Act II
old grudges and vacations and enemies
"So," Rikuo said, leaning against the paper door. "Hagoromo Kitsune. I guess I know now what had your attention so caught up in the west. Why wasn't I allowed to know?" His expression was very unhappy indeed.
A Rikuo unhappy with his father was usually followed by headaches (and amusement) for Rihan. And chaos.
Rihan mourned his dinner which he would now have to eat cold. "It had less to do with 'allowed' and more with 'need'." He shifted his weight back on his hands to more comfortably observe his son. "The fox turns up every century by nature, though she hasn't for four. That caused lots of rumors. It could have still only been that – a rumor."
"So all this tension, all these preparations have only been for a rumor." When Rihan didn't say anything Rikuo's expression turned disbelieving. "What kind of yokai is she – she can't be that powerful."
"Hmm. Unfortunately, she is. We'd prepare for war even if she didn't have a bone to pick with us."
Rikuo's eyebrows shot up.
"The old man killed her once. Was sealed then." Rihan clarified.
"But now she's been reborn."
"Or so we hear."
"In Kyoto."
"Yes."
"I'm going."
"No."
"Yes."
"No, you aren't." Rihan said. "I'll make it an order if I have to."
Rikuo's face turned red with anger. He faced Rihan fully, dangerously reckless.
"Someone needs to take care of the Main House." Rihan pointed out before the ability to reason was lost.
Rikuo stilled. "...What about you?"
Rihan raised his eyes and met his son's gaze. "I'm going."
Silence.
"Then I'm too. The geezer can stay here."
"He won't."
"Well neither will I."
Rihan climbed to his feet and approached his child. Rikuo was still more than a head smaller. "Why do you want to go so much?"
"Yura is my friend. I won't abandon her."
"Is that all?"
Rikuo's eyes burned. "What other reason could there be?"
"...You tell me."
Remaining silent, Rikuo held his gaze.
Rihan pulled so many breaks in Rikuo's life, sometimes he wondered where the boy would have run to without them. If he would have been alive to run. Cooling blood wasn't possible, Rihan knew that better than anyone. But it could be directed and focused.
"I'm ordering you to stay here and deal with the other matter."
Rikuo's fists clenched.
"Hey," Rihan said, softer, and tilted his son's face up with the tip of a finger. "Trust your old man, why don't you. The Keikain are far too valuable allies to leave to themselves in this and I'm sure there are some who'll want to watch over your friend just cause you wish it. 'kay?"
"And that's why we're going on a trip to Kyoto!" Proclaimed Kiyotsugu-kun. "Without a doubt we'll see yokai there."
"I can't come along," Rikuo-kun said. "Sorry."
"Me neither," added Okikawa-san, standing half a step behind Rikuo. "That's a really bad idea at the moment."
"It's dangerous, don't go." Finished Rikuo-kun.
Kana looked from them to Kiyotsugu, Shima, Toori and Maki.
Kiyotsugu-kun looked as though someone had told him the sun rose in the west. "What? You two, you can't possibly miss it! This is the chance of a lifetime to see the Lord of Darkness in person!" Kiyotsugu leaned into their faces. "Even Ienaga-san is coming!"
"What?" Rikuo-kun yelped.
"Hey, I never said that," Kana protested, feeling her cheeks heat. "Just that Kyoto would be nice around this time of the year."
"Exactly! It's yokai prime season! If you miss this, you can't call yourselves Kiyojuji Paranormal Investigation Squad members!"
Kana met Rikuo-kun's eyes hesitantly. He feverishly shook his head behind Kiyotsugu-kun's back.
"But maybe it's not that good an idea. I heard its supposed to be really hot there around this time..." Kana tried.
No effect. It was as if Kiyotsugu hadn't even heard her.
"Oh, come on, Kana-chan." Maki slung an arm around her shoulder. "It's a chance for all-paid for vacation. All it'll take is some yokai talk. When do you think you'll get an opportunity like this again?"
"Please come, please come, please come," pleaded Toori. "We don't want to go alone with two perverted boys. People will think we're couples."
"...er," said Kana, and looked helplessly at Rikuo-kun.
