A TALE FROM THE PAST

-by Kittymui-

A forgotten promise

BZZZ...BZZZ...

BZZZ...BZZZ...

'...let me sleep...'

BZZZ...BZZZ...

Bankotsu grunted loudly as he reached out for his cell phone that was buzzing on the bedside cabinet. Reluctant to life his heavy eyelids, he tapped the 'receive' button and placed the phone against his ear. "Hello?" he croaked.

"Didn't you know that sleeping more than 8,5 hours a day would lead to an early death?" a stoic voice sounded on the other side of the line.

Bankotsu bolted up from his bed with his eyes wide open. "Sesshoumaru? How did you get this number!"

"We need to talk. Come downstairs within ten minutes."

Bankotsu's widened in stupefaction. "Wha-? Wait! Don't h..." he yelled but the other end already hung up before he could finish. "Damn it!" he cursed. 'Downstairs...?' he thought fuzzily and got out of bed and moved towards the window.

He squinted from the bright sun that was hanging just above the rooftops. The sky was clear and blue and a beautiful yellowish blue gradient color embellished the horizon. When he shielded his eyes from the direct beams, he noticed something shimmering in the lower peripheral area of his eyes and glanced down until he saw the silver Toyota parked in front of his student flat. Although the vehicle was parked in such way that its roof shielded the driver's identity, he didn't have to guess who it was.

'Great...' he groaned inwardly.

.-. later .-.

Fully dressed in a soft brown t-shirt and a pair of jeans, he rushed downstairs and exited the building. He slowly approached the car and bent forward to the window, only to see Sesshoumaru behind the wheel, in a plain white polo shirt and a pair of gray trousers. Strangely enough, he didn't seem to have noticed him until he actually tapped the glass.

Sesshoumaru turned to him and pushed a button to roll down the window. "Get in," he said.

"How did you find out where I live and my cell phone number?" Bankotsu demanded sternly.

"I have my ways," was his reply. "You're late, now get in."

Concluding that Sesshoumaru's stubbornness is a harder nut to crack than his own, Bankotsu eventually got in the car. "Spill it," he said after fastening his seatbelt.

"I told Sango that she'd get to keep her job if she told me how to contact you." Sesshoumaru started the engine and drove away from the sidewalk. "Hearing that, she immediately phoned someone...I think it was his younger brother."

Bankotsu felt a flash of guilt as he imagined what Sango did to get the information from Suikotsu. He glanced sideward at Sesshoumaru, but turned to him fully when he noticed something different about him. Aside from the concentration on the driving, his features seemed to be emitting a certain degree of fatigue and he couldn't help but ask. "Did you read the book?"

Sesshoumaru kept his eyes on the road when he replied. "Yes."

"The letter?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"The book is in the back."

Bankotsu turned to look over his shoulder and saw the thick book lying on the back seat. "Okay, so now you've read it. Does that mean you believe me?" he asked as he picked it up and resettled against the back of his seat.

He folded his arms together. "Well?"

"You said you wanted to help Kagome, didn't you?"

"Yes...?" he responded impatiently.

"Then you and I have a common goal," Sesshoumaru said coolly. "In that case, it would be beneficial for us to cooperate, don't you agree?"

Bankotsu grunted. "Would you just quit using that business language of yours! Do you believe me, yes or no?"

Sesshoumaru took his time to reply. "Yes, I believe you."

"Good." Bankotsu let out a relieved sigh. "Now we're talking on the same level."

"I asked a friend to do some investigating on the book and they found out that the book dates back to the Warring Age, just like the tale told inside it," explained Sesshoumaru. "But they were really puzzled about it's rate of degeneration. Normally, two centuries would be enough to make a book practically fall apart, unless it's kept very well. But this book of yours has existed for more than four hundred years and still it doesn't show any sign of serious deterioration."

Bankotsu suppressed an amused grin and turned to him. "They must have overwhelmed you with questions, didn't they?"

"I had the right not to answer," Sesshoumaru simply said.

Bankotsu laughed. "I knew you would say that." After a quick glance at the road and he realized that they had left the city. "Where are we going exactly?"

"Let me ask you this, have you got any idea where to start investigating after reading the book?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Well uh...I planned to-"

"Didn't think so," he cut him off.

