Master and Yokai
I don't even want to check how long I haven't updated this but it couldn't haven't been as long as my other one. Maybe... -sigh- Sorry for the ridiculously long wait, I need ideas to come to me first and the mood.
Review:
whitneysixx- I'm glad you like it. Yep Rihan probably has the "best character" title here. Yep yep.
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Chapter 16. Returning to School
Rikuo woke up days following the events of the hundred tales clan. He stretched and removed the bandage off of areas that had healed during his sleep. Looking at the calendar, he remembered he had school and thus rushed to get ready. However as he was finishing up, his energy died down as he recalled that everyone knows his other half now. Will they treat him the same? Rikuo shook his head and headed to the kitchen where his mom prepared him lunch and breakfast. "Are you worried?"asked Night Rikuo his day self as he was eating breakfast.
"I'd be lying if I said no. It's normal isn't it? But I know at least they'll welcome me with open arms."
"Then you have nothing to worry about, you foolish human version of me."
"Shut up will you? I don't need you distracting me. Go to sleep or something."
"You already slept for me, stupid! We're the same person."
"You are one foul mouthed half..."
"I thought yokai are supposed to be cruel? I'm just playing my role. Besides, if you stay all nice and whatnot, they will never respect you."
"Whatever. Talk to me later." "Thank you for the meal. I'm off!" Rikuo placed his bowl and utensils in the sink and exited the building.
"Wait! Master!" shouted Tsurara who hurried after with a handful of other yokai that been with him at school.
"After what happened, you won't be treated the same. Are you sure you want to come?"
"Yes! We don't care what they think. We're following you," Aotabou stated. "And if they try anything funny, I'll-"
"Let's just leave it at that," Kappa interrupted.
"Alright. Let's hurry. I kind of woke up late. Heh." Rikuo beamed a bit before rushing. Along they way they received stares and heard whispers among passersby but said nothing. As they approached school, the environment was near normal, which puzzled them quite a bit. They walked to their classroom where they were greeted as normal.
"Hey Rikuo!" some of his classmates called.
"Good morning," Rikuo responded, slightly baffled.
"Some people spread some nasty rumors about you. What's their problem...?"
"Rikuo, good morning," Kana greeted.
"Ah, Kana-chan. Good morning," he returned.
"You see," Kiyotsugu began, "most of the students here know you so they shrugged off the rumors."
"Oh so they don't believe that Rikuo's is a yokai?" Tsurara asked.
"Nope, they don't believe any of it."
"Wah! Master, that means you can still be human here!"
"I've always been human, but I've also been a yokai too. To be honest, especially after all this, I rather they know me for who I am completely. Not just half of me."
"That sounds risky, yet so like you," Kappa commented.
"It probably is but if I want to have a world where humans and yokai can live peacefully, then this will be a start." Rikuo noticed tears swelling up in Kiyotsugu's eyes and his fanboy expression.
"So... cool! This is what I believe the Supreme Commander to be!" he exclaimed. The other students ignored his weird remarks considering the fact that he's a renown yokai fanatic.
"Haha, only you wouldn't draw up so much attention with your strange comments," Maki said as she entered the room with Torii. He must have been loud enough for his voice to pierce through the walls and doors. "And shut up! People can hear your scream from the gate."
"That's not going to stop me from expressing myself!"
"You're an embarrassment!" The two continued bickering.
"So are you going to announce yourself?" Kana asked Rikuo.
"Maybe I still haven't figured out how to start. Oh is Shima still away for soccer?"
"Yes, he won't be back until next week." Then the teacher entered.
"Settle down, students. Class is starting," she clapped.
Meanwhile at the Nura household.
"Rikuo! Where is the third?!" cried Karasu.
"He went to school," answered another yokai.
"What?! At this time?! There is no time for school! There's less than a year before Nue returns! He needs to train."
"Karasu," Nurarihyon called.
"Supreme Commander! You must call your grandson back!"
"He took that into consideration. If he is to be the next supreme commander, he must be able to make his own decisions and have his followers trust him."
"But this is a very dire situation! I advise he returns and train."
"He isn't that stupid," said a yokai leaning against the door frame.
"Itaku!"
"I'm training him after school. He chose to attend school to cherish what possible time left with his friends while learning... Or so he says... While giving up time afterwards to training only. After training will be his rest time. Then the cycle repeats all over again. So quit your worrying, crow!"
"... Fine."
"Shouldn't you be training too? I don't care if you're retired! You'll pose as a burden if you're weak! Maybe I should train you to kill time."
"I train all the time, thank you very much."
"I swear you shrunk since the last time we met..."
"... Let's not speak of that."
"Hey, dad," Rihan called to Nurarihyon who was just eating his nasty candy and drinking sake. He had entered the room with a concerned expression, wondering what to do. "You think you're up for a battle with Nue?"
