Gekko no Senshi (Moonlight Warrior)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 3

"AAAAHHHH!"

Rihan rolled on the floor laughing as he took himself off his brother's person. Rikuo heaved in anger as he saw his brother laying next to his bed with his hands in his belly and nearly chocking in laughter.

"You slimeball! You're disgusting and perverted!" Rikuo kicked Rihan in the side as the latter was still laughing and crying, if possible, at the same time.

"You are too easy to tease, Rikuo-chan…" he said in between snorts of laughter.

This was just another ordinary morning in the Nura household. Yohime was in the kitchen instructing Tsurara and Kejoro what should be done for breakfast meanwhile she prepared some tea for her husband and Lord, Nurarihyon. Just then a loud thud was heard near the bathroom, following by a grave scream. Yohime just shook her head as she picked up the tray and walked to where her husband was sitting.

"Ayakashi-sama, what are we going to do with those two?" she said, as she placed the tray beside her husband and served him tea. She handed him the cup, he took it and sipped, exhaled and then replied:

"Those two are going to have to start to get along, so that they can take over the clan."

"Ayakashi-sama, I suggest you talk to them…. again,"

"Rihan won't take any of this seriously and Rikuo is way to serious for his own good," replied Nurarihyon to his wife.

Yohime sighed, "But then again, that's the perfect balance. Rikuo pushes Rihan to be more serious and Rihan helps lighten up Rikuo a little bit."

Nurarihyon smiled at this wife, "I guess you are right Yo, I guess you're right."

After all this years, Yohime still blushes whenever her husband stares at her. He puts a hand near her butt and brings her closer to himself. Tsurara watching from a distance, hating to break the moment walks in and announce:

"Sodaicho, Yohime-sama, breakfast will be served shortly."

Nurarihyon and his wife sit in the dinning room waiting for their two sons.

"I wonder what is talking them so long," said the First. Just like in queue his stomach growled and Yohime tried to sniffle laughter. An embarrassed Nurarihyon just laughs at his own humanity.

"Take that stick off your ass, Rikuo," said Rihan as he walked behind a very somber faced Rikuo.

"Shut it, you worm, that was disgusting," said Rikuo with his eyes closed as she sat on the floor before his parents. Rihan sat right next to him.

"What is it this time?" asked Nurarihyon with a bored expression, as he stared as his two sons. Both teenage looking boys, with Rihan being the eldest, looking like an 18 year old and Rikuo, being the youngest, looking like a 15 year old. Yet both in their ayakashi form had more adult like features, they still didn't look older than 20.

"I wake up in the morning to this perv sleeping next to me and breathing so close to me," Rikuo looked like he was about to puke. "And when he notices me awake, he kisses me!"

Yohime and Nurarihyon tried to be serious but all they could do was muffle their laughter.

"This is NOT funny!" yelled Rikuo.

"I just needed some loving, bro," said Rihan nonchalantly.

"And you are going to turn on your brother? You're sick, Rihan and you need help!" yelled Rikuo, getting all flustered and angry again.

"Why do I need to get help if I got you, Rikuo-chan?" responded a very aloof Rihan.

Rikuo just huffed and looked away. Kejoro and Tsurara walked in with their food and soon after they began to eat.

"Stop acting like a girl, Rikuo," said Rihan.

"I am NOT a girl!"

"But you behave like one."

"UGH!" Rikuo stood up and walked out the door, yelling, "I not hungry anymore… I'm going to school!"

Rihan chuckled, "Oh well, his loss, more food for me…" he said as he started to pick after what Rikuo had left.

"Rihan, I think you've crossed the line with your brother," his mother said.

"Okaa-sama, I'm just teasing Rikuo," he said as he wolfed on his breakfast.

"Rikun, your pranks are getting out of hand lately," Yohime conferred.

"Out of hand! Rikuo made my bath ten times hotter this morning! It almost charred my skin!" whined Rihan.

"And you talk about Rikuo acting like a girl," snorted his father. Rihan growled. Yohime cleared her throat.

"Son, you very well know that one day the two of you will be talking over the clan," Yohime started.

"They should've taken over already," added Nurarihyon. Rihan narrowed his eyes at his father.

"Father, I said it then and I'll say it now: I have no interest in taking over the clan yet. You've being doing a good job, why should I intervene?"

