Katara sat down on the branch of a cherry blossom tree. She was exhausted from pursuing Sesshoumaru all day. All she'd had time for was to catch a few fish for her lunch. As she sat there, watching the pink cherry blossoms drift slowly to the ground, she began to think.
I've been traveling all day, and I still haven't found him! He must be really keen on making sure I don't catch up to him. Oh, I'm so tired. Maybe it's time I use the gift my dad left me when he died.
Katara took off the necklace she had around her neck. On it were red beads alternating with white demon fangs. From it, was hanging a small blood-red jewel that was sparkling, though no light was hitting it. Katara wrapped her hands around the little jewel and closed her eyes, focusing all of her thoughts on it. Suddenly, a light red glow enveloped Katara, covering every inch of her. A bright red light burst in Katara's head. Inside of it, she saw a gloomy black palace, complete with towers. The view then moved inside the palace. Katara gasped. The halls were made of pure sparkling marble. Katara opened her eyes, and the vision ended. She felt all of her energy back, but she wondered at the vision she had just seen.
What could it mean? It was a palace...scary on the outside, but beautiful inside. Where was it? Who's was it?
Katara was thinking so hard, she didn't notice a slimy green tentacle sneak up behind her. It paused for a few seconds, and then grabbed her, pinning her arms to her side.
"What the fuck! You again! Didn't I kill you twice already!"
The creature just drew in the tentacle and Katara got a closer view of what the demon was like. It had one single, bright green, humongous eye in the middle of it's head. If you could call it a head. It seemed like it's whole body was one unit, and it was covered in a thick green transparent slime.
Oh gross! thought Katara. And then something else occured to her.
What am I going to do? I can't move my arms, this THING is sapping my energy, and I'm alone. I think I'm about to die.
Strangely enough, this last thought didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. She was, after all, all alone in the world. Nobody would mourn her, or even wonder where she was. She hung her head in resignation.
I'm going to die, and there's nothing I can do about it.
She looked up just in time to see a silver blade slice the demon in half. The tentacle that was holding her desintegrated. Katara fell to the gound with a thump. She looked around to see who had saved her, and was startled to see Sesshoumaru standing at the spot where the demon had been. He sheathed Tokijin and walked over to her. Katara got up so that she was eye-level with him. She tried to read his expression, but his face was as smooth as glass.
As always. she thought.
(NOTE THAT THE KEY TO KILLING THESE THINGS IS TO CATCH THEM BY SURPRISE. IF THEY CATCH You BY SURPRISE, YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH SCREWED.)
After a few moments, Sesshoumaru spoke.
"We're even. You saved Rin twice. The debt is repayed." He started to walk away, but Katara stopped him.
"Wait!" Sesshoumaru turned around to face her. Katara kept going.
"Why did you save me? You know you could've lived with yourself if you had let me die." Katara sank to her knees.
"Besides, nobody cares. I have no home, no family. I don't belong anywhere. What do you care if I live or die?" Sesshoumaru looked at the girl, her head bowed down staring at the ground.
"You have no home?" Katara lifted her head to look at him. Sesshoumaru faltered.
What the hell? She has crimson eyes!
He regained his composure. Katara was still looking up at him, pale red eyes full of puzzlement.
"Rin has grown attached to you, for reasons I cannot fathom. She's not sure why she likes you so much either. She would have been very unhappy to find you dead."
He stretched out his hand.
"Why don't you return with me? Rin can always use someone to look after her."
(Think it might be the Tenseiga at work?)
He stopped talking for a second, looking startled.
What? Did I just say that! Okay, something very weird is going on, but I can't go back on my word. I guess she's coming back with me.
Katara looked at Sesshoumaru's hand like he had 30 fingers. After all, the last time they had met, he'd acted like a jackass. Now here he was, inviting her to go back with him to Rin. She thought for a few moments, and then took his hand. Sesshoumaru lifted her up. Katara smiled at him.
"I know this must be hard for you, me being a hanyou and all, but thank you."
Sesshoumaru almost, but not quite, smiled back.
"I'm doing it for Rin. She needs someone close to her species to look after her. Her family died a while ago, so she has nobody left. I think you two should get along well."
Suddenly they both noticed that Sesshoumaru still had Katara's hand. He dropped it like it was on fire.
"Ahem. Let's get going then." he said to Katara. Katara followed him, all the while thinking
What am I getting myself into? How do I know he's not going to attack me? And where did this offer come from? He hated me, just because I was a half-demon! This is getting too weird for me.
They arrived back to where Rin was sitting with Jaken. Ah-Un was sleeping nearby. When Rin saw who Sesshoumaru had brought back, she was delighted. She ran up to Katara and hugged her around her waist. Looking up to her, she said,
"Katara! Are you coming to stay with us?" Katara glanced at Sesshoumaru, but he was looking elsewhere.
"Only for a while Rin." she responded, patting Rin's head lightly.
Rin let Katara go, and ran over to where some butterflies were and started chasing them. Katara stood in the same spot, not certain of what to do. The sun had almost set, so she thought maybe she should catch some rest. Sesshoumaru had begun to set up his cot and Rin and Jaken were already sleeping.
"Well," she said to no one in particular, "Good night."
She leaped up into a tree and began to accomodate herself on one of the branches. Everything was silent, and Katara thought everyone was already asleep. She curled up on the branch, and had almost drifted off to sleep when she heard Sesshoumaru's soft, but clear voice say,
"Good Night."