Who rubbed his hands over his face tiredly before he gave the yukionna a significant look. She pulled a face and they had a conversation without words. It ended with Oikawa-san muttering visibly unhappy, "I changed my mind, I'm coming after all."
Shima cheered. Poor guy.
Kiyotsugu-kun gestured dramatically. "Wonderful, Oikawa-kun! Now the only one missing is Nura-kun. What do you have to say for yourself? Speak and we shall listen to your excuses and convince you of their worthlessness!"
Going by Rikuo's face he had entirely too much to say and far too little patience to deal with Kiyotsugu today. "I'm tied up with family business," he grouched, and Kana felt very worried because when he said things frankly without misdirection it was never good. "Dad is going on a business trip."
Kiyotsugo dropped his posturing. "Oh well. That can't be helped." He clapped Rikuo-kun on the shoulder. "Hang tight, Nura-kun!"
Rikuo-kun gaped, Kana had to pick her own jaw up. The others didn't seem to fare any better.
"Worry not, Nura-kun! We shall make a throughout gathering of information for you that you may study when we are back." Kiyotsugu-kun beamed convincingly.
"Thanks," Rikuo-kun said, drily. "I can't wait. Hearing about how much fun you had in Kyoto, that is."
...For the first time it dawned on Kana how much Rikuo-kun wanted to go. Really, really wanted to go. But didn't. He didn't.
Kana didn't know Rikuo-kun to miss out on anything he wanted, no matter how small or big or petty. What he wanted, he got.
Except this apparently.
She tired to imagine what could make him say no and suddenly Kyoto didn't seem as inviting anymore.
"Rikuo-sama, I don't think sitting sitting in your quarters all day is healthy. Won't you go out?"
"I'll go later. Can't say I particularly want to see how all the preparations are going knowing I'm not coming along."
Tsurara tilted her head. "Are you sulking, Rikuo-sama?"
"...What if I am?"
"I would advise you not to forget to what it is the Nidaime will be heading out and his reasons for leaving you behind."
Rikuo-sama's fingers clenched around the device he had been stubbornly staring at every minute of the day when he was not otherwise occupied. "The old man will be fine."
"Of course. However, Rikuo-sama, you must be aware that this is a long enemy of the Clan." Tsurara serenely kept her position at his side, legs folded beneath her as yokai hurried by the opened shoji screens. Hopefully Rikuo-sama would not take the concern in her voice the wrong way. "It will be different from any other time where Rihan-sama has headed out without you."
"...I know that," Rikuo-sama muttered.
"As long as you do," Tsurara agreed, smiling as she saw the way Rikuo-sama's glare acknowledged his father's existence of the first time in days. "Rihan-sama will be leaving by nightfall. Still plenty of time to change your mind."
"I wouldn't have to change my mind if he just let me to come along," her Master said under his breath.
Tsurara sighed. The Young Master could be such a child sometimes. (And other times Tsurara forgot his age entirely….)
They sat without speaking for a long time, though it could not be said that it was quiet. The house was never silent, but now in particular it was loud. By this time tomorrow the house was going to be near empty. (Tsurara had her own things to pack for Kyoto too...but she would not do so while Rikuo-sama was upset.)
Rikuo-sama must be feeling left out. Was there anything Tsurara could say to him that would make him see it wasn't so? Certainly he knew all the intellectual reasons, but how could he be made to feel that Rihan-sama only had the best of intentions and desired Rikuo-sama to be safe?
But maybe that was the problem. Rikuo-sama did not (ever) want to stay safe when people he cared about weren't and most of the time not even when they were safe. Such reckless passionate nature surely troubled Rikuo-sama a great deal in times like this.
The onmyoji girl was not someone he ought to care about but Rikuo-sama found her entertaining so he had gotten attached and now it was too late. That was Tsurara's failure. If only she had guarded him better!
Surely she could have gotten the girl thrown out or transferred to another school long before Rikuo-sama ever returned from Toono. Why hadn't she? She internally wailed.
To be worthy of standing at Rikuo-sama's back, she had to try harder!
