Yami Midnight: Here we are again. Are you tired of us yet?

Midnight: Don't answer that!

Yami Midnight: sigh So here is chapter 7. The title is lame. Are you happy, Michelle???

Midnight: We've decided that there IS going to be a sequel, but not right away. We still have a couple or so more chapters to write.

Yami Midnight: Katiyo will meet Inu-Yasha in the sequel!

Midnight: Hope you're going to like it! Anyway, enough of our babbling! On with the show! I mean...story!

Little note here: Slightly lemon toward the end. I may have to up the rating to and age where you are most likely to have had a health class.

Battle of speed

Two days after his return, Sesshoumaru stood waiting in the large courtyard behind his castle. He was waiting for Katiyo, the falcon demon he had given a home. She had challenged him two nights ago to a friendly fight to test her skills. This should be easy, she's clumsy! Still, I should probably refrain from using all my powers, I could hurt her. The great demon lord sighed. Never before had he cared so much about a silly battle. When he heard footsteps behind him, he turned and saw the girl he was waiting for.

Her hair was tied back and she wore lose clothing. Like any trained fighter, Sesshoumaru thought. She also wore no armor. Over the last few meters between them, she ran and did a few tumbles to loosen her muscles.

"Here I am! Are you ready?" She said while stretching.

"Yes." He answered in his toneless voice.

"Good! Because I don't plan to go easy on you! I don't want you to go easy on me either!"

"Fine." She can heal herself...when she's conscious.

"Okay, first person to draw blood from the other wins. No poison, no disappearing, no transforming, and no chocking." With that said, they face each other, bowed and the fight began.

Sesshoumaru immediately charged for Katiyo. She easily dodged his claws and circled around behind him. God, she's fast! He quickly turned to face her and tried again. She dodged again and he heard her voice in his ear. The feel of her breath confirmed it wasn't a spell.

"You're holding back! I know you can do better." Completely confused as to how she got so close to him, he faltered for a second. Katiyo missed the opening. Quickly, he swerved to face her again and drew on the power of his whip. She jumped form the place where it clacked and raced up his arm. She was so light, Sesshoumaru hardly noticed. She placed her feet on each of his shoulders and did a back flip off his head and landed behind him. Again, he turned, but he misjudged the distance between them and received a talon in the face, scratching him and drawing blood.

"I win!" Katiyo said with a friendly smile. Sesshoumaru backed up a few paces and bowed to her.

"You don't need to do that! Really! You're embarrassing me!" Blood was dripping from his cut onto the grass, so Katiyo leaned forward and pressed a blue palm on his cheek. When she lifted her hand, the cut was gone with any trace it was ever there. Sesshoumaru stood up strait and complimented her on the fight.

"You are very fast. I am surprised you did not unleash your fists, though. I am curious as to your strength. Very well fought, just do not tell Jaken."

"I understand! You have your man pride to keep intact." Sesshoumaru shot her a small glare, so she added with a grin, "I won't tell anyone...except Rin." After a few moments Katiyo added,

"Thank you. I don't think anyone has ever complimented me before. They only complained that I was too quick and that it wasn't fair."

"Hmm. I noticed that you were completely balanced the whole time. Why are you so clumsy when you are not fighting?" He was still surprised form the jump she did over his entire body.

"It's kinds like a bird when it's hoping on the ground. Even great eagles are ill at ease when not flying. I suppose because my magic is the weakest kind, I compensate by a fighting sense. When there's no adrenaline running, I'm a klutz. Sorry if that doesn't make sense."

"I see. So are all your kind clumsy?" he asked as they made their way back to the castle.

"No, just me. I'm the only falcon in over millennia to have healing powers. The rest of my kind either has no magic or battle magic. Some have psychic powers."

"Interesting..." he muttered to himself. "How old are you?"

"I'm 175 years old."

"You're barely out of childhood!"

"Silly! A bird's childhood is very short. How old are you, grandfather?"

"I am over 700 years old, if you must know." They had reached the doors to the castle. They each headed different ways. Sesshoumaru took the shortcut through the castle to the hot springs in the cliffs. A god bath will feel good. I need to think.

He climbed up the stone steps until he reached the large hot spring. He undressed quickly and slipped into the steaming water.

Meanwhile, Katiyo was slowly making her way up another set of stone steps that lead to the same spring, careful not to trip. When she arrived, she nearly fell over when she saw who was already in the spring. She tried to walk away slowly, but he heard her.

"You may come in. I'm not looking." Katiyo really wanted a bath, so she took off her clothing, undid her hair and dove in. Out of respect, she kept her under things on. When she surfaced, she swam over to him and asked anxiously,

"Are you mad at me?"

"No I am not. You won fair and square." He answered.

"Good. Then there's no harm in my telling you that you're on my rock." She said with a smile.

