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Fake Memories, Real Bonds
Oneshot
Summary: When Rikuo suddenly left one weekend morning without telling any of his demon followers on where he was going, the three girls Tsurara, Kana and Yura decided to tail the young leader of the Nura Clan on his... DATE?! Who is this mysterious girl with him? And why does Rikuo seemed so happy with her?
Spoiler Alert! Those who haven't watched the Nurarihyon no Mago: Sennen Makyou or reached manga chapter/Act 134: Rikuo Makes A Declaration, hit the back button now! Please finish the Kyoto Arc first! You've been warned. : )
A/N: Merry Christmas! : ) This is a fluffy oneshot! Enjoy reading! XD
"Mom, I'm leaving!"
"Alright. Take care on your way, Rikuo!"
Wakana waved at the retreating figure of her son, another hand holding on her sleeve. She gave her usual smile as Tsurara, Aotabo and Kejorou walked beside her.
"Wakana-sama," Tsurara said as small demons flocked by her legs, pestering her for a game. "Where is Rikuo-sama off to?"
"Oh?" Wakana said in a curious tone. "I wonder... He didn't tell me."
"That's odd," Aotabo remarked. "There are no school or any club activities today."
Kejorou nodded. "But he seemed dressed up. He was asking me what's the best clothing to wear from his closet, though I have very little idea of what is most fashionable attire on this era."
"Hmph, that Rikuo," Nurarihyon stepped in the group without anyone noticing. He smoked his pipe. "He sounds like he's going on a date."
"First Commander," the demons greeted.
Tsurara blushed, a surprised expression on her face. "Rikuo-sama is... going on a d-date?!"
"What, Yuki-onna? You're blushing like crazy," Karasu Tengu said, flying by the flustered blue-haired demon. Tsurara yelped at the sudden appearance of the crow, blowing ice-cold air at the black-feathered demon and freezing it on the spot.
Geh! Like mother, like daughter... the Tengu managed before his block of ice fell on the ground.
"Um, excuse me..." the soft voice of a brown-haired human interrupted. She stood by the gate of the house. "I'm here to return Rikuo-kun's notes."
"Ah, Ienaga-san!" Tsurara called as she ignored the frozen crow and ran towards Kana. She explained the "dilemma" to the human girl, who wore an equally surprised expression. "If it's not you, then it's — "
[...]
Yura shook her head as two other girls stood inquiringly at the gates of her apartment. "No, I'm not meeting with Nura-kun today."
"Hmm, that's curious..." Kana said thoughtfully.
"If it's not Keikain-san and Ienaga-san, then who is Rikuo-sama meeting up?" Tsurara asked.
Yura bit on her piece of breadcrumb. "What's up? Did something happen to Nura-kun?"
"The truth is..." And the two girls explained to the other the situation.
"That conclusion is highly probable," Yura said. "But how do we find Nura-kun now?"
"I have an idea," Tsurara said brightly. Just as she finished speaking, the sound of large beating wings filled the air and the Sanbagarasu appeared.
"The Third is in front of the park now, waiting for someone," they reported.
"Oh, thank you," Yuki-onna said with a smile. "I'm glad you agreed to look for Rikuo-sama."
"We're also curious on who Rikuo-sama will be spending this planned weekend," one of them said.
Another added. "Yes. The Third barely has time for himself but is willing to spend his hard-earned free time with this someone. Not to mention that he dressed up for it."
"Dressed up..." Tsurara muttered.
"Hard-earned free time..." Yura whispered.
"Planned weekend..." Kana said.
"The Third sure is popular," one of the Sanbagarasu mentioned as he watched the expression of the three girls.
The three airborne demons chuckled as that last statement made the ladies even more flustered. "Then, we'll be leaving."
The girls went to the said park. As they hid behind the bushes, they saw Rikuo sit on one of the benches, waiting patiently with a smile on his face. And that smile widened as a slim, dark-clad figure approached him.
"Who's that?" Kana asked.
Tsurara and Yura shook their heads.
"But she looks quite familiar..." Yura said.
Tsurara nodded. "Though that sailor uniform doesn't come from our school."
The three girls continued to watch as Rikuo chat happily to the mysterious girl, whose back was the only part they could see. Long straight black hair reached down to her waist, perfectly following her graceful movements.
They went to a shop selling clothing for women. The front of the store showed a line of the latest fashion trends, obscuring the watchful eyes of the tailing girls. The young ladies could only sigh as they waited for Rikuo and the girl to go out of the store. And when the two did, Rikuo was still talking to the girl animatedly. But what surprised them the most was when Rikuo grabbed the hand of the girl and dragged her excitedly to a toy store.
