AN: I'm sorry about the misspelled names and I thank you guys for pointing that out. Anyway, here is the second chapter and it might look like the pacing is quite fast but not really. Since Tsurara's background is still vague, I am taking the liberty to explore this one and thus there would be details here that are not so in consistent with the Nano. And I'm a sucker for new characters so I apologize for that. I'm not much into action actually so I have to ask you to make do with what I can only provide during fight scenes and well, this is not entirely an action fic. Action is minor here as I would focus more on their interactions?
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Standard disclaimer applies.
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One female yokai watched with maniacal glee at the snow goddess who was hanging with her hands behind her back as her blood dripped down the floor where other hungry yokais fed on it.
"She sure looked like Setsura, all the way," one of the members of the group said in amusement.
The female yokai glared and the one who spoke shivered a little. "Do not speak that name so lightly in front of me," she said in rage and before they knew it, their hostage had a sudden cut on her face. The yokai leader sneered. "Wow, that sure looked good on you, Setsura's daughter."
Tsurara forced her eyes open at the stinging pain in her face and she saw a horde yokai down below her. She tried to squirm when one beautiful yokai spoke. "I wouldn't do that lest that rope will give way."
She gulped as she remembered her fight against them. She was honestly overwhelmed in a fight against these five yokai. "What do you want from me?" she asked and coughed.
The beautiful yokai smiled and Tsurara wondered if that's one of her ways to disarm an enemy. "We go with many names. Please call me Teidi." Her hand motioned towards the others. "The guy whose face is covered is called Ruarc, the blond female is our leader, her name is Neve and this other guy is named Kari."
"So you still work for the Nura clan?" Neve asked with disdain.
"If I do?" she challenged although it would be stupid to do it in her current situation.
Neve cackled. "It means all the more reason to eliminate every single one of you. Nurarihyon – that man – I have a score to settle with him and also Setsura. But of course Setsura is no longer around."
At the mention of her mother's name, Tsurara moved to have a better glimpse at them. "Why do you know my mother's name?" she asked crisply, remembering it once again – when she arrived to find her mother fading.
"I know because she killed my mother," Neve answered coldly but her cold tone was nothing compared to the cold encompassing Tsurara's being. "And that's why I'm going to kill you too. But of course after luring the Master of All Spirits. Upon his awakening, he would like to feed on a strong opponent so we wanted to see how strong he had become – your master that is."
She stood up and turned to Teidi. "You know what to do to her."
"I already did. It takes a few hours to take effect," Mei answered. "Kari is going to take care of it."
"Leave it to me, Neve."
"Our target would be the Third Generation Master of all Spirits," Neve said as she disappeared with Teidi and Ruarc. "I wonder if they will find out our location."
Tsurara's head was bowed, her face dark in anger. These are people connected to her mother's death and they plan to make her a bait to lure her master out. Like hell she would allow that. She had been a damsel in distress for her master a couple of times and she will never allow herself as bait again.
"You dare make use of me to lure my master out?" she softly asked in a toneless voice that was so unlike her. Kari watched with slight surprise as the surrounding started to get cold and…frozen?
"Damn," he cursed as the yokai below the Yuki-Onna were all frozen in an instant. He jumped at the sudden cold in his feet and realized he was being targeted as well. Not that it bothered him but it sure is a hassle.
The ropes that bound her were frozen in ice and easily crackled as she fell on the now icy floor. Kari watched as she unbound herself fully before facing him with her signature weapon. "You put up a fight a couple of days ago…" he mentioned. "I think it isn't a big deal when I play with you for a while before I'll end you."
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"Master Rikuo," Kejoro called the attention of their leader who stood on the sakura tree amidst the pouring rain.
"Have they still got no words about her location?" he asked without looking back. It had been three days since Tsurara's disappearance and they still could not find a clue about her.
Kejoro bowed her head. "I'm sorry." When her master did not speak further, Kejoro stood to leave when the leader spoke.
"You know, Tsurara must have been waiting that night," he said.
"Master Rikuo?" Kejoro asked uncertainly.
"That night she disappeared. I made it a habit to fetch her from time to time," the yokai said in a detached tone. "Yet again I feel responsible for this one."
Kejoro was debating whether to tell him about Tsurara's feelings for him or not at all. "We will – "
"Master!"
The shout came from the tengu siblings as they descended in a hurry. "Where?" he asked immediately knowing they brought very significant information.
"Ten miles from this town – an entire village was frozen."
Without second thoughts, he jumped down from the tree as his hyakki stepped out from the house, having heard the news.
"Sharpen your senses when you see them," the first Nura leader advised when his grandson passed by with his subordinates. "They aren't as formidable as the Nue and his minions but they possess abilities that could confuse you."
