Title: Enigma

Category: Action/Adventure

Type: Alternate Universe

Rating: T

Warning(s): Sexual Content, Suggestive Content/Sexual Undertone, Language, Violence

Disclaimer: The bitch owns nothing! (slaps handcuffs on) WAHHH!

A/N: A VERY important note I HIGHLY suggest everyone reads: The summary of Assassin Café had the note 'AU' in it, indicating Alternate Universe. This is an AU fic but it is well, a better way of explaining it, this story is a different way of looking at the battle for the Shikon no Tama in a different time period: our very own! To make this easier on yourselves, forget everything Rumiko Takahashi has told you (at least while reading this story); everything will get explained.

This chapter revolves around what ZGM would say "And the plot thickens... a lot more than a lot actually. It's really thick..."

-.-.-.-

Slowly, she could feel her head slightly bobbing up and down, in sync with the strong built body under her own. Occasionally she would feel the form stop and readjust her weight, but then continue on as if nothing happened. Her semi loose onyx tresses bounced in rhythm and her soft face rubbed against a cool jacket. But yet, that same jacket felt as warm as a summer day. It brought her a form of indescribable comfort. Straining her ears, she could hear a regular pace of faint breathing, not light panting, just breathing normally, not at all stressed by her weight. Is someone carrying me? she asked herself. If someone was indeed carrying her, it must have been a very strong person. Those couple of visits to the fast food restaurants were taking their toll on her and working at a pizzeria and a Chinese food café didn't help matters any.

"Are you up yet?"

Kagome almost jumped when the voice spoke, it surprised her. "Bankotsu?" she asked weakly.

Although she could only see the back of his head, she could practically feel the cocky smirk about to follow. "The one and only!" Sometimes, he was just too predictable for his own good.

Kagome lifted her head slightly, looking around over Bankotsu's shoulder. "Where are we?"

Bankotsu glanced to the girl on his back. "A couple of feet from my house," he replied amusingly.

Kagome stared down at him. "You're joking, right?"

Bankotsu gave her an interested smirk before carefully reaching into his pockets and fishing out a ring of metallic colored keys. He went over the keys silently before picking one out and digging it into the keyhole. The black fence opened and after Bankotsu entered, and slammed it shut with his foot. Pulling out a different key, he entered his house. "Hope you don't mind bunking in my house."

Kagome almost passed out. Her? Sleeping in Bankotsu's house? With him? "WHAT!" she shrieked, tightening her grip on his shoulders.

Bankotsu flinched. "Ow, a little lower next time; you're right next to my ear."

"Oh, gomen," Kagome blushed shyly. Giving a few seconds to pause, she turned to him her cheek beside his. "I'm what!" she asked in a hushed voice.

Bankotsu grinned at her before placing her on the couch of his living room. "Welcome to my house, Higurashi Kagome."

Blinking curiously, she realized she had never been inside his house before. She had peeked inside that one almost too carefully planned day but that was honestly the last time she had come here.

It was… nice.

Glancing around, it seemed ordinary, not for five grown men perhaps, more of casual comfortable home that Sango, Miroku, and herself could live in happily. No over exaggerative colors, relatively clean. (Something she assumed was thanks to Suikotsu. She had met most of the group and highly doubted the old prune Bankotsu described would be willing to clean an almost mansion house. He just didn't sound the type. Besides, it seemed like Suikotsu was the most mature of the five.) Hehehe, no offense, Bankotsu, she mentally laughed, almost seeing the pout come across his face in her mind. There weren't many overstated features in the living room, other than the good five foot eleven inch big screen television centered in the carefully polished and shined entertainment system.

Standing up, slightly wobbly, she scanned the house curiously. All the colors were some shade of nature, soothing colors like light forest green, brown, and the occasional blue. It really was a nice house. Kagome smirked. I bet the guys each have their own colors in their rooms. "Nice place," she commented. "It's soothing."

Bankotsu laughed. "Yeah, Suikotsu wanted the colorings. He wouldn't let anyone else choose."

Kagome bit back a choked laugh. "Yeah, I kinda figured," she hummed pleasantly.

"Hm? What was that, Kagome?" Bankotsu asked inquisitively. "I didn't hear you."

Kagome couldn't hold her grin back. "Oh, nothing! C'mon, show me your room!"

Bankotsu scowled irritably. "You're trying to change the subject! Now tell me what you said!"

Kagome smiled lightly. "Aren't I doing a damn good job changing it?"

"No."

Bankotsu huffed into an adorable pout when he finally came to the conclusion that she wouldn't tell him. "You win… for now, anyway. Brat."

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him, ignoring his last comment. "Nana! But really! What's up?"

Bankotsu shrugged coolly. "My house was closer than yours so I took you here. You don't mind sleeping here, do you?"

