Chapter 3: Training
As the last rays of sun faded away, the girl appearing around the age of 9 charged towards her opponent with weapon raised. With a loud thwack, her wooden sword was knocked out her hands and she was sent stumbling onto the grass. Her opponent lowered her own bokken before kneeling down and helping the girl up. She brushed off bits of grass and dirt on the pleated fabric of the girl's hakama.
"Yuki, you need to practice the timing of your swing – it needs to be faster."
The girl nodded reluctantly. She did not enjoy sword practice, but it was much preferable to the academic work her mother made her do. Whenever she saw numbers her head spun, history was a confusing muddle, science was too theoretical, and literature both befuddled and bored her. Being a properly educated lady as her mother insisted was not fun. Yuki preferred running around instead of sitting still for hours trudging through texts beyond her comprehension. However, her mother had also somehow found ways to make her one physical subject difficult.
Feeling frustrated due to hunger and exhaustion from hours of sword practice, she could not resist adding, "Mother is just too strong though, you always send me flying!"
It was startling how her mother's feminine grace belied her dexterity with the sword. Anyone seeing her wield a sword for the first time was in for a shock. Although she had heard from Aoi that her mother came from a clan renowned for their skill with the katana, she wished her mother would ease up on her.
The woman saw the slight pout on the girl's face and frowned disapprovingly. She often wondered at the adamant childishness the girl displayed, their kind was unlikely to behave thus at this age. After all, they were subjected to strict discipline and expectations given their backgrounds as rulers of the vampire race. Perhaps she was too indulgent in the way she raised this child.
"I am holding back, but a real enemy would not." She caressed the girl's cheek lightly before continuing, "Yuki, you must get stronger so you can protect yourself. One day I will no longer be by your side."
Upon hearing the last sentence, Yuki frowned and clamped her arms around her mother, embracing her tightly. Shizuka sighed, knowing her daughter hated it whenever she mentioned that. She gently patted the girl's back.
"Let us end practice for the day, Aoi is waiting for us back inside."
Yuki nodded, her cheek rubbing against her mother's before finally letting go. Shizuka pondered the girl's attachment to her, she had been this way ever since Rido had thrust her as a crying baby into her arms all those years ago.
Seeing Yuki still pouting a little, Shizuka smiled slightly and added, "There is the dango with red bean paste that you like so much waiting for you."
Yuki immediately perked up at the thought of sweets. Her face lit up with a wide smile, and she forgot her previous negativity. Despite her concern over the girl's childish personality, Shizuka could not help but think this was part of her charm and what made her adorable. Part of her was glad Yuki was able to act her age, unlike herself as a child long ago.
Yuki latched on happily to her mother's arm and they headed back towards the brick cottage partially obscured by its sprawling wall of ivy and the thick foliage of the surrounding garden.
The sounds of the wooden rods clashing filled the courtyard. The young girl deftly dodged the rod about to strike her on the right and countered with a quick jab that squarely hit the boy in his chest, sending him staggering a few steps back.
"Zero!" Ichiru who had been observing the match from a nearby bench stood up, concerned for his older twin.
"Okay, that's all for this match, Yoko wins," Kaien announced, clapping his hands.
"Zero, are you alright?" Yoko hurried over to Zero, who quickly nodded.
"It's not a big deal, I'm fine." Zero smiled to reassure her. "You've gotten better again since the last time."
"That's because Zero-nii doesn't primarily use the staff, if it was a shooting competition, he would win," interjected Ichiru, who had made his way over.
"Ichiru is right," Yoko smiled, drawing a curl of her dark hair behind her ear. Her ponytail was starting to loosen thanks to the physical activity.
"Yoko – despite how ladylike you look, you're like a muscled barbarian with the staff," Ichiru stated, only half teasingly. "You were probably a Viking your previous life."
Yoko only smiled lightly in response, unoffended by the remark. This was the usual dynamic between the three of them. Ever since she had met them, they had often hung out, the Kiryuu parents frequently leaving their sons with the headmaster while they traveled for their job.
Zero was the older, more serious twin while Ichiru was the younger and more mischievous one. Although Ichiru knew how to behave charmingly when he so desired, he had a mean streak, unlike Zero who was more stoic and straitlaced. The two brothers were quite close and protective of each other, so Yoko was not affected at all by Ichiru's verbal jab. After all, they were the only friends she had. She was also close to Kaname-sama, but she did not exactly consider him a "friend".
