-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Flower Gathering
::Drowning::
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
The body beside her quivered under her angry gaze. As he backed away a mumbled, "If everything's okay I'll leave you now," fell off his lips. The stale impression of staring observers weighed her down despite her desire to hunt the recently departed boy. Everything wasn't okay. Recca had left her alone on a limb, allowing it to snap beneath her. She stood immobilized like the rest of the room.
He's betrayed me. How dare he! There's no way that Sakoshita would send someone as my protector. My situation is not so bad that I need some sore of bodyguard. My mother never mentioned it would be like this. I can't believe that.
Is she going to stand like this forever? Just because I'm not her enemy doesn't mean she should be petrified. I'd be relieved to find trouble absent from my life. She doesn't know what's good in her life. All she does is complain and beat people up.
"Fuuko-chan.could you let go of my robe now?"
She stared blankly into the deep blue orbs. As the azure irises drew her into what seemed to be a deep ocean, no matter how deep she swam inside these eyes she felt nothing. Nothing could be told from the gaze.
"Fuuko-chan?"
The soft voice filled her ears but had the strength enough to suck her outside of the water. As she felt her senses return to the frozen room the stifled scent of held breaths returned to her. Her small hand slipped away from the cloth she had so confidently clutched and dragged into this room, releasing the blue-haired man before her. Finally she looked away--away from the many eyes in front of her, away from the ninja who was now her bodyguard, away from the world that, despite no physical changes, was not the same one a fortnight before, away from everything.
As the gaze broke Fuuko's own eyes focused on a nearby patch of unoccupied space. "Excuse me."
She's leaving. Just running away because things didn't go as expected. This girl acts so strong and invulnerable but at the slightest difficulty she turns away from reality. Without confrontation nothing can be solved.
A smile slid across Raiha's face. "So, shall we eat breakfast?"
As he slipped into an empty spot silence ceased, and everyone gossiped about what had just happened and any new developments within the shrine. Everyone except the boy. Slowly sampling the vapid porridge Raiha's eyes remained distant as Fuuko's had been minutes before. It was as if he'd never broken his gaze with the girl. What he'd seen in those eyes had scared him. It wasn't so much fear but realization. Realization that.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
This is not going to just go away. It can't be solved over night. It wasn't supposed to be this big. I was expected to become a miko, live a life of seclusion, and never be discovered. Mother had always been right. She knew. "Become a miko and never fall in love. Become a miko and break this family burden." The violence won't disappear. It is not so easy as beating someone up. Who is this adversary? Why would my uncle send a ninja to guard me day and night? This may not be something I can take care of.
Fuuko stared at her reflection in the pond below her. She sat immodestly with her robe hiked up mid-thigh, dangling her legs over the bridge on which she sat, barely hovering over the water. Things had changed in twelve years. But the same problem remained since generations before. She could no longer hide behind her mother's kimono and the dense woodlands and elaborate shrine wore threadbare as asylum. Fuuko studied her face, the high cheekbones and angular chin, the long purple hair and porcelain skin. Her four year-old chubby self had melted away. She wasn't an innocent toddler anymore and, having grown into womanhood, she'd also inherited a new responsibility, one that she'd been born to hold.
Fuuko stared and stared at her face, trying to find some semblance to her childhood self. Something to symbolize her adolescence, to tell her that she was mistaken. People would hide her.the world would shield her from the obstacle ahead. It wasn't now that she needed to confront her past, her future.
Nothing. No baby fat, no peach fuzz. She kicked her face with her feet. The ripples momentarily blurred the picture before her. But to no avail; she soon found herself again. Another splash and another, unceasing.
I don't want to see this. Please don't show me. What I've become is still to be told. This shrine, this sword.it is not my fate. Recca. How could he say that Sakoshita ordered a guard for me? I'm Fuuko. I can handle this. I've never needed anyone and I never will. Sakoshita, Recca, Raiha.they're all wrong. I don't need help. I don't need anyone. No one. Never.
The cool wind blew through Fuuko's long hair, throwing it about her like a cloak. Fuuko stood, leaping onto the bridge's wooden rail. Standing there on the edge above water with nothing to hold her but her feet curled over the bars, Fuuko lifted her arms up, allowing the wind to wave not just her hair but her robe. As the maiden's downcast face caught the breeze, the fresh air filled her lungs as she shut her eyes. Breathing in this crisp air was a favorite action of Fuuko's in order to free her mind. Since her first knowledge of coming trouble Fuuko had found herself using this means of escape increasingly more.
