Mamiru - - Mamoru
By: irish d' salmon luver
Author's Ramble: Seriously, no MamiruXYura fanfic AT ALL? And here I thought they will be major pairing, seeing how Mamiru became like that for the purpose of protecting Yura… But it seems that Mamiru doesn't have his own fanfic at all, and most people pair him with Ryuuji instead (at least that's what I got after seeing some fanart of them). Well, it's not that I hate that pairing; it just that I'm not into yaoi and shounen-ai, and I thought MamiruXYura could get some love.
And since I'm in soooo in mood for NuraMago story, especially Yura, I already have some idea for Yura-centric fanfictions. So I'm going to spam you with Yura fanfiction, if I'm not too busy drawing for DeviantArt, that is ;)
P.S: "Mamoru" means "to protect".
P.S.S: Contains Keikain-cest! Don't like don't read.
Disclaimer: Nurarihyon no Mago belongs to Shiibashi Hiroshi, and by any means is not mine.
XXX
A young boy was sighted with a little girl, in a spacious garden of Keikain household. They were playing together, and laughs were heard from the place. The orange hair of the boys shone brightly under the sun, as well his orange eyes which sparkled with glee and happiness, just like the little girl who played with him. After playing tag to their heart contents the kids were taking a rest under the shade of willow tree, near the edge of fish pond. The little girl's hand played with the arms of her red kimono; her droopy dark brown eyes stared at the clear water surface of the fish pond.
"Nee, Mamiru-kun…"
"What is it, Yura-chan?"
"I'm… a bit afraid…"
"Huh? Why is it?"
"Tomorrow… I'm going to summon my shikigami for the first time, in front of grandpa and the other Keikain elders. What if something go wrong? What if I make a mistake? I… I don't want to embarrass myself…"
The boy named Mamiru reached out for the girl's hand and grasped it lightly.
"I bet you'll be alright, Yura-chan. You have incredible spiritual power and you've been learning the onmyou techniques diligently, right? You shouldn't worry too much about it, you know?"
"Yeah, but… I'm afraid I can't handle it well. I'm not as strong like Akifusa-nii-chan or as incredible as Pato-kun who can summon strong shikigami like Gomoramaru or as talented as Ryuuji-onii-chan. I'm… I'm just a little girl, Mamiru-kun. I'm scared."
Mamiru's hold on her hand was tightened.
"Yura-chan, look at me."
Yura turned her face to face the older boy.
"I'm going to protect you."
"Huh?"
"If you are scared, I'm going to protect you. You don't need to worry anymore. I won't let anything hurt you. I will always protect you."
"Mamiru-kun…"
"It's a promise," Mamiru smiled at the younger girl while held out his pinky finger. Yura stared at his finger for a while before took it with her own pinky finger and smiled back at him, her face blushed slightly.
"It's a promise then, Mamiru-kun… You're going to protect me, always."
XXX
"Protect Yura… protect Yura…"
Mamiru held the small body of Yura in his large hand while his other hand crushed the head of a youkai who almost sliced the girl's throat with his lightning-covered punch. Even as his hand shook as the side effect of his technique Mamiru didn't show any pain at all and kept Yura close with him.
"Mamiru…kun…"
"Yura… please, stand back. I will protect you."
Spiritual power began to gather around his body as he tried to summon his lightning shikigami.
"For that reason, I… changed. In order to protect Yura, I… became like this."
XXX
"Hey, did you know?"
"What?"
"It seems Yura from the main house summoned Hagun!"
"Oi, are you serious?"
"Why should I be kidding?"
"Then it means that she would be the next Keikain head, right?"
Mamiru heard the other Keikain onmyouji made fuss about Yura's first attempt of summoning shikigami from the shadow and walked away. Apparently Yura was able to summon the legendary Hagun and made a shock throughout the elders and the other members of Keikain clan. His hands unconsciously balled into fists and he gritted his teeth.
'How can I protect her, if her level was way up than me?' he thought bitterly.
The boy stopped and looked at his surrounding. His feet had brought him to the fish pond, the place where he made a promise with Yura to always protect her. He remembered her worrying she was not strong enough and that she would making mistake when summoning shikigami. Mamiru smirked sadly at the thought that she actually didn't need to worry at all.
"I'm… I'm just a little girl, Mamiru-kun. I'm scared," her words echoed inside his head. Mamiru stiffened as those words kept repeating inside his head. Even though she could summon Hagun and all, it was true that Yura was still a little girl. She was still the clumsy, inexperienced little girl that needed protection. His protection.
"I've decided, Yura-chan. I'll always protect you, no matter how and what will we become."
XXX
"Ryuuji-nii-chan… Is that really Mamiru-kun?"
"Hmm? Of course he is. Have you gone senile, Yura?"
"I'M NOT GOING SENILE, geez…"
"Then why are you always asking that question?"
"… It's just that… he's totally different from when we were younger. I really can't see the resemblance of the present Mamiru-kun with the one in my memories…"
Ryuuji sighed. Sometimes his little sister really put his patience into limit with her ridiculous questions, but this time she had reason. Mamiru indeed had changed altogether. He sacrificed his emotion and reasoning to obtain such power that would get him into the main house of Keikain. He had casted away his humanity for the reason of protecting Yura.
"Just believe me this one time, Yura," Ryuuji said as he ruffled his sister's hair, "what is he doing is for our sake. You're still inexperienced and he will protect you when you're in danger. I can't always be there for you, you know…"
Yura looked at him doubtfully, but she didn't ask question anymore. She knew that this time, her brother really told her the truth.