Bankotsu flashed him an annoyed look. "And I suppose you do?"

Sesshoumaru eyed him briefly. "When Kagome fell ill, I sought help from an old friend. But back then, all she did was telling me that the one who could help her hadn't awoken yet. That's why I decided to ignore her," he told him. "I didn't have faith in the supernatural."

"An old friend...?" Bankotsu cocked a brow.

He nodded. "After reading your book, I figured I probably have ignored her long enough..."

"Wait...is she the one we're going to right now?" Bankotsu asked. "What makes you think she'll be able to help us?"

"Because she's the descendant of the priestess Kikyou," Sesshoumaru replied plainly.

'Kikyou...?' Bankotsu blinked in puzzlement but raised his brows as realizations struck him. "You mean the Kikyou? The one from the book?"

Sesshoumaru responded with a bored look. "Do you know any other?"

"You are befriended with the descendant of a priestess who lived 500 years ago? Wow..." he widened his eyes in astonishment. "Then she must be pretty powerful herself too, right?"

"I'm not sure, but I heard she had helped a lot of people."

"Helped people, with spiritual powers?" Bankotsu asked curiously.

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I don't know. Why don't you ask her when we arrive?"

He nodded determinedly. "I'll do that."

A short moment of silence ensued after that as Sesshoumaru focused on the road again while Bankotsu looked out of his window to the distant landscapes that slowly moved past them.

"Say Bankotsu..." Sesshoumaru suddenly interrupted the quietness.

He turned his attention to the driver again. "What?"

"Why are you so eager to help Kagome?"

"Because I'm the only one who can," he answered. "At least, that's what I believe. Although I'm not directly responsible for her current state, I would still feel guilty if I didn't do anything."

"Guilty?" Sesshoumaru turned to him with a puzzled look.

"Well, it's not only because of guilt that I'm doing this," he explained. "Before I went to the hospital, I thought I did, but when I saw her sleeping in that bed, I felt I actually wanted to help her. Not out of pity, but more out of instinct I guess. Maybe it's because I still have some remaining feelings of my previous incarnation inside me, I don't know."

"I see..." Sesshoumaru shifted to the road again.

The remaining time of the trip continued in silence until they entered an entirely different landscape. Large, wide rice fields reached as far as the eye could see and turned into ascending terraces as they climbed up the hillsides. The flooded fields reflected the light of the afternoon sun and created shimmering effects on the water surface.

"She lives pretty remote," Bankotsu commented without taking his eyes from the breathtaking scenery.

"Yes," Sesshoumaru agreed. "I heard from Kagome that she didn't like living in the city. She said it would disturb her spiritual practices."

"How did you get to know her?" he asked.

"Kagome once helped her when she came to the city to visit someone, that's how they became friends. Although I objected since I never was a believer of the supernatural, she insisted on keeping the friendship. She told me that she's a descendant of a great priestess named Kikyou, who guarded the Western Lands during the Warring Age." Sesshoumaru took a careful turn to the right at a crossroads and accelerated again. "But since Kagome have always been interested in that particular period, I eventually decided to let her visit her from time to time."

"Aha, so that's why you think she could help Kagome back then and can help us now," concluded Bankotsu.

"We're here," Sesshoumaru said as he drove into a driveway next to a small cottage and stopped in front of a wooden shed.

Both of them stepped out and Bankotsu scanned the environment while Sesshoumaru locked the car.

"So you've finally come to see me," an old voice spoke from behind them.

Bankotsu pivoted around and found himself looking at an old lady who was one head shorter than he. She had long gray hair tied back into a low ponytail and was wearing a yellow blouse with red flowers printed on it here and there. Together with her white shorts and straw sandals, the woman looked pretty youthful despite the fact that she must be in her sixties.

"Hello Kaede, it's been a while," he heard Sesshoumaru greet the woman before them.

"Yes, it's been eight months since you last came here," she nodded as her chestnut eyes traveled to Bankotsu. "Who might this handsome young man be?"

Bankotsu flushed at the sudden compliment and bowed politely. "I-I'm Bankotsu, Bankotsu Yukimori. Pleased to meet you ma'am," he introduced nervously.

