I took Nayrael criticism to the next level XD! Do I get a cookie now?
Chapter 7
"Can someone tell me why Rikuo is sulking in a corner?" Amezo said, bewildered.
There was Rikuo on his favorite Sakura tree, sucking his thumb while pouting.
"Well, what happened is," Tsurara decided to tell the tale of what happened.
Fairy Rikuo traveled through the sea of trees, flapping his wings aggressively, trying to reach the palace where princess Kana was being held captive.
"Yuki Onna, tell him the real story not some fantasy you have just created." Ao shook his head at her story.
"I was just trying to lighten up the mood." She puffed out her cheeks. "What actually happened is,"
Night Rikuo was going to have to talk to her and by her he meant Kana. He was going to ask what happened to her in this form. It was a tough discussion to make but he had to do it.
He walked confidently towards her room, expecting a shocked expression on her face. He slid the door open and walked in seeing the reaction he expected. He resisted the urge to smirk and took a seat across of her.
"I know you have a lot of questions to ask but keep them till the end." He calmly said. "I want you..." He trailed off when he saw her crawl away from him to the wall. She seemed like she wanted to escape but the wall was the obstacle to her attempt.
She had remembered a memory she had when she was locked in that cell.
"Why are you doing this to me?" The girl cried.
"Because you are friends with that leader." Beyond smirked at her terrified expression."It is his fault that you are like this"
He walked to her and put a hand gently on her shoulder. She was quivering uncontrollably and her tears were visible to him. The way she looked at him caused his heart to clench.
"Kana, are you okay?" He looked at her worriedly. She struggled to free herself but he kept a tight grip on her shoulder.
"I won't let go." He sternly said. "I won't hurt you, I just want to hel-" He was cut off with a slap on his face. His iris dilated in shock as her action stunned him to silence. He let go of her and slowly brought his hand to his cheek. He looked at her, still stunned, and saw her accusing eyes.
'It was your fault that this happened to me' was what her eyes told him.
She took her blanket and hid underneath it. It was his fault... He looked down in guilt and shame, slowly leaving the room. He had not said a single word after that.
"And that is why he is like this." She pointed at Rikuo, who was still sulking.
"Were you guys spying on him?" Amezo asked, confused at how they knew what had happened.
"Spying is this clan's specialty." Kubinashi admitted.
"You mean eavesdropping." Amezo sweat dropped at it.
Rikuo on the other hand held his cheeks, ignoring the people who were talking about him behind his back. His cheeks still stung from the slap she had given him.
"Why does she adore the day me?" He frowned at the fact she liked him in his day form and hated him in his night form. He went back to sucking his thumb like a child.
"Why do you look so pathetic, Rikuo?"
"Grandpa..." He looked away, not knowing what to say to him.
"Why don't you just tell her that you are a yokai?" His grandfather suggested.
"Are you crazy?" Rikuo exclaimed. He didn't want her to hate his day form too. Hating one of them was enough.
"She is the friend you spoke highly off. She will definitely accept you." He gave him advice.
"B-but this is the wrong time to tell her that!"
"Under any circumstances, a true friend would accept you for who you are. Give it a try." His grandfather guffawed like he knew what would happen and left.
"That old man." Rikuo shook his head at the crazy suggestion. He won't do it. No matter what happened he won't do such a crazy thing!
He jumped down gracefully from on top of the tree and went to his room feeling irritated with himself. He lay down on his bed and gazed at the ceiling. His grandfather's words rang in his head. Should he talk to her? If he did, what should he say to her? He gave an exasperated sigh. He didn't want her to look at him differently when she found out he was a yokai. He wanted her to live ignorant to his other form but he knew the truth couldn't stay hidden for long. There will be a time when he has to tell her who he is and that time would come soon. He closed his eyes tiredly, wanting to sleep but he had so many unnecessary thoughts that he grew restless eventually. It was going to be a long night.
The next day
He wondered if he would regret listening to his grandfather. He didn't know what to tell her or how to start. Why does he feel like that? He knew that once he told her, there won't be a chance to take back what he said. Maybe he feared her response. Maybe that made him hesitate from what he wanted to tell her.
"I wanted to tell you something..." He could just tell her something else. He could escape from telling her the truth.
