Halley Vanaria: Because! Kenshin wouldn't die in the end! Or whatever the stupid ending is! And oh, the hours I would spend changing this, changing that! I can't do it! *wails*
… It was awesome. But why did everyone have to die~!?
Aozora12: Yes… I once had the privilege of watching someone deliver a baby. I swear, that woman screamed that she was going to geld her husband. She blamed him for her morning sickness, how he couldn't find her favorite flavor of chips… When the baby finally came she was as sweet and compliant as honey. That was the most interesting moment of my life.
Wicken25: Well, there's not much on Rihan as a child… neither is there much on the man err… ayakashi either, but I think I got the basics down. Definitely, his mother is going to be a very influential person in his life.
Sesshomaru's Secret Admirer: (chapter 13) *hides head under pillow* Oh, please don't remind me of that! But thank you, Nurarihyon really is one-of-a-kind!
Sesshomaru's Secret Admirer: (chapter 17) Goodness you read fast! And yes, it is very painful for her…
Sesshomaru's Secret Admirer: (chapter 18) Well… he is Nurarihyon.
Sesshomaru's Secret Admirer: (chapter 20) I know! That was one of the things I wanted so much in a Kagome/male fiction! Sesshomaru would never say it like Nurarihyon would so… It was awesome to be able to write that!
Sesshomaru's Secret Admirer: (chapter 25) Ah, so that's where Sesshomaru enters… was wondering about that.
Sesshomaru's Secret Admirer: (chapter 27) Yes, Inuyasha dies… I'm sorry.
Sesshomaru's Secret Admirer: (chapter 33) Nurarihyon is never surprised, he is always amused at the development of certain things, but never surprised. Okay, he is surprised, but he thinks it's funny when he is.
Sesshomaru's Secret Admirer: (chapter 34) Yes, I thought so as well.
riridreaheart: Why thank you! I do try.
Kazma-sama: I freakin' love you too! As far as I know, I've inspired two people do write their own Nurarihyon/Kagome fictions! You really will have to PM me when you post your first chapter! It's readers like you that give me the desire to write as well as I can for as long as I can!
Guest Reviewer, nurarihyon 3: Ah! Hello again! So glad you enjoy my fiction! As soon as I get an outline for the next villain, I will be posting more often.
Guest Reviewer, nurarihyon 3: As a name? Yes… that could actually fit in with the idea I have in mind… Thanks so much! I just developed the plotline thanks to you!
A/N IMPORTANT PLEASE READ:
I need enemies such as those similar to the Hundred Tales Clan. (to those who haven't read the manga, think Band of Seven) Where they have powerful ayakashi coming against Nurarihyon, going after those closest to him to hurt him. Any and all suggestions will be so awesome y'all couldn't even believe it.
Yohime was dreaming. She was under the sakura tree on a patch of grass in the middle of a lake. A milky white moon hung in the sky, casting shadows onto the water as a feminine figure in black made their way across the glassy surface.
She came to stand before Yohime and silently held out her hand, a delicate chain dangling from her grasp. A crystallized tear drop hung from the silver string.
Rising to a sitting position, Yohime carefully opened her palm.
The woman deposited it coiling it around the pendant. She pulled back her hood revealing an inhumanely beautiful face set in sorrow and guilt.
"I am sorry," she whispered in a melodic voice, "I am so very sorry."
Her eyes closed as if she was in pain.
Dread began to grow in the pit of Yohime's stomach.
"I am to do something, am I not?"
A hesitant nod and the woman slowly sank to her knees. She made as if to speak, but she paused as Yohime bared her teeth.
"I am to suffer in silence again, am I? Alone, doing the work of the gods," Yohime spat in anger, her voice rising to a shout.
Seeing the look in the goddess's face, for none other than the gods could bring her to a dream world, she knew an excuse was coming.
"No!"
The small woman viscously cut her hands in front of her throat.
"For decades, decades, I did as they asked! As you commanded! I was released when I became 'Yohime', granted these powers with the words 'well done'! I am finished!"
