A TALE FROM THE PAST
by Kittymui
CHAPTER XII
Like the usual routine, Sango got up earlier than the rest and left for her outdoor duties before the sun fully appeared from behind the horizon. Shortly after that, Kagome woke up as well. Today, she decided to wear a plain light-blue yukata with white flowers embroidered on her left shoulder and near her legs.
By the time she finished doing some morning chores, the day had already passed high noon. 'Pfew...time really flies when you're busy...' Kagome thought as she pulled out the rough knot on the back of her head, allowing her black hair to spill over her shoulders. She gathered her writing tools and sat down against the wall next to the window. After flipping some pages, she reached the page where she had stopped last time.
How was the celebration of your birthday? I'm sure it was fun since the sun was shining all day long. It looks like we'll get some rain today; there are a lot of clouds hanging in the sky. I guess some water will do well to the forest now and then. Today is like any other day, but I noticed something strange going on lately...
There was indeed something bothering the princess and as she spilled her thoughts with the black charcoal on the paper surface, she stole a glance at the man sleeping in the back.
Although he seemed to be sleeping peacefully, his hands showed the restlessness he had been experiencing during the night, as they were tightly grasping the brown covers on top of him. The darkness below his closed eyes, which had only been made clearer by the white clothing he was wearing, was a clear indication of his lack of sleep.
At first she thought it was the incident with the snakes that haunted him, but she rejected the possibility since he hadn't had trouble with sleeping since a couple of days ago.
Somehow, she felt it was related to the strange atmosphere that had recently been hanging in the air between Bankotsu and Sango. The two never had been best friends, but since a few days, they started to completely ignore each other like they had never existed to one another. There was definitely a reason behind the sudden change, but Kagome had yet to figure out what it was.
There was actually little chance that something had happened beyond her knowledge since she was always there. 'Unless it happened while I was asleep...' she hypothesized in her mind. But why? Was there a need to discuss things in her absence? Is there something she shouldn't know about?
Kagome turned aside to look through the window to the sky. The sun was playing hide-and-seek today. Now and then, it would appear from its hiding spot behind the gray clouds and temporarily greet the forest with its warm rays.
Two days ago, the mystery only thickened with the Bankotsu's sudden decision to train outdoors in the afternoon. Needless to say, she refused and tried to stop him, but it was no use. Despite her warnings, he still insisted on training as soon as lunch ended. Of course, she had no other choice but to lead him to the training area, which, after some consideration, she chose to be the same clearing where she had found him. Though the path wasn't hard to remember, she was surprised when he told her that he didn't need help to go back to the house. Even more surprised was she when he suddenly asked her to stay with him and watch him train, but eventually, she declined, saying that there were too many things she had to do.
Inside, she had to admit that she wanted to keep him company since it was dangerous to leave him alone like that. Yet instead, she told him a lie. She had finished all the chores within an hour as soon as she returned, but even so she didn't go to him. She only hoped that he would return before Sango, since she would have a lot of trouble explaining things if she found out he went outside to train. Much to her relief, he did, but he was worn-out and exhausted and could barely get up after sitting down.
She did ask herself why she didn't want to watch him train. Maybe she was afraid to see the ferocious side of him, the one that made him an assassin. Which was actually quite stupid since he was one and he already told her that he would continue to be one. Why she still wanted to believe that he would quit after he recovers, she didn't know. It wasn't like his sins would lessen if he did.
Her train of thoughts ended when a yawn caught her ears. "There's a towel next to your cushion, you can use it to wash your face," she told him. She knew he would wake up around this time of the day, so she prepared it in advance.
"Oh...thanks..." he said dryly as he got up with a hand running through his long hair.
Kagome put away her journal and stood up. "Now that you're awake, I guess I should prepare lunch."
Bankotsu froze for a moment. "W-what? Lunch? Is it afternoon already?" he asked with a stunned look on his face. "Wow...I must've been very tired..."
"That's what you get for overexerting yourself like that every day," she reasoned as she took out some bread and fruit from a wooden cabinet.
"Hm, you won't hear me complaining about it," he said with a snort. "I'll probably forget how to use Banryuu if I began training later. My muscles have grown stiff of sitting all the time." As he said that, he made some circular movements with his shoulders and arms to warm up his body.
Kagome placed two platters with bread and fruit in pieces on the low table. "Are you planning to train today as well?" she asked with a hint of worry in her voice.
"Of course!" he responded enthusiastically as he settled down next to the table.
She shoved his platter to below his face. "But it's dangerous...being able to walk to the clearing and back without tripping doesn't mean you can defend yourself when you're in trouble," she reminded him.
"That's why I'm training," he argued. "Don't worry, I returned in one piece yesterday did I not?"
"Yeah, but still..." Kagome dropped her face and startled nibbling on a piece of fruit.
"Aw, how sweet. I didn't know you were that concerned about me," Bankotsu laughed.
She nearly choked on the fruit and coughed with a deep blush. "I-I'm not!" she stammered. "I mean...it's only natural for me to worry..."
Bankotsu threw the last bit of bread in his mouth and swallowed it after some chewing. His smile had dropped quicker than usual. "Well, if you're that worried, why don't you just come along?"
