The smell of smoke was what awoke Kagome that next day. This startled her, considering the fact that the room wasn't murky or foggy, and her eyes weren't burning, as they so often did at the first sign of smoke. Feeling that her nose might be a little discombobulated, Kagome waited a few more moments to fully awaken, then sniffed the air again, more carefully this time. It was gone.
Must have imagined it, she thought, and opened the door. Perhaps she could listen in on the French lesson taught by Mademoiselle Desmarais...
As she went down the stairs, she heard voices coming from the entrance room. She perked up her ears, listening.
"Might an old woman get perhaps a bite of bread? Maybe a sip of water? I'm terribly cold, you see...I've been traveling in this weather for quite some time." That was an Ainu accent. Kagome had to stifle a shocked gasp, and crept further down the stairs to see this old woman. Unfortunately, she had on a hood and cloak, but the contempt on the face of Chisato, the haughty maid who'd open the door, was plain as day.
"Aw, that's too bad." She sneered in her high, whiny voice. "But it's also too bad that we have no more food left."
"You lie, child. The spirits tell me so."
"Is that so? Then perhaps you should get food from them." Callously, Chisato slammed the door in the woman's face, then headed up the stairs, Kagome's way.
"Move it, ugly." Chisato huffed rudely, shoving Kagome to the side. Narrowing her eyes, she held out her leg, making Chisato stumble and nearly fall.
"Better be careful, Chisato." Kagome said sweetly. "It's not very ladylike to trip up stairs, is it?"
"It's not as though you would know anything about being ladylike, Kagome!" Chisato fumed, continuing on her way.
"Stupid girl." Kagome mumbled and went down into the kitchen. Sango, the young cook, was humming as she cleaned up the kitchen. "Sango?"
"Hmm? Oh, hello, Kagome." Sango smiled. "What brings you here? The headmistress obviously hasn't seen you yet, or she would have you up to your eyes in housework." Kagome giggled.
"That she would." Of all the girls in the academy, Kagome liked Sango best. Being of Ainu ancestry herself, Sango was much nicer to Kagome, and much more tolerable, by strides. "Actually, you're right, she hasn't seen me yet, but Chisato just refused an old woman some food. I should like to take pity on her and maybe give her a piece of cheese or an apple."
"I'll do you one better." Sango paused in her cleaning to grab the food from the cupboard and handed it to Kagome with a smile. "Here you go, Kag."
"Thanks, San." Kagome left with the cheese and apple and looked around for the old woman. She was startled to see her right in front of her face.
"Hello, child. The spirits told me you would come...and I see that you brought food as well." The stout woman grinned up at Kagome, who smiled back. "But there is something you must know before I eat the food you most generously provided me."
"I know you're Ainu, ma'am." Kagome waved her off, and the woman's grin only widened.
"That's not it..." She removed her cloak, and Kagome gasped, backing away in shock. The old woman had disappeared, and in her place stood a muscular male centaur, flashing her a handsome smirk.
"Remember me?"
"...My God...Bankoutsu, is it you?!"
"Exactly how many centaurs do you meet in a lifetime?"
"Bankoutsu!" Kagome squealed happily, leaping up into his arms. "I haven't seen you since we were children!"
"I know."
"What happened to you?! I thought you...you know." Bankoutsu snorted, letting Kagome go.
"You know it would take much more than that to kill me."
"What was the reason for the disguise?" Kagome asked, excited to be reacquainted with her old battling buddy. "Did you know I was there?"
"No, that was just luck. I've been moving from place to place, asking for some food. Winter takes a real toll on you when you don't have anywhere to live."
"Oh, Bankoutsu..." Kagome murmured sympathetically, stroking his long mane. Here she was, complaining about life at the academy, when at least she had somewhere to live. Bankoutsu was virtually homeless.
"I built a fire not too long ago for myself. I'd spent all night trying to do it, and I just got it done. But no doubt the wind's blown it to ashes by now." The smoke Kagome had detected earlier.
"I knew I smelled smoke." Kagome said to herself, then remembered what she had seen yesterday. "There's so much to tell you, Bankoutsu!"
"Likewise. Get on my back and we can walk and talk."
"O—" Kagome stopped herself, glancing nervously at the door. What if Kaede came looking for her? Or worse yet, one of the servant girls? "Um...I might, er, be missed."
