Firstly, I'm SO SORRRRYYYYYY to be late updating this chapter. Thank you for patiently waiting. I'd been having a terrible writer's block these past months. I also went through a month of blessing and festive seasons, so I was busy. What do we have here? 9 reviews! WOW! 8 fav! WOW! 14 alerts! DOUBLE WOW! Thank you. Thank you. And thank you. I'm touched, I really am (with a slight of pressure though..hehe).

Thank you for BlackRapunzel, Hinasukichan,Neko-chan001, and maya4yuki for the favorite. Thank you Cami Sky, Lonely Anthena, Megan Louie, Tsukuyomu, harucat1809, izhra, kurovillgane, majo 18, mormoncook and sweetdude-v5 for following. And thank you FeuWitch, Shar149, charles741, and .106 for doing both (sorry if I missed someone). Okay, here goes nothing. Hope you enjoy.

Warning for grammatical error, spelling error, OOC and uninteresting chapter.

Disclaimer: Nurarihyon no Mago is the exclusive right of Shibashi-sensei

Chapter 3 : Tsurara's adventure and Rikuo's quest

Rikuo and The Letter

Rikuo woke up all refreshed and happily prepared to go to university. Go to classes, group discussions, eat dinner with Jiji and mom, Night patrol and confess to Tsurara. Yup, that was Rikuo's today schedules. All of that went well although he did questioned Tsurara's whereabouts since he didn't saw her from morning albeit he supposed to go to university with her; but they sometimes went to school separately due to their own busyness. So he decided to ignore the important wonder. It was not only until he arrived home that evening and Kejorou told him that Tsurara were nowhere to be found, the day became a total mess. Rikuo frantically went through her room just to find her farewell notes directed to him.

I'm sorry if my departure was out of your knowledge. There is something happened that made me want to set out for answers; about Yuki-onna, about the fox curse. Even when I'd done terrible thing to you, you still keep me by your side and for that, I thank you. Being by your side is everything to me and although my conviction is not strong enough, it's a necessity for me to leave. Don't you worry; Arawashi clan will be your support in my place. If death does not do us apart, we surely will meet again.

PS: Please don't get unnecessary drunk again. We don't want your heirs to be walking all over the place due to that aren't we?

Love Tsurara

Rikuo clenched the paper hard; as hard as he can manage. Too tight until he bled, staining the paper.

'Tsurara!'

He punched the table in front of him, cracking it in the process before storming out of the house going here and there in order to find her.

Nurarihyon who deduced what was happening, sent the Sanbagarasu to tell him where she was going and directly demanded to know what's going on between the two.

Rikuo keep on running to a place that she might went while having a monologue to him self.

'Tsurara!'

...

...

The night prior...

Tsurara took a spoonful of ice-shaved into her mouth. The cold sensation of the ice which melted in her mouth was refreshing. She looked at the shaved ice and stabbed the top gently. When she was little, her mother always made her shaved eyes and entertained her with dancing snowflakes. Despite her blank expression, her mind was actually busy reflecting.

What on earth is she doing actually?

Truth to be told, she knew about Yamabuki Otome and her tale. She painfully knew her.

Rikuo had already told her about the sad anecdote between the flower yokai and his father; of course she learned about the fox's curse on that time too.

Sadly, maybe because of the flow of time and with all the clan's issues they were facing over times, she forgot about it. So, when Kana broke Rikuo's heart, the yuki-onna, if not really, she slightly hoped that she had the chance to win the Third Commander of Nura Clan.

Yet, she snapped and acted like an idiot after she overheard the conversation between the always efficient Nura clan's patrol yokai, the Sanbagarasu. Maybe she was depress and maybe because of the alcohol influence, she did the things she did. Gosh, it's really complicated.

Tsurara stopped the stirring of the ice shaved and upped her head that had been down for a while. Her eyes flashed far to distance.

So, why was she in this predicament? Was it because she used the curse to justify her action and that backfired on her? Is the curse was a lie after all?

