A tale from the past Chapter XVI, an inuyasha fanfic

A TALE FROM THE PAST

by Kittymui

CHAPTER XVI

Kagome slowly opened her eyes and blinked several times. Tiredly, she looked around her and let out an inaudible sigh. 'It was just...a dream...' she thought as relief and disappointment filled her mind. 'The same dream...' She gazed out of the open window and judging by the source and direction of the sunlight, she realized that it was afternoon.

The sound of a door closing drew her attention and she turned to the entrance until she met a familiar pair of dark-brown eyes.

"Oh my God! You've finally woken up!" the woman in the doorway gasped relieved and ran to her side.

"S-Sango..." she responded weakly and tried to push herself using her elbows, but as she did so, a surge of pain shot through her body. "Ite!" she winced and let herself fall back on her futon. "W-what's wrong with me?"

"You have a fractured leg and both your arms are still in the middle of recovery. You shouldn't move too much yet," the taijiya told her.

At first, Kagome had no idea what she was talking about, but when she looked around, she realized that someone was missing.

"Really Kagome, you mustn't scare me like that ever again."

She looked at Sango and followed the movements of her lips as she continued talking, but strangely enough, she couldn't hear what she said anymore as she drowned in her thoughts.

'I was unconscious all this time...? For how long was I asleep...?'

The image of Bankotsu in her dreams appeared in her mind, but she shook it off again. 'That's not it...I've seen Bankotsu before that...in the forest...' After that, another image popped up. This time, the assassin was standing in the middle of the pouring rain with his large halberd in one of his hands.

Kagome concentrated on the image and waited for her memories to catch up with her again.

:FLASHBACK:

"I know you don't like rain, Kirara, that's why you don't have to come with me this time," she told the fire cat while pulling out two thick black hooded cloaks. "Don't worry, I'm only going to bring him a cloak so I'll be back before you know it."

After pulling the hood over her head, she left with the second cloak secured in her arms.

The thunder that roared through the skies sounded as if it was warning her for the dangers of the tempest, but Kagome was determined to reach her destination. Ignoring the pain of the raindrops, boosted by the vicious winds, hitting her face, she carried on stubbornly.

The forest floor had become muddy and walking over it felt as though you could sink into it if you remained stationary for too long. The rain was the only sound she could hear and a strange eeriness began to crawl up her neck. 'I better make haste before I start hallucinating...' she thought and quickened her pace.

Some time later, the clearing came in sight and Kagome stopped near a tree at the border to catch her breath. While she peeked around the trunk, she found the one she was looking for and widened her eyes. 'Bankotsu...!' With the heavy storm hovering above them and the rain showering down, he would at least have stayed near the trees for shelter. But there he was, standing in the middle of the open area and welcoming the water. By the rise and fall of his shoulders, she knew he was tired, if not exhausted, yet the expression on his face showed no sign of quitting.

"Shut the hell up!" she heard him cry out and wondered whom he was talking to. Shortly after that, he began to swing his weapon around.

Surprisingly enough, his movements weren't affected by the bad weather and Kagome became mesmerized by his skillful swinging. Back at the fortress, she had attended several training sessions between her father and brother. A small smile formed on her lips as she remembered how she had managed to nag the two dog demons until they finally allowed her to watch them. She also remembered the proud look on Sesshoumaru's face when he had won. Back then, the demon lord told her that it was the first time for him as well to see such an expression on the demon prince's face. He explained that it wasn't the first time that he had won, but even so, he had never showed such pride before.

Now that she thought about it, she had slowly come to realize that although Sesshoumaru had strongly refused her company, deep inside, he actually wanted her to see him fight and win. Knowing that, she was glad she hadn't given up that easily.

'I wonder who would win if Sesshoumaru onii-sama sparred with Bankotsu...' she mused.

Her thoughts were cut off by Bankotsu's voice as he cried out loud. "Heh! As if I would listen to you and stay inside like a helpless fool!"

'What is he talking about...?' she thought puzzled as she watched him slash around furiously. 'Why is he so angry...?'

After a couple of swings, he lowered his halberd and closed his eyes.

"Even she thinks I'm vulnerable and weak..."

Kagome frowned. 'She...? Is he talking about me?'

