New
Aug 17, 2010 12:48 PM
#1
So I found these while wandering around the net and I really found the stories interesting. The first story is about a little romance? or a pairing of Yuki Onna/Oikawa Tsurara and Kubinashi. Did you know that Kubinashi was actually a woman?! Well I didn't know either and I don't know if there's a truth to this rumor going around the internet since I read some post opposing to it. Hmm.. enough of this chit chat. :3 Enjoy! STORIES 1. A Sunny Day 2. We are One and Not Two 3. The Blooming Love --------→ Chapter 1 4. Tangled Fate 5. Together 6. Discoveries --------→ Chapter 1 Nightly Nonsense --------→ Chapter 2 Morning Musings 7. Sakura --------→ Chapter 1 Youhime 8. A Story About Yuki Onna's Past --------→ Chapter 1 --------→ Chapter 2 --------→ Chapter 3 9. The Demon Trilogy [Kuroshitsuji Crossover] --------→ Chapter 1 Nippon Arc |
incarnateSep 4, 2010 8:35 PM
Aug 17, 2010 12:53 PM
#2
A Sunny Day The short, black-haired girl wandered around the giant Nura household, her expression pouting but worried at the same time. Her thick kimono dragged along as she ran, sandals tapping on the wooden floor. "Rikuo-sama?" she kept calling out. Stopping for a second, she paused in front of the giant garden, starting to pout even more. "Where did he go! He's always disappearing..." she sighed, scanning the vast garden. At first, she saw no one; everyone usually just crammed themselves in the house when the weather was this hot. The heat bothered the girl as well, but she could always cool herself off immediately. She was the ice youkai, Yuki Onna, after all. Finally, looking to one of the trees, she spotted someone sitting casually on one of its large, shady branches. Curiously, she moved closer. Spotting a little glimpse of brownish hair, she immediately jumped to conclusions. "RIKUO-SAMA!" she yelled, running over. The person, surprised by the sudden outburst, slipped and fell off the tree, landing directly on Yuki Onna. They both fell flat on the ground, and the ice youkai finally realized that the person that fell was just a body, with no head attached to it. A normal person would've freaked out, but she knew otherwise. "Owww!" a voice exclaimed from overhead. Yuki Onna looked up to see a head floating down with a pained and annoyed expression. It hovered just above the body's shoulders, with no neck connecting them. "What was that for, Yuki Onna! That hurt!" "Oh! It's Kubinashi," Yuki Onna muttered, looking a little surprised. "I thought you were Rikuo-sama! Why do your heads both have to look the same from the back?" "Tch!" Kubinashi sighed. "And here I was, about to take a nap..." Yuki Onna frowned deeply at him. "How can you be so relaxed when Rikuo-sama's gone missing! I can't find him anywhere! He might be in some kind of danger!" she exclaimed. "Or he might've gone to hang out with his friends or something," Kubinashi pointed out, glaring with annoyance at the uptight bodyguard. The girl put on her pouting expression again. "There's still a chance that he's been in an accident, or...!" she ranted on, listing all the bad things that could've happened to the young master. "Geez! Just calm down, already!" the neck-less youkai snapped. "I'll help you look, okay!" "...Okay," Yuki Onna sighed, finally stopping her blabbering. She was starting to stand up again, but then realized that their scarfs had tangled together. She sighed again, this time in annoyance, as she sat back down and started to fiddle with the knot. Kubinashi frowned and followed her lead, his head floating in different directions to get a better view of the tangles. They were so into untangling the knot that they didn't really notice each other. When the scarfs were finally separated, they both looked up and froze, eyes widening. They were facing each other, a bit too close, their lips only about two centimeters apart... Yuki Onna squeaked and jerked backwards, her face turning completely red, as Kubinashi's head flew back at the same time, blushing as well. "Wh-wh-wh-wha...!" the girl stuttered, turning away sharply, hands touching her cheeks in embarrassment. Kubinashi spotted something at the corner of his eye, and turned just in time to see something dive back into the garden's pond, sending frantic ripples through the clear surface. The neck-less youkai knew better to assume that it was just a koi, and his blush deepened, feeling very uncomfortable that someone saw the incident. The two of them stayed like that for a while, until a new voice broke the ice. "Tsurara? Kubinashi?" someone asked curiously from the wooden balcony of the house, using Yuki Onna's human name. The ice youkai's head snapped up, thankful that most of the blush had gone away by then. "R-Rikuo-sama!" she exclaimed, running over to the boy. "There you are! Where have you been!" Rikuo looked to her with a puzzled expression. "I just went out for a few minutes with my friends to buy some shaved ice and ice cream..." he explained, still looking confused. Yuki Onna glanced back at Kubinashi, who managed to glare at her with an "I told you so" look. "B-but! You have to tell me about these things before disappearing all of a sudden!" the girl argued. "Do you know how worried I was!" Rikuo stared at her for a second. "S-sorry...I forgot," he said simply, looking away with embarrassment. "Well, never forget it again! Come on, let's get you in the house. It's really hot outside!" Yuki Onna pulled the young boy towards the house. "By the way, Rikuo-sama...you didn't...see anything just now, did you?" she asked in a loud whisper once they were out of earshot. Rikuo looked back at her with a completely clueless expression. "No...why?" he asked innocently. "U-um, no reason!" the girl squeaked quickly, looking away to hide her reddened face. 'Tsurara's acting kind of weird...' Rikuo thought to himself. He shook his head after a moment and let it drop. 'It must be the heat...' Back in the garden, Kubinashi watched them leave silently. His hand reached up and touched his lips for a brief moment, but he dropped it quickly. Then, he turned and glared dangerously at the pond. "Kappa, you did NOT see anything, UNDERSTAND?" he growled. Small bubbles surfaced in the water, echoed by the water youkai, Kappa's muffled giggle. Kubinashi's eyes narrowed, and, grumbling to himself, he stomped off, looking very irritated. His head trailed slightly ahead of his body, still blushing very slightly. The end...? Credits: Kyuu333 |
incarnateAug 17, 2010 1:20 PM
Aug 17, 2010 1:14 PM
#3
We are One and Not Two What had happened lately is like a blurred dream, or to be more precise a long play that his demon self has plotted. As a spectator of his own dreams, Rikuo stood aside swiftly letting his demon self take over. From the Sakazuki with Zen, to the long forgotten Hyakki Yako, his demon self never failed to turn up with new tricks to entertain the crowd. Little tricks played by the demon to gain respects from the subordinate of the Nura group. It is no wonder that Rikuo is making such harsh comments on his demon self, no one likes intruders, especially when they take over the control of your body so abruptly and in such a rude manner. Rikuo watched as his demon self patrolled the night, and with his crimson eyes looking into sky. The other self vowed with proud words under the gaze of moonlight, that one day he, Rikuo Nura, shall inherit the name of the Supreme commander Nurarihyoto, and once again lead the Hyakki Yako under his banner of "Fear". Of course this proud vow of the demon's lead to an irritated bespectacled Rikuo growling in his own mind for the next few days, questioning and complaining to his demon self. Here is a cut of their conversation. "Hey! How can you say that without asking me?" Rikuo came in front of the mahogany table questioning the demon. "Now, what is my mortal self talking about?" the demon shrugged carelessly whilst poking the Mochi in his plate with great interest. "About you succeeding the Nura Clan! And how did you get those foods into my head?" "By magic of course, what else do you think", the plate of Mochi soon sacrificed themselves for the fun of the demon, feeling slightly tired the demon relaxed himself on the couch, yawning loudly. "Don't change the topic! And anyway if you want to succeed the group then let it be, just don't use my body to do that", Rikuo growled, his shoulder tightened and fist clutched like a provoked cat. "I have said once before, but I will repeat just once more, we will inherit the name, together, you and I. Not myself alone, because you and I are one. Understand?" For once the demon was serious, his narrow crimson eyes looked right into Rikuo's with determination. "I am not going to succeed it", perhaps moved by demon's determination, Rikuo muttered a response avoiding the demon's eyes. He curled himself in a little corner, engaged into his own little world wondering what made his other self so determined to succeed the group with him. He was sure that the demon knew exactly what he really wanted, and that it is impossible for him to live a life as a Yokai. Just as Rikuo knew his demon self's ambition, his demon self also knows that Rikuo longed for a peaceful life, one that is without all these bothersome demons problems, a life as a normal mortal being. However he can never refuse the anticipation from his grandfather and other Yokai who swore to serve him. And lately the blood of Yokai within him is not giving him a good day. As the appearance of his demon self gradually increase with the days, his one quarter Yokai blood has not one second ceased their eager to power and strength. Your blood is crying, the demon said, roaring in pain because their master is a weak and whiney coward The backstage manipulator to all this was of course his other self, that carefree demon, who was always tempting him to give up his mortal form, trying to penetrate into his thoughts and pulling him close to a world that he never wished to enter. Yes, the mortal Rikuo Nura always stood at a distance to the demons, observing them with aloofness eyes. The mortal Rikuo Nura does like the demons, but cannot consider himself as one. But the demon Rikuo Nura was much different, feared by humans but not detached to them, loved and anticipated by the other demons. Perhaps this demon changed him and his attitude towards to Yokai from the day they first met. Without realizing the demon came face to face to him with a smirk on his face, his narrow crimson eyes was now filled with gentle and watery romance, arms surrounded Rikuo gingerly. Then he gave the kid in his arm a tender promising peck, and spoke soft calming words until the night shade fall upon both of them. "Together, my mortal self, I shall give you the life that you longed for…" Credits: xx.Maple.xx |
incarnateAug 17, 2010 1:19 PM
Aug 17, 2010 1:24 PM
#4
The Blooming love Ring! Ring! The bells of the school ring for the start of the first hour. Rikuo just started coming in with the bags full of bread for his classmates. Handing them out, he noticed something he shouldn't have. Hagomoro Gitsune, whom we shall kall Hagomoro Kitsune, for naming purposes. Rikuo got tensed up. Kitsune chose a seat right next to Rikuo, and was completely ignorant of the daggers coming from Yuki-Onna's eyes. 'What's she doing here? Is she here to attack me?' thought Rikuo, with sudden fear, and anticipation for an attack. Kitsune moved in closer, making Rikuo edge his seat away from her. She kept on edging towards him, until she fell out of her chair. Yuki-Onna figured out what Kitsune's true intentions are. She is in love with Rikuo. A smile lept across her face. 'I must tell Rikuo at once! Hoo, just think of how much of a kick he'll get out of this!' When Yuki-Onna told Rikuo, he started saying, "That's not true! It can't be!" "Well it is, the truth hurts sweetheart," Yuki-Onna replied, with a dastardly smile on her face. The teacher told Rikuo to show Kitsune around the school. Rikuo gave her a tour around the school, but was three meters away from her. "Why are you so distant? We used to be enemies, but I've joined your Hyakki Yako, and I've tried my best to be nice," she said in a saddened tone. "I've heard a rumor from Tsurara that you like me. Is that true?" Rikuo asked, a little bit nervous and anxious for the answer. She didn't answer me, but told me, "I'll answer you if we can go to the PE shed." Rikuo gulped, "O-okay." And so the rest of the tour went out, with just each of them giving small talk and becoming more friendly by the second they speak to each other. Later on the tour, when showing the gym, the destination they had in mind was reached. Rikuo swallowed hard, and opened the door allowing her to get in. "You can go in first," Rikuo said to Kitsune. "No, you can," Kitsune said, and when Rikuo agreed, an evil smile lurked across her face. Bang! The door was shut with a loud sound. Kitsune put a baseball bat in between the door handles to make sure no one can get in. "Yes, Rikuo, I do like you, in fact, I'm infatuated with you." She put him down on a mat that was already unraveled. "Y-your p-p-panties," Rikuo said, blushing at the fact that he saw her pure white and laced panties. "OH SHI-" she yelled, embarrased out of her mind. The next few moments were them just sitting next to each other with their back turned. "I still have one more question for you, Rikuo," Kitsune said, in a shy hushed voice. "Will you go out with me?" Rikuo's heart skipped a beat, and he turned around to see a pink faced, Hagomoro Kitsune. 'So cute! She's so beautiful, I"m so glad we became a Hyakki Yako together,' Rikuo's inner thoughts played, and in his mind, he saw the Night version of himself give him a thumbs up and a smile of satisfaction and approval. "S-s-sure," Rikuo found himself saying yes. He held Kitsune's hand, and stared in her eyes, and their lips made contact. The first kiss to their high school year. Holding hands back to class, when each person passed them, they started to blush, and most male students are starting to hate the guts of Rikuo for getting the new transfer student. When school was out, she asked if they could go do something romantic. "Hmm, something romantic," Rikuo pondered. "I want to go somewhere like that, but I just don't know where any romantic place is." "The amusement park?" she asked. "Let's go on our day off. That'd be fun!" Rikuo smiled his innocent smile. Walking to his house, (Kitsune lives with him), they started to play around with each other. They started playing their Xbox 360. They were just messing around on some fighting game, until Rikuo got the idea to treat her to dinner after he heard her stomach growl. "Sorry guys, gonna treat this fair lady to dinner, you can have dinner without me," Rikuo said in a rush, getting his ass out of the house as fast as he could. With Kitsune just following along at her own speed, she saw Rikuo take a turn, and followed, until they were at this restaurant. He let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god! It's not closed yet," he said out loud. "Yo Rikuo!" the manager said. "Hey, how's business going for yah?" Rikuo asked, as if he was good at small talk. "Fine, it's going fine. If you want, I'll treat you to a meal, 50% off! And I see you have yourself a lady, a fine girl she is," he told Rikuo. "Heheh, thanks!" Rikuo replied to the compliment he got. Ordering the food was easy, for he could let her get whatever she wanted, and three entrées. She picked out the three priciest items here steak, crab and lobster, giving Rikuo a nervous chuckle, while he just ordered some steak. When the food arrived, a look of excitement came upon Kitsune's eyes, "It's been so long since I ate like this!" Rikuo just smiled to that fact, slicing his rare steak to easily put into his mouth. Finishing up the meal, Rikuo had to pay a 300,000 yen bill. There goes his allowance for three months. The trip home was short, and quiet for some reason, whenever Rikuo tried to open up a conversation, it was always shut down by the eerie silence coming from Kitsune. Though, when they got home it was completely different. Entering Rikuo's room, he could see that she started blushing madly. Thus, her animal instincts kicked in. She immediately forced herself upon Rikuo, pinning him down, she started unbuttoning her shirt, but stopped, right when she had her shirt unbuttoned, and her bra was showing. Hot tears were streaming down her eyes. "Oi, Kitsune-sama, are you okay?" Rikuo asked, shocked at her tears, and her actions. Tears still streamed down her eyes, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just that, I hate it when my animal instincts kick in like this, and it often times it wants me to mate with my current boyfriend." Rikuo shocked to hear this, grabbed Kitsune, and hugged her tightly, not letting go. She started to hug him back, with tears going down her eyes, thus them staring at each other, under the limelight, and they both kissed each other pationately. "Rikuo, I love you," she said, grabbing hold of him, and smiling. "Same here, I love you too," he said back to her. "Well that was good movie, don't you agree?" Rikuo asked Kitsune. "Yeah, it was so touching, and the great thing was that coincidentally they had the same name as we do," Kitsune smirked. When they arrived home, they had dinner, which was rather filling for them. Once finished, Kitsune and Rikuo went into the room they share. Kitsune got onto Rikuo before he fell asleep, pasionately making out with him, including tongue. "Good night, sexy," Rikuo said in a nonchalant way. "You too, my dear," replied Kitsune, falling asleep fast. When Rikuo fell asleep he started snoring really loud. Kitsune woke up almost instantly, with blood shot eyes, from his snoring. She then decided to put on earmuffs to muffle the sound, and get some good night sleep for tomorrow's day at school. Credits: Fading Evil Life |
Aug 17, 2010 1:26 PM
#5
Tangled Fate "My lady, we will soon arrive at our destination." … "My lady?" "H-huh? Yes?" A soft voice gasped in shock as the woman with cat ears and tail flies a bit closer to the window of the carriage. "We are arriving at the main house, my lady." She repeated as the dark figure inside flinches slightly. "My lady, what is the matter?" "E-Eh? Oh…nothing…I mean…m-maybe we should come another time…I mean, what if they're busy, Shibaki?" "…My lady, you finally agreed to come today and you're going to turn back again?" "But…we didn't bring any prese-" "My lady, if it is presents that are bothering you, then please rest assure. We have done all the necessary preparations." "A-Ah…is…is that so?" The voice whispered softly. Anyone could clearly hear the disappointment within her voice, but Shibaki doesn't say anything about it. Soon, a mansion is seen below as the carriage that is lead by giant cats descends from the twilight sky. Once landed, Shibaki carefully opens the door to the carriage, revealing a woman in pink kimono. She wears a mask over her face with long white hair flowing down her back. Like the other servants of hers, she too, has a pair of cat ears and a long slender tail. "My lady, this way please." The Shibaki said, holding a hand out as the woman hesitantly reaches out for it. When she stepped out, the other servants quickly forms a line behind her as the large cats suddenly transform into men. The minute they step up to the door, the woman flinches again as the door starts to open. "L-Let's go back after all!" She gasped as she quickly turns to run away. But that moment, all the servants quickly grabs onto her, refusing to let her go. "Wait!" "Please don't be like this!" "As the new 2nd head of the clan, you must meet with the new head of the main house." "Think about your position!" They all said at the said time as the woman quickly turns to Shibaki. "…B-But what if I messed up…would they…" She whispered so faintly and softly as Shibaki's eyes widens. "No…they're nothing like your father, my lady. We won't allow anyone to hurt you." She replied in her softest voice as though talking to a baby. "Besides, you can't back down now." She said and gesture forward. When the woman turns, she realizes how the door had completely opened with youkai crowding everywhere. "It seems like they have arrived." Yuki Onna said as she quickly puts the last dish onto the table before turning to face Kubinashi. He's just standing there; his arms holding onto the bucket of sake while his head looking out of the doors. "Kubinashi?" Yuki Onna said as Kubinashi gasps softly as he quickly looks back. "Oh…right…" He muttered, quickly setting the sake down as Yuki Onna stares at him. "What's with you? You've been going into trances a lot lately." "Oh, it's nothing. Sorry about that, Yuki Onna." "…Anyways, let's go greet our guests." Yuki Onna said but at that, Kubinashi just frowns more. "You go ahead, Yuki Onna. I still have some things to do." Kubinashi said and before Yuki Onna could say anything, he quickly takes his leave. "What's with him?" Yuki Onna said to herself before hurrying out of the room to go greet the guests. "We thank you for your arrival, Kasha clan. Our supreme commander is waiting, right this way please." Karasu Tengu said he leads the group inside. As they walk, the woman couldn't help but glances around the place, scanning her view all over the Nura Clan's youkai. 