Tsurara closed her eyes as she completed her action plan. Hagoromo Gitsune was the only one that held the answer to everything. So, she must see her by hook or by crook. Well first,she needed to meet her mother since she have zero knowledge about pregnancy, at least for a yuki-onna. Maybe after all that, she would decide what to tell the whole clan.

Tsurara immediately took out a hand phone from her sleeve and started to dial. It's a good thing she gave her mom a cell phone during her last visit. Well, yokai also need technology, weren't they?

Beep...

Beep...

"Hello mother, it's Tsurara. I will be coming home. There's a thing that I need to discuss privately. You're at 'WHERE?!Why? That's far. It doesn't matter where. I need you."

On the other side of the phone,

"That's good dear. I'm on vacation at Hokkaido right now. Yes, Hokkaido. I really need something to replenish my health and revive my skin. Tokyo wore me out and I so out of there. You sound serious. Okay, I'll wait for you at the Snow Valley. I hope you already shape up to a body like mine when I see you *wink*"

Tsurara immediately smashed the phone she was holding breaking it in the process. Her action made all people in the Bakeneko restaurant looked at her with both shocked and scared face. After a while, Tsurara struck in horror seeing her only means of communication with her mother was no more. Now she realized that all the hard work to persuade her mother to carry a phone counts to nothing. It's all because she said that last sentence. Stupid mother!

"Umm...Yuki-onna-san?" Ryouta-neko chased away Tsurara's self-reproach.

His face looked worried. Apparently, she had been making all kind of expression and ignored all things that happened around her. She didn't even flinch when a yokai not far from her was drunk and made a ruckus. After that, she made a call; and smashed her phone later.

When she was pulled back to the reality then she realized the disturbance she had ignited. After all, the temperature around that area already dropped over 0 degree celcius.

"Wahhh...sorry Ryota-neko. My bad," she bowed in apology.

Ryota-neko just chuckled with her unintentional cuteness and absolved her.

"By the way Ryota-neko, can I ask you something?"

...

...

Back on the current event...

'You said that being by my side is all you need?'

Rikuo who had been running stopped at the park that Tsurara always bought her ice cream from.

'No...'

'I cannot live without you'

He stopped at the convenient store that she always went to buy groceries.

'I should be the one to say 'I'm Sorry''

'I taken you for granted'

'Using you to release my anger'

'You are not wrong in any way'

He stopped at the riverside that they always hangout.

'I'm the one who being vague'

'Sorry Tsurara'

Rikuo was already out of breath when he stopped at the rooftop that he and the ice yokai usually went after fighting enemies. But there were none of her presence. Thus, he continued searching...

'I'm really sorry'

'Please come back to me'

'Tsurara...Tsurara...Tsurara'

He passed on the Bakeneko alley.

'But still...'

'What the heck is that PS?!

'That really pissing me off...'

'Answer me Tsurara!'

Rikuo keep on calling and chanting the ice maiden's name with the hope that when he turned into some corner, or when he opened his eyes, she would be there.

He kept on running to the places that Tsurara might be until he collided into a tall figure.

The person who Rikuo bumped into immediately seized the chestnut haired guy's shoulders for afraid that he would fall; not that he will as a matter of fact.

"Whoa Nura-kun! What was that?"

Rikuo immediately recognized the confident and charismatic voice. "Kiyotsugu-kun!"

Rikuo abruptly clenched Kiyotsugu's sleeves that made Kiyotsugu quite stunted.

"Please help me Kiyotsugu-kun. Please find Tsurara for me. You're good at that right?" Rikuo asked with a face full of anguish. His eyes were really pleading to Kiyotsugu.

Truthfully, Kiyotsugu really didn't understand what's going on. Asking Rikuo was really not helping since he's just repeating the word 'Please' or 'Find her'. This was his first time to look the person he admired in such desperation state.

Kiyotsugu looked at his sleeves that still in Rikuo's clench as if that were his lifeline before struggling to reach his cell phone.

