XXX
This one was a little out of the way because it is so large, and complicated. The shoot consisted of a huge amount of full grown man sized steel dummies in a large field, all of them close together and spaced out as well, like in a crowd.
There are twenty dummies that are bright red and made of the same stuff as our normal targets, we are supposed to hit each red dummy in each of the five targets it has on its body, but without hitting the steel dummies.
If we hit them, then the arrow breaks and cant be used. We can shoot from anywhere, just as long as we can get to it.
This course was the big challenger for all of us, and everyone had broken at least one or two arrows on this course.
I climbed up the naturally made stairs up to the top of one of the seven earth pillars, looking calmly over the edge to spot all of the bright targets and bringing out my bow, pulling my weapon from its bag, then slowly pulling the string taut against my cheek, holding the very end of my first arrow.
Breathe in, breathe out. Release the string.
It shot away from me, whistling as it soared through the air and made a soft thud as it hit the target, then quickly doing the same thing several more times, but swifter, moving my feet to position me at slightly different angles and spots.
Then I walked to my left, untying a light blue glider and securing my weapons on it before pushing away from the raised earth and into the sky above the 'crowd'.
I unsecured my bow and plucked out an arrow from my bag, adjusting to the awkward angle before pulling the string to my face and releasing it into the air to drop like a bomb onto the dead center of a target's head.
As soon as it hit, it quickly buried itself up to the feathers, like it was trying to hide from the world. That one was swiftly followed by many others as I maneuvered the glider to the other targets, taking three minutes more to completely hit all twenty red dummies.
It took another two minutes to get back to one of the pillars in order to land and put away the glider, retying it to a rope anchor.
Then I ran down the stairs, hopping over every other step and jumping the last four steps at the bottom, landing and doing a somersault using my shoulder to absorb the impact and quickly stand back up, slowing down form my previous speed so as not to ram into a steel dummy.
I collected my arrows, stealthily walking among the targets and twisting the heads of the arrows as I pulled them out of the targets, preserving the weapons so they could be used again.
Then surprisingly, I came upon a fox, a beautiful breed that I had never seen before, it had silvery white fur that looked incredibly soft, making me want to reach out and just stroke its back, tail, and ears for hours on end.
It looked like just a kit, it was so small. Apparently it had been left behind and had gotten caught on something, from the looks of it. It looked hungry, as if it had not eaten for a while, possibly a few days or so.
I bent down, putting my bow of to the side on the grass, and cautiously inched forward. The little kit's head suddenly snapped up and it growled softly at me, its eyes dull, and its stance weak.
Then it swayed slightly and fell over, shocking me and so I quickly came the last foot between me and the injured creature, picking it up and pulling the strong grass that had hooked itself around its paw, forcing it to stay in place, off.
I cupped its body gently in the palms of my hands, raising it to my face to inspect one side of it. The kit appeared to be fine, but his ribs kinda stuck out, and its fur was a little dusty, making me wonder if the time from his last meal had been much longer than I had originally thought.
Cradling it in one hand and part of my arm, I grabbed my bow with my free hand, the left one, and slowly stood up, then running swiftly, but in a way that didn't rock my precious cargo, slowing down when I came to the inner training grounds where everyone else was.
I carefully angled my body so that I blocked the fox from everyone's view, and so that it didn't look suspicious, walking quickly into my bedroom and laying it on top of my pillow, running back out and putting my bow and arrows back into the storage shed.
I went back to my room as fast as I could without arousing suspicions from Kaede or the others, closing my door behind me and almost running to the closet in order to change out of my current clothes.
I almost tore off my shirt in my haste, revealing my chest binder, which I grabbed the top of and pulled up a little, readjusting it. Then I grabbed a more casual T-shirt and threw it on over my chest binder, then pulling a thick winter scarf off a nearby hanger and used it to gingerly wrap the kit in.
