Mai Otani Saiai
(Chapter two)
Naiyori Speaks: Okay! Here it is, chapter two! Wow, it sure is tuff getting these things done with school and social life of course, not to mention the ever-so-often sprained had I obtain in Martial Arts class! Hehe, anyway, I won't bore you with my rambling, here's Chapter two!
Disclaimer: I own NONE of the original InuYasha characters or the storyline. They are fully possessed by Rumiko Takashi. Thank you, Rumiko-sama!
Author Claim: Rakuen is fully developed and personalized by yours truly. That means I made her; get it? Yeah. So no stealing!
Chapter Two:Ano Chikara
There, she had asked the question that had been nagging at her brain for the past day since that tiny yet lasting scar had been put on her neck. Why had Bankotsu spared her? Starting at Bankotsu with those same defiant emerald eyes, she had asked.
Bankotsu did not look at her, he hesitated to answer the question. The truth was; he did not know himself. Sure, she had stood against him unafraid... but then again so did others before him. Than why did her defiance intrigue him so much. Finally he found a liable answer and opened his mouth to speak, but instead Rakuen spoke.
"Nevermind... You don't have to say." she said with a small smirk. "You have your reasons, and who am I to question them?" she asked herself more than Bankotsu. She shook her head. "Just forget I ever asked." he said smiling at the assassin, even though he was not looking at her.
"I will." he said in a somewhat puzzled manner. the girl had just asked him and yet, somehow she had known that Bankotsu did not really have a reason an left it at that. She really was an odd girl. And what of that mystery power she had? What was it? Did Bankotsu even want to find out. Shaking his head he pushed the thoughts out of his mind.
"It's getting dark." Rakuen commented as the sun began sinking behind the distant hills. They had walked in silence for the rest of the day after she had asked that question, and now darkness was falling and the things of the night were stirring.
Bankotsu snickered. "What? Afraid of the dark?" he asked with a mischievous smirk. Apparently he was quite fond of teasing others. But of course that was just the kind of person he was.
Rakuen glared. "No... but you know, asking someone else if they're afraid is a sign of unmistakable fear. Looks like some big tough guy is afraid of the dark." Rakuen shrugged, trying to look serious.
Bankotsu arched a brow. "Right..." he shook his head and laughed. "Well, we probably should stop and get some rest. We'll be walking for another day before we reach the village I plan to destroy." Bankotsu said with a nod. "But we'll have to find a clearing..." he said trailing off, his eyes searching for somewhere to rest.
Rakuen pointed to the left of the path, sure enough there was a trail that would lead to a decent campsite.
"Not bad." Bankotsu nodded looking around the clearing, it was evident that people had stayed there before. There was even a small place where the remains of charred wood from a fire were.
"I'll get a fire started, but first help me find some wood to burn." Rakuen stated beginning to pick up burnable twigs and fallen tree branches, Bankotsu did the same. Within a few minutes Rakuen had the start of fire beginning to burn.
"Too bad there's not a river of pond close to here... We won't be able to eat." she said sitting down beside the fire.
Bankotsu plopped down on the other side of the fire and lay Banryu down beside him. They were both quiet for a while, Rakuen looking into the orange flames, and Bankotsu absorbed in his thoughts. As if suddenly he snapped out of a trance Bankotsu looked up and spoke, "Rakuen... why are you following me?" Bankotsu asked cocking his head. He had asked this before but had the same answer: "Because I can." but that was not a real answer, nor was it Rakuen's real reason.
Rakuen looked up from the flames, a serious expression on her face. "The village you destroyed was my home, Bankotsu-san. Even though I didn't have family there it's still where I lived. What else was I supposed to do?" she asked pulling her knees to her chest for warmth.
"You could have gone back to your real village, where your family was. And don't expect me to give you any sort of protection or to provide for you. I provide for myself and that's it. Besides, I didn't invite you, your just following." Bankotsu wanted to make that clear to Rakuen.
