Second Chances [Sequel to Talking Back]

[Yuliya]

TITLE: Second Chances
GENRE: Feudal Japan/Romance
RATING: PG-13
WARNINGS: Reference and strong implying of adult situations
OTHER: You may want to watch Inuyasha episode 110 for reference
SUMMARY:

Ten years have passed, ten long years since the general brought his sword down hard on Bankotsu's neck, ending a romance that should have lasted longer than it did. She remembers that day more clearly than any other, the loss of her love, and her true family, the Band of Seven.

Now she lives as the shrinekeeper to their tomb, an outsider in the village, but she has one hope, one thing that keeps her going: her son, Bankotsu. He is the reason for every breath she takes.

Then, one night, she sees a strange light...coming from the tomb of the Band of Seven. All she sees is the faint silhouette of a young boy running off, and when she sees it...the stone has been cracked in two. What does this mean? For her, and for the Band of Seven?

---

Chapter One: Man of the House

I pushed my hoe into the earth, shuffling the soil in preparation for a vegetable garden that was to be grown there. The earth was as hard as rock from a drought that summer, but I was determined to get it soft. Already I was a little late for planting, it was already November, but that was a trait I had developed these past ten years. I was so absent-minded…

I was sure it embarrassed my son, Bankotsu. He would come back from the village where he spent his days playing and training, and I would ask him, “Why is Shoberu with you?”

“Remember, mother? He’s staying with us tonight.”

“Oh, yes, of course!” Of course I had forgotten to prepare a decent supper, and that friend would probably never come over again. Bankotsu would give me the silent treatment for a day at most, but then he would always forgive me. For such a young boy, he was so responsible and mature. I guess that was what came from being born as the man of the house.

As I pushed my sweaty bangs from my forehead, I thought about picking up Bankotsu from the village and walking him home. That would be a nice surprise for him. It seemed like he and I were never together as much as we used to be. Even though he was only nine, he had devoted himself to becoming the strongest man in the world, just like his father.

It had been a year since I revealed to him that his father was the great Bankotsu of the Band of Seven. Sometimes it was even hard for me to believe it, but there was no way to forget. He was strong, brave, and more importantly, he had loved me more than I thought any man ever would. To my great pleasure, my son accepted the information with glee.

“Tell me about Bankotsu and the bear demon!” he would ask, and I would happily tell him all that I remembered from the times I was the servant of the Band of Seven and we would all sit around the fire and they would tell me about their battles. Even more, the knowledge of his origin had given him a goal in life. He wanted to be just like his father, and protect me, “Just like he did.” I didn’t remind me that I had saved Bankotsu’s life once, it didn’t matter.

I leaned my hoe against the side of our small house, and started walking to town. I tried to avoid the village as much as I could, lest I run into “the general.” Every time I saw him, it was hard to suppress my anger, and it was getting harder each day as he started noticing how my son was growing up to look exactly like the first Bankotsu. He was growing suspicious of me. After all, he had been the man who ordered two men to hold down my love while he beheaded him with the sword that I would see strapped around his waist. The least he could do was keep my son out of any future feuds with me.

I saw Bankotsu near the center of the village. He and a few other boys were busy kicking around a ball when one of them stopped and pointed at me.

“Bankotsu, isn’t that your mother?”

“I hear she was only sixteen when a thief came and raped her! Isn’t that what happened?”

“No, no, you got it all wrong. She fell in love with a priest, one of the kinds who aren’t supposed to have children, but they did anyway, and so it was her punishment to look after the tomb of the Band of Seven!”

“I thought she looked after the Band of Seven shrine because she’s, you know.” The boy proceeded to point a finger at his ear and move it around in circles.

“My mom isn’t any of that! My dad was a warrior and he died defending his comrades!”

“Sure, Bankotsu, you’ve told us that before, ‘My dad was the strongest man in the world!’ Ha!”

It pained me to see Bankotsu putting up with this. I knew this happened most days, yet he never took it out on me, and he never blew up at his friends either. Already my boy was a better person than I was.

“Bankotsu? How about I walk you home?” I asked cheerily, pretending I hadn’t noticed anything.

“Okay,” he replied, looking a little bit embarrassed as I put a hand on his shoulder and led them away, but unlike other children, he was not embarrassed because I was walking him home, but because he knew I had heard all of that.

“Bankotsu, I want you to know that you will always be my wonderful, beautiful boy.” He made a face at me.

“Men can’t be beautiful, mom.”

I laughed, it felt good, “Quite the contraire, men can be very beautiful. Your father was very beautiful, and because you look like him, you are too.”

