HI! HERE IS CHAPTER 12! PLEASE ENJOY! ^_^


THE DATE OF DESTINY (The Uncertain Pair)

"There are winds of destiny that blow when we least expect them. Sometimes they gust with the fury of a hurricane, sometimes they barely fan one's cheek. But the winds cannot be denied, bringing as they often do a future that is impossible to ignore."

AT NIGHT, AROUND TOWN:

Rikuo in his night form, and Enma Ai were both strolling around. They have been walking for quite a long time... Maybe 3 to 5 hours by estimation.

What should I do with her? She's just following me... She doesn't have a decent decision of what she can do. This is all she is doing. She is only FOLLOWING me. It's like she is going to follow me even to the abyss of Hell... She's been there already, anyways... Ai...

"Is there something wrong with you?"

"Wha-what?" Rikuo realized the both of them had stopped walking a few minutes ago. He has been thinking about her attitude, the way she follows someone so desperately, she does not make any complaints. Even if she were to be raped, she would only follow.

There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING she can do. NOTHING... NOTHING!

"Rikuo." Enma Ai let go of Rikuo's hand. She was beginning to walk away, until she was quite far from him. About 5 meters in front of him or so...

Wait... What is she doing?

"Ai!" Rikuo shouted, trying to run to her and to grab her hand.

Before he could reach out to her, he was already on Enma Ai's lap, and they were back in the Nura main house.

They were both in the foyer, and the whole Nura clan was staring at them.

There were 2 basins placed beside Rikuo and Ai, and in those basins were sake, and in one basin, Rikuo's sword was dipped into the wine.

"Huh?" Rikuo questioned, and he looked around at everyone. He stopped at the point when he saw his mother, father (spirit) and grandfather at the opening entrance within the foyer. "What am I doing here?" he looked at Ai, he sat up. "Ai... You teleported me?" he asked.

"That's right. It has gotten late, and you still have classes tomorrow... Rikuo." Enma Ai replied.

Oh... Yeah, that's right. Today's Sunday, meaning classes are going to start again tomorrow. Another weekly morning without having to go out with Ai.

MONDAY MORNING, IN UKIYOE MIDDLE SCHOOL:

Another school day...

*sigh...* I'm gonna have to wait until tonight. She's still keeping an eye on me, right? After all, I still have the doll... That means she has to observe what I'm doing with it.

"Rikuo?" Kana called. "Is everything alright? You've been spacing out lately..."

Of course he have been spacing out, you fool. But, then again, you don't know the reason why Rikuo is spacing out so much... You will NEVER KNOW THE REASON WHY.

"No, I'm fine. Sorry I worried you." This was Rikuo's only reply, and then he looked at the window again.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." Kiyotsugu, who approached Rikuo who was spacing out said.

Rikuo looked at him. "What?" Rikuo asked.

"You know, Nura... There is a yokai that is very desperate into learning people's relationship! And that yokai is... the AI NEKO!"

"Ai Neko?" Rikuo questioned. He has heard a lot about the Neko clan, but he hasn't heard anything about that 'Ai Neko'.

What or who could this yokai be?

"What is that? And what does that mean?" Rikuo asked.

"The Ai Neko only wants to know relationships between human beings... For example, she wants to learn about the relationship the Leader of all yokai has with the Hell girl; are they rivals? Are they enemies? Or... Are they something else? The Ai Neko shall find it out soon enough with just hard work!" Kiyotsugu replied.

"Where can you actually find that yokai? Tell me Kiyotsugu..." Rikuo said.

"According to the map, she is found in the Bakenekoya, in Ukiyoe town's first district!" Kiyotsugu replied, looking at his world map.

Now I've got it.

"Thanks, Kiyotsugu!" Rikuo smiled.

LATER ON THAT NIGHT, IN THE NURA MAIN HOUSE:

"Ai Neko?" all the servants of the Nura clan asked Rikuo who was standing beside the sakura tree.

"That's right." Rikuo nodded.