"I'm a yokai." He blurted it out by accident. What did I just do?
She looked at him, stunned. He felt like he ruined his life. He didn't know why he said that. Maybe deep down he wanted her to hate him. Maybe he would stop resenting himself knowing she blamed him for what happened to her. After all, he deserved all the hate he would get.
He transformed for her to see with her own eyes that he was the one she hated. If she doubted what he said before, she wouldn't now.
"I'm Nura Rikuo... the leader of the night parade of a hundred demons." Her eyes widened when she saw him and she started to tremble from fear. She couldn't believe it. How could she believe it when the reason behind her torture was her friend?
It was all Rikuo's fault that this happened and she had to hold herself from crying and she glared at him. It was all his fault that she became mute. It was all his fault that she was tortured in every possible way. It was all his fault that she almost died or committed suicide many times... and she considered him her family? Her friend? When it was all his fault?
Rikuo waited for her to shout at him, hit him or do anything but instead she gave him a cold glare. He could see her clenching her kimono fabric tightly. She wanted to shout at him to get out, to leave but what could she say? She was shocked that he was a yokai... that he was him. She took her blanket and hid beneath it. She didn't want to see his face again.
"Kana..." He wanted to say something but decided against it. He went to a corner and sat there for hours, guarding her personally. The night shadowed his existence and he caught her coming out of her hideout with puffed eyes from crying. It amazed him how she cried quietly in such situation. She lit up the candle next to her with a match because it was getting too dark to see and left it near her. She took her pillow and encircled her arms around it while laying her head on top of the pillow. She stared off into space with a depressed expression.
When he told her that he was a yokai she felt betrayed, like her whole life was a lie. He was the reason why they died. Her parents were like pillars holding a building from collapsing on her. Losing them felt like a roof collapsed on her. She didn't get over her parents' death and probably never will but she had learned to live with it. There wasn't a day that went by that she didn't think of them. She wished she had just one more minute with them to tell them how much she loved them and how they meant the world to her. She never thought that losing a parent was like losing a piece of your heart.
Mom, Dad, I miss you.
She missed them so much that it hurt. It hurt knowing that she would never get to feel their hugs or kisses again. That she may forget how their face looked like in the future even if she didn't want to. She was an orphan now and it was Rikuo's fault that she became like this. The more she thought about it, the more she felt herself hating him, more and more.
She didn't try to hold back her tears because she couldn't. She mourned their death many times before and wondered why it was hard to move on. She felt relieved though, that they died before she did. At least they wouldn't feel this gigantic hole in their heart when they found out that her death will be near too. That she would be joining them soon.
Rikuo looked at her as she cried again. He couldn't look away no matter how hard he tried. She was suffering and it was all his fault. His heart ached knowing he can't comfort her. He had wanted to protect his friends but he failed miserably. He couldn't give up yet. He needed to protect her and make sure she gets back to the same girl he knew and loved.
For the next 3 days Rikuo would secretly guard her and observe her actions. He found out something strange about her. First would be the way she stared off into space. It was always in the same direction and what was strange about it was the fact she would stare till night came like she was scared of something. Second would be her actions. She would wave randomly and walk in circles, keeping an eye at the center. He also saw her poke thin air, afraid. It confused him, the way she was acting. He wondered if she had gone mad.
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"Rikuo." His grandfather sipped his tea as he watched Rikuo's attempt to sneak out secretly to Kana's room. "Going to see your friend again?"
"Grandpa!" Rikuo shouted, startled. "Don't scare people like that."
His grandfather ignored him and asked "Why don't you try again?"
"She won't accept me." He sighed.
"Stop blaming yourself. You didn't know this had happened to her." It reminded him of the past when his wife almost died because of him. He blamed himself for it but his wife would always comfort him, telling him it wasn't his fault. He smiled sadly, remembering his wife.
"But..."
"You know what is important?"
"What?"
"Your feelings. Tell her how you really feel and if you fail, keep trying till she accepts you." He took his last sip and walked away, reminiscing of the past.
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"Look Kana, I'm sorry for what happened to you... Should I say it like this?" Rikuo paced back and forth not sure how he should bring the subject up. He was afraid to show his face after revealing his yokai form to her.
"Arghhh" He ruffled his hair in frustration. "I'll just do it!" He opened the door, feeling like he became best friends with this specific door.