The assassin raised his weapon into the air and looked up to the sky. "Why the hell is everybody looking down on me like that! Chikusho!" he cursed. "Why doesn't she trust me! Damn it all!"

She cringed when Bankotsu sent a large blade of light towards the mountain at the other side of the creek, which created a deafening blast. Her eyes widened at a rumbling sound that became louder and louder and she narrowed her eyes to look at what was causing it.

Terror filled her eyes when she saw a mass of boulders rolling down from the mountain towards the clueless Bankotsu. "Bankotsu!" she cried and dashed into the clearing. By the time she had reached him and pushed him aside, she found herself unable to avoid the large rock that was coming at her and was knocked several meters away from where she was standing.

Before she knew it, she was already half buried by the rubble and mud. With the last bit of her consciousness, she turned to check on Bankotsu, only to find him lying in the mud near a rock with closed eyes and a bloodied face.

:END FLASHBACK:

Kagome snapped out of her thoughts and put her hand on Sango's arm to interrupt her. "Where is he?"

"Woah! You scared the hell out of me Kagome! I thought you were in pain or something!" the taijiya gasped with a shocked expression.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "but tell me, where is he?"

"He who?"

"Bankotsu! Where's Bankotsu! Did he make it?"

Sango sighed. "You know, you should worry about yourself first before others."

Kagome scowled, sensing that her question was being avoided. "Answer me, Sango."

"Okay okay...he left," was her reply.

"What! What about his injuries?" Kagome said with wide eyes. "I saw a lot of blood on his face before I passed out!"

"It was just a scratch on his forehead. It's nothing compared to what you have."

Kagome held up a hand. "W-wait a minute...why did he leave?"

"Because I told him to," she replied flatly. "We're better off without him, look what he has done to you. As your guardian, I am responsible for your safety, and that Bankotsu is a threat in my eyes."

Not believing what she was hearing, Kagome furrowed her brows. "How is a blind man a threat to my safety?"

"If he listened to me and stayed inside, you wouldn't have to go after him in the storm. If he didn't smash up that mountain, you wouldn't have gotten hurt! He put your life in danger and-"

"No Sango!" she cut her off. "I'M the one who allowed him to train outside while you were away. I decided to bring a cloak to him during the storm. I was the one who decided to push him out of the way and got myself hurt. I'M the one to blame and not Bankotsu!"

Her sudden outburst left her guardian speechless, but it was just for a short while. "He laid his hands on you without my permission, that, I cannot forgive!"

Kagome was surprised to hear this and thought for a moment. Some pieces of her dream came into her mind and she turned to Sango fully. "But he did that to warm up my body...didn't he?"

Seeing the startled look on the taijiya's face, she knew she was right. 'So it wasn't a dream...not completely...I did sleep in Bankotsu's arms...' she thought to herself. "Then he had a good reason to do that. How could you send a helpless man away just because he wanted to save me?"

"He's an assassin Kagome, don't forget that!" Sango reminded her. "He's everything BUT helpless!"

"And he's blind!" Kagome snapped back. "He couldn't even jump out of the way when those boulders were coming down at him!" With a deep breath, she composed herself and continued with a calm voice. "You have had a conversation with him when I was sleeping...didn't you?"

"Did he tell you that?" the taijiya put up a disgusted face. "That b-"

"He didn't. I was just guessing," she cut her off. "And I guess I was right."

There was a defeated expression on Sango's face before she confessed. "It's true. I did have a conversation with him while you were asleep."

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him that he was only allowed to stay here because you wanted him to, that I would've kicked him out if he wasn't blind. I also told him that he'd better stay inside the house since he wouldn't be of any help outside. And then I warned him that I would kill him if he put you in danger."

'I knew it...that explains the strange atmosphere between them lately...' Kagome thought inwardly.

Sango let out a deep sigh as she added. "Your brother would kill me if he found out I allowed an assassin to go near you."

Kagome immediately looked at her. "So that's it huh? You were afraid of my brother."

Her guardian narrowed her eyes in displeasure. "You know very well that I'm not that cowardly."

Yes, she knew. It was wrong to think of her that way. After living together for a decade, how could she not know? "Even if you're just following my brother's orders, you shouldn't have sent away a blind person." She shook her head in disproval and tried to get up using her hands and healthy leg.

