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Chapter Text

"Over here! Over here!"

You looked up to see a girl of about fifteen with dark hair and eyes that matched those of the younger boy next to her and immediately recognized them as your cousins, Kagome and Sota. You'd been abroad with your father for two years without any visits home to Japan, but even without the pictures they had sent, you would always recognize the pair.

After your mother had died, you'd lived with Kagome and Sota's family for over a year while you finished high school. Upon graduation, you were shipped off to America quite willingly to stay with your father and learn some business first hand. The life experience was amazing, and the connections you made were almost overwhelming, but you had missed your cousins; in your time together, you had grown to see them as siblings.

"Kagome! Sota! I missed you so much!" You hugged Kagome and picked up Sota to hug him. "You've grown so much! How old are you now, Sota?"

"I'm nine! I can't believe you're here for the whole spring!" He was absolutely glowing.

"Wow! I have so many stories to tell you, and things to show you! Maybe even a souvenir or two." You winked at him, then grabbed your baggage off the tread. "Let's go home."

Kagome paid for a taxi home. It was a crowded ride, but they had spacious land and, if only for several weeks, you'd enjoy your stay. You were planning to come back for the summer too, if you could afford it.

Upon reaching Kagome's house and after greeting your aunt and grandfather, you went upstairs to dump your stuff in the small guest room.

When you reached her room, however, she stopped your unpacking to tell you a story. It was one of travelling back in time to five hundred years ago, to the feudal era. A story of demons and half-demons, of priestesses and spirits. When she finished you were trying not to laugh.

"Oh Kagome, you don't believe that! What are you on?"

"Hey! I'm not on anything! Just ask mom! She's met Inuyasha! So has Sota!"

"I'm joking! But seriously, has Grandpa given you some weird traditional thing, something that gives you weird dreams?" You rolled your eyes.

"Anyway, I've got a demon story too- not as cute a fairy story as yours, though. I met my grandma in America, you know, on Dad's side. She has so many stories, but this was just a legend. She said that years ago, my family- sorry, this time I mean our family, my mother's side- were a long line of priestesses, and they became famed for taming the demon dogs of Japan. Give me a minute, let me get into fairy-tale mode."

"A long time ago, before Japan as we know it, every 50 years, a new priestess of our family came into power, each stronger than the last. When a nobleman told her of the havoc the dog demons wreaked, the priestess killed every single one she found. Later, her great granddaughter, who was soft hearted, began capturing them. Her own great granddaughter, who was even kinder, worked along with her daughter and granddaughter, to create a charm to calm the demon's soul. With this, the demons became hardly more than domesticated dogs. The leader of the pack took off his demon fur and married the priestess... and from her, our lineage was born. In the Edo period, there was even a dog on our family seal!"

"Anyway, Grandma also gave me these beads, she said that our grandma, Mom's mom, gave them to her for safe keeping, for until one of us was old enough, since Mom and Auntie didn't want to get involved in all that shrine stuff, and Grandpa's a bit too involved with the shrine. They're apparently very holy, I've been keeping them wrapped in tissue and have a seal on the box. Very big, aren't they?" Trying to be delicate with the paper you unfolded, you lifted the beads, praying the string wouldn't suddenly snap. "What are you looking at, Kagome?"

"That's Inuyasha's necklace...!"

"Stop kidding Kagome, I know you're too old to believe in these stories. Sure, the necklace has demons in its legends- and I really shouldn't have mentioned they were dog demons, after hearing your story- but that's what they are: stories. You're not about to convince me that time travel is real."

"But with that maybe I can prove that I'm right. Maybe if we- oh, just put it on! Let's go!"

You sighed and, deciding to humour her, put it on. Within a split second, she bolted downstairs dragging you along by the wrist. Grabbing her yellow backpack, she called "Bye mom! We're going to see Inuyasha! We'll be right back!"

"Take care! Don't do anything dangerous!" called her mom, but, by the time her words reached you, you were already outside, by the shrine.

"Here we are! Now hurry up!" Without any more warning, she grabbed your wrist and jumped into the well, her weight pulling you along with her.

You shrieked, closing your eyes and waiting for the bone-crushing pain to come.

After a moment, you realized you had stopped moving and, opening your eyes, you saw Kagome climbing out of the well by means of ivy, toward the open sky. You looked after her, confused, then followed, asking how the hell she knew that would work.

"I didn't. But I figured that since the beads are magic and I think they're what lets Inuyasha come through the well... in any case, it's not too far a fall if it didn't work."

When you reached the top, you nearly fell again, from both fatigue and shock.

"You're late! You said you'd only be two days. Where were you? Who is this!"

You ignored the voice of the abrasive young man as you looked around. There was no shrine, but trees all around. Standing there were four people and a huge cat. A cat that could remove your head in one bite. There was a boy with dog ears and a necklace identical to yours, and another wearing purple-blue robes. There was a child which reminded you of a pomeranian, and a woman wearing a plain kimono and carrying an enormous boomerang on her back.

"Hey everyone! This is my cousin!"

The one with dog ears and a red kimono was introduced as Inuyasha, the one you heard so much about in Kagome's story. The furry one, a fox demon, was Shippō, and the woman introduced herself as Sango, before waving a hand to the large cat. The demon growled and shrank to the size of a small kitten. The one in robes took your hands when he introduced himself.

"I am Miroku. And I feel obliged to ask-" he looked straight into your eyes, "-will you consider bearing my children?"

You laughed.

Then, he touched your breast. That was not funny, and you reached into your pocket and flicked your pocket knife open, hoping to scare him. You were very glad you'd decided to get it out and start opening packages right away at the Higurashi home.

"GAH! What the-"

Your open-flick had gone awry, and you had sliced his free hand. "Serves you right!" you snapped. "Let go! And you stay away from me!"

You stayed behind the group as they left, an annoyed-looking Sango between you and the protesting Miroku.

After an old priestess, Kaede, bandaged Miroku's cut, you found out you had risked harming his weapon, a void in his hand, and worsening its curse. You felt a bit bad for hurting him, but it wouldn't have happened if he hadn't tried to grope you. Besides, it was an accident, and the wind tunnel wasn't damaged, his hand had just bled a bit when unbound.

Heading back to the well, you listened to the talk of a 'Band of Seven.' Kagome went out of her way to fill you in. Apparently they had been mercenaries, special assassins, who were killed when the region decided they were a threat. The group had returned from the grave, resurrected by Naraku, who seemed to be the villain of their story, the cause of all this trouble, to do some of his dirty work. They were led by a 'Bankotsu' who was apparently quite brutal, and Kagome and her friends were working to defeat his band. Gentle, little, young Kagome, killing evil demons- that was hard to picture.

Kagome had gone home to check in, only to be surprised by her mother's announcement: her favourite cousin was coming home. She apologized profusely to her group, but was already making plans to visit just a few days more, and assured you that she would only be gone for a couple days of your visit at a time. That offer seemed more than generous, given the threat she faced, a threat that was almost incomprehensible to you but unmistakably dangerous.

Suddenly, a cannon shot sounded and you all looked up.

"Ginkotsu..." muttered Inuyasha, drawing his sword. "Kagome, get her to the well!"

All you had time to think before you fell to the ground was That's one big-ass sword. Kagome had shoved you back.

"Kagome," you whispered to your cousin, looking at the tank-thing that someone was standing on. "Who is he?" You were indicating a man with a tattooed forehead, long black hair, and a cocky grin.

"That's Bankotsu," said Kagome, looking at you curiously before pulling out a bow and a quiver of arrows to join the battle.

You could hear Inuyasha's shouting over the fray. "Kagome! What are you doing?! Get back there with-"

Before you could think, you were near the tank-thing, Bankotsu holding you tightly, arms behind your back, his giant halberd against your neck. You had no idea how he moved that fast, but regretted how you'd stuffed your knife deep in a pocket. Feeling a trickle of blood on your collarbone, you decided against struggle.

"Give me back my cousin-" yelled Kagome, cut off by Inuyasha.

"Idiot! Don't tell him anything!"

"Cousin, huh? She may be of some use, Ginkotsu," said Bankotsu. "Let's go."

"Gersh?"

"Let's go. I have my hostage. And I didn't even have to catch the priestess." He put his halberd into its sheath on his back. "You don't want your woman's precious cousin to be hurt, do you, Inuyasha?"

Kagome's eyes were wide to bursting. "Inuyasha! Get her!"

"You want them to kill her?"

"You jerk! Sit!"

Tears reached Kagome's eyes as the beads identical to her cousin's pulled the demon to the ground.

Bankotsu gave you a strong whack in the neck. As you dropped, you watched Kagome disappear into the distance.

Chapter Text

You mumbled and moved your head, fending off the voices outside. You weren't even awake yet and Kagome's family was making a racket. Couldn't they let you sleep in? And what was that odd dream you'd had...?

"Why'd you bring a woman, Bankotsu? That's no fun at all!" said a pouting, feminine voice.

"I didn't bring her for you. She's our hostage, our bait. She's that dog's woman's cousin. Naraku will pay us well for this. And-" you could hear a smile in his voice- "Renkotsu and I won't mind having a woman around. All we do lately is kill. We could use a woman to-" he paused, and again you heard him grin -"lighten the mood."

"Well, what about me then?"

"Hell, you could take her from behind. Or you could catch that mutt and play with him a bit before we had to get rid of him... but up until now, you haven't been all that successful in that matter, have you?"

"I try, Brother!" The voice now sounded genuinely hurt and offended. "I try..." he repeated, and the second voice, Bankotsu's, softened.

"I know, Jakotsu. You try the hardest of any of us to do well and to please me. I'm grateful, you know. But that doesn't mean I will be doing you any 'favours.'"

You listened to the conversation with shock, fighting the urge to vomit. Rape was not an uncommon subject in your time, it was all over the news, but hearing your own being discussed was, to say the least, unnerving. At least one of them was uninterested, maybe he could divert the other... but on the other hand, it didn't sound like consent, or lack thereof, was his problem with it. To further confirm that this wasn't a dream, you blinked your eyes and tried to pinch yourself. Nothing changed, except that you now knew that you were in a small tent and that your hands were, in fact, bound.

The tent flap opened. "Oh, you're awake," said the one you recognized as Bankotsu. "Jakotsu, c'mere." Another person entered- from their androgynous appearance and feminine mannerisms, you figured this was probably the effeminate one you had heard. "Get her out of those ridiculous clothes and give her something from that last village- nothing fancy, mind, I don't want any of the stuff we can sell ruined. I don't want her drawing attention."

"Why do I have to?" You'd been right, he was the one from before.

"Because I'm busy and Renkotsu will try something with her."

"So?"

"So, I don't want him touching my things! Just do it!" He disappeared out the door, leaving the flap dangling.

"What's up his ass?" muttered Jakotsu, before coming toward you. You cowered against the wall as far back as you could go. It was a fine time to realize your mouth was gagged.

"I'm not exactly interested in seeing you. I'm not inclined toward women. Annoying creatures, and none of the rigour of a man. That's why Brother wanted me to do this, see? I could be really easy on you. I could just untie you and watch while you change yourself. If you won't give me any trouble." He removed your gag and stepped back, like he expected you to spit at him. "You women seemed to dislike the idea of brutality by men- I don't see why, it's what I dream of."

You simply answered his question. "Fine." You could feel your knife in your jeans pocket. If he came close enough...

"Well, that was easy," he said, beginning to untie your hands. Perhaps if you're not such a stubborn wench, we can be friends. I do need someone to talk about men with every now and then- you are into men, aren't you? In any case, doesn't matter to Ban-"

His remark was cut off by the pocket knife suddenly flipped open before him. "Don't move," you ordered.

To your surprise, he laughed. "Aren't you a feisty one?" Before you could blink, he was back ten feet, sword drawn. With a dainty flick of the wrist, your blade was in half and the handle startled out of your hand.

"So you don't want it to be so easy? Fine with me." He turned "Renkotsu! I could use some help!" He grinned at you. "Let's see how this goes."

Chapter Text

You backed harder against the wall, the canvas giving slightly, but still a firm barrier between you and the world. Even Bankotsu, the brutal leader Kagome told you of, had wanted Renkotsu to stay away from you.

The man walked in, shaved and heavily dressed. "What now, pervert?" He glanced at you. "Who is this?"

"Who cares? I just have to get her dressed, and she's resisting. I thought you might like to help."

In few steps, Renkotsu was upon you, then behind you, pinning you in place. Despite his rather heavy kimono layers and your sturdy jeans and sweater, his skin felt too close, as though it was burning into yours. "It's too bad we don't have Mukotsu around any more. He could have kept her quiet and compliant."

You shuddered at the thought of anything that would make you comply to this, then shrieked, muffled by his hand. Not in an attempt to escape, but by instinct, you reached toward your bleeding shoulder, only to find your arm pulled down harder, over-stretched and tight.

"Stay still, or the next lash will go much deeper."

With another flick of his thin wrist, Jakotsu's sword snaked at you again, releasing the left sleeve, and your arm stung, a thin line of red appearing as Renkotsu tore the fabric away. With a third, very clean motion, you felt the centre line of your shirt give way and heard the soft thwup of the fabric piling onto the floor. At least that time he hadn't cut you.

"A shirt now, Renkotsu, while I'm only moderately annoyed by her." You thanked the heavens for the small blessing that was Jakotsu's disgust.

Renkotsu's hands drifted from your wrists, to a bear hug, then one up to your breast as the other held your hip. You didn't take your eyes from Jakotsu- somehow he had gone from terrifying to a life line- but from the corner of your eye, you saw that though you wanted him to look, to have his revulsion take over so he would cover you, you couldn't make it happen; as Renkotsu groped you, pinching your nipple until it quite quickly hardened and numbed, his hand and arm blocked your body from view.

"Is this better? Come on, let me get a good look before Bankotsu comes back. I'll return the favour if we ever catch that mutt."

"All right, all right. Shall I continue slowly, or get it over with?"

"Take it slowly. I want to see her start to shiver." Confident that you had given up, he released your waist, then your breasts, just long enough to shrug his kimono off his shoulders. His skin was hot, hotter than you expected from a supposedly dead man. You, on the other hand, could feel yourself paling, your skin growing clammy, particularly where his smooth flesh abutted yours.

"I can't believe you don't like this, Jakotsu. Look at her, she's sweating, her nipples are all hard and puckered for me."

You swallowed hard, then dry-heaved. Jakotsu looked as though he felt the same, and, now that you were exposed, refused to look at you.

"Keep it to yourself unless you get a good feel of the dog. Then you can tell me all about it. Let's get this over with."

It would have showed them if you had vomited, but the nausea had passed.

Renkotsu licked your neck, and the slime of his tongue made you wince. He rocked his hips against you as though it was a shiver of pleasure. You pulled away, but it only made the rest of you curve more into the contours of his body. Defeated, you were still.

Over the next few minutes, Jakotsu fired a range of slashes toward your pant legs and nether-regions, some cutting through your skin and others not- he seemed to be getting bored even with hurting you. The cuts that did go in were shallow. Finally, the sword slashed a line down from your navel to the ground and the remains of your jeans dropped, along with the thin cotton of your underclothes. You shivered.

"Come on, Renkotsu. This isn't cute any more. She can have one of my kosode."

Renkotsu ignored him, and you began struggling again. His hand slid along your stomach, then slowly pulled your thigh aside. Your throat began to feel numb, and your ears thick, then with a spasm that almost tore you loose, you fell forward against his grip and, as he rutted against you, vomited onto the dirt floor. You shrieked when he released your hips, letting you fall into the stinking puddle. Wind knocked from your chest, you lay heaving.

"What the hell is this?"

Though disoriented, you could feel the room still at the cold words.

"We were just having some fun," Renkotsu said, a smirk evident in his tone.

"Speak for yourself," Jakotsu muttered, "though I must admit, I was not expecting that ending."

"To the river with her, Jakotsu. Renkotsu, move the tent. She's not bleeding that much, so I doubt it's my little brother's fault that she's made this mess."

Jakotsu pulled you to your feet with ease, looking something close to sympathetic. As you walked, you could hear Renkotsu arguing his punishment, then the grudging help of Bankotsu, and eventually the conversation degrading into friendly banter. As you neared the river, the roar drowned out the conversation, and your mind was finally on the situation at hand.

Since reaching the feudal era (or at least, what Kagome told you was it), you had been in such a state of fantasy and escape that you hadn't considered a thing. Even with Renkotsu's violating attack, you had felt almost like you were floating above yourself, as though you were lost in a novel.

You were lost in the wilderness with at least three strange men. You felt twitchy just thinking about it- this was the exact situation your mother would have warned you against, not that you had any choice about it. Of course, Kagome would come for you, but until then... how many days or weeks would you spend with the Band, if she found you at all? You couldn't well run away, you were already bleeding after being semi-compliant; you couldn't imagine how an attempted escape would go over. Even if you got out of their reaches, you'd be lost in the forests of ancient Japan. You swayed, and Jakotsu took your elbow.

"There's a slow spot there. No funny stuff, I'll be watching. Here's one of the more simple outfits we have, you can wear it once you're dry."

You nodded and stepped into the water, then lowered yourself. Despite your fear, it was an immediate relief to be shrouded in the cool water, washing away the burn of your stomach acid and Renkotsu's boiling skin. Jakotsu seemed to be in no hurry, so you took the time to rinse your hair, then did your best to comb it through with your fingers. You stood, wrung it out, dried on a spare sheet the effeminate man had left you, then dressed, continuing to pick at the knots in your hair. Neither the trip down the well, the rough trip with Bankotsu and Ginkotsu, nor the fall in the dirt had inspired it to behave.

Jakotsu looked up, apparently relieved to see you dressed, and walked over. With a great sigh, much like your mother would, he pulled a comb from some fold of his kosode, handing it to you. He watched in silence as you worked it through your hair.

Chapter Text

For the next couple days, you were all but abandoned. Kept within sight or tied to a tree, you couldn't help but feel more bored than you did scared. Since helping you bathe, even Jakotsu had ignored you. The only benefit was that the Band of Seven (still only the three men and the tank), began to grow accustomed to your presence and would venture both closer to you and farther afield without noticing, as though you had become part of the scenery.

On the fifth day of boredom and bad food, mostly their burnt leftovers, you were roped up. The camp was packed and tucked into a thicket obscured from the path, and you along with it. Gagged and bound, you were left atop the rolls of tents, bedding, and loot. With the camp gear away, the men suited up. As they prepared, you listened to the talk of a raid. Something about a powerful demon, jewels, and a rather rich town besides. You wondered if having paid more attention to Kagome's bizarre story would have made the Band's conversations make more sense. After all, she had been talking about their very recent resurrection and battles.

Either way, you didn't know, so you kept watching. Bankotsu and Jakotsu wore a few extra layers of leather padding, Ginkotsu was loaded, and Renkotsu sat over his little jars, pouring and tamping.

"Now don't get any ideas, woman," Jakotsu said, grinning. With that, he followed the others away, down a well-beaten path.

You twisted around, trying to un-kink your back, until you fell with a thump to the ground. The stone jabbing into your side only made it worse, of course. You twisted off of the rock, then lay still. At least it was slightly better, and you had gotten used to rather uncomfortable sleeps.

You were awoken from your doze by what sounded like a herd of very light horses galloping by. When one set of feet stopped and its owner howled, your eyes grew wide and you bit down upon your gag. Wolves, and a rather big pack if you'd heard correctly. At the howled signal, they had changed direction, and were coming to your thicket.

A man's voice broke your fear: "Kagome? Is that you?"

A friend. The "howl" had probably just been the bay of his dogs. You shrieked into your gag, eliciting a muffled squeak.

"Ginta, over here."

A young man clad in fur appeared from the trees. "Kagome? Is that you?" When he saw you, he rushed over, rolling you to your back. He looked kind. "Here! It's someone!"

The biggest canine you had ever seen appeared and, as your eyes bulged, it snipped away your gag with knife sharp teeth.

You sputtered and took some deep breaths. Not only were you startled, but your dirt floor nap had clogged your nose more than you had noticed. As the wolf freed you, you slowly sat up.

"Kagome is my cousin."

He looked approving. "You smell like her. Not just your blood, but that metallic smoke on her clothes."

"Thanks...?"

You continued on to introduce yourself.

He smiled. "Kōga. As Kagome's family, you're our family."

Though you weren't eager to join another strange group of men in your adventure, Kōga seemed friendly, and made no move to tie you up, so it seemed like an improvement. You followed him from the thicket to a fire and a few dead deer, surrounded by wolves and a few similarly dressed men. He introduced you as Kagome's cousin, then handed you a rather large deer steak, which you ravished. When you shared your story, Kōga scoffed rather loudly.

"Inuyasha. Of course he couldn't protect you, or Kagome. That's why she belongs with me."

You smiled, nervous not to agree, but disturbed by his possessive statement. Then, remembering how non-threatening he had been to you, and your gentle rescue, you released a genuine smile. Kagome had never mentioned that she was so popular with the boys. At nightfall, they led you further into the wood, and you slept on a warm cushion of wolves. In the morning, they would track your cousin down.

You awoke with a jolt when you hit the ground, fur flying around you. Dazed but unhurt, you scrambled to your feet.

The wolves were in pandemonium and Kōga was nowhere to be seen. Upon seeing you, one took your hand in its teeth. You stumbled along behind it, following a deer trail deeper and deeper into the wood. It lead you to a large tree wrapped in a shimenawa, like the sacred tree at your Grandpa's shrine, and apparently thought that it was a safe place to leave you, as immediately after pushing you at it, the wolf turned around and disappeared into the forest, toward the yelps of the fray.

For a minute you sat by the tree, but as the chaotic noise continued, you resolved to leave. Kōga had tracked you before, and he would again- for now, it would be best to get as far from the battle as possible. Another deer trail led almost the exact opposite direction as the one you had come from, and it took little time to leave the sacred tree out of sight. Soon enough, you found a soft, mossy clearing near a stream, and after splashing your face, you rested. There were a few rocks under the moss, but for the most part, it was a comfortable place to wait and unlike your last resting place, it was quiet.

The only problem was, of course, that you were yet again bored. You hadn't exactly packed for your trip to the feudal era, nor to leave the Band. Anything that might have been in your pockets- your phone, or even a pen and napkin to doodle on, had been discarded with your clothes.

You tried to count the leaves above you, but it was an impossible effort and each gust of wind sent them fluttering, and the effort of focusing on the moving blotches inspired a headache.

You rested your eyes, and counted as you did. Six days since you had reached Kagome and left home. Six more school days left on reading break; ten days until you were due back. You had planned to spend the break relaxing and being a tourist in your home country, not worrying for your life. The length of your break seemed insignificant now: If you were late getting home after this kidnapping, would you even return to classes? Would you even if you made it back in time?

You snorted. No one would believe your story, but disappearing in another country is disappearing in another country. Whether or not they believed who kidnapped you didn't matter, if you wanted a withdrawal, you'd get it.

Of course, you had wanted an adventure with Kagome. It was just that you had planned for a nice shopping and hitting-on-men adventure, not a time-travel kidnapping.

"You bitch! There you are!"

Your usual daydreaming-awakening stumble was replaced by an outright leap to your feet, followed by another across the stream.

"I told you not to run off," Jakotsu muttered, pressing his temples.

You faltered as your body compensated for the sudden change in position. Before your head could finish clearing, you were running, jumping, and stumbling through the mud and woody stalks of the forest floor. Once you felt you had made some distance, you began shouting. Though you were really just screaming for fear, some part of you knew that wolves and dogs had heightened hearing, and that just maybe the demons you knew could hear you.

"Kōga! KAGOME! Inuyasha! Inuyasha..."

Shouting while running was dissipating your wind too quickly, so you continued in verbal silence, though your shambling run rivalled any noise you could have spoken. You choked on your breath, but continued, eyes fogging from the barrage of wind and sweat.

When Bankotsu grabbed you, as easily as if he'd been there all along, you fell, heart pounding, hurting, and body overheating as soon as you were still on the ground.

Although you couldn't see him- you wouldn't risk focusing your eyes- you could hear his annoyance.

"You idiot. You little idiot." Hand clamped upon your wrist, he walked away, letting you drag through the thorns and mud behind him. Even once you had regained your heart and muscles, he did not pause to let you walk. He gave the sacred tree a wide berth as he passed it, then dragged you past the wolf camp.

You retched. Even open to the wind, the air smelled worse than any slaughterhouse and the muck Bankotsu dragged you through was a deep red, stained beyond earthiness. Cold, you stopped any semblance of resistance and let him drag you, ignoring the dull ache of your shoulder.

Chapter Text

"Come on, get up. Move." Renkotsu pulled you to your feet and attached your wrist binding to one of Ginkotsu's turrets. You moaned through the cloth they had stuffed in your mouth, but followed, not daring to let yourself fall and be dragged.

The last days had been hard. None of the band had approached you since returning to the camp, not since Bankotsu's outrage. The Band had eaten well following their successful raid, but they hadn't shared with you. In two days, you hadn't seen so much as a scrap of bread. Tied up and muddy, you had grown sore and gotten sores, and finally you were moving. Your ankles felt so free, despite the sore muscles. Finally untied, they were no longer grinding against each other, and you walked rather bow-leggedly to avoid it.

At nightfall, they didn't stop, and you continued behind them, grateful that you were young and still strong enough to keep up. You were hungry and sore, but you weren't weak yet.

You woke up muddy and aching. For once not caring about Renkotsu or the rest of the band's gaze, you peeled your top layer off, heavy clay and mud lifting up with it. Finding your hands finally not bound together, you stretched, then felt your back. Though you had to twist to get much of an idea, and even then you couldn't see much, you could tell that it was bruised and had scrapes and fabric burns. You stood up and looked around. Though a tent was up, Ginkotsu was nowhere in site and the usual banter of the band wasn't present. Better yet, you were untied completely, not just free at the wrists.

After one last look around, you followed what seemed to be the tracks backward from the site, the sleeves of your kosode dangling behind you as you went, though the obi kept it from falling further from your body. The band had proven fast, you didn't want to hesitate even for a moment to give them time to catch up.

"Hey, where are you going?"

You froze; before you even turned, you knew it was Jakotsu. His voice was hardly common. "I wasn't tied up," you answered, pulling the sleeves of the juban under your kosode back up, covering your exposed chest without drawing up the weight of the mud on your outer layer.

Jakotsu sighed, but didn't raise his hand or blade. "You are covered in mud. Come on." Taking your elbow, he led you away, up the road you had come from, through the camp, and beyond. You weren't sure why you followed him while he was so non-threatening, but his grip was steady and his sword was still present. You were happy to have acquiesced when you reached a bath house.

"Girls! My friend here needs a good scrub. Throw out her clothes, I'll bring something new while she's in there."

You introduced yourself to the girls, blushing as you became aware not only of your filthiness, but of your half-dressed state.

"Okay girlies, take care of Onee-chan."

"I just said my name!"

He ignored you, turning away and leaving you puzzled, though soon you found peace as the girls rinsed the mud from your skin and hair with buckets of water. Settled in the bath with towels available and the attendants nearby, you dozed. Though you had slept plenty, it was not sleep of any quality, and you had not truly rested since your kidnapping. If they kept letting you stay and sleep untied, escaping could be easy, especially if Kagome or anyone else was around. Kōga had been a friend of a friend, but no one liked hearing about girls being kidnapped. The land couldn't be so sparse of civilization that the Band of Seven could travel unseen and unheard, especially with the roads Ginkotsu needed to remain mobile.

The new ease to your situation relaxed you further and refreshed your hope, though you didn't know if it would last beyond the day. After soaking until your skin wrinkled, you allowed the house girls to apply their products to your skin and some medicine to your back, as well as a scolding for letting your skin get so damaged. You weren't a farmer, they said, looking at your hands. Your skin should be smooth and lovely.

The girls wrapped you in a robe that was soft with wear but very clean, then allowed Jakotsu to dress you again upon returning. You weren't sure if they knew his gender, though on the other hand, you weren't certain you were correct either, but enjoyed their cooing over his skilful fitting and stylish tying of the obi. He tipped them well, then led you out, steering you back toward the camp, helping you avoid muddy ditches and potholes. Though it was dark, you resisted the urge to run. Something worse could be out there anyway.

Lighting a lamp, Jakotsu brought you back into the large canvas room. Ground cloths covered the floor this time, and you stepped out of your shoes before leaving the doorway. He gestured to one of the piles of bedding.

"Get some rest. You may not have been up long, but it is already dark."

Happy just to be free handed, you were greedy for the clean indoor bedding. Even in your first days with the band, before making them angry, you hadn't had such treatment.

As your lids grew heavy, you looked over to Jakotsu, laying above his blankets, and yawned once. "Where are the others, anyway?" you asked with the air of a teen fading at a slumber party.

Jakotsu caught your yawn before replying in an unusually casual voice, even for him. "They're off reporting to the boss. Bankotsu had to go, and Ginkotsu can be good for any big opposition. That left me or Renkotsu at camp, and I think Ban trusts me a bit more with a girl. They'll be back tomorrow."

He was rather kind when he wasn't cutting you up. You smiled.

When you woke up, Jakotsu was no longer in the tent and sunlight shone through the canvas. You stood, then stumbled over yourself as your kosode wrapped your leg. Well, it was your first time sleeping in it. You fiddled with it as you walked out into the sunlight.

Jakotsu looked over from whatever he was cooking on a spit. "Oh for goodness sake, come here." It took him only several seconds to have you together again. Giving his meat one last turn, he took a ribbon and tied up your hair with firm, sure ease. It was almost like being home with Kagome, or having a slumber party with her friends. When it was to his liking, he released you.

"There, now you're presentable. Bankotsu will be back soon. You're sure you don't want any make-up or anything?" He gestured to the blue streaks tattooed down his cheeks. "We all wear them."

Confused as to when your kidnapping had become a beauty consultation, you shook your head, then sat at a clean leather mat near the fire. You watched Jakotsu finish the roast- the drippings were dropping into a pan of roots and vegetables. Your stomach growled.

"It's almost done, hold on a minute." Banking the fire, Jakotsu pulled down the cooking apparatus. He scooped some of the vegetables into a bowl for you, then ripped a leg off the bird he had roasted and tossed it in as well.

"We won't be here long. Get your strength up, you're starting to look too skinny."

You didn't need his encouragement. After eating even more meat and another bowl of starchy vegetables, you were finally full, though you wished you could stow some of the food in a pocket, in case they 'forgot' about you again. Fed, clean, and dressed, you were full of energy despite the lingering pain.

Jakotsu looked over to you and read it. "Let's take a walk. Maybe we can find some berries for dessert."

He seemed less scary every time he opened his mouth. Though the still-healing stripes on your shoulders and hips were absolute signs of his menace, you couldn't help but giggle when, arms casually behind his head, Jakotsu whined about Inuyasha's ignoring him and his advances and his affinity for those cute dog ears.

You didn't find any berries, but the walk had invigorated you and, though you could hardly believe it, you felt happy. Back at the camp, Jakotsu tutted over your chaffed ankles, rubbed a salve on them, and wrapped them up, though he did not admit to it being anyone's fault but your own. He also checked your back and arms, then helped you dress. You weren't sure if it was his obvious disinterest in your body or knowing that the apparently possessive Bankotsu trusted him with you, but Jakotsu felt safe, even when you were unarmed and undressed.

"Oh, here." Jakotsu handed you a small knife. "You never know what you might run into in the woods. Besides, now you can help me cook. The others should be back soon."

They were very strange kidnappers. Nevertheless, you took the bird from the morning and clumsily de-boned it, shredding the meat into a heavy pot. Jakotsu had already tossed in the other leftovers and was busy spitting a rabbit. You hummed as you peeled and chopped the vegetables. The mix of meats struck you as odd, but it would be a hearty stew, and even having been fed, hearty was exactly what you needed.

"Jakotsu!"

"Bankotsu!"

The men embraced as brothers, Renkotsu on Ginkotsu following behind. When he stepped back from his friend, you saw that Bankotsu's face was triumphant.

"Look, Jakotsu! More jewel shards. Naraku gave these to me for getting Inuyasha closer. Take this one, use it for Jyakotsutō." He was grinning with a genuine pleasure. For the first time since your initial glimpse of him with Kagome, your cheeks felt a bit hot when you looked him over.

As Jakotsu pressed the shard into his sword, letting it disappear into the metal- you would never get used to magic- you noticed Bankotsu looking you up and down. You wiped your blade and tucked it into your belt, then looked away. You were sure your cheeks were red, and feeling silly just made them redder. Not only was he your kidnapper, but he was looking at you like a wolf would a piece of meat, not like a handsome romantic would see his bride.

"Give me some of that meat, Jakotsu."

You shuddered.

"It's still roasting! The stew will be ready soon, Onee-chan has been helping me with it."

"'Onee-chan?'"

Feeling a bit stupid for taking Bankotsu's meat comment to heart, you kept your eyes down, even though you could feel his burning into you. You didn't want to know what kind of gaze he held.

"It's not my job to remember her name. She's an onee-chan."

You looked up, and as though correcting a substitute teacher, you piped up, announcing your full name for the band.

Bankotsu walked over, then knelt, looking straight into your eyes. You could feel your whole body flush and knees shaking, but you didn't want to break his gaze. You didn't want to look weak.

"Well, who knew you had a name... what can you tell me about your dog friend? Or that cousin of yours? No, wait a moment."

He went into the tent, and returned with two bottles. He filled a cup with sake, then added a few drops from the second vessel.

Though you couldn't trust what he had given you, you saw no other option than to drink.

"Tell me about Inuyasha and Kagome."

"Inuyasha is a dog demon, and Kagome is my cousin. She's human, I think, but she said something about being a priestess and about shooting energy with her bow? Kagome's not from now though, she's from another time, like me, but that doesn't really help at all here, it just makes her different. An old woman told me she was the reincarnation of her older sister, who was a priestess, and that Kagome can sense jewel shards- I guess she meant like the one you gave Jakotsu? Inuyasha met her when she pulled the priestess' arrow from his heart. Kagome lives in Tokyo, and..." You didn't know why you were babbling, but you couldn't stop, though half your information couldn't matter or even make sense to Bankotsu, or anyone around you. Your heart was pounding- what would they think of time travellers or anything else you said?

Bankotsu looked angry, confirming your worries. "That's it?"

Or not; he did not seemed fazed by your explanation at all, actually. "I only met Inuyasha the day you caught me, and Kagome told me about all this-" you gestured around yourself, "the same day. I wasn't even in Japan for a couple years before that."

Bankotsu wasn't the only one who looked annoyed. It was Renkotsu who finally spoke.

"What a waste. She can't help us at all and now Mukotsu's potion has run even lower. We shouldn't have bothered with her. Let's just get rid of her now." He looked even haughtier after Ginkotsu grunted in affirmation. His leader, however, looked less impressed, and with every second, Jakotsu was looking more annoyed, and about to argue when Bankotsu interrupted in a cool voice.

"Do you disagree with my methods, Renkotsu?"

He didn't answer. You wouldn't have either, Bankotsu looked ready to kill.

"We didn't take her as an informant, we took her as a hostage. Would you like to go tell Naraku of your suggestion, though? I will certainly defer if he agrees."

Head down, Renkotsu physically withdrew. The Band of Seven was even more hierarchical than Kōga's pack, you thought, then swallowed away the bloody memories.

"Good. Is the food ready now, Jakotsu?"

As he stumbled to get his leader's food ready, Jakotsu gave you a stern look. Understanding his message, you nodded. You were lucky, and you had better behave.

Eating seemed to calm Bankotsu back down, and he laughed when Jakotsu tried to fetch seconds for him. "We're brothers in this band, Jakotsu, you don't have to serve me. Serve this waif of a girl, she needs it."

As it grew dark, Ginkotsu slept and the three around the fire gambled with their loot. You watched in silence, until Bankotsu stood and took your shoulder.

"I'm going to bed."

His hand on your shoulder, fingers dug firm under your collarbone as he lead you away. You looked to Jakotsu, but you couldn't read his face in that last glance.

Chapter Text

Bankotsu lit a lamp and carried it to his bed, gesturing for you to follow. You watched him walk ahead of you, then hurried along. He sat on the blankets cross-legged and poured himself some sake from a bottle next to the bed.

He looked at your face and snorted. "I'm not going to bite you. Sit down."

You nodded and followed his order, sitting next to him and accepting the offered cup of sake. This time, he did not add anything to it.

"You really didn't have any idea what was happening when you ended up here, did you?"

Blinking at his distant stare, you shook your head, first in agreement, then in confusion. This didn't feel like an abduction, he didn't look ready to attack you. He had slaughtered Kōga and his friends, he had pillaged that town, but he was acting like he cared about your feelings. You took a gulp of the sake.

"That's no good. We can't let you go, you know. It's not just a matter of losing face against Inuyasha, but my friends would be killed. I don't know why Jakotsu has been so lax with your security." He caught you staring at him, incredulous but curious, and laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a killer. I can't say I mind doing a bit of torture either. But you have been with us a while already, and I don't know when we'll get ransom for you. If I am going to have a live hostage, I'd rather have one that isn't panicking. Scared of me? That makes sense. But you look scared shitless by everything- the jewel shards, the cat that was on your side, everything here. I don't know what you meant about 'another time,' but you are odd, like the priestess. You are far from home."

You shivered. He was perceptive. He placed his hand on your back, rubbing the spot between your shoulders where the shiver had erupted from.

"We need you alive, you know. You will be safe with us. And when your friends give us what we want, we'll let you go. So behave. Don't try to run. There are much worse things out for you to run into, and you'll be safe as long as you behave with us. Understand?" He finished his sake, then laid down, still petting your back. After a minute, you lowered yourself beside him, stretching out on your stomach. His bed was much more comfortable than anywhere you had slept since arriving, even the more merciful bed Jakotsu had made you that day. Soft, but firm enough to offer protection from the rocks below. It felt luxurious.

When you rolled slightly, exposing your back to Bankotsu, he continued massaging it, kneading deep in your shoulders. As some part of you had experienced from your first meeting, he had a very firm grip. Dozing, you hummed happily at the attention to your sore muscles. He pulled you against his chest, and together you slept.

You awoke, rolling onto your back.

"Ba'kots?" you mumbled, trying to focus.

Before you could ask again, his mouth covered yours, sealing it firmly. He pulled back, as though surprised by himself, but when you leaned up to return the kiss, he obliged, pressing you down on his mattress, keeping a tight hold on your wrists. His skin was hot on yours; you arched your back to press harder into him. You didn't know why you wanted him so badly; you pulled the shoulders of your kosode down, along with the layers beneath it, baring your breasts. Running your fingers over him, you could tell he had already undressed, or perhaps had slept bare-chested behind you, feeling your body against his as he slept; perhaps he had rubbed his cock on you until he needed to wake up and use it.

Shocked with how much that mental image effected you, you tensed, then pulled him down over you. His mouth was hard on your neck, teeth engaged and deep, bruising suction, not leaving room for gentle kisses or licks. He rubbed your breasts, but he was really kneading them, breaking them in. You were going to be his, you thought, broken for only him by the time he was done.

It took him little effort to have you undressed fully, and there he stopped, cock in hand, rubbing himself, looking at you in the dim light.

"You are beautiful."

You couldn't read into it, because as soon as his mouth closed, Bankotsu had you pinned again, rubbing himself on your wet slit. When his hot member slid over your clit, you couldn't help but release a deep moan.

With surprisingly gentle care, he pushed your hair from your face.

"Look at me."

You obeyed.

"Do you want me to take you now?"

You nodded.

"Good."

In one thrust he filled you, stretching you open, then pumping with vigour. Once or twice you yelped, a fold went astray as he opened you so fast, but the shocked cries were replaced with heavy panting. Bankotsu was quiet despite his rough work of you, but his teeth flashed behind a grin when you let out a moan. You felt restless as he brought you higher and higher on your own endorphins; you wanted to rut on him and work him over yourself.

Apparently having understood your desire to take control, Bankotsu refused it. With a shove, he rolled you to your front and pulled your hips up to his again. You shrieked into the blankets. He was fucking you harder than before, tossing your hips back and forth as though you were a rag doll. Over and over, he brought you down on his cock, until you felt your whole body pulsing, shock and heat and pleasure overtaking you until you lost track of everything.

He let your orgasm massage his cock and his own finally elicited a deep moan. You felt him twitch inside you, prodding you just a few last times; just enough to make you moan some more.

He rolled to the side, wiped himself down, then handed you a damp cloth. Sex washed away, you dropped into a dead sleep.

"What's wrong, kid?"

"Nothing."

Jakotsu cuffed your ear, but not hard. "None of that passive-aggressive lady stuff. Why are you moping? Should I be suspicious?"

Cheeks warm, you looked at the ground. Escape was your last priority.

"It's not lady stuff. Renkotsu is way more passive-aggressive than me, and I bet Ginkotsu would be too, if I understood him."

"Was Bankotsu less than a gentleman? I'll have a word with him, we're brothers, you know."

"No, Jakotsu!" You sighed. "No, it's just a stupid thing. I was starting to think you and I were friends. Then you sent me in there after him, defenceless. He could have raped me, or tortured me, or anything else he wanted."

Cringing at his harsh laugh, you shrugged. "I know, I know."

"Huh? Oh, no, Nee-chan."

You noticed that he had gotten even more casual with his name for you.

"You do know, Bankotsu is our leader. I'd follow that man to the ends of the earth- I've already followed him all over Japan. I'd follow him even if he were to torture you; we have been together a very long time and I owe it to him. But for all the killing and torturing we do, he's not going to rape or kill you. It's a lot easier to kill nameless tons of citizens or your enemies, you know. And Bankotsu grew up a street urchin; where did you think he learned to be such a scrapper? Don't tell him I called him that."

"I know he can't kill me, he told me that himself. But what does that story have to do with anything?"

"Urchins can grow up with rather extreme moral codes. Bankotsu's seen a lot of people die, and cutting someone down doesn't bother him at all. But on the other hand... well, you should have seen what happened when Mukotsu caught a girl... I think maybe our brother has a sister out there somewhere." His eyes frosted a bit; his gaze was downcast.

"Jakotsu?"

"Hm? Oh, just memories. Mukotsu's gone now, and good riddance. Days before it happened, he almost poisoned me. My point was, you have nothing to worry about from him. And from what I heard, you weren't too worried once you were in there." He let out a small 'tch' of laughter.

"It was stupid of me though. What am I going to do if I-"

Abruptly, you stopped speaking, and felt your face heat up. You doubted Jakotsu understood anxiety about pregnancy, and, even though you knew it wasn't your fault that no condoms were available- it is your fault though, some part of your mind spoke, that you agreed to fuck him- and that you couldn't exactly have kept up with birth control even if you'd brought it through the well, not while being dragged behind the band, it felt embarrassing to think that you had made such a careless move out of lust, or desperation, or loneliness, or whatever it was that made you pull him into your arms the night before.

"That reminds me," Jakotsu said, groping around in the sleeve of his kosode, muttering, "where is it," under his breath, until he seemed to grasp something. "I'm supposed to give you this."

He gestured for you to hold out your hand, and when you did, he dropped a small charm into it.

You held it up to your face. It was a little cylinder, about the size of your index finger, covered in patterned silk. The pattern was too large to make out on such a small item, but it was largely white with a range of reds woven in. The tiny canister had a cap, also covered in matching silk, held on with a red string, tied with complex knots. A second string dangled freely from the top.

"Thank you," you told him, "but what is it?"

He snorted in an attempt to hold back his laughter.

"Don't you play innocent, you've seen an anti-pregnancy charm before."

"They look different back home," you defended yourself weakly.

"Just keep it on you if you're going to have any more fun," he said, winking on the final word.

Once again, you looked down. Jakotsu clearly wasn't that judgmental about sex; he'd had a little joke at you, but didn't seem to look at you any differently. Even if he would normally be more accusing, you thought, though he didn't seem that way, you were a strange woman from a strange place, and already one of the enemy. Worrying about your chastity was probably beyond the scope of what mattered.

"I was surprised, you know. You looked like you were going to faint when he took you inside."

"How much do we have to talk about my sex life, Jakotsu?"

He shrugged and walked away to poke at the fire.

Though you had complained, you wished you had room to ask more about the charm he had given you: who made it, and what was it, and would it actually work? In lieu of asking, you let an answer slip.

"He said I wasn't in danger, and he asked for my permission."

"Hm?" Jakotsu turned back to you, disinterest in his voice but a grin slipping through the indifferent façade.

"That's what you wanted to know, right? I was attracted to him, and I was safe. Why not enjoy it, right?"

Yet again, Jakotsu laughed. "I think we might just get along, Nee-chan. Are you still worried about if we're friends?"

You shook your head, smiled for a second, then faltered. He was your guard and his boss had kidnapped you. Friendship didn't belong on the horizon.

But Jakotsu was the most interesting person you had met in ages. He had no clue about modern politics or issues, yet he spoke freely about all kinds of concerns, and he was decidedly non-conforming in gender or sexuality. Beyond deeper conversation with him, even your 'real' friends weren't so eager to dress you up or gossip about boys.

The whir and clunk of Ginkotsu's machinery interrupted your thoughts and you turned to watch him approach with Bankotsu and Renkotsu. Bankotsu spared a smug look in your direction before beckoning to Jakotsu.

You felt your cheeks growing red and a little smile tugging at your lips.

"Are you prepared?" Bankotsu called out. "We have a shrine to visit."

"Well? Take this."

You quickly turned to face Renkotsu, then yelped and leapt back. The sword he had tossed, thankfully sheathed, bounced off your leg and to the ground. Avoiding the Band's eyes, you scrambled to pick it up.

"I thought we were going to a shrine?"

"We are. They just may need some persuasion before they share their Shikon shards with us. And with that band of travelling monks afoot, we can't just leave you laying around. Do you know how to use that?"

"No."

Renkotsu looked annoyed, but Bankotsu's sigh was permissive. "Well, they don't know that, and monks don't usually carry weapons. Put that away, and come on."

Tucking the sword into your obi, you walked over with small, slow steps, touching one foot to the other before you'd continue. The stiff fabric of your kosode, tied tight by Jakotsu, did not allow for any great movement. Rolling his eyes, Bankotsu closed the distance in two strides and tossed you over his shoulder easily.

"We are in a hurry. Ginkotsu will catch up with us. Let's go."

You kept your face in his back, preferring not to see Jakotsu's reaction. Although gravity gave you a headache, Bankotsu's body felt cool and soothing to your forehead.

When Bankotsu set you on the ground, you gaped, stumbling forward to take in the temple. This was no little shrine, it was a monastery. Even down the hill from it, you could here buzzing from within its walls. The gates were shut.

"Do you have any more of Mukotsu's sleeping elixir with us?"

Renkotsu opened his outer layer, nodding. He exposed what looked like the ammunition bandoliers you'd seen in cinema. He didn't touch them. Instead, he pulled a small vial from somewhere around his waist. "Hardly enough to drug them all. Should we just charge them, then? They may have some defence at a place like this."

"It isn't for the monks."

You faltered as he looked straight at you, gaze unwavering.

"Come here."

This time, you obeyed and were at his side quickly. You watched as he poured a cup of water from a bladder at his side.

Making eye contact, he took the vial and tapped three drops of the liquid into your cup. "Drink this." He wrapped your fingers around the vessel, under his, and pushed the rim to your lips. "Trust me."

You drank.

Chapter Text

The ache in your head was awful; it felt as though you'd been cracked hard enough to make your brain swell. You felt a moan in your throat, but didn't have the effort to push it through to your lips. Trying to roll over, you felt your arms, just as heavy, and released the effort of movement.

Trust me. That was what Bankotsu had said, but what had happened? You remembered drinking the potion Renkotsu had carried, but although you braved the ache of your skull to try, you couldn't remember what happened next. Although you were sure you were fully awake, you still felt leaden. For a moment, you wondered whether Mukotsu had known his potion brought on paralysis after you slept rather than knocking you out solidly until awakening. Who would tell him? Would he have cared?

Despite requiring thought, the question made you feel a bit less groggy and pained. You still couldn't lift your eyelids, but you were beginning to perceive the light that filtered orange through them. Though you could not physically, you shrugged internally. You were already kidnapped, a bit infatuated, and had been knocked unconscious more than once. Why struggle and worry now? Anything bigger than Bankotsu's- you broke off your thought, distracted, then continued- trustworthiness was beyond what you needed to worry about immediately. Resigned but more content than you felt was normal, you began to try out your other senses. Knowing your surroundings was the first step in getting through whatever this trial was.

The futon under you was functional, nothing luxurious and fluffy like Bankotsu's bed, but sturdy, and certainly more comfortable than some of your recent sleeping places, not to mention some in the past-future. For a fleeting moment, you wondered if you had been sold or otherwise taken advantage of, but other than the headache coming down from your sleep and a rather sharp pain on your shoulder, you felt clean, physically and otherwise. In fact, you felt cleaner than you had before; the linens were fresh-smelling and no stale sweat from walking in the heat clung to your skin, even under your arms and breasts. The blanket over you and the robe you wore both felt as functional as the futon- rather heavy, a tad scratchy, but warm and safe. This had to be the temple.

If you could, you would have flinched when your hearing returned.

Bankotsu's voice, recognizable even though it was less brazen than usual, boomed, filling your head. After a moment, it tempered out more reasonably, and the background noises took their place. Nothing sounded so full anymore; there was a rather peaceful humming and the voices of birds behind the conversation you were beginning to overhear.

"... rather fond of her, you know. I suppose you don't carry someone from the woods, bleeding, and not make a bit of an attachment, especially if you're a bit lonesome of women, you know? I hope she's kind to him when she awakes- but not too kind, I want my brother back on the road with me."

A voice you did not recognize chuckled. "You've only been delayed a few hours yet, young man. You can't blame him for worrying about the poor girl; I haven't seen demon poison like this before. That scratch on her shoulder was strange and serious as well."