The goddess nodded miserably, but Yohime wasn't done.
"Why?! Why do you have to do this?!"
The beautiful goddess looked up pleadingly.
"Please, try to understand. Fate is a fickle thing and it's my responsibility to keep watch over it. I chose the path that would lead to your happiness, but…"
Her voice trailed off and her face was etched in grief.
"I already know."
Quickly looking up at the human, shock clearly visible, to a calm expression. Yohime laughed mockingly.
"I raised a fox, you don't think I know when someone has been cursed by their kind? To be honest, I believed I would never give him a child which is why my powers hid that from me. But apparently the curse does not apply to humans."
Silence fell and she clenched her hands against her stomach. A tear slid down a pale cheek.
"It's my child, isn't it?"
Fate didn't answer.
"My child is going to suffer, going to bear the brunt of this curse?"
She needed no confirmation, the look in the goddess's face was enough.
"And I am to shoulder this burden? When my child speaks of finding his soul mate am I to smile? When he speaks of having children-?"
"I'm sorry!"
Looking up, Yohime was surprised to see Fate bowing before her.
"I am truly sorry! Yes, with your connections you could manage to remove the curse, but in doing so an evil greater than Naraku and Hagoromo Gitsune will bring the end of the world!"
She regarded the woman for a second before sighing and sagged weakly against the tree.
"Of course. There is always another evil who desires to trample people underfoot. When will it end?"
"When He who waits in Hell is dead, his followers defeated and powerless."
"And this necklace?"
"My sorrow. The kami do not shed tears, yet you have fought for us many times, for your family, for your friends and for people you didn't even know. Even I could not help but mourn for you."
Yohime nodded in understanding, fastening the chain about her neck.
"I want to make something clear to you," she said in a steady, firm voice, "I know that you are not really gods, but those people who were deemed worthy of your job and set above humans," she continued, ignoring the startled gaze on her.
"I will train. For many, many years until He who waits in Hell is killed. And when he lays in a pool of crimson, his soul sent to where it may be, I will come."
Here, her eyes hardened and a malicious gleam shone in their depths.
"I will come and I will demand the blood that is owed me. I will demand the pain, the suffering, guilt and shame whatever I have endured, I will demand payment."
Fate bowed her head, accepting her words before promptly rising and strolling away, looking back at the miko in pity and sympathy, vanishing in a blink of an eye.
Her calm shattered. Lifting her head, she screamed in agony.
A warm, firm hand caressed her cheek and her eyes snapped open.
Nurarihyon was smiling softly down at her, but his eyes widened in surprised when she woke. His face quickly changed to one of concern.
"Yohime, what's wrong?"
Feeling a wetness on her face she swiped at it with her fingertips, the realization that she was crying coming shortly after. She looked up, a twisted disbelieving smile on her face.
"I think my heart is going to break."
She didn't see Nurarihyon's face, hear the exclamations of the ayakashi waiting for their Commander, she only grabbed at his haori and sobbed into its folds.
Those strong arms she adored being held in wrapped around her, but still her heart ached.
She didn't see Nurarihyon's eye narrow dangerously and go to Setsura, demanding answers. She didn't see the Yuki-Onna shake in her head in confusion, nor the way worry flashed over his face.
Nurarihyon, on the other hand, knew something was seriously wrong with his woman. Her sobs seemed to rip from her throat and shake her small body with their force. He brought his hands to cradle the back of her head, but an unfamiliar brush against a cold chain made him pause.
Yohime didn't wear necklaces, only her ring and earrings, sometimes ornaments for her hair. His fingers tugged at the chain and his breath caught at the jewel hanging on the end.
It didn't take a genius to figure out this was no ordinary pendant. The deep, ancient magic he could only feel touching it was packed tightly into the gem, as if it was writhing in sorrow.
Nura remembered when Yohime had once told him she was a child a of the gods, that they spoke to her.
She had laughed and said she only added that bit to the Elders to frighten them, because all mikos were granted the power by the gods so they were considered children or servants of the gods.