'He's…not here…' She thought to herself before looks down into the ground. "My lady." Hearing Shibaki's voice, she quickly turns only to suddenly find all her servants meters away from her. "Please take care." "E-Eh?" She gasped as all of them suddenly bows. "Eh? Where are you guys-" "The meeting is only for the head of each clan, therefore they cannot go any further." Karasu Tengu said as the woman quickly glances back at the tiny little crow before her. "Is that so…?" She whispered softly as she glances back at her servants nervously. "We're here." Hearing that, she glances back up to see Karasu Tengu sliding the door open. When she steps in, she finds herself in a room filled with all sorts of leaders from all other alliance clans. At the end of the room, there sat a human boy with brown and black hair wearing glasses. "That there is Rikuo-sama, the young head of the Nura Clan." Karasu Tengu said as the boy smiles slightly. "I am Nura Rikuo, please to meet you." He said as the woman swallows slightly before stepping forward. "I…I am the 2nd head of the Kasha (cat-like demon that descends from the sky and carries away corpses) clan, Kirimi. It's an honor to meet you, Rikuo-sama." She whispered softly as she bows. "So that's the second head of the Kasha clan?" "She seems quite young." "Well, there it can't be help. I heard that Kasha kicked the bucket a year ago in the Hitachi Province." "It's been quite a long time since the Kasha clan had actually shown their faces." The whispers started around the other heads of the clan as Kirimi slowly walks to the side of the room and sits down in her position beside the line of the other heads. "Hang on a second!" A voice boomed as everyone glances up to see the One Eyed demon clan standing there. "This is the meeting for the heads of each clan yet you dare to disrespect us by hiding your face, brat?" "Umm…I don't really mind though." "Wait, Rikuo, for once, Hitotsume has a point." "Watch your tongue, Zen!" Hitotsume snapped at the head of the Yakushi group who merely ignored him. "We don't even know her face. How would we know if she's the real deal?" "I must agree on this matter as well, Rikuo-sama. She's a newcomer, so it is needed for us to verify her face first." Gyuuki said as Rikuo turns to the head of the Gyuuki Clan. "But that's…" "No wait. It is fine, Rikuo-sama. I'm terribly sorry…when I was young…my father ordered me to wear this mask everytime I go out…So…I've kind of grown accustom to this over the years that I've forgotten all about it. I didn't mean to offend anyone; I beg all of your forgiveness…" Kirimi said with a deep bow as the entire room stares at her as her snow white arm reaches up for her mask. When she pulls it off, almost all of their eyes widens in shock. At that Kirimi flinches slightly as her golden yellow cat-eyes shifts around, nervously scanning over the youkai. "D-Did I do something wrong?" She whispered nervously, feeling pressured under their glazes. But that moment, a scream suddenly shot out of the room. "Z-Zen?" The others shouted as Kirimi quickly turns to see Zen lying on the tatami puking out blood. At that, her eyes widens in horror as she slowly steps back while the others quickly goes to help Zen. "A-Ah…!" She whispered, tumbling back slightly as an image of a bloody head appears in her mind. "What? You dare to repeat that again, Kirimi?" "I-I…I said…I want to refuse…I want to refuse the marriage proposal…father." "N-No…" "Hm? Kirimi?" Rikuo said, glancing up to see tears suddenly streaming down her face as her eyes unsteadily runs around the room. "No...!" She cried before quickly turning around and running away. When she slides the shojis open, her servants are revealed on the other side, appearing to have been eavesdropping the entire time. However, she didn't even acknowledge them and just runs off. "Kirimi-sama?" "Where are you going?" "My lady!" "K-Kubinashi…!" Kirimi whispered in horror a drip of blood falls down, landing onto her pale cheek before sliding down like tears. "Kiri-sama, are you alright?" The blonde haired, neck-less youkai asked with that soft smile. However, she couldn't respond. Perhaps she never heard his voice at all. All she could see are those blood covering all over Kubinashi, soaking his clothes and dying his beautiful blonde hair into crimson colour. "Kubinashi, you dare to defy me?" A male's voice spoke as Kubinashi quickly climbs onto his feet, turning to face the head of the Kashai Clan, Kasha. "Defy?" Kubinashi said, his glaze hardens as he pulls out his strings. "My only master is Kiri-sama, whom I have exchanged sakazuki with. Never once have I acknowledge myself as your subordinate." Kubinashi said with a deep, dark glare. "Is that so?" Kasha said as a wide grin suddenly rips over his face as Kirimi gasps. "K-Kubinashi!" Feeling a pair of hands grasping onto him, Kubinashi quickly turns and faces Kirimi. "Father, please wait! He didn't mean any harm- he just wasn't thinking what he's saying!" "Kiri-sama what are you-" "Kubinashi be quiet!" Kirimi snapped as she shot Kubinashi a glare and at the same time having her grip tightening over him. At that, Kubinashi's eyes widens in surprise. This is the first time he has ever experienced Kirimi's glare, as well as being the first time he heard her shout at him like this. "I will take responsibility and discipline him, father! I will also accept the marriage proposal so please overlook this just once!" She shouted, her voice almost sounding as though she's pleading. Seeming satisfy with such answer, Kasha smirks wildly and says, "Very well, I'll-" "She will not accept the marriage." Kubinashi cuts in again as Kasha's smirk immediately disappear into a glare. "What was that?" He muttered as Kirimi bit down to her lip, so hard that a trickle of blood flows out. "KUBINASHI! SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" "No, the one who should shut up is you, Kiri-sama." Kubinashi replied. She couldn't take it anymore, she could barely hold onto her own glare as Kirimi feels her tears threatening to fall any moment. "In any case, I cannot allow you to go through with the marriage, Kiri-sama. If you can't lie to yourself, then don't try to tell lies to others." Kubinashi said with an unchanging expression as tears streams down of her face. "I knew it! So you two really are…!" Kasha snapped as Kirimi clenches onto Kubinashi tighter. That moment, Kasha's tail slashed out with "fear" emitting out of his body. "Run…hurry…get out of here, Kubinashi…!" "No, I'm afraid I cannot." "Kubinashi! This is an order! Get out! I hereby break our contract! Get out now!" "You're not going anywhere!" Kasha snapped as he dashes towards them with fire burning brightly on his tail and claws. "I'm begging you, just get out! Kubinashi!" "Just this once, I won't be listening to your orders, Kiri-sama. Forgive me." Kubinashi said as his strings flies into the air… "Kubinashi!" "My lady?" "Kirimi-sama where have you gone?" Voices are heard in the distance as Kirimi sits on a rooftop not far from the Nura manor, soaking herself in the soft moonlight. She just hugs onto her knees, feeling tears uncontrollably flowing out of her eyes as she holds back her cries. Her tails waves around behind her as her ears flatten over her head, trying her best to drown out the voices calling for her. "K-Kubinashi…! Wake up…this isn't funny…!" "Kubinashi…!" She choked the name out as she grits her teeth. The pain is swelling in her chest, feeling as though it would burst any moment. Too focused in her thoughts, she failed to notice a shadow suddenly hovers over her as a pair of hands reaches down. "Please stop, you mustn't go near him!" "Shibaki, release me! Kubinashi!" "Shibaki, take this piece of trash and dispose of him." "Understood." "No, stop! Stop it, don't do it! Shibaki!" "Ah!" Kirimi gasped as a rough pair of hand grabs her and forcefully pulls her up. "Hmm!" Her voice was then muffled when a hand grabs her mouth to silent her. A head suddenly appears in front of her face, examining her with that disgusting smile as Kirimi stares at the youkai's long neck. "Hehehe…to think I'd find you here!" The Rokurobei (Male. A person whose neck can stretch indefinitely) said as he smiles so wide that his drools are dripping all over the place. "I've heard a lot of you. The daughter of Kasha whose agonized face is so beautiful that none, not even the moon can compare. Looks like the rumors are true." He said with a laugh as Kirimi quickly lashes out her tail. But the Rokurobei quickly grabs her tail with ease and with a pull, he completely immobolized her. "You don't think you can run, can you?" He laughs, wrapping his long neck around her like a rope as she tries to break free. "H-Hm…!" Kirimi's scream was muffled as she feels that slimy tongue runs up her cheek. Disgust fills her face as her eyes narrows. That instant, a blue will-o-the-wisp starts to form behind the Rokurobei's head. But before the flame gets to grow larger, an image of Kubinashi appears in her head again as her eyes widens. "That's a splendid will-o-the-wisp. You will grow to become a splendid head of the Kasha clan, Kiri-sama." His voice flows into her head as Kirimi's eyes starts to water slightly. Distracted and couldn't find herself to continue, the will-o-the-wisp disappears. The Rokurobei, who's unaware of what had happened behind his head, merely laughs. "Yes! Agonize more! Become more beautiful so that you're suitable of becoming my wife!" He laughs as Kirimi grits her teeth. Even though she knows she can easily destroy this weak youkai, she couldn't summon any strength at all…just like every single time such thing happened. Except during those times, Shibaki is always with her…and Kubinashi... She could only watch helplessly, cursing how weak she is as the Rokurobei's head inches closer to her. But then all of the sudden, he froze. "W-What's this?" He screamed as Kirimi glances up, feeling her eyes widen in shock as she stare at the strings wrapped around the Rokurobei's head. "What part of her agony is beautiful, you filthy twisted Rokurobei?" A familiar voice snapped, causing Kirimi's eyes to widen even more. She definitely heard it…a voice which she often would think of…but this time, it was not in her head or any imaginations of hers. "Who are you? Where are you?" "I suggest you release her right now. This thread is made by combining the thread of Jorougumo and the hair of Kejourou. You'll instantly die if you move." "Don't mess with me! Do you know who I am? I am a member of the Nura clan! You won't get away with this if you kill me!" "Is that so?" Then the next moment, the Rokurobei cries out in pain. His neck is suddenly torn into pieces as Kirimi feels herself starting to fall with the neck no longer holding her in place. 'That voice…these strings...?' Kirimi thought as she caught the sight of the strings around her that's slashing the Rokurobei into pieces as he screams even more. 'It…couldn't be…' Before Kirimi could hit the ground, someone grabbed her and quickly pulled her away. Her eyes widens at the pair of warm arms around her. The arms that produces a strangely nostalgic warmth which she has not felt for perhaps a century now. Kirimi could clearly hear her heart pounding against her as though it's about to explode out of her chest any time. Swallowing hard, she slowly finds herself the courage to pull away. Her eyes slowly open as the sound of her own heart beat pumps through her ears. The green kimono, the scarf…she didn't need to look up any further to know who it is. But she want to make sure, she want to be certain. Her eyes trail up the empty space of where the neck should have been to the head that's just hovering above. That moment, tears started streaming down her eyes all over again as she quickly steps back. She covers her mouth to muffle her own gasp, unable to believe her own eyes as she stares at that face. "…It has been a while, Kiri." Kubinashi said, cutting off the silence first as Kirimi slowly lower her hands to reveal her lips that's trembling and struggling to speak. But seeming unable to find anything to say, Kirimi quickly pounces onto him. Her arms wrapping tightly around him as her tears stains onto his kimono. For once in a long time, she cried out loud, not holding back anymore as her tearful voice fills the air. Kubinashi then slowly wraps his arms around her fragile ex-master whom he had once served. As both of them savor the nostalgic feel of each other, Kubinashi catches the sight of Rikuo, who is now in his youkai form, sitting on a lamp post not too far away. But Rikuo merely smiles at him before he leaps off and head towards the manor to allow the two their peace. At that, Kubinashi smiles, just very faintly before glancing down at Kirimi. "Rikuo-sama!" "Rikuo-sama where were you?" The youkai said at the sight of their young master's return as they all crowd around him. "Just something to do…" Rikuo replied before spotting the servants of the Kasha clan who are still running around looking for their lady. "You don't need to look for her, just come join the party." He called as he passes by. At that, Shibaki glances up as she frowns. "But our lady might be-" "Don't worry. She's safe." "Eh? Rikuo-sama, you know where Kirimi-sama has went?" "She's with a trusted subordinate of mine, don't worry about it." "I'm afraid you don't understand, Rikuo-sama! Due to an accident in the past, the lady extremely fears blood and becomes mentally unstable to the point where she won't be able to use her powers. If anything happens-" "Don't worry about it and join the party. Come." "Why…why didn't…you tell me you're alive? All these time…I-I thought you were…" Kirimi whispered, her voice stained with pain as Kubinashi stares down at her bitterly as the two sits there on the roof. "It was for your best, Kiri-sama, please understand." He said, but when his eyes meet with Kirimi, he could see the pain and misery inside those golden yellow orbs that are like two miniature version of the moon. "How…How was that for my best…?" She whispered, choking at some words as another teardrop rolls down her cheek. "I-I really…really thought…I'd never see you again…and it was because of me that you've-" "That's not true, Kiri-sama. It wasn't your fault." Kubinashi quickly said as he wraps his arm around her to comfort her. "No…if only I-I had just listened to father that time…you wouldn't have gotten hurt trying to protect me. Kubinashi, how should I…h-how can I repay you for the pain I've caused you because of my selfishness?" "…It wouldn't have made any difference." Kubinashi muttered as Kirimi glances up at him but that moment, Kushinabi's head flew down. Her eyes widens as she feels Kubinashi's soft lips tenderly brushing against hers. The exotic taste of his lips that she had missed more than anything, sweet yet carrying a tint of bitterness. Her eyes unconsciously slides down as another tear escapes her eyes. She didn't know how long the kiss lasted, but it felt like it's only been a short couple of seconds before Kubinashi slowly pulls away. His head leans in, gently licking her freshly fallen tear before repositioning his head back over his shoulders. "I would have done the same thing even if you had accepted the marriage, Kiri." "Kubinashi, how did you- I thought Shibaki had…" "It was thanks to Shibaki. After my wounds healed, I started wondering over the land and gain myself a name. Joushuu No Gentsatsushi Kubinashi (String Assassin of Hitachi Province)." At the sound of that name, Kirimi nearly choked on the spot as she stares at Kubinashi in pure shock. "I've heard of it…from Shibaki that a chivalrous thief has been going around Hitachi Province and also exterminating youkai…But this is the first time I've heard of that name in full…". "I was angry at myself of my helplessness to protect you. I soon lost myself to that anger and became who I was that day. I might have still been that way even to this day if I haven't met the second." 'The second…the son of Nurarihyon?' Kirimi thought, unable to believe how much suffer she puts him through. "Now then, it's time we head back, Kiri. Shibaki and the others must be very worried about you." Kubinashi said as he hops onto his feet before stretching his hand down for Kirimi. Very gently, she takes his and with a pull from Kubinashi, she flew up and tumbles into his gentle arms. "Kubinashi?" Kirimi whispered as she suddenly feel Kubinashi's grip tightens on her, refusing to let her go. "This…is it. It's for the best. I'm glad I've met you, Kiri." Kubinashi whispered as Kiri feels tears sliding down her cheeks all over again, understanding what Kubinashi wanted perfectly well. She knows that she's a crybaby, but she couldn't help it. Hearing his words made her heart flutter in happiness yet at the same time, there's sorrow. As the head of her clan, she knows that it would be impossible to be with him. They even live in different places, and the other members would definitely object to such thing. "When the sky lightens, please do the honor." "…Of course." Kirimi whispered softly. Then, she suddenly feels something wet dripping down on her shoulder. However, she says nothing about it and just keep quiet a silent tears flows out. "Are you sure you're not joining the party?" "Thanks but no thanks. Even though Rikuo-sama said that, I'm still worried about my lady." Shibaki said, waving the Kappa away as she passes by the pond. The entire manor seems almost empty probably with all of the youkai partying in the other side. 'Where is she?' Shibaki thought as she sighs out. She has searched and flipped the entire place upside down and still she can't seem to find her. Just as she's decides to go back to ask Rikuo about it, her ears twitch as she heard the sound of the doors opening. "What-My lady!" Shibaki gasped as she catches sight of Kirimi through the door gap. But when the door opens more, her eyes widens at the sight of Kubinashi. "Kubinashi!" She gasped in surprise as Kirimi glances up at Shibaki and smiles. At that, Shibaki's stunned to speechlessness as she stares at her master. 'That smile…' She thought as she stares at that completely fake and bitter smile. "It's been a while." Kubinashi greeted as Shibaki's eyes softens. "So I see. You're that trusted subordinate. What a tangled up fate meeting you here." Shibaki said before watching Kirimi suddenly walking away. "M-My lady?" She whispered in shock as Kirimi glances up with her bangs covering her eyes. "I'm…going to go apologize to the other heads…about my earlier behavior…please…you two talk…" She whispered softly before hurrying away. "My lady-..." The speechless Shibaki just watches as her lady disappeared down the hall. Once she's gone, she turns, glaring at Kubinashi fiercely. "Kubinashi! You have some explaining to do. Why is it that our lady holds such bitter expression? What did you do to her?" She snapped coldly as Kubinashi stares at Shibaki before looking off towards the hall. "If you know that much then shouldn't you go to Kiri-sama's side to comfort her, Shibaki?" "Why don't you drop the formality now, Kubinashi. I know you just call her Kiri behind everyone's back." Shibaki replied coldly as Kubinashi flinches, seeming slightly shocked that Shibaki actually knows something like that. "…Since when did you know?" Kubinashi whispered, catching on to the situation as Shibaki crosses her arms. "I am the one who has watched over her since she was born, Kubinashi. You might not realize, but ever since you came to the household, your eyes only trail after the lady and nothing else. Your expressions alone aren't ones a servant would hold for their master." Shibaki said with a sigh. At that, a frown slowly forms over Kubinashi's lips as he turns to the ground. "I'll ask again. What did you do to her, Kubinashi?" "Nothing. Just ending something which we should have years ago." Kubinashi replied as Shibaki's ears twitches slightly at the sound of that. "End? From what I'm seeing, it seems as though you're still head over heels for her." "Even if I still hold my feeling for her, it's useless. I have exchanged Sakazuki with Rikuo-sama. My duty is to be by Rikuo-sama's side to protect him." "…You seem to remember our rules as well, Kubinashi…that the head of the Kasha clan must wed to his or her own kind in order to produce a pure heir. As for our lady, she will wed with her cousin in a month's time." Shibaki said as Kubinashi's eyes narrows slightly at that, but remains silent as Shibaki continues on. "You noticed didn't you? Her unusual pale face and her weightless body. Her body is wearing down from the lack of food and sleep as the day of her marriage approaches." "What is your point?" Kubinashi said with a cold voice as Shibaki's ears twitches again as she sighs. When she did, a soft stream of fire flows out of her open lips before she turns and starts walking away. "There is no point. I'd thought I ought to let you know since she is your very first master, Kubinashi. After this, we will return back to the Hitachi Province. After the lady marry, as the rule states, she will never be able to leave the household ever again. Therefore I shall say my farewell since without the lady, I would have no reason to come here anymore. So don't expect anyone to deliver you any news about our lady." She said and with just that, she walks away. Left alone in the dark night with the others partying away, Kubinashi slowly makes his way to the wall. Without warning, he suddenly smashes his fist into the wall as his blood splatter out. The blood made from all this time he's been clenching his fist, so tightly that his nails dug its way into the flesh of his palm. His eyes are dilated, burning in anger as he bites down on his lower lip. "Kiri." He whispered her name out with such care and gentleness. Unable to support himself, his body slide off the wall while his head hovers in the air, staring at the full moon hanging in the dark sky… "Well…this…is it…" Kirimi whispered softly as she stares at Kubinashi, exchanging glances with him for a moment before walking towards the carriage with Shibaki by her side. "It…It was an honor to meet with you, Rikuo-sama…" She whispered as Rikuo gives her a slight nod as reply. An awkward silent then follows. Surprisingly, none of the youkai behind Rikou and Kubinashi are saying a single thing. Instead, they're just staring intensively with a strange glaze, as though they're expecting something. In a way, the air is so depressing that Kirimi feels really uncomfortable and strange with her being the only one speaking. "My lady, please this way." Shibaki called, as Kirimi turns to the carriage, hesitating slightly as she glances back, her glaze focused on Kubinashi. 