Love In Purgatory

Chapter 3

Whoo! Chapter three! Wheeee! I hope you guys are enjoying it so far(: And don't forget, R&R! 3 Also, I apologize if it gets a little loopy, I'm White Russians are on the menu tonight ;P

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's given characters.

The next morning went with ease. They both woke, washed, packed and headed back to her hut. When they got there, Kagome went straight to a chest at the back. Bankotsu hadn't even seen it. He walked over to her, not looking in. She looked up at him and laughed.

"You can look in. It's just some old stuff." she said, grabbing her yellow backpack out. Bankotsu scoffed.

"You still have that thing after all these years?" he asked. She smiled in response. As he looked at the chest, something red caught his eye.

"You kept his haori?" Kagome looked at him, then to the item in question.

"I had to. Besides, I wear it if I ever have to go farther than Edo. It's good protection." she replied. She continued grabbing bottles and vials, wrappings and a red box with a white cross. He wasn't sure what that was. She stood and went to close the trunk. Putting his hand out, he stopped her.

"What about your bow?" he asked. Kagome looked solemn.

"There's no use. I can't shoot it anymore. I've tried." she replied curtly. Bankotsu stooped down and grabbed it, along with her quiver of arrows. "Is that it?" she nodded.

"Let's get some distance down then." he replied. Kagome followed behind him, locking her door. For a split second she thought about grabbing her bike. She thought better though and continued on.

On and on they walked, determination fueling them towards their destination. They didn't stop until well after nightfall when they could barely see where they were walking.

"Oh shit!" was suddenly heard.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked. Bankotsu looked back at her with a goofy grin.

"Nothin'," he said, "I tripped."

"Well maybe we should make camp." Kagome laughed. Bankotsu nodded. They walked into the forest to their right, searching for a place to camp. Finding a great red pinetree, Kagome set down her bag, grabbing a small flashlight. She turned it on, and began looking for wood. Bankotsu assisted, his eye on the spectacular object.

"Is-is that a magic torch?" he asked. Kagome looked at him, sort of confused.

"This? Oh! That's right... It's called a flashlight. It's from my time. It's called electricity. It's just glass with metal making it light. Sort of. It's complicated to explain and frankly I don't know how to explain the mechanics of a flashlight. So yeah. It's a type of torch, I guess." she replied, letting Bankotsu explore it. She laughed when he shined it in his eyes and almost screamed.

"Coulda told me it was bright." he grumbled.

"It should have been obvious." she giggled back. Shaking her head, she walked back to the tree. She stacked the wood and started the fire. He sat with her, watching her warm her hands before pulling out food to cook.

"So, how did Inuyasha know Naraku?" he asked. Kagome gave a small laugh.

"Well, technically, he didn't actually know Naraku until after I had arrived in this time. When the Jewel arrived. It was only after I released him from the tree that he ever even learned that Naraku was behind it all,"

"Anyways, to tell Inuyasha's story correctly, I have to go back to the very beginning. To the life of the Shikon No Tama. The priestess Midoriko was in an intense battle with a huge army of demons. At the end of the battle, when the dragonesque demon Had Midoriko in it's jaws, she used the last of her strength and forced the Jewel into existence. Which is a whole lot of technical stuff that I don't really want to get into." She munched on a piece of meat that she had on a plate.

"So they were entombed in their own bodies and a type of...glass, I guess. Well, years passed, and the Jewel had been passed to Kikyo eventually. She guarded it well, until she met Inuyasha. He had made many attempts to steal it, but she always stopped them. He had guarded her and they eventually fell in love. He wanted the Jewel so he could be full demon, of course. But she had talked him into using it to become full human. That was when Naraku came into play. He had disguised himself as Inuyasha and mortally wounded Kikyo. Then, still disguised, he took the Jewel. Unknown, he had placed the Jewel back in the shrine in the village."

"After that, he disguised himself as Kikyo," she continued.

"Wait wait wait. He disguised himself as a woman?" Bankotsu asked.

"Yes. Now shush and listen. He disguised himself as Kikyo and told the villagers that Inuyasha would come for the Jewel at any cost. Hence, Inuyasha had to fight to get the Jewel. After that, still disguised as Kikyo, Naraku attacked Inuyasha. Inuyasha was smart enough to realize that something was wrong and he went back to the village, where he took the Jewel. As Inuyasha was escaping, Kikyo shot an arrow pulsing strong with Miko powers and sealed him to the Goshinboku where he stayed for fifty years," she finished. Bankotsus face was full of surprise.

"God damn... You weren't kidding when you said he had his fingers in everything." he replied.

"You don't even know. He knew Kikyo before that. Before he was Naraku." Kagome laughed. Bankotsus eyes widened.

"He was someone else?" he asked. Kagome nodded.

"Yes, but that's a story for another night." came the answer. Soon they snuggled under they're blankets by the fire, making small talk and watching the leaves of the trees do their dance in the night.

Morning. Such a beautiful time of day. Kagome woke easily, which she noted was odd. But still, she wasn't going to complain. That was the first time she felt at peace in a long time. Maybe she should have done this sooner. But of course, she knew she wouldn't have had the motivation to go on this insane journey with her ex-enemy. Heh. What a funny thought. One of the peole who tried to kill her and her friends was now travelling with her to find her friends. Ironic, right?

"Good morning." Bankotsu chuckled from his place beside the fire. Kagome jumped to the side with a yelp.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked settling back into her seat. he laughed and layed on his back.

"Better part of an hour." was the simple reply. Kagome gawked at him. Was he watching her stretch and think? Watching her reaction to such a great morning? Oh well. Maybe it'll give him a little peace of mind.

She stood up, and started packing. He did the same, and went to pick some berries. There was a town not far that they could get some food. With the berries in a pouch on his belt, they walked down the road, another determined day in front of them. Kagome wondered what the day would bring.

"Hey, so you know what you said last night. About Inuyasha being bound to the Goshinboku. How long did you say he had been there by the time you found him?"

"Fifty years. Kikyo had died the day she pinned him there." she replied.

"Wow. So, you're from five hundred years in the future?"

"Yep. I sure am." she answered.

"Huh. Well...did the well just decide where to dump you? Or what happened?" he asked. Kagome shrugged.

"I don't know. I never thought about it, really. But it dropped me here when Japan needed me, I suppose." Bankotsu seemed satisfied with that answer, but Kagome wasn't really. But she figured her reason was good enough.

"Hey, I have a question."she gasped out.

"What?" Bankotsu replied.

"How'd you meet Jakotsu?" she asked. Bankotsu burst into laughter.

"Wow that was a long time ago. We were kids, growing up in the same village. I always knew therewas something different about him. How he hated hakamas, he always looked at yukatas. Of course, at the time I had no idea what any of that mant. All I knew, was that he was crazy, incredibly strong, and my best friend. Even as we got older, and the kids that we grew up with, that were always fine with the way he was, started making fun of him. Throwing rocks, sometimes sticks, calling him things. It was kinda horrifying, really. To see them all just turn on him one day. Anyways, it made us stronger. Angrier, but stronger. We left the village at thirteen. Began wandering. Started stealing. Then killing. After that, killing and stealing. Finally though, we began doing it for money." he told her.

Part of him expected to see her surprised. Like she had been to learn that he was a mercernary their first time meeting. Then again, she was still very young. Maybe not so much to him in age, but her mind was young. She hadbeen naive at the time. But she has most certainly grown in these years.

They pressed on, continuing down the road. As they did, Kagome couldn't help that her thoughts wandered to her silver-haired hanyou. He was her closest friend. It's true, she loved him. But it faded to loving him as a brother as the years went on. Her poor, sweet, friend.