a/n : this story take places before Haruka sealed away. So, this fanfic is about Haruka and ancestor of Ichinomiya family who sealed Haruka; of course before the tengu we know and love sealed away. The ancestor has same appearance with Ichinomiya Kantarou, but his name is Ichinomiya Hotaru.
#1 Oni-eater Tengu
That creature was one of perfect thing ever life in the world. It has shape of man human with black hair that suited his dark eyes. As a symbol of betrayal it was given a pair black wing, like an angel who fallen from the heaven. Yet, it lives in earth as ordinary tengu.
As a tengu, it has territory to protect. Due to his man-appearance, people adore him as guardian of the village by eating oni. But the fact is he just consumes oni to continue his life, for his own benefit. People just think as they like, being guardian and all, it just their misunderstood. He likes freedom and didn't take order from others.
But he's used to that situation; as long as villagers didn't disturb him then he won't disturb them, he let them be. He even made good relation with other tengu, white winged tengu called Sugino.
Sugino is the real God that protects the human territory with his heart and soul. He heard that the previous god has sealed away by some human. Human are always like that; as long as they protect the land humans will praise them highly as god. But if they are no longer useful for them, they will abandon their god, even worse sealed their god; which ridiculous to think. The black winged tengu wonders if Sugino will sealed away someday.
He doesn't know who named him at the first place but that's how he called now. Oni-eater tengu, the one who eats oni.
#2 First Encounter
It was a clear day when he walks along the river near the quiet village. The sky was blue that perfectly reflected on water's surface create an identical image. The green of terrestrial plants added more beauty with colorful little flowers that sway away by the wind.
He wants to enjoy the quietness when he heard something.
"Aaa…It's so relaxing!! Ha..ha.. !!" said the voice happily.
The tengu who has his wing folded, peeks from bushes and saw a child wear clothes just like miko, but this one is a male not female. Maybe he isn't that young due to his white hair but from he isn't look that old. This person looks suspicious; furthermore, he is surrounded by some youkai.
"Did we do great this time, Ho'chan?" asks the small youkai which shapes like a crane.
"Never this good, Hakutsuru! The villagers give us lot of money. Maybe I can get better things to eat."
The tengu keep watching him, sees the Shorty playing with those youkai. His smile was bright and face was clear, his figure glitter with spark from river. He never saw someone this shiny before. The short man attracted him somehow, the way he laughs like life is a real good thing.
"Is it fine for speaking that loud? What if someone from that village spotted you?" ask the tengu.
He knows that he's better keep his mouth closed but he can't help it. This man has take advantage of villagers, make fool with them and laugh behind them. It's not that he cares about those pathetic villagers but somewhere in his heart can't accept it.
The young man called Ho'chan stops his laugh and turns his face. He regains his composure and cross his arm in front of him, stares back at him with bitter smile in his face.
"So we have someone spying us now. What are you going to do, Mr. Spy? Are you going to tell the villager that they've been bullied?" dares the man, he winks at him.
The tengu shakes his head slowly, "No, I'm not."
"Ow, that's good to hear, right, Hakutsuru'san?" asks the man to low class youkai.
"I don't think so, Ho'chan. Please forgive us, Tengu'sama," says the crane youkai.
The crane shaped youkai bows his head low before pull Ho'chan away. But Ho'chan ignores the low class youkai and comes closer to Haruka.
"Tengu? Are you really a tengu?" asks Ho'chan in awe.
Once again the tengu can see that the man's eyes sparkling. His eyes were deep scarlet which contrast with his white hair and pale skin. But those eyes suit him well.
Ho'chan walks around the tengu for a while and studies his figure more. His unusual habit makes the low class youkai stands in fear.
"Ho'chan, stop it. That's not polite," says Hakutsuru confuses.
"En, but this is my first time seeing tengu," protest the short man.
"Please forgive us, Tengu'sama!! We'll leave immediately," says the crane and pulls Ho'chan away with him.
"Aa, Hakutsuru!! Wait!!"
With a quick flap, the man had taken away by the crane. After their sudden departure, the river side backs into silence again. The voice of water likes a soft ring in his ears and the sky still clear.
He thinks about the man before. The man who uses oni to gain money by bullies the villager. He feels sorry for the low youkai, perhaps the crane youkai often suffer for its master's behavior.
He loves his freedom that's why he doesn't take any order. He is strong that needn't other's presence. He loves the way he live now, being free and all.
#3 Work for Free
It was another bored day when the black winged tengu flying low above the forest on the mountain. He stops when he hears a chanting spell from a small wooden house.
He decides to stop at the roof and sees what going on there. He could hear peoples talking from inside the house.
