Sarishinohara
_"Distant Fields"_
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Chapter One: Forgotten Promises
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Amber-gold eyes blinks at the girl before her. "Hey, lady...who are you?" The girl turns and her black eyes bores into amber's. No answer comes from the black-haired girl.
The yamabuki roses continues to bloom behind them; its petals littering the ground. But their beauty goes unnoticed as the two girls stare at each other.
The owner of the amber-gold eyes is no older than six or seven at most. In many's opinion, she resembles her grandmother in every way except for the fact her skin is fairer, her eyes like her father's and the fact that her hair's cut short and choppy—in Nurarihyon's added opinion, she lacks the grace and softspoken person her grandmother had.
"What...did you do to my father...?" She asks as she looks at her father. She doesn't knows how he came to be lying there, in a pool of red pooling from a wound on his stomach. But she knows he will never move again.
"Riku ..." Her father, Nura Rihan, gasps as he coughs blood. "Run..." He inhales sharply, greedily, savoring the breath as if he knows it will be his last.
The black haired girl raises her sword—now that Riku notices she is holding one. Riku's eyes widens, is she the one that stabbed her father? The one that killed him? But... why? This girl played with her, her friend! So why is she hurting her family?
"M'lady! Master Rihan!" Screams of her attendants draw Riku's attention away from the gruesome scene which she fails to comprehend.
"Rihan! Riku!" Her mother's and grandfather's voice—this familiarity she recognizes. Riku stumbles backward into the warm embrace of her mother—Nura Wakana. She looks up into the eyes of her mother. There are tears there as her mother looks at her father's body—no—dead body.
Her grandfather, Nurarihyon looks in despair at his son's dead form. Riku is too young then, to understand why her everyone is crying at the funeral, where her father's body is place in a wooden box and why he is covered in white.
She just knows that she will never see him again. That is enough to make her cry as hard as everyone else. She buries her face in her grandfather's chest and cries hard.
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Eight-year-old Nura Riku's eyes snaps open as a shrill ringing enters her ears. She sits up and wipes her chin to make sure that no drool had spill from her mouth as she was asleep moments ago. She sighs. She absolutely hates dreaming of the time where her father had dropped dead. The memory, though fuzzy and seems to be missing in a few places, still hurts her.
"Riku?" A high-pitched voice reaches Riku's ears. She turns to see one of her best friends—Ienaga Kana standing to her right, looking at her in concern.
"Kana," Riku greets her, seeing her friend.
"School's over, Riku, aren't you going to leave?" Kana asks. She worries over her friend. Ever since three years ago, after Riku's father died, she seems out of it. Rarely ever she pays complete attention to something. The teachers has long since given up on trying to get her to pay attention—as long as her grades doesn't slips, they are fine with it. Kana sometimes wonders how Riku ever manages to keep her grades on top when she doesn't seems to study or pay attention at all.
"I'm going now." Riku replies gruffly, gathering her books and shoving them into her bag. Together with Kana, she steps out of the door's threshold and heads toward the school gates. She tries to remember what she has to do today. Her mood darkens when she remembers what had transpired earlier.
Kana, having sense her friend's darkening mood bites her lip before saying. "Are you still mad earlier? At what Kiyotsugu said?" She gets her answer from the Nura's indignant huff; and she sighs. "Riku, really, you shouldn't be so obsess about yokais and go on and on about your family being a family full of yokais."
Riku whirls to her friend in shock. "You don't believe me?" She cries, hurt.
Kana chews her lip, uncertain as to how to answer. She smiles kindly at her shorter friend. "Its fine as to who your family are, Riku. I'll always like you no matter what!"
At least that's somewhat better than what Kiyotsugu and the rest of her classmates had said.
The two friends come to a stop at the bus stop. Kana looks at her friend once again, trying to gauge her reaction. Riku is frowning in displeasure. The two girls stare at one another for a long time, waiting for the other to say something to dispel the tension in the air. In the end, neither got to say anything as the bus driver sounds the horn, impatient.