"Please, just Kaede will do," the elder smiled warmly before turning back to Sesshoumaru. "So tell me, what brings you and this young man here today?"

"Bankotsu claims he's the one who can help Kagome," Sesshoumaru replied. "And I have reasons to believe that he's telling the truth."

"Oh?" the old woman raised her gray brows in surprise and shifted to Bankotsu. "So you are the one eh? How did you manage to persuade our stubborn young master?"

Sesshoumaru grumbled at this. "Show her the book Bankotsu."

Bankotsu did as he was told and handed over the library item he was holding.

Kaede glanced at the decaying title in gold. "This is..."

"This book was written by someone related to the princess of the Western Lands during the Warring Age. We believe that the tale told inside has strong relations with Kagome's coma and the dream I kept having since my childhood," Bankotsu explained.

He watched how the old woman ran her wrinkled hand over the scarlet cover before looking up at him. "Let us go inside first," she suggested and turned around.

She made her way to the small cottage and they followed.

To Bankotsu's surprise, the interior didn't resemble a spiritual tent; the furnishing and decoration were just like that of any other regular home. Most of them were made of dark wood, except for an unusual large mirror that was hanging on the wall in the back.

With a ceramic frame, the mirror stretched from the wooden floor to the white ceiling. In front of it stood a white, chair placed in a way that once seated in it, one would be looking straight into the mirror.

Intrigued by the unusual mirror and strange placement of the chair, he didn't realize he was still standing in the doorway.

"Uh-hum..." Sesshoumaru coughed right behind him.

"Oh sorry!" he apologized and quickly stepped aside. "I was a bit startled at the large mirror that's standing in the back."

The elder before him chuckled. "Yes, extraordinary isn't it?"

She ushered them both into the living room. "Please sit down." She pointed at the creamy colored sofa. "You two must be thirsty after the long trip. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Tea please," replied Sesshoumaru as he leaned back comfortably with one leg placed over his other and his hands clapsed on his lap.

Bankotsu blinked at his bluntness and turned to the old woman. "Euh...I'll have a glass of water, thank you."

She disappeared into the hallway and returned a moment later with a wooden tray in her hands. "Here you go," she said, placing the tray on the coffee table before them. There were two coffee cups of the same set and a glass of water on the tray and she took a cup before settling down on the armchair from across them. "Now if you don't mind, I would like to hear the whole story behind your sudden visit."

Bankotsu looked to the side at Sesshoumaru, who gave him an approving nod, before turning back to her again. "I guess I'll have to tell you about my recurrent dream first..." he began.

He told her the same things he told Sesshoumaru two days ago: the dream he kept having, the book he coincidentally found and his encounter with the remaining memory fragment of the princess of the past in the dream he had right after reading the book.

.-.-.-.

By the time he finished, the glass and coffee cup of him and Sesshoumaru were already drained from their content and resting on the coffee table together with the scarlet book.

The old woman sipped the last bit of her coffee before setting the cup on the low table. "I must say," she said, leaning back into her chair. "all these years of my work as a spiritual practitioner, this is the first time I heard something this interesting."

"Do you still have that recurrent dream at night?" she asked.

Bankotsu shook his head. "Not anymore, the dream where I saw everything from a third person's perspective was the last one since I read the book."

Kaede clasped her hands as though praying. "I see..."

"I heard from Sesshoumaru that you are the descendant of the high priestess Kikyou, who lived during the Warring Age," said Bankotsu. "We had hoped you could help us with solving this riddle."

She smiled. "I am indeed Kikyou-sama's descendant, but what is it that you want from me?"

"Is there any chance you can determine the authenticity of the book's content?" Sesshoumaru asked as he leaned forward a bit.

The elder took a moment to think. "I think I have read some records before that were saying something about a barrier protecting the West." She shook her head a little as she said that, as if she wasn't too sure about it. "But that was a very long time ago. To tell you the truth, I myself am not too knowledgeable about the past, even though my roots stretches far back into time. I'm afraid I cannot help you with your request."

A disappointing atmosphere hung above their heads as silence fell between them and Bankotsu decided to ask the question that he'd been wanting to ask the moment he entered the house. "What does that mirror do?" He pointed at the large mirror in the back."