"I was visited by the gods though. They only told me that I did a good job and they would no longer meddle in my affairs."
A smile crinkled up her eyes and amusement shone in them.
"I was still concerned about the Jewel, so I planned to be Yohime until my father forced me to marry or died."
He had chuckled.
"I assumed you were hoping he died first?"
She nodded.
His lips lifted almost unconsciously in a snarl.
These gods were meddling in Yohime's affairs once again. The whites of his eyes turned back and his pupils dilated, shifted to a more pronounced yellow.
His clan took at step back and shifted into a defensive stance at the sheer fury and bloodlust that surged from Nurarihyon. Fear stretched out behind him like wings and he tightened his hold on his wife.
He would not let them so as they please. He would not allowed them to use his woman. He would destroy them, so what if they were supposedly 'gods'?
But, this would wait.
Right now, Yohime was suffering. He would tend to her before these 'gods'. He was also not foolish enough to believe that he could fight on par with those who possessed power enough to be called 'gods'.
Well, being invincible was on his to-do list anyways.
As Nurarihyon picked her up, his face set on stone, his Clan cleared a path to the entrance flinching back at their Commander's rarely displayed anger.
Settling his precious Yohime into their bed, he stood silently, clenching his fists. They had been married for two months.
Two months.
And already someone was threatening their happiness.
"Nura?"
Returning his attention to his wife, he knelt down at her side. Before he could speak though, she smiled, obviously forced.
"I'm sorry, I just had an emotional moment, I'm all right now."
A pang shot to his heart as he noticed the sparkle and shine in her eyes was gone. Yohime made as if to stand.
"Is anyone injured? I can-"
She stopped as Nurarihyon grabbed her shoulders, his head bowed.
"Nura, what's wrong?"
She couldn't see any visible wounds, but his hands squeezed as if he was afraid she'd vanish from his eyes.
He laughed in a slightly disbelieving tone.
"You don't have to, Yohime."
"But I want to! It's no trouble to heal-"
"Yohime."
For an instant, her facade faltered. It was reaffirmed quickly although.
"Yes, Nura?"
Nurarihyon lifted his head raising emotion filled amber eyes to dulled brown. She flinched. Silence descended on the room, the shadows roaming over the walls as the wind blew in the moonlight.
Yohime took in a quivering breath.
"You don't have to tell me. But you don't have to walk this alone. I will never hold it against you no matter what happens."
As she stared into amber eyes she felt the emotions she shoved into the deepest part of her, break free.
"Why?"
She asked in a broken voice, her body slumping under the firm weight of warm hands.
"Why? How can you trust me so much?"
"Yohime-"
She interrupted him, shaking her head confusion, desperation and longing painted on her face. Her next words shocked him.
"For all you know, I could vanish one day, taking our child and disappearing!"
He didn't say anything, simply bowed hi head once again.
"All I wanted," Yohime choked out, "was to spend my eternity with you, our children and this clan."
A shaft of moonlight lit up Nurarihyon's blonde hair and she glimpsed his broad shoulders shaking ever so slightly. Reaching out with her senses, she felt his rage, his anxiety, his fear and his anger.
She lunged for his, wrapping her legs around his wait, her arms around his neck. He hugged her to himself, fingers tangling and tightening in her hair. They fell back against the covers, simply holding one another.
"Please don't leave."
Yohime rubbed her cheek against his chest, tears dropping quietly against his bare skin. While she would demand her payment from the gods, she was not going to part from this man until there was absolutely no other option.
"Not for a very long time."
A/N IMPORTANT PLEASE READ:
I need enemies such as those similar to the Hundred Tales Clan. (to those who haven't read the manga, think Band of Seven) Where they have powerful ayakashi coming against Nurarihyon, going after those closest to him to hurt him. Any and all suggestions will be so awesome y'all couldn't even believe it.
Anyways! I'm sick. Again. The worst part? It's worse. *cries*
But, there's a poll on my profile, which I sure anyone who reads this knows.
Thank you for reading reviews are my inspiration, my motivation, my fascination.