Kana snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the door open. Her eyes narrowed when she saw who it was.
"Kana-chan..."She looked like she hadn't slept or eaten for days. He watched her anxiously, completely forgetting what he wanted to say but he remembered the one thing he deeply wanted to tell her.
"I'm sorry."
She clenched her fist to control anger.
"I'm truly sorry."
Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Sorry won't fix everything that happened.
"I promise to protect you."
She grasped her head as many unwanted memories invaded her mind. He triggered the recalling of a memory she wished to forget with all her heart.
"What do you think Rihan's son would say? Sorry? It was my fault? I promise to protect you?" He laughed, finding it amusing. She gasped when he choked her.
"If I strangled your throat, would I get to see your horrified face again?" He smirked before he tightly squeezed her neck to the point her larynx broke.
Her pupil diluted from the intensity of pain. No scream or sound was heard. He let her go as she vomited blood. It stained her clothes and was all over the floor. Blood started to leak from around her neck where his nails dug in. Kana never died before but if she had to guess how it felt, she would say it felt like how she is feeling right now.
"I want to help you but I can't because you aren't telling me what's wrong with you. It upsets me when you shut me out without even giving me the answer as to why you are doing this." Rikuo continued to pour his heart out.
She couldn't even hear him anymore. She was just about to rip her hair off from the memory that continued to play.
He grabbed her hair dragging her lifeless body with him and smashed her face on the wall. The sound of bones cracking was loud and clear. She felt like she was going to die from pain. She couldn't see clearly either. Darkness was trying to swallow her. Blood oozed out of her head as she winced in pain.
"You can't sleep yet."
He smashed her head again and slid it across the wall, decorating the wall with crimson color of love. He threw her aside because she was now useless and admired the rose he made out of her blood.
The girl was literally drowning from her own blood. She felt her life slowly fade away as she gazed at the ceiling, feeling excruciating pain from every inch of her body.
"This happened to you because of him. If you weren't his friend you would have lived a happy life with your parents."
She couldn't hear properly but she caught what he said. Tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes from the pain she was feeling and how misfortunate she was. He was right... this happened because of him.
"Think about the life you could have if he wasn't there with you." He took out a knife and decided to cut her abdomen open. She couldn't even speak and the pain was too unbearable for her to move away.
She shook her head frantically. She brought her hands on her ears to stop the voices in her head. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, STOP!
"Are you even listening to me?" Rikuo asked, misunderstanding her actions as not wanting to listen to him.
She was at the brink of having a mental breakdown. The memory didn't stop there. It continued to play like a tape that had been broken.
He slowly got his hand inside the wound he just created, making her bleed more. Her mouth opened to scream but instead more blood brimmed out of it. She wanted to scream and ask for help but no sound was coming out. She was truly drowning in her own blood.
"Don't worry, I'm almost done." He announced to her.
She was surprised she hadn't passed out yet. He enjoyed tormenting her so much. He took his hand out and wiped it with a napkin.
"You can't escape from me because no matter where you areI will always find you." He laughed like a mad scientist who just achieved what he wanted to. "I'll play doctor now."
He took a stapler from the table and stapled her bleeding stomach close.
She cried really hard at the memory that she wanted to forget the most. She wanted to leave the past behind her and live in a future full of happiness but no matter what happened the past continues to haunt her. She wanted to pretend that everything was okay, that everything willbe okay. She wanted to live her unrealistic fantasy where she would have a new family, a new life but reality will always prevail. It was like she was stuck in a maze where there is no way out and that her only option was to die. She was going to die sooner or later. It was her destiny because he will find her and when he does, he will kill her.
"Kana! Listen to me." Rikuo firmly said.
She didn't want to hear what he wanted to say anymore so she took the bowl full of food off the tray and threw it at him, trying to scare him away. He dodged it in time.
"I know you are mad but I didn't want this to happen!" He shouted as he dodged another plate. "I didn't want you to suffer! If I knew this would happen to you I would have rushed there to save you. I don't like seeing you like this."
She shook her head in denial, tears flowing down her face while she picked up the last glass she had. It was his fault and she hated him for it. Suffer? He didn't know what she had been through and never will because he never experienced the pain she had. I've had enough...
