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FWD - Chapter 5

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From Deep Within


An InuYasha fanfiction by Jacquelyn J.M. Fisher


Chapter 5: Inevitable Failure



     Tora set the old clothes down next to the ashes of the fire and looked around the glade. Rin was spinning around in circles with her arms outstretched to either side while an irate Jaken was shouting at her to stop. The girl laughed happily and then tumbled into the grass, her small chest heaving. The yōkai cried out in alarm and rushed over to make sure she was not hurt.

     "Rin, are you hurt?"

     "I'm fine, Master Jaken!" she giggled.   

     The young woman smiled softly at the scene.

     "Tora, follow me."

     She had not even noticed Sesshoumaru standing among the trees. Strange as she usually sensed his presence, but she had allowed her mind to be distracted. Tora gave a quick nod and obediently followed him. The daiyōkai lead her through the woods, and they walked in complete silence. Though the hot springs had done wonders for easing her pains, she was beginning to feel a dull ache in her side.

     Suddenly, they broke through the trees and stepped out into the full sunlight. Tora had to blink quite a few times, adjusting her eyes to the brilliance. They were standing in a large clearing where wildflowers blanketed the even ground. Sesshoumaru walked out to the center and turned to face her. With the sunlight reflecting off his armor, the hilts of his swords, and even his silvery hair, the daiyōkai seemed illuminated in a dazzling white light.  

     Tora could not even make out his face.

     Then a soft, puffy cloud lazily drifted in front of the sun and the land seemed to plunge into darkness.  No, not darkness.  The world seemed muted, all of the colors dull.  

     "Tora, draw your weapon," Sesshoumaru ordered.

     She stared calmly at the daiyōkai for a moment, hiding the shock underneath a composed expression.

     "My lord, I do not understand."

     "Draw your weapon," he repeated.

     Furrowing her brow, she did as he commanded. The blade rang as it was pulled free from the sheath, and she brought up it before her, poised for action.

     "Now you will attack," Sesshoumaru said.

     Tora blinked slowly. The daiyōkai had just ordered her to attack him. She could see that he was serious, and for a reason she could not understand, she trusted him.

     So she pushed the doubts and confused thoughts to a different part of her mind. The moment she had stepped into the clearing, she had analyzed the terrain with a warrior's eye. It was second nature, a habit that had kept her alive many times before. She brought that information to the forefront of her mind and quickly assessed the situation.  

     Her opponent stood in the center of the clearing, exposed on all sides. A frontal attack would be futile, yet she had seen his amazing speed before. She would never be able to get around him, and any attack she attempted from this distance would easily be avoided. This was not a fight she could win.

     But that was not the point, she realized. Sesshoumaru was testing her, perhaps wishing to judge her skill. The growing pain in her side was also reminded her that she was not completely healed from her injuries. So she would simply have to attack at her best.
     
     Tora sheathed her sword and flicked the hilt so the blade was out by only a few inches. She walked out into the clearing until a mere ten feet separated her from the daiyōkai. With a deep calming breath, she closed her eyes. Her mind went blank, all thoughts hidden away.

     Slowly, she focused her hearing, tuning her ears to catch even the smallest of sounds. The blades of grass rustling despite the barely existent breeze. A squirrel clamoring up a tree a few yards away. Water rushing faintly down a nearby river obscured by the trees. Then she focused her sense of touch so that even the air around her caused the hairs on her arms to tingle. And lastly, she focused her sense of smell until a faint scent reached her. It was his scent.

     Though it had felt like minutes to her, the lady samurai had heightened her senses in the moment after closing her eyes. By her next deep breathe, she was fully prepared.

     She struck, drawing her sword and lunging forward in the same moment. With her eyes closed, she saw the world through scents, sounds, and sensations. Her lunge brought her within two feet of her opponent. At the last second, she spun to her right, sweeping her blade around and striking horizontally at his exposed left side. The difference in air pressure on her skin told her that he had moved to his right, avoiding the blow. Her ears caught his faint steps and the rustle of his kimono.