XXX
"Are you sure about this, Mamiru?"
"Yes, Ryuuji. I decided I would receive Raijuu."
"Just so you know, this technique will sacrifice the human aspect of you, and it could even hurt your body. Are you still willing to do this, even though you know this?"
Mamiru didn't answer Ryuuji right away. He reflected all those years he spent to learn onmyou techniques in order to become stronger, but no matter what he did he could never exceeded the skill of those "talented" onmyouji. He might have great endurance when he was summoning shikigami, but it wasn't enough. He didn't have talent at summoning multiple shikigami, or crafting spiritual blade, or making barriers, or deceiving people with words. He was just an ordinary onmyouji without extraordinary talent.
How could he protect Yura when he was this powerless?
At those passing years, Yura had become an entity that was out of his reach. She could summon multiple powerful offensive shikigami, and her spiritual power just kept increasing. She was still a clumsy girl, but her onmyouji power wasn't one to be underestimated. And now she was out training in Ukiyoe to become more powerful so that she was strong enough to be the candidate of the next Keikain head.
She was already too strong to be protected by him. How could he keep their promise if he was so weak like this?
He fisted his hands, and with his eyes blazed with determination, Mamiru looked straight into Ryuuji's eyes and said, "Yes, Ryuuji. I'm sure about this. I will take Raijuu inside my body so I can become stronger and then I'll be able protect Yura."
XXX
"MAMIRU-KUN!"
Yura watched in horror as Mamiru's body fell to the ground. As his body touched the ground, the girl took this chance to shot a God Arrow to the enemy and made him blasted into countless tiny pieces. She then looked at her fallen comrade. Blood began to pool around his body and his breath became raspier. She ran to him and tried to stop the blood, but the wound was too deep. She cried as she realized that she couldn't do anything to save the young man. She took his large hand in her trembling ones and grasped it lightly.
"Why? Why are you throwing your body in front of me to receive that attack? I could dodge it, you know, so you don't need to protect me!"
"To protect… Yura… that's my… mission…" he panted as he spoke.
"But still!"
"Even… if you said… that you can dodge it… you can't fully dodge it… I know it…"
"Stupid! I can still cast a barrier to reduce the attack power! I'm not a little kid who needs protection at all time!"
The word stung inside Mamiru's mind, which was confused him because he supposed to get rid all of his emotion, and he wasn't supposed to get hurt by her words. But those words were a denial to his only reason of protecting this very girl.
"I'm just a little girl, Mamiru-kun. I'm scared."
Without him realizing, a tear fell down from one of his orange eye. Yura saw the tear and she was confused to see the big guy cried.
"Yura… do you… still remember… our promise…?"
"… Promise…?"
"So you… forget about it… then…"
Mamiru coughed some blood and his breath become heavier and raspier than before. Yura watched him with worry and panic, and she could only shout to him as she held his hand tighter, "Mamiru-kun! Stop talking! You need to conserve your energy!"
"Yura… when we were… little… I said that… I would always… protect you… right?"
Yura brought his large palm to her cheek and felt the warmth of his hand through his leather glove.
"Of course I remember, Mamiru-kun."
Mamiru coughed up another speck of blood before continued, "You… are not a good… liar… Yura…"
"I'm not lying!" her grips tightened on his hands as fresh tears fell down on her droopy eyes, "I always remember that time at the fish pond, when you promised me that you would always protect me! I couldn't forget that day! Because of that promise, I could give my best and summon Hagun. I wasn't afraid to make mistake or to get hurt because I knew you wouldn't let anything hurt me."
"But then you… were becoming… too strong to… be protected by me…"
"I need to become stronger to become the next Keikain head! I can't stay weak and useless! Grandpa and the others were expecting so much from me; how could I betray their expectation!"
"I was afraid, Yura… I was afraid… you became too far for me… to reach…"
"Is that why you push yourself like this? Even as far as taking Raijuu inside your body?"
"I can't stay… weak… and powerless… if I want to protect… you… always—" he chocked, his breath suddenly became slow and Yura could felt the warmth from his hand decreased.
"MAMIRU-KUN! HANG ON!"
"I can't… this is the end… for me… Yura…"
"Stupid, stupid Mamiru-kun… how can you throw away your life so easily like that?"
"As far as… I can… protect you… nothing else matters…"
With those parting words, Mamiru breathed his last breath and closed his eyes. Yura cried and shouted her grieve as the rain began to fall down upon the two body. She didn't want to let go if his hand, she didn't want to leave him; she just want the rain to drench her body so that she could be as cold as his body. She kept crying until she could feel fatigued conquered her petite body and she laid her head against Mamiru's cold chest.
Yura turned to look up at the grey sky. She could see those memories played before her wet eyes; the memories at that time, when the little her and Mamiru made that promise.
"If you are scared, I'm going to protect you. You don't need to worry anymore; I won't let anything hurt you. I will always protect you."
"Mamiru-kun…"
"It's a promise."
"It's a promise then, Mamiru-kun… You're going to protect me, always."
She closed her eyes as tears began to reform and she covered her eyes with her hand; her body shook because of crying.
"Stupid Mamiru-kun… in the end you can't always protect me, because you left me behind…"
XXX
Owari.
XXX
A/R: Dear readers, you have already reached the end of this story, please do not throw tantrum or cursing at the author for the tragic ending. This author is really into this kind of angst and tragic love story, but she promise you to bring more cheerful and happier story the next time she had the mood to make one.
Review is really appreciated :)
LOVE YURA MAX!