InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kazuko Harmony ❯ Hamony and Death ( Prologue )

Kazuko Harmony

Harmony and Death

 

“If you're going to just sit there and watch me, at least try to blend in”

The kid had been perched atop the cherry blossom tree for a good twenty minutes or so, watching her with those azure eyes she had come to admire. The kid was cute, if not a little scarce to come near her. He wasn't from her Village, for she had only seen him whenever she came down to the river for water, or when she went out to help look for food.

At her remark he seemed to almost topple out of the tree. This earned a giggle from the older girl, who in turn stared back with kind green eyes. She sat the wooden bucket of water on the ground and looked back up at the boy; her hands perching themselves expertly on her hips.

“So, do you have a name? Or should I start referring to you as stalker instead?” she asked playfully. Obviously the boy thought she was serious, because his azure orbs narrowed her way “Aren't the playful type huh?” and he wasn't from the looks of it.

 

When she noticed she wasn't about to get an answer, or any other type of reaction any time soon, the green eyed girl decided to start making the first moves “I'm Kazuko, but my mother and sister's call me Kazu”

 

“You have funny hair”

 

Not the reaction she was hoping for. Kazu took a strand of one of her blond curls and looked at it firmly. She had always gotten comments about her hair and was even accused of being some sort of demon by travelers, but the people of her village had grown up with Kazu and some were even present at her birth. So obviously the demon theory was always laughed upon.

 

“I suppose I do, you have pretty funny hair yourself kid, ever tried cutting it?” she asked, again playfully, although the young boy looked as though he had taken some offence to it.

 

The boy who was still perched in the great tree seemed rugged. Had he not been cleaning himself? It didn't surprise Kazu, his long raven hair was matted with knots and his skin looked like he had been attacked with mud. The green eyed girl didn't even want to think about what lay under the dirt.

 

Kazu smiled as he shook his head no to her question.

 

“Do you want to cut it?” she tried again.

 

Again, he shook his head no. This kid reminded Kazu of an animal, not to say he was one or anything, just his curious, yet skeptical mannerisms. Kazu knelt down to the small pouch she had made to store some food into, it did come in handy when walking for water, seeing as the lake was a fair distance away from her Village. She pulled out an apple and bit into it, making sure to make a crunching sound. The dark haired boy looked on in apprehension; he was hungry and she could tell.

 

Sighing lightly, Kazu nodded towards the river and smiled “Come on, wash yourself off and I'll braid it for you. How does that sound?” she could have sworn his mouth edged into a smile, but vanished as quickly as it appeared. When he said nothing, Kazu reached her arm out and presented the apple she had just bit into “And you can have something to eat, but only if you wash yourself off and let me braid that hair of yours”

 

Bribery was always a good backup plan when it came to children. Azure eyes looked on in heavy skepticism before the boy jumped down from the tree with excellent agility. Kazu didn't get time to blink before the apple was taken from her hand and was making its way into the boy's stomach.

 

`How did he do that?' She thought, her brain buzzing at three hundred thoughts per second “Are you a ninja or something kid?” she asked in astonishment. The boy started making his way to the river, taking off his clothes as he did so. “Wait” Kazu didn't get to finish her sentence; she had to turn away as the young boy dived into the lake nude. The kid was young, but not that young that it was okay to see him naked. “Guess the bribe worked a little to well…” she muttered, her back still turned.

 

“Hey!” he called out. Kazu reluctantly turned around to face him, her cheeks red with embarrassment “What do I use to wash my hair with?”

 

So he wasn't a complete animal. Kazu reached into her pouch and produced a small jar of mashed herbs and flowers, this always worked wonders for her hair “Here” she said simply and tossed the jar into the water. Instead of hitting the water, the boy caught it with ease and grinned. Kazu ignored the fact he didn't even say thank you and simply put her focus onto the real issue; was this little boy safe to be around?

