Time Traveler Katsumi

Unexpected Visitor

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin cried, hitting the ground at a running pace the moment Ah-Un landed. "Katsumi-nee! What happened to Katsumi-nee!? Is she all right!?"

Sesshoumaru clenched his fists, taking a brief moment to collect himself before turning to face Rin. He could not let his rage blind him. He would deal with Naraku later. At the moment he had much more pressing matters to deal with.

"Katsumi-nee... Please, wake up...!" Rin sobbed as she dropped to her knees beside her adopted older sister. "Please don't... don't die... Please, don't leave Rin...!"

Sesshoumaru glanced down at his crying ward, unsure of what he should say or do to calm her down. Katsumi had always been the one who comforted and cheered Rin up whenever something was wrong.

Fortunately, Inu-tachi arrived on the scene, and for once, Sesshoumaru was not entirely loathed to see them.

"Oh... Oh, my God...!" Kagome gasped, stunned and horrified. It looked like a huge bomb had gone off, and at the epicenter of mass destruction, at Sesshoumaru's feet, her friend was lying in the dirt, completely still. "K-Katsumi... -chan...?" Kagome asked numbly, praying her eyes were deceiving her.

"Katsumi-san... is she...?" Miroku asked hesitantly, almost dreading the answer. Sango hung her head. She had to look away. She may not have known Katsumi that well, but watching Rin cry over Katsumi's prone body was heart breaking.

"No way... i-it's a lie, right...? K-Katsumi can't... Katsumiiii!" Shippo cried, joining Rin's mournful wails with his own.

"Sesshoumaru... Katsumi—" Inuyasha began, but Sesshoumaru had had enough.

"She is not dead!" Sesshoumaru snapped, losing his patience. What was wrong with Inuyasha and his friends? Were these fools really in that much of a hurry to kill Katsumi off?

"Eh?" Shippo and Rin asked in almost perfect unison, staring up the daiyoukai as if he held the answers to all of their hopes and prayers... Which, in a way, I suppose he did.

"She's not?" Kagome asked hopefully, too relieved at the moment to process the amazing fact that Sesshoumaru had just displayed an uncharacteristic show of emotion.

"It appears she has already healed herself, apart from the wound on her back. You will finish the job, Miko," Sesshoumaru commanded coolly. He knew from past experience, watching both Kagome and Katsumi treat others, that the medicine and healing techniques of their world were often far more advanced and effective than those of the current era. Right now, Kagome was Katsumi's best hope for curing whatever might be wrong with that troublesome wound.

"Why, you—!!" Inuyasha growled, only to be cut off when Miroku and Sango both clapped a hand over his big mouth to silence him. He was obviously ticked that Sesshoumaru would try to order Kagome around like that, and while the monk and demon-slayer didn't care much for his tone either, they didn't want Inuyasha starting an unnecessary fight. Right now they needed to help Katsumi. Their sibling rivalry could wait.

Kagome just stared at Sesshoumaru for a moment, slightly taken aback that he would ever even consider requesting help from a human like her, but she nodded in understanding. She didn't like being ordered around, but she knew that right now they both shared the same goal.

"Of course. I'll do whatever I can," she replied determinedly. She would have done so even if he hadn't asked. Katsumi was her friend. Kagome tightened her grip on the straps of her over-stuffed backpack and began to take a step closer towards Katsumi, when a ring of shimmering green energy suddenly formed a few feet away from Rin and Katsumi, pulsing with power. Even the air around it felt charged, and soon became filled with small, swirling orbs of light that danced and hovered about like living fireflies. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but notice that this strange new energy shared an uncanny resemblance to Katsumi's own youki, though it was much cleaner and purer than any youki he had ever felt before. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha drew their swords as they all prepared themselves for the worst, not knowing what to expect.

And then, he appeared...

From within that glowing circle of vibrant and pure energy emerged a being whose power and beauty were enough to rival those of the great Sesshoumaru-sama's. His flawless porcelain skin was so fair, that it seemed white as snow, highlighting the delicate and graceful curves of his pointed ears. His fiery, long and luscious locks danced like flames in the wind. He was clothed in rich robes of emerald green, and upon his head rested a crown of spiny twigs and ruby berries, which secured the princely circlet upon his brow. He was unlike anything any of them had ever encountered before... He was Faerie.

With one decisive sweep of his eyes, the lordly creature took in every last detail of the scene before him. He furrowed his brow, frowning slightly, as he let his eyes linger a moment longer on the injured and unconscious Katsumi, before turning to address the motley assembly of humans and youkais of varying degrees that had gathered protectively around her body and the small human child still clinging to it.

[[Lower your weapons. I come in peace.]] a strong, majestic voice filled with dignified authority echoed in their minds.

The Inu-tachi glanced around with considerable confusion, wondering where the voice was coming from, but Sesshoumaru kept his steely gaze focused on the mysterious being before them, remembering Boukuseno's account of his meeting with a pure-blooded faerie.

[[I am Gean Cánach of the Daoine Maithe. Tell me... what has happened to my granddaughter's wings?]] the powerful faerie demanded calmly, not even bothering to hide the righteous fury smoldering in his hazel eyes.