"W-What — ?!" Tsurara, Kana and Yura exclaimed in unison, seeing Rikuo take one of the cutest stuffed bears and offer it to the girl with a bright expression on his face. The girl took it and Rikuo started laughing.
Next, they went to a music store, listening to some of the current top hits in the same booth. After that was the arcade.
Yura raised her eyebrows. "Who brings a girl to an arcade on a date?"
"Arcade is the place with machineries that allows you to play, right?" Yuki-onna asked, curiously looking through the glass windows of the play center where they can see Rikuo and the unknown girl line up for a basketball booth. During their turn to play, Rikuo shoot hoops after hoops on the first game.
And then he convinced the girl to play. She took her first ball curiously and tried to throw but failed to make the ball reach even half of the way. Rikuo chuckled, got behind her and circled his arms around her to guide her hands in making a good shot.
"That's — !" Kana barely managed to say as her and her companions' faces reddened.
The second shot failed again but hit the edge of the ring. Rikuo and the girl tried another time and succeeded. After the fifth try, Rikuo finally allowed the girl to play by herself. They went to the arcade counter and got a small simple necklace with the tickets they earned. Rikuo placed the necklace around the neck of the girl with careful hands and smiling face.
I'm so jealous! the three girls thought.
Rikuo brought the girl to a cake shop next. He looked like he never run out of stories as he continued to tell her things with a bright smile on his face. They went to a flower shop after that.
The girl stopped by the bunch of keria and smelled them. Rikuo picked some of the blossoms and placed them gingerly on her silky black hair. And then they went and entered a wooden house outside of the city square, where the windows and the door are closed so Kana, Tsurara and Yura couldn't continue their observation.
"I wonder what they're doing inside?" Kana said in a questioning tone. Tsurara played with her fingers nervously while Yura wrote seals on receipts she has in her wallet.
It was almost dusk when Rikuo and the girl emerged from the mysterious house. The girl was carrying a bundle on her arm while Rikuo absently looked at her. He took her hand, surprising her for a bit, and he wouldn't let go so the girl just allowed him to hold her hand.
As the sun begin to sink behind the nearby mountains, Rikuo and the girl went to a shrine just by the city square. The three girls continued to follow them, settling behind a bush nearest to the two. There wasn't a person in the shrine except for them that afternoon.
"I guess this is it," Rikuo said. "It must have been a tiring day for you, considering that you only woke up."
The girl shook her head slightly. "It was fun. I am glad that I decided to spend it with you. Though I must admit that it is sadly short."
"I know that voice..." Yura whispered with uncertainty.
"But why does it seem — different?" Tsurara seconded.
"Hey, what are you three doing there?"
Kana exclaimed. "Kiyotsugu-kun? Maki-san? Torii-san? Shima-kun?"
Rikuo and the girl turned to look at the source of the voices. "Everyone from the Pure Cross Mystery Detective Corps — ?"
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the shrine. Several trees toppled over, scattering dust and leaves everywhere.
"Humans..." A giant spider with the face of a woman crawled its way through the surrounding trees. Its legs made a strike towards Rikuo and the girl.
"Nura-kun!"
"Rikuo-sama!"
"Rikuo-kun!"
More dust and fallen leaves scattered. Rikuo jumped his way out of the attack. He was already in his night form, holding the girl dressed in black from head to toe carefully on his arms.
"Oh, an ayakashi...?" the giant spider said humorlessly. Its slow steps took it closer to the greatest threat in the group, planning to have its meal of humans later after disposing of the demon.
"Ah!" the girl exclaimed, her grip on Rikuo's shoulders tightening. Rikuo followed her gaze and saw that the bundle that she was holding earlier was stuck on one of the hairy legs of the spider.
Suddenly, the air was filled with maliciousness. A slight touch of evil miasma filled the air, seemingly freezing everything.
"How dare you...?" the girl on Rikuo's arms asked in a chilling voice. Rikuo let her stand on her feet and she slowly stepped towards the spider.
The woman face of the spider contorted in fear. "Impossible! You are — !"
The girl looked up, a cold smile on her pale face. "And after Rikuo and that girl specially chose that gift, are you only going to destroy that with your filthy legs? For that, you'll pay."
Suddenly, beautiful white tails poked out of her short black skirt. They moved fluidly, darting towards the giant spider. In a flash, the giant demon was turned into a thousand indistinguishable pieces by the numerous fox tails.
The bundle of cloth fell on the girl's arms without a single tear.