Sango quickly positioned herself next to her and helped her standing up. "What is it? What do you need? I'll get it for you."

"My cloak," she replied.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to look for Bankotsu." Kagome snatched the garment out of her hands before she could refuse. "Or whatever is left of him."

"But that's insane!" the taijiya cried.

"Don't try to stop me Sango!" she spat as she equipped the cloak and shuffled towards the door.

"Hime-sama!"

Kagome halted her step. She knew her guardian was calling her that on purpose to remind her of her identity, but nothing can stop her now. "As the princess of the Western Lands, I order you not to follow me," she commanded haughtily and closed the door behind her.

.-.-.-.

As she slowly wandered through the forest with her fractured leg trailing over the dirt, she pondered about what Sango said and what she heard Bankotsu exclaim in the middle of the storm. Like a puzzle, the pieces began to fall into their places in her mind.

"If he listened to me and stayed inside, you wouldn't have to go after him in the storm."

"Heh! As if I would listen to you and stay inside like a helpless fool!"

"Even she thinks I'm vulnerable and weak..."

After several steps, Kagome already felt extremely tired and took a short break by leaning against a trunk. 'Even...even I find him vulnerable and weak...' she rephrased the sentence. 'I told him that he couldn't protect me...'

"Why the hell is everybody looking down on me like that! Chikusho! Why doesn't she trust me! Damn it all!"

'How could I be so stupid?' she scolded herself, realizing how much her words must've hurt his feelings. 'He knew he could be killed if Sango saw him holding me in his arms...yet he still did it to save me...' Knowing that, Kagome felt even guiltier than before.

'I have to apologize to him...' she decided and began to walk again, but being deep in thoughts, she failed to concentrate on the path and tripped over a tree root. With a thump, Kagome fell face on onto the grass and dirt. Her thin white kimono was stained with spots brown and green here and there, and she noticed that she wasn't wearing anything around her feet. The truth was, she couldn't feel more miserable.

'Where am I going to...?' she asked herself. She painfully realized that she had no idea of where Bankotsu could be. He could have already left the forest a long time ago, or worse, he could be dead by now.

If he hadn't left today, he would eventually leave when he was completely recovered. After all, he told her so himself. But the funniest thing was...why was it bothering her so much? Was it because she hadn't got a chance to say goodbye? Or maybe because the guilt would be too much if he died, unable to protect himself?

The countless possibilities that were frustrating her mind vanished in an instant when she saw a pair of feet before her face. She slowly looked upwards from the dark leg protectors and widened her eyes when she found Bankotsu looking down at her.

He was smiling. "So you finally decided to watch me train huh?" he said.

'Train...?' Kagome thought bewildered, but before she could speak, Bankotsu already turned his back to her.

"You better hurry, or I'll have finished training before you've even arrived." With that said, he walked away.

Kagome quickly reached out her hand. "Wait Bankotsu! Wai- " She halted in the middle of her yelling when the figure of the assassin began to fade away.

'It was just...my imagination...' she concluded sadly when the image disappeared completely. Tears began to roll down her cheek as she realized how much she missed him and how much she longed for his company. What she would say when she found him, she didn't know. The only thing she was sure of, was that she wanted him back. 'But how am I going to do that if I can't even get up...?' she thought with a sob.

Suddenly a small mew sounded from her side and she turned to look over her shoulder.

"Kirara!" she called out relieved.

The fire cat transformed herself into a huge demon and helped her up.

"Thanks," she smiled as she got to her feet again. "Sango sent you huh?"

Somehow, she knew what the cat was probably thinking and she gently patted her head. "Don't worry, I'm not mad at her...I'm only mad at myself for being so weak..."

Right after she said that, Kirara moved to stand in front of her, telling her that she should get onto her back.

"You'll help me?" she asked surprised. A nod was the answer.

Without hesitation, she carefully climbed onto the fire cat's back. 'But where should we begin searching...?' she wondered until an idea popped up. 'That vision earlier...could it be true...? Is he really waiting there...?'

"Kirara, let's go to the clearing where I found Bankotsu," she suggested. "But don't fly too high, since that will draw too much unnecessary attention. Try to stay below the protection of the greenery."