Bankotsu laughed too, although the falseness was rather obvious to you, if not to the priest. "I suppose you are right. He will be back before long to try and help her, I'm sure. What I really meant to bring up, though, was that I think I know what demon did it to her, and I think he may have followed us here. If you wish we will leave."

"Tell me about this demon. We have exorcised plenty before, I am not worried unless it catches us off guard. With your description, I will post watches in the tower."

"It's a very powerful dog demon named Inuyasha."

You gasped and your eyelids fluttered long enough to see Bankotsu's glare. You were glad that they still were heavy enough to hold closed and not feel as though you were acting.

"Ren! Ren, she's waking up."

You heard footsteps, then felt someone settle beside you, and a cool cloth on your forehead.

The priest chuckled again, this time in an almost affectionate manner. "I remember when I was a young lad, before I apprenticed. Your older brother is a good one, taking care of a girl he hasn't even met yet. I can see why the acolyte's life interests him."

Imitating the priest's affection, Bankotsu laughed rather quietly, then steered the conversation away. "This demon, Inuyasha-" He seemed to pause, and you held your breath. Were you imagining it, or was he listening for you?

"This demon, Inuyasha- he's a dog demon, with the white hair and ears like most of them have. But you can recognize him, he wears red robes and has a band about him. He is quite vicious, but he is also clever, for a demon. He has even tricked a young priestess into following him, and has a monk with him as well, either as a comrade defect or a prisoner."

Bankotsu began a tirade of many rumours he said he had heard about Inuyasha, but you didn't listen, as Renkotsu had jabbed his finger in your eye. You twitched, but were silent.

More gently, he lifted your lid, and you found that it stayed there. He opened your other eye, then changed the cloth on your forehead and put a cup to your lips. Though you tried to catch Bankotsu's attention, to ask again whether to trust Renkotsu, you could not; he kept eye contact with the priest.

Meeting Renkotsu's eyes again, you swallowed the drink readily. He looked ready to let you choke and drown in it if you did not. Then, he began speaking, quietly enough that the monk seemed not to notice him, but clear and consistently enough that it didn't seem as though he even stopped for breath.

"The drink will wake you up. You were walking in the woods outside your village when you stumbled upon the demon Inuyasha. You have met him, so you should be able to describe him if they ask. When he saw you, he scratched you, and you fainted after wandering a bit. You don't remember anything between then and when you wake up- and you have not awoken yet."

You hoped the priest kept his back turned and Renkotsu out of his line of sight, because you doubted Renkotsu would be the one blamed if this plan, whatever it was, failed when they saw your open eyes. Very quietly, you asked, "But what is happening?"

He stared daggers, and you shuddered. But his glare did not change the overly neutral and low tone of his voice. "If I tell you, you won't be much good at acting naturally. The potion put you to sleep, Jakotsu scratched you, and we carried you here. But as I said: The dog demon attacked you, and you don't remember anything until you open your eyes and see me."

You blinked, though not to make an example. It was just the first time you noticed his tattoos had faded. Bankotsu's was hidden behind his bangs, more tamely brushed than normal, whether or not it showed under them.

When the priest's voice entered your bubble of attention again, you were startled, but again praised yourself on not actually starting.

"Is she awake? How is she, then?"

Renkotsu turned around as you snapped your eyes shut, then tried not to scrunch them.

"I think she's coming to." Then, under his breath, "you are awake."

You tried to blink prettily in confusion, then looked up at Renkotsu, squinting before opening your eyes properly. "Where am I?"

"We're at a temple, miss. You were bleeding, and we took you here to be healed. How do you feel?"

Although you had been so unflinching since Bankotsu's glare, you couldn't help but blanch at his voice. He was so caring sounding, both his voice and his eyes gentle. The little squeeze he gave your hand as he asked how you felt was just as Kagome's felt when she was worried about you. It was unnatural to feel from him, but probably lent credibility to your confused act.

"My shoulder hurts, but I think it will be okay. I feel really tired though." Trying to sit up, you let yourself fall in quiet drama, but your heart leapt when Renkotsu caught you and in a firm grip, pushed you forward into a sit, and held you. You could feel your cheeks burning hotter than ever before; the rather medical gesture felt as intimate than any events of the night before.

"Careful, you've been poisoned. Just relax, lean on me."

The priest chuckled yet again. You flushed, but Renkotsu showed no signs of discomfiture. Bankotsu, however, did not looked pleased as he looked past the priest and onto you.

Swallowing several times from nerves, thankfully another gesture that fit the scene as much as reality, you tried to speak again. "There was a man, with long white hair..." You knew you sounded rather helpless and invalid, but hoped that strand would be believable.

Renkotsu's hand was in your hair, working out the knots of sleep. "Yes, that sounds right. It looks like a demon attacked you, and there has been a frightful dog demon with white hair making himself a reputation.

"Yes! He had pointy ears, and red clothes!" You struggled not to since as he tugged at your scalp.

"Shh. He's gone, be calm." The petting grew firmer, but you could not tell if he was becoming more touchy in his false infatuation or if he was threatening you for the overenthusiastic response. The monk didn't seem concerned. Renkotsu looked over your head. "Is it alright if I take her for some air? Seems like she's doing better."

"Behave. I'll come along when we are done speaking."

You followed Renkotsu outside, still a bit off-balance, but only as much as anyone just standing up from bed. Shoulder aching, you pulled the neck of your robe aside, trying to see what was going on with it.

Renkotsu grabbed your wrist and you froze. He let go quickly, looking around as though embarrassed, before whispering to you. "We are in the middle of a temple. You can't just pull down your clothes."

Glancing around much like he had just done, you straightened your collar but kept rubbing at the wound. It felt as though they had bound it well, the pain wasn't sharp and your drab robe was still unbloodied. You wondered how seeing the shoulder they had already dressed would scandalize the temple folk, but glancing back, you thought you knew the real reason he didn't want exposed there.

"Shit."

You tried to follow Renkotsu's gaze, but he was behind you, turning you, pushing you back toward the door.

"Inside, inside. Stay with Bankotsu."

The monk had left, and your futon had been put away. The room felt so empty that you almost jumped at seeing Bankotsu sitting with his tea.

"What are you doing back in here? Renkotsu was supposed to walk you away."

"I don't know, I didn't even know he was taking me away; I thought we were walking around the courtyard while you did something."

A voice carried through the thin walls.

"...my cousin is missing, and we were wondering if you had heard anything. A group called the Band of Seven kidnapped her, and it has already been two weeks. If you've heard of any villages being raided or anything, it could be a great help."

Both of you froze. Two weeks, you thought. Already? It both felt like too long of a time, and far too short.

"I'm sorry, Priestess, but we haven't heard anything of the sort. It looked as though a fire may have been burning in the west five or six days ago. Perhaps that might lead you to them. And may I say, you look quite familiar."

Neither you nor Bankotsu breathed. Someone whispered about whether another priestess had been there. Inuyasha's voice stood out suddenly, but hushed before you could understand.

You made a choked squeak when his silhouette, ears and all, appeared through the thin wall, then again when you felt a blade on your neck. Staying perfectly still, you watched Bankotsu mouth one sentence.

"Don't you dare call him."

You hadn't even thought about it yet. If it weren't for the cold metal on your neck, you wouldn't have even understood immediately.

The shadow disappeared, and Bankotsu withdrew, but watched you closely.

A door clapped sideways, shaking the walls, and both of you jumped to your feet. A tall shadow appeared outside the room, then the door slammed open as well.

"Bankotsu!" Inuyasha's sword was drawn, huge and sharp before him.

At first just a tuft of black hair over his shoulder, Kagome appeared beside him.

"Inuyasha! It's her!"

She drew her bow, pointing at Bankotsu, and you jumped out of the way- straight into Renkotsu's arms. For a second time, you followed him out, but this time he dragged through a wall and, with one blast of fire, straight out the side of the temple and into the woods.

He didn't take you far, just out enough to hide under a bush.

"Stay here, or else." He shouted something booming and guttural, then threw fire down to the ground. You watched as the fuse flared, then burned in a beeline to the temple.

You felt your nose scrape open on the dirt as the blast threw you down and pushed you out, then a heavy body on top of you as more rounds crashed. After several minutes, the noises stopped, though flames crackled in the distance, and you rolled over. Renkotsu stood, then pulled you up.

The temple was aflame- no, it was more than aflame, it was destroyed, the remains sizzling. The scent of charred flesh was carried along by the smoke, and now that the crashing had stopped, screams began.

Jakotsu walked out of the ruin unscathed, then stood at a high point, picking off survivors one at a time. Inuyasha popped up into the air, Kagome on his back, conscious and steady-looking; she was safe. They were followed by Sango, Shippō and Miroku, wearing masks and riding on the cat. They were all safe. You breathed a sigh of relief, then rasped on the smoke.

"Poison, even the kind you just drink down in tea, isn't very good for the lungs. We didn't have much antidote left, so you will have to make do with what you got."

You could barely hear Renkotsu's tirade over your hacking.

"You'll be fine. It'll just take a bit longer to get over the paralysis. Here comes Ginkotsu now, he can carry you."

"But," you tried to ask, "where's Bankotsu?"

The wind changed, smoke surrounded you, and at some point in the haze you lost consciousness without knowing the difference.

Chapter Text

Your whole chest throbbed and you curled up around it, dimly wondering whether the rough vibration from the car was making it better or worse. Your stomach twitched. Definitely worse.

Trying to sit up straight, you flopped yourself to the left and pushed up on your arm, then yelped as you kept moving and fell, not to the floor but several feet down, mashing your face into the grass below you. At least it was soft. You rolled onto your side, heaving, and finally oriented yourself.

Mid-fall, your mind had punctured through your sickness enough to realize you had been riding on Ginkotsu, not in the family car, but other than that you weren't sure where you were. The grass was lush and soft and the air wasn't smoky, nor did it have the sweet manure smell that surrounded most of the agricultural towns. You were in a field, and other than Ginkotsu's tracks, it was clean and rather lovely. On one side, the trees bowed into almost a perfect semicircle arch. On the other, the hill dropped off and you could see all the way to the ocean horizon. Ginkotsu had stopped, but the others still hadn't returned.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

You scrambled to your feet, trying to look deferential to Renkotsu. He didn't seem to be sparing with his cuffs. "Yes, it's very pretty. Where are we?"

He shrugged. "One of many mountain meadows."

"Where're Bankotsu and Jakotsu? How will they find us?"

Renkotsu laughed. "They have their ways. They'll probably be a while yet, though. We weren't the only ones after those monks' shards."

A while yet. You were more than sure that you didn't want to be alone with Renkotsu for 'a while yet.' Ginkotsu didn't give any air of Jakotsu's loyalty to Bankotsu, and though you walked over to sit near him, you didn't feel any safer for the company.

"Aren't you hungry? You didn't eat at the temple, did you? How long as it been now?"

You hadn't felt all that hungry, but the smell of searing meat caught your attention. On your second breath of it, you stomach growled. "I guess it's been a while. In all the excitement I forgot about being hungry." You looked over to his smoky fire pit and the small silver salmon cooking over it. "When did you catch that?" There was no use asking about the fire, he had displayed his speed with that enough already.

"On our way here there was a deep stream. You were asleep. I repair Ginkotsu, don't you think I can catch a little fish?"

Cheeks a bit hot, you walked away to look at the view, then backed up. The crest of the hill didn't have a slope on the open side, it had a cliff. Far below you, the ground was scattered with rocky debris, though grass and moss covered most of it. You wondered just how long ago the earthquake that caused the landslide was and, gulping at the sight of a boulder that had to be bigger than Ginkotsu, wedged in a crevasse, just how strong it was. Once you were back on the grass and well away from the cliff, you dropped on the ground. Your class had talked about historical earthquakes in high school, but when were they? When was the next one?

What year was it?

You turned to ask Renkotsu, then faltered. Did they even use Anno Domini in feudal Japan? Just because it was accepted in the modern day didn't mean they did now, and you had never been great with your eras by name. You shook your head, trying to remember when Christianity had come, but couldn't. It didn't matter, you realized. If there was going to be an earthquake, you couldn't do anything about it, except maybe get home before it happened. There probably wouldn't be a dangerous one for a few hundred more years anyway.

"Come eat, the rice is ready."

Hands shaking, you accepted the bowl from Renkotsu's hand, then waited as he placed your share of the fish on top. He served himself second, and a new question distracted you from the earthquake problem.

"Does Ginkotsu need anything to eat?"

Renkotsu laughed again. "You ask good questions. He eats a bit here and there, but look at him. He mostly needs fire. Mind if I show her, Ginkotsu?" He moved to the platform on Ginkotsu's back and opened up one of the few flat walls, revealing a mound of glowing coals.

"Of course, he also needs water, for his human body and for steam, but that's not so impressive to show you. I'm proud of my work, as you see."

You nodded, glad your mouth was full because you were at a loss for words. This sounded nothing like Renkotsu- perhaps talking about his craft calmed him? Or was it all an act? Whatever it was, you were happy to just let him talk, and apparently it showed.

"Now dear, why are you so afraid of me? Jakotsu's had just as much a part in keeping you from escaping. Would you like some more to eat?"

Everything about the situation felt unnatural and fake, and you were beginning to feel a panic, your heart pounding and mind clouding. Years of societal conditioning made you stay still, though. While you felt deep in your gut that something was wrong, your mind nudged you, reminding you that second chances were important, that he'd been living with you for weeks, and that he was being kind and feeding you. You knew Renkotsu was bad news, but you couldn't stop from asking yourself how. One incident when you were a prisoner wasn't that much of a tell, was it? And Bankotsu had been the one to drag you back from the wolves, and fed you the sleeping potion.

When you looked up, Renkotsu was smiling at you, a cup of clear water in hand. "I knew I wasn't that bad. Here, have a drink."

You welcomed the cool water and felt the hydration clearing your head almost immediately. Taking the water bag, you poured more and sat to think as you picked at the last of your rice.

Renkotsu sat beside you.

"I'm sorry I frightened you."

He placed his arm over your shoulder. You tensed, then let him pull you in.

"Has Bankotsu hurt you?"

As you turned to ask what he was talking about- of course he had, he had dragged you from your friends twice, but he had been kind and reasonable since- Renkotsu took your chin and kissed you, pushing you down with his other hand.

You were spared from pulling back yourself as the breath was knocked from his lungs into your face in a puff and Renkotsu was thrown to the side. Scrambling back to get out of whatever had come's way, you saw wolves surrounding you. Some were missing quite a lot of hair, others hand missing eyes, and many had wounds, either clotted with blood or weeping puss. Booms filled the air as Ginkotsu fired indiscriminately, hitting some wolves and spooking others. Backed against Ginkotsu's treads, ears covered, you spotted Renkotsu in the grass, a blur above him, pummelling him. Ginkotsu seemed to notice as well, as with a final 'boom,' the blur above Renkotsu shot forward, releasing him.

Almost immediately the wolf was back, but just as quickly Renkotsu had grabbed his fire gourd. The scent of burning hair emerged first, but Kōga sprang from the smoke screen to fresh air, gasping.

"I already killed one of you, and I'm going to protect this girl!"

Renkotsu's laughter rang out yet again, but it had turned eerie and sour.

"Kyōkotsu was weak. Get out of here, mutt."

Before Kōga could enter the fray again, a deep slice appeared in his hip.

"Now Renkotsu, why are you trying to chase away my playmate? Look at that delicious tail of his."

Overcome with relief, you fell against Ginkotsu again. Jakotsu was back, and he was safe. Bankotsu would be with him, somewhere, and Kōga and his pack were still alive. You had been sure they died for the mistake that was rescuing you.

"You again? I didn't come here to fight with freaks, I came for the girl."

You felt your own breath knocked from your lungs as he grabbed you and whisked you away with incredible speed, a whirlwind appearing below him as the other wolves loped behind.

Deep in the woods, he stopped. The others had not yet caught up.

"Are you okay? Kagome is around here somewhere, we'll get you home."

You didn't reply, but hung your head and followed as he led you between the trees, pausing every now and then to sniff.

Was that it? Had you spent your scant time with the Band of Seven, and now it would be life as usual at the Higurashi house, and back to university days later? Once, you looked back, hoping Jakotsu would be there, making silent jokes about Kōga's tail as he tracked you, but there was no one, nothing in sight. Bankotsu hadn't even been there when you had gone.

Shuddering, you stopped, swaying. Maybe he was the one who was gone. Maybe the adventure was over because he was dead. You never had seen him escape the fire. Maybe he was okay, but just didn't care to get you back.

Kōga put his arm over your shoulder, and though the gesture was the same, it felt much better than Renkotsu's. Almost immediately you felt safe and you relaxed against it. He was a small man, but it felt like leaning on a large, protective dog.

"Don't worry, you're safe now. You don't have to talk." He sniffed the air again. "This way! They're close."

You stumbled behind as he pulled you by the arm, dragging you not unlike Bankotsu often had.

"Kōga? Oh-!"

Kagome leapt to her feet and held you to her, falling to her knees and bringing you along. "I thought I'd never see you again. I promise I'll get you home."

Although you knew her hug was supposed to be comforting and fulfilling, she just felt small, clingy, and almost suffocating against your body. Bankotsu had been cool, broad, and enveloping. Jakotsu hadn't hugged you, but you imagined they'd be friendly, joking, and brief or long depending what you needed.

Dampness on your shoulder made you aware that Kagome was crying, and a wave of guilt washed over you. Your cousin, your younger cousin, had risked her life to try to protect you, and she probably very well thought it was her fault you had been kidnapped. It wasn't fair, you thought, to be thinking about how other people could hug better. Though you felt a bit stiff, you returned the hug, then petted her head.

"It's okay, Kagome. I'm fine.

"What did they do to you?"

"Hey, Kagome. She doesn't have any jewel shards, does she?"

She wheeled to face him. "Inuyasha, how could you? She's alive, that's what matters, not if she stole their jewel shards."

"In her, Kagome," the huntress, Sango, interrupted, and you noted that her face was rather grey. "Like Kohaku."

"Oh... no, no, she doesn't." She averted her attention back to you. "What did they do to you? Are you okay? Where are your clothes?"

The kimono from the temple was a far cry from the street clothes you had worn to Kagome's house. You briefly wondered if the band was still carrying your other clothes and possessions, before realizing a problem.

"Kagome! The beads. I don't have my beads."

"Shh, shh. We'll find another way home." She seemed to be following your words more than your appearance, as you really didn't need comforting. The kidnapping had been scary, but as Kagome's worried glance to the others confirmed, one loss had just earned you indefinite time in a magical world, and had definitely earned you time to decide.

In silence you shared dinner with your cousin and her friends. Sango, Shippō, and Inuyasha all seemed to be giving you looks, but you didn't want to say anything. They had probably had some risky adventures in your name as well. Kōga bragged about his save while Inuyasha snapped at him and Kagome attempted to smooth it over. The monk Miroku did not approach you, other than to pass Kagome bandages for your injuries. He did, at least, have a sense of timing.

You didn't pay much attention to any of it. As it got darker, you visited the cat demon and petted her. She was larger than the lions at the zoo or any other cat you'd ever seen, but after Ginkotsu, she seemed like a small creature. Curled up against her, you dozed.

"I don't like it. His scent is all over her."

Kagome hissed at him to shut up, but Shippō replied rather loudly: "Yeah, she smells like if they were alive. Do you think she killed someone?"

"Shippō! What are you talking about? And of course she smells like them, she's been with them for weeks!"

"That's not it," the demons replied in unison.

Trying not to rouse Kirara, you shifted, trying to position your ears better. If only you had those damned puppy ears to turn as you pleased. Still, you managed to get comfortable without the cat betraying you.

"They smell like blood and graveyard dirt," the fox demon continued. "I thought maybe since she smells like them, she killed someone too. But that's not all it is, there's something else..."

You were pretty sure Kagome had glanced over to see if you were asleep, so you nuzzled your nose into Kirara's fur in what you hoped looked like a sleepy pillow-nudge. It seemed to work, as she kept whispering.

"What else is there? She's been with them this whole time, what do you think she'd smell like?"

"It's Bankotsu. His scent is all over her. All over her."

You really hoped the demons didn't have great eyesight on top of their hearing and scent, because your face was ridiculously warm. Kirara squirmed as you tried to hide it.

"Inuyasha! Sit!" There was a thump and a snarl before she continued. "I already told you, she lived with them. Smells rub off on people. Don't be so rude to my cousin, I'll tell Kaede, or Grandpa."

"He's not trying to be mean, Kagome. It's just really easy for us to smell."

"Kagome, are you sure we should be talking about this? She's right there," the Monk added, and you heard Sango hum in assent.

"I want to know what Inuyasha's implying, now. It will be even less private in daylight, and I'm not waiting for it."

"She's probably teamed up with them, is what I'm saying. What do you even know about your cousin? She was gone for what, two years? Who knows what kind of affiliation she has?"

"Sit!" Kagome shrieked. You felt everyone turn to you, so you stirred 'in your sleep,' then settled again. Her voice dropped to an even lower whisper and you strained to hear. "You don't even know her, Inuyasha. She's my cousin."

Sango's smooth voice cut off Inuyasha's remark. "Kagome, Kohaku's my brother. We still have to treat him as the enemy sometimes."

"I'm sorry, Sango, I didn't mean to hurt you..."

"Kagome, sit down. You need it spelled out? She smells like sex. It's watered down and there's dirt masking it, but Bankotsu's scent is all over, and not from his sweat. And she doesn't exactly smell like fear."

She seemed to fall, as the others gasped and seemed to scramble toward her, and it was a moment before she replied.

"You don't know that. You don't know her. She would never do something like that, she wouldn't sell us out for someone evil. Just because she's brave-" Kagome paused and gulped. "Just because she's brave doesn't mean they didn't hurt her. How can you blame her for that? You have plenty of evil men here, you know what must have happened."

You fought to keep from retching. There was the guilt again- she had worried for you, she was obviously quite sure you'd been raped, maybe repeatedly, and she was defending you. If you had spoken some more earlier, you thought, maybe Kagome wouldn't think you were so traumatized. Disgusted with yourself, you shoved your face into Kirara. Above all, you didn't want her to know you had betrayed them, not when she was so eagerly defending you.

Kagome's last outcry had dissolved into tears, and no one else of the group spoke up again. After a few minutes of silence, you heard someone walking over and looked up to see Miroku. You made eye contact and he nodded. He knew you'd heard, you were sure, but he just placed a blanket over you and silently returned to his spot near Sango. With the fuss over you ended quite as suddenly as it had begun, you drifted to sleep again.

"Nee-chan!"

A hand clapped over your mouth, but even before turning you knew who it was.

"Come on, sis, before they wake up. You don't want to fight them, do you? I mean, we can, but I'm trying to be nice. That one's your cousin right?"

"Jakotsu, shh!" You looked at Kirara. She was watching with one eye, growling at Jakotsu, but she didn't get up or alert Sango. "Shh, Kirara. Good kitty. Stay there, be quiet."

"Hurry up, that mutt doesn't sleep lightly, and just for you, I'm trying not to fight him today."

"But..."

You looked at Kagome, frowning. You couldn't just leave, could you?

"Hurry up Nee-chan, they're going to wake up. You don't want them to see this, do you?"

You hurried, not taking the time for another glance back, following Jakotsu into the wood. It seemed to go on quite a ways, but eventually you hit a road.

"It should be far enough off to talk now. Man, I was really pissed when that wolf took you. And he runs so fast!"

He was already back to casual as he strolled up the dirt road.

"I know, and he knocked the wind out of me. How did you find me?"

Jakotsu pulled a pin from his yukata and fiddled with his hair. "Oh, same as last time. We followed the wolves. Kōga runs fast, but his pack doesn't."

That made surprising sense to you, but a detail seemed off. "What do you mean 'last time'? When did you follow them before?"

"Oh, you've been sleeping a lot, Nee-chan. They followed us to the temple, but of course the monks had barriers up, so they couldn't smell that Bankotsu and Renkotsu had gone in. Ginkotsu led them away for a while, and when the wolves following Kōga's lovely tail went by, I followed them. We didn't think he'd actually pick you up, obviously, just that he'd follow us to try and avenge the others."

You stared at Jakotsu. He generally came off as air-headed, but that was a very thought out plan. It sort of made sense; in a time of lower literacy, not to mention fighting to survive, being smart probably had nothing to do with academia.

He seemed to know what you were thinking. "Don't look at me, Renkotsu planned it."

"And Bankotsu's okay, right?"

Jakotsu stopped walking, and you held your breath.

"Of course he is! Was that what you were worried about? Oh, don't worry, Nee-chan. Bankotsu is always okay, and he always will be. He has four of us to support him and make sure, doesn't he?”

The relief froze you still, thinking about all the possibilities. He hadn't abandoned you, and he was alive. He had even sent Jakotsu well out of his way to get you. And it had all happened without fighting Kagome's friends.

You had been right. Jakotsu's hug was just long enough to thaw you; being wrapped in his arms warmed your heart from within.

Chapter Text

Walking along with the Band free of shackles became routine in only a few days. Most of the time, they had little more planning than you as to where they were going, and you continued to enjoy Jakotsu's friendship. Renkotsu had kept his distance; he did not seem pleased with your rejection, which struck you as odd. While you knew he was a rather hot tempered man, you were also fairly sure that anything he wanted had nothing to do with you personally. His continued coldness and what you perceived as sulking made it seem as though he was rather insulted.

"Ah, don't mind him. He's just jealous of Bankotsu."

"He doesn't even like me, though. I think he'd have killed me by now if he had a chance." You shivered at the idea of just how true your words were.

"Now Nee-chan," Jakotsu said, bending a bit to match your eyes. "My brother Renkotsu, he's a fine man. He has saved all of our lives before, even yours, and he is a strong mercenary. But," he paused, glancing around, "I don't think he always agrees with Bankotsu. Now, he may not like you, but Bankotsu is not only our leader, but he has been hired by someone who won't even speak to Renkotsu, and he has found a pretty companion for himself. It's only understandable that he's a bit upset." Jakotsu straightened up, then continued more lightly. "It's like how I feel about that Inuyasha. It just drives me mad how I can't take him, and that woman is right there, not even thinking of it."

"I don't think that's really the same thing," you started, but Jakotsu didn't seem to hear you. "Besides, Bankotsu has hardly talked to me, let alone been my 'companion' since I came back."

That brought back his attention.

"I thought you were the one who decided not to! I figured wherever you come from, they perhaps didn't encourage sharing beds."

"I'm from Japan too, Jakotsu. I lived abroad a while, but not long."

"Oh sure, Japan, but must have been on one of those remote, reclusive islands or something, with that weird accent of yours. Anyway, Bankotsu has said nothing about it. Did you have a fight? Oh, the troubles of young love."

You were at least comforted in that Jakotsu did not seem interested in the origin of the accent he perceived. "It's not young love, Jakotsu. We were intimate, once."

"Ooh, intimate. I like the sound of that one. I just call it fucking, but perhaps my type is a bit more bloody than yours."

"The point is, we don't even know each other. It's no wonder he lost interest."

"Why would he lose interest after finding out how good you were? Give yourself some credit, sis. I know people who got married with less time between them. Oh, look who's coming."

Without giving you time to look, Jakotsu gave you a little shove out of the grove you had been standing in. You stumbled backward and felt a bubble in your chest as you lost your balance, then thumped your head as you were steadied.

"Slow down, what are you doing?"

"Bankotsu! I... ahm, I was talking with Jakotsu. About the Band and stuff."

He brushed your hair from your face. "Oh, so you're already learning all our secrets. I'll have to keep my eye on you."

"I can't tell if you're kidding or if you don't trust me," you rambled off, stumbling over the syllables as you rushed. "He was just telling me about Renkotsu."

His hand felt very hot against your cheek, and he had gotten too close. You were itching to step back, but resisted.

"Really, so you wanted to learn about Renkotsu. Wouldn't you rather be learning about me? I have plenty to show you."

The temperature of his hand evened out as your cheeks flushed. "I think I would."

Looking into your eyes with his own dark pair, he folded his forearm to your chest and pushed you back. Again you stumbled backward, and this time you were caught between Bankotsu and a tree.

His push was firm, and with full, unspoken consent you were quite pinned, but his kiss was unbelievably gentle, almost unpleasantly so. You tried to push your mouth against his harder, but he held you back.

"Maybe later. As much as I could use a bit of recreation, we've got a long way to go."

A bit stunned, you leaned on the tree, watching him leave. You rubbed sweat from your forehead before starting up the path behind him.

"I told you he liked you."

"Jakotsu!" First Bankotsu, now him; your heart wouldn't take many more of these surprises. "Were you watching? What are you doing?"

"Of course I was watching. I have to make sure my brother and sister treat each other right, don't I? Besides, there's much more to talk about this way."

There was a soft tamping noise on the dirt behind you.

"Jakotsu. Where is your master?" It was a young boy who looked rather familiar.

"Oh, it's you. Bankotsu? He's up ahead. What're you doing here."

The boy looked at you for a moment, then walked up the road without responding.

As you watched him walk off, the resemblance clicked. He was wearing the same outfit Sango wore, only with green padding rather than pink. Could this be the brother she had mentioned? You shook your head- it was probably what all demon slayers wore.

"Well come on, the kid probably might have something interesting to say."

"Is he a demon slayer?"

"Hm? I suppose he is, but he's just one of Naraku's servants. All he seems to do is carry messages. Don't worry, he has no interest in any slaying, even if we were demons."

Bankotsu insisted that all of the Band, including you, would stay and listen to Naraku's message. Although you would have enjoyed entertaining the thought that perhaps this meant you were one of the Band, you did not want to let your mind wander from the topic at hand.

"Naraku wishes to know why you have not been working faster. Inuyasha is still alive."

Bankotsu rolled his eyes. "Tell him we'll get to it. The more we can slay before him, the more powerful we'll be when he comes to us. And tell him his bees can back off, we're doing just as he said. We are not new to the job."

The boys eyes were entirely blank.

"I don't think Naraku intends to listen to my commands. He also wished for me to tell you that there is a deep pit, to the south of here, that seems to be attracting demons, and suggests you fetch for him the jewel shards that undoubtedly are there. You can practice your killing when you do."

"He'll get his shards."

"And Inuyasha?"

"We will get to him. He has been as good as dead since Naraku brought us around."

"But he still isn't dead."

"Hey!" Jakotsu snarled, easily roused to Bankotsu's defence, but the boy had disappeared into the trees. "I hate that kid."

Renkotsu spoke much more calmly. "He does have a point, though. Even with the bait," he jerked his head toward you- "we have not drawn him into battle. Perhaps we should seek him out ourselves."

"Come on, Renkotsu, have a heart. Give me a chance to have him pursue me, huh?"

"We'll wait. But Jakotsu, should he not come soon, Renkotsu can find him for us. Understood?"

"Oh, he'll come."

Your mouth had gone dry, and you tried to swallow. It wasn't hard to distance yourself from random monks and villagers, but you had spent two days with Inuyasha, and though he had been harsh, he had usually been kind, and his criticism was only correct. Kagome really seemed to love him, as well. Feeling more embarrassed than any time they had stripped you, ignored you, or dragged you around, you tried to clear your throat and turned to Bankotsu.

"We don't... Do you have to kill him?"

Bankotsu laughed, and flicked his wrist toward the others, gesturing for them to leave. "Aw, you know I like you, don't you? That's sweet, and if I could do this, just for you, I would."

You felt as though you would melt into the ground, and almost wished you would so he would stop grinning at your beet red cheeks.

"I have to, though. This is my job. What does that cousin do again? She's a priestess, or an acolyte, right? You wouldn't tell her to stop going to the shrine so she could attend dinner with you, would you? Or ask that demon slayer to hold her boomerang back- I mean, it appears Inuyasha and his group have, but you're not rude enough to tell someone not to do their job, just for you."

At first you were unsure if you were going to fall away or yell. Then the words began to rise in your throat, and you took the opportunity. You knew you had been far to meek already.

"Killing someone is not the same as going to the shrine! He's my cousin's... well, he's my cousin's! And he has only ever treated me nicely! How can you just kill him?" You felt a little as though you were channelling Kagome; she was ferocious when someone, no matter who they were, bullied her friends.

You heard Renkotsu call over to Bankotsu: "Get a handle on that woman, would you? I'm working!"

The remark dialed you up to livid, and your voice lowered to a hiss. "And what, does he think you own me or something? What is wrong with all of you?"

"Renkotsu, be quiet! Hey now," he continued in a lower voice. "I can't negotiate with you on this. We owe Naraku a lot, and one job in return for it is more than generous of him. We've already lost several of our Seven to Inuyasha and his allies. Ginkotsu has lost most of his body. I cannot betray him, Jakotsu, and Renkotsu just to spare your feelings."

You breathed heavily. It was harder to argue when he spoke reasonably, even knowing the dichotomy of killing Inuyasha or his own men was wrong.

"I don't own you, but if you are going to be a part of this band, you have to respect us all, not just me, regardless of any relationship we have."

"But she's my cousin."

"Well, so far we have no orders to kill her. Maybe you can get her to go home to her family once Inuyasha is gone, or even before we attack. Have her safely out of the way."

Looking down, you sighed. Pulling you down to sit on a fallen log, Bankotsu placed his arm around you, letting you rest on him. For a while, you just listened to his heart beat.

"I don't really understand how you feel. None of us have fretted about killing a man. But, I have grown pretty fond of you, and I don't want to scare you away. Do you think you can get the priestess to go home?"

"I don't know if I could see her again, and not go home with her. And Bankotsu, she's the only one who trusts me, the others probably won't let her go."

"Well, they're worse than us then, aren't they? You should be happy to stay."

Unsure what to say, you leaned against him, but kept silent. Was it really only Kagome you were worried about, or was it that you couldn't stay with a cold-blooded murderer? Well, you told yourself, nuzzling against him, not so cold blooded. Pulling your nose back, you felt a bit disgusted with yourself.

Fighting the monks and watching him return from each village had never fazed you. There were wars and police violence and vigilantes in your own time as well. You swallowed.

"I'll go. How do I find them?"

Chapter Text

Renkotsu was sent to leave a trail for Inuyasha, scorching trees and dirt here and there leading to the camp. With him gone, Jakotsu busy preening for Inuyasha, and Ginkotsu rather immobile in the tight forest, Bankotsu had no trouble finding alone time with you.

A bit nervous, you followed him into the wood, then gasped.

"It's beautiful, Bankotsu."

"I thought you would like it."

It really was- the trees opened into a small but sunny clearing with a lush growth of thick moss along the floor, unmarred by rocks or stumps. It was almost perfectly round, and even with Bankotsu there, you had the most privacy you had felt since you had come to the band.

He took your hand and led you into the clearing, then kissed you, pushing you back and down until you knelt next to him. Without ending the kiss he brushed the sleeves of his kimono off his arms, letting the top hang behind him.

You broke the kiss, pushing him back so you could look at him in the daylight. His chest was smooth, and though they did not stand out as muscular, his abs were defined under his pale skin. He watched your face as you ran your hand down his shoulder, over his pecs, his nipples, and his stomach, then around his back. You stopped when you felt a ridge, then looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, so they're still there. Those are from when I was shot down. You can barely see where they came through the front."

He turned around for you; his back was marred heavily by deep scars, jagged and pinkish.

"Does it bother you?"

You hadn't even thought about it yet, but answered honestly. "No, I just didn't expect it. This is from when you were killed? Do they hurt?"

"Nah, but they itch sometimes." He turned so you could better inspect them. "It's not quite how I died, but that's what most of them came from; we were ambushed, but when I drew Banryū, no one came for me from the front. I don't think it hurt that badly; it didn't last long."

You traced the puckers with your fingertips. Distracting him with the gentle exploration, you wondered if it would be too intimate to ask more. You were still unsure of what he had meant the day before, when he had pointed out your 'relationship.' Swallowing your embarrassment ahead of time, you asked: "Was it scary?"

Bankotsu turned to look at you, tilting his head, then smiled as he looked away. "Not a lot scares me-"

Too intimate, you told yourself.

"-but that was terrifying. It wasn't only me- things have been life or death in more than one way before, I've fought and I've starved and I've been sick. Dying isn't so scary. But seeing those men rushing in from all directions, I knew that would end the Band. Mukotsu and Suikotsu were didn't have a chance. Jakotsu was still holding his ground when I fell. I didn't see the others, but I knew from the moment I heard the call to attack that no matter how many they killed, my comrades wouldn't survive. It was a blood bath, and the scariest thing was knowing that I had led six men who trusted me straight into it. They didn't even give us the honour of going out fighting; once we were weak they stopped the onslaught and slit our throats."

One hand still on his back, you blinked and touched your cheek. Unless you had been heavily misreading him until this moment, Bankotsu trusted you. Perhaps trust was the wrong word- they had long discussed battles and weaknesses before you- he was friendly with you, and willing to expose himself. You wondered if even Jakotsu had heard all of this detailed grief. Before you could restrain yourself, you blurted out another remark.

"I think I'm starting to love you."

Blushing deeply and spinning away, you corrected yourself. "Sorry- really, sorry, that was too much. I know we haven't really been anything long and I don't know you so much and-"

"I love you."

"...what?"

He laughed broadly. "I know, I'm brave, aren't I?"

"You don't think it's too soon?"

"'Too soon?' I do, though. If I do, how can it be the wrong time? You are a beautiful woman, but besides that, you work hard, you listen to me and respect my friends, and you are good company. I like having you here, and I care about you. That's what love is, isn't it?"

"I think it is. I feel the same about you. Where I'm from, 'love' is a very heavy word, though. It means a deep connection, possibly a forever relationship, and people don't say it seriously to each other unless they're family or very long term friends, or relationships they don't ever think they'll end. I thought I might have jumped the gun- spoken too soon..."

"Who cares about how people use it? I care about you, for good reasons, and you feel the same. That's what love is. It doesn't have to be confusing."

Feeling less embarrassed, you turned and leaned against him. "I think you're right. In my time- At my home, I wouldn't have said that, if you were from there too, but we also probably wouldn't have become this close so fast there."

He held you against him, then touched your cheek, letting you turn to him for a kiss.

Somehow the romance and intensity of the moment disappeared into a new kind of intensity, as you found yourself pulling him down atop you. You leaned up as he pulled your kimono open and down, exposing you as he already was. Without hesitation, he fell over you, latching his mouth over your nipple. He held you at your hip and the side of your breast, and with each pull at his mouth, you felt yourself growing hot and a touch dizzy as your body pulsed in response.

Bankotsu slipped his fingers under your obi and yanked downward on it, hard enough for you to interrupt.

"Hey, be careful!" You helped untie the sash and obijime, but had to stop him again when he began pulling at your undergarment. You pushed his arm back. "Come on."

"What? Don't you want to?"

You stretched and rubbed your temples. He was hard, you could feel it through his hakama, and it was not easy to refuse. "Last time, a couple days passed before I saw Inuyasha, and he still said he could smell you on me."

"So, then he already knows. Why shouldn't we?"

"He'll suspect something! Bankotsu, stop trying to convince me."

His hand still absently on your hip, Bankotsu sat up. "If you really don't want to, we don't have to. We can stop, or we can keep doing what we were. But if you're only refusing because of that dog, I don't understand. You said he already suspects you, and that he could smell it last time. What difference would it make? If anything, it would be more suspicious if you don't anymore."

You laid back on the sheet and after a moment, Bankotsu joined you.

"I want to, but I don't know if I can right now."

Bankotsu shrugged compliantly. "It's going to be a long day. I can kiss you though, can't I?"

You answered him wholeheartedly, and found yourself very quickly taking back the sentiment from earlier. Pawing at the split in his hakama, you could tell that he still agreed. It took no convincing for him to ease off what remained of his clothing.

Bankotsu's lips were softer than yours, but his kiss was deep. You flicked your tongue on his, then mimicked the move with your thumb over his foreskin, eliciting a twitch. Without a hint of subtlety, you kissed a line straight down his chest and stomach, finally licking from the elastic skin at the base of his cock to his head.

He moaned, but when he placed his hand on your neck, he didn't pull you in.

Mouth full, you looked up at him. "Hm?"

"You don't-"

You flickered your tongue on his frenulum, and he trembled.

"You- you really don't have to. You said you didn't want to, and this seems like the worst time of any to hurt you."

"I want to. I really, really want to. Do you want me to stop?"

You felt him hesitate, then relax.

"No, I want you to do this forever. Too bad I have to send you away, I think I've just found a use for you."

Laughing with him, you pumped his cock in your fist. "As tempting as it sounds right now," you replied, "I promise this won't take forever."

You heard and felt his gasp as you enveloped his head again, and you sucked hard in response. Trying to vary your mouth's patterns, you rubbed his cock with one hand and held his testes in the other. You could feel Bankotsu growing restless and ready, his muscles tensing and releasing, as you bobbed your head along with your hand. You pulled back for a second to look at his shining pink skin, then felt its smoothness again with your tongue.

Speeding up as much as you were able, you kept working him with your hands and licking, until you felt him again grab you, this time by the shoulder, urging. He cried out loudly once, then gasped a few times as you swallowed, quickly sucking it past your tastebuds.

Both of you breathed heavily for a while, before you crawled back up him and rested on his chest. Bankotsu fingered your hair absently, then rolled you back off.

"Hey, what-?"

"I don't want to have all the fun."

You laid back and allowed him to lick at your clit and to taste you, knowing you were probably dripping from before. You hummed in pleasure with your voice and shivers. His tongue was as wet as you, soft, yet also making your mind race. You tugged on his arm.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." You smiled. "Really, nothing, it's wonderful. I don't think I have the energy to come right now, though."

Bankotsu tilted his head. "I may be the best mercenary in Japan, but that doesn't mean I want to be bad in every way. Perhaps evil, but not bad. Besides, I am having fun."

Giggling at his bravado, you pulled his arm again, and this time he followed.

"I liked sucking you off, and I liked this. We don't have to fuck ourselves into exhaustion every time."

If any of that was modern slang, he didn't comment on it. "Well, if we're stopping now, we should probably get dressed. I have something for you."

Presents were a wonderful reason to hurry, so you did. Once you were both clothed and Bankotsu armed, he produced a small stick, then opened it. Inside the wooden sheathe was a small blade, hardly bigger than the folding knife you had brought to the feudal era.

"You'll be on your own today. You should be able to hide this somewhere. It isn't big, but it's sharper than it looks, so be careful. You can butcher with it if you end up out alone-"

You grimaced at the image, but didn't interrupt him.

"-And you can use it if something happens with your cousin's friends. Keep it hidden, even with them, just in case, understand?"

Although you found his tone somewhat patronizing, you nodded. You had been in enough dangerous situations for a lifetime already, unarmed. "I'll be okay, you know."

He pushed the sheathed blade into your hand, holding the pressure until you took it.

"I know you're clever, but you don't know the lay of the land. If something happens to you, and it was as preventable with something as easy as this, I don't know what I'd do."

You had expected him to press it into your palm, but you didn't expect that. Perhaps those outside of the law, you thought, were more prone to thinking in concrete terms of equality. You wondered if any of your modern boyfriends had ever put more consideration of matters other than your gender or size into your need for protection.

"You're good, Bankotsu. Evil or not."

He let you kiss him, then held you in one arm as he laid back on the sheet.

"Oy, lovebirds. Renkotsu's back."

Not too happy to be leaving the comfortable makeshift bed, let alone to take on the largest moral quandary of a mission you could imagine, you straightened your kimono and followed Bankotsu and Jakotsu back toward their base.

"Come on, sis, let's go get you cleaned up."

"Ah- no, Jakotsu. We were talking, and it would be too suspicious if I suddenly didn't smell of the Band and like I did... last time."

Although you hadn't ever brought up the topic of Inuyasha's nose, Jakotsu's penchant for gossip meant that he would remember what smells were mentioned on you last time, if he hadn't already know from context. He ruffled your hair.

"See, this is why Brother handles the plans. Well, you need those beads, right? Let's dig them up. You can say you had just stole them- actually, would that be too perfect? You could be running away when he gets here."

You frowned. "It might be a bit too suspicious... but it would explain why so many trees were scorched, if Renkotsu had been pursuing me."

Jakotsu opened a plain wooden box, revealing not only your necklace, but a nasty looking pair of sneakers. You were revolted at the thought of them being yours.

"I forgot about that. At first, we weren't sure if you'd be able to walk in normal shoes. These are coated in mud, do we have to keep them any longer?"

You shook your head. "No, you can toss 'em. You didn't keep my other clothes?"

"Well, your shirt was torn to bits, and those hakama things you wore were pretty beaten up too. You only need the necklace, right? Your family wouldn't begrudge some lost clothes, would they?"

Without making the time situation too obvious, you had explained to Bankotsu that you needed those beads to reenter your hometown, and you were glad that Jakotsu didn't seem to care much more about the specifics. "No, I don't need the clothes, it's just too bad to have lost them, you know?"

"I'd offer you another yukata, but I think if anything I should be throwing you in the mud or something, not dressing you up more. Not just for disguise; you're abandoning me and Bankotsu for who knows how long."

"It'll only be a few days. I'll come back."

"You had better." Bankotsu's hand clapped down on your shoulder.

You jumped.

"Now, now, I'm not angry, we'll just miss you. You keep Jakotsu in line."

"Hey! They're not long off now." Renkotsu called from high in a tree.

Your heart pounded. Was this really the best idea? Would Kagome really be safe? Even if she was, would you ever see Bankotsu again?

He brushed his cheek on yours, and held you for a moment. "I love you. Take care of yourself, be safe, and don't forget to come back. Now," he glanced up to Renkotsu, looking for a signal. "Run! That way! And keep going."

With the push of his fingertips on your shoulders, you took off, not looking back.

It was a good thing that Jakotsu hadn't thrown you in the mud, because after falling in it yourself a couple times, you were heavy enough. Sides heaving, you braced yourself against a tree. When you got your breath a bit more under control, you wrung out your kimono, trying to lose some of the water weighing you down.

Although it was hard to tell over your heartbeat, you didn't think you could hear anyone coming. After resting for a full minute, counting it down in your head, you started again at a much slower pace. The mud sucked up and made a loud pop as you pulled your foot free. Turning back, you could see your sloppy footprints. The mud was too loose to show the definition of your bare toes, but your trail was still obvious.

Something skittered overhead, and you jerked your eyes upward to see a few birds scattering above the trees. You heard a wet plop, and found your second wind.

Your sopping clothes pulled you down, catching on branches and thorns as you ran. Finally on higher ground, out of the bog, you were at least managing to keep on your feet. It was probably just a deer, you tried to tell yourself, but you couldn't will yourself to slow down any more than you already had. Your necklace banged off your collarbone. Your sleeves had worked their way back, and your arms were visibly scraped up. At least, you thought between your jogging steps, it will leave a trail. At least whatever frightened you had led you to flee naturally.

The vines on the forest floor seemed to be growing more vicious, the thin tendrils wrapping around your feet. The scratches, no wider than a hair, stung, and each new one shocked straight up to your knee.

Twisting sideways and throwing your weight to pull your foot free of a vine, you met your downfall. The ledge you had stepped onto was no ledge, but a bush, and you fell through, yelping as you tumbled down, down, down.

Rolling to a stop, you swore. There was no need to try and be quiet after your shriek, anyone who could hear you already had. At least, you told yourself again- at least the rocky bed of scrub you fell into was dry.

Laying where you had fallen, you looked upward. From the wide clearing, you could see the hills and a distant mountain- no doubt you had been headed downward for your whole run. Somewhere up there was the ledge where Renkotsu had taken you after the temple burning.

Stretching only made you more aware of how sore your muscles were. Your calves trembled when you rolled forward to shift your weight.

"Maybe," you muttered, "I'll just wait here." You fingered the small knife Bankotsu had given you. It didn't seem like it would help much against much of anything, but it was better than being unarmed. Fatigued, you pulled yourself up against a rock to rest.

You were too tired to be bored, and although you stayed alert, you heard nothing, not even the wind, as you sat and rubbed your muscles. Little pin-prick marks of blood dotted your legs where vines had grabbed and scratched them, so above the deep muscle soreness, you could feel a rashy irritation growing. You hoped Kagome would find you before you had to move, and that she would bring something to wash with.

The sky was darkening and you were almost ready to take your first wobbly steps when the silence was finally broken.

"It's her!"

Using the rock you had rested against, you pulled yourself up on your sore, pink legs.

"Kagome. You found me."

Chapter Text

Pacing the room and rubbing your sore muscles, you tried to figure out how you would convince Kagome to let you even near that well. As much as you hated the suspense, you were rather glad that you had two or three days to figure it out.

"Are you awake?" There was a pause, then, "do you want anything to eat?"

"Sota?" You went to the bedroom door and cracked it. You felt oddly exposed in your pajamas after so long in unfitted kimonos. "Is that a bento?"

His cheeks flushed to a deep red. "I know it's not breakfast and you're at home, but I remembered that when you were here once you seemed to really like the bento Kagome helped me make for you and I can make them myself now and I'm sorry if I was wrong, I'll go make some real breakfast-"

"It's perfect. Let me look at what you made."

It was as well arranged as any bento box your mother had made, and one compartment had lovely, fresh-looking tuna- either Sota had expected you to be hungry right away, or he'd been informed by Kagome that you wouldn't be going far with it. You ate a slice of apple, then blushed and accepted the chopsticks your cousin offered before starting on the rest. Perhaps you had grown a bit uncivilized.

"I've got to go to school, but I really hope you like it, Onee-chan."

You felt a surge of guilt at hearing that name used unironically, in Sota's own innocent voice.

"Aren't you on break? Is your school on a different schedule than Kagome's?"

"Kagome's not on break, Grandpa just tells the school she's sick if she's busy with something important down the well."

"Oh." That sounded like Grandpa, but nonetheless was not what you expected of such a normal family.

"I have to go, my friends will leave without me if I'm not outside. Take care, okay cousin?"