"Guys! Meet me at my residence. Emergency meeting!" Kiyotsugu spouted the short sentences before ended the call and stared at Rikuo.

"I'll try my best. But, you really need to tell me what happen. What it is wrong with Tsurara-kun?"

The Sanbagarasu arrived before Rikuo managed to answer the question. All of them openly kneeled in front of Rikuo knowing that Kiyotsugu already aware of their secrets.

"Waka, The First asked for your presence right now. He asked us to tell you to not worry about Yuki-onna since she left to meet her mother," Kuromaru spoke with the eyes that said, 'It's an order from your grandfather'.

Rikuo was taken aback with that but for some reason, his anxiety still didn't subside. The newly received news should be comforting but his instinct told him to chase after the woman that he began to hold dearly in his heart. Something about her letter also made him felt that he needed to solve the misunderstanding between them...pronto.

Thus, he turned back to Kiyotsugu with the very same expression that he wore since bumping into him, "Please locate her for me Kiyotsugu-kun. I really need that," before looking to the siblings, "That applies to you too."

Rikuo turned back to fulfill his grandfather's order. He managed to make a weak smile and patted Kiyotsugu's shoulder before dashing to his mansion. The Sanbagarasu just bowed in acknowledgement before spreading their wings.

"W...wait Sasami-san..er..and Sasami-san's brothers," Kiyotsugu called when the siblings started to fly away, "Please tell me the details, Nura-kun been really vague about this whole mess," he continued despite realizing the small blunder he made.

The act made both Kuromaru and Tosakamaru shot their stares towards Sasami and made the crow-woman blushed.

"Stupid Kiy...Waka's friend! Don't call my name casually! I will tell you the details," stuttered Sasami before looking at her brothers, "You two, search for Yuki-onna. I will follow you in a minute."

Tsurara and Yukari

Tsurara walked out from the train while sighing. She had been changing trains and she only managed to reach the Tohoku region. With the long journey plus her morning sickness, she swore that if there was a choice she rather swimming to Hokkaido than riding the idiot train.

Tsurara went to a board that displayed the train's route and comparing them with the map that she got from Ryota-neko in her hand when suddenly an announcement was heard.

[To all our valued passengers, all the train movement will be cancelled due to the heavy rain. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused on our part. Thank you]

Tsurara stared blankly at the nearby speaker that was exiting the voice and looked at the map in her hand.

"Seriously?"

This was the worse. She really wanted to meet her mother immediately so that she could meet Hagoromo Gitsune faster but now...Well, in her strangely weak condition, she doubted that the plan could go smoothly.

She froze for a moment, thinking, before her right fist met her left palm. Her face showed relief.

"This is near Toono. I guess I can drop by. Wahhh...I missed Reira," Tsurara said more to herself while smiling happily.

After buying an umbrella, she headed to Toono.

However, the rain was not an ordinary one. It had slight ominous aura.

"This is bad," Tsurara mumbled during her walk.

...

...

Not long after she walked through the Toono village's entrance and passing a path that full of trees, Tsurara spot on a familiar figure of a yokai on the other side of a tree. That tiny figure was undoubtedly Yukari, a zashiki warashi that lived in Toono. Tsurara, who was already sick in her stomach, started gleaming happily while approaching the yokai before she halted the movement. In front of Yukari, there's someone. Tsurara only managed to see that person's back that was covered by an umbrella on top of it.

Tsurara leaned forward to hear the conversation among the two people.

"Come with me," Tsurara heard the other person's voice. Yukari on the other hand, remained silent.

"I had searched for you all this years. Now that I found you, let's go home," she heard that person said again. This time, Yukari looked sideways with guilt written all over her face and muttered an audible, "I'm sorry."

After that, Tsurara felt the rain become heavier and the aura become more ominous. She immediately covered her mouth to fight the urge to puke.

While trying to get her sense back, Tsurara heard the person declared that she will take Yukari by force and started to attack Yukari. Tsurara forcing herself out and rushed to the place of encounter. It felt weird when Yukari was already received a lot of attack.

