LORD SESSHOUMARUUUUUU!"
Rin's shriek made a sharp contrast with the afternoon silence. Sesshoumaru used all of his yokai speed to fly over to Rin and he saw a most startling spectacle. A huge octopus-like demon had wrapped one of it's slimy tentacles around Rin, and was swinging around the rest of it's nine tentacles. Before he could do anything, Sesshoumaru saw something fly around him. When he followed it with his eyes, he saw that a girl caught it. She had her back to him, but even from where he was standing, he could see this girl had cat ears, and a big fluffy tail. She was dressed rather strangely, wearing long pants and a tank top. What the girl had caught was a boomerang, which she proceeded to throw with an immense force.
"KITSUIRA FIRAGA BLADE!"
Sesshoumaru saw the boomerang burst into flames, but it didn't get consumed! The boomerang headed right at the demon, and sliced it neatly in half. The demon uttered one last ear-piercing shriek, and then shattered. The girl stood there for a moment, and then leaped into the air just in time to catch an unconscious Rin. She set the Rin down gently on the grass, and then jumped up to catch Sacred Jewel Shard that had come out of the demon. She tucked the shard into a small leather bag hanging at her waist, and looked up. She was startled to see Sesshoumaru oberving her, but quickly regained her composure. She met his cold gaze squarely with her own, then leaped up a tree, disapearing from view.
Sesshoumaru still hadn't moved from where he was standing. He suddenly realized that Rin was still lying on the grass a few feet away from him. He dashed over to her and picked her up. He took one last look at the spot where he last saw the girl, left in a flash.
Later when Sesshoumaru and Rin were back at the camp, Rin came around.
"Ugh, what happened? There was a big slimy demon, and then, a girl-" Jaken interrupted her.
"Quit talking, you silly child! You'll wear yourself out!"
Rin promptly shut up. Jaken proceeded.
"That's better. Yes, there was a demon. But Lord Sesshoumaru brought you back here. You're safe now."
Rin looked around, and then asked,
"But where's Lord Sesshoumaru?"
"He went off on his own for a while. I suppose he'll be back by nightfall. Now get some rest.",Jaken replied.
Rin slept.

A little ways off, Sesshoumaru sat under a tree looking up at the night sky. He was thinking about the days events.
I'm sure that was the half-demon the villagers were talking about. At least, she looked like a half-demon. Why is she here? Could she be a part of a plot from Naraku? And that demon, the big slimy one. I've never seen one like him before. He was different. He didn't talk or anything; just attacked. Where did it come from?
As he was pondering these things, something fell from the tree and hit his head! As he was rubbing the sore spot where the thing had hit, he reached for the object, and found it to be rather strange. It was a small, round, silver disk. It had a face engraved on it, but he couldn't read the markings around it. He looked up into the tree, but all he saw was leaves. Very perturbed, he got up and headed back towards camp. When he got there, Jaken greeted him.
"Uh, Lord Sesshoumaru! Rin awoke a few hours ago, and was a bit dazed, but she'll be alright."
Jaken stopped abruptly. He looked as if he wanted to say more, though. Sesshoumaru noted this.
"What is it Jaken?", he asked. Jaken looked rather unsure about whether to say it, but he did anyway.
"Lord Sesshoumaru,uh, how is it that even though Rin is always getting in trouble, and getting hurt, and holding you back...you, um,haven't had a village adopt her?"
He cringed awaiting a sharp reply. Sesshoumaru pondered this for a moment, and then said,
"Understand, Jaken, that Rin chooses to come of her own accord. If I have not left you in some village, I would not think of doing the same to her."
He walked away and started to prepare his cot, leaving Jaken staring dumbfounded at him.
"I should have been a ferryman, like my mother wanted.", he murmured to himself. And then went off to prepare his own cot.
Unknowingly nearby, someone observed them atop of one of the trees. "Sesshoumaru", she murmured.
"His name is Sesshoumaru."