"First of all, I couldn't go back to my real village, I was dis-owned by my parents. And second of all, I'm well aware of that. I can take care of myself." Rakuen said with a confident nod. "Than why am I following him?" she wondered to herself. She could have just struck out on her own but for some reason, she had followed him...
They once again fell silent and eventually both fell asleep under the stars of the cold clear sky and the fire burned and kept them warm as they slept.
Bankotsu was the first to rise that morning, he woke up very early. The assassin was used to such early risings. Sitting up he stretched and looked over at Rakuen, on the other side of the now smoldering fire. She was still asleep. It figured. Sighing Bankotsu stood up, placing Banryu on his shoulder he stepped around the fire and tapped Rakuen's side with his foot. "I'm leaving now. Follow me if you want." he muttered as he turned.
Rakuen, although still half asleep forced herself up, yawning as she did so. "You get up way to early." she muttered following after Bankotsu at a slight distance. "I don't remember you getting up this early the yesterday." she said stretching and yawning.
"I was tired from terrorizing the village, what can I say?" Bankotsu asked with a slight shrug."Ngh. I bet. Destroying people sure sounds like hard a depressing work. Perhaps you're really a sensitive softie under all of those inch thick blood stains." Rakuen said now regaining her wit as she gradually woke up.
"Not likely." Bankotsu said with a slightly evil laugh. "Ah, I can't wait to get to that village, I sure am hungry! And I could use some sake a well." he said with another laugh and a crooked smile.
"Sake is gross." Rakuen gagged, she had now caught up with Bankotsu and was walking to his left. "How can you manage to drink that poison?"she asked in a disgusted tone.
Bankotsu didn't answer her but instead looked at her in surprise. "You've had sake?" he asked in a somewhat surprised tone. Rakuen looked too young to have ever drank sake.
Rakuen raised and eyebrow. "Yes..." she replied slowly. "Why is that such a surprise? I am sixteen." she stated with a slight laugh. "And I have tried it, and No, I do not like it." she shrugged.
"Oh..." Bankotsu said blinking. "I thought you were like thirteen or something."
"You thought WHAT?" Rakuen asked in a disbelieving tone. How could he think she was that young!? "Honestly, do I look like a thirteen-year-old?" she asked narrowing her eyes and starring right at Bankotsu. They had both stopped walking now.
"I..." Bankotsu let his eyes wandered over Rakuen, he'd never really gotten a good look at her. "I guess not." he said quickly looking away beginning to walk again, a touch of pink had crept to his face and he hadn't wanted Rakuen to see.
"That's what I thought." Rakuen said with a victorious sort of tone as she began to walk again as well.
It had now been quite a while since they had decided that Rakuen actually looked her age and the sun was now at the very center of the sky. As the trail twisted and turned in a maze of trees it finally opened up into the entrance of the village Bankotsu had spoken of. However Bankotsu didn't turn Banryu on anyone.
"Bankotsu-san, I thought you were going to destroy this village." Rakuen said keeping her voice low.
"I am. But first I'm going to milk them of life simple pleasures like eating and drinking. When I finish and they give me the bill, I'll start my killing spree so I don't have to pay." Bankotsu stated casually. "Look there," he pointed to a large building. "That's probably the best food place around here. You hungry?' he asked looking over at Rakuen with a smirk.
Rakuen smirked back. "I think some food would be great at the moment." she nodded as they entered the diner and sat down to be served.
Rakuen had never eaten this well before, they were given tons and tons of food, along with Bankotsu's generous servings of Sake.
"At this rate he'll be too drunk to even swing Banryu." she thought to herself as she took a long drink of tea. As she had said before, she hated sake and stuck to tea.
Finally after they were don eating the caretaker of the restaurant offered them each a bath, apparently this was an inn and not just a restaurant.
Rakuen immediately took the chance for a bath. She hadn't been able to bathe for a few days now. Bankotsu on the other had was to busy pounding sake with some other men than to want a bath.