"Thanks old man," he said.
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Kana watched outside the school window as the rain poured down heavily, the cold wind whipping against the window.
"I'm bored. I want to talk to Rikuo and ask him about yokai stuff," Kiyo said and yawned. "But he hasn't been here for three days already."
"Ao-san and Oikawa-san too," Shima supplied with his head leaning on the table in boredom.
Torii did not voice her opinion that even her guardian had not been here too. Speak of the devil, she spotted him just outside so she jumped down from her table. "I need to go to the comfort room."
"Eh?"
She did not wait for further question. Maki turned to Kana. "Are you still thinking about it?"
Kana sighed. "I'm bothered by it. That all along – the man I've liked had always been Rikuo. I mean, the two of them are so different."
Maki took her eyes from the book. "Don't you like Rikuo? Not the yokai one but I'm talking about Rikuo."
Kana looked away from the window and stared at Maki. "I don't know. All I know is that I fell in love with that yokai. I've been telling you about it the past few years."
Maki set her book down. "You did."
Kana covered her face. "But I never thought it would be Rikuo."
Maki sighed at Kana's problem. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind if he is a yokai. There must be a perfect reason for him to have kept this all from us. Give it a rest Kana."
Said girl bit her lip and nodded slowly while thinking of how to talk this out with Rikuo. But still, that look on his face…he was enraged? Over what? It's not like the usual expression of the yokai that she always saw when he came to save her a couple of times before. It was an expression of an angered yokai.
Kana frowned when she saw Torii down. "I thought Torii said she'd go to the comfort room?" she turned to Maki who leaned on the window as well.
"That's odd." She turned to Kana and smiled a little. "Torii had been seeing a lot of this guy – her guardian according to her because he always saved her a couple of times before." She sighed. "I don't mean to sound rude since we are friends but Kana, you aren't the only one who could see a lot of yokai so give it a rest. Torii had experience worse. So instead of feeling betrayed, why not be thankful that Rikuo always saved you."
With that said, she went back to her seat and resumed reading. Kana was left mulling in deep thought while down below, Torii run towards the monk. "Monk-kun," she had always called him that because he refused to tell her his name.
He glanced at her for a moment before looking around once more. "I always feel like I owe you for your almost death years ago," he started. "And that is why I volunteered to look over you. However, I will not be doing it in a couple of days since we have important things to do. Just take care of yourself for a while, young girl."
Torii bowed a little and raised her head with a beaming smile. "Thank you so much for looking out after me."
"It's called paying a debt," he said.
"So you're a yokai too? And you knew Rikuo."
He stared at her for a moment once more before he turned his back and started walking. "You and your friends should stop poking into yokai business. Tell that to the others. I've come here upon his words to deliver that warning to you. Master Rikuo and us will not be around to protect you all. Get back inside or you'll get wet."
Master?
Before she could ask him further questions, he disappeared in sight.
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Ao whistled at the frozen village. He took in his surroundings and could not help but be awed at the wonderful sight. "This village had been nests to some factions of yokai that still refuse to ally themselves to us," he supplied.
Rikuo sneered. "What a shame that such a vile place had become so beautifully adorned with Tsurara's power." They were busy scanning the area while the tengus were searching from above. That was when they heard a loud sound from them.
"Oi, Kari, how long do you intend playing with her?"
Immediately, the group was alerted and they ran off towards that direction only to find Tsurara forcing herself to stand up.
"Tsurara!" he shouted and was about to run to her when a guy appeared behind her and stabbed her with his blade. It happened so fast that everyone was not sure it was real until they saw the wounded guy laughing a little before he disappeared into the darkness, leaving Tsurara gaping in shock as she slowly turned her head towards their direction.
In a speed that far surpassed their expectation, Rikuo got to her but to their surprise, she was frozen. "How dare you make use of that face to deceive my master?" a cold voice approached, her kimono already tattered as she limped on her foot.
"T-T-Tsurara?" Ao stammered, not sure what to believe now when he is seeing two yokai with the same face.
"Yuki-Onna."
They shivered at the cold and not to mention the rain pouring down so heavily. From behind her, that guy appeared once more only to be thrown back by the cold wind breathed by the ice yokai. For the first time in all the years that they have come to know her, it was only this time that they truly had a glimpse of an angered yuki-onna, a true goddess of snow and ice.
"Don't lay your hands on me ever again, you filthy yokai from the west," she declared.
"She looked terribly angry," Kejoro commented with another shiver. All through that, Rikuo had watched as she fought mercilessly the man who attacked her. One glance at the frozen yuki-onna he was about to save earlier, he was surprised to see it wasn't Tsurara but an older version of her.
