Disclaimer: I do not own Nurarihyon no Mago. I only own my OCs and my story plots.
Mostly OC's POV.
" " is conversation
'Italics' is thoughts
Prologue
The joyful laughter of two children filled the air, and a deep chuckle reverberating right against my ear roused me from my catnap. I stretched my little legs out, and he adjusted his hold on me. He called out to someone, telling them not to wander off too far, and a childish voice acknowledged him from a distance away.
Bright yellow petals danced in the breeze as it swept by, carrying the soft floral fragrance of countless blooms in their wake. A young girl lets out an exclamation of awe as she skips towards the wall of flowers for a closer look. Blinking sleepily, I rubbed my face into a green and black kimono.
"Flowers bloom sevenfold and eightfold, but the kerria laments, for not a single fruit does it bear."
I glanced up curiously at a face shroud in darkness. 'Why does he seem so sad?'
A flash of a sharp, jagged metal appeared in my line of vision, and a warm, red liquid carrying a coppery scent splattered onto my face. A scream of anguish rang throughout the clearing. But it was not mine.
Belladonna
Chapter 1:
Nee-chan
The dark wooden ceiling of my room swam into view when I opened my eyes, the scent of clean sheets tickling my nose. Languidly, I sat up and began to stretch, sighing in satisfaction before it was promptly cut off by a jaw-dropping yawn. Blinking a couple of times, my brows furrowed together in slight annoyance. 'It's that dream again.'
Shaking it off, I pried myself out of my cozy futon and trudged to the small washbasin sitting upon the low table at the side of my room. The last remnants of sleep ebbed away once the cold water hit my skin. Blindly reaching out to my right, I felt around for my small washcloth and pulled it towards me to dry off.
Completing the rest of my daily morning routine, I quickly changed into a plain dark blue yukata and made my way to the dining area for breakfast. Stepping out of my bedroom, I shivered at the drop in temperature, noticing that the window is ajar, allowing the mountain forest air to drift into the little wooden house. The rain stopped some time ago but the chill still lingers.
"Ohayō," I muttered, suppressing yet another yawn as I plopped down onto a cushioned seat, folding my legs beneath my small body with practiced ease.
"Ohayō, Jun." A dark-hair woman replied with a small smile, setting down my breakfast along with a bowl of miso soup.
'It's Oyakodon today.' Chicken and eggs on rice. I inhaled the mouthwatering fragrance wafting from my food. AmeOnna is a great cook, there was no doubt about it. I clapped my hands together. "Itadakimasu!"
My guardian always wore a black furisode, with small white flowers and blue ripple patterns along the hem and bottom of her sleeves. Her long white shawl covered the top part of her head, shrouding her eyes from immediate view. She has beautiful eyes. I did not understand why she hides them when they are so nice to look at and once asked her about it. For some reason, she flushes a little and waves it off, saying she liked her fashion style just the way it is.
AmeOnna is neither my mother nor my elder sister, she has no blood relation with me at all. She did not know who my parents were, but she did tell me that I was given to her to care for by my older sister, who is the leader of a fairly large group of yōkai.
Today, I am going to meet my sister for the first time in years, thinking about it made a nervous yet excited little smile stretch across my face. Not only will I get to see my Nee-chan, but I am also going to live with her. My smile dropped a margin then, and I sneaked a glance at AmeOnna's back by the sink, doing the dishes. A hollow sensation spread within my chest. I can still visit her but... she would not be living with us. For the past five years, she took good care of me, and now that I'm 'leaving the nest' as the saying goes... I felt sad.
Things would not be the same anymore.
We are here.
I craned my neck back as I took in the large, greyish western-style mansion with black rooftops towering before us. The orange glow of the setting sun cast long and deep shadows upon the estate, giving it an almost eerie atmosphere. Behind us is a lush green garden filled with a variety of colourful flowers and a lovely driveway.
"Wow." I breathed in awe. This place is so big I can imagine myself getting lost in there. I tightened my grip on AmeOnna's larger but colder hand as she tugged me forward, up a flight of grandiose stairs and to the front double doors. She pressed a button on the side and I heard a loud chime of a bell coming from within. We wait.
A set of fairly light footsteps drew closer and closer until it halted just behind the door. There is a rattle of something metallic sliding open and then, two clicks later, the heavy mahogany swung open. A young human maid in her late teens to early twenties greeted us. She has black hair and grey eyes, a pair of rectangle red frame spectacles perched daintily upon her nose. I can smell a mix of floral-type wash and detergent from her.