"That, is called the mirror of truth," the woman explained. "It's been passed down many generations before it was handed down on to me. But it has no longer been used for the past two centuries. Although I have been told about it's abilities before, my memory doesn't allow me to recall it anymore."

"But there is a reason for that chair to stand in front of that mirror, am I right?" Bankotsu asked.

The elder nodded. "Yes, if I remember correctly, something should be shown on the mirror when someone sits in that chair. Something that is related to the person in the reflection."

Bankotsu stood up from the sofa. "Can I...try it?"

Both Kaede and Sesshoumaru looked at him with bewilderment in their faces.

"Well...I don't know if it will work, but if you insist, I'll try looking for the enchantment that'll trigger the mirror," she said.

"Please do," said Bankotsu as he walked towards the mirror.

The woman disappeared into the hallway again and Sesshoumaru approached Bankotsu. "Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"It's the only option we have right now," responded Bankotsu. "According to the girl in my dream, I too have some remaining memory fragments in myself. I'm guessing that this mirror will somehow be able to show those to us. Maybe it will reveal clues might aid us in solving the mystery revolving around Kagome's coma." He saw down on the white chair and leaned against its back.

Kaede returned after a while with an old parchment in her hands and stopped next to Sesshoumaru. "This should be the enchantment that will trigger the mirror. Are you ready?"

He nodded.

"I'm about to read the spell to wake up the mirror, in the meantime, you should empty your mind and relax as much as possible," she explained as she unfolded the aging paper.

As soon as the chanting commenced, Bankotsu turned back to the mirror and closed his eyes. 'Please...let it work...' he prayed inwardly.

The spell was shorter than he had expected and a calm silence ensued after the chanting ended. 'What's happening...? Why is the rest so quiet?' he wondered and turned to Kaede and Sesshoumaru before opening his eyes.

He was surprised to see their frozen features and slowly trailed along their lines of vision until he was looking at the mirror again.

His eyes widened.

What should have been a reflection of him in the chair and the rest of the room, had now become a projection of a fuming mansion. The same mansion he saw in the dream where he met Kagome of the past. The smoke gushed out of the windows and sliding doors and small signs of fire were beginning to show on the window frames.

Suddenly, like a moving camera during a movie shooting, the scene started to move towards the building. Without avoiding the partitioning walls, they entered the place in a straight line until they reached a certain room. The lack of smoke indicated that the fire had yet to extend its boundaries to this part of the building.

On the floor at the room's center sat a person with its back to them. It was a man dressed in white armor with purple fern-shaped figures printed on it. He had a long thin braid resting half against his back and half on the wooden floor. The huge bloodied halberd that lay behind the man told Bankotsu clearly which scene he was actually looking at. This was when his previous incarnation realized he had killed the woman he loved and regretfully held her lifeless body in his arms.

He watched how the assassin laid her down to the floor and picked up his halberd before walking away. As soon as he disappeared, the projection went white and then showed the same room again. This time, only the princess could be seen in the room. Her kimono was still taking up the blood that flowed from the wound in her abdomen, creating a reddish yellow color in the fabric. Her face was turned to the other side, making it impossible for them to see her features.

Suddenly, someone appeared not very far from her still form. The way the scene was zoomed in prevented them from seeing his face, but from his clothing and the furry tail that almost touched the floor near his feet, Bankotsu knew it was the dog demon. But he didn't need to tell Kaede and Sesshoumaru since the person in the projection eventually knelt down next to the dead princess.

Bankotsu stole a glance at Sesshoumaru to see his reaction and he wasn't surprised to see his widened eyes. Aside from the dark crescent moon and markings on the cheeks, he knew Sesshoumaru would be confounded by the striking resemblance between him and the dog demon.

On the projection, the dog demon lowered himself to gather his fallen sister and Bankotsu could see the shock in Sesshoumaru's eyes when the princess' face finally became visible for them. With her eyes closed, she and the Kagome they saw back in the hospital resembled like two drops of water.

As the dog demon held the princess' remains close to him, the scene zoomed out until the entire fortress was visible within the ceramic frame.

With a sinking feeling in his heart, Bankotsu watched how the fortress collapsed. Now that he had seen it while being fully awake, he painfully realized that it wasn't just a dream anymore.