"YUKARI!" Tsurara felt the need to shout the zashiki warashi's name when she saw the person who she figured now, was a female yokai, had directed the small portion of falling rain which somewhat become sharp as needles to the smaller yokai.

Tsurara immediately froze the umbrella that she was holding and pointed forward as she stood in front of Yukari. The umbrella became a small defense against the needle-like rain.

Being between the yokai and Yukari, Tsurara managed to have a good look in the unknown yokai's appearance. She wore a simple cream-colored yukata with a short cut bottom that reached her knees and a long sleeves' pocket. Her hair was tied in two ponytails and she was holding a traditional red umbrella

"Who are you? Why are you attacking Yukari?" shouted Tsurara before she drastically collapsed on her knees.

"Wh...What?"

"Serves you right. My rain weakens others fear," the yokai spoke as she answered Tsurara's confusions on their current condition.

Tsurara grumped on the explanation. No wonder Yukari received a lot of attack although she supposed to be a yokai that pulled in good luck. She examined her surroundings to plan an escape until she noticed something.

"It seems that you controlled rain. This rain is full of yoki. Are you an ame-onna?" Tsurara made a guess while slightly panting due to her strength weakening.

Based on the flinched reaction that she received, Tsurara knew that she was right. She looked Yukari's troubled expression behind her and said to the ame-onna,

"What do you want with Yukari? If you mean any harm, I will never let you," while already prepared to attack.

The ame-onna immediately gave Tsurara a menacing look, "Oohh..you are the yuki-onna that Yukari doesn't want to leave huh? Maybe after I kill you, she will come with me," she said with a cold voice. Her hand that didn't hold the umbrella was twirling in the rain. The drops of rain that fell around her hand followed the hand's movement and become needle like again.

"DIE!" She exclaimed while throwing the needles made of drops of rain to Tsurara.

"Tsurara-chan!" Yukari jumped and hugged Tsurara's waist.

Tsurara managed to form a big wall of ice as defense from the needles which has the same strength as the attack. Thus, both the ice defense and rain needles crashed between the two yokai.

The ame-onna was taken aback by the strength that the ice maiden still had albeit her rain and tried to form another attack when Tsurara couldn't take it anymore and barfed directly in front of her.

"EWWW~~~" Both Yukari and the ame-onna exclaimed.

"You dare to use this cheap trick...That was utterly disgusting! Urgghhh...Don't think that you won. I will come back for Yukari later!" The ame-onna made an immediate run throughout the rain after making that remarks while holding her mouth with a funny face. Well, most of them were not heard by Tsurara who was busy recuperating from her earlier action.

After the rain yokai disappeared, Tsurara immediately turned to Yukari. Even the rain seems to lessen.

"Yukari! Are you okay? Where're your injuries?"

"You stink, Tsurara-chan. But I'm okay. On the other hand you look more sickly than I am," Yukari let out her forever honest remarks while changing back her expression from troubled to her usual smile. Despite that, Tsurara can sense relief from her.

"Are you okay? Let's go to our place. Can you manage? Here, hold my hand," Yukari said and reached out her hand to Tsurara before both of them directed to the residence.

Upon reaching the residence, they were welcomed by worried Dohiko and Awashima.

"Yukari!"

"Where had you been?!"

"Reira is worried sick about you."

"You never went out alone."

"You suddenly gone."

"In addition, you were being weird these past few days."

"Itaku already assembled the search party for you."

"Since the rain these days feels weird."

...And the bullets of questions and statements came from both of them correspondingly before they realized Tsurara's presence.

"Eh, Tsurara-chan?"

And now more of the Toono yokai were out and ambushing them with a lot of question. Tsurara took a hard time explaining what had happened while Yukari just added the details here and there.

After the ruckus calmed down, Tsurara was invited by Itaku in a room for resting while Yukari was summoned for further explanation. Reira, and the always curious Dohiko, Awashima and Amezo followed both Yukari and Itaku to hear what's going on. It's Yukari's turn to tell them who the yokai was.

