Time Traveler Katsumi

Katsumi In Faerie Land

Hazel eyes slowly fluttered open, trying to adjust to suddenly being exposed to such bright light after a long sleep.

Katsumi lay in bed, blinking in confusion, wondering where the heck she was and how she came to be there in the first place. The bed she was lying in was definitely of the Western style... the kind she had grown up using back in the States, but it was so soft and had such great support that her body felt almost weightless, as if she were just floating there... If Katsumi didn't know any better, she might think she was lying on a cloud... But that was nothing compared to the rest of the room! Once again, if she didn't know any better, she might think she had been sucked into the Lord of the Rings, because the architecture of the room reminded her so much of how she pictured Rivendell... only with a dash of the early-modern Art Nouveau style thrown in for good measure... Yeah, it was pretty awesome, but it was still unnerving to wake up in a strange place without any familiar faces around to explain what might have happened. Unfortunately, the last thing she could remember was Naraku owning her ass, and then pain...

Katsumi grimaced, shuddering involuntarily at the memory. That was definitely one experience she never ever wanted to have to go through again!

[[Ah, good! You have regained consciousness. Master Cánach will be pleased to hear such wonderful news.]] An old, wise voice echoed in her mind, startling Katsumi.

"D-Did you just talk to me inside my mind, or am I just going insane...?" Katsumi asked warily as she turned to stare at the old faerie standing in the doorway, wondering how she had managed to sneak up on her like that. First Naraku and now an old woman... she hoped this wasn't going to become a regular thing for her... 'Plus, judging by her ears and graceful aging, I'd say that LOTRs theory might not be so farfetched, after all... She looks like an elf or faerie, and her energy feels really similar to mine now that I really concentrate on trying to sense it...' Katsumi thought. Seriously, what the heck was going on? Was she even still in Japan anymore?

The old faerie chuckled, amused by the youngster's confusion and the wild theories that kept popping into her head in an attempt to explain her current situation. What an imagination!

[[Calm yourself, child. You are just as sane as the rest of us. I simply chose to communicate with you in this way, because 'thoughts' are universal, and I doubt you would be able to understand my ancient native tongue. I am Úna, the healer who has been nursing you back to health during this past month while you were unconscious.]] the old faerie explained, smiling kindly at her.

"Oh, I see..." Katsumi said, smiling wryly as she let out a nervous little laugh. "Sorry for all the troub—Wait a sec, do you mean I've been out for a whole month...!?" she shouted incredulously when the rest of what the old fairy had just told her finished sinking in, clearly shocked, as she bolted upright in her bed so suddenly, that she actually managed to surprise Úna.

[[Oh, what a nice reaction! I am glad to see our little sleeping beauty has not lost her edge after such a long rest.]] Gean observed as he entered the room, smirking. His granddaughter certainly was a lively one, wasn't she? [[You have Lady Úna to thank for that. If not for her fine work repairing and reconnecting all of the nerves and energy veins and nodes in your back, I doubt you would even be able to nod your head, let alone sit up like that.]] Katsumi just continued to stare at the two faeries before her, stunned.

Apparently, the damage Naraku had inflicted on her when he ripped out her wings had been way more serious than she had realized... Úna must be a boss at healing if she could do all that and save her from being paralyzed. Katsumi really owed these people, big time. Once she was over the initial shock of such an incredible revelation, Katsumi began to notice something a little peculiar about the beautiful and handsome male faerie who had just joined them... there was something about him that just felt incredibly... familiar...

"Uh, excuse me, sir... not to sound like a bad pick-up line or anything, but... have we met before?" Katsumi asked curiously. If they had, maybe that would also explain why he and Úna would go through so much trouble to help her... and where were Sesshoumaru, Rin, and the others? She would have expected to see at least one of them by now... They wouldn't just leave her behind, right...?

[[No, I don't believe we have.]] Gean said as he came over to stand beside her bed, pleased that Katsumi had been able to sense their kinship. [[I am your paternal grandfather, Gean Cánach. Though, that's just an alias, really.]] he explained, smiling proudly at her. Katsumi's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're my... grandpa...?" she asked, gazing up at the tall and powerful faerie before her. "Really...?" Gean Cánach was taken aback for a moment when tears began form in her eyes, and she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. However, a quick scan of her mind and heart soon revealed the reason why. Katsumi had also learned of his future somehow, and knowing how he would die to protect her grandmother and unborn father greatly saddened her, but she was also immensely grateful and proud of him for making such a brave and selfless sacrifice. It was thanks to this man before her that she and her wonderful father had been able to be born into this world and have a chance to live.

Gean Cánach smiled softly as he returned Katsumi's loving embrace and placed a comforting hand on her head. She really was a good child... tough as nails, yet still able to possess such a gentle and caring heart. He could not have asked for a better granddaughter.

{Meanwhile, back in Japan...}

Inuyasha had been in an irritable mood ever since the day Gean Cánach took the comatose Katsumi away with him to be healed in Tír na nÓg by another faerie... but that wasn't really what bothered him. I mean, sure he was worried about Katsumi, but she was in good hands, right? Her ojii-san might be annoying, but it seemed like he knew what he was talking about and could help Katsumi a lot more than any of them could, unfortunately...

No, what had really bothered Inuyasha the most about that whole situation was the way Sesshoumaru had acted. Despite seeming to be the least reluctant to leave Katsumi in the care of a stranger, let alone be taken to place where none of them would be able to reach her, that cold bastard certainly hadn't wasted any time making himself scarce! The second Gean had vanished through that strange portal with Katsumi's body, Sesshoumaru, Jaken, and that little human girl had left the Inu-tachi in their dust. What the hell was his problem!? Didn't he care at all about Katsumi!? Would it have killed him to wait just a moment longer to say goodbye, not that Katsumi really would have known the difference in her current condition... but still!

Although, in hindsight, Inuyasha could maybe understand why Sesshoumaru hadn't wanted to stick around... Despite combing the area for any clues that might give them some kind of lead on that bastard, Naraku... there was nothing. Aside from some faint traces of Naraku's scent from when he had moved his tentacles outside of his barrier to restrain Katsumi, there was barely anything left to indicate Naraku had even been there at all, much less anything that could give them a hint about which direction he had used to come and go... It was enough to frustrate and piss anyone off!!

Inuyasha was pulled out of his inner fuming session when part of Miroku's conversation with the local villagers caught his attention.

"So, similar things have happened in other places?" Miroku asked.

"Yes, there's lots of rumors going around," the village elder explained. "They say that Buddhist monks and Shinto priests are being killed everywhere..."

"Who in the world could..." Miroku wondered.

"Well, that's..." the elder said a little hesitantly, not sure they would believe him. "They say it's the work of a woman and a baby."

"!" Inuyasha, Sango, and Kagome said, gasping in realization.

'A baby, he says... that one...!?' Kagome thought, alarmed. A bead of nervous sweat rolled down the side of her face as an image of Naraku's creepy white infant, who had tried to take control of her heart before, appeared in her mind.

"And that woman would be Kagura, huh?" Inuyasha said, thinking along the same lines as Kagome.

Sounds like they might have finally managed to find a new lead on Naraku, after all...