Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, or any of the characters or ideas used in it. Enjoy the story. This whole 'disclaimer' thing is getting old, isn't it?
My name is Mori. I am sixteen years old.
For the past week, I've been a mess, asking more questions than I had ever dreamed of asking myself. Some of them were questions that I thought I would never want to ask myself.
But, I was asking them. And I couldn't answer them.
I had fallen in love with Bankotsu of the Shichinintai. I had never imagined falling in love, and I never really wanted to, either, having seen how bad love can go while living with Hana.
I had never imagined how good it would feel. I never imagined the pain it would cause me.
However, it happened, and I couldn't change that. So, when he called me ugly, indirectly, it hurt.
When he noted another woman's beauty, that hurt, too.
I was becoming over-emotional about things that would never have bothered me about a month ago. I had never been quite so girly before this.
All week, I've been spacing out, even when Bankotsu was in a battle, my heart hurting, and my head in a mess. I was covering it up with anger like I did everytime I was in pain.
No one bothered me when I got angry, which is why I did so.
This time was no different.
No one bothered me when I was particularly cruel to my victims in a masacre.
No one bothered me when I went off alone, trusting that I would come back.
No one even bothered me when I decided to sit and glare at my feet all night.
Even Renkotsu was particularly careful about how he approached me about the Shikon no kakera. Right now, I'm sitting on a centipede-like youkai, with an arrow jammed into it, using short bursts of my power to make it wriggle, and writhe beneath me.
Despite doing this on purpose, I took no pleasure in it.
I did it because I could, and it calmed me.
Jakotsu destroyed another demon, and looked at me.
"Sheesh, you're just plain evil." He said.
I shot him a glare, and he shivered.
"I don't comment on your methods! 'Least you could do is wait 'til I'm done to comment!" I growled.
The centipede stopped wriggling.
"Who said you could cease moving?" I asked, calmly.
I used another small burst of my power. Blood squirted out, and hit me in the face.
I didn't so much as flinch. The creature was dead.
"Man! I was hoping that would last much longer!" I said.
I rubbed the blood off of my eyes.
"Are you mad, or something?" Jakotsu asked.
"Gee, how do ya figure?" I asked, sarcasticly.
Jakotsu glared at me. I sighed, and hung my head.
"Sorry," I said. "I really shouldn't be taking it out on you, or anyone."
I yanked my arrow out of the youkai, and slammed it into my left shoulder.
I grimaced in pain. Jakotsu was dumbstruck.
"What are you doing?!" He exclaimed.
My head and heart still ached. "Jakotsu-nii-san, you're my best friend, you know that?" I asked.
"Y-yeah?" He said. "What's that got to do with you stabbing yourself?"
I smiled slightly. "Can I talk to you?" I asked. "I'm not sure anyone else would listen quietly to what I have to say."
"What is it?" Jakotsu asked.
"I haven't been here that long, I know," I said. "I haven't known you, or the others for very long, and I'm well aware of this. Still...From the very first day I saw him, Onii-san has had my full attention with a mere glance, and I don't pay much attention to anyone anymore."
Jakotsu gave me a funny look.
"Yeah, that probably sounded really cheesy." I said. "Okay, here goes nothin'..."
I took a deep breath. "I'm in love with Onii-san!" I said, loudly.
Jakotsu's eyes looked like they might burst out of his head.
"However..." I said. "Last week, he called me ugly, and I'm not sure if he was playing, or if he ment it. It hurt to hear him say that. Then he complimented another woman on her beauty, and that hurt even more. I'm probably over-reacting, but, even knowing that, it hurts."
Jakotsu gave me a funny look. "So, that's it?" Jakotsu asked. "That's why you're upset? That's stupid!"
I rolled my eyes. This speech had been used in so many movies, always starting with 'that's stupid'. I was pretty sure he was going to say something like 'he's just too thick to notice your feelings', or 'he'll come to notice your feelings eventually'.
Then, he surprized me.
"If you haven't told him how you feel, he probably doesn't know you want him, so, he's gonna keep saying that kind of stuff to you until you tell him!" Jakotsu said. "And, if you have told him, and he keeps it up, so what? Get over it! There are plenty of men left in the world! Just don't take InuYasha, he's mine!"
I sat there, still on the dead centipede youkai, completely taken aback.
After a moment, I smiled, and began to laugh.
"Eh? What's with you all of a sudden?" Jakotsu asked.
I pulled the arrow out of my shoulder, letting out a grunt of pain, before continuing my laughter.
"Wow! I actually thought I knew what you were going to say!" I said. "Thank you, Jakotsu-nii-san! For being unpredictable, and helping me feel better!"
I stood up, and rubbed some more blood off of my face.
When I pulled my hand away, I looked at the blood on my fingers.
The color was bright red. I smiled, and ran it across my lips.
"What do you think?" I asked. "I have no sense of what looks good on me. Please, answer truthfully!"
Jakotsu stared at me for a moment. "I think it looks good!" came a voice.
I looked past Jakotsu. Renkotsu was coming this way, probably to bother me about what had happened yesterday. Bankotsu had him hand over his spare shards, and Renkotsu was upset with me for not bringing him any new shards, and telling Bankotsu about his shards, even if he couldn't prove it was me. "Blood suits you, no matter how you wear it!" Renkotsu said.
I frowned. "Very funny! Since when do you compliment me?" I asked.
He glared for a second, then composed himself.
"It is strange," Jakotsu said. "You've always shown a clear loathing toward her, why the sudden change in attitude?"
"I need Mori-san's help," Renkotsu said. "Are you two busy?"
I looked to Jakotsu for help. "Mori was about to help me find a new kimono." He said. "I can't go around in this torn rag for very long. What did you need?"
"I was going to ask her to help me track down the wolf who killed Ginkotsu." Renkotsu said. "However, I won't force her. She can choose whether or not she wants to go."
Jakotsu couldn't argue with that. Avenging his comrade was more important than his kimono.
It would've been an easy choice for me, too.
That is, if my life weren't on the line. I put up a barrier around myself.
"Okay," I said. "I'll help you. Jakotsu-nii-san, just pick the fabric you want, if you don't find the kimono, and I'll make one for you, 'kay?"
He gave me a concerned look.
I gave him a thumbs up, and smiled.
"Okay..." Jakotsu said, reluctantly.
I followed Renkotsu away.
Once we were a good way's away from Jakotsu, Renkotsu attempted to attack me, hitting my barrier, and knocking himself off the path.
I sighed. "So, how can I help? Is this wolf a youkai or something?" I asked. "Am I looking for anything in particular?"
He glared at me, furiously. "You just cost yourself your secret!" Renkotsu growled.
I shrugged. "Whatever!" I said. "You're merely saving me the butterflies! Besides, Onii-san would never praise me for betraying him! I'm fine just being the Iron Maiden, and torturing people to death, impressing the heck out of Onii-san! Now, did you really want to look for the wolf, or, can I go find something better to do with my time?"
Renkotsu took hold of the gord hanging over his shoulder on a string, and removed the cork.
I was trying desperately not to show any fear, even though my heart was racing.
He took a sip from the gord. Why wasn't he stopping?!
There was nothing I could do.
Renkotsu blew fire at me, enveloping my barrier in flames.
I shrieked, and cried, and turned every which way to find an end to the flames.
I ran forward, and knocked something back.
The flames receded, and I continued to panic.
I ran down the road, unsure of where I was going, what I would do when I got there, or if I would even stop running...
Ooooohhh! I like where my plot is going! I hope you do, too! Please, review!