Sinking down into the warm water Rakuen sighed, it was so nice to have a nice long bath for relaxation, and to tell the truth her legs burned from walking so much. It also gave her some time to think to herself. When the water began to lose it' warmth, she got out and dried off. The wife of the man who had run the Inn had given her a orange kimono with elaborate flower designs after noticing that Rakuen's former kimono was rather tattered. Slipping into the new kimono, Rakuen was quite happy and she headed back out to where she had left Bankotsu.
But when she got there she found the other men gone and Bankotsu fast asleep.
"Dolt." Rakuen thought shaking her head. "The sake put the idiot to sleep." she thought sitting down against the wall to wait for the assassin to awake. She however fell asleep herself.
"Rakuen... wake up." Bankotsu had awoken and it was now time for him to go on his massacre. He wanted to wake Rakuen up first though. Although... before he had actually tried to wake her up he found himself watching her sleep. Only for a few moments he had watched her but still...
"Rakuen." he said again and this time she awoke. "It's time..." he said with a nod. Rakuen immediately stood up and nodded. "Okay." I'll wait at the opposite side of tow-" Bankotsu cut her off.
"No so fast, I need your help." he smirked as he handed her a lit torch. "Start a fire on each house around the border of the city though leave a few unlit, that will heard people to that one spot and it will be easier for me, I won't have to go around looking for them... an none will escape." he finished with a nod.
Rakuen looked at the torch, and then at Bankotsu and nodded. "All right, I will."
Bankotsu smiled a crooked and evil smile. "Good." he said an began to laugh. "Go now." he commanded and she did. This plan was perfect, and foolproof. Of it would have been if the keeper of the inn hadn't heard of the plan and run out the back to gather some fighters perhaps they should have been more careful
Rakuen hurried to the entrance of the city and slowly but surely lit each of the border houses on fire, soon enough screams echoed through the city as it herded people toward the unlit opening; their escape. However as they got to their so called escape they were stopped by Bankotsu and his voice rose above the screams of the trapped villagers as he counted the people who fell by his blade.
Rakuen, safe from the flames stood on a small hill above the village, watching Bankotsu massacre the village. Finally what Bankotsu thought to be the last person fell and he shouldered Banryu and turned to climb the hill toward Rakuen when he was ambushed.
Overcome by the sudden attack, Bankotsu was unable to swing Banryu as he took several hits from arrows.
Rakuen watched from the hill in horror as the attackers began to practically disembowel Bankotsu. "Bankotsu-san!" she thought frantically. There was nothing she could do but wait! If she went down there, she would be killed and that would be useless. She was trapped, standing there watching him get slashed up.
Eventually Bankotsu gained control of the fight and was able to kill the ambushers, however, as they fell he collapsed to his knees, he was bleeding badly, one of the attackers had managed to gash his side with a katana.
As he fell Rakuen gasped and tore down the hillside. "Bankotsu-san!" she called out. He looked up and saw her, his vision was playing awkward tricks on him though and it looked as if there was two of Rakuen.
As she reached him she immediately knew he was hurt badly. "Stay right here. Don't move and inch, I saw a barn in the village, if it's not already on fire I'll get one!" she looked at Bankotsu one last time. "Just hold on. I'll be back!" she exclaimed desperately as she ran as fast as she could into the burning village looking for the barn where she hoped to find a horse.
Although having difficulty finding the barn she was rewarded, in that barn was not one but two horses. Mounting the smalled of the two she tied a rope to the other so it would follow and cantered all the way back to where she had left Bankotsu.
He had moved, but not far. Just up the hill a ways where he had evidently fainted. At first Rakuen panicked thinking he had died but she checked his wrist for a pulse. it was weak but it was there. She let out a sigh of releif... but now, it was time for her to use the powers she had spoke of a few days before.