Seeing his remarks slide off her like water off a duck's back Ichiru couldn't help quipping, "Yoko is no fun at all! She's so mature it's like there is an old man inside her instead of an innocent young girl."
"Ichiru – that's rude." Zero chided his younger brother, "You should be acting more mature, we're a year older after all."
Ichiru pouted at being reprimanded by his brother before shaking it off with a laugh to signal he had not intended his comments to be malicious.
Kaien watched the three kids and smiled, appreciating the mundane joys of their peaceful life. When he was young, he never would have thought he would one day live as a normal civilian. He had expected to die on the job, finally done in by one of the vampires he made a living killing.
"Yoko, good job with the spar." He praised his adoptive daughter, who smiled politely in response.
Sighing, he was reminded of how she was too courteous and restrained, even with family. Kaien could not help but agree with Ichiru, his daughter really seemed to harbor the personality of a genteel old man. Although she excelled in her studies, it worried him how she did not behave like most girls her age. She didn't play with the toys he and Kaname gifted her, didn't read those girly magazines, and didn't seem to care for the dresses and accessories they bought her.
Instead, he often found her holed up in the library, a somber expression on her face as she forced her way through tomes of history and politics with a dictionary on one hand and an encyclopedia in the other. Even her thought processes were unnaturally precocious and impartial. Kaien felt she could be an incredible judge if she chose to pursue a profession in law. Kaname had once remarked on her personality, musing how she did not resemble Haruka and Juri, but rather their infamously serious grandfather.
Despite her muted response, Yoko was glad to hear her father's approval and glad to know her practice had paid off. Although others thought she was a natural, with the way she tended to excel in whatever she put her mind to, she was not as amazing as they thought. She simply compensated for the inborn talent some people seemed to have with unwavering determination. When he thought she was off playing on the schoolgrounds, she had actually been busy mastering the weapon he gave her.
She kept it a secret though because she knew he didn't like it when she pushed herself too hard, and he would probably scold her for the calluses on her hands and lecture her on how girls her age should act. Sometimes she felt guilty for the secrets she kept from him and Kaname, she knew they wanted her to act more carefree and "her age" but that was not her personality. However, she did not want to disappoint them, so somewhere along the way, she had started to hide parts of herself.
The headmaster had trained her to use the staff since she was 5 years old, and had given her the Artemis Rod, which he told her to always keep on her. Despite her not being a hunter, Kaien had thought it a good idea to have her train with Zero. He had justified it by claiming the world was a scary place and girls should know self-defense. As he said that, he had worn an uncharacteristically serious expression, but only briefly. Yoko wondered if his decision had been influenced by his past as a hunter, a topic he generally evaded.
From her own digging and observations, she knew he used to be a renowned vampire hunter in the past and had been nicknamed "the fangless vampire". Once, she had chanced upon the sword with jagged edges that he kept hidden in the compartment under his desk. Despite her sense of propriety, she was curious how someone who had vanquished so many vampires ended up one of the few people Kaname, a pureblood trusted.
Another topic her father evaded was that of her origins. Yoko was sure he knew about her parents, given the furtive looks he and Kaname exchanged whenever she bought up her past. However, she respected his privacy and wishes and did not press him. After all, she owed him – without him taking her in and raising her as his daughter, she might have lived an unfortunate existence. Even though he was not her biological parent, he was the only parent she knew. Despite his eccentricities and sometimes crudely comical behavior, he was a good father to her. She also respected the vision he had for his school, the ambition that one day humans and vampires could coexist peacefully.
Having known Kaname all her life, she knew he was good at heart from the way he treated her so warmly. Just because he was a vampire did not mean he was a heartless monster. Her father's vision was not foolish and unattainable like some of his former comrades who occasionally visited implied. For both the headmaster and Kaname's sake, she would get stronger, becoming someone they did not have to worry over, someone that could help bring that vision to life.
Yoko was drawn out of her thoughts by the headmaster, who was telling them it was time for dinner. She offered to help out in the kitchen, but that idea was quickly and vehemently vetoed by both Ichiru and Zero. The headmaster laughed, remembering there were a few things that his daughter was horrible at. Cooking, as well as the fine arts were not her forte. Despite her efforts, his daughter's attempts at drawing had not improved since her scribbles as a toddler. Perhaps this deficiency at cooking and the arts was hereditary in the Kuran family. To this day he still remembered the ghastly taste of the pastries Juri had made and demanded he taste whenever he visited. Zero strongly insisted that he would cook with Ichiru aiding him, and they headed back into the house as the sun finally set.