He looked at you with one last worried expression, and you gave him a warm, brief hug. "I'm glad that I don't have to rush off like that for a few more days. Take care, Sota-kun."

Sota lingered for a moment, then jogged down the stairs. Almost immediately after he was out of sight, Kagome knocked on your door frame.

"Hi, it's me- Oh, is that one of Sota's bentos?"

You smiled. "It is. Sota is still so Sota, isn't he? He remembered that little detail from when I visited when he was small, and thought it was a good idea, but then he was so worried that he was wrong that he almost backed out of it."

"He's good at it now, isn't he? He helps mom pack a meal for everyone when I go... on my camping trips. So we can have something fresh and I won't be so homesick that first day. I don't know if Inu- everyone else there appreciates it as much as I do. I think he might be a bit embarrassed about it, though; you know boys his age."

"You don't have to pretend you don't go to the Feudal Era or that nothing happened, Kagome. I'd like to be someone you can talk to about it, and I really don't mind."

"But I don't want you to have to remember..." She trailed off again.

"Who said anything about remembering things? Kagome, you're going to have all kinds of adventures to tell me about. That Sango must be an amazing mentor for you, and Kaede is so wise, she's going to teach you so much, and maybe you will be as much a magical shrine maiden as she is when Grandpa retires. And Inu- and they're all so kind, even Miroku and that brash Kōga,; I know you will have good stories even without magic, because that's what best friends do, and that's the sort of thing I want to hear about in my cousins' lives." You hoped she hadn't seen that second of guilt mentioning Inuyasha. Him you could spare remembering, and you were very glad that you probably wouldn't be around in those first few days after his death, if she ever spoke to you again.

Would she? If she ever found out about your hand in things, could she?

"I love you, Kagome. I want you to have the best life you can and... I want to be a part of it, wherever you are or whoever you're with, even if we're not together."

Kagome was very quiet; she didn't seem to catch onto anything strange about your speech, and you weren't sure if that was good or not. At least if she thought it was odd, she'd be more likely to remember it when she found out.

"I love you too," Kagome sniffled. "I am so, so sorry for getting you involved. If you want me to, though, I will tell you everything. I will give you all my good memories of the Feudal Era, and I will definitely tell you when your kidnappers are gone, and any details about it you want, if it helps you. Maybe then it would be safe for you to meet everyone again."

Instinctively, you rubbed your cousin's back. "Shh, Kagome, don't cry. I'm fine, look at me, I'm right here. I'll be going home soon, but let's fill these next days with joy." Your fake voice had slipped back on, and you winced, hoping she hadn't heard it.

"These next... oh, no, I'm so sorry, but I have to go back! The Band of Seven is getting more and more aggressive, and Inuyasha said... well, and they might kidnap someone and hurt them again! I can't just stay here, no matter how much I want to. I need to help everyone with the jewel shards, and they might need me to fight, or we'll never win."

"But Kagome, I'm only here for a few more days. It can wait, I promise. I didn't even hear them planning anything!"

"It can't. Is there anything I can do for you now? Do you want me to run you a bath? Or we could go for tea, if you're up to being out... or maybe mom could make one of your favourites, or we could listen to Grandpa's stories like we used to, before I go."

"When are you leaving?"

"I want to be there well before sundown, in case it takes time to meet up, so I guess at three or so this afternoon."

"And nothing I say will make you stay?" You felt your eyes wet with very real tears. If Kagome was there before the Band was done, Kagome was very likely dead.

"I'm sorry, but I have a duty to be there."

"If it's that important, I won't try to stop you. Let's just visit until three, okay? I'll tell you wacky college stories, you tell me what your friends think about you disappearing... let's just spend this time being cousins and friends like we always have. I'm going to start by taking a hot bath, though."

You would find a new plan.

"Mom, I'm running late! Where's my backpack?"

"Dear, it's only 3:15, you have plenty of time before sundown. Your backpack is over on the counter, anyway. Take your time."

"Wait, Kagome, can't we just play a few more rounds of cards? For old time's sake? I'll let you win," you called to her, grinning falsely, and knowing she could see it. As long as she didn't know the reason it was false, it wouldn't matter.

"No, I mean, I'm sorry, but you know I have to be out soon! Where are my books? Ack!" In her rush, Kagome tripped over a chair.

"Okay, Kagome, just give me a hug goodbye. I'm going to go lay down for a bit."

She obliged with feeling, then resumed rushing about.

After a little bit, you called her: "Kagome, one last thing? Come upstairs, okay?"

Although down at the base of the stairs Kagome looked ready to dart regardless of your summoning, she hurried to your room, and stood by as you sat on the bed.

"This is kind of awkward to ask, so I'm really sorry, but I was wondering what exactly you told everyone? Sota seemed really worried, and your mom doesn't seem very eager to send you off today."

Kagome blushed. "Oh. I didn't tell them a lot, especially since Sota was around even after I put you to bed yesterday. I think Mom and Grandpa were able to infer a bit more from 'kidnapped by mercenaries' than Sota, you know? But Sota was still worried, and he was more worried seeing mom and grandpa worried."

"Thanks for telling me. I'm sorry if I got you in trouble. I really do need to lay down though, so have a good trip, and good luck, Kagome. You are one tough girl. Take care of yourself."

You hugged again, and looked over her shoulder at the clock as you tucked into the bed. Four exactly; you'd give Kagome an hour to get away from the well. You hoped the band was using every hour to pull the hell away from their camp, drawing Inuyasha farther from the well, so they could finish him before Kagome entered their midst and risked her own slaughter, but it had been less than twenty-four hours, and the band expected at least three days to work.

When the door closed behind her, you stood up.

Your bags were stuffed to bursting, and you hoped you weren't being too ridiculous in packing. Along with your clothes, toiletries, and makeup, you had pinched a couple spare tubes of toothpaste, an unopened toothbrush, and several rolls of toilet paper from deep in a bathroom cupboard, something you hoped they wouldn't notice. You also had the thick blanket off the bed you had slept on, a number of nonperishable foods from the kitchen and a water bottle with a filter that had been forgotten in the kitchen containers drawer, just in case it was a few days before you reunited with Bankotsu. You also took some candy, just to have something nice. There were a several lighters in with the emergency and power outage supplies, they wouldn't miss one. Against your better judgment, you had checked the fridge, but you were happily surprised. Sota had left two more boxes for you, in case you didn't feel up to cooking and his mother had gone out. You packed them, wondering where he had gone after school, but you didn't dwell on it.

With several messages queued to send automatically over the following weeks and months, you packed your computer supplies and debit card into a box and stuffed them deep under the bed. You left what was left of your cash on the counter- quite a bit, since you hadn't had a chance to go out- and the remaining change into Sota's coin bank.

All that was left to do was write a note.

Dear Auntie and Grandpa,

Thank you for everything. I am going home now. I have to keep to myself for a while while I process everything, but I'll email you and let you know when I get home safe. I borrowed a blanket from my room (the plane out here was so chilly, and didn't have enough available), I hope that's okay- here's a bit of money in case I don't return it soon.

Give my love to Sota and Kagome

Five o'clock.

Chapter Text

There was no sign of carnage around the well, which was for the best as you found yourself struggling to drag heavy packs of modern luggage out behind yourself. After some deliberation and a quick scout of the area, you decided that rather than risk being dragged down, you would pull the baggage up behind you. The knife Bankotsu had given you proved sharp and easily glided through the thick vines you had used to climb out, leaving you with strong, if leafy, improvised ropes.

No branch reached over the well for you to use as a pulley, so even with your new tools, you had to heave with all your weight to bring your suitcase up. Although you already were rubbing your stiff shoulders, you were glad your carry-on for the Japan trip was a simple backpack.

The path toward Kaede's village was worn down enough to use your rolling luggage, but you thought better of it, instead dragging it under the cover of a bush and concealing it further with a few extra branches. You had food and a coat in your smaller pack, and you would be back before the waterproofing on your suitcase was tested.

Bits of twig and patches of sap stuck to your clothes, and the main, clean road to the village looked inviting, but looking down at yourself, you decided to stay off the path. You had no idea what Kagome had done with the kimono you had worn home, but in any case, your street clothes were unlikely to avoid comment. Whether the battle was over, about to commence, or not even near, you didn't want your presence to be betrayed early- especially not to Kagome.

Crossing back onto the path only to use a bridge, you reached the outskirts of the village and found Kagome almost immediately. Although even from a distance she still looked reserved as she had been since Kōga had first left you with her, she was smiling and playing with some children. In a wave of colour, the rest of her own band arrived from around a corner, looking casual and content.

For a moment you stopped breathing, then your head began rushing. The Band wasn't there- there was still time to delay them and get Kagome back to safety. You stood, then rushed around the perimeter of the village.

It didn't take long to find the way you had come with Kagome the day before; there was only one major exit. Still keeping in the trees, you jogged alongside the road, ignoring the deep cramp in your side that was developing, until you rounded a corner.

"Jakotsu!"

He skimmed the woods with narrowed eyes, then lit up. "Nee-chan, come on out of the woods. What are you doing here so soon? Just missed us so much? What are you wearing?"

"Jakotsu, we have to get to Bankotsu and tell him not to attack. Kagome's with everyone else, she got away from me this morning, I need more time-"

"Calm down. Bankotsu has a plan and he'll follow it- there's nothing to worry about. Let's go tell him about the new information you found."

You opened your mouth to protest, but caught Jakotsu's expression and followed his glance. Several enormous wasps had lit on a nearby branch, and seemed to be watching intently.

"You're... right, Jakotsu. I shouldn't interfere with Bankotsu's plans, sometimes I just feel so involved that I forget my place? And there being another girl like me with the dog demon makes me sad, sometimes. Let's go find Bankotsu."

The wasps took flight as you spoke, flying above the trees toward Kaede's village.

After they were out of sight, you followed Jakotsu in the direction from which he'd come, speaking in a hurried whisper.

"What were those?"

"They're Naraku's spies. Either you've had a change of heart about things or you caught on to that, didn't you?"

"I didn't know who they came from, just that you were being defensive. You're working for the same person; are they that much of a threat? I know being late on your order isn't good but how big of a deal is it?"

Jakotsu sighed. "We work for ourselves, we're doing a job for Naraku. They probably don't understand what we're saying, but he spies through them. He might not even paying attention to them right now if they're just on their way toward Inuyasha, so nevermind it. Let's go find Bankotsu."

You nodded and continued beside him. "I know I'm back early, but I thought you'd have fought Inuyasha by now, and not so close by."

"We stopped in a village on our way back from the demon pit Naraku sent us to, and I guess Inuyasha wasn't following us, because we ended up tracking him back to here. We ended up staying in that village last night- and you should have seen who I stayed the night with. This big, stoic farmer, trying to hide all his flirting with me until more people had left to bed. Then, Nee-chan, he got all dominant-acting, but only long enough to get me to his room. He wasn't stoic anymore when I was-"

"So you're here."

You froze. Miroku blocked your path, a full-sized Kirara at his side.

Jakotsu drew his sword, pushing you back, and as he did, Miroku gripped the beads wrapped around his wrist.

"None of Naraku's wasps are around. I can end this much faster than you, Jakotsu."

"I'd say 'try me,' but your friend here seems not to agree. Are you really going to suck her up too, if I resist? Just for being my prisoner?"

The feel of a blade to your neck was beginning to be familiar, and you didn't much like it. Whether for realism or by instinct, Jakotsu pressed in harder when you spoke.

"Miroku, you have to get Kagome to go home! The Band is going to-"

Jakotsu spoke with his free hand on your throat. "That is a bit too much information." Then, he lowered his voice to a hiss. "This hostage situation is going to become very real if you don't keep quiet."

"Please get her home safe, Miroku." Yet again, you weren't entirely faking your tears.

"Stop the act. I saw you watching us in the village, and I could hear you as I tailed you here. All I hoped was that it wouldn't actually be you. How could you spy on us, on Kagome?"

"I don't know what you-"

"Stop it. I walked up to you swapping dirty secrets like old friends. Were you going to tell Jakotsu about Bankotsu next?" He spoke in a low voice, but his words were quick and venomous.

You felt very, very warm.

"One more word, monk, and I will be very, very angry." Jakotsu had released you to raise his sword.

Salty tears were stinging a twig-scrape on your face, but Miroku replied in unison with you.

"Wait-"

Jakotsu stepped back, but kept his sword at the ready.

Miroku spoke first.

"Okay. Listen, instead of me making assumptions, can we talk? Maybe there's a way we can figure this out. Let's get off the main path, though, in case anyone comes along."

"Yeah, let's do that. Maybe you can help me."

"Jakotsu, go home or something. This is between us, and our friends."

"Maybe if it was between her and her friends and cousin, but this is her and you. How am I to know you're not just going to kidnap her, or suck her up? I'm coming."

Behind a veil of trees, you sat with Miroku. Jakotsu did offer some privacy, sitting closer to the path to warn if anyone was coming, but not so much privacy that Miroku would be out of range.

"I am sorry for insinuating anything about you and the Band of Seven. I don't know if what you have with Jakotsu is a grudging friendship or what, but I know you are close to Kagome and wouldn't do anything to hurt her. I deeply regret insinuating that anything Bankotsu did to you was wanted or enjoyed. Please accept my formal apology."

"No, it's-" you broke off, unsure. "It's... okay. I know you were just making stabs in the dark to hurt me, but I also know you were doing it to defend Kagome, and I've done so much to hurt her already, and come back here despite it all."

Miroku nodded, looking sympathetic but satisfied.

"There's a lot to sort out, but I don't really know what to say. Can you just ask me questions, or something, and get me going?"

He nodded again. "What is between you and Jakotsu- and why did you come back here at all? You seemed so relieved to be going home with Kagome."

"Jakotsu's my friend. He's been decent to me for this whole time- well, that's not really true. He's hurt me, he's given me warnings I couldn't understand, he's gotten me into this trouble now, but he's still my friend. I feel safe with him, and I was going with him to ask Bankotsu not to attack you."

You glanced up to Jakotsu, but it didn't seem that you had revealed too many details.

"I was relieved to be going home with Kagome because she's my little cousin, and I wanted to get her somewhere safe... but then she came back here. She's been so worried about me, and constantly thinking the worst, and I didn't think she'd come back with me right away, so I didn't go straight to her."

"Why would Bankotsu listen to you? What does he care about family?"

You blushed. "Kagome was assuming the worst, like I said. Things weren't that bad with the Band."

"I've met Bankotsu, he's smart, but that doesn't mean he would listen to reasoning, let alone sentimental stuff. Can't I just take you home? Maybe we can get Kagome to go with you for a while."

"No, she won't come with me, that's what I was trying to do before, and I- I want to be here. Miroku, you weren't wrong- neither was Inuyasha, that first night I was back with you."

He watched you with wide eyes, incredulous.

"I love Bankotsu."

"I knew it! How can you- He's a monster!" Miroku stopped and seemed to compose himself without even seeing the look Jakotsu had given him. "I'm sorry, can you tell me what that means to you, and what you plan on doing? You do understand the things he's done, what he is, don't you?"

Although your face was less heated, you were no less embarrassed, nor more composed.

"I know he kills a lot of people, and has even attacked Kagome. I know he kidnapped me, and early on, he talked about... violating me, like Kagome thought, though I don't think he meant it. I know he likes hurting people."

"Then why? Why are you doing this?"

"They didn't really hurt me, but that's not everything- I know that not raping me and not torturing me aren't reasons to love or even trust him. But... I don't know. I always had a choice. I had several chances to flee, and I was well aware of them, and they were too. You would have to ask Jakotsu or Bankotsu, but I think they realized keeping me hostage wasn't actually much help to them."

"But how could you love one of them? Is that what you return for a minimal amount of mercy?"

Miroku didn't interrupt as you thought, but periodically kneaded his temples in obvious frustration.

"Really, I guess I decided to, but that's a dumb answer, isn't it? I know that regardless of infatuation, I could leave and do my best to forget him, or plead with you guys not to kill him for a while so I could have time to reconsider."

"At first, it was just attraction that I felt, but he is good to me. He talks to me, we both can be open with each other. He doesn't hide his feelings. I am attracted to him, that is still part of it, and the sex- nevermind. All the little bits of his personality make me love him, and I love the way he loves me back."

Still rubbing his forehead, Miroku spoke up again.

"But he kills innocent people!"

"I know, and I really can't explain to you how I reconcile that."

"You said you like every part of his personality."

You thought for a moment. "His actions aren't really a part of his personality."

"That doesn't negate them."

"No, but I wanted you to understand that it's separate, at least to me."

"What about the cruelty, the sadism, the hate?"

"I don't think cruel is the right word, exactly, and I don't think he hates many people. He enjoys hurting others, he's definitely sadistic, but that comes from- rather, it doesn't come from wanting them to suffer. I guess in a way he's more selfish than that, since he doesn't really consider the people he hurts, but he is thoughtful about it in other ways, and he does have limits. That self awareness, that is the thing about it that I like."

"You keep contradicting yourself. I don't understand you."

Looking off into the trees, you wiped your face. "I don't either. There really is no way to justify what he does, even to myself. Honestly, they did hurt me at first. I don't think I even was human to them at that point, just a plaything and a tool. But... things changed, and I guess I changed, to be able to accept this all. And they didn't have to change that much, things can be shit in my time too. It is probably safer than here, but not by as much as Kagome thinks. Bankotsu may not be good, but I want to be on his side, at his side."

"Why did you want to talk to me, then? Why not just let Jakotsu kill me?"

"How can you- I can't-" you sputtered.

Taking a breath, you stood up, barely more composed.

"I haven't lost my humanity! Is that how you see this?" you said, walking toward him as you spoke. "I don't want you to be needlessly killed, and especially because I know you, and especially more because you might be able to help protect Kagome. That's what we should be talking about, not wasting time going in circles about Bankotsu. That's why I had to try and get mercy from you, before you hurt me or told the others."

Miroku had gotten up as well during your speech, and he towered over you. Kirara growled, but you weren't sure who she was warning.

"I understand that protecting Kagome is important, that's what I'm trying to do. I can't help getting a little side tracked by the fact that you claim to be in love with the very thing threatening her! Maybe you are the very thing threatening her."

"Then go, or kill me, or whatever you want to do! Tell Kagome what I've done to her. Make her hate me as much as you and Inuyasha do."

Jakotsu laughed, bringing both of your awareness back to his existence. "It would turn out that the sexy monk would be even less merciful than Bankotsu- not that I don't like that." He flicked his eyes up and down Miroku before resuming his post with a self-satisfied grin.

"Let's sit down. Do you have any water in your pack? I've been shouting at you too much."

Although you gave him what you hoped was an incredulous look, you followed his lead and handed him the water bottle from your bag.

"I don't hate you. I don't understand everything, but I don't hate you. I doubt even Inuyasha would hate you- he has enough conflicts with himself to understand yours- that's not to say he wouldn't be very angry with you, of course, but that's beside the point. How can we help Kagome, and maybe keep the rest of us safe as well?"

"You're going to help me?"

"If I can, and I'll do my best to keep this secret, if it's what you want."

"Please do. I've tried to avoid being seen, I made sure that in our time, no one should know I'm missing for a while. I'd like if Kagome didn't have to worry either. What you need to do is get Kagome as far from Inuyasha as possible, especially if you can get her back to our time."

"Kagome will only be more vulnerable alone. Her bow isn't enough to protect her, and we can't leave Inuyasha to do battle himself."

"At least for now, no one should be after Kagome. The Band of Seven definitely isn't. But you're right, she will be vulnerable- that's why she should go back to her own time."

"Weren't you just telling me that your time isn't safer?"

"It's safer for Kagome. Bad things happen at any time, but they're a lot less likely to happen to her specifically there than here."

"What about for you?"

"I've just signed myself up for the most dangerous thing I could, in either time, but this is where I want to be." You hoped that was entirely true.

Before you could ponder longer, a deep boom sounded.

"That sounded close."

"Shit!" Jakotsu was on his feet, looking ready to bolt.

"Jakotsu? Is that Ginkots-"

"Monk, the cat can fly, can't she? Get up there and see if Inuyasha sniffed out our hiding place." He pushed his hair back, sighing. "Of course it would be the one time I'm not there. He's never going to pursue me."

"Stay here, don't make a sound, and just hope that Inuyasha isn't paying too much attention. You can head after the Band after we leave, or join up with us. I have to go join everyone else."

"I'm getting good at hiding. Good luck?"

Miroku smiled. "Thanks, although I won't take it easy on your friends. I'm sorry we didn't get to bring Kagome to safety first."

"Me too. Take care."

Surprising yourself, you gave the monk a brief, but tight hug, then stepped away.

He smiled back, then mounted Kirara.

Laying on your back, you took a deep breath. Kirara had found you an out of the way spot, but the battle was nearby and loud. You were glad that through the constant cacophony, you hadn't yet heard anyone cry out in mortal fear or pain. A heavy wind wound up out of nowhere, pulling at the trees around you, then abruptly subsided as a swarm of Naraku's wasps flew over.

The sky had grown dark before you heard Ginkotsu's distinctive crunching roll, slowly but evenly growing farther away. With his canons silenced and the battle apparently over, voices rang clear through the trees. The first you picked out was Kagome's.

"Is Miroku okay?"

"Yeah, he's breathin'. Just unconscious."

"Where's Shippō?

"Down here."

"Come on, Shippō, you can ride in my bike basket."

"I'm not even tired!"

"Hey Sango, what are you doing? Is Kirara okay?"

"Yes, she doesn't seem hurt at all, just tired. I wonder how long Miroku's had her... and why."

You breathed. All were accounted for, and if Miroku did blab, maybe they would see it as a fever dream. Standing up, glad Miroku had left you with ample tree cover, you headed in the direction Ginkotsu had faded into.

"Kagome, what's that- you're bleeding!"

You paused and looked over your shoulder. Then, eyes down, you walked away.

Chapter Text

"Jakotsu, be quiet," you hissed.

"Why? Ginkotsu isn't far behind us, he's going to make noise anyway- Ow! Nee-chan!"

"I don't want them to find me again. My things are somewhere around here... oh, that bush!"

Stiff from your day of walking, you wrestled the suitcase out from under the brambles. To your relief, it was dry and only had leaf litter across the top. Again you would have to avoid paths, so you heaved it off the ground, half dragging it as Jakotsu led you back the way you had come.

Your shoulders had sunk low by the time you reached camp.

"Where is everyone, anyway?"

You followed the light of the glowing coals in Ginkotsu's back, finally leaving your suitcase on Renkotsu's usual platform.

"Right, you missed that. Bankotsu and Renkotsu went ahead to tear up a village while you figure out what you want to do with that girl. We can catch up with them in the morning, they're probably not going to be there for a day or two, and they'll probably stop somewhere for a break. You want to check on your cousin first?"

"Actually," you said, "I think we should leave it to Miroku."

Jakotsu smiled. "Something about you has changed. I like it."

You felt your stomach turning as you hiked next to Ginkotsu. Jakotsu had run ahead and signalled that it was the right place, that you were almost to Bankotsu, but you couldn't force yourself to follow. The hillside stank of blood; a coppery flavour had lodged deep in your throat and the beginnings of decay clouded your head.

Bankotsu is here, you told yourself. This is what I stayed for.

Regardless of the bloodbath that may have occurred, you knew it would be fine. You knew that like him, you would learn to love it. With that, you pushed yourself forward. It would be exciting. It would be fulfilling. You were ready.

When you crested the peak, your knees buckled. The humidity of the little valley seemed to wash blood right through you. You had to grab Ginkotsu for support before looking on.

Dark splatters littered the streets. From one great pool, streams ran out and drained into smaller puddles. The smell of butchery filled you deeper than before. You walked between houses, but they were completely silent, until a small gust, then a crackling. Renkotsu had set the village aflame.

You hurried your exploration, avoiding the streets with bodies whenever possible, and at the worst of times, trying to take the route least blocked with corpses.

At the top of some temple steps, you looked back. The fire was slow burning, but Renkotsu had started two more points, driving them toward the shrine.

As soon as you passed through the gate, you saw Bankotsu. You took two steps at a sprint, then stopped and crept. Long black hair filled his left hand. He twined it and played with it, not turning around. Banryū was shoved into its sheathe, still dripping.

You were only a few paces away when you called to him.

"Bankotsu?"

He looked to you; his eyes lit up. "You're back! I'm sorry you missed it, it was a great battle. Jakotsu's already complained, of course. But first, it's been days-" he said, finally turning around. "Let me clean off, I'd rather hear about you than work."

Rather than answering, you stared into his hands. His left was still fiddling with the hair, but with his right, he held the source. Your eyes locked with those of the dead young women. Globs of blood and tissue were plopping from her neck to the dirt.

"Right, this. I'd better finish so it's over with. Don't worry," he said with a chuckle. "She means nothing to me."

You stared.

"It's a joke. Of course I never- never mind. As much as I want to come hold you, I have to get my hands dirty one last time, I hope you don't mind."

Swallowing heavily, you watched him grasp the severed head firmly, then release the hair as he pressed two fingers deep against the base of her eyes. Before you could shut your eyes, he penetrated, and a juicy squelching sound came out.

"That's that. Here, do you wanna see it? This is one of the Shikon shards. They keep all of us- me, Ren, Jakotsu, and Ginkotsu alive. They're what Naraku wants; what we're here for."

You squinted enough to look at the glassy pink chip, and see Bankotsu press it into his arm.

He smiled. "I'll get it to Naraku, but no need to have it loose for the time being. Come on, I'll rinse off. Fire sure has gotten hot."

The smoke was blowing away from you so swiftly that you had almost forgotten the fire, but at his mentioning, it was very warm for only but an hour before the sun went down.

"What a priestess she was. I've had better fights from ones, both real and false, who didn't stick a jewel shard in their eye."

You looked back to the head, tossed to the dirt. That's who she was before, you thought.

"Why did you kill everyone, just for her?" Holding back your disgust, you approached, then touched her face. She had smooth skin, but it was darkened by the sun, even with her blood drained to pale her. Rather handsome features, you thought. Without really thinking, you had picked her up to study.

"We had to- wait, listen. I think someone's coming." Bankotsu looked toward the town, his expression rather like a pointing dog.

Feeling more annoyed with his evasiveness than anything, you interrupted. "Can I bury her?"

Dropping his attentive stance, Bankotsu smiled rather gently. "Of course. And if you're getting covered in blood anyway-"

He wrapped his arms around you, kissing your neck. At home, you might have tried to stop him before hickeys bloomed, but as you were, you couldn't care. Your breath hitched when he pulled deeply, then you twisted to kiss him back.

"You taste amazing," you whispered. It was the truth- his mouth was cool and clean, but tasting of him. You had to force yourself to pull back, to not try for more- you had already stepped rather close in on his leg and unconsciously moved one hand to his chest.

His hand slid to your lower back, pulling you in, then lower, to grope you. "Are you getting shy?"

"Inuyasha, where's your bitch today? Just take me!"

Bang.

Jakotsu.

"Take me, mutt!"

Bang!

"TAKE ME."

BANG.

"Just die you disgusting-!"

Jakotsu and Inuyasha; Jyakotsutō clashing against Tessaiga.

You grasped Bankotsu's hand a last time. "I'll look for a way out."

Even as you rushed, looking for some empty space or back door, you could hear Jakotsu trying to draw Inuyasha off, until another voice joined.

"Inuyasha, you have to calm down! We'll come back when Kagome's here! You're going to-"

"Quiet!" snarled another voice, and you froze. The harsh, hissing voice had a familiar note, but it was new. Miroku had tried to help you, but with another person to control, you doubted his ability to hold them off. You still had found no exit.

"Inuyasha?"

"No it's- just be quiet, I need to listen."

"Let's go, we can come back with Kagome."

"We're doing this alone for Kagome."

You heard some quick footsteps, two heavy, wet thuds, then all noise outside stopped. You tried desperately not to breathe, then gratefully gasped for air at the first sound.

"BANKOTSU!"

Then you understood: it was Jakotsu, wailing, and only your lungs were relieved.

"Ban-kun, Ban-kun, get up. You're okay, big brother, get up. Get up! Renkotsu, where are you?! Ban-kun..."

You choked back the acid in your throat. Jakotsu kept crying, voice fluctuating from mumbles to true shrieking. You couldn't see them, but you already knew it: Bankotsu wasn't getting up.

Chapter Text

Finally you found a back exit, but you didn't flee. You crawled around and under the shrine, all the while holding onto your shock. You couldn't create the state, but you could do your best not to chase it away. It was all that was keeping you quiet and still.

From your den, you could see Jakotsu escalating. No longer was he screaming or talking to Bankotsu, he was flailing Jyakotsutō at Inuyasha, in the process knocking down trees, slicing through the shrine's gate, and nearly slaying Miroku.

You could see neither Ginkotsu nor Renkotsu, but Jakotsu was guarding Bankotsu's body like a dog. It wasn't until Inuyasha backed off, kiting Jakotsu forward, that you saw it.

Cleaved cleanly in half, Bankotsu had fallen, and now laid in mud wet by his own blood. His eyes were half lidded, arrogant. Banryū was in the dust ahead of him, forced from his hand when Inuyasha's strike knocked him back.

Scanning the scene, you saw Miroku, and although his voice was low, you could tell he was trying to get Inuyasha to back down. His eyes were weary, resting on Jakotsu.

You could almost feel it when Miroku looked past him, right into you. Together, you looked back into the battle.

Jakotsu's sword locked in the shape of a deadly strike.

It was a good three feet short of its target.

Inuyasha took his chance and pushed forward, clashing his blade against Jyakotsutō. The snake sword retracted, but not without taking the shock.

Jakotsu whipped the sword back into its singular state, but with his balance off, he stumbled. You could hear the wind knock out from his chest as he fell between Bankotsu.

Again you heard the heavy padding of Inuyasha's barefoot rush forward.

Covering your mouth with your hand, you did everything you could to stop yourself from screaming, and cementing your hand over your mouth was one of the few things keeping you from crawling forward and darting out from under the temple on all fours. You took a heaving breath, hissed through your fingers, but the sound was drowned out by the clang of the Tessaiga and Jyakotsutō, which only barely blocked the demon sword in time.

Jakotsu seemed surprised, as though he didn't remember bringing his sword up in defense, but that surprise morphed back into rage almost immediately.

"This time I will have your ears! And your claws! And I'll tear off your SKIN!" Jakotsu yelled, as Jyakotsutō extended again, seemed to lash wildly, out of Jakotsu's control yet somehow more deadly, as it sliced a line straight down Inuyasha's chest, threatening to divide him as he had done Bankotsu, and only just missing Miroku, though you couldn't bring yourself to care much for either's survival, not with Bankotsu's blood seeping into the ground before you.

You tried to stand up, to shout along with Jakotsu, but you found yourself frozen, whether from shock or some magic of the dead priestess' temple, and could not run out to scream along with Jakotsu for your fallen lover. You tried to fight it, but all you did was raise the panic in your breath, sucking deeply through your nose, the sound still guarded by Jakotsu's noise.

Miroku was shouting at Inuyasha along with Jakotsu, though his voice did not shake with loss.

"Come on Inuyasha, he's crazy! You can't avoid attacks like this, and Kagome's not here to purify the shards. We'll come back, they'll be weak without their leader!"

Inuyasha slowed down with Miroku's cries, but didn't quite stop. He got further back from Jakotsu, dodging actively, looking over his shoulders, as though Kagome was about to arrive.

A figure did appear, soaring through the smoke above the burnt village. It was Sango on Kirara. They landed by Miroku's side, and had a conversation you couldn't hear, until Sango finally called out:

"Inuyasha, let's go. Bankotsu is dead, and we can't deal with the shards without Kagome. Renkotsu and Ginkotsu left already."

Seeing Sango without Shippō or Kagome seemed to solidify Kagome's real absence to Inuyasha, and he finally pulled further back, still on guard.

Jakotsu seemed to crumple over Bankotsu's body, though his glare, reflected back by Tessaiga, was no less deadly than when he stood fighting.

"Go. I'll see if I can do anything about the temple."

"But how will you get back?" asked Sango.

"Rain's coming. I can go through town instead of going over or around. He's retreating, and I'm sure there was someone here. Someone to bury. If he does fight me, there are no saimyōshō in sight. Please go, Sango. I have a feeling about this. I'll be back tonight."

Both Inuyasha and Sango looked suspicious, but they left.

Miroku watched them disappear into the still oppressive smoke, then approached the temple, giving Jakotsu a wide berth.

"Hello? Are you still here?"

As though his voice had released you, you scrambled out from under the temple.

"I thought Inuyasha would have smelled you, but all that blood must have kept your secret for you. Are you slaughtering people too now?"

You shook your head, knowing he had to be aware that you couldn't have gotten there in time to raze the village, even if you had somehow wanted to.

"He hugged me, when I got here, but I missed him too much to worry about it."

"That must be what protected you from Inuyasha. I don't know if he could have kept himself under control if he saw that you abandoned Kagome to join them."

You could feel your tears leaving stripes on your dirty face, but you didn't look him in the eye.

"I just want my friends to live."

With that, you stumbled over to Jakotsu and sunk to the ground.

He hadn't even looked at Miroku. As Miroku ascended the shrine steps, you turned and and hugged Jakotsu, sitting still in the stained mud. Finally the danger was gone, and you could break down. With a firmness unlike himself, Jakotsu held you up.

You folded over Jakotsu's shoulder, sobbing. Your chest felt empty, your stomach heavy, your ears and temples aching. Falling more heavily into Jakotsu, who was crying delicately into your shoulder, you began to succumb to fatigue.

Miroku's voice roused you.

"I'm so sorry."

You couldn't look at him, not without seeing Bankotsu's blood.

"Listen, I wouldn't tell Inuyasha this- and it wouldn't matter, he couldn't have finished Bankotsu without Kagome- but he still might have a chance."

Eyes screwed shut you tilted your ear to him.

"The members of the band we've killed so far have turned to dust and bone as they died. With Kagome, we would have done a better job, we'd have purified the jewel and taken it, but I don't think Inuyasha affected his shard. If you stay with him, he might wake."

Your breath hitched, and you tried not to hope.

"Of course, he also might never, and I don't want you to try this just to lose him again. Even if he does, he won't survive next time. You should get away from this. Kagome will find out eventually, but I'm speaking for your sake rather than hers. I could take you home now, no one needs to know the circumstance."

"Miroku..." you rasped. "I can't leave."

Bankotsu had been struck down while you hid. If he woke, you would make sure it wouldn't be him next time.

"Don't make yourself stay out of some kind of loyalty. I don't know Bankotsu, but if what you told me last time was true, he wouldn't want you in danger either. Just come with me."

"He wouldn't, and Kagome wouldn't, but I want it."

"But-"

"We're grieving. Please leave."

You pressed your eyes into Jakotsu's neck, and didn't look up even after Miroku was gone.

Chapter Text

With Jakotsu's help, you rinsed each half of Bankotsu's body, unclothed, in the stream that fed the small village's farms. Renkotsu was nowhere to be found, but together you dug a basin, lined with stones, and set to work. At first, Jakotsu tried to have you hold Bankotsu's shoulder while he clamped organs and parts thereof in place and rinsed the body cavity, but you wouldn't allow it. If ever there was a time to get used to the gore, this was it.

Once the body no longer dripped mud, you brought him inside the shrine house, placed him on a woven mat and got to work wrapping him. Jakotsu held him together and manipulated his weight while you worked strips of cloth around his torso, neck, and forehead.

On his bedding, he looked so real, so alive that he could just start talking to you. There was neither the stiffness of rigor mortis nor floppy lividity about him, yet. Jakotsu had tenderly brushed his brother's hair once you had finished the wrappings, leaving it so that Bankotsu only looked to have suffered a scratch down the face.

The second day there, you found the place where Miroku had buried the priestess' body, found within the shrine, along with her head. You also found the place where she had been killed, and scrubbed the blood from the floor. If you were to stay there for than the night, you wanted to walk around without slipping. The same day, you turned the soil of the lot, burying Bankotsu's stained mud. It was hard work with just an old handheld hoe; your back ached, but it distracted you, and you couldn't keep looking at the ruddy splotch.

You and Jakotsu ate the day-old lunches Sota had made. Bankotsu was held together by bandages; food safety wasn't a priority.

Ginkotsu joined you and Jakotsu once the rain had all evaporated, leaving him an easier path. You couldn't tell if he grieved Bankotsu, or had the capacity to, and refrained from mentioning it. Renkotsu was still nowhere to be found.

On the third day, Naraku's wasps came. Jakotsu sliced them out of the air.

Every day, you sat with Jakotsu, not talking, just leaning together. He still made an effort to bear up for you, and you returned the favour when thoughts of Bankotsu left him crumpled. Every day, you both dripped water into Bankotsu's mouth.

On the eighth day, Bankotsu took a breath.

Although Bankotsu still hadn't moved or awakened whatsoever, you spent the next days coming to life yourselves. Jakotsu helped you wash in the stream. Any embarrassment felt at his presence was long gone, and even in the chilly waters, bathing together relaxed you. For the first time in over a week, your hair was shiny and clean, and Jakotsu's looked healthier as well. Although the seam through Bankotsu's hair still created a wide red part, it was sealed, and as a pair you prepared him as well, although you did not go so far as to remove further bandages.

As long as he remained motionless but breathing, Jakotsu hunted dinner- if picking small animals off with his sword really counted as such. You both ate well, and developed extra energy, energy you as a pair tamed when Jakotsu cut two straight, thick staffs from saplings. Your muscles ached every night, worse on those where Jakotsu had landed a bruising hit, but you were invigorated and inspired, not only to defend yourself but to become deft, to have some skill that might let you become a real member of the Band, not a dependent. You confided in Jakotsu over tea, and he listed a number of very silly -kotsu names to choose from. If only Bankotsu were to wake, things would be back to normal.

"Hey, Jakotsu?" you asked as he carried a rabbit into the shrine.

"Hm?"

"I think I'm getting pretty good with my staff but-"

"You are! Maybe better than me (-not that I've used one in the last ten years)! Let me guess, 'but' you want a proper head to it? We can design one, Renkotsu can make it when he returns."

"What- wait, really? That would be great!"

Jakotsu's grin was wide and energetic. "Let's go design it, then!"

"Wait, Jakotsu, that wasn't actually it. The problem is that I can't hunt with a staff. What if we get separated?"

Before he could answer, a groan rolled through the shrine house.

Barely making eye contact, you both ran for Bankotsu. The rabbit fell to the dirt outside.

"Brother! Brother, you're awake, you're alive!"

"Bankotsu!"

You refrained from jumping upon him to hug and curl up close, but you slammed your palms into the floor at his side as soon as you reached him. Very gently, you touched his face.

Jakotsu knelt opposite of you. "Does it hurt, Brother?"

"Almost everywhere. What happened?" Turning, his eyes widened, showing off the sea-blue irises you hadn't seen since Jakotsu had closed Bankotsu's eyelids in respect. "Come here! Really, my arm is fine, I only barely got to hold you before... shit."

He tugged his hand away, running it down your arm as he wiped his face with the other.

"It was Inuyasha, he cut you down the middle-"

Bankotsu rubbed his temple. "Was it? I remember that, but I don't think it was his face I saw..."

You nodded; it wasn't his voice you had heard either. Although Jakotsu had sworn against Inuyasha, you had not spoken of the incident.

"Oh, it was magnificent, Brother. His demonic power overwhelmed him, or maybe he was just defying the monk. I hope that's how he is when I kill him."

"At least you're always the same, Jakotsu. Do you have anything to eat?"

He blushed and leapt up. "The rabbit- I'll go clean it, you'll have something soon! Nee-chan, stay with him."

Jakotsu walked quietly to the door, but nearly slammed it behind him before audibly picking up his pace.

With the door closed, you shared a moment's silence with Bankotsu. He closed his eyes.

"I'm glad you're here."

"I'm glad you're alive."

"If the bandages are any indication, that is thanks to you and the rest of the Band."

"Actually," you said, laying yourself next to him, "it's just me and Jakotsu."

His eyes popped open wide as he struggled to sit up. "Renkotsu and Gin-"

"They're alive, lie down-"

Wincing, he did.

"-at least, I think so. Ginkotsu's here, but Ren hasn't come back since burning the village. I don't think Inuyasha ran into him. Maybe he thinks we're dead."

"No, Renkotsu would have come to bury us and take our jewel shards." He noticed your look of offence, and continued. "If one of us is destroyed, we need to keep living with as much strength as possible, if only to survive without that person to help us. If I had died, I would no longer need the shard- Inuyasha would have taken the one keeping me alive, I don't know why he didn't this time, but the extras, in my body and in Banryū, might have gone unnoticed. We are seven, but we are one as a band. That's why we can, and why we only, trust each other."

Attempting to keep your face blank, you tried not to take something he said in tradition and injury to heart.

"That's why it's so different to have a new member."

Chapter Text

Once awake, Bankotsu healed fast, only hobbled by his own stubborness; he'd overexert himself and end up back on the floor for a day. Before another week had passed, he was walking around outside, taking inventory, and spending time with Ginkotsu who, you now realized, must have been very bored and lonesome during your mourning period with Jakotsu. Naraku's wasps came by on the second day he was out, but disappeared almost immediately.

"What do you have in these cases anyway?"

"Which- oh! Clothes, mostly, but also some other things. Soap and stuff for washing with, I think I packed some medicine just in case, a bit of food that won't go bad, that sort of thing. A light- a fire starter, in case I ended up alone, and a blanket. Nothing too interesting."

Bankotsu didn't seem to agree, as he carried both of your packs onto the shrine's deck and sat next to you, fumbling with the zippers.

"Hey, those are mine, you can't just go through them!"

He looked away, and you thought you could see a hint of pink to his cheeks. It was cute- you almost wished you could catch him off guard again, though preferably not due to him rifling through your few possessions.

Without making eye contact, he asked this time: "Would you mind showing me? I'd like to know what sort of things you have where you're from, and what sort of clothes they make there. Are they all like the ones you've been wearing?"

You paused, glad for his genuine question, before blushing. You had washed the blood and mud out, and occasionally rinsed them since, but otherwise had been wearing the same clothes since you had met back up with the band. It wasn't the outfit repetition that upset you- although in some part of your head, social conventions of your own time nagged at you, the rest of the Band all wore the same clothes most of the time- but the realization that you and your clothes were rather grimy; you were clean on the surface but ingrained filth had been more difficult and less of a priority to wash out.

Of course, neither Bankotsu nor Jakotsu had commented, if they had noticed. You had no idea whether Ginkotsu had done either, but weren't that concerned by him. Taking a deep breath, you placed those thoughts aside.

"No, this has just been... convenient, I guess. I have some more stuff that's pretty similar, and other things that are different colours, materials, and shapes. You really want to see?"

He nodded, visibly brightening with innocent excitement.

You unzipped your case, something which caught his eye in of itself, leading to a demonstration of the zipper on that and your backpack, and your rather apologetic explanation that no, you didn't know how to make them.

Ignoring your toiletries and other supplies, you laid out a couple more pairs of jeans, some skirts, a pair of shorts, and a couple tops along with a singular dress. You didn't bother extracting socks, sandals, or underclothes, waving them off as nothing interesting.

Bankotsu was enraptured with the colourful display. He rubbed fabric between his fingers, shook out garments to see how they fell, and followed the seams inside and out. You found yourself observing more than explaining, and enjoying how alien your clothes were to him.

"What are you thinking, Bankotsu?"

He stared at you a moment before responding. "I don't think I've ever seen some of these materials- I don't know much about weaving, but they feel much different from anything I've had. I thought you came from somewhere near that village, but I can't imagine such unique things coming from so close."

"Kaede's village is the best way to get home, but you're right. My home... my life was very far from here."

"Sometime I'll have to raid your old home, then- I'm joking, of course I'm joking."

You smiled. "I think it would be more difficult than you're picturing anyway."

"Oh, so it's a challenge? Anyway, what else is it you're lugging around?"

"It's really not that interesting-"

He stopped you. "It is. Even beside how unique everything you've brought is, I think learning about where you're from is the only way I'm going to understand you- maybe there's something that's just obvious to you, or seems like such an inherent thing that you don't know you have to bring it up, or maybe you can't tell me, I'm sure it's not that you just won't, but there is something about you that you're concealing, that I just can't figure out. So please, show me more."

"When did you get so polite and romantic?"

Bankotsu laughed. "You're spending too much time with Jakotsu. Will you show me or not?"

You showed him. As odd as your canned foods and water bottle and various toiletry containers were to him, it didn't seem like much of a risk. He wasn't about to guess you were from the future, and until there was a time where you could explain, it seemed fair to satisfy his curiosity in the one way you could.

Although he was fascinated with everything you had, Bankotsu was notably unimpressed with your lighter, but you shrugged that off. Renkotsu had to have hundreds of ways to create sparks and start fires, and as long as Bankotsu didn't fall to the other extreme and think it was some sort of magic, you couldn't really bring yourself to be bothered by it. Besides, as you could still hear now and then, Bankotsu's interest in zippers and fabrics made up for his disinterest in almost anything else you could produce. If only for shock value, you almost wished you had brought your phone, even as useless as it would have been.

That night, Bankotsu was ready- and eager- to resume your physical relationship. Though your sex was never perfunctory and rarely without emotion, that evening was especially passionate. It wasn't until laying with him afterward that you comprehended the difference or considered why, beyond that both of you had been waiting since Bankotsu awoke. You had become a step closer, a step more exposed, a step more intimate. And Bankotsu clearly reacted as much as you, consciously or not.

In the morning, you washed your clothes and had Jakotsu scrub you clean. If you were going to be exposing yourself, you were going to be shining.

It was time to leave. Bankotsu no longer had any lingering scars or perceivable internal malfunctions, Jakotsu was restless, Ginkotsu had been still for ages, and you had almost grown bored of practicing with your staff. There still had not been any further attacks on your camp- whether it was because Miroku interfered on your behalf or something else, it seemed Inuyasha had assumed the Band was quashed for the time. There was no reason to tempt fate nor waste time by waiting further. Packs loaded across Ginkotsu, it was time to move.

You walked behind Ginkotsu, trying to practice spinning your staff under Jakotsu's supervision off the back of the tank. Bankotsu was somewhere up front, talking to Ginkotsu about something. So while unfortunate, it was only natural that Jakotsu was the only witness to your quick takedown the assailant who leapt down upon you.

Although there hadn't been much time to develop upper body strength, Jakotsu's training and his invulnerable body had taught you to aim well and hold as strong as you could, to brace yourself and use the force of an enemy against them while the solid ground bolstered your efforts.

Luckily, Jakotsu's words and actions had held true- with little more than a firm stance and a jab, the attacker was on the ground, wheezing. You pressed your staff into the soft part of his belly, holding him.

The commotion attracted Bankotsu and Ginkotsu's attention, and the Band surrounded the rogue-turned-victim.

He wheezed again, then spat out dirt and looked at Jakotsu.

"Put your damn weapons away and let me up!"

"Ren-kun?" Jakotsu asked.

You let him up, but not before loudly pointing out: "He attacked me!"

"I was trying to jump to Ginkotsu." Renkotsu sat up, rubbing his gut. "And stop with the name, Jakotsu... oh. Bankotsu."

Bankotsu pulled his brother to his feet. "Renkotsu, where have you been all this time? These three have been working pretty hard without you, you know."

"Brother- I'm relieved to see you. I had gone to see Naraku, to beg for your resurrection again... but here you are! Alive. How did you do it?"

Laughing, Bankotsu replied, "It was just a scratch. We're on our way to find Inuyasha again; he's clearly been too scared to show himself. How was Naraku? I see you're alive still as well."

Renkotsu's face twisted for a second. "I did not see him. The wind demon and the white one called me a fool, and sent me away with saimyōshō at my heels."

Snorting again, Bankotsu grinned. "You've got to admit, they were right to send you away. Here I am, alive, and Naraku doesn't take visitors lightly. Now, where is your forge from here? Our girl will be needing something other than a pole if she's going to continue with the staff skills you witnessed."

"Southeast."

Chapter Text

Smoke burned your nostrils and you were perspiring profusely, your skin trying desperately to cool and rehydrate. You would be soaked, but the heat was wicking the sweat away almost before it could gather. Coughing, you attempted in vain to avoid gasping for the dry, smoke saturated air.

Bankotsu seemed to be giving you a concerned look- it was hard to tell through watery eyes. "You can go back out and wait with Jakotsu and Ginkotsu, if it really bothers you."

"No, she can't. I need her here to try the weight and grip. You may leave if it so pleases you."

You weren't sure you would have the strength to pick it up by that point.

"I'm going back," you scraped out. "Water."

"Fine. Bankotsu, come help me get ready, she can catch up."

"Okay, but I don't know why you're in such a hurry. We could see Inuyasha coming from any direction up here."

He squeezed your hand, then trotted off after Renkotsu as you turned.

The path out of the cave was easy enough to follow, but you were wobbly and flushed by the time you burst into the light, even though the smoke had cleared easily ten meters back.

"Big broth- oh! More like 'sister.' What has gotten you so in such a bad way?"

After a few more breaths of clear air, oxygen waking your head more than it had since you entered the cave, you grabbed a flask of water and drank heavily.

"Smoke. I don't know how Renkotsu stands it."

"I've never really noticed it. There are a few chimneys, after all. But then, I'm already dead." He winked, sticking his tongue out for a second. "We didn't really use this place until we were resurrected, you know. Just another interesting way to be with my brothers. Well," he reached into his sleeve, fiddling for a moment before drawing his hand back. "Try this."

"A muzzle?"

"A mask. We cleaned out a nest of demon slayers once- don't look at me like that, they were hired after us when we were blazing our trail nearby- we cleaned them out, and they had these. Probably the best thing to filter the air; they even worked on Mukotsu's poisons."

You inspected it. It didn't look that well filtered, and that seemed like a dubious claim even for modern respirators. You took it anyway, taking a final drink to wet your mouth before tying it on.

"Thanks Jakotsu. I had better catch up, Renkotsu was already rushing me before this."