If only I could fly away with the wind.a leaf floating in the air, not knowing where I was going, just leaving the rest of the world behind. I wouldn't have to think about pleasing Neon-san or acting according to the teachings. I could travel to far off places. No one would bother me, and I could explore all the places I want to. No shrine, no guards, no sword.
As the miko remained suspended over the bridge she felt as if wings really had sprouted on her back. The force of the wind as it blew against her skin swayed her body, as if to sweep her far away. With the wind supporting her she looked as if she really would be carried off. A small smile slid across her face. Just as she felt the wind nearly sweep her away, the wind died down, so Fuuko opened her eyes as if to see whether the wind really had carried her away. Instead what she found was a few leaves blown down from the trees and her unchanged reflection staring back at her. She was still here. Nothing she could do would take her away; reality was reality. She couldn't change that. Her arms slumped with her shoulders in disappointment. Although she hadn't really expected to be elsewhere her open eyes only reconfirmed the true situation she was in. She'd just stay up here a little longer.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Raiha strolled through the shrine. He'd not realized how expansive the grounds were until now. Where could the girl have gone? As he passed by classrooms and students he always gave a friendly nod. Still, his wandering eyes gave away the fact that he was looking for something or somebody. There was no doubt who he was searching out.
Raiha's eyes darted through the dark spaces and empty rooms. Perhaps she was hiding somewhere inside. She had left in a hurry as if she wanted to be alone. He saw a high tower in the distance. Certainly it was isolated enough for her to venture there and imposing enough for it to have struck anyone's memory as a nice place to go. Heading toward that direction Raiha found himself on the edge of a large water garden. Various plants floated in the ponds along with a few fish. As he scoped out the area he saw a maiden perched atop the central bridge.
Certainly it isn't.it couldn't be.
What lay before him was definitely the miko he'd been seeking, but there she was, standing on the edge of the bridge. A flash of Fuuko's eyes in that helpless gaze that had foretold her desperation returned to Raiha's memory. Raiha lifted his feet and was off with a sprint toward this figure.
I didn't think she was that upset. Betrayal has led her to this desperate act? Hurry. I must keep her from committing this mistake.
Just as Raiha swiftly maneuvered through the paths of the garden bordered in life and greenery, he felt that another's life was slipping away before him. The girl made a gesture. She extended one slender arm toward the water as if reaching for something. Her body began to bend.
She's going to jump.
Don't be sad. This is my reflection. This is what I have become. I must face it with all I can. I must accept my fate and.
The ninja flew through the air. His shoe just lifted off the ground and he came sailing through the air. As he grabbed for the maiden her eyes widened before contact. He would certainly hit her.
Almost got her.
He is attacking me! Get away.
As Raiha's arms began to encircle the girl, pulling her toward him and the bridge, one small hand latched onto his arm, preventing him from making contact, as the other shoved away his chest. With this force Raiha felt himself moving away from the girl and watched as she slipped off the edge, falling backward into the water. As gravity pulled her toward the water her mouth lay agape and her eyes looked upward toward the ninja looking down at her.
Suddenly Fuuko felt the slap as her body hit water. For a moment everything went numb and she watched as the changing surface moved away from her. Once again watched her reflection but this time from within the water. She was sinking fast as her body lay immobilized from impact. As she moved further into the depths of the pond she wondered how deep the water really was.
So this is what drowning feels like. He's really tried to kill me this time. But.
On the surface Raiha watched the girl he'd failed to catch move deeper under the water. Her image became a blur. She was sinking so quickly. After this split second of observation he leapt again but this time into the water.
There's still hope. I can still reach her before she drowns. If she
dies it will be my fault.
Raiha's face penetrated the surface, and he was surprised at how cold the water was. In spite of the comfortable weather the pond still was icy cold from winter. The melting snow from the top of the mountain had emerged into the shrine's water, maintaining a winter-like temperature. Raiha scooped water aside, pushing himself deeper into the pond. As his eyes searched through murkiness for any sign of a body, he saw none. He surfaced for air and dove down again and again. Nothing. She was gone. The current had taken her limp body away, and she lay lodged somewhere unseen, covered in sand and unreachable because of the water.