'No…I must…' She thought as she quickly turns her back to him so that he won't be able to see her breaking down. "Farewell…may…may our paths never…never…cross…a-…aga-…" She quickly covers her mouth, unable to find herself the strength to continue her sentence as she steps into the carriage. "Wait!" A voice snapped as Kirimi quickly turns in surprise as a hand grabs hers, stopping her in her track. "K-Kubinashi…?" She gasped in shock as she stares at Kubinashi who returns her glaze with unwavering glaze. "I'm sorry. I've almost made the wrong decision and hurt you again. Don't leave, Kiri. Stay with me." Kubinashi said as Kirimi's eyes widens in shock. "W-What are you…" From behind, Kirimi suddenly feel a pair of strong hand giving her a harsh push. She gasps, tumbling right into Kubinashi who successfully catches her and brings her close into his arms. "S…Shibaki?" Kirimi whispered as she turns to stare at Shibaki who's staring down at her with a hard glare. "Hmph…You all have witness this!" Shibaki suddenly shouted as the others directs their attentions to her. "The head of the Kasha clan has broken the rule of falling in love with someone outside of our clan! Therefore as punishment, Kirimi is to be expelled and never show her face at our turf again! As her blood-bonded sister and the only other child of Kasha, I shall now replace my foolish sister and take the position as the 2nd head of the Kasha clan! Any objection?" Shibaki shouted as Kirimi stares, unable to believe what she is hearing. "No objection!" "Not a bit!" "Get out of here; we don't need a head like you, Kirimi-sama- no, Kirimi!" "Shibaki-sama is the most fitting since the beginning!" "Get lost and go to the Nura Clan!" The other members of the Kasha clan shouted, all with smiles on their faces as Kirimi stares. "Y-You guys…" She whispered before turning to Shibaki who's now smiling down at her. "Rikuo-sama, even if she's an outcast, if she's being bullied, we of the Kasha clan wouldn't forgive you." Shibaki said as Rikuo smirks, lowering his pipe as he turns to Kubinashi. "Why don't you tell him that?" He said as Shibaki chuckles before getting into the carriage. "Farewell, my foolish little sister, Kirimi. May our paths never cross again." She said and with that, the cats raced off into the sky and in no time at all, the carriage along with her own people had disappeared into the cloud. "S-Sister…" Kirimi whispered but she didn't even get a chance to soak in everything that happened when the youkai of the Nura clan suddenly had them surrounded, cheering. "Not too shabby, Kubinashi!" Kejourou shouted, wrapping her arms around the two as Kirimi blinks in confusion. "What's going on?" Kubinashi demanded as Aotabou forces his way in. "Rikou-sama had told us everything! Heh, you've got yourself a girl now!" He shouted and at that, Kubinashi quickly turn his head to Rikuo who's leaning by the wall smiling. "R-Rikuo-sama!" Kubinashi gasped but that moment, Yuki Onna suddenly blocked his view. "So that's why you were acting so strange yesterday, Kubinashi!" "Welcome to the Nura clan. Now then, when would you exchange Sakazuki with Rikou-sama?" Kurotabou said, popping out from behind Kirimi as she gasps in surprise. "T-That's…I-I…" She gasped, not knowing what exactly she should say in such situation. However, even though she feels really nervous, she also feels…happy. It's almost as though a heavy burden is lifted off her. Even though she's no longer part of the Kasha clan, she feels strangely happy. Feeling a hand grabbing hers, she quickly turns to see Kubinashi smiling at her. "I was really worried for a moment there!" "Lucky bastard, getting yourself such beautiful girl!" "Ooooh! Aotabou's jealous!" "Shut up! Why would I be jealous of headless?" "Just admit it, Aotabou." "Kurotabou, whose side are you on?" "Isn't it fine either way…?" "What's that suppose to mean, Kappa?" The group argued. Quickly taking his chances, Kubinashi pecks Kirimi's lips when no one's watching and quickly muttered something into her ear. At that, Kirimi's face flushed in bright red as she turns to Kubinashi shyly. "Kubinashi…!" She gasped out as Kubinashi smiles. "Hey! What are you two whispering around huh?" Kejourou said as she quickly turns back to the two of them. "Nothing." Kubinashi quickly said as Kejourou gives them a suspicious glance. "Anyways, let's not stand around here! Get in, get in!" "This calls for a celebration, right, Rikuo-sama?" "That's right, let's go in." "Rikuo-sama's changing back! The night is over, let's hurry in after him!" "That's right. A new day has begun." Rikuo said as Kirimi glances up to see that it's true. The sun is just rising to begun a new day. For once in such a long time, she smiles. A bright, warm and pure smile that she haven't done in a long, long time. With a tug, Kubinashi pulls her closer as his grip tightens over her hand. At that, Kirimi blushes as she unconsciously lean towards him for his warmth… It's all over…the pain and sufferings that both Kirimi and Kubinashi had been shouldering from their love for each other. And from today onward…a new beginning of happiness shines over their head as they step into the Nura manor knowing that there won't be anymore obstacles between them… Credits: youkomazuki |
Aug 17, 2010 1:30 PM
#6
Together Rikou leaned against the shoji, contemplating the day. Afternoon was giving in to dusk, and then to night where he comes. He slips through him, a born intruder that Rikou never wanted. He was in the corners of his mind, trying to break through. He always held him in a teasing way and the feeling that he was fading at the same time. His night form was a source of admiration and talk in the Nura Clan. Even Rikou can notice the prominent features. Pale white skin that if even paler, can show the veins, glinting blood red eyes that exposed everything, a devious smirk that showed a foxy cleverness, and snowy colored hair that somehow opposed gravity. (A/N: it's true kids.) Clever, handsome, powerful, and calm. That was what his youkai form was. Rikou was not that, but letting that form take control... it irritated him. How that form played around with others. Wishing for a simple good life was impossible with that demon in him. Cue to the talking to his other form, who was sitting in the crook of the sakura tree. Afternoon gave in to night, which it's black clouds set to conquer the sky. The night form was drinking a cup of sake, calmly observing. (He knows how to hold in his alcohol, so no fussing.) "Your looking depressed again." "It's none of your business..." muttered the brown haired boy. "Hiding is futile day me." The man kimono cladded youkai smirked. Rikou gritted his teeth a tiny bit. Tiny bit. He was sure that he would grit more further on in this evening. Why did he even bother in the first place? The night form slid/leaped down. Normally Rikou would have moved aside to let him through and allow the young man to pass through. But this time was different. Much different. He grabbed the sleeves of the white haired male and pinned him to the ground. The night side of Rikou only raised a eyebrow, and a devious smirk plastered onto his face. "Now what's this?" Rikou was half straddling his night form, on top of him and holding both of the smirking man's arms down. "J-Just answer my question! What are you trying to do?" The boy with glasses forced the words out. His position with the 5 foot 9 inch man wasn't what you would call normal or well, something you would see everyday. The young looking man only cocked his head to the side, as if saying that Rikou already knew the answer. "What are you doing when you take over... why are you doing this?" The shout ran out smoothly into the night. "Then what do you want?" the youkai form calmly asked. And felt some wet dripped on his cheek. The tears from either a frustration of not achieving a dream, or some matter of unknown emotion. "Life of a human." Hands that held down the tall male's arms were loosened, allowing him to sit up. He flexed his fingers into his other form, and leaned close. "Then under the banner of Fear... we'll both form our own Hyakki Yako... and live both lives." he whispered into the day form's ears. And give him a full kiss on the mouth. It wasn't comparable to the little pecks on the cheek, or the tender ones on the neck. They became one together in that night. Credits: pokeaddict17 |
incarnateSep 4, 2010 7:50 PM
Aug 17, 2010 1:32 PM
#7
Aug 17, 2010 1:38 PM
#8
Sep 4, 2010 7:44 PM
#9
Discoveries Chapter 1: Nightly Nonsense "NOOO! NOOO! WHY'VE I GOT TO BE HEALED BY A YOUKAI?" For the greater part of the last few minutes, Yura Keikain was locked in a vehement struggle with her would-be nurse. Although Yura would have normally welcomed any and all medical treatment, her current situation overrode her sense of gratitude. It was simply appalling! To think, an onmyouji of the Keikain, Kyoto's most famed family of exorcists, would be receiving aid from her enemy in her enemy's very own home. "H-hey . . ." the young woman before her grumbled out. "I'm not thrilled about it either! But it was Master's order, so it can't be helped!" Yura shot the Yuki-onna an indignant look. "What do you mean 'Master'?" she questioned. "And who do you think you are, just showing up to school like you have a right to be there, when you're just a stupid youkai!" As hard as it was for Yura to believe, the girl called Tsurara Oikawa was indeed a youkai. She had always seen this person as your normal, everyday schoolgirl, save for her excessively doting behavior towards one particular boy. This girl, whom she considered a classmate, had hidden her true identity as a snow woman. Without thinking, Yura reached into her pocket and brandished two shikigami. "I'll put an end to you right n-gebogghh!" As much as she wanted to summon Tanrou and Rokusan, Yura could not find the words to complete the incantation. It was probably due to the fact that her loving caretaker had seen fit to cover her mouth with a rather large slab of ice. "Just stay quiet for a while!" Tsurara stated. "Covered in wounds like this even though you're a girl . . ." Yura was stunned. The Tsurara before her was nothing like the bright, cheerful girl that she went to school with. Her stringent tone matched perfectly with her cold blue eyes, eyes that would not hesitate to freeze her at a moment's notice. Had the circumstances been different, Yura would have been intimidated; however, with everything that had happened to her that night, Yura could only twitch in annoyance. It irritated her to be treated in such a condescending way, especially from a youkai. Yura wanted to offer some sort of retort to the Yuki-onna, but the icy block that still adorned her face could only allow a muffled garble. She compromised by leveling a seething glare at Tsurara in the hopes that the ice youkai would miraculously melt into a shallow puddle. Her hopes were dashed as Tsurara continued to unroll a set of bandages all while remaining relatively solid. Coward! You little coward! Yura yelled in her head. She could not take it anymore. This current predicament was already messing with Yura's already fragile state of mind. With a heaving gasp, the young onmyouji tore the ice block from her mouth and made a mad dash for the partially-opened shoji. "Enough of this!" Yura screamed. "I told you I'm fine!" Having made it outside, Yura continued running through the garden of the Nura Clan Main House all while ignoring the fading protests of Tsurara. After surveying her surroundings, the onmyouji decided to take refuge in the shadow of a weeping cheery tree. "Damn it," Yura whispered, "that girl sure doesn't mess around . . . And this mansion really was crawling with youkai after all . . ." As Yura let her sentence trail off, her thoughts drifted back to the day when she first visited Rikuo's house. How is it possible? How could I have missed them? she asked herself. In her training to become the next successor to the Keikain style onmyuoji arts, Yura had absorbed herself in her studies, practiced the summoning of her shikigami, and worked to develop her ability at sensing spirit auras. She knew that there was something strange about this house, yet she had failed to exorcise even one single youkai. Hell, she even talked face to face with Nurarihyon, the Supreme Commander of all youkai, and did not even realize it! So absorbed was she in her thoughts, Yura almost failed to notice the gentle shower of leaves that passed before her unfocused eyes. Regaining her composure, she followed the leaves to their origin at the top of the weeping cheery tree. It was then that Yura finally took notice of a figure in the branches, a familiar long-haired figure bathed in the light of the waxing moon. … Rikuo Nura was tired, and rightly so. What should have been an ordinary night – spent in the comfort of his favorite weeping cherry tree – turned into a bothersome fight with a pair of fairly skilled onmyouji. The young head of the Nura Clan scowled as the memories of that encounter resurfaced. Damn that Keikain! thought Rikuo. Those stupid flowers stung like hell. And that partner of his was just as bad. I was pretty close to being exorcised. It was to be expected, though. Onmyouji were practitioners of the power of "yang," the perfect balance to youkai who were considered the "yin" of this world. The two forces were enemies, pure and simple. While youkai strove to instill fear into the hearts of humans, onmyouji took it upon themselves to protect their fellow man. And yet, mulled Rikuo that bastard had no problem attacking his own sister. Glancing into the night sky, Rikuo let his thoughts wander to the younger Keikain sibling. She was certainly an interesting one, that Yura. Despite her brother's hostility, that girl fought with all her might to protect his day form, to protect a friend from harm. And for her actions, she was badly hurt. A grimace formed on Rikuo's face as he remembered Yura's haggard figure after being overwhelmed by her brother's shikigami. That liquid monstrosity could have killed her. It was called Gengen, right? Rikuo thought. If he ever tries that again, I'll do more than just cut him with Nenekirimaru. With that final thought, Rikuo reclined into the tree branch and took out the pipe that he had "borrowed" from his grandfather. He spent too much time contemplating the night's events, and he just wanted to relax. Unfortunately, the young head's rest was postponed when a lone figure made itself known. Speak of the devil. Yura had managed to scale the weeping cherry tree and leveled Rentei at Rikuo's youkai form. Her eyes remained emotionless as she steadied the fish shikigami with her right hand. "Oi," Rikuo stated, "that's a little dangerous, don't you think?" "If your answer doesn't convince me," Yura warned, "I'll shoot. Nura-kun . . . are you human, or youkai?" The young woman's eyes remained firm as she waited for his answer. The long-haired youkai gauged her for a minute, seemingly unfazed by the shikigami pointed right at him. "I'm human during the day. But I'm youkai," he continued with a smirk, "right now, anyway." "So you're telling me," Yura voiced cautiously, "that you're one person." "Not convinced?" Rikuo answered. "I guess because I'm like a different person huh . . ." Rikuo hadn't expected her to be won over so easily. She was an onmyouji after all. It was only natural that she wouldn't be swayed by the words of a youkai. That's why Rikuo was honestly surprised by the words that followed his response. "No . . . I'm convinced. What didn't make sense was you, as a youkai, saving me." Yura said softly. She continued with a smile, oblivious to Rikuo's incredulous expression, "But if it was you, Nura-kun, then everything makes sense. Youkai are what they are because they do bad things. If it's you, Nura-kun, then I can accept it. For all those times, thank you . . . for being kind, Nura-kun." Rikuo took another look at the young woman. As she finished her monologue, her Rentei evaporated into a soft mist that seemed to catch the moonlight. The effect was almost ethereal as the onmyouji stood before him in a bluish glow. Her smile was sincere and her soft, gray eyes looked at him with a gentleness that he rarely saw at school. Doki-doki. Rikuo froze. What was that? he thought to himself. My heart thumped for a second. It was a strange feeling, one that the young head had never experienced before. His breath seemed to shorten and his chest felt tighter than usual. For the first time in his life, Rikuo Nura was scared, scared of the feelings that this girl seemed to be pulling out of him. With his mind racing, Rikuo did the only thing that he could think of . . . and kicked the onmyouji girl out of the tree. … Yura barely had time to think before she was forcefully removed from the branch that she was standing on. The air seemed to rush by her as Rikuo's figure shrunk from her view. Closing her eyes, Yura braced her body for the inevitable impact. Thankfully, Yura's contact with the ground was softer than expected. That was probably due to the fact that the girl's intended trajectory was actually the pond at the base of the tree. And was it her imagination, or were there a pair of webbed hands steadying her form underwater? Finally regaining her bearings, Yura willed herself to ascend and broke through the surface with a heavy gasp. Her anger renewed, Yura directed her attention to the youkai responsible for her fall. "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING!" she screamed. "YOU'RE SUCH A JERK!" The youkai in question only offered a lazy glance. With a terse voice, he remarked, "Get your ass back to Kyoto." Yura directed a furious glare at the long-haired youkai. "That was an evil deed just now!" she exclaimed. "When I get back, I'm gonna destroy you as payback!" "Oh?" Rikuo answered, amusement in his voice. "I'll look forward to it." With one final glower, Yura pulled herself from the pond and headed for the house. Her clothes were soaked, and she did not fancy adding a cold to her already bitter mood. She did not even spare the newly-arrived Tsurara a passing glance. Ignoring the Yuki-onna's baffled expression, Yura simply contemplated ways in which to exorcise Rikuo's youkai form. Slowing her pace, Yura rethought her words. Okay, maybe exorcism is too harsh, the girl mused. He did save me three times already. I'll just make him do something embarrassing . . . The young onmyouji's eyes narrowed as her mouth contorted into an evil grin. She would have plenty in store for him when she returned from Kyoto. Visions ran through her head about what she could do to the arrogant youkai, and most of them included a combination of a collar, a maid's outfit, her wolf shikigami, Tanrou, and a pooper-scooper. But before Yura's fantasies could get any more outrageous, she was interrupted by the very youkai she swore sweet revenge on. "What is it?" Yura demanded. He better have had a good reason to disrupt her ruminations. "Want me to go with you back to Kyoto?" youkai Rikuo asked. He held his pipe away from his mouth, waiting for an answer. Yura was dumbfounded. What was he playing at? After kicking her out of the tree, he was now asking if she wanted his company as she ventured back home. "Why would I want that?" she asked incredulously. "No way!" With one final huff, Yura reentered the house in the hopes of finding some dry clothes. She was soaked to the bone and was finally feeling the chill of the night air. "AH-CHOOO!" Yura sniffled as she recovered from the sneeze. Damn it! she thought. As if this night couldn't get any worse . . . "Oh my!" a tender voice exclaimed from the hallway. Glancing to her left, Yura laid her eyes on a familiar woman carrying a stack of futons. This was the same woman who had served her tea when she first visited Rikuo's house. Hers was a voluptuous figure, made all the more apparent by her tight-fitting kimono. But what really stood out about this woman was her waist-length hair. The wavy ebony locks framed her face in such a way that only her right eye appeared visible. Her look alone was enough to entice even the coldest of men. Yura backed away and raised a shikigami. "You're a youkai as well, aren't you?" she asked cautiously. Yura's pose would have seemed more intimidating had she not sneezed again and dropped her shikigami. "AH-CHOOO! AH-CHOOO!" A soft smile graced the woman's face as she set the futons on the ground. Yura began to back-peddle until she made contact with the shoji. Her eyes stayed focused on the woman who was advancing ever-closer. Reaching into her pocket, Yura prepared to take out more shikigami when the figure before her spoke. "Hello there." the woman greeted. "You're Keikain-san, the young Master's onmyouji friend, aren't you? It's a pleasure!" Despite the warm welcome, Yura was still wary and kept her fingers on her shikigami. "You still haven't answered my question," stated the young girl. With a small chuckle, the woman answered, "Yes yes, I'm a youkai, and