The fire cat acknowledged and set off with her four black paws.

.-.

Before they reached the border of the clearing, Kagome told Kirara to stop. "Thanks Kirara, you're a big help. But I want to do this myself from here on. Can you please return to the house?"

The demon hesitated at first, but eventually complied and flew back.

Of course, Kagome knew about the possibility that Bankotsu might not be there and if that was the case, she would have to go back on her own, but something was telling her that her intuition wasn't wrong. There must be a meaning behind the vision. It was meant to tell her that he was here.

Strangely enough, she found herself standing behind the same tree trunk of the stormy day. She took a deep breath and peeked into the open area.

.-.-.

'Why am I still here?' he wondered in himself. With his hand, he trailed along the hilt of his favorite halberd that was lying on the floor next to him. A couple of hours ago, he had arrived at the clearing where the calamity had taken place the day before. After a lot of searching and digging, he had finally found the large weapon buried beneath the rubble. He could have left by then, but a sudden dizziness took over and he was forced to sit down and lean against one of the large boulders.

'Yes...the dizziness...' he confirmed, but the wavering inside his heart remained. '...or is there something else...?'

When he retracted his hand to place it on his stomach, his skin encountered an irregularity on the surface of his sleeve and he moved his hand to examine it. From its texture, he concluded that the unevenness was the creation of thin threads and skillful mending. It was a flawless line that connected two pieces of fabric that were unsightly separated before.

At first, he had chosen to wear the attire and armor that belonged to him, because he didn't want to receive any more favors from Kagome or Sango. But unknowingly, he ended up receiving another favor. The number of the threaded lines was an indication of how horrible his fall must have been back then. And the precision and perfectness of these lines showed with how much care someone had tried to repair his shredded garment. Fortunately, his armor was undamaged, but he had never dreamt that he would be able to wear the same haori and hakama again. There was only one person in his knowledge that would show so much affection unconditionally and be capable of such handiwork.

"Kagome..." he whispered her name.

After what had happened, he had no idea how to face her when she woke up. She would probably curse or scold him for causing her all the pain and suffering but even so, he wanted to stay and hear her voice for the very last time before leaving.

No matter how ridiculous or impossible it might sound, he actually wanted her to appear before him and ask him to go back with her, even if it just to repay all the favors. His departure felt as if he was leaving a large piece of happiness behind and he didn't need someone to tell him that Kagome was the source of that happiness.

Of all the people he had met throughout his life, Kagome was the only one who didn't prejudge him and accepted him as a normal human being instead of a cold-blooded killer. He was truly happy to have met her.

As much as he wanted to say that he'd have no regrets if he died now, he couldn't. He didn't want to be selfish, but he couldn't help it. Besides feeling remorse for his two companions, he would also regret not being able to see Kagome's face before leaving this world. It would be the face of the girl who had the kindest and purest soul of the world.

Unfortunately, luck was not on his side anymore. So he thought as he slowly got up to his feet. 'I should find a safer place to stay the night before the sun sets.' he decided inwardly, sensing the gradual drop of temperature.

With his halberd placed over one shoulder, he started walking away from the boulder, until a voice cried out to him.

"Wait! Bankotsu! Wait!"

Bankotsu halted his step as he recognized the voice. 'Kagome?' He fought the urge to turn around and quickly shook his head to clear his mind. 'Who am I kidding...? She has a fractured leg...and a pair of injured arms...why would she come here...and more importantly...how?'

With that thought, he walked into the opposite direction, away from the voice.

"Wait!"

'Don't listen to it...it's just your imagination...' he told himself repeatedly.

Suddenly, he was forced to stand still when two arms wrapped around his waist from behind. 'W-what the-!'

"I...I told...you to...wait..." the voice panted into his back.

Bankotsu turned to his side. "K-Kagome...?"

"I-I can't...h-hold on..."

He was alarmed when her grip loosened and he quickly turned around. "Kagome!" He successfully managed to catch her with one arm around her waist and immediately dropped his halberd to support her fully before too much pressure was put on her broken leg. "Kagome! Kagome, are you okay?" he asked worriedly as he lowered himself to the floor with her in his arms.

"I-I'm okay...just...tired," she puffed heavily, trying to catch her breath. "Damn it...why...the hell...were you walking...when I told you...to stop."

