Chapter 12: Numb

Achiness was the first thing Katara noticed as she returned to consciousness. Her body felt like she went twelve rounds with a horde of demons. As she slowly sat up, she noticed that her clothes and hair were only damp. How long had she been laying there and where was Naraku? Actually, where even is here? It appeared to be a small clearing within a forest. She didn't have too long to dwell on it as six demons stepped out of the tree line and into the clearing. Katara quickly got to her feet and stood back defensively. If she had to fight these demons in just her underwear and tank top without any weapons, then she would.

"Well look what we have here. A scandalously dressed celestial maiden. This must be out lucky day," it practically licked its lips as it spoke.

"You know what they say, don't you," another one added.

"What," the first one asked.

"If you eat a celestial being then you gain some of its powers," it growled.

"It's too bad that I'm just a regular human then, huh," Katara informed them.

"Powers or no, I bet you're still pretty tasty," it said before charging at Katara with the others following behind.

Katara's vision suddenly blurred leaving her slightly dazed. Once her vision cleared, she had just enough time to sloppily dodge the attack. Its sword grazed her shoulder. She held onto it out of instinct, leaving her open for another attack. This time it was from behind which caused her to lose balance and fall to the found.

A heavy pressure started to form in her head. The sight of the sky above her started to blur again. However, it was replaced with the leader of this group of demons trying to kill her. Was this really the end for her? After everything she had been through was she really going to give up so easily? No! She couldn't give up. There are people she loved that she needed to get back to. Kagome would be devastated, and InuYasha… A fire started inside of her at the thought. She had to get back to them.

"Don't worry. I'll make this quick," it said as it stabbed its sword downwards in hopes to pierce her heart.

Katara hurriedly rolled over just in time. Instincts finally kicked in, and her foot connected with its stomach. The demon stumbled backwards giving Katara time to grab its sword from the ground. She got into a fighting stance as the other demons started to surround her.

"If you leave now, I promise I won't kill you," Katara tried to bargain with them.

The demons just laughed as they all went in for the kill. The fight was long and exhausting. Between Katara's vision going in and out and the pressure in her head she almost lost her life on multiple occasions. However, her mother must have been shining over her, because she somehow came out of the battle alive with minor injuries. Six against one and she somehow beat the odds.

Her knees gave out from exhaustion. The heaviness of her breath was the only thing that could be head in this now silent clearing. Shaking hands drug down her face as she tried to wipe the demon blood from her eyes. A deep voice she dreaded hearing came from above.

"There you are," Naraku called from above. "I'm not exactly sure how you were able to escape my grip but believe me it will not happen again. Now…" He trailed off and fell silent as he looked at the scene around him. "What have you done," he said in a slightly amused tone.

"What I had to do to survive," she spat.

"I've done some unspeakable things, but what you've just done…" he started to chuckle. "You might just be as bad as me."

"I am NOTHING like you," Katara yelled. "These are just a couple of demons. It's not like you haven't done worse!"

"Demons," he asked confused. "You might want to have a closer look at who you've just murdered."

"What are you talking about," Katara said confused and she turned around to the demons she just slain.

Her blood ran cold. He was right. These weren't demons. Hot tears ran down her bloodstained face as a choked sob released from her throat.

"No… This… No…" She softly sobbed as she approached a motionless woman who was lying on her stomach.

Katara fell to her knees dreading every moment of this. She gently rolled the bloody brunette woman over. At the sight of the girl's face a heart wrenching sob left Katara's body. It was Kagome. She murdered her baby cousin in cold blood and didn't even realize she was doing it.

"Kagome… Oh Kagome, I'm so sorry," Katara cried as she held her cousin close.

After a few minutes of mourning her loss of Kagome, she was able to look up with tear filled eyes at the others. Her chest was so tight it felt like it was going to burst. A huge hole formed in her chest. Her friends… how could she have murdered her friends and not even know it. Looking at each of them lying in their own blood due to her made her stomach turn and her chest pound quickly. She couldn't catch her breath.

The world seemed to stop entirely as her eyes landed on the sword she used to kill them all, and how she just left it sticking out of one of them. No, she left it sticking out of…

"Oh God," she sobbed again as she crawled her way over to InuYasha.

She quickly removed the sword from the left side of his back. When she rolled him over, she completely fell apart. How could she have done this?! How!

"I'm so sorry," she wept. "You didn't deserve this! None of you did! Oh God!" Katara then looked up at Naraku who had stayed silent during this entire grievance. "Please, just kill me. I'm begging you!"

"No," he said simply.

"Please," she wept.

How would she explain this to her auntie, Gramps, Sota, Kohaku, Kaede, and all of the people who loved them?

"I can help you though," Naraku informed her as he descended from the air.

"Oh God," she sobbed as she kept on thinking of telling her family that she killed Kagome and InuYasha herself.

"This can help take all of that pain away," Naraku told her as he held up a darkened jewel shard.

"I don't care," she practically screamed. "Just make it all stop!"

Taking that as consent, Naraku shoved the tainted shard into the back of her neck. Within seconds the sobs quieted, and the tears stopped flowing. Katara just sat there surrounded by her dead friends quietly staring ahead.

"Katara," Naraku asked.

No answer.

"How do you feel," he asked.

"I don't feel anything," she said blankly.

"Excellent," he smirked. "I'll take you back to my castle, so you can get cleaned up."

"What about them," she said in a monotone voice when Naraku's barrier surrounded the two of them.

"Don't worry about it. I'll have it taken care of."

"Okay," she said blankly.

Naraku grinned at how empty and cooperative she was being. If everything went according to plan, then Katara was going to make a great warrior for him.