Disclaimer: I do not own Noragami or any of the characters
"Yato got invited to the Kamuhakari? He must be excited about that. I wonder if the party was fun." Nora said as she walked next to her father. After following Yukine and Yato for a while, her father had gotten suspicious and ordered her to stay by his side. Of course, she was free while he was in school since there was a chance Hiyori would see her and recognize her.
"I'm sure he did. But poor boy needs to come home soon." Her father said beside her. "I think Bishamon will make her move soon. If she's going to revolt against the gods to revenge her shinki, she would do so when they're all busy partying. Such fools are easy to predict. We just have to wait for her to come to us and we'll lead her to the Gods to be punished."
"But what about Yato? He'll come to her defense and so will his other friends. Yato and Yukine could be hurt. You said that we need Yukine since he's a powerful regalia that we can use." Nora argued with the vain hope that he would spare them. She wanted to say that she only cared because their death would sadden Yato but they would also sadden her.
"Are you questioning my judgement?" He said in an even voice but his eyes were sharp when he glared at her. She shirked away from it slightly and bit her tongue. Seeing that, her father placed a hand on her head but it was devoid of any warmth, "They're nothing but disposable puppets to me. Yato and you are the only puppet I still need. Do you know why?"
"Because we're a family and we live for each other," Nora answered but her heart wasn't in the words as it once was. She couldn't help but think of Yukine. He had no reason to hold out a warm hand to her when they first met. He had even less reason to help her return home in the rain. But he did out of the kindness of his heart and not because of the obligation of friendship or family.
Are you afraid of him? Yukine's question echoed in her mind and she desperately to say no but she couldn't say it was the honesty she felt before. A part of her still believed her father was trying to make their family whole again but the other part had doubt. She saw the family Yato had and how different it was from theirs.
"I'm going to class now but I'll need you to stay close since I don't know when Bishamon will attack me. Don't stray too far now. My ayakashi will tell me if you do." He reminded her and casually twirled the paintbrush around his finger. She knew there was nothing casual about his action and it was a deliberate warning. "I'll see you after class is over."
"Just go to class before you're late." She reminded him. Nora wanted to make her voice as arrogant like it would be whenever they spoke in the past. But it came naturally then because she was ignorant. Meeting Yukine changed how she saw her father but she didn't know if it was for the better. Her father was her only family member and they could only trust each other.
Nora watched her father leave and sighed. Her wolf ayakashi walked faithfully beside her and she didn't mind their presence. On the other hand, she could feel the other ayakashi's eyes on her like a heavy boulder. She tried to ignore them and went off to find something to do within the distance of the school. "Maybe I can mess with those shallow school girls."
Nora walked through the school but no one paid her any attention. She looked for her next victim but she couldn't find the thought of tormenting the students entertaining anymore. What would that bring her? She sighed and leaned against the wall. They were ignorant or trouble while she was swimming in it so she should do something to make them suffer.
Closing her eyes, she could see Yukine's kind eyes. Nora knew that he had those thoughts once and she was almost able to use those thoughts to corrupt him. But he didn't. She hated to admit it but it was most likely because he was stronger than her. With that strength, he found a warm family.
Nora opened her eyes and saw a girl run by. In her rush, she didn't notice a letter fall out of her bag. She couldn't help but pick up the letter. It didn't take much thought to conclude that it was a love letter.
"Where is it?" Nora heard someone say and she followed the voice. She walked into an empty classroom and saw the girl from earlier. She was frantically looking through her bag. There was already another bag hanging next to the bag so she knew that it wasn't her desk. "He's going to come back soon and find out I'm sending him these letters."
"Are you looking for this letter?" Nora made her presence known and the girl jumped in shock. She held out the letter to the girl and she beamed at the sight. She thanked her profusely and Nora smiled awkwardly. It felt wrong to accept her gratitude because Nora knew she would've never given back to letter if letters didn't hold a significant meaning to her.
Suddenly, a powerful wind burst around her and she looked out the window. The wind wreck havocked on the entire school before dying down to reveal a masked woman. Her bold blond hair told Nora who the woman was and Nora ran out of the room to find her father. She heard her name being called and transformed into a shakujo.
Nora tried to travel to her father quickly but she couldn't before arrows began to rain down on her. Looking up at the heavens, she saw the heaven's subju-station force. How were they able to intervene so quickly? The Gods' power was so overwhelming that she couldn't answer her father's call for a moment. There wasn't a chance her father, Yato or Yukine could survive their wrath.
