Master and Yokai
Summer assignment's hunting me... I won't let it stop me, be I finish it first or alternate... I know I skipped a part but oh well, I don't remember when it was supposed to take place... It's not that important... I know you just want me to finish the play to move on to something much better. Now part 2 begins and the play continues... But first of all...
Review:
FeuWitch: I guess it just doesn't stike to me as crazy as it is. This next part should be the most messed up part. Hihi looks better without his mask. That mask just throws me off... Maybe because it just looks weird.
Idol: I'm glad you like it. I'm actually trying to not pair Rikuo with anyone though there will be hints and such. Reason being is that I don't have anything against Tsurara or Kana. Tsurara is awesome but even if Rikuo ends up with her, they cannot have an heir due to his curse. Kana isn't a bad character either, a damsel but yeah...
Yuna-milan: Is Hihi popular too? I was gonna do the Nurarihyon one but there is too many characters and selecting the love interest struck me a problem as I was going to have the roles selected by traits and what not. Plus that means I'll have to watch the episode again while typing or read the manga while doing so. I remember the other one a lot better so it's faster for me to work and change things up. I thought Tsurara fit the leading role best rather than queen, but I was randomly picking so it just happens to be so.
...
Chapter 6 Practice and A Friendly Appearance
Everyone was either standing or leaning against the tables pushed to the wall chatting. They waited for their teacher to enter before beginning practice or creating props. Kiyotsugu was talking nonstop about yokai and how he got their winter break all planned out with activities, with the exception of New Years and New Years Eve. "Good morning class," Yokotani-sensei greeted with a box in her hands.
"Morning, sensei" the students returned the greeting. She set down the box on a table near the board.
"We've finished the costumes but we have yet to finish the other props. So now you can get accustomed to your outfits for practice." She led the other students out to get started on the rest of the props piled in the other room. Costumes, oh goody! Now they can practice better. Dwarf outfits weren't bad really. It's just that the fake beards they're wearing are itchy and oddly shaped. Bit of the beards curl up or are badly cut. Saori, loving fashion, objects to her outfit. The queen's attire was pretty yet wicked. The only problem was that the head gear was too tight that it had to be omitted. Her second outfit is was as it should be, but it's not what Tsurara's going to wear. The hunter's outfit looked right but, it was too big so Shiranami had to tie parts of it. The mirror is, well, a cardboard mirror with a a black cloth cover the hole where the head, wearing the mask, can fit in. The prince's is also correct and looks, decent enough. Last but not least, the leading role's two fits are correctly too and a perfect fit, but... Mezu just stood there twitching uncontrollably.
"Before any objections, they worked hard on these so you MUST wear them!" Kiyotsugu declared. Those who oppose their costumes seem to be faint, but they didn't faint. "Now get changed and we'll continue from where we left off." Everyone took turns to change in the room while the rest are outside. Once they were all done, they got into position and Tsurara stood in the center. "Action!"
"Ah, the sleeping spell. Perfect." She pretends to conduct the spell with imaginay objects that they still lack. She stuck an apple she brought into in imaginary cauldron. "In the form of an apple. She'll never see it coming! AHAHAHAHAHA!"
Kubinashi leaned over to Rikuo. "Why does it seem like she's done this before...?" he asked his master who just shrugged in reply.
"Good! Next scene is Snow White and the Dwarfs!" They walked up to the center but Mezu tripped on his dress on the way and the dwarfs were scratching their chins. "Be composed!"
"It's itchy!" they complained.
"Tripping hazard..." 'she' mumbled.
"Find, remove the beards... And begin!" They ditched the beards. The problem is that this scene is the music scene. They can't sing in unison! I don't think Kappa knows how to play the organ. Can any of them dance? They just stared at each other, and then took a seat. "Hey, what are you doing?"
"So tell us a story," Rikuo ignored his friend. They resorted to skipping to the next part.
"Yeah!" the rest echoed.
"What story?" Mezu asked.
"A true story," one requested.
"A love story," another joined.
"Hmm.. Four hundred years ago, there was an ayakashi who-" I think you know where this is going. Kiyotsugu was about to say something after being crushed thinking when they were finally going to follow the script but didn't. He's a super yokai fanatic so he let this one go. Others had a questioning expression while few had a feeling that was going to happen. "-He and his followers defeated Hagoromo Gitsune and saved the Princess. Then they live happily ever after. The end."