"Well, does-"

"Your mom already knows."

Kagome blinked a few times. "Oh, well then, sure, why not?"

Bankotsu, without delay, began to walk away from the living room, Kagome scampering after him like a lost puppy.

The house looked huge outside but it almost felt like a maze from the inside. Well, not really. Just a hallway with lots of doors, kind of like those Scooby-Doo houses. Except not all gloomy and more modern with clean furniture and well, guess the house doesn't look very much like them then, ne?

"This is where you'll be sleeping," Bankotsu informed, opening the door.

Kagome gasped. It was a marvelous room to say the least. The floor itself was made of tatami mats but one could hardly tell because of the large almost carpeting crimson rug with gold designs and gold fringes. The bed was made almost similarly, decorated with fine oriental, most likely Chinese, kanji. Various weapons hung from the walls, varying from thin, deadly katannas to speedy ninja stars to some even Kagome didn't recognize. A single, solitary classic ronin shoji lamp hung elegantly from the ceiling. It looked like a room that should have belonged to a wealthy shogun or a powerful daimyo. Like a blast from the past; the room even had bamboo blinds and sliding screen doors! To think that this is where I'm going to sleep! Kagome almost squealed in delight.

Bankotsu inhaled. This was going to end up sounding incredibly wrong, even he knew it. "Kagome?"

The peppy girl momentarily stopped, glancing over at Bankotsu. "Bankotsu! Don't tell me this is the guest room! It's too awesome to be just the guest's room! Hell! If it is, your family just might get another roommate!" Kagome giggled childishly. Promptly, she tossed herself on the bed, her two pigtails bouncing up merrily.

Bankotsu laughed uneasily. "Actually, no, its not. This is my room."

Kagome look at him quizzically, her head popping out from underneath two large red fluffy pillows. "Then if this is your room…"

"This is my room, well, one of them anyways."

"What happened to the other room?"

"Well, ya see," Bankotsu sighed, scratching his head, "Suikotsu's using that room for… research and it's a well known fact that anyone that enters Suikotsu's room will, well, get sliced up."

Kagome gave him a puzzled look but shrugged it off. "Then, where will you sleep?"

Bankotsu sighed. "Honestly, I was going to sleep in here. I didn't want you to touch any of my weapons. All of them are genuine and can and will leave deep wounds. I know from some… pleasant experiences." Bankotsu's eyes momentarily wandered to the closet. Banryuu. Bankotsu turned to Kagome. "As long as you promise me that you won't touch any of them then I'll sleep on the couch."

Kagome looked horrorstricken. "What! You can't sleep on the couch!" she demanded motherly.

"Erm, I can't?" Bankotsu asked, a perplexed look on his face.

"It's your house! I should sleep on the couch! It's only right!" Kagome shouted stubbornly, hands planted firmly on her hips.

Bankotsu snorted. "You're the guest," he yelled back angrily.

"Fine! Whatever! But then you have to sleep in the same room!" Kagome screamed back.

There was a long pause as Kagome realized what she blurted out. Awkwardly, she began to scratch the back of her head restlessly. But apparently by the look on Bankotsu's face he was seriously thinking about it.

"I'll get the floor then," he concluded quietly.

Kagome was about to shout back a protest when he gave her a look she had never seen on his face before. It was… creepy to say the least. One of those 'that's final' looks. He abruptly turned around and went digging into one of the closets, hidden behind a wooden shoji door.

Tilting her head thoughtfully, she suddenly spoke up. "Where's Jakotsu and Suikotsu? I didn't see them following us. Well, when I woke up anyway."

Bankotsu looked over his shoulder and gave a bored shrug. "Knowing Ja, he probably dragged Suikotsu to that one karaoke bar or something. He'll do anything for a little sake."

Kagome rose her eyebrow at him suspiciously. Something was on her mind but whatever it was, she did not tell. Instead, she sat comfortably on the bed, basking in her own thoughts.

Bankotsu pulled out several layers of blankets and tossed them carelessly on the floor. They were going to go on the floor anyway this method just used up less energy.

Kagome bolted up. "Let me help you!"

Before he could object, she rolled off the bed and onto the floor and began arranging the blankets into a home made mattress. "Don't you have any spare bedding? No futon mats? Nothing?"

Bankotsu shook his head. "Why? We hardly ever get company. Well, unless you count Jakotsu's boy toys and in those cases, they share a bed with Jak."

Kagome tried to suppress the girlish giggle about to escape her lips. She could perfectly imagine a drunken Jakotsu hobbling through the door in the dead of night, with another equally drugged man, both men only standing with the help of the other's shoulders. They would then murmur something vaguely; most probably something indecent by the way Jakotsu smirked. Then Suikotsu and Bankotsu would come running though the door in flannel pajamas, a bewildered look in their eyes. Seeing only Jakotsu, they would slump their shoulders and hop back into their comfy beds without another thought to it. I need to get out more, Kagome mused thoughtfully, tapping her index finger against her lips.

