War of the Tsurekin

Skylar got up her face showing nothing as she walked over to Tala who got up and looked at the frog.

"We need to practice dodging." Tala said in a lowered tone. "And be quick. You need strength so that you can keep from being knocked over." SKylar smiled as she sat in the grass.

"I agree." She smiled. "We'll get right to it afterwards."



**OY< I finally got my internet fixed**

(Something weird just happened to me. I tried logging onto YWS but a message popped up saying my account was suspended and that I should contact billing or support as soon as possible. I tried again a few minutes later and it was fine though, but it did scare me a little.)


Skylar and Tala went to go sit beside Sean while Kai and Ceder started their match. While they watched the match start, Sean said, "I don't think Tala could have dodged that attack even if she tried."

"What do you mean?" Sky asked.

"Kaeru hit her with his tongue, but it moved so fast you couldn't even see it. And when Shigure moved up while you were turned away she moved faster than even you. I don't know what kind of training she's had in the past, but her strength is definitely worlds apart from ours right now."


(How about we do a time jump to that night after your next post?)

(((I'm sure, that's odd. Huh. Did you tell Nate about it? And that sounds good)))

"I don't trust her." Skylar said bluntly. "I don't trust her at all. Me and Tala are going to get fast enough to out do her if it kills us." She said crossing her arms.

"Hey, least she is on our side right?" Sean smiled. She didn't reply. She didn't like Shigure. Something about her just warned Skylar she was no good.

"I've never seen anyone move so fast." Elise said walking over. "And you couldn't even see it's tongue!"

(It was weird. It was probably just a glitch though, I know Nate wouldn't suspend anyone's account without first giving them a warning. But everything's fine now. The part about contacting the billing/support department tipped me off that it was probably a glitch, YWS is supposed to be free.)


They all sparred for the rest of the day. Whenever they weren't fighting they were learning by watching. But with Shigure's fights there wasn't much to watch. Every opponent she faced was knocked down within the first five or ten seconds of the match, like Skylar. Both her and Kaeru were faster than anyone else, and much stronger than they appeared. The only person who lasted more than ten seconds was Kai. After watching all her other fights they were able to see Kaeru's first attack coming ahead of time and dodged it, but they were still defeated soon after. It was during that fight he realised there was a lot that Shigure could teach them.
_______________

Everyone was hanging out in the game room after dinner as usual. Shigure had gone straight to her room after eating, though.

Kai came in after a while and said, "Skylar, can I speak with you?"

Skylar, who had been chatting with Elise, stood up and said, "Sure, what's it about?"

"Just follow me." Skylar followed Kai out of the room and down the hall. When he was sure nobody would hear them, he said, "You want to get strong enough to beat Shigure, right?"

She frowned. "Of course. I've had it up to here with her attitude, I want to put her in her place once and for all."

"I think I may know a way for you to get that strong."

"And what is that?"

Kai motioned for her to come with him. They were heading down one of the many hallways of the mansion. He stopped in front of a particular door, and as soon as he did Skylar knew exactly what he was thinking. "No way, I'm not doing this!" Skylar began to march away, but Kai's hand was suddenly on her shoulder preventing her from escaping. He knocked on the door with his other hand and Shigure answered.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Shigure, I was wondering if you could teach us a thing or two about fighting."

Skylar kept her face blank while inside she was screaming at Kai. Why was he doing this? If she had just met him she'd have hit him or something then left. She wouldn't be made to deal with someone she hated. But sense she had known him and liked him, she wasn't about to go and hurt him. Shigure looked at her her eyes narrowing.

"Well?" Skylar asked forcing her voice to stay normal.



**UGH, my little sister is screaming her head off**

Shigure nodded. "All right."

"Can you teach us a few things tonight?" Kai asked.

Shigure nodded again and stepped out of her room. She began to walk down the hall toward the back entrance to the pool. Kai and Skylar followed her.

Skylar grabbed Kai's arm and slowed her walk. When they were trailing far enough behind Shigure she whispered, "What the hell do you think you're doing!? I don't want to be anywhere near her!"

"You said you wanted to learn how to beat her, what better way than to learn how she fights?" Kai whispered back.

"Kai's right," Shigure said. "In order to defeat your opponent you must first learn their techniques so you can counter them."

"You heard us?" Kai asked.

"I have very sharp ears," she said.


(They're heading to the clearing in the backyard where they normally do their sparring training everyday.)

Skylar frowned. She'd have to be more careful in the future. They walked out to the training area and face each other.


***Are the Tsurekin with them? ***

(No, this is just some private training for their masters.)

