A/N: I think there're a lot of Itaku's POV here for some reason rofl. I need to put more romance for Itaku and Reika.. o_o I had to review this story over and over again because of lack explanation I think? Something is wrong, but I don't know what it is D;

Warnings: Genderswitch, might bore you at certain point.

Disclaimer: I do not own Nurarihyon no Mago and the characters, but the OC belongs to me. ಠ_ಠ

Summary: Reika and her new friends from Tono Village are setting out to Kyoto now! But before that, there're some things that she need to do at home.

What just happened?'

XXXXX

"He he~! Not bad Reika-chan~!" Numa-kappa said. He laid on his stomach, staffing his chin using his palm while watching the heiress and the kamaitachi's training.

"Reika! We've got major trouble!"

The three of them turned to look at Awashima. He ran towards the battleground, his face looked pale and worry was written on his face.

"We received a message from Tono Folk heading towards Kyoto. The onmyouji have being wiped out!"

"Kyoto... Is gonna fall to Hagoromo Kitsune!"

XXXXX

It's lunch time. Itaku seems like he couldn't sit still for a few minutes. What's in his mind is the young heiress, heading towards Kyoto. He knows, that the youkai around the capital aren't the one they should take lightly, but could the Nura Clan compete with them?

Itaku's POV –

'Kyoto huh...'

" 'Scuse the interruption." A very familiar voice could be heard, along with footsteps into the dining hall. Reika, who's the young heiress of the Nura Clan walks in, with the usual lazy expression plastered on her face.

Reika already changed into another kimono. Her long white and black hair was tied into a ponytail at the back of her head. She even has her one arm tucking inside her haori.

"Reika?" Awashima jolts in surprise, so does Amezou and Dohiko.

Everyone in the dining hall questions, where the hell did she came from – suddenly appearing out of no where. They didn't heard any door sliding open or close at all. Awashima seems to be nagging at Reika at his seat, saying that she's still loafing around Tono, instead of leaving at once to Kyoto. I grunts slightly, telling Awashima to shut up.

"I knew for sure she could come and go as she pleases, but the fact that she's not dead means... she must have grown a little stronger, hm?" the Tono Youkai's Commander, Akagappa says.

Reika bows while kneeling down, showing her respect towards the Commander. She's thanking him and everyone for training her, even for a short time. She sure did became stronger with that short time period.

"To think you'd come here and address us so dutifully, did you have to learn some social skills to get by in Tono?" Akagappa asks while laughing.

"Your grandfather probably just made you listen to his heroic tales all the time. Though in reality, ever since they lost the previous head, the Nura Clan has been steadily weakening..." he adds again.

I shifts and looks at the girl now, wondering what she's about to say. It might be humiliating after all, for a clan that used to be the strongest clan in the youkai world were told that they're weakening. It's the same as they're calling the Nura Clan as inferior from how they used to be long ago.

"8 years ago, when my father was killed before my own eyes.. I most likely encountered Hagoromo Kitsune." She says, looking at Akagappa straight into his eyes.

"That's why, I wanted to go to Kyoto and meet that woman, and to sever these deep-running ties between us!" She explains.

Everyone begins to questions and laughs at her. They says that she would never make it deep into Kyoto, let alone for her blade to reach Hagoromo Kitsune. But she did nothing but to reply to the insult with a big, triumphant grin on her face.

"What's that? You mean there's no one here who wants to see me when I become the Master of All Spirits from the best seat in the house, right up front?" She asks.

The youkai seems to be confused. What the hell is she talking about? They say. Though, I managed to get a grasp on what she's talking about.

"What do you mean?"

"Hiding up here in the mountains acting all high and mighty, that just makes you a big fish in a small pond. What I'm asking... if anyone here has got the balls to come with me to Kyoto." She replies.

She sounds very proud, very much like a supreme commander herself. I releases a sigh of relief while smiling slightly from her action. The Tono Youkai seems to hate how she's talking, even the Kappainu hates it and started to charges at her – but she disappears, just like last time. She reappears and revealed that she's sitting on Akagappa's lap, pouring the sake into his cup, while smirking.

"Thanks for taking care of me. No, if you'll excuse me..." She said, disappearing again in the midst of air, but reappearing at the door, walking to make her own way out from this village.

