"Talking"
'Thinking'
StressedNight had fallen and dawn was quickly approaching against the horizon. Bankotsu gripped the handle of the sword tighter as he kept walking ahead. He felt something in that mountain calling to him. Miroku had also commented that the temple Kagome was at was on that mountain. He wouldn't let anything slow him down in his goal to reach Kagome. The grass crunched under his foot as the Ume from the trees bloomed. His eyes traveled to the sky and he saw that the Nekomata was wearing. He didn't want to push them to hard.
Inuyasha landed a few feet ahead of him and growled. Bankotsu rolled his eyes and sat down on a tree stump. Inuyasha mumbled before he vanished into the branches. Kirara landed and let the two humans off her. She quickly transformed and jumped in Sango's arms where she fell asleep. Sango sighed and stroked her back in thanks. Miroku looked toward Mount Fuji with a sigh. It seemed like it would take forever to get up the mountain.
"I think its best that we rest until the sun sets again," Miroku spoke.
"To long," Inuyasha mumbled. Bankotsu shrugged, either way he was going to reach Kagome.
He slowly closed his eyes and sighed. Rest, food, and some other things he no longer needed to do. The benefits of being made from clay were that you didn't tire or bleed. Bankotsu figured it couldn't hurt to close his eyes, he no longer dreamed of anything. The few times he did rest, it was with Kagome by his side. Rest, maybe he would get lucky and see her in his dreams. A gentle voice enter his mind as it began to sing. Darkness overcame him as he slept.
Bankotsu quickly opened his eyes and cursed when he saw that the sun had set. He stood up and noticed that everyone had gone. It didn't anger or hurt him; he knew they didn't like him. Bankotsu began walking toward the mountain. He walked a good mile before his eyes compelled him to look to the sky. Flame like clouds filled the night sky with bright flashes. His eyes narrowed in confusion as he tried to figure out what was happening.
"Bankotsu!" A soft voice shouted out.
His cerulean eyes widened as he watched the owner of the voice run toward him.
"Kagome," he whispered as he dropped the sword and caught her form.
"I was so worried about you," Kagome whispered as she snuggled into his embrace.
"I'm here now," Bankotsu whispered as he hugged her tightly.
"I thought I'd never see you again," Kagome whispered as he tensed.
"How did you escape?" He softly asked.
"I ran when they weren't looking," Kagome answered.
Bankotsu frowned and pushed her away from him. She fell to the ground with a soft huff. Her eyes flashed with anger before she began to sob.
"I don't know who you are, but you're not Kagome," Bankotsu growled as he picked up his sword.
The woman sighed a long dreary sigh. Her form quickly changed to that of a woman with flame red hair. Her orange eyes stood out against the lightly tanned skin. She stood up and brushed herself off. A long slender finger rose to tap her lips in thought.
"So you are loyal to the Miko?" The female questioned.
"Yes," Bankotsu firmly questioned.
"I am Suzaku, Guardian of the South," she introduced with a seductive smirk.
"So you're the one I have to kill next?" Bankotsu questioned as she scowled.
"You really are willing to fight for her?" Suzaku questioned as she remembered the Miko.
"To the death…again," Bankotsu quietly added the last part.
"She isn't that special. I just saw her and she didn't seem that important," Suzaku informed.
Bankotsu pointed the sword at the guardian with a scowl. She scowled back as she formed a staff of fire in her hands.
"She's special enough for me to fight for," Bankotsu stated as he charged.
Suzaku threw her head back and laughed. Bankotsu stopped his attack to stare at her in confusion. She studied with him with narrowed eyes before she nodded to herself.
"If you pass my test you will win this battle with me," Suzaku promised.
"What's the catch?" Bankotsu suspiciously asked.
"Nobody's ever passed," Suzaku quickly said.
Bankotsu tensed as she began to sing. Her voice echoed through his mind as he fell to the ground in pain. His eyes closed, but he held a look of pain. Suzaku continued her song as she searched for the darkness in his heart. There was darkness, just not the type she was looking for. She needed to prove that this man wouldn't pay the ultimate price to live. A look of concentration spread over her features as she sang with more passion.
'Never, he could never do it,' Suzaku thought.
She huffed in annoyance as she ceased her singing. Even if she lost this battle, her counterpart would finish it. He would destroy the boy and girl with everything he had. She watched as his eyes opened again.
"That was it?" Bankotsu asked with a cocky grin.
"The best is yet to come," Suzaku whispered as she sent flames toward him.
"Get your dead ass up!" Inuyasha growled as he kicked Bankotsu in the head.
"Inuyasha," Miroku began, "I think the stench of your feet will cause him to fall into a deeper sleep."
"Can it monk!" Inuyasha growled as his foot remained on Bankotsu's sleeping head.
"I thought the dead didn't sleep," Sango commented.
"FIRE!" Bankotsu shouted as he jumped up.
Inuyasha cursed as he was sent stumbling backwards. Bankotsu took a deep breath and calmed once he realized he was outside. Miroku and Sango raised an eyebrow at him in confusion. He shrugged and scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.
"Igit," Inuyasha mumbled.
"Idiot," Bankotsu replied.
The Junjou pulsed and interrupted the verbal brawl. A red orb appeared on the handle of the sword. It was next to the metal orb on the handle.
"Another guardian has been defeated?" Sango questioned as she gazed at the orb.
"Some girl appeared in my dream, she claimed she was a guardian," Bankotsu spoke.
"It seems they can attack us anytime they choose," Miroku sighed.
"Then let's go get them," Inuyasha growled as he took off toward Mount Fuji.