"Please, Kagome?" Bankoutsu pled softly, knowing just how to appeal to Kagome's guilty side.
"Damn you, Bankoutsu." She huffed, boarding her friend's back, and with a smug smile, Bankoutsu began to walk.
"So...how has your life been since the Great Fire?"
"Horrible, really. I snuck on board a ship and it led me here...to Morioka...I wasn't even aware I was in Honshu until I saw some of the people. They're so vicious to me, Bankoutsu."
"I don't give them the satisfaction—or stick around long enough. I've become a wanderer. I've been all over the countryside, in search of permanent residence...but lately, I've been sidetracked."
"With what?" Kagome asked, curious.
"You." Her face reddened and she cleared her throat, embarrassed.
"Um...m-me?"
"Of course. I thought of how we used to have our competitions—swimming, racing, even fighting. I missed that. Don't you?"
"I do." Kagome admitted. "I miss everyone, too—you, Kagura, Kirara, Renkoutsu, and even Mukoutsu."
"I miss them as well, but I missed you the most."
"We did compete most often." Kagome grinned.
"I remember thinking that girls were no match for boys..."
"And then I defeated you in a mock wrestling match!" Kagome cackled.
"I bet you couldn't now."
"Oh? And why would you think that, Mister Centaur?"
"Well, perhaps girls are a match for boys, but there is no way on this earth that a girl would be a match for a man."
"That's where you're wrong, as usual." Kagome teased. "I'm a woman now, and I could still beat you."
"I don't think so, girl." Kagome jumped off Bankoutsu's back and faced him with a smirk.
"Then let's go, boy."
"That's no problem...as long as you don't mind me fighting in my human form."
"Huh?" Kagome paled a little. If she wasn't mistaken, back when they were smaller, whenever Bankoutsu turned back into a human, he was usually naked. As kids, it wouldn't matter, since they were both young and naïve. But now... "Uh, why don't we just fight while you're a centaur?"
"Well, now, that's no fair...I wouldn't want to hurt you, Kagome." Bankoutsu smirked.
"You wouldn't, really. But you-you don't have to, um, revert to your human form, really."
"Afraid you'll get pummeled?" He taunted.
"No!" Kagome retorted. "I just don't—" It was too late. Bankoutsu had already transformed, and Kagome spun around with a girlish squeak, shielding her eyes from Bankoutsu in his..."glory". "Bankoutsu! Change back, change back! Or at least put on some clothes!"
"What's wrong with you?" Bankoutsu demanded, crossing his brown arms. "A lack of clothes never seemed to bother you before."
"Bankoutsu, that was before! Now you're—we're...it's just strange, okay?" Kagome blew a sigh, turning around with her eyes shut tight. Bankoutsu looked at her strangely, noting her red flush.
"You must have fever." He stated, walking up to her and inspecting her face. "That's why you're being so peculiar about this."
"I'm not fevered, Bankoutsu."
"Then you're being a stupid girl."
"I'm not stupid, either, Bankoutsu." Kagome huffed, opening her eyes again. To be honest, Bankoutsu looked exactly the same...from the waist up, of course. Her eyes dared not stray any lower.
"You must be. See? You've reopened your eyes and I'm no different than I used to be, am I?"
"I suppose." Kagome sniffed, feeling slightly dumb. "But I'd still rather not wrestle with you until you had on pants. You may still have a boy's spirit, but you certainly don't have a boy's body anymore." She paused, then blushed all over again at what she'd said. Bankoutsu blinked, looking at her as though she'd just begun walking backwards. "N-never mind I just said that!"
"...Oh!" Bankoutsu laughed, suddenly feeling playful. "So you're all aflutter because I'm no longer a colt, but a stallion."
"You are the devil himself, Bankoutsu!" Kagome fumed, more frustrated that he'd found the chink in her armor, than angry.
"Okay, so if you've got such a complex about me being naked, why don't you strip down yourself?"
"I shall do no such thing!"
"Why not?" Bankoutsu snickered, greatly enjoying himself at Kagome's expense.
"It's cold. And besides, you should know what it means when a man and woman can be nude together." She muttered, but Bankoutsu's expert ears caught the low grumble.
