Chapter 22: Sango's Visit To A Certain Miko

When Bankotsu woke up the next morning, Sango was not there. Panicking, he quickly sat up, but clenched his wounds tightly. He realized that his tunic was removed and replaced with bandages.

Kirara, who was sleeping beside him, also had a bandage on her leg.

"Bankotsu!" Sango called to him.

Bankotsu looked up with relief to see Sango walking towards him. She was carrying a few containers of water.

"I'm glad you're awake!" she said cheerfully, although Bankotsu could tell that she was in pain herself. Part of her armor, he saw, had been removed and was replace with a bandage that stretched from below her knee to her ankle. She also had a small patch on her cheek.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly. Then she realized that he was looking at her leg. "Oh, it's nothing," she assured him. "I'm fine, really."

"No," he said. "It's not nothing. It's my fault from using Ryuuraisen. I should never have-"

"Bankotsu," she interrupted, putting her hand on his. "It's fine." She handed him some water. "Here, drink up."

He took it gratefully and drank it right away.

"I was just wondering…" Sango said as he took another container and began drinking it. "Were you following me last night? I mean, it almost seemed like you were jealous…"

Bankotsu's eyes shot open and he began choking on the water. He took another sip and began breathing heavily. Then he cleared his throat. "I wasn't jealous." He told her firmly. "And I wasn't following you. I just happened to be in that part of the woods," He paused. "Besides, what is there to be jealous about?"

"That's what I thought. But you sure seemed edgy whenever Hiten was around. And what exactly were you doing in the woods anyways?"

Bankotsu's face turned bright red. "Well… I… uhh… Hey! Is there anymore water?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.

Sango raised an eyebrow as she passed him some more water. You're not a very good liar, she thought to herself.

On the way to the castle, Sango stopped in her tracks. She stared long and hard at the trees beside her.

"Sango, what is it?" Bankotsu asked.

"Go ahead without me." Sango told him. "I have to do something."

Bankotsu looked at her in surprise. "What do you mean? I can't go on without you!"

"Please," she begged. "I must do this alone. It won't take long. I'll be back before you know it."

Bankotsu wasn't convinced, but he agreed anyway. "OK."

Sango staggered through the bushes for what seemed like an eternity before she finally reached a temple. She could sense a strong presence coming from it.

"Hello?" Sango called. "Is anyone here?"

The door slid open and a young woman opened the door. Sango guessed that she was a priestess.

"What business do you have here?" the priestess asked.

"I need to talk to you" Sango replied.

The priestess looked at her for a moment, and then told her to come in.

Sango sat down on the floor, as did the priestess. "I've… been having these weird feelings lately. I was hoping you could tell me what they are."

The priestess looked at her with cold eyes. "You have a jewel shard in your neck," she remarked, "and it's tainted. Who are you?"

"Look, if you're not going to help me…" Sango stood up.

But the priestess motioned her to sit back down. "I'm sorry to insult you. Please, sit."

Sango sat back down, "By the way, what's you're name?"

The priestess smiled. "My name is Kikyou. And like you, I am also dead."

Sango stared at her. "Oh, Kikyou-sama! I didn't recognize you!"

Kikyou looked at her strangely. "Have we met before?"

Sango nodded. "You probably don't recognize me, but I used to travel with InuYasha."

Kikyou did not even flinch when Sango mentioned InuYasha, but Sango could tell she was interested. "Tell me," she said, "what has InuYasha been up to these days?"

Sango shrugged her shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine. I don't travel with him anymore."

Kikyou nodded. "Right, I suppose you wouldn't. Anyway, you say you've been feeling strange lately? Explain to me these feelings you receive."

Sango tried to think of the best way to describe them. "It's like… a strange presence is inside me, but I just can't grasp what it is."

Kikyou looked at her for a long time, as if she were seeing right through her. After at least 2 minutes, she looked at Sango again and smiled.

"What?" Sango asked. "What is it?"

When Bankotsu arrived back at the castle, Jakotsu was waiting for him. But the others were nowhere in sight.

"Hey Jakotsu," Bankotsu asked, "where's Suikotsu and Renkotsu?"

Jakotsu sighed. "Their kind of drunk…"

As if on cue, Renkotsu and Suikotsu came out of the temple, although Renkotsu was running… I mean skipping over. He let out a loud squeal.

"Oh my gosh! You're back!" he cried. "Tell me everything, I'm here, I'm listening- No wait! Me first. OK, so I was like baking cookies, because cookies are like, good…when I saw a spider! I know, don't say it. YUCK! Anyhoo, so I'm like freaking out, right? So I take a cookie, and squashed it. Then I gave it to Jakotsu."

Jakotsu nodded, then looked at Renkotsu. "HEY!"

Renkotsu continued. "And then, when I was watering the flowers, I saw a cute little bunny! So I'm like, 'Awww' and then it ran away. And so I went inside to comb my hair- oh, wait! Silly me, I don't have any! But I went inside anyways and- Oh, fudge I broke a nail! I'll just go freshen up!" he blew them a kiss. "Love ya, bye!"

In the background, we can hear Renkotsu singing, "♪ I'm walkin' on sunshine! Wo-oa! I'm walkin' on sunshine! Wo-o-oa! And don't ya feel good? Hey! ♪"

Everyone was silent as Renkotsu skipped inside to do God know what, when suddenly Jakotsu blurted out, "Holy crap! Renkotsu's a chick!"

They all nodded. It was silent, until Suikotsu began giggling.

"What's so funny?" Bankotsu asked. Suikotsu instantly burst out laughing.

Jakotsu cocked his head. "Suikotsu?" Suikotsu started laughing even harder.

"Umm…" Bankotsu began, but Suikotsu fell to the ground laughing. "What's wrong with you?" Bankotsu shouted, starting to get freaked out. Suikotsu had tears in his eyes now. He couldn't seem to stop.

"It seems every time we speak, he laughs harder!" Jakotsu remarked. Suikotsu was now pounding the ground, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"No, you think?" Bankotsu asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow as Suikotsu's face turned bright red.

None of them said a word after that, afraid that Suikotsu might die from laughing so much.

Just then, Renkotsu came back. "It's OK guys, I saved the nail! Nothing a nail file can't-"

Bankotsu and Jakotsu dived at Renkotsu and covered his mouth, but it was to late. Suikotsu started laughing all over again.

Bankotsu sighed. "OK, Suikotsu and Renkotsu have officially gone nuts. They must have drank some really strong stuff to go this crazy. We shouldn't drink it or- Hello? Are you even listening?"

Jakotsu was standing up, but you could hear him snoring. Bankotsu hit him on the shoulder. "Huh? What? Did you say something?"

"Jakotsu!" Bankotsu shouted.

"Sorry big brother," Jakotsu said, wiping drool off of his mouth, "but you were starting to bore me. Please don't turn into a know-it-all like Renkotsu!"

Bankotsu rolled his eyes, but suddenly remembered Suikotsu. He looked down and saw him on the ground. He was laughing so hard that there was no noise coming out of his mouth. Finally, after he could take no more, he fainted.

Yes... I had fun with this chapter... Funny story for u guys! I thought I added this chapter, but then when I was looking on my account today, i realized that it had been sitting there for god knows how long without being posted... he he... funny huh? R&R please!