Author's Note: Hi! Yes, yes, I've been bad lol. My attention has been so spread out lately. I planned to have this story halfway done before October, and well as you can see, I'm just finishing Chapter 1. I hope you guys like this one. It's a little different from my other chapters. I wrote it in spurts at work. Anyways, I'm not quite sure if I like it, but I wanted to post something before September was over :(. Hope this doesn't disappoint you too much lol; the next chapter will be better-- promise :)

Reviewer Responses:

Mars Fire Goddess: Well I am so very glad you like the Arc. This is my first story Arc to ave more than one story in it lol. I think there's more to the group relationship too :). I love yaoi, but I'm really not planning on pairing Ban and Ja together. I do experiment with yaoi, but it doesn't feel right for this series. I'm having more fun with the brotherhood thing and romance changes everything, so I'm glad you like it anyway lol! Sorry I took so long to update and I hope this chapter doesn't make you want to take back your nice comments :) Take care and thank you for reviewing!

Lildaemon: :) Glad you like the transition. I didn't know quite where to pick it up at first. The relationship between the three is fun to write, though I think I sometimes leave Suikotsu out a big :(. Renkotsu coming into the mix...hehehe... That's going to be rather... messy. Take care and thank you so much for reviewing. I hope this chapter is ok for you.

Corrina: I'm grouchy when I'm hot and sleepy when I'm cold :). I hope you enjoy this chapter... I'm kind of iffy about it, which means I gotta make the next chapter really good lol. Thank you for reviewing and take care!

Ibara-hime: Lol well look, this chapter is longer than the others in the Arc... I don't know how good it is though lol. I promise to make the next one better. (Eh, I don't really like Renkotsu either, but I am looking forward to introducing him). Thank you for reviewing and take care!

Evil-Zukin: Lol, glad you like it. Hope you still like it after this chapter. Take care and thanks for reviewing!

Yennie-Gurl: Lol, excited about the way I write Renkotsu? You mean I can't make him a jerk? Awww... :( Lol. Well, you'll see how I develop him ;). I hope you like this chapter more than I do lol! Why did I make Jakotsu of a descent other than Japanese? I don't know really. It just made it more interesting for me. I love foreign languages and I figure the more the merrier, I guess lol. Plus I have a really fun scene planned that wouldn't work out if Jakotsu didn't speak another language ;). Thanks for reviewing girl, and take care!

Me, just me: Lol. Renkotsu has more fans than you think as it turns out. I was a little surprised too. He kinda ticked me off when he killed my Jakotsu, so he's not my favorite person either lol. The demon slayer bit... lol, well I figure they had to support themselves somehow and that way they get their exercise ;). Well, thank you for reviewing and take care. I hope you like the chapter.

D. Pearls: Lol, "insanely picky brat." I thought that was MY title lol. Just ask my family. Hmm... you can try calling him Renny, just hide behind Suikotsu when you do it. Thanks for reviewing chic, and take care! Hope you like this chapter :).

TamamoHitomi: Is Jakotsu more immune to things? No, it was a fluke thing. The gods decided to punish Bankotsu and Suikotsu with Ja's cooking and bedside manner :). Maybe I'll let them have a little revenger :). Will they be meeting their new member on the mission... count on it :). Hope you like the chapter. Thanks for reviewing and take care!

Lynxzeo: Yay for malfunctioning mouses that still let you send me reviews! :) Lol! Thank you for the review and I hope you like this chapter ok. Take care!

MageofDarkness: Ooh book review? For what book? I'm so noisy :D. I wish I had written for my school paper :( Hehehe, glad you like how I'm trying to develop Suikotsu. I excluded him a bit in this chapter, but you'll see more of him in the next. He IS hard to write. I think that's why I excluded him unconsciously, lol. There will be more interaction in the next chapter. Baldie, lol! Hehehehehehehe, he did ruin himself after that stunt, didn't he? Well you'll just have to se what I'm going to do with him. Well, I hope you like this chapter...as I said, I'm not too confident about it. I might take it apart later and rework it in fact lol. I try not to do that often, but...it happens. Sigh... Well, thank you so much for the review and take care!

Gerbil: Yeah, I did get the start of the story out fast, sorry it's taking so long for the rest of it to come out lol. I'm glad you liked the prologue, and I hope you like this chapter. Take care and thank you for reviewing!