"Kagome. You are my friend—I have nothing in mind but to play with you, like when we were younger. We have not seen each other in so many years, and it saddens me that we can't just have fun without placing so much importance on gender." That made sense. Kagome really did long for companionship these days...and who better with than an old friend?
"I...guess you're right..."
"Listen. If, through no fault of my own, or yours, something happens that you do not like, we can part ways immediately."
"I don't want to part ways with you, Bankoutsu!" Kagome protested. "I just don't want things to get...physical."
"Well, we can just stop playing." Bankoutsu shrugged. He had always been a rather simplex boy; it was possible that he really didn't see the harm in them playing like they used to. "Come on—I'm sure that long skirt is a hindrance."
"It is." She finally relented, and, determined to ignore the cold, removed the skirt, as well as her shirt. Bankoutsu looked at her curiously, then started laughing. "What's so funny?" Kagome demanded.
"Those—those fleshy mounds of fat on your chest!" Kagome folded her arms, glaring at him.
"They're called "breasts", Bankoutsu."
"Whatever they are, they're going to get you defeated." He charged at her and tackled her to the ground, grinning, "Ready to surrender?"
"I think the question is, are you?" Kagome caught his neck in a headlock and they rolled around on the ground, both trying to overcome the other, until Bankoutsu inadvertently placed one of his rough hands on Kagome's left breast. She released a sharp gasp that made Bankoutsu smirk.
"Hurting already, girl?"
"Bankoutsu, get your hands off my chest!" Kagome squeaked, dread seeping into her voice. Worse yet, Bankoutsu squeezed her breast, making her gasp again.
"I told you these would get you beaten." He gloated, unaware of the tingles of pleasure flowing through Kagome's body.
"This...is cheating." She bit her lip.
"I've never played clean."
"Then neither will I!" Kagome reached between them and grabbed his phallus. His eyes widened and he looked at her in bewilderment.
"You—I thought you said you didn't want this to be physical!" Bankoutsu spluttered, fearing to move, lest he feel too good to get up.
"I don't. But I told you not to touch my chest. Now you get off my breast, and I'll do the same to you." Bankoutsu looked down at Kagome's defiant face, then flicked her nipple with a rough thumb.
"What if I don't want you to?"
"B...Bankoutsu..."
"I'm sorry, Kagome. I lied to you...I wanted us to be naked together. I'm so attracted to you I thought it would drive me crazy when I first saw you naked, and that was when we were children. In these past years, I've dreamt of you, knowing exactly how you looked as a woman...many a lonely night I've spent pretending my hand was you..." Kagome's confusion must have registered on her face, because Bankoutsu reddened and murmured, "I've had to do with my hand the same thing you are doing with yours...except much more vigorously."
"How...how do you mean?" Kagome whispered, feeling a dull throb in her nether regions at her lifelong friend's sudden confession.
"If you wouldn't mind...move your hand back and forth." Kagome did so, taking notice of the strained look on Bankoutsu's face, an expression very similar to that of pain, and Kagome grinned devilishly.
"Well, now, this is a wonderful way to win a fight against you from now on!"
"That's dirty, Kagome!" Bankoutsu gasped. "Stop it!"
"Or you'll what?" Kagome hummed playfully, causing the lightest of vibrations on her moving hand. Bankoutsu reached down and grabbed her wrist firmly, making Kagome looked at him strangely. Sweat coated his forehead, and he seemed to be making a very great effort.
"Please, stop." He breathed heavily, and Kagome rolled her eyes.
"Just admit defeat, Ban. You know I had you."
"Okay, okay..." Bankoutsu growled, and Kagome released him.
"You're such a child, Bankoutsu."
Black Ice: Okay, so little note here. For those of you who didn't know (hell, we didn't even know until we did a bit of research), the Ainu people are people of Russian and Japanese descent. Hence the brown complexion and lots of hair, etc. From what we've read, they're something like Australian aborigines, 'cause they're highly discriminated against and things. It would seem that they're nearly "extinct" now (That's actually what the site said; it makes them sound like animals!), but this story takes place, I guess, somewhere in the past. So there you go, yes? A little history for your booty! Right, Rain?
Blood Rain: (snores)
Black Ice: RAIN! (punches Rain in the arm)
Blood Rain: Well, shit! You're boring!