"I-I...I thought..." Bankotsu stammered. A mix of emotions was running through his mind and he didn't know what to express first. He was relieved, scared, overjoyed and angry at the same time. "Why are you here? You shouldn't be walking around in your condition!" he said angrily.

"I'm...sorry..."

The apology made it very hard for him to stay angry and he placed his chin on top of her head. "Baka...I'm not asking for your apology..." he sighed. "Your sister is going to kill me for sure if she finds out about this."

"She knows."

Bankotsu blinked several times. "She does?"

"She was there...when I left to search for you," she explained.

"And she just let you go?"

She shook her head and chuckled. "I was unstoppable."

"Really?" he laughed along, until she suddenly became silent. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm so sorry..." she sobbed.

Bankotsu froze and held in his breath. 'She's crying...?'

"I didn't know...I'm so sorry," she continued. "Sango...she shouldn't have threatened you. When I said you couldn't protect me, I wanted you to realize that you aren't that powerful like you used to be and that you shouldn't underestimate the possible dangers of the forest...but I didn't mean to hurt you, I'm sorry."

With his hand, he found her wet cheek and started wiping away her tears. "Don't cry," he said with a gentle voice. "I should be the one apologizing. You were right to say those words to me; you did it for my sake. You have done a lot for me, yet in return, I have hurt your feelings and I almost got you killed. I should be the one saying sorry, not you."

"Don't say that...I wasn't of any help..." Kagome said with a trembling voice. "I couldn't heal your eyes...I know how you feel...but I wasn't able to do anything to lessen the pain you're experiencing...your frustration..."

The more she blamed herself, the guiltier he felt and instinctively he pulled her closer to him to calm her down. "Stop blaming yourself Kagome..." he said, emphasizing each word. "It's not your fault."

The girl buried her face into his shirt and mumbled something inaudible.

"Kagome?" he asked.

"...don't go..."

He frowned and lowered his face a little to listen more carefully. "What did you say?"

"P-please...don't go..." she sniffed. "...come back with me...to the house..."

Bankotsu widened his eyes. "B-but-"

"I don't care!" she cried. "I just want you to stay by my side!"

For a moment, Bankotsu thought he was dreaming all of this, but the sobbing girl in his arms that clung onto his shirt was the evidence that it was nothing less than the reality.

.-.-.-.

There, she said it. She wanted him to stay. Now, she could only wait for his reaction. Will he laugh at her? She was afraid, but she wanted to know the answer.

Her heart skipped a beat when the chest she was leaning on suddenly moved away from her. "Where are you going?" she asked, while tightening her grip on his shirt and looking up.

"Silly girl, do you think I would let you walk back all by yourself in your current state?" he said as he gently put her down and stood back up. He untied the dark blue sash around his waist and walked to the spot where he had dropped his halberd. With the firm silk, he secured the long weapon onto his back and put a strong knot into it before turning back to her again. Without saying anything, he gathered her up in his arms once again.

Kagome looked up at him and became a bit worried. "Will you be okay? I mean...you can't see the path...it will be harder when you are carrying me. Why don't you put me down? I think I'll be able to walk on my own," she suggested.

The assassin responded by holding her more firmly, showing that he had no intention of letting her go. "I may not be able to see, but you will be my eyes, right?" he said, tilting his head a little.

Kagome blushed deeply and dropped her gaze to her stomach. "I-I guess..."

"Then it's decided," he smiled. "I'm putting my life in your hands now, Kagome, since you'll be the one telling me how to advance forward."

"O-okay," she nodded, feeling a bit awkward at the sudden responsibility.

"Hey girl, don't put too much pressure on yourself," Bankotsu told her reassuringly. "If anything happens, I'll protect you."

Relieved to hear that, she settled her head against his shoulder. "I trust you," she said and focused on the path out of the corner of her eyes. "You can start by walking forward, there's nothing standing in our way for the moment."

And so, they started their trip back to the house. As they slowly walked through the forest, Kagome still pondered about what he said. He promised to escort her back safely, but that didn't mean he would stay...right?

"Bankotsu?"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to leave after you've brought me back?"

The silence that followed her question made the disappointment inside her grow and she dropped her face.