my name is Kejourou. Please don't be alarmed. The young Master instructed everyone not to harm you. You're safe here, so please don't worry." Hesitantly, Yura asked, "Nura-kun said that?" "Of course. In fact, he threatened to kill anyone who so much as put a scratch on you," the youkai replied. She then narrowed her eyes and continued in an insinuating manner, "You must be 'very' special to him." The emphasis of that one word was not lost to the young onmyouji. Unbidden, Yura felt her face heat up as a rosy blush accentuated her pale cheeks. "W-W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Yura screamed. "STOP TALKING ABOUT SUCH NONSENSE!" Yura could barely wrap her head around what this youkai was implying. Her, a descendant of the Keikain family, special to him, the grandson of Nurarihyon! It was preposterous, not to mention that she found Rikuo's youkai side to be a complete jerk. In fact, she began to mentally list all of the things that she found detestable about the subject in question. One: He was an arrogant prick. Two: He kicked her out of the tree. Three: . . . He was an arrogant prick. Four: . . . He . . . he . . . Yura could not think of anything else. Crap! she thought. There was nothing else she could use to justify her current hatred of the long-haired, robe-clad youkai. Drained of all her energy, Yura simply slumped to the ground in a tired heap. "Hey now," Kejourou whispered softly, transforming from mischievous minx to mannerly mother. "We can't have you falling asleep in these wet clothes. Come on. I'll get the bath ready. Most everyone's out on the town tonight, so you should have it all to yourself." The young onmyouji did not even care anymore. Too exhausted to argue, Yura allowed herself to be escorted to the bath. Oh well, she thought, maybe I can finally get some peace of mind. Unfortunately for Yura, she failed to notice the ghost of a smirk pass over the youkai's face. … It was infuriating. For the past half hour since his spat with Yura, Rikuo could not sit still. No matter how many times he tried, he just could not get the image of that girl out of his mind. He kept replaying the scene over and over in his mind. What the hell happened? Rikuo asked himself. Why did I react like that? Since the blood of Nurarihyon awoke within the young head, he had never felt fear the likes of which he experienced tonight. No matter the opponent, Rikuo had been the one to invoke his fear and overcome any adversary that threatened him or his friends. From the wise and experienced Gyuuki to the deranged and power-hungry Tamazuki, Rikuo had found the strength and the will to surpass them all. But this girl, this one human girl managed to tear a hole in his iron-clad defenses. Yura Keikain. Doki-doki. "DAMN IT!" Rikuo screamed. He had enough. Pondering the enigma that was the onmyouji girl was only giving him a headache. After one last puff of his grandfather's pipe, the long-haired youkai jumped down from the weeping cherry tree and headed inside. As Rikuo entered the corridors of the main house, he noticed the lack of activity in the normally boisterous abode. If he had been in his day form, the young head may have considered it eerie. As it was, he was simply glad that things were quiet for once. Making his way into the kitchen, Rikuo happened upon Kejourou, who seemed to be pouring herself a cup of tea. "Young Master," Kejourou remarked once she noticed his presence, "how are you feeling? Fancy a cup of tea?" "No thanks, Kejourou." Rikuo answered with a sigh. He was exhausted, and he showed it by collapsing on the tatami in front of the kitchen table. The hair youkai regarded the successor of the clan with a raised eyebrow. It was rare for Rikuo's night form to express any weakness, much less fatigue. Her interest piqued, Kejourou prodded the boy whom she considered like her little brother. "Something wrong?" she asked. "You seem tired." Rikuo turned his attention to the woman who now seated herself directly across from him. Kejourou was like the older sister he never had. In the past, he would always go to her with problems that he was uncomfortable discussing with his grandfather or mother. Maybe she could discern the feelings that he had been having. "I'm not sure," Rikuo began. "I've been feeling strange ever since I talked to Keikain-san." As soon as he mentioned the onmyouji girl, Kejourou's eyes lit up like fireworks during a summer festival. "Really . . ." the hair youkai interrupted. "That's interesting. Go on." Eying the woman across from him warily, Rikuo continued, "Yeah. I don't know what to make of it. Whenever I think about her, my chest tightens and my mind races. To be honest, it . . . it scares me." Kejourou was momentarily taken aback. This was unexpected. Rikuo, grandson of the Supreme Commander, was scared! Although Kejourou had an idea about what Rikuo was truly feeling, she halted her thoughts and continued to listen with rapt attention. "It scares me," Rikuo stated, "to know that this girl can affect me in ways that even the strongest of youkai can't. What is this girl? Why does she make me feel this way? I can't help but think that she's really a youkai in disguise. . ." After Rikuo uttered that last sentence, Kejourou couldn't help but let out a jovial laugh. "Hey, what's so funny?" demanded Rikuo as his face began to glow. Once Kejourou calmed down, she took a long, hard look at the youkai in front of her. My, my, she thought. You really are too cute Rikuo. The person in front of her may have been destined to become the Supreme Commander of all youkai, but he was still a boy, an innocent boy who had yet to fully grasp matters of the heart. It depressed Kejourou a bit to know that the young boy she used to take care of was now growing up. But that was life, and the hair youkai knew that there was no way to stop the flow of time. After taking a sip of her tea, she gave Rikuo a warm smile and answered, "I'm sorry Rikuo, but this is a question that I can't answer for you. This is something that you have to realize on your own. But I can assure you that it isn't something bad. I promise." Even youkai knew the value of love. Though they were beings born from the shadows, they too knew what it meant to cherish another. Rikuo seemed to deflate back into the tatami once his sister figure said her piece. If Kejourou wouldn't answer him, then he gave up. It was not worth it. "Well," Kejourou said in an overly happy tone, "why don't you take a bath to get your mind off things? I already prepared it for myself, but it seems like you could use it more." Rikuo took a second to consider her offer. A long, hot soak in the grand bath sounded like a dream, and he was hoping for a chance to finally rid his thoughts of the onmyouji girl. "Thanks, Kejourou," replied Rikuo. "I'll take you up on that." As Rikuo headed off to the bath, Kejourou couldn't help but smirk mischievously. Although she did not want to tell Rikuo outright what his feelings were, the hair youkai had no qualms about pushing him toward the answer . . . literally. … After getting out of the bath, Yura felt refreshed. There was just nothing like a relaxing soak to make all of her worries dissipate. Even her annoyance towards Rikuo was long forgotten. Grabbing the towel left by Kejourou, Yura proceeded to dry her damp hair. As much as she hated to admit it, she liked that hair youkai. Not only had she prepared the bath, but she also offered Yura a set of spare pajamas while she washed the girl's clothes. I wish more youkai were like her mused Yura. With her body finally dry, the female onmyouji set down the towel and reached for her pajamas. Now, Yura was not one to believe in luck. She was the type of person who made things happen by her abilities alone. But today, it seemed as if some god of misfortune was picking on her especially. There was no other explanation for everything that had happened to her. Some god of misfortune somewhere in Ukiyoe Town was so bored that he just had to torture some random onmyouji girl from Kyoto. That could explain why it was at this moment in time that the fusuma slid open to reveal youkai Rikuo clad in nothing but a towel. For nearly a minute, the two simply stared at each other, lost for words. The air was thick with steam and the tension even more so. Finally, Yura decided to break the silence. "I . . . I'll be ready in a bit," she managed to stammer out. "Can you wait outside for a while?" "Y-yeah," answered Rikuo in a strained voice. Their exchange concluded, Rikuo closed the fusuma and went to fetch some tissues. For some reason, his nose was bleeding. Yura on the other hand, quickly dressed and disappeared from the bath in such a way that would make Nurarihyon himself proud. She raced down countless corridors and ducked through various rooms before she finally lost her breath and crumpled to the ground with her head buried between her knees. Someone dig a hole and bury me right here, pleaded Yura. She had never been so mortified in her entire life. A boy had seen her naked, and it was not just any boy. It was "him." It was that arrogant, long-haired grandson of Nurarihyon, Rikuo Nura. But what was even more humiliating was the fact that Yura had just outright stared at him in all his towel-clad glory . . . and enjoyed it! Kami! She enjoyed it. Although she focused most of her time on her onmyouji arts, Yura Keikain would be lying if she said that she did not have an appreciation for the male species. Youkai Rikuo may have not been overly muscular, but his arms were fit and his abs were toned. Like a Roman god chiseled in marble, Rikuo's body was one that would turn even the most proper of Japanese women into a raving fan girl. But what enraptured Yura the most were his eyes. They were orbs of deep obsidian that seemed to penetrate her very soul. Though those eyes were usually filled with strength and determination, Yura managed to see a different side of those eyes just moments ago. In the bath, they were innocent, vulnerable eyes that expressed genuine surprise, and had the onmyouji not been in a state of undress, she would have swooned. A fierce blush spread across Yura's face as she dwelled on the encounter. There was no way she could face Rikuo after that. "Keikain-san," a soft voice stated, "are you all right?" Yura lifted her face to gaze upon the hair youkai that was standing above her. The woman looked almost apologetic, but for what, Yura was not sure. "I'd rather not talk about it," mumbled Yura mumbled into her arms. "It's something to do with the young Master, doesn't it?" Kejourou reasoned softly. Yura tensed, but she refused to offer a response. There was no way she could talk to a youkai about her problems. The hair youkai simply smiled and continued saying, "Please don't worry too much. The young Master of the night is hard to approach sometimes. He is certainly different from his day form, that's for sure." What Kejourou just said caused Yura to start. Though she had confronted the long-haired youkai about the same idea earlier that night, she was still unsure. Were human Rikuo and youkai Rikuo truly one in the same, or were they two personalities in one body? She wanted to know the truth. Kejourou decided to answer Yura's unasked question. "If you really want to know more about him," the youkai said, "I suggest you talk to his human side. He is certainly more truthful and agreeable in that form." "Y-yeah," Yura responded with a yawn, "I guess I will." "For now though," Kejourou asserted, "you should get some rest. There's already a futon in this room, and I'll make sure no one disturbs you here." "Thank you," Yura whispered as sleep slowly started to claim her. The events of the night had finally taken their toll on the young girl, and she was looking forward to a much-needed respite. She would tackle her troubles in the morning. … It was quite late by the time Rikuo finished his bath. He wandered down the main corridor of the house looking for a certain long-haired youkai. Damn that Kejourou! cursed Rikuo. She knew that Yura was in the bath, and she purposefully tricked him just so that they would meet. Rikuo could feel his face grow warm as he remembered the image of the onmyouji girl. Steam permeated the air of the grand bath, but the young girl's figure was still distinguishable through the light mist. Although Rikuo knew that Yura was fit, he would never have guessed that she had such an athletic figure. Those school uniforms really were quite deceiving. Her lean muscles were probably honed through years of study in the onmyouji arts. After all, one had to be physically capable to be able to square off against youkai. Despite her nimble form, Rikuo was surprised to find just how pale her skin was, though not in an unhealthy way. Rather, her skin was a dazzling white, akin to that of porcelain. She was like a fragile doll that would easily break if handled in the wrong hands. If Rikuo handled her, he would definitely be gentle, especially with her br- STOP! Rikuo yelled in his head. DO NOT GO THERE! DO NOT LET YOUR THOUGHTS GO THERE! So lost was Rikuo in his thoughts that he almost ran into the very youkai he was looking for. "Kejourou!" Rikuo exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at the hair youkai. "Why the hell did you do that?" Rikuo's sister figure looked at the young head with the most innocent look she could muster, complete with puppy dog eyes. "Do what?" she asked. "You know what I mean!" Rikuo croaked out. "Keikain-san . . . the bath . . . Keikain-san . . ." "Oh that . . ." Kejourou trailed off. "I figured you would find the answer to your question if you spent more time together." Rikuo was truly at a loss for words. What was his caretaker trying to do to him? It was bad enough that these strange feelings kept swirling around within the troubled youkai. Now Kejourou was simply adding fuel to the fire. Rikuo was surprised that he had not gone mad yet. "Fine," Rikuo stated as he rubbed his forehead with his left hand. "I don't care anymore. I just want to get some sleep." "Good," Kejourou said with a smile. "There should be an extra futon in your room, considering Keikain-san is already sleeping in yours . . ." "Okay then," Rikuo remarked. It took all of ten seconds for Rikuo to process what Kejourou had just told him. His eyes widened and his face paled as he rounded on the hair youkai. "WHAT?" Rikuo exclaimed. Kejourou merely raised an eyebrow. "You heard me," she answered, "and keep your voice down. She's already sleeping. Or would you rather it be the one futon? If that's the case, then I'm not going to be the one to explain to Wakana-sama why she suddenly became a grandmother." "Kejourou," Rikuo managed through gritted teeth, "you know what I mean." With a sigh, Kejourou whispered, "That girl is exhausted Rikuo. There is no way she is going home in her condition at this time of the night. Also, even though you trust your subordinates, there are those who hold hostile feelings toward humans, especially one who is an onmyouji. The safest place for her to be right now is right by your side . . . and who knows? Maybe you'll be able to discover what it is that you're truly feeling." After hearing her explanation, Rikuo could not argue with her. Tired and defeated, Rikuo stated, "All right, all right, I understand . . . thanks Kejourou. Goodnight." The hair youkai smiled softly. "Goodnight, young Master." With that, Kejourou departed and Rikuo entered his room. He surveyed the familiar surroundings. His desk was situated on the left side of the room, adorned with the clutter of various school supplies. Bookshelves lined the right wall, filled mostly with a variety of shonen manga. And in the center of the tatami lay two futons, as well as the girl that had been driving him crazy for the past few hours. Rikuo took a seat near Yura's head and took a moment to study her. The moonlight filtered perfectly through the shoji and settled on the onmyouji's face, giving her a subtle glow. Thanks to the light, the young head could see all of her features perfectly. She looked peaceful as she laid there in the throes of a light slumber. Her eyelashes were thin and looked like fine thread. They were perfect for her pale skin. Her nose was petite, like a button. It was barely noticeable in the faint light. But what drew Rikuo's attention the most were Yura's lips. They were small and had a soft pinkish hue to them. As he continued to stare, those lips parted softly to let out a quiet breath. Gulping slightly, Rikuo found his face drawing ever closer to Yura. Discover what I'm truly feeling? Rikuo asked himself. After gazing at the angelic face beneath him, the young head was beginning to understand. I think I already know the answer. But it can't be, can it? It's too fast. It's . . . Rikuo's thoughts trailed off as he focused on the girl's lips one more time. They were but a breath away. He could almost taste her . . . No . . . Rikuo reasoned. He pulled his head back. Not like this. I need to be sure. I need to talk to her . . . when I'm human. As Rikuo settled back into his futon, he took one last look at the girl sleeping beside him. With a gentle smile, he closed his eyes and began to dream strange dreams . . . of youkai, onmyouji, and bath towels. Vocabulary: yin and yang - two opposing forces in traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine (e.g. yin = dark/evil, yang = light/good) shoji - sliding and portable doors made of paper and wood fusuma - vertical rectangular panels which can slide from side to side to redefine spaces within a room, or act as doors Credits: Khai925 |
incarnateSep 4, 2010 8:47 PM
Sep 4, 2010 7:47 PM
#10
Discoveries Chapter 2: Morning Musings How did it come to this? That one question kept circling around Yura's mind. This was not what she wanted, not what she envisioned when she took it upon herself to seek out and defeat the great demon Nurarihyon. It was supposed to be her proudest moment as an heir to the Keikain style onmyouji arts. Instead, Yura felt sick to her stomach, as if Ryuuji had unleashed his Gengen with reckless abandon. Standing before her was her ultimate goal, and all Yura could feel was an onslaught of conflicting emotions. Please tell me that this isn't real. Despite her inner plea, Yura's body did not want to comply. Her eyes began to water as she raised her left hand and focused it straight ahead. Unbidden, the young onmyuoji began to recite an incantation that she had never spoken before. "Repel the demon forces." The air had become thick as spirit energy began to swirl around the distraught girl. "Purify the source of evil." Yura grimaced as the spirit energy completely enveloped her left hand in the form of a pitch black skull. "Hag . . . Hag . . ." Time seemed to slow down as the words seemed to catch in Yura's throat, almost refusing to come out. She closed her eyes, praying one last time. Please. Please. Tell me that this isn't real. As Yura reopened her eyes, she found that her prayers remained unanswered. The haggard boy before her could only manage a tired smile. The fearful aura that normally adorned his proud figure seemed lost at the moment. His torn robe drooped from his waist, the pieces swaying as a light gust filled the air. His hair was in shambles. The normally ivory locks were coated in ash and dirt, giving it a dark gray tone. His body was not much better. Unable to fully support himself, the long-haired yokai had dropped to one knee while using his sword as a crutch. In fact, it was a surprise to Yura that he was still conscious. The boy was covered head to toe in sword wounds and gashes. Any normal human would have passed out from the blood loss. He was supposed to be the image of a man fully broken, yet he still managed to look content and happy even at death's doorstep. With tears streaming down her cheeks, the young girl screamed to the heavens as the boy before her became enveloped in a blinding white light. "HAGUN INVOCATION!" … "NURA-KUN!" Yura had jolted awake, sweat pouring down her face. She held her blanket close to her in a vice grip, clinging to it like a lifeline. She was afraid to let go for fear of falling back asleep and reliving that terrible scene. Calm down! Yura reasoned. It's over. It wasn't real. Well, at least that was what the young girl was trying to convince herself of. After taking a few deep breaths, Yura relaxed her hands and massaged her aching temples. "It happened again." Yura mumbled to herself. "One of those visions. They've become more frequent ever since I came to Ukiyoe Town." Onmyouji. As Ryuuji would say, they were "the police of those who do not belong in this world." As such, they created the tools necessary and developed the skills needed to do their job. Gifted with magic and powers beyond the realm of normal humans, the onmyouji took it upon themselves to venture into a world that not even they fully understood. From the summoning of shikigami to the practicing of spells, Yura had been a witness to what each person was capable of. Whether it was Akifusa's talent for crafting spirit blades, Pato's aptitude for controlling Gomoramaru, or Masatsugu's ability at constructing magical barriers, the young onmyouji knew that she too had the potential for greatness. Yura's birth had come as a momentous occasion for the Keikain family. As the sole female heir in over four hundred years, she was considered a beacon of hope for the cursed bloodline. With immense spirit power rivaling that of the 13th, it was believed that she could free the family from the machinations of the great ayakashi Hagoromo Gitsune. And throughout her training, Yura had shown that she was capable of carrying such a burden. Utilizing