AN: Sorry this took so long, my computer's been really slow, so my little brother thought he'd "help" by deleting all of my documents... About the chapter, I'm not too crazy about it. It went in an different direction that what I planned.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha, it belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
"Are you sure we should trust her?" Bankotsu whispered in Kagome's ear while glancing at the elder miko.
"Well, I trust you; we might as well trust her. Besides, you could take her."
Bankotsu smirked at the compliment and started looking around. They had just walked into the cave, which didn't look too much like a cave anymore. In fact, if they hadn't seen the stone walls, they would have assumed it was a regular house. Screens separated areas into rooms, and everything was well furnished. It was a nice place to live for being a cave.
"Would you like some tea?"
"Yes, please." Kagome smiled, the miko seemed nice enough.
Bankotsu shot Kagome a disapproving look. She really was too trusting for her own good. "I'm fine."
Kagome glanced at Bankotsu. He was incredibly untrusting; he needed to learn to relax. It wasn't like everyone wanted to hurt them. She laughed. Bankotsu was probably thinking the exact opposite of what she was. If you paid enough attention, he could be read like a book.
"Tell me, what are the Shikon miko and the leader of the Band of Seven doing here?" Two pairs of surprised eyes glanced at the women who were smiling while pouring Kagome's tea. The priestess noticed this and laughed good-naturedly. "Please, relax. I'll explain everything in a little bit."
Neither of the two calmed considerably, but Bankotsu did set down Banryuu and Kagome began to sip her tea. They glanced at each other, as if silently asking what they should do next.
"You will be safe here. My barrier is powerful; demons shouldn't be able to get through. But do be careful if you venture outside, it doesn't extend very far out." She had a stern expression on her face, but her brown eyes appeared kind.
Kagome nodded in understanding, she had felt the barrier the second she had walked in. Bankotsu was another story, though. He wasn't expecting that. In most cases, he would have felt sick, but in this barrier he felt fine. The mercenary narrowed his eyes, but eventually summed it up to being a different kind of barrier.
Kagome looked at Bankotsu, and was surprised to notice that he was fine. Her eyes then looked to the jewel shards he had and the brown orbs widened by a fraction of an inch. Bankotsu's shards weren't nearly as dark as they were before. In fact, they were almost pure. She wondered how she missed that, but she supposed it was because after being around him for so long, she just didn't pay any attention to them. Kagome wondered if Bankotsu had noticed. She didn't understand why they were suddenly much less tainted, though, and it puzzled her for the rest of her conversations with the miko.
Kagome and the unnamed priestess exchanged pleasantries while Bankotsu watched, not at all thrilled. He wanted answers and he wanted them that moment. He was impatient, he couldn't help it. This wasn't Bankotsu's idea of what meeting the priestess would be like. He thought they might get answers, but she and Kagome were talking about the weather of all things.
"That's it! Listen; since you seem to know so much about us, then you can give us answers. Do you know how we can leave?" Bankotsu shouted. He quickly stood up and pointed his sword at the miko's chest.
"Bankotsu!" Kagome shouted, stepping out of the way.
"Calm yourself down. I was merely getting to know Kagome. It's quite an honor to have such a powerful miko visiting me. But, I suppose it is time to get down to business."
Kagome reddened at the comment. Then she turned her attention to Bankotsu and glared at him, and he raised an eyebrow in response. At least he had actually gotten them somewhere. Kagome was too nice for her own good. He sent her a signal that basically said, 'Let me handle it,' and Kagome grudgingly complied, although if he was going to be rude, she would step in.
The miko noticed the silent conversation and nodded in satisfaction. "I haven't introduced myself yet I'm Hikomi, pleased to meet you."
Kagome bowed in respect, but Bankotsu just mumbled something. Kagome stepped on his toes and glared. Bankotsu stuck his tongue out at her, which proved to anger her further. Soon they were throwing silent insults at each other.
"I am certain you would like some answers, so if I may interrupt…" Hikomi started, trying to get the couple back on track. She placed a cup of tea before Kagome, and gracefully sat down with one in her own hand and her bow in another.
Kagome nodded and blushed before sitting on a cushy blue pillow. Bankotsu just huffed and crossed his arms, looking in the other direction.
"I'm certain you must be wondering just where you are." Kagome and Bankotsu both nodded. They might be finally getting the answers they had been searching for. "You have guessed correctly in that you're in another world, but you don't know anything about its origins.
"About 40 years ago, Naraku's power was growing dramatically. He was already incredibly powerful, although not at the level he is now. But, Naraku was cocky, even though he had only existed for about 10 years. He still felt that he could do anything he pleased. Naraku was taken much more lightly than he is today, so he figured he would show them all by doing the impossible, creating a separate world."
Bankotsu had by now joined Kagome on the pillows and was looking at Hikomi with skepticism. "How do you know all of this?"
Hikomi laughed bitterly and after a few seconds answered, "Because I'm the fool who helped him."
Kagome sprang backwards and nearly fell over. Bankotsu caught her and glowered at the miko. He was slowly reaching for Banryuu.
