Chapter Four : In Which There Is Much Embarrassment
Ishiru spun the weapon she had dubbed Curved Fang, or Soru no Heijin. She brought it down in a graceful arc, controlling her speed and hit force so not to break the wooden floor of the dojo. No matter what anyone said, Ishiru thought that it was harder to control her speed than maximize it. She whirled and slashed, striking down multitudes of imaginary opponents.
Sesshoumaru watched her from the door. His eyes followed the path of Soru no Heijin, judging the amount of force that she would put behind each blow. He watched her as she flew about the dojo. She was so engrossed in her imaginary battle she didn't notice him. She would have to work on that. He made a mental note to tell her later.
Ishiru followed an opponent on the vaguely colored plain of her eyesight. Her sight had come back to the point that she could see things near her, and brightly colored things. Surprisingly, she could see better at night.
She was about to make a final swing when Soru no Heijin was jerked from her grip. She looked around wildly, but saw only the few feet in front and around her. It was empty.
Ishiru growled and took in a deep breath of air. Before she could analyze the array of scents that she received, a pair of strong hands closed around her wrists. The person molded her body to his, guiding her into place.
"Watch your stance." Sesshoumaru said from behind her. Ishiru pouted for a moment then tightened her muscles, keeping the stance on her own. Sesshoumaru released her, returning her weapon, and moved to stand in front of the demoness.
"Now you will fight a real opponent." He said, slipping into stance. Ishiru nodded and gripped Soru no Heijin tighter. "Without weapons." Sesshoumaru's voice gave only a hint of reprimand, but that was enough for Ishiru to pick up. She calculated the location of Soru no Heijin's rack and hurled the arched blade accordingly. It clanged resoundingly into place properly resting in its rack.
Ishiru corrected her stance and faced Sesshoumaru, bringing her hands up, claws slightly extended. She waited, but not for long. Sesshoumaru darted at her, striking without his claws. Ishiru moved to the side just enough to avoid his hand. Had she seen him sooner, she would have been able to avoid the strike from his other hand.
Ishiru darted back, using the momentum from the blow to make it look like she hadn't been hit. Sesshoumaru knew otherwise of course, but he had taught her not to act like she was, or had been, hit. Ishiru darted back towards Sesshoumaru, her claws extending.
She struck, but hit nothing but air. She easily compensated for the lack of impact. Easily because she had been training without an opponent, so she didn't need to make an impact to keep her balance. Her muscles tightened as she whirled around after Sesshoumaru's rapidly moving form, striking out with her claws in which weak venom had begun to form.
He darted out of her vision range and Ishiru slipped back into stance, holding her claws at ready. A slight breeze brushed by her side and Ishiru swung around to her left. She felt a soft impact, like the tearing of cloth and heard the gentle shredding sound of her claws slicing through fabric.
"I got you ne?" Ishiru said, listening intently for any sign of Sesshoumaru's location.
Sesshoumaru stood silently at what he knew was just outside of her sight range. She had sliced through the front of his armor and through his haori. A shattered fragment of his armor rested precariously on the broken edge of his breastplate. It teetered and fell, landing with a barely audible clunk on the dojo floor.
Ishiru didn't move for a moment, and then in a flash of motion she had her claws at Sesshoumaru's throat, grinning slightly. Sesshoumaru stood still, taking in the recent proceedings. She had heard the sound of the crumb sized piece of armor fall to the ground, and deduced his position, as well as calculating her movements and other such tactics of battle, and all in that little moment.
OOO
Erisa's eyes lit up as she watched the scenario. She shook the stardust off her hands and got up out of her starbath. ((Don't ask, it's like bathing in a bunch of stars)) She went over to her table and tapped lightly on the marble edge. It zoomed in on one part. Erisa looked about the Western Fortress and found the dojo, then picked up a little piece, shaped like a little girl, and put it at the doorway.
Erisa grinned and opened a portal so she could watch.
OOO
It was at that moment that the door creaked open. Rin peeked in, ignoring the commands of the toad, who was still somewhat pinkish. She saw something that she didn't really expect.
Sesshoumaru stood in the center of the dojo floor. Ishiru stood in front him, well not really in front of him. She was nearly spread out along his body, using him as a support for she was standing on her tiptoes. Her claws WERE indeed at his throat, but Rin (thankfully) missed that. The tip of Ishiru's nose just barely touched his jaw, simply from how she stood.
To Rin, it looked like they were hugging. ((Cute, innocent little Rin! )) She pushed open the door the rest of the way and ran over.
Both Sesshoumaru and Ishiru heard Rin as soon as she really entered the room and abandoned their previous arrangement. Rin stopped in front of them and smiled up at Ishiru.
"Is Ishiru going to be Rin's new okra?" She asked, smiling hopefully. Ishiru fought the blush that rose to her cheeks, but only toned it down to a light sprinkling of pink, instead of the beet red that wanted to surface.
Before Sesshoumaru could say something that would disappoint Rin, Ishiru knelt and looked at Rin, who was now within her sight range.
"Rin-Chan, do you want me to be your okaa-san?" She asked, looking the child in the eyes.
"Hai. I want you to be Rin's okaa-san and Sesshoumaru to be Rin's otou! And then Rin would have brothers and sisters!" Rin said. Ishiru hugged Rin to hide her blush.
"I'd love to be your mother, but I don't know what Sesshoumaru would say about it." Ishiru released Rin and looked at Sesshoumaru with a look that clearly said. "Say something dedicated and I will make your life a living hell." In other words, don't give her a real answer. Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment.
"Perchance Rin." Was all he said. But it seemed to suffice and Rin ran over to hug Sesshoumaru around the legs.
"Yay! Rin is going to go pick flowers. Will Okaa-san come too?" Rin looked at Ishiru hopefully, who looked up at Sesshoumaru. She stood.
"May I put my training on hold to go with Rin-chan?" She asked. Sesshoumaru nodded. Ishiru took Rin's hand and headed out to the garden.
