Death of an Anime

A/N- So...after that...there were only two left. Renkotsu, and Bankotsu. And I was feeling particularly emotional and angry at Ren. I was extraordinarily nice to him in the last chapter...even as he killed Ja. This time...not so much..**cough** Enjoy! And remember those kleenexes I told you to get?? Yeah... go get.
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The sun was making its way down the sky when Bankotsu started back towards the Shichinintai's base. Negotiations had gone well, and they had come out of the bargain with twice the amount promised. Bankotsu hummed as he walked, quite pleased. Everyone else was going to be happy too, he knew. All in all, it looked like a good night for his little family. If he was especially happy about it, perhaps he could even talk Jakotsu into cooking. It was something the older man rarely did, but whenever he felt like doing, the outcome was wonderful.

Jakotsu. Bankotsu's eyes narrowed. His friend had been so adamant not to be left this morning, and the leader had no idea about what he could have been so upset over. It wasn't like Jakotsu to be paranoid. He'd never been so sure as this morning, that someone was out to get him. Well, at least not lately. When they'd first joined up, it had been worse.

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"I can't go in there, aniki." Jakotsu stopped walking. Bankotsu turned away from the door to the tavern and looked back at him. Jakotsu was rigid, standing stock-still, and staring at the door with something akin to fear.

"Why not, Jakotsu? I told you, I've been here before. They've got good food, and I'm starving!" But the older boy didn't move except to wrap his arms around himself. Sighing, Bankotsu stepped away from the door and walked back towards his frightened friend. "Jakotsu...it's just a tavern. What could possibly be so scary?" His comrade bowed his head, shoulders hunched over.

"Mou....aniki..." Bankotsu frowned.

"What have I told you about calling me that? It's not like we're related..." Jakotsu sighed.

"Gomen nasai, Bankotsu. I just...I just can't go in there. People will....people will..." his arms tightened around himself. Bankotsu patted him on the back.

"It's okay, Jakotsu! This place is great! Besides, there's hardly any women that work or go here. It's mostly all men. Nothing to worry about, ne?" He stopped talking when Jakotsu looked at him, eyes brimming with unshed tears, and shining with a fear that no few words would quickly cure. Bankotsu looked at him, then silently turned and began to walk away from the tavern. After a few steps, he heard Jakotsu follow.
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"Feh. I'm sure he's fine. Besides, even if Renkotsu did try anything...don't see why he would, but if he did...Jakotsu'd be fine. He'd kick his ass." Bankotsu babbled to himself, trying to quiet the sudden jolt of adrenaline that shot through his system when he recalled the fear that had been in Jakotsu's eyes that very morning. It was just like that other time. Scowling at nothing in particular, he repositioned Banryuu on his shoulder, looking up to see the setting sun.

"Good, back just in time to make Jakotsu coo--" He stopped. His shard pulsed against his neck, almost like it was calling out for something. At the same time, something very near the vicinity of his heart began to pound, and a chilly, goosebumpy wave of fear spread across his body. He began to walk faster, and faster still, until he broke into a run. He didn't know what was going on, but something was definitely not right.



Renkotsu had just finished burying the bones and ash, Jakotsu's remains, in the backyard of their current home. He was panicking. Now that he'd done what he'd set out to do, there was much to be dealt with. Things he hadn't thought to figure in. Like the bloodsoaked tatami mats in Jakotsu's room. So now he was down on hands and knees, cursing in a way that belied his educated state, as he scrubbed at the stained material. It wasn't coming out. He'd tried merely flipping them over, but Jakotsu's blood had soaked its way through. Renkotsu gagged as he took what was supposed to be a calming breath. The room stank of blood and death. There was no way, should Bankotsu return, that he wouldn't know what had happened. The only way out of this was to flee. He had to get away before Bankotsu returned, or he'd be dead. This was impossible to blame on the hanyou.

Jumping up from his kneeling position, he ransacked the house, packing food and many valuables they had collected into a bag. It felt like he was running away from home, from a family, but it was what survival necessitated. Just as he grabbed a final bauble and stuffed it in his sack, just as he reached for the door, it slid open. Renkotsu let out a cry and half-fell a few steps back.


"Tadaima!" Came Bankotsu's breathless call as he sat Banryuu down. "Oh, Renkotsu. Gomen, I didn't see you." He began to smile, but stopped as he saw red stains on the Commander's knees. He raised an eyebrow, then the other as he spotted more spots and splashes. On a sleeve, on armor, and a fleck on Renkotsu's face.

"Renkotsu..." his stomach was beginning to twist into a knot, "did you hurt your knees somehow? Did you fall or something?" As Renkotsu's eyes went wide and stared down at the floor, the knot became bigger, and began to burn with something like nausea. He took a few halting steps forward, stopping when Renkotsu stumbled back. Hands shaking, Bankotsu reached out and pulled Renkotsu's face down onto a level with his own.

"Renkotsu....you didn't, did you? Please tell me...that I'm wrong........."

He stank of blood.


Renkotsu found that he couldn't even struggle as Bankotsu began to drag him through the house. He knew. Bankotsu knew, and surely this meant his death, soon. He was going to die. Although, there was one way out of this. If he could kill Bankotsu as well, there'd be nobody left to stop him. He'd stay alive. Bankotsu couldn't kill him if he was dead. His plotting came to a halt when they reached the screens to Jakotsu's room. The leader took a deep breath, steeling himself, it looked like, and slid them open.