(((Ok, I've nothing, I'm so brain dead it's not funny and I'm trying to find a horse apprenticeship too. :S )))

(Sorry it took me a while to post. Read my post in Love has Claws and you'll see why.)


Shigure turned to Kai and said, "Come at me."

Kai looked at her for a moment. "What?"

"Try to hit me."

Kai brought his fists up and did what she asked. He ran at her and tried to punch her. In a blink of an eye, Kai was on the ground. "How did you do that?" he asked as he got back up.

"It's a very simple technique. Come at me again, but slower this time."

Kai nodded and tried again. Shigure moved under the punch. "When an opponent is coming at you, move under the punch and grab onto his arm." Her actions followed her words. "With the other hand you grab onto the back of his shoulder. You push on the shoulder, and at the same time you pull on the arm. This, with the momentum from his attack, will force your opponent to lean forward. But he won't go down because he will move his foot forward to stabilize himself. To keep that from happening you place your foot in front of his. That way he won't be able to step forward, and he'll end up falling." Shigure demonstrated by making Kai fall to the ground again. "This technique uses the opponents power against him. Try practicing it with Skylar, take turns throwing each other on the ground."

((((DANG!!! THat's alot o work))))

They practiced it for a while. Skylar stayed at normal speed, she'd have to try it at full speed later, but for now she would just do it this way until she got the hang of it, and so that Kai could get it too.


((Sorry, my brain is still ugh, and I have spanish and everything else. While having my mom hound me about not eating right and the list goes one. :@ OY))

They practiced a few other techniques that night. When ten o'clock rolled around they started to get tired and decided to call it a night.

"That's enough for tonight," Shigure said. "We can pick up where we left off tomorrow."

Kai nodded. "Thanks for your help, Shigure." He looked at Skylar, who still didn't look too happy, and nudged her with his elbow.

"Thanks..." she muttered.

"I do not mind that you hate me, Skylar," Shigure said in her usual cold voice. "If it motivates you to train harder and become stronger, then hate me as much as you like."

**Sorry, sis account. Didn't realize I was logged in on that. **

Skylar shrugged and headed towards her room. Kai soon caught up and they walked in silence for a while.

"You could give her a chance." He said.

"Don't start." She said as they walked inside. "I'm mule headed."

(I thought that was probably the case.)


Kai sighed and said, "You've got that right. You don't have to like her, but please try to get along with her at least. She did go out of her way to train us tonight."


Shigure had started out following the two back into the mansion, walking at a slower pace than them. But once they were inside and out of sight she turned around and headed the other direction, away from the building. She went to the end of the property, climbed over the stone wall, and waited in the clearing from the other night.

"I know you're here," she said. "You can't hide your presence from me."

A few moments later, Harry and his Tsurekin Fang walked out from behind one of the trees. He smiled and said, "You're pretty good. How long did you know I was watching you?"

"Ever since we came out of the mansion. Now, why are you here?"

"I just came to check up on you, is all. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't teaching our enemies how to fight a bad thing?"

The beginnings of a frown began to show on Shigure's face. "Are you suggesting I decided to switch sides?" There was an edge of heat to her words.

Harry smiled. "What if I am?"

Shigure suddenly had Harry up against a tree. She held a knife up to Harry's neck, where it came from was a mystery.

Fang was about to attack Shigure when his master said, "Stop, Fang." The saber tooth tiger sat, but it stayed tense and ready to strike at a moment's notice. Harry's smile widened even more. "Temper, temper. You know what'll happen to your brother if the boss finds out you sent me to the hospital."

"Trust me, if I had wanted to go that far you wouldn't be going to a hospital, you'd be going to a morgue." Shigure backed off, putting her knife into a sheath that was strapped to her arm, hidden under her sleeve. "Everyone in that mansion seems to trust me so far, except for that girl. So when Kai approached me with her asking for training I took it as a chance to raise her trust in me. She's the rogue factor, and since I'm not allowed to kill anyone I have to make her trust me so she doesn't get suspicious and uncover my true motives."

"I guess that makes sense," Harry said, his smile fading a little around the edges. "Just don't get too chummy with them."

"Don't show up again unless I have something to report. Every time you do you risk ruining this entire operation." She turned to leave, but stopped. She looked over her shoulder and asked, "That girl can smell a person a mile away, how did you manage to hide your scent from her?"

Harry smiled again. He reached down under the collar of his shirt and pulled out several car fresheners the shape of trees that hung from his neck. "It's all I could find on such short notice."

Shigure stared at him for a moment before finally leaving.

***She'll just have to get better smelling. And I've nothing. :S ***