Skittlez: Lol... you are so weird. Glad you're excited about Renkotsu. I promise he and his canon will be in the next chapter! Thank you for reviewing and take care. I hope you like this chapter... though I have some reservations about it.... blech. Anyways, enjoy!

Riftwar-Slave: Thankee! Hope you like this next bit :). Thank you for reviewing and take care!

Chapter 1

"My own room," Bankotsu was murmuring as he spun around in his own private quarters. It had years since he had spent a night alone. He didn't mind sleeping with his comrades-- though Suikotsu snored like a horse and every now and again, Jakotsu cried in his sleep-- but it was nice to be on his own. He pulled open the sliding paper door sectioning off the closet from the rest of the room. He set his travel bag on the clean wooden floor. Banryuu was stationed against the wall near the large black futon he was going to be sleeping on– all by himself!

He giggled giddily. He even had his own kotatsu! The wooden floor was lined with mats and the low wooden table sat in the middle of the room with a thick quilt draped over it. A tiny ceramic pot filled with burning charcoal was under the table, producing the comfortable heat Bankotsu felt beneath the bare soles of his feet as he paced the length of the room for the 15th time.

He wondered if the chieftain would want live in demon busters... or better yet, they could be village defenders. Not only could they take out youkai and supposed mononoke, but riff-raff too. He laid down on his belly, resting his cheek on the hot surface of the floor mat. Closing his eyes, he yawned.

It had been a full day's journey to the village, and Bankotsu wasn't very fond of trekking through snow. When they finally reached their destination, they were exhausted, hungry, and cranky; even Suikotsu had been a little irritable. They were shown to their rooms right away, and there Bankotsu had stayed. He didn't worry about the others too much, seeing as they obviously weren't too concerned about him either. No one had come looking for him.

Suikotsu had probably demanded to be taken to the bath area. He loved taking hot baths; it was a comfort they hadn't had in their cabin. Jakotsu was either taking a nap or hunting up the dress maker.

The official dinner for the family had already been served, but a servant was to bring a meal up to their rooms later on. Bankotsu hoped the man or woman came before he fell asleep. He hated going to sleep on an empty stomach; it gave him strange dreams.

He was just drifting away, when the knock came. He sat up irritably, wondering idly if he had creases on his face from the floor mat.

"Come in!" he called, not bothering to tidy his appearance. Whether he be tousled or perfectly groomed, people always thought he was handsome. A little boy entered holding a short-legged wooden tray. He kept his eyes to the floor as bowed to Bankotsu and set his meal before him.

Bankotsu tried to meet the servant boy's eyes, but he kept looking away. "What, you don't like me or something?"

The boy had the decency to blush. "No...no sir! I... I ain't supposed to look guests in the eye. It ain't right."

Bankotsu snorted. "Well, you can look me in the eye. I never trust people that can't. It means they have something to hide. Do you have something to hide? Did you do something bad to my food? I eat kids that tamper with my food, you know?"

"No! No sir! Nothing like that! I don't got nothing to hide! But the Lord will... he'll... I don't wanna make him mad."

Bankotsu raised a brow. "Ah. Well, can't argue with that, but I guess I can't eat this either. You'll have to take it back..."

"The Lord's gonna think something's wrong with the food! Sir, you can't do that! It was fine when he tasted it, so he'll think I did something! You gotta eat it!"

Bankotsu shook his head, pretending to lie back down and fall asleep. "Nope, sorry."

He felt something drop to the floor beside him. "Look sir, look!"

Bankotsu opened one blue eye to meet the boy's dark brown ones. He beamed, sitting up and patting the boy on the back. "Now, was it really that hard?" Bankotsu turned his attention to the tray that he'd had no intention of letting be taken away from him. His stomach growled resentfully at the mere thought of it. Rice, fish, steamed vegetables, pickles, and a noodle dish with bean buns for dessert.

Lord Kira certainly knew how to treat a guest... but not his servants.

The little boy looked scared to death and he sat, shaking, waiting for Bankotsu to dismiss him. "What's your name?"

"O...Oishi, milord."

"None of that 'lord' stuff with me, ok? I'm just Bankotsu. Next time you come up here, remember that."

"Y...yes sir...er... Bankotsu-sa.... er... Bankotsu."

Well, Bankotsu shrugged as the kid hurried out of the room, not forgetting to do a quick bow in parting, it was a start.