 

The strange boy was soon through with his wash and pulled himself out of the river, throwing on the clothes Kazu had often seen him in. She smiled and walked over to him, mentioning to sit down so she could start on his hair. Kazu pulled a small silver comb from her pouch and started to work on the jungle of tangles.

 

“So, what's your name?” she asked casually, pulling at a single rebelling piece of hair.

 

“Bankotsu” was his only answer.

 

Kazu nodded “Interesting name, how old are you?”

 

“Ten” he winced, Kazu gentled her pulls and smiled apologetically, although she knew he couldn't see her.

 

“I'm sixteen” even though he hadn't asked, she thought it polite to at least give him some information on the stranger who was helping him. “Ah-huh” she giggled when she was finally done with his hair, standing and turning Bankotsu around to get a good look at the now clean boy “You look great!” she praised. Bankotsu seemed to turn his head away from her, as if he hadn't been complimented before, or felt he didn't deserve it.

 

Kazu knitted her brows together and grabbed Bankotsu's chin gently, lightly turning his head towards her and leaning down to his height “Hey, you look good kid” smiled gently.

 

 

Bankotsu had been more then a little skeptical when Kazu asked him to come back to her Village. She couldn't just let him stay out here all on his own and her home had more then enough room. After her sister's had left home to marry and bear children there seemed to be more then enough space for just two people; Kazu and her mother. Hesitantly, Bankotsu followed along, although Kazu liked to think he was grateful for what she was doing.

 

Kazu had to giggle; Bankotsu didn't at all look impressed when she made him carry the bucket of water. She even challenged him, saying she bet he couldn't get the bucket all the way back without spilling some water. The glint in his azure eyes told her he accepted her challenge and was going to complete it. Remarkably, Bankotsu managed to get back without even spilling a drop, yet she always managed to spill half the bucket most days.

 

Shaking it off, Kazu gently nudged the small boy into her home. It was small, but larger comparison to other homes. Bankotsu was busy looking around, staring at every wooden ornament and paintings Kazu owned. Upon one wooden sculpture, Bankotsu stopped and picked it up. Kazu smiled “You can have it if you like it”

 

Bankotsu looked back at her, shook his head and sat the bird back onto the small chest.

 

Kazu frowned “My dad made it; it has a carving on the inside that means youth, keeping you forever young. He made it for a boy, but mama only had us, you look like you don't need too much youth though” she lightly laughed, placing a gentle hand on Bankotsu's shoulder “Come on, I'll take you to mama”

 

Kazu gently pushed Bankotsu into the small kitchen where her mother was sitting, making some tea. Hearing her daughter she smiled and looked up, only to see a rather small boy instead “Oh, Kazuko, who's this?” she asked in surprise, setting down the small teapot.

 

Kazu grinned and shoved Bankotsu forward, she could tell he didn't want to go in any further, but pressure was always the key “This is the little boy who's been visiting me by the lake mama” Kazu winked. Mama knew what she was talking about, having listen to her daughter ramble on about a child following her for months now, but hardly expected her to bring it - him - home with her.

 

“It's an honor to meet you-” she stopped mid sentence and looked to Kazu for help.

 

“Bankotsu”

 

Mama smiled, a smile identical to Kazu's, and nodded “Bankotsu”

 

Bankotsu didn't know what to do with himself, so stayed close by Kazu. His nervousness was evident, but both the woman ignored it as they made funny glances back and forth. Bankotsu broke free from Kazu hand on his shoulder and walked over to mama, giving her a rather rude once over.

 

“I'm hungry, got anything to eat?” he said curtly.

 

Kazu could have run over and covered his mouth with her hand. She hadn't realized he was so rude, the least he could have done was add a please to the end of that sentence. Mama only seemed amused as she shifted her brown eyes away from Bankotsu and over to the diner she had been making “The foods almost ready, why don't you go with Kazu outside for a while and I'll get everything ready?”

 

Bankotsu seemed pleased with this answer and turned around, stepping passed Kazu and outside. Kazu smiled apologetically at her mother before chasing after Bankotsu.

 

“Bankotsu haven't you ever heard of please?” she asked, rather annoyed.

