Jumping back, Katie scrambled towards the trunk, pressing her back against the bark, as the stranger hovered a bit closer.
"Who… what are you?" she yelped as Anzai looked at her in curiosity, and burst out laughing, his voice echoing throughout the clearing. "You don't recognize me, dearest Atsumiaka?" He lit down on the branch and walked on it with relative grace towards Katie. Kneeling down in front of her, he stared into her eyes for what seemed like hours, inching closer till they were practically nose to nose. Suddenly, certain sadness passed over his face while he moved back, sitting Indian style while Katie tried to keep her temper and not shove him off the tree. "You are Atsumiaka, but your not... Your auras are identical but you're just a… "He stared at her again, a look of disbelief in his eyes. "You're just a human…"
"Listen, whatever you are, I'm not this Atsumiaka you keep raving about! My name's Katie, Kay-te!!" She grumbled, crossing her arms across her chest in annoyance. This was getting way too weird, guys with dog ears, old one-eyed hags who talked like she was in some Shakespearian play, people who could float in the air… But something was wrong, why was this guy so familiar and why was it going so dark….
"Girl!" Anzai shouted as Katie just slumped out of her perch, falling towards the ground. He managed to grab her hand as he levitated back to the earth, sitting her on the grass gently. "Sweet Creation! Is she dead?" he thought, frantically shaking her shoulder. "Human, wake up!"
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'Where am I?
'Whoa!
What happened?
Did I fall again?
Crap crap crap crap crap…..'
Light started to brighten where Katie was standing, a faded light like something from a memory. Watching in amazement, she watched this beautiful lady, surrounded by different people, one of them that Anzai. The image faded as she saw a little white haired boy chasing a small ball, laughing until two men came. Whatever they said, the boy was crying. The next showed the lady reaching out, trying desperately to help the boy as other figures held her back. Images kept playing, as if from the lady's point of view, she would be singing to a crowd of strange beings, comforting a little girl who was crying about her pet squirrel, facing down what looked like a dragon, sipping tea, watching her tears fall into the ground. They all seemed to blur together, speeding up as they flashed past her eyes. Suddenly they slowed on a picture that frightened Katie to no end. It was her nightmare, the boy, the one from the tree, the strange girl shooting an arrow through his chest while she herself bled. "No... This isn't real, none of this is real!" she kept repeating and repeating.
"But it is real." A soft voice whispered behind her. Whirling around, Katie nearly screamed at the sight. It was the lady from the images, dressed in a beautiful kimono that seemed to move around her as she spoke. "What you are seeing are our, I mean, your memories, Katherine." She smiled gently, moving into the light more, bright hazel eyes meeting Katie's with amusement as she fell back. "What is going on?! Who are you?!" she looked around; trying to find a way out but the emptiness surrounded them. "My name is Atsumiaka and I'm you" the lady stated matter of factly, studying Katie who just stared at her in shock.
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"Damn it, why won't she wake up?!" Anzai howled loudly, running his hands through his hair in frustration. She looked so much like Atsumiaka, but how could she, she was just a human but why had Eheiya sent him? Various animals had been gossiping about the woman who killed a demon with fire, and he of course had though she had finally came back, finally raised from her ashes like she had down so many times. But all he had found was this… human whose aura was the same as Atsumiaka, the same power, the same ferocity, the same innocence.
"HEY!" Anzai turned around, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight of Inuyasha glowering at him, cracking his knuckles, a sarcastic smile on his face. "You were the one trespassing in MY forest!" Standing up, Anzai brushed himself off, making a mental note about the hanyou's speed then smiled at him "Your forest? Don't make me laugh..." But Inuyasha (as usual) just snarled and leapt at Anzai, ready for a fight after so dang long. The unconscious girl caught his eye for a moment, but his entire mind was on the fight, the enemy in front of him.
"SANKON TETSUSOU!" He yelled, aiming a swipe at Anzai's chest, but just as his claws were about to make julienne of his flesh, they just passed through him like he was a ghost.
"What the HELL?!" he turned as Anzai rammed an elbow into his stomach fluidly, then just disappearing again, leaving only the after-image to be sliced by Inuyasha's attack. Anzai appeared again as roots started to reach out of the ground, wrapping around the hanyou's legs.
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Atsumiaka turned her head, breaking off from her sentence. "You have to leave, Katie." She started to stand as Katie scrambled to her feet in haste. "What do you mean?! Leave? But you still haven't told me WHO you are!"
Atsumiaka just smiled sadly, gently pushing her back, falling through the emptiness again.
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The clearing was pock marked with upturned earth, Anzai and Inuyasha staring at each other across the clearing, both showing signs of wear and tear. Anzai remembered the boy, half demon or not. The one that Atsumiaka died trying to avenge him, facing down Naraku. That boy was the reason she died, why she… His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of "What the frick just happened??" Glancing between himself and Inuyasha, he saw Katie standing up on shaky legs, not seeming to understand the danger she was in. "GET DOWN!" He screamed loudly.
Taking the chance Inuyasha lunged at Anzai a "Sankon Tentsusou" ready to reach its target. Out of nowhere some human girl got in front of it, her eye's widening in shock as his claws went straight through her shoulder. "Aw….. crimny" she choked out, slumping to the ground again
THE END!
Katherine: "Cut and print that!"
Ebizo: "YOU KILLED KATIE! YOU STUPID HANYOU! ARGH!!" *starts chewing on Inuyasha's arm*
Inuyasha: "It's part of the story! Get over it!"
Katherine: *watches the scene as Katie jumps up, wiping the fake blood off as Anzai as usual heads towards the donut table* "Good work crew! Now I just have to figure out …" *starts scribbling in her notebook again*
Katie: "Why the heck do I keep passing out?! It's boring as heck!" *snatches a donut out of Anzai's hand and starts to munch. He shrugs and gets another*
Anzai: "Drama … the whole damsel in distress motif I think." *munch munch*
Katie: "You don't think she'll pair me up with anyone do you?"
Anzai: "Better not be me… Isis would kill me for sure." *chuckles slightly*
Miroku: "Ah, our heroine! You're looking lovely as always…" *rear grope*
*KABLAM*
*Miroku goes flying off again*
Katherine: "Hey, don't kill him! He actually has an important part!" *waves script in the air*
Fujimi: "Has anyone seen Cloyi? Oh there he is!" *points at the rather deranged looking squirrel joining in to chew on Inuyasha's arm with Ebizo*
Katie: "I definitely do NOT get paid enough for this…." *steals another of Anzai's donuts*