Kana hurriedly boards the bus. When Riku doesn't follows she asks. "Aren't you boarding the bus?" She asks.
"No," Riku replies glumly, lips pushes forward into a cute pout. "I'll be walking back home."
She turns and stalks off. "Karasu-Tengu is going to get worried again." She mutters to herself. The overseer of the Nura clan tends to be a pretty big worrywart, especially when Riku is involved. She huffs, she is not a baby. She can take care of herself! A devious plan enters her mind, maybe she can linger around town for a moment longer, make him more worried. He's always funny to watch when he's worried.
She giggles as she imagines his face, her mood has already lift at the thought of the new prank. Though, she wonders if it's right to do so this time, because recently there's been rumors of dispute between the ranks and her mother has warned her that people might hurt her to get to her grandfather. She thinks this action of theirs are cowardly, they should just confront her grandfather in battle instead of using under-handed tricks such as kidnapping close ones of the target.
She wonders, also, if someone might harm her now, who's going to protect her.
Me, always me. I'm the only one.
Riku jolts when she hears the voice, whirling around she sees no one. She swallows uncomfortably, lately, she has been hearing voices—though she tells no one; she doesn't want them to think she's crazy. Mostly when she feels depressed or when she feels unsafe or uncertain. The voice is always trying to reassure her. She isn't sure she should be feeling safe and reassured or she should be frightened.
Riku lingers at the playground, sitting on the swing and swaying on it alone; the sounds of traffic, people bustling about and the rusty creaky sounds made by the metal chains of the swing scratching metallic surface her only companion. When the last of warmth splashes off her face, she stops playing, knowing that she's way past her curfew. She grabs her school bag and hurries down the street, hoping that she can sneak in without being seen by strict adults. She quickens her pace to home as the sun is slowly but surely setting.
The first thing she hears when she reaches her house is Karasu-Tengu, wailing: "M'lady!"
She ducks just in time as Karasu-Tengu flies past her. She looks at him, smirking wryly; he reacted just as she's expected. So predictable that it's almost hilarious. "What is it?" She asks curtly to cover her laughter.
"Don't you 'what is it' to me, M'lady!" Karasu-Tengu sniffs, actual tears in his eyes that make Riku feel sorry. "We assumed the worst when you did not return, and there is a news report on the television that the bus that you usually take had been half buried in an accident in the underpass!"
Riku's jaw drops open. "What? Seriously?" She abandons Karasu Tengu—who's still ranting on and on about something—as she runs to the living room where her grandfather and mother are watching the television with wide eyes, both filled with horror. But it dissipates when she rushes into the room. Her mother crosses the distance between them and hugs her.
"I was so worried!" She cries, wiping some tears from her eyes. "I thought you were caught up in the accident as well!
Riku pats her mother's back, reassuring her—"I'm fine,"—while keeping her eyes on the television, watching the news. Finally, her mother releases her, sighing in relief.
"Oji-chan," Riku acknowledges. "This is the work of a yokai isn't it?" She asks, worried. At her grandfather's nod, she makes a choked noise.
"Well—what are we waiting for?" She yells. "Go save them—Jiji! Mobilize the Hyakki Yako!" When Nurarihyon makes no such motion to go do anything, she grits her teeth. "Fine," she mutters. "I'll go do it myself." She turns to Kubinashi and Tsurara who are both in the same room, watching with wide eyes. "Let's—"
"And where do you think you're going, little lady?" Riku scowls as her vision suddenly lifts, having been picked up by some annoying bastard. Her scowl deepens when she sees Hitotsume gazing at her disdainfully, holding her at arm's length as if she's some sort of stinking garbage. "Mobilize the Hyakki Yako?" Hitotsume laughs mockingly, jiggling her small body. "Please, what do you think a little girl like you can do? You're not even the heir. And not to mention a female to boot—only a male can lead us, you think anyone will follow a girl?"