Caught between wanting to help her father and save Yato and Yukine, her mind raced. How could she achieve both without angering her father? If she went to save her brother, then her father would die and Yato wouldn't have a lifeline to depend on. If she helped her father, then Yato and his friends would face the wrath of the Heavens.
Nora ran to her father and saw him slip away from Bishamon while she tried to defend herself from the Gods. An idea came to her and she ignored her father calling her name. There was a way to save both her father, brother and Yukine. They could both hate her for betraying them but she refused to let the Heavens take them from her.
Nora ran as fast as she could and the path to the shrine was a blur to her. Nothing was clear in her mind except her need to protect those she loved. She needed to find Yukine and convince him to stop Yato from interfering with the subjugation. Even if Yato's friends were to die, he would still have Yukine who was his new family.
As she ran up the steps to the shrine, she couldn't help but think of when she watched Yukine train with Kazuma. Those times she was Hiirone seemed so simple now but she cherished them. She would trade all those memories to be able to save the person who gave them to her.
When she reached the shrine, she clapped her hands and felt herself being lifted to the heavens. It seemed to be in a mass on confusion when she arrived but it helped since no one noticed her arrival. She went to search for Yukine and hoped that no one would notice a stray like her.
In the distance, she saw Yukine. Nora threw herself forward and grabbed his sleeve. He turned sharply and his eyes widened when he saw her. "Nora. What—"
"Yukine, help me!" She interrupted, "Bishamon has come to kill Father! The one heaven is currently pursuing for the of high treason is Bishamon. She has even obtained a hafuri vessel with the intent to kill father. Father appears to have escaped. However, he still isn't safe. I'm going to father's air but I don't know if I can handle this alone…"
Nora trailed off when she saw that he was staring at her in disbelief. In her rush, she forgot that he had no reason to help her. He cared for Hiirone, not her, so why would he help her? She bit her lower lip and added: "If you want to protect Yato, then what you need to do is let Bishamon be subjugated by Heaven."
She didn't wait for him to respond before she turned away from him. Nora couldn't bring herself to look back at him as she ran to help her father.
"Focus, Mizuchi!" Fujisaki commanded and Nora quickly blocked Nana's attack. Every time they clashed, Nora tried to keep herself from breaking. How could Nana be so strong after being liberated? It was human nature for Shinki to scramble to anger and bitterness when learning the truth of their deaths. But Bishamon and Nana continued their attack.
"Yes, father." Nora renewed her efforts and tried to find a way to restrain them. The heaven rained down attacks on them which both helped and hindered her. While it kept Bishamon at bay slightly, she also had to protect her father from being protected. She tried to track the Gods' movements and she saw a torrent of flower petals rain down on them.
The flowers disorientated her and Fujisaki took advantage of the moment by knocking her to the ground. Bishamon crashed to the ground and he grinned when he saw that she didn't raise again. Confident, he floated down and raised his staff to stab her. "This is your punishment."
"Stop!" Someone screamed but Fujisaki ignored it and thrust his shakujo down. Nora heard the plea to but knew that she couldn't stop her father so only closed her eyes in resignation. She felt a hand grab hers and stop her attack. When she opened her eyes, she saw Yukine standing before her. "Stop this, Nora!"
"So, my reckless boy has come to save his friend?" Fujisaki laughed mockingly. Yato stood in front of Bishamon and blocked his attack. "You do realize that you're the reason I'm doing all this. You got yourself into trouble and father had to clean up your mess."
"Kazuma, get Bishamon out of here. This is a private family matter." Yato ignored Fujisaki and spoke with Kazuma. He didn't turn away from his father but heard Kazuma leave. Fujisaki pushed Yato away and tried to stop their escape. But Yato was faster and blocked his attack again. "I'm not going to let you control my life anymore! I care about my friends more than I'm afraid of you!"
"This little rebellion of yours is cute but it's time to stop being a brat and come back to us. As punishment for causing so much trouble, I'll be taking Yukine from you." Fujisaki's cold voice made Nora shudder. He raised his staff again, intent on using her to being down his wrath on Yato. "It's a shame to break such a pretty toy but this must be done."
Fujisaki brought down his weapon, intent on liberating and breaking Yukine. Nora resisted. She dug her feet into the ground and forced his attack to a stop. "No!"