     Without even stopping her forward motion, she twisted her body in the opposite directly. Her katana whistled as it swung through the air quickly. Had she been fighting a human, the blade would have sliced through their legs, but the daiyōkai dodged the move yet again.

     Tora struck again and again. Each time she missed her target by centimeters, but she refused to allow the failure to dampen her control. She kept herself focused and her senses tuned. Then she felt a slight change and a whisper of a kimono sleeve moving. She instinctively shifted from offensive to defensive and brought her katana up just in time to block her opponent's blade. The force of the blow sent powerful vibrations up her arms, overwhelming her sense of touch. She re-focused, listening intently for any clue to his next move.

     His attacks were fast, almost too fast for her, but she managed to block each of them out of pure reflex. Her body was beginning to protest to the grueling pace. Her arms burned from the force of his sword's impacts, and sharp pains shot from her wounds. If only she had a wakizashi she might have had a chance...  Yet she still kept on, refusing to give in to exhaustion or pain. His offense had to have a weak point somewhere, and she focused all of her energy into finding it.

     Suddenly, she found an opening. He brought his sword downwards in a backhanded swing, but Tora did not move to block it. Instead, she used the last bit of her strength to spin in the opposite direction and used her momentum to strike at his exposed right shoulder. Her katana struck something, but her blade was repelled. Overcome by the fatigue and pain, her body shut down and Tora collapsed.

     The mokomoko covering Sesshoumaru's shoulder bristled as he straightened and returned the Tenseiga to its sheath. He turned and looked down at the young woman. The katana was still tightly clenched in her hand, though he could plainly see she was momentarily unconscious. She had surpassed her physical limits with that last bout of energy.

     Sesshoumaru had not expected such speed from her in her current condition, and he was reminded of Kasumi. There were some similarities, though Tora was noticeably smaller and weaker. It was quite possible that she was Kasumi's. That yōkai had always shown an unpleasant interest in humans.

     Tora began to stir. Her fingers retained their grip on the katana as she forced herself up to her knees. With her eyes still closed, she slowly brought the sword in front of her. The blade was barely off the ground, and her arms shook slightly. Sweat dotted her brow from the effort, but she raised the tip of the sword. To Sesshoumaru's amusement, it appeared the young woman was planning on continuing the spar.

     "Tora, stop," he ordered.

     The lady samurai dropped the katana and fell forward on to her hands. A spasm of pain rippled through her followed closely by a second and third. Finally, her body relaxed, and she gasped for air. Taking deep breathes, she pushed the agonizing pain aside and fought to regain her composure.  

     At last, she leaned back on her heels, placed her hands on her knees, and bent her head. She knelt humbly in front of Sesshomaru, awaiting farther instructions.

     "Put the weapon away."

     She obediently removed the sheath from her obi. She reached for the katana and the sword rang softly as it was slid into the sheath.

     "Come," he ordered as he walked passed her.

     Tora used the sheathed sword as a prop to help her to her feet, wincing at the pain. It felt as if her entire body was on fire, but she steeled herself. Straightening, she returned the sword to her obi. Then she followed the daiyōkai despite the growing distance between them. Her breathing was labored and her steps small. She did not have the energy to spare even a thought about the outcome of the test. All of her strength went to staying conscious and putting one foot in front of the other. Her eyes remained on the long silvery hair before her until they reached the glade.

     Taking a deep breath, she sank against one of the trees as Rin raced over to Sesshoumaru. Tora did not even hear the little girl's voice greet the daiyōkai. The pain was fading away and she could no longer keep her eyes open. Her chin dropped to her chest as she fell asleep.
From Deep Within is an InuYasha fanfiction.

:damphyr: Continue to Chapter 6 [link]
:damphyr: Back to Chapter 4 [link]


The InuYasha universe, characters, and story are owned by Rumiko Takahasi.

From Deep Within belongs to Jacquelyn Fisher.
© 2011 - 2024 jacquelynvansant
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