A/N: This is my first time in attempting to write anything for Gakupo and Rin, so no flames please, I tried my best. I do not own vocaloids, just the idea for these one-shots. Please read and review! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH)

The True Swordsman

Her knuckles gripped the handle of the wooden bamboo sword so tightly, that the knuckles of her fingers had turned white. Her breaths were coming out ragged and her chest ached, from just the effort of trying to breath in oxygen. Oxygen that tasted muggy and baked with the summer heat, as it hit her mouth and drained to her lungs. Sweat trickled down from her white blonde hair and into her cornflower blue eyes. They narrowed into slits as she glared at the hay-made man target, that different limbs and head were shown off by being tightly tied off with rough twine. She charged at it with an exhausted cry of frustration and jumped into the air to strike the target, the sword raised above her head. Instead of landing the move like she had so desperately wanted, her right foot caught the back of her left sandal, this maneuver sent her body into a panic, and with wide eyes she crashed onto the wooden floor of the dojo, her wooden bamboo sword rolled away from her. Bits of hay floated down upon her with the impact from her fall.

Instead of getting up, she laid on the warm floor and pulled her outstretched arms closer to her body, her fists clenched so tightly, her highlighter-yellow painted nails dug into her palms. She let out a tear soaked choke and finally let the tears that had wanted to spill for the last four hours spill onto the white sleeve of her gi and onto the floor. She did not even notice the man that kneeled beside her, that lay a worried hand on her back, her face being hidden by the bleach white sleeve as she continued to sob.

"Rin, are you alright?" He questioned softly, she could feel the pressure of his hand on her back, as his opposite hand reached out and gripped the fabric of the gi and lifted it away from her where it had been hiding her red and tearstained face.

Powder blue eyes met with watery cornflower blue, as tears anew sprung to her eyes, this time out of shame and embarrassment rather then frustration. A small closed lip smile graced his handsome face, as he took the sleeve of his own black gi to wipe the tears that smearing her cheeks and the ones that brimmed at the edges of her eyes.

He then took her hands in his own and pulled her into a kneeling position, before he plopped down beside her, one hand now resting on his raised knee. His royal purple hair pulled back into a low-hanging ponytail as was usual for him. Her eyes caught the sight of the black sheathe, and the handle of his sword. It was not a wooden one, like the one she practiced with. No, it was true metal, and could actually cut someone down.

Dead.

Her eyes finally met his, and all he did was smile. He waited for patiently for her to speak, the only noise was the twitter of dusky thrushes outside. Until Rin finally let out a sigh, before biting down on her bottom lip.

"I'm trying to learn the jump strike." She admitted quietly. She had watched him pull it off with such gracefulness and ease several times, she thought for sure it would not be that hard to learn. Then again, she had taken to watching him practice after her lessons were done at school. She had just joined the kendo club the first week of school, she had always been interested in it, and thought that would be the best way to get close to him. But she was just a novice compared to him, a complete newbie.

She watched as he stood up, and then he took her hand again in his own and pulled her to her feet. He gathered her practice sword from where she had left it lay on the floor, and put in her hands. He still towered over her, her head barely reached his chest. Then he bent over just a bit, wrapping his hands around her own. A blush flared across her face.

His lips came very close to her ear then. "Basics first." He said and began to through the motions with her, step-by-step. They moved in perfect unison with each other for several minutes. Rin could feel her heart pounding in her chest as he continued to go with her through the basics of kendo.

Once he released her, she continued to do it on her own, with him watching her. A smile graced his face again, this time a full grin of satisfaction. She smiled back, proud of herself for remembering all of the strike areas. The hay-made dummy, she started whacking on, to get a more precise bearing, now looked worse for wear.

He laid a hand on top of her head. "You just need to practice more." He said and ruffled her hair a tad.

A blush crept to her cheeks again, as they sat down on the outside porch of the dojo. A warm summer breeze blew through, sending cherry blossoms to scatter across the yard. She noticed someone coming through the wooden gates, and could not help but smile and wave at her twin brother.

Len was wearing his soccer uniform, since that was the extra curricular activity he had chosen. The once flame colored shirt was covered in grass stains and dirt, and as he approached her, her nose wrinkled in disgust. He smelled of sweat, badly.

Rin stood and bowed to the royal purpled haired samurai. "Thank you for helping me today, Gakupo."

He smiled. "Anytime."

As she and Len began to leave the dojo, she the softest sound of a sword being unsheathed. Rin stopped and turned just in time to see Gakupo performing the move she so desperately wanted to learn. The silver katana was unsheathed, gleaming in the lower sun as he leapt into the air, and easily sliced down the hay dummy that been standing there.

He was now in a crouched position the silver katana now sheathed, hay was raining down upon him, and when he stood, he turned to look at her. The sun was behind him, making it seem like it glowing, wayward cherry blossoms and hay were clinging to his clothing and his hair. But in the instant when he smiled at her, looking almost god-like, she was certain she felt her heart skip a beat.