Raiha's lungs grabbed for air as he waddled ashore. His hair had turned a deep almost black color and was matted down against his shoulders. He collapsed panting on the rocks. He'd need to get out of the ditch and the water before his body became immobilized by the cold.
It's all my fault. I meant to protect her; yet I've brought nothing but suffering to her. I killed her. What will I say to the rest of the shrine? How can I face Sakoshita? I kept thinking that Kurei may get to her and wreak his torture upon her, but I killed her before he even had the chance. I'm worthless.
As he insulted himself for his inability to save the girl he had been hired for, a hard projectile struck Raiha's head, accentuating the throbbing he was already experiencing from the cold. His ears ached and the previously cool weather turned bitingly cold. Still, his reaction was instant, and Raiha's head darted around to see what had hit him.
How can I explain this to the shrine? Certainly they've just found me
here. Perhaps they even saw Fuuko plunge into the pond.
His hand grasped for the hard rock that had hit him. Instead, he found a soggy shoe, well-worn at that. He fingered it, momentarily losing himself in the odd artifact lying before him. This was not the finely lacquered shoe of a miko nor of a monk. This shoe was so weathered that the cloth thongs held a grayish tinge and the shoe itself held the indentation of a considerably small foot. But why was it soggy?
He's such an idiot. What did he think he was doing jumping into the
pond. I nearly thought I'd have to jump in again after him. Kirisawa
Fuuko needs no saving.
As Raiha continued to study the shoe as if it were a collector's treasure, a looming shadow overcast him. The darkness enwrapped him so well that he felt transported into a cave. The dark chi coming from whoever or whatever was casting the shadow certainly alerted Raiha for attack. As he unsheathed his sword and turned around, he grasped at anything he could, which ended up being the waist of a soaking wet cloak.
!!! This is.
A sharp slap landed on Raiha's face. Before Fuuko could scream she caught herself and began to release her rage.
"Baka! Who do you think you are pushing me into the pond? BaKa!!! You are trying to kill me. I don't care if you're the world's greatest ninja. You suck as a bodyguard. At this rate I'll be killed before I'm ever in any danger. Raiha no BAKAAAAA!!!!!"
She's alive?! I can't believe it. I didn't kill her.
The ninja glomped onto the soaking miko, embracing her so as if she were a bird that might fly away if he let go. In spite of this affectionate gesture Fuuko remained obstinate in pounding fists into the ninja's chest. With each pound another wave of anger coated her. With each pound another wave of helplessness embedded itself in her body.
Soon the thumps of her fist against his chest were replaced by the rhythmic pitter patter of tears upon the ground. At the trembling of the maiden he was holding, Raiha pulled away and found a downcast face frantically wiping tears away in hopes that they wouldn't be seen.
"I hate you. Don't think that I'm crying. Don't look at me so sorrowfully. I just.I just.I just got something in my eye."
The maiden glanced up in her innocence to see if this lie had really tricked him. Instead when her eyes met the calm of his she felt drawn to him. Her tears stopped. It was as if he were telling her that he understood everything. That things were going to work out. Still held by his hands Fuuko felt relieved for the first time. Maybe he wouldn't be so bad after all.
"I promise I will protect you."
Ugh.Did he have to say it like that? Who said I welcomed his
protection anyway? Guys and their over zealous Lancelot complexes.
"I thought I told you I didn't need your protection." She pushed herself away from him. "I can do things on my own. If you choose to follow me around, so be it. I don't need your help."
Fuuko marched off toward her room. Not surprisingly the blue-haired ninja followed. These two sodden people led a path through the shrine like a newly emerged swamp monster. The sloshing of water from their clothes made quite a sight for the few miko outdoors enjoying the sunshine.
"Stop chasing me! I'm going to my room."
"I'm not chasing you. My room IS your room."
"ERGH!!!"
Fuuko increased her pace and both entered their room.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
That day seems so far away. Had it really been just a week? Fuuko's
changed so much. She's continued obediently with her studies. Surely
she will be a miko in no time. Yesterday night was strange though.
I wasn't quite sure if she was sleeping but.
. "Raiha, I.just.say.
.thank....yo-u."