"Well, I have to head off to bed," Bankotsu replied.

Kagome didn't budge, the girl still lost in her random musings.

Until a feather fluffed pillow slammed into her head, knocking her flat on her ass.

A few seconds passed by as Kagome was shocked out of her thoughts. An astounded girl directed her eyes to Bankotsu, a small hand cupping her cheek. "You hit me with a pillow," she stated obviously.

Bankotsu tossed her a carefree smirk. "Yeah? And what of it?"

"You hit me with a pillow," she repeated just as monotonously as the first time.

Bankotsu sat coolly, giving her his infamous naughty half smirk. "If you don't move and let me sleep you'll get hit again. This time harder."

Suddenly, Kagome's eyes gleamed a fiery azure for a split moment. "You wouldn't dare," she threatened playfully, a mad grin threatening to crawl up on her face.

Bankotsu stood up and bent over, and tapped her on the nose, effectively raising her temper by one hundred-seven degrees. Damn him! He was teasing her!

Suddenly leaping up, she came face to face with Bankotsu, glaring at him with sheer rebelliousness.

Kagome let out a low growl, or as close as a human could get to one. "One more. Just once more Ban-"

Bankotsu flicked her nose again.

As quickly as she leapt up from the bedding, she flung her entire weight upon him, unbalancing him severely. Bankotsu's stiff form tumbled to the floor, a madly grinning girl attached to it.

Kagome beamed down at him arrogantly from her comfortable position atop of him, straddling his thighs, her feminine arms pushing down against his chest. She threw him a smirk that clearly stated, Heh, guess which brat knocked the big baddie flat on his ass!

Bankotsu glared at her, trying to frighten her to submission. When her newly formed haughtiness overfilled, his mind concocted a brilliant thought. Grasping her shoulders tightly, he shifted his body abruptly, flipping her completely over. His pride was overwhelming him and he was just about to smirk in her face, "Now, who did you say was knocked on their ass?" however, all fleeting thoughts regarding that flew by just as rapidly when his gaze became transfixed on her form.

Still recovering from the sudden change in weights, Kagome's lithe form was blankly lying still under Bankotsu's, her mind and body trying to figure out what the hell just happened. From the brief wrestling, her two pigtails had come loose, making all of her sable locks blanket outward in a silent frenzy, some small curls brisking pass her flushed cheeks. Her rigid arms were raised partially, half from shock, half from their previous resting position. Her glossed lips were partly opened; soft little shocked gasps of breath inhaling and exhaling every few moments, causing the loose tresses to occasionally brush against her lips. The most captivating thing, Bankotsu decided effortlessly, were the two brightly opened eyes, terra swirled with sapphire, that were widened from the sudden change that they had yet to adapt to.

Slowly, her breathing began to increase slightly, a soothing cherry blush becoming quite distinct on her creamy face. Her lips began to tremble faintly, due to the realization of their current position. Her once firm arms lost their feeling and became looser. Her anticipating eyes gazed up at his, hers overfilling with different emotions. Fear? Hope? Nervousness? Hunger? Want?

Submitting willingly to thoughts and dreams that plagued his mind for the pass few months, Bankotsu lowered his head, which was once on the brink of touching her forehead. That, however, became an untrue statement when his lips met hers.

Eons seemed to pass by before either of them made any movement. Deciding that he quite enjoyed this demonstration, he dared his bravery and continued. Slowly his lips moved against hers, occasionally nipping her bottom lip. Instinctively, his arms slid down from her shoulders until they came about her waist, which they then slid under her, pushing her supple body towards his. Her breath seemed to get lost in her throat. His lips lightly tugging on hers, he became over ecstatic when hers parted slightly, as if mystified about the ordeal. His tongue darted in eagerly. When it found hers, his began to stroke hers in an erotic maneuver. The titillating effect seemed to kick in when she turned her head, exposing her neck. It did break the kiss but he did not complain. He began trailing kisses down her neck, sucking all the while, sliding his hands along her maturing curves. Bankotsu stilled for a moment when his hands reached her mid thighs but when he heard a murmuring inherent moan, without another thought, he clasped them in his strong grip and pulled himself closer to her. From shock or impulse, two arms enclosed themselves around a strong neck, pushing him roughly against her soft chest.

A soft purring emitted from Bankotsu's throat with only a single thought running rampant through his mind. Since when was she this soft? If she's soft here then… With Kagome's heavy breathing and hold over Bankotsu's head, he was finding himself buried deeper and deeper between her breasts. Growling softly, his hands tightened their hold on her thighs. He began to nuzzle his cheek against her breasts, the friction of the shirt rubbing in opposition to her heated skin, making her hold her voice in with all her will.