"It's fine, now. I already kick out the bad spirit from your daughter. She's probably still exhaust so let her rest for days," says the familiar voice.
"Yes, Ichinomiya'sensei. Thank you so much for helping us. If it wasn't you, I don't know what to do. She is my only and precious daughter…" said another voice, hoarse and sounds old, she ends sobbing.
He peeks from the open window. There he saw that man with white hair and scarlet again, near him, an old lady and her daughter, rest on dull tatami. The rest of the house is dull too, it was small and crowd.
"Please, Ma'am… If you aren't telling me quickly, maybe I can't do much to help her either. Thank God that she's able to be saved," again the man try to comfort the old lady.
"Thank you very much, Ichinomiya'sensei… You were kind; hope God will enlighten your life."
"Now, I want excuse my self. There are things I should do. Be careful, Ma'am…"
After saying that, the Ichinomiya guy left the house. He follows him silently. The white haired man all alone now, the tengu curious about what is he going to do after this.
"When you'll stop spying on me, Tengu'sama?" asks the monk without turns his face.
Since his presence has spotted by him, there is no reason for Haruka to hide any longer. He flies low and lands near the scarlet eyed monk.
"You won't get paid properly from that kind of house."
The Shorty smiles at him, "I just do my job. Besides, everything never went as planned, right?"
"Where's youkai that accompanied you yesterday?" Haruka changes the topic immediately.
The monk stares at him, a bit confuse with the tengu's curiousness. He chuckles despite gives a straight answer.
"What so funny?" asks the black winged tengu irritated.
"No, nothing particular."
He knows that the shorter man had something up in is mind about him. But he doesn't want to hear it either; otherwise the man will laugh louder. So he prefers to keep his mouth shut.
"By the way, Tengu'sama, Is it fine to walk along with human like me? Don't you hate human?"
That question breaks the brief silent among them. The tengu just looks at the shorter man before him, he seems doesn't mean anything. But the question even tough was simple but hard to answer.
"Who knows," he replies shortly.
The wind blows cold wind between them, sways their clothes. The forest was silent like before, only their foot steps that filled the air.
#4 Hannin Village
The other time they meet is another story.
The dark haired tengu is half asleep after chatting with Sugino, the white winged tengu, to waste the night when a low class youkai comes to him. It was a crane youkai named Hakutsuru.
"Tengu'sama!!" screams the crane from outside Sugino's nest.
"Tengu'sama!! Please help!!"
He forces his eyes to open after sudden scream.
"Hey, can't you be quieter? This is late at night!!" Sugino scolds the crane.
"Forgive my rudeness, Sugino'sama but Ho'chan in a big trouble now!!" the crane panics and after looks more at it, it had new scar in several place.
"Who is Ho'chan you're babbling about?" asks Sugino patiently.
"Ichinomiya Hotaru!! He is attacked by strong youkai when he tries to cease it from Hannin village!!"
"Sugino, do you know where is Hannin village?"
"Yes, just heading south, after you find a river then follows it to north."
"Okay, I'll go there now. Take good care of that oni."
Before Sugino could asks any further, the black winged tengu already spreads his wings and flies away. The black feathers fall on wooden floor. Sugino lost his thought, he never concern about anyone else before. This is a new thing for black winged tengu who has been lonely for a long time.
"Let's wish that something bad will never happen," he whispers in a barely audible voice.
Meanwhile, at border of Hannin village, the man in white coat fights alone against the oni. He tries hard to knock down the wild oni but ends up failed. With a powerful slap, the oni makes the man hits a big stone before bounced and lands on ground.
The man thinks he will end up died after another hit from wild oni, but no. With blur visions, he saw that someone with black wings lands between him and the wild oni. This black winged creature replaces him, fights with oni and from the fight, the winged creature looks strong.
It was when the tengu split the oni's body into pieces. Its blood spills anywhere, the red drops spread and like dancing in the air under the full moon.
"Kirei na-so beauty-… like blooming red petals of zakuro…," murmurs the white haired monk before close his eyes and lost his consciousness.
After dealing with now death-youkai, the tengu turns to the man behind him. The said man was lies on the ground, eyes closed. Blood marks his white coat and clothes. He walks closer and kneels down. He lifts the man's face to get a better look.
"You are weak, human," he says in a low voice.
With a swift motion, he takes the wounded man in his arms and flies away. Black feathers fall and land on ground which covered with blood without unnecessary voice.
To be continue…
Hello everybody!! This is my second Tactics's fanfic and I wish you like this one too. I'm apologizing for grammatical and spelling error, but I hope it doesn't bother you to enjoy this story.
Please give me your review, your comment and I'm open to every kind of criticize. And thankie muchie for reading!! Cee Yuu at next chapter!!