Me: THE REVIEWERS GET COOKIES!!!! –sets out a plate of assorted cookies-

Jakotsu: Oh cookies! –reaches for a cookie-

Me: -slaps hand- NO! REVIEWERS ONLY!

Jakotsu: -sulks-

Amaya: You whiny little brat.

Jakotsu: I'm older than you, wench!!

Amaya: Oh really? I couldn't have guessed. At first glance, I'd have thought you were five.

Jakotsu: Why you-

Me: LET'S GET ON WITH THE STORY PLEASE!

Disclaimer:……You really think I'm Rumiko Takahashi? Uh, no.

"So, uh, how do you play?" Hotaru asked once everyone had assembled into a rough circle.

"Well, I'll go first." Kagome said. "I'll pick someone and ask them 'truth or dare'. If they pick 'dare,' I'll dare them to do something and they have to do it. If they pick 'truth', I'll ask them a question that they have to answer truthfully. After that, the person picks someone else, and so on." Kagome explained. "Okay, um, Inuyasha. Truth or dare?" Inuyasha blinked in surprise.

"Truth, I guess."

"The little puppy scared?" Bankotsu taunted. Inuyasha growled and not being one to back down from a challenge, replied,

" I pick dare." Kagome nodded.

"I dare you…" She looked around camp until her gaze fell upon someone in particular. "Heh, I dare you to go out into the forest with Jakotsu for five whole minutes." She smirked.

"What?! No way!" Inuyasha howled.

"Too bad. You have to." Kagome nodded to Jakotsu, who grabbed Inuyasha and pulled him away.

"That was a little bit much, don't you think?" Miroku sweat dropped nervously.

The two came back when Kagome called them, thought Inuyasha seemed a bit frazzled. "Have fun?" The hanyou glared contemptuously at her and sat down.

"Hotaru." He growled. The eagle demon looked at him with wide, goldenrod eyes.

"Yes?"

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Fine…Are you really a full demon?" Inuyasha asked. Hotaru sighed.

"No." She replied quietly. A shocked silence fell over the camp.

"You lied to us?" Kagome asked, confuzzled.

"Yes. I am sorry. I'm a half demon. Half human, half eagle demon."

"But why did you lie, Hotaru?" Shippou asked sadly.

"Because I was ashamed. I was in an eagle demon flock. My father led them. When he died, I took his place, but many of the flock thought a half demon wasn't fit to lead. A young eagle demon, Hikaru, challenged my leadership. I fought him and lost. As was the tradition, I was exiled. I was so humiliated; I lied to try to fit in. I told everyone that I was a full demon." Hotaru explained with a sigh. Inuyasha nodded.

"I can relate to that. I kinda had a feeling that you weren't a true demon." He replied.

"So you could tell." Hotaru said softly. "But, no longer am I ashamed to be what I am. Shippou, truth or dare?"

"Dare" The fox kit replied eagerly.

"Hmm…" Hotaru had noticed the fighting between him and Inuyasha, so…" I dare you not to leave Inuyasha's side for three days." She smiled. Shippou's jaw dropped.

"But- no! I'm not going to give in! I'll do it!" He said doggedly. He got up and sat down next to Inuyasha. "Miroku, truth or dare."

"Dare." The monk replied confidently. Shippou struggled to find a dare for him, but finally found a good enough one.

"Don't flirt with Sango…" Shippou appeared deep in thought. "Until the night of no moon." Miroku sweat dropped.

"But that's nearly a whole week!" He protested.

"Yup. If you don't do it….well it would be bad for you." Shippou smiled wickedly.

"Fine." Miroku sighed. "Kagome, truth or dare?"

"Dare." Kagome said. 'I think I'm going to regret that.' She thought grimly.

"I want you to kiss Inuyasha." Miroku smiled. Kagome bolted upright.

"Huh?"

"I think you heard me."

"I-"

"Kagome."

"…" Kagome got up slowly and walked over to Inuyasha. They were both blushing as she lowered her head. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his for and instant, before pulling away quickly, and returning to her seat. Inuyasha seemed disappointed for a moment, before finding a blade of grass suddenly very interesting. Kagome blushed furiously and thought, 'That lecherous, perverted monk! Although…it was kinda nice….NO! What are you thinking?' "O-ok, er, Bankotsu, truth or dare?"

"Da-" He was about to say 'dare', but then seemed to think better of it and instead said, "Truth."

"And you said I was scared." Inuyasha muttered mutinously. Bankotsu ignored him.