"Please, allow me to explain." Hikomi took a couple steps back defensively and set down her bow that she had been carrying in an act of peace. "I was a fool then, the only thing I was interested in was power. Naraku said that I would be known of as the only miko who ever did it. I was so naïve."
"I can see that." Bankotsu retorted, looking at Hikomi with a bitter look.
"Anyways, an alternate world is incredibly dangerous. It's not meant to exist, and it can destroy the real world if left alone long enough."
"Wait, what?" Kagome asked in alarm. That didn't make any sense. Her time seemed fine…
"Yes, if it isn't destroyed soon, I'm afraid it will be the cause of great destruction." Kagome's already pale and worn out face became paler, and she felt as if she might throw up. She had to save the world from two things now, both involving Naraku.
"At the time, I didn't know exactly what I was getting myself into; I only wanted power. Of course, it's a long and tiring spell, which takes years to complete, so by the time it was finished I knew the consequences. As a last resort, I placed the book you found in the real world and put a spell in it so that someone might be able to save everyone."
"What? I don't want to go around playing hero!" Bankotsu objected, sneering at the women.
Hikomi laughed wistfully. "You already started the minute you came here. Everything's set in motion."
"I don't understand…" Kagome bit her lip, staring at Hikomi in confusion. Hikomi smiled in an effort to calm the young priestess.
"You're book's being written. You see, the book's a two way spell. The first book details the life of the person who caused the problems. The second book is about the person (or in your case people) who are suppose to fix everything. That's how I know so much about you."
"Maybe your magic is just broken." Kagome smiled at Bankotsu's comment. He was as uneager to fix everything as she was.
Kagome gasped suddenly as realization hit her, that meant the book she had been reading was about Naraku, no, Onigumo. She honestly was just skimming through, and it was pure bad luck she had come across the spell. But still… she knew people changed, but the parts she read about Onigumo's earlier life made him out to be a decent guy.
Hikomi ignored Kagome's gasp and continued on, "You need to kill Naraku, I've bound the world to him, so if he dies, then this world will as well. Of course, right now, Naraku isn't in this world. The only way to get out is to find that book again, or go out with one of his incarnations. Then, the hard part is fighting Naraku-"
"Wait, then how are you still alive?" Bankotsu had his arms folded and was looking at Hikomi skeptically.
The miko sighed and closed her eyes. She knew Bankotsu had every right to be distrustful, but she wished he could be as innocent and trusting as Kagome. Talking about her personal demons wasn't high on her list of things to do. She poured another cup of tea and took a long sip before answering, "Naraku doesn't know that. It's a secret that is known only by a select few village leaders."
Kagome nodded. 'That would explain why that strange girl knew about Hikomi.'
Bankotsu's untrusting expression hadn't ceased. He shifted his weight on the pillow, so he was leaning towards Kagome, an act he didn't even notice. "Why doesn't Naraku know? I thought he knew everything here."
"Most of Naraku's incarnations aren't very loyal. Only two have seen me, and I don't think they plan on telling, especially if…that one has her way. She appears to loathe him."
Bankotsu wasn't convinced. "Then how do humans know about you?"
"One of the incarnations… Kagura I believe her name is. She's willing to do almost anything if it means going against Naraku."
"Why would you trust one of them to do something? They could have told Naraku. You-"
"Okay, that's enough, Sherlock Holmes." Kagome gave Bankotsu a light shove while smiling sheepishly at the older miko. Her expression turned flat as she glared at Bankotsu.
Bankotsu wasn't affected by her words. "What the hell is a Sherlock Holmes?"
Kagome sighed and after a few seconds answered with, "Nothing, just continue," and finished drinking her tea.
Bankotsu watched Kagome. She was too innocent for her own good. She was going to get them killed if he left the interrogations to her.
"If I may continue," Bankotsu was about to open his mouth to protest, but Kagome slapped a hand on his mouth, stopping him. She nodded encouragingly while ignoring Bankotsu's angry looks. Hikomi eventually continued. "You will need to fight Naraku, but you'll have to do it together. Although both of you possess great power, neither of you are strong enough on your own. Together, with the proper training, you could stand a chance against him."
Bankotsu grit his teeth. "What do you mean? I could take him any time I wanted to."
Hikomi ignored him, but was sighing inwardly. "Together your powers would be incredible. If you can learn to work together in a synchronized fashion, you could be more powerful than you could ever imagine."
Bankotsu snorted at that. He was already strong enough, plus from what he had seen, Kagome wasn't exactly skilled in her powers. Although… she did appear to have a lot of potential. He saw what she did to Renkotsu the first time he fought her little group.
Bankotsu started thinking. 'What is going to happen when we got back? If we… no when we get back.'
Kagome was thinking along the lines of Bankotsu. She would go back to Inuyasha of course, but she didn't know what Bankotsu would do. She doubted he'd even think about working for Naraku again, but that didn't necessarily mean that they would be friends. Everything would probably go back to the way it was before. The thought should have made Kagome feel happy, but now she just felt sad. It puzzled her, and she immediately shut the thoughts off to the best of her abilities.
