It was not allowed for geisha to feel, nor it was allowed to love... Geisha was the one, who'd always hide her face behind the white mask, her body would always be covered by silk, her eyes would always stop any man...would make him kneel before her. A geisha was a woman of mysteries, a vife of shadows, an artist of dusk.
But one of those women, who'd always stay hidden, broke through, destroying centuries of traditions... Her only backbone was her love, which she once learnt to hide...but not entierly: for this love was so great that it broke through it all – the fire, which was kept hidden deeply; the ice, which was always kept on outside; the earth, which everyone could always see in her eyes and through thin air, which always surrounds a geish: a fragrance. This fragrance and this look formed a story, a wonderful and tradgic story of a geisha – Anna Kyouyama.
„Wake up, Yukiko" a soft voice sounded in the ear „it's time to wake up"
A blonde young woman slowly opened her onyx black eyes and shifted in her futoni. She looked up to the woman above her, whose long pitch black hair was already done in traditional ways and her body was covered with kimono.
When I became maiko, I was given a new name – Yukiko. It meant the snow child. It was because the servant of geisha house found me lying in the snow, only wrapped in cotton blancket, where the note lied in: Anna Kyouyama. Every since the day I appeared here, okaa-san, our leader, decided to give me the right to become a real geisha and that day was about to come.
The blonde sat up and looked calmly and coldly to the other woman, who smiled to her.
„It's time for you to get ready, Yukiko" she said. The blonde only nodded, not a glimpse of smile slipping of her rosy lips. The one called Yukiko was exseptional for a Japanese women: her skin was whiter and her hair was blonde: only eyes gave away that she was the Eastern born.
„I know that, onee-san" she agreed „where will we go?"
„First, to the town" the black haired one smiled shrewdly.
Aya...my guardian and teacher. She used to be the most wanted geisha in our town, currently she only represents our house, rarely giving any of her services to anyone...she knew her price, she knew her worth and Aya would never be turned down – her head was always high. It was truly a miracle that she took me under her wing...a filthy orphan.
The blonde took a morning bath, combed her hair, put on her kimono: she done everything that required for a woman to look like geisha: only that her hair wasn't quite right, but she learnt to ignore it: the young woman only brushed her golden, shoulder-blade lenght locks up and turned them into beautiful hairdo. Two women left the traditional Japanese house and slowly and gracefully went down the narrow streets.
„Remember what I told you?" Aya asked. The blonde narrowed her eyes due to the sun, which was blocking the view of older woman by her side.
„A geisha can stop any man with the look of her eyes" Yukiko answered „you never showed me however" the blonde contradicted carefully.
„Choose one for me" Aya demanded. Two women eyed one another for a second and then the blonde directred:
„The one, standing by a fountain, dressed in black" the black-haired woman shifted her eyes to the direction of the small square centre, where a fresh water fountain was catching the rays of a sun. She winked to the blonde and walked right pass the man, making him step back few steps and almost fall into the water. Yukiko's lips formed a little, slight smirking smile, seeing how weak were men in front of the power of a beauty.
„Now choose one for me, onee-san" she required. Aya looked around and directed.
„The one with chocolate hair, walking from the left street" Yukiko nodded and walked that direction, her eyes as usualy lowered. The young man, with short chocolate hair and, what it seemed to Yukiko, laid back step, was walking down from the narrow street, obviously indifferent to the outside world. But here, a fragrance of honey, mixed with milk and almond oil, made him to wake up and see some one: a geisha, walking in front of him, dressed in fine silk, dark purple kimono, golden locks done into traditional, but simple ways and steps, so light and graceful...a honey to the eyes...and he would've kept on walking if not...her eyes. Their eyes met only for a tiny second, but her piercing look made him stop there and look for a few minutes into this unreachable beauty...
The dream gone away from the young man and a shouting of a cart driver reached his ears – the young man woke up and made way. He turned around, hoping to see her again, but she was gone, as if vanished in the thin air...
Aya met Yukiko by the next corner and smiled.
„You are ready, Yukiko" she said. The blonde bowed respectaly to her.
„Only thanks to you, onee-san, I am" the older woman raised Yukiko's head gently, so she could see her piercing eyes.
„Only thanks to your increadible talents you are now ready to become a real geisha" she said in commanding voice „you will be unique not only because of your looks, but as well for your inside. You'll become the legendary geisha one day. This I can see"
Yes, I did become a legendary geisha, but not like Aya saw it. However, she'd always hold me up, even when everyone turned away from me. I can never forget her greatness...she was the only okaa-san I knew...or ever will know...Aya was the only person I could trust...until the evening I've became geisha...
