The dust took a long time to clear. And when it finally did, I wished it hadn't.
Bankotsu lay buried under a mountain of ruble, hardly alive. I screamed his name and tried to climb out of the rocks that held me down. I was unhurt, for the moment.
"I don't understand," Bankotsu said as InuYasha looked down at him. I cried his name, sobs wracking the words.
"You were way too greedy, Bankotsu," InuYasha said. "You were strong enough on your own, even without the jewel shards."
Bankotsu began to laugh lightly and that's when the shaking started. The rocks began to wave under my feet as I tried to maneuver around them. I finally made it to Bankotsu and clung to him as the floor beneath us dropped. The rocks and walls melted into a sticky substance that began wrapping around me and my semi-conscious lover. I saw InuYasha struggling against it as well.
We sunk into the floor and it was dark. The roaring sound filled the air. After a few moments I could see again.
We were in a long tunnel that went upwards. InuYasha, Kagoma, Koga the wolf demon, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Naraku were all there.
The fleshy substance released me but Bankotsu remained hanging in the fleshy material. I immediately climbed to my feet and clung to him, slapping him trying to make him regain consciousness. I was barely aware that Naraku, the bastard, had shown his face and was holding a discussion with InuYasha.
"Bankotsu!" I tapped his face with my finger tips. Tears were starting to stream down my face. Not again. Please. Not again. "Bankotsu. Please! Wake up!"
The piece that held Bankotsu began to rise towards Naraku, up until now, I hadn't been paying attention, only focused on grief.
"The stupidity of humans makes me utterly sick to my stomach!" Naraku said. I growled low in my throat. "Even villains like Bankotsu. He arrived here, determined to avenge his friends' deaths and he fought with you, InuYasha. I gave each member of the Band of Seven a sacred Jewel shard. When Bankotsu got them all, he should have forgotten about revenge and fled with them." I refused to say it, but I secretly agreed. If he had, he wouldn't be on the verge of death.
"Yet he didn't," Naraku finished. "They prove themselves to be fools, these humans. Every time."
Bankotsu's eyes fluttered open and he coughed weakly. I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Bankotsu, I was so worried!" I cried.
"Kaida…" his voice was raspy. "I'm sorry."
Tears ran down my face. "No. Don't say your good-byes yet. We'll get out of this."
"No we won't," he said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you into this."
"No! Bankotsu, you didn't do anything wrong. I would follow you to the ends of the earth if you asked." I was sobbing now.
"Kaida, I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Bankotsu, don't leave me. Not again," I cried. "You promised…you promised!"
"I'm sorry…I love you."
Naraku lifted Bankotsu's left arm slowly, savoring the moment.
"No! No! Please!" I begged. "NO! Don't!! Please!"
Naraku pulled the jewel shard from Bankotsu's arm. Bankotsu shuddered and his body returned to a skeleton.
"No!" I screamed. The word was drawn out. "Bankotsu!"
I sobbed. Bankotsu was gone. Again. Torn away from me at our second chance of happiness. My best friend, lover, the person I'd wanted to spend the rest of my life with was gone. The grief was more profound then the first time. Naraku had torn him from me. Suddenly, my sorrow was replaced with anger. A burning furious anger that would never be quenched. I raised my head and roared at Naraku: "DAMN YOU, NARAKU!"
I pulled out my twin blades and crossed them above my head. Then, sweeping them down, screamed: "LIGHTNING STRIKE!"
The green lightning shot out at Naraku. He somehow deflected it, causing the lightning to rebound off the cavern walls until, with a hiss, it disintegrated.
"Was that supposed to hit me?" Naraku laughed.
"You Bastard!" I screamed.
I tried again. "Lightening strike!" This time, it struck his shoulder and left an angry led burn.
"Damn," he muttered.
He flew at me and struck me across the face. I hit the wall and fell to my knees. Naraku grabbed me by my hair and punched me in the stomach. I doubled over, clenching my gut.
"Is someone as heartless as Bankotsu worth this? Walk away. Or, in fact, join me. You're strong," Naraku said laughing. "I like your spirit."
"Fuck you," I gasped. I glared at him. "It's ironic that you talk about heartlessness. Rumor is you cut out your own heart. Let me be the judge. If there's anything left of your heart, I'll cut it out!" I jabbed my sword up and caught him in the lower stomach. The blade sunk in up to the hilt.
I pulled it out and Naraku jumped back swearing. "You'll pay for that."
"Fuck you and your twisted mind, Naraku. Die!"
I dove at him, screaming out every ounce of my pain and suffering at him. My sword was about to strike his chest when one of the fleshy tendrils went through my chest. I gagged and plummeted down into the abyss.
I failed. I'd failed Bankotsu. Tears ran down my face. I didn't bother to even scream as I fell; I couldn't get enough air to scream. Bankotsu's words came back to me. Don't do anything stupid.
"I'm sorry, Bankotsu," I murmured. "I did something stupid."
The walls of blackness surrounded me.
I knew no more.