"You are both going to need some training, and I am willing to assist if you allow me. I can help Kagome master her miko powers. And you both need to learn how to use your powers together."
Kagome looked at Bankotsu. She wondered what he thought about it. Kagome herself didn't know what to think about the offer. But, she really could use some miko training. She didn't even have a set of bows with her.
"No-" Bankotsu started to say, but was forcefully yanked by the arm.
"Could you please excuse us?" Kagome muttered before nearly dragging Bankotsu outside of the cave.
"Be careful dears, it looks like it's going to storm soon." Hikomi called after them. She breathed outwards, trying to calm herself. If one thing was certain, she was going to have a lot of work to do.
They stood there for a couple seconds in silence. Bankotsu looked at Kagome's hold on his arm, raised his eyebrow in question, and began smirking. Kagome was busy scanning the area to make sure there weren't any demons, and was paying no mind to her hand.
"Kagome, if you wanted to hold me so badly, you only had to ask."
"What?" Kagome stared at Bankotsu, before it finally registered that she was holding his arm. Her eyes widened, and she snatched her hand away from his arm with such force that it snapped her back.
Kagome yelped as she fell backwards, tripping on her own feet. She expected to hit the ground, but was instead held up by two muscular arms. Gazing up at Bankotsu's amused expression; she couldn't help but find him incredibly attractive despite herself. Kagome shooed away the thoughts that were creeping into her mind and steadied her body, pushing away Bankotsu in the process.
Kagome looked away and desperately wished the redness would leave her face.
"If you dragged me out here because you wanted to make out, all you had to do was ask." Bankotsu had on a half smile and his eyes were looking at her mockingly.
"Jerk, no way. We're on the edge of the barrier, I was just making sure there were no demons." Kagome muttered before reaching his braid and pulling on it.
Bankotsu snorted and glared at her, but his smirk betrayed him. "A simple no, would've been fine."
Kagome looked away, avoiding Bankotsu's eyes. She huffed and stood against the cave wall. 'Why does he have to be so good looking? No, bad Kagome! Just think about Inuyasha, Inuyasha… I wonder what he's doing now. Still, why does he have to be so attractive? No! You can't think that about your enemy. He's your enemy, remember? As soon as I get back we'll be fighting against him.'
"So why did you pull me out here?"
Kagome looked down at the ground, trying to avoid Bankotsu's face at all costs. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I think we should spend some time training with her."
"Why? I'm strong enough. I can take Naraku easily." Bankotsu scoffed, Kagome never gave him enough credit.
Kagome groaned and sighed dramatically. "Yes, yes, you are so powerful. Bankotsu, if I recall correctly, if you hadn't retreated, Inuyasha would have killed you."
"Shut up! They were Naraku's orders. If we had a few more minutes he would have been dead!"
Kagome glowered, and threw the mercenary a dirty look, paying no mind to the looming rain clouds. "Oh I'm sure. Besides, as much as you hate to admit it, you're not the most powerful person on the planet. You were killed once before."
"You don't know anything about that. At least I can take care of my self. Someone always has to protect you." Bankotsu whispered malicious tone. If looks could kill Kagome would have been dead in less than a minute. Bankotsu was right in front of her face, and his cobalt eyes had darkened to navy.
"Well if I'm so worthless, maybe I should just leave." Kagome hissed through clenched teeth. Her face was flushed due to anger, and she was breathing heavily. She clenched her fists until her fingernails created marks in her palms. It took every amount of effort not to slap the jerk.
It suddenly started pouring, yet the individuals paid no attention to this.
Bankotsu glared at her. "Maybe you should. You wouldn't be missed."
"Fine!" Kagome put her hands on her hips, shaking out her hair that was already dripping wet. She gazed at Bankotsu, whose clothes were clinging to his muscular chest. In a fit of rage, she reached out, aiming to slap Bankotsu's face.
He caught her hand, having expected that from her. But suddenly Bankotsu's lips crashed against Kagome's. Kagome gasped in shock, and Bankotsu pushed Kagome into the edge of the cave, deepening the kiss. It was forceful, yet at the same time there was a certain softness to it that Kagome couldn't describe. She enjoyed the act thoroughly despite herself. After what seemed like only a few seconds, they pulled apart, gasping for air.
Kagome took in a long shaky breath and gazed into Bankotsu's lust filled eyes. She froze and looked like a deer caught in the headlights, as if fully realizing what had happened. She dashed into the cave, refusing to look at Bankotsu.
The rain quickened in intensity and Bankotsu could faintly hear the sounds of thunder. He let out a large sigh and sat down. He hadn't meant to kiss her. It came out of no where. It wasn't like he liked her, of course not. They were enemies. She was attractive and her shirt had been clinging to her curves, and his body had a will of its own. He was still mad at her, but the kiss had caused most of rage to fly out the window. He watched lightning flash across the sky, not caring that he should probably get inside.
Still, he could never fall for her. She was a pretty face that was all. Soon they would be enemies again. Even if he refused to work with Naraku, he still felt he had a score to settle with Inuyasha. She was nothing. Besides, he was a killer, and she was a miko.