He watched how the projection darkened and turned to Sesshoumaru and Kaede. While the old woman kept her attention to the mirror, Sesshoumaru slowly looked his way with a mix of emotions registered on his face.

"Look!" Kaede suddenly cried, urging them to look at the mirror.

When they did, both of them raised their brows in surprise. They were now looking at a small house with a forestial background. Just like before, the scene traveled through the walls of wood into the hut. A primitive stove stood against the right-hand wall while some cabinets were aligned to the wall before them. The furnishing and interior didn't seem familiar to Bankotsu and he silently wondered why the mirror was showing this. Suddenly the view made a ninety degrees turn to the left, showing the rest of the small dwelling together with a person who was sitting at the corner in the back.

Bankotsu widened his eyes when it turned out to be Kagome. She had her eyes closed and was leaning against the wall with her head. From the slow rising and falling of her shoulders, she seemed to be sleeping.

Without zooming into her, the projection became black again and the normal reflection of him and the room reappeared.

Kaede was the first one to speak. "Those were the same scenes you saw in your last dream, am I right?"

"Not all of them," Bankotsu replied as he stood up from the sofa. "I did read about that house of the last scene projected in the mirror, but I've never seen it in my dreams before."

"The one sleeping in the back...that...was Kagome..., wasn't it?" Sesshoumaru asked, a bit confused.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Of 500 years ago."

"She seemed to be waiting," Kaede added puzzled. "But what does that mean?"

"I don't know..." Bankotsu mumbled as he sunk into a state of thinking. 'Why was the mirror showing that? Wasn't it just a scene from the book where Kagome was just waiting for her guardian?' he mused inwardly. But he frowned when he realized something. 'Wait a minute...the one in the mirror...she was wearing that kimono! The Kagome in that house was wearing the kimono she wore when she died!'

He ran towards the coffee table and grabbed the book that was lying next to the glass and cups. 'She died...and yet she went back to that house in the forest...and waits...' he thought as he flipped through the pages. 'That means someone told her to wait there...a promise...but where was it again?'

"Found it!" he cried and ran back to Sesshoumaru and Kaede. "Look here!"

All three of them gazed down at the passage of text Bankotsu was pointing at.

"Then let us make another promise," he suggested. "Let us meet here at this place on the last day of autumn. I promise that as long as there's still strength residing in these legs, I'll come running back..." Sesshoumaru read aloud.

"Are you saying that Kagome fell into a coma because of that promise?" Kaede asked, looked up from the pages.

"It would be logical to think so, don't you agree?" Bankotsu said as he closed the book. "There was a promise made to meet in that house, but Kagome died before that day arrived. The memory fragment I met in the last dream told me that Kagome fell into a coma because of a link of the past clinging to the present. She also said that this link is what stopped her life temporarily on the day she died because it remembered something that needed to be fulfilled."

"And that promise is the link that's still binding you two to your previous lives?" Sesshoumaru posed.

Bankotsu nodded. "Part of your sister's soul remembered that promise, so it went back in time to keep that promise. That explains why we saw Kagome sleeping inside the house."

"But how is that related to Kagome's current state? It's only part of her soul that left," Sesshoumaru argued. "And what about that recurrent dream you kept having?"

This time, Kaede decided to contribute to solving the mystery. "It is only a soul fragment of the Kagome of the past, it only remembered the promise, but it forgot that Kagome already died 500 years ago and that she has reincarnated. Hence, it took your sister's soul with it to the promised reunion, thinking that it is the soul of the Kagome of the past," she reasoned.

"And I kept seeing the same scene of my previous incarnation killing his lover because of a memory fragment that remained inside me. It was probably a fragment of regretfulness. Most likely, the promise he made to the princess became forgotten after the reincarnation, that's why Kagome's memory fragment had to remind me of it."

"So it's all because of that promise she made in her previous life with your previous life," concluded Sesshoumaru. "But Bankotsu wasn't there in that house we saw in the mirror."

Kaede nodded. "Yes, it seems that she is still waiting for him."

"The fact that I'm here, means that the Bankotsu of the past already died," Bankotsu reasoned aloud. "So part of his soul is clinging onto my current one as well, but how do I set it free so that it can keep the promise?"

"Let us go to the hospital where Kagome is right now, maybe I can find some clues by examining her current form," suggested Kaede.