Quickly she untied and removed Bankotsu's haori so that she could see the wound clearly she lay her hand on the broken and bleeding gash. It was long and deep and she got to work. Ever so slowly, she dragged her now glowing hand across the gash, the skin began to close and mend. This was her power. Rakuen had an extraordinary healing power. This power had flaws though. One, it only healed the outer flesh the wound was still there on the inside, and two, it drained her of quite a bit of energy.
Finally the gash was sealed, but she didn't have enough energy to heal any more of his wounds and Bankotsu was still unconscious leaving Rakuen with a problem: How would she get Bankotsu onto the horse? The answer was she couldn't. She'd have to wait until he became conscious again.
What Rakuen really wanted to do right now was to go to sleep but she forced herself to return to the slowly burning village and find a blanket, bandages and something to carry water in. Forcing herself up she went and retrieved the items.
Bankotsu had regained consciousness now, and Rakuen was still in the village getting the items . Damn it!" he exclaimed through clenched teeth as his hands were drawn to his side which had erupted in terrible pain. Was Bankotsu in for a surprise. Instead of finding a bleeding gash he found smooth and healed skin."What the." another surprise was that he was topless. Suddenly jolting up he looked around wildly then gasped as the pain in his side increased.
"YOU IDIOT!" Rakuen screamed. She had returned to find Bankotsu trying to sit up. "It's healed on the inside but it's still wounded on the outside! Lay down before you kill yourself for god's sake!" Rakuen yelled angrily.
Bankotsu lay back down immediately. Rakuen was scary when she was mad. "What the hell crawled up her ass" Bankotsu muttered, his hands still on his side. "What the hell did you do to me? How did my side get like this?" he asked as Rakuen went down onto her knees beside him to bandage his lesser wounds.
"First of all nothing crawled up my ass and you better shut up before I reverse the healing. And second of all, your side is healed because of my power. The power I told you about." she snapped as she began to bandage the place on his arm where an arrow had hit.
"Some power." he muttered. "It still hurts like hell."
"Rakuen was in the middle of fastening the bandage and purposely jerked it so it would be extremely tight. "I can't heal the inside, just the outside. You better be happy I did because if i hadn't you would have bled to death."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure." Bankotsu muttered rolling his eyes. Apparently his personality hadn't been harmed, although his pride was badly bruised. That was the reason he was acting so ungrateful, he was embarrassed to be in such a state in front of someone else.
"Ungrateful swine." Rakuen muttered as she moved on to bandage the last open wound, which was one Bankotsu's forehead. "Lift you head." she ordered.
Bankotsu obeyed and lifted his head so she could tie the bandage around his head. "Okay, I've done all I can do." she said sighing. "You told me you had a place up in the mountains, you'll have to navigate me so I can get you there." Rakuen said as she lead the horsed over to where Bankotsu was. "The only thing you need to do is get yourself onto the horse."
"Oh great." Bankotsu muttered. "I hate horses, they always buck me off." he said although he slowly stood up. When he was on his feet however he began to wobble and almost fell down. But something stoped him, Rakuen had put his arm around one of her shoulders and was supporting him, helping him onto the horse. Finally he was up, he could sit upright so he lay against the horses neck. Rakuen had tied Banryu plus the load of items she had gathered to the horse she would be riding and had now mounted it.
"Tell me what direction to head to get to the mountain you have a place on, that's all I need for now." she said quietly.
"West..." Banktosu said before he fell sound asleep. Being hurt sure did drain the energy.
"West it is..." Rakuen said to herself as she moved the horse into a walk. The other horse was still tied to it so it to began to walk and they started their long trek toward the western mountains. It was a good weeks trek, even on horses. It would be long and hard, especially considering Bankotsu's condition. But Rakuen was determined; she was going to get Bankotsu to that safe place. They would have people after the, because of the destroyed village.
But none of that mattered to Rakuen. She was getting Bankotsu to that mountain.
No matter what.
Naiyori Speaks: MUAHAHAHA!!! I love leaving stories right after someone has gotten hurt. Find out what happens to them in chapter three!
Translation: The title means "The Powers".