.o27 ☈ heart;
Lin was taking a breather in the middle of a session of training when suddenly her world went went black.
She opened her eyes again and it was night. Cherry threes were in full bloom all around her, their pink petals falling to the ground, carried gracefully by a gentle breeze-- but she was too busy to notice.
"How can I protect Yoruichi-sama like this?!" She swung her sword around her, cutting imaginary enemies to pieces, disrupting the silence with the swishing sound of Suzumebachi slashing through the air. Her young voice carried an angry, disappointed tone as she spoke to herself. "Like this?!"
So focused on what she was doing, she didn't hear Yoruichi come closer, it was the woman's scent and the gentle hand on her shoulder that warned Soi Fong she wasn't alone anymore. She opened her eyes wide, not moving a muscle, feeling her mentor's warm breath just behind her ear and her firm hand over hers. "Listen to me, Soi Fong. Swing the word like this."
Yoruichi was so close behind her, her arms were almost wrapped around her in a hug when she guided her protégée's movements. "Yes, bring it across and..." The sword reflected the milky full moon as it was pointed at the sky. "Like this!"
A couple of moments, and Soi Fong dropped to the ground, bowing, apologetically staring at the ground-- but when her mentor came close again it was to reassure her. "Don't beat yourself up like that. You're doing well."
Soi Fong looked up at her, frowning. "No, I am still inadequate." Yoruichi didn't say anything, letting her finish. "In order to protect you, Yoruichi-sama, I still need more power..." She hung her head in shame. "No... I am inadequate in everything."
She looked up again when she felt the reassuring touch of the woman's hand on her head, and saw her mentor had crouched to the ground too. "That's enough."
"Yoruichi-sama..."
"You... remind me of myself. Sometimes I even feel like you're my little sister."
Soi Fong felt a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, despite herself. "Such words... are wasted on someone like me..."
But Yoruichi was clearly not listening, because she lay down on the grass, resting her head on the girl's knees, making her give a surprised noise. "Oh?"
"I said that's enough. It's a full moon tonight."
For the first time, Soi Fong looked up at the sky. "Yes, ma'am."
But it was not for long she stared at the moon, soon she lowered her gaze to look at her mentor again, gently caressing her head as she seemed to have fallen asleep. "I will always be by your side to protect you." She whispered. "Always..."
"Yeah, it's a promise."
Soi Fong's hand stopped and was quickly withdrawn when Yoruichi spoke. "Ah--"
Soon, though, she nodded, and couldn't help smiling again.
Lin let herself fall to her knees when the night turned into day again, and she was alone once more. Figures, finally she got a memory and not only it's nothing that carries important information she could pass on to Bastet, but it also makes that familiar ache in her chest even worse. She smiled, but it was a sad smile, just like it was bitter-sweet the feeling this memory brought back up.
At least, she thought as she stood up again and decided to call it a day, now she knew why that place in the Wilderness felt so familiar. She made an important promise underneath those cherry trees.
(( ooc; from episode 57, backdated to the 22nd of June. ))
She opened her eyes again and it was night. Cherry threes were in full bloom all around her, their pink petals falling to the ground, carried gracefully by a gentle breeze-- but she was too busy to notice.
"How can I protect Yoruichi-sama like this?!" She swung her sword around her, cutting imaginary enemies to pieces, disrupting the silence with the swishing sound of Suzumebachi slashing through the air. Her young voice carried an angry, disappointed tone as she spoke to herself. "Like this?!"
So focused on what she was doing, she didn't hear Yoruichi come closer, it was the woman's scent and the gentle hand on her shoulder that warned Soi Fong she wasn't alone anymore. She opened her eyes wide, not moving a muscle, feeling her mentor's warm breath just behind her ear and her firm hand over hers. "Listen to me, Soi Fong. Swing the word like this."
Yoruichi was so close behind her, her arms were almost wrapped around her in a hug when she guided her protégée's movements. "Yes, bring it across and..." The sword reflected the milky full moon as it was pointed at the sky. "Like this!"
A couple of moments, and Soi Fong dropped to the ground, bowing, apologetically staring at the ground-- but when her mentor came close again it was to reassure her. "Don't beat yourself up like that. You're doing well."
Soi Fong looked up at her, frowning. "No, I am still inadequate." Yoruichi didn't say anything, letting her finish. "In order to protect you, Yoruichi-sama, I still need more power..." She hung her head in shame. "No... I am inadequate in everything."
She looked up again when she felt the reassuring touch of the woman's hand on her head, and saw her mentor had crouched to the ground too. "That's enough."
"Yoruichi-sama..."
"You... remind me of myself. Sometimes I even feel like you're my little sister."
Soi Fong felt a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, despite herself. "Such words... are wasted on someone like me..."
But Yoruichi was clearly not listening, because she lay down on the grass, resting her head on the girl's knees, making her give a surprised noise. "Oh?"
"I said that's enough. It's a full moon tonight."
For the first time, Soi Fong looked up at the sky. "Yes, ma'am."
But it was not for long she stared at the moon, soon she lowered her gaze to look at her mentor again, gently caressing her head as she seemed to have fallen asleep. "I will always be by your side to protect you." She whispered. "Always..."
"Yeah, it's a promise."
Soi Fong's hand stopped and was quickly withdrawn when Yoruichi spoke. "Ah--"
Soon, though, she nodded, and couldn't help smiling again.
Lin let herself fall to her knees when the night turned into day again, and she was alone once more. Figures, finally she got a memory and not only it's nothing that carries important information she could pass on to Bastet, but it also makes that familiar ache in her chest even worse. She smiled, but it was a sad smile, just like it was bitter-sweet the feeling this memory brought back up.
At least, she thought as she stood up again and decided to call it a day, now she knew why that place in the Wilderness felt so familiar. She made an important promise underneath those cherry trees.
(( ooc; from episode 57, backdated to the 22nd of June. ))