Unconsciously, he stepped back to tear his shirt from his body, which he did so literally, and threw the shreds to the side. Without hesitation, he grasped her thighs, and locked himself onto her lips. His hands inched inside her pants, cupping her firmly on her ass. A breathy mewl would have spilled from her mouth but his mouth drowned it down. Her loose-fitting jeans slowly slid closer and closer to her knees, without Bankotsu missing a single kiss.

"Aniki!" a voice sang out. "Are you in your room?"

Snapping back to the cruel fate that is reality, Bankotsu and Kagome snapped their heads up in time to meet a pair of puzzled and shocked oak eyes, widening in realization of their current situation.

"GAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

-.-.-.-

"Prince," a gruff voice replied. The voice belonged to a highly muscular bald man. His towering figure was overpowering and hidden under a mountain of bushy eyebrows were dark beady eyes could drive away all the happiness from a single soul. The only article of clothing he wore was a somewhat revealing tan fur kilt with a katana scabbard tied to his pelt. Peeking underneath the kilt was a long and thick tail, shining with thick auburn fur.

The devastating man turned his gaze down at the human-like figure, laying on the bed, that was glaring over at a stack of papers, a pencil trembling from his wrath in his fist. Clearing his throat, he boomed once again in that gruff voice of his. "Prince."

"Yea, yeah! I heard ya the first time. Can't you see I'm trying to do this damn Drafting assignment! Heh! Why do they even teach this crap at school? What's a high school student gonna do? Build a stick house? Geez!"

"Prince," the man called out, sighing heavily.

The gruff man stared down unsurprised at his young master's reaction. The younger boy looked to be around the age of sixteen or seventeen. He had a very fine build, lean muscles with a tannish gleam to them. His shiny charcoal colored hair was tied up in an unyielding ponytail. The Prince wore a red short sleeved shirt decorated with black flames that accentuated the dark color of his loose black jeans. At the word 'Prince', his brilliant glacier-like eyes turned to face the grumpy man. "What?"

"The Northern Brother Tribe has been completely eradicated from this world."

Blue eyes dilated in sheer rage. "WHAT!" he screamed, snapping his feeble pencil in half, his clenched hand still quivering in utter detestation. "How did this happen? Who was responsible? Why didn't you tell me sooner? I will personally destroy their executioner!"

The brusque man nodded his head before answering. "The assassin struck at midnight with impossibly swift speed. The brothers that survived the attack came to us immediately and told us what they saw, Prince."

The boy gasped. "You did drop everything and helped them, right?"

The man bowed his head again, only a shimmer of regret flashing across his warrior built features. "I am sorry Prince Kouga as soon as they finished their tale, both men collapsed, drowning in their own blood. Their internal organs were sliced with something incredible narrow, impossible to be a simple ningen attack."

A crystalline tear slid down Kouga's face before he brushed it away roughly with his arm. "Do you know who dared to commit this atrocity to my Brothers?"

The man shook his head. "No, Prince Kouga, the two died before we could ask anything much further. However," the man paused, making sure Kouga's full attention was on him, "they did mention something along the lines of the sacred Shikon no Kakera."

Kouga growled. "That thing is back? Shit, now the demons are going to try to break past the other world and into this one. Shit, this only happens to me! Shit, this is just fucking great!"

The man bowed again solemnly. "I fear a war is brewing over the horizon. More blood, both of soldiers and innocents, shall be spilt upon this world's earthen ground."

Kouga's eyes narrowed in consideration. "Do you think if maybe we find the protector that the Shikon no Kakera will still be with him?"

The other man furrowed his brows. "I am sure but not for much longer, mi lord. The dark forces are quickly gaining momentum and are going to reveal themselves soon. On a different topic, mi lord," the man paused, "Prince Kouga, may I comment on your last statement?"

Kouga's eyebrow quirked up in curiosity. "Yeah?" he drawled inquisitively.

The man cleared his throat before responding. "The Shikon no Kakera's protector is a female."

Kouga stared blankly at his subordinate. A few seconds passed in absolute silence before Kouga opened his mouth.

"HOLY SHIT! NO FUCK?"

-.-.-.-

"Lord Inuyasha!"

A man, with lengthy ebony haired fastened into a ponytail, turned around, his stormy gray eyes glaring hotly at the speaker. Inuyasha was dressed in blue denim pants and a matching jacket, a black shirt covering his built chest.? "Whaddya want now, ya stupid flea?" he stated annoyingly, shoving his hands down his pockets. He was having a shitty day, his brand new, slick and shiny red Impala got fucked up by an idiot's crappy billion year old beige punch buggy, he pretty much broke up with his girlfriend, and now the damn pest came to irritate him. Oh, there would be hell to pay if this wasn't worth it!