'Just where did you got this baseless confidence?'

I closes my eyes, listening to the ruckus, but I couldn't get my ears off Akagappa's chat.

"Reika... she's just like him, you know."

"Eh?"

"Strolling in idly... growing stronger in the blink of an eye... Then just up and leaving, taking friends back with him." Akagappa says while watching the fading back of the young heiress.

"Friends? As if anyone from Tono would go with him!" the kappa next to Akagappa says in annoyance.

Akagappa closes his eyes and sips on his sake which poured by Reika not long ago.

"If I hadn't been a commander back then, I would have liked to have gone with him too..."

With that, I opens my eyes and walks in front of Tono, kneeling to give respect before heading out from the dining hall. I could hear Awashima and the other gasping in surprise, but I choose to ignore it. Instead, I turn around and look at them. Seriously, they should be more honest to themselves.

"I know you want to come too." I say while smirking at them.

I know, the best way to watch her become the Lord of Pandemonium is by being on her side. I think, I might have taken a liking to her as well.

End of POV –

XXXXX

The young heiress releases a long relieved sigh. Finally she could break free from the village that she wanted to run from, the first day she got here. She wonders around at the river bank – noticing how cold it is even tho it's still summer. Then, she tucks her hands into her sleeves. She should be happy that she could get out from this village soon, but somehow she feels that she forgot about something.

She grunted slightly, looking down at the ground while thinking. She then sighs again.

A rattling sounds snaps her out from her long thought. She turned around, receiving whatever being thrown to her – Nenekirimaru, the onmyouji blade that she inherited from her father, Rihan, who got it from his grandfather, Nurarihyon.

"Nenekirimaru! I totally forgot that they were gonna give it back when I left the village~" She said in amusement.

She grins widely, bringing nenekirimaru to her throat level, to look at it carefully – just then she noticed the two youkai that brought her to the village.

"Namahage..." She said in surprise.

"If you're gonna thank us, now's your chance. Though we did just lay all our chores on you at once..." He said.

That breaks the awkward speech. Reika bursts into laughter after a short pause from after Namahage's speech. She smiles and nods slightly, tilting her head to the side while looking at him.

"Ah, thanks for everything." She said.

"Reika.."

Her head perks up once she heard the voice, It's so familiar.

"Awashima?" her eyes reflects a glimpse of happiness.

"We won't be exchanging sakazuki with anyone. But even so, you don't have enough strength. If you ask 'please I'm begging you, lend me your aid!' then... I guess, we'll think bout it." He said while looking at the young heiress from behind the red and blue youkai.

Reika stares at him silently, but it's not long after that she gives her reply.

"Oh yeahh! That would be great!" She said cheerfully.

Awashima nearly drop on his butt upon hearing this. Honestly speaking, he thought that Reika's going to open a cool speech, thanking them for coming or something, but that girl... she just goes straight to the point.

"It'd be awesome if you guys joined my Hyakki!" She says.

"Oi oi.. Reika.." Awashima mumbles.

"Goodness, she's so frank..." Says Reira.

"What do we do?" Awashima mumbles to Amezou. Somehow, he just couldn't put his decision straight too.

"What do we do? We promised we'd go if Reika said so, right?" Amezou replies, protesting from Awashima's behaviour. They would never take back their words. They know themselves that they wants to follow Reika.

"Come on then, hurry up and get ready! We're leaving!" the young heiress commanded, somehow, she's behaving like an old mother, nagging the other youkai to move their butt.

Though something is off. Reika notices the other person isn't here. She looks around, wondering if he would come or not. It would be a real shame if he wouldn't come though, because they just started to be close with each other, and their feelings are developing quite slowly for a fanfiction.

(A/N: Hahah :D I tend to write kinda Gintama-ish like. Don't bother the RL reference!)

"Aren't I always telling you never to disperse your fear?"

She blinks at the view of a sickle's blade pointing at her neck. She swallows her saliva, stepping to the back while hoping that her throat won't be incidentally slit by the sharp blade. Unconditionally, the small back of hers hit Itaku's broad chest, but of course, it's only Itaku who's feeling the slight tense from it.

That's him.

"Kamaitachi..."

