Title: Fast Forward to the Stars
Author: jankenguu
Fandom: Nurarihyon no Mago
Pairing: Yoru (Night!Rikuo) and Rikuo Nura (Day!Rikuo)
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I own nothing from Nurarihyon no Mago. I only own the plot! I hope you guys enjoy the ride anyway!
NOTE (PLEASE READ): This fanfic is AU. No incest or anything. They totally live on separate worlds. And yes, this is SHOUNEN-AI.No flames or anything of the sort. I've already warned you.
CHAPTER 18 - FAILURE
If Yoru's luck couldn't get any worse, it just did.
"Rikuo?" called Wakana's voice from outside the room. The sound of the door opening and closing again meant she had just entered. "I bought the things you wanted. Are you okay in there?"
Yoru's heart fell. Everything made sense to him all of a sudden: the other presence in this room and how it was related to Wakana buying what Rikuo wanted. Rikuo asked her to buy for him because he wanted her safe and sound. He sacrificed himself so she wouldn't get harmed.
He clenched his fists. He couldn't understand nor comprehend how someone could be this selfless. Acts like these were hardly rewarded. Worst of all, Rikuo would never be appreciated, unless he would be willing to tell them what had been happening in his life ever since he met Yoru. But no, he had to be stubborn and unyielding.
Yoru just hated Rikuo's protectiveness sometimes.
He then opened the door and revealed himself to Wakana, to her surprise.
"Oh, Yoru-kun! Are you finally on good terms with Rikuo again? He really looked sad when he came back earlier. It always hurts my heart when you two fight." She looked at him with eyes filled with genuine concern.
Yoru's heart sank even more. Life sure hated them whenever they fought. Things just have to happen when they weren't together. Did it mean they always have to be together? Yoru didn't mind, but the same could not be said for Rikuo. He had a life before he met Yoru. He has friends and family to love and cherish. He wouldn't throw all that away just to be with him. Things were more complicated now than four centuries ago.
This was one of the perks of being in love with a human in this modern era.
He gazed at Wakana intently. He had no intention of lying, even if telling the truth had its consequences, like Rikuo's wrath for making most beloved mother horrified and worried about her son because Yoru couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Rikuo isn't here. Judging from the aura left by another stranger in the room earlier, I presume he's been kidnapped."
Wakana blinked. "Eh?" She hoped Yoru was joking and that he was a lousy comedian, but his eyes were telling nothing but the truth. "But how? I was here the whole time and…" She began trembling. She feared for the life of her one and only son.
Yoru walked towards the anxious Wakana and rested his palms on her shoulders. "I do not understand the situation fully yet," Yoru could only say. "But I will make sure I will get Rikuo back no matter what it takes." Getting Rikuo back safe and sound was impossible. Whenever he saved Rikuo, the brunet would frequently end up gravely injured. He could only hope for the best this time.
"Why Rikuo? Why now?" she muttered, burying her face into the palms of her hands. "I mean, he's already been getting into more and more trouble recently. I don't get it. We were supposed to head back to Ukiyoe Town tomorrow."
It was the blame game all over again. Yoru definitely had himself to blame for this, although he had already asked Rikuo if he was alright with being involved in his life despite of the horrifying things that loomed in the world of yokai. And Rikuo wholeheartedly agreed.
Yoru should have known better than to have been so stupid letting his emotions take over him. He honestly thought everything was going to be okay, that everything could work out. He was being too optimistic. They weren't living in a fairy tale where a "happily ever after" was bound to happen.
He should never have involved himself with anyone, especially with a human, knowing it would bring misfortune upon the other— But it was a little too late for regret. They came this far already, and Yoru too deeply in love that even the mere thought of letting Rikuo go was downright impossible.
"I'm sorry. Everything is my fault," he uttered, his head bowed. "I'll do my best to fix everything. It's best if you head back tomorrow on your own. Rikuo prioritizes your safety above all." He knew how much Wakana meant to Rikuo. Yoru would never forgive himself if something were to happen to her. "Please, Mother."
