Author's Note: Hey! Glad to see that everyone found the second story lol! I'm glad you like the prologue. This story is going to be a little different from the other, being that it's longer because it has more characters. It is still being told from Bankotsu's perspective, so the first few chapters are just a lot of he and Jakotsu being monkeys ;). I'm folding Suikotsu into the mix a little at a time, slowly but surely. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Reviewer Responses:
me, just me: Hey thanks! The flow of a story sometimes is more important than a plot, so I'm glad you think I have a good handle on both. I actually don't have a beta though... unless you're counting me at around noon writing it and me at midnight reading over it (two different people completely lol!). Thanks for reviewing! Take care!
MageofDarkness: Hey! For some reason I get off on the protectiveness bit. I hope I don't overdo it though lol. Thanks for the plushies; they can sleep on the bed with my others ;). I hope Suikotsu's entrance doesn't disappoint you, since I'm not going to actually have him enter as Sui.... eh... never mind evil smile You'll just have to read ;). Thanks for reviewing! Love ya and take care!
Tareacel: Hello! You write Shichinin-tai stories? Are they posted here? I don't think I've ever seen you when I do queries :(. You'll have to give me your link. :) I'm glad you like my stories so much. I'm usually overly thorough when I come up with background stories for people and feel I go for the overkill and bore people to death. Bankotsu and Jakotsu are my favorites too, but Suikotsu's cool. I'm still trying to get a handle on his character and I'm slowly but surely shaping him as I go along. (I'm already on Chapter 4). Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Take care!
Lily-anime-girl-spy008: Hey girl! Thanks for reviewing like practically every chapter of both stories lol! I really appreciate it. Take care!
Yennnie-gurl: :). I like to try to incorporate as many scenes from the actually anime as I can to make the story seem legitimate. I'm glad you like it! Thank you for reviewing! Take care!
SpeakThaMind: Lol about the log in. I usually don't log in unless I'm updating, so whenever people get signed reviews from me it probably means that I've just updated something or in the process of updating something ;). I'm glad you like the start of this one. I hope you like Chapter 1. Suikotsu's going to be slow to emerge. I don't think I can just plant him somewhere for Bankotsu to stumble upon like I did with Jakotsu lol. I hope you don't get bored with me taking my time with this lol. Take care and thanks for reviewing!
Chapter 1
Bankotsu nibbled on a strip of dried meat hungrily, watching Jakotsu play with his portion of the travel rations uninterestedly. "Eat," he urged.
Jakotsu looked up at Bankotsu in shock; he'd been lost in thought.
"I'm not hungry," Jakotsu replied softly. "I don't think I can force it down. You eat it, Bankotsu."
Bankotsu scowled at his friend, taking the jerky and cramming it into his mouth. It seemed his stomach was never full and Jakotsu's was never empty. They made the perfect partners really.
Jakotsu rested his head on his knees, dark hair spilling over his shoulders. He wore regular clothing, no make-up, and hadn't even pinned his hair up. In short, Jakotsu looked like a very pretty young man instead of a disturbingly attractive woman.
He hated looking like that.
The only times Jakotsu didn't trouble himself with his appearance was when he was feeling especially depressed or not well.
"Ja?"
"Hm?"
"You ok?"
"Fine," Jakotsu mumbled then sighed. "A little tired."
Bankotsu nodded; it was understandable. They had come across a nest of minor demons on route to the next village they were headed to. Bankotsu had never had such fun. He tallied a record breaking 48 demons for his Banryuu. Jakotsu had not recorded his slays. It disappointed him sometimes that Jakotsu didn't make as much of a game out of it as he did.
"Only a few more hours until we reach the next village. We have enough money to rent a room for tonight," Bankotsu said, reaching over to rub Jakotsu's neck gently and pulling back when he flinched.
"Hey, I thought you said you were ok. You're not hiding an injury are you? What did I tell you about that?"
Jakotsu had a bad habit of not telling Bankotsu when he was injured. It infuriated him. Bankotsu quickly reached for his friend, meaning to make him strip so he could check him thoroughly for injury.
Jakotsu, no doubt sensing Bankotsu's intentions, shifted and scooted away. Moodily he muttered, "I'm not hurt. I told you I'd tell you after that last time. Why can't you trust me?"
Bankotsu halted in his invasive actions, surprised at the tone Jakotsu had used with him. Jakotsu never snapped at him or sounded anything but happy or vaguely hurt. While Bankotsu couldn't say he was displeased with Jakotsu finally expressing that he had an opinion of his own and everything Bankotsu did wasn't golden, he still knew something was wrong with his friend and he'd be damned if he couldn't bully it out of him.
"I do trust you, but not with yourself. If you're not hurt, then what is it?" Bankotsu pressed.
Jakotsu sighed, raising his head from his knees so that Bankotsu could see how pale he was. "I don't know. Just feel a little weird. The sun's hurting my eyes and I keep hearing this buzzing noise. It'll go away I'm sure."
