AN: It is so stupid of me and if it weren't for chessvain pointing that out, I would not know about one detail I overlooked so for that I apologize and thank you very much chessvain. For the purpose of the story, let's just say that Kiyo does not remember the face of yokai Rikuo from when he was saved before. Just for this one, let us put it that way and sorry, sorry, sorry for overlooking that detail. He will remember it in no time. I promise. Thanks to the following: , ELISA ,chessvain,Lonely Athena, KoNan03, cassisintegra, FeuWitch, Dark-Cho, C., seth12619, and Mayonaka No Sasayaki.
FeuWitch – thanks for the suggestion and I'll keep that in mind while I decide on what to do with her.
warning: A bit OOC at the latter part.
Disclaimer: Nura doesn't belong to me.
Tsurara jumped in glee when she was able to win that particular round of spar against the Arawashi clan. It had been days past since things returned to normal. Tsurara continued her daily routines, waking his master every morning, serving him tea and going to Nishikigoi every afternoon to help the Arawashi clan with whatever help she could provide. And unknown to the Nura Clan, she had been taught a lot of fighting styles ever since she started taking over the district. And with her mind finally at peace, she can now admit to herself that she was caught off guard during her fight against those yokai. And not to mention that one of them is different.
"You seem to have improved even more, Onee-san," Goru commented.
The yuki onna set her weapon down and accepted the drink she was offered. "I have to improve more. As head guard of the Third Master, I cannot allow myself to experience being so helpless again," she admitted. After a few days and she can finally talk about it with ease.
"Tsurara-san, if you don't mind me asking, who are they?" Katashi questioned as the rest gathered around her.
For a quick moment, her eyes promised vengeance but that was carefully masked away. "They are yokai from the west. That's all I know about them and the fact that they are targeting me for revenge. As long as it does not harm Master Rikuo, I think I will be fine by it."
The Arawashi brothers looked at each other before Taichi whispered close to Nobu. "You think she knows that the Third is always around?"
Nobu shook his head. "I don't think she does. The Third is always masking his presence." A sly grin worked on his face before he turned to Tsurara. "Tsurara-san, how's it going with you and the Third?" The brothers rarely step out from their district and only made it a point to visit Ukiyue Town for important reasons. One time, a few days ago, Nobu heard quite a rumor around the Neko district – involving their very own Tsurara-san and their Master. It was really interesting listening to it, especially when they described how the Master treated her with utmost care, seen only from a guy who shares a deep feeling for someone. He wondered if their onee-san knew about it as well and only pretends she doesn't.
The question made Tsurara blink at them in confusion before her face turned into a shade of red. "W-Why are you asking me that?"
Nobu chuckled. "Nothing. I thought there was something going on between you two. You're very lucky to win his favor."
Tsurara scratched her head. "People have started jumping into conclusions lately," she spoke softly. "But there is really nothing going on between us."
Their eyebrows quirked, telling her they don't believe any of it. Katashi asked another question. "But don't you like him?"
Tsurara made a face. "I adore him alright but that's that. Master Rikuo likes someone else," she said in a dejected manner, missing the teasing looks shared by the brothers. But still, it was Tsurara's honesty, her vigor in life that always made them so appreciative of her. She raised her head and looked up. "But I don't think it matters. I'll continue serving him more than anything else and that is why I cannot allow anyone to make bait of me."
Katashi patted the top of her head affectionately. "You're really a nice yokai." They will leave it to her to discover that their Master is always watching out for her albeit secretly.
.
.
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Even the Nura household had caught the rumors when Kejouro went to town once. And because of that, Tsurara had been subjected to some teasing remarks which she does not understand. Kejouro could be very good with words that would leave you confused and puzzled – especially when you're as naïve as Tsurara. Everyone else knew how the Night Rikuo came home with a drunk Tsurara in his arms and nights following that, he would quietly make sure she arrived at Nishikigoi unharmed as well as when she walked home. He never did show himself to her again to avoid raising some sort of suspicion on her part as everyone else knew how Tsurara had wanted to prove herself worthy and capable.