Jakotsu stood up, taking your shoulder to stop you.

"You haven't been all the way yet, have you, sis?"

"No, but it looked easy enough to follow." Flexing your ankles, impatient, you moved to enter, but Jakotsu still held you back.

"I can tell by that alone you've not been very deep." He paused to chuckle to himself over his own wording. "It won't be so easy when you get deeper."

"Are you making puns, or giving me directions, Jakotsu?"

"Ah! Nee-chan, don't speed off so fast, I'll get to the point: The cave forks, and you'll have to go left, but stay on that main vein. When you have to climb, you're close, so keep right."

You nodded. "On the main, take the first major left fork, stay on it, climb left."

"Climb straight ahead, but keep right. The left side will wear away more the higher you get."

"Main, left main, climb but stay right?"

"That's it. From there, there's a lot of little caverns, but you'll see the fire in the one Ren uses. I don't know why they didn't tell you this themselves."

"Maybe you guys do get a little weird with the smoke, even if you don't feel it as much. Thanks, Jakotsu, I'll be back in however long a session with Renkotsu takes."

The mask did help, and it felt like your clearer sinuses also kept your eyes from watering quite so much. You could still see perfectly clearly, if with a watery border, by the time you found the fork. The right fork looked a lot more major than the left, but your assigned left was still a sizable cavern.

Alone, the hike passed uneventfully, and walking deeper into the cave had an almost timeless quality. Trying keep yourself oriented, you tried to shine your torch around, almost tripping over your own feet when you looked up and saw that the stalactites above had clearly been broken off. That didn't seem like the safest job, but Renkotsu was tall, and he was proud- you couldn't see him stooping in order to get somewhere he considered his own.

More and more side passages opened the deeper you went, some you or even Renkotsu could walk into, full height, but also some that nothing bigger than a cat might enter. Finally, you walked up to a steep incline. The left looked easier, but you heeded Jakotsu's advice, and as you got higher, you saw why to appreciate it- the left had a murky stream running down it, washing slip-clay throughout the rocks. You tossed a stone near you over to the clay bank and watched the larger stone it hit dislodge and roll down from the added nudge of force. The climb got only more difficult from there, and you stopped with the games until you felt a rope.

Gripping hard with your climbing hand, you lifted your torch, and saw that it was a single knotted rope, and you would have to pull yourself almost straight up to reach the next ledge. Swallowing, you tried to pull yourself to your feet and, holding to the rope for dear life, you tossed the torch up ahead of you.

It fell, extinguishing on the damp ground.

You breathed deeply, trying not to panic.

It didn't take too long for your eyes to adjust enough to realize that there was still a glow in the cave, radiating from an ember on a torch, stuck in a bracket that had clearly been hammered into the wall as a crude sconce. They had left it lit for you.

With light, if dim, and the knowledge that the others weren't far ahead, you regained confidence. You could see the shadows of a few steps, natural protrusions that were worn flat on top with use- or, as you remembered the stalactites, ground down for easier use.

Even with your rather average upper arm strength- the pole work had improved it, but not to any fantastic degree- you made a quick climb, and found yourself in another chamber with a semi-flat floor. The second entrance on your left glowed faintly, and, relieved, you made your way toward it, using the wall as a guide.

"Hello?" you called.

Bankotsu looked up, and immediately closed the difference between you, hugging you with his free arm as he turned you around, facing into a cave opposite that went back on an angle, and was much better lit.

"I was starting to worry you were lost. I was going to turn back when I realized you had never been here, but Renkotsu said Jakotsu would help you."

"He did, but my light went out. Is this the forge? Why is it so much less smoky?"

"Renkotsu opened all the dampers. When he lit the fires, it looked like we might have rain, and we don't know where all of these let out." He set his torch down in a much cleaner bracket, then held you, his arm over your shoulder.

"Ren! Your client is here."

He approached you, his tattoos heavily emphasized in the molten red lighting of his forge, lit from a height well below his visage.

"Take these. They're weighted, figure out what feels right. We can worry about a better handle later."

You picked up each warm bar of metal, feeling for the where you would need to grip. They were all too narrow in your hands, but you finally settled on one that was just barely on the heavier side for you- it felt like it had the best balance, and, getting Renkotsu's attention again, you indicated which it was.

He worked with a scale, eventually balancing it, then, using a long handle, melted the metal in his furnace, adjusting the more nearby vents that fed its fire. Balancing that, he checked his mould against the knotted cord Jakotsu had used to find your height and probable best weapon length.

The rest of the process was hard to watch because of all the sparks that flew as he moved, cast, hammered, and adjusted, letting the fires burn lower and lower. Still, you watched with interest, and Bankotsu didn't interrupt, he only pulled you to lean against him as Renkotsu worked. All the sparks that flew would mean a better weapon, wouldn't they? A lethal edge. Each strike seemed to land in a different, but calculated place, following the same pattern every time he turned the weapon, and slowly the metal grew into a more recognizable shape, an enormous spearhead with two symmetrical blades, separated by only enough space that he could sharpen their inner edges as well. A third blade reached down the handle a short length, though you weren't sure whether he intended it as a hook or a further slashing device.

The process became too fast to follow once you were involved, holding it at different heights, answering hushed questions about flaring each part, fixing your stance and hand positions. This truly brought out Renkotsu's serious side- not that he had seemed to hide it before, but this view of it was not laced with anger or annoyance, but professional, passionate-yet-personally-indifferent movements and statements. Eventually you were answering him, "yes, Renkotsu," or "no, Renkotsu," just to keep up with his speed.

"Now get out, I have more work to do."

Bankotsu lit his torch again and lead you out. It wasn't until you reached the rope ladder that you realized how tired your body was.

Seeing your face, he laughed.

"Renkotsu can be intense, can't he? You forget how long you've been standing, or holding something for him. I'll climb down first. I don't think I can safely carry you, the torch, and myself down a rope with one hand."

He descended easily, with the skill of one who had used the rope many times before, and another light glowed.

"Come down, I'll make sure it's safe."

You didn't need his hands supporting your hips once you were low enough, but you appreciated it nonetheless, and didn't miss the quick kiss he landed before you were too far down.

Accepting the re-lit torch from earlier, you followed his guidance out of the cave.

"So," you asked as the two of you emerged under the moonlight, "when do I get that thing?"

"At least a few more days, and you could say hello, you know."

"Hi Jakotsu. Is this my bedding? And that long?" you asked, returning the mask.

"I laid all our beds under the stars; it's a beautiful night. And Ren-kun takes so long because he does it the best."

You snorted. 'Ren-kun.'

"I've got to get it out of my system while he's gone. Well, and when no one is-" he glanced at Bankotsu, but didn't say anything. You understood.

"Love, come sleep next to me. We can wash the sweat and smoke away in the morning."

Curled up against Bankotsu, you heard him whisper one last thing before drifting away with the soft breaths of sleep.

"I might have been unconscious, but I slept without you for far too long already."

Chapter Text

Rolling over as you woke up, your head cleared, and Jakotsu's voice- his unnecessarily loud voice- became more intelligible. You groaned and sat up, and sliding your legs down each other as you rolled over, you realized they were more slippery than normal. Or was it sticky?

Oh, fuck.

Dragging yourself out of the blankets, you checked between your legs. Blood, just as you had suspected. Pausing only to check the bedding for stains, you rushed outside, Jakotsu pointedly looking away from your naked body as you rushed into the creek, which was still somewhat deep from the spring melt. When you finally felt sufficiently rinsed, and were aware of your own shivering, you called for Jakotsu.

"Jakotsu! A little help?"

He poked his head through the bushes. As far as your little sprint had felt with blood chafing your legs, you were hardly outside of the camp.

"Please tell me Renkotsu didn't see that."

Your friend snorted.

"He still hasn't left the cavern, your 'virtue' is safe. Bankotsu is inside too, he wanted to wait for you to wake up, but we thought Renkotsu might need something to eat, and I cooked it."

"Thank you. Can you get my clothes from yesterday, and my larger bag? I need some things."

Jakotsu returned with your suitcase and watched with some interest as you dug through it, laying out your pleasantly sterile menstrual products, as well as a fresh set of pants, shirt, socks and underclothes. He went through everything you had out as you washed the smoke and soot off the previous day's garments, and even stayed as you dressed. Your bra was particularly enticing, as you learned when he took a tight handful of your breasts.

"Gentle! Ow," you said, wincing as you stepped back and almost fell in the creek. "They were sore even before you did that."

He looked shocked, and genuinely apologetic as he stammered at you.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Nee-chan; I didn't know it would hurt, please don't be mad."

You muttered something noncommittal.

"I thought they were more squishy. Are you alright?"

You took a breath. "Just sore, and maybe bruised and also holy hell, ask me before you do that."

"I'm sorry! But, wow, they really look bigger in that thing. Is it comfortable? ...It is okay for me to ask, right? I mean, I don't even like tits."

"No matter how much you prefer men, you have to ask and not be rude, and again, do not even try grabbing like that again, fuck. But yes, it's for supporting them and that can make them look bigger, especially since what I was wearing before made them look a bit smaller. The fit is a little off, but it's comfortable enough. I probably wouldn't wear this one if we were walking around, but since you said we'll be a few days, it'll be a change."

Jakotsu apologized yet again, and carried your bag back into the main camp while you hung your wet clothes from a branch. You wondered briefly when he started getting this polite with you.

"Anyway, what were you in such a hurry about this morning?"

"Oh, that." It had been a few years since anything so biological had embarrassed you, it had faded when high school ended, but you found yourself blushing. "Well, I'm not pregnant. I shouldn't be-"

"Of course you're not, I gave you a charm! Wait, can we even get someone pregnant? Is that a worry? I mean, it's not for me-"

"I don't know, and anyway the charm seems to be working- never mind. Either way, I woke up to blood between my legs."

Jakotsu looked far more embarrassed than you were.

"Forget about it. Can I have something to eat?"

Although Jakotsu looked relieved to drop the subject, you weren't quite ready. When was your last period? You had definitely been with the Band long enough that it couldn't be your first since. Trying to count back the days, and whether you had missed it, you ended up considering your first or second week with the Band. You weren't sure exactly when the days fell, but you remembered several long days of soreness as you were dragged along behind the convoy, and a lot of blood from the cuts and scratches that you collected.

You pushed it out of your mind as you drank some cold tea and reheated stew. After finding some ibuprofen in your bag, you relaxed and waited.

"You sure are sleeping a lot today."

Bolting upright, you opened your eyes to see Bankotsu deftly avoid an accidental headbutt.

"You're back! What were you doing in there?"

"Just helping Renkotsu out. It's a dangerous job, and he wanted a hand so he could work on some parts for Ginkotsu while we're here. Now," he said, "something about you is different, and I can't quite put my finger on it- unless you want me to?"

Jakotsu gagged in the background.

"Yeah, just don't try to rip them off like he did this morning. No, you don't want to know."

"Find some dinner won't you, Brother? I- we- need some privacy."

Bankotsu sat next to you on the crude bench you had fallen asleep on, then lifted you onto his lap, grinning as you faced him, propped up with your arms on his shoulders as you looked into his eyes.

"That's better, isn't it? Ginkotsu's out of the way somewhere, Jakotsu's gone, Renkotsu's busy at work... I haven't had so much as a moment alone with you since I woke up at that temple."

You released your grip on his shoulders and let yourself fall into a hug.

"I really didn't think you would wake up. Miroku gave us hope, but I don't think either- any- of us believed it would really work."

He held you close, bent over him like that, for what seemed like ages. Once your breathing slowed, Bankotsu took it on himself to make your breath hitch again, sucking firmly on the side of your neck, then kissing down to your collarbones, stopping at your shirt's neckline.

"I think I've got an idea what looks different today," he hissed into your ear.

You leaned back and lifted your top overhead, tossing it to the side. Lowering yourself back to his lap, you felt his cock twitch.

Bankotsu seemed momentarily stunned, so you pulled his face in. Immediately, he started licking, sucking, and nipping at the exposed inner sides of your breasts, and you felt the temperature rise in your cheeks and between your legs. He surfaced to catch his breath, still kissing, if a bit more sparsely, and staring straight into your chest in between.

"Do you like it?"

He moaned, rubbing his cock against you through layers of clothes.

"They're so round like this, and held right up for me to look at and touch, and," he paused to kiss again, "it's such a tease with your nipples hidden."

You felt yourself growing even more hot, a flush rising to your skin. It was definitely a good idea to introduce him to your lingerie, you thought, grinding your crotch against his, but you needed more.

Quickly, you unhooked the bra and tossed it atop your shirt. Bankotsu sucked your nipples without further prompting, and you gasped, feeling yourself pulse and his responding throbbing.

"They're so perfect- your body is- I'm so ready to-"

You cut him off with a kiss, then tugged at his arm, falling back against the rough platform as you tried to switch places. With no regard to your fly, Bankotsu jerked at your waistband, and you grabbed his hand.

"Wait, I'm bleeding."

He blinked. "You mean like-? I didn't think that hurt."

"Well, no, other than cramps, but I don't want to get blood on everything, and I want to try something, and fuck if you stop leaving me hanging I think I'll come even without you in me."

Bankotsu deferred to your plans and helped you strip him down, until he straddled your chest, his hot length hovering above your chest. You spat down at yourself, and he actually looked uncomfortable. So much for bad guys having kinky tastes.

You rubbed his cock a few times, leading it to the slick spot on your chest, moaning as you finally felt its heat against your body, and at his responding cry when you squished your breasts against it, rubbing both to stimulate him and spread your saliva to coat him. Then, slick, he picked up the thrusting.

Wringing your fingers and toes, you leaned forward to taste him, but after meeting his head at the closest point only a few times, you felt your orgasm coming. With your sudden louder moan, Bankotsu squeezed your nipples roughly, fucking your chest as you came, and not a minute later, he became overcome himself, spilling onto your neck.

Bankotsu fetched a damp cloth to wipe you down, though you couldn't help thinking- if that was the exchange, you'd gladly take another dip in the cold stream.

Chapter Text

You couldn't help but stare at Renkotsu's creation. The staff- your staff- was a head taller than you, with a wooden handle and two leather grips. Making sure you were enough paces from any trees and the rock wall, you swung it in an arc, almost losing your balance as it pulled you forward along with it. It was still a little too heavy; you had expected that when you tried the weight in Renkotsu's forge, but you hadn't planned on the added weight of the wood which wrapped around the metal core, and the butt he had added to the back to prevent damage if you walked with it, and add damage if you bashed someone behind you.

He still seemed to look at you with contempt; the strange warmth he had shown during that meadowside lunch had never returned, but it clearly didn't stop him from crafting an effective weapon.

It took you several attempts, but you managed to slice a falling leaf, proving the blade thin and deadly sharp. Renkotsu turned away.

"She needs to be trained," he said, his head raised high. "Jakotsu may have taught her to swing a broomstick around, but I doubt she's even handled a knife before, let alone a real blade."

You glared daggers into his back, and Bankotsu raised his brow just a hair in amusement.

"What would you suggest, Renkotsu? She needs to be ready soon if we're going to make any progress."

"If it were up to me, I would leave her here with Jakotsu, and we," he indicated Ginkotsu along with Bankotsu and himself, "would get to work ourselves. She might be ready in a few months, but it could take longer. Until then, she's a liability."

"Hey-!" you exclaimed along with Jakotsu. He let you go first.

"I- we- won't know if you're alive or dead if you leave us here! And what was the point in making this if I'm not going to be fighting with it?"

"And-" Jakotsu jumped in, "I can't stay behind! I want to kill Inuyasha myself!"

"Well maybe you should have-"

"Gersh."

"Enough!"

Everyone, yourself included, turned to Bankotsu.

"Naraku sent Kagura yesterday. We are to observe Inuyasha's movements- the priestess has sensed a jewel shard that Naraku has yet to find- and also scout shards nearby. Renkotsu, I want you to head west and see where Inuyasha and his allies are heading, then report back. I will be seeking out a colony of rabbit demons whose leader may have more than one shard. Jakotsu, you will train together with our newest ally." He winked at you. "Unfortunately, you must remain here as well, Ginkotsu; these missions may need a delicate hand, and silent movement."

Without comment, Renkotsu turned, heading into the camp to rummage for his own travel goods. Ginkotsu seemed to take that as a sign and backed his way into the clearing he had been staying in, masked by tall trees.

"How long will you be gone?" you asked Bankotsu, taking his hand.

"Only a night or two; don't you worry. Don't let Jakotsu worry either; you have a lot to focus on together. Oh, and-"

Bankotsu's arm glowed as he pulled from it the jewel shard he'd taken from the temple priestess, then faded back to his warm skin tone as he pushed it into your weapon.

"With some luck, that will keep it from being damaged while Ren is away," he said, then looked over your shoulder. "Oy, Ren! Renkotsu!"

"There's no time to waste," Renkotsu replied, and as you turned to see him, he disappeared into the trees.

Bankotsu sighed. "He does take his job seriously."

"He just reads as bitter to me."

"That could be it too, but he has always been loyal."

"True," added Jakotsu, and you suppressed a jump: you'd almost forgotten he was still there. "Ren-kun has always been a little too serious, but he has saved us, as many times as any one of us has saved another."

"Except me."

Jakotsu studied your face for a moment, then stood.

"You will be catching up in no time, once we train."

"Oh, right," you said, feeling your cheeks pink. "Should we start, then? I don't want to remain a burden."

"Nope," said Jakotsu, and without another word, he turned away, soon disappearing into the tent.

You turned to Bankotsu, who was studying your face just as Jakotsu had, perhaps even more intently. Cocking your head, you asked him, "So, what do you think I should do? Can I really catch up?"

He grabbed your chin, pulling you forward into a kiss, grabbing your hand as you nearly dropped your weapon.

Breaking the kiss, you set the pike down on the leather tarp Renkotsu had used to carry it out from the cave, but Bankotsu was not discouraged. Wrapping his arms around your waist from behind, he pulled you close, kissing a cool trail down the side of your neck.

You pulled away again.

"Bankotsu, I'm serious. How can I really join the band, with no time to learn, no skills, and trying to hide from my cousin?"

He laughed, and you scowled.

"My love, you're taking Renkotsu too seriously," he said, squeezing your hand.

"I don't think I am," you told him, looking down.

"Love, look at me."

It took some willpower, but you did look back into his eyes. His face was now sober.

"I want you to look at me so that you can believe me, but I also want you to look at my face. Thanks to you, there's not a scar on it. You already saved my life, and from a more perilous place than any of the band has before. Jakotsu told me you protected him from the monk, more than once, and I know you learned to use pole arms with reckless speed. You can do this. You are already one of us."

"I," you said, then swallowed. Your throat felt rather thick. "I learned to use a bo in self defence years ago, as a kid. It must have stuck with me."

"Maybe, but you've learned Jakotsu's tricks too. It won't take much for you to learn to use that thing, even if you're not as good as Jakotsu with Jyakotsutō or me with Banryū right away."

It was hard to believe, but you nodded.

"Now, before I go, can I kiss you some more?"

Chapter Text

It didn't feel right, letting Bankotsu leave, but you would be the last one to contest your need for training. Jakotsu moped, though; several days back with Bankotsu was not enough, especially with three of them spent hidden away with Renkotsu, and those before it dedicated to healing and travel.

You agreed with him even though you thought practice was more important than sulking. Headaches plagued you, and you blamed them on having spent days in grieving, then moving straight to celebration, and back to the Band's work. Some nights you woke up shocked to find that Bankotsu wasn't sleeping beside you. Others, you woke up in a cold sweat, certain he was dead, plagued by images of sticky red mud, pale organs slipping into it as Bankotsu's body lay still, sliced in twain, and of Jakotsu's bloodied face and vacant, haunted eyes.

Jakotsu still had those eyes some days, and you knew from his sleep muttering that his nightmares were similar. Neither of you made eye contact after those nights.

Nevertheless, you were improving. You had grown used to the length of your weapon and were beginning to more instinctually know where the blades would hit. It was hard to tell if Jakotsu was going easy on you, or if you were truly becoming battle ready, but you disarmed him thrice, two with the hooked blade of your pike, and once by twirling it around Jyakotsutō and jerking up the end, throwing the sword. Twice you had dealt what would have been killing blows, if Jakotsu was not in possession of his Shikon shards, and slashed his arms, shoulders, and sides countless times.

When you were too exhausted to continue with your heavy pole arm, Jakotsu brought you into the woods and taught you how to lay snares. Once he let you fish, but as much as you understood how to fish in the modern era, your skills were poor to nonexistant with feudal fishing rods, and you already had one rod you needed to master, or two, as Jakotsu had joked, making a very rude gesture.

Over a dinner of spit roasted rabbit, the first one you had caught without Jakotsu's guidance, and butchered with the razor sharp blade Bankotsu had given you, he continued to mouth off.

"Nee-chan, you don't have to be shy. It's not like you and Ban-kun are quiet together."

"I am eating, Jakotsu."

"Tsk, thoughts of your lover shouldn't put you off your meal. You're definitely not too innocent to talk about it, I know what you get up to when I excuse myself from the tent."

You massaged your temples.

"And I know you're excusing yourself to do the exact same thing. If you want to think about Bankotsu's sex life so much, why don't you seduce him yourself? I mean, don't now, please, but why didn't you?"

Jakotsu laughed. "I wouldn't say we do the exact same thing, Nee-chan. You have far too much confidence in my skills of seduction, and that's not something I thought I would ever say. Besides, he's my big brother."

"I'm pretty sure he's younger than you," you replied, refraining from directly calling Jakotsu 'older' than Bankotsu; you doubted he'd take that well. "I'm also pretty sure you're not related, and I know for a fact that you have seduced brothers before, so don't give me that," you added, snorting.

"Yes, but not my brothers. It doesn't matter if we're related, the Band of Seven are all brothers, other than our new sister."

"I do hope Bankotsu doesn't think of me that way."

Jakotsu laughed again, loudly, and waved his hand, dismissing your faux concern.

"Look at us, getting along again. We've been far too gloomy alone, Ginkotsu hasn't even wanted to listen to me. Keep my spirits up, Nee-chan, tell me a story."

You paused, thinking. Jakotsu had alluded more than once to your elusiveness about your past, and you really did want to open up.

"I tried modelling once," you finally said.

"Oh, like for paintings? That could be an adventure."

"Like that." Even if it wouldn't be suspicious, you didn't really feel like explaining cameras. "A lot of people I knew were doing it. Some of them had dreams of modelling as a job, and some were doing it for a self esteem boost, and others were just curious. I think I was the latter two; I needed confidence and it looked interesting. So I met someone who had a hobby as an artist."

Your story, you knew wasn't too interesting: modelling hadn't suited you as a hobby and you weren't fool enough- optimistic enough, you corrected yourself- to actually believe you could make a career out of it. The background however, helped you tell other stories, starting with creepy photographers your friends had met, to stories about failed dates, to some of your scarce party stories from college. Jakotsu listened to it all, both giving rapt attention and giggling along with you.

The stories had gotten away from you a bit when Jakotsu interrupted. "Sis, I hate this idiot boy, but what do you mean, you met him in 'bio class?'"

"Oh," you said. It wasn't as though it was something completely out of grasp, like future technology or history, but you still scrambled for a moment.

"Is it something from your home?"

"Uh, sort of. Class is where I'd go to study, like where I come from, we might call training a 'weapons class.' Usually it's taught by a stranger who is an expert about it, or who knows how to structure things and make them easier to learn."

"Were you trying to be a priestess, Nee-chan? Or a monk?" he asked, glancing down at your lap.

"No, everyone where I was from had to learn history and science and writing for quite a few years as children, and to be an adult you were expected to do even more, and specialize in something. 'Bio' means 'biology'- the study of living things and how they work. I would be finishing this year or next, depending how well I did, if I stayed home."

Jakotsu looked somewhat suspicious. "I've never heard of a place like that. But," he continued, smiling, "I'm more interested in what you specialized in."

"English," you replied. "I left Japan to work on the language, and I planned to come back and work somewhere with many English speakers. Unfortunately, I don't think it's a skill that will serve me well- or at all- here."

Eyes narrowed, more suspicious still, Jakotsu sniffed.

"I haven't heard of that one. Renkotsu would be the right one to talk about languages, or reading, or whatever."

He stood suddenly, but before he could leave- you were pretty sure he was headed off to sulk- you reached for his neck, and tickled him.

With a yelp he sunk to his knees, as though trying to drop from your grasp. It only made him easier to reach, and you continued as he fought his own laughter and tears wetted his eyes. When you finally released him, his cackling stopped and he heaved for breath.

"I don't think anyone's been dumb enough to go for my neck without a weapon. You're a brave woman, Onee-chan. I can't believe I didn't stab you out of pure instinct."

"But you're not grumpy anymore, are you?"

"Only because I wish a man would bring me to my knees that fast. Are you sure you wouldn't rather be friends with Ren-kun?"

"You didn't stab me," you said. "Clearly, we are destined to be friends."

Jakotsu had the decency to snort at your joke, then, arm around your shoulder, he pulled you down beside the fire with him, and broke out some sake.

Drunk Jakotsu was a lot less sensitive about his lack of book learning. In fact, he was a bit of a braggart about the childhood adventures he had, since he wasn't expected to see any tutors or learn much of anything.

Of course, he had learned a ton of skills in childhood that you hadn't- much more in-depth self defense, the trapping process that he was now teaching you, as well as hunting and fishing and a good deal about growing rice, but he called these 'basic,' and 'chores,' and even though you were fascinated to learn them, he couldn't see why they counted as knowing anything.

He'd also built rafts and run through fields at night and kissed boys. He had even kissed Bankotsu.

They met as teenagers, having caught each other stealing food. Fast friends in every sense of the phrase, they had wrought hell on the market as they increased their dares, finally grabbing a fish right under the nose of a fishmonger. Her husband, freshly home from fishing the open sea, chased them all through town, until they finally hid in the last place he'd look: the harbour. With gasping, heaving breaths, they had laughed and laughed, then looked into each other's eyes, and Jakotsu took Bankotsu by the chin and kissed him fondly.

"I've never seen him look so dumbfounded since," Jakotsu had told you, cackling into the open air. "He was such a good sport about it, though, and we declared ourselves brothers over the fish that very night."

Even as hammered as he was by the time it was fully dark, he would not mention anything about his family, where exactly he had grown up, nor where he actually had met Bankotsu.

"That- tha's not important," he had muttered whenever he got close to telling you, and you hadn't pressed. After all, you weren't exactly ready to speak about your home either.

Eventually you, somewhat more sober than him, had gotten him into the tent so you could both sleep it off.

In the morning, Jakotsu chose a much quieter training option: honing and sharpening blades. It took a while before you started being able to put an edge on your practice knife rather than accidentally grinding it off, and once you had sharpened a short sword and three knives enough to shave some hairs off your arms, Jakotsu stood up.

"You've probably guessed, but those are yours now. As are these," he said, holding up a small rod and what looked like a night stick, which you raised your brows at.

"A tonfa?" you asked, reaching for it, feeling the odd, curved grip in your hand. "A single, hard to hold tonfa?"

"It's a kama," Jakotsu told you, sliding back what you thought was the handle to reveal a scythe blade.

"Am I going to be harvesting rice?"

"Look, I have a headache. If you don't want it-"

"I want it, I want it," you interrupted. "Give me that too. So am I using this for its intended purpose or is this my first step to becoming Death?"

"It's for death," he replied, not catching your joke, not that he would know about the modern western Death archetype anyway. "You're fond of your staffs, so we thought it was appropriate for close combat. Like your other weapon, it has a metal core so it can't get sliced in half as easily. The sword and daggers should be useful as well."

"Thank you, Jakotsu." You bowed slightly. "And-" you added, testing it against your arm hair, "thank you for sharpening it."

"I was supposed to sharpen them all without you noticing," he told you. "I don't know how I was supposed to do that since I'm always around you, but Renkotsu pointed out that you need to know how to take care of your spear. 'Otherwise, why did I bother making it for her?' he said."

"That was smart," you admitted. "Still don't want to be his friend though."

"I'm touched, but try to get along with him."

You shrugged.

"Now this," he said, taking the stick back, "is similarly reinforced. It is a kanabō" he continued, pronouncing the word slowly, undoubtedly having seen your mouth open, ready to declare it a bat. "The studs make it more deadly, so it's 'for death' as well." He curled his lip a bit at the odd phrasing he was parroting. "Let's go."

The rest of the day, you learned the basics with your rod and scythe. You might not need to be as proficient with them as with your main weapon, but, as Jakotsu continuously reminded you, a weapon that big would be useless if someone got too close.

The bat- kanabō- was much more intuitive than the kama, so you chose almost every time to use it against Jakotsu. Ever observant, he forced you to hold the kama in your dominant hand, though he let you keep the rod in the other.

Your progress slowed, but by the end of the evening, you had successfully deflected Jakotsu's plain training staff several times, gotten close enough to cut him once, and grabbed the staff out of his hands with the kama's blade-to-handle joint once as well.

On the last spar of the day, you used the same grabbing technique to pull yourself up to Jakotsu and clubbed him rather weakly with the kanabō.

"Good," he told you. "Your arm could be stronger, but you're learning to use your weapons together. Tomorrow, we'll add in the pike."

With the new challenge, the days passed in a blur, and you were too exhausted to feel bad about leaving Ginkotsu without conversation or entertainment besides watching you and Jakotsu fight.

After a particularly sweaty, muggy, and altogether sore day, you headed toward the cool natural pool beside your camp, Jakotsu close behind you, when you both spun toward a cold voice.

"I'm back."

Ginkotsu had moved into the camp, noise muffled by the river's flow, and by his shoulder stood Renkotsu.

You froze momentarily, then dove into the river, only allowing your shoulders and above to peak back over the water.

"Renkotsu-kun!" Jakotsu called, having slightly improved his name habit.

There was no answer, and Renkotsu sat down, pulling a scroll of paper from his robes, apparently falling into quiet discussion with Ginkotsu. You were pretty certain he had rolled his eyes, but from the distance, you could never be sure.

Satisfied that Renkotsu wasn't paying attention, you stood up, and looked for somewhere to sit and wash.

"Well," Jakotsu said sharply, yet low enough not to get Renkotsu's attention. "My brother is certainly in a mood." He joined you in the water, swimming briefly, then sitting in the shallows.

"That's one way of putting it. I'd usually say 'in the mood.'"

You spun to see Bankotsu's wicked smile, and almost leapt into his arms.

He lifted you from the water, aligning you easily with his waist, his warm semi bouncing against your ass, showing you that he was indeed telling the truth.

"Oh gross," Jakotsu said, trying to leave but slipping backwards into the water. When his head poked back up, all three of you were laughing.

Over Bankotsu's shoulder you caught Renkotsu's glower. However, when Bankotsu turned to see him, waving, his face was calm.

"Enough!" Bankotsu announced. "We'll discuss everything tomorrow. Tonight, we celebrate."

You collapsed into bed with Bankotsu, to tired to try anything but sleep. Even Renkotsu, though he declined to swim, had shared sake, also feeding Ginkotsu some, and was laughing heartily right until he passed out.

Unable to stop smiling, you curled up against Bankotsu's chest, feeling a warmth and safety you hadn't even realized you were missing.

Chapter Text

You were the last to join the meeting, and could tell it was about noon by the sun's position directly above you.

The others were dressed, but not yet in any sort of fighting or travelling gear, other than Ginkotsu, whose natural state was armoured, and though you couldn't hear what they were saying, Renkotsu was standing next to Bankotsu, flinching every time Jakotsu raised his voice.

"Good morning," Bankotsu called as he spotted you. "Come join us."

Jakotsu was sitting directly in front of Ginkotsu, and you took your time before sitting beside him. It just felt wrong to sit on the ground, your back to a vehicle, even if it- he- was sentient and probably had no reason to run you over. Perhaps sensing something was off, Jakotsu handed you a cup of tea, which you drained before Bankotsu had even begun to talk.

"Now that we are together, let's go over our reconnaissance. I will go first: the Rabbit tribe did indeed have a jewel shard. Normally, that would go to you, love, as, of course, you don't have one in your body, but since humans tend towards madness, I will hold onto it for now. If you are ever grievously injured, one of the band will move the jewel shard from your weapon, into you.

"After I defeated the leader of the rabbit demons, the others fled, so Naraku may be contracting us to find them all. I hope you have been practising well," he said, meeting your eyes, "as that will be your time to shine. Renkotsu, we will need your smog to keep Ginkotsu hidden when we pursue the demons. For now however, please enlighten us as to Inuyasha's whereabouts."

Unlike Renkotsu, Bankotsu sat down to listen, waiting for his comrade to impart his own findings.

"Inuyasha, along with the fox demon, cat demon, demon slayer, monk, and the priestess have gained two shikon shards- one from a puppet of Naraku's, and one from a human who had been trying to use it to enslave his townspeople. They are now heading north, back towards that village they frequent, and have mentioned the Bone-Eater's Well."

He glared at you, as though somehow you had caused their retreat to safer territory.

You shrunk a bit under his gaze, knowing that, in fact, you probably had.

"In fact," Renkotsu continued, "Though the Priestess insisted that she would be going home to visit the girl, Inuyasha seemed quite convinced that she may still be travelling with us."

"So-" Bankotsu interrupted. "They will be finding out that she is not home."

"Yes, they will probably be stalking us once the priestess confirms her missing."

"No, not necessarily!"

They both looked to you.

"I mean," you added, "I don't know what to do about Inuyasha, he can smell all of us. He talks about you smelling like graveyard dirt, and Kōga, the wolf demon, said I smell like Kagome. But I left notes, and sent messages, and all sorts of things. They shouldn't be able to tell I'm not where I say I am, it would take time, and a good amount of money to look for me, and Inuyasha couldn't travel far enough, at least not easily. I'm supposed to be far beyond both the mainland and the sea."

"See Bankotsu, she admits it herself. We would be best off leaving her now."

Jakotsu stood up to argue, pulling you to your feet behind him, but before either of you could, Bankotsu again interrupted.

"That will be all, Renkotsu. We have talked about this enough, and even this morning you were willing to agree. She will be our eighth member, and if she is one of us, we won't be leaving her behind."

"Wait, you mean-" you said, stepping toward your lover.

Jakotsu hugged you from behind and Bankotsu laughed, and took your hand.

"You still want to be with us, don't you? Jakotsu said you were ready."

"Of course I do!"

You squeezed Bankotsu's hand, and he held yours even tighter.

"You should know, there won't be any turning back, regardless of our relationship, or squabbles you might have with others."

"This is where I want to be, and I want to be with you."

Jakotsu squeezed you hard.

"Welcome, Nee-chan-kotsu-chan."

Ginkotsu grunted in a somehow placating way, clearly towards Renkotsu, who winced, stretching his face before finally relaxing away his scowl.

The meeting dissolved then, Jakotsu somehow finding even more sake, though not before you and Bankotsu had disappeared for and returned from a quick, hot, fuck.

It didn't feel great to, once again, abandon Ginkotsu, but the machine man seemed resigned to it, and Bankotsu seemed certain that it would be the last time. It would take more subtlety, after all, to bring the band to town and make the inquiries he would need to fully prepare you to join the band, if you needed so much to keep your identity hidden, and you did. After this, though, there would be no need for secrecy, not if the Band of Seven were to inspire fear as they once had.

Jakotsu, in the most feminine state you had ever seen him in, was taking you through town, your 'older sister' this time, to help you get fitted in something a little less distinct than your foreign future clothes. Bankotsu would be helping you with armour, outside of town, and Renkotsu, nowhere to be seen, was supposedly headed to an apothecary. An apothecary that would, apparently, take him several days to visit. When you commented on this, Bankotsu had laughed rather hollowly, and promised that you would rather not go there, and that they would explain when Renkotsu returned. It would, apparently, be an important detail in your gear.

The day was hot, and by the time you entered the village, you were happy to creep in the shadows of the various shops, though Jakotsu often pulled you into the open street, confident in his disguise, and even more confident from some of the looks the townsmen gave him.

Despite having lead you through the middle of town, Jakotsu did not lead you into any of the kimono sellers' fitting rooms, nor the seamstresses shops that you passed, colourful patterns of silk displayed proudly outside. In fact, he finally obliged you, dragging you into a narrow, dark alley, making sure you followed closely, before stopping short.

You almost collided with his back, but Jakotsu was engaging in a rather complicated knock against the door frame, and didn't seem to notice.

"Hurry up, hurry up, come in," growled the elderly woman who opened the door.

Jakotsu bowed politely as he entered, and you followed suit, noticing but trying to ignore her pock-scarred hands.

"How lovely to see you again," Jakotsu said, taking a seat on the edge of a large wooden table.

The woman rolled her eye. "Yeah, yeah, you all meet me once and expect me to remember you."

She squinted at your companion, then stared. "I do think I recognize you. I have a much better memory for you non-payers. Heard you were dead, Sevener."

"Times change," replied Jakotsu, grinning. From his sleeve, he pulled a rather large bag of coins. "This should be enough, for that and to pay for today's order. So, Nozomi-sama, can you still sew well enough for ninjas and demon hunters?"

Nozomi didn't answer. Instead, she pushed Jakotsu away from her table, and sat to count and inspect every coin he had given her, before sweeping them back into the sack and tucking it into her own sleeve, briefly showing the clear olive skin of her arms.

"Do you know how to sew, girl?"

"Not well, Nozomi-sama."

"It's just Nozomi, it's always been Nozomi. These idiots like your friend here come in trying to please me so I'll forgive their debts. Well girl, if you learn to sew more, be careful with your hands, and let someone else do the fabric weaving for you, or you'll end up with claws like mine."

"I will, Nozomi."

"Good girl. Now come over here, I need to measure you."

As she reached a cord around you, and up and down your limbs, much as Renkotsu had before making your weapon, she kept speaking, her scratchy voice becoming more clear, if anything, as if rather than wearing down, it had ached from lack of practice.

"Now I hope you have a good apology, boy. I have had some cold winters without the money you owed me. Seven full sets of kimonos, two of them enormous, and the padding and fitting, and me, barely feeding myself."

Jakotsu grinned.

"For now, you'll have to take the money. But we think we could arrange some interesting samples of fabric and sewing technique, if Onee-chan doesn't mind."

You nodded assent.

"Good. Now what are you looking for? It better not be a hat after all that measuring."

"Uhh," you mumbled, looking to Jakotsu.

"We came here so you could get something you would like wearing, Nee-chan. We will, Nozomi, be needing padding to fit over or under it, and light armour will need to fit over it all."

Nozomi gestured at you to sit down by her table, pulling out paper, ink, and brushes.

It took a lot of talk, not to mention some very rough drawings, to explain your preferences to Nozomi, but from there, she had suggestions to improve your outfits, to make them stand out less and fit more comfortably, and adjust for the weather. Either Jakotsu had brought enough money, or she was very excited about your clothing samples, as she was ready to fit you for coats and order shoes as well, and offered to waterproof the shoes herself. The padding, she decided, would fit over your base layer, and that only needed to be adjusted from what she had in stock.

Smiling, she led you back to the alley door. "It will be about five days. I have apprentices to sew for me, but some of these materials will be harder than others to bring in. And do remember to bring that sample, even if it's not too far away, it will be something for my students to learn from."

She closed the door firmly behind you.

"I don't think she realizes how far I've come to be here," you told Jakotsu.

"I don't even know where you're from, Nee-chan. Let her be excited when she actually sees it."

Bankotsu met you where Ginkotsu had waited, and despite your deep blush and the presence of his two brothers, couldn't keep his hands off you as he announced that he had found the armoury, and would be bringing you for fitting tomorrow.

Jakotsu, suitably more masculine than he had been during the day, headed back to the town to cruise, and Bankotsu immediately led you away, walking until you were well out of Ginkotsu's hearing range.

"You've gotten shy," you told him, arcing your neck backward as he kissed a line down to your collar bone.

He pulled back, but massaged the side of your neck with his thumb.

"It's one thing to do something private when everyone is in the same situation. It's another to make just Ginkotsu sit there and watch or listen to us." He resumed kissing you, pushing you down for better access.

"I feel horrible about it," you said, though with the touch of Bankotsu's lips, it was very difficult to feel horrible about anything, "but sometimes I forget he's a person, and not just a machine or a vehicle."

Bankotsu paused and sat up.

"You never knew him before, and even then, he wasn't much for words. He does like listening to stories, though. Maybe you would feel better if you spent more time with him."

"Please don't tell me to spend more time with Renkotsu too."

"Neither of you would enjoy that. Not all siblings get along."

"Let's not keep up this siblings ruse. It's cute when Jakotsu says it about you, not so much when I'm your 'sister.'"

He chuckled.

"Fair enough. I definitely don't see you that way. You might have been born to join the Band of Seven, but you certainly weren't born one of us."

He must have seen your mixed feelings on that slight exclusion, as he immediately kissed you deeply on the mouth.

"Don't worry. You might technically be 'just' their sister-in-law, but you will be- you already are- as much a member as any of us. Now if you don't mind, I never got to finish this before you went away."

He grabbed you by the hips, pushing you up the soft blanket he'd laid down, and gently took your clit in his mouth.

You gasped, then, as he took that sign to continue, threw your head back, as though pressing it into the grass beneath would somehow ground you, give you control as your body seemed to shudder and thrust up to him of its own accord.

"Bankotsu-" you said, but cut yourself off. You couldn't remember what you were going to say to him.

After what felt simultaneously like forever and an instant, you became unable to stifle your cries, until, shuddering, you felt liquid dripping between your legs.

Bankotsu wiped his mouth, but when he kissed you, you could smell your sex on him, and when he lined up his cock with your soaked hole, you wrapped your legs around him, pulling him in, finally aware enough to beg him to fuck harder and harder until he, pinning your down hard at the collarbones, shot his load deep inside you, his cock throbbing with each spurt.

Spent, you only managed to mutter "fuck..." before drifting off, your head curled against his chest.

You were alone when you awoke, but the outfit you had worn was neatly folded beside you.

It was a struggle to convince yourself to get up, with the sun shining down, warm but not yet bright, and your legs still wet from the evening's events.

Thankfully, you didn't have to force yourself, as Bankotsu jogged into the clearing.

"You're awake." He looked at your face, and reconsidered. "You can lay down a little longer, just let me-"

He spread your legs, running a hand appreciatively down your hip before taking a damp cloth and, occasionally wetting it from a small water sack, wiped down your legs and, very gently, your vulva. When you moaned and pushed against the cloth, he smiled.

"I wish, but you have a fitting today. We can take Ginkotsu, Jakotsu's asleep on him anyway, so if you want to talk to him, it's the right time."

The trip around the village to find the armoury, which was situated on the edge of a quarry, was fairly short. They apparently smithed a good amount of metal armour, which had led to their positioning far enough out to avoid starting fires, which had in turn given led their rogue clientele.

You were allowed, due to the discretion of the owner, to wear your own clothes from your suitcase, rather than dress to feudal standards. Jakotsu had picked up your fabric padding, and insisted that your new garments would fit more like your own clothes than the kimono anyway. The padding around your torso and over your shoulders felt too barrel-like to you, but this was, apparently, non-negotiable, and really, you didn't want to take any more chest shots from Jakotsu when sparring.

The fitter had you try on what Jakotsu tentatively called "weird pauldrons," a one-piece shoulder guard that pulled over your head, with a flair to protect your neck, while it also covered your upper chest and back. You were more inclined to calling it an armour crop-top. As there was no mirror you had to trust it when your friends proclaimed them, or it, suitable.

They also fitted you for outerwear metal wrist and shin guards, and a hard heavy leather cuirass that would fit under the shoulder guard and your clothes, over the padding that had been provided. These were also administered for your upper arms and the fronts of your thighs.

You left empty handed, the padding remaining with the armoursmith in order to help with fitting, and a final adjustment to be made after Nozomi finished your clothes.

That night, you took Bankotsu's advice, telling Ginkotsu the heavily edited college stories you had shared with Jakotsu, who decided to spend the night with you rather than returning to town, eagerly pulling Bankotsu in, making him leave his strategizing aside and instead hear the best parts of your stories, which Jakotsu largely interrupted and repeated.

The next night, you had begged for more stories out of your compatriots, Bankotsu helpfully filling in Ginkotsu's stories, aided by groans of approval or correction. He seemed to understand the tank of a man as much as Renkotsu did.

You fell into routine as the days went by. Jakotsu and Bankotsu took turns getting provisions from town, while you stayed with the others. Even knowing your location was a secret, it was hard to watch them go and come back with accessories and snacks and curiousities while you sat at a campsite, not knowing whether your stories to Ginkotsu were appreciated, nor if the talks excluding him were being overheard.

Finally, Jakotsu woke you up, nearly dragging you out of bed, and dressed you as you tried to wake up.

"It's time! Everything is finished, come on!"

Awake by the time you reached town, but not so awake as to actually focus on much, you held Jakotsu's hand, knowing you might never keep up otherwise, while he rushed you along both main roads and alleyways, until he finally took you into that very narrow space to the back door of the mysterious seamstress.

As before, she pulled you in, quickly and gruffly.

With a second set of padding and her own leather guards, Nozomi dressed you, showing both you and Jakotsu how to tie on the well-fitting pants she had made, and how to adjust them to fit new armour, or hide weapons in folds and under bands. She fixed the edges and some of the lengths of coats and pants, and had a mirror set up so you could see the patterns in the fabric and how they subtly worked with her design choices. She also provided a few absorbent cloths, which neither of you felt the need to explain, and, in a blue matching the rest of your outfit, several strong, slightly damp-feeling ribbons, which she promised would keep your hair back as long as you had them tied in.

After profuse thanks, you backed toward the door, only to be stopped by Jakotsu.

"My Onee-chan is forgetting your samples," he said, bringing out a cloth bundle that you hadn't noticed him carrying.

Untying it, he laid out a pair of cotton pants, and a probably poly-blend pullover hoodie. He turned one of the sleeves inside out, to display the stitching.

Nozomi was engrossed immediately.

"It's so sloppy in some places, but the stitching is complicated- show me how to wear them?"

It was a bit of a production to fully change again, but you modelled the two pieces for Nozomi, who nodded, pulling at fabric here and there, admiring the way the fit of the pants curved against you, and the fuzz lining the hoodie.

You couldn't answer many of her questions, but explained that it was mass-produced rather than fitted, which also explained the sloppiness. You vaguely tried to explain a sewing machine in a less-confusing, non-electronic way, and Nozomi nodded along as though you were somehow making sense.

"They're very smoky smelling, is that a hint to wear you are from?"

Remembering Kōga's comments on the metallic-smoke scent of your clothes, you started for a split second, then shook your head.

"I've been pursued by some demons who have been rather good at sniffing me out. Jakotsu suggested infusing them with wood smoke to keep them from attracting anyone to you."

She nodded. "That is much appreciated. Now, I have one thing left for you."

From a box, Nozomi produced a mask.

"Jakotsu there provided the poison-filtering lining, but he thought it could be made to better hide your face. There are several more in the chest I gave you. Good luck, and I'm glad we met, despite his late payment."

The armour fitting was much less interesting. Each metal element was pre-made, long before you had come to feudal Japan, but had been adjusted to your size, and now were being squeezed in an enormous vice to wrap firmly around you and hold to your body.

After dark, Jakotsu snuck you, fully dressed, armed with your kama, into the nearest kimono shop, so you could finally see yourself. He fixed your hair as you finally gazed into the mirror, a tear coming to your eye.

"It's perfect, Jakotsu. I look like one of you. I wouldn't recognize myself, not with the mask on, but the pattern..."

"It suits you," he said. "Now you know why I've been so excited."

"I still smell like Kagome, though," you muttered, glancing up to meet his eyes in the mirror.

Jakotsu smiled.

"Not for long."

Chapter Text

You watched, holding back from gagging, as Renkotsu slapped a slab of some wet, gelatinous substance into a freshly woven basket, followed by a second, slightly darker slab of the same. Next, he poured a large wooden bucket of dirt into the frankly enormous pot that boiled before him.

Upon his rejoining of your group, laden with ingredients, he had insisted upon returning to his forge, from which he had brought down the brewing supplies. Bankotsu had agreed, and rushed the group back up the mountain. Kagome, or 'the priestess' as they all continued to call her, would only be gone for so long.

To your right, Bankotsu was chopping up a camphor bough, the segments of which you and Jakotsu peeled and splintered into smaller pieces.

"That's enough," Renkotsu said. He took the large pile of camphor shavings and dumped them into the boiling pot, then slowly tamed the flames, bringing the mixture to a simmer.

Bankotsu finished the branch he was working on, but continued splitting an even larger one, no longer handing you the pieces.

Once the water was simmering consistently, Renkotsu placed the basket into the cauldron, and after a longer period, long enough that the sky had grown significantly darker, he strained the hot liquid into a barrel.

With Jakotsu's help, you dragged the cauldron, the cooking basket, and the more tightly woven basket used for straining to the nearby creek, rinsing them several meters downstream of the swimming hole you frequented.

"I really don't want to know what all those things were," you told Jakotsu, "but I'm going to have to know if I need to make it again, aren't I?"

"You won't like it, but you'll be over it once you have your first mission. Why don't you wait until then to ask?"

Glancing at him, you nodded. Jakotsu was not usually squeamish, nor sympathetic enough to avoid grossing you out, so if he said to wait, you believed it.

It took Bankotsu's help to get the pot hanging over the fire again, but after the remaining drops of river water steamed out, Renkotsu had little trouble dumping the barrel of strained liquid back in, even before Bankotsu joined in the lifting.

This time, Renkotsu only brought the water to a simmer, then placed one last basket in.

The scent it gave off made you gag. The last ingredient was floral and fruity and far too perfumey, and it did not mix well with the deep metallic and earthy ingredients Renkotsu had boiled.

He rolled his eyes at you, stirring the liquid and occasionally removing scum from the top. After about ten minutes, the flowery smell levelled out, still disgusting in the mix, but no longer creeping up, stronger and stronger.