According to Yukari, both of her and ame-onna came from the same village a long time ago. They were best friend. Her name was Yakumo, an ame-onna. She always brought rain wherever she went and that's why she's been shunned by the people. The only want who didn't care being with her was only Yukari and whenever they were together, the rain stopped. However, due to some turn of event, Yukari decided to go away and eventually settled down in Toono.

"I never thought that she is still not moving on. She still thinks that I'm the one that caused the rain to stop. Zashiki warashi can't stop the rain you know."

Everyone went silent after hearing Yukari side of the story. It's a pity but there's no way that they gave away Yukari just like that. She's one of the Toono after all.

"Please Itaku... I don't want to hurt her but I also don't want to leave you guys," Yukari pleaded while looked at Reira. Reira replied by smiling and patting the smaller youkai's head.

"I heard you, and I understand. But that yokai already hurts a lot of our weak but potential yokai, I will not let this ame-onna of yours hurts Toono's pride any longer," Itaku strictly replied to Yukari.

Seeing anger in Itaku's eyes was enough to make Yukari stopped all her intention to argue about his decision. After all, Itaku was the leader of Toono village; the ever proud society of strongest yokai that would always be on natural side. Yukari also understood that Itaku was the most outstanding yokai that had an unquestionable loyalty towards Toono, so, he would not tolerate the ame-onna since she had made her intention clear and would be a threat to Toono.

Thus, their meeting was adjourned with Itaku asked Amezo to gather search parties for the ame-onna and Reira to the hiding with Yukari.

That night, all of them visited Tsurara who had been resting for the whole evening only to find out that she was all awake and in the process of making something with all the cotton and white clothes from who the hell knew she got from where.

Upon seeing the sight, Reira was automatically grumping while putting her hands on her hips.

"Tsurara-chan! Don't tell me that you didn't get a rest at all," she started to inquire her kindred.

Tsurara looked at the group and smile ingenuously, "I did rest... for an hour?"

A vein popped on Awashima's head and he roughly put her hand on the cerulean-colored hair ice-maiden, "An hour wouldn't cut it! You know how terrible you looked like when you arrived today huh? You look as horrible as a corpse!"

"I humbly apologized. I really am," replied Tsurara. She really touched with the concerns that she received. Their kindness was one of the factors that made current Rikuo, that's for sure. Her face changed when she remembered the white-haired yokai.

"Guys, stop attacking her. She's our guest and furthermore she's sick," Itaku who was leaning on the door spoke in dominance. Awashima let out a 'tch', Reira nod in acknowledgement; Dohiko looked to the other side, still acknowledging, Amezo vocalized a simple "Yeeessss" and Yukari just coughing 'pyuuhuu'.

"So, what are you doing here? Do you have any company with you? Are you perfectly okay?" He continued to the ice woman.

'You're the one to talk,' everyone thought in unison.

Despite that, it's odd enough that the very not talkative Itaku talk too many syllabuses in a matter of minute. He must be too interested in the ice maiden's situation.

There was a short silence before Tsurara started to talk about how she wanted to go to Hokkaido to see her mother but was delayed by not moving train; decided to drop by Toono since she was close; involved into one-sided dispute between Yukari and the ame-onna and unknowingly realized that the ame-onna was the one who caused the delays.

"So, why did Rikuo let you go without company and with you in this condition?" Itaku asked while glaring to Tsurara.

The sickly woman flinched on the question.

"We don't need a doctor to know that you had been sick like this for a while," Reira added.

Tsurara clenched her cloth at the stomach area.

"I'm sure Rikuo will not let this kind of thing pass," Awashima joined the conversation.

Sweat-dropped..

"Unless..." Dohiko dragged his words while thinking

Don't...

"Rikuo doesn't know you're out to see you're mother," Amezo completed the suspicion.

Bulls-eye!

