steps. She hugged Kagome so tight, she couldn't breath.

"Uh…Sango…please stop strangling me," Kagome coughed.

Sango blushed and mumbled, "Sorry."

Bankotsu handed her a giant gift. She unwrapped it and stared at the fantastic gigantic boomerang in her hands. All she had in mind was, Wow!

"That's for you, Sango. Keep it, I'll train you to use it," Kagome said, smiling.

Sango laughed. "So we're all back together again, aren't we?" she said. "Gather up the rest, we'll have a party welcoming your return."

XXXXXXXXXX

I hope you're happy! I resurrected Kagome! But now a new enemy will rise against Kagome…one far more deadly than Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, Naraku, and Koga put together…Onigumo! Even though in the manga Onigumo's weaker than Naraku, this time, he's by far gonna be the worst enemy ever…and Kagome's life will be on the edge once more. R&R!

MH15