The ninja padded along through the shrine. He hadn't mentioned last night to the miko-in-training walking in front of him. Rather she'd acted quite normal this morning, even cheery almost. He hadn't seen a frown on her face since that day in the garden. Finally she seemed to be getting stronger. Today was special though. It was her day off from cleaning duty and this was why he found himself padding after her. She said it was a surprise, and despite the improvement in her personality: she hadn't so much as yelled at him for a week he still found his stomach slightly queasy at the thought of following her to such an abandoned area of the shrine.
Fuuko slid aside a creaking door adorned in spiderwebs. Producing a candle from within her sleeve, she lit it and stepped inside, pulling him in by his robe. The interior of this edifice certainly had seen better years, but its demise certainly had occurred quite a few decades ago if not a century. Fuuko continued to lead him through this maze of broken rafters and creaking floorboards. As he stepped off the second flight of stairs, the maiden stopped. They were two floors underground. From the solitary light of Fuuko's candle Raiha could distinguish that this spacious room seemed to have escaped the damage above. Fuuko began lighting the lanterns around the room.
"Raiha."
"Yes, Fuuko-chan?" Puzzling.
"You're a well-trained ninja, right?"
Silence.
"So you must know offensive skills for serious battling."
Silence.
Fuuko turned her back to him. The sound of her fingering an object resounded through the room. In one swift movement Fuuko unsheathed a katana, turned, pointing the blade in his direction.
"Train me."
a/n: To my devoted readers, I am sorry I have not updated in so long. As many of you have probably guessed, yes I have been busy. I started my fall semester of college and have been bombarded with midterms for quite some time. Whoever coined the term midterm surely did it to tease us all. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I've been holding on to this for a while now because it wasn't really up to par for me. Tell me if you felt the same. I know that there has not been that much Rai/Fuu interaction but I wanted to take things slow and develop their relationship. Can't just jump into things, eh? Also, I originally planned this to be an extremely short series, but it looks like it will end up being rather long. Sorry about any frustration on your part in this slow process. I honestly do not think I will be able to update much at all for the time being. Maybe once a month if I am lucky. I hate to leave you guys hanging here, but I promise once I am on winter break I will resume weekly postings. Once again I apologize for not updating in so long but I hope you will all stick with the story. Thanks for your devotion. ^_^
Flower Gathering
::Drowning::
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
The body beside her quivered under her angry gaze. As he backed away a mumbled, "If everything's okay I'll leave you now," fell off his lips. The stale impression of staring observers weighed her down despite her desire to hunt the recently departed boy. Everything wasn't okay. Recca had left her alone on a limb, allowing it to snap beneath her. She stood immobilized like the rest of the room.
He's betrayed me. How dare he! There's no way that Sakoshita would send someone as my protector. My situation is not so bad that I need some sore of bodyguard. My mother never mentioned it would be like this. I can't believe that.
Is she going to stand like this forever? Just because I'm not her enemy doesn't mean she should be petrified. I'd be relieved to find trouble absent from my life. She doesn't know what's good in her life. All she does is complain and beat people up.
"Fuuko-chan.could you let go of my robe now?"
She stared blankly into the deep blue orbs. As the azure irises drew her into what seemed to be a deep ocean, no matter how deep she swam inside these eyes she felt nothing. Nothing could be told from the gaze.
"Fuuko-chan?"
The soft voice filled her ears but had the strength enough to suck her outside of the water. As she felt her senses return to the frozen room the stifled scent of held breaths returned to her. Her small hand slipped away from the cloth she had so confidently clutched and dragged into this room, releasing the blue-haired man before her. Finally she looked away--away from the many eyes in front of her, away from the ninja who was now her bodyguard, away from the world that, despite no physical changes, was not the same one a fortnight before, away from everything.
As the gaze broke Fuuko's own eyes focused on a nearby patch of unoccupied space. "Excuse me."
She's leaving. Just running away because things didn't go as expected. This girl acts so strong and invulnerable but at the slightest difficulty she turns away from reality. Without confrontation nothing can be solved.
A smile slid across Raiha's face. "So, shall we eat breakfast?"