"OKAY! Stop it! One at a time," Tsurara snapped when they hit the right spot of her worries, well, at least not the pregnancy one.

Everyone stopped and stared at her with curious eyes except Itaku who closed his eyes and leaned his head on the door in annoyance.

"Well...there are 'this' circumstances that made me need to see my mother. However, due to 'something' happened, I cannot ask Waka's direct permission to see her. So, I managed to get one from the First," Tsurara started her really vague explanation.

From the looks of the other yokai in the room, Tsurara was sure that neither of them was satisfied on her so-called explanation. She rubbed the back of her head, "I'm not a runaway or something like that you know...hahaha..."

The suspicious glare become more and more demanding but what can she do, the reason of her leaving was the only thing that she cannot tell but what was the reason actually?

She glanced through the room's railed window and saw the night sky full of stars. Just a few days ago she and Rikuo watched and examined the stars and now, she's here, in Toono facing a interrogation-like questions from her Waka's friends a.k.a comrade.

Rikuo and Kana

Rikuo stood in the balcony of Kiyotsugu's mansion. His crimson eyes looked at the night sky with a faraway stare. Just a few days ago he and Tsurara watched and examined the stars and now, she disappeared just like that. His feeling right now was the same as what he felt when Tsurara was captured by Tsuchigumo back in Kyoto a long time ago.

Rikuo bit his lips and clenched his fist before slamming it to the stone divider. It's infuriating and agonizing. Just the day before, he was ambushed by his grandfather about the matter. What can he say? He also didn't know the reason and Tsurara's letter wasn't helping at all. Rikuo couldn't stop asking himself on why Tsurara left without him knowing. Just what was going on? Was it because she hated him? Or was it because she grew tired of him? Or she was cornered into leaving?

Rikuo suddenly shot his head up. "What if Tsurara left because she thought she was rejected and now heart-broken based on what we talk about that day?" He questioned himself. Well, he almost get it right there. At least, that made Rikuo wanted to search for Tsurara more.

"Rikuo-kun?"

The small voice stopped all the 1/4 yokai's thought. He turned just to see Ienaga Kana standing behind him with a worried face. For some strange reason, his frantic heart calmed down.

"Kiyotsugu-kun had been doing his best to search for Tsurara-san. So, please have a rest. You look tired," she said softly while touching Rikuo's arm with her both hand.

Rikuo face softened upon the gesture. He responded on the touch by touching her hands while smirking gratefully.

"Oh, by the way, Kiyotsugu-kun asked me to pass you this," Kana put her hand in her pant's pocket before pulled out a piece of paper and showed it to Rikuo.

Rikuo took the paper and gazed it before looked back at Kana, "Plane ticket to Hokkaido?"

Kana just nodded and tilted her head while smiling. Both of her hands were on her back.

Rikuo squinted. The girl in front of him warmed his heart. She was always kind to him. She was his kind childhood friend and the woman that he loved for years.

Kana looked at the man in front of her. He's so stunning whenever she saw him. His crimson eyes looked charming and his white mixed with black locks that followed his gourd-shaped head looked alluring. Kana exhaled deeply when the wind blew making the man appeared breathtaking. He was her childhood friend and the one she had been in love with; although she took separate time to fall in love with both side of the man, human and yokai.

At the moment, Rikuo was standing really close to Kana, looking at her with such soft and caring eyes. Then, he suddenly bent down and gathered her into his tight embrace.

"Kana, I love you."

I wonder, do we see the same stars?

*sweatdrop* Is it good? Or at least okay? Or the 'PS' was too much? Please kindly put your review on the box below and you're free to shoot.

By the way, the clan supposed to call Rikuo 'Third' but I keep them calling 'Waka' out of force of habit. So, bear with me okay.

Another thing, did anyone know whether Shibashi-sensei ever described Tsurara's father?

Spoiler alert:

Actually, I didn't reach my quota for this chapter. So, you guys need to bear with me a little longer until the moment when both Tsurara and Rikuo meet again.