The lone figure sat on a branch in tree above the camp fire. She was silent, not wanting to wake anyone up and attract unwanted attention. She held a Sacred Jewel Shard between her thumb and her index finger, and was examining it closely.
So why am I here? What am I doing in the Feudal Era? And what the hell do these little shards have to do with anything? That's gonna take a while to figure out. But I have time. It's not like anyone is expecting me back home. It's not like I have a home.
She kept looking at the shard closely, as if it could tell her where to locate the other pieces.
It looks like the only way to find the shards, is to kill demons. Good thing I can sense where the shards are. I'm not sure how, but I guess I'll find out at some point.
She sighed and put the shard in the little leather pouch hanging from her waist. She looked down towards the sleeping figures below.
Close call today. I should have known that that little girl's cries would attract someone. "Lord Sesshoumaru", she called him. He was strange. He looked human, yet...he wasn't. And his eyes. They were so cold. But they softened when he went to pick up the little girl. Who is he? And what's his relationship to the little girl?
She yawned.
I better get some sleep. And I should be more careful when I'm around that Sesshoumaru. I better make sure no more money drops on his head! He didn't seem to know what it was though. After all, this is Feudal Japan, and I'm from modern America.
She yawned again. Closing her eyes, she thought, Good thing I took Japanese in school. At least I can talk to the people around here.
without another thought, she slept.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?"
Kagome looked at her friend strangely. Inuyasha had his nose up in the air, and was taking short, quick sniffs. Inuyasha paused.
"What does it look like I'm doing? I smell someone, and if I'm not mistaken, it should be-"
What seemed like a whirlwind came out of the bushes and ran over Inuyasha, ramming him into the dirt. Inuyasha got up and angrily brushed himself off, just in time to see the whirlwind stop in front of Kagome, and turn into a young man.
"-Kouga", finished Inuyasha, with a disgusted look on his face.
Kouga didn't pay any attention to Inuyasha, but took Kagome's hands.
"Kagome! How are you?" Kagome blushed a bit, and said, "I'm happy to see you too, Kouga. What are you doing here? Aren't you still looking for Naraku?"
Kouga, still holding on to Kagome's hands, replied, "I am, but I saw you a little ways off, and decided to drop by."
Kagome blushed again, but Inuyasha watching all of this couldn't take it any longer and got in between Kouga and Kagome, breaking their handhold.
"Well, thanks for dropping by! Now do me a favour, and drop OUT!" He directed this at Kouga.
Kouga glared at Inuyasha, but then smiled at Kagome.
"I'll be going then," he said. "But here, Kagome."
And he held out a little bracelet made of wolf teeth chained on a thin piece of leather. Kagome blushed, yet again, as he fastened the bracelet around her wrist.
"There.", he said. "Now you'll always have something to remind you of the pack...and of me."
Kagome looked at the bracelet, and then said, "Thank you, Kouga. This is very sweet of you."
Kouga blushed, and looked very pleased with himself. Inuyasha, however, wasn't very happy with the little performance. He grabbed a hold of Kouga's ponytail, and whispered so only Kouga could hear,"Will you stop hitting on Kagome! Now get out of here!"
Kouga glared fiercely at Inuyasha, turned to Kagome, waved, and then left in a whirlwind. Inuyasha, who was looking to make sure Kouga left, turned around to find the others staring at him.
"What?", he demanded.
"Don't you think that this feud you have with Kouga may be due to...jealousy?",asked Miroku.
Inuyasha looked insulted. "Me? Jealous of that pretty boy! As if!" Then he began walking, with the rest of them following. Inside he was thinking, Why AM I fighting with Kouga all the time? It can't be that I'm jealous! Can it?