"Your rock?" he said, giving her a look as though saying 'just try and move me'.

"Yes, my rock! Now, please move!" she said, not entirely serious. When he did not move, she rammed into him. Still, he did not move, so she pushed with all her might. Nothing fazed him. He sat there with a small smirk. They both knew it was a game. Katiyo even tried tickling him, but to no avail.

"You're not ticklish, you wont move, I can't move you! Only one thing left." She swam over and sat on his lap. She enjoyed looking at the surprised look on his face. She wriggled and tried to make herself comfortable. Finally, she leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped his arm around her waist. For a moment, Sesshoumaru sat surprised. Her scent was intoxicating this close. He had to get away before he lost control.

"Have it your way." He picked her up by the waste, got up, placed her on the rock, and then swam away. Katiyo laughed.

"Ha! I knew it would work!" she said triumphantly, performing a little victory dance.

"You are such a child." He retorted before submerging, his tail a white snake behind him. It looked much smaller when wet. He surfaced on the other side of the spring and sat to face her.

"I think it's about time you told me why you ran away form your flock in the first place." He said with a commanding tone once she had sat down again. Immediately, Katiyo's eyes became cold and hurt and she tried to exit the spring by the rocks behind her. Sesshoumaru crossed the spring to grab her wrist and dragged her back in the water.

"Let me go." She said flatly, trying to pull away.

"Not until you tell me why you ran away." He said, his tone still commanding.

"I don't want to." She mumbled, head hung low, never meeting his eyes.

"You have to!" He placed his fingers under her chin so she would have to meet his eyes. When blue met with amber, she saw the determination in his eyes. Those beautiful amber eyes were filled with something that made Katiyo tell him.

"All right." She whispered. She drew away from his grasp and turned her back to him. In a slow, sad voice, she told her tale for the very first time.

"A little over a year ago..."

FLASHBACK

It was a calm night. Katiyo sat on the top of a small hill gazing at the stars. When she heard footsteps behind her, she turned and saw Tomo, the next in line for the rule of the falcon flock. He was also the world's biggest asshole. Katiyo sighed and returned her gaze to the stars.

"Hello, Katiyo. How are we this evening?" he said seductively in his nasal voice.

"Leave me alone, you creep." Katiyo answered flatly.

"Now, that's no way to talk to a prince! I could have you sent to Lushagui for that."

"I'm so sure!" she retorted sarcastically.

"So what of my question, pretty? Will you marry me?" He said in a low voice as his hand reached for her face. She slapped his hand away, got up, and started walking away. Tomo tried to stop her, but she transformed and flew away.

This was the third night in a row he had proposed to her, and he was tired of getting no for an answer. He wanted her for her body. He wanted to do with her as he pleased, since she was the prettiest around. Time to take more drastic measures.

The next night, he found Katiyo on the same hilltop, looking at the stars.

"So, Katiyo, will you marry me?"

"I will never marry you!" she yelled.

"Have it your way." With a wave of his hand, one of his faithful thugs emerged from the shadows and knocked Katiyo unconscious.

When she came to, she was lying on a bed somewhere, gagged with her hands bound on either side. She also wore no clothing. When she looked around, she saw Tomo sitting calmly in a nearby chair.

"Ah! So we're finally awake! I still don't understand how anyone could reject me. I'm going to rule this flock soon, yet you still refuse to marry me. I'm sure many other girls would like to be in your position, Katiyo." He said, his voice calm. Muffled yells were his only answer.

"I am going to ask you one more time. This time, answer correctly!" He walked over and removed the gag. Katiyo spat in his face.

"You will be mine!" he said angrily, wiping the spit off his face. He took off his clothes and lay on top of her.

"I will have you."

END OF FLASHBACK

"And then...he...he..." Tears were now pouring freely down Katiyo's cheeks. By this time, her courage had completely evaporated. With a cry, she transformed and flew in the direction of the castle, leaving Sesshoumaru feeling terrible.

He had forced her to remember her worst memory. He felt like shit. She was raped. That's why she ran away. I can understand. I can't believe I forced her to do that. I feel so sorry for her. Sesshoumaru was feeling genuine pity for this girl. And there was also another emotion he had never felt before. One that told him he wanted to hold her in his arms and comfort her. It was greater that the compassion he felt for Rin. What is this strange new emotion? Rin is the only woman who has not run from me, and she is a child! I should release her; she probably does not want to be here. Absorbed in his own thoughts, Sesshoumaru left the springs taking Katiyo's clothes with him and meant to go apologize to her, grief flooding the link he had to her emotions.

Midnight: I can't believe I wrote that! Now I'm really depressed.

Yami Midnight: Me too. Sorry everybody!

Midnight: This just makes the whole thing more dramatic. sigh I feel bad for my own character.

Yami Midnight: sigh Me too. I think I need to go watch a really brainless movie, like Shrek, or something.