Renkotsu adjusted the fire, and the liquid started to simmer harder, steaming significantly.

Jakotsu took you to check your traps for some dinner, and when you returned, Bankotsu was putting together what looked like a large wooden crate, and the potion Renkotsu was working had evaporated, leaving no more than a highly concentrated litre behind.

"You, get over here. Jakotsu can cook without you."

You went over, helping hold a funnel over a flagon as Renkotsu slowly streamed in the dark, pungent, fluid, and then, lining the large funnel up with a smaller one, used the last splash to fill a small glass bottle.

"What is this, Renkotsu?"

He laughed, but didn't answer.

"Yeah, Jakotsu already told me I might not want to know. What is it for though? If it's just to mask my scent you probably could have used all camphor or cedar or something."

For once, Renkotsu met your eyes, and you almost turned away.

"You want to be one of us, don't you? This won't just hide you- and that wouldn't work anyway, such strong camphor would make it obvious we were hiding something- it will make you smell like one of us."

"None of you smell as bad as that."

"You," Renkotsu said, "aren't a dog. Now take these and get ready to do all your washing when you wake up."

"We haven't even had dinner-!"

Bankotsu and Jakotsu made sure you did eat, but both agreed that you would be up early that morning, otherwise even in the hot summer sun, your clothes wouldn't dry within the day. No one was planning to help, but Bankotsu promised to wake up with you. He led you to bed just as the sun set and held you through the night.

As the first sunbeam crossed the tent, Bankotsu rushed you outside, naked, into the cold swimming hole, then lugged your suitcase out of the stack of gear, opening it as he approached.

"Wash up, then you should wash all of these."

"Wait don't dump that in the water-"

Bankotsu stopped short, trying to snap the case closed again, and managed to only fling some balled up socks past you.

You darted out, retrieving them before they could either sink or float away.

"I thought," you said, then at his glance toward the tent lowered your voice to a whisper. "I thought I was waking up to do laundry, not be thrown with all of my possessions to the river."

Bankotsu bent down and kissed you on the lips.

"You can't put on anything new until you and your possessions are clean. We can't have your scent transferring back onto anything."

You yawned in his face.

"I don't suppose you considered that I'm going to sweat again, did you?"

He chuckled.

"We can't do much about that except use what Renkotsu brewed. We can get rid of the smell of your hometown, though. And use these instead of the soap you carry," he said, handing you a lump of lye soap and a handful of some kind of blossoms. "The flowers foam a bit, and they're gentler. Use the soap on your hair, under your arms, and on anything that really needs to be clean. You can use it for your clothes too."

You frowned at the greyish lump of soap.

"Look, you can use your own in another couple weeks, but for now you have to tone it down."

"I get it, but I never wanted to use soap like this on my skin. And what are you going to do with my suitcase?"

"I'll be burning it while I go over some maps. That new wooden box is for you, and Jakotsu should have put some sort of liner into it last night. I'm expecting to hear from Naraku today, so Renkotsu might have to take over at some point. You should be able to finish off and get something on before he wakes though, he came to bed late last night. Ginkotsu is patrolling, and Jakotsu never wakes up early, so just try to finish before noon so we get the hottest sun of the day."

You sighed, deep and loud, but kissed him one last time, then finally dunked your head.

It wasn't so hard to wash your body, nor your cans of food, nor most of the practical things in your bags, but the clothes, however few they were, took forever. The soap Bankotsu gave you didn't seem to agree with the modern, often stretchy fabrics, and you barely understood how to use a primitive washboard in the first place.

You finally finished up with your washing just as Jakotsu stepped out of the tent.

"Oh! Nee-chan, you're naked!"

Yelping, you fell back in the water.

"Thanks Jakotsu! Hadn't noticed!" you called as you tried to regain your balance on the slippery rocks beneath the waist-deep water. "Bring me a towel."

Jakotsu obeyed, and finally you stepped out of the water, wrapping yourself up.

"I've got to toss these on a line to dry, then can you help with my new clothes?" you asked, gathering up the heavy bundle of wet fabrics.

"Of course. First I have to see what in hell Bankotsu is burning. It smells poisonous!"

"Oh, that's my suitcase, the box all my stuff was in."

"Oh," Jakotsu replied. "Oh! Stay right here and hang your clothes, I'll be right back."

You began hanging your clothes as Jakotsu dove back into the tent, pulling out a large square of fabric, and, to your amusement, rushing to cut it to the size of the camphorwood box. By the time you finished hanging your last sock, Jakotsu had jogged back, carrying the newly lined container.

"For you, Nee-chan."

"Thanks," you replied, laughing, and placed in it all the random, quick to dry items from your suitcase, as well as the few things, mostly hygiene products, that couldn't be washed.

Behind him, a pissed looking Renkotsu emerged from the tent, still in the linens he wore to bed.

"Ah, Renkotsu, perfect timing!" Jakotsu told him, leading you, still wrapped in just a towel, back into the tent. "Nee-chan, let me help you get ready. I'll show you how for next time."

You felt rather stiff with the woolen padding and armour tied to your limbs, but for the first time, you sat up near the shoulder of Ginkotsu, surveying the valley below as he drove down the mountain.

One more night, you thought, trying not to wrinkle your nose at the scent gracing your neck. One more night, then I will have to earn my place.

Chapter Text

Ginkotsu finally stopped somewhere north of the base of the mountain, and, you were pretty sure, east of the city where your gear had been crafted.

Leading you, Jakotsu, and Renkotsu off of Ginkotsu, to stand lined up beside the machine, Bankotsu began his instructions.

"Naraku told me that the remaining hare demons would make great food for Banryū, and that there was one more jewel shard left, belonging to the old leader's second. The saimyōshō-" he said, gesturing to the few wasps in the sky, "tracked them to a warren shortly North of here. They almost certainly have scouts watching for us, at least with those damn things in the sky to warn them. So let's make it quick."

"Love, you are to, as much as you possibly can, keep your mask on. We don't know if the hares have poison, but we do know that the priestess will almost certainly speak to survivors, given her weakness to demons, so you should not be recognized. Ideally, we will leave no survivors, but hare demons are quick and good at hiding, so we will have to expect to lose some."

"The most important thing is that we take the jewel shard. As the new leader, or one who is trying to take the lead, he should be prideful enough to come out on his own. I don't care who kills him, especially as Naraku has insisted on taking the jewel shard, but remember that one of you is only human, so love, I recommend you stay away from him. The rest of you, don't let him kill her."

"The battle will go how it goes, but Jakotsu and Renkotsu, I want you to start by preventing escape. Ring them in with fire and pick them off with Jyakotsutō. Ginkotsu, blast open any holes they dig into and fire chains if the shard-carrier tries to run. He has a white ear, it is supposedly in there. And love, you can stay near me."

You almost protested, but he cut you off.

"I won't be protecting you, I will be busy getting old white-ear to fight me. You will use your staff to throw back anyone else who may try to jump me. Once the other hares are gone or dead, you can all join me in finishing him off.

"Got it, everyone? Surround them and kill. Defend each other. Finish it quick."

The Band resumed the pace along the path, but now you walked alongside Bankotsu.

"Do we really have to kill them all?" you asked, voice low to avoid Renkotsu hearing.

"Not really," he said. "But it will make Banryū stronger, and I can hardly deny Jakotsu the fun."

You lowered your eyes, falling a step behind Bankotsu until he took your elbow, pulling you up beside him again.

"I know it sounds hard, it is hard, but you will do fine. If you're anything like us, it won't take you long to find the sport in it."

"And if I don't?"

"Well, you won't be much of a Band member, but as long as you want to stay, I'll keep you around."

"I don't know if I can take a life."

"Can't help you there," he said with a laugh. "But you will. You will have to, if you come with us, if only to stay alive yourself. But for now, if you must, you can turn back now and wait for us back on the path."

"I'm coming," you said, but you wished you felt as self assured as you sounded.

The Band of Seven descended upon the warren, too fast for you to think.

Bankotsu called out to the 'white-eared second-in-command,' demanding he show his face and defend his clan, just as Renkotsu lit his ring of fire, letting it flare high around the network of holes.

A small, snuffling rabbit demon ran to its mother, and you nearly threw up.

"Love," said Bankotsu under his breath. "Just use the middle and butt of your spear to knock them back. That will be enough."

You nodded, and braced yourself as the demons descended on you.

Mimishiro, which seemed to actually be his name, took the honourable position of fighting Bankotsu one on one, but that didn't stop others from trying to interfere, to give their chieftan a better chance. Though Mimishiro wore armour across his chest and back, and swung a battle axe at Bankotsu, his fellows were dressed only in muted kimonos and largely unarmed, save for some farming implements, including more kama. This was to your non-lethal advantage, as you spun and blocked with your weapon, a good blow to the chest or gut had your attackers heaving, gasping, some running away and some taking good time before they could attack again.

You spared a glance upward, and saw that Jakotsu's role had changed. Jyakotsutō was picking off the few archers of the hare clan before they could loose arrows into the battle, as well as punishing the occasional rock thrower. While Renkotsu managed the fire, he chucked bombs into holes for good measure.

Throwing back two more demons, you looked to Bankotsu, who was somehow parrying Mimishiro's axe with Banryū, and though the hare demon was bleeding from many small cuts, Bankotsu had two far deeper gashes, one into his neck and another into his thigh.

Despite the occasional pinch of your arm and leg guards meeting unexpectedly, you sped up, breathing harder and feeling your heart pound. Jab, jab, karate swirl, block with the long handle of your weapon, turn, and repeat.

Sweat began to blur your vision as the battle rode on, and more than once you felt your dominant arm waver behind the blows as you wiped your eyes with the inner sleeve of your other arm.

Behind you, you could hear Bankotsu's breath heaving too.

Your attackers finally slowing, finally beginning to get the message and stay back, you watched to your lover, your leader again.

He was still fighting, still fast on his feet, but he wasn't fast enough. Every time he swung Banryū, he only grazed Mimishiro, who had stopped bothering to attack Bankotsu. He was wearing him out, holding his axe on his shoulder, ready to make the killing blow once Bankotsu got even a step slower, but Bankotsu, even as his breath rattled in his raw and injured throat, did not slow.

Yet, as much as he kept up his pace, Mimishiro kept dodging, as though he knew what Bankotsu was going to do even before he followed through.

Your eyes affixed on Mimishiro's distinct ear, and remembered the shard hidden within.

With new vigor, you moved through the steps of your defense like a kata, swinging even on the beats where no demon attacked, working your way alongside Bankotsu. Jab, jab, swirl, block, and-

Instead of following your usual turn, you whirled around to face Mimishiro, and, with one thrust of your weapon, caught his white ear between the two curved edges and followed through, severing it.

One of Naraku's wasps caught the chunk of flesh and fur before it hit the ground.

Mimishiro did not freeze, nor even turn to you, but, as though he was dazed, he did not react to Bankotsu's final swing, and Banryū severed his head.

Bankotsu fell to his knees, desperately trying to get air into his lungs. You dropped beside him, rubbing his back, trying to coax him out of hyperventilating, then looking wildly around for Jakotsu.

A final hare, scythe drawn, dove straight down toward Bankotsu.

Working on instinct, you grabbed your weapon and spun it, base abutting the ground, blade up to meet the demon, the angle braced by both your arms.

A shower of blood rained upon you both, and when you raised your head, you dropped the spear.

One of the most humanoid rabbit demons, save for Mimishiro himself, fell along with it. He coughed and sputtered, scrabbling his clawed hands at the shaft of your weapon.

You grabbed the handle and with one strong, sure pull, removed it from the demon, wincing at his scream as the wide head of blades sliced him again, backwards.

He tried to reach for his scythe, but you stood, spun your blade down to his neck, and slit his throat, putting the demon out of his misery.

After the battle you fell into a daze, and though you went through the motions of post battle necessities: washing the blood from your outer layer as Jakotsu clucked his tongue at you- the point of long weapons was to avoid being drenched in blood- cleaning and drying both your weapons and armour to prevent rust, sharpening them, rinsing the sweat and dirt from your face as the salt and oils stung your eyes, you did not really feel present, and the others sounded as though they were speaking from underwater.

Jakotsu and Renkotsu had taken both you and the still-exhausted Bankotsu back to Ginkotsu and helped you both onto his back, where you sat, staring out, as he climbed back up the mountain to Renkotsu's forge.

You sat awake overnight, trying to think through what had happened, what you felt, what you had decided to do- even if it was a split-second decision, it was a decision- but the longer you sat awake, the less you felt anything conclusive. Instead, you were hyper aware of the whir of Ginkotsu's gears, and Bankotsu's dry snores, and Renkotsu, sitting silent, also awake, next to the glowing coals of Ginkotsu's engine.

As the sun began to rise, Jakotsu sat down behind you. With an uncharacteristic gentleness, he took your shoulders, leaning you back until your head rested on his lap, and finally, you closed your eyes.

When you awoke, you were naked, wrapped in Bankotsu's bedding, alone. A modern shirt, pants, and underwear sat folded beside you, and you dressed immediately, staying near the blankets lest Renkotsu walk in. You weren't sure why you were still hung up about him seeing you undressed- it had certainly long since stopped mattering with the others, but then, you had seen Jakotsu and Bankotsu nude regularly enough, and you still sometimes struggled to recognize Ginkotsu's self. Not to mention, for all Jakotsu had helped in stripping you, Renkotsu was the one who had groped and threatened you when you first ended up with the Band.

Awake, dressed, and, as soon as you stepped out of the tent, hydrating with cold tea, you felt worlds better than the night before. Your arms and knees still ached, but your heart no longer pounded, and your throat hardly felt ragged anymore. You wanted to thank Jakotsu for helping you sleep, but none of the band seemed to be there. Even Ginkotsu wasn't in the usual clearing, though his tread tracks looked fresh.

You made your way over to the still part of the swimming hole to look at your reflection. Somehow, you were clean. Rubbing your shoulders, under your breasts, and the small of your back, you found that it was not just visual, but the sweat was washed away.

That was odd, but after yesterday, you weren't in the mood to complain.

A closed basket by the banked fire had a small helping of rice and some sort of stew, still warm from its proximity to the coals. You almost moaned eating it; you hadn't bothered eating the day before, none of the Band had.

That was probably a large part of what prevented you from vomiting on the battlefield.

You took a seat on a large rock by the riverside, letting your feet soak in the running water.

Bankotsu had let you off the hook, but the rabbit demons hadn't. You had killed at least one. Though you hadn't worried about it during the battle, you had a nasty feeling about the internal injuries some of your other victims had, loose broken ribs and deeply bruised organs.

You, though, had lived. Not only that, but you had saved Bankotsu, while the others were busy trying to block the escaping demons. You had even been the one to cut loose the jewel shard from Mimishiro's body.

Through the dull ache, your muscles felt strong. Now that you weren't exhausted or panicking, your mind felt sharp. You might not have enjoyed killing, but just remembering the battle gave you a rush of adrenaline, and you paced to try and lose it.

As horrible, shattered, and exhausted as you had been, you were now focused, excited, and accomplished.

It didn't last long, your morality still nagged at you, and the glory was fleeting, especially with no one there to share it, but even so, your mind kept repeating it: this worked and, you were certain of it now, you could kill again, if it meant keeping Bankotsu and your friends safe.

Someone grabbed you by the arms as the evening came, and slapped a hand over your mouth once your wrists were securely in the other hand's grip.

Face forced forward, you were walked for some fifteen minutes, then pushed into a tent, where you found your armour.

This was either some new fetish of Bankotsu's, a fashion show, or someone wanted a fight.

You layered up, although you fumbled a bit trying to get everything perfect and took some extra time without Jakotsu's help. As you stood up straight, someone rolled your weapon, the blades wrapped safely in leather, under the opposite side of the tent, where you only then realized there was a second door. You unsheathed it, and found an angle you could comfortably carry it through the tent flap at.

Drumming began outside, and you stepped out of your confinement to see the most of the Band sitting around a very tall bonfire. Ginkotsu was directly across from you, looking over the flames. Renkotsu barely looked up from his drum, knocking out a complicated rhythm as you walked out. Bankotsu stood to meet you, and Jakotsu stepped out from behind the tent, put a few drops of Renkotsu's potion on your neck, made sure your garments were sitting aligned and perfect, then demonstrating the two-handed grip you were to hold your weapon at, before sitting next to Renkotsu and bringing forward what looked like a shamisen, joining in the music.

Taking a deep, steady breath, Bankotsu began: "You have only been with us through a couple moon cycles, but you have already saved my life twice. You have shown unwavering loyalty to the Band of Seven, even before deciding to stay with us. You trusted the potions we gave you, and you followed through on the battlefield."

You nodded, keeping your gaze on Bankotsu, though the music felt dreamy and hypnotic, making your lids droop if you were not careful.

"You have wielded your weapon with skill and accuracy. In your first battle, you did not try to slaughter for glory, but instead killed only as needed. You made the move that let me finish my opponent."

He beckoned you toward the fire.

"It is time you became one of us. You are our fifth member, and our eighth member. We proudly welcome you to the Band of Seven, Takakotsu, named for the Hawk, who kills with precision, with purpose, and without regret. What will you call your weapon?"

Hesitating, you glanced around, but remembered what Jakotsu had told you on one of your long, lonesome nights as Bankotsu healed. Names were to give your weapon purpose, to make them loyal, to connect them to you.

"Takahayari," you said, straightening your shoulders and standing tall. "She too will strike like a hawk."

Picking up the tempo, Renkotsu and Jakotsu played even louder, even more enthusiastically, until they brought the song to its sudden conclusion.

Bankotsu and Jakotsu immediately rushed you, taking you in their arms. Renkotsu, ever elusive, clapped a hand to your shoulder with a satisfied look, then backed off, tending the fire. You made eye contact with Ginkotsu, and though he could only grunt his approval, you felt it in his tone, and the reactions of those around you. Though it was a bit awkward, you jogged around the fire and hugged him around the short remains of his neck.

"Now for the one truest tradition for a new member: food!" Jakotsu called, and immediately he began setting fish out beside the fire, while Renkotsu brought a few cooking pots, already full of some mix of vegetables, to sit on the coals he had raked away.

Neither Jakotsu nor Bankotsu could keep their hands off you, and even Renkotsu couldn't resist butting in on conversations with battle stories, travel stories, and plain old childhood stories, each of the band jumping in on each other's tales with more details and laughter.

There was no alcohol at this party, but somehow, it felt lighter than any of those that had. As a group, still joking around, you doused the bonfire and marched back to the main camp, and though yet again you didn't succumb to sleep until the sun rose, this time, you were safe, jovial, and light of heart.

Chapter Text

You woke up fairly early the next morning- not near dawn, but while the dew on the moss around the camp was still damp and the sun was low on the horizon.

Immediately you were drafted to wake up Jakotsu, and, with his grumbling, slow, annoyed help, take down the main tent. That meant first gathering up the bedding, keeping each member's separate as you wrapped them in waxed bolts of cloth, then collecting the dozens of pegs that kept the large communal tent standing, removing the poles, and finally folding the tent itself up, making sure the inside closed against itself and only the outside was exposed to the elements as the Band moved.

Meanwhile, Renkotsu and Bankotsu sorted racks of supplies, loading them onto Ginkotsu. For nomadic mercenaries, they packed a lot, probably because once they had to carry enough for seven men, and, if you had your timeline right, that was even before they had quite so much Ginkotsu to handle it. In other words, they had grown accustomed to having all of life's comforts with them.

It still felt weird to bear the weight of a full piece of shoulder-and-neck armour, but you were excited to get to wear it, not just around camp, nor while terrified and demoralized; this time you could wear it with a reasonable excuse of traveling danger- even the Jakotsu traveled in his largely hidden armour, lest an attack happen.

The Band of Seven followed the base of the mountain west, then turned south along with it, keeping their distance from the village where Inuyasha was occupied, or so you all hoped.

"Renkotsu, are you ever going to explain what's in this stuff?" you asked, swirling the bottle of 'perfume' as you walked alongside Ginkotsu, stretching your legs.

To your annoyance, he looked back, but instead of meeting your eyes, his gaze passed through you to Bankotsu, who you saw nod from the corner of your eye.

"Graveyard dirt, mostly. I returned to our graves to collect it. That is the main trick to making you smell like one of us. The camphor is in there because it is very strong, and as well as covering your scent, should make it harder for a demon to figure out exactly what it is smelling, as it overwhelms the senses. It should also make it seem like we're covering the graveyard scent, rather than yours. The flowers were partly to make it smell better to you, and part to make you smell more local, but largely as a preservative for all that blood."

You sputtered and almost tripped.

"Blood?"

"Did I not say that already? Yes, a couple pounds of pig's blood, it smells a lot more strongly than human-"

"Oh, thank g-"

"That along with a couple pounds of human and demon blood, to really mix with the graveyard scent and make you smell like one of us. Then, as you know, we reduced it to make sure it would cover your scent without a full bath in it every morning. Perhaps I didn't need to add so much blood though, you did join in the hunt earlier and more successfully than I thought you would."

Though you had gagged when he mentioned human blood, it was the end of the statement that made you swallow hard, trying to stop yourself from heaving forward. There was the guilt again.

"What's wrong, Takakotsu? You look a bit pale."

Jakotsu leaned over to look at you, frowning.

"He's right, Taka-chan."

He had settled on this new nickname quickly.

"Why don't you rest for a while? It was a late night for all of us."

You let him pull you up onto Ginkotsu, but you didn't sleep, instead keeping your eyes on the horizon until dark shapes began to muddle the skies.

"Look," called Bankotsu. "We're almost there."

Strange birds, serpents, and other monstrous things were following the same course you followed, straight ahead, and in the distance, you could see more, coming from all directions, spiralling around something on the ground.

"That'll be the demon pit Naraku mentioned. Most of these will be far weaker than the hare demons."

They also seemed to be less humanoid. In fact, not a single one of the demons, even as you got closer to the whorl surrounding who or whatever had the shard, looked like a human.

"Weapons ready, everyone. I'm going to try to get to the center. You guys, try to wipe out as many demons as you can, or we're going to be mobbed before we get out of here. Takakotsu, this will be very different from sparring with Jakotsu or fighting the rabbit demons. They're easier to kill, but they won't be following any strategies or patterns."

You nodded, and he crossed the distance between you, kissing your head.

"You can do this," he said quietly, just to you.

"Let's go!"

Bankotsu tossed Banryū over his shoulder and ran to join the chaos.

Jogging after him with the others, you found yourself amongst the fray before you had even gotten close to the center.

Most of the demons flew fairly far over you, but Takahayari made up for your reach.

At first you just swung and chopped at the demons as they rushed over you, trying to avoid the dark, stinking blood that splashed from them as they fell dead to the ground, but you kept Bankotsu in your sights for as long as you could and soon were imitating one of his moves, catching long serpent-like demons by the mouth and letting their momentum tear them in half.

Squat frog and beetle demons came by land, and you swung the blade in an arc around yourself, slicing through all that ran toward you, occasionally holding Takahayari like a lance and skewering the larger landbound demons.

As you fell into a pattern, you became more aware of the sound of the battlefield- hisses and cries of demons in all directions, Jakotsu's laughter, the whooshing and sizzles of Renkotsu's flames, and the pops and booms of Ginkotsu's canons, along with the constant grind of his wheels and treads over the ground. Though you couldn't see him, now and then you heard calls and whoops of triumph from Bankotsu, deep within the column of demons.

You followed the those cries deeper into the pandemonium, but your arms were beginning to feel the heft Renkotsu had put into Takahayari as you had when you first received it. You really hadn't had much time to catch your muscles up to the weight behind the weapon, and as the fight wore on, you were forced to slow, but you didn't stop, even as your biceps and shoulders ached.

The rain of demons was endless, they dove down from the sky, fighting each other toward the pit that you still couldn't see. It didn't seem possible, even with the large swaths being taken out by fire and canons, that the mob would ever thin.

Still, most of the demons were fragile, for all their sharp teeth and claws, easily sliced apart by your blade, and if it weren't for time pressing on, it would have felt like target practice. Some were more sturdy, especially those truly animal demons with forms like boars and cattle, but they were still little more than animals, and some of the truly horrific ones, diving from the sky with mouths full of jutting teeth, came apart like paper mache.

In the distance, you heard a yell, and knew it was not one of the band, your band. With the yell, a torrent of demons fell from the air.

"Shit!" Jakotsu yelled, before emerging from the crowd.

"I didn't know you were right there," you said, swinging your weapon, but noticing that Jyakotsutō was down by Jakotsu's side.

"It's pure luck that you were so close. Inuyasha's here. I'm going to get him. Keep your mask on and I'll find you if you have to disappear. Chances are his entire group is coming."

You nodded, and though you felt heavy with fatigue, you picked up running toward the center of the pit, whether to assist Bankotsu or just get to the far side, you weren't sure. Thankfully, your knees were not nearly as sore as your arms, and you made good time, dodging around and under demons as you made your way there.

At some point you became unaware of the goings on around you, and you just swung Takahayari at whatever moved, feeling your heart pound in your chest, and your throat running dry as you sweated.

More demons were falling from the sky, truly falling, dead, and each wave of dead demons fell quicker, closer to the previous group than the last.

Before you could bring yourself to think much about it, you swung at a demon, and as your attention left the sky, something heavy fell across your shoulders, dropping you to the ground and knocking the air from your lungs, leaving you collapsed, pinned, and wheezing for air. Your weapon lay next to you, just out of reach, as someone approached you.

"So there's another corpse in the Band of Seven now? I didn't see that one coming."

You met the yellow eyes of Inuyasha, standing tall above you, then broke your gaze, looking down but also trying not to stare at his bare feet.

"Oh, so the mercenary is shy," he taunted. "Where's your jewel shard? It'll be a lot easier if you just tell me where than if you make me cut you apart looking for it."

"Inuyasha, that's a human!" called a childlike voice.

"It's a dead human, just like the rest of the band," he replied, carelessly tossing his sword over his shoulder.

"Kagome's going to be really mad if you torture someone."

Shippō said it matter-of-factly, but you could hear a wavering in his voice.

"Hey! I'm not torturing her, I'm just getting the jewel shard!"

"Then wait for Kagome!"

As they bickered, you struggled, trying to toss what you could now see was some sort of long, furry demon off your shoulders, but failed.

"Hey puppies! I need your ears for my collection!"

You looked around wildly before spotting Jakotsu, not too far off. The demons in the sky had mostly cleared.

"Shippō, behind me," Inuyasha said quietly, but with authority.

"There's another one of them behind you!" Shippō said, looking at you.

"That one hasn't threatened to cut off your ears."

"Don't ignore me! I want you all to myself!"

On the last beat of speech, Jakotsu whipped Jyakotsutō's tail at Inuyasha, and he barely dodged in time.

"Get Kagome, Shippō."

Fuck, you thought, and resumed squirming under the fallen demon.

With some effort you managed to roll onto your back, so you could really get your arms over it, but the stupid thing was heavy. You managed to roll it down to your stomach, then onto your lap, before falling back, spine sore and arms aching.

Panting, you tried to worm your legs out, but for all your effort, and your arms being free, you were pinned.

Twisting around, willing it to somehow slide further down your legs, you banged your hand against something sharp, and yelped.

It was Takahayari, and if you reached just a bit further, you could grab it by the handle.

You couldn't make out much of the battlefield around you, but it looked like the fight had drifted further away. That was good, you didn't have the effort left for subtlety.

Just barely grasping it, you dragged Takahayari closer, then walked your hands down the pole until you felt the upper leather grip. With it solid in your hand, you spun your weapon, and pointed it down to the dead demon.

There was a disgusting, warm gush on your leg where you severed the thing in half, but you were finally able to get out, using Takahayari to then drag yourself to your feet.

No longer able to smell the demon blood, whether due to the amount of dust you inhaled, or the dryness of your breath, or whether you had gotten used to the scent, you hoped it would cover the smell of your own blood seeping from the cut on the back of your hand.

You stood for a while, wishing you had some sort of canteen, but you had left it with Ginkotsu, and though you could still hear the occasional shot, you didn't know exactly where it was coming from, nor even which direction you had run into the battle from in the first place.

Exhausted and barely holding yourself up, you made your way toward the actual pit, which was no longer as obscured by demons. The largest and angriest looking ones still flew around it, occasionally diving at each other, snapping jaws and slashing out, but you were only interested in finding Bankotsu.

That, and staying on your feet until the fight ended.

A shadow appeared in the whorls of dust, and you inhaled sharply, relaxing your grip on Takahayari.

It wasn't Bankotsu though, it was Miroku.

You took your battle stance, and your arms shook, but you didn't know if it was from exhaustion, nerves or reluctance.

"I've heard that you killed a whole family of hare demons," he said, holding out his staff. "What will Kagome think of you," he stated more than asked, and spoke the name you had given up.

"Only one," you said, and cursed at yourself, both for revealing your vulnerability and for being defensive to him, the enemy, "and it's Takakotsu now."

"As much as I don't want to honour that, it will make it easier to talk about you-"

"What do you want, Miroku?" you interrupted.

"This is a warning. We will eliminate the Band of Seven. Go home. Otherwise this is going to end with you dead, discovered by Kagome, or both."

"It isn't that easy!"

"Then you should have figured it out before you murdered someone! I was willing to let you stay here and play house with Bankotsu, but killing? You won't be able to turn back from this."

"Just fuck off, Miroku," you yelled. You didn't need someone to repeat your desperate thoughts aloud.

"Fine! But we will be coming for you Takakotsu."

He spat your name like a vile curse.

You watched him disappear into the storm.

Chapter Text

Something changed. The sandstorm was raging on, but now the demons were returning, diving back toward the center whorl. The winds picked up as more and more creatures swirled above you, and strange gusts came from somewhere to the west, demons falling with each one that came.

Hoping Bankotsu had taken the jewel shard, you waded on through the sand, using Takahayari as a walking stick. Fighting your way out from under the dead demon had taken a lot more out of you than expected, and you had already been struggling at that point. Despite your mask, shouting at Miroku in the storm had meant inhaling some of the finer dust, and your throat felt raspy and sore.

The demons were far more interested in the jewel shard than attacking you now, but the occasional serpent still swooped down, and though you continued to take them down with Takahayari, each swing was slower than the last.

You felt ready to collapse, and wondered why you hadn't taken the out and gone home any of the times you had the chance. Even without enough energy to consider the ramifications of being a murderer, you knew you could never simply rest again. If you quit here, you would either be discovered by Kagome's group, or die by demon, or by the sandstorm itself. If you let your guard down alone, outside of battle, anyone- or anything- could sneak up on you.

You had relaxed with the Band, you reminded yourself. Safety in numbers, and all that, but even then, you had to keep up your guard, not misspeak, and as much as you usually trusted Bankotsu's instincts, you did not feel safe with Renkotsu alone.

It was hard to tell whether it was the overwhelming feeling of it all or that sand had penetrated your squinting barrier, but your eyes started to water. Your vision got blurry and smudged, but you resisted the urge to wipe them and potentially scratch your eyeball.

A voice traveled on the wind, but thirsty, sore, exhausted and half blind, you didn't have it in you to look up and see who it was, nor the concentration to make out the words.

Hands both gripping your weapon, you trudged on, struggling to breathe deep enough to fill your lungs. You couldn't tell if you were actually heading to the center anymore, but you were fairly sure you hadn't changed direction.

Your march slowed, your joints grinding like rusting machinery, barely pushing through each step, until try as you might, you couldn't lift Takahayari anymore and ground to a halt, clinging to its shaft to hold yourself up as sand whipped around you.

Soon you heard the voice again, but the words were garbled, as if you were just awakening from a deep dream, except this time, though you struggled to wake, you faded out before you could see who had found you.

You were only vaguely aware of fabric being wound over and around your head and neck, and didn't resist as the one who found you took your weapon, then hauled you up onto their back.

Trying to say Bankotsu's name, you managed to croak something with a questioning inflection at the end, and it was his voice that hushed you.

It felt like forever that you were carried across the sand, dust, and gravel of the valley, but in time, the sound of Bankotsu's footsteps changed from grating and grinding on the loose substrate to quiet padding, and soon after, branches were brushing over your back and the wind, no longer whipping and howling, rippled through the leaves above you. The air was humid, and though it made you even more aware of the sweat coating your skin, you were relieved to find how much easier it was to breathe.

When he let you down, he did not immediately remove your makeshift veil, instead guiding you to lean against what felt like a mossy rock.

You tried to remove the cloth, but your fingers were stiff.

"I'll get it, just wait a second."

There was some rustling, the tell tale sound of a striker, and quite quickly, the crackling of a campfire.

"Lean forward a bit, and close your eyes, the sun's still bright."

Obliging him, you said nothing, not wanting to risk what was left of your voice.

Bankotsu was gentle, barely touching you as he untied a few knots, then unwound the scarf from your head.

"Okay, you can open your eyes when you're ready."

Squinting, you looked around. As you had suspected, you were in a mossy clearing, and Bankotsu had lit a fire about five feet away, tucked just under the entrance of a small cave. Bankotsu himself knelt before you, covered in dust, a couple already scabbing cuts on his face. Next to him was a large pack, the exterior of which was just as dirty.

"Where are the others? Are they okay?" You fell into a coughing fit from the exclamation, but looked back up to Bankotsu when your wheezing stopped.

He grimaced and began to untie the sheet wrapped around the bundle he had brought.

You stopped breathing.

"Don't panic. Jakotsu and Ginkotsu are okay, but something happened to Renkotsu. I didn't see what, but we think he was poisoned. The others are looking for a stash of Mukotsu's supplies- he knew his poisons, so he also knew his antidotes."

"Why aren't we going?"

Bankotsu looked at you.

"Do you know how long we were looking for you?"

"No." You were sure that you had been either walking or standing the entire time, so it can't have been too long, though taking in Bankotsu's face, you didn't really believe yourself.

"We're lucky we're on the western face of the mountains. We wouldn't have any daylight left if we were on the east side. Jakotsu and Ginkotsu wanted to help find you, but we found Renkotsu first, and I had to send them off with him."

"Oh."

"I'm still not sure how I actually found you; you were as grey as the storm. If you had collapsed, I don't think I could have found you at all."

You sat in silence for a moment, watching Bankotsu produce a kettle from the large pack he had carried, and wondered how he had managed that while also carrying you. Rivulets of sweat striped his forehead, only visible now that he'd tied himself an improvised headband to keep the hair out of his eyes.

"I'll have some hot tea for you in no time. Jakotsu even left some honey with me, though I don't know when he found time to get it, or where."

Although he was concentrating on the fire, you nodded. You would have been happy with cold water, but given the difficulty in speaking up to ask for it and your mild concern about the potability of unboiled water, you didn't bother mentioning it.

When the water was just warm, Bankotsu dunked a scrap of fabric, then handed it to you.

Placing it over your eyes, you sighed heavily as the warmth teased away some of the dry, itchy remains of the sand and the tears that had helped carry it from your eyes once you were veiled. You gently rubbed away the remaining physical crud from your orbits, then used the back of the cloth to wipe the rest of the sweat and dirt away and, when Bankotsu wasn't looking, scrubbed around the underside of your nose, puffing a few times in an attempt to clear the dust and grit you could still feel.

Fire heated the kettle quite fast, faster than the electric kettles back home, so the tea also came to you very quickly anyway. Despite it still being weak and near-scalding, you drained the first cup in one gulp, then chased it with the second. On your third, you finally sat and sipped, watching Bankotsu in order to ensure that he drank as well, knowing that he had been in the sandy valley at least as long as you had, and in the conditions of the storm's center, which were even worse if the look of it was anything to go by.

"I do have some good news, at least. I mean, it's nothing to make up for Renkotsu's poisoning or your situation, but it's something."

"What is it?" you asked, finding your throat a little less sore, you voice a bit less rough.

"Can you stand?" he asked, and you found that you could.

Bankotsu led you through the trees, not far, but into a thicket that was hard to navigate with sore muscles

It opened up into a wide, misty clearing, and rather suddenly, the sound of running water.

Steaming water filled a natural stone basin before you, a narrower stream pouring from a spout-like lip and pouring into a murky creek below.

"A hot spring?"

You moved forward, and Bankotsu let you lead the way to the pool, which you stared into, the water near the edge still enough to see your dirty reflection staring back at you.

Bankotsu crossed behind you, pulling worn wooden bucket from a flat rock and filling it.

"Is this safe?"

The steam was easing your throat just enough to ask more questions.

"This spring is considered holy to those who can find it. I don't think anyone short of Naraku would bother us here. Get undressed."

You obliged him, tossing your dirty clothes out of the way, and Bankotsu poured the water over your shoulders, repeating until most of the grime was off your body, then, with a much gentler touch, helped rinse and comb your hair.

"Let me get you."

You took the bucket, but he stepped away.

"Get in and start relaxing, you need it."

"So do you."

"You're right," he said, and smiled, "but now that I know we're at the right spot, I'm going back to grab our supplies and bank the fire."

You sighed, but obeyed, and melted into the hot water. Thoroughly submerged, you turned to watch him go, but he was already gone. Half swimming, half walking, you moved deeper into the pool, then leaned back, letting your scalp and, taking your time, your closed eyes, soak under the water, letting the warmth penetrate your skin.

"Have you forgotten about me already?"

The words were jumbled by the water around your ears, but you stood upright, shaking your head and hurrying back over to the side of the pool, where Bankotsu waited already undressed. You rested your head on your hands, letting your body float behind you.

"You look handsome."

He grinned, but didn't come closer.

"Someone offered to wash my hair before I got in."

It took an effort, both mentally and physically, to drag yourself out of hot water after beginning to let your muscles relax as you had, but Bankotsu was worth it, standing nude, with his smooth skin, blemished only by battle scars, and his thick, half swollen cock.

When you got your feet under you, you nearly fell over, and he jogged forward to steady you.

"Sit on the edge for a moment, clear your head. I should do a couple chores first anyway."

Disappointed but at the same time relieved, you sat, legs dangling in the water, letting the cool, damp forest air wake you up. While you waited, Bankotsu pulled a stiff cloth groundsheet from his pack, then emptied everything else onto it, including the few items you had been carrying- vials of Renkotsu's perfume potion, the small knife he had given you, a handful of leather strips, and a spare mask, which you now realized you definitely should have put on earlier. Then, he shook out the pack, each article of your clothes, and then his own, and dragged out a half barrel you hadn't noticed before, tossing the dusty clothes, shawl, and bag in, before at last beckoning you over.

"Where did that thing come from, anyway?" you asked, gesturing with one hand as you poured water down Bankotsu's back.

"The tub? There are always a few tubs and buckets kicking around here. The spring wouldn't stay this clean if everyone was stepping into it dirty and washing their clothes. I suppose visitors make new ones when they wear out, and leave the new ones behind. I'm glad they're in good shape today, that box I made you is the extent of my building ability."

You worked your fingers through his hair, clearing away clumps of sand and dust, and wiping his forehead where it had been dripping.

"Are we washing our clothes?"

He shrugged. "Probably not, but at least they're not contaminating anything else if they're in there. If Jakotsu finds us before we leave in the morning, and has good news, maybe we'll stay the extra day to wash and dry them- oh..."

After pouring a gentle stream down his stomach, you were slowly rubbing his cock, stroking his foreskin back, ostensibly to wash him, but enjoying watching him squirm. After another squeeze, you let go entirely.

"I probably should have asked you who this place is holy for, before I start anything," you said, backing toward the water.

"To nature, and to the land spirits... I don't think we have much to worry about, following our natural urges here."

Bankotsu paused, looking around.

"It might be best to avoid getting anything in the water, if you're okay staying out here a little longer."

You shivered, and followed his gaze to a mossy patch near the thin waterfall from the end of the pool, then following him as he approached it, prodding the ground with the heels of his palms, testing for any sharp protrusions.

"Is this good for you?" he asked, and you nodded. It was still cold, but it was refreshing, and some spray from the spring water spattering the slate around you warmed the air just enough to smooth away your goosebumps.

He pulled you down, and you lay on your sides, studying each other's faces.

You couldn't know what he made of yours, though you were sure you had some eye bags and scratches, and that your fatigue had to be obvious. Though you had washed, you still couldn't fully chase the idea that you were covered in dirt; it still felt like you were coated.

Bankotsu though, he was stunning. His eyes looked tired too, but they were still deep, dark, and mysterious. The scrapes on his cheeks had almost disappeared now that the blood and clotting dirt had been eased away in the wash, the one deeper cut that remained marring an eyebrow, but to you, it just brought more strength and maturity to his looks. It had barely missed the tattoo on his forehead, which seemed to somehow glow more gold than purple in the setting sun. You looked down his cheeks, then to his lips, and then you were kissing.

The affection quickly grew frantic, and you rolled on top of him, feeling his cock, hot and hard, bouncing against you as you nipped and sucked at his lips with a ferocity he returned in kind.

He grabbed your ass and though he heaved you up quite roughly, aligning your breasts with his mouth, sucking each of them in turn. You raked his scarred back with your nails, and his hands trailed from your lower back down to your inner thighs, almost grazing your pussy, but always sliding away, teasing you again the moment they made contact.

You moaned, first out loud, then trying to keep your mouth closed, to protect what was left of your voice, while Bankotsu slid one hand down and across, gently rubbing your clit, forcing you to thrust into his hand to get the stimulation you ached for, and finally released your now-swollen nipples, using his free hand to guide you back down to him, kissing you tenderly once, then twice, then thrusting his hips up, as if begging you to take him; so you did.

It took a few tries in order to find a comfortable pace, but then you rode him, hands on his chest, occasionally touching or squeezing his nipples, but mostly holding you upright, giving you maximum purchase as you began to lose control.

Then you yelped, a stabbing pain in your thigh.

"Are you okay?" Bankotsu asked, helping you roll to your back as you clutched the spot in question.

He eased your hands away, and though it still felt like a knife twisting through your muscles, towards the bone, he found, as you had, that the spot was smooth and undamaged.

"I think it's a cramp. Try to relax."

It didn't help your leg, but breathing deeply, you managed to let go of the tension in your neck and abs as Bankotsu massaged the spot. At first he was gentle, but soon he was digging his thumbs deep into your skin.

As suddenly as it had came on, the knot released, and you took a deep breath through your nose.

"I don't think I can get back on top."

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked, placing one hand between your legs, though low enough to be sure he wouldn't touch anything.

Instead of answering, you reached for his cock, squeezing it tight, urging him toward you.

Instead of obeying, he pulled away, then closed his mouth over your clit, sucking, alternating hard and soft pulls in a rhythm you couldn't follow.

Just as it became too much, as you felt engorged and almost bruised, he stopped, and lapped up from the bottom of your slit, up until he flicked his tongue-tip on your clit, several times, then after one more strong suck, began fluttering his tongue, making you gasp involuntarily, almost choking on air. A rush of hot, wet fluid poured down your pussy in one gush, and while you bit down to stop yourself from crying out, Bankotsu moved forward in one fluid motion, sinking himself into you, and setting quick, hard pace.

Which each thrust, you grunted and moaned, just barely managing to keep the sound to your throat, while Bankotsu panted. As he fucked you, your mind drifted- not away from what you were feeling, each sharp jab of his cock kept you grounded, but time slipped away, and you felt as though you were floating, awash in only sensation, until Bankotsu's own cry interrupted your reverie.

He sped up, and your vocalizations rose to a keening, and you reached to pull on his hips, to urge him on faster as your head clouded again, not losing track of things this time, but becoming full with elation as you felt yourself spasm around him. Bankotsu gripped your hips, and pushed harder into you than before, calling out once again as he slammed into you, cock pulsing deep inside you, filling you with his cum.

For a moment he lay on you, heaving for breath, yet still careful to support his own weight, still aware of the soreness in your chest and throat.

You felt yourself hiccup below him, and your eyes watered, so you wiped them, willing yourself to stop sweating or whatever you had done to irritate them.

Then he rolled off of you, pulling out, letting the fluids flow from you, and squeezing your hand once before standing up.

You lay exhausted, and instead of watching him, listened as he poured another bucket down his front, rinsing his dick, then approached you again. When he handed you the full bucket, you met his eyes, then looked away, a hitch in your throat.

In silence, you washed yourself, using a clean scrap cloth to clear away whatever hadn't rinsed off.

"Are you okay?" Bankotsu asked, kneeling to offer you his hand. "Did I hurt you."

"I think so," you said, taking his hand and allowing him to pull you up, "and no."

He seemed to take your quiet demeanour as a hint, and followed close, but silent, as you returned to the water.

"Tea?"

Though you hadn't noticed it before, you then saw the bamboo pot resting on the flat top of one of the rocks framing the pool, two small cups sitting beside it, and you started crying.

"Love?" he asked, reaching for your hand, but you pulled away. He took the hint, and crossed the pool. You could tell he was watching you, even as he tried to hide it.

Once you had started, you couldn't seem to stop. Your sniffles turned to sobs, and no matter how many times you tried to ease the tears away, wiping your eyes and nose and trying to wash your face, to utilize the hot water in calming you again, nothing stuck.

"I'm not mad at you," you managed to choke out. "I don't know what's happening."

"You can cry, Takakotsu, love," he told you, approaching you again.

He touched your shoulder, and you didn't pull away. This seemed to embolden him, and he wrapped his arms around you, enveloping you, touching you from all sides, yet not squeezing, not restricting you.

It made you cry harder.

After what seemed like forever, crying and sobbing and nose running, he released you again.

"I'm getting you that tea."

You looked away, trying to clean your face while his back was turned, so that whatever this was, it didn't have to be embarrassing too.

When he gave you the tea, you drained the cup, feeling it ease your throat and a thirst you hadn't felt creeping up on you, and he handed you his, which you sipped as he rubbed your back.

Whether it was the tea itself, the sugar in the honey, or simply that you had needed fluids, your head was beginning to clear. You couldn't stop crying, but your sobs no longer wracked your body, and the cessation of the convulsions through your shoulders and back made it easier to concentrate.

Unfortunately, concentrating only reminded you that everything was fucked.

You realized, as though for the first time, that you had killed someone. You could convince yourself that most of the demons you had killed weren't sentient, the serpents and enormous insects and other swarming creatures that seemed to be little more than balloons of blood, but the rabbit demon was as much a person as you, and defending himself and his family from a deathly onslaught. You in turn had been protecting Bankotsu, but without the Band of Seven instigating the fight, there would have been no need to protect his back.

Your mind couldn't stop there, though. It scrolled through everything that you had ever fucked up, not in the present-past but in school, and with friends; every person you had somehow truly hurt, as though each indiscretion in your past had led up to this murder, a murder you committed for a man you loved, but one who you knew was a murderer, who you had only known for a few months at best. Even if he had somehow corrupted you, that only meant you were inherently corruptible.

Nausea began to rise in your throat, hot and acidic, making your already sore esophagus burn.

If you didn't leave, and you hadn't, multiple times over you had not taken the chance to leave, not only would you be committing to this life, but to making an enemy of your little cousin, and to never seeing anyone else in your family, nor any of your friends again.

Normally, you knew, it would be catastrophizing to think that everyone could die for your decision, but even without the implications of meddling in time- if there were any at all, given perhaps this had already happened and led to your time in the present, but that was too complicated to worry about when your mind was already spinning through everyone's deaths- you had not only killed but become a part of a framework of mortal danger. Kagome, her friends, each member of the Band of Seven, three of whom were already dead before your arrival, they were all in danger, from each other, from Naraku, and, now that you had held Takahayari and run it through that demon, they were- you all, collectively were- all in danger of your own hands too.

Bankotsu didn't try to quiet you, nor hold you. He kept near, and he made sure there was always a cup for you to drink from, but he gave you control. It didn't take long for you to find your own way into his arms, face buried in his damp hair as you wept.

Chapter Text

When you woke, rain was pouring down in sheets. Your bed was tucked against the back of a small cave, and a fire near the entrance burned bright.

The events of the previous day came back to you as you looked around for Bankotsu- a very quick search, as the entire cave was in your range- and you groaned, suddenly aware of the ache in your neck.

With no idea what time it was, you laid back down, and tried to sleep until you heard footsteps approach.

"Bankotsu?" you asked.

"I'm back," he said, bending his head to step into the cave.

"What time is it?"

"Sometime after midday. You were fully knocked out, so I set some traps a little ways outside of the sanctuary. Jakotsu sent word, Renkotsu is alive."

You rubbed your eyes, then looked back up, rather suddenly taking in his nudity.

"Why are you naked?"

"Oh, right," he laughed. "I didn't want to get my clothes wet and dry them again, it's not exactly going to go fast in this weather. Don't worry, I didn't go far, and I startled this straight into a snare." He held up a small deer with a fuzzy pelt. "I was expecting rabbit or something, but somehow it got its foot caught. The rewards of hunting with none of the effort, I think it's a good omen."

You weren't so sure, but then, it was hard to see anything as good fortune with your mind so occupied.

"You're still not feeling good, are you? What's on your mind?"

He began drying himself, and you shrugged.

"We have until the rain stops before we need to get moving, and I don't think it's going anywhere soon. Even this late in spring rain can bring floods, it's no time to be traveling on foot. There's no trace of anybody else nearby. You can tell me."

"My throat feels better, at least."

It was the one benefit of the storm; there was no longer any dust in the air around you.

Now dry, Bankotsu dropped with grace into a cross legged sit beside you. He looked at you, but didn't say anything.

You could take the hint.

"I'm very far from home, Bankotsu."

"There's no place in Japan too far for us to go, love. We might need to finish up our business with Naraku first, but we can go stay a while if you're still homesick then."

Shaking your head, you turned to him, meeting his dark eyes.

"You are from Japan, aren't you?"

"I am, but it's farther than you think, and it was so different than here, in ways I couldn't begin to explain."

"That's what actually bothering you, isn't it? That this wasn't a life you expected to live?"

You nodded. If only he knew how much.