He made a face like he would be okay with that for my sake, but he wasn’t really buying it, “Doesn’t seem very manly…”

I laughed again, harder this time. Here I was, dealing with my nine-year-old who was already worried about being “manly.” Maybe I just had a funny little boy, or maybe, he had never really had the chance to be a kid…I stopped laughing, and we remained silent for the rest of the walk home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After I tucked Bankotsu into bed that night, I stayed up, but didn’t really do anything. I was wondering what life would be like if the first Bankotsu were still alive. Would our son and I be traveling on the road with him as he continued his life of a mercenary? Or would he be right here beside me, in this house, standing at the doorway as I sung our son a lullaby and then sleeping in the same bed as me?

No matter what, if he were alive, I would be with him. I had made the mistake of running away once, and that had cut away two precious months of our time together, instead, giving us only one night. If he were alive, nothing would keep me away.

This past year had been the loneliest to me. The second Bankotsu would always be there, but he was growing up fast, and relied on me less and less each day. I had no friends, save for a few older women who would deliver baskets of food every once in awhile, but that was just charity. The longest chats I had were with my horse, Banryuu, but the gelding was nearing the end of his prime, and he wouldn’t have too many more years left ahead of him. I wouldn’t be able to afford another horse.

I knew Bankotsu hadn’t believed in the afterlife, but even as it was, I begged him to send me something, something to give me hope and a reason to fulfill my promise to him and live long. As much as I tried to tell myself this wasn’t true, I was living each day with the sole hope that Bankotsu would come back to me. I was waiting for him, as if some part of my brain believed that he had gone off on a job and would burst through the door any minute now. In response to that thought, I went and opened the door to look out.

Instead, I saw a bright light erupted out of the ground near…the shrine! My shrine! Without hesitation I jumped out of the house and ran towards it as if my life depended on it. If something had happened to it…

When I got there, out of breath, all I could see in the distance was a faint silhouette of what seemed to be a young boy running away, and when I looked at the tomb, my heart crumbled. It was split in two. Perhaps I could repair the roof that had gone over it, but what could put two pieces of a stone back together? Right then, it seemed like everything had given up on me. I couldn’t even keep the grave of the Band of Seven right. I threw myself to the ground, and cried.

I heard a song tonight on the radio
Another girl sings about a boy

She sees his face in every space,
Every room and I know
That if I turn around you won't be there
If I close my eyes will you be there?

I don't want to lose your face
And I don't want to wake up one day and not remember what time erased
I don't want to turn around
Cause I'm not scared of what love gave me and took away
And I don't want to lose your face

I've got a picture of you in my bedroom
And I hope it never falls

I hope I never lose that feeling
I used to get when you called
And then I wondered to myself
Who were you, where are you
Were you ever here at all

I don't want to lose your face
And I don't want to wake up one day and not remember what time erased
I don't want to turn around
Cause I'm not scared of what love gave me and took away
And I don't want to lose your face

That girl in the song had it so good
I wish I could close my eyes and see you
I wish the sky had your face
And the oceans had your eyes
And the sunset had your lips
And I had yyyyoooouuuuu

Oh-oh yeah
I don't want to lose your face
And I don't want to wake up one day and not remember what time erased
I don't want to turn around
Cause I'm not scared of what love gave me and took away
And I don't want to lose your face
Oh, no, no

I don't wanna lose your face
I don't wanna turn around
Oh, oh yeah
Oh, oh oh
Oh, oh oh
Oh, oh oh yeah

[Yuliya]

Chapter Two: Waking Up

The next few days were crazy. Everyone was talking about how the Band of Seven had been resurrected since the tomb had been destroyed and destruction of all types had been happening. Our lord had even sent a small army to take care of whatever was killing things and none of them returned. I wasn’t sure what to think, or if it was even possible for anyone to be brought back to life. Part of me was squealing, another part was telling me not to bring my hopes up. It could be just that a bunch of people who looked like the Band of Seven were parading around, and everyone assumed it was them because everyone feared them and the shrine had been attacked.

There was a problem. I couldn’t go out to find these people, or…the Band of Seven, because everyone they fought was killed. I could never find out where they were. When I heard that the castle had received a note they were going to attack it, I went up there and asked to stay there, but I had been turned away, being told it would be safer to stay in my village.

Then, one day, a group of strangers came to my door. They consisted of a demon, a monk, a demon slayer, and a girl who dressed strangely. The demon demanded that I tell them everything about the Band of Seven. I was about to slam the door in their face when the girl asked more kindly. Still wary, I let them in.

“We’ve heard that you were the shrinekeeper of the tomb of the Band of Seven,” the monk stated.

“Yes, I am.”

“Would you kindly tell us all you know about them?”

“Why should I?”

“We-” the monk started, but he was interrupted by the demon.

“We fought one of them and we need to know how to kill them!”

Anger pulsated throughout me, and yet at the same time, pure joy. They had fought one of them? That meant they must really be back! All I had to do was find a way to get to them!

“Which one?” I asked, trying to feint a look of concern as I tried to hold in my soaring heart. This was…everything, everything I wanted and everything I’d ever need. Tears fell from my eyes…but they were of happiness. I hoped they would assume it was from worry.