"You must be our guests." She smiled politely, stepping back and gesturing inside. "Ojou-sama has been expecting you. Please, come in."
Once we were inside the mansion, the polished double doors closed with a dull thud. There is an unnatural chill in here, and the only source of light available is the sun's orange rays shining in from the second storey windows. The interior is tastefully simple, albeit, it is a little dark. Exactly how the demons liked it.
"This way please."
We followed the maid as she guided us through a spacious main hall, a large set of fancy stairs leading to the upper floors right in its middle. There is even a chandelier. When I squinted my eyes, I could make out something writhing within the shadows, watching us, following us. I paid them no mind. AmeOnna already told me that my elder sister is a leader, it makes sense that her subordinates are not far from her.
My gaze landed upon the back of the human maid's head, twin pigtails swaying gently with each step. 'I wonder if she knows about them?'
We passed through a corridor with large paintings lining the walls before arriving at a room that has a big and round expensive-looking mahogany table with four chairs. The maid turned to us, "Please wait here for a little while, Ojou-sama will be with you shortly. If you need anything, you can ring the bell over there."
AmeOnna gave a curt nod, her hand squeezed mine firmly, before letting go in an almost decisive manner, ushering me towards the seats. "Thank you."
The girl smiled pleasantly. "You're welcome."
With that, she bowed and left, closing the door silently behind her. We made ourselves comfortable on the plush chairs. While I hauled myself into it, AmeOnna placed my small luggage on the carpet floor next to the table. It contained some of my clothes, hair accessories, and a hand-made stuffed rabbit. Most of which was made by my Guardian herself.
I turned to face her, swinging my legs. "Ne, Ameonna? Do you think Nee-chan will like me?"
Her head tilted down to study my nervous expression, her ever-present shawl shadowing her lovely blue eyes. She smiled encouragingly, but those blue orbs seemed to hide an unreadable emotion. "Of course she will."
No more words are exchanged after that.
I gulped, bunching up my yukata tightly, eyes never leaving my lap. 'I wonder what she looks like?'
The door handle of the room jingled and I looked up, waiting with bated breath as the handle turned and the door slowly swung open. I inhaled a little sharply, eyes widening as a beautiful teenage girl stood in the doorway. The first word to pop up in the forefront of my mind is 'black.'
Long, straight black hair cascaded down her back, flowing gently like a stream when she moved. Black narrow eyes, arched fine brows, and a small playful smile curling at the corner of her lips. Her skin is pale and fair, a sharp contrast to everything else. Her dress is black too. She looks otherworldly, like a goddess of the darkness. Her movements are so graceful and sure of herself. 'So pretty…'
"You're drooling, Jun," AmeOnna said, poking my shoulder.
I quickly covered my mouth with my hands, flushing. It took me a moment to realize that there wasn't any saliva on my chin and I puffed out my cheeks in indignation at my guardian, who merely hid her mirth behind her long sleeve.
A soft laugh came from the girl, and I glanced over, spotting a look of amusement on her face, her eyes narrowing into crescents. I blinked in wonder.
"Are you my Nee-chan?" I asked, half-hoping that the answer is a yes. She chuckled a little more.
"My~ Jun, you've grown so much." She spread her arms open. "Won't you give your Nee-chan a hug?"
I sent a glance to AmeOnna, who gave a slight nod. I looked back to the dark angel with a demure smile and wide-open arms, waiting for someone to leap into it. That someone... is me. I hopped off my seat and made my way towards her. I stretched out my arms and she pulled me into an embrace.
The hug is warm and everything nice, although it felt... a little off. I cannot put my finger on why, but it is almost somewhat distant, unsettling, and uncomfortable. I pushed all these odd sensations into the back of my mind, chalking it up to the fact that I simply am not used to her presence just yet. I snuggled into her, a smile gracing my lips. 'This is my Nee-chan. I don't have to be afraid of her.'
…
'She's my home now.'
Author's notes:
Edited: 28 March 2022
This story started as a plot bunny and it took off by itself. Haha! XD I don't think there's an SI OC as of yet in this fandom so I thought I'd go ahead and give it a try. :P
Many thanks to Scarlet Clown and Shir0Yuki for their contributions in listening to my rantings, spamming text messages, indecisiveness, and helping me through parts where I am stuck. X3
~kirakira_bluemoon