He started in on his dinner, eating each dish with vigor. Suikotsu's cooking wasn't bad, but it also left much to be desired when it came to variation and creativity. Bankotsu had to face it; unless he was planning on inducting a mercenary into the band who was secretly an iron chef, he was never going to enjoy large, interesting, gourmet meals at home.

Damn.

Bankotsu finished his meal and drained the last of the green tea from his cup, wishing it was warm soy milk instead. After giving a decent belch, he decided it was time to hunt up his comrades, Jakotsu in particular. Suikotsu he would probably leave alone. The older man liked his solitude and would go outside and sit in below freezing temperatures to get it sometimes.

When he was done arranging his empty dishes neatly, he stood up, stretching slightly. He walked to the mirror to make sure he wasn't too indecent before leaving his room. Wild strands of raven hair were coming loose from the waist-length braid that had bound them. Bankotsu tugged at few, but could think of nothing to do with them that didn't involve taking down the braid and plaiting it all over again.

The bedraggled look would just have to do for then, he supposed. He squinted at his reflection. Were those dark circles really under his eyes or was there something on the mirror? He was tired, but he hadn't known he looked the part as well. He would have to go to sleep early that night.

Stepping away from the mirror, Bankotsu went to the closet to extract a pair of house slippers from his bag. He plodded down the long wooden hall, stopping just outside Jakotsu's door. He knocked first, then let himself inside. The first thing he noticed was Jakotsu's untouched dinner, covered and growing cold beside the door. Sighing, Bankotsu next glimpsed his friend's long form half curled on a floor mat, cocooned in blankets and fast asleep. He sat beside Jakotsu, rubbing his back before giving him a light shake.

"Jakotsu? Ja?"

"H... hm..." Jakotsu stirred, rolling onto his stomach. Bankotsu smirked and moved to straddle Jakotsu, tickling his sides. Jakotsu let out a high-pitched shriek, tossed him off, and Bankotsu landed in a cackling heap.

"Bankotsu!"

"You sounded like an onna!"

"What do you want? I was sleeping!"

Bankotsu, still chuckling, tried to straighten up. "I'm just making sure you got dinner."

Jakotsu narrowed his eyes, for a moment looking exactly like the snake he was named after. "You could not wait for me to finish my nap, before you came to steal my food?"

Bankotsu shook his head, finally sitting upright. He flicked one of Jakotsu's tangled curls from his gray eyes with a smirk. "I didn't come to take your dinner. Well... it wasn't my original intention anyway. I just came to make sure you were ok and that you were being treated as well as I was. I would've gone to visit Suikotsu first, but you know how he gets about his privacy."

"What about MY privacy?"

"You don't have any," Bankotsu said gravely, squeezing his shoulder. Then he crossed his eyes and giggled. "Hey, you don't give me any either!"

Jakotsu stared at him, unblinking, then at long last gave way to a smile. "I'll give you that one, Aniki. So, what are we eating?"

"Well, if you got the same thing I got..." Bankotsu went to collect Jakotsu's tray. He set it down between them and uncovered it... "which you did, you've got rice, fish, veggies, and pickles. I've got..."

"Aniki!" Jakotsu glared. "YOU have got rice, fish, vegetables, and pickles. Give me my noodles and buns!"

Bankotsu sighed in defeat. He should have tried to slip them off the tray when he'd had his back to Jakotsu. He watched Jakotsu separate the portions he planned to eat from the ones he was giving Bankotsu, smiling to himself. There was no way Jakotsu could eat two bean buns, much less an entire bowl of noodles, and Bankotsu was not beyond finishing up someone else's leftovers.

Bankotsu mixed the sweet pickles with his rice, munching on the dish slowly. "Lord Kira will want to meet with us in the morning. I'm surprised he didn't keep us around to talk to us tonight. He doesn't look like the compassionate type."

"His wife, Lady Naoko, does. I saw her whispering something to him and then he dismissed us," Jakotsu said, winding a thick helping of noodles around a single chopstick and then pushing them all back off with the other.

"Really?" Bankotsu hadn't really noticed the woman, other than to note she had exceptionally large breasts. He had been too busy admiring the rich layout of the chieftain's home. Large vases and statues lined the halls and beautiful portraits decorated the walls. Vast rugs with the most intriguing designs spanned light wood floors that had been scrubbed until the they shone wherever the rugs left them visible.