“A very odd…man, I think…” They must have been talking about Jakotsu. Jakotsu! My dearest friend! He was back! Oh…I just needed to shake these people off and then I had to find them, even if I didn’t know where they were. I would stop at nothing.

Just then, the door opened and Bankotsu peeked his head out. He was just about to ask me something, probably who these people were, when the group looked at him like he was a bomb.

“He looks just like how their leader is supposed to look!” the demon slayer exclaimed. I rushed to stand in front of my son, while the demon looked at me with slitted eyes.

“What are you hid-I smell blood…lot’s of it…they must have attacked the castle!”

This was my chance, and I had to take it.

“Bankotsu!” I yelled, grabbing my son and pretty much flying out the door. Not stopping to put on a saddle or even a bridle, I threw us both on the back of Banryuu. He seemed to know what was going on, for he sped like lightning up the path. I was going to be pursued by that group, I knew it, but at least I was on horseback now. And if the demon was right, the Band of Seven would be at the castle. It was not me I was worried about, but I knew they would protect my son.

I could see from far away the massacre that had taken place at the castle. Right as I was riding up, my whole body stopped.

“Are you ready to meet your lord?” A very familiar voice said, making my heart thump rapidly.

“Surround him!” It was the horrible voice of the general. I pulled Banryuu to a halt, not wanting to be caught up in the obvious fight that was going to happen.

“Go to hell!”

And then I saw him. He flew up in the sky like a bird of prey, spinning the real Banryuu in his hands. He…really was back…after ten years. I was sure I was going to faint, but then my son…our son pulled me back up.

“Mom…”

It was over as quickly as it was started. Bankotsu was standing in the middle of a pile of bodies…the general’s among them, the man who had tormented me for so long…gone in an instant. I saw him smirk, and then out of the corner of his eye, he saw something…he saw us. He turned slightly, looking confused, and then his eyes lit up in realization. I had missed those eyes, the only thing his son had not inherited from him.

“Chi…” he said softly, uttering my name like a starving man moans for food. It seemed like not a second passed before he was right beside me. I couldn’t breathe. He held out his hands, and I gladly accepted his help down, seeing as my legs were completely wobbly. Behind me I could hear the second Bankotsu hop down, and the first Bankotsu’s eyes traveled quickly to his spitting image, and then back at me.

“Is he…?” I nodded. He looked as wobbly as me for a second.

But like all things, the moment couldn’t last forever.

“Ha! I knew she was in the league with him!”

“We’ve got company,” I said darkly. Bankotsu’s eyes flashed to the intruders, glaring at them murderously.

“Take him up to the castle, get on Ginkotsu. He’s been…modified.”

My son started pulling me to where we had been directed, but I stopped and looked back.

“I’ll be right behind you, go!”

As much as I wanted to stay by him, as much as I wanted to fight, I would not leave the second Bankotsu, who yanked my arm quickly.

“Mom…can you just call me Ban?” he asked, looking up at me. I looked down at him, confused. He looked almost…sad, “I’m not a warrior, not like him. I don’t deserve kotsu.”

I smiled, “I’ll call you Ban, but only because you’re still my little boy, not because you aren’t a warrior.”

We rushed up the path, leading Banryuu behind us. That was when I saw…so many familiar faces.

“Is that our slave-girl?” a rough voice said. Never before had I been so glad to be called that. Strong but soft arms found their way to wrap around me.

“Chi!” Jakotsu cried. Then he stopped and squealed, pointing out in front of us. Bankotsu had kept his promise and followed us to where we were, but now the other group was closer.

“It’s Inuyasha!”

“The demon?”

He nodded. Already I could see Jakotsu’s infatuation. A smile came to my face, how I loved them all.

“Ginkotsu!” Bankotsu shouted back at me. I turned to see a very different Ginkotsu. He was now…like some mechanical moving device. I helped Ban climb on and then admired, obviously Renkotsu’s handiwork.

“Renkotsu beefed you up?” I complimented. If it were possible, I was sure Ginkotsu would have blushed. Renkotsu was standing there too, and gave me a curt nod.

“So, you’re Bankotsu, leader of the Band of Seven,” Inuyasha said, his voice already started to irritate me. He looked at us all, and then seemed to do some difficult calculation in his head, judging from his expression. He pointed his large sword (Thought not as big as Banryuu) at Ban, and me “And who are you!?!”

Bankotsu swung Banryuu down from his shoulder and threatened Inuyasha with it, “Don’t you dare point that at Chi and my son.”

“Son?”

Oceans apart day after day
And I slowly go insane
I hear your voice on the line
But it doesn't stop the pain

If I see you next to never
How can we say forever

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

I took for granted, all the times
That I though would last somehow
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears
But I can't get near you now

Oh, can't you see it baby
You've got me goin' crazy

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

I wonder how we can survive
This romance
But in the end if I'm with you
I'll take the chance

Oh, can't you see it baby
You've got me goin' crazy

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you