I ran through the house, yelling out to my grandma, "I'm going out! I'll be back in a while, ok ?" I heard her respond that I better be back before dark from the bathroom, and I took off, jumping on my awesome motorcycle, a dark black with a very comfortable seat, and still holding the unconscious baby fox football style, I rode down the gravel hill that was my driveway.
I already knew where the nearest veterinarian was located, because when I was younger, much much younger, and when I visited my grandma, I always found at least one injured animal each time I came, and so each time Kaede took me to the place I was heading to now, so I had memorized the location.
It only took me a few minutes to get there, my short hair whipping frantically from the wind and slowing as I stopped in the gravel area, breathing out a sigh of relief as I saw the open sign on the door.
I carefully slid off my ride and readjusted the kit's position to make it more comfortable, before going inside the familiar place from years ago.
The door swung shut behind me, hitting the bell at the top of it once again, supposedly alerting whoever worked here now to my presence. Since nobody came, I called out, "Hello?" Then I heard the pounding of shoes on stairs from somewhere else in the building, then listening to them jog to where I was, impatient for whoever was coming to get here faster.
Then finally a door opened and a man came through it, about to say something it seemed, but then stopped, recognizing me and saying "Why are you here?" And I suddenly recognized him, Sesshomaru.
He had a volunteer tag over his shirt, swinging slightly from his fast coming to the current area, so I knew that my question had already been answered. "I have an injured fox kit here, can you help with with it?"
Sesshomaru's eyes turned to the small white bundle in my arms, which I brought forward and placed on the examination table, unwrapping the scarf, but keeping it beneath the kit, and let him examine it.
He touched it gently with his long slender fingers, receiving a small and very quiet whimper from it, and he got a stethoscope from a hook on the wall, gently pushing it up against the tiny chest of the creature, listening to its heartbeat.
"Well," He said, straightening up. "It looks like your little friend here is half starved, and needs some intensive treatment at the moment. He is going to have to stay here for a while, is that alright with you?"
I nodded slowly, "Can you update me on its health somehow? Or can I come here every afternoon?" I questioned him, wondering what he would say in response.
"I can update you when I can, and you are free to come here at any time, just as long as you are actually doing something here, otherwise it's called loitering."
I nodded, telling him that I would be coming here tomorrow to check up on the kit, and left, walking out the door back out into the crisp clean air, my heart pounding. I had not expected him to be there. I grabbed the handlebars of the motorcycle and slowly swung my right leg over the top and to the place for my foot on that side, then taking off quickly.
But I wasn't heading back to the house, I was going to an area I had found a while ago that was perfect for running, losing myself in it, forgetting everything, or giving me time to think.
Thud. Thud. Thud. The rhythm of my feet hitting the ground, over and over again. Keeping in perfect time with the hard hammering of my heart, pounding away at my ribcage as though it wanted to jump out and run somewhere, all on its own. I ran fast, the forest closing in around me as I ran, my motorcycle that was propped up against a tree getting farther and farther away with each step.
Eventually, I stopped. The light of sunset was filtering through the trees above me. I looked at my wrist, my watch telling me it was 7:56, and that meant that I had better start running back to my vehicle so that I could get home before dark, like my grandmother had told me to.
By the time I got back to my motorcycle, my heart was pounding in my ears. It was the only thing I could hear. Panting lightly, I swung a leg over the seat of the powerful vehicle, resting for a moment before twisting the key in the ignition and turning the motorcycle around to zoom out of the forest on my well worn path out to a deserted road filled with dusty gravel.
After a while, the thudding of my heart in my ears faded, replaced with the whistling of wind as I ripped past back roads, highways, and more sections of forest. Finally when the sun had just about finished setting, I rode up the long road that led to my home. My tires crackled as I parked the bike, getting off and walking to the front door, my skin warm in comparison to the cooling air around me.
Turning the knob on the door, I walked inside, taking off my shoes and looking at my watch, pressing the button to make it light up with blue. 8:39, around time for dinner. Kaede should still be awake. Stepping slowly, I headed in the direction of my room, slipping inside quietly and closing the door behind me before padding to the closet, and opening it.