Jakotsu nodded. He sampled a few noodles, his expression going a bit cloudy.

"Something the matter?" Bankotsu had finished the rice and was moving on to the fish. He didn't think he was still hungry; however, as long as there was room in his stomach for food he would fill the void. There was nothing like going to sleep on a full stomach.

"No," Jakotsu said after a moment's hesitation too long.

Bankotsu actually paused in his fish consumption. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It is fine; do not worry about..."

"Tell me or I'll eat both of your desserts!"

Jakotsu snorted at the threat. "Go right ahead. I do not think I want them anyway."

Bankotsu growled low in his throat, "Jakotsu..."

"Oh, all right, if you must know, Lord Kira paid a lot of attention to me downstairs..."

"Jakotsu," Bankotsu began, rolling his eyes, "you always think people are staring at you when they aren't! Why would Lord Kira want to stare at you, when he could stare at his wife's big breasts? No offense Jakotsu, but between you and those melons, I think I'd rather..."

"Enough, Aniki! I get it; I am... what do you call it?" Jakotsu rubbed his chin, deep in thought, so deep he didn't notice Bankotsu steal his bowl away from him and start slurping up his plain, picked-over, soba noodles. Bankotsu preferred toppings on his noodles, but Jakotsu didn't like for any of his food to touch.

"Aniki!" Bankotsu looked up guiltily, a single noodle dangling from his lips.

"What is that word you are always calling me, when I tell you that people are looking at me strangely?"

Bankotsu blinked and sucked up the rest of the noodle. "Paranoid?"

"Yes!" Jakotsu clapped his hands, dropping his chopsticks. "But-- I am not paranoid about Lord Kira. He really was watching me. I did not like it."

He pushed his tray closer to Bankotsu. "I will not wear any paint tomorrow."

"Aw, Jakotsu, he really bothered you that much?" Bankotsu frowned, not helping himself to the rest of Jakotsu's meal. "I'll watch him tomorrow morning. Wear what you want, and– and eat more than that! You're making me feel bad. I ate everything on my tray and I'm not going to eat everything on yours too... except maybe those bean buns. You really don't want them?"

Jakotsu chuckled and shook his head negatively, gazing back at the nest of blankets Bankotsu had shaken him out of longingly.

Bankotsu chewed his lip. "I'm serious, Jakotsu; wear what you want." He took both bean buns, but broke one in half, leaving it on the tray. "Do you..." Oh gods, how he wanted to stay in his own room for the night, but... "...want me to stay in here tonight?"

Jakotsu reached for his covers and pulled them into his lap, shaking his head negatively at Bankotsu's offer. "No offense, Aniki, but you talk in your sleep."

Well... Bankotsu gapped, he never! Unfamiliar with the rejection process, Bankotsu was a bad sport. He stood abruptly and left the room, tossing his braid over his shoulder so it wouldn't smack him on the butt on his way out.

"Goodnight, Oo-aniki," Jakotsu purred after him and Bankotsu responded by flinging the door closed.

Brat.

He plodded down the hall, planning to go back to his room, do some crunches and go to sleep, but a muffled sound slowed his steps. He frowned, fingering his ratty braid as he heard the sound again. Animal or human? He stood still, debating whether he should investigate or go on about his business. A large yawn that he couldn't stifle became the determining factor in the case of man vs man or nature; Bankotsu was going to turn in for the night. Besides, what if it was an animal, maybe a cat or a mouse? He was being paid to catch the supernatural not to be an exterminator.

Hope your dreams are as pleasant as mine will be, little visitor. Good night.

Breakfast was held earlier than what Bankotsu was accustomed to on the account of Lord Kira wanting to brief them on the mononoke as soon as possible. They dined alone with the chubby chieftain, listening to him rant about the vengeful spirit plaguing his village.

"Every new moon it comes, wanting silver and gold as a tribute to the forest," Lord Kira wailed. "At first, we used to comply willingly. I don't want the wrath of spirits on my house, but I'm not made of silver and gold! When she kept returning, eventually I said, no. This is not a poor village, and I have no intent to make it one! When I refused, the mononoke brought fire upon us. She shot flames from her hands and burned one of the stables. We lost many horses that night. After that, we haven't dared to deny the spirit in fear of what she'll destroy next, but we can't keep living under this curse. Please tell me you can help us."