Kagome hesitated. "As much as I want to, there are still a bunch of other things I have to do first."
"Aren't you finished doing them? You've been giving me that reason ever since I first asked you," he scoffed.
"Unlike you, I've got little time to do a lot," she huffed. "Besides, I can't leave the house unguarded."
"Why don't you let Kirara guard it?"
"Wherever I go, Kirara comes with me," she told him. "She's responsible for my safety."
"But I can protect you," he suddenly stated.
Kagome raised her brows in surprise but returned to a normal expression as she looked into his hazy, unfocused eyes. "You can barely defend yourself, let alone protecting me."
Bankotsu scowled. "You really don't trust my other senses, do you?"
"Honestly, I don't," she replied flatly, trying to suppress his overconfidence. "If you ask me, I rather not have you going outside with that creepy over-sized weapon of yours."
The assassin's eyes flashed in annoyance. "Heh, at least I can wield something to defend myself instead of relying on other people," he retorted. "Unlike you, I'm not used to making my well-being other people's responsibility."
Kagome widened her eyes in shock. "H-how dare you...!" she gasped. In disbelief, she watched how the black-haired man stood up and trailed along the wall towards his halberd, which was leaning against one of the walls.
"I'll be back before dinner," he said dully and exited the house, leaving a dumbfounded Kagome behind.
.-.-.-.
'Coward...' a voice in his head scolded him.
Right after he had made his last remark, he had realized how cruel he was to say such things. But he didn't know how to cope with a troubled situation like that, so he decided to leave.
'You just don't want to admit your weakness.'
'Shut up!' he snapped at his conscience as he carefully followed the path to his training spot. 'I'm not weak! And I'm going to prove it!'
With his halberd placed on his right shoulder, he proceeded into the forest.
.-. later .-.
Back to the house, Kagome was sitting on the floor with a small wooden box lying next to her folded legs. The lid of the box was opened and in it lied a couple of needles and threads of all kinds of colors. A pink yukata laid on her lap, which was slightly torn at one sleeve and her objective was to mend the imperfection with a pink thread. But unlike any other times, Kagome was more focused on her thoughts than on the mending.
Although she seemed calm on the outside, she was actually in turmoil on the inside. Just when she thought she had found someone to entrust her inner feelings to, that same person suddenly used these feelings against her. Her hands tensed for a moment as she replayed his words in her mind.
"Heh, at least I can wield something to defend myself instead of relying on other people."
"Unlike you, I'm not used to making my well-being other people's responsibility."
Kagome scoffed. "As if I had a choice..." she muttered, thinking about how she ended up living here. "If I could choose, I would never..." Her voice faltered as she realized how irresponsible she actually sounded. Suddenly she felt very uncomfortable and shifted to sit on the floor instead of her legs.
A soft rattling sound from her chest caught her attention and she lowered her gaze. 'No...I'm not going to regret it...' she thought determinedly, looking at the three ivory fangs dangling below her chin. If she were given another destiny, she would never have met Sesshoumaru and the rest. It was a path she had chosen to walk on and so, she will accept all consequences that went along with widespread arms.
But she was weak and had it not been for Bankotsu, she'd probably still be denying that. 'I have to become stronger then...' she thought to herself. 'If I do that, I will stop being a burden to everyone else.'
'I wonder if Sango will teach me?' she mused while pushing the needle head neatly through the smooth fabric. The thought reminded her of the strange mood between the taijiya and the assassin and she let out a deep sigh. 'If only they would tell me what's going on...'
Just when she was about to retrieve the needle from the other side of the sleeve, a loud thunderclap caught her off guard and made her cringe of shock. "Ite!" she winced and held up her hand. A small ball of red liquid started to grow on her throbbing forefinger and she quickly placed it in her mouth.
As the taste of blood filled her mouth, she turned to look outside through the small window. The sky was now heavy clouded and dark-gray of color. Small drops of rain began to fall out of the sky and within minutes, a thick curtain of rain shielded the landscape. The infrequent tapping on the roof transformed into an busy orchestra, accompanied by occasional cracks of thunder.
Even the brave Kirara, who was sleeping soundly in the corner, had woken up and walked to Kagome's side for comfort.
Kagome petted the fire cat as she put up a worried expression. "Bankotsu didn't wear proper clothes before he left..."she said softly to herself. Even if it's mid-spring, an overwhelming downpour combined with some cold breezes remained the perfect ingredients for severe colds or fevers.
She quickly put down the things in her hands and made her way towards a small chest on the floor, earning a small and worried 'mew' from the fire cat.
"I know you don't like rain, Kirara, that's why you don't have to come with me this time," she told the demon as she pulled out two thick black hooded cloaks and turned to her. "Don't worry, I'm only going to bring him a cloak so I'll be back before you know it."
With that, she put on one of the cloaks and left.
.-.-.-.
Despite the raging weather, Bankotsu didn't even have the slightest intention of leaving the clearing. Heavy pants escaped him as he stood there in the middle of the open area. His soaked thin garment was clinging onto his skin and together with his rough ponytail, which he made to prevent his long hair from getting in his way, they were starting to add extra weight to his body with the water they absorbed. But he ignored it and pulled some wet strands of hair from his face. He had rested enough.