Both Bankotsu and Sesshoumaru nodded at the idea and made their way to the exit.

.-.-. back at the hospital .-.-.

"Did you find something?" Sesshoumaru asked when Kaede finished examining Kagome.

"She's just like any other person who's soundly asleep, the only difference is that she is not waking up like others. I can't seem to find anything unusual about her coma...except that..." the old woman hesitated.

"Except what?" Bankotsu asked.

"Well, when I examined her abdomen, I sensed a very restless sensation. It felt like some sort of craving," she described.

"Her abdomen? That's where the assassin stabbed the princess with his halberd," recalled Sesshoumaru.

Kaede thought for a short moment before turning to him. "Is it alright to reveal her abdomen for me? It would be easier that way for me to determine what kind of craving it is."

Sesshoumaru hesitated at first since Bankotsu was there too, but eventually he approved of it.

With him and Bankotsu standing behind her, Kaede lowered the blanket to below her belly and carefully pulled up her nightdress to an acceptable height.

Both Kaede and Bankotsu widened their eyes at the huge dark scar that ran vertically over the skin of her abdomen.

"Kagome had had this scar ever since she was born. I had always thought it was too unusual for a birthmark, but the doctors didn't find anything, so we ignored it," Sesshoumaru told them.

Bankotsu watched how Kaede placed her hand on top of the scar and retracted it immediately as if she had just touched boiling water.

"What is it Kaede?" Sesshoumaru asked worriedly.

No reply came from the old woman.

"Is it...a craving for revenge?" Bankotsu finally asked after a moment of silence.

She shook her head. "Not revenge...but the scar is craving for blood..." she said as her face went a bit pale.

Sesshoumaru frowned in puzzlement. "Blood?"

"It's my blood, isn't it?" Bankotsu asked her.

Again, she didn't reply, but he felt he already knew enough and took out a pocket knife that he always kept with him for reasons of self-defense.

Just when he was about to approach the bedside, Sesshoumaru stepped in between with narrowed eyes. "What do you think you're doing!" he snapped.

"I'm giving the scar what it wants!" Bankotsu snapped back. "Step aside!"

"No!"

Bankotsu scowled. "Look, do you want to save your sister or not!"

"I do! But there must be another way!" he argued.

"There is no other way!" he growled and roughly pushed him aside.

Not giving Sesshoumaru a chance to stop him, Bankotsu quickly ran the sharp edge of the knife over his left arm and held it above Kagome's abdomen.

He watched how the blood seeped out of the gash he made and dripped on top of the dark scar.

Sesshoumaru ran to him and grabbed him by his collar angrily, causing him to drop his bloodied knife to the carpet.

Bankotsu kept his bleeding arm above the scar ands felt the strength being drained from his body. Out of the corner his eye, he saw Sesshoumaru's lips move and Kaede pulling at his arm, but he could no longer hear what they were saying.

Soon, everything before his eyes became white.

.-.-.-.

'Uhn...'

He slowly opened his eyes and blinked several times. 'Where am...I...?' A ceiling of leaves above him rustled at a passing breeze. 'W-what happened...?' He squinted at the sunlight that the leaves failed to block and shielded his eyes as he slowly pushed himself up. 'Did I just fall asleep...?' he thought foggily.

His eyes explored his surroundings and he realized he had been sleeping on the grass in the middle of the forest, but...how long have he slept? He had no idea.

'What was I doing here...?' he wondered to himself as he stood up.

With no particular destination in mind, he simply advanced forward in the dense forest. As he strode forward, he began to regain his memory bit by bit. 'I was supposed to go somewhere...I promised...' he faintly recalled.

His train of thoughts crashed when he suddenly found himself looking at a small house. 'Here...that's right...I remember now...' he realized as he walked towards the door and pushed it open. 'I promised her...that I would come here...'

Everything stood just like he had remembered. The stove, the cabinets and even the low table near the window. It wasn't until he approached the low table that he suddenly noticed someone at the corner in the back. The person, who turned out to be a woman, had her knees pulled up and enclosed them with both arms while her head was slightly tilted to lean against the wall next to her. She was wearing a beautiful yellow kimono with red sakura flowers embroidered in it and near her feet, the garment was soft red with white petals.