Bankotsu tried not to slurp his miso too loudly as Lord Kira's passionate plea for help finally came to a close. Buddha forbid the man actually have to start taking the riches from his own home and giving them to the vengeful, lady spirit. Bankotsu doubted the man had ever used anything of his own in the tribute, and his people were running out of goods to sacrifice.

What a jerk, but if he was willing to part with some of his treasure and let Bankotsu stay in his house, Bankotsu would gladly accept the mission. He glanced over at Suikotsu who sat stiff as a board, his miso already finished. The man was itching for some action, some bloodshed, and it seemed that he might not get it. Bankotsu frowned at that, slightly worried Suikotsu might start taking out his frustrations on something or someone. They would have to venture outside of the village that night and hunt up some demons for him.

Jakotsu sat, fiddling with his chopsticks. After sucking down three cups of green tea--yuck-- Jakotsu seemed quite full and content to play with his food and utensils. Bankotsu wondered if his friend had partaken of that half of a bean bun he'd left behind. He supposed it was time to start nagging Jakotsu about his eating habits again.

"Tomorrow will be the new moon, so you'll have plenty of time to prepare. Though I wish you had come sooner, when the message was first delivered."

Bankotsu bit back a growl. Did the man really think they'd had nothing better to do than to receive his distress mail? "Sorry about the delay, Lord Kira, but we did arrive before the spirit's visit so there's nothing to worry about. We won't need more than a day to prepare, and come tomorrow we'll know if we can help you or not."

How close was the nearest temple? He wondered. They'd probably need a priest or something. Did priests work for free? He certainly didn't want to end up having to split the reward.

"Just kindly have someone show us to the area where you normally encounter the mononoke, and we'll inspect it," Bankotsu said smoothly.

Lord Kira nodded solemnly, finishing his third bowl of miso and waving his hand for more to be served.

This man almost eats as much as me, Bankotsu chuckled to himself. I bet he wishes he had my metabolism though.

"Is the meal not to your liking, Jakotsu-san?"

Bankotsu blinked; the man had actually torn his beady little eyes away from his food to look across the table. Kira stared at Jakotsu in full in a way that made Bankotsu's brow furrow. Jakotsu was paranoid, but this man was giving him good reason to be.

"No, everything is fine. I am just not very hungry."

Lord Kira didn't look pleased. "You're not taking ill, I hope. You do look a bit pale, my boy."

Suikotsu raised a brow and shot a "What the hell?" look at Bankotsu who returned it with a "You got me."

"I am always pale," Jakotsu said flatly.

"Ah..."

Bankotsu cleared his throat. "Lord Kira, can we be escorted to the grounds now?" Someone had to stop this, and Suikotsu was too shocked to step in, and Jakotsu was going to resort to using weapons soon. Bankotsu knew he had a dagger tucked into the belt of his kimono.

"Oh... yes-- yes, of course!" Lord Kira rose ungracefully from his chair, his tubby tummy toppling over a half full cup of tea. "I'll have one of my men meet you out front. If you'll excuse me..."

He toddled away on his fat little legs, but not before giving a parting smile... to Jakotsu.

Jakotsu growled. "I know you say it is bad manners to kill an employer before they have paid us, but in his case surely we can make an exception. Gold and silver we can get elsewhere..."

"He's right, Aniki," Suikotsu agreed, eyes glistening with bloodlust. "We don't really need this job. Killing the man..."

Bankotsu balked. "There will be no killing of Lord Kira! We are going mononoke hunting! We've never done it before; it might be fun..."

"There won't be any blood!"

"I am not staying here with that pervert unless you tell me I can poke out his piggy little eyes!"

All right, Bankotsu. It was time to pull rank and truly be Oo-Aniki.

You wanted to be leader, so lead.

"Both of you shut up!" Bankotsu snapped, staring Jakotsu and Suikotsu down until they were silent. "Ok, so we all agree we don't like Lord Kira. We all know we can get the same payment somewhere else. But you know what, we're already here. The least we can do is check it out; gain new experience. We'll be gone in two days. If you two don't kill anyone, then no one's going to die. Now come on; we've got a mononoke to learn about."

Suikotsu scowled, but lowered his head a bit in submission and Jakotsu grumbled something unintelligible that Bankotsu didn't ask him to repeat, because it probably wasn't in Japanese.