"I… I really want to go back with Rikuo, but if you say so…" What got to Wakana was Yoru mentioning about Rikuo prioritizing her safety above all. Something must have happened behind her back hence why she was unaware about it. Perhaps that was the reason why Rikuo acted stranger than usual; especially with the unexpected 'I love you'…
And it finally dawned onto her.
"Ah! So that's why… he…" Her eyes were suddenly brimming with tears as she placed her hand over her mouth. How could she have been so naïve? The way Rikuo stood before his room, why he asked her to buy things for him and those three words—it was like a puzzle solved. And it hurt more than anyone could ever know. "Oh, Rikuo…"
Yoru could wage war with his night parade of yokai at any moment, but for now, Rikuo's mother needed comfort. Yoru never grew up with his mother, so to witness a mother worrying about her own son was a new thing for him. After this, he would set off to kill his own mother being possessed by the world's strongest yokai.
He had managed to placate her after a few minutes. And now, he needed to make haste for he already used precious time with Wakana. Rikuo's life was hanging in the balance. The more he stalled, the more Rikuo was most likely in danger.
Hagoromo Gitsune and her minions brought him to Osaka Castle. Rikuo sarcastically thought he would finally get a taste of royal treatment. And as he expected, it was the complete opposite. He was chained and bounded to a wall. Were all human guests treated this way?
He sighed. He insisted he didn't want to be a damsel in distress, but look at him now, waiting to be saved by his knight and shining armor, Yoru. He was just so sick of this. Why couldn't he save himself? Why was he so weak? What happened to him being the star of kendo tournaments? He thought he was actually strong, but against yokai—he was just as helpless as any human being.
Rikuo glowered at the long black-haired yokai pacing around the room. She looked giddy and excited. He presumed she was thinking of ways to torture him inside and out. Oh joy, oh rapture. He just wanted to get this over with so he could back to his life that didn't involve being attacked and kidnapped by other yokai every single time.
"They're taking too long," she said. "Yoru-kun and the others might find out I'm the culprit anytime from now. I really want to see if the legend happens to be true."
"A legend?" Rikuo spoke up bravely. "About what?" There were countless of legends and myths he had read from books when he was still a child, mainly about yokai because of his fascination of their kind. It was entirely coincidental when his red string of fate was entwined and linked to an actual yokai. It would be pretty funny if his story with Yoru would become a timeless tale in time as well.
Hagoromo Gitsune stood before Rikuo and placed her hands behind her back with a bright smile on her face. "The answer to your question will be revealed right about..." The door was slid open, and a huge and bulky yokai entered holding a cauldron with red liquid. "Now."
A horrendous yet recognizable scent permeated the room. A scent Rikuo knew all too well.
"Blood…?" Rikuo swallowed. "What kind of trick are you trying to pull, Hagoromo Gitsune?" Sweat trickled down from his forehead, staring intently at the most powerful yokai disguised as a high school student before him.
The strong scent of the blood was making him queasy. Looking at the contents of the cauldron did not make anything better either. Was she going to make him drink all this blood? What was the motive behind this? More importantly, was the blood mixed with something else? Why else would Hagoromo Gitsune put freaking blood in a cauldron? Rikuo was making himself sicker with these thoughts in his head.
She only responded with a giggle before looking at her comrade intently. She could go from a deceivingly charming school girl to a femme fatale you would never want to mess with.
"Kidomaru." The yokai straightened his posture while holding the cauldron on reflex while Rikuo felt the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. She was the leader of the most powerful group of yokai in the world for a reason. "Did you make sure our entire night parade contributed? It has to be the exact count."
"Y-Yes! No more, no less." Kidomaru had no problem holding the large cauldron full of blood, but being around the presence of Hagoromo Gitsune still never ceased to make him nervous.
The fox yokai walked over to Kidomaru, wiped her index finger on the cauldron's mouth and rubbed her finger and thumb together while beaming at the bigger yokai. "I should be the nine hundred and ninety-ninth, then. Yes?"
Rikuo raised an eyebrow. Hagoromo and her underling weren't giving anything away to the human albeit they were talking so much. Instead, they were making him more confused. Nine hundred and ninety-ninth? What's that supposed to mean? His eyes widened when Hagoromo cut her index finger with the sharp nail of her thumb. Blood oozed from the wound, and she let a few drops fall onto the cauldron.