A cry tore from Bankotsu's throat before he could stop it. The stench of death was everywhere, and the tatami was red. A bucket of red water sat beside a rag stained pink, and beside the bucket, innocently enough, lay Jakotsu's hairpin. He turned to Renkotsu, his hand still fisted in the man's haori, still shaking. He met the eyes of his second-in-command, and watched the man cower.

"How....could you? How *dare* you? You killed him!" Bankotsu was mortified to feel the tears brimming in his eyes, even as he had expected them to come. "You. Killed. Him. What did he ever do to you, Renkotsu, that necessitated this?" His whole body was shaking now, from anger instead of despair, and with a roar he flung Renkotsu to the ground.

"Bastard! You've killed one of your own! One of *our* own! How could it have come to this?!"


He was upon Renkotsu then, fists flying as furiously as the tears were as he pummeled them against Renkotsu's face, his chest, his head. Anything that was in reach. Renkotsu had his throat guarded as best he could, guarding the precious jewel shards Bankotsu seemed to have forgotten about. The punches hurt, but they weren't enough to kill him. Renkotsu knew his former-leader knew that. He'd have to get up for Banryuu sometime, and when he did, Renkotsu knew he still had the dagger on him. Eventually, Bankotsu did get tired of playing with him, and yanked him up as he himself rose.

"I'll kill you." Bankotsu snarled. The tears were gone, replaced by glittering sapphire rage. "I'll kill you. You don't deserve to live, you goddamned scummy bastard...not if he's dead!" He took off, dragging Renkotsu again, towards the huge halberd propped against the door.



"But...Bankotsu...Oo-aniki....don't I get a chance to defend my actions?" Renkotsu wiped at his bloody nose, stalling for time. His hand reached into his sash as Bankotsu turned his back to him to grasp Banryuu's hilt. The smaller man snorted, then froze as he felt the dagger's edge pressed to his throat. Renkotsu smiled cruelly as he leaned in closer.


"Gomen, Bankotsu," he spat out, "but I can't let you simply do me in because you're devastated about the loss of your...friend." He put a nasty emphasis on the last word, digging the edge of the blade into Bankotsu's neck as the other man growled. "You have the rest of the jewel shards, Bankotsu. I'll take them now, if you please...but I'll be merciful, and let you keep one to live with. That way you'll always remember the day when the real head of the Shichinintai took charge." He smirked, digging the point of the blade in against the hard object he could feel lodged in Bankotsu's neck. "Don't make this too hard on yourself, boy."


That was it. That was all he could take. What good was his life if he owed it to such a bastard? What good was his life without his friends to share it with? Without Jakotsu to share it with? And who's fault was that? Renkotsu had obviously forgotten about the hand that Bankotsu still had twisted in his haori. Either that, or he didn't believe that he'd put his life in danger to use it. Bankotsu smiled coldly. So many years together, and yet Renkotsu had still underestimated him like that.


Quick as a flash, the hand tightened, pulling his one-time friend off balance and closer to him. Twisting in the arms Renkotsu flailed out for balance, Bankotsu turned to face him. The man's eyes were huge. He plainly knew he had made a mistake. The blood drained from his face as Bankotsu effortlessly pushed him against the door, his hand gripping Renkotsu's throat.

"You....How could you think one such as you could kill me?" His hand tightened, and Renkotsu started to struggle, the dagger falling from his hand. Smirking cruelly, Bankotsu leaned in close and whispered to him. "Did you think this was going to be your grand hour? 'Renkotsu-sama''s greatest moment? Did you think you could outwit and defeat me so easily?" He was practically growling now, and he could feel Renkotsu shaking. "Such a coward. A lying, snivelling coward. What did I ever see in you that possessed me to take you into this family? Bankotsu's other hand felt the side of Renkotsu's neck, and pulled out the shard that must have belonged to Jakotsu. He stared at it as Renkotsu made noises that begged for breath. Slipping it gently, almost lovingly, into his own neck with nary a flinch, his grip tightened even more on Renkotsu's throat.

"I'll see you in Hell, Renkotsu...and we'll finish this there." His eyes narrowed as his hand left Renkotsu's neck only to plunge a finger back inside, digging out the final jewel shard.


Renkotsu tried to make a noise, to say something, anything, but his windpipe was crushed. No sound came out. He fell to the floor, looking up at Bankotsu, who had a look of vengeful, bloodthirsty glee on his face. His heart was pounding fiercely, then suddenly it stopped, and Renkotsu knew no more as his body took on a momentary glow, then his flesh turned to ash, body falling to the floor with a clatter of bones.


Bankotsu was back in the tatami-stained room by the time the dead commander hit the floor. He walked to the bucket of water and knelt, picking the hairpin up from where it rested. Closing his eyes tightly against the tears, he held it to his chest. It was time to leave this place, this kind of life. He couldn't be a mercenary without his best friend by his side...without Jakotsu, he was nothing more than a boy. A lonely, heartbroken boy. Standing up, he held the pin tight in his hand and surveyed the bloodsoaked room one last time.
"Jakotsu...I know...you'd want me to live. So...I'm going to. For as long as Inuyasha will let me, I'll live. But then, I'll be back to join you, and I won't ever leave your side again, okay?" The tears were pouring now as he slid the door to the room shut. "I promise. I won't leave you again."

~Owari

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**sobs brokenheartedly**

~Tareacel