"I didn't think it could just be homesickness. You've never shown a desire to go home before. Please tell me what's going on, my love. I only want you to feel better."

"I..."

He waited, but you didn't continue, lost in your own thoughts. What would it mean for him to know the truth?

"If it helps," he said. "Instead of telling me about the difference and what is disturbing you, you could just tell me about home. I know you probably didn't expect to be with any mercenary, but if I know, maybe I can make other parts easier on you."

Your heart pounded in your chest, and your head ached. Until this point, you had hardly considered telling him about the future. You knew you wanted to, someday, but that was for some time when there was stability, when you could actually consider the implications before telling him and after, together.

What if Naraku found out the truth? What would happen to Kagome, and your aunt and grandfather and Sota?

This was supposed to be about love and survival and coming to terms with having caused a death- no, having killed someone, actively killed someone.

You jerked back hard when Bankotsu touched your face. You had been so lost in thought and hasn't even noticed his hand coming toward you.

He hesitated, but when you took a shaky breath, he continued wiping your cheeks dry.

"Thanks. I didn't realize I was crying."

"You've been doing a lot of it lately. I hope it's not because of me."

"I never thought I'd have to kill someone."

There is was, out in the open.

"Love-" Bankotsu started, but you shook your head, and he stopped, instead opting to lay a hand on your leg while he waited for you to proceed.

"It's even worse though, because I didn't actually have to kill someone. If I was never there, one of the others would have been watching your back. I just murdered someone on behalf of some madman, one who is hunting my cousin and her friends too."

Bankotsu didn't try to placate you, instead meeting your eyes, showing you that he was listening. He held a neutral face.

"I just don't know what I'm doing," you muttered.

You sat in his arms for a while, tears eventually drying, though your stomach still churned with stress.

"May I say something?" Bankotsu asked, and you nodded.

"What if you had another job and you killed someone? If you were a soldier or a ninja or something? I know you wouldn't choose to, but if you fell into it, like you did into the Band? Even if you didn't end up in that kind of situation, you might have killed demons or bandits raiding your village or something, and known later it was unnecessary. I know it was your first time and you're processing it still, I might not get it, but I understand that that's what happening, but you seem more troubled than I expected."

"If I had stayed home, I'd never have killed someone, I'd never have had to for any reason. I mean, maybe someone would try to kill me and I'd kill them in defense, or something, but the chance of that happening there was close to zero."

Bankotsu furrowed his brow. He was still and studying your face. After a moment, he asked:

"Where are you from, Takakotsu?"

Your jaw, comfortably slack behind closed lips, snapped shut, and you felt your eyes widen from the question, as much as you wanted to hide it. It wasn't exactly shock, because it wasn't shocking. It made sense, the conversation had been edging toward this, but nevertheless, you were not ready for it.

"N- no- nowhere important," you sputtered, stumbling over the words.

"Are you some kind of princess?"

You weren't sure what your face had twisted into, but you were pretty sure that he could tell that 'princess' was so far off that you hadn't even considered it, let alone actually been one.

"I can't think of anything else that you would be nearly guaranteed a life that simple."

"It wasn't simple," you muttered under your breath, but he clearly heard you, as he replied.

"That would explain the strange way you talk sometimes, and what Jakotsu said about you learning all manner of scholarly things, and considering it 'normal' where you came from. It would be normal in a castle."

"I wish I was a good enough liar to go with that, it's a better excuse than the one I've been using."

"What excuse were you using?"

"Exactly."

He laughed, and it echoed around the small cave. It was genuine, and the sound of it reassured you that he still trusted you; he wasn't taking this personally.

"If you want to take that reason, I'll support you. You might have to let Jakotsu in on it though, Renkotsu and Ginkotsu won't trust it if they've never heard of the place. I'm from the south, I can vouch for you to Renkotsu and Ginkotsu, since they've never been there, but Jakotsu grew up down there as well, and as little as he cares about any region's daimyō, he knows who they are."

"That would probably help, especially if Kagome's friends also hear it... and Naraku doesn't hear us planning."

"His wasps and incarnates shouldn't be able to reach this spot, it was another reason I wanted to stay here. We should plan it out before we leave."

"I think you're right," you told him, "but I don't know where to begin. When I say I'm not a princess or anything, I really mean it. I barely know what happens in a castle."

"Well, the better your reason for fleeing, the more excuses you have to 'not want to talk about it,' and the less we need to know about your time there. What do you think about a tragic backstory? Something that happened to drive you to run away?"

You winced, thinking about Kagome.

"I already have my cousin and some of her friends convinced that something happened to me with the Band, I don't really want to lie about any sort of abuse on purpose."

"A death then, maybe? What if the daimyō had done away with someone- maybe your 'mother?'"

"My mom's not around anymore, so that wouldn't be too hard," you replied, slowly, trying to think it through. "Maybe he went into a rage, and thought I wasn't really his child?"

"Perfect. We'll need to talk it through more, but I think that's enough to safely cover some things up."

"Won't Naraku find out I'm lying?"

"No," Bankotsu started, then paused, thinking for a moment. "No," he repeated, with more confidence. "Naraku's reach isn't far south yet, and without naming your 'father' or when you left, it won't be much to look into. There will be plenty of mysteriously dead wives and disappeared children, there's enough war, not to mention infighting amongst nobles, to guarantee for that."

"Okay," you said. "Okay, then, let's go for it, once we're out of this storm."

"You tell Jakotsu, then. I'll make sure he knows not to question it. When I get a private moment with Renkotsu sometime, I'll let slip that I convinced you to talk about your past."

"You're making this seem a lot more simple than it will be."

"And you don't know that yet," he countered. "We can flesh out some more details, but I'm still cold. I'm going to start the tea, then you can make some room for me in that bedroll."

He did, and it took until he crawled in next to you for you to speak up.

"Bankotsu?"

"Yes, love?"

"You haven't asked about my real story."

Bankotsu touched your shoulder, and you turned, meeting his eyes.

"I'll find out when the time comes."

"I promise it's not bad," you offered. "It's weird and hard to explain, but..."

Bankotsu laughed.

"There's not much you could do to put me off, look at who I am."

Somehow, you smiled.

"Even if it were bad, though, at this point I think I know you. If it was bad, the reason for it would be good. You can't stand guilt."

That was a little too on the nose, but you leaned into him, his cool skin soothing your own, and began to doze.

Some time later, it could have been a moment or an hour- you couldn't remember falling asleep, and the sky was equally dark with storm clouds, Bankotsu asked you a question.

"Huh?" you slurred. You cleared your throat, and tried again. "What was that, Bankotsu?"

"I asked if anyone was following you, other than your cousin. Better to know ahead of time."

"Oh. No, no one else knows I'm here, and even she doesn't know I'm here right now. Even if someone else suspects it, they wouldn't be able to come here."

"But they could send someone, couldn't they?"

"No, just Kagome. Kagome's the only one who can come here. Well, she was. Before me."

"But they could send some kind of message, or hire someone who's already here, or something? I'm not trying to be rude, if there's really no one to try to look for you, but I've been worried for a while about samurai and assassins coming after you. I can fight them, but it means extra lookouts at night, and-"

"No," you asserted. "I mean it, completely. There's no one. They don't know I'm here, they can't contact us here, except through Kagome herself, and so far she doesn't know I returned. They might be able to find out, eventually, but there's no way they could act on it. No one would believe them anyway."

"Why not? Do you think you're too insignificant to be kidnapped by the Band of Seven? I'm surprised I have to remind you, but that already happened."

"No, because they don't believe I could be here. No one should be able to come here."

"You say you're from here, so did you grow up somewhere else? Even if so, love, there are boats. Some cities have ports just for the huge ships to the mainland."

You shook your head, trying to think of some way to make it clear.

"I didn't come here by ship, I came here by magic, Bankotsu?"

"Okay," he said, eyes narrowing. "We're getting somewhere."

Then he winced.

You almost spoke, but he shook his head and held up his hand, looking thoughtful.

"I'm sorry, I suppose I've done too many interrogations in my time. I don't need to know this, love, I just need to know they can't get here, and if it has to be by some specific magic, I'll trust you that it's nigh-impossible."

"More than nigh, it's straight up impossible."

"Okay. I believe you."

Bankotsu squeezed your thigh, and you took a deep breath.

"It's okay," you said, keeping your eyes anywhere but on him. "I mean, not the repeated questions, but that you're worried and want to know. It's even more than what you're thinking though, I've kept so much from you. I understand why you're trying to figure it out, and I appreciate that you're trying to help me."

"I went too far," he stressed.

You met his gaze again, and your heart began to pound.

This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

You weren't sure it was ever supposed to happen.

"In the future, no one believes in magic. People who do are considered weird, or superstitious, or if they believe in magic creatures like demons, or real, feasible, huge, acts of magic, like flight or transforming swords or Miroku's wind tunnel, they'd be considered unstable."

"In... where was that? Did you live in some sort of shut-in city with no demons?"

"The future, Bankotsu. I'm from the future."

His interest was obviously piqued, and not in the way it was before, when he'd fallen into questioning you: his eyes were wide, and bright, and he had sat up, alert, searching your gaze, not for the truth, but for more.

"I-" he started, then stopped, staring down the way he did when overcome by thoughts. He breathed slowly, in through the nose, out through the mouth, as though meditating.

"Love," he started again. "I believe you, but... we do have some differences in how we speak. Can you tell me what that means?"

"I don't think it will change what you heard. I was- or will be- born almost five hundred years in the future. And as you can guess, so was, or, so will my cousin. She knew more about the magic than me, I didn't get much of an explanation since we didn't expect to get separated, all I know is that just she could go back in time, no one else could, until I did. She thought it might be because of the beads, the ones like Inuyasha's. They were made around now, they're a relic in my time. Oh god, I hope they're not the same pair, that means having them here is a-"

"Slow down."

Bankotsu rubbed your back, and poured some tea. It was over steeped and bitter, but you swallowed it, accepting the moment to gather your thoughts.

"Okay," you said. "Okay. I don't really know where to start. In some ways that's the whole story, and in other ways, there's more than I could possibly tell you. The part that matters is that I came here, and no one else except Kagome can come here, so there's no worry of anyone I knew looking for me."

Bankotsu stared, though not aggressively. To the contrary, he had a small but genuine smile.

"Please say something."

"Oh," he said, then chuckled at himself. "Sorry, it was a lot to take in."

Feeling guarded, or at least, a need to feel guarded, you leaned slightly away from him. You didn't want to feel his touch or be comforted or anything until you knew he wasn't about to laugh or talk down to you or anything that someone from your own time would do when they heard such a story.

Perhaps sensing your wariness, he reached out slowly, not letting his touch connect until he finished speaking: "I still believe you."

With a sigh of relief, you felt more tension than you had even realized was present melt from your shoulders and stiff back, and you leaned forward to touch your forehead to his chest.

"You can stop, if you want. You've told me more than you needed to, we can do something else now. We can talk about something else, or rest some more, or go out to the spring, or I can cook this serow and we'll have a meal."

"Food," you said, rubbing your head. "Do you have salt? I feel weird."

"No wonder, you do. I'm sorry I stressed you out in that way. Can I ask you one thing though, love?"

"One. The rest has to be after we eat."

Bankotsu touched your shoulder.

"When you're ready, whenever it is, can you tell me more? I want to know about you."

You nodded.

Chapter Text

The rain would not relent, and you realized early on that you would not be leaving the sanctuary on that day. If the sky growing dark much earlier than it had in the previous evenings was not enough of an indicator, the flash flood in the valley below your camp was.

Bankotsu took the weather seriously and rather than searching for saimyōshō or trying to signal the Band, he unpacked more bedding and collected what little wood he could near the entrance of the cave, stacking it near the fire to dry.

Tucked into the little hillside cave, you were fairly elevated, so as long as you stayed put, you weren't so worried about floods; landslides would be the real problem. You added the branches from several saplings to the pile of drying wood- they were thin enough, you thought, to dry out and burn well- and stacked the trunks in the cave, some in the entrance, and others along the back wall. The poles would help to create air holes and dig out if the cave was blocked off. With no better shelter available and travel being even more dangerous than staying still, you hoped it would be enough.

As you dropped the branches from the final pole into the firewood pile, Bankotsu appeared before you, as if by magic, though it was really because of the darkness outside, and you sighed in relief. You hadn't heard anything, but you really weren't keen on being separated in this storm.

"I bought back the traps so they don't get washed away, and look- already caught a hare in the same one as before. It must be a good trail, it's a shame we've got to keep moving."

You flinched at the sight of the hare- it wasn't the first you'd seen trapped, but after fighting the hare demons, it was unpleasant.

"Oh," Bankotsu said, "Sorry. They are good food though, the normal ones, and we could use more fur. Summer may just be starting but fall in these mountains is cold."

"I'll clean it," you volunteered, despite the visceral crawling feeling from your skin. "It'll be good for me.

Bankotsu looked doubtful, but left it with you, hurrying back out the door before you could stop him, for what you hoped would be the last time. You'd only started to field dress the rabbit- you supposed you would be cooking it soon, but you hadn't really gotten past field dressing in terms of meat processing- when Bankotsu entered again, backwards.

With obvious effort he dragged a large half-barrel into the cave, just barely nudging the side of the fire pit.

"Water," he said. "For washing. If we're stuck here anyway we should get all that grit out of our clothes, rather than pack it back into our supplies."

"Oh," you said. "Thank you."

"Don't worry, I'll do it, but could you put together a drying frame for that rabbit?"

You frowned. "How long are we staying here?"

He laughed, rummaging in his bag, and answered as he pulled out a lump of lye soap.

"Not that long. But if I can get it scraped and fleshed it will last long enough to figure out tanning later."

Finished with the rabbit, you took some waxy twine from Bankotsu and lashed together four straight-ish pieces of wood from the firewood pile. It wasn't pretty, but when you tried to pull it apart it stayed solid, so you put it aside, instead helping Bankotsu use some of your emergency poles to create a drying line a reasonable distance from the fire.

With that, done, you set a pot by the fire to boil, then looked back to see Bankotsu cutting the ears free from the rabbit's head. He approached you and the fire, pouring a deep layer of salt out, then placing the ears on top and submerging them in even more salt.

At your questioning glance, he shrugged.

"Jakotsu will get a laugh out of it."

The tension you felt during the chores eased some. This was Bankotsu. Even as he made himself useful and kept an eye on the dangerous weather, he was thinking about the band, and not just with strategy or worry, but considering that Jakotsu certainly would want a souvenir from your accidental romantic hot-spring vacation.

"You're a good brother to him, and a good leader of the band."

He smiled. "I hope I am. Do you want to watch me work on this?"

You agreed, and watched. It wasn't pleasant, but Bankotsu was concentrating too much on not damaging the fragile skin to really talk, and it was something to do, not to mention that it would probably be a useful skill in the future.

When he finished, he stepped out into the rain to wash his forearms, and returned with his clothes noticeably wet.

"Suppose I'll have to hang these with the others," he said as he shucked them off, his tone casual despite the flirtatious grin on his face.

"Yeah, I'd hate for you to get me wet."

You weren't sure how you got through that line with a straight face, but Bankotsu, naked and slightly pink from the cold, was clearly responding.

Sparing only a moment of time to pull the poaching rabbit away from the fire, Bankotsu rushed forward to meet you, then pulled you back, ducking down to avoid the ceiling as he pulled you toward the bedding in the back of the cave. He dragged you down facing him, shoving a leg up against you, which you instinctively parted your own legs for, then locked them around it. His cock pulsed as it grew harder, pressing into your hip, hot and insistent, and you moaned, rubbing yourself against Bankotsu's muscular thigh.

Sliding a hand down his back, you could feel both the raised and sunken scars covering it, until you reached his ass, firm but soft, and pulled him closer by it.

He moaned, not bothering to stifle the sound; he had you alone, the entry to the cave shrouded by rain, smoke, and steam.

"I'm going to-" he started, words chopped apart by his gasp as you grabbed and slid your hand down his cock- "make you come."

You didn't slow down. As much as you wanted to come, wanted him to fuck you senseless, the satisfaction of stroking him to completion was incredibly tempting, the idea of making him suddenly shoot his cum all over you was intoxicating and clouding your mind.

He pulled back, escaping the chains that were your legs, and you groaned in dissatisfaction, until suddenly he was back at your pussy, pulling your pants farther and farther down with his left hand, licking your clit as he slid finger after finger of his right into you, making you cry out in an entirely different way from how you had when grinding on him.

The second you began to convulse and tighten with your orgasm, he stopped using his mouth on you and, using the hand that had stretched you, spread you open, and you gasped with the heat and sensation of it filling you, of the contrast from being stretched wide with his fingers to being smoothly pounded with his thick cock.

Neither of you refrained from moaning and shrieking; you let yourselves fall to the passion without care for dramatics nor modesty, meeting each other's rhythm.

You reached your arms around his neck pulling him into a kiss and tasting yourself, only for a second wondering if it was as hot for him to kiss after being sucked, before becoming to enchanted by his pace and the greed your body felt, and you came again, feeling waves of tremors shake your body, and with the grip of your body, Bankotsu came too, pulsing in you before pulling out and shooting his last shots of cum onto your heaving chest.

"Fuck," you said.

Bankotsu sighed in agreement, pulling you close, apparently not minding the feeling of his already cold cum pressing onto his own chest.

"I'll be right back," he told you, heading for the cave entrance.

"Don't," you called after him, struggling to exit the bedding without dripping on it.

"I promise I'll be safe," he said, and did spend a moment looking around outside the entrance before exiting.

True to his word, he returned almost immediately with a steaming bucket of water.

"I think the storm will break soon. For now, at least we have hot water available to clean up. It wasn't worth it for the clothes, but for you..."

He cut off, meeting your eyes.

"I know you're worried about the weather, but it's worth it for you."

"Hot water's not worth it to me. Would you let me go out there just to get hot water so you could wash your dick?"

"It's not the same, I can't die." He chuckled. "You're worrying too much."

You felt a strange fury in your chest, and rose with it.

"You can still be carried away and buried in a ton of dirt with no way to be found, so excuse me for being worried."

The emotions building in you made you want to sulk, to be dramatic, to turn this into a fight. Instead, you sat down.

Bankotsu began to say something, and you cut him off.

"Just give me a minute."

Your face felt hot, and your mind was racing, racing too much to even settle on what was making it race. The top you wore, even without the padding for your armour, felt constrictive, and almost painful against your skin, and you unwrapped yourself from it, feeling quick relief as only the air of the cave enrobed you.

Forcing yourself to breathe deeply, the heat- both the temperature and the burning fervour of your thoughts- started to ebb away.

"Okay," you said, sighing. "I'm okay. Just a lot of adrenaline."

Bankotsu didn't ask what adrenaline was, but he did sit down in front of you. He gestured, indicating he was listening.

"I guess to start, please don't make light of me being worried."

"I didn't mean to," he said, "I just thought-"

You interrupted.

"I know... or at least, I could have guessed. You don't need an excuse. Please just try not to do it again. And please do think about your safety."

"I will," he said, his tone unusually gentle. "Can I explain though? Not about just now, but how I think about it?"

At your nod, he continued.

"With the Band, the original Band, I had to be very aware of my mortality, but I also had to be willing to do whatever it took to get the job done, and to protect my brothers. Pretty quickly I got comfortable with that, and with the idea that I could die any day, so I just had to be the best I could until then, especially if we could gain immortality in legend, and I knew we could do it. Taking risks off the battlefield feels like nothing compared to actually having people try to kill me."

His tone was clear, but not corrective; he was explaining without arguing that he was right.

"Now I have the jewel shard, and it's far less easy to kill me, so it is easy to stop worrying about protecting myself at all."

"But it's not hard to kill you either," you said.

"Hm? What was that?"

"You said it's not easy to kill you. It's also not that difficult. When Inuyasha found me in the sandstorm, he threatened to cut out each part of me-"

Bankotsu sat up straight, muscles tensed.

"He what? When?"

"When we were all separated in the storm, he found me. That's not what matters- actually, this is too important to forget: he did not recognize me or my scent. Back to my point though, he said he would cut me apart to get the jewel shard, and there was some argument about whether that's torture, but either way, at least their group knows how to kill you. So does Naraku. You have to protect yourself."

"We have to talk about what happened in that storm later. I swear, when I see that mutt next, I'll-"

"Later," you said. "For now please just say you'll take care of yourself."

"I will," he said. "And... no, actually, I need a moment to think, before I say more. Lie down with me?"

You did, melting into his warmth and the feeling of his skin directly against yours, pushing back against him until your bodies followed each other's every curve. Just as you were on the verge of dozing, he spoke up.

"I'm used to leading and protecting the Band, so I've made a point of surviving for them, but I was never careful. This is the first time I've really had a person to live for."

He kissed the back of your head, and you kissed the knuckles of his hand. Neither of you turned to face one another.

"I'll live for you."

You had wanted to stay there with Bankotsu, finally feeling some emotional relief after being stuck in the cave all day, but there was too much to do, too much to speak about, so you left the bed, one slow step at a time, and pulled your clothes back on, tying them into place. Bankotsu followed your lead, and like you, he left his armour off. The rain was worse if anything, no one was going to look for you.

Bankotsu moved the rabbit back against the campfire to cook, and you settled down nearby, sharpening and polishing the blades of Takahayari- neither the sand nor the thick bones and scales of the demons you had cut down did it any favours. With the pot on, Bankotsu looked out from the cave, but did not wander beyond the fire.

"I can't hear any saimyōshō. Let's talk about Naraku while we work."

He found himself a comfortable seat, then unsheathed Banryū, laying the blade across a leather sheet on his lap.

"You're worried he'll kill me," he said, using an unsettlingly bright cadence. "Tell me about it."

"He wants the Shikon jewel. We all know that, he's using you- well, now us to gather the pieces. What do you think will happen if you outstay your welcome, or even manage to bring him every other piece?"

"I haven't given it much thought."

Immediately, you felt a pressure in your temples, and you didn't fight the urge to massage it away.

Seeing you take your face in your hands, Bankotsu continued.

"I hadn't met you yet when Naraku came to me, and I didn't really care what happened after, as long as he'd bring back my brothers along with me. I was the one who led them into slaughter, so even if this wasn't going to last, it was my responsibility to give them this final chance."

"And since then?"

He shrugged, but his eyes were bright, and he couldn't fight off a grin.

"It's just like our first life. Naraku informed me that we'd already become legends- even if he hadn't said it, I knew it as soon as he raised me; why else would he pick us? But this was an excuse to make ourselves even bigger legends, back from the grave to take revenge on the daimyō who ordered our deaths, to be unkillable and unstoppable in an all new way. There was no point in dwelling on whether or not Naraku would cut us off, as long as we took the chance at a new life where we could be feared and revered even more than before."

He laughed, but looked down.

"That, and I'm not ready to think about the others being ended in such an unfair way again. Kyōkotsu, Mukotsu, Suikotsu, they all got to die in battle, real ones, not like the slaughter we were trapped in the first time. That's what they would have wished for, and it's better than having Naraku just pluck their shards out when he tires of us."

"Is that what you'd wish for?"

"I'm not saying I plan on dying before Naraku gets the chance, and I'm not saying I'm planning on giving him the chance. I haven't planned on anything-"

You groaned.

"-but I'd never plan to let any of us sit down and die."

"So," you said, trying not to dwell in your thoughts when instead this could be a moment of actual strategy, "what will you do when Naraku wants the shards back. Keeping in mind, of course, that he's going to have far more shards than you, a fact which you're aiding him in right now, so being able to defeat him in battle doesn't really matter."

Bankotsu shrugged.

"I don't know, but I'm glad you're on my side. Oh, look," he said, and you followed his gaze outward. "The rain's stopped."

Chapter Text

The sky stayed clear through the night, and by noon, the sun was beating down hot. The ground had dried in most areas, though ditches and thickly shaded spots were still deep enough that you had to avoid losing your shoes to them.

You had spent the morning talking as you waited for any remnants of the storm to take shape, and had another soak with Bankotsu, though you had argued that if it was safe enough to use the spring, it would be safe enough to move. There didn't end up being much time to discuss your future-past, as after waking up, Bankotsu had been ready to strategise for more immediate threats, now that he had finally categorized Naraku as an immediate threat, and was eager to bring his plans to the Band.

Before leaving the shelter, he swept it out with a broom you hadn't noticed, and left an offering on a flat stone. You both bowed in thanks, then left, though not before you put on your scent and a light mask.

As soon as you had left the shelter, the saimyōshō swarmed you, and a woman, sitting daintily on a giant feather, floated down from the sky, revealing herself. You could tell by her odd red eyes and her pointed ears, and not least by her magic, that she was a demon.

"Naraku has been wondering where you went."

Bankotsu laughed easily.

"Well, if it isn't Kagura. We took shelter from the storm. I couldn't do much for him if I drowned, could I?"

She narrowed her eyes, then jerked her head toward you.

"Who is this?"

"Our newest member, Takakotsu."

"A new member?"

"Naraku has allowed us to keep some of the jewel shards we find. I thought those were to use as we wanted?"

"I don't think he will like this. But I suppose he can't expect you to function as the 'Band of Four' can he?"

"All to finish the job faster, Wind Demon."

"Of course it is," she said sardonically, shifting on her feather, as though to take off. The saimyōshō responded to the signal, ascending above the trees as Kagura sat an extra moment, adjusting her hair.

Almost too quiet for you to hear, she added, "Don't get too distracted by this fun, mercenary. He's growing more powerful by the day."

Then she was gone, following the wasps into the air.

"If I didn't know better," you said, "I'd think she was trying to help us."

"I wouldn't count on it."

Trekking uphill was taking a lot more out of you than you had expected. It was almost as if relaxing your muscles in the hot spring had only made it harder to continue, and it was the first time since joining the band that you had really needed to take such a steep path.

You tried not to complain, or to pant too much. Part of you blamed yourself for getting separated from the Band, needing to be found by Bankotsu and as such getting trapped by the weather, and the part of you that disagreed and valued the break still came with the desire to travel as fast as possible. After all, Renkotsu was poisoned, and as much spite as you had for him, you didn't want him to die, and you knew that while you might be alright if he did, Bankotsu always regret it if he couldn't be there.

So you worked hard, following Bankotsu up, grappling trees to keep yourself from slipping, not allowing yourself to fall more than a handful of paces behind him.

Crossing a rather barren stretch, where there was little to use for leverage, you let yourself slow, just a bit, since there was nothing to block your vision or separate you from Bankotsu.

"Takakotsu," he said, and you hummed questioningly in response, mostly to avoid showing how out of breath you were.

"You're getting exhausted, we need to take a break."

Knowing better than to protest, you joined him on a flatter ledge, sitting with your legs dangling over it. You wiped the sweat from your face and drank cold tea from a waterskin.

"There's one more thing we have to talk about, and I wanted to do it where none of Naraku's wasps or servants, nor anyone else, can sneak up on us."

"Yeah?"

"It seems more likely than not that we'll see Inuyasha's party again," he started.

"I won't do anything to Kagome," you said, firmly.

He smiled. "It's not that. The priestess can see shikon shards, and you don't have any, so..."

Bankotsu produced two jewel shards from within his sleeve, and they glinted bright in the sun.

"So do I...?" You began to remove your body armour, and he stopped you.

"They can't go in your flesh. Trust me, I've killed enough humans trying to use them, it's not pretty."

"You're human," you said, frowning.

"Not entirely," he said, shrugging. "I was a rotted corpse until recently. I think the power of the jewel is being used up keeping me alive, so there isn't enough left to cause corruption, or not quickly, at least. I didn't ask Naraku to explain it."

"Should I just be holding these, then? Kagome wears hers on a necklace."

"I had another idea," Bankotsu said. "It will be annoying though."

"Oh?"

He took one shard, and pressed it into your hard leather cuirass, over your heart, and you both watched its soft pink glow as it melded into place. It stopped glowing when it was fully enveloped.

"Now if the priestess sees it, it will look like it's in your chest. The annoying part is that summer is coming, and you'll have to wear this whenever there's a chance she and Inuyasha might come across us. It also means Inuyasha might think he can't cut it out of you without also killing you, and that your armour will be a lot stronger than it was already."

"And the other?" you asked. He'd put enough thought behind that one that you had to assume he had plans for the second as well.

"It's less important," he said, "but I was thinking to put it in your mask. It might help protect your face, and even if it doesn't, it wouldn't hurt to have some extra magic so it's harder to have cut off."

"I'll do that. I'll also need to make sure it can't just get grabbed and taken, though."

You pulled one of the masks from Nozomi out of a pocket, and pressed the shard against it, watching it as it merged, then disappeared into the thin layers of fabric.

"If we're lucky, it'll make it a better filter for demonic miasma. If we're unlucky, it might give off it's own miasma and we'll have to move it."

Putting on the mask, you stood up and looked around. It seemed as though you were still alone on the barren ridge. You looked down to Bankotsu.

"I don't like relying on the shards."

"I can take them back if you really don't want them, but it might raise some questions as to why we'd let a new, run of the mill human, one who isn't even a well-known mercenary, join us."

You shook your head.

"I don't like you relying on the shards. Or Jakotsu, or the others."

He shrugged and gave you what was probably supposed to be a reassuring smile.

"It's okay, like I told you yesterday, we'll figure it out."

"Bankotsu," you said, firm and clear, "would you let me die?"

"Of course not," he responded immediately, standing to look into your eyes, cupping your cheek, although he did not look offended by the question. "You've only been with me this spring, but I already can't imagine being without you."

You smiled, letting him know you understood, but continued, only a touch more softly.

"I can't imagine living without you, leaving here forever, either. So please listen to what I'm trying to say: we need to find something else to keep you alive, because the shards are not going to last forever. Maybe they could if it was just down to skill, but with so much of the jewel, Naraku has raw power, and so will Inuyasha if he uses what he and Kagome have collected. One of them is going to take the shards out of you."

"I'm listening," he assured you, "but I don't know that there is another option."

"There has to be."

You and Bankotsu found Jakotsu, Ginkotsu, and Renkotsu later that night. Ren looked paler than usual, and there was a shakiness to his motions, but he insisted he was fine. Bankotsu encouraged him to rest longer, but in the end, you all had agreed to keep moving in the morning.

It was time for the final show of loyalty in joining the band: tattooing.

Chapter Text

Renkotsu was still visibly weak in the morning, but he insisted he was fine, and that the band keep moving.

It took several days weaving down the mountainside and along a valley with Ginkotsu, but eventually you reached a thick, green forest, too thick for him to enter.

"I should have thought of this," Renkotsu said. "We have not been back here since Ginkotsu's latest modifications."

"You'll have to stay here," Bankotsu told Ginkotsu. "We can't risk the visibility of cutting a path for you. Renkotsu," he continued, "stay with him."

He nodded, and, you thought, looked almost relieved.

"We will be back before midday tomorrow, perhaps even late tonight. Jakotsu, come with us. Renkotsu can handle himself, and I want your eye on the look of Takakotsu's tattoos."

Renkotsu looked proud, even a little haughty, to hear that, especially with the buried slight to Jakotsu.

You said some casual goodbyes, then entered the wood. Jakotsu was eager to speak to you, to tease both of you about your 'romantic evenings' and to complain about the difficulty in finding Mukotsu's remedies.

You enjoyed listening, but it wasn't just for enjoyment that you listened. Bankotsu had been sending you warning glances when you spoke about your time alone, and so you resisted talking about anything important.

Jakotsu's latest details to the story were interrupted when a small rock dinged him, directly in the centre of his forehead. He raised Jyakotsutō, but Bankotsu held up his hand.

You followed Bankotsu's eyes to the branches of a tree, and something moved.

A fey creature shuffled forward along the branches, brandishing a sling and another stone.

"Hello," Bankotsu started, informal as ever, but friendly. "We are just passing through."

It shrieked a noise out, something between a hiss and a screech.

Bankotsu backed up.

"We will go around your nest, if you like."

It raised its head, and you finally got a better look. It was covered in loosely floating feathers, blending its silhouette with the shadowy leaves behind it. Its shape was vaguely humanoid; it had no arms, but instead wings, and three-toed feet gripped the branches below it. Whatever appendage held the sling up was hidden under its natural shroud. Its face, however, was like a porcelain doll, with small dark eyes, a soft blush, and delicately parted lips.

"Too close," it croaked.

Bankotsu took a large step back, and you and Jakotsu followed suit.

The little beast watched you.

"Let's make a trade." Bankotsu said.

It cackled.

"I will give you this fur for your nest," Bankotsu said, producing the half-preserved serow fur from his pack. "If you go back where we came, and tell us if we are being followed."

The creature stared at Bankotsu, emitting a clicking noise.

"Fur, and stay away," it countered.

"Of course," he said. "We are only here for Sumishige."

"Stay."

Bankotsu obeyed, and the feathered thing flitted into the air, flying low above the trees.

"Some conversations are best had alone," Bankotsu said, still looking in the direction the thing had headed.

The three of you waited in silence for its return, and soon, flapping noisily, it landed on the same tree it had gone from.

"No one spies," it said, in its creaky voice. "This way."

Bankotsu followed the creature, and you and Jakotsu in turn followed Bankotsu, as it led you in a wide semi-circle.

"That way," it finally said, indicating for you to continue on.

"Thanks," Bankotsu said, and took the path before him.

"Don't come back," it called over your heads before disappearing into the deep foliage.

Only perhaps ten long paces along, Bankotsu turned to you and Jakotsu.

"Takakotsu, you should fill in Jakotsu."

So you did, starting with your real background- Jakotsu didn't have the same disbelief, nor the deeper curiousity that Bankotsu had, yet the shallower questions he asked were perhaps even better at revealing what life was like in the future- food, clothes, vehicles, men; Jakotsu wanted to know about the experience of your time. It also seemed to relax him some about your education, now knowing it not only was widely available to children, but in fact that kids were forced to attend.

He repeated your fake backstory a couple times, and Bankotsu joined in, each of you telling the same information in different ways, ingraining it into your brains.

Jakotsu was more surprised by the idea of abandoning the jewel shards, and moreso by the idea that Bankotsu thought Naraku could indeed kill him. He agreed with the logic, that Naraku had armies at his disposal, more jewel shards than they could count, and countless shadowy incarnations, but he still still spoke of the idea with disbelief. To him, no one could counter Bankotsu's skill.

"So," Bankotsu continued. "Around villages- demon and human- you will be on the lookout for the solution."

"This seems like Ren-kun's kind of job," Jakotsu said, sighing and looking to the sky.

"Renkotsu doesn't need to know about it yet. It would bother him, and it would only depress Ginkotsu. If we find a skilled enough healer-mage, we might even be able to get him out of that machine."

"Besides," he continued, "this isn't information we can get with threats. You are much better at getting this kind of information out of townsmen."

Jakotsu straightened up with a waggle of his shoulders.

"I suppose I can't help that you know me so well, brother. I'll do it; I'll make any man who could know the secrets of resurrection scream my name and I'll cut him down once he tells me."

"Good. We haven't had time to get any information, but I did hear of a place with several miraculous recoveries from Suikotsu, the first time around, and it's in the direction Naraku has us heading."

"You didn't tell me that," you said, finally breaking into their conversation.

"I wasn't sure how we could make use of it yet," Bankotsu said, "and I still don't know if it's even a real lead."

That didn't stop you from feeling put out, and he must have sensed it, as he pulled you close, close enough that you could breathe his scent through his armour. It felt oddly intimate, for just walking around, until Jakotsu slammed into your other side, wrapping his own arm around your waist.

Although you'd enjoyed that intimate second with Bankotsu, you welcomed Jakotsu, feeling your mood lift as if by the brute force of his hug, and before long, you were singing old drinking songs as you walked, most of which he actively taught you.

The woods grew even denser around you, and you felt yourselves to begin uphill. There were real old-growth trees here, most thicker than the three of you together, and some so thick that had the three of you held hands, you still could not encircle it. The sky darkened, and the canopy cast a deep shadow over the path. A storm was coming.

Through occasional gaps in the deep green leaves above you, you could see the sky growing darker and darker, and you found your ears beginning to hurt. Only a few stray drops of rain had yet fallen, but you huddled closer to Bankotsu, and as a group you walked faster than before.

Jakotsu, several steps away from the two of you, had pulled out what looked like a rather flimsy parasol- you weren't even sure it was meant to be waterproof. It was only large enough to cover him, if that.

"We're almost there," he said casually, as though he'd been the one leading this expedition.

Bankotsu stopped for a second, looking around.

"We are. I haven't been here when it was quite this dark before."

"I have," Jakotsu said, with an indelicate laugh. "This way."

He lead you off the main track, along a slightly worn deer trail that forced you to walk one-by-one. The rain was picking up, creating an echo-like effect as it cascaded through the flora, bouncing off the wide leaves and fronds of fern before heavily striking the ground. You kept your head down, watching your feet to avoid rain blearing your vision any more than the darkness and mist were already.

A flash of light caught even your downturned eyes, and an incredible, echoing crack of thunder sounded not a second later. You froze, trying to remember exactly how to tell the distance of the strike from the sound- was it a mile per count of silence? Whatever it was, you were fairly certain it meant the lightning had struck close, and you hoped you were imagining the faint scent of smoke twining into the sensations of rain, ozone and electricity.

Realizing you had fallen some steps behind, you hurried up, and Ban turned back as though making sure you were still there, then took your hand, and pulled you out of the rain, into the lightning-cracked base of one of the massive trees.

"We're here."

Bankotsu produced a torch, a dry one, from somewhere you had not seen, and lit it, revealing several more in brackets along the wall. There was a heavy ladder against one wall, and above it a small trap door.

He handed you the torch, then went up first, opening the door above him. He seemed to be talking to someone, then suddenly pulled himself inside.

"Go on," Jakotsu told you.

So you too climbed the ladder, to the square of light above. When you popped your head up, trying to look around, Bankotsu took your arm and helped pull you in.

Around you was a round room with a high ceiling. Art with heavy brush strokes surrounded you, depicting the forest, storms, ships upon the sea, and all manners of demon. Some were painted simply, though even the suggestion of the features through several lines was enough to give not only form, but personality. Others were painted in many colours, with detail so complex you could make out the seaweed beneath the waves, or each tooth in a fox's screaming mouth.

"What are your thoughts?" asked a man you hadn't noticed before.

"Oh," you said, struggling to answer on the spot. "It's very impressive. I like the animals."

He laughed, a sound like that from striking hollow wood, and you took a better look at him. He was a bit smaller than Bankotsu or Jakotsu, who had just entered the room, and though you sought to meet his gaze, there was something deep and murky to his eyes.

"For your tattoo, young one."

You must have looked at a loss, for he laughed again.

"Take your time."

As you looked down, noting that the floor was a single wooden round, slightly curved up to connect to the walls at the very edges, Bankotsu kept talking to his associate.

"Not worried about floods are you, Sumishige?"

"Why, is that what washed you out from the grave? I admit, I'd heard rumours, but I wasn't ready to believe it myself, until now."

"You can't think that would be enough to keep me away?" asked Jakotsu, stroking his arm.

"I should have known better," the artist agreed. "It must be true that you were dead then, or you couldn't have avoided me so long," he said, the smallest hint of a question in his voice.

"For ten years," Bankotsu said, joining the conversation. "And for the first time in even longer, we have a new member."

"Of course. And this is she- you want the usual ink then, do you?

"The usual or better- but you haven't exchanged names. Takakotsu, this is Sumishige."

"Nice to meet you." You bowed your head slightly, trying to show respect,

"And you- Takakotsu, was it? Sit down here," he said, indicating a low stool.

You did, and he sat across from you, just slightly taller than you were, and took your chin in his hand. It took some effort to not naturally recoil.

He hummed to himself, turning you face one way, then the other, then pulled out a paper to lay on the table beside him. Quite quickly, he used a thin brush to draw the outline of your face, then added your features, but no hair.

"We'll give that a moment to dry," he told you. "So, you're ready to join the Band of Seven. How did that happen?"

You glanced at Bankotsu, and Sumishige laughed.

"I don't need to know anything you don't want to tell me, but you can trust me to keep secrets."

He allowed you a moment to think, but his gaze grew attentive when you took a breath, psyching yourself up to start.

"I came here from a far-off part of Japan, and Bankotsu kidnapped me."

There was a glint in Sumishige's inky eyes, and he glanced from Bankotsu to you.

"It was... bad. Really bad. But I started to get accustomed to the Band, and them to me. I made friends with Jakotsu-" the man in question squeezed your shoulder, and you could sense his smile- "and Bankotsu and I... connected soonafter. After that, I started to become involved, and they were willing to let me go, but they also offered to let me stay, and I did."

It sounded bad indeed laid out like that- you had almost forgotten the time in which you were dragged through the mud and left to the elements, ropes chafing your wrists. It felt like a dream, and in some, incredibly wrong way, a rite of passage. You looked down at your hands, vaguely aware of your gratitude that nothing had scarred, not physically. That reminded you how to continue.

"It was hard for me to start fighting, or to kill, but I managed, and I officially became a member, not just someone following Bankotsu."

"She saved my life," Bankotsu said, and you turned to see his face, beaming unabashed.

Sumishige looked at you with interest beyond just attention to the story.

"There's something else that's made you stay here," he told you. "And a reason you wish you hadn't."

You nodded, meaning to plan your answer, but "I feel like I betrayed my family," spilled from your lips. "I want to be here, but I betrayed my family to stay, to join the Band. I never would have thought of myself as someone who would do anything I've done to belong here."

He looked pleased that you had answered so candidly, but did not push for more.

After a few moments, you continued. "This feels like a dream, an opportunity I should never give up, or let myself wake from. That's why I want so deeply to stay, beyond my love for Bankotsu or Jakotsu, beyond how guilty I feel."

Sumishige made a few marks with charcoal on his paper, but they didn't look like much of anything.

"There is the matter of my payment."

"Are you taking gold now?"

"Of course not," he scoffed. "The one who brings my rarer supplies has an arrogant new apprentice. He has shorted me several times now. I'm sure you can take care of it."

"Shouldn't I?" you asked, and Sumishige shook his head.

"You need to stay here, or we will never get this tattoo done. First though, Jakotsu- take this."

He handed Jakotsu something that looked like a metal tree, its 'root' stuck in a large clay pot.

"You will be able to tell when it is full. I suggest you carry it by the jar."

Bankotsu took the details of the disloyal trader down, then he and Jakotsu left together, leaving you with Sumishige.

"Come over here. I'm going to put your hair back," he told you.

"I can do that myself," you told him, sitting on the platform he'd indicated and producing a tie from your bag. Detangling it with your fingers, you pulled it back into a pony tail as tightly as you could, still unused to the ribbons you'd been given.

"That will do. Now lay back."

"Are you already starting?" you asked, though you obeyed him.

He laughed, and you relaxed just slightly.

"No, I will show you the design, and warn you first."

"How are tattoos done here?"

"Not much different than anywhere else, I suppose," he replied, leaving you just as oblivious as before. "The difference is in the art," he indicated his walls, "and in the ink."

"What's in the ink?" you asked. "What makes yours special?"

"I can't tell you the recipe," he said, his back to you. "But there are some ingredients I need to order in from you humans, and some from this particular forest."

Even through the thick walls of the tree, you heard the hammering of thunder, and something clicked.

Sumishige sighed.

"It's a pity I can't have windows to watch the storm."

"You gave Jakotsu- Jakotsu- a lightning rod?"

He looked back to you, eyes widened, the deepest parts of them looking even darker than before.

"And how would you, a mercenary, know about such a thing?"

You started to mentally scramble for an answer, then remembered why you'd even brought it up.

"Are you trying to kill him?"

Sumishige laughed again, the sound like a bamboo wind chime echoing throughout the room.

"He will do just fine. You're going to trust me with your face, so trust me with him. Or wait, he'll be here soon. Now tell me, what do you know about capturing lightning?"

You opened your mouth, then closed it, trying to think of an answer.

"Not so much," you said, and it was the truth. You knew about electricity and its uses, of course, and barometric pressure, and so on, but as far as harnessing lightning, it pretty much came down to the kite experiment. "Where I'm from, we use lightning rods to prevent it from striking other things. The charge- the lightning, I mean- goes into the ground."

He looked at you sternly, but didn't press you further.

"The lightning is one of the most important parts of creating the ink, and I need it fresh. It takes much more than that, of course, so don't get any ideas."

"I wouldn't know where to start," you said, genuinely. "Is this for all your inks, or just the one Bankotsu requested?"

"I do have plain ink, for the rare occasion an... unaltered human comes through. This ink is one that will last even in the skin of demons as they heal, and you are getting the most advanced version of it."

"What's the difference? And why would Bankotsu have needed demon ink the first time around?"

"Why do you all have jewel shards? You're human."

"The Band needs them to-" you cut yourself off. "The Band needs them."

"And you?" he asked.

Before you could figure out your answer, he continued.

"Just as the Band can use the stones to become stronger, even though you are neither pious nor demonic, and humans can use demon weapons, at least for a time, demon ink and its magic work on humans... that, and your leader does have a habit of wanting the best."

"What does it actually do though?"

"It will stay in place and be visible when demons change forms, though I suppose that doesn't apply to you. When applied properly, it does not shift or blur the way human ink will with time. There are too many uses for it in modifying or amplifying a demon's power to list. What is important for you is that it can disappear when you need it to."

You remembered the time you'd woken up in the temple, Bankotsu and Renkotsu both plain-faced and peering over you, and the facets of Suikotsu came to mind.

"Unconsciously too, right?"

"It is rarer, but yes. If you are thinking of Suikotsu, I don't suggest you plan on it. Practice, work on willing it off and on. He was... a unique case."

The trap door clattered open, and Jakotsu hauled himself in on one arm. He was soaking wet, and his other arm was wrapped around the clay pot holding the lightning rod.

Sumshige crossed the room to meet him.

"I almost got hit by lightning, you-"

He fell silent as Sumishige gave him a soft, chaste kiss.

"Thank you, Jakotsu. Now we can make the ink for your friend here."

"You can't just-"

"If you go to my quarters, you can hang your clothes and find something to wear. Hurry, or I'll get started on-"

Your head jerked up.

"- without you."

"What did you call me?" you asked, feeling your brow furrow.

Across the room, Jakotsu headed up another ladder.

"Takakotsu, of course," Sumishige answered, but there was mirth in his murky eyes, and you were sure he had said something much more familiar. "Now, I need to concentrate while making the ink."

He turned his back to you, hiding his process, but you could hear him grinding ink, then the tapping of a mortar and pestle, the sound growing crunchier as he added ingredients, until it finally progressed into what sounded like a smooth slurry.

Jakotsu came down again, dressed in olive hakama and nothing else, but stayed quiet, waiting next to you as Sumishige worked.

Just as the boredom was getting to you, there was a loud crack, and the room smelled of ozone.

"It's ready. Come see what I've drafted for you."

You got up and looked over his shoulder at the sketch he'd made of your face, and saw that he'd used charcoal to mark out the lines of the tattoo.

Stark in the centre of your forehead was an elongated diamond shape, stretching from high up it, down to the start of your nose bridge. Although it looked incredibly bold and thick compared to your currently inkless face, especially since it was marked out in black, you could tell that it was a bit thinner and more delicate than Bankotsu or Renkotsu's forehead tattoos.

Along the hollow of each cheek, Sumishige had drawn another shape, stretching from where it began, thick, just in front of the ears, swooping low below the cheekbone, then curving up slightly and tapering toward the apple of your cheek, and coming down to a point a finger's width outside your lips, just barely below the level of your mouth.

"I think this highlights your facial structure very neatly, but of course, it is up to you," Sumishige told you. "We could do just the forehead, or the cheeks, or even one cheek. If you hate it, we can talk something else out."

"Hey, you never offered me another option," Jakotsu whined.

"Because I knew there was no better option for you. I think the same for Takakotsu here, but it is a rather bold look for a new initiate, and a woman besides." Catching your eye, he added, "Not that you can't wear it, of course, but it's not a popular look with the she-demons who come through."

"I'll take it," you said, though Jakotsu interrupted you before you could say more.

"First you give me these boring hakama, now you tell me I have masculine tattoos-!"

"Perhaps you shouldn't have spent so much time showing me your manhood, Jakotsu."

You snorted, and this time, when Sumishige turned to you, you were certain of the laughter in his eyes.

"Besides, I don't recall telling you to put those on. I have something far more appropriate waiting for you. I suppose will have to show you, later."

Jakotsu blushed, and you couldn't remember if you'd ever seen him flustered before- if you had, it had certainly not been from something so mild.

"Now what were you saying, dear?"

"Oh," you said. "I'll take it, these ones as is. I trust your judgment."

You weren't entirely sure you did, but you trusted Bankotsu and Jakotsu, and you did not think you could come up with a better tattoo that would still suit a member of the Band of Seven.

"Excellent. Lay back, and we can begin."

You moved back onto the platform he'd sat you on before, and stretched out on your back.

Sumishige handed you a round pillow for your neck, and you accepted, tucking it between the places where the base of your skull and the tops of your shoulders touched the thick blanket cushioning you. Then he wiped your face down with some clear solution, and brought his bowl of ink over- it was a deep clay grey- and sat next to you.

"This is your first tattoo?" he asked, though it was more of a statement.

You nodded.

"Would you rather I started with the worst so it's out of the way, or worked up from the easiest?"

"Worst."

"Brave, but do tell me if you feel faint. Sometimes one's endurance runs out." He traced his thumb over your forehead. It was thick with the same solution.

"I suggest you close your eyes. Wouldn't want any ink or blood getting into them."

The last thing you saw before snapping them shut was what looked like a thin paintbrush with needles for bristles.

You almost flinched when he first stuck you, but breathed deep and tried to relax.

Jakotsu asked you something, but you didn't hear it over the sensation of Sumishige's work. It felt like you were being scratched repeatedly and deeply. You managed to answer him the second time, but continued to struggle until he started to just speak over you, to Sumishige. You tried to meditate as the sensation grew more and more familiar, but even at your most relaxed, anxiety prickled in your chest. At least, you told yourself, if it looks awful, it can be hidden.