He is very eager to find out more about this neko... What can she say to him and Ai? What can she say about their relationship?

"Master!" a demon cat (neko) ran to the Third Heir with a happy face. "I've got great news! That Ai Neko is actually a third cousin of mine! She is in the bar tonight! You can go see her there!"

"That's great, Ryota Neko." Rikuo smirked. "Ai."

Enma Ai appeared in his room, wearing her black floral kimono.

Rikuo walked to her and held her hand.

"Let's go."

Rikuo and Ai went to the Bakenekoya bar, where they were guided by Ryota Neko to look for Ai Neko. When the 2 yokai and Hell girl met with Ai Neko, Rikuo and Ai were surprised. Ai Neko was wearing a maid outfit, her tail was outside, and her cat ears were covered in fluffy things.

"Ai-chan, this is the Third Heir of the Nura clan, Rikuo Nura." Ryota Neko introduced.

The woman stood up and made a deep bow in front of the Third Heir.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, My Lord." She said. "What can I do for you tonight?"

"You can define relationships, right? Define ours." Rikuo said.

The woman-yokai looked at Rikuo and Ai, then vice-versa. She was amazed by the image the couple made.

It was IMPRESSIVE. VERY IMPRESSIVE. Her ears popped out, her tail quivered, and she 'nyaaned'.

Yes. Now she understood. She understood everything.

"My Lord... Could this girl beside you be..." Ai Neko began to ask. She was beginning to suspect that the girl was... Well, you know...

"Yeah. She's the Hell girl." Rikuo replied. He was really confident with the girl he is with now.

"Oh my... The Lord Of Pandemonium and the Hell girl? Woww! That is very interesting-nyan!" Ai Neko exclaimed , her tail wagging harder.

Of course, who would not be impressed by this awkward relationship? The leader of all yokai is with the girl who possesses Hell itself. POWERFUL!

"I see. I understand. Then, I shall tell the both of you the beginning..." Ai Neko said.

The 3 of them settled down on a table with Ai Neko sitting across them. Her eyes glowed purple as she began to say, "When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment. It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves. Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."

"Choice?" Rikuo uttered.

"Something that includes fate..." Enma Ai followed.

"Sometimes the dreams that come true are the dreams you never even knew you had." Ai Neko continued.

Rikuo's eyes opened wide as he thought more about what the woman was trying to say.

Is it... Destiny?

"My Lord, My Lady, Hearts rebuilt from hope resurrect dreams killed by hate. Please don't forget that-nyan." Ai Neko finished with a wide smile, and then took a bow.

"Great job, Ai Neko." Rikuo smiled. He was contented with the definition of their relationship. The both of them are still... UNCERTAIN of each other. There are still so many things that needs to be developed before they stop their confusion. Yes, that's it. That's right.

After there, Rikuo and Ai go back to the main house of the Nura clan to discuss the definition of their relationship. Nurarihyon and the sub-clans' leaders were very amazed by the explanation the Third Heir said, and now all of them were sure what the date of destiny was.

"That was great, Rikuo." Nurarihyon said. There is nothing much better compared to the explanation he had.

AFTER, RIKUO AND AI WENT TO THE POND IN THE NEARBY SAKURA TREE OUTISDE RIKUO'S ROOM:

"Ai?" Rikuo called.

Ai was looking at the moon... She looked peaceful. After all, she is just an observer, right?

"You can't go back, Ever. You can't change the past. It just is. . . . This is our destiny. Not yours. Maybe that was what Ai Neko wanted to say. There is only OUR destiny, Rikuo." Enma Ai stated.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Rikuo went beside her and looked at the moon also.

DESTINY is a feeling you have that you know something about yourself nobody else does. The picture you have in your own mind of what you're about WILL COME TRUE. It's a kind of a thing you kind of have to keep to your own self, because it's a fragile feeling, and you put it out there, then someone will kill it. It's best to keep that all inside.


THAT'S CHAPTER 12!