"That would be Setsura's face," Nurarihyon appeared out of nowhere and stood beside his grandson while staring at the face of his comrade. "But this isn't Setsura. She died in Rihan's arms while asking me to protect her child."
The cold rain that pelted the entire village froze as it touched the ground as Kari was once again thrown backwards, coughing out blood. Tsurara towered over him with murderous intent and she raised her hand to deliver a final blow when finally someone parried the attack.
Neve stood there with the same intense anger. "That's as far as you go, Setsura's daughter. I will admit you put up a good fight and thus decided to spare your life for now." Her hand moved and hit Tsurara with full force as the snow princess was thrown backwards and was only thanks to Rikuo that she did not get to hit the pointed object that was frozen in ice.
Rikuo looked down at his attendant but saw her already unconscious. Slowly, he held her carefully in his arms as he walked towards the two enemies. "I'll make sure you pay for this," he said.
The woman chuckled. "You look like the first and the second." She turned to the old man. "How does it feel looking at the face of a comrade that died in front of you?"
Nurarihyon crushed the frozen yokai that bore the face of Setsura. He smirked. "You think I will be fooled by the likes of this? You may create many yokai that had the same face as my comrade but it doesn't mean you can always fool me."
Neve gave a sly smile. "I know that. Anyway, I wouldn't be so crass as to fight you all after learning of how you defeated the Nue. We came here to simply visit Setsura's daughter and play with her before the time is ripe for us."
"What's that supposed to mean?" the question went unanswered.
The woman looked over her shoulder to give a glance at Kari. "She sure did some damage. But don't underestimate us, yokai of the east. For we are different from what Setsura and the others had killed before. We'll take her next time."
Slowly, she vanished while giving Tsurara one last murderous intent.
"We have to bring her to Zen right away," Rikuo did not give a damn about those yokai at the minute as he glanced at his attendant who was barely breathing. Nurarihyon was left there for a little bit.
Yokai from the west?
What does she mean? What do they need Tsurara for? He gazed at the stormy sky. A little while ago, just like the weather, Tsurara the yuki onna had displayed a ruthlessness that is known of snow women. Setsura, what kind of yokai had we trampled over?
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"How is she?" Day Rikuo asked after Zen had healed the unconscious woman. He stood up and walked towards the sleeping figure and sat beside her, his one hand touching her forehead to make sure she isn't suffering from a fever.
Zen glanced at her too before he sighed. "Had you guys been a tad too late, she would have died of poison. I'm afraid whatever she fought had poisoned her."
He bunched his fists and stared outside, his eyes red in anger. "I'll definitely make them pay," he promised.
"Don't you think your priority now is to watch over her?" his grandfather arrived and sat down a few feet from them. The rest of the yokai in the Nura household are all in the other side of the room, waiting for their leader to step out and inform them about her condition.
Without looking at his grandson, Nurarihyon continued. "They said it, remember? They'll take her when the time ripens."
"Who are they? Tsurara called them yokai of the west."
Nurarihyon stuck his pipe between his lips as he reminisced. Zen and Rikuo waited in silence, wanting to know what the former head knew about them. In a slow voice, he spoke. "I have no idea. Only Setsura knew for she went to the west."
"By west, you mean…?"
"Not only in Japan but in other countries as well. Setsura lived there for a couple of years but later on, she returned here with her full report that the yokai of the west are not to be trampled with. She gave no further detail but only assured us that they are yokai that prefers independency and does not rely on someone's fear."
He blew a smoke. "But someone disobeyed us and went there, wanting to establish his own hyakki." He sighed. "You did well earlier – choosing to have Tsurara tended than fighting them. That's also part of a leader's decision. In any case, you are to return to school while Tsurara recuperates here. I'm afraid she can no longer be allowed to go out on her own."
Rikuo ignored his grandfather when he saw Tsurara's eyes fluttering and not a few moments later, she opened her eyes. "Tsurara!" a sigh of relief escaped his lips.
She tried to sit up but the leader pushed her down. "Don't strain yourself. You were badly hurt."
"It's too hazy, what happened after I passed out, Master Rikuo?" she asked.
"The blond woman retreated with the guy you were fighting against."
She was silent for a moment. "They are strong. No. different. Two of them are elemental yokai." She forced a smile as her eyelids dropped. "I'm glad they did nothing to you, master."
And she was back to slumber.
Zen stepped out of the room with the first already while Day Rikuo transformed in his yokai form and he stared at his loyal attendant with a gentle gaze that was unlikely of him. "Almost dying and you still worry about someone else. It's so very like you, Tsurara." He glanced outside. "I'll definitely make them pay for this one." This time, I'll be the one to protect you.
