Time Traveler Katsumi

Caught In The Spider's Web

Katsumi watched as Sesshoumaru and Naraku stared each other down.

"Kukuku, Sesshoumaru-sama, I'm honored that you've finally come to visit me..." Naraku said. "I, Naraku... shall give you an appropriate welcome," Naraku said. There was a stir of power from Naraku, and strange creaking and cracking sounds were heard as multiple grotesque, insect-like youkai limbs and tentacles sprouted from underneath the baboon pelt. Naraku's lower half was now some kind of strange, almost plant-like pile of disgusting tendrils. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Geh!?" Jaken exclaimed, recoiling in disgust and surprise.

"... Yeah... I might've been out of line before with that whole 'baboon suit' insult... I totally understand why you might wear it now," Katsumi quipped with a straight face, even though she was almost tempted to take a step back out of repulsion.

"Hnn, scrap youkais miss-mashed together... " Sesshoumaru observed. "Naraku... so that's your real form, huh."

"Real form...? No, this form is... still a work in progress," Naraku said as one of his tentacles struck at them, quick as lightning.

"Yeek!" Jaken squeaked as they all dodged it.

"Heh. So your objective is the life of this Sesshoumaru... huh," Sesshoumaru said.

'I don't get it... Why is he suddenly after Sesshoumaru, now? Why did he wait all this time...?" Katsumi wondered. She wasn't the only one puzzled about that. Kagura was watching them all from a safe distance.

'I don't get it... killing Sesshoumaru... What does that gain Naraku?' Kagura wondered. '...! ... Could it be that Naraku is...!?'

"Hmmm... so, you don't remember anything, Kohaku?" Rin asked. After she had mentioned that she was scared, the boy watching Rin had started talking with her, and she learned that his name was Kohaku.

"Yeah," Kohaku said. Rin thought he sounded a little lonely.

"What about your Ma and Pa?" she asked.

"... I've forgotten," Kohaku said, not looking at her.

"Hmmm," Rin said thoughtfully. 'I wonder if it's like that...' she thought.

'It's not that I've completely forgotten... but... I seem to remember something terrible...' Kohaku thought.

"Something you don't want to remember is it, isn't it," Rin said as she munched on her melon.

"Eh...?" Kohaku said, turning to look at her. 'How did she know...?' he wondered.

"Rin is the same, you know. My Ma, Pa, and brothers... were attacked by bandits and all killed..." Rin said a little sadly. "Even now, I see dreams about that time. It's bad, isn't it."

"..." Kohaku stared at her. 'I see... she's small, but she's been through a lot too...' he thought.

"... Did I say too much?" Rin asked. "I'm often told to shut up, you see."

"It's okay," Kohaku said. "It's just been a long time... since I've last talked to someone like this..." He heard a rustling sound outside. "!" Kohaku quickly went over to the oil lamp and blew it out.

"What's up?" Rin asked.

"Be quiet," Kohaku said. He crouched down and looked through the air vents in the door. Sango, Miroku, Kagome, and Shippo were approaching.

'That person is...!' Kohaku thought as he felt his heart thump painfully in his chest.

'Kohaku, are you inside?' Sango wondered.