Bankotsu narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong with your neck?"
"Nothing. It just hurt when you touched it. It doesn't hurt now. I'm sorry, Bankotsu. I don't know what's wrong with me. Just leave it alone; it'll go away."
"Yeah, I'm sure it will." Bankotsu let his eyes linger a little longer before letting his gaze drift over to his precious Banryuu. Maybe they'd stay camped here a little longer. Jakotsu could rest while Bankotsu shone Banryuu. His dear halberd deserved a treat after a job well done.
"We'll rest here for a while then. I'm going to go back to the lake and shine Banryuu. Do you want to come?"
"No," Jakotsu said, burying his head back in his knees. "I don't want to move. I'll just stay here."
"Do you want some fresh water?"
"No, I'm fine."
"All right then. I'll return in a little while. Keep an ear out, ok?" Bankotsu cuffed his friend on the shoulder lightly. It would be a bad idea to fall asleep with no one watching his back.
"Sure, Aniki. Now go away; you make too much noise," Jakotsu said.
Bankotsu raised an eyebrow, but did grab up Banryuu and do exactly as Jakotsu suggested.
Maybe he'd take a bath and wash his hair... it had been a week since he'd allowed his hair to get wet. Yeah, that would be nice.
"We're almost there; it's not far now."
Bankotsu walked beside Jakotsu with an arm around his back, easing him along slowly. They stopped just before the inn, resting for a moment on the wooden porch and listening to the boisterous sounds of many people inside enjoying their evening meal. "Would you like to wait out here while I check us in?"
Bankotsu had felt his friend's grimace at the noise and prospect of entering.
"Please?"
Bankotsu helped Jakotsu sit down and once he was sure the boy wasn't going to fall over, he ventured inside the inn.
It was bright, many lanterns hung from the thin walls, and cheery. Families of people sat with their legs folded beneath them at long tables eating various dishes that made Bankotsu's stomach growl in anticipation.
He hadn't eaten since that morning. Worry tended to make one forget their appetite, temporarily. He had to force his eyes away from the food and to the man who had been walking from table to table, querying the comfort of his guests, that was now staring at him curiously.
Bankotsu straightened his shoulders and walked to the man, arming his face with the charming smile that usually got people to eat from his palms. "Hello. Are you the innkeeper?"
"Mr. Chin. How may I be of service to you, young man?" The man's smile was more in the twinkle in his eyes rather than on his lips. He bowed his head slightly, giving Bankotsu a clear view of his thinning hair and growing bald spot.
My gods... Bankotsu fought back the urge to clutch his braid and make sure his own hair was still there.
"I want to request a room for the night and dinner, if you have anything available. If not, how far is the next closest inn?"
Mr. Chin blinked at his eloquence, obviously he'd figured Bankotsu for much younger than his 15 years. "I have rooms available and dinner can be arranged. Do you travel alone?"
Bankotsu shook his head. "I'm with my brother. He's waiting outside. He's not feeling well, so would it be alright if I checked into the room and came back to pick up dinner?"
Mr. Chin frowned. "I can have someone bring it to you. Do you require the services of a physician. There is a new doctor in town that I can have someone go to fetch."
Bankotsu made a face. Did Jakotsu need a doctor? All he had was one of those sick headaches he got at the most inconvenient of times. Most of the time just lying down for the night solved the problem, but for the times it didn't work... Bankotsu bit his lip. Well, if he wasn't better by morning, then Bankotsu would worry about the issue of the doctor, but he sure hoped this doctor wouldn't want any money. They hadn't replenished their supply in quite some time and were spending the last of it on their room and board for the night.
He hated to kill or rob anyone in a town that they were staying in or planning to stay in that wasn't part of a planned hit. It was messy and unprofessional because it left too many trails and loose ends for them to tie up.
"If he doesn't feel better by morning, perhaps. Thank you, sir."
"I'll escort you to your room," Mr. Chin said.
They walked out onto the porch where Bankotsu had left Jakotsu to find the boy resting his body against a support beam with his head resting on knees he had curled up to his chest. Bankotsu sighed, shaking his head, still the same.
Well, at least no one had bothered him or there would be blood; Jakotsu was rather ill-tempered to strangers when in pain.
Mr. Chin waited for Bankotsu to tap Jakotsu lightly and get him standing and moving again, before stepping off the porch and guiding them to the room they would be lodging in. After Bankotsu got Jakotsu settled, he would wait for dinner to be delivered, then go and get Banryuu and Jakotsutou from their hiding places.
It did not look good for two kids to wander into town holding very large, very sharp, weapons. They'd learned that lesson well time and time again when they'd forgotten that normal people usually didn't walk around with swords the size of theirs.