As he slipped into an empty spot silence ceased, and everyone gossiped about what had just happened and any new developments within the shrine. Everyone except the boy. Slowly sampling the vapid porridge Raiha's eyes remained distant as Fuuko's had been minutes before. It was as if he'd never broken his gaze with the girl. What he'd seen in those eyes had scared him. It wasn't so much fear but realization. Realization that.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
This is not going to just go away. It can't be solved over night. It wasn't supposed to be this big. I was expected to become a miko, live a life of seclusion, and never be discovered. Mother had always been right. She knew. "Become a miko and never fall in love. Become a miko and break this family burden." The violence won't disappear. It is not so easy as beating someone up. Who is this adversary? Why would my uncle send a ninja to guard me day and night? This may not be something I can take care of.
Fuuko stared at her reflection in the pond below her. She sat immodestly with her robe hiked up mid-thigh, dangling her legs over the bridge on which she sat, barely hovering over the water. Things had changed in twelve years. But the same problem remained since generations before. She could no longer hide behind her mother's kimono and the dense woodlands and elaborate shrine wore threadbare as asylum. Fuuko studied her face, the high cheekbones and angular chin, the long purple hair and porcelain skin. Her four year-old chubby self had melted away. She wasn't an innocent toddler anymore and, having grown into womanhood, she'd also inherited a new responsibility, one that she'd been born to hold.
Fuuko stared and stared at her face, trying to find some semblance to her childhood self. Something to symbolize her adolescence, to tell her that she was mistaken. People would hide her.the world would shield her from the obstacle ahead. It wasn't now that she needed to confront her past, her future.
Nothing. No baby fat, no peach fuzz. She kicked her face with her feet. The ripples momentarily blurred the picture before her. But to no avail; she soon found herself again. Another splash and another, unceasing.
I don't want to see this. Please don't show me. What I've become is still to be told. This shrine, this sword.it is not my fate. Recca. How could he say that Sakoshita ordered a guard for me? I'm Fuuko. I can handle this. I've never needed anyone and I never will. Sakoshita, Recca, Raiha.they're all wrong. I don't need help. I don't need anyone. No one. Never.
The cool wind blew through Fuuko's long hair, throwing it about her like a cloak. Fuuko stood, leaping onto the bridge's wooden rail. Standing there on the edge above water with nothing to hold her but her feet curled over the bars, Fuuko lifted her arms up, allowing the wind to wave not just her hair but her robe. As the maiden's downcast face caught the breeze, the fresh air filled her lungs as she shut her eyes. Breathing in this crisp air was a favorite action of Fuuko's in order to free her mind. Since her first knowledge of coming trouble Fuuko had found herself using this means of escape increasingly more.
If only I could fly away with the wind.a leaf floating in the air, not knowing where I was going, just leaving the rest of the world behind. I wouldn't have to think about pleasing Neon-san or acting according to the teachings. I could travel to far off places. No one would bother me, and I could explore all the places I want to. No shrine, no guards, no sword.
As the miko remained suspended over the bridge she felt as if wings really had sprouted on her back. The force of the wind as it blew against her skin swayed her body, as if to sweep her far away. With the wind supporting her she looked as if she really would be carried off. A small smile slid across her face. Just as she felt the wind nearly sweep her away, the wind died down, so Fuuko opened her eyes as if to see whether the wind really had carried her away. Instead what she found was a few leaves blown down from the trees and her unchanged reflection staring back at her. She was still here. Nothing she could do would take her away; reality was reality. She couldn't change that. Her arms slumped with her shoulders in disappointment. Although she hadn't really expected to be elsewhere her open eyes only reconfirmed the true situation she was in. She'd just stay up here a little longer.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Raiha strolled through the shrine. He'd not realized how expansive the grounds were until now. Where could the girl have gone? As he passed by classrooms and students he always gave a friendly nod. Still, his wandering eyes gave away the fact that he was looking for something or somebody. There was no doubt who he was searching out.
Raiha's eyes darted through the dark spaces and empty rooms. Perhaps she was hiding somewhere inside. She had left in a hurry as if she wanted to be alone. He saw a high tower in the distance. Certainly it was isolated enough for her to venture there and imposing enough for it to have struck anyone's memory as a nice place to go. Heading toward that direction Raiha found himself on the edge of a large water garden. Various plants floated in the ponds along with a few fish. As he scoped out the area he saw a maiden perched atop the central bridge.
Certainly it isn't.it couldn't be.
What lay before him was definitely the miko he'd been seeking, but there she was, standing on the edge of the bridge. A flash of Fuuko's eyes in that helpless gaze that had foretold her desperation returned to Raiha's memory. Raiha lifted his feet and was off with a sprint toward this figure.