Seeming talking to no one, a minuscule bug sized human like demon pounced and landed skillfully on Inuyasha's broad right shoulder and began eagerly. "Lord Inuyasha! I have important information to report to you!"

Inuyasha gave him a bored expression. "Geez Myouga, don't you ever?"

Myouga the flea ignored his ill-mannered master's sarcastic words and continued in his response. "Rumors of Naraku rising to power have been scattered about the Demon Realm!"

"What!" Inuyasha shrieked. "Dammit Myouga! Why didn't you tell me earlier!"

Myouga cleared his throat. "I do remember trying to get-"

"Cut the crap! Tell me more!" Inuyasha rudely interrupted.

Used to Inuyasha's rash antics, Myouga carried on grimly. "Weak youkai that have been discovered to be missing for a few weeks have now turned up in mutilated parts and some of them have still yet to be found. The youkai Daimyous believe that Naraku has absorbed them into his body so he can once again reach his high power status."

Inuyasha scowled. "That bastard! He's alive again? That dumbshit won't stay dead, will he?"

"Indeed," Myouga replied shortly.

"I don't know," Inuyasha growled, his eyes narrowing in study, "something about Naraku. Why has he chosen this time to rise up to power again?" Inuyasha turned his attention to the flea demon. "There's more to this, isn't there, Flea?"

Myouga nodded his head. "Lord Inuyasha, you are, for once, correct!"

Inuyasha gave Myouga a throaty growl. "Watch it."

Myouga bobbed his head casually. "Anyway, Lord Inuyasha you are correct. Naraku has risen to power by his belief that the Shikon no Tama has once again returned to the worlds, this one in particular, the Human World."

Pupils enlarging, blood red vivid memories resurfaced to his mind.

A young woman clad in priestess attire, a rare but warm smile on her face. The normally indifferent look in her brown eyes had been replaced by a faint glowing of happiness, her long straight black hair, flowing with the beck and cry of the wind's path. She extended her arms toward him, hands clasped tightly in a prayer like manner. Her smile increasing slightly, her gaze was directed to her hands where they slowly opened like a monarch's wings, revealing a small and light amethyst sphere.

To a blind eye it was just that, a glowing mauve sphere, but to every demon, it radiated great waves of energy, silently tempting with an unlimited supply of influence and supremacy to those in possession of it.

"LORD INUYASHA!"

The man snapped out of it, shaking his head with great force. "Dammit! Whaddya want now?"

"Lord Inuyasha, I apologize but you seemed to slip into a trance for a moment."

Inuyasha gave a quick, downcasted and dismayed look. "Just... reliving the past, I guess," he murmured, shuffling his sneakers around the cement ground.

"Are you thinking of Lady Kikyou?" Myouga asked curiously, his two sets of arms crossed over his ancient feudal Japan styled clothing. But, as often stated, curiosity killed the cat.

Immediately, Inuyasha snatched Myouga and squished him between his two strong index fingers. "Shut it, Flea!" he snarled, veins twitching in anger.

"Yes, Lord Inuyasha," a flattened, two dimensional flea demon replied stiffly. A light draft passed by, making the flattened body waver with the wind somewhat.

"Damn Naraku! That bastard killed her! Damn him to hell! No, worse! Hell is too good for that monster!" he cried out as a thin stream of invisible pain shadowed down his cheek.

Myouga, once again to normal proportion, clasped his hands together in a prayerful gesture, clapping his hands twice. "May Lady Kikyou's soul rest in peace," he prayed solemnly.

Inuyasha glared at the flea on his arm, his gray-blue eyes flashing gold for a split moment. Biting down his tongue, he pulled from his possession, a navy blue cap, placing it silently atop his head. He turned to the diminutive demon, and nodded his head quietly, squeezing his eyes shut before turning away, walking into the drowning shadows of the night.

"Thanks, Myouga," he whispered silently, almost lost even to the wind.

-.-.-.-

"Oh yeah? Well, fuck him! I don't give a rat's bloody ass about that sonuvabitch! That damn dumbass ditches his girl for a fuckin' JOB! That is too fuckin gay that-"

"Aniki!" a voice hissed brutally. "You were about to fuck her on the bedroom floor! Like some kinda common slut! Mind you, Aniki, that's our friend you were going to do that to!"

Aniki, he's right. She's dating someone else and although Inuyasha certainly deserves it, Kagome will be the one held solely responsible for that occurrence, not you. It was luckily that we came in time."

Tears began to flow freely down her face. Brutal, brutal, tears that only emphasized her weakness. She couldn't even defend her best friend while he argued in her defense! The man who was going to let her sleep in his room instead of making her wait outside in the nippy cold nights of Japan and linger around for a late night bus to come pick her up.