"You'd already have been dead in Tono 200 times over by now. You're always getting into troubles..." He added, somewhat whispering the last part to her ears. She turns around, looking into the mahogany optics of the Kamaitachi, smiling sweetly.

"Continue your role as my instructor then." she said.

Itaku's POV –

I held my sickle up to Reika's neck, warning what I've taught her since she trained in Tono. She just don't get it huh? Somehow this got in my vein.

The young heiress steps back so she would be in a safe distance from my sickle, but eventually, her back hit my chest.

Idiot,

"You'd already have been dead in Tono 200 times over by now." I warned her. I lower my head so my lips would be nearly by her ears –

"You're always getting into troubles..." I whispered softly in her ears. I am slightly annoyed from her carefree attitude, but somehow, that's what great about her. She turns around too look at me. Her captivating ruby hues are hard to be ignored. Just after a brief seconds, a soft smile carves on the pink lips of hers.

"Continue being my instructor then." She says to me.

"Very well." I replies shortly after.

If you could hear my heartbeat right now...

She pushes my hand softly and fixes her kimono before bending her slender body to pick a tree branch on the ground. I start to be questioning her – Why won't she use Nenekirimaru to cut the fear of this village?

"This guy... is a sword for cutting through bigger ayakashi. For the village's fear... this partner here'll be enough." She said proudly.

"Someone's showing off." I snickers.

The only reply she gives me is her triumphant smile.

You would laugh at how messy it's beating...

"Let's go! This is goodbye, Tono!" She says while cutting through the village's fear.

Bringing her new friends along, at last, onwards to Kyoto. Amezou and Awashima are really excited from this travel, since they never been outside Tono before.

Well, actually – anyone would be as excited as them too. Including me of course.

End of POV –

XXXXX

After that, the seven of them sets out to Ukiyoe Town. Currently they're rushing so they would arrive as early as possible, but -

"Reika! Faster!"

"Wh-aaaa! Can't we take a break and wait till night?"

"A youkai doesn't wait! Let's move fast!"

Reika grunts from her companion's comment. Reika, the young heiress of the Nurarihyon is taking her day form – her hair are waist length chestnut coloured, while her eyes are amber, the significant sign of the Nura's family head. Of course as a human, she can't run as fast as the youkai, so she's currently left behind.

"Like this will be faster." the kamaitachi, who's taking a day form too as a weasel, picks the 13 years old heiress into his arms and leaps on the tree branches.

"Wait! This is embarrassing! Put me down Kamaitachi!" She yelps while her face turns bright red, just like a strawberry.

Of course, Itaku the Kamaitachi is ignoring her request. If anyone would ask, he would just reply with she's being slow, but truthfully: he is enjoying the princess clinging into him.

She swears – she could hear his chuckle.

XXXXX

"We've arrived at the Nura house!" the loud night Awashima said. Amezou looks around while laughing like a freak, probably excited because he haven't been outside Tono for a long time.

"Oi, Reika... It's nighttime already because you keep delaying us." The kamaitachi grumble behind the young heiress, somehow not really pleased from how late they arrived here.

"Well, that couldn't be helped! You know she turns into a human in daytime! You turn into a weasel don't you?" Reira said.

"They are so cute together~" said Yukari – or more like; she's teasing Reika and Itaku, since they do looks cute together.

The two of them stares at each other for a brief second. She then sticks her tongue out to him before turning around while crossing her arms on her chest. He was a bit surprised from her action, yet he couldn't help but to smile slightly to himself when she did that.

"Welcome home Reika-sama! Who are these people? Those not of the Nura Clan may not enter this main house!" Kurotabo the Nura Clan's Special Attack Squad Chief said – or announce.

At the side, Yukari is standing in front of Natto-Kozo. She put her hand on her mouth like usual, her big, frog like eyes aren't shifting from the little Natto-Kozo. Though, he knows what she's about to say already.

"You... Kinda stinks..."

"You just come straight out and say it, don't you, Nee-chan..?" Natto-Kozo said while having his small hand behind his head, insulted from what the little Zashiki-warashi said.

"I'll show you what hell smells like!" He yells while chasing Yukari around.

To Reika's impression, it seems that the Tono Youkai are getting along with the Nura Clan Youkai. She now turning her glance towards the sakura tree's branch, where Itaku's sitting on currently. From his actions, there's a slight threat of him breaking the branches of the beautiful tree. Reika only manages to sweat drop comically from this.