"H-Hagoromo Gitsune?" Rikuo called and the girl turned to him. A smile was still on her lips but her deep dark eyes were emotionless.
"Good evening, grandson of Nurarihyon," she said, holding on the intricately designed cloth on her arms. The yamabuki still adorned her black hair beautifully.
Tsurara made a solidified ice spear and Yura readied her shikigami. "Hagoromo Gitsune!" they chorused.
"No, wait!" Rikuo said, getting himself between the girls. "This person is — !"
He felt a soft hand on his white-and-black hair, caressing him.
"It's almost time..." the girl said as she continued to ruffling his hair. The white fox tails retreated while a sweet smile crossed her gentle features. "Goodbyes are sad but partings give rise for people to muse on good memories. I do hope we get to spend a time like this again, Rikuo."
The young quarter ayakashi smiled. "Of course, Yamabuki Otome."
At that, she closed her eyes and fainted. Rikuo caught her gently, lowering her slowly to the ground.
The group watched Rikuo hold the girl with careful touches.
"Yamabuki Otome?" Maki repeated.
Torii asked, "Who is she?"
Rikuo was holding the beautiful ayakashi's hand, smiling. "She is... my kyodai."
"Sister?" Tsurara repeated in surprise. "But she is..."
"So she's an ayakashi too, isn't she?" Kiyotsugu asked, excitement in his voice. Shima stood around him, muttering, "Calm down, Kiyotsugu-kun..."
"I didn't know you have a sister, Rikuo-kun," Kana said.
Yura frowned slightly in confusion. "But isn't she — ?"
Rikuo looked at them. "She will always be a sister to me, even though it was all an onmyouji and an ayakashi's doing."
The humans in the group looked at Yura and Tsurara inquiringly, who shook their heads and raised their hands defensively.
"Oneesama!" a small voice sounded across the shrine. More dust and leaves scattered as a giant skeleton crawled through the trees, a little girl with wavy black hair on its white head.
"Geh!" Torii exclaimed. "What in the world is that?!"
The little girl jumped off Gashodokuro's head, landing lightly beside Rikuo and the others.
"Oh, she's asleep again..." she murmurred. "I guess we missed the chance of her brief waking."
Rikuo smiled. "Thank you for allowing me to stay with her."
"No, thank you. She must have enjoyed the day with you," the little ayakashi said, watching the small smile still on Yamabuki Otome's face. "When she woke up, she requested to choose a gift for the mother of the Nura clan's Third Commander. You have been kind enough to accompany her even though you're already very busy with the Nura clan's matters."
"It's been a pleasure," Rikuo said. "I enjoyed being with her too."
The little girl and Gashodokuro bowed. After Rikuo placed the sleeping maiden on the giant bony hand with the daughter of Kyokutsu tending her, they left.
Kiyotsugu's eyes sparkled. "Ayakashi..."
"What was that?" Maki slowly asked.
Rikuo turned back to his day form, smiling brightly. "I just had my first date with my kyodai!" he said happily, holding on the bundle of cloth.
Tsurara, Kana and Yura all froze, thinking, So it really was a date!
Nurarihyon puffed out a wisp of smoke, sitting on his usual place to watch the cherry blossoms beside the small pond.
"Did you know what Rikuo-sama was planning all along, First Commander?" Karasu Tengu asked, dusting off the excess ice from his feathers.
"Yeah," the old ayakashi answered. "But I can't tell you about it while Wakana is around, can I?"
"Too bad Tsurara ran off with that human girl and never knew the truth about this date," Aotabo said.
"Anyway, the kimono Rikuo-sama and Yamabuki Otome chose is very beautiful!" Kejorou remarked. "I helped Wakana-sama try it on after Rikuo-sama gave it to her earlier."
Nurarihyon grinned, saying softly to himself, "I suppose even fake memories can give birth to true bonds..."
"Did you say something, First Commander?" Kubinashi asked as everyone else also looked at the leader curiously.
Nurarihyon took something out of his pocket. "I have some candy. Do you want some?"
"No candy!" Rikuo said, stepping from inside of the house. "It's almost dinner. Candy will spoil your appetite."
Nurarihyon gave Rikuo a look, which the grandson returned with a smile.
"It's real, Gramps."
More A/N:
No, I do not ship it.
Kyokutsu said, "She'll be back someday, for sure." in Act 134. I do hope Yamabuki Otome and Hagoromo Gitsune return.
Just thinking it's good if Rikuo actually had a sister. But I think Yamabuki Otome considers him a son rather than a brother and Hagoromo Gitsune cursed his lineage. Oh well. : )