I didn't think she was that upset. Betrayal has led her to this desperate act? Hurry. I must keep her from committing this mistake.
Just as Raiha swiftly maneuvered through the paths of the garden bordered in life and greenery, he felt that another's life was slipping away before him. The girl made a gesture. She extended one slender arm toward the water as if reaching for something. Her body began to bend.
She's going to jump.
Don't be sad. This is my reflection. This is what I have become. I must face it with all I can. I must accept my fate and.
The ninja flew through the air. His shoe just lifted off the ground and he came sailing through the air. As he grabbed for the maiden her eyes widened before contact. He would certainly hit her.
Almost got her.
He is attacking me! Get away.
As Raiha's arms began to encircle the girl, pulling her toward him and the bridge, one small hand latched onto his arm, preventing him from making contact, as the other shoved away his chest. With this force Raiha felt himself moving away from the girl and watched as she slipped off the edge, falling backward into the water. As gravity pulled her toward the water her mouth lay agape and her eyes looked upward toward the ninja looking down at her.
Suddenly Fuuko felt the slap as her body hit water. For a moment everything went numb and she watched as the changing surface moved away from her. Once again watched her reflection but this time from within the water. She was sinking fast as her body lay immobilized from impact. As she moved further into the depths of the pond she wondered how deep the water really was.
So this is what drowning feels like. He's really tried to kill me this time. But.
On the surface Raiha watched the girl he'd failed to catch move deeper under the water. Her image became a blur. She was sinking so quickly. After this split second of observation he leapt again but this time into the water.
There's still hope. I can still reach her before she drowns. If she
dies it will be my fault.
Raiha's face penetrated the surface, and he was surprised at how cold the water was. In spite of the comfortable weather the pond still was icy cold from winter. The melting snow from the top of the mountain had emerged into the shrine's water, maintaining a winter-like temperature. Raiha scooped water aside, pushing himself deeper into the pond. As his eyes searched through murkiness for any sign of a body, he saw none. He surfaced for air and dove down again and again. Nothing. She was gone. The current had taken her limp body away, and she lay lodged somewhere unseen, covered in sand and unreachable because of the water.
Raiha's lungs grabbed for air as he waddled ashore. His hair had turned a deep almost black color and was matted down against his shoulders. He collapsed panting on the rocks. He'd need to get out of the ditch and the water before his body became immobilized by the cold.
It's all my fault. I meant to protect her; yet I've brought nothing but suffering to her. I killed her. What will I say to the rest of the shrine? How can I face Sakoshita? I kept thinking that Kurei may get to her and wreak his torture upon her, but I killed her before he even had the chance. I'm worthless.
As he insulted himself for his inability to save the girl he had been hired for, a hard projectile struck Raiha's head, accentuating the throbbing he was already experiencing from the cold. His ears ached and the previously cool weather turned bitingly cold. Still, his reaction was instant, and Raiha's head darted around to see what had hit him.
How can I explain this to the shrine? Certainly they've just found me
here. Perhaps they even saw Fuuko plunge into the pond.
His hand grasped for the hard rock that had hit him. Instead, he found a soggy shoe, well-worn at that. He fingered it, momentarily losing himself in the odd artifact lying before him. This was not the finely lacquered shoe of a miko nor of a monk. This shoe was so weathered that the cloth thongs held a grayish tinge and the shoe itself held the indentation of a considerably small foot. But why was it soggy?
He's such an idiot. What did he think he was doing jumping into the
pond. I nearly thought I'd have to jump in again after him. Kirisawa
Fuuko needs no saving.
As Raiha continued to study the shoe as if it were a collector's treasure, a looming shadow overcast him. The darkness enwrapped him so well that he felt transported into a cave. The dark chi coming from whoever or whatever was casting the shadow certainly alerted Raiha for attack. As he unsheathed his sword and turned around, he grasped at anything he could, which ended up being the waist of a soaking wet cloak.
!!! This is.
A sharp slap landed on Raiha's face. Before Fuuko could scream she caught herself and began to release her rage.
"Baka! Who do you think you are pushing me into the pond? BaKa!!! You are trying to kill me. I don't care if you're the world's greatest ninja. You suck as a bodyguard. At this rate I'll be killed before I'm ever in any danger. Raiha no BAKAAAAA!!!!!"