Everyone glower at Hitotsume—namely the females in the room but they know that Hitotsume is partially right. Riku's eyebrow twitches dangerously at what Hitotsume had said, her tiny fists clinching and unclinching. She snarls, swatting at Hitotsume's hand. "Let me go!" she yells and he does so when from behind him, Gyuki shoots him a glower.
Riku glares at them, her eyes pooling with tears and she curses herself for showing weakness. "So none of you are going to help them?" she yells, waving her arms wildly to emphasize her point. Frustrated when no one answers her, she points accusingly at Aotabo. "You! I thought you better than this; isn't it your goal to protect little kids? And he isn't the only one—Kurotabo? Kubinashi? Tsurara? Kappa? Kejoro?"
She spits on the ground spitefully and those that had known the elegant Princess Yohime, gawks at the princess's counterpart who's acting so brash.
"You all are so—so—ugh!" she stomps her foot, then suddenly, turns on her heel. "I'm going alone." And she starts running, out of the Nura Gumi and out of her family's sight.
"H—how is she going to fight the yokais with her bare hands? Isn't she outnumbered?" Natto Kozo, in his husky and nasally voice, questions. "Should we follow her?"
Hitotsume snorts. "Why should we? That brat wants to die."
"No!" Wakana snarls, ever the loving mother. "How could you?"
"Yeah!" Tsurara seethes but then the anger slides off her face to be replace by the horror. "And what are we still doing here? We have to go after M'lady!"
That spurs the yokais into action; scrambling madly for their weapons and making a mad dash out of the Nura Gumi, uncoordinated as ever but still very much determined.
"M'lady, we're coming!" Tsurara's voice yelling out this statement followed by the shouts of agreement are the only thing the remaining occupants of Nura Gumi hear before the crowd disappear after their wayward princess.
"Is this okay?" Wakana asks, concern filling her feature.
"They will be, Riku's strong." Gyuki says.
The human woman looks at the fearsome yokai and smiles brightly. "I trust you and I trust them!"
No one sees the minuscule pink tint on his cheeks.
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Riku pants, hard; her labored breathing making it hard for her to run as fast she wants to. She groans in pain, pressing a hand to her chest and she can't help but wonder what is wrong with her; why does her body feel so hot when the night is so chilly and windy?
She crumples to the ground, but she struggles to her feet not a moment later; her father must've felt worst when he's dying and she's just tired of running, nothing can compare to his pain. Thinking of her father's death makes her think of the dream... is the dream a bad omen her father's using to warn her of her friends' danger?
Next time, she vows to never forget when she's had a dream and be wary every time.
But for now...
Stop, a voice murmurs in her mind. Don't struggle anymore. Give in to the feeling, to me. I can help you, protect you. Remember? I promise you once. As if to prove the voice's point, a warm feeling drapes over her back as if someone's hugging her from behind. It feels so warm, so safe that she does give in and allows the darkness brightened only by red orbs to take over.
Sleep well, now.
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"Sending little children to hell is my style!" Gagoze screams in excitement, hands reaching for a frightened Kana, before a loud explosion rocks the entire underpass amidst the children's screams.
"So killing kids makes you think that you're a big shot?" A husky male voice asks as footsteps echo around the area. Gagoze whirls around to the source of the voice. "Pathetic."
"Who are you? Show yourself!"
A young boy with a head of protruding hair, silver up and black down, and red eyes steps forward. He waves at Gagoe lazily, mocking him. "Here, sensei," he drawls sarcastically.
"M'lady!" A call, urgent and worried, echoes through the tunnel.
The mist surrounding them lifts, revealing Aotabo, Tsurara (as Yuki Onna), Kubinashi and quite a few others who are willing to follow the young Riku, the taller forms of the others practically dwarfing the young and stranger boy. Even Kejoro, Kappa and Kurotabo are present—as listed by Riku not too long ago. Natto Kozo, Tofu Kozo and Sannokuchi are yelling out insults to Gagoze's army, throwing random items they brought at the enemy.