The Sodaicho put down his cup of tea, sighed and responded: "I am getting older and more tired. The clan needs younger blood and that means my two sons…"

Rihan didn't even let his father finish before retaliating, "Do you even think those old goons would ever listen to us?"

"It will take a while but I am sure they'll come around," said his father.

"Whatever."

With this Rihan stood up, excused himself and left the room.

Before she knew it, Tomoe waved a single goodbye to her father and her best friend as she hoped on board the train that would take her to Ukiyoe town. It will take her a few hours since she was traveling on the Bullet train. She laughed at her small bag of belongings. There's basically nothing in there… going to have to go shopping once I get to the city.

As all the girls her age, she cared about her personal aspect. But even though she acted like an ordinary girl, her first and foremost priority was to protect her clan, engaging in battle or going on missions. This is not the first mission she has being sent to: before her father invaded some of the northern lands of Japan, she had infiltrated one of the main villages as a wounded traveler. In other occasions, she has visited several other villages, impersonating sellers or a lost tourist. This time it would be easier: she just needed to be herself, as an ordinary student, with eyes and ears wide opened.

She sighed as she opened one of the books she was reading, and halted at a picture hidden within the pages. Her heart dug deep in her chest as she remembered happier times. It was a picture of a younger Tomoe holding her mother's hand at the Lunar village festival; both wearing traditional furoside kimonos. Back then she had no idea that a few years later the decisions that she'll make would stir her life completely. Before tears threatened to appear, Tomoe closed the book. I'd better read something else…

Rikuo's stomach growled wildly at him as he made his way to school. He was thinking of all the ways of murdering his brother after the stunt he pulled this morning. He smirked at the thought of nearly frying his brother in his own bath, thing he had already done.

Payback is sweet, fucker…

"Rikuo! Rikuo!" his harrowing thoughts where disrupted by one Ienaga Kana, one of Rikuo's closest friends.

"Ah, Kana-chan," smiled Rikuo. Kana blushed as she removed her eyes from Rikuo's chocolate orbs.

"Ohayo, Rikuo-kun," she replied, looking down.

"It's a beauti-…" he was interrupted by the loudest stomach growl mankind has ever heard. He became all tomato red and Kana had to hide her face behind the binder she was carrying to laugh.

Rikuo in total embarrassment, walked away from the scene without a word, with Kana nearly rolling on the floor. He barely touched his breakfast and completely forgot, in his anger, to pick up his bento box for lunch. Thankfully he had some leftover lunch money he could use.

"Rikuo, wait up!" Kana ran over to catch up. "I'm so sorry I laughed, it was just… your face…" she tried not to laugh again.

"Let's just say I had a rough morning," he said looking away.

"What did your brother do this time?"

"I prefer not to talk about it," he answered.

Kana knew Rikuo for a long time. They had being friends since elementary, but she had barely ever seen his brother. She had only seen Rihan twice to be more exact: once when he came to pick Rikuo up at school (which Rikuo didn't seem to be very happy about) and two when Rikuo had gotten into a fight with an upper grade kid; his brother threating to beat the crap out of whoever did it and pulling Rikuo by the hair all the way home for not defending himself.

She also knew that those two played heavy pranks on each other, where one of them always wound up getting hurt. This must have being one of those days.

Rikuo stopped at a shop to buy melon bread and eat it on his way to school, happily chatting with his friend.

Just another day, Rihan sighed as he stood by the gate of the Main House, near the west end.

I failed to protect her. I failed to make her happy and she left me. Will I ever be capable to love?

"Rihan, you can't stand there all day and stare at the yamabuki garden," said Kubinashi, interrupting his thoughts. Rihan sighed again.

He's being doing that a lot, thought Kubinashi as he saw his Master give one last look to the garden, stand up and leave.

"Rikuo should be done soon," Kubinashi heard Rihan say as he watched in awe how he transformed into his human self right before his eyes: when his luscious dark mane fell from his erected position, now reaching his lower back and how his eyes had darkened just a little but still kept that insanely handsome glow.

Rihan turned around and winked at his old friend, turned back and with a small wave, he walked out through the gate.

A/N: Yey! Another chapter! Hope you liked it! Please please review!