Title: Good Enough (Prologue)
Rating: T for now, but this is subject to change.
Warnings: Mild slash (though it may not come into play for a while), could possibly evolve into full-blown yaoi. If this troubles you greatly, you are free to opt out of reading this - do not flame me just because you don't like the pairing because I'll tell you right now: it will eventually be Bankotsu/Inuyasha
Author's notes: Hey there! This just came to me after watching the episode of InuYasha named "The Power of Banryu: Duel to the Death on Mt. Hakurei." This should be a multi-chapter story, though updates might be a bit slow, as I've quite a workload in my English class, and I can only write so much in one sitting. Well, without further ado, enjoy and feel free to review! (I swear, if the auto-correct on MS Works changes "InuYasha" to "Natasha" one more time, I'm going to have to do something really violent).
Bankotsu POV:
It was during our last battle that we reached a sort of mutual understanding. We both hungered for power, both were unsatisfied with our lots in life, and as each of us grew more exhausted with the effort of such an equally matched clash, I felt something I'd never felt before. It's hard to describe since the concept is so alien to me, but I almost didn't want to fight anymore; I wanted to accept your offer to stop the feud between the two of us, at least temporarily, and just focus on getting out of there alive. But to feel a sort of bond with an enemy of mine - that just wouldn't be in character for me, would it?
Despite what both of us had already figured out, I told you that you didn't understand the way I felt, my manner of thinking - that you couldn't understand even though, as a half demon, you must have gone through an awful lot of hell yourself. So we kept on exchanging blows, both verbal and physical. In the end, I let my competitiveness get the best of me, wanting so badly to beat you and prove my superiority over someone I considered so worthy, and was defeated. That's when you told me, "You were strong enough on your own, even without the jewel shards." Those words struck some chord deep within me. I'd spent my whole life trying to get stronger and stronger so I could prove to everyone just how good I really was. For as long as I knew them, Jakotsu and the others, though they meant well for me (well, Jakotsu did at least), had always encouraged me to keep on accumulating might and told me how great it would be if I were tougher, and I felt I had to be, so I went on collecting energy. But their encouragement was not what I needed deep down, I guess. What I really needed to hear was that I was good enough the way I was - of course, I didn't figure any of this out until after my final encounter with you.
Even though there is certainly a lot of bad blood between us, and I'm sure you've forgotten me by now - heck, I bet I barely stayed in your memory for more than a few days after you pulled out the majority of my shards - but I'll never forget you. That's because you were the one who said to me:
I was good enough already.
A/N: Hopefully will get better than this; 'twas a bit rushed.