Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and Co. However, I certainly wish
I did. Think there's a chance that will ever happen? NO!!!!! (well, maybe in my dreams)
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~Chapter 6: Unforgettable part II~
Sesshomaru walked slowly towards her, the sun illuminating his silver hair from behind him. The fiery golden rays of the setting sun played across his skin, matching the golden intensity of his gaze. She stood there waiting for him, anticipating his every move. Her heart beat faster and faster as hormones raced through her body. He reached her at last. They stood facing each other, both unsure. Finally, he reached a clawed hand out and ran it through her hair; she trembled at his touch. She fell into his opening embrace, and could feel his heart race in time with hers through the soft silk of his kimono. He cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to look up at him and to meet his fiery golden stare. He bent slightly and brushed a feathery soft kiss across her lips. Her lips burned, and she reached a hand up, twining it into his silky hair. She pulled his lips down harder onto her own, deepening the kiss…
As the sun streamed into the house, Yukari awoke from a fitful night's sleep. She stretched luxuriously, trying to banish last night's dream from her mind. However, it didn't work. She brushed a hand lightly across her lips; they still burned from Sesshomaru's imaginary kiss.
"For goodness sake, get a hold of yourself. You're acting like a lovesick schoolgirl," she told herself firmly. I must stop falling all over myself for a youkai I barely know, she thought, especially since he despises humans, and doesn't even know my name! She sighed, and rolled smoothly out of bed. It's been four days since I saw him anyway, she thought bitterly. And it's not like I'll ever see him again. Hoping to drown out Sesshomaru's memory with physical exertion, she grabbed a long sword from the rack above the door and headed outside to practice.
Rotating her shoulders to loosen the muscles, she knelt down to meditate. Resting her palms on her knees, she closed her eyes; she inhaled deeply, and then exhaled slowly. She pushed away the sounds of the world around her, her breathing, and her heartbeat. Her mind cleared, bringing her the internal focus she craved. She stood up and tossed aside the scabbard of her sword. The sharp silver metal glinted, catching and reflecting rays from the bright morning sun. Her face was a perfect mask of serenity and concentration; her eyes were still closed. When she opened them again they were filled with a violent hatred as she envisioned the enemies she had to defeat.
Strike. She gripped the black leather-wrapped handle of the blade in both hands, drawing it down in a straight line from the top of her head. Block. Raising the blade in a sweep to the left, she deflected an invisible enemy's sword. Counterstrike. She swung the sword to the enemy's right side, striking a blow at waist-level.
Strike. She knelt on her left knee to deliver a sweeping blow from the right side of her waist. Block. She brought her sword up at waist-level as if to prevent a blow to her right side. Counterstrike. Bringing her left foot around, she pivoted, swinging the blade downwards in a diagonal strike to the back of an enemy's neck.
Strike. She quickly spun around, bringing the katana around in a smooth arc to the left; wrist-level. Block. Turning in the opposite direction, she released the sword with her left hand, holding it with her right. Counterstrike. Feinting to the left, she then passed to the right to land a blow on the enemy's head.
Repeating the movements as she had been taught since childhood, Yukari defeated hundreds of invisible opponents. Her mind floated as her body performed the techniques automatically; she was lost in the world of strikes and blocks, sweat and aches, muscles in motion and stretching sinews. As she performed the rituals countless times, her muscles screamed in protest, rebelling at the new ways in which she was abusing them. She had never pushed herself this hard before. Finally, exhausted, with sweat streaming from every pore on her body, Yukari collapsed onto the hard-packed, dusty ground. She brought a hand up to wipe the sweat from her eyes, leaving a dirty brown streak, and knelt again to meditate and cool down.
When she opened her eyes, the sun was high in the sky. She got to her feet, her poor abused body aching already. I'm going to really pay for this tomorrow, she thought sourly. Sighing loudly, she limped into the house, emerging with an armful of towels, a clean change of clothes, some soap, and a comb. She walked to the back of her house where there was a small set of heated pools that she usually bathed in.
Shedding her sweat-soaked clothes, Yukari stepped carefully into the water. As she sunk in to her chin, she sighed in satisfaction as the heat penetrated her body, easing the tension in her sore muscles. Leaning back, closing her eyes, just relaxing and doing something for her own enjoyment; she hadn't done that in a long time. As the ache in her body lessened, Yukari waded out of the water to grab some soap; she lathered the soap into her long hair, then rubbed it on her skin. She dunked herself under the water to rinse, and swam a few times around the pool to loosen her muscles again. Grabbing two towels, the miko wrapped one around her hair and the other around her body. She sat on a sun-drenched rock, enjoying the feel of the sun's warmth on her face, until she was mostly dry. Then she dressed again in a white hakui with flowing sleeves and a loose black hakama; traditional miko's garb. The towel slipped off her head, so she grabbed the comb and began raking it through the snarls in her mid-thigh length black hair. Once it was untangled she enjoyed the way the silky strands slipped through her fingers like water, but it sure was a pain to get all the knots out! Finally she had her hair untangled, so she gathered her bathing things into a pile and left them lying at the base of a large rock. I'll get those later, she thought, feeling very pleased with life. She smiled with satisfaction. And I finally managed to stop thinking about Sesshomaru!
Yukari's stomach growled. She rubbed it absently, trying to decide what to cook for herself. She sauntered slowly around to the front of her house, humming a song to herself, intending to go inside and find something to eat. However, as Yukari walked around the corner of her house, she was faced with a very unexpected surprise.
Sesshomaru stood there in the bright afternoon sun, solemnly waiting. Waiting for what? she asked herself fearfully. She took a deep breath, brushed her damp hair out of her face, and walked slowly towards him. He just stood there, waiting for her to reach him. She stopped about three feet in front of him.
Sesshomaru watched the lovely female turn the corner of her house; his sharp ears heard the faint sound of the song she was humming softly to herself, and his sensitive nose detected the faint smell of the soap she had used while bathing. Her long hair was unbraided and damp, tumbling down her back in blue-black waves. She stood straight and faced him, meeting his piercing gaze squarely.
Say something, Sesshomaru commanded himself.
Say something, Yukari told herself sternly.
Yukari opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again. What in the world am I going to say to him?
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Author's Notes: Well, this was
basically another transitional chapter. It's one of those that has to be
written in order for the rest of the story to progress, but which is not very
fascinating on its own. I apologize for that… By the way, I would really like
to get more reviews before I post another chapter. If you like the story please
let me know, because it inspires me to keep writing! If you don't like it, also
let me know and I'll try to fix whatever is wrong with it. Flames are accepted,
but constructive criticism is most appreciated. *Sigh* I'm going to get the
fire hose……………