Bankotsu strode from the room not looking behind him to see if his friends were following. He had to appear sure of himself, confident... he didn't hear feet! He halted suddenly and nearly fell forward when Jakotsu plowed right into him from behind and did fall on his ass when Suikotsu crashed into Jakotsu, causing him to bump Bankotsu again. Bankotsu sat on the hard floor trying to be angry, but failing miserably as he began to laugh. "You jerks!"

"You should warn us, if you're going to stop like that!"

"You should make more noise when you walk! I didn't know you were right behind me!"

"Where else would we be, Aniki?" Jakotsu extended a hand down to Bankotsu, pulling him up.

Bankotsu stood next to Jakotsu, gazing up at him and at Suikotsu, eyes threatening to water. "Ah, come on. Lets go before Kira's man thinks we've forgotten about him."

They were led to the edge of town by a behemoth of a man that made Suikotsu look small. "If something like that couldn't stop the ghost, what makes you think we can?" Jakotsu hissed, shivering as he stared up at the back of the man's bald head as they walked behind him.

"I could take him," Suikotsu snorted and Bankotsu didn't doubt that he could. Hell, he bet he could take Big Man down too.

"This..." the man said in his rough voice as he came to slow halt at the start of a clearing. "...is where she appears."

Bankotsu stared at the snowy gap between the large circle of white-tipped trees. In the light of the new moon, this location would become a perfect stage of silver. Very dramatic entrance, Spirit.

"Does the spirit move around much or interact with you, when she comes... down, up, just appears out of thin air?" Bankotsu folded his arms over his chest, surveying the tranquil scene. Jakotsu wandered past him, grumbling about perverts, snowmen, and giants, to inspect the clearing.

"She comes out of a large cloud of black smoke. She signals her approach by sending out tongues of flame that do not burn from either side of the clearing, and then right in the middle of the circle, she steps out of the smoke that falls from the sky."

Bankotsu hummed, impressed. He wished he could do things like that. Bet he wouldn't have any problems asking people to join his group then. Join or I'll blow you up. Are you arguing with me? I'll set you on fire for your insubordination!

He snickered, fully aware that Kira's hulk was watching him nervously, probably thinking he was a nut. "Is this the only place the spirit comes to?– And has she actually walked into town or does she always stay in this place?"

"She always reveals herself here, and she'll come as far as the edge of the clearing. She never enters town."

Hmm... Could there be some sort of wards restricting her from entering human dwellings? It wasn't unheard of... but the wards didn't keep out her magic, when she'd set the stable on fire.

"Thanks man," Bankotsu said suddenly to the giant. "We're gonna stay out here for a bit and look around. You can get back to the manor and tell Lord Kira we'll be back in time for lunch."

The man nodded brusquely and left quickly.

"What was so funny before, Oo-Aniki?" Suikotsu asked, brushing against Bankotsu's shoulder.

"Oh, I was just daydreaming," Bankotsu grinned sheepishly. "Imagining what it would be like to be a mononoke. What I wouldn't give for that power..."

Suikotsu shook his head. "You are always striving to be more than you are, but... that's what makes you so endearing, Bankotsu."

"Yeah sure," Bankotsu chuckled. "You won't be saying that in a few hours when your fingers and toes are going numb from searching the snow for clues."

"Clues? What clues would a spirit leave behind? I think we should have asked directions to the nearest temple. We'll need charms and..."

"Filho de uma cadela!1"

Bankotsu and Suikotsu turned in unison to see Jakotsu buried under a blanket of snow that had draped itself over him from a tree branch. He fought his way free only to sink right back into the snow kicking his legs and waving his arms.

Bankotsu guffawed loudly, doubling over his knees while Suikotsu shook his head, grinning in amusement as he moved toward Jakotsu to offer him aide.

"Ack! Now I am all wet!" Jakotsu was whining, finally able to sit up, and brushing snow off his body. Suikotsu reached him, bending down to lift him out of the snow drift. Jakotsu's eyes went wide at Suikotsu's approaching hands and he moved so suddenly to get away, he was once again lost in the snow.

"Ack!"

Bankotsu snorted, sucking in his mirth to frown as Suikotsu, apparently oblivious to Jakotsu's elusion, reached for Jakotsu again, going after one of his flailing arms. Bankotsu hurried to them just as Suikotsu had given up on catching one of Jakotsu's arms and went after him body again.