But unknown to the Yuki-Onna, everyone worries about her and her unconscious leak of power. She isn't aware herself but when she's thinking too much of getting stronger, of wanting to protect her master, of her fight against the yokai of the west, her surrounding get's chilly without her noticing it.
In school, Tsurara was debating whether to talk to Ienaga or not when her thoughts were distracted by the entrance of hyper human boy.
"Have you heard of the latest news about yokai?" Kiyo asked with excitement as he ran into the room where his friends were already gathered. He looked at Rikuo and cried comically. "You really should help us confirm it."
The usual reaction came when Rikuo staggered back in hesitance. "Hii?"
Not bothering about his obvious protest, Kiyo started with the story. "It is said that in Izu, a yokai lives in the Joren waterfalls. There are various stories claiming the existence of the yokai that lives there – a Jorogumo." His eyes sparkled with excitement as he looked up at the ceiling comically while trying to imagine himself meeting a yokai of such legend. He turned to them once again. "It is said that her victims are bound in spider silk while distracted."
Apparently terrified, Maki tried to reject the invitation to go there. "Hearing it from you makes me not want to go there all the more."
Torii nodded her head in agreement. "That's right. It sounds creepy and I've had enough dealings with troubles brought by yokai." She did not speak with malice as she tried to remember how she almost died years ago.
"I wouldn't want to go too," Kana spoke and clasped her hands together. "I don't think I can take any more danger."
Kiyo looked disappointed even when Shima rejected the idea too. Apparently, he seemed the only human excited to deal with yokai stuff and the danger that goes along with it. To his surprise, Tsurara volunteered out of the goodness of her heart.
"I can accompany you."
"Ehhhh?" Shima and Rikuo shared the same reaction as they stared at Tsurara like she had lost her mind.
Shrugging, she stood up. "It's not so bad," she said. I can also test myself against her. I need to see how much I have improved without master ever knowing about it.
"But Tsurara – "
"I can handle this," she promised, prompting the young master to pull her away from the group. He held both her shoulders and stared directly at her.
"Don't be so pompous just lowering your guard so easily," he berated in a serious tone much to Tsurara's surprise. "Do you even realize that the enemies are after you?"
When she did not respond, Rikuo shook her. "I cannot let you go there. They might – "
Give it a rest.
Rikuo found himself face to face with his yokai self. The yokai one was giving off that permanent smirk as he stared at his human self. Just let her go. "Can't you see the determined look in her eyes?"
"But if I do, what if she's –"
"We wouldn't allow that,, right? I wouldn't allow that." He spoke with so much emphasis.
"Izu is far from this town. It takes days to travel there," he argued.
"Even so, are you going to crush the spirit of the yuki-onna who has found a good way to check on her improvement?" he challenged. "And you can't seriously leave Tsurara under the care of your human friend, could you?"
He sighed in defeat.
"Alright," he conceded both to Tsurara and his yokai form.
"Master?" Tsurara asked with confusion.
"I will go with you and Kiyo."
The yuki onna's face brightened visibly as she leaned closer to the human Rikuo. "Really?"
"Yes. Let us get back inside before the guys starts assuming things again," he said and pulled her back inside. He turned to Kiyo. "Alright, I will go with you and Tsurara."
Maki grinned. "Are you jealous that Kiyo may take her away?"
With face flushing red, Rikuo defended himself much to his yokai's self amusement from within. "No, that's not it!" he almost yelled in embarrassment, not realizing how it affected two girls. Kana's face lit up, color returning back to her almost ashen face while Tsurara only forced a smile, hiding her pain. "Tsurara is my responsibility."
You could have said it in another way, his yokai self sneered.
He ignored him and stared at Kiyo. "I don't know if ever the time comes when you learn your lessons, Kiyo," he spoke in an uncharacteristic tone. "Many times, you have put the group into danger due to your insistence and desire to have a glance at even a single yokai. Let this be the last one." With that said, he left, his jaw fixed.