I went to the back of the walk-in closet and grabbed a few things. Soap, and a fluffy white towel, then slid the closet closed. In the closet, there was another door covered with a curtain and hangers. I opened this door and stepped onto the bright green tile of my private bathroom.
Paintings of the mountains were on the wallpaper, and every surface reflected a small bit of light briefly when I flicked the light on. The black of the shower tiles stood out, matching the toilet, sink, and the rug. The shower was off to the side, nice and clean.
Beside that, a bathtub, and very nice deep one. The shower had a door of glass that was clouded. I locked the bathroom door behind me and stripped. The last two things that were coming off were my boxers and my chest binder. Taking off the binder, I breathed deeply, holding it for a few seconds before letting it out.
When everything was off and I was about to get into the shower, I stuffed my clothing into a basket that resided on one of many shelves that were built into the wall. I stepped into the shower, shutting the sliding opaque glass door behind me.
I turned the knob to turn on the water, tilting it so that it was in the warmish-hot area. As the water heated up, I pressed myself to the corner, having been sprinkled with the freezing cold drops of water, making my skin rise up in goosebumps.
Soon steam started to rise up from each surface the liquid hit, telling me to step in under the hot, wet, stream of water.
Droplets dotted themselves on my arms and shoulders, sliding down my breasts and falling onto the tiled floor of the shower. Grabbing the conditioner and opening the top, I flipped it over and squeezed a small amount onto my hand. I put the bottle back on the ledge and rubbed the substance onto both palms, then smoothing it through my short locks while I let the shower hit my back, closing my eyes as I felt it massage my taut muscles.
Showers were the only place I could let myself go, the only place where I could truly be myself, a girl. This is the one thing that I truly fear anyone finding out, me and grandma. But I think that there might be bigger things on her mind constantly, every once in a while I catch her thinking about something while sitting up in the branches of some tree around my training course early in the morning. She used to never let me catch her off guard. I worry about her.
Sighing, I lifter my head to let the hot water rush through my black hair and rinse out the moisturizing conditioner, running my fingers through my hair as it did so. I snagged a washcloth from a hook near my hand and held it to the rush of water, letting it get soaked. I used the dripping cloth to scrub at my face, getting off any dead skin cells.
I washed myself with a bar of soap and rinsed the small bubbles off with cold water. My body rose up in bumps at the temperature change of the water, urging me to get out of the shower. Turning off the water, I slid the door aside and reached to my right for the towel that I brought in earlier. Wrapping it around me, I roughly dried off my skin and ruffled my hair with the dry part of the white towel. I looked in the mirror, and I saw a girl, one with short black hair, deep brown eyes, and flushed pink cheeks.
I enfolded the towel around my body, imagining that it was an elegant dress and I was at a party. I smiled, pretending a man had just complimented me. In my fantasy, I looked up at the man, and saw long silver hair, gold eyes, and ebony skin. "No!" I said harshly, slamming my hand down beside the sink, ignoring the sting of pain on my palm.
The towel fell to the floor, circling my bare feet. I was glad that this room was soundproof. The steam drifting around in the air started to fade, the fan in the ceiling pulling it all out of the room, making a soft whirring noise. Bending down to pick up my towel, I whispered, "I can't." my voice trembling, my eyes wet and my breathing shaky.
Putting the towel down the laundry chute, I pulled my clothes from the basket I had them in earlier and tossed them down too, but I kept the chest binder. Gingerly opening the bathroom door, I slipped out, glad that my closet had a door, one that I had closed behind me earlier, and quickly grabbed a shirt, pants, and some boxers. Then I went back inside the hidden bathroom. I put on the boxers, then the pants.
Next I pulled the chest binder over my head, the material compressing my chest again. I put on the shirt, then re-ruffling my hair with my fingers and giving myself a once-over in the mirror. Grabbing my deodorant, I applied it to my armpits, closing my eyes and inhaling the familiar scent.