"I guess...it depends on your sister," he suddenly replied.

Kagome wasn't too satisfied with the answer and refused to stop there. "She will listen to my explanation...but do you want to stay?" she asked, emphasizing the 'you' word.

Another silence.

.-.-.

Bankotsu was at a loss for words. 'Why is she asking all these difficult questions...?' he thought confused.

He only wanted to concentrate on bringing her back so he shoved away all the emotions he felt earlier, but she was forcing him to dig them up again.

Actually, he was convinced that he had many things to say to her but now that she was so near, he couldn't recall even one of them. He was really happy when she said she trusted him and there was no way he could ignore the fact that holding her like this felt good, if not perfect. Reflecting on what he felt and thought earlier, he knew without doubt that he had wanted to stay, but there was something preventing him from saying it.

'I'm not going to abandon my mission or my companions...' he decided inwardly. '...but in my condition...I'm pretty sure I will die first before I've even reached the gathering place...'

"I told you that I will leave once I've recovered...right?" he asked her.

"I know that," she replied.

"I will hold on to that," he stated.

"So you really wanted to stay?"

Bankotsu chuckled inwardly at her persistence. "Yes Kagome." 'More than anything else.' he added in his thoughts.

.-.-.

She could really jump a hole in the air right now to show how happy she was, but she just smiled instead since she didn't want to fall out of his arms. When she gazed up to his face, she suddenly noticed the resemblance between the current situation and the one she saw in her dreams. 'That's strange...why are they so alike?' she wondered. 'Does the dream...also have a meaning?'

'I wonder if it'll come true as well...' she thought as she lowered her flushed face.

"Kagome?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you giggling?"

Kagome widened her eyes and placed her hand on her lips. 'Did I just giggle out loud? Oh man...' she smacked herself mentally. "I-it's nothing..." she stammered.

"Nothing on our path?" he asked.

"N-nope."

"That's good."

Unconsciously, she snuggled closer to him. 'If only time flowed a bit slower...we would be able to stay like this for a little longer...' she thought hopefully.

She glanced up at Bankotsu with a puzzled expression when he began to slow down his pace and take smaller steps. 'I didn't say that out loud...did I?'

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
There! How was this chapter? I hope you liked it! I can't help but notice the small number of reviews I got for the last chapter, I hope it wasn't because of its quality. Anyway, please review if you have time left okay? It'll be a big help! Thanks!

Greets,

Kittymui

.-.-.-.

'Italic': thoughts
"...": spoken words
-.-.-.-: time gap
-CAPSLOCKED WORDS-: noises

.-.-.-.

Next chapter: Chapter XVII

.-.-.

We'll make a jump in time between this and the next chapter. Kagome and Bankotsu are still a bit uncertain about their feelings towards each other and Sango still hates having Bankotsu around. Will she ever be able to see the good side of him? Find out about it in the next chapter!

.-.-.

Vocabulary:

taijiya: exterminator
ite: ouch
futon: a traditional light and soft mattress where people sleep on on the floor
onii-sama: a respectful way to refer to your older brother
chikusho: damn it/shit
hime-sama: a respectful way to refer to a princess
haori: a traditional Japanese (upper-body) attire worn by men
hakama: a traditional Japanese pair of pants worn by men
baka: stupid

.-.-.-.

REPLIES ON REVIEWS:

sessywuver: I'm glad you loved it! I hope you liked this one as well!

TamiaEternity: She's just acting protective towards Kagome since she's just like a sister to her. Not to mention that Sesshoumaru would kill her if she fails to protect her.

Duzzie: I hope you're satisfied with their reactions :)! About your question. We're reading the book called "A Tale From The Past", which Bankotsu found in that old library, through his eyes right now. So the first chapter is about Bankotsu in the present time finding this book, it also ended with him opening the book and reading the first page. And in the chapters after that, we are reading what he is reading. That's why the "future" Bankotsu is out of view at the moment. Ultimately, he will finish reading the book and we will switch back to the present time again :).

lady-joker: Thanks!

Angel of Darkness and Death: There! I did it :)! How was it?

darkenedmoonlightflame: Thank you :)!

baka craze: Thanks! I'm not taking too long to update, am I?

Posted: 8 May 2005
Last Edited: 8 May 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!