Thanks for reviewing, Kenkako!
Sorry I haven't updated in a while, folks. I've been sick, and way too lazy
to do anything. But thanks to Kenkako, I've been motivated to continue! So
here we go, Chapter 3 of Youkou Ittou.
For future reference- umeboshi- sour pickled plums soaked in vinegar. Eaten
in Japan's feudal era by warriors because it provided energy.
Kyoko lay uncomfortably in her new bed. Her thoughts were anywhere but on sleeping. "Training?" she wondered aloud, "What kind of training could he be talking about?" She sighed, frustrated by the thoughts of the demon, Sesshoumaru. She thought of his handsome face, his soothing voice. She immediately paled. "What am I thinking? I barely know him!" she scolded herself. She closed her eyes, in a vain attempt to try and sleep, but images of her brother came fleeting into her mind. "Kyoshi," she whispered into the dark, "I've missed you so much."
Sesshoumaru stood outside of his guest's door. Listening to her breathe, he could tell she was not sleeping. All of a sudden, he heard her gentle, musical voice saying something about training. "So she is interested," Sesshoumaru mused. He listened intently to hear what she would talk about. All of a sudden her voice became louder, making Sesshoumaru jump. "She is thinking about me, perhaps?" he smiled. He listened as her voice became a soft whisper. He could smell the salty tears she was crying over this man, Kyoshi. Sesshoumaru quietly slipped away from the door, and walked down the long hall to his bed chamber. He lay in his bed, but also could not sleep, for he wanted, no, needed to learn more about his strange guest, and her unfortunate past.
Morning came unexpectedly, and Kyoko was definitely not ready for it. She awoke with a start to find a large, old female demon standing over her bed. "It is time for breakfast, Lady Kyoko," the old woman croaked. Kyoko groaned.
"Morning already?" she inquired. "It feels as though I just got to sleep!" She slowly got out of bed, and walked over to her window. She sighed as she saw the clouds looming overhead. "A rainy day, great. And what is your name?" she asked the female servant.
"Tomoko," the servant replied respectively. She then helped Kyoko get dressed in a beautiful red kimono with a gold floral pattern. Tomoko led Kyoko to breakfast, and as they neared, Kyoko's mouth began to water.
"It smells wonderful!" Kyoko exclaimed. She entered the eating area, and stopped short. She saw Sesshoumaru at the head of the table and noticed he was already done, as was the little human girl on his right. She was late. "I. . . I'm so sorry, Lord Sesshoumaru. I didn't get much sleep last night, and I must have slept in. I . . ." she said in a rush, but Sesshoumaru merely got up and walked over to her.
"Eat quickly," he said, "After you have finished, training will begin." After he had said this, he added, "Come, Rin." The little girl quickly got out of her chair and skipped off after him, but she stopped in front of Kyoko.
"Who is this pretty lady you have brought to live with us, Sess-chan? Is she here to play with Rin?" the little girl asked excitedly. Kyoko smiled down at the adorable little girl and patted her head. Rin beamed up at her, and skipped off after Sesshoumaru.
Not wanting to waste time, Kyoko quickly sat down to breakfast, and gobbled up her umeboshi. She ran back to her room and grabbed her sword. She began to walk outside, when she realized she had no idea where she was going. "Great," she mumbled, "Now I'm going to have to find my way around." As she was walking, she heard a low rumble, and knowing what was coming, she began to run, just as the rain came pouring down. "What else?" she said as she looked up into the sky, rain falling on her face. She kept on running, and stopped, as she bumped into something warm, but solid. She looked up. "Sesshoumaru? Is that you?" she asked, squinting, the rain blurring her vision. The white figure picked her up, and soared into the air. Kyoko panicked, but was relieved to look into her kidnapper's face to find it was in fact, Sesshoumaru. "Thank you," she whispered.
When Sesshoumaru finally flew down, Kyoko found herself in some kind of dojo. "We're still going to train?" she exclaimed, "It's pouring outside, are you crazy?" She was growing red in the face as she noticed Sesshoumaru's amused expression. She thought he was going to make some smart comment, but all he did was draw his sword, Tokijin. He raced towards her, with blinding speed. Kyoko drew her sword quickly, and blocked his attack.
"Good, you are quick," he commented, "Now, you try and attack me." She rushed towards him, blindly wielding her sword. She frantically kept trying to thrust her sword at him, and he easily blocked the onslaught of attacks. She stopped, trying to catch her breath. He sighed as he watched her. "You are very strong, but you have no technique. You aimlessly thrust your sword at whatever is there. We'll have to work on that. Why don't we try seeing how you defend yourself now?"
He kept trying to strike her, each move graceful. It was all Kyoko could do to block each attack. Sesshoumaru relented, and shook his head. "Your blocks are sloppy. You're concentrating more on my sword than watching me and trying to figure out what move I'm going to make. If you block that way in battle, you're sure to be struck." Kyoko growled, not used to being scolded. "Try it again." He swiftly moved towards her, prepared to lash his sword out. This time he noticed her eyes on him, watching his every move. "She has beautiful eyes," he thought to himself, as he looked into their sparkling blue determination. Distracted, he did not put his full effort into the blow, and this time, she blocked it perfectly. He also did not notice how bright her sword was becoming, how the light began to shine more, and more.
Kyoko did not know what was happening. Her sword seemed as though it was controlling her, and it thrust forward to block Sesshoumaru's attack. At the exact moment the two blades hit, Sesshoumaru was thrown back, as was Kyoko. Her sword returned to normal, but Kyoko was drained of her energy.