He is annoyed because Kiyo is causing unnecessary trouble by dragging Tsurara along with him. How many times will his friend be caught in yokai affair before he ever learns?
"Rikuo-kun…?"
The soft voice made him look back to see Kana who followed him worriedly. He schooled his expression. "K-Kana."
"Are you alright?"
Scratching his head, he nodded. "Ah, yes. It's just that I cannot simply allow Tsurara to go there without anyone to look after her."
Although jealous, Kana nodded. "Why is that?"
Rikuo turned fully. "I'm sorry but many times, you and the rest were always caught up in yokai affairs and I don't wish for that to happen again so please understand if I don't tell you any of it."
"But – "
"Yo Rikuo! Torii and Maki and Shima changed their minds!" Kiyo shouted from the door, forgetting that just a moment ago, Rikuo scolded him.
"Then I would come too," Kana said hastily and held Rikuo's arms. "I'll come because I know it would be safe with you around."
Confused, Rikuo managed a small nod. "A-Ah."
Tsurara stood a distance away from Torii and Maki who were peering at the door with Kiyo. To see Kana and Rikuo holding hands confirmed her suspicion that he really liked Kana a lot. The knowledge of it pained her heart but she quickly ignored it. Her life is to serve Rikuo. That is her purpose in life and she should not hope for more.
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"Kyaa!" exhausted, the group rested under a tree exactly near the falls where a Jorogumo is rumored to exist. Only Kiyo was left with enough strength to stand at the foot of the falls.
"Look here guys, they say that the first man ever taken was taken from here and pulled underwater."
"Are you suicidal?" Maki grumbled.
"The feel of the water in your skin is refreshing," before they knew it, Kana was standing at the water too, giving them a bright smile, having regained her hope that Rikuo likes her.
"Even Kana…" Torii said before she decided to join her friends in the water. A few seconds later, Shima and Maki followed. Rikuo was somehow affected by their excitement so he stood up as well.
'Aren't you going to join us?" he turned to his attendant who was remaining under the shade.
"I'd be fine here, Master."
Noticing how she had been acting weirdly, he walked towards her and bent down a little to study her. "Is something bothering you? You've been mostly quiet."
She forced a laugh and waved him off. "What are you saying master? I'm just a bit tired and I'm pretty sure I will – " to Rikuo's surprise, ice blades were thrown from her towards his direction only to land on silk threads that were creeping towards Rikuo's feet.
Tsurara immediately stood up to check on the others but found them suddenly gone. "What the – "
"We contracted the Jorogumo's assistance upon learning of your plan to travel here," a voice said from out of nowhere and a black shadow somehow appeared and knocked Rikuo towards the water.
"Master!"
Before Rikuo could respond, he was pulled down as well and Tsurara looked around as anger pulsated on her veins. "Show yourself, yokai of the west."
"Sasha and Neve will make sure to return them after we have a long talk, Tsurara," the beautiful yokai appeared from the shadows. She smiled kindly. "We needed distraction to get your master's attention from you. I believe you still remember my name?"
The Yuki-Onna stared at her hardly. This is her fault. She really should not have dragged her master here. Noticing the calculating look from her, the yokai spoke. "Rest assured that your friends and master will not be harmed even though Neve is there. Sasha will make sure of it."
"What do you want from me?" she asked, alert. "Make sure you return them safely first before I will agree to this talk and not a single mistake, Teidi, or I will not hesitate to go all out against you. This will not be like the first time we fought."
For a moment, Teidi stared at her, baffled at the cold tone before she smiled. "So, has the sleeping tigress awakened or not yet? A yuki-onna could truly be formidable once provoked." She turned to the tree where her companion is standing there. "Kari, send words to the Jorogumo to release them and bring them back here."
"If you say so."
Tsurara bided her time, planning while Teidi decided to speak. "Have you heard of the sealed yokai in the north?"
"What about it?"
"It is for that reason that we wish you to reawaken your real strength as the yuki-onna." To Tsurara's shock, Teidi bowed a little. "I apologize if we hurt you on our first meeting but it is necessary so we could see how strong you truly are. Neve is different though."