"Mizuchi?" Nora didn't know who was more shocked by her defiance, her father or herself. Feeling her father's rage, she reverted and stumbled away from him. He held out a hand to her and, for the first time in her life, she was afraid to take it. "What are you doing, Mizuchi? Don't you want Yato back? I need you to make us a family again."
Nora backed away from her father. She looked from her father to Yato and Yukine. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't save both. She had to choose one but she didn't know what she should do. But when she turned to them, the words flowed from her mouth. "I can't hurt Yukine and Yato! I won't!"
"Do you think you have a choice?" He roughly grabbed her arm and raised his hand to strike her. A sword came between them and stabbed through Fujisaki's arm. She was shocked to find Yato and Yukine standing beside her. Why would they protect her when she didn't deserve them? They didn't say a word to her and only glared at Fujisaki who laughed. "Do you think you can stop me?"
"Stop, Yato! Father's going to punish you and break Yukine if you keep fighting!" Nora was only too aware of her Father's wrath and tried to pull Yato and Yukine back. "Why are you doing this for me? I don't deserve saving after everything I did. I killed Suzuha. I hurt Hiyori. I did so many terrible things!"
The guilt choked Nora and terrible memories rushed through her mind. She felt a sharp prick on her arm and her father swore as he clutched his heart. Nora had stung her father. Her body shook with the realization but she couldn't deny the fact when an eye appeared on her arm. It was staring back at her in contempt but a realization came to her.
She could stop her father. Nora tightened her hand on the dirt and strengthened her resolve. If she stung her father enough, he would die and wouldn't be able to hurt the people she cared about. With a shaky voice, she confessed.
"I killed so many people even though I know how terrible it is to be dead. I thought they deserved the same thing that happened to me. But they didn't and I still killed them! I stole stationary from that store so I could write letters to Yukine. I lied about who I was and tricked Yukine so I could talk with him more. I wanted to be someone else so he would like me. I'm a liar. I'm selfish. I'm greedy."
With every confession, she stung her father and impurities appeared on her body. One by one, the names on her body were covered by an eye. Her father shouted at her and she buried her face in her hands to hide her shame. "I'm sorry father… I followed Yukine even though you told me not to."
"Stop this, Mizuchi! If I die, Yato won't be able to reborn."
"Yato has Yukine. Yato has Hiyori. Yato has friends. He'll be remembered." Nora wiped her eyes and looked up at her father. "He doesn't need a terrible family like ours anymore."
"You'll die to!" Fujisaki cried desperately as he collapsed on the ground. He was screaming in agony and he felt those cries like strikes on her heart.
"Don't you think I know that already? Friendship, love, a family… I still want those things but I can't and I hate that. Even in the end, I'm being a terrible and selfish girl because I'm only doing this to make myself happy. I know stopping you won't redeem me but I can die happy knowing that they can have everything I wanted."
Nora felt the last name on her body being consumed by the impurities. She didn't mourn for those names. Looking back at Yato and Yukine, she smiled to herself. Those names meant nothing to her but she couldn't help but have one more greedy desire. "I want to be called by that name again even though I don't deserve it."
Nora didn't expect them to grant her wish and she turned back. Before her was the Boundary and she only had to take a step to cross. Once she did, she would become an ayakashi and lose herself. She said that Yato would be remembered but she wondered if anyone would remember her. Would Yukine remember her and those small moments they shared or every terrible deed she had done.
Her father had stopped screaming and she knew that he was dead. Taking a shaky breath, she confessed her last sin that would kill her. "I'm jealous of Hiirone because I really want Yukine to like Nora."
Nora began to step over the line with a heavy heart. But she felt a warm hand on her wrist pull her back. She stumbled backwards into someone arms and they caught her. The world changed around her and she found herself surrounded by warmth. The arms around her shook and she looked up to see Yukine holding her tightly but she couldn't understand why.
"What were you thinking saying something like that?" Yukine buried his face into her shoulder. His worried tears drop onto her impurities and they began to fade. But it wasn't her tears that purify them but his words that touched her heart. "How can you be jealous of Hiirone? She's you. I don't care what name you're using because it's you I like."
"Thy name is Hiirone." They both looked up to see Yato standing above them. She looked down at her hand and was surprised to see the name imprinted on her palm. "Yukine begged me to save you but he was able to do that on his own. Welcome back, Hiirone."
Well those past couple chapters wrecked my heart. I always planned to have this ending for my fanfic but I didn't know if I should change it to fit the timeline more. But I decided to keep this. I really like how this turned out even if it's way longer than I expected it to be.