Sesshoumaru attempted to get up to help Kyoko, but as he did, he noticed Tokijin dismembered on the ground.
Kyoko lay uncomfortably in her new bed. Her thoughts were anywhere but on sleeping. "Training?" she wondered aloud, "What kind of training could he be talking about?" She sighed, frustrated by the thoughts of the demon, Sesshoumaru. She thought of his handsome face, his soothing voice. She immediately paled. "What am I thinking? I barely know him!" she scolded herself. She closed her eyes, in a vain attempt to try and sleep, but images of her brother came fleeting into her mind. "Kyoshi," she whispered into the dark, "I've missed you so much."
Sesshoumaru stood outside of his guest's door. Listening to her breathe, he could tell she was not sleeping. All of a sudden, he heard her gentle, musical voice saying something about training. "So she is interested," Sesshoumaru mused. He listened intently to hear what she would talk about. All of a sudden her voice became louder, making Sesshoumaru jump. "She is thinking about me, perhaps?" he smiled. He listened as her voice became a soft whisper. He could smell the salty tears she was crying over this man, Kyoshi. Sesshoumaru quietly slipped away from the door, and walked down the long hall to his bed chamber. He lay in his bed, but also could not sleep, for he wanted, no, needed to learn more about his strange guest, and her unfortunate past.
Morning came unexpectedly, and Kyoko was definitely not ready for it. She awoke with a start to find a large, old female demon standing over her bed. "It is time for breakfast, Lady Kyoko," the old woman croaked. Kyoko groaned.
"Morning already?" she inquired. "It feels as though I just got to sleep!" She slowly got out of bed, and walked over to her window. She sighed as she saw the clouds looming overhead. "A rainy day, great. And what is your name?" she asked the female servant.
"Tomoko," the servant replied respectively. She then helped Kyoko get dressed in a beautiful red kimono with a gold floral pattern. Tomoko led Kyoko to breakfast, and as they neared, Kyoko's mouth began to water.
"It smells wonderful!" Kyoko exclaimed. She entered the eating area, and stopped short. She saw Sesshoumaru at the head of the table and noticed he was already done, as was the little human girl on his right. She was late. "I. . . I'm so sorry, Lord Sesshoumaru. I didn't get much sleep last night, and I must have slept in. I . . ." she said in a rush, but Sesshoumaru merely got up and walked over to her.
"Eat quickly," he said, "After you have finished, training will begin." After he had said this, he added, "Come, Rin." The little girl quickly got out of her chair and skipped off after him, but she stopped in front of Kyoko.
"Who is this pretty lady you have brought to live with us, Sess-chan? Is she here to play with Rin?" the little girl asked excitedly. Kyoko smiled down at the adorable little girl and patted her head. Rin beamed up at her, and skipped off after Sesshoumaru.
Not wanting to waste time, Kyoko quickly sat down to breakfast, and gobbled up her umeboshi. She ran back to her room and grabbed her sword. She began to walk outside, when she realized she had no idea where she was going. "Great," she mumbled, "Now I'm going to have to find my way around." As she was walking, she heard a low rumble, and knowing what was coming, she began to run, just as the rain came pouring down. "What else?" she said as she looked up into the sky, rain falling on her face. She kept on running, and stopped, as she bumped into something warm, but solid. She looked up. "Sesshoumaru? Is that you?" she asked, squinting, the rain blurring her vision. The white figure picked her up, and soared into the air. Kyoko panicked, but was relieved to look into her kidnapper's face to find it was in fact, Sesshoumaru. "Thank you," she whispered.
When Sesshoumaru finally flew down, Kyoko found herself in some kind of dojo. "We're still going to train?" she exclaimed, "It's pouring outside, are you crazy?" She was growing red in the face as she noticed Sesshoumaru's amused expression. She thought he was going to make some smart comment, but all he did was draw his sword, Tokijin. He raced towards her, with blinding speed. Kyoko drew her sword quickly, and blocked his attack.
"Good, you are quick," he commented, "Now, you try and attack me." She rushed towards him, blindly wielding her sword. She frantically kept trying to thrust her sword at him, and he easily blocked the onslaught of attacks. She stopped, trying to catch her breath. He sighed as he watched her. "You are very strong, but you have no technique. You aimlessly thrust your sword at whatever is there. We'll have to work on that. Why don't we try seeing how you defend yourself now?"
He kept trying to strike her, each move graceful. It was all Kyoko could do to block each attack. Sesshoumaru relented, and shook his head. "Your blocks are sloppy. You're concentrating more on my sword than watching me and trying to figure out what move I'm going to make. If you block that way in battle, you're sure to be struck." Kyoko growled, not used to being scolded. "Try it again." He swiftly moved towards her, prepared to lash his sword out. This time he noticed her eyes on him, watching his every move. "She has beautiful eyes," he thought to himself, as he looked into their sparkling blue determination. Distracted, he did not put his full effort into the blow, and this time, she blocked it perfectly. He also did not notice how bright her sword was becoming, how the light began to shine more, and more.
Kyoko did not know what was happening. Her sword seemed as though it was controlling her, and it thrust forward to block Sesshoumaru's attack. At the exact moment the two blades hit, Sesshoumaru was thrown back, as was Kyoko. Her sword returned to normal, but Kyoko was drained of her energy.
Sesshoumaru attempted to get up to help Kyoko, but as he did, he noticed Tokijin dismembered on the ground.