"Rikuo-sama, I -"
She froze.
Rikuo-sama was gone.
It wasn't even night time yet and Tsurara still lost sight of him!
Incompetent!
"Rikuo-sama! Where are you?"
"Rihan-sama, a moment."
Rihan's gaze slid to Kuromaru. "I guess expecting a quiet farewell was too much. What has he done now?"
"Not here, Rihan-sama."
He sighed. "I guess I can leave the guys alone if its only for the Kobanbunes' loading."
Kuromaru lead the way into the deeper parts of the mansion, down into the third basement.
"It just had to be," lamented Rihan. There was only one thing worth of note down here. In addition, the Clan was busy with activity so many yokai went in and out of the basement. Not inapplicable for anyone with a sinister motive.
Such a shame.
As expected, Rikuo waited in front of a heavily sealed door. Not entirely expected there was no cold shoulder for Rihan. Instead Rikuo seemed to be focusing his ire on the poor door. Thumping was heard from inside and a voice, though the words were unintelligible.
"Want to enlighten me?" Rihan prompted.
Rikuo tossed him one of those fancy toys that the youth seemed to go through faster than hens laid eggs. "What's this?"
"The security feed. Go back twenty minutes and watch."
Rihan did. When he finished all thoughts of going to Kyoto were very distant. "Kuromaru, call in the commanders."
"Already done, Lord."
"Get Kubinashi, Kejoro and Kurotabo. They'll secure the prisoner and escort him upstairs when called. Tell the old man that our trip will be delayed. Arrange that all assets are frozen and sized. Take over the branch house. Investigate it and all members thoroughly. I'm asking a lot, but I don't want anyone but the Karasu Tengu Overseers involved. Rikuo, come on."
Kuromaru vanished. Rikuo fell into step beside him, arms crossed and a hard, calculating air still growing around him.
Rihan smiled. "If you keep nibbling your lips, no girl'll want to kiss them."
Rikuo glanced at him distractedly until the words visibly sunk in and he turned dark red. "Sh- shut up old man!" Still so innocent, darkness aside. So cute. "What's that got to do with anything?!"
"Nothing at all. Just doing my fatherly duty. Since you are at that age now."
It felt like Rikuo's flushed face reached the heat of a furnace as he bit out denials and curses at Rihan. With a father like Nurarihyon Rihan didn't do things like showing mercy but he did worry that Rikuo might catch a fever, so he laid off.
"I'll leave the clean up of this to you," he stated, switching subjects and moods like weather in April.
Rikuo gave him one last long glower before he cooled back into assessing consideration. "Three hundred plus years to go through. If he'd been a traitor from the beginning, he either had legendary patience or he would have acted like Gogaze did, sooner rather than later."
"Not a traitor," Rihan corrected. "Replaced. We don't know for how long, but don't be rude to the memory of the replaced."
"That's not how I meant it," Rikuo rolled his eyes.
"But not everyone knows that. If you want to be Third, you've got to watch your choice of words."
The typical Nurarihyon pace at which they left the basement had given the rest of the Clan commanders more than enough time to assemble.
Little serving demons slid the shoji doors aside. From Nurarihyon himself to Gyuki and Hitotsume, everyone was present. Everyone but Mitsume Yazura. In an emergency meeting.
The absence was glaringly obvious.
Rihan lowered to his seat front and centre, his father to his left, his son to his right.
"What is going on Rihan-sama?" Hitotsume demanded, little patience as always. "What happened?"
Rihan didn't say anything.
Hitotsume didn't ask again. No one else did.
The eyes of the Second Head slid over his assembled council. The longer the silence continued, the more uneasy they got. The quality of Fear lost the tang caused by the summon's suddenness and gained apprehension. A number of them darted looks at the hole of Mitsume Yazura and noted the absence of Karasu Tengu in the back.
Rihan ignited and took a breath of his father's pipe, whose eye would have twitched in annoyance under different circumstances at having yet again his favorite nicked.