His eyes widened when he realized who it was. "Kagome!" he cried as he ran towards her and knelt down. He slightly shook her by her shoulders and repeatedly called out to her. "Kagome! Kagome, wake up!"

"Nh..." she groaned as her eyes fluttered open.

"Kagome!"

Her unfocused chestnut eyes slowly raised to meet his blue-gray ones and she let out a soundless yawn. "B-Bankotsu?"

Upon hearing her voice, Bankotsu felt he was breathing again and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank the heavens! Kagome...I thought...I thought you were..." he couldn't bear to finish the sentence, instead he ran a hand through her raven hair and took in her scent of spring rain.

"I-I'm sorry..." she apologized in his chest as she hugged him back. "I must have fallen asleep while waiting. I didn't mean to worry you."

"I'm sorry for being late..." Bankotsu apologized as he pulled back a little to look down at her.

Kagome rubbed her eyes. "How long have I been asleep?"

"I'm not sure, but your calm face told me that you must've been having a nice dream," he replied with a warm smile. "What were you dreaming about?"

Kagome tilted her head slightly. "I can't remember anymore," she said and she looked into his eyes. Suddenly, she moved her face closer to his. "Your eyes...they're...different...you can see again?"

Bankotsu took one of her hands in his and smiled. "Yeah, one of my companions cured me while you were gone."

"That's great!" she smiled happily.

She was puzzled when Bankotsu's smile dropped. "What's wrong Bankotsu?" she asked worriedly.

"Kagome..." he began as he averted his gaze. "I'm sorry...for what I did...to you...and your family..."

He was surprised when Kagome cupped his cheek with her other hand. "Don't blame yourself...you didn't know. I know you must've had a good reason for doing what you did..." she said with a gentle voice.

"Please Kagome...scold me...be angry at me..." he pleaded. "What I did was unforgivable..."

A moment of silence ensued until Kagome decided to speak again. "So...what took you so long to keep your promise...?" she finally asked, hoping it would get them off of the tormenting topic.

"After I..." he began but refrained himself from mentioning his terribly sin. "I had wanted to join you as soon as I rescued your little brother, but then I remembered Ginkotsu and Kyoukotsu, who were still being held captive by Naraku. He said he would release them as soon as the barrier protecting the West disappeared, so I decided to get my men first. After I got them out and safely escorted them to the North, I told them that the Shichinintai had been disbanded and that they should decide how to live their lives from then on. We said goodbye to each other and then I set out for the West again, to the fallen fortress."

He placed a soft kiss on her hand. "I'm so sorry. I was making my way to this place...I don't understand why it took me so long. When I woke up again, I found myself lying on the grass in the forest. I can't seem to remember what had happened in the meantime."

To his surprise, there was no sign of anger on Kagome's face and she smiled at him instead. "See? I knew you had a good reason for your actions! That's why you shouldn't blame yourself anymore, okay?"

"But..." Bankotsu wanted to argue, but he didn't get to finish his sentence as she silenced him with a kiss.

"It's okay..." she said softly after she pulled away and placed herself against his chest. "You're here now...and that's all that matters...you have kept your promise...I don't have any regrets anymore..."

"Kagome..." he whispered her name as he held her close to him again.

The two of them stayed in that position until they slowly disappeared, leaving an empty house behind.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
A bit late again, but I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Now all the mysteries are solved right? I hope you liked the ultimate reunion of Bankotsu and Kagome (in the past). I almost cried when I wrote the last part...sniff... Anyway you might think that this is the end of this story, but it's NOT:) So don't abandon this story yet!

By the way, has a new feature that allows me to reply to signed reviews :), that means, I can reply to your reviews again! To those who are not able to write signed reviews: Thank you very much for reading and reviewing my story! I appreciate all your reviews!

Lots of greets,

Kittymui

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

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Next chapter: A tale retold

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So everything in the past has been resolved, but what will happen to Kagome and Bankotsu in the present time? Please look forward to the next chapter!

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Vocabulary:

Shichinintai: literally means 'seven-man-group', it is a group of assassins (mercenaries) led by Bankotsu.
-sama: honorific suffix added to ones name whom you respect very much.

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Posted: 28 November 2005
Last Edited: 28 November 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!