Me: All righty. Well, it's a tenth chapter!
Yura: Does that mean this story is almost over? It gives me headaches.
Tsurara: Oooh. Do you need an icepack? I gave a few to Rikuo since he said that InuApril made hammers constantly hit his head whenever she talks with her shrill, insane voice.
Me: Not nice, Tsurara. And more not nice, Rikuo. I know you're out there!
Rikuo: You know about my hammer condition, InuApril!
Me: (sigh) Anyways, I was just trying to think of something fun to do to honor this deca-chapter, since, for me, it's somehow a big deal.
Rikuo: Wow. You really have no life.
Me: Tsurara, can you, like, ice his mouth closed or something?
Tsurara: Never to Rikuo! You don't own him!
Me: And there's the disclaimer. As for something special, I'll leave it up to the readers. Ask me to type anything, anything at all (K-rated), and I'll do it. It has to be for Nurarihyon, and torture for the characters is preferred.
Yura: I'm barely mentioned! How is that fair?
Me: I never said it should be fair. Now, onto the story, sorry for the long opening. Just remember to review your ideas, and thanks for being so supportive :)
Rikuo stopped smiling as soon as Yura turned in the direction of the yokai howl. It was obvious that her first reaction was to step outside the door and attack, but her new qualms about Rikuo were stopping her. "Don't worry about me, Keikain. There's a yokai here. I'll protect this side. I'm pretty sure my grandpa is over there, and I don't want him to get hurt."
Yura hesitated, still unsure. Finally, she nodded. "But promise that we will talk about this, Nura. Don't think I'll forget about your yokai aura." With that, she left the room. Immediately, Rikuo started flapping his shirt, forcing the yokai out.
"Thank you, master, thank you," they said, scrambling away. Rikuo picked up his katana.
"Your welcome, but next time, be more careful. I don't need Keikain suspecting me."
"Um, Rikuo," Tsurara interrupted, slowly phasing into her yokai form, "I think it's a little late for that. She felt the aura! She's going to come back! What are we going to do?"
Rikuo put a calming hand on Yuki Onna's shoulder. "Don't worry. When she comes back, I won't have any yokai aura anywhere near me. Look, they're already hidden!" Nura gestured at the now seemingly empty room. "Besides, when she sees me slay a yokai, there's no way she'll think I'm one."
But won't that just leave her with questions like, "Oh, wow. How did Nura-kun do that?
"By the way, Night Form, your comments are not appreciated," Rikuo growled. Yuki Onna took a step back. "No, no!" Rikuo flustered. "I was talking to my other…Oh, never mind."
Yuki Onna smiled. "I guess I understand your dual-personality thingee. Now, what do you need me to do, Rikuo?"
Nura thought for a moment. "Well, if Yura sees you fighting the yokai, I'll think she'll be even more suspicious, since, you know, you've never even killed a spider in front of her." Yuki Onna blushed, remembering back to a time when a small spider had crept up on her during a Paranormal Investigation Squad meeting. It hadn't really gone well. "And she's already seen my katana. I'll go help her fight off Kazeshima. How about you make sure that no other yokai are running around. And go warn Granpa and Karasu Tengu."
Yuki Onna nodded, although she was a little disappointed that she wouldn't be helping Nura fight. Not that that meant much. She'll usually came along anyway, just to make sure that he was okay. She turned, heading toward the kitchen, when Rikuo called.
"Tell them gently. Not everyone can handle news as well as you." Yuki Onna smiled with a blush. At this rate, her yokai power would become melting instead of freezing. She would tell Nurarihyon and Karasu Tengu and protect the main house from all the threats of the day, then go and help the young master. Simple as that.
…
Rikuo watched Yuki Onna go. Of all the people he would want to fight by his side and have his back, she was definitely number one, but he really didn't want her to get hurt. Plus, he was about to tread a very thin line between not showing his true potential in front of Yura while defeating a dangerous and powerful yokai.
What a pickle. Pickle, pickle, pickle.
"Oh, come on, Night Form. The last thing I need now is your sarcastic thoughts."
It's not sarcasm, it's fact. Besides, the sun's falling now. I could always help.
"Yeah, right," Rikuo scoffed. "You just want to win the bet. Now, here's a question. If an onmyoji is fighting right next to you and another yokai, what will she do?" Rikuo could see his night form shrug. "She exterminates them both. No questions asked. That's why I'm going out, beating Kazeshima, then sleeping soundly in the knowledge that you'll owe me for winning the bet."