"Okay, that should do it." She withdrew her hand and smiled for the nth time. Rikuo was getting tired of that phony smile of hers. He would rather see her hideous yokai form than be constantly annoyed and irritated by fake smiles that would make the sun bow its head in shame. "I guess Yoru-kun and his night parade of demons are making their way here right now as we speak. Might as well not waste any time. Kidomaru, would you please do the honors?"
"Of course!" Kidomaru nodded and headed over to Rikuo, smirking malevolently. It was finally show time.
Rikuo gasped and immediately struggled in his restraints. Obviously, that didn't do him any favors. What was Kidomaru going to do to him? Was he going to force him to drink a whole cauldron of blood? Maybe the amount of blood could actually drown him. The brunet closed his mouth shut with that assumption still in his head.
Making a hostage drink blood sure was a good method of torture physically, mentally and emotionally—and a new one too. It seemed that even methods of torture had an upgrade to fit in the contemporary times.
"Heads up!"
"Wha-?" Rikuo closed his eyes as soon as he saw Kidomaru about to throw a whole cauldron of blood at him. And a moment later, he found himself completely soaked in blood. He was more confused now than he could ever have been. That's it? For him, the whole thing was pretty anti-climactic. He was waiting for something to happen… but nothing. The blood, nevertheless, tasted awful and disgusting. He spat a few times to try and remove the taste from his tongue.
He stared at Hagoromo Gitsune, but the annoying smile remained plastered across her features. She was still planning something behind her smile for sure. Rikuo could hardly read her thoughts and emotions given her effective mask.
Afterwards, a crash was heard from downstairs.
"Hmm…" The leader of the Kyoko yokai peered through the slightly opened traditional sliding door. "They're here. Isn't it nice we did it in the nick of time?" Even in the face of danger, she managed to remain perfectly calm and collected. Her aura oozed of confidence and determination— like there was no other alternative, so her plan had to work, whatever despicable plan that was.
Rikuo decided it was best to just stay quiet. If she had taken advantage of him by taking him hostage, the least he could do was not to make her feel high and mighty by staying just as calm and confident. It was incredibly sappy to think about, but maybe the power of love could actually prevail this time, and that Yoru and his own night parade of yokai could beat Hagoromo Gitsune's—and it would free his mother from being possessed by the menacing fox yokai. The ending was coming all together for the brunet now.
Still, a bad feeling loomed over him in spite of his high hopes of a happy ending. A voice in his head told him something bad was going to happen, and that it was inevitable. He convinced himself he was just making up delusions. After all, it was what victims like him usually thought in dire times like these, right? It was normal to be paranoid and a little negative. Still, it was about time to stop being so pessimistic and just hope for the best.
Hagoromo Gitsune stood next to Rikuo with arms folded against her chest.
"What? Are you just waiting to be defeated by Yoru now?" Rikuo taunted. Maybe it's because your plan has failed, right? You're just acting like nothing has happened. Maybe this will teach you a lesson to mess with us, he thought triumphantly. But little did he know, the actual battle hadn't even begun yet.
"Such a lively boy, you are," she commented. "But you know nothing." She was unfazed by Rikuo's words. She has heard worse from the corrupted souls she had consumed. She could tell Rikuo was merely putting up a strong front to hide his fright. Most hostages would not even dare talk to the mastermind that put them in this terrifying situation because they valued their own lives. Humans had always been selfish and greedy creatures.
Rikuo sure had a lot of pride. It was one of many things that made him stand out from the rest of the humans. Perhaps it was because of those very reasons why the Nura clan underboss had fallen head over heels for this boy. This emotion called love had never ceased to amaze her.
Rikuo's eye twitched. And you should just shut up. He didn't want to talk back, because he had a feeling it might cost him his tongue. He quickly turned his head at the enemy yokai when he heard her let out a soft chuckle. He didn't understand her. What was with all the excitement and giddy chuckles? Rikuo could put the pieces together, but he was missing one piece of crucial information. It was the sole thing Hagoromo Gitsune hadn't revealed yet. It had to be most important part, of course.
"Hagoromo Gitsuneeeee!"