"Rin, Jaken, get up. We need to be on our way."
Sesshoumaru was already dressed, and his cot was neatly packed and set on Ah-un. Rin yawned and turned around on her cot.
"Just...five more minutes, papa!",she mumbled.
Sesshoumaru's face softened slightly. Rin had lost her family to bandits a while back, and he knew how much she missed them.
"Up, Rin."
Rin sat up and looked up sleepily at Sesshoumaru.
"Alright, Lord Sesshoumaru. I'm up."
Jaken, on the other hand, was already dressed and was packing his cot away.
"You heard Lord Sesshoumaru, Rin. Up!" Rin shook herself awake, and started to pack her cot away.
Sesshoumaru walked ahead to see where they would head. The sun was just beginning to come over the mountains, and the sky was tinted a light rose. The air smelled faintly of honeysuckle. Sesshoumaru decided to keep going east towards where the demonic aura had been spotted last.
When he walked back to the camp, everything was packed away, Rin was sitting on Ah-Un and Jaken was standing beside the enormous demon. Sesshoumaru nodded, and they set off. A figure observed them from the trees and then set off following behind them leaping from tree to tree with cat-like grace.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, can I go get something to eat?" Rin's stomach rumbled as she said this.
Sesshoumaru glanced back at her. "We'll reach a river soon enough. You can catch some fish there."
Rin giggled and nodded. "Alright, Lord Sesshoumaru!", she said.
They arrived at the river, and the water was so clear, Rin had no trouble catching some fish. They made a campfire and roasted the fish. After they had all eaten, they put out the fire, buried the remains of the fish, and went on their way. After a little while, Sesshoumaru could see that Rin and Jaken were getting tired. They had been walking all day, and the sun would set in a few hours.
Sesshoumaru decided that they'd gone far enough for today.
"Rin, Jaken, set up camp here. I'm going to go ahead on my own for a while"
He never explained where he was going whenever he left Rin and Jaken on their own, though he was never too far away in case danger came upon Rin.
Rin and Jaken nodded, and began to build a fire.
Sesshoumaru began to walk ahead. He nonchalantly began to look around, suspiciously.
He was actually trying to see if there was anybody around. He had smelled a scent of cherry blossoms and vanilla last night, and he sensed that the same person was following them now. He wasn't sure whether to let whatever was following around come out on it's own, or whether he should hunt it down. He didn't want Rin or Jaken to get hurt, and this might not be a good presence. He sighed.
I know something is following me, but I can't see it. It always manages to stay at the edges of my vision. I guess it'll reveal itself when it's ready.
He began heading back to camp.
Back at the campfire, Jaken and Rin were setting out their cots. Rin stopped for a moment and then looked at Jaken. "Master Jaken?" Jaken stopped what he's doing and looked at Rin.
"What is it, Rin?", he asked.
"When Lord Sesshoumaru makes his empire, and I've found away to stay with him forever, what would I do in the empire?"
Jaken looked thoughtful for a second.
"Silly child! What makes you think that you'll ever live long enough to be in Lord Sesshoumaru's empire?"
Rin thought to herself, and then smiled. "I'm sure I will, Jaken." she got in her cot, and promptly went to sleep.
Jaken looked at her for a few moments.
Poor child. She still thinks she'll find a way to live longer than humans are supposed to. I suppose I wouldn't mind her living for a bit more. But there isn't a way.(Yes.He thought that. Now get off my back.)
He got into his cot, and went to sleep as well.

The girl sat on top of a branch in a tree near the camp fire.
Ooh! It's so cold, I wish I could go down there to warm myself up! Well, everyone is asleep...and I don't think Sesshoumaru will be back until a couple of minutes. What the hell, I'll go down there for two seconds, and come right back up again. No one will know I was here.
She jumped down from the branch and landed lightly on the ground without making a sound. Boy, am I happy I'm half cat demon. I could have been something like, half elephant!
She took a quick look around to make sure no one was watching, and then sat down in front of the fire.
Ahhhhhhhh. warmth. This is much better.
She was so intent on warming herself up, that she didn't notice a little pair of eyes watching her.
"Excuse me!"
The girl jumped a foot in the air. She looked to see who had said that.
It's that little girl! The one I rescued from that demon the other day!
"I didn't mean to scare you." ,said Rin. "I was just wondering what you're doing in front of our camp fire"
She looked at the stranger expectantly. The stranger responded,"I was just warming myself. I don't mean you any harm. What is your name?"
"I'm Rin. What is your name?"
The stranger hesitated.
"I'm...Katara. Please don't tell anyone you spoke with me. Not even your "Lord Sesshoumaru". I'm not sure how they would react to me."
"Well, Lord Sesshoumaru has a half-demon brother, but he doesn't like him very much. And I wouldn't want anything bad to happen. Alright, I won't tell anyone."
Katara nodded and lept up into a tree and out of sight. Rin watched her go, and then laid back down. She drifted off to sleep.

Sesshoumaru was hiding behind a tree near the fire, and had witnessed the whole conversation between the strange half-demon girl, and Rin. He had come back just in time to see the girl jump down from a tree and sit down in front of the fire. He had been about to confront her, when he realized that Rin had awoken, and had begun to speak with the girl. Sesshoumaru had listened, and had found out that the girl's name was Katara. Katara,he mused. Ironic. A half-demon cat named Kat-ara.
She was the one that rescued Rin. Chances are that's she's the one who's been following us around all day. I wonder where she's from, and how she got her. She doesn't look like she's from this time. He had found out eventually that Kagome was from another time, and this girl looked to be from around Kagome's time. Sesshoumaru walked over to the tree he had seen Katara disappear into, and sat down at it's base. After a few minutes, he looked up into the tree. He wasn't sure, but he could've sworn that he saw a pair of bright yellow eyes look back down at him. He blinked, and they were gone. He frowned slightly to himself.
Katara...nice to meet you, I suppose