"Reika-sama...? Wh-what's going on here?" the neckless youkai, Kubinashi, and the hair youkai, Kejoro marches towards her, wondering what could cause ruckus in the Nura Clan's main house right now.

"Oh, they're from Tono. I just need to go say Hi to the old man, so keep an eye on them for me, would you?" the young heiress replies while looking at her two babysitters.

"R-reika-sama.. So, you're going to Kyoto?" Kubinashi asks.

"Yeah, so anyone who have exchanged sakazuki with me, get yourselves ready." She commands.

Reika steps towards the altar room, the place where she commonly found her grandfather. Her heart's beating fast right now. She's hoping that her grandfather would let her go to Kyoto, because after all the troubles she's been through, there's no way she's going back to Tono Village once again. She slides the shoji screen door opens, revealing Nurarihyon the Commander who has been expecting her to come.

"So, have you learned anything?" Nurarihyon, the grandfather asks her granddaughter. He knows, he doesn't send her to Tono for nothing.

"Who knows? At any rate, maybe I now understand... What kind of youkai 'Nurarihyon' is..." She replies calmly, her hands tucked into her sleeves.

"Is that so? Does that mean..."

"Yeah, I'm setting out for Kyoto now."

Nurarihyon took a flash step and slashed his sword towards his granddaughter, but it cuts through. Reika now managed to dodge critical attack by her own Kyoka Suigetsu – thanks to the help of her friends.

"Oho~ You're pretty good at that!" Nurarihyon praises while watching her granddaughter re-appears in front of the altar. He put his sword on his shoulder while grinning widely.

"Well, do what you want. You can bring me back some yatsuhashi." He said slyly.

"... That's it...?" Reika asks, nearly disbelieved from her grandfather's agreement.

XXXXXX

'Go there and cut the ties – when you get back, you'll be the third.'

Her grandfather's voice rings in her head as she steps out from the parlor.

'Oh, that's right! Once you get to Kyoto, you should go see Hidemoto.'

'Who's that?'

'Just ask someone, like that onmyouji girl.'

'Heh, you can get the feast preparations going and wait for me.' She replies with a soft smiles. She wouldn't let the pride of Nurarihyon down from losing in Kyoto.

"You guys get along pretty well, aren't you?" She asks – or claims, judging from how the Nura Youkai and Tono Youkai are 'getting along well' from her eyes.

"Ah, Reika. Are we going to Kyoto now?" Awashima asks, releasing Kurotabo's cheek that has been pinched for a while now.

"Yeah, let's get out of here." She grins widely, putting her usual black haori over her shoulder.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Nurarihyon yells suddenly as he slam the door open.

Reika nearly fall down from the aftershock of her grandfather's yelling, but she just give him a slight growl of annoyance. Such a mood killer.

"...Old man? What's the deal.. I've told you not to kill the vibe like that..." Reika mumbles.

"I've got something good to show you lot. I've called for them, so they'll be here in a second." Nurarihyon explained while pointing his thumb up, gesturing that they should look up above.

"H-HUH~~~~?" Awashima, Reira and Amezou said in synch.

Well, you see – Who the hell wouldn't get surprised from a VERY big floating ship? The ship shades nearly everything in the main house. It is very big. Reika is speechless. What she could do was only to look up with her eyes widen comically.

"A Nura Clan specialty! The strategic air spirit fortified 'Takarabune'! They're essential for far-off excursions... We've had them for ages!" Nurarihyon exclaimed proudly while his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Reika... It feels great looking down from above~~ Down on Kyoto that is!" He added.

"W-whoaaa" Awashima turns slightly pale from this – Nura clan is a surprising clan after all.

"That's the Nura Clan for you... How can people say they're on the way down?" Amezou added – just to add more ego to the old man; Nurarihyon.

"Old man... I had no idea we had those things.." Reika said, half surprised, half annoyed.

A/N: Suddenly feel motivated to continue on writing the story. 11:08pm, still reviewing. e.e You know, I typed a lot, but my fingers are still chubby. Seems like my boyfriend lied about typing is a kind of exercise for the fingers.

R&R please. You people who're silent readers. I still love you guys tho. (TT A TT " )