What a mess they had - if there was one thing couldn't wait to pass on to Rikuo, it was messes - where things got muddled, complicated, annoying. Though, granted this situation went right past annoying and into infuriating. On that note, he had probably let his council simmer long enough. Rihan began. "The sword Mao's Hammer. Rikuo had taken care of its security. Not an hour ago this security was breached." Rihan blew out smoke. It settled and darkened the room. "By Mitsume Yazura."
The sound of breath sucked in reached Rihan's ears. Others stilled as the reason for the assembly became clear.
"Rihan-sama. Are you accusing the Head of the Three-Eyed Party?" Daruma voiced, not doubtful but wishing for clarification. He seemed to take it as his role to be an interpreter between the Council and its Heads.
"I'm doing no such thing." Rihan stated. "Hereby I am announcing the passing of Mitsume Yazura at an unknown time. There is no doubt he would have rather died than be impersonated."
Again, the mood swung. Rihan read apprehension, anger and no small amount of utter deference as it became more and more obvious that Rihan was pissed.
Hitotsume pounded a fist into the floor. "Who would dare such a thing? Impersonating a Council Member! We must make them pay!"
"Where is this filth now?" The second Head of the Great Ape Alliance questioned.
Rihan made a gesture with his hand. "Bring him in."
The double shoji doors opposite of Rihan were slid open. A figure hardly recognizable in the coils of Kubinashi's Kejoro-supported strings was dragged between the two rows of generals by the two capture specialists. "Nidaime," they bowed, knelt, and held position behind the lump of prisoner.
"Show it."
Kubinashi hesitated for a brief second, but the strings and hair slid aside. It revealed an eye-less, skull like figure, whose most poignant trait was the form of it's head. Brain-like.
By Kubinashi's strings it was not allowed to speak, but it did radiate animosity. It's Fear...seemed familiar. Familiarly fake-ish.
The ranks of Rihan's ayakashi stirred.
He gave a nod. "Let it speak."
The moment strings loosened, words came tumbling out.
"Curse you! Curse you Nura Rihan! Curse you! Curse the Nura Clan! Hateful Nura Clan! Curse you Nura Rikuo! Curse you! Curseyou! CurseyouCurseyoucurseyoucurseyouNura! I will kill you! Kill you! How dare you! We will come back and kill you! Sanmoto Gorozaemon-"
"Enough."
Pandemonium broke out.
"Sanmoto Gorozaemon?!"
"Impossible! The Second defeated him threehundred years ago!"
"What is this yokai? Gorozaemon was human!"
Rihan let them.
It was a shame Rikuo's surveillance tapes had not included audio, because if Riahn had known this beforehand Rikuo sure would not be sitting in on this.
His son exchanged glances with his friend from the Great Ape Alliance. Both of them were too young to have heard that name.
But really. Gorozaemon?
That guy probably was petty enough to be irritated about that thing three centuries ago. But this? Rihan must have pissed him off more than he had known.
….aaah.
He didn't want to deal with that guy again. So annoying. It made him beyond angry that a creature like that was responsible for taking one of his generals from him.
If he weren't also incredibly dangerous when pushed into a corner Rihan would appreciate the fact that Rikuo suddenly didn't seem all that upset to not come to Kyoto anymore. Rikuo may actually prefer staying here as it would explain a lot if this issue was connected to the thing eight years ago. If so...
(Otou-sama.)
Rihan didn't actually want him involved with Gorozaemon. That was irony for you.
Sanmoto Gorozaemon.
"All this," he nodded at the prisoner with a look between condescending and disgust, "will be left to the Third Heir. Departure to Kyoto is delayed until every Clan in a list of dealings with the Three-Eyed Party. It will prove important to discovering this one's motives and actions, past and future. The branch is under lock down until we know who knew and who didn't know of this, all dealings are prohibited. We'll smoke those bastards out and crush them. The Hoko Clan will deal with the prisoner. Drag everything out and report to Rikuo."
"Yes, Lord!"
"Daruma, you will stay here and advise my son. Rikuo, I trust you know who you want at your side for this. Don't consider your job done until there's only dust left."
"Understood."
"Yes, father."
Rihan clicked his pipe into the ashtray. "Good. Meeting adjourned."
TBC