"Was that princess you?" one of the dwarfs asked, following his lines.
"NO! I said four hundred years ago, didn't I? I'm not that old." It got quiet.
"Stop... Next." The director just wanted it to be over. Oh how ridiculous it'll be on the debut. A disaster it'll be, he just knows it.
"Well, we're off to work," Yura said to the princess. "Remember to not talk to rangers- strangers."
"Got it." They just went off walking out the door because they know 'she' won't give them a kiss on the head. That princess has attitude. Tsurara in her old hag outfit walked up.
"Hello, dear!" She just popped up in his face, which in return backed up.
"The deer's over there." He pointed towards an opening with a desk isolated from the rest.
"Ha. Ha. Very funny."
"Very, funny."
"Would you like an apple?" She stuck out her hand, gripping the 'poisoned' apple gently.
"No. I'm allergic to apples."
"Uhh... How is this going to work if h- she can't bite the apple?" Tsurara asked the assistant director.
"Make something happen..." Kiyotsugu lost his vitality. He gave up trying to make things work because it just simply will not happen. Tsurara then pretended to shove the apple in his mouth, but she shoved a little too far that he actually got a taste of it. He fell on the ground coughing. "That would work fine, but we're not trying to kill her!"
"AH! I'm sorry!" They stopped acting for a while in attempt to solve this problem.
Gozu just hit him hard on the back causing him to spit out the bit. Gasping, he went to sit out for a bit but tripped along the way.
"We'll take five. Although, technically we could continue." Everyone relaxed a bit.
"Why am I in costume is I don't even have a part today?" Shiranami looked at the clothes, and everyone just shrugged. Then, the door slid open and in stuck a head with messy black hair.
"Yo," he said. Rikuo, who was drinking some water, cough with a spit take.
"O-otou-san?" Rikuo choked.
"Eh?" Everyone looked back and forth from the second to Rikuo.
"Rikuo, didn't you say your dad died?" Kana asked.
"That's what I thought too..."
"What? You're not happy that I'm alive? Aw, that hurts..." Rihan looked sad and was about to leave until Rikuo tackled him. "Whoa! Rikuo, you're a little too big for this now! If you were still little, this would be downright adorable."
"You're embarrassing... So this is what you meant by that yesterday?" he whispered.
"Yep!" Rikuo looked around for a line. It wasn't Seishin's doing.
"But... how...?"
"Someone like me is too awesome to be gone for long!" Everyone just stared at his vanity. Rihan walked inside and looked at everyone. "Hey you got some pretty cute girls in your class, Rikuo."
"DAD! How embarrassing can you get...?"
"It's been years. I got a lot of embarrassing to catch up."
"WHAT?" His classmates just giggled.
"Yo, Yuki Onna, Kubinashi, Kappa, it's been a while!" They panicked.
"Those are yokai types..." Kiyotsugu muttered.
"Aha ha ha!" Rikuo panicked. "Remember when I used to talk about yokai? Yeah, that's because we'd always play together pretending we're yokai! I just happen to got so into it! Dad played with us too." It made sense and fooled those who did not know. Then Rihan finally realized that there were humans there, and Rikuo was keeping things a secret.
"My bad, it just felt so real to me. They would make great yokai. So what's with the funny outfits?" Rihan asked.
"We're doing a play."
"Ah. Small class this is... Has it always been small or it's just small to fit your short size?"
"DAD! The others are in another room making props. Go home, we'll catch up later!" Rikuo with five different shades of red on his face pushed his father out of the room.
"Fine, fine, I'll go bother pops." He finally left. Sighing, Rikuo took a seat and collapsed to rest the remaining minute.
"He does look a little like the Supreme Commander who saved us several times..." Kiyotsugu pointed out. There's a very good reason for that.
"Let's continue?" Rikuo suggested.
"Ah yes. Back to where we left off." Mezu just laid on the ground, and Tsurara laughed evilly.
"Oho ho ho ho ho! Mission success." Mezu grabbed Tsurara's leg. "Ah!"
"That was one terrible apple..." They did not think things through thoroughly. Animals where suppose to get the dwarfs back, but they don't have animals or anyone to play those roles. Too difficult. So improvise!
"What? You're still alive?"
"You are such a terrible step-mother..."
"Wait, how do you know it's me?"
"You didn't disguise yourself well enough... It was too obvious!"