"Tsurara!" Rikuo called the moment they resurfaced and he sighed in relief when she was unscathed.
"Stay where you are," Teidi ordered crisply, her shadows threatening to harm all of them if they disobey. "Yuki-onna, we are not enemies."
"Says the yokai who is willing to harm them upon disobedience," Tsurara sneered. "What are you trying to say now, Teidi?"
"First, if it serves our purpose, I won't hesitate to harm anyone who comes our way. Now back on topic, the sealed yokai in the north – even though sealed by your mother, is now gaining back its strength to break free from the seal. His minions have sacrificed all of the yuki-onna residing there, weakening the seal. It is you who could seal him back."
"You expect me to believe that?" Tsurara scoffed.
Teidi wore a mysterious smile. "Not at all." She turned to Rikuo this time. "Your grandfather told you, hasn't he? That the sign is the first snow fall."
"How did you know about that?" Rikuo asked dangerously this time.
She waved him off. "It doesn't matter how I knew about it. But if that yokai awakens, Tsurara is the first target. He will come at those who sealed him. I will come talk to you once more, Tsurara, when Nurarihyon talks to the two of you since he went there to confirm it himself." She vanished followed by Sasha and Kari. Neve was left behind and gave Tsurara a loathed look.
"Tch, I still won't forgive your bloodline," she spat and to satisfy her lust for Tsurara's blood she sent a wind attack like last time but Tsurara managed to freeze the air around her and creating a shield.
"I really do not give a damn about it," she admitted. "I have no recollection about my past except for a few and I know little of my mother's death. All of that is irrelevant to me now but if you ever hurt my friends and especially my boss, then I will not hesitate to fight you once more. Don't forget that you're not the only one capable of fighting."
It was like seeing that darker side of Tsurara once more and Rikuo could not help but blink as he listened to the exchanged filled with loathe and anger between the two. Neve only scoffed before she vanished as well.
Even when they were all gone, Tsurara remained guarded, her expression stern as she looked at them. "Are you all alright?" she asked, momentarily forgetting where they are.
Confused at the shift in personality, everyone nodded. Rikuo gathered his bearings before he turned to the others. His eyes were fixed on Kiyo. "I supposed you had your lessons clear?"
"W-Well…"
"Do remember that we are not always around to protect any of you," he stated, sounding upset before he walked towards Tsurara. "And you better revert back to your old self as well, Tsurara," he whispered when he was side by side with her. "I don't fancy seeing the darker side of you more than anything else. I prefer to have the jovial yuki-onna."
With that, he went to pick his bag and hung it over his shoulder. "We are leaving and no arguments follow," he emphasized, waiting for no answer from them. Kana immediately followed with Maki, Shima and Kiyo while Tsurara was left stunned.
"…alright?"
She blinked and found Torii looking at her worriedly.
"Eh?"
"I was asking if you're alright. You're spacing out," she remarked and held her hand. "Your hand is so cold. Let's follow them before any more trouble arise."
"Uh, right."
Their journey back home was filled with silence and tension. Even when Tsurara and Rikuo were left altogether while night started to take over, no one dared utter a word. At least until Tsurara broke the silence as they stood in front of the mansion's gate.
"Master?" she whispered with uncertainty.
"What is it?" Rikuo looked over his shoulder only to find the yuki-onna bowing her head in apology.
"I am so sorry for putting us all in trouble earlier. It is my fault for not listening to your advice and because of that, I had everyone else almost harmed," she spoke hastily. "This makes me unworthy of being your head guard."
"When did I ever say you're unworthy of being the head guard, Tsurara?" the tone shifted as night Rikuo appeared in lieu of the human Rikuo. He leaned on the nearby wall and studied her carefully under his scrutinizing eyes. She remained bowing, refusing to look at him.
"I am ashamed of my display of such behavior earlier and I apologize for that too," she continued as though he did not speak there. "I know they are after me and I know I will be risking all of your friends should I go there but I insisted, ignoring all the risks. I promise I will not act recklessly again."