The young boy spots them and graces them with a murderous glare. "You." He snarls, pointing his light katana at the yokais of Nura. "You dare ignore Riku when she needed you?"
Aotabo steps forward, frowning down at the boy, wondering who he is other than the fact that he seems to be a Nurarihyon too. He looms over the small form, trying to intimidate the brat and failing to do so when the boy glares up at him. Neither of the Nura yokais like how the boy had used a past tense.
"What do you mean by 'needed'?" Kurotabo inquires.
"She don't need you anymore!" The young Nurarihyon declares, swinging his sword with no amount of clumsiness and he seems as if he's born to wield it. "She has me! I'm her yokai!"
"My, my, M'lady has a boyfriend?" Kejoro giggles, swooning over the little boy. "So how did you two meet?"
"I don't think that's what he meant..." Kubinashi says, disagreeing with the woman he has a rather childish crush on. "You... you're just like Master Rihan... you're Riku's yokai form aren't you?"
"Finally," the boy smirks. "Someone in the group gets it. I am Riku, and yet, not the Riku you all know. Now... either you all get lost and let me do my work or you can help." He turns, his sword drawn and poised to kill. He charges at an oncoming army and easily dispatches them. "Go!"
Aotabo glares down at the kid, not knowing whether or not should he be flattered or insulted when the kid's giving orders and looking up at him the same time. But now's not the time, there's another scumbag that needs a lesson.
"Targeting children, huh?" Aotabo grunts, brandishing his powerful fists. "And here I thought that you could sink no lower, Gagoze."
"You're pathetic," the yokai Riku decides. "Killing children in a show of power so that you can be the Sandaime? You're so pathetic that it's not even funny. Even Day-Me can beat the shit out of you with her eyes closed!"
Gagoze snarls in pure rage as he eyes the newcomers. His gaze lingers particularly longer on the one who seems to be leading them, the young boy that looks like Nurarihyon back in his youth. As far as he is concern, there is no male child that belongs to Rihan; he only has a daughter that will amount to nothing. Or so he thinks.
"You must be surprised since you obviously does not recognize me," the young Nurarihyon is saying with a pleased smirk. "It is I, Nura Riku, and I will become the Third Heir!"—If not for myself then for her, he thinks briefly before he continues after the rather dramatic pause in his speech—"Let it be known to every yokai in the world; I will become the Lord of Pandemonium, and I will not allow anything to stand in my way!" Riku declares as he leaps out of the way of Gagoze's attack. "All yokais shall follow me, in the parade of the Hyakki Yako."
The watching children in the bus stares on with awe—completely missing the fact that the young boy has announced his name, which is the same as one of their classmates.
"Wow..." Shima whispers in awe.
"Cool..." Kiyotsugu whispers, with stars shining in his eyes due to admiration.
One of Gagoze's underlings lunges for Riku but before he can land an attack, he is suddenly caught in red strings. Cold fury lit the neck-less yokai's amber eyes. "I won't let you harm Master Riku—boy or girl." He declares quietly. "It's no use. Struggling only makes it tighter." He says in the same cold quiet voice as his victim struggles to free himself. He ends the yokai's life by severing it into pieces through sheer force of the tightness of the strings.
Aotabo easily blocks the attack from another one, punching the same yokai in the face with his monstrous strength. "It'll take more than that to take down Aotabo, the Strike Team leader!" he roars, a grin on his face.
"You're a show off as always." Kurotabo mutters, summoning blades and impaling the other yokais that charge his way. "You should know that you're not the only Strike Team leader around here." He says.
Riku notes that Tsurara is blowing breaths of ice, freezing enemies in their tracks. Kejoro wrings the life out of the yokais using her hair and Kappa is blasting water balls at every enemy he sees.