"Drat! Maybe I should have gone with the old hag guise... But then that'll hide my pretty face..."
"Would that really matter?"
"Yes, it does! I'm the fairest in all the land!"
"Is that what magic mirror says?"
"Urk... Well, I will be!" She shook her leg to try to rid him. When he finally let go, it is revealed that he tied her foot to the table leg. "HEY!" She attempted to untie the rope, but that's one good knot!
"That was for the apple." He got up to leave the room but tripped, yet again.
"Hehehehehehe."
"Ah shut up! At least I'm not tied to the table." Has it ever occurred to them that they could just lift up the table and slip the rope off?
"You're not elegant like me." Tsurara did a hair flip.
"But you're also not the beauty queen." She twitched, her character is suppose to be obsessed with being the prettiest. She then threw the apple remains at his head, suppose to miss and pretend that it hit. It did hit him though. She sure has something against him.
"OW!"
"SORRY!"
"Tsurara, maybe you should restrain from violence..." the others suggested.
"Just end this play fast... Something had to happen. Next time, AIM BETTER!" Mezu stayed on the ground, and Tsurara removed the rope on the table but she'll have to cut the rope of her foot later.
"Now I did it!" She was about the walking out the door until the dwarfs returned.
"It's the queen!" Yura cried.
"She's pretty." They all looked at Shima who turned into deep crimson.
"Now's not the time, Bashful! Get her!" They chased around the roll of desks, jumping over the princess every now and then.
"STOP FOLLOWING ME!" Tsurara demanded. Shima stopped.
"BASHFUL!" He chased again.
"STOP!" He stopped.
"BASHFUL!" He ran.
"STOP!" He stopped.
"BASHFUL!" He ran.
"STOP!" He stopped.
"BASHFUL!"
"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" he cried. They all stopped.
"Get her!/Don't chase me!" Their answers were mixed.
"You know what, I'm just gonna sit out..." Shima took a seat, and they resumed to their tasks.
"Jump in anytime," Kiyotsugu said to Gozu.
"Nah, I rather watch," Gozu simply replied.
"You have to appear whether you like it or not." He pushed the prince in, who stepped on Mezu and bumped to the others, forcing them to fall backwards on one another.
"OW!" They all cried.
"So glad I sat out," Shima commented.
"... Sorry..." he muttered.
"That's not gonna cut it!" Tsurara growled. The dwarfs grabbed Tsurara.
"Gotcha!" they successfully claimed.
"... See what you did?"
"Not really," Gozu got up only for Mezu to trip him for stepping on him. Whacking him on the head is one thing, but stepping is another.
"Stupid!" the princess stuck out his tongue.
"You're still alive?" Tsurara glared at her failure.
"You only threw an apple at my head! It'll only knock me out at best."
"We're arresting you for attempted murder. You being queen matters not," RIkuo said to Tsurara.
"WHAT? What are you? The police? What authority do you have over the queen?" She howled.
"Yes. We have special authority to manage the monarchy. We are disguised as miners. Well, not really. That's our side job." What has this classic become of...?
"Outrageous..."
"Well, you don't have a voice here." The dwarfs escorted the queen out.
"What now?" they ask the director.
"It ends with the prince and princess leaving together, but that doesn't look possible with this version..." he said. It was like watching a completely differently play.
"Well you can show yourself out, and don't randomly barge into homes." Hypocrite!
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." On the board: The End?
"I can't wait to see the reactions on the debut... I guess we just keep practicing this version until then." They went to change, one by one. By the time they were finish, it was time for lunch. During lunch, they discussed yokai related events and plans. You know, the usually thing. "This weekend, we'll find the yokai of reflection!"
"Yokai of reflection?" they repeated.
"It's new and not much info on it right now, but tomorrow afterschool we'll meet here and search for it. Perhaps, I'll get some more information by then."
'Yokai of reflection... What could that be?' Rikuo pondered hard. Kiyotsugu tapped away on his laptop. He lean his face close to the screen and rubbed his eyes.
"No! We'll start today! We just got information of where it is. If we wait any longer, we might lose it! Plus it on full moons which is today." As planned, afterschool they followed the crazed fanatic onto another one of his yokai hunts.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this...?" Tsurara muttered. As they were walking past Rikuo's house, they could have sworn they heard screams. Their heads turned to the mansion.