He was unaware that tears were welling up her eyes, one reason why she refused to look at him even though he had turned into his yokai self. Her emotions are now in jumble ever since she was attacked, ever since she realized that Kana is the woman he liked.
"I always wanted to get stronger so as not to get in your way when you fight. And I never wanted to be used as bait to lure you," she admitted. "I wanted to become strong so that I can fight alongside you and so I risked going there to check if I could fight a Jorogumo on my own, to see how far I have improved."
To her shock, she was pulled towards him as he pressed her head against his chest. "You are strong and I know for a fact you can defeat a Jorogumo on your own. You don't have to apologize." It's because he had seen her train on her own, with the Arawashi brothers that he knew she had improved so much.
"But Master, you were upset earlier," she argued while she tried to raise her head to look at him but he wouldn't allow it. She felt his hold tightened a little before he answered.
"I was upset," he admitted. "Only because something might have happened to you while we were caught. All of you are important to me and I won't risk any of you to be harmed. While I have the ability to protect, I'll be the one doing that job and not you, Tsurara. You only have to lend your power to me."
He glanced upwards and continued. "That darker side of you – the one that fights with no mercy, I don't think that suits you so you have to overcome that one. No one has told you but your power is leaking."
She pulled away from him and smiled while she used the back of her hands to wipe her tears. "Thank you so much, Master. I will not disappoint you again." she bowed two times before she ran to the house with her face flushing red. It took her willpower alone not to show how embarrassed she felt when he pulled her close to him. He doesn't need to know how he affected her there.
"Oh, Tsurara, your face is all red," Kejoro teased just as Tsurara arrived at the backyard.
"Eh?" she held her face in panic while the few yokai who had been watching secretly from earlier hooted a laugh at Tsurara's expense, thoroughly enjoying the sight of Tsurara hiding her flushed face. From where he was perched, Rikuo could not help but smirk as they made fun of the yuki-onna.
"Let me warn you, Teidi, I don't give a damn about your real purpose but don't ever endanger her. You have caused enough damage by almost killing her and causing a crack in her personality," he stated.
Said yokai appeared from the shadows. "I'm impressed you were able to sense my presence," she commended admirably. A blade was pointed next to her throat even while Rikuo was not looking at her.
"Whatever your battle is, do not involve her," he threatened, his golden eyes filled with murderous intent when he turned to look at her. Teidi smirked a little as a shadow of a blade crept from behind Rikuo but the Nura head vanished right in front of her eyes when she thought she had made her point. He appeared behind her back and deflected an attack coming from the hidden yokai.
Teidi manipulated her shadow once more to strike but like earlier, he vanished and appeared behind Kari's back and was about to cut him down if not for Teidi using her shadow as a shield to protect her companion before she sighed.
"Okay, you made your point, Nura Rikuo," she conceded. "You truly are a formidable opponent. But I am afraid I cannot grant your request about not involving her because this battle is all about her, me, Neve, Sasha, Kari and the two others waiting for our return. I'm merely supporting the elemental yokai in this fight against the man who slaughtered all of them in the past. Tsurara is the only one left of the yuki-onna. Everyone else was defeated and sacrificed to weaken the barrier. This is something she cannot escape from, Nura Rikuo. We'll talk again next time."
She vanished into the darkness of the night and Rikuo was left there pondering about it for a second before he risked a glance at his subordinates all sharing a good laugh with Tsurara. Well, all he has to do then is to stand by her. He will not let that smile vanish from her face. He'll do everything within his power.
"Rikuo."
He looked down to see his grandfather smoking with his pipe while he too watched Tsurara laughing with the others. The Third Master jumped down and stood alongside the older man. "Old man, what have you gathered?"
There was a regretful look that crossed Nurarihyon's face before masked once more. "I figured it out. Those four are not your enemies but they would become so if you get in their way. But that is not the problem. I figured out how Tsurara would fit into this scenario. I figured how Setsura died as well. Call the yuki-onna. We have a long discussion coming ahead. All of your Hyakki as well."