"Haven't been so worked up about a yokai before until that fox. Now her son... I'm not sure how to even approach him... An onmyouji and a yokai... What extraordinary powers... In any case, we'd best be careful and prepared," Nurarihyon gave a serious look, putting down his food. "He'll most likely have plenty more yokai that are much stronger than his mother's."
"Even worse if he has a whole lineage," Rihan commented.
"Don't jinx anything, you fool."
"Well, I think I'll train Rikuo when he gets back."
"That's my job, blockhead," growled the weasel. He had just finished explaining his role prior to Rihan's entry.
"Itaku! Watch your mouth!" Karasu cried.
"Shut it, crow. I'm not a part of this clan so why should I have to be respectful. You should be glad that I'm even helping."
"What a rowdy fellow," Rihan merely commented.
"It's Itaku..."
"A friend of Rikuo I see. I'm glad he's getting along with other yokai!"
"Who said anything about friends?!"
"You're... not then?"
"I'm his trainer. That's all." Rihan stared at Itaku for a moment longer then smiled.
"Sure, sure. Well play nicely afterschool."
"Do you think this is all some sort of game?! You're annoying!"
"That's my stupid son for you," Nurarihyon finally spoke after all the commotion. "However you can't say you aren't concerned."
"Whatever."
"I think I'll pay a visit to the school," Rihan muttered.
"Second..." Karasu muttered. "You're bored aren't you...?"
"Huh? No... Okay kind of."
"You're all ticking me off... Maybe I should go through a test run of training with you lot first! I want to see how strong you really are," Itaku pulled out his sickles.
"Oh maybe later. And if you want to let out some steam, take it to the basement training room." The Second wandered off outside.
Back at school...
"Ah, I forgot my lunch since I was in rush..." Rikuo chuckled at his mistake. "I'll be right back."
"Young master, you can have my lunch," Tsurara offered.
"It's okay. The vending machine is near by, and you don't have to keep calling 'young master'."
"I thought you wanted your classmates to know your other identity," Kubinashi teased.
"Well it's more like the term is awkward to me. You're my friends and family."
"That may be but we're also 'master and servants'. We swore loyalty to you in that manner."
"Can you all at least call me by my name?" They stiffened.
"We'll try," they replied.
"Wow, they're so loyal to you! As expected of the Supreme Commander!" Kiyotsugu squealed. Yes, squealed.
"Kiyotsugu-san... The same applies to you... And just so you know, a good amount of the yokai in my clan still regard my grandfather or even my father as the Supreme Commander, not me."
"Eh, Rikuo you know shouldn't let his weirdness get to ya," Maki said. "He's just fanboying like normal."
"His enthusiasm is... a bit over board..."
"A bit?" Torii giggled.
"Try 'a lot'!" Maki finished.
"Oh Rikuo, you should really get something to eat," Kana reminded.
"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me!" Then the classroom door slid open. An familiar figure that is very obvious by now entered. The yokai choked. "D-dad?! W-what are you doing here?"
"Yo, what you don't like seeing your old man?" Rihan responded.
"Er... It's not that... But why here?"
"Well. One, you forgot your lunch." Rihan gave his son his lunch, sparing him from buying the vending machine food that has been there for who knows how long. "Two, I just feel like it."
"Dad... Are you bored?"
"Huh? No... Well.. Kind of..." His son sighed.
"Well you can't stay. I have class and I don't need you to distract everyone."
"That's rather harsh. I'm hurt."
"What?! No, I mean-"
"I'm kidding. I'm not sure if I asked this before, but why are so many yokai here?" Rihan stared at Rikuo's many bodyguards. There was Tsurara, Aotabou, Kubinashi, Kappa, Gozumaru, Mezumaru... If he knew about it then he would also count Kejoro. They waved at the Second, and they felt a bit flustered with embarrassment but not as much as the child. Incredibly, they didn't attract any attention!
"Dad, if you're bored, go train with Itaku. He's probably just waiting at the main house anyways."
"Huh, funny you should say that. He suggested the same thing and he is at the main house. But I don't feel like it." Rikuo stared seriously at him.
"He's coming back really soon... You also need to be ready..."
"I know. Just... Not today."
"Second, you're acting rather childish, don't you think?" Aotabou spoke.
"Maybe. Let me be. Just for today."
"I don't think it'll be... 'Just for today'..." Kubinashi sighed. That was the guy he swore loyalty to. That guy.
"What? You don't trust me? The one you swore loyalty to a long time ago?"
"What happened to that guy? I don't see him around." Kubinashi looked around with a blank expression as the others held their laughter. Rikuo used what little time he had left to eat his meal without choking.
"H-hey!"
"Hey, bonehead," Gozumaru called.
"Bonehead...?"
"Yeah you, go home already."
"Wait... Aren't you two... What's his face... Gyuki's uhh... kids?"