Kagome buried her face in her hands. Only half listening to the shouts of the three men next door.

You slutty tramp! a tone cackled in her head. You were about to fuck your best friend while you have a boyfriend! You naughty, naughty girl!

What? Wait! Kagome cried out. It was an accident!

Accident? An ACCIDENT! The voice spat out unsympathetically, Dropping a lollypop on the sidewalk, bumping into someone in the crowded hallways, ruining your mom's new dress, those are accidents. Fucking your best friend, backstabbing your boyfriend now those are not accidents, you wench! You're just a slut who's craving someone's attention like a damn cat! Get your prissy ass off the pedestal, Princess!

But! Kagome cried out. I didn't mean for it to happen!

But? But! BUT! But what, miss-oh-I'm-so-innocent-oh-dear-help-me-I've-fallen-and-I-can't-get-up! Please, oh Princess of mine, do join us in something we'd like to call REALITY! Get your head out of your ass and stop daydreaming! That perfect world you envision! That Prince Charming crap! A happy and rainbowy world! All of that is FAKE! Bear with me: F-A-K-E! FAKE! CRAP! Your dream world is full of BS! Everything you know is not what it really is! People WILL betray you. People WILL laugh at you! People will NOT help you if you're in trouble. It's a survival of the fittest world out there. A dog-eat-dog world and you'll be the main menu if you continue your childish crap! As I've stated before, everything you know, all the people you know, they all keep secrets, they all will not save you, and none of them care for you as a person. They only want what you now harbor in your soul. The-

"Sh… Shikon no Tama," Kagome breathed wordlessly, a trembling hand hovering over her left breast. A faint warmth filled her chest before quietly retreating back.

Kagome drew up a shaky breath. "N-nah, people care. Everything that voice said was a lie. A big fat gigantic lie. Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Bankotsu, they all care about me. They're my best friends! Why, I may not know everything about them but anything major they wouldn't keep a secret!"

Kagome nodded her head vigorously, her spirit wildly flaring back to life.

"Hmm, but I wonder," Kagome thought, getting up gradually from her still position on Bankotsu's bedroom floor, "was that the Jewel talking to me or some kind of weird conscience of mine?" A fleeting thought suddenly flew by. "A demon maybe?" Thinking back on it, she shook her head. "Demons don't exist… do they?"

Kagome shrugged and jumped on the brilliant red bed, relaxing in its comforting cloud like details. The idea of going to bed came to mind and just when she decided that she would do just that, her eyes caught something on the floor.

Scrabbling over to the floor, she realized it was Bankotsu torn part shirt, shredded from their almost, almost intimate moment. The wheels in Kagome's mind abruptly stopped when a thought came to mind. How did Bankotsu shred his shirt this way? It looks like when demons in anime and manga tear apart human flesh. "Oh c'mon, Gome!" she chided herself gently. "Bankotsu is not a demon!" Then how did he rip this shirt off of his body so easily? another part of mind argued.

Well, when Kagome was about to finish that thought, a pulse caught her attention. The pulse came from one of the hidden closets. A pulse? From the closet? she considered curiously.

Kagome crawled over to where she thought the humming to be, all the while it purring louder and louder, drawing her further in. Carefully, as not to attract the attention of the boys who were just next door, she slid open the shoji door. Wide eyes came to see a glistening blade, glowing luminously as if had just been made that very hour. The blade itself was bigger than herself, her mind half consciously wondering if Bankotsu could carry it. Realization dawned on her as a word spilled from her mouth. "Halberd."

A strong urge to touch the radiant surface resided in her, her hand raising up to run along the halberd's smooth surface. The instant her skin connected with the surface of the blade, a crimson blaze surrounded her, trapping her in passing moments.

Illusions in a crimson taint blurred all around her small frame.

Images of women crying as the halberd came towards them.

Images of business men and tycoons running away from the wielder, fear clouding their senses as they foolishly cornered themselves in their blind haste, turning around knowing death was coming for them painfully.

Images of captured prisoners suffering greatly, pieces of their own rotting flesh strewn about the cold hard dungeon floors while a grim look of an abandoned soul loomed darkly in their eyes.

Images of a driver turning around to look for the guards and company president only to find their dead corpses lying limply against the seats. And when his eyes directed to the road, terror-stricken eyes found themselves rolling down the pavement street, only for the chauffeur's head to smash brutally under the limousine's tires a fraction of a second later.

Images of a halberd cast away while a man strangled an elder lady. An elder lady who looked strangely familiar to Kagome.