Yoru kicked the sliding door open with unspeakable rage, gripping on Nenekimaru tightly. He was aghast to see Rikuo covered in blood. Kidomaru altered his stance into the defensive, while Hagoromo Gitsune leaned her back against the wall with arms crossed next to Yoru's most beloved Rikuo, making a snide expression on her face as if to say, "Come after me if you can, boy".
Yoru stayed in his place to understand what the hell was going on. He didn't want to succumb into panic, because his emotions clouding his common sense could result in his loss against the enemy. This was it; the final battle. He didn't want to screw things up. It was now or never; do or die.
His heart raced seeing Rikuo drenched in blood. What in Kami-sama's name did she do to him? But examining Rikuo closely, he wasn't injured… just really covered in blood all over. He mentally sighed in relief. The brunet was alright. Now that he didn't have to worry about Rikuo, he could finally take on Hagoromo Gitsune and free his mother from the fox yokai's possession once and for all—and save the world in the process too.
It seemed Yoru was not going to attack anytime soon. She was getting impatient for she wanted entertainment badly. So, to taunt him even further, she cupped Rikuo's face and leaned closer to him. "I wonder what his liver tastes like…" she mumbled to herself. Obviously, she had no interest in the brunet's liver because she preferred livers with special and supernatural powers, but it did the right trick of making Yoru launch himself at her.
Yoru's fear was impressive, but she had no intention of killing him. She wanted to see if the proud and cocky Nura clan's leader falling into a state of misery and regret could be much more fun and worth watching than instant death.
She let Yoru get close to her as possible, so that she would finally be able to execute her plan. Precisely, she used her sharp tails to cut him all over. Yoru fell onto his knees, gravely wounded. Surprisingly, she cut the shackles keeping Rikuo restrained. Rikuo stared at her in astonishment before scrambling to his feet to cradle Yoru in his arms.
None of his vital organs were harmed, since only his skin was cut deeply. In short, Yoru was going to be alright. He was losing a lot of blood, though. And Rikuo almost practically swam in the blood for he held Yoru in a protective embrace.
"Yoru… I… Ugh!" Rikuo shivered as he began to feel dizzy and weak. He felt like the whole world spun around him. He was fine just a second ago. He dazedly looked at himself, but there weren't any fatal wounds or anything of the sort. "What's happening now…?"
Yoru snapped his head up and saw Rikuo writhing and wincing in pain and agony. "Rikuo!" He rested his hands firmly on the brunet's shoulders. He had never seen Rikuo in so much pain, but the seventeen-year-old was not even wounded.
Rikuo thought his head was going to split. He buried his head in his hands and screamed. A string of profanities escaped from his lips. The pain was unlike any other. He was hurting all over. He literally felt like he was being burned while being splurged in acid. It hurt that much.
Yoru growled at the fox yokai. "What did you do, Hagoromo Gitsune?!" He clicked his tongue, his flaring crimson eyes looking like he could really kill at any moment. The fear was so immensely and tremendously strong it made Kidomaru step back. "You've just granted yourself a death wish!"
Her laugh echoed the room. She wasn't even the slightest bit intimidated. If she felt anything, it was nothing but pure and utter delight and amusement. "I did not do anything, dearest Yoru-kun. Rikuo-kun would have been alright if you had stayed away." Lies. If she had gotten tired of waiting for Yoru, she might have killed Rikuo to see his reaction. It would have been his punishment for coming so late. "I just wanted to see if the legend is true. And Rikuo-kun happened to be the perfect test subject for it, since he's a human." She smirked widely and too enthusiastically.
"Legend? What legend?" Yoru narrowed his crimson eyes at her. A legend about yokai blood and a human rang a bell. But his mind was hazy from the anxiety and wrath boiling inside him. He could not think about anything else except for Rikuo's wellbeing. He knew he was right that if something ever happened to Rikuo, it was never the least bit good. He was not allowed to leave a dilemma unharmed, was he?
Hagoromo Gitsune's fingers tapped her chin. "Oh, right. I haven't really told Rikuo-kun about the legend yet. My bad. At least I won't have to repeat it a second time now that you're here with him, Yoru-kun. Oh, how I just adore right timing!" She chirped in delight.