her spirit power, Yura had developed her skill at summoning multiple offensive shikigami as well as calling forth the ultimate Keikain technique, the Hagun. But unbeknownst to all save for the main family, Yura was gifted with something more. Ever since her fifth birthday, Yura had the ability to see those events that had yet to pass. From the depths of her dreams, Yura was able to see many things . . . A long-haired figure leading a procession of yokai into the night . . . A pale young woman clothed in nothing but black . . . A faceless boy offering her his hand . . . These visions were not always clear to the young girl, but she took it all in stride thanks to the support of her grandfather, the 27th Keikain Hidemoto. As he had often told her, these powers should be seen as a blessing, not a curse. Yura was chosen for a reason, and only time could tell what kind of impact her visions would have for her and for those she cared about. After shaking her head clear and lightly smacking her cheeks, Yura finally took in her current surroundings. The room was relatively dark, but after a few seconds, the onmyouji was able to adjust to the dim lighting. To her left, Yura could make out a large rectangular object. A desk, maybe? thought the young girl. Is this a shoin? She squinted her eyes as she continued to probe the room. The right wall was covered with bookshelves, and they seemed to be filled to the brim with a variety of reading materials. As her eyes moved down the shelves, a hint of movement in her peripheral vision caused the onmyouji to finally take notice of the figure nestled next to her. In a fit of surprise, Yura fell backward and knocked her head on the tatami. It took all of her strength not to scream out loud. NURA-KUN! Yura exclaimed to herself. WHAT'S GOING ON? It did not take long for Yura's memories of the previous night to come rushing back to her. The young girl's face instantly flared into a full-blown blush as she recalled the encounter in the grand bath. She could almost picture it. The steam was thick, but every curve, every muscle, and every scar was visible to her shocked eyes. The one thing that would have made the scene perfect would be the removal of the tow- AHHH! NO! Yura berated herself. STOP, STOP, STOP! The young girl had raised her arms over her head and began waving frantically in an attempt to rid her mind's eye of its current train of thought. When she was satisfied that the thought cloud had dispersed, Yura aimed her attention toward the sleeping yokai. As quietly as she could, Yura crawled over to Rikuo's side to better observe him. Despite the creaking of the tatami, the young head did not stir from his slumber. It was strange to see the master of yokai in such a defenseless state. His limbs were sprawled out in different directions, and as a result, his blanket had been twisted into an unrecognizable heap. His hair was a complete mess as well. The black and white locks were splayed all over the futon giving the impression that Rikuo was drowning in a sea of fur. But what really surprised Yura was the goofy grin that had stretched across his face. "Still sleeping, huh?" the young girl asked. She was answered by a light snore. "You know, Nura-kun," Yura found herself saying, "you really shouldn't sleep in the same room as an onmyouji." Another snore. Yura continued. "After all, you're a yokai. In case you forgot, it's my duty to exorcise you." The snore count rose to three. "And I'm still a little angry about yesterday." Yura reddened a bit, thinking about the two situations her words could apply to. "But, I'll forgive you just this once." As Yura said her piece, she noticed that a slight trail of drool had begun to drip from Rikuo's mouth. The young girl found herself smiling slightly at the boy's carefree expression. This was certainly not what she expected of the grandson of Nurarihyon. After all the stories and legends passed down by the Keikain, she imagined something more menacing, more frightening to be able to lead a hyakki yakou. But after some thought, she should have expected this. Ever since her arrival in Ukiyoe Town, Yura's perception of yokai had undergone a slight change, and it was all due to one person. "Because Nura-kun is Nura-kun." Yura reached out to wipe off the drool, but held back when she noticed something strange going on with the young head. During her one-sided conversation, Yura had failed to notice the sunlight that had begun to filter through the shoji. The onmyouji's eyes widened at the scene that was taking place. As soon as the light touched the sleeping yokai, Yura could feel the spirit power in the room fluctuate. Rikuo's body began to give off a whitish glow as streams of haze began to gush from his prone form. "Wha, what's happening?" Yura asked in a panicked voice. Her mind was in a frenzy as she tried to sort out the situation. The young girl considered screaming for Kejoro when the surge of spirit power suddenly calmed. Yura could only stare with her mouth agape at the transformation that was taking place right before her. Rikuo began to shrink slightly, and the muscles that had defined his sleeping figure so well also seemed to disappear. His face followed soon afterward. The strong pointed jaw and sculpted cheeks began to take on a little fat and regress to the adolescent face that Yura was so used to seeing. Finally, Rikuo's hair slowly receded. The long flowing locks of ebony and ivory reduced themselves to a messy black and brown mop. After a few seconds, Yura was in the presence of the Rikuo that she had grown accustomed to. ". . . Wow," the young girl finally said after witnessing the spectacle. "I guess you weren't kidding, were you, Nura-kun? Yokai at night, but human during the day. I almost didn't believe you when you first told me." Yura gave a halfhearted laugh as she turned her attention to the shoji. She already had enough surprises for one morning and needed to clear her head. As the young girl slid the shoji open, she shielded her eyes from the rising sun. Yeah, she mused, definitely a good day to clear my head. With one last look at the sleeping boy, Yura stepped into the garden. … It was a beautiful summer morning that greeted the young onmyouji when she ventured outside. The eastern sky was bathed in soft purples and blues akin to a pastel painting and the sun hung like a golden disk, signaling the start of the day. After taking a stroll around the garden, Yura took a seat on one of the many roka that lined the exterior of the Nura Clan Main House. As the young girl stretched her arms up over her head, she took a deep breath of the crisp air. With a long exhale, she relieved herself of all – well, almost all – the anxiety that had been plaguing her for the past few days. "I wonder what's going on back home," Yura mused. "For Ryuuji-niichan to come all the way here and tell me to come home, things must be really bad. And are Shuuji-niichan and Koreto-niichan really gone?" Yura felt a prick in her heart as thought about her older brothers. When she was very young, those two would dote on her night and day. After all, she was a girl and the baby of the family. But ever since they became guardians for the Keichou Seal, Yura's relationship with the two had become strained. So devoted were they to their duties that they never had much time to spare for their little sister. Tears began to well up in Yura's eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. "No," she firmly said. "I shouldn't cry. That's not what they would have wanted. I have to be strong . . ." "HAH!" Huh? the young girl questioned. What was that? "HAH!" Turning around, Yura directed her attention to the shoji before her. It was strange, but unlike the rest of the main house, this was the only one that seemed to show any signs of hardship. Pieces of wood splintered from the frame and the entire thing was covered in tape. Carefully, she pressed her ear to the sliding door and waited. "HAH!" Definitely this room. Yura was about to slide open the shoji when she caught herself. Lately, her curiosity had not been kind to her. Twice in Ukiyoe Town she had nearly lost her life. And twice Nura-kun had been there to save me, she reminded herself. This time, however, the young head was still sleeping soundly. Also, there was no telling what lay beyond that door – this was the Nura Clan Main House after all. After a few more seconds of internal deliberation, Yura came to a compromise. Ever so slowly, the onmyouji cracked the door open enough to peek inside. The room inside was relatively large, akin to that of dojo. In fact, it might as well have been a dojo. The dark wooden floors reflected the sunbeams that had come streaming in from the deep skylights. It was almost blinding that Yura had to squint her eyes even more than they already were. The walls were lined with shinai, bokken, and katana of all sizes. It certainly seemed like a place that Akifusa would enjoy. And in the center of the room stood a young woman whom Yura had never seen before. The woman looked petite, but there was an aura about her that seemed to mesmerize the young onmyouji. She was dressed in a loose white keikogi and black hakama that accentuated her form quite nicely. The back of the woman's auburn hair came down to her shoulders, but the front was parted to reveal her chocolate brown eyes. Her stare was so intense that she could have melted the bokken that she was grasping right in front of her. Finally, after a minute that almost seemed like an eternity, the young woman let out a breath and continued her routine. "HAH!" Yura remained transfixed at the performance she had become witness to. Words alone could not do justice to this woman's mastery of the sword. She began with one forward thrust and then another. From there, the woman executed a quick spin like a ballerina and then threw another thrust towards her invisible opponent. Kenshi and sword seemed to merge as one the longer the routine continued. This woman truly embodied the philosophy of letting one's weapon be an extension of the body. After a series of quick thrusts and slashes, the woman seemed to relax once more. However, there was something in her eyes that gave Yura pause. Suddenly, the young onmyouji felt it. There was a quick rise in spirit power, and it was emanating from the kenshi before her. What happened next was like poetry in motion. Assuming a solid stance with her left foot in front of her, the woman brought her bokken to her cheek and slowly closed her eyes. After whispering something to herself, the woman's eyes shot open. She took a step with her right foot and used it as a springboard to propel her lithe form into the air. It was with almost effortless ease that the woman executed two full body rotations in midair. She was like water in the way her movement flowed: graceful and serene like a sinuous river, yet mysterious and deadly like a raging torrent. As she came back to solid ground, the woman shifted her upper body as she delivered a violent cut with her bokken. "HAH!" Yura barely had any time to react as a wave of spirit energy came rushing at her. The young girl could only stare in awe at the bright blue light that had seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Then, purely out of instinct, Yura jumped back from the shoji and aimed her left hand forward. "RENTEI!" … BOOM! "WHAAAAA! I'm up! I'm up! I'm . . . huh?" Rikuo sprung up from his futon in a daze. The effects of sleep still had the young head under its spell, but he was aware enough to realize that he had just been woken up by an unwelcome alarm clock. As he lazily scanned his room, he tried to piece together what just happened. Let's see, thought Rikuo languidly, I'm pretty sure that was an explosion just now. Rikuo then had to avert his eyes as he felt the day's first rays of light. And the sun's up. Must be morning. Man, I hate mornings. Okay, morning plus explosion, morning plus explosion . . . "Ahhh," the young head said in realization, "mom must be overdoing it again. I hope the dojo is still in one piece." Rikuo could not help but chuckle to himself as he thought about the last time his clan had to remodel the dojo. Since the dawn of Edo, the Nura Clan Main House stood as a testament to his grandfather's legacy. Every member of Nurarihyon's hyakki yakou took pride in the home that their leader had constructed, for it was more than just a grandiose piece of architecture. This house was the foundation that Rikuo's grandfather created to realize his dream of coexistence between human and ayakashi, and within the span of a few hours, Rikuo's mother had reduced an important part of that foundation into naught but a smoking crater filled with splintered wood. Suffice it to say, Wakana Nura was never allowed to use her full power in the main house ever again. However, those restrictions did not stop her from accidentally destroying a shoji or two. Putting the thoughts of his mother aside, Rikuo then turned his attention to the girl who had been occupying his mind as of late. Unfortunately for him, the girl in question was nowhere to be found. All that remained of the young onmyouji was the futon in which she had slept. "Keikain-san?" Rikuo was met with nothing but silence. A chill ran up the young head's spine as a multitude of scenarios began to play through his head. Springing to his feet, Rikuo took the moment to probe his room. It was then that he noticed the partially opened shoji. She didn't go home, did she? Rikuo asked himself. It's still early, and she was hurt pretty bad. Unable to bear it any longer, Rikuo fumbled for his glasses and ripped open the shoji. Although the sun shined above him like a diamond in the sky, the young head might as well have been blind to its radiant light. His mind was focused on one thing and one thing only: Yura's safety. With desperation etched on his face, Rikuo began his search . . . "Ooof!" . . . only to run headfirst into his overprotective bodyguard. Tsurara was the perfect mirror image of her master at that moment. After her unexpected collision, the Yuki-onna fell to her rear and had taken to nursing the fresh bump on her forehead. "Ow, that really hurt," the ice yokai murmured as she continued to rub the tender bruise. "Who in their right mind would ru-" Tsurara froze mid-sentence when she realized who it was that she had crashed into. "Rikuo-sama! Oh no! Are you all right? I am so sorry! What should I do? Do you need some ice? Should I get Master Zen?" The young boy interrupted his subordinate's postulations with a wave of his hand. "Tsurara, calm down. I'm all right. But I have to go. I have to find Keikain-san." "The onmyouji girl?" the yuki-onna asked. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" "Yeah," Rikuo answered, "she's gone. Last night, she was sleeping right beside me, but when I woke up she-" "HIEEEEE?" The young head cringed as Tsurara's shriek pierced the morning air. For someone so small, she had a voice that could bring down the largest of yokai. "Ri- Ri- Rikuo-sama, you- you- you slept with that girl?" Rikuo furrowed his eyebrows as a look of pure and utter confusion adorned his face. He turned to his subordinate and was surprised to see the Yuki-onna even paler than normal. Tsurara's eyes looked downcast as a cherry red blush materialized on her cheeks. She had even taken to fiddling with her scarf in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. Finally, it dawned upon Rikuo what he had just said. "NO!" Rikuo practically screamed as he exhibited his own rosy blush. "I did not sleep with her! I mean, technically, we did sleep together, but I didn't, well, ummm, what I mean to say is . . ." "RIKUO-SAMA YOU IDIOT!" The Yuki-onna's words continued to echo as she disappeared into the house with haste. Rikuo could only sigh at his subordinate's outburst. It was not exactly unexpected; rather, he expected something much more extreme from the excessively emotional ice yokai - a frozen limb or two seemed plausible. Thankfully, the young head could say that he escaped the encounter relatively unscathed. After getting to his feet once more, Rikuo was set to resume his search, but he was delayed yet again by the arrival of another of his caretakers. "Young Master," greeted Kejoro, "good morning." "Good morning, Kejoro," answered Rikuo rather quickly. "Is something wrong?" inquired the hair yokai. "You look kind of worried." "I am worried," replied Rikuo as he looked around furiously. "When I woke up, Keikain-san was gone. You don't know where she is, do you?" The female yokai took a moment to ponder the situation. She averted her gaze to the sky as she placed a solitary finger on her puckered lips. The young head began to lose his patience and was about ready to leave when Kejoro snapped out of her thinking pose. "Young Master," Kejoro said cheerfully, "why don't you just search for her by sensing her spirit aura?" Rikuo had taken to staring at his caretaker as if she had grown a second head. The weight of her words did not fully sink in until a full minute had passed by. When the realization finally hit him, Rikuo mentally slapped himself. DUH! he screamed in his head. Why didn't I think of that in the first place? Rikuo immediately dropped to the floor and crossed his legs as if preparing to meditate. He gripped his knees and let out a slow, even breath. As his eyes gently closed, the young head cleared his mind of any and all thoughts. Sensing spirit auras was not necessarily a difficult practice, but it would take a great amount of concentration to find a single girl, especially one in a mansion full of yokai. When Rikuo had finally settled himself, he started to feel them. Auras of all kinds permeated throughout the Nura Clan Main House. To the untrained mind, spirit auras were nothing more than glowing lights, simple signals that validated one's existence in this world. Common. Ordinary. Unexceptional. These words and more would be enough for amateurs who do not have the patience to grasp the subtle nuances each aura conveys. Just like every human being and yokai, spirit auras are unique in and of themselves. By narrowing his focus, the young head was able to discern them from one another. The closest aura that Rikuo could make out was that of his sister figure right in front of him. Kejoro's aura was one that the young head could never mistake. It gave off a soft orange glow and exuded a warmth akin to a glowing hearth. Wispy strands emanating from the light were almost reminiscent of the yokai's long flowing hair. The same as always, thought Rikuo. A content sigh escaped the boy's lips as he lingered on the aura for a few more seconds. He was almost overcome with the desire to hug the female yokai, but Rikuo refrained from the impulse and continued his search. A pale blue aura raced down the corridors of the main house further away from Rikuo's location. Even from a distance, the young head could feel the cool mist that swirled around the pallid light. Must be Tsurara, mused Rikuo. I hope she calms down soon. A dark blue aura seemed to be in the company of one with a deep ebony color somewhere in the courtyard. They both gave off a proud yet amiable vibe. That has to be Ao and Kuro, thought Rikuo with a smile. Those two always seem to be together. Towards the garden, the young head could make out an aura that gave off a light green glow. It seemed just as fluid and carefree as its owner. Looks like Kappa is just being Kappa, Rikuo said to himself. I'll feed him later. Meanwhile, Kejoro simply stood and watched as her care searched for the object of his affection. She already knew the location of the onmyouji girl. After all, she could sense spirit auras as well. But it was more fun to be a spectator and have Rikuo work for his goal. From his body language and mannerisms, it looked as if the young head was coming to understand his true feelings. Like father, like son I suppose, mused Kejoro with a sad smile. "I found her!" Rikuo declared at long last, surprising his caretaker in the process. There was no doubt in his mind that this aura belonged to Yura. Just a little further from Kappa's location, the young head had found the light that he had been searching for. The aura was one of a brilliant white luminosity that constantly pulsated as if to the beat of a steady drum. Ever since Rikuo discovered the nature of the girl's aura, he believed that it suited her well. White was a common color for humans, but Yura's far outshone her fellow kin. Maybe it was her background as an onmyouji; maybe it was her unwavering and stubborn personality; or maybe it was something that Rikuo simply could not put into words; but to him at least, Yura shined brighter than even all the stars in the sky. Getting to his feet, the young head turned to Kejoro and gave her a gentle smile. "She's by the dojo," said Rikuo. "I better hurry. I think my mom's still training there." "Of course, young Master," responded the hair yokai. "Good luck." With one final wave, Rikuo took off through the garden. When his figure finally disappeared, Kejoro turned and headed for the kitchen. Guess I'll start on breakfast then. … "That was a close call," Yura noted with a nervous laugh. To think, just moments before, the shoji that she was peeking through was relatively intact, albeit a little worn. Now all that remained in its place was a pile of wood chips and scraps of duct tape. As her Rentei evaporated, Yura felt her knees buckle. With a heavy thud, she fell to her rump on the wooden floor. "OH NO, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?" a troubled voice screamed from the dojo. Yura looked up to see the kenshi that she was observing suddenly run to her