I put the bottle away and finished cleaning up whatever traces of me there were. Padding out, I snagged some socks and put them on before coming out of my closet and into my room. Humming a soft tune, I walked to the kitchen, finding Kaede on the back porch looking out at the stars. I lightly tapped her on the shoulder, awakening her from her thinking trance.
"Oh, you just got home?" She asked, a smile forming on her wrinkled face. "No, I did about a half hour ago, I just finished taking a shower. You ok?" I replied, a little worried. Her brow furrowed and she looked back out to the black sky dotted with stars. " I am thinking about your future Ren. I have always been here to guide you, so what will you do when I am gone? I am afraid for you. You don't know what dangers lurk out there in this world. I don't want to leave you out here alone, with nobody to depend on, no one to help you when you need it."
I hoisted myself up onto the banister next to her, leaning back slightly and feeling the wind brush across my face. "Grandma, are you sure that I cannot protect myself from these dangers? All these many years of training with you and the guys, why would this danger be something that I cannot protect myself from, or even run away from? Please, tell me."
She shifted her gaze back up to me, taking one of my hands in hers. "Ren, you are still but a child, yet you may have to carry a burden that is more than you can bear, I am sorry."
Then she looked out at the trees, blinking several times, seeming to try and push away the tears that had begun to stream down her weathered face. I was shocked, never in all my life had I seen her cry except for on grandpa's funeral, where she sat in a black ceremonial kimono. Sitting like a warrior of old times, tears silently falling, seen by her only grandchild, me.
During the ceremony, she sat stiffly up in the very front row. Not many attended the sad event. Only some very close family friends and the last few members of the family tree had come, each kneeling solemnly behind her on cushions, every face but mine and Kaede's wracked with tears, each person silent as they listened to the man up front who was telling the epic tale of the battle and the life of my grandfather.
My mother's hand held tightly onto mine, until the grip became too tight and I wriggled my fingers out of her grasp. Then I took my cushion and slid it up to the row in front of us, the one where only my grandmother sat, sitting next to her. I looked up at her face, many other people would have said that it was stony, but I saw different. When I looked, a saw a face full of pain and sorrow.
So I took her hand in mine and held it. Squeezing it for just a moment to let her know I was there, there for her. Then I too turned my eyes forward to rest on the coffin at the front of the room, behind the storyteller with his papers. When the man was done, he left, as did everyone else, including my parents, leaving me with Kaede.
A few minutes after everyone left, I turned back to her, and saw the tears on her cheeks. Then I hugged her, not caring if I crumpled the black fabric of her outfit. She hugged me back, seeming to clutch at me desperately, like I was the only thing she had left.
My reaction this time was the same as before, I just hugged her, this time tall enough to turn her face into my chest, her wrinkled hands clutching the front of my shirt. She sobbed quietly for a while, and when she finally pulled away, my shirt was wet and her eyes were still moist and foggy with tears.
"I am not going to be able to protect you, I am getting old, and the time when I join your grandfather is getting closer, I will only be able to tell you the dangers when you graduate high school, as is tradition." Her voice trembled, but she seemed to regain her resolve. I hesitated, before saying, "Do you want to practice with me? Maybe it will get your mind off of it, and besides, you haven't trained with me in a while, it will do us both good."
I smiled gently, my eyes watering, trying not to cry, trying to lift the spirits of the one who mattered to me the most. The only family I had left. "Alrighty then, we had better get started, or soon it will get too late to do such things." She said, the tears from earlier nowhere to be seen, instead, her eyes twinkled with mischief, the small grin on her face crinkling her smile lines oven more. And like so many times before, she jumped off the railing of the porch and landed in the tree, then running to the training grounds. I did the same, following her to the destination.
The moment that I came into the field, I put up my defense. Luckily, grandma attacked right after I did that, coming in with a kick to my midsection, which I avoided by dodging to the side and rolling, coming up behind her to deliver a punch. Kaede turned to face me and caught my fist, so I tried a different tactic.
I grabbed her wrist with my other hand and fell backwards to the ground pulling her on top of me, then using my feet to push her off and into the air behind me. I flipped up onto my feet, ducking a swift fist from her and then she tripped me, and I fell on my right side to the grass.
