Cry No More

A Fan-Fic by Yumi Ketzu

Disclaimer – All Inu-Yasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahasi. Yumi Ketzu and any other characters not from the original series are made up and are my property.

Chapter 1

Yumi Ketzu sat under a tree. The wind whipped her cloak that offered little warmth. A mini-skirt and tank top are definitely not the right thing to wear in fall. Of course, you didn't think to bring any other clothes along did you Yumi? She asked herself. As she sat trying to stay warm, the wind beat even harder. The fire she had built was long gone. The rain started to pelt the ground. Yumi sighed and walked into the forest, trying to forget. A fresh batch of memories assaulted her mind, and tears stung her eyes. The rain mingled with her tears and slid down her pale face. The clothes she wore hung on her thin frame and did not compliment her figure like they used to. Finding a tall pine, she walked beneath it and fell asleep as soon as she sat down.

The morning dawned bright and clear. Yumi awoke to the birds chirping and the warming sun. She stretched, her mood steadily improving. She unsheathed her katana and went to search for some food.

Yumi steadily turned the rabbit on the spit. She inhaled the smell of cooking meat and…a human? A small child, dressed in a red and white checkered dress, ran into the clearing. The girl's hair was tied up in pigtails on the sides of her head, and she had the face of a cherub. The girl ran around the clearing, laughing, creating mass chaos, and skipping all at the same time. A male voice rang out in the forest and the girl immediately stopped what she was doing. She started walking back toward the forest, her head hung low. A small imp-like creature stood at the edge of the clearing, holding a peculiar staff. He took one look at Yumi, screamed and ran back into the forest. After a few antagonizing seconds, he dragged a large demon into the clearing. The large demon wore a white kimono complete with armor. He also had a furry boa draped over one arm, and a katana was strapped to his side. Long silver hair flew gracefully in the wind, revealing a moon-shaped marking on his forehead.

"Milord! Milord!" screamed the imp.

"What?" asked the demon, rather annoyed.

"Well…uh…"

"Speak up toad!" The imp pointed to Yumi who was still speechless, and the demon's eyes darted toward Yumi. Yumi jumped to her feet, unsheathing her sword in the process.

"Sessho-maru," she hissed.

"Yumi," he spat back. Sessho-maru lunged toward her with his sword, but missed as Yumi jumped into the air. As she plummeted downward, her own katana gleamed in the sunlight. Sessho-maru jumped into the air to face her, but she nicked Sessho-maru's armor as she swept past him. She landed on the ground, panting. Sessho-maru quickly spun around, revealing a long scratch in his previously spotless armor. His eyes filled with rage as he lunged toward her. She raised her katana and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she was the only one standing in the clearing.

"SESSHO-MARU!"

Dark clouds filled the sky as the evening wore on, and the small fire that Yumi had built did little to thwart the cold. Once again Yumi, you didn't think to bring anything besides your katana! You are so blonde! She chided herself. Yumi pulled her cloak around her tighter, but she shivered all the more. The dense pines offered shelter from the winds, not the cold. Yumi felt the fatigue of the battle in her muscles. Oh if only I could take a nice hot bath. And maybe a nice feather bed, oh yes. That would be heavenly! Yumi pulled herself from her thoughts. She would not get warm just thinking, she had to take action. Pulling off her cloak, she unsheathed her sword and began her practice routine. By the time the sun began to rise, she was fast asleep, her katana neatly placed back in it's scabbard.