You weren't sure how long it had been when Sumishige finally stopped, not for just a moment, but for several, just wiping your face with a damp cloth.

"Your forehead's done. Here is a mirror. Don't try to will it away until it's healed."

Not knowing how to get started at such a thing anyway, you took the mirror.

You skin was red and a bit puffy, and you could see blood pricking through the dark ink, but you were surprised by how natural it looked. It was jarring, of course, seeing your reflection with such a strong change, but it seemed as though it belonged.

"Okay," you told him. "We can do the rest now."

He nodded, looking proud, as though he understood your silent study.

Before you could lay back down, he handed you a large cup of tea, which you took and gulped, just realizing how thirsty you were, only realizing on your third swallow that it was honeyed.

"We need to keep your strength up," Sumishige said. "Lay down, this should be a little easier."

It was, and though your head was now somewhat cloudy as the sensation overwhelmed you- less painful now, but still new and strange. He moved outward, blending the ink into the finer hairs in front of your ears, which rang.

Your head ached, and you willed yourself to sleep through it.

You didn't manage to. It was a long wait.

As Sumishige worked on what felt like the point of the left contour, you heard the trap door open again.

"It's pissing rain," Bankotsu grumbled. "You sure you aren't concerned about floods?"

"The rains are frequent and fierce, but the excess drains before floods can form. I'm sure Jakotsu can find you a change of clothes and somewhere to hang those while I finish up on your new member. How was your venture into town?"

You heard something being placed on the floor, then a heavy thump, the sound of Bankotsu's wet garments hitting the ground.

"You've got a good supplier there. He had a new pack made up for you, and he was fighting with that apprentice already when I got there, trying to kick him out. Nothing for him to worry about now, of course."

"Put the supplies down on that bench there. How did that go?"

Bankotsu made a 'tch' sound through his teeth. "That idiot was far too old to be an apprentice anyway. Far too opinionated as well, and stupid, if he was crossing the head trader's demon clients. Pissed himself when he saw Banryū, before I could even threaten him."

"And?"

"And he's dead and out of everyone's way now. You're already working on Takakotsu?"

"We've finished. Come over and see her."

With that, he stopped poking your face, and you opened your eyes as he wiped down your cheeks and around your ears.

You couldn't help but smile when you saw Bankotsu, and you felt some strain on your face from the abrasion, however mild it was.

Keeping his face neutral, Bankotsu asked what you thought.

"I look like I belong in the Band," you answered honestly. "Not just for having them, but I think I look... sharper, stronger."

He finally reacted, and you were relieved to see him smiling.

"You look beautiful. Instead of covering your face up, they bring your features out."

Sumishige made an annoyed noise, and Bankotsu amended:

"As should be expected from Sumishige's work. There is a reason we came to him. Are you going to leave her like this, though?" he asked, turning away from you, and you felt a flare of anxiety. What was wrong with 'this?'

"You didn't ask for a price to heal it," the demon told him with a wry laugh.

"Because it should be assumed!"

As they bickered- and it was only bickering- you breathed slowly, banishing the nerves away. It was about it being healed, not about your face being ruined.

"Fine, fine. You clean up this mess, and I will do it now. There is lye for washing by the entry, and there will be water in the cistern. Bring a torch down and work on it there; I don't want grey water all over my home. Might as well do it now while you're just in your juban, unless you want ink all over your clothes."

Bankotsu rolled his eyes, then gave you a soft kiss.

"Looks like I will be busy a while longer."

With that, he gathered up the various cloths and rags Sumishige had used, grabbed a torch and a nondescript jar, and disappeared down below.

"I should probably be doing that," you said to no one in particular as Sumishige rummaged through a nearby box.

"He's never made any of us pay to join, and that's what your tattoos are for." Jakotsu answered. "So instead of worrying, appreciate him."

You nodded, and indeed, thought about everything he had done for you. He had taken you in- no, you told yourself, that wasn't where you wanted to go- he had shown you patience training you, trusting you, giving you the time you needed to train with Jakotsu. He had welcomed you, clothed you, armed and armoured you, and taught you not just to fight, but he had and still was teaching you to survive in this reality. He kept your secrets.

Looking at his white kosode hanging along a pole against the wall, then at his more colourful armour, propped up next to it, you sighed. Then, blushing, you remembered other things, physical things, that you very much appreciated about him.

Sumishige looked up from where he had been silently grinding and mixing the ingredients he'd found, meeting your eyes.

"Calm yourself down," he said, and you blushed harder. "Let me apply this."

You sat still as he smeared a greenish translucent gel over your face- not just the tattoos, but your entire face. It was cool, soothing, refreshing, then there was a surge of tingling, and what felt like swelling, fully waking you from your reverie.

There was a glow of light, then he wiped your face with another cloth, then handed you a mirror.

It was your first time seeing the contour tattoos, and you took a startled breath. It was dramatic, yet you could also see what Bankotsu had meant about it accentuating your natural features. The colour had changed, too. The ink was still grey, but less saturated, with, you thought, a touch of dark lilac tint to it.

As if hearing your thoughts, Sumishige spoke up.

"As I said, the ink won't fade like a common tattoo would. It only changed from your skin growing over it. Wait at least five more days before you try to hide it."

"You never asked me about the colour," you said.

"This was the best option for you."

You didn't respond. After all, you were satisfied with it, and you didn't know what arguing could do at this point.

"You are a very interesting subject. If you want a more conventional kind of art done, you should come back here. We haven't time for it before you leave, but perhaps the hawk you are named for."

"I'll think about it," you told him.

He didn't answer, instead ascending the ladder to his sleeping quarters.

"Do you have other work from him?" you asked Jakotsu.

He grinned, one side of his mouth pulling up in a slight smirk.

"No. I've come back here, but we never seem to find enough time for it."

By the time Sumishige was happy with Bankotsu's cleaning effort, it was dark outside, and still pouring rain. He brought down some soft bedding, and you lay curled against Bankotsu, between him and Jakotsu, until Bankotsu's breath settled, and Jakotsu quietly exited the bed. You could just barely see his shadow in the dim light, gliding toward the ladder upward.

Chapter Text

The morning passed in a blur, and you had hardly woken up before Sumishige had hurried you out of his atelier and into the warm morning air.

It was humid out, and none of you talked much on the trail back through the forest, though Jakotsu certainly looked proud of himself- you doubted his silence would hold long.

All around you, you could smell the rich, ancient scent of the forest. The moss, the soil, the evergreens, they filled the air as though activated by the night's storm.

Bankotsu was true to his word, or at least you assumed so, as you did not see the small demon from the day before again, and your path, despite the better weather, seemed to go through an even darker patch of woods than the day before.

When you rejoined with Renkotsu and Ginkotsu, Jakotsu became almost artificially bright and started in on his tales of the night before. You couldn't be sure if he had been saving it for a bigger audience, had been too tired during the morning forest walk, or if he had just brought it up to annoy Renkotsu, who looked pissed off, moreso the longer Jakotsu talked.

Ginkotsu, on the other hand, seemed interested, and occasionally made a throaty rumble that you were pretty sure was laughter at some of Jakotsu's innuendos.

If nothing else, Jakotsu's stories at least confirmed that Sumishige did indeed have the promised fine, feminine clothes waiting for him.

"Taka-chan," Jakotsu hissed at you, later, as you walked behind Ginkotsu, lost in thought.

"Hm?" you answered, and he held out a folded paper.

"What is it?" you asked sternly, not yet opening it.

"Just look!"

You raised an eyebrow.

"Fine. You're no fun at all. It's Sumishige's sketch of me."

You flipped the paper open, and were greeted with a small painting of Jakotsu in an elaborate kimono with the obi in a complicated knot at his front, his hair falling free around his shoulders. There was a colourful, almost garish pattern of squiggled lines on the fabric. The surrounding kimono was filled in as a soft blue. There were two green fangs descending from his eyes and just a touch of pink to colour Jakotsu's lips.

"I have no idea where he got that thing," Jakotsu said, gesturing to the kimono, "but I'd have to kill someone pretty noble to find one myself. I think he painted the snakes on himself, not that he'd admit it."

Looking closer, you saw that the pattern was indeed one of flashing serpents, repeated across the fabric.

"It's beautiful, Jakotsu," you said, honestly. Then in a wry tone, you added "I expected it to be more explicit."

Jakotsu reached into his sleeve and pulled out a second folded paper, holding it up between his index and middle fingers.

"All you needed to do was ask," he said, holding it out before you. "He keeps most of them for himself, but I got this one with a little... bartering."

"No thanks."

"Psh. Women." He turned up his nose, but just a few steps later nudged you with his shoulder, giving you a friendly jostle. You stumbled, but laughed, and fell into easy conversation about the wilder of his exploits.

Bankotsu was noticably absent from your conversation. Even as the topics drifted to battles and glory, and Jakotsu looped in Ginkotsu and Renkotsu, he walked along ahead, uncharacteristically stoic, until leading the group up a small hill and out to a rocky overlook.

Below you was a village of thatched-roof homes, surrounded by high pointed fences, with one large gate. In the distance, you could see the geometry indicating a small city, and a road between the two.

"There have been rumours," Bankotsu started, facing you and the rest of the Band, "of a miracle worker living here. Naraku suspects a jewel shard is being used, especially given their recent fortification. Ginkotsu, Takakotsu, and I will be setting up camp nearby. Renkotsu and Jakotsu, you are to go separately into the village for reconnaissance. Find out if it is a shard-holder, some minor demon, a charlatan, or just a particularly talented healer."

"I don't need Jakotsu's help-" Renkotsu protested but Bankotsu looked into his eyes, and he quieted.

"You won't be helping each other. Like I said, you're going separately, because I know you will talk to different people. If you meet, you are to treat each other as strangers."

"Absolutely, big brother," Jakotsu exclaimed, apparently eager to show up Renkotsu's reluctance.

Renkotsu turned toward one of the trails down.

"One more thing, both of you. You are not to kill anyone or raze the village before you report back, unless it is a life-or-death situation. I will come in if you're not back in three days. You can go now, Renkotsu. Jakotsu, you stay here and take inventory of your equipment, then go along the southern path, so you don't look like you journeyed there together."

Jakotsu nodded, returning to search through his belongings. Renkotsu was already gone.

"As well as giving Renkotsu some time," Bankotsu continued, more quietly, "I thought you might want a better disguise. Something a little more casual on the outside... and whatever you want underneath, of course."

"You know me too well," Jakotsu answered, grinning. "You sure I can't bring Taka-chan? I could pick something really special if I had a handmaiden to accompany me."

Part of you wanted to join Jakotsu, to show your worth in a way other than just killing, though another part of you feared that somehow this would lead you to end up doing even worse in order to get information.

It didn't matter though, as Bankotsu was already answering.

"No."

The disappointment must have shown on your face, for he smiled, meeting your eyes, and continued.

"I trust you could, Takakotsu, but you aren't allowed to hide your tattoos just yet."

You had almost forgotten, not having seen your reflection since late the night before, especially considering no one in the band had found your tattoos particularly remarkable, considering their own.

"Don't worry, by the time we reach our next location, we will have taught you."

It wasn't long before Jakotsu- who had indeed dressed down some, in even more ambiguous of clothing- was ready to go. In front of you, he faded his own tattoos, and you unconsciously brought your hand up to his cheek, brushing your knuckles at the absence of them.

"What do you think of my face like this, Taka-chan? Weird isn't it?"

Trying to hide your discomfort, you snorted lightly and rolled your eyes. "You look fine, Jakotsu."

He made a noise of displeasure. "I think I can do better than 'fine.' I'm going right now, and I will be telling you when these villagers prove you wrong.

Jakotsu turned to leave and, without thinking, you grabbed his hand and, as he turned to face you, pulled him into a tight hug, your forehead pressed against his chest.

You felt him squirm, his head turning. You assumed that he was silently asking for Bankotsu's help.

"Taka-chan, I'll be back in a few days at most. Come on, let go."

As you released your grip, he unpeeled you from himself, then ruffled your hair.

"I'll be back soon, you don't have to get sentimental on me."

"Should we have left Ginkotsu?" you asked the next day, striding alongside Bankotsu in your day to day garments, light armour and an unfiltered mask- not unprotected, but not planning on battle either. "It's pretty open on that hill."

"He can take care of himself," Bankotsu answered, shrugging.

"Does he have signal for if he needs us though?"

Bankotsu laughed. "If he fires so much as one shot we'll hear it, though it would have to be pretty bad before he'd risk blowing our cover that way.

"I guess I'm just a bit worried. Finding a miracle healer the day after we told Jakotsu our plan... it seems a bit on the nose, doesn't it?"

Bankotsu, maybe unconsciously, wrinkled his nose upon hearing the unfamiliar saying.

"Too coincidental," you explained.

"Oh, I see. Maybe, but Naraku had already sent word of this a while ago."

"Do you think he suspects?"

He hummed, tilting his head back in thought before answering.

"It seems unlikely, considering I've known about this mission for a while, but he's smart. He could have anticipated our plans before now."

He must have seen your frown, for he met it with an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry. People with strange magic were common targets even in our- the Band's, I mean- original life, either as suspected demons, or to steal their magic source, or to kidnap them to work for whatever lord had hired us. It's no shock that Naraku has us looking into them even more since the Jewel was scattered to the winds. Now," he said, wrapping an arm around your waste. "I think we spoiled ourselves with so much time together during the flood; it's hardly been a moment and I nearly didn't wait to get you alone."

Pulling you close, he kissed you deeply, and you reciprocated.

Quiet, despite his almost-panting with excitement, he tugged at your neckline as he backed you off the trail and into a thicket of plants. Once the trail was out of sight, he resumed his frenzied kissing, busying his hands at the fasteners of your stiff armour. When the chest piece fell away, he yanked at your collar, exposing your breasts, and migrated his kisses down to them, sucking hard on one as he rolled the other in his fingers, and alternated between the two, eventually taking the pale skin of the breast itself in his mouth, sucking and leaving a dark hickey behind, moaning all the while.

With each tug at your breasts, you felt one deep within your core, heat pulsing within you and waves of arousal following in time.

"Bankotsu-" you begged, and he moved lower, kissing your belly once, twice, then once on your mons before taking your clit in his mouth, holding it gently in his hot, moist lips before beginning to flicker his tongue across it, painfully gentle as your body grew hotter and hotter, until you were involuntarily thrusting into his mouth, urging him to go faster, rougher.

He obliged, and you could feel your fluids soaking the insides of your thighs, until you couldn't feel anything but desire and greed, pangs of pleasure shooting through you and your cunt swelling with blood as your body began to shake, your hips bucking unstoppably.

Bankotsu kept licking until you stopped moving, then slowly licked you clean as aftershocks shook your body.

"That was so-" he started before interrupting himself. "I hope you're ready for this-"

"Fuck me," you begged, too impatient to let him speak.

He grabbed your hips, dragging you across the mossy floor until your pelvis met his.

With his smothering kiss, you could taste yourself, but you could hardly even think it before he was thrusting into you, wild and without abandon.

Each thrust forced sound from you, and you moaned and squeaked into the clear forest air, the sounds making him move even quicker, pounding you harder and harder until Bankotsu's cries joined your own and he finally pulled you even tighter, his cock pulsing as he shot hot cum into you.

He thrust into you a few more times, slowly, before pulling back.

With a soft cloth, he wiped each of you down, still panting, face flushed, and you knew you were no better. Once you were clean, he laid on his back, and you curled up, head on his chest, one leg draped across his own.

After laying together, watching the clouds and the sky, listening to the first cicadas of early summer, and breathing the scent of the trees and moss surrounding you, you finally rolled away from Bankotsu slightly, just enough to study his face.

"I love you, you know," you informed him.

He laughed.

"How could I not know, after that?"

You shrugged, nestling your head back down on his bare chest.

"We don't talk about it much. We haven't had a lot of time to talk about anything besides survival and our missions in a while."

He paused for a moment, thinking.

"I suppose we haven't. How can I show you," he said, turning himself and repositioning so he was propped up above you, "how much I love you, Takakotsu?"

Bankotsu's smirk caused heat anew in your loins, and you shivered as he drew a teasing thumb over your clit.

"You can call me my name when it's just us, you know."

He didn't meet your eyes.

"Would that make you feel more connected to me, or just more at home?"

You pondered it for a moment- maybe you were just adjusting to being called 'Takakotsu.' After a moment though, you disagreed. You didn't want Renkotsu to call you that, ever. Nor would you want Jakotsu to: to him, you wanted to be 'Taka' as long as you could, his friend to gossip about men and sex and love, not to mention power and loyalty. After all, she, the future-person that had your name, was a college graduate who rarely fought, who kept to herself and rarely travelled, unless to see family. Takakotsu was a warrior... or at least, you would be soon.

"I don't miss my name," you told him. "No one here knows me as that... but Bankotsu, don't let me forget it."

"I won't let myself forget it. It's who you were when we met."

He kissed you, taking your mouth deeply with his hot tongue, and you felt his cock swelling against you as you kissed him back.

"Careful," you said. "We'll have to clean up again."

"I don't mind," he answered, grinning roguishly. He kissed your neck, more softly, then your breast, sucking at your nipple and causing you to gasp with surprise and delight, before releasing, his face growing thoughtful again.

"I hope," he started, then stopped. "I hope you don't mind that I am only known by Bankotsu. I haven't gone by another name in so long, and I never had such a connection to a name before. But if that's not fair to you, with my knowing where you come from..."

You shook your head.

"I only need to know who you are, Bankotsu. Besides," you said, smirking a bit yourself, and tracing a scar along the V of his torso-to-groin, "I think I'm learning some of your secrets every time I get you alone."

"Maybe I should teach you some more," he said, taking your hand, and beginning to glide it along his body.

He abruptly released you, looking around.

"It's quiet."

You dressed alongside him, keeping your mouth closed. He was right: though the cicadas still hummed, the sounds of birds and the occasional barks and chirrups of squirrels had ceased. The air felt still.

Together you walked back toward the path; you were conscious of your footfalls and kept your eyes open for what, or who, had caused this sudden hush.

Squawks and screeching cries suddenly rang around you as birds burst into the sky, and below them, you heard the pounding of many sets of paws charging toward you.

Wolves, a pack moving faster than you'd ever seen a mere dog move, tight to the ground and moving in a unit like the flow of water, poured around and past you, ignoring you, their noses to the ground, heeding nothing but the hunt.

Their was a cacophony of barking some distance away, and in the valley below the path, a small herd of deer burst from the forest into a large meadow, pursued by several more wolves.

The wolves who had passed you rushed down the rocky slope into the field below, and chased and nipped at the deer, slowing them down until finally, in small groups and pairs, they leapt for the necks and bellies of their prey, dragging them down as they spilled blood and entrails across the ground.

It was disgusting, but you couldn't look away.

The remaining deer fled into the treeline, and no wolves pursued them.

You became aware of another sound, and realized their was another wolf, much closer to you, right behind you.

She snarled at you and Bankotsu, growling low and consistent as she passed by, two small pups following behind her.

Like you, Bankotsu remained silent and still as she went.

The she-wolf herded the pups as far from you as she could, though she still, from within the trees, followed the shape of the path, until finally she stepped out, crossing it, then lead the way down the descent toward the pack.

One of the pups yapped, then something squealed. In less than the blink of an eye, the mother had grabbed a hare from under a rock on the slope, apparently having cornered itself in its hiding place.

The hare let out an ear splitting squeal, and continued to scream in its high pitched squeaks until the wolf shook her head hard and, neck broken, it stilled.

You stumbled backwards into the woods you'd come from, swallowing hard to keep yourself from throwing up as the cries of the demon rabbits shrieked in your mind, their nigh-human screams combining and mutating with those you had just heard from the earthly hare.

"Careful!" Bankotsu interrupted, grabbing your hand.

Through the racket in your head, you could just barely hear him reminding you that there could be more stragglers, and that you shouldn't wander off until they were gone or until you had at least fetched your full-sized Takahayari from the camp.

You stepped forward and leaned your head on his chest, trying to clear your mind, aware that you were trembling.

"If you're that scared, I can go get rid of those wolves. We could trade the furs."

"No!" you snapped, and your new purpose did indeed break you from your stupor.

"Really, it wouldn't take long," Bankotsu insisted. "All they're good for is eating rats."

"No," you repeated firmly, and walked to the edge of the path, watching them eating the deer far below. They looked very different from the wolves you had seen in nature documentaries and photos; their ears were shorter and their snouts more pointed, and they had short legs like a lapdog- not so short as a dachshund or corgi of course, but clearly not designed to hold them high above snow or walking through rivers either. Though it made sense, you supposed, that they didn't look like the wolves of mainland Asia or the other continents, they also didn't quite look like the ones you had seen in antique artwork... unless it was you, your exposure to pop culture throughout childhood not allowing you to interpret that art as the small, more weasel-like canines they were. That was possible too.

Kōga's wolves hadn't been so diminutive, you didn't think. Then again, they were demons, and though you hadn't realized it before, that must have included the wolf-shaped pack members. Aside from that, the memories of Kōga and his rescue- rescues- felt very far away already, particularly the one that had been genuine. You had been exhausted and half-starved at that point. Maybe his wolves had just seemed big.

"There are no wolves in my time," you told Bankotsu, stretching your arms absently as you watched the pups. Whether due to distance, camouflage, or its consumption, you could no longer see the rabbit, but the little dark furballs stood out, chasing each other around under the mother's watchful eye.

"You mean you've never seen one?" he asked, and you shook your head.

"No- well, you're right, I haven't, but I meant there are none left in Japan. There are some in far-off places, but there aren't any like these ones left. Somehow, rabies- I mean..." you paused. It wasn't that hard to explain, but also, you had never had to explain rabies to a person before. "Somehow, a disease was introduced, one that makes animals vicious. It was- is- transferred by bites, and if you're bitten, even if you survive the attack, the disease itself will kill you."

"And this killed every wolf?" Bankotsu asked, looking slightly unconvinced, but appropriately horrified.

"Not directly. People killed the wolves, to prevent them from spreading rabies- the disease- until no wolves were left. In my time, it has been about a hundred years since they went extinct."

"What about the wolf demons?" he asked. "There must have been a great battle before they would let their cousins die."

You looked at him. It wasn't like he was a demon, but somehow it felt as if this was the biggest future-bombshell you could tell him.

"The thing is," you started, then stopped, gathering your thoughts, as he watched you with rapt attention.

"The thing is," you repeated, "there are no demons in my time."

Bankotsu scrunched his brow, visibly confused.

"At least, as far as I know," you added quickly.

"Surely there was a tremendous battle for that, then!?" he said, both questioning and insisting upon it.

"I don't know."

Bankotsu took a hissing breath of frustration.

"Of all the things for you not to have learned from your tutors, that is unfortunate to-"

You shook your head, and he stopped.

"No one knows. It's not just that there are no demons, the way there are no wolves- most people think they never existed, or that they are parts of the folklore of the natural world, but only as allegories- stories- to explain the nature and culture of Japan, or that they were made up to explain illness and crop failure. For those who believe in it, it's mostly in abstract ways, not the true expectation to meet someone like Inuyasha or Kōga. If there is even magic, there is very little of it. No one can find anything that works in entirely unexplainable ways."

Bankotsu's face was pensive, but you could feel his discontent.

"I don't know what happens between then and now," you affirmed again.

He smiled, a tight, stressed smile.

"Let's just hope we're not here for it. And don't worry, Takakotsu," he assured you. "There's still the well that brought you here."

You nodded, and together you walked back toward the camp.

After just a few paces, desperate to change the subject, you asked whether it was wise, regardless of Naraku's status, to have let Renkotsu know that even for this single mission, you were looking for a miracle worker.

He laughed, and you couldn't help but notice a slight bitter sense, even as he spoke of his brother in arms.

"Renkotsu is not interested in becoming human, or mortal, at least, not enough to compete with his wanting to be powerful. Even if he does guess that I'm looking for one, he won't consider what it's for until it is truly time for him to know."

"But what if he guesses?" you asked.

"Then he will see sense in our plan soon enough after."

Bankotsu took your hand in his, pointing out the papery bouquets blooming on a hydrangea, laughing in his appreciation of you, and you let yourself drop the worry of Renkotsu's opinions.

Chapter Text

You spent the evening looking out over the little town with Bankotsu and Ginkotsu. Though you still struggled to make conversation with the latter, Bankotsu was a good bridge, translating Ginkotsu's muffled groans and helping you pare down your own stories to make sense in the feudal castle you had supposedly grown up in.

Ginkotsu's snores, quiet but distinct, announced that he had faded off, so you and Bankotsu headed toward the tent.

Having once housed six men- Jakotsu once mentioned that Kyōkotsu would have been too big to fit inside, even on his own- including Ginkotsu's large frame, armour, and prosthetics, the tent was rather large for you and Bankotsu alone, even considering that it currently stored an amount of the supplies that had been heaped on Ginkotsu for travel. Given the amount off space remaining, you were surprised when Bankotsu dragged his bedroll out the door, and under the clear, dark sky.

You banked the fire before joining him, tucking the back or your head against the crook of his shoulder.

After a moment of quiet cuddling, a breeze tickled your eyelashes, and you blinked a few times, then looked up and breathed.

Above you was the river of the sky, the band of stars so bright that they looked like a stream of white, accented by deep purples and greens reflecting its light. The moon was only a sliver, and without its bright interference nor a cloud in the sky, you could see the heavens in a way you had never before, not over Japan or anywhere else.

You nuzzled Bankotsu's chest, wanting to share this with him, but he didn't respond, already asleep, and you didn't want to wake him after how worn out he had seemed after leaving Sumishige's place. Besides, it wasn't your time. You would get to see this again next time there was a clear night, and you could share the view and tell him how you had never seen it this way when the time came.

Instead, you watched the stars until your eyes began to droop, and fell asleep to the matching rise and fall of your chests.

It was cold and wet, and you couldn't seem to move your arms and legs properly. You tried to look around, but you were disoriented from exhaustion and hunger, and everything was a blur of trees and mud.

Someone touched your breast, pinching your nipple hard, and finally your eyes focused. It was Renkotsu.

"She might not be so useless after all."

"Don't be disgusting," said Jakotsu. "You don't know where that's been."

Then he turned to you, no hint of friendship left in his eyes.

"Walk, girl, or we're going to drag you."

You realized your arms were being pulled forward by a rope around your wrists, and you had to shuffle ahead, for your legs were also tied together, hobbled. Jakotsu looped his end of the rope onto Ginkotsu, and with a creak Ginkotsu began to move.

"Bankotsu!" you called ahead. "Bankotsu, what's going on?"

Despite your cries, he didn't spare you a backward glance.

"Jakotsu," you called out, quieter, in case you were being observed, "what are we doing?"

"Renkotsu, I think you need to shut up our prisoner."

"Gladly."

He approached you, his face cold, yet pleased, and raised his fist-

You flinched, and opened your eyes to darkness. Something was holding you down, and you threw it back, scramble-crawling away.

"Takakotsu?"

Your eyes focused, and you saw the stars above you again. You took a deep breath.

"You okay? DId something sting you?" Bankotsu asked, reaching out to you.

"It... it was just a nightmare," you answered, feeling your heart still beating hard in your chest.

You took his hand, and let him pull you closer.

"I know it's getting warmer, but it's still too cold for you to be out there."

The air had been a little more than brisk, and despite your fear moments before, climbing into the bed felt safe and comforting in comparison.

"Do you need anything?"

You were hungry, that part wasn't just a dream, and you kind of needed to relieve yourself, but Bankotsu was warm, and you wanted to forget.

"No," you answered, and despite your discomfort, quickly fell asleep in Bankotsu's arms.

In the morning, you regretted your decision a bit, as you had to hurry out of bed, find some privacy, then race back to look for food because your stomach hurt.

With thoughts full of Bankotsu, and wolves, and keeping your stories straight for Ginkotsu, you hadn't really realized that you and Bankotsu had skipped dinner.

You couldn't see Bankotsu, but Ginkotsu grunted a greeting to you, which you returned, before briefly abandoning your quest for food to instead rinse off some sweat from the night before, so you could put your clothes, mask off but at the ready, onto a clean body.

There was some dried meat sealed up, and a few dried persimmons Jakotsu had been given, but the outlook your camp was on was lush and green, and it seemed a waste to use up the food that would keep, so you swallowed your hunger, hoping it would only be a little longer, before taking some snares from the tent, along with your kama and kanabō that Jakotsu had given you; the former to use for it's real purpose, harvesting plants, and the latter for anything you caught in the snares.

You wandered up the slope, into the trees surrounding your camp, and back toward the direction you had travelled from yesterday, above the path where the wolves had passed you.

In the bushes, there were two subtle trails where the ground was worn down by the passage of animals. You placed one snare just before where they crossed, and another further up the second track, then left the area, hoping the breeze was favourable to you with whatever direction the animals would come from.

With the traps behind you, you kept your eyes to the ground. No one had taught you much about finding wild vegetables; the band had probably assumed you knew some basics, and the modern world hadn't found it an important lesson anymore.

You wracked your brain trying to remember what wild potato leaves looked like, and what season they even grew in, when you spotted something that was familiar: a young, delicate curl of fern. Most of its 'siblings' growing around it had already unfurled to capture the sunlight on their leaves, but there were two more young ones left.

Using your kama's blade, you cut the spiralling sprouts just above the ground, peeled away the fuzzy, natural sheathes from those that had them, and moved around, catching sight of the more established ferns blowing in the wind, as if beckoning you to the places you would find your breakfast.

Standing up, you spotted what was probably the only other plant you could identify- several stalks with an orblike spray of white blooms, with thick, long leaves standing below them.

You plucked a leaf free and sniffed it, then almost sneezed at the strong, wet, garlicky scent.

Trying to clear your nose, you busied yourself with digging underneath the plants, and pulling up the bulbs below them, though you left several behind- all of the flowering ones, and a few younger ones- to continue growing. You didn't want to somehow end up responsible for the extinction of the species when you returned to the modern day.

Not that you were going to, of course.

Thankfully you were hungry enough that your discomfiture with that stray thought was easy to be distracted from, and though you weren't hopeful, you headed back towards the traps, only then realizing how far you had wandered.

The first one was empty, but you followed the trail back to the crossroads, and were rewarded with a live bird of some sort. You weren't sure exactly what it was, some sort of flightless one.

You pulled out your kanabō, then looked at it.

This wasn't really an animal you could club.

Gritting your teeth, you took your kama, its blade slightly green from the vegetable harvest, and beheaded the bird.

Bankotsu was at the camp when you arrived, and immediately set to helping you process the bird, which was good, because you hardly knew where to start.

Holding the bird between his knees, Bankotsu showed you how to pluck the feathers, starting with the tail plume, and working all over the bird, stuffing them into a drawstring bag. Once he had plucked some of each type of feather, he left you to it, heading away to gather firewood.

You worked on the bird, and found that you were building up a sweat, which worsened as you did the wings, but soon, it looked almost like a chicken you'd find in a grocery store. The neck hole, where you'd beheaded it, pointed away from your body in an effort to reduce the mess. Thankfully, most of the blood had already drained out when you carried it by its feet back to the camp.

Pulling out the downier feathers was a lot easier than the outer feathers, though there was less to grip. Their removal showed some places where you'd torn the bird's skin, but all in all, you thought it was a pretty good first attempt.

You had, at least, butchered a few animals for the band before, and the bird wasn't much different; you removed the organs, placing them on a flat, clean leaf beside you.

Although the bleeding bird carcass had at first killed your appetite, the extra exertion of cleaning it had pushed you past that revulsion, and you looked around for Bankotsu. You were thinking of roasting the bird whole, but the idea of doing so over a campfire was a bit intimidating.

Just as you were getting frustrated with your own inexperience, Bankotsu showed up.

"Finally," you snapped, and he narrowed his eyes at you.

It wasn't a mean look, more calculating, but he stared at you a moment before asking, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," you said. "I just have to finish butchering this bird, and figure out how to roast it, and hope enough fat renders out so I can cook these fiddleheads so I can actually eat, and start some rice, then-"

Bankotsu closed the distance between you, and hugged you from behind, pulling your shoulders close to his chest.

"Wait, I've got raw chicken- I mean, grouse? Ptarmigan? Bankotsu, stop, I've got raw meat all over my hands!"

He hugged you anyway, keeping away from your hands, then went to the tent, quickly returning with a pot and pan, and something wrapped in paper.

You watched as he adjusted the fire, then placed the pan over some hot coals, unfolded the paper package, and smeared its contents generously over the pan, which began to bubble.

"Is this enough to start them?"

"Ye- yes," you answered, trying to ignore the way your voice caught in your throat, and handed him your basket of wild harvest.

"You found a lot," he said, and placed all that would fit in a single layer across the oiled pan. "Takakotsu, put that bird aside, nothing's going to take it this close to the fire. What else do you want on the ferns?"

"Can you get the salt?" you asked, putting the carcass down, then going to the nearby stream to thoroughly rinse your hands, before producing the little lump of lye soap you carried to get them all the way clean.

Hands clean, you rinsed and quickly chopped some of the onion greens, tossing them into the oil with the fiddleheads and hoping it would actually taste good.

Bankotsu let you take over tending them while he split down some of the firewood he'd gathered, and said nothing when you ate several straight from the plan, barely even blowing to cool them down before eating.

Fed enough, you called Bankotsu, who was using Banryū to shave down kindling.

"I need to get this on still," you said, gesturing at the bird. "You can eat while you tell me how, if you want," you told him, but he took it, putting it in the pot he had brought out.

"It can wait. Eat first."

You wanted to say no, the bird had been sitting for a while already and you didn't really want to leave raw meat out in the sun, but you were still hungry and you didn't feel like arguing.

After convincing Bankotsu to wash his hands, for he was not nearly as shy about handling raw meat as you were, you settled on a log round he had cut with the firewood; he'd left it and a few others as stools rather than splitting them down.

This time, you ate more slowly, actually chewing and tasting your food. They had come out well enough- it was no five-star recipe, but the salt and fat were enough to make them satisfying, and the onions added just enough flavour to make them a bit more interesting. Underneath the flavours you'd cooked them with, the fiddleheads tasted rather like asparagus, lightly charred in the pan, though they were a bit more vegetal and grassy than you would have preferred.

You let your mind wander once you had accepted that your breakfast attempt hadn't been terrible, and watched as Bankotsu chatted with Ginkotsu, feeding him from an extra-long set of chopsticks to make up for his reach. Somehow he made this feeding of his friend look casual and dignified. You had never really paid much attention to Ginkotsu at mealtimes, not with him hardly talking, and your lack of understanding when he did speak, and not with Jakotsu and Bankotsu to distract you while Renkotsu, you assumed, fed the tank of a man.

On returning, Bankotsu handed you a cup of tea. You hadn't even noticed he was boiling water, but with food in your stomach and the hot, bitter drink, you were, finally, feeling more alert.

You looked at Bankotsu, and he laughed.

"Yes, we can work on that grouse now."

He set to work beside you, watching you remove the feet and showing you where to cut the neck short. While you stuffed it with a mixture of the onion bulbs, the fond from cooking the ferns, leftover rice Bankotsu had found from a few nights before, and just a touch of salt and dried spices from the Band's reserves, he split off skewers from his firewood to hold the legs in place. With the bird stuffed and you happy with the placement, he cut the ends short so it would fit in the pot. Using a long, heavy stick, he prodded the firewood around, making a space in the coals for it to rest.

You placed the lid on the pot and, taking it by the handle, placed it in the fire.

Without being asked this time, Bankotsu washed his hands in the stream beside you, sharing your small piece of soap.

You looked up, noting that Ginkotsu had rolled further away, and seemed to be dozing.

"Raw meat can make you really sick," you told Bankotsu, and he laughed.

"I wasn't exactly planning on eating that grouse with the feathers still on."

"No," you said, shaking your head. "I mean, don't, but I meant from having it on your hands, then touching food, or your mouth. You can get salmonella- a stomach sickness."

"So," he asked, kneeling next to the fire and the empty pan. "I probably should cook these before we eat them." He held up the leaf full of organ meats.

You looked at the platter of wet, pinkish-brown organs, and felt your nose wrinkle with disgust.

"You should cook them before you and perhaps Ginkotsu eat them, yeah."

Again he laughed, then shrugged. "You don't know what you're missing, but fine. Don't complain when you're hungry again and the grouse is only half-cooked."

Although you weren't interested in the chicken- grouse- offal, you were always interested in Bankotsu, and so you watched him tip the pieces he deemed usable into the pan, adding a little more lard before holding it over the fire, shaking the pan so the sizzling morsels would cook on all sides. As he cooked he was sweating, but it only gave him an energetic gleam.

He pulled them off the fire, still a little rare, and placed the pan down on the mossy ground, where it hissed and a plume of dark smoke bloomed, the meats still spitting and popping in the thick cast pan.

"I'll let those cool. Now, what can I do in return for the meal you've provided?"

You started to scoff, he had done as much cooking as you, and the Band always shared food, but you were cut off by his kiss.

Accepting it, you bit gently back at him with your lips, and he brought you forward with a firm pull, until you were straddling his lap, back to the flames.

When he broke the kiss, you leaned back, looking deep into his dark eyes, feeling a subtle throb from beneath you.

"Gersh."

Sighing, you stood up from his lap.

"Thought you were asleep, Ginkotsu," Bankotsu said, completely casual, and Ginkotsu answered with the stunted growls that you now recognized as his laugh. "Takakotsu, do you mind bringing him his share of this?"

You were wary of the behemoth's metal jaw, but saw no way to refuse without being rude to someone who already tended to side with Renkotsu, so you accepted the food on a small bamboo dish, taking one of the longer sets of cooking chopsticks with you.

"So I just, feed you off the chopsticks, right?"

He narrowed his eye, but said "Gersh," in a tone that sounded like agreement.

Trying not to look nervous, you apologized, adding, "I've never really helped feed someone before," slightly glad that you hadn't.

His glare, as you had interpreted it, lessened, and when you held what you were pretty sure was a liver near his mouth, he opened it, accepting the snack and only closing his mouth once the chopsticks were clear.

You relaxed a bit.

"I feel like I haven't really gotten to know you, considering I usually fall to the back when we travel, and when I'm with Bankotsu or Jakotsu, you tend to be with Renkotsu."

He made a throaty noise, which you took as a hum of assent, and you fed him the next piece, and the remaining one after it.

"That's all there is; not a lot of grouse organs worth eating, I guess."

Again Ginkotsu made a noise, slightly ducking his head.

"Is that a shrug?" you asked, feeling like you were being rude, but not knowing how else to ask.

His cheek twitched- you hoped that was a smile- and he nodded, then moved forward slightly.

"Do you want to come over to the fire?" you asked, and he followed you there.

The three of you sat in a companionable silence, though you didn't miss Bankotsu's rather smug smile when he glanced between you, nor fail to understand it. The awkward chore he had handed you was an ice breaker, and now you had finally spoken more than a word to Ginkotsu one on one.

Chapter Text

The next days went similarly, with Bankotsu encouraging you to check your snares and helping you pass the time in waiting by helping you identify more sansai, more wild mountain forage. With most of the ostrich ferns already opened, he pointed out more vegetation just beginning its season, like tara-no-me, the fresh green buds growing from the dry, grey looking wood of the tara-no-ki, a type of spikenard, and the similar, though finer, new growth from its relative, the koshiabura. He also assured you that Jakotsu, Renkotsu, and Ginkotsu could recognize more plants than he could, though Ginkotsu couldn't go foraging quite as easily as the others and, privately, you knew you wouldn't be inviting Renkotsu along anytime soon.

Renkotsu did return on the third day, but only long enough to exchange a few words with Bankotsu before turning on his heel and heading back to the village.

Your traps were successful, and the three of you ate plenty between the fresh forage and the small animals you caught, and, under Bankotsu's tutelage, your field dressing process grew noticeably faster, even in so few days. You expected your progress would plateau soon enough, but you weren't worried about it- even at the low to intermediate level you'd reached, there was a pride in how much more you could do for and with the band, rather than just following them. You had, of course, learned some trapping and butchering skills from Jakotsu, but that was while Bankotsu had been injured, and it was hard to find memories of that time, let alone remember any small hints or details.

Though you and Bankotsu could cook, and based on the band members having at least a modicum of survival skills, you assumed Ginkotsu probably could at some point before he was reduced to a chest on a tractor, none of you were chefs, and the wild greens with fowl or rabbits grilled over the fire was starting to get old. Bankotsu and Ginkotsu in particular were missing rice- you weren't sure if somehow you had all lost track of supplies, or if Renkotsu or Jakotsu had taken some with them, but the leftover rice used in the grouse you had stuffed days before was, in fact, the last of the rice the band had.

You had grown used to a western diet in the past two years, where grains or starches were not always major parts of a meal, and rice, while somewhat prevalent, wasn't as much of necessity to a meal, but even you were missing it, and Ginkotsu seemed quieter, more drowsy than usual, without the bulk he was used to in his meals.

Just as you were ready to ask Bankotsu which of you should make a supply run- logically it would be him, he knew how to talk to merchants in this era and would raise less suspicion travelling alone, but you were restless, ready to see something beyond the woods and your camp- Jakotsu emerged from the treeline, calling for you to hurry up and help him.

Both you and Bankotsu jogged over to meet him, each lifting one basket from his shoulders, letting the yoke he had been carrying fall to the ground behind him.

"Finally, I've been carrying those all day."

He stretched, arching his back, and rolling his shoulders. He complained under his breath as he did, then followed you back to the camp.

You put your basket down nearby, taking a seat on one of the stumps around the firepit, and Jakotsu took the one facing you, giving you a smile but taking some time to catch his breath. Though he was behind you, you knew Ginkotsu was approaching from the whir of his wheels, and wondered how much of your plan could be discussed in front of him, with his close relationship to Renkotsu.

Bankotsu left the basket he'd taken by his seat, then ducked into the tent, returning with the tin of tea. He placed the kettle back on the coals of the fire. Only once he had poured each of you tea, including Ginkotsu, who he gave a clean, hollow, reed from the river as a straw, did he start interviewing Jakotsu.

Despite it being somewhat formal, neither of them lost their friendliness, nor their ease with each other.

"How did it go?" Bankotsu began, and you noticed how broad that question was.

"Not bad, Ban-kun, but not the best either. The first night, this guy I hooked up with had his wife arrive home before I could even fall asleep. His wife! She came at me with an iron pan! She kicked both of us out, and that weak little asshole didn't apologize! To either of us! Not even a gift, I can't believe-"

"The mission, Jakotsu. We have all night for stories. Did you find someone who could help us?"

"Well, obviously I didn't get much at that first place. I wanted to cut the both of them down, but you said not to kill anyone, and it wasn't worth drawing Jyakotsutō over that worm anyway."

"I spent a few hours wandering outside before I found someone to buy me drinks, and once I was warmed up I had a few men hanging off me. That's when they start making promises; gifts and money and cock, and I look into this one guy's eyes and I couldn't stop myself from following him home."

If Renkotsu were there, you knew he would be rushing Jakotsu to the point, pissed off about his dalliances both in his actual actions and in how he told the story, but after the first redirect, Bankotsu was listening with rapt attention, taking in every detail. Though you knew he'd never be as harsh as Renkotsu, you wondered if Bankotsu's acceptance of Jakotsu's rambling report-style came from wanting to hear every detail, regardless of if Jakotsu emphasized it, or having such respect for his brother that he didn't cut him off unless he had to, then changed your mind. While both were probably true, even you knew by now that this was how Jakotsu relayed information best- and considering his pauses and furrowed brows at overly direct questions, the best way for him to remember details.

"-and I'm not stupid, I know there's something going on besides my dick being hard, but I couldn't think about anything but him rearranging my guts, so I follow him home, and start riding him, and he comes in me! Doesn't even try to give me any fun. So I'm there, rock hard, but the thought of fucking him has completely left, and I'm mad, until I realize he put some kind of spell on me!"

"A spell to seduce you?" Bankotsu asked, emphasizing the 'you,' a trace of humour in his voice

"I know, it's ridiculous. So that's when I drew Jyakotsutō, and I asked him in my sweetest voice," as Jakotsu related this, his voice instead went dark, almost gravelly, "what the hell he had done, and how, and he looked about ready to piss himself, and while he begs me not to hurt him, he tells me it's a charm he bought from some conjurer."

Now you could see that Bankotsu's interest was piqued, he was leaning forward further and his eyes had a glint to them.

"Exactly," Jakotsu said, apparently recognizing the same signs you had. "So I tell him I'll let him go if tells me where to get a charm like that for myself, and he tells me that I have to keep it secret, but gives me the name Noguchi and says it's just west of center in the village."

He took a breath and continued.

"I spent a few days looking for it-"

The idea of it taking several days in that little town down the hill astounded you, but Bankotsu didn't seem surprised.

"-but eventually I asked this big guy- he was built like a smithy or something, thick arms, and shoulders like you wouldn't believe- and he leads me there. Once I finished sucking him off in the alleyway across from the place- had to thank him, right?- I knocked on the door, and this young guy answers, says he's Noguchi, and he's all pissed off, and says he doesn't know shit about magic charms, but just as we're starting to yell, this grandpa comes up behind him, and invites me in."

"Gramps sits me down and tells me my fortune- nothing I didn't know, men, fighting, betrayal, sex- and I get him talking about magic, and he says he can't help us with anything life or death, that all his magic works for anymore is activating his little charms."

You and Bankotsu sighed, and Ginkotsu made his own noise of disappointment.

"Hey, I'm just getting to the important part," Jakotsu insisted, before continuing: "He told me his teacher, who lives on the outskirts near Takatenjin Castle, can make miracles happen, and that her power has only increased with age."

Bankotsu stepped around the fire and embraced him. Noses practically touching, he told Jakotsu: "That's great news!" before hugging him again and retreating to his own seat, looking more thoughtful.

"So, obviously I thanked him, of course, and came back to camp. It's so much easier to find a camp on the cliff side than one out of a... whole bunch of little wooden shacks."

"I don't have any leads to take us southwest, but maybe you, Jakotsu, can scare up some rumours. There isn't much to take us far in any other direction right now either, but I don't want Naraku to think we're breaking for the coast and take exception to it," he added grimly.

"How long will it take us to get there?" you asked, looking at each of your companion over the fire.

"Five days of hard travel at the minimum. Could be a few days more if we're farther out than I think, longer if we can't keep up that pace, and longer still we run into bad weather or anything we need to fight. At least the same amount of time coming back, and if this witch is the answer, and she's still alive, and we find her, it'll take however long she needs. We might not see her at all, though, and she might not be any help. Even if we find her and she immediately sends us away, that means burning a minimum of ten days."

"We've wasted more than ten days before," Jakotsu said, taking a swig of tea that had to be cold as the evening air.

"Yeah, but we've always been able to explain it. I can't tell Naraku we're off to see if we can free ourselves of him."

"Do you have any enemies at Takatenjin?" you asked. "Naraku let you get revenge before, right?"

Bankotsu frowned in thought.

"We didn't do any work around there, so I don't think we have any connection to the castle or whoever the daimyō is, but it's been a decade, and we had plenty of enemies. Someone might be there."

The planning slowed down soon after that, and you helped Bankotsu collect and haul firewood while Jakotsu started dinner- he had noticed the lack of staples when he left, and brought back rice, some more cooking fat, and a few raw vegetables- fresh soramame beans, large, deep orange carrots, a head of cabbage wilting just along the edges, and a somewhat dry looking daikon- along with a fat finger of ginger. There was little point in carrying fresh produce with you when travelling, considering the bulk and weight of it, but while camped here, the higher percentage of wild vegetables in your diet, more like what you ate at home, was comforting, and the addition of fleshier, more flavourful cultivated vegetables was even more welcome.

You ate your stew on the same log stool you'd used before, each of you having poured a scoop over the new rice, and popped the boiled soramame beans out of their pods, seasoned with just a little salt. The food seemed to rejuvenate the entire group, and soon you were laughing and sharing banter around the crackling fire.

Jakotsu teased you about how 'busy' you must have been without him to chaperone, and a few grunts of response that you still couldn't quite interpret from Ginkotsu had him cackling wildly, and Bankotsu trying to hide a blush.

The four of you slept under the stars again, Ginkotsu parked near your heads, and the rest of you laying three-abreast, staring up at the sky. You felt that same reverence for the view above. It was the night of the new moon, and the river of light was brighter than before, dense with stars. More stars, shining, infinitely scattered across the sky, made more constellations than you knew, and faint colours of distant space mottled the blue-black background.

This time, you did whisper to Bankotsu about the beauty above, and though you weren't sure he understood, having never seen the dull sky produced by light pollution and city smog, he held you tight, his pleasure at seeing your joy open on his face, until Jakotsu let out a loud snore, and laughter broke the serene moment.

When you awoke, you saw grey clouds above, only a few peaks of blue visible around them. You woke Bankotsu and Jakotsu, and moved all of the bedding into the tent, then helped dig a fire pit near the treeline, where it would be more protected, before using some tongs- presumably Renkotsu's- to move a few coals over and get the new fire established before the rain could start.

With that done, you set out to retrieve and bring in your traps, so the leather wouldn't be ruined by the rain. There was nothing in them, but you didn't care, as long as you could get off the trail before it turned to mud. A few stray drops hit you, but the rain seemed to be holding off.

Arriving back to the camp, you saw Bankotsu and Jakotsu finishing up with covering Ginkotsu in a mino, a straw cape; it was something you hadn't seen yet in the feudal era. The mino covering him made Ginkotsu look even bulkier than usual. He moved in front of the tent door, letting the three of you inside before pulling up close to block the entrance. Within a minute, you could hear the rain bouncing off the fabric above you.

Bankotsu lit a lantern, and other than checking the fire and occasionally fetching tea, the three of you that were inside stayed inside, and Ginkotsu remained in place as well.