"... We apart of Gyuki's clan... "
"You better leave before Gozu gets mad," Mezumaru warned.
"If loyal to Gyuki who is loyal to me, then should you two be loyal to me?" Rihan reasoned.
"Don't use geometric theorems with us! We're only loyal to Gyuki!" Gozumaru hissed.
"Then let's look at it this way. If I tell Gyuki what to do, then he tells you to do what I told him. Isn't that an indirect relation?"
"ARGH! STOP IT! GET OUT OF HERE!"
"Ah, just because I'm right."
"Dad, thanks for bring my lunch but go home. Class is starting soon." Rikuo pushed Rihan out of the class. "Come on, I'll even show you to the door."
"I'm sure your teacher won't mind."
"She won't, but I will." After school, Rikuo was packing his stuff, chatting to some classmates before heading out with his buddies. Outside, there was a crowd around the gate. A lot of excited murmurs surfaced. "What's going on?" he asked another student.
"Oh just someone around the girls seem to be attracted to," answered the student.
"Someone? Okay." They walked around the mob then suddenly a pebble was thrown at their direction, landing front of the young master foot, startling everyone.
"Finally..." called the person. The girls made way for him to face Rikuo.
"Itaku?! What are you doing here?!"
"What do you think, stupid? Hurry up. Let's go."
"I thought you were going to wait at-"
"Your clan is so annoying... Even here was less of a pain." He led the yokai back to the main house.
"What... did they do...?"
"Do you even have to ask? The crow wouldn't shut up with his complaints. Your old man got on my nerves. The midgets kept clinging to me. The old geezers in the other room were loud and drunk. The-"
"I get it!" "I guess I should have seen that coming..."
"He get irritated easily, don't you think?"
"Yeah but can't blame him for getting mad. I would too if I wasn't so used to it."
"You got a point there." Rikuo gave Tsurara his bento box to take to the kitchen as he and the impatient fireball of an instructor headed to the half destroyed training room for intense... training if you can call it that. Just from the past session, the entire room needed to be fixed and reinforced. As they get stronger... Let's just say the main house may not exist anymore. All afternoon and evening there was nothing but crashes and bumps, a quake every now and then.
"Is that training or destroying everything in sight?" a little yokai asked another in Rikuo's bedroom.
"It's deadly training. Gotta go crazy if you have to face Nue."
"We might have to move..."
"Very true... Well the young master's homework is done. Human work is so easy!"
"What are you doing?" Tsurara asked the yokai on the near Rikuo's bag. She entered the room wondering why there would be chatting in an empty room. She found two sly little yokai reorganizing Rikuo's papers and stationery.
"We did master's homework since he won't have time for it."
"Do you even know what you're doing?" She picked up the finished work and checked it. They were all right! Even she had some wrong. Shocked, she said nothing and held a calm disposition.
"Of course! Human work is easy!"
"Right... Good job. I would have done the work for him though."
"But Yuki-onna, you aren't that great with it." She almost froze them, instead she twitched. "Besides, you need to train too! You're Rikuo-sama's body guard!"
"Indeed! Excuse me." She rushed out of the room. The two little ones turned around to see Kappa casually leaning in from the other door.
"You wanted to say she suck with homework, didn't you?" Kappa asked.
"Yeah. We saw it. Her test was a hundred percent though. Wrong that is."
"If you said that you would have been icicles."
"Yep, yep."
In the room with the oldest generation of yokai, they just chattered about like there's no tomorrow while drinking sake. In yet another room where there was the middle generation, they oddly were more serious. That meant Rihan. He and fellow yokai approximately his age, give or take a century, where thinking about way to deal with their upcoming threat and minor threats along the way. The youngest generation were all scattered about in any of the rooms including the two older generations' rooms. They are either doing chores, training, idly chattering, or strategizing.
At the training ground, the room was even uglier than before. However the two were no were to be seen after their destructive instincts, yet they could still be heard. There was a hole on the ground. They were digging deeper to make room for a larger training area that doesn't allow them to hit the floor of the building above. Of course, they weren't licensed constructionists and their digging product could just cave in. They got lucky. They had a good idea what not to do, not breaking the support. Once finished, Rikuo and Itaku resumed their battle to the death.
"The Nura household is here right...?" asked a ominous creature to is companion. They were watching the area from afar.
"Yes. At least according to the directions," replied the other.
"Let's find out, shall we?" they launched forward to the clan with a trail of dark mist behind.
...
Welps a chapter done. Honestly I'm going to avoid the encounter with Nue and its family a bit but definitely with Nue cause I want to find out what happens first. My mind is kind of dazed in terms of how the characters are and such, I had to look up a few names admittedly (Gyuki, Shima). Considering I didn't reference the previous chapters, some things may seem like de ja vu or conflicting. My updates shall continue to be random and maybe rare during school time. I have two others to get to. Hmm kind of short but it can't be helped.
R&R please