Night Rikuo appeared in front of Nura. "Don't you remember what I told you? Kazeshima isn't really the biggest problem!"
"Are you talking about Hitotsume?" Rikuo asked. "First off, how would you know and not me, and secondly, hasn't he always been loyal?"
Night Rikuo sighed impatiently. "First off, I'll tell you later. Secondly, no!"
"All right, you don't have to be so angry about it," Rikuo said, holding up his hands to try to calm Night Rikuo down. "I bet you're regretting that deal we made now, though, huh?"
Night Rikuo couldn't help smiling. "Not one bit." Then he disappeared.
Shrugging, Rikuo went out the door to catch up with Yura. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens."
…
Yuki Onna had pretty much chased all the yokai into the relative safety of the kitchen. No one seemed to mind the cramped space, though. There was food.
"Well, I guess that's everyone," Yuki Onna said, squeezing through the yokai and out the door. "Phew, that was tough." Her hands balled into fists, she exclaimed, "Time to help the young master! Whoops, I mean, Rikuo!" Yuki Onna started giggling down the hall, barely paying attention to where she was going.
"Rikuo Nura, the Third Heir, is simply not prepared to be the ruler of the Nura clan. I've been saying this forever, and you all know it by now." Yuki Onna stopped. She was outside an abandoned room. The Nura house was so big that more than a few rooms remained unattended. This was one, and there was a voice coming out of it.
They cannot possibly be complaining about Rikuo, Yuki Onna thought, tiptoeing closer to the door. After all he's done for the clan, how can they think him unfit to be the head? Her ear was now pressed against the door.
"Hitotsume, we have been over this. Rikuo-sama has shown great skill and bravery, even for only having a quarter of the yokai bloodline in him. If the Supreme Commander wants him to take over, and the boy seems more than ready, I do not see why you show such concern." Yuki Onna fist pumped. At least one yokai was looking after her best friend.
"The quarter bloodline is exactly my point," Hitotsume yelled. Yuki Onna would have to have a talk with Rikuo about him. He was obviously and saboteur and overall bad guy. "The Nura clan has always been ruled by at least half a bloodline. Rikuo is only yokai at night, and even that is erratic. How can we have a puny human as our leader? A leader of yokai!"
Yuki Onna couldn't wait. She had to see who was in that room. It was obviously more than Hitotsume and Rikuo's defender since she could clearly hear the occasional rustle of feet or kimono. She opened the door a crack, peering inside.
All the council members of the Nura group lay inside. She could easily recognize Zen, Shoei, Gyuki, and the one who had been speaking kindly of Rikuo, Mokugyo Daruma. She could always recognize him, on account of his lack of a mouth. And the weird mustache. She had always wondered why he'd need a mustache if he didn't have a mouth.
Sitting across from Rikuo's friends were his criticizers, or the ones who just didn't care. Mottainai Obake was eating, just as always. Hitotsume Nyudo, the Cyclops, goatee yokai, was in the center, standing. There were a few others, but to Hitotsume's right was one of his greatest supporters, Sorobanbo. On his left was another anti-supporter of Rikuo, Mitsume Yazura.
"Zen, you must agree with me that Rikuo has been unfit for his position for quite awhile, and the Supreme Commander is planning on letting him succeed, and soon! You've always been a reasonable man." Hitotsume directed his one-eyed gaze on the poison master, who rose.
"Hitotsume, although Rikuo-sama has his faults, he is the greatest fighter in the Nura clan. If you do not trust in his and the Supreme Commadner's wishes, then maybe it is you who is misplaced."
"Yes!" Yuki Onna exclaimed, then covered her mouth. Every head turned in her direction. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! She thought frantically, backing out as quietly as she could. She had to tell Rikuo. He had to convince them, all of them, and maybe even throw Hitotsume out!
"I believe we have an intruder," the three-eyed Mitsume Yazura exclaimed. Before Yuki Onna could move another step, all of the yokai council members were outside, staring her in the face.
"Um, does anyone want coffee, or, you know, iced tea?" she asked hopefully.
"Oh, oh, I do!" Mottainai Obake exclaimed wildly. Without another word, Yuki Onna scurried off into the kitchen.
The only problem would be when she came back with that iced tea and coffee.
So, yeah, if the Japanese names are confusing anybody, I can maybe write a description or put a bunch of pictures on my DeviantArt account. Anyway, please review, and give me special ideas or suggestions for the tenth chapter!...It will be posted by the eleventh chapter! Yeah. So, anyway, feel free to drop a comment! Thank you!