She's alive?! I can't believe it. I didn't kill her.
The ninja glomped onto the soaking miko, embracing her so as if she were a bird that might fly away if he let go. In spite of this affectionate gesture Fuuko remained obstinate in pounding fists into the ninja's chest. With each pound another wave of anger coated her. With each pound another wave of helplessness embedded itself in her body.
Soon the thumps of her fist against his chest were replaced by the rhythmic pitter patter of tears upon the ground. At the trembling of the maiden he was holding, Raiha pulled away and found a downcast face frantically wiping tears away in hopes that they wouldn't be seen.
"I hate you. Don't think that I'm crying. Don't look at me so sorrowfully. I just.I just.I just got something in my eye."
The maiden glanced up in her innocence to see if this lie had really tricked him. Instead when her eyes met the calm of his she felt drawn to him. Her tears stopped. It was as if he were telling her that he understood everything. That things were going to work out. Still held by his hands Fuuko felt relieved for the first time. Maybe he wouldn't be so bad after all.
"I promise I will protect you."
Ugh.Did he have to say it like that? Who said I welcomed his
protection anyway? Guys and their over zealous Lancelot complexes.
"I thought I told you I didn't need your protection." She pushed herself away from him. "I can do things on my own. If you choose to follow me around, so be it. I don't need your help."
Fuuko marched off toward her room. Not surprisingly the blue-haired ninja followed. These two sodden people led a path through the shrine like a newly emerged swamp monster. The sloshing of water from their clothes made quite a sight for the few miko outdoors enjoying the sunshine.
"Stop chasing me! I'm going to my room."
"I'm not chasing you. My room IS your room."
"ERGH!!!"
Fuuko increased her pace and both entered their room.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
That day seems so far away. Had it really been just a week? Fuuko's
changed so much. She's continued obediently with her studies. Surely
she will be a miko in no time. Yesterday night was strange though.
I wasn't quite sure if she was sleeping but.
. "Raiha, I.just.say.
.thank....yo-u."
The ninja padded along through the shrine. He hadn't mentioned last night to the miko-in-training walking in front of him. Rather she'd acted quite normal this morning, even cheery almost. He hadn't seen a frown on her face since that day in the garden. Finally she seemed to be getting stronger. Today was special though. It was her day off from cleaning duty and this was why he found himself padding after her. She said it was a surprise, and despite the improvement in her personality: she hadn't so much as yelled at him for a week he still found his stomach slightly queasy at the thought of following her to such an abandoned area of the shrine.
Fuuko slid aside a creaking door adorned in spiderwebs. Producing a candle from within her sleeve, she lit it and stepped inside, pulling him in by his robe. The interior of this edifice certainly had seen better years, but its demise certainly had occurred quite a few decades ago if not a century. Fuuko continued to lead him through this maze of broken rafters and creaking floorboards. As he stepped off the second flight of stairs, the maiden stopped. They were two floors underground. From the solitary light of Fuuko's candle Raiha could distinguish that this spacious room seemed to have escaped the damage above. Fuuko began lighting the lanterns around the room.
"Raiha."
"Yes, Fuuko-chan?" Puzzling.
"You're a well-trained ninja, right?"
Silence.
"So you must know offensive skills for serious battling."
Silence.
Fuuko turned her back to him. The sound of her fingering an object resounded through the room. In one swift movement Fuuko unsheathed a katana, turned, pointing the blade in his direction.
"Train me."
a/n: To my devoted readers, I am sorry I have not updated in so long. As many of you have probably guessed, yes I have been busy. I started my fall semester of college and have been bombarded with midterms for quite some time. Whoever coined the term midterm surely did it to tease us all. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I've been holding on to this for a while now because it wasn't really up to par for me. Tell me if you felt the same. I know that there has not been that much Rai/Fuu interaction but I wanted to take things slow and develop their relationship. Can't just jump into things, eh? Also, I originally planned this to be an extremely short series, but it looks like it will end up being rather long. Sorry about any frustration on your part in this slow process. I honestly do not think I will be able to update much at all for the time being. Maybe once a month if I am lucky. I hate to leave you guys hanging here, but I promise once I am on winter break I will resume weekly postings. Once again I apologize for not updating in so long but I hope you will all stick with the story. Thanks for your devotion. ^_^