"Heh heh. I guess dad's just giving them the scare. Sounds like he barely got home." Rikuo assured them. They awkwardly resumed to their walk. They took the bullet train to their destination and played with spirit cards on the ride. After about an hour or so, the group left the train and continued north until they reached a pond.
"It should be here..." The pond was isolated from any plants and buildings. Despite the bare appearance, the atmosphere was inviting.
"That pond... Is it giving off this welcoming air?" Rikuo asked his attendants who feel the same. Kiyotsugu looked at the pond and instead of his face in the reflection, it more of that of a yokai. He backed up.
"Yokai! Finally I see it!" They all went up to the pond. It was the same. Their face did not reflect, but yokai's in their place. Not just any yokai either. It was their yokai forms. Upon sight, they backed up except a few. Rikuo saw his night form. His attendants saw little to no differences. They were shocked on their own reflection that luckily no one else saw it. The Yokai didn't see why they back up and only lacked back at the frightened humans. Only Rikuo realized it. This must be it. That's why it's called the yokai of reflection; it reflects images of those who view it but their yokai counterparts. "Did you see a hideous purple, wrinkled skin yokai with four tiny horns and black messy hair?" They shook their heads. Rikuo bit his lip holding back a laugh due to Kiyotsugu's description of himself. "Eh?" Kiyotsugu turned to the pond. "Yokai, please come out. I'd like to meet you directly!" Nothing.
"It's probably because you called him hideous that he's no coming out," Shima concluded.
"Oh... I DIDN'T MEAN IT! I'M SORRY!" Still nothing. "Is he sulking...?" Yura threw a charm on the pond but it only dissolved. "Yura! Don't harm the yokai! I want to speak with him!"
"I'm an onmyoji! I exorcise yokai!" Yura argued. 'With some exceptions.' "The pond is the yokai! What you saw was your own reflection as a yokai!" Oh, she figured it out too.
"It is?" Then everyone burst out laughing. Remember his own description? "Why does my yokai form look hideous? Why can't I be a good looking one like the one that always saves us?"
"You'll never pull it off," Kana stated.
"WHAT? Have you no confidence in me?"
"Hey, at least you finally saw a yokai," Rikuo brought up.
"True... I will find the Supreme Commander!" He stomped off, with everyone else but the yokai following. But they didn't even realize that Rikuo and company didn't go with them until they got to the train station a good mile off. Rikuo stepped up to the pond.
"Hi," he spoke to the pond.
"Silly, silly humans, but I did not expect the third heir to be amongst them," it replied.
"So, you're the yokai of reflection. Are you affiliated with any clans?"
"Yours, and the name's Shiansuru. Since I cannot move or be moved, it gets lonely out here. Well, I can move, just not from this spot... Would it kill anyone to drop by once in a while?" Shiansuru does mean reflection but it's shorter than 'yokai of reflection'.
"I see, I'll make sure while on patrol someone comes to visit you."
"Thanks." Shiansuru took the form of a girl but with crystal clear skin. She remained in the once stagnant waters.
"Okay, we have to hurry back. So, later." They hurried back to the train, but they missed their ride. So now they must walk a long ways back. The next train won't be there for another four hours. Eventually after three hours, they got home. The mansion was loud and bright. They seem to be rejoicing the Second's unusual return. "We're back."
"Welcome back," Wakana greeted. "You should get changed and go eat with your father." After changing, Rikuo, Yuki Onna, and Kubinashi hurried to the Second.
"Yo, what took so long?" Rihan greeted the three. They sat down to eat and chat.
"Went to see Shiansuru."
"Who?"
"Ah, she's one of our yokai," Nurarihyon informed. "How long has it been...?"
"Grandpa, can you make sure that she gets visited every now and then?"
"Why are you asking me? Learn to take up leadership!"
"Who's in charge now? Me or dad?"
"I'll take care of things while you're at school." Rihan ruffled Rikuo's hair.
"Geez. First people coming back from the dead. Presumably dead anyways... What's next, I'll get my heart back I'll be younger again?" Nurarihyon exaggerated.
"You never know. This world's strange." The rest of the day remained joyful and loud.
...
Okay really bad ending to the chapter but I didn't know what more to elaborate on. I'ma do a bit of time skip for the next chapter. Stay tuned! I don't know if I'll update anymore for a while. If I have time I'll try to squeeze this in. I need to balance my drawing time, working time, anime/manga/game time, and writing time.
R&R please