"Are you sure you do not want for me to send for the doctor. Dr. Kaji is very kind-hearted and would not mind coming." Mr. Chin was tossing wary glances over his shoulder at Bankotsu who was shouldering much of Jakotsu's weight. Bankotsu looked up at his friend, doubly noting why Mr. Chin was so eager to call a doctor in. Jakotsu looked like death warmed over and the fact that he couldn't walk straight on his own wasn't helping matters.
"We're sure. He gets these headaches sometimes. He's usually fine in the morning," Bankotsu said to the man off-handedly.
It never failed. No matter where they went, they always seemed to run into kind older people who wanted to mother or father them in some way, except when Jakotsu wore his girl costume and someone discovered he wasn't really a woman.
They usually never stayed or spoke to anyone long enough for anyone to discern just what Jakotsu was or even become curious.
Mr. Chin gave a small grunt of disapproval and stopped before a closed door. He knocked gently before pushing it open. He entered the room and lit a lantern from somewhere within its depths. "This will be your room. There are futons and blankets already inside, the bath house is to your left, and breakfast will be brought to you."
Bankotsu nodded and thanked the man, depositing a few coins in his hand after dumping Jakotsu unceremoniously on a futon. Jakotsu moaned lightly and rolled onto his side, curling up and squeezing his eyes shut. Bankotsu would have to blow out the lantern as soon as he got everything situated or move it to the floor.
"I'll have someone bring your dinner to you. Is there anything in particular that you do not like?"
Bankotsu shook his head with an eager grin. He'd never met a food he didn't like, and Jakotsu wasn't picky. He poked over everything with the same indifference.
One day he was going to find something that Jakotsu would eat with no abandon. Birds ate more than he did and Bankotsu was afraid one day he'd fly away with them.
Mr. Chin left after lingering a moment longer.
Bankotsu stretched his back out and yelped when it popped loudly and apologized sheepishly at Jakotsu's groan of complaint. "Sorry," he whispered. He crept to the bed, pulling the sheet from under Jakotsu's prone form and covering him with it.
"The lantern..." Jakotsu whimpered, bringing a hand up to cover his closed eyes.
Bankotsu chewed his lip and went to fetch the lantern. He set it on the floor beside his futon and sat in front of it, shielding its light from Jakotsu with his body.
Dinner came after a few moments: hot soup, rice, steamed vegetables, and beef. Oh yes... his mouth watered and his stomach gave a leap of quiet joy. Food!
He worked quickly, pouring his soup over his rice, adding vegetables, and dumping the meat on top. He ate messily with his chopsticks, not concerned with the food that fell into his lap or on the floor, for he scooped it all back up and shoved it into his mouth anyway.
So good....
Or maybe he was just hungry.
Didn't matter. His eyes rolled back in his head in contentment, and if anyone had walked in, they may have thought him to be possessed. Oh well.... if they thought he was possessed, they wouldn't be stupid enough to try and take his food from him.
When his porcelain bowl was licked clean and there were no more crumbs for him to find, he gazed longingly at the food meant for Jakotsu. Jakotsu wouldn't eat anything that night, and there would be new food in the morning for him. Maybe...
No, no... Bankotsu should try to get him to eat. Jakotsu had eaten nothing all day. Bother. He stood grudgingly, frowning at the mess on his white pants. He would have to wash his clothes again.
Washing clothes was so annoying.
"Jakotsu?" he queried softly. He tiptoed to the futon and peered down at his friend. He appeared to be asleep. He was still pale as death and his eyes were now sporting dark circles beneath them.
"I'm going to go get Banryuu and Jakotsutou. Move from this room and I'll kick your ass," Bankotsu whispered, snickering lightly at the soft, incoherent moan of reply that he got. "I'll be back shortly."
Bankotsu could not remember Banryuu ever being so heavy. Perhaps it was because he was also carrying Jakotsutou on his back. Jakotsu was going to have to give him a stipend for this...
He'd mention it to him in the morning when Jakotsu was in better humor.
He whistled to himself, eyes roving left to right cautiously watching for bandits, demons, and animals. He almost wished something would pop out at him. He was hungry for some action. Adventure had taken a backseat on his and Jakotsu's journey as they scouted for strong men to join their cause.
So far no good, but it had only been a few weeks.
He heard something rustling through the bushes and coming up behind him fast. He whirled around, shaking the purple slip cover from Banryuu and standing ready. He wondered off-handedly if Jakotsutou's bulk on his back would hinder his fighting.
He was about to find out.
A dark shape hurtled by him, not slowing.
"Hey!" Bankotsu called after it. Should he give chase? Might be fun... But... He remembered Jakotsu. He couldn't leave him all alone for long in his condition. What if something happened? He'd never forgive himself.
It's your lucky night, he sighed.
Jakotsu owed him more than a stipend now.
Author's Note: That's the end of Chapter 1. I'm proofreading Chapter 2 now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please let me know what you think of it by reviewing ;) Take care!