Kagome sighed as she sat in the throne chair and waited. It was getting boring since the Guardian of the North had fallen asleep. Kagome sighed as she stared into the water with a look of boredom. The Guardian of the South had been defeated. Kagome still wondered what the guardian had done. The cauldron of water couldn't see into dreams. She had felt the sword absorb the Guardian's element and then that was it. Kagome sighed and closed her eyes.
"She didn't put up a decent fight," a deep voice said.
Kagome's eyes snapped opened and she pushed herself into the chair. Deep blue eyes with specks of green watched her with mild amusement. His long blue haired flowed down his back and to his ankles in waves. Kagome wondered what Guardian this was. He stood straight with an air of pride around him. He wore a simple green kimono with a blue sash. His eyes traveled from the cauldron of water and back to Kagome. He walked over to her in long strides and pointed to the seat next to her.
"Is it empty?" He calmly questioned. Kagome glared at him for his attempts to sound casual.
"Yes, and mine will be too if you sit down," Kagome calmly answered.
"For a Miko…you are boisterous," the man responded.
"I strive to be different," Kagome dryly said.
"You strive so much that you have broken many rules. You do know the consequences?" The man asked.
"I know the rules," Kagome assured with a frown.
"You know the human rules, but you don't know the rule of the gods," the blue eyed stranger clarified.
"Are you here to lecture me?" Kagome questioned.
"It is my duty as Seiryu, the Guardian of the East. I keep the balance between everything and you have upset that balance," he hissed. Kagome stared at him and noticed that his ivory skin contained tiny scales.
"I didn't mean to upset the balance," Kagome assured.
"Meaning to do something and doing it are two different things. You have sided with youkai, raised the dead, and let the darkness in you," the dragon scolded.
"I only did what my heart told me!" Kagome defended.
"You have followed selfish desires. You have ignored your duty as the Betsushimiko," Seiryu explained.
"What am I supposed to do as this Miko?" Kagome growled as she ran a hand through her hair.
"You are to preserve balance and destroy evil…not embrace it!" Seiryu shouted.
"I never embraced it!" Kagome argued.
"You embraced it when you followed your own desires, but you truly embraced it as you struggled to kill Naraku," Seiryu explained.
"It was for justice," Kagome whispered.
"Justice and revenge can become blurred with one's intentions. As you struggled to kill Naraku, Amatsu-Mikaboshi entered you. He awoken the darkness in you," Seiryu explained.
"What about you? You let him bring out your darkness," Kagome whispered.
"I control my darkness. I go to fight so that I may rid the world of that abomination," Seiryu coldly said.
"He's not an abomination," Kagome firmly said.
"It's sickening that you feel for such a creature, but I will right your wrongs," Seiryu claimed with a smirk.
"Why?" Kagome asked.
"Suzaku, was my other half that was meant to test his heart and determine his purity…apparently he passed. I will destroy everything about him and you will watch," Seiryu explained.
Kagome glared and him and went to stand. Water exploded out of the cauldron and circled around her. Seiryu stared at her blurry form from the other side. Kagome reached out to touch the water and hissed as the water cut her fingers. Her blood hit the floor before she could stick the wounded fingers in her mouth.
"If you attempt to come out or interfere then you will be killed," he calmly said.
"He won't fail," Kagome hissed.
"You seem to forget that my purpose is to break him, he will fail," Seiryu darkly warned.
A flash of blue light caused Kagome to wince. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped at the sight before. He was beautiful in his human form, but as a dragon, he had an air of magnificence. His body was long and slender like a serpent's body. Blue eyes gazed her with an air superiority as he rose to his full height. His forest green mane traveled from in-between the two horns to his lower back. His ivory scales reflect the light from the torches. Kagome noticed that where his neck and shoulders met there was a blue orb embedded in there. Inside the blue orb there was a black mist spiraling inside it. The dragon huffed before the double doors swung open. He vanished through the long hallway.
"That is his true form, we all have one," Genbu calmly said.
"I thought you were asleep," Kagome calmly said.
"No, I just didn't want to deal with Seiryu. He has always been volatile," Genbu explained with a tired smile.
"What is his real purpose?" Kagome questioned.
"He is the Yin to the Yang, just as Suzaku was the Yang to the Yin. They keep balance. Suzaku is to test the hearts of the challengers and deem if they are or aren't ready to face Seiryu. Seiryu is then to break down the challenger in every way possible," Genbu explained.
"What do you do?" Kagome questioned.
"I remain in this palace and watch, for all I can do is watch," Genbu answered.
"If you see everything, then do you know what a Kagome is?" She honestly questioned.
"You speak of that rhyme," Genbu mumbled.
"What does it mean?" Kagome questioned.
"Not sure," he answered with a grin.
"Kagome, Kagome," she softly hummed.
"When does the bird inside the cage come out?" Genbu asked.
"At dawns and evenings," Kagome softly replied.
"Who is in front of the back, where a crane and turtle slipped and fell?" Genbu asked.
"Who is behind me?" Kagome softly questioned as she turned around.
"Bankotsu," Genbu softly answered.
Kagome gazed at Bankotsu form behind her watery prison. He ran towards her and Kagome reached out so her fingers were inches from the water. A scream escaped her lips as she watched Seiryu appear. A spear of ice formed and impaled Bankotsu through the chest. His body crumpled to the floor as his eyes dulled and his soul leaked out.
Author's Note:
Sadly sighs, I decided to just post all the chapters(shrugs)
You all have been patient with my lack of updating and my health is taking a turn for the worse, so I finish the story...I hate leaving things unfinished.
Please review every chapter if you can