Aya helped Yukiko to dress up with red kimono, to do her hair in a form of tako shimada and adorn it with beautiful red comb. At the door, both women got into high zori and sat into vechile, which took them to the mansion, where the ball taken place. As the two climbed from the vechile, they entered a wonderful garden, lit up by many traditional lanterns, surrounded by little pools with bridges over them. The night was warm and refreshing as two geishas passed the garden, walking down the stone path and entered the mansion. Many people were there already, smoking cigarettes, drinking sake and chatting around, but at the moment two women entered the ball room, everyone's eyes turned to them, especially watching the blonde one.
„They're all yours, Yukiko" Aya whispered to her apprentice.
„How can you tell?" Yukiko asked, looking coldly around.
„By their looks. You'll truly be the most wanted geisha...even more wanted than me" Aya and Yukiko exchanged looks and kept walking through the room until they reached the table, where other geishas were having a tea.
„Yukiko, you're just glowing tonight" one of them, with green and yellow kimono said, a note of mocking audible in her falsetto.
„Pity, cannot say the same thing about you, Midori" Yukiko shot her back, sending a dreadful look after.
Midori...the person who envied anything to anyone. She'd always see what she would want from somebody and usually would do anythign to get it. She never broke through me, however. Little brat. Midori never knew what to do when I was around. Silly creature.
„You're being not nice, little Yukiko" Midori warned, her pleasant fake smile already ripped of her lips.
„And tell me, when I'm ever nice" Yukiko confronted, leaning few inches towards: this move was so in right place and right time that Midori wouldn't say a thing after it. Suddenly, an entire room fell into silence and everyone's looks turned to the main entrance, where the hosts of this mansion appeared: they were husband and wife, Keiko and Mikihisa Asakuras, the richest and the most famous family in whole Japan. After the couple followed their twin sons...
„I know that one" Yukiko whispered to Aya „you directed him to me back in the street"
„Yes, I know" Aya winked to Yukiko „I wanted you to see him, before I introduce you" the blonde widened her eyes from surprise.
„You want me to meet the twins?"
„Only one. Yoh. The one you met in the street" Aya explained.
„Why him?" Yukiko asked.
„Because he's not so picky as his brother" Aya showed to the other one, with same chocolade hair, only lots longer. Yukiko watched this guy critically, but still she was so surprised of how her heart skiped few beats only looking to him.
„I see" Yukiko finally said „but he never even saw me dancing or singing. Is this the reason you brought me here?"
„That's it, Yukiko" Aya nodded and took a sip of tea „you're going to dance with fans and do not dissapoint me"
„Did I ever?" Yukiko smiled in gloating smile and got up, walking to the change room. On her way, she purposelly passed thelong haired brother, so she could at least catch a glimpse of his eyes and do some inferences on his character: the blonde was experienced enough, especially with men, to do such things. Yukiko walked slwoly and gracefully, her eyes down so she could rise them at the right moment and do a proper impresion. The woman saw him talking to two other women, obviously from the royal court, but she didn't stop. As the blonde walked closer, the man she was targeting caught her in his sight and turned his long gaze to her...Yukiko answered with her own cold piercing look: and so their eyes met.
I've never had such a feeling, never even knew it's possible, until I looked into those deep chocolate tunnels of his – they took me all away. Since that night, I began to change...or more like I began to turn back into Anna Kyouyama, whose character was slumberous inside of me...since that night, a creature inside of me woke up, hungry for living and freedom. I didn't know what he was thinking, but one thing was for sure: I've stopped him with my look, but not only for a moment...I stopped him for entire of our lives.
The young man followed the blonde with his look, adoring her graceful step and naturally light hair. For just one moment, he felt her fragrance, which settled into his memory for very long time. He just couldn't tear his eyes away from this woman...this geisha. She already ruled his dreams.
„Wonder who she is, ne?" a voice of his brother sound in his ear.
„Otout-san, do you know her?"
„No, oni-san, but I've seen her before in the town. She's quite a catchy, isn't she?"
„That is so. Do you know her name?"
„I head it was Yukiko, but not that sure. I suppose we'll find out quit soon" Yoh smiled to his brother „I see you liked her, Hao"
„Maybe, just maybe"...
A/N: Ok, guys, I'm back at the Shaman King...although this won't be much of a shaman king :DDD anyway, tell me if I should continue it or not...who knows, maybe this is the worst ever...;(((