She then approached Rikuo and Yoru without precaution. Kidomaru stepped forward to protect her just in case the sandaime of the Nura clan would ever lay his dirty hands on Hagoromo Gitsune. Yoru pulled Rikuo close to him regardless of the ear-splitting screams and moans of the brunet. He couldn't bear to hear and see him in such pain, whereas Hagoromo Gitsune crouched before the star-crossed lovers.
"It has been a long time since I have heard of this legend. I almost even forgot about it because of the time that passed. But thanks to Rikuo-kun clawing my hand, I remembered!" she began to explain. And the more she explained, the more Yoru became nervous.
All the voices in Yoru's head said the same thing: This does not sound good.
"As the legend goes, 'if a human bathes in blood of a thousand yokai, they will become a yokai themselves'." She giggled. "Congratulations, Yoru-kun! You are the one thousandth yokai! You just turned your beloved human into a yokai!" She stood up after feeling the satisfaction of seeing Yoru register shock across his visage hearing about the legend.
And it had to be after her telling him that he had remembered the legend too. He felt like his heart just sank into a bottomless void.
"I did you two a favor. You should thank me. You two can finally stay together as yokais for all eternity! Rikuo-kun will have to kiss his human life goodbye."
She fled with the rest of her clan quickly to leave the two alone. She had the last laugh between them for her plan came into fruition. She could proudly say she was content and happy at the results. Her next goal was to actually kill them this time, but she wanted to have a good and enjoyable battle so she was going to wait until Yoru becomes really stronger—up to par or even above par his wretched grandfather, Nurarihyon. It would be a lot more interesting if the sodaisho joined the ultimate clash.
On the other hand, Rikuo had human friends and family; he had a human life. He knew how much Rikuo valued his life as a human. To throw that life away was something Yoru never ever wanted to happen to the brunet. But because through a series of unfortunate events, whether Rikuo liked it or not… it might just happen.
The next moment was the room filled with the sound of silence, and then—"Yoru…"
Yoru snapped out of his reverie and immediately paid attention to Rikuo. Yoru became alarmed—he sensed Rikuo's aura to be much more different than before, and not to mention the color of his left eye turned into gold.
The crimson-eyed yokai was taken aback and just pulled Rikuo into a tight embrace. He was at a loss for words.
He let Hagoromo Gitsune have her way. In other words, he lost; downright defeated and humiliated. Not only that, he let the worst happen to the person he loved the most because of his carelessness.
Because it seemed the legend proved to be tragically true.
Guilt, regret, shame, humiliation, rage, fright— These emotions overwhelmed Yoru. It was tearing him apart. This could be very well his first downfall throughout his entire existence after streaks and streaks of success. He thought he was going to end up the same as his grandfather. History was supposed to repeat itself. He should have heeded to the overlord's warning about not being around Hagoromo Gitsune's territory. And now, he had to deal with the consequences of his actions.
He would deal with it later.
Rikuo never noticed it, because he was having a hard time to comprehend the current situation as much as Yoru, as a solitary tear actually trickled down Yoru's cheek.
"I'm so sorry, Rikuo. I failed to protect you."
A/N: I finally did it! My main plot twist! It is obviously inspired by Saiyuki, since it's what happened to Hakkai. I have been planning this for such a long time. It's finally come to light! I guess this is the end of the Kyoto Arc. Next is the development arc for Rikuo and Yoru and how they'd deal with the change. It will be another test in their relationship. Will their bond grow stronger or will Yoru's failure make them gradually drift apart? Will Rikuo embrace his new life as a yokai? What about school and his friends and Wakana? Will he ever tell them of his true nature now?
The two grew so much over the chapters. Even though the first chapters were written horribly, I still kind of like the development these two had. Like, wow! This is the very first time Yoru actually sheds a tear. Oh gosh, goodbye to the cheerful and happy days (for now, at least)! It's not like they can be happy all the time, right? I'm sure they'll be fine… hopefully.
Anyway, I hope ya'll readers still liked this story! Did you laugh? Cry? Or did it leave you hanging? Leave a review to keep little ole me motivated xoxo.