Then I swung my legs around quickly, knocking her off of her feet as I pushed myself up, going for her with my hands outstretched to shove her into the lake in front of me. I ran to one of the nearby storehouses to grab two practice swords. They were made of a heavy steel, but were sharp enough to nick the skin if you weren't careful.
I tossed one to Kaede, her clothes soaking wet and dripping on the ground from me forcing her to make a splash landing in the large lake. She raised her arm to catch it, droplets separating themselves from her sleeve to fly freely into the air with the upward motion.
I jumped high, coming down with the blade, which she blocked, then pushing me back and breaking the connection. After Kaede pushed me back, we clashed again and again, swinging our heavy swords relentlessly, grinning at the excitement of training together once again after so long.
We stopped our combat when we realized the time, because the sun had come back around the world, making dawn appear in a blaze of blues and oranges. I put our weapons away and cleaned up as my grandmother went to prepare breakfast for on this bright saturday morning.
When Kaede was younger, she traveled the world to experience the different cuisines because she was a chef, or at least that was what she aspired to be. To make food for people to make them happy, that was her dream. But then she met grandpa. She settled down and was never truly able to fulfill her dream, instead waiting for her husband to come home from the war. When he finally did, she was happy.
They lived the next ten years happily after he retired from warfare, but then he got throat cancer. He battled it with all of his strength for half a year, but he died in the end nonetheless. After that, Kaede opened a dojo. She taught every student all she knew from learning on her own and from what her husband taught her. And she still cooked, using all of her skills to make wonderfully tasteful dishes for herself, me, and the students at the dojo.
When I reached the kitchen, she was making a classic favorite of ours; Crepes. Crepes are basically french pancakes, she learned to make them when she visited France and worked in a shop for a while. When I was little and I visited grandma one time when she got back from one of her travels, she made me crepes.
Ever since then, they have been a favorite for the two of us. As Kaede finished up with cooking them all on a skillet, I got three plates from the cupboard. One for me, one for her, and one for the crepes. Then I snagged the toppings we would need: butter, bananas, and powdered sugar, along with a butter knife, a spoon, and two forks.
We decorated our crepes and dug in. When we had finished, I cleaned up everything and went to the living room to play video games. After an hour or two, my eyelids began to droop, so I turned off the T.V. and fell back onto the couch, falling asleep soon after I sunk into the cushions.
Everything was in different shades of gray. I walked around, seeing a normal town, except for the fact that nobody was anywhere. It was like a ghost town in a film of black and white, but everything was in perfect order, nothing dusty, moldy, or broken. Looking at myself, I saw that I was the same as I was when I was six years old.
I was the only color in this world. Just a splotch of color on a gray canvas. I kept walking down the middle of the gray road, not knowing where I was going. Until I found a park. That park had a playground, with swings, seesaws, a merry go round, a climbing structure with several slides, and monkey bars.
Sitting on one of the swings was a boy with long hair, not in color like me, but gray like the rest of this place. He was swinging slowly, while staring at the ground and seeming to ponder something. I trotted across the gray bark chips silently until I was right next to the boy, who looked to be my age, and I plopped into the swing next to him, making the chains rattle and the seat squeak.
He looked up abruptly, his eyes wide with surprise."Who are you!? What are you doing here!?" I looked back at him in confusion. "What do you mean? This is my dream, meaning that I am the one who should be asking you those questions." The boy stared at me with and expression even more befuddled than mine. "I thought that this was my dream. So if this is both of our dreams, then would it be just our dream?"
The two of us pondered this possibility, strange as it was. I spoke first. "Yes, that seems to be how it would end up working." The boy got off his swing and stood in front of me, holding out his hand. "What." I said, not knowing the meaning of the action. He sighed. "It's called properly introducing yourself. You shake hands and tell each other your names. My name is Sesshomaru, what is yours?"
I stood up off the swing, shaking his hand before telling him my name with a smile. "I'm Rin."