" Why did you and Jakotsu become mercenaries?" Kagome inquired. The question that everyone had been waning to know finally came out in to the open. Bankotsu looked at her, surprised.

"You want to know that badly?" He looked up at the bright morning sky. "Fine then. My village was high in the mountains, sheltered from the war and famines of the neighboring regions. The only threat we had was from demons. They were constantly attacking, therefore, Jakotsu and I were trained at an early age. I was seven and he was ten. Banryuu was a gift from my father on my eleventh birthday. One day, I had been fourteen for barely a moon, when a massive horde of demons attacked. We fought, Jakotsu and I, side by side, and wiped out half the army, but it wasn't enough. I watched as my parents were killed, helpless against the horrible onslaught. Then it was my beloved sister. I realized we were overpowered, but I didn't care. I would have fought to the death. We killed all the demons, but in vain. Our village was in ruins. Everyone was dead. I was blinded by such fury, that I alone slaughtered three of the surrounding villages. Ja tried stopping me, but he soon felt the longing to kill as well. It wasn't enough. When I first started killing, it was to avenge my family, but it became more than that. It became a burning desire. A passion." Bankotsu finished. Kagome noted a strange, remorseful shine in his sapphire eyes.

"I-I had no idea…" She replied softly.

"Then…were you…demon slayers?" Sango asked?

""You could say that." Bankotsu sighed.

"It was a long time ago anyway. Some…nearly twenty years ago." Jakotsu replied in the same, carefree tone of his.

"That it was. But enough. Let's get on with this." Bankotsu smiled, as if pushing away all his doubts and worries. "Amaya, truth or dare?" Amaya's eyes narrowed with suspicion. Kagome realized with a jolt how cat-like her forest green eyes were.

"Dare. I'm not scared of you." Amaya hissed bravely.

"Good choice. Well for me at least." He motioned her over to him and whispered something in her ear. Amaya paled instantly.

"N-no! I-I refuse! You're a-as bad as that lecherous monk, if not worse!" Amaya growled threateningly.

"I'm not afraid of you and you can't refuse." Bankotsu smirked.

"But that's not fair!" She protested.

"Life isn't fair."

"Damn you pervert!"

"What did he say?" Hotaru asked gently.

"He-he said he'd meet me at the hot springs at midnight." Amaya stuttered. For the first time, Kagome noticed a hint of fear in the hanyou's voice. Hotaru glanced sharply at Bankotsu. Miroku laughed.

"I think I could grow to enjoy Bankotsu's company." He said. Kagome glared at him and Sango hit him with Haraikotsu.

"Let's just get on with the game." Inuyasha grumped.

"Sango, truth or dare?" Amaya asked the demon slayer.

"Truth."

"Do you love someone?" She asked. Sango blushed and glanced shyly at Miroku. Amaya caught the look with her sharp eyes and smirked. "So it's Miroku?"

"Uh..um, y-yeah." Sango stuttered. Miroku flashed a triumphant grin.

"It looks like we'll be meeting you at the hot springs." He whispered to Bankotsu. The mercenary snickered but sweat dropped and Sango pointed her weapon at him.

"J-Jakotsu. Truth or dare?" Sango asked, still shaking. Jakotsu thought for a moment.

"Dare." Poor Jakotsu. Sango was having a fit. And she just got a victim. I guess he should have picked truth. Oh well. Too late. 'What to do with him?' She thought.

"Got it." Shooting a look in Bankotsu's direction Sango smirked. 'I'm gonna kill two birds with one stone.' She thought evilly. "Kiss Bankotsu. Ten seconds minimum." Jakotsu seemed to have no objections, but Bankotsu on the other hand…well let's just say, it took about four people to tie him to a tree for Jakotsu to fulfill the dare. When he had finished, the look on Bankotsu's face could have been deciphered as either utter disgust, or pure contentment from the kiss of his male childhood friend. Not sure. Kagome was giggling uncontrollably and Sango looked as though she had just completed her lifetime goal.

"Now that we're finished with that, can we leave?" Inuyasha growled.

"Fine." Kagome sighed after her laughing fit. "Let's go."

Me: Ah…that was a short chapter.

Amaya:….

Me: Aw, you're not upset about the dare are you?

Amaya: No. I won't have to do it. We're relocating.

Me: Yes…to a spot with another hot spring.

Amaya: I swear. I will be personally responsible for you murder.

Me: -sweat drop- So friendly…..