 

The young boy shrugged “Why bother using a word that never get's you anything anyway?”

 

Kazu was speechless for a moment. Had this little boy been brought up to think that way? Or was it something he picked up?

 

“Please isn't a word you use to get something, sure it sugar coats a want when you ask someone for a favor or for something you need” she tried to reason “But you generally say please because its polite”

 

Bankotsu looked at the blond as if she had just said some kind of foreign word in some other language and then began to laugh “Polite? Are you serious lady?”

 

By now Kazu was fuming “My names not lady and yes, I'm completely serious!”

 

Bankotsu smirked, something Kazu would learn not to like “Alright” he paused “Wench”

 

That did it. Kazuko wasn't one to yell or even raise her voice to often, but this kid needed to learn how to be nice, even if it meant being mean. She sighed; maybe talking rationally would get her point across.

 

“Bankotsu, calling girls wenches and any other names but the one they were given, is very disrespectful and can get you into a lot of trouble” she said as she sat down on the ground outside her small home. Bankotsu followed, not to much liking her lectures but not wanting get kicked out of her Village anytime soon.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because” Kazu faltered “It just is, okay?”

 

Bankotsu rolled his eyes and leaned back “Sure, whatever”

 

“Kazu? Do you want to come in with Bankotsu now for something to eat and discuss our little…” mama had her head poked out the door and smiled gently at the teenager and young boy “Arrangements?”

 

Kazu sighed for the millionth time that day and nodded her head “Sure mama, coming Bankotsu?” she asked in exasperation. Bankotsu was up and in the house before she had time to even turn her head.

 

What had she gotten herself into?

SSS

 

Kazuko lay in a puddle of her own blood, her blond hair soaking in the red liquid that was oozing from the gash in her side. She looked around the small wooden home she had come to love, remembering times when she was a child and ran around playing with the invisible people she called friends.

 

Bankotsu was not in sight. Good, at least he had gotten away safely before her Lords men could catch him. Something damp could be felt on the side of her face, making its way down to her chin and the side of her cheek. Had she been crying? It wouldn't come as a surprise, her mother had been slaughtered and all her friends gone, the people she grew up with, dead.

 

Maybe this was their punishment. She could feel the life slipping away from her, the breath she had been trying to take not coming, and the numbness of her leg's starting to take effect on the rest of her body. She could feel, however, something pulling her towards the door. Maybe they had set the wolves on the Village to eat away at the evidence so no one would know her Lords cowardice ways.

 

It wasn't wolves; it was the little boy she had come to see as her own little brother. Reaching her hand up to him, she fought to just stay with him a little longer. When she left, he would be all alone again, and that was something she couldn't bare to think about.

 

“Don't die” were his only words.

 

Despite his age, Bankotsu had seen a lot of death and had even enjoyed the sight of blood gushing out from one foolish person after another - but not her, not his Kazu. The sight before him made him nauseous. Her green eyes were no longer vibrant with life, but dull with the life that was threatening to leave within moments; he didn't like the feeling of being helpless and weak. He couldn't protect her and her mother, all he could do was run away to try and find help.

 

Only to come up short handed with little wanting to come to his family's aid.

 

“Hey” she winced “I'm not going anywhere Bankotsu”

 

He sniffed but refused to cry, he knew she was lying “You're going to leave me just like everyone else!”

 

“No, I'm not” she said firmly “I would never leave you”

“…”

 

She smiled at his lack of answering, knowing he didn't believe her “Still my guy?” she whispered. Bankotsu looked at her with wide azure eyes, in the year he had spent with her and her family, he knew she would only say that when she was leaving for a while and wasn't taking him along. He would get mad but eventually get over it when she returned.

 

Kazuko wasn't going to return to him this time. The moment she passed, his faith in mankind left with her, he would find the bastards that did this, even if he had to kill one thousand men to do it.

 

 

SSS

 

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything that relates to the Anime or series. I do, however, own my character(s) Kazuko & Harmony.