aide. Now that she had a closer look at the woman, the young onmyouji could certainly see a resemblance with a certain brown-haired yokai boy. Perhaps it was the way her auburn hair stuck out messily after her training session, or maybe it was her eyes and the amount of innocence they seemed to convey at this moment. Whatever it was, Yura was certain that this woman was related to Rikuo. His sister maybe? she thought to herself. "Hello? You're not hurt, are you?" the woman inquired. She had dropped to her knees and taken to examining the fallen girl for any injuries. "No," Yura answered finally, "I'm fine. That just really surprised me." The woman's face instantly brightened. "Really?" she asked. "Thank goodness. The last time this happened, I almost exorcised Aotabo. My husband got really upset. But are you absolutely sure you're okay. You suddenly look really pale." Yura nodded vigorously, but she also felt herself slowing leaning away from this strange woman. Who is she exactly? thought the young girl. This person is definitely not normal. And those skills were very similar to onmyouji arts. "Um, excuse me," Yura started, "but who-" "MOM! KEIKAIN-SAN!" The onmyouji girl turned her head to the source of the outburst. To her surprise - and secretly, her delight - Yura saw a fairly familiar yokai boy running up to them. His spiky brown hair stuck out more than usual and his glasses looked askew, but he did not seem to care. Rikuo seemed more concerned about getting to her side as quickly as possible. She was just about to greet him when she stopped herself. Wait a second, Yura pondered, did he just say "mom"? "Ah, morning, hun," the young woman greeted. "Did you sleep well?" "Yeah," her son answered as he settled down next to Yura. "More importantly, what happened here?" The boy emphasized his question by gesticulating between the now shoji-less dojo and the two females. Rikuo's mother simply looked back and forth between her son and the mess of wood just inches away from her. She then put a finger to her lips and closed her eyes as if in deep thought. To Yura, she resembled a child who had just been caught doing something naughty, and Rikuo was the father who was now interrogating her. It was simply a crime for an adult to look this cute. Eventually, the boy's mother stuck out her tongue and gave herself a playful punch to the head. "Sorry, Rikuo," she apologized while clapping her hands together. "I guess I overdid it with the practice. You won't tell grandpa, will you?" The young head gave an exasperated sigh. "No, I won't," he answered, "but you know he's going to find out eventually." "Yeah, I guess so." The woman's eyes then lit up as she changed the focus of her attention. "By the way, hun, who's this pretty girl right here? Is she your girlfriend?" The question hit the youngsters like a punch to the gut. They both immediately reddened as their eyes caught one another. Time seemed to slow down as a heavy silence filled the air. Yura could clearly hear her heart beat. It was deafening and the young girl was almost sure that her chest would burst. Then, in perfect unison, the two adolescents gave their answer. "NO!" The silence was almost palpable this time. Yura had dropped her head and refused to look at anyone. She was almost sure that Rikuo was doing the same. Thankfully, the awkwardness was shattered by the boy's mother. "Really?" she asked. "That's a shame. By the way, I'm Rikuo's mother, Wakana Nura. But you can call me Wakana, or mom if you prefer." "Mom!" "What's wrong, Rikuo?" Wakana questioned. "I don't mind." Yura finally lifted her head to look at the smiling woman before her. The young girl could not help but smile back. As powerful as Wakana seemed to be, hers was a personality that Yura could not hate. The onmyouji was certainly starting to warm up to her. "My name is Yura," the girl stated, "Yura Keikain. Sorry for the intrusion. Nura-kun was kind enough to help me after I got into some trouble yesterday." "Trouble?" Wakana exclaimed with a worried voice. "That's not good! What happened?" "It was nothing big," Yura reassured the woman. "Please, don't worry about it." Wakana still seemed doubtful, but she decided not to push the issue any further. "Okay, if you insist," she said. "Good thing Rikuo was there." "Yeah," Yura agreed. The young onmyouji then took that moment to look Rikuo straight in the eyes. "I'm very thankful for that." The young head's expression softened as soon as he heard those words. "Don't worry about it," he assured. "If you ever need help, you can always count on me." Yura blushed slightly as she heard those words. It was just like Rikuo to say something like that. No matter the person or the situation, he would gladly offer his assistance. That was just the type of person he was. Maybe that was why she so easily accepted his admission the night before. Be it yokai or human, Rikuo was still Rikuo. But I still want to make sure . . . "Okay!" Wakana exclaimed knocking Yura out of her reverie. "Now, why don't we all go have some breakfast? Yura-chan, I'm sure you're famished. Why don't you join us?" "Oh no," Yura responded, "I couldn't impose on you like that. I'm fine, re-" GRRROOOWWWLLL! Yura froze as the sound echoed for a good five seconds. Wakana gave a knowing smile while Rikuo tried rather unsuccessfully to stifle his laughter. Of all the times for my stomach to betray me, lamented the young girl. "Well," Yura now decided, trying to regain some of her pride, "I guess I could stay for breakfast." "Good girl." Wakana then turned to her son. "Rikuo, do you think you can go find your grandpa? I think he went to eat over at the Usami's again." "Really? All right," agreed the young head as he rolled his eyes. "I'll look for him. I swear, gramps causes too much trouble for the neighbors." As the boy stood up to walk away, Wakana addressed Yura once more. "Yura-chan, do you think you can help me prepare the banquet hall for breakfast? I'd really appreciate it." "Sure," replied the young onmyouji. There was no way she could really refuse. It was the least she could do after being treated to a free meal. "Keikain-san!" Surprised, Yura looked back at the call of her name. In the distance by the weeping cherry tree, she could make out the figure of Rikuo happily waving at her. "I almost forgot," he yelled, "I'm glad you're all right!" … Yura took a moment to examine herself in the mirror. At the insistence of Rikuo's mother, the onmyouji had changed out of her borrowed pajamas and into a light blue yukata. It was a magnificently beautiful robe, and Yura was amazed at how well it fit her. Pale pink sakura petals decorated the entire fabric and the matching coral colored obi complimented the outfit quite well. "Wow," Wakana praised, "you look so cute Yura-chan! I'm glad my old yukata was able to fit you." Rikuo's mother had changed into an equally beautiful pale yellow kimono with a sunflower print. She was the perfect picture of the traditional Japanese woman. It was almost hard to believe that this was the same person that the young onmyouji encountered at the dojo. "This is yours Nura-san?" asked Yura in astonishment. "I couldn't possibly wear this. What if I ruin it?" "Nonsense, Yura-chan," the woman declared. "And please, call me Wakana. I can't wear that anymore. It's too short. A yukata is meant to be worn. Otherwise, it's nothing more than a useless piece of fabric. I'd rather it be worn by a pretty girl than sit around gathering dust." "Are you sure?" Yura questioned tentatively. "Of course," promised Wakana. The woman then came up behind the girl and gently grasped her shoulders, willing her to look in the mirror again. "Don't you see how cute you look right now? I bet the boys simply go crazy for you at the summer festivals." Yura could not help but blush at the woman's compliment. She was never really one to consider her looks before. The young onmyouji was always too preoccupied with her training to focus on anything else. Even things like dressing up in yukatas and going to festivals were relatively foreign to her. She would definitely have to change that. "Thank you, Nura-sa-, uh, I mean, Wakana-san," Yura said. "I'm simply telling the truth," she replied cordially. Wakana then flashed a quick smile and beckoned the young girl to the hallway. "Okay then. Now let's hurry and get breakfast ready." Rikuo's mother wasted no time in leading Yura to the banquet hall. Along the way though, Yura could not help but marvel at the size of the mansion. Sure, she had explored it during her first visit, but she had never really taken the time to appreciate the grandiosity of it all. Its scale and style could have been compared to the Keikain Main House. The only difference between the two would be the type of occupants. "Excuse me, Wakana-san," Yura remarked as they continued walking, "but may I ask you something?" "Of course, dear. What is it?" "Well," the girl said slowly, "I was just wondering . . . you are human, aren't you?" The woman gave her a quick glance but otherwise kept walking. "That sure is a strange question," Wakana stated, "but it's understandable coming from an onmyouji." Yura immediately froze. "Wait," the girl asserted, "how did you know?" Wakana had also stopped and turned to face her. "It wasn't hard to figure out. Back at the dojo, you managed to dispel my attack, and with a shikigami no less. I have to say that was quite impressive, especially coming from someone so young. But to answer your first question, yes, I am human." Yura relaxed once she heard that admission. Despite her increasing tolerance for certain yokai, she was still an onmyouji. It would not be easy to let go of a prejudice that had been ingrained in her since she was a child. "Then does that mean that you're an onmyouji as well?" questioned Yura. "That attack back there was not something a normal human would be capable of." "Oh no," Wakana denied raising her hands. "I have never made it a duty to exorcise yokai. Otherwise, I wouldn't have married my husband. However, I do admit that I have dabbled in onmyouji arts. But that's a story for another time." After giving one more smile, Wakana slid open the nearby fusuma. "Ah, Wakana-sama" a familiar voice exclaimed from the banquet hall, "there you are! Can you set the tables near the far wall?" "Of course," replied the woman kindly. "Oh, and Tsurara-chan, I brought some help today." "Really?" questioned the ice yokai. "Who is i- HIEEEEE? THE ONMYOUJI GIRL?" Said onmyouji girl simply raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you?" she asked. "You don't have to worry. I'm too tired to exorcise any yokai today. Besides, Nura-kun would probably be upset if I did." Upon hearing the mention of the young head, Tsurara suddenly forgot about being scared. Her thoughts turned to her run-in with Rikuo earlier that morning and she found herself growing a little red. "Exorcise?" snapped the Yuki-onna. "Please, you couldn't even take care of some dirty rats. We had to save your sorry butt during the Kyuuso incident." "What was tha-" "OUCH!" The two girls now had fresh bumps on their heads courtesy of the Nura Clan matriarch. The woman stared them down as she held a bokken over her right shoulder. Where did she get that? Yura questioned. "Enough girls," Wakana stated firmly. "I don't want any fighting, okay. We have to get breakfast ready. Or would you like to deal with me?" The atmosphere shifted as the woman adopted an almost feral grin. Both girls quivered as she awaited their reply. For someone who usually acted with a childlike innocence, Wakana Nura could be downright terrifying if she so wished it. After a short pause, the girls mentally agreed upon their desire to continue living. "We're sorry!" At their apology, the woman relinquished her bokken and gave them a more genuine smile. "Good," she asserted. "Now let's hurry up. We have a job to do." … "I'm back," Rikuo called as he returned from his rather unfruitful search. For nearly half and hour, the young head had been scouring Ukiyoe Town for the Supreme Commander. He thought he had a lead at the Usami's when he discovered the remnants of his grandpa's patented eat-and-run, but the trail simply went cold after that. Seriously, Rikuo fumed, where does gramps go sometimes? He's just causing too much trouble for us and the neighbors. Whatever. He'll come back when he wants to. Right now, I just want something to eat. As Rikuo walked down the corridors of the main house, he had only one destination in mind: the banquet hall. To say he was starving was an understatement. After all his running around and worrying, the boy simply wanted to sit down to a nice hot bowl of miso soup. The closer Rikuo got to banquet hall, the hungrier he seemed to get. The delectable scent of Kejoro's cooking wafted around his nose, teasing his stomach like a dangling carrot. Aside from the miso, he could clearly make out some grilled fish and eggs. Just add some rice with nori, and Rikuo would be in heaven. But despite the euphoria his senses were feeling, the young head could not help but feel a sense of foreboding. Around meal times, the banquet hall would be rife with the sounds of eating and merrymaking. As it was, things were deathly quiet. I hope I'm just imagining it, thought the young head. When Rikuo finally reached his destination, he found that his instincts were right on target. A heavy silence filled the air as the banquet hall was split into two camps. To the left was the majority of the hyakki yakou while the right was a relatively small group composed of his mother, Yura, and his closest attendants. Neither side seemed to be eating; rather, they appeared to be at a standstill. Members from both sides simply stared across the room as if daring the other to make the first move. Unable to take it anymore, Rikuo decided to speak up. "Oi, what's going on here?" The spell seemed to break as all eyes focused on Rikuo. Nervous murmuring broke out between members of the hyakki. "Nura-kun!" Yura exclaimed first. She looked relieved to see him. "Oh, Rikuo," his mother piped in, "there you are. We were waiting for you. Perhaps you can settle this." "Settle what?" the young head asked. "Um, Rikuo-sama," chimed a squeaky voice at the boy's feet. He looked down to see Natto Kozo wringing his hands rather anxiously. "Pardon my rudeness, but do you realize that the onmyouji girl is sitting over there?" The young head gave the tiny yokai a bemused expression. "Yes," he answered. "I realize that. We invited her to breakfast." Natto was starting to look more timid. "Yes, we- well," he stammered, "we were just wondering why?" Now Rikuo was starting to get annoyed. He was tired and hungry and he certainly did not need his subordinates making Yura uncomfortable. "Why?" he yelled. "I'll tell you why! It's because she's my friend! End of discussion! If any of you have a problem with that, speak up now!" When no one made a sound, Rikuo made his way to his mother's table and sat next to Yura. The onmyouji girl had her head down, but beneath her bangs, he could see the makings of a small smile and a light blush. "Thank you," the girl whispered. Her voice was soft, but it alone was enough to curb his rising temper. "No problem," Rikuo assured her. "Let's just eat." "Uh, young master," Kejoro interrupted, "you might want to hold off on that." The hair yokai motioned to the rest of the hyakki. "Why, wha-" "AIEEEEE, MASTER HAS BETRAYED US!" "HE SOLD US OUT TO THE ONMYOUJI!" "I'M TOO YOUNG TO BE EXORCISED!" "SUPREME COMMANDER! WHERE IS THE SUPREME COMMANDER!" Utter pandemonium broke out as members of the hyakki yakou went hysterical. Chairs and tables were sent flying as a mass exodus took place in the banquet hall. It was quite a sight to behold actually. Not even during the Shikoku incident had Rikuo seen his subordinates as riled up as this. Within a few seconds, the entire room was nothing more than barren wasteland, and it would be Aotabo who broke the silence. "Well," Ao stated, "I guess we better go round up those idiots before they do something stupid. Kuro, Kubinashi, Kappa, come with me." Both Kubinashi and Kappa nodded and got to their feet. The monk just gave a heavy sigh. "Fine," he relented. "Young Master, you and Keikain-san should probably eat. It might be easier to persuade the others to come back if you're finished." With that, the two assault officers plus two set off. "I am so confused right now," remarked Rikuo. "Well, hun," his mother finally said, "it was already quite chaotic before you got back. For some reason, everyone was scared of Yura-chan." "She is an onmyouji after all," Tsurara noted offhandedly as she filled her bowl with rice. "Yes, I know," continued Wakana, "but I didn't think they would overreact so much. And I thought for sure that Rikuo would knock some sense into them. Oh well, I'm sure they'll learn to love her eventually." When the conversation ceased, Rikuo dropped his head to the table and let out one last sigh. This is going to be a long day, he mused. As he thought those words, however, he felt something warm envelop his left hand under the wooden surface and give it a gentle squeeze. But as quickly as it had come, the sensation was suddenly gone. Lifting his head, Rikuo was surprised to find the seat next to him vacant. Did I just imagine that? Meanwhile, Yura started serving herself some food all while sporting a gentle smile. Good thing I stayed for breakfast. Vocabulary: shoin - a study room roka - wooden floored passages on the edge of a house shinai - a bamboo practice sword bokken - a Japanese wooden sword used for training katana - a Japanese backsword also commonly referred to as a "samurai sword" keikogi - a uniform for training, used in martial arts derived from Japan hakama - a garment separated in the middle to form two wide trouser legs kenshi - swordsman yukata - a Japanese garment, a casual summer kimono usually made of cotton obi - a sash worn with a kimono or with the uniforms used by practitioners of Japanese martial arts kimono - a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women, and children miso - a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus kojikin nori - the Japanese name for various edible seaweed species Credits: Khai925 |
incarnateSep 4, 2010 8:48 PM
Sep 4, 2010 7:57 PM
#11
Sakura Chapter 1: Youhime Youhime sat on her crisp white futon that was currently being stained with salty tears. She wasn't one hundred percent sure why she was crying, maybe it was because she was being imprisoned in her own home? or was it because she was being used as a money maker for her father? Her father, he changed from being a great and kind man to someone who only wants money and more money. Ever since she has discovered this power to heal the sick and showed her father he became greedy for money. Not caring about how the sudden change affected his only daughter. The only reason she even healed all the people who came to her was because she cared for them deeply, even though she doesn't exactly know them, and it hurts her to see them in pain. She couldn't stand such things, she wants the world to be a peaceful and safe place where no one can be harmed, but it seems the world she is living in was the exact opposite of her dreams. She sighed and looked up into the beautiful moon that hanged high in the pitch black night sky. The light from the moon illuminated the garden, giving it an eerie glow that made a small shiver run up her spine. She suddenly jumped back a little when she saw something pass by the trees outside the wall that separated the garden and forest from the other side. She raised both her eyebrows in confusion and quickly shut the shoji doors closed with a force. She slowly sat back in her futon and closed her eyes. Was she now being spied on? Was it a yokai? Did they want her ikigimo? She in an un lady like manner bit her bottom lip in fear as silent tears slid down her flawless cheeks. Startled by her emotions Youhime quickly sniffed and wiped away her tears as best as she could when someone lightly knocked on the frame of her shoji door. "Y-yes?" She answered with her soft voice. "Are you alright my lady?" a male voice asked on the other side of the shoji. Youhime sighed when the voice of her guard came to her ears, she was afraid that it was her father on the other side. It was not like she despised or feared her father, it was because he became so filled with greed that she just couldn't look at him the same way she did before her powers came forth. "I'm fine" she answered as she lay down on her futon and closed her eyes, instantly falling in to a dreamless rest. ... The young yakashi sat on a branch in a tree in the forest that gave him a clear view of the mansion that was only a few hundred yards away. He smirked and couldn't help himself, but to think of the beautiful woman that resided in the mansion. She was rumored to be Kyoto's number one beauty and he needed to find out if it was true or not. So with the help of Karasu Tengu he found her. And oh, boy were the rumors true. She looked like a goddess with her pale skin and long black hair that reached her mid thigh. What captured him the most was her big doe brown eyes and kindness. She was really kind towards everyone and that intrigued the yakashi to an extent. His golden amber eyes narrowed when he heard a noise in the bush under him. He had his hand already at the hilt of his sword, ready for any attack that may come, but he suddenly let his body relax when he saw a snow white hand pop out then the rest of the woman's body. "Supreme commander, what are you doing here?" She asked as her yellow eyes looked up at him curiously, waiting for his answer. She couldn't help herself, but to blush at the way he was looking at her. She had to admit, but the supreme commander was a handsome man. His golden amber eyes had a feline look and shape to it, his slightly tanned skin and light sandy brown and black hair that seemed to literly stand out from his head made the inside of her stomach do strange flip flops. "Hm, nothing" He answered as he jumped out of the tree and started to walk away. She simply stared at his retreating back and glanced back at the mansion he was staring at. Was he going to eat the food from those rich looking ningens? If so then he should have done that ages ago. Guess that it was more of a challenge then the other? Nah, that can be there is nothing that her supreme commander can't do. She twirled around and started to run to catch with him and walk back together to where everyone else was. ... Youhime sat in the parlor where a sick child lay on the floor in deep pain, she frowned when she saw that he had strange spots all over his face. He was panting in pain and moaning that it hurts. "We beg of you, youhime-sama please heal this child" the boy's father pleaded with tears brimming around his eyes. Youhime felt a small twang in her chest and gently smiled at the father. "Everything will be fine, you will definitely be healed" she said as she gently gazed at the boy who was now crying. She closed her eyes and laid her hand on his father, she then with her emotions filled with hope healed the boy that was in front of her. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the ugly spots were gone and that he stopped crying and was now peacefully sleeping. "Y—you healed him, youhime-sama!"the father praised as he stared at his once sick child with amazement. "You must be a child of god! Every doctor we went to gave him up for dead" He added with high voice of praise. Youhime gave out a tired sigh and slightly bowed her head to the man. She wanted to get out of there, she's happy that she cured the boy, but not being called 'child of god' because she was no child of god and she was sure as hell that she will not become arrogant and believe it. "Excuse me, but I am very tired" She said as she exited the parlor, leaving her money hungry father to collect the prize. She was sitting in her room when a yakashi came bursting in heading towards her with a freighting speed, she screamed and closed her eyes readying for the impact, but she felt nothing. She peeked an eye open to see that the yakashi was cut down in two and the bald onmyouji standing next to its corpse with a katana in his hand. Keikan sheeted his sword and deeply bowed to youhime who looked terrified at what just happened. He glanced at his sword and an idea came to mind. "Youhime-sama" He said, getting the attention of the frightened girl. "Y-es?" She answered looking at him with her big brown eyes. "Please take this Taimatou" He said as he bowed and handed her the sword "Taimatou? Why should I take this Keikan-san?" She asked while holding the katana in her slightly shaking hands. "It will help protect you" He answered as he walked away. ... Youhime sat in her room at night, holding the spirit blade against her chest. For some odd reason she had the feeling that she was being watched, and she hates the feeling because she was already like a caged bird in her own room and now she was being stalked? Can she not have some privacy for once in her life? She deeply frowned at the thought, she was about to go to sleep when a sleek voice stopped her right in her tracks. "To think a melancholy brooding face could be so beautiful on a moonlit night" She started to sweat and shakily un sheeted the katana a little bit, who was this person? And did he get pass the guards? Calm down! She screamed inside her head. "Who are you villain!" She screamed as she turned around, un sheeting the rest of the sword, but before she could do anything she was tackled down to the floor by the person. She was panting with fear as the man lay on top of her, pinning her down. "Such a peerless beauty" He said as he gently grabbed her chin and examined her face. She closed her eyes in fear and gripped the sword in her hand and prepared her best to fight back. She was never the one for violence, but if she had to protect herself then so be it. "Please let go of me" She begged "Your hurting me" But it seemed that her begging was futile because the man simply ignored her as he kept studying her face. She inwardly puffed in annoyance and aimed the sword as best as she could, she closed her eyes and sliced the man that was on top of her. She carefully opened her eyes, to see that she cut his arm a little bit, she saw him smirk a litte bit till suddenly blood started to spurt out of arm. "Hey now! Is that a spirit blade!" he asked as he shockingly stared at his arm that was spurting his blood all over the place. Youhime panicked and quickly touched his arm, semi closing the wound that she inflicted at the man, but wait wasn't the sword a demon exorcism sword? Does that mean that the man was a yakashi? Her heart started to race and her palms became sweaty. Was he going to eat her heart or liver? Was she going to die tonight. He stared as his semi healed arm where Youhime cut him, he couldn't believe a kind woman like that actually had a spirit blade with her. He wonders if the onmyouji that was guarding the mansion gave it to her. Interesting. "Who…are you?" She asked him as they both stared at each other in an awkward silence. "You-" he was suddenly cut off by someone frantically knocking on her shoji frame. The yakashi quickly jumped up and headed towards the garden to make his escape, but before he left he glanced at Youhime and gave her a mischievous smirk. "They call me Nurarihyon" he answered as he grinned at her "Your pretty interesting, I will be coming back tomorrow" He added as he jumped out leaving her sitting on the floor with a slightly startled look on her face. "Are you alright youhime?" the onmyouji asked on the other side. Youhime shook her head in amazement and answered him that she was fine. She was to startled at his statement that he was going to visit her again that her cheeks turned red and her heart started to hammer in her innocent heart. I will be waiting yakashi-sama. Credits: HorrorOpheliac |
incarnateSep 4, 2010 8:52 PM
Sep 4, 2010 8:02 PM
#12
A Story About Yuki Onna's Past Chapter 1 "Master! Master! Where are you! Master!" Tsurara (Yuki-Onna) yelled as she ran around the town looking for Rikuo. "Where could he have gone?" She asked very frustrated and looked around her. She was so in to looking for Rikuo, that she didn't notice three shadows, which were lurking behind her, and following her. "Is that her?" One of them asked. "Yeah, we finally found her", the other said. "It took us quite a while", third one said. "But it was worth it, master is going to reward us", first one said. "But why is she looking like that?" The other one asked. "She's probably trying to mask herself, by looking like a human", the third said. "No, I meant that child form", the other said. "Pathetic!" Third said and spitted to the ground. "We're going to strip her from her fake form!" "Master!" Tsurara kept on yelling and running, until she got at the end of the street. She noticed that she was on a dead end. "I suppose I should go back", she said and sighed. "It won't be so easy", a voice from the shadows said. Tsurara was surprised and turned to look at there. "Who's there?" She yelled. All she got for an answer was just very loud laughing. "Show yourselves!" She yelled and got on defence. Soon three exactly same looking women came out of the shadows. Only difference between them was that they all had different hair colours. The woman on the middle had dark blue hair, the woman on her left had completely white hair and the woman on her right had completely black hair. Their clothes looked exactly like Yuki-Onna´s. Tsurara looked at them very confused; it took a while before she got even a word out of her mouth. "Who are you?" She asked. "My apologies, we're The Ice Triplets. My name is Icy. This lady on my left is Shire and on my right is Sere", the woman on the middle said very politely. Tsurara looked still very suspicious. "And we know who you are, Oikawa Tsurara…or should I say Yuki-Onna", Icy said and all three of them looked straight at her. Tsurara startled and took one step back. The woman with the white hair noticed that and laughed. "There's nowhere to run!" Shire yelled very threatening. Tsurara got very defensive and started to analyze the situation. "This is very bad, I don´t think that I will be able to win against the three of them and escaping from here is also very unlikely. What I should do?" Tsurar thought and looked all three of them. "You don't have to be so defensive", Icy said and laughed. "If you come with us without resisting, we won't hurt you." Tsurara looked at them with terrified eyes, but they soon vanished. "I won't come with you", she said with a very deep voice and turned to her youkai form. All three of them looked at her with very bored expression. "I see…" Icy said and looked to the ground. Then all of a sudden she was standing right in front of her. Tsurara was very surprised and tried quickly back off, but Icy was much faster. She kicked Tsurara and she flew straight into a wall. After that Sere and Shire rushed at her and pierced through her with two ice sticks, chaining her into the wall. "This…power…you…are…" She tried to say, but was interrupted, when she started to cough blood. "Yes they are my subordinates", said a voice from the darkness. Tsurara lifted her head and looked straight ahead. Soon a white haired woman, who had completely white kimono and red eyes, came out. When three siblings saw her, they immediately bowed down in front of her. Tsurara was so shocked that she couldn't move even a muscle, she just stared at the woman standing before her. "It has been a long time hasn't it, Yuki-Onna, or should I call you Tsurara?" Woman said and looked straight to Tsurara. "Isana Easley, the leader of the Ice Clan, and the conquer of the north", Tsurara said quietly. "I need your power Tsurara, come back to me…" Tsurara walked very slowly back to home. She didn't care that people stared at her bloody outfit and her wounds. When she finally got back, everyone came to greet her. "Yuki-Onna, where have you been? Master Rikuo came back many hours ago. Yuki-Onna what happened to you? Are you okay!" Kubinashi said when she saw Tsurara. "I'm fine", she just said and tried to hide her face behind her hair. "You're not okay! Your wounds are very deep, they are right through your stomach. Let me see", Kubinashi said and lend his hand close to Tsurara. "I said I'm fine!" She yelled and slapped his hand away, and the run away leaving Kubinashi looking after her very worried and confused. Tsurara run straight to her room and locked the door by freezing it. Then she just sat middle of the room and covered her face with her hands, very desperately. "What should I do!" She yelled in her mind and repeated the conversation she had with the leader of the Ice Clan. "I need you power Tsurara, come back to me", Isana said and looked at Tsurara. Tsurara looked at her very surprised. "I need your power to kill 100 youkai´s with just one stone", she whispered to Tsurara. Tsurara turned completely white. "I…", Tsurara started very reluctantly, but then sobered up. "I already have a Master, Nura Rikuo. He's going to become the next supreme commander. I'm sorry, but I can't come with you", Tsurara said very proudly. "Ooh, that's too bad", Isana said and turned around. After taking three steps she seemed to remember something and looked at Tsurara behind her shoulder. "I forgot to say, that if you don't come with me, I will go to tell to this Master Rikuo of yours about your past and about your true form, miss salyer-of-the-1000-youkais", She said very sweetly and smiled at Tsurara. Tsurara was very shocked and couldn't move "I'll be waiting your answer, you have till tomorrow, until I come to pay a visit", after saying that all four of them just disappeared. Tsurara ripped the ice sticks of and fell to the ground very depressed. "Tsurara! Tsurara, are you there!" Tsurara´s thoughts were interrupted and Tsurara turned to look at the door, it was still locked. "Is it Kubinashi?" She thought very annoyed and was ready to yell him go away. "It's me Rikuo", the voice said. Tsurara was shocked and without wanting tears started to drop from her eyes. "W-what?" Tsurara asked trying to keep her voice calm, but didn't succeed in it very well. "Are you alright?" Rikuo asked. "Kubinashi, said that you were really badly hurt." "Damn that Kubinashi", Tsurara thought very angry. "No, I'm fine. He saw wrong", Tsurara said. "Really. Then why your door is locked. You lock your door only, when something is wrong", Rikuo said. Tsurara didn´t say anything. "Can you tell me?" He begged. "Just leave me alone!" Tsurara yelled and now she didn't even try to control her tears. And it was heard from her voice that she was crying, even Rikuo heard it. "Tsurara…are you…are you crying?" He asked very carefully. "No! Just leave me alone already!" She yelled again and hugged herself very tightly. "Ok", he said. "But remember Tsurara, no matter what you can tell me anything. To my day form and to my night form", Rikuo said. After he had said those words Tsurara would have wanted to run through the door and beg forgiveness, but she didn't what stopped her from doing it. Was it her guilt or her mind? After Rikuo had left Tsurara fell to the floor and started to cry very loudly. Even though Rikuo was at the end of the hall, he still heard Tsuraras crying. He had to force himself to walk forward. "What! Are you serious, Yuki-Onna?" Supreme Commander yelled at Tsurara who sat in front of him. "Yes, Supreme Commander", Tsurara said very formally and looked at him with a determined expression. "I Yuki-Onna, who has served Nura clan for over 500 years, will now leave the Nura Clan, and by doing that I also will sever myself from everyone inside the Nura clan", she said very formally and then sat down to her seat. For a while neither one of them said anything. Finally after a long silence, supreme commander sighed. "If that is what you truly want…", he said very slowly, and looked at her like he could have seen right trough her. Tsurara swallowed loudly and tried to keep quiet. After a while she nodded. Supreme Commander sighed again and then spoke. "Fine then…Yuki-Onna from this day onward your going to be separated from Nura clan!" He announced. Tsurara tried to swallow her tears and nodded. After that she stood up and walked to the door. "Are you leaving immediately?" Supreme Commander asked very surprised. "Yes, it's a good night to go", Tsurara answered. "What about saying goodbye to everyone?" Tsurara thought about it but shook then her head. "Even Rikuo?" To that Tsurara couldn't say anything and she just opened the door and step out. "We'll always have a room for you", Supreme Commander said quietly. Tsurara just closed the door and started to walk as fast as she could to the exit. She avoided any places where she could run in to anyone especially to Rikuo. When she finally got to the exit she sighed from relief. "Where are you going?" A deep voice asked. Tsurara jump from surprise and turned to look behind her. And then Rikuo came out of the shadows, and not any Rikuo, the night Rikuo. Night Rikuo looked at Tsurara and Tsurara tried to avoid his look. "You shouldn't be moving, you're still very wounded", he suddenly said. Tsurara was surprised and looked at her stomach the wounds had reopened and her white kimono was turning to red. "I'm fine", she just said and turned her back to Rikuo, and she couldn't look him in the eyes. "Is it true?" He suddenly asked. Tsurara startled. "Are you leaving?" Rikuo asked. Tsurara turned around and looked at straight to Rikuo´s eyes, they were same as always didn't show any emotions. Tsurara turned her face away. "Is it true?" Rikuo asked and Tsurara heard a small frustration from his voice. Tears started to fall from Tsuraras eyes again and Rikuo noticed them. "Yes…" Tsurara said and tried to keep her voice calm. After that neither one of them didn't say a thing. And before Rikuo could ask anything else Tsurara turned around and ran away. Rikuo unconsciously led out his hand like trying to stop her. Then he suddenly put it down and looked surprised. "What am I doing? I have never felt this way before…" He thought and put his hand on top of his heart. "Why…" He asked and looked after Tsurara. Tsurara kept on running and didn't stop until she was very far away. After she had stopped she tried to stop crying and soon Isana appeared before her. "So, it seems you have made up your mind", Isana said and looked very pleased. Tsurara looked at her with empty eyes. "Fine, I'm coming with you, but I have one condition", Tsurara added. "Fine", Isana said and her pleased face slipped away. "If I have to work with you, my condition is that you or anyone under you will never tell anyone in Nura clan especially to Master Rikuo about my past or my true form. And it will never be shown to any of them", Tsurar said. "Fine, and in return, you will promise to serve me and only me and fulfil my any command without failures", Isana said and smiled very pleased. Tsurara swallowed again. "I…" Tsurara started but stopped when Isanan lifted her hand. "Wait I want this to be official, I want us to make a contract", Isana said. Tsurar looked terrified. "What? How do you expect me to any other way make sure that you won´t betray me", Isana said. Very reluctantly Tsurara led out her hand and then Isana took it, then she started to draw some strange symbols to it. "Done, now I promise to fill my end of the bargain", she said and the symbols glowed, then she looked at Tsurara. "I promise to fill my end of the bargain", Tsurara said very reluctantly. Then the symbols on her started to glow again. "Hahaa! I actually did it! I got the slayer of the 1000 youkais! Now she is my mine forever!" Isana started to laugh. "Now, let's test it", she said and looked at Tsurara. "I want you to…" She said and looked around her. "To destroy that house!" She yelled and pointed a very big house next to them. Tsurara looked terrified. "I can't do that!" She yelled. "Oh really?" Isana said slowly. "Then, I order you Yuki-Onna! I order you to destroy that house using all of your powers!" Isana yelled. The power of the contract made Tsurara fell to the ground and scream from pain. Then everything around her froze and soon she flew towards the house and few seconds later it exploded. Isana looked very fascinated when she looked Tsurara to destroy the house. "That's it, that's the power I have been seeking, the power to destroy any opposing clan!" Isana said and started to laugh very loudly. Credits: Qwaser |
Sep 4, 2010 8:15 PM
#13