"Suikotsu, don't...!"

"DON'T TOUCH ME! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Jakotsu yelped, fighting to get out of Suikotsu's grasp. Once he was freed from the sink hole, he shoved Suikotsu away, panting and rubbing at his arms and legs as if trying to remove filth from his body.

Suikotsu stood back, looking hurt and bewildered for a moment before fully realizing what was going on. He looked for Bankotsu, who was already going down onto his knees beside Jakotsu, careful not to touch him.

"Jakotsu, calm down! You haven't been violated; Suikotsu was helping you! You're ok!"

Bankotsu ignored the coldness of the snow seeping in through his pants, dampening his knees and watched Jakotsu fretfully. He hated that Jakotsu was still sensitive to any touch that wasn't Bankotsu's own. It had to hurt Suikotsu immensely to know that a simple pat on the shoulder made Jakotsu uncomfortable enough to tremble. Sometimes he just wanted to slap Jakotsu and demand that he get over it; Suikotsu was their brother now.

"Meus deuses... My gods..." Jakotsu murmured, dropping his head into his hands and scrubbing at his face violently. Carefully Bankotsu scooted closer to his friend, placing gentle hands on either shoulder and leaning him back against his chest.

Good gods, he was cold! Looked like they would be heading back to the manor much sooner than Bankotsu had expected. He rubbed his hands over Jakotsu's frozen limbs in a weak attempt to warm him. "Are you ok?"

"No, I am not okay," Jakotsu grumbled. He looked up at Suikotsu who was still standing in the place he'd jumped to when Jakotsu had panicked at his touch. The big man's face was full of silent apology.

"Jakotsu, I am so..."

"Do not apologize to me, Suikotsu no Aniki. I should not have reacted like that to you. I am sorry... I do not know what is wrong with me. I know you would never.... but your hands were so big and warm..."

Jakotsu shuddered and Bankotsu decided it was time to get out of the snow. He rose cautiously as he felt his own feet beginning to sink into the snow, pulling Jakotsu up with him under the arms. "All right guys, I think we've had enough. I don't really know what I thought we were going to find out about a spirit by looking at this place. We're going to have to find a temp..."

"No, no, Oo-Aniki." Jakotsu shrugged Bankotsu's steadying hands off. He brushed wet curls off his forehead and stepped lightly to the tree that had tried to bury him. "Before I nearly drowned, I had something to show you."

Bankotsu frowned; the only thing Jakotsu was showing him right then was how bad he was shaking. "Show us later. We'll come back out when the sun is a little higher in the sky and it's warmer."

"But it will only take a minute!" Jakotsu objected, pouting and Suikotsu took pity on him either that or he was trying to let Jakotsu know he wasn't upset with him.

"What have you found, Jakotsu?"

Jakotsu's gray eyes wandered over to Suikotsu, gleaming with thankfulness and apologizes still... "This tree has paint on it and singe marks."

"So?" Bankotsu shrugged. What did that have to do with anything."

Jakotsu stared at Bankotsu a moment in a way that always made Bankotsu wonder if Jakotsu doubted his intelligence. "Aniki, Kira's man said the mononoke always appears in the middle of the clearing and is announced by twin spirals of flame that are not hot. He did not say what areas the flames came from, but he indicated with his head the general vicinities. This tree is in just about the right location, judging from his nod. It seems very strange for it to be marked, and I bet there is a tree on the other side with similar markings."

Suikotsu moved forward to inspect the tree.

"Careful," Jakotsu warned, "don't step in the snow there."

Suikotsu avoided the snow trap and leaned in close to stare at the area Jakotsu poked at with his finger. "I never would have noticed this, Jakotsu. You have keen eyes."

"He does," Bankotsu agreed, moving in behind Suikotsu to take a look as well. Sure enough there was a tiny dot of white paint too perfect to have been made by nature dabbed into the chocolate bark.

"If you move your head a bit, it sparkles. There is glass in it and look at the tiny burn marks next to it. I do not know what could have done that. Mononoke magic I suppose... but why would a mononoke need shiny paint to mark where it should send its fire?"

Bankotsu narrowed his eyes, touching the spot and feeling the grittiness of the paint for himself. "A mononoke wouldn't."