Ohana Miharu

Kagome's heart began to thump against her chest. It was as if a microphone was placed next to her heart because the next minute she could hear her own heart hammering dangerously in her own head. Just like the day when Bankotsu saved her in the alley, her heart began to pound against her chest with force that was almost inhuman, accelerating with each passing beat. The pain was so agonizingly unbearable, so excruciating, her figure, engulfed in blood tainted images about her mind, collapsed to her feet, huffing and gasping for air to trap in her lungs. But, with no avail.

She stopped breathing.

Then, all the images, swirling and writhing, kicking and screaming, and pounding of her heart stopped.

A deep silence cloaked her bewildered mind.

As mysteriously as they stopped, the memories once again began to blur up and speed. Now, however, pictures stained a deep blue emerged, pictures of…

Feudal Japan clothed warriors?

One man immediately caught her eye. The appearance seemed to be of Jakotsu but the Jakotsu in the photos was dressed in a lavender kimono patterned with green leaves fluttering about, a deeper purple scarf tossed around his neck. His hair was in its usual style, a cute feather pin to simply add on his feminine features. One interesting concept that Kagome noted and made sure to store for later memory was the paint on his face. Two sharp violet snake fang markings ornamented his face and a thick line of luscious red covered his lips. Had she not already known him gay, this would have been the final confirmation.

As the Jakotsu figure laughed sadistically, he absent-mindedly twirled a serpent-like blade around, all the while sipping from a small mug of sake.

The images whirled her body in another direction, forcing her to look at another figure resembling Renkotsu, who also was dressed in ancient clothing. By his side, an arm length cannon sat comfortably, on of his arms resting on its sleek black coating.

"Is that Renkotsu? Kagome whispered to herself. Unable to grasp the truth, Kagome tightly shut her eyes, silently telling herself that she was hallucinating.

Any doubts in her mind were quickly sent to the grave when a different moving picture met her eyes.

There, in all his handsome, dashing self, sat none other than Bankotsu.

As her eyes grazed over the picture, they slowly widened. He was wearing the armor she had seen him wear in her dream!

Could I possibly be seeing Bankotsu's past life or something? she asked herself quietly.

The Bankotsu in the picture abruptly stood up, his signature wild braid thrashing against the foreign armor as he walked towards her.

Kagome immediately stilled when the picture version reached out to grasp her.

She flinched.

"Banryuu!" the voice cried out cheerfully.

Kagome tensed before slowly opening her eyes. There, the halberd that she found in his closet, was firmly held in his strong grip. But something else slipped into her mind that caught her attention.

Why can this image talk? Why can I hear this memory?

"Ren! Jak! Finish up the sake! The Ryuu Kafe opens tomorrow and Kagome will be waiting!"

"Aniki!" the Jakotsu look-alike cried out, flailing his arms about. "Do we hafta?" he pouted childishly. "The pizza bitch can find someone else to bug!" he whined annoyingly. "We just finished a mission and I wanna get drunk!"

P-p-pizza bitch? Kagome growled, a vein threatening to burst from her head. Nope, that's the real Jakotsu, that stupid sonuva- Grrahh! Damn him!

"Aniki," a deeper voice chuckled from the corner, "perhaps it is not the café you so eagerly want to see but that Kagome girl you keep mentioning?"

A quick blush that came and went passed on Bankotsu face before he ground out in a playful but fatality hinted voice. "And just what are you implying, Renkotsu?"

The quiet man merely chuckled. "Nothing, Aniki, just simply stating my humble opinion."

"Well, shove that humble opinion of yours up your ass!" Bankotsu sneered. "Because I frankly don't want to hear it from you!"

Renkotsu gave Bankotsu an indifferent, callous eyebrow quirk before sipping his cup of sake wordlessly.

The tension in the air was so thick Kagome could feel it in the memory suffocating her. When Jakotsu piped up, she was glad the tension dissolved with his statement.

"Aniki! Do you remember that young company president! Do ya? Do ya?" Jakotsu piped enthusiastically.

Bankotsu slowly nodded his head.

Jakotsu's face then broke out into a grin that proudly announced his next words. "Omifuckingod! I want me some of him again! Stupid dumbass but damn! He was an animal in the bed!"

Bankotsu's face instantly paled and even Renkotsu had a hint of disgust displayed on his face behind his cup.

Jakotsu's eyes began to brim with joy as he described their first and only intimate moment.

"Jakotsu, as repulsive as your story is, I have a couple of points to sum out. For starters, Aniki and I are both heterosexuals as in not gay and secondly, how did the company president have sex with you when he thought you a girl the first time?"

Jakotsu inserted a sly, slightly sadistic sneer. "It is amazing how my young man could not handle the toxins of alcohol. I almost regret killing him. Oh god I miss that silky feel of his-"

Oh god! SPARE ME MY VIRGIN EARS! Kagome cried out hysterically, covering her ears with her cupped hands.

As if on command, the image blurred a fluorescent blue before Kagome felt a sharp pain embed in her chest.