A Story About Yuki Onna's Past Chapter 2 After Tsurara had left (about a month ago), Rikuo tried to live normally, but even in his night form his thoughts got always mixed up with Tsurara. "Rikuo?" Said a voice, Rikuo opened his eyes. He was at the school's top and had fallen asleep. He looked at who was there, it was Kana, Yura, Kiyojyuji, Torii, Maki, and Shima. "What's wrong? We have been looking all over for you. Why were you all alone in here?" Kana asked and looked very worried. "I'm fine", Rikuo said as he stood up, and started to walk away. "By the way Rikuo", Shima suddenly said. Rikuo stopped but didn't turn around. "Do you know where Oikawa is? I haven't seen her in a while", Shima asked. Rikuo got really silent and tight. "You're right she has been absent a lot lately", Torii said. "You don't think that she would have…" Kana said but didn't finish the sentence. "She…" Rikuo started and everyone looked at his back. "She left", Rikuo said and ran away. Evreyone looked after him very confused. "I can't, I just can't!" Rikuo thought to himself as he run away from school. He didn't stop until he was very far away from school. "I just can't pretend like nothing happened", He said and squeezed his "Tsurara! Why didn't you tell me what was wrong!" He yelled and let his tears finally fall down. Rikuo walked straight to home, because he didn't want to go back to school. When he went back inside, Kubinashi almost run into him. "Ooh! I´m so sorry…" Kubinashi said quickly. "Oh! Master!" Kubinashi yelled when he realized it was Rikuo, and then grabbed his hand. "Come Master Rikuo! There is an emergency!" Kubinashi said as he lead him away. "What is it Kubinashi!" Rikuo said as he followed Kubinashi. "Like I told you we have an emergency", Kubinashi explained. "But, what kind of?" He asked. Kubinashi stopped and turned to look at him, with very serious eyes. Then he lifted three of his fingers up. "What does that mean?" Rikuo asked. "It's the number of clans, which have been assassinated in the last three days", Kubinashi said. Rikuos eyes widened and he almost started to run towards his grandfathers' room. "Was it someone we had alliance with?" "No, they were all some clans which Nura had had a long arguments", Kubinashi said. Rikuo sighed out of relief. "But, this is bad", Kubinashi said and bit his nail. "How come?" Rikuo asked. "Think about it, in the last month six clans of youkais´ have been exterminated. It won't be long until it reaches this far and then…" Kubinashi said but didn't finish the sentence. "And then some of our clans are going to be exterminated", Rikuo said. Kubinashi nodded. And after that neither one of them said anything until they reached the Supreme Commander. "Ooh! You have come back", Isana said very excited as a long figure stepped, in front of her, from the shadows. The person didn't say anything and just looked to the ground. "Why you! Show some respect to conquer of the north Isana…" Sere yelled at the person but Isana stopped her. "But your Highness…" Sere started but shut up, when Isana looked her with very serious eyes. Then Isana turned to look at the figure, which face was covered by her cape's hood. "Look at me", Isana said quietly. The person didn't do anything. "I said, look at me!" Isana yelled with very demanding eyes. The person almost fall to her knees, but decided the to turn to look to Isana. "Now that's better", Isana said and lay back in her chair. "Now, how did it go? I hope it went as smoothly as the one the other day", Isana said and smiled to the memory. The person didn't say anything and just looked to the floor. "Do you want me to order you again?" Isana said with a very innocent voice. The person startled and lifted one's head. "Every last one of the youkais, were exterminated, without any exceptions. Only three of them were strong or brave enough to challenge me, including the leader of the clan", the person said and after silenced. "What about the clan leader? He was strong wasn't he?" Isana asked and looked at the person. The person held her hand and the floor under her was filled with blood. Isana looked very pleased. "Well I hope, you're not too injured, because I have another assignment for you", Isana said and smiled again. The person lifted her head again. "I'm done with the small bugs, now I'm going to go for a big one", Isana said very excited. "This time your order is to exterminate the leader of the Yakishi clan", Isana said and looked at her. She was very startled. "Yes, I'm ordering you to kill Zen the leader of the Yakishi clan", Isana announced. The person looked very reluctant, and Isana noticed that. "I hope you get that this is…an order!" Isana said and yelled the last word. From the order's power the person fell to the ground. The Ice Triples just laughed at her. "That's all", Isana said and then she and the ice triples left, leaving that person lying on the ground. "Master…" She said quietly and desperately. "Silence!" The Supreme Commander yelled at the youkai meeting. Everyone in the room silenced and looked at him. "We came here to decide what to do with this newly found threat, no to argue like little kids!" He yelled and everyone looked at him with very respecting eyes. "So how do you propose we act?" Nurarihyon asked and looked straight to Gyuki. "I think we should take care of this situation as quickly as possible, because if this enemy becomes even stronger by killing other clans, it might be soon too late to kill it, because it they have already killed almost ten clans, it won't be long before they gain interest in our clan, and will come after us", Gyuki said and everyone in the room nodded. "But how are we supposed to find out who is it?" Everyone turned to look at the door, Rikuo was standing there Kubinashi behind him. Everyone bowed their heads as he walked to the room. "So you finally came Rikuo", The Supreme Commander Nurarihyon said as Rikuo sat next to him. "Of course this matter is very serious", Rikuo said. "So, who would like to answer Rikuo´s question?" Nurarihyon asked and looked around the room. No one answered. "I think this is going to take a long time", Nurarihyon said and sighed. The meeting took almost six hours, and in the end they didn't decide anything, but to inform if they found out anything. Rikuo was very tired and headed to his room. With very depressed expression. "Oh! Good evening master!" Kejoro said as she passed him. "Oh, good evening Kejoro", he just replied. "Is the meeting already over?" "Yeah, I'm very tired, so I'm going to go to bed", he said and walked away. Kerojo looked after him very worried. Soon Kubinashi and Kurotabo joined her. "I wonder what is wrong with Master", Kerojo asked as all three of them walked away. "Maybe, he is just tired", Kurotabo suggested. "Oh right, it has been a long day", Kerojo nodded. "No, it's not just that", Kubinashi said and Kerojo and Kurotabo looked at him. "He has been like this about a month now", he said. Immediately he had said it, Kerojo and Kurotabo understood what he meant by that. "Yuki-Onna…" Kurotabo said silently. "Why does that girl has to make everyone around her so worried and unhappy", Kerojo said angrily but her face soon softened. "Do you think she will ever come back?" She asked silently. Neither Kurotabo nor Kubinashi didn't answer, and then they just walked away. Rikuo walked straight to his room and just sat to the floor. "Why everything has to be so complicated", he thought to himself. Then he suddenly sensed someone's presence, and stood up. "Who's there?" He asked and looked around him. Then before he even noticed he had changed into Night Rikuo. "If you have something to say to me, I would appreciate it, if you showed yourself to me", Night Rikuo said and got ready to unsheathe his sword. Then a woman's figure came out of the shadows. The woman was few centimetres shorter than Night Rikuo. Rikuo didn't see her face because it was covered by hood. "Who are you?" He asked. "It doesn't matter who I am, it only matters what you're going to do next", the woman said with a very familiar and clear voice. Rikuo looked at woman but dropped then his hand from his sword. "Talk", he just said. The woman smiled under her hood, but Rikuo didn't see it. "You must have heard about the exterminations of the other youkai clans", woman said but she didn´t wait for an answer. "All you need to know that the next target is…Zen", the woman said. That startled Rikuo. "What do you mean?" He asked. "Exactly what I said, if you hurry you might be able to save him", woman said and turned around. "Of course, it is your choice whether or not you will believe me", woman said and before Rikuo could ask anything else se disappeared. Rikuo thought for a second, but ran soon out of his room to wake the others. Credits: Qwaser |
Sep 4, 2010 8:18 PM
#14
A Story About Yuki Onna's Past Chapter 3 "Master Rikuo, wait!" Kurotabo yelled as he tried to reach Rikuo. "What?" Rikuo asked but didn't slow down. "I'm just asking, but do you really believe, what that woman said to you?" Kurotabo asked, and everyone else behind them looked at Rikuo. Rikuo thought for a second, but when he remembered that woman's voice and how nostalgic it sounded, he answered all of them with confidence. "Yes, I do believe", he just said and anyone didn't ask anything else. "Besides even if it´s not true, we had a reason to go lecture him about missing the meeting", Rikuo said. "Atshuu!" Zen sneezed. "Are you alright master Zen?" One of Zen´s subordinates asked. "Yes I'm fine, someone just must be badmouthing about me", Zen said and looked out of the window. He saw a shadow moving there and stood up. "What is it, master?" The subordinate asked and looked to the same direction. "I thought I saw something", Zen said. The youkai went to the window and looked outside. "I don't see anything", the youkai said and turned his back to the window. And immediately after that the window and the wall was blown away by a big explosion. Zen and youkai both flew to the other wall. After that four figures came in from the hole in the wall. They were all women. Zen tried to get up and see who they were. "I hope this is the right place", one of them said. "It has to be", the other said. "It is, look!" the third said and pointed her finger at Zen. Zen was startled, when all four of them looked at him. "Oh, I see", one of them said and started to walk towards him, the woman had pitch black hair. Then she lifted Zen up with both of her hands. "I´m sorry the leader of the Yakishi clan Zen, but you have to die", the woman said and a giant ice stick started to form in her hand. Zen looked at it with terrified eyes. Then the woman lifted the ice stick up and held in front of his face. "Any last words?" The woman asked and laughed. "She is going to kill me!" Zen thought in his mind. "Stop it, Sere" the woman with bark blue hair said. "Why?" The woman called Sere asked. "It's not our job to kill him", the woman said. And then Sere seemed to remember and a cruel smile formed to her face, when she looked at the woman which had stayed as far away as possible. "It is your job, right?" Sere said very pleased and threw Zen to her legs. Zen lifted his head and looked at the woman. She wasn't very tall shorter than Night Rikuo and she was wearing a cape and a hood was covering her face. The woman took the hood of very slowly. Zen had to hold his breath, by the beauty of that woman. She had pale skin, but very red lips. Her eyes were like gold with a pitch black iris. Her hair was light blue and it had black highlights. "She looks so familiar, where have I seen her before?" Zaen thought and utter a laugher at himself. "That woman is going to kill me, and I'm just startled by her beauty." Then the woman suddenly bowed down so that she looked straight to Zen´s eyes. "I'm so sorry Zen. I didn't want to kill you", she whispered, so quietly that only Zen could hear her. "I wish he would have made it", the woman whispered. "Who…" Zen asked, but suddenly the woman vanished from his sight. "Are you alright Zen?" Zen looked up very surprised. And his eyes widened as he realized who it was. "Ri-Rikuo!" Zen said. Rikuo and everyone else had arrived. "Are you alright?" Rikuo asked as he held out his arm. "Yeah, but it was a close call", Zen said as Rikuo helped him up. Then Rikuo looked at those four. "Who are you? And why do you wanna kill Zen?" Rikuo asked. "It doesn't concern you boy, just go back home to your mommy!" The woman with the black hair yelled. "No, that isn't just any boy", the woman with the dark blue hair said. "What do you mean, Icy?" The woman with the white hair asked. "He is the next leader of the Nura clan, the next supreme commander of the youkais: Nura Rikuo", the woman Icy said. Then the other two looked at Rikuo with a very surprised looks. Then suddenly the woman with the black hair started to laugh. "This is great! we get to kill two clan leaders in a one night!" The woman yelled and held out her hand, then suddenly a blade started to form in her hand. Everyone looked at her very surprised. "My name is Sere, and I'm one of the Ice triplets", the woman introduced herself. "My name is Shire, also one of the Ice triplets" the woman with the white hair said. "My name is Icy, I'm the oldest of the Ice triplets", the woman with the dark blue hair said. After that everyone got ready for a battle. All three women attacked Rikuo and the others. The women were strong they took easily down most of the Rikuo´s night parade. After a while only Rikuo, Kurotabo, Kubinashi and Aotabo were left. The fourth woman didn't participate in the battle and neither did Rikuo. Rikuo just stared at the woman, who tried no to look at Rikuo. Rikuo found the woman really familiar looking, and when he was just about to remember, on of the women attacked Rikuo. "Where are you looking at?" Sere yelled as their blades crashed together. Sere was very strong physically, but Rikuo was also strong. Soon he had defeated that woman and pointed his blade at her throat. "So? Are you now willing to answer my question? Why did you attack Zen? Who are you working for?" Rikuo asked. "You sure ask a lot, boy", Sere said and kicked Rikuo down. When Rikuo tried to get up, he realized he had been frozen to the ground. "Shit!" Rikuo said and looked at Sere. "Haha! There you have it you arrogant little kid!" Sere yelled and got ready to kill Rikuo. And just she was about to strike him down the fourth woman got in the battle. She kicked Sere away from Rikuo and released him. Then she carried him further away from her. Icy and Shire rushed to Sere and helped her up. Kurotabo and the others rushed to Rikuo´s side. "Are you okay, Master Rikuo?" Kubinashi asked and looked at Rikuo. "Yeah, I was just careless", Rikuo said and got up, still looking at the woman who stood before him, and protecting him. "What is the meaning of this?" Icy yelled at the woman. The woman didn't even a muscle and looked at them with cold eyes. "I was ordered to attack and kill Zen, but I wasn't ordered to kill anyone else", the woman said with soft and high voice. Which Rikuo recognised very well. "It was her…" he whispered. "You bitch! Are you going to go against us?" Sere yelled at her. "If you'll insist on attacking Rikuo and his night parade, then I have no choice but to put you down", the woman said with a very threatening voice. Then the air in the room got very cold and the power from that woman got very high. And then there weren't any second guesses, that who was the most powerful of all four of them. The three women looked at her with fear in their eyes and backed up. Rikuo looked at woman very surprised. "Why is she protecting us? Aren't they together? But stil…I´m sure that she´s the one who warned us about Zen´s upcoming attack", Rikuo thought to himself as he looked at her. "Well ain´t this surprising", a vey clear voice suddenly said. Everyone in the room turned their faces to look the voice´s way. A Very beautiful woman came in from the hole in the wall. The woman had completely white hair and red eyes. She was wearing light blue kimono, which had white camellia flowers. The Ice Triplets bowed to her, but the fourth woman looked at her with hate in her eyes. "Oh my! What a mess you four have caused, I just sent you to kill the leader of the Yakishi clan Zen. And look who you have brought out, the next supreme commander of all youkais Rikuo Nura. What a surprise!" The woman said very excited and clapped her hands. Rikuo looked at her very with very careful expression. "Oh right! I haven´t introduced myself yet", the woman said and bowed to Rikuo. "My name is Isana Easly the leader of the north, and the conquer of the north", the woman introduced herself politely, and then she looked at the woman, who was standing before Rikuo. "I heard that you refuse to follow my orders?" Isana said and that woman looked at him with empty eyes. "Are you ignoring me?" Isana asked with very sweet voice. The woman looked away. "Look at me!" Isana yelled and all sweetness disappeared from her voice. The woman almost fell to her knees and turned to look at Isana, this time the woman looked at Isana with eyes full of rage. "That´s better. Now about my orders, I heard that you don´t want to follow them, I would like to hear why", Isana asked and looked at the woman. The woman bit her teeth together, and it was clear that she hated her. "My order weren´t to kill Nura Rikuo or his subordinates", the woman answered. "Ooh I see…" Isana said and seemed to turn away, but then suddenly turned at her again and kicked her face, the woman flew to the wall. "You bitch!" Isana yelled. The Ice triplets just laughed. Rikuo rushed to her. "Are you alright?" Rikuo asked and looked at her, she looked very familiar to him. "Ye-yes" the woman said very reluctantly and looked to the ground very ashamed. "Ooh I see!" isana said and the woman raised her head to look at Isana. "It´s because of that boy, isn´t? It´s all about him, isn´t it?" Isana said and looked at them. The woman´s face got very terrified and she looked at Rikuo very worried, then she got up and walked in front of Rikuo to protect him. "He has nothing to do with this!" The woman yelled to Isana. "Yeah, that´s right", Isana said. "Then, let´s see you kill him", Isana said. The woman looked very terrified and at the same time very begging. "Maybe, you need little couraging to kill your old master", Isana said and laughed. "Old master?" Rikuo asked and looked at the woman in front of her. The woman´s eyes were again filled with rage and she attacked Isana. She put her hand to her throat and lifted her up. "Let me go!" Isana yelled, but the woman didn´t move. "That´s an order!" Isana yelled again. Then the woman started to loosen her touch. "Now!" Isana yelled again. Then a weird mark started to glow in the woman´s arm. The woman fell to the ground screaming from pain. Isana just looked very pleased as she suffered at the floor. Rikuo wanted to run to her and order Isana to stop, but before he could do anything Isana turned to look at him. "Now, I order you to kill him!" Isana said and pointed at Rikuo. The woman on the floor stood up and turned to look at Rikuo. She was obviously suffering greatly. Then Kubinashi and the others ran to protect him, but Rikuo knew that anyone of them couldn´t stop her. If she would have wanted they all would be dead right now. That´s how much power Rikuo sensed from her. "Stop right there Isana!" A loud voice yelled and everyone turned to look at there where the voice came. There were standing Nurarihyon and Crow, and his sons. Isana looked at him with a dull expression. "Nurarihyon…" she said with a quiet voise. "It has been a while…Isana", Nurarihyo said and looked at her with same dull expression. Isana looked at him then Rikuo and the again him. "I see…he really is your grandson", Isana said and smiled. "Why are you doing this?" Nurarihyon asked. "Doing what?" Isana asked and looked away. "Don´t act stupid!" Nurarihyon yelled. Then Isana looked at him with fierce expression. "How does it feel to know that you can´t do anything to stop me! You know you don´t have enough power to stop the slayer of the 1000 youkais!" Isana yelled to him. "You know that that power died almost six hundred years ago" Nurarihyo said. Isana started to laugh very loudly. "You old fool! You know nothing, great power has been in front of you all this time, and you haven´t noticed it!" Isana yelled and then looked at the fourth woman. Everyone´s faces turned to look at her. "You wouldn´t have…" Nurarihyo said and looked at Isana. "Yes I would! I brought out the slayer of 1000 youkais!" Isana yelled. Everyone looked terrified at the fourth woman who had empty look in her eyes. "This is the slayer of 1000 youkais…" Rikuo thought and looked at her. "I suppose, because the Supreme Commander has arrived we should do a strategic retreat", Isana said and the Ice triplets nodded. Then all four of them disappeared the woman in front of Rikuo stayed behind and looked at Rikuo with sad eyes, but disappeared then also. "Wait!" Nurarihyo yelled after them. Rikuo could only stare the place where that woman had stood. "Who is she?" Credits: Qwaser |
Sep 4, 2010 8:34 PM
#15
The Demon Trilogy [Kuroshitsuji Crossover] Chapter 1: Nippon Arc "Speaking(Japanese)" "Speaking(English)" Thoughts Japanese word with translation at the bottom of page* (J: Me Speaking) 'Quotes/phrases' ... 1. New Arrivals in Kyoto Japan A girl sighed, tapping a rolled map to her lips. The girl was about average height with clear, seemingly colorless eyes, and hair that looked raven under light, but onyx otherwise. She had a confident aura about her, even as she stretched her arms to the sky, "Ah~! Finally~" she exclaimed, "We're here -Kyoto! The Youkai Capital~!" "Ah-k!" Just behind her, a man with obsidian black hair darker than hers, and dressed not unlike a samurai, tripped over an unseen pebble, and spilled the contents of his arms -the 'contents' being two suitcases and duffelbags- onto the oddly empty street. "Ow-ow..." he muttered, wincing slightly as he got up, rubbing his sore head... "Hare*?" she paused, frowning, and even turned, "Ah... Shisui..." she sweat, looking at the mess, "Er... Maybe I'd better take one of those after all..." she said, and leaned closer to pick up the bag closest to her. "Ah- No! YukiAi-sama*, you mustn't!" exclaimed the Edo-Style garbed man, as he scrambled to get all the bags. "...Shisui..." she said. "YukiAi-sama should not be doing such things! It's not right!" he continued, not hearing her, from under the haphazardly piled luggage. "Uh... Shisui," she said again, sweating slightly. "H-Hai*, YukiAi-sama...?" he asked, poking his head out from a space in the luggage pile. "The Luggage..." she said, "You're spilling my clothes..." "Eh?" he blinked, wobbling under the precarious pile, and ended up dropping it all again. "Ah! Oh no!" he exclaimed, "The bags!" he scurried to put everything in order again and stood, sighing with relief, though he looked more than a little disheveled, "Phew! Fixed it!" "..." For a moment, she just stared, "Shisui..." she started, twitching just slightly. "Yes?" he asked, looking at her curiously. "...Your hair," she said simply. Shisui blinked, and looked up, only to blush a bright red, as he caught sight of the lace-y garment. "Th-Th-Th-This is-?" The girl YukiAi sighed, silently picking the undergarment off the flustered and deeply blushing man's dark hair, before stuffing it back into its bag, blatantly ignoring the other's near spastic, incoherent babblings and apologies. But when after nearly five full minutes of this with no sign of her retainer stopping -or calming down in the least- she sighed. "Shisui," she said bluntly, then, "Shisui!" she snapped, finally catching the man's attention. "Y-Yes?" he exclaimed, snapping to attention. "If you're done your babbling...?" she said patiently, arms folded, with the rolled up parchment in one hand as the other tapped against her arm. "Y-Yes..." he blushed again, looking down. "I would like to go now," she said calmly. "O-O-Of course!" he stammered, and began walking. She sighed agian as she watched him, "Shisui?" she started again. "Yes?" "You're going the wrong way," she said, pausing, "It's this way," she said, pointing in the correct -and opposite- direction... "...Oh... Of-Of course..." Credits: Murasaki KuroNeko Rei |
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