Focusing all her energy and attention, Yuki finally succeeded in creating her familiar. The small butterfly flitted weakly at first, but slowly gained momentum and managed to reach the sparrow perched on the branch high above. Shizuka smiled approvingly, pleased the girl had finally brought forth her familiar.
"Look Okaa-sama! I did it, it's a butterfly!"
The girl was elated, her joy evident in her sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks. She jumped excitedly, her beribboned pigtails and her skirt undulating along her energetic movements. Shizuka tilted her head back to observe the delicate butterfly, noting how fitting it is that Yuki's familiar would be an animal associated with sunlight.
A thought struck Yuki and she stopped running and made her way to her mother and nestled next to her on the bench.
"I know why it's a butterfly," she stated, looking proudly at her mother.
Not waiting for her mother to ask why, she continued happily, "It's because it matches mother's power. Flowers need butterflies!"
She spoke the last sentence as though it were undeniable fact. Her mother had the power to make flowers bloom even in the dead of winter. She never tired of seeing her mother touch a seemingly dead branch and cause buds to sprout and blossom. A few years ago, when they were moving from town to town, her mother had stopped at a park and made all the hibernating sakura trees bloom. The beautiful explosion of light pink petals had probably shocked anyone that happened to be strolling by.
Unable to resist teasing the girl, Shizuka made a "hmm" sound as if questioning the validity of her statement and cocked her head to the side. "Flowers need birds, bats, bees and other insects too."
Yuki's self-satisfied expression quickly changed into one of shock. Seeing her mother gracefully hide a small laugh behind the sleeve of her lilac kimono, Yuki scrunched her face into a sulk. Her moping was always short-lived though, she did not mind the teasing if her mother laughed in exchange. She vastly preferred it to the distant look tinged with melancholy her mother sometimes wore. That remote look in her mother's eyes had scared her ever since she could understand emotion.
She only had her mother and Aoi in her life, although her mother had told her she had a twin sister and an older brother alive somewhere. However, Yuki did not like thinking about her complicated origins, it reminded her that her mother was not really her mother and that her birth parents had passed away. She also disliked the scary knowledge that her uncle who had shattered her original family was still out there searching for them.
Sometimes Yuki was curious about her siblings, especially her twin sister. She wondered how much her twin resembled her. What kind of personality did she have? What activities and hobbies did she enjoy? Her mother had never met them so she could not tell her anything else about them. Yuki knew she would meet them eventually because her mother had told her that when she was older and stronger, they would go find them.
Although she was excited at the thought of finally meeting them, a part of her was hesitant – questioning what would happen when they were reunited. Would her siblings be happy to meet her? What if they did not get along? And most importantly, what if her mother left once she found her "real" family?
She was removed from her reverie by the light tap of her mother's folded fan against her forehead.
"Yuki, it is time for your music lesson."
Yuki grimaced, dreading her mandatory koto practice. She enjoyed hearing her mother play the stringed instrument but hated to play herself. Her mother was infinitely talented, able to play long and complex pieces perfectly from memory, but Yuki herself was on the opposite side of the musical spectrum. She had explained multiple times that she had not a single musical bone in her, but her mother always responded with a resolute look, indicating the futility of her protests.
It was not often Yuki experienced her mother's freezing glare that had terrorized Aoi often in the past, when she had been newly assigned to her mistress, but Yuki's grumblings over her education almost always elicited that response. Somehow even the dying cat sounds she made as she stumbled over the notes, picking at the wrong strings, failed to deter her mother from advancing with her musical education. Perhaps she could escape some of the misery by having her mother demonstrate several times, but unfortunately this trick was getting old. Yuki had no choice but to brace herself for the upcoming hour of musical suffering.
A/N: Bokken is a wooden sword used for training. Hakama are a type of traditional pleated trousers. Dango are Japanese sweet dumplings made of rice flour. Koto is an instrument related to the Chinese guzheng and considered the national instrument of Japan.
Given how traditional Shizuka dresses, it seems fitting that she plays a koto rather than something Western like the violin or piano. Since Yuki is raised by Shizuka in this story, she will be learning the koto and wielding a katana instead of Artemis.