"I-It couldn't be…" Gagoze splutters in shock. "My clan… My invincible army who killed more than anyone!" He turns toward the stunned human children still in the bus who are all looking on with a mixture of awe and fear. Cackling madly, he leaps towards them, in a desperate attempt to end it all. "I'll kill them! If you don't want me to kill them, then make me—"
The children scream in fear, only to stop when a gurgling sound alerts them that Gagoze is being stabbed in the throat. Riku makes a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. He swings his sword again, this time, severing Gagoze's head without much of an effort.
He lands on the ground gracefully and takes in their situation calmly. The enemies are retreating once they see that their leader is down. Riku turns to the children in the bus and smirks at them. "You don't have to worry when I'm here." He turns his back on them and walks back to his allies.
"And this is why," He says dryly as he ruthlessly cuts down a fleeing underling of Gagoze. "no one messes with the Nura Clan."
The Nura yokais gaze at the Nurarihyon in awe. The Yuki-Onna is the first to step forward and approach the young boy that is suppose to be the one she's going to guard. She inhales deeply and kneels to reach his eye level. Gently, she takes his shoulder and turns so he's facing her.
The supposed master raises an eyebrow but allows her to do so. "Yes?"
"Are you really Lady Riku?" Tsurara questions solemnly. "Not just an impostor?"
"Yes, yes I am."
The Yuki-Onna studies the yokai, eyes narrowed in concentration, as if she's dismantling the child and putting them back together to make sure he's telling the truth. She exhales and icy breath hits Riku in the face but he doesn't complain. Suddenly, the serious demeanor drops along with the icy temperature. She wraps her arms around the young child and exhales in relief again.
"Oh, Riku, don't do anything stupid like that again. You may not believe it but some of us are willing to follow you—even to the ends of the world. And—" her voice cracks but before she can continue, the child in her arms collapses. Tsurara nearly screams but as she looks down, as the yokais gather around her, they watch in awe as black mist seeps out of the child's body and all that remains is the sleeping form of their familiar mistress with her brown hair and golden eyes hidden under her eyelids, a small contented and accomplished smile on her rosy lips.
"Let's go home, yeah?"
"Yeah."
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When their mistress wakes, she recalls nothing of the event. But of all things she can recall is that when she demanded their help, they offer none. She sulks for days until Nurarihyon offers to teach her a new trick. No one inquires what happen but smiles in relief that Riku's no longer mad; as proven since she's laughing on her grandfather's back, all old grudges forgotten.
"Is it normal?"
"Hm?" Wakana switches her attention from her task of folding clothes to Gyuki and a few other yokais sitting by his side, enjoying the afternoon and sipping their tea. "What do you mean?"
"Is Lady Riku the first female Nurarihyon in history?" Gyuki asks instead of his earlier question, patiently awaiting an answer to his question.
Wakana tenses for a millisecond but Gyuki notices anyway. "Perhaps, since we had not heard of another female Nurarihyon. What about your first question?"
"Is it normal for a female descended of a family of Nurarihyons to have a male counterpart?"
The human widow purses her lips in contemplation. "That's the problem you see. Riku is possibly the very first half-breed of Nurarihyon and human. There's still her yokai side to consider. We don't know anything."
She is lying, Gyuki knows this because he's known her for quite awhile. But he doesn't point out how blatant it is that she's lying with the way she twiddles her thumbs and how her eyes dart around wildly.
"We can do nothing but wait can we."
"Yes." Wakana agrees with a breathless whisper, returning to the clothes in her lap but she's no longer so concentrated on her task anymore. "We must be patient."
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A/N
To the old readers, I've edited this chapter and there are some great changes—the new readers don't have to worry about missing anything because the plot is still the same and so are the characters. So please don't skip anything! Oh, as for the pairings, I've hinted on some Gyuki/Wakana right? I just sorta took a liking to that pairing. To those that have something against the pairing - or think it's weird - don't worry much, there's very little about it. The main pairing is Night!Rikuo/Fem!Day!Rikuo (Riku, here). I know the birth of Riku seems quite complicated and some of you are confused but please be patient, it'll be explained later - much later, like, in the Hagoromo Gitsune arc.
Review!