'Go back...you'll get sick if you stay out here any longer...'
"Shut the hell up!" he barked aloud as he tightened his grip around the long hilt of his huge halberd. Without further thoughts, he began to swing the weapon around skillfully.
The truth was, the conversation with the taijiya was still bugging him.
"...I just want you to know that you're only staying here because Kagome wants you to..."
"...Had it not been for your vulnerable condition, I would have sent you away the day you woke up from your coma..."
"...what I do know is that you are putting our peaceful lives in danger by just staying here..."
"...I suggest you stay inside the house as much as possible, since revealing yourself would only draw your enemies to this place..."
Like salt on open wounds, these words had been tormenting him for the past couple of days. The word 'vulnerable' haunted him every day and left him restless each night. "Heh! As if I would listen to you and stay inside like a helpless fool!" he spat aloud. Furiously, he swung the halberd repeatedly in a vertical or diagonal direction, as if he was trying to slash apart the taijiya's sentences that were terrorizing his mind.
He made a final swing and let both his arms drop to his side like two boneless limbs. His heart was practically throbbing in his head and he closed his eyes to suppress an upcoming headache.
"...it's only natural for me to worry..."
"...being able to walk to the clearing and back without tripping doesn't mean you can defend yourself when you're in trouble..."
"...you can barely defend yourself, let alone protecting me..."
Bankotsu clenched his fists until the knuckles went white. "Even she thinks I'm vulnerable and weak..."he growled under his breath. He raised Banryuu in the air and raised his face up to the sky. "Why the hell is everybody looking down on me like that!" he yelled frustratingly. "Chikusho!"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. "Why don't she trust me! Damn it all!"
Blinded by anger, he gathered all his strength and swung his halberd with all his might at an unknown direction.
A loud and deafening blast could be heard from a distance and he knew he had hit the mountain that stood on the other side of the creek. For a short moment that followed, all he could hear was his own heartbeat and the pouring rain, but in a split second, the quietness was soon disrupted by a heavy tremor and the sound of a crumbling cliff.
Suddenly, a voice pierced through the pandemonium and called out his name.
"Bankotsu!"
He turned to the voice, but as soon as he did that, he was shoved aside by something strong. The next thing he knew he was experiencing a fierce blow to his head, which completely knocked all the unconsciousness out of him.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Sorry for the late update and for the extremely short chapter. Things are starting to become hectic for me. I've got a scientific paper to write of 4000 words and I have to prepare a plan for my internship. The next chapter will come later than usual and I apologize for that, but I promise it will be good :)! Thanks for reading and please leave a review to tell me what you think.
Greets,
Kittymui
.-.-
'Italic': thoughts
"...": spoken words
-.-.-.-: time gap
-CAPSLOCKED WORDS-: noises
.-.-
Next chapter: Chapter XIII
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What had happened? What knocked out Bankotsu? And more importantly, what happened to Kagome? Please look forward to the next chapter, although it will take some time before it's up.
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Vocabulary:
taijiya: exterminator
ite: ouch
chikusho: damn
.-.-
REPLIES ON REVIEWS:
Kokoro Mizu no Kaze: I'm trying my best!
Sirayme: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Angel of Darkness and Death: Okay! I'll keep that in mind :). Thanks for loving it!
eMeLyNoOoPeE: Cool to hear that! Thanks!
sessywuver: Thank you! Glad you liked it!
shadows-insanity: Hahaha, no problem...I'll e-mail it to you :).
Skitzoflame: It's not really that hard, since he wields a large weapon like that. He doesn't look like a soldier or guard so hence an assassin :). Plus, he didn't deny it :). Sango's a lot older and smarter than Kagome.
Sora the Taske: Glad you like it!
Skye: Sango's a lot smarter than Kagome, she doesn't have to ask to know what Bankotsu does. It's definitely his halberd :). Thanks for reviewing!
xxprincess-sakuraxx: Hehehe, I guess you hate the suspence of this chapter even more huh? Sorry about that! Thanks a lot for reviewing!
sakurakitsune14: Haha I'm very happy to hear that :). It really encourages me to consider writing a Kag/Ban story after this one!
Wake-Robin: Hehe she sure is, but she's got Sesshoumaru threatening to end her life if Kagome's harmed so it's understandable :).
sesshomaruobsessed: Hahaha, he's oblivious to it! Euhm...as for Bankotsu's past...you as a reader are free to exploit your own imagination to fill it in :).
Inukamisashi: Almost...you're almost completely right :)! Just wait and see!
TamiaEternity: Thanks a lot!
sakurablossomskxk: Haha I won't disappoint you! Just give a tiny bit more time than for the previous chapter!
Fluffy'sbabe: Yup, but don't punish me okay! I've got a very good reason for being late! Please?
Posted: 28 March 2005
Last Edited: 28 March 2005
Spelling check: YES
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters of it. And I do not own whatever elements of this story that seem familiar and had already been used by other creative individuals before. But... I do own the idea of mixing all of these elements together into a new story!