"But a man would," Suikotsu concluded. "But it still doesn't explain a cold fire or the spirit appearing out of thin air."

"Not thin air, smoke," Jakotsu corrected. "That falls from the sky... or maybe a tall tree?"

Bankotsu rubbed his chin. "Sounds possible, but could men really pull of this stunt for months without someone noticing. I mean, it took Jakotsu–what?– 10 minutes to find this stuff. I doubt these people have been living here all those months and never noticing anything."

"They could be too scared to inspect," Suikotsu suggested.

"No," Bankotsu shook his head. "That big man and the rest of Lord Kira's guards didn't appear to be cowards to me."

"Well then, how about this Aniki..." Jakotsu said, running his hand over the spot again. "...the paint is not old."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that it was only put here a few days ago. Look how fresh it looks. If it had been here for months it would be faded. Look at its color; with the glass crushed into the paint, it looks like snow to anyone walking by not looking to find anything."

"Clever mononoke."

"But... Lord Kira's men WOULD have been looking to find something..."

"Which is why the paint is fresh. They must wash it off after every visit, then return again a few days before..."

"But Kira's men would inspect the area before the visits, don't you think..."

"Not if they already looked after the first appearance and found nothing. What could they possibly hope to find after the second occurrence?"

Bankotsu scowled. Too much thinking... he just wanted to kick ghost butt, if that was possible. Damn, he didn't know. "I still don't know guys. What you're saying makes sense, but it just seems very strange for us to stumble upon this our first time out on the site. Kira's men..."

"Are fat bums, and they don't have Jakotsu," Suikotsu said firmly. "We wouldn't have discovered this if it wasn't for him. This isn't the first time Jakotsu's pointed out something no one else noticed while we were staring right at it."

Bankotsu hmphed and chewed his lower lip. True. Jakotsu made an excellent detective, and Bankotsu never really questioned his deductive reasoning skills, but... He sighed. "Oh all right, so maybe it's men."

This was so disappointing. He didn't know just when he'd started getting excited about meeting a real ghost, but he had.

"Well if it's men, then we can't be seen scouting this area so thoroughly; they may change their usual plans. We'll have to come up with a strategy..." Suikotsu's black eyes were glittering dangerously. Men meant bloodshed for him which meant they wouldn't have to go wandering in the snow at night looking for demons to battle to settle Suikotsu's bloodlust.

Well that was a relief at least. But...

"We should still find a temple and chat with a priest just in case."

Suikotsu shrugged, cracking his knuckles and looking disinterested. "I'll go and look at the trees on the other side of the clearing."

Bankotsu frowned; he wasn't quite sure if it was safe to leave Suikotsu unsupervised. He was in one of his moods and might attack anything that dumbly walked into his path, and there was no way Bankotsu was going to be thrown out of town before he solved the mononoke mystery...

"I'm going back to the manor to change." Jakotsu had pulled his hair from its clip and was wringing it dry. Bankotsu stared at him. Jakotsu was pale as the snow that surrounded them, completely drenched, kimono clinging to his slender frame with his dark hair falling over one shoulder in a wavy waterfall... In short, there was no way Bankotsu was going to let Jakotsu go back to the manor alone looking like that! That pig Kira would be all over him, and then Jakotsu would kill him, and....

There was no way Bankotsu was going to be thrown out of town before he solved the mononoke mystery!

"I'll walk you back, and then I'll be back out to help you, Suikotsu." Bankotsu grabbed one of Jakotsu's icy hands before he could object or Suikotsu could insist he needed no assistance.

While he was inside waiting for Jakotsu to dry off and dress, he could ask about nearby temples, maybe interview some staff...

He frowned as he felt eyes on his back and released Jakotsu's hand to whirl around. Suikotsu was on the other side of the clearing with his back to them...

"Aniki?" Jakotsu asked.

Bankotsu scanned the area quickly, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, but gah... he still had that horrible 'I'm being watched' feeling. He shook it off as one of Jakotsu's icy hands slid into his again.

"I can go back alone."

"No," Bankotsu shook his head. "I'm coming. I just thought..."

....thought someone was watching me.

"...nothing," Bankotsu grinned. "Lets go before you catch you death and I have to nurse you back to health."

1"Son of a bitch!"

Author's Note: So what's the verdict? Like it? Hate it? Don't care either way? Well let me know. Please review!