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Rikuo had an awkward feeling as he was surrounded by his friends – all of them with questioning looks, especially Kana who stood the farthest from him as they gathered at the school's rooftop. "Uh, guys…"
"Eh? Where's Oikawa-san?" Shima asked upon noticing the absence of Rikuo's constant companion.
Rikuo scratched her head. "Ano…Tsurara had been feeling sick lately." They were quick to notice the slight edge on his voice.
"How bad is it?" Torii asked worriedly.
"She's already almost up and about. Anyway, I guess you have so many questions eh?" he asked uncomfortably and they all nodded in unison.
"Yes. First, how come you are a yokai?" Kiyo asked immediately.
"And why did you never tell us a thing about it," Shima added.
Rikuo raised his hands in mid-air while forcing a smile. "Ah listen, I'm three fourths human and the rest of me is a yokai. There is no way I could have told you about it that easily."
"But we are your friends, right? Don't you think it was unfair?" Kana spoke for the first time. "I did not even know that you were the one who saved me four years ago."
"Kana…" it was Maki who started but Kana shook her head.
"No! it's still unfair for him to keep it a secret. He knew too well that we all believe that yokai exists so why does he have to be so – "
"Kana!" this time it was Torii who spoke reproachfully which surprised them all. Normally, Torii does not say much. "Can't we just get over this and let him talk? He's in the middle of explaining everything."
Rikuo cleared his throat. "Actually, on second thought I don't think I have to explain," he stood up and dusted his pants. "Every yokai is forbidden to just randomly tell anyone of their existence. That's the best I can say. I'm truly sorry I kept a secret as important as this."
Silence ruled as everyone pondered about it. Then Torii broke it by clapping her hands in glee. "Good, now that we had it explained, I think it's best to just let it go."
Kiyo stood up and stomped his feet. "Hell no! I've so much to ask Rikuo about yokai so my friend, tell me me about them."
"Can't we do it later?" he requested with a sweatdrop. He turned to Kana. "I'm really sorry."
Sensing that this is a scene that does not require their presence, Torii and Maki tactfully dragged Shima and Kiyo away from the two. Kana wiped her tears. "Then…then…you must know how I feel about the other you."
Sadly, Rikuo smiled. "Yes."
"I'm sorry for the outburst earlier."
"That was fine by me," he answered truthfully. He wondered why his yokai self has all the good points?
"Is Tsurara a yokai too?" she asked, wanting to confirm her suspicion.
Slowly, Rikuo turned to her and gave a small nod. "Yes. She is my head body guard."
Kana forced a smile. "I see." She contemplated a bit before turning to her. "So then, if I ask you to turn into him, you could?" she asked although feeling guilty inside due to being selfish.
But Rikuo is not really the absolute "yes man" as he would decline something when he deemed it necessary. "That's something I cannot just do. I only turn at night." He did not mention that he can actually become one during daytime during dire situations.
Her eyes were hopeful and she grabbed his arms. "Then come visit me tonight. I would like to know more about your other self," she requested with so much excitement.
Although pained in the inside, Rikuo managed a smile and shook his head. "I'm sorry but my other self will be busy watching over Tsurara from this point on."
The statement shocked Kana as she stared at Rikuo. "H-H-He l-l-liked Tsurara?" she asked.
Rikuo wondered about that question. Does his other self like Tsurara? He always feels enraged when she's harmed. "My yokai self takes care of all his subordinates and I do too. However, I left the yokai affairs to my night self. Tsurara is one of those I shared a drink with and she's one of my trusted and loyal comrades." He refused to call them his subordinates now.
With a hint of jealousy she wasn't aware she's using, she asked again. "Then why does he have to – "
This time, Rikuo freed himself from her grasp and took a step back. "Because she almost died and we were not there to protect her. Please understand that we just don't give into whimsical reasons, Kana. I'm really sorry." With that, he left his astounded childhood friend and descended the stairs with a painful heart. Though not directly admitting it, it was obvious how she really wanted his yokai self.
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Okay, the second chapter was kinda fast but only because I will not be updating regularly from this point on. My review lessons starts later today and I have to focus on it for the next few weeks. Still, I promise to find time to update and not leave the story unfinished.
Big thanks to the following: Carolitaz, Suki90, ELISA, FeuWitch, JustPikachu, Dark-Cho, nightingale27, eternalsky, KoNan03, and Cristinne.
ELISA – thank you very much for the correction. I've edited it already.
FeuWitch – nice to meet you too and hope to see your name around
Eternalsky – yeah I misspelled the name and apologize for that. I edited it already.
Cristinne – ahehe, so you noticed the slight Torii/Kuro there? I intend to give them more interactions here since I love the pair as well.
That's all for the second chapter and take care everyone.