In the dim light, you found yourself remembering your nightmare; Renkotsu's cruel and dirty grin, Jakotsu's look, empty of all but disgust, Ginkotsu ahead, and Bankotsu, not even glancing back to see you scream.

"What was it like when you first caught me?" you said, suddenly and too quickly.

All of them stared at you.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked," you rushed out, though you weren't sure it was true. "It's just, I had a dream the other night-"

"Don't apologize," Bankotsu and Jakotsu said in unison.

Before you could say something, whether to take it back or ask more questions, Jakotsu answered.

"It was weird. We almost never kidnap women, and when we do, it's not for long; just to cow some target to us at the idea of us having his wife or daughter, and what we might do to her... well, what they," he jerked his head at Bankotsu and Ginkotsu, "might do to her, especially when Kyōkotsu was around, and before Ginkotsu's injuries."

You didn't ask for clarification, you didn't need it.

"They pretty much all went back unharmed," Bankotsu continued, picking up the story. "Scared out of their wits for a bit, maybe, but we wouldn't do much more than shove them around, and it pretty much always worked. When it didn't, we'd send back their hand- oh, don't worry," he added, seeing your face. "We killed them. We weren't just cutting off limbs and waiting for rot to set in."

Though it was better than the alternative, that didn't settle your stomach. You took a gulp of tea to soothe yourself.

"Anyway, of course we had to get you out of those recognizable clothes, and Renkotsu got too excited about it," he said, and though his words were casual, there was a tenseness about his face. "So I told them all to leave you alone."

You remembered the ache of boredom, not to mention the aches in your joints and back, when the band had ignored you early on.

"That was a mistake, obviously; we almost lost you to those wolf demons. I was mad, at you, at the rest of the band, and at myself. We had to get out of the area, the stench of demon blood would have attracted something, maybe even Inuyasha himself, so for a while, we just moved, and I made sure you stayed close, until I had to meet Naraku. That's when Jakotsu cleaned you up."

"I remember walking with you, and when Kōga found me, but I don't remember much between then and, uh, well, our first night together."

Jakotsu and Ginkotsu looked away, and Bankotsu had a tight frown on his face.

"There's not much to remember. I- and I'm sorry for this, we hadn't gotten to know each other yet- I dragged you back to our camp, and you didn't even try to get up. I think you were dazed. We had to keep moving, and I doubted Inuyasha was ever going to take the bait, so we just went, and you followed us. We didn't talk, and we didn't feed you; I didn't know whether it was time to just let you die, so I can't really say I remember much about your experience either. "

"Then we got a summon from Naraku, and I hardly cared at that point, so I untied you so you at least had a chance not to drown in the mud you'd fallen in that night, and Jakotsu insisted on watching the camp, and from what you've both told me, that's when you woke up."

"It was Jakotsu's idea to clean you up-"

"You were kind of a filthy rat at that point."

"Gersh."

"-so I told him to do what he wanted, and figured there was a good chance you wouldn't be there when I got back. Honestly, I assumed he was going to sell you- sorry, again, we hadn't talked at all back then-"

"I get it," you answered. "I wasn't exactly clamouring to keep the band alive either at that point, and now you've given me a new name, armour and weapons."

"Actually, I was planning on selling you!" Jakotsu admitted brightly, without shame. "If Inuyasha's group wanted you back, it wouldn't be our problem anymore."

"Thanks, Jakotsu."

"Oh, it wouldn't be so bad, I've done my turn- well, anyway, the final choice was with Bankotsu, and I was having fun, so for the time being I brought you back to the camp."

"And I," Bankotsu resumed, "saw you in a cute kosode, not covered in blood and mud, and thought I'd like to make a good impression."

There was a pause, and though for a half-second you had felt some heat in your face at knowing his early attraction, you narrowed your eyes.

"You had already spent days torturing me with neglect."

He shrugged, though he did look embarrassed behind the bravado he showed the rest of the band.

"It felt like the first time I had seen you and, well-" suddenly he was stumbling over his words, awkward as the situation really had called for. "It seemed that night like it might have been the same for you."

"I'm not mad," you assured him, and you weren't. That time, even the good memories of that night, felt so distant already, enough that they almost didn't matter. "I just- I can't believe I was able to trust you that fast, and enough to take that sleeping medicine from you the next day. Am I that naive?"

Bankotsu reached over, rubbing your back.

"Your cousin and her friends hadn't come for you at all, even after that wolf must have reported back to them. I think it's normal that you were ready to find someone new to trust."

Chapter Text

Another day passed without Renkotsu's return, but instead of relaxing in his absence, you tensed more and more, knowing he could be back at any moment.

Though you were never quite at ease with Renkotsu, being without him, particularly since bonding with Ginkotsu, made you realize just how much you struggled to relax with him around. Unfortunately, holding this tension seemed to fill you with even more, and your self-doubt was distractingly high.

Not for the first time that day, you looked into Jakotsu's mirror, reassuring yourself that your tattoos were still invisible, as you had made them that morning. Pleased that you had succeeded for hours on end, you tilted the mirror down and, not looking at it, willed your tattoos back into existence and, when you checked, they were back. Sumishige hadn't mentioned it, but Jakotsu had insisted that you practice without a mirror. He hadn't used the same words you would, but essentially explained that not only was it a crutch, but that relying on the visual to see it work and call them up could mean, in the case of capture, that you couldn't hide them, nor reveal them when the time was right.

Through Jakotsu, Ginkotsu had agreed, telling you, or at least agreeing with Jakotsu, that he and Kyōkotsu had learned by staring into a still pool, though he defended himself and his fallen brother by stating that it didn't really matter, as both were recognizable already for their monstrous sizes and appearance.

Pleased with your progress- at least you were doing something right- you found Jakotsu bathing downstream of camp, in a deeper part of the creek.

"Jakotsu, look!"

He did, and you faded your tattoo in and out, not bothering to check the mirror.

"Amazing!" he said, his smile bright, indulgent. "Now no one could think you're not one of us, Nee-chan."

You grinned back, partly with pride, partly because when Jakotsu gave genuine smiles, they were contagious.

"Do you want me to scrub your back, Jakotsu? Or are you done?"

"Please."

You rolled your pants up above your calves and, at the shallow edge of the creek, scrubbed his back with the soft washing-brush he carried.

"Jakotsu-" you started, then paused, uncomfortable, still scrubbing his shoulders.

"What's wrong, Taka-chan?"

"That nightmare I had... I still don't feel good about it."

Indeed, when you closed your eyes, you could still see Renkotsu's cruel smile and Jakotsu's uncaring eyes, and remember the ache of Bankotsu's absence.

"You know we aren't going to do that again, right? Well, not without good reason."

"No, I know," you said, your heart pounding; you hated that the conversation was making you fearful again, when you had hoped it would excise those thoughts. "But..."

"Oh, did what Ban-kun said about your cousin not rescuing you upset you?"

"No, I don't think that really had anything to do with me being upset."

Jakotsu, who'd turned around when you had, trying to find words, stopped scrubbing his back, gave you a skeptical look.

"I just," you said, looking down at your knees. "I don't know what to think."

He snorted, and his expression shifted to one that was still bright, but vacant.

"I don't think I'm the one to tell anyone how to think, Nee-chan."

You smiled at his self-deprecating humour, then continued, speaking slowly as you tried to pull your thoughts together.

"I... it's hard to explain how much I like being here, and how strange it is." You looked up, making sure Ginkotsu was a good distance away. "I mean, I grew up somewhere with no demons or magic jewels. Everything here is supposed to be impossible, and I somehow, through random chance, am cousins with the one girl who found a way through, and was able to come here myself... but the first thing that happened to me, really, was being kidnapped, and I don't even know how long you dragged me along half-conscious in the mud, because I was so hungry and tired that I couldn't see what was happening."

Jakotsu opened his mouth, maybe to protest, maybe to apologize, but you gestured and he stopped.

"It hasn't even been that long, and I doubt that's the first time I had that nightmare, or the last time I will, and it's embarrassing, not that I have fears or that I'm not powerful enough, but that the worst part of the nightmare was that you didn't care about me, and Bankotsu wouldn't even respond to me. How fucked up is that? You starved me and dragged me and Bankotsu left me for dead, and I'm so attached to you that I'm sad about the idea of you ignoring me, instead of about what you did to me, and I don't even know what to do about it, because for all you hurt me you changed my life and I don't think I could ever go back to my world. That version of me is going to be dead, my friends aren't going to know what happened to me, even my dad won't, even Kagome won't find out, if we can manage it."

"And beyond all that, I killed someone, and not only did I kill him, but all those demons going for the shard, just to stop them from getting to it, not even to take it from them. I feel like I slaughtered an entire forest of animals, for no reason at all, and I don't even want to give it up. I even felt powerful doing it."

You were, at least, glad that you had processed some of your guilt about killing with Bankotsu after the sandstorm. Even as you divulged this to him, you knew Jakotsu liked what he did too much to understand the contempt you felt for yourself, and that you were lucky his cruelty was no longer aimed at you, for he could have used that.

"Anyway, I guess that's it. I don't know whether to feel ashamed with myself, or angry with all of you, or happy that I'm here. And I think I need to lay down," you finished, willing your tattoos back so that in this moment of weakness, or whatever it was, you would at least look like you belonged.

"Oh no," Jakotsu said, breaking his silence as he stood. "You're not taking all that back to your bedroll."

He shoved you, and with a shriek you fell, clothes and all, into the creek.

Getting your feet back under yourself, you found the bottom was deeper than you'd thought, and Jakotsu had to grab your hands to hold you up. Of course, he had waited to help you, leaving you sputtering, until he had rescued the scrubber you'd dropped.

"Asshole! What if I had my pho-" it had been a while since you'd thought that, and you struggled for words for a moment. "What if I had something in my pocket?"

"It would dry," he said, and you tried to shove him back, but he dodged.

After a lot of splashing and laughter, you finally grabbed Jakotsu and, calling upon all of your body weight, managed to dunk him. Standing up, victorious, you noticed Ginkotsu had approached, and was chuckling in his clunking voice. Then he went silent, as if having heard something, and rolled off, uphill toward the camp.

"Well, now that he's gone," Jakotsu slipped into a scolding voice, "let's get you out of those wet clothes."

You allowed him to help undo the water-sodden knots holding your outfit in place, and, feeling rather exposed, moved back into the water as he tossed them over a low branch to drip dry in the afternoon sun.

He returned, picking up his soap and brush from a flat rock at the edge of the creek, and beckoned you back over, this time scrubbing your back as you stood waist-deep in the water, and chatting to you about his adventures lost in the village.

"Now, the night before I found the place, this guy- hideous, by the way- tries to start a fight with me, and-"

"Bankotsu!" You called, seeing him appear from behind the treeline, dressed in his white and blue silks, his armour seemingly left behind.

"Ban-chan!" Jakotsu repeated, waving, but as you tried to get out of the creek, he snaked his slender arm around your waist, stopping you.

"You're not going until you're clean," he teased, pulling you close, and washed you roughly.

You felt something warm and soft press against you, and froze for a second, but before you could react further, Jakotsu pushed you into the water again.

When you turned to protest, he was already stepping out of the creek, still nude, striding toward Bankotsu, and, when you rudely darted your eyes down, clearly unaroused.

It wasn't that you expected him to be, but nor were you used to that kind of bodily contact with him, even when bathing or joking around.

Jakotsu dressed and headed up to the camp site, and Bankotsu approached, meeting you just as you reached dry ground, and embraced you. Even through his kosode, he felt warm against your damp skin, and you leaned on him for a moment, breathing in his scent.

"I missed you."

He brought his hand to your hip.

"I missed you too."

"You don't mind-" you murmured, embarrassed, looking up toward the camp to make sure Jakotsu was gone. "You don't mind that Jakotsu and I were fooling around undressed, do you?"

You winced at your wording; that wouldn't have been great phrasing in your time, but Bankotsu didn't notice, especially with your face turned away. He laughed.

"We've all gone swimming before, haven't we? Besides, I trust you, and we've got nothing to worry about with Jakotsu."

You relaxed, but kept pressed your face against his hot chest, something else on your mind.

"What's wrong?" he asked, taking a step back, and as a breeze passed over your damp skin, your nipples hardened.

"Nothing, I just want to be with you," you said, and for the most part you meant it.

He cupped your breast in his hand, rolling his thumb over your nipple, and you felt him twitch, swelling against your thigh.

"So is this from the swim, or do you want to elaborate on how you missed me?"

"Both."

His cock throbbed, and he pulled you across the path, into the woods, until he was backed up against the trunk of a tall, solid tree.

"So love, what do you want to do to me?"

Immediately you pushed him back, kissing his chest through his pulled-open kosode, touching him through his hakama until he eased them off, letting his hard, upright cock forward, and you dropped, without care, to your knees.

His cock was so hot and hard, its skin smooth as the silk he wore, his foreskin sliding easily back and forth as you pumped him. You could smell his sweat from scouting that morning, and it made his own scent bloom forward stronger. Feeling your own clit leading the rest of your parts in throbbing, you took him in your mouth. You could hardly taste any sweat, just him.

It didn't take long before he was panting and gasping, moaning for you to continue, yet keeping his hands back, letting you have full control until, with a sharp cry, he shot into your throat. You swallowed it without trouble.

You were shivering with desire, and he met you on the ground, first kissing you with passion, then moving down, holding your legs open as he licked you. You burbled incomprehensible words urging him on, and fast, too fast, your body shuddered as you came against his mouth.

He crawled up and held you, there on the hard forest floor, until each of your breathing slowed to a calm.

With those few moments rest, you both headed back to the stream, Bankotsu finally shedding his kosode and Banryū from his back, shaking his clothes out before joining you in rinsing the leaf litter from your bodies.

"Oh," you said, beckoning him closer. "Look, my tattoos."

He grinned as you faded your tattoos again, and kissed you, this time slow and sweet.

"I haven't seen that face in days," he told you. "You're pretty," he kissed you again, "alluring when you look like us, but I have to admit, I missed this."

You relaxed together in the cool water, laughing together and exchanging a few sweet words, until you heard Jakotsu call down from the camp.

Bankotsu grabbed Banryū and you, not having Takahayari, pulled your tattoos back into place and threw his kosode over your shoulders, following him toward the camp at a short distance.

"Oh, you're back!"

From behind him, you saw Renkotsu standing near the fire pit, looking bored.

"Brother!" he called in response. "I see you're still here. Where's that- oh, hello to you too, Takakotsu."

You didn't meet his eye, instead heading to the tent where, flap shut, you dressed in a dry set of your own clothes.

Hearing someone duck in behind you, you jumped, only to find it was Jakotsu.

"Taka-chan, now that you're clean, I've been meaning you give you something."

"Oh?" you asked, and he smiled, pulling something from his things.

"Here," he said, handing you a lavender scarf. "I think it'll go with the indigo Nozomi-sama used for your clothes."

"Thank you, Jakotsu," you answered, feeling the soft silk, and the dense pattern with which it was woven.

"Don't worry about it," he said with a sharp laugh. "That guy I mentioned earlier gave it to me. Not the one that started the fight, the handsome one in the back alley. Good fuck, terrible taste, it's obviously not my colour."

Even holding it in your hands, you could see that it would lay very gracefully against the shade Jakotsu already wore, but you knew better than to say anything. You just thanked him again and, taking the token he'd given you, stepped out of the tent.

Despite your discomfit with Renkotsu, when you rejoined the group, you couldn't help but admire Bankotsu's body, still fully nude, showing his tan skin, light, well-healed scars, and the muscles he used to haul his halberd around, not to mention the part of him that had been in your mouth shortly before. Banryū was resting over his shoulder casually, as though it was little more than a twig. You handed him his kosode, and he shrugged it on, switching his sword from one hand to the other.

"Sit down, Renkotsu," he said. "Rest your legs. I'm going to get my hakama before they blow away."

You followed him, meaning to fetch your still-drying clothes, and, as you realized on your way down, Jakotsu's mirror, which had been in them when he knocked you into the water. Remembering that made you walk quicker, as though getting there sooner would somehow make the mirror more likely to be present and intact.

When you reached into the pocket of your damp top, you found that it was, in fact, there, and better still, whole. With a sigh of relief you trotted back up to the campsite, handing it back to Jakotsu. Part of you was nervous to part with it; you hadn't exactly had a handle on your tattoos for long, but you wanted to show that you could take care of things- however coincidental that 'care' was for the mirror- and at least act like you had confidence in shifting your face.

Before rejoining the group, you hung your wet clothes on a nearer branch.

Renkotsu's story was long, and unlike Jakotsu's gossip and excitement, he was matter of fact and straightforward. You were daydreaming when he finally got to his miracle worker.

"-and it was this young woman, supposedly a prodigy healer. I asked if I could watch her work, and she proudly let me. She was subtle about it, but after two patients healed I noticed the glow of the Shikon Jewel. It wasn't hard to get her alone, after that- some flattery and curiosity from a pious monk and she led me back to where she harvests the herbs; I suppose she still healed some people the normal way."

"I followed behind her, and as she walked into the clearing, I lit one of these-" he held up a small round bomb, about the size of a persimmon, "and before she knew what was happening, she was gone, and the shard was in the air."

You were thankful that he had seemingly cleaned himself and his clothes before rejoining you.

"...but before I could collect it, one of the saimyōshō took it."

"We are collecting them for Naraku, after all," Bankotsu said mildly.

Renkotsu looked even madder at his complacence, and Bankotsu laughed.

"We aren't getting any more alive than we are," he continued, and you were glad that he continued to keep Renkotsu in the dark. "Jakotsu, why don't you go see what we're having for dinner?"

You did your best to make companionable chat around the fire with Renkotsu while Jakotsu was gone- at least Bankotsu and Ginkotsu were there too, giving you a buffer so you didn't have to hold up the conversation, but you were sure he was just as uncomfortable with you as you were with him, although- you swallowed your anxiety yet again- he was probably more likely to do something to excise the cause of his discomfort from the band.

"Look what we have," Jakotsu said, emerging from the woods, and he held up the fruit of your snare.

"Pork!" Bankotsu said with enthusiasm.

As Jakotsu got closer, you saw the bore piglet he carried, and took an uncomfortable breath.

Even in death it was cute, fairly large but still covered in soft-looking sandy fur, with a pattern of lines and spots along its side.

"Don't you like pork, Takakotsu?" Renkotsu asked, and his smile was wide and unfriendly.

"I do," you answered, trying not to seem weak, but as Bankotsu, Jakotsu, and even Ginkotsu seemed to look at you with concern, you admitted, "it's just that, it's just a baby. I feel bad for catching it."

And though it was the least of your worries, after killing the practically-human rabbit demon, it was true, and even though you knew you could get over it, you were crestfallen.

"Some 'hawk' you are," Renkotsu muttered, and Jakotsu threw a clod of dirt at him; it burst against his back.

You almost laughed, and as Renkotsu spun to argue, Bankotsu stepped between them.

"We all know Takakotsu comes from a different place than us. Takakotsu, will your customs allow for you to share this, or do you want to fish for your meal?"

For a half second you considered it, then you shrugged.

"I've eaten worse," and you were pretty sure that was true. "Wish it was an adult boar though, not that those little snares would work."

Bankotsu laughed again. "I do too; that would feed us for weeks."

The rest of the evening passed peacefully, and when you crawled into Bankotsu's bedroll for the night, you realized that, as wet and mad as you had been when Jakotsu dunked you, you had let go of your fears, if only for a little while.

Chapter Text

With Renkotsu returned, the Band of Seven was on the move again.

It had only been one day of hiking, but you already longed for the time you'd had at your cliffside campsite, the creek always right there to wash off any dirt you picked up, soft grass beneath your bedrolls, and snares to check for food each day, rather than the dried meat and fish boiled with rice that you ate on the road.

Several of Naraku's leads were taking the band back toward Hachiōji Castle. You had never been, at least not in the Sengoku Era- it was hard to say exactly which ruins your family had brought you to on 'educational' trips at some point in your childhood- but Bankotsu had a wry grin when he announced it, and soon you knew that the the daimyō there, Hōjō Ujiteru, was one of those who had turned on the band. They had taken him, his guards, and much of his remaining army out after Naraku had awoken them, but all four of the original Band members were pleased to go back there and cause trouble.

Privately, for you didn't think Bankotsu had even told Jakotsu this, you knew that going to Hachiōji was a step toward finding the witch near Takatenjin- approaching the area the band had been ambushed meant potential news of where generals, soldiers, and lower lords of the betraying daimyōs were now. It was pure luck that Naraku had suspicions of jewel shards so near to the castle, especially considering how far the Band had already strayed on your account.

As you set up your sleeping space between Jakotsu and Bankotsu's bedrolls- at the pace you were walking, there was no energy to spend on sex- you noticed a faint humming, and, looking up, saw several saimyōshō approaching. You made sure your tattoos were visible, but they did not stop, or even seem to look into your camp, instead continuing down the mountainside.

You hoped whatever they were investigating would keep them away from you; there presence was stifling even when the Band was actively pursuing Naraku's interests.

When you finally removed your shoes and outer travel gear, you burrowed into your bedding- not only were the nights still cold, but after a long day of walking, nothing was more comfortable. Before you could fall asleep, Bankotsu and Jakotsu took their places on either side of you, and between them, you felt your body relax.

It was a hot morning, and even in the dim morning light, you regretted your lack of sunscreen and hat. Only a few hours into walking, the sun beat down on you, and you struggled to protect your eyes from its glare. You couldn't watch the path in front of you, for looking forward made your eyes water, and squinting, despite reducing your field of view, didn't block the harsh light.

After you stumbled a few times, Renkotsu dug through the gear Ginkotsu carried, and tossed you a worn straw hat. It had sweat stains, but you didn't care, because its dramatic fold down the centre blocked the sun from either side of your face, and the brim stuck out far in front of you, shading your skin and eyes, letting you see clearly.

You walked beside Jakotsu, who seemed to be feeling the heat as well, for he was not his usual conversational self, but at least the silence was companionable. The two of you were behind Ginkotsu, who Renkotsu rode with, but Bankotsu was ahead of the group. With the Band heading toward civilization, even if it was a few days off, scouting was necessary, especially with Ginkotsu's obtrusive appearance and diminished vision.

He dashed back toward the Band.

"Takakotsu, mask up!"

You did, quickly, and tightened the laces on your armour as well, and as Jakotsu drew Jyakotsutō in one hand, he pulled the amigasa hat down to your neck with the other, and your peripheral vision returned.

Once your armour was in place, you swung Takahayari forward into a 'ready' position, gripping it firmly in your two hands as you jogged to Ginkotsu's side, looking for the threat.

When you saw them, your heart dropped.

Inuyasha was immediately visible in his bright red robe against the dry trail, and with him for context, you could make out the rest- Kirara first, running beside Inuyasha, then Sango, Miroku, and at a distance, Kagome, still in her school uniform.

You had to talk with that girl about what she was wearing in the Feudal Era; that couldn't possibly be practical. Or, well- your heart lurched- someone had to. At least in this sweltering weather she wouldn't be cold.

Miroku shouted, and ran forward, past Inuyasha, unbinding his palm, when a flurry of saimyōshō appeared from seemingly nowhere, seeping in from the surrounding area. You could see him cursing as he covered his hand again and brought forth his staff, whacking the nearest wasp away.

It was your first time seeing Sango use her enormous boomerang, but the Hiraikotsu, as she had called it, flew through the saimyōshō, knocking them from the sky, though it filled back up just as quickly.

Bankotsu ran forward, Banryū held high, and clashed it down against Inuyasha's Tessaiga, and with Bankotsu ahead, Ginkotsu fired a chain forward.

The clamp on the end clasped a tree, and he reversed, pulling it back until, with an echoing crack, the tree split, falling across the path.

Now Renkotsu finally moved forward, blowing fire down onto the tree, creating a wall of flames between Kagome's group and the rest of you. Trees along the edge of the path lit up too.

"What are you doing?" Jakotsu yelled. "We can't attack them either!"

Renkotsu didn't answer, but he tossed some kind of bomb through the blaze, scattering the others.

While you secretly appreciated the fire barrier, an excuse not to actively approach your cousin or her friends, the smoke was becoming heavy fast. The mask you wore filtered it well- it was made for worse- but your eyes already watered.

Jakotsu moved forward, using Jyakotsutō to push back back when Kagome's group approached. Sango in particular kept trying to get closer before throwing the Hiraikotsu; the smoke had to be interfering with her vision as well.

You couldn't see Inuyasha or Bankotsu anymore, for the distance, the smoke, and the height of the flames, but stood your ground with Takahayari in a defensive position, as though you might deflect Sango's weapon or Kagome's arrows with it. Between the sound of Renkotsu's explosives and Ginkotsu's canons, you could hear the clashing of metal as Bankotsu fought, and you knew that for better or worse, he and Inuyasha were still standing.

A shadow passed above you, and you looked up to see Miroku on Kirara's back.

He also fought with a staff; it made sense that he came across, but seeing him made your mouth go dry, and you couldn't tell if it was because he knew your secret, or because it might be time you actually had to kill a human.

Letting your practice take over, you moved into a starting stance and, as soon as he touched the ground, charged forward.

He blocked with his shakujō staff, the rings at the top chiming when Takahayari crossed it, and you withdrew, arcing your weapon up to strike again before he could move his own into a strike.

He parried the blow, but this time he moved fast, forcing you to defend and dash back to gain the distance needed to fight.

You attacked again and he blocked easily, not leaving himself open as he had at the beginning, and as you fought, you realized that there was no way you could win this. He had years of practice fighting. No matter how intense your practice with Jakotsu had been, it couldn't compare to his skill. The only advantage you had was that Takahayari could slash and stab, as opposed to his blunt weapon, but that didn't help if you couldn't get close.

With this realization, your actions grew sloppier. You justified it as being less predictable, but still in your heart knew it had more to do with nerves, especially now that tears were running down your face and, mask or not, you could taste smoke.

You got lucky.

Miroku was only human too, after all, and he fell. There was no way of knowing if he had slipped due to the obstructive smoke, or if his sandal has given out, or what, but he was on the ground, and you moved rather than thought, swinging the sharp beak of your weapon down to his neck, when you were thrown sideways.

Kirara stood over you, then leapt toward Miroku, who used her to stand up even as you moved to brandish Takahayari, and he struck suddenly, without warning.

Noise exploded in your left ear, and you heard the jingling of metal in your right.

Knocked flat on the ground, you watched him and Kirara take flight, dimly aware that above them, and in every other direction, all you could see was smoke.

When you woke up, you were moving. The sky was dark, but even in the dim light, it had a yellowish tint. Your head throbbed.

You tried to talk, but instead coughed, and continued coughing until someone held a cloth over your face. The warmer, damper, recycled air eased your throat enough to breathe, but you held your eyes closed, laying still while you tried to build up more oxygen.

Someone handed you a wet cloth, and you took it, wiping your eyes and mouth. You couldn't breathe through your nose, but didn't want to waste the seemingly clean cloth on blowing it, and your mask was still on.

You felt the motion stop, and others approaching, at which point you finally opened your eyes again.

"What happened?" you croaked.

"Renkotsu started a forest fire."

Jakotsu sounded both far away and too close, and you tried to sit up and look around, but Bankotsu held you down. Like Jakotsu's before, his voice was warped and tinny.

"We're all right. We're going to keep moving and get down the mountain, but you got the worst of it. I almost didn't find you."

You didn't answer- talking felt like more effort than it was worth- but squeezed his hand. Even with somewhat bleary vision, you could see stress in his and Jakotsu's eyes. Then, you looked around a bit more.

"Renkotsu's behind us, keeping an eye on the fire's spread."

"Ginkotsu?" you asked.

"He's carrying you. Just rest. We're going to cross the Tama river, and then we'll definitely be safe. The valley flooded earlier in the spring, it'll be too soaked for the fire to cross, if it even comes down this far."

The seemed like wishful thinking, but you were tired, and your lungs hurt, and your head ached. You rested.

You woke up again at a grating sound, and this time, though your eyes felt crusty, you had an easier opening them, though it was too dark and smoggy to see very far. You were crossing a large wooden bridge; the sound was Ginkotsu's saw blade wheels tearing at the wood below them.

Bankotsu and Jakotsu were out of sight, presumably walking ahead of Ginkotsu- observing the carnage he'd made of the bridge, you wouldn't want to walk behind him either.

Still tired, and throat still dry, you didn't call for them, instead trying to get comfortable again. If you could stay awake, you could look out for anyone following you. If you couldn't, well, no one seemed to expect you to be awake anyway. You tried to pull yourself more upright, but your body twisted, and you let go, sliding back down.

Your head still hurt, inside and out, and when you probed with your fingers, you found a tender, sticky spot near your ear.

Apparently you had dozed off again, as you jumped up when Ginkotsu came to a sharp stop.

You were situated just off the side of a trail. It looked better travelled than the mountain trails you had camped on, and there was no tree break or anything to block your presence from passerby. It felt oddly vulnerable.

Bankotsu came around Ginkotsu's side first, and smiled when he saw you awake.

"Jakotsu, she's up!"

It was only now that you heard him speaking again that you realized it wasn't his voice that had been weird earlier, it was your hearing. Everything in your left ear was quiet and oddly hollow, and although it didn't ring constantly, when they spoke, the sound of tinnitus mixed against their voices.

The two of them helped you off of Ginkotsu, removed your mask, and fetched you another wet cloth to wash your face.

"So, what happened?" you asked again, as you dug sleep and soot out of your eye-corners. Once you had thoroughly wiped away the dirt, sweat, and tears, you paused between words and slipped on a clean mask, at once breathing easier. "Other than Renkotsu setting the fire. I was there for that." Your jaw clicked as you finished talking, and you winced.

"What else do you remember?"

Thinking, you rubbed at the sore spot in front of your ear.

"You were on the other side, fighting Inuyasha. Jakotsu was fighting through the fire, and Renkotsu had bombs, and Ginkotsu was shooting something at them. Miroku, the monk, flew over on Kirara to fight me, and I almost had him... then he hit my in the face. He didn't knock me out, because I remember falling to the ground... then just smoke."

"You're lucky he didn't use his hand to suck you up!"

You snorted.

"He's right," Bankotsu said. "The saimyōshō left when the smoke got too thick. It's a good thing he didn't notice."

You wondered if Miroku actually hadn't noticed, or if he had given you one more chance, despite his harsh words back in the sandstorm. Probably the former; the Wind Tunnel would be the easiest way to get rid of you without Kagome realizing, so he would probably have used it if he knew he could. He had left you in the middle of a fire to die; he couldn't really be that merciful.

"Let's set up camp before we talk anymore," you said, rubbing your head.

In three steps, you found yourself facing Jakotsu; you had circled.

"That's not a good sign," said Bankotsu, behind you.

Together, they helped you sit on a fallen log a few steps into the bush, and you watched them set up the camp. Ginkotsu pulled up near you; he couldn't really help either.

After a few moments of quiet, you became aware, even through your damaged hearing, of a rumbling sound. You tilted your head a few times, trying to use your good ear to figure out where it was coming from.

"Is that you, Ginkotsu?" you finally asked.

"Gersh," he answered, but it was rawer, rougher than usual- not that it had ever been a gentle sound.

"Do you mind if I-?"

He made a sound of assent, so holding his pauldron for balance, you pressed your ear against his chest, and listened to the rattle of his breath. From closer- perhaps too close- vantage point, you realized that around the edge of his armour, his skin was hot and pink, and that he smelled like burnt hair.

"Does it hurt?"

"Gersh," he answered again.

It clearly did, and you were pretty sure he was minimizing it, but you weren't confident enough with his form of communication to be certain.

You didn't pry any further, but as you watched Bankotsu and Jakotsu set up camp, you thought about it. Your chest and throat were still sore, and you'd been wearing a mask to filter out poison and smoke. Ginkotsu certainly hadn't worn one; he couldn't have put it on if he wanted to. From what you could tell, his lungs were some of the few things remaining from his original body- and on that note, how well could he heal at this point? The whole situation just didn't seem good.

Bankotsu led you to a stump seat near the band's gear as Jakotsu lit a small fire at the far edge of camp- if the wind cooperated, no one would have to smell the smoke, at least no more than already billowed down the mountainside.

The three of you sat in a circle, and once you had some hot tea, and a little honey to soothe your throat, you resumed the earlier conversation.

"What happened after I was out?"

"Inuyasha and the rest fled. The smoke was too much for the mutt's nose, not that we were exactly enjoying it either."

"And it would have been such a waste for those ears to go up in flames."

You slurped your tea in an effort to cover a laugh. It wasn't that you really needed to cover it, but it wasn't the time.

"I told these two, and Renkotsu, to get you, but they weren't having luck, so I went back through the fire to find you while they went ahead. Ginkotsu trampled out the fire on the main path-"

"Gersh," Ginkotsu added, voice still rough.

"Don't be-"

"Give Ginkotsu some tea too," you said, and, after testing the temperature with his finger, Jakotsu obliged.

"Good thinking, Takakotsu," Bankotsu said to you, rather formally. "As I was saying, don't be so modest, Ginkotsu."

"Sorry, I didn't understand that one, what did he say?" you asked, making eye contact with Ginkotsu and Bankotsu in turn.

"That the log was pretty much burnt out by the time he crossed it. It wasn't the only one you had to cross, though, was it?"

Ginkotsu made a noise that you understood as a shrug.

"Anyway, I found you laying on the ground." He paused, and you thought he might have shuddered. "It was very lucky that you still had your mask on. I carried you out."

"Didn't Ginkotsu?" you asked. It wasn't that you wanted to minimize Bankotsu's work- in fact, you'd have rather spent your time thinking about him heroically carrying you around, as embarrassing as passing out yet again was- but you had, of course, woken up on the behemoth's back. Besides, going back through the fire for you was dangerous enough. Actually, it was too dangerous.

"Even when I caught up with him, that wasn't really an option. It was too hot, and Renkotsu needed access to Ginkotsu's back to keep him moving. Jakotsu carried Banryū for me though."

You looked back at the pinkness in Ginkotsu's skin.

"Are you cooled down enough now, Ginkotsu?"

"Gersh," he said, affirmatively.

You smiled, but doubted it was convincing. You were picturing him like that hopefully-mythical medieval torture, the brazen bull, heating up inside the metal body that surrounded him, and if the tea weren't soothing your own raspy throat, the thought would have put you off drinking.

He wasn't blistered anywhere you could see, even around the squared off neck of his armour, so he was probably okay, but the more you heard, the more you worried, and not just about him.

"Did Kagome get out?" you asked.

Jakotsu shrugged.

Bankotsu had the heart to be a little less dismissive.

"Probably. All of them left faster than we did, but we never saw them on the way down. Inuyasha's clothes are fireproof though, and he carried her out, and he moves fast. I wouldn't worry about it."

It didn't completely stop your fear for your cousin, but it was enough. Since being in the Feudal Era, there was a certain amount of fear for her at all times, and if she escaped the fire, you could return to the fear that, though you were not actually comfortable with it, you were at least used to.

That said, it wasn't only Kagome you worried for, or Ginkotsu. It was Bankotsu backtracking through the fire to find you, and Jakotsu, with his abysmal sense of direction if he'd ended up alone, and it was the mountain itself. How many people, demons, and other creatures had the fire killed, and how many would it?

Renkotsu worried you too, but not in the same way. It wasn't about his safety, but his recklessness.

You put that aside, as much as you could, as Bankotsu continued, explaining that only once Ginkotsu had been cooled with a combination of water, damp clothes, and fanning, had you been placed on his back.

As he spoke of the harrowing journey down the burning mountain, Bankotsu steadily moved closer to you, until you were comfortably tucked against his side. You didn't exchange words, but you felt the presence of his body, and knew you'd both made it out. It was enough.

Later, you lay awake in bed. After a hearty dinner and a lot of tea, Bankotsu and Jakotsu had both insisted that you lay down early, in hopes of combating the vertigo you were suffering. They themselves were outside, waiting for Renkotsu.

It was lucky that Miroku's attack probably wasn't what had knocked you out, considering you were awake for a moment even after hitting the ground. One more serious head injury and you might have to go back to your own time to have your brain checked, and that was one of the better case scenarios- and really, you knew that should have happened several head injuries ago. You were pretty sure that this one wasn't a concussion though- you weren't nauseous, or dazed, and your vision was okay once the smoke and soot were gone. You just hoped the hit hadn't actually ruptured your eardrum.

There was a bit of a ruckus, the sound of Bankotsu and Jakotsu leaping to their feet, then you heard Renkotsu's voice.

He was angry. He had lost most of his explosives and other incendiary devices, having had to leave them behind for his own safety when he lost control of the fire.

Bankotsu pointed out that Renkotsu had been the one to start the fire, and though that quieted him, even through the tent you could sense Renkotsu's seething.

You listened for details of the mountain, of how much the fire had already grown, but before they got to that, exhaustion took over, and you slept.

Chapter Text

When you woke up, you felt much better.

As you sat up that feeling flipped and you began coughing, rolling over and hacking until you spat a clump of greyish mucous onto the dirt beside your bedroll.

It took a moment to realize that you could hear out of your left ear again. You breathed a sigh of relief. You had been worried. You were pretty sure ear drums could heal without medical intervention, but you didn't know how long it might take, or what having a deaf ear might have meant for your survival, or your contribution to the band.

Your ear was still sore, but that didn't matter, you could sit up without help and you could tell what direction the various songbirds were singing from, and though you hadn't considered yourself confused the night before, you also felt much more awake and conscious.

After kicking some dirt over the mess you'd made, you exited the tent. You found the ground damp and squishy under your feet, and there was a sooty residue on everything left outside overnight, including Ginkotsu. He and the rest of the band sat in quiet discussion.

The sky was still hazy and yellowish, but the smoke had dissipated enough overnight that sunlight shone through.

"Takakotsu!" Bankotsu called to you, his voice rasping just slightly. "Come, sit. Are you feeling better?"

"I can hear!" you said, smiling through the roughness of your speech, then pointedly looked down at at yourself, "and stand!"

"That's great! We were worried. There's tea going."

Ginkotsu was drinking with a reed straw again, though you didn't know how he managed any suction with his solid metal jaw- maybe his real lips were hidden inside, or maybe he used what was left of his tongue.

You accepted your own tea from Jakotsu, sitting between him and Bankotsu, cross from Renkotsu and Ginkotsu.

"Renkotsu was just telling us that the fire is out. It would have been a shame if it had burned down Hachiōji before we got there," he said, with a wry grin.

Renkotsu echoed Bankotsu's expression, though you could see his eyes were baggy and somewhat red. He sat up straighter under your gaze, but you didn't miss the slight wobble in his balance.

"Brother, let's strike now while they're still fearful from the fire. Their soldiers, even their generals are going to be tied up, helping wash away the ash."

His voice creaked, scraping out of his throat worse than the rest of the band's.

"And you, Renkotsu, would lead us in?" Bankotsu asked.

"If that is what you wish."

Bankotsu laughed.

"You were awake watching the fire all night- and I thank you for it, but your eyes are still watering, and you couldn't dodge a single punch, stumbling as you are."

Renkotsu glared, and started to stand, but Bankotsu grabbed his knee, stopping him.

"Get some sleep. Ginkotsu can wake you up if trouble is coming. I want to go see the damage you reported myself, and these two can help scout ahead- especially Takakotsu. No one's seen her before."

Though he didn't try to stand this time, Renkotsu protested.

"If you think I'm going to wait here, useless-"

"The rest of us were 'useless' all through the night, sleeping while you watched the fire you started." He emphasized those final words, and you could tell that he was daring Renkotsu to test him.

Renkotsu said nothing, and Bankotsu smiled.

"Besides, we're not ninjas. I don't want to sneak in while they're distracted; I want them to know who is killing them."

He looked at you.

"When you're done eating, meet me in the tent; I'll help you get your gear on."

You nodded, curious. At this point you were dressing yourself, having gotten the feel of where your armour and weapons were meant to sit, and if he wanted you checked over, he usually let Jakotsu do it, though you didn't know if that was to show his leadership, deference to Jakotsu's skill, support of your friendship, or to keep himself from getting distracted.

In the tent, Bankotsu found the mask you had worn into the fire. Even with the Shikon shard in it, the damage it had taken was apparent. Though the magic had prevented it from burning, the filters were full of black soot, and if the entire area didn't have the dry wood smoke lingering, you thought you could have smelled it at a distance.

Bankotsu hovered his hand carefully, then pulled the glowing shard from the mask. It seemed a duller pink under the shade of the tent, but still shone brilliantly. He pulled another mask out from the fold of his sleeve, and pressed the jewel into its front, just where it had been in the prior one.

He helped you dress in the same smoky clothes as the night before, only making you more aware of the sweat and soot on your body, and again you wished for your peaceful camp on the mountainside, where you'd been able to bathe, launder, and rest at your leisure.

You reached for your armor, but he shook his head, and rather than Takahayari, he handed you one of the small kama-scythes Jakotsu had trained you with.

"Were you awake when Renkotsu arrived last night?"

You shrugged.

"I heard him get here, but not much else."

"I refilled his waterskin and sent him back out to make sure the fire did not catch us, and he only returned a few hours ago. He's no good to us barely standing, so while I want to punish him for starting it fire, we're going to forgive his brashness... for now."

"For now?"

"If you had a brother, you'd know they need a beating sometimes. I'm telling you this because I could see you itching to argue with him."

"I've never started an argument with him!" you protested.

"I know," he assured you, "but I want to keep it that way. Go wait with Jakotsu."

You exited the tent and, as you walked to Jakotsu's side, Renkotsu pushed past, rushing into the tent. Only a moment passed before Bankotsu came outside as well, joining you. He did not carry Banryū, but instead had two narrow katanas in hand. You chose not to comment on that.

Jakotsu on the other hand, spoke up immediately, with a hint of laughter.

"Brother, what are those little things?"

"I want to be a bit more subtle today," he said, grinning, and tossed one of the sheathed swords to Jakotsu, followed by a leather strap. "Leave Jyakotsutō here."

Bankotsu attached the katana he held to his hip, and Jakotsu strapped his own over his back, the way he carried Jyakotsutō.

"Back the way we came. Let's see what happened while we slept."

Having been unconscious the last time you passed through this space, you kept a half-step behind, following Jakotsu in silence. It seemed that the others' throats pained them as well, for neither struck up conversation, instead leading you on a long road, dark from both the smoke and the tall trees, despite its width seeming like enough to let sunlight through.

You followed them for what felt like an hour, until the woods opened up.

Emerging from the trees, you could finally see the extent of the damage from the fire.

It was terrible, but also better than you had expected.

You had doubted Bankotsu when he told you the Tama River and its floodplain would keep the fire from crossing, but he was right. The fire hadn't even come that low, and the overgrown land was lush and green even with soot dirtying it.

Above, a large patch of the mountain was blackened and bare. You couldn't quite visualize how much land, how many trees and animals and homes might have been burned up, but the relief you felt was larger than the worry. It had burnt out, and the rain while you'd slept seemed to have extinguished the coals. A sheer cliff ran along the upper barrier of the fire, preventing it from climbing to the trees above, though you couldn't tell what had stopped the spread side to side. Maybe fire breaks. Maybe pure luck.

"I can't believe it stopped."

"Yeah, I was worried it would wipe out Hachiōji without us. Looks like Renkotsu was right, I don't see any sign of smoke coming from it."

"So can we head back now?" Jakotsu asked, yawning. "I deserve more beauty sleep."

"Better," Bankotsu answered. "We're going to scout the outskirts of Hachiōji."

Jakotsu groaned in disappointment, and though you were quieter about it, you weren't any more pleased.

Still, you and Jakotsu fell in step behind Bankotsu as he led you Southwest, away from the Tama River.

As you approached the castle and its surrounding city, Bankotsu kept the group fairly distant, walking through the wilderness, just close enough to keep an eye on the walls, until he found a large outbuilding, and brought you to the door.

You wanted to point out your lack of weapons, but you also wanted to trust Bankotsu. Still, you looked up at Jakotsu for confirmation. He didn't notice your glance, but he looked relaxed, and had hidden his tattoos. You quickly did the same.

Bankotsu opened the door, and warmth spilled onto your face as you followed him inside.

It was somewhat dimly lit, but the heat and humidity made it immediately recognizable as a bath house.

"Sir!" a young woman called, startled. "Please close the door!"

You turned back to grab it- you were, after all, at the back of the line- and saw how much steam had already billowed out the door. With it shut, you looked around inside, and though your eyes hadn't quite adjusted, you could see that it was a cramped room with several women bustling around shelves stacked with cloth and other items. You could also see several of those women sneaking looks at your odd group.

"The entrance is on the other side."

It was an older woman, looking Bankotsu up and down.

"My apologies, Okami-san. My friends and I have found ourselves a little lost after the fire last night. Please show us through."

She surveyed your trio with narrowed eyes, then turned.

"Come along."

You followed her through a sliding door, down a narrow hall, and out a second door, where there was significantly more light and less steam.

"Everyone in town was affected by the fire, so don't expect to get a discount for travelling here today."

"I wouldn't dream of asking for special treatment," Bankotsu answered, though Jakotsu made a 'hmph' of displeasure. Behind his back, Bankotsu waved his hand, motioning to calm down.

"Just baths, then?"

"Baths, and laundry if you can be quick. We really need to be on our way."

"We have basins you can take out back if you want to wash your clothes."

He placed several gleaming coins on the table, and her eyes widened slightly.

"As I said, we really need to be on our way soon."

"I'll have one of the girls take your garments when you change, but I can't make any promises about drying them in time."

"Thank you so much." He looked over his shoulder at you and Jakotsu. "We had best get out of these dirty clothes."

The owner led you back into the dim hallway, through a new different set of double doors into a room lit with dull lamps. She handed you each a pair of basins, a towel, a cloth, and a small bucket of hot water.

"Clothes in one bin, personal items in the other. Clean yourselves properly before entering the baths. Don't drop your towels, they're the only ones you get. You're lucky-" she added, looking at Bankotsu, eyes glinting. "You've missed the rush."

She left the three of you alone in the room. You could hear one set of doors click shut behind her, then another, then her steps disappearing down the hall.

"So does she think you're fucking us, her girls, or both?" asked Jakotsu.

"She knows we're hiding from someone. Most paying customers, especially ones flashing money around, don't sneak in the back door. That said, probably just you, or she would have charged more. Taka-chan," he said, and you started a bit at his use of Jakotsu's nickname.

"I'm trying to be at least a little subtle with our names," he said, more quietly, before speaking up. "Have you been to a bathhouse before?"

"There are bathhouses where I'm from," you said, speaking a bit more sarcastically than you would if you were certain that only Jakotsu and Bankotsu were listening.

Your clothes and weapons off, the three of you began to wash. Not a moment after you began, several girls entered the room. Three, fully naked, walked in first. The others, dressed in plain, greyish, work clothes, took away the laundry and other effects. They took everything from the room and only the nude girls remained, their hair held high off their shoulders in combs. One knelt with each of you.

As comfortable as you had gotten with casual nudity, it felt less-than-relaxing to have a woman subservient, naked, scrubbing your back, her body almost touching yours, and, if Bankotsu and Jakotsu's helpers were any sign, nervously awaiting a move.

Bankotsu looked perfectly happy to be scrubbed; in fact, he was watching you with a lascivious look, which might have been why you began to feel the soft skin of the worker's breast against your back, and presence of her body hovering even closer.

It was a relief, in a way, to see how tense Jakotsu was. Rather than blushing, he was pale even in the heat of the room, and he shuddered when the girl washing him reached a little too low on his back, or a lot too far around his sides. She kept doing it, and you couldn't tell whether she was relishing making him uncomfortable, or mistaking his discomfort for shivers of pleasure.

When you felt hands slide to your scalp, you interrupted.

"I can wash my own hair."

She pulled her hands back quick, but as you washed yourself, she resumed scrubbing your shoulders and arms, and you allowed it.

Jakotsu had clearly had enough, and he stood up, poured the rest of his bucket over himself, and stalked over to the door, entering the bathing room.

Taking his cue, you took your own bucket and rinsed off, and as you headed through the door, you heard the splash of Bankotsu rinsing as well.

Jakotsu was muttering, mostly unintelligibly, to himself, but you picked up a few unkind words about women and touching before Bankotsu walked in, and the three of you fell silent, soaking in the dark room, alone.

At some point Bankotsu pulled you into his lap, and you could feel his cock prodding you, but neither of you made a move. You couldn't be sure about him, but you were happy just to feel the heat envelope you, easing the soreness you had picked up travelling down the mountain and being jostled around on Ginkotsu's back. Sex sounded lovely, and your body had a pleasant ache in response to Bankotsu's arousal, but it was time for rest.

A couple times, alone or as a group, you sat up above the edge of the bath, leaving your feet dangling in, but letting yourself become a bit cooler, a bit more awake and alert, and eventually the three of you took turns at sitting sentinel.

You weren't sure how much time elapsed before the door opened and new people began entering, quietly chatting amongst themselves as they relaxed. First a group of three, then a pair of women. After the second entrance, Bankotsu touched your arm, and stood. You did the same to Jakotsu, and Bankotsu looked at you both in the face before wrapping his towel around himself and walking out. You and Jakotsu followed.

A mother and child were getting ready to go in, and a staff woman was attending them, but the room was otherwise empty. When she saw you, the staff woman stood, then knocked on a wall before continuing to help the mother to rinse herself and her child.

Three women, dressed in their working clothes, entered, and helped you and your group to dress. Surprisingly, your laundered garments seemed mostly dry, though they clung to damp bits of your skin. Your effects, including your kama, were handed to you next, before you were led out, back through the door you had entered from.

"That was great," you said, and despite your discomfort with the staff, you meant it. It felt amazing to be clean and, even after the heat of the fire, to be warmed through.

"Sure," said Jakotsu, sounding significantly less impressed. "What now, though?"

"Now," Bankotsu said, "we're going to scout this place out."