When she decided to awaken, her eyes caught sight of the surroundings of Bankotsu's crimson room, the halberd right beside her.

"What was that?" She quietly asked herself.

That, Guardian of the Sacred Kakera, is one secret I've shown you. Your so called 'best friend' is a ruthless mercenary. Those people scarred and abused in the memories, those were victims killed by his own two hands, their blood staining deeply into his soul.

Kagome snorted. And I should believe you why again?

He is Ohana Miharu's killer.

Kagome's eyes widened. "No he didn't!" she screamed out. "He didn't do anything!"

A throaty chuckled resounded. How lovely of the Sacred Kakera to choose the most pure and naïve human soul to corrupt. Girl, he murdered her for money. If you do not believe me utter the departed soul's name when that lowly hired gun enters.

"But… it's not true…" Kagome murmured, the tears flowing freely from her cheeks conflicting her own words. She didn't want to believe it, really she didn't. But every time her adopted aunt's name came up, Bankotsu's eyes immediately turned to hers with the softest look she had ever seen. An ocean filled with pity and remorse. As she recalled, he had never met the woman so why would he care so much?

She was thrown out of her musings when a few sets of feet entered the room, all three men a witness to her crystalline tears.

"Kagome?" Bankotsu began, his deep voice filled with regretful tone.

Kagome's eyes were covered by her thick sable bangs, hiding her emotions from all.

"Aniki," a hushed whisper said. "Did you leave Banryuu out?"

Kagome's body tensed, from stress and the atrocious shaking of her muffled tears. They said it. That was the name Bankotsu spoke of in the sword's memory. Could Banryuu be the halberd's name?

Bankotsu's eyes wandered over to the closet, which was wide open, revealing the glimmering halberd in all its beauty.

"Kagome."

Kagome bit down her new set of awakening tears. She heard it, the slight tone of regret in his voice. He did it. He killed those people.

As Bankotsu was about to continue, a shaken up Kagome slowly stood, up, her posture indicating she had no support of her usual chipper personality. And as she stood there, she looked more like a ghost of a betrayed maiden than the Kagome Higurashi everyone was drawn to.

"I see it," a raspy voice choked out from behind a curtain of black hair.

The three Shichinintai members stared curiously at the display Kagome was causing. They had of course encountered raw demons before, as killing humans wasn't the only profession they held and they were also well aware of demonic possessions but they could feel it in their souls, the very core of their beings, that the woman in front of them was not possessed.

"I see it," the voice continued, "there's blood on the halberd," the voice stated ghastly.

The Shichinintai stilled. There was not a drop of blood on the sword that Bankotsu so frequently polished, so how did she see what no mortal eyes could see?

The rasping chuckled of the voice began quietly, sounding very much similar to sharpened nails shrieking against a blackboard. After what seemed like time without end, the voice quieted down into broken sobs, catching all of their undivided attention. When they looked again, there no longer stood a ghastly figure cackling so horrifying cruel but a confused and heartbroken girl with an endless line of tears cascading down her face and even greater feeling of betrayal displayed openly in her earth colored eyes.

Soft lips opened slightly before a melodious but melancholy tune flowed forth.

Her figure began to evaporate into tiny iris sparks as she teleported to a far away place, a place where her heart could not be further torn apart, the words she spoke long before still ringing in their heads, despite her presence no longer being in the room.

You could have told me.

Hey everyone! That was chapter 15 of Ansatsusha Kafe, titled Enigma (for good reasons I might add!). So much happened in so little time! Talk about teenage stress, ne? Next chapter won't be any easier on everyone's favorite pizza bitch!

I will continue to thank those of you who review; your comments and questions inspire me to continue to write and also give me an insight to how the readers see Assassin Café. Love to you!

Sorry for the long time in updates! It wasn't that I wasn't getting any homework (I was!), it wasn't because I was being lazy (I was!), and it wasn't that I ditched typing for hanging out on Saturdays (I did!), it was mainly because I seemed to have fallen into another trap: reading instead of writing fan fiction! Basically, that means I've fallen in love with another pairing! Now, don't you just hate when that happens? But the benefits of that are lots of inspiration and an even stronger urge to increase chapter size (and the befuddled love triangles! Ah, the horror of unrequited love!)!

Sango and Miroku were going to make an appearance in this chapter, really, but well, it was such a good place to leave off:P Next time, Sango and Miroku (seriously, this time I guarantee!) will better explains the lovely (gruesome!) tale of the Shikon no Tama revolving around this story.

Thanks again everyone for your questions and comments, it shows me that not everyone simply reads fictions without looking below the surface (or as teachers say, thinking outside the box). And as for another reader's comment, if it was within my power, I would love to individually get to know all my readers better! Til next month! Ja ne!

SangOtaku6