I will find you.
I don't want to live anymore... what was the use of living if you are going to be tortured for it? I just want to die already.
She threw the glass and at that moment the pumpkin did something other than just stare at her emotionlessly all day. It opened its mouth and took a rusty arrow from there. It shot it at her while Kana stayed frozen in her place, gasping at the sudden movement it made. Everything went slow-motion to Kana as she stared in shock at the arrow that will take her life away. Her entire life played before her eyes.
"This is our baby. Isn't she beautiful?" A man told a woman that laid on the bed looking exhausted. She cried when she saw the baby.
"My beautiful daughter."
Her life continued to play in a split second.
"Can't anybody stop that idiot?" Saori sighed before she looked at Kana and waved at her. "Kana!"
"Kana, look at this cute purse I bought."Natsumi giggled, showing off the purse she bought.
"Ienaga-kun, we will definitely catch some yokai today!" Kiyotsugu spouted his nonsense again.
"I won! I got a goal! I can't believe this!" Jiro hugged Kana, carrying her around because of happiness."Thank you so much Kana for watching my game."
"Kana-chan! I think this would look pretty on you" Rikuo smiled happily at her.
Her eyes widen as the arrow went right through her head, killing her instantly. Her body falling down lifeless with a thud.
"KANA!" Rikuo screamed horridly. His body froze as reality hit him like a stab in the heart.
"Kana..." He crawled towards her slowly, still not believing what he is seeing. He held her bleeding head in shock.
"Are you alright..." He choked those words out as he stared at her soulless eyes. "No...this isn't happening."
Tears fell down to her face, knowing she died leaving him behind. He held her tightly, feeling the blood soaking his hand. He sobbed at the fact he couldn't save her in time.
"KANA!" His scream echoed in the lonely night.
Do you believe in destiny? It was said that our fate was made before we even existed. That God knows what has happened and what will happen. Why do we live in a world where our fate was already decided to us? It is like being a Puppet, living a life that someone chose for you. God knew that I will die on this fateful day. He knew... My name is Kana Ienaga and I've died at the age of 13 because it was ... my destiny.
The funeral
It was a cloudy day, one fit for a funeral. The death of Kana Ienaga took place where her parents were also buried. She watched... She watched people come and go after throwing a flower at her grave. She found out that she died and was just nothing but a ghost now.
She looked at her funeral with a foreign feeling. She never thought she would die young and that she would get to see her own grave. She have heard that people with regrets turn into ghost but she never believed that until today.
She felt the presence of someone so she looked away from her grave and saw her friends.
Saori lay a flower at her grave before she broke down crying. Natsumi patted her friend's back and joined her. They hugged each other for comfort and continued to spill the endless tears.
Why are they crying?She looked at Jiro, who stayed at the corner near a tree. He was trying hard to hold back tears but they kept spilling. He wiped them aggressively and tried to stop his tears but it all proved futile.
She looked at Kiyotsugu next. He held a frown on his face, not believing she died. She saw him clenching his hands tightly while breathing in and out. He brought a hand to his face to cover his crying from everyone.
Why? She also saw Yura there. She had her hand in a praying manner and was crying silently.
Why do they care so much about me? She felt herself cry. She looked around for one last person but couldn't find him anywhere. She walked away from her friends. Seeing them cry wasn't what she wished to see and searched for the last person. She let her legs lead her to where he is and found herself standing in front of his house.
Does he even care about me? She wondered, taking a step inside. She saw Tsurara pacing back and forth, looking really terrible.
"Yuki Onna.." She saw a large guy talk to Tsurara.
"AO!" She cried. "He is doing it again! What should I do?" She looked like she was having a mental breakdown.
Kana frowned, she have never seen Tsurara like this before. She hardly cried and for her to cry this hard was worrying her. Rain started to drop one by one before it rained hard quickly.
She took cover by passing through the house since she was a ghost and decided to search for Rikuo. Until she stumbled upon a room, full of empty bottles, dangerous weapons and the place looked unorganised. She saw a figure with white and black hair in a corner drinking sake. She slowly walked towards him and took a glance at his face. It was Rikuo and he looked a mess.
She heard the door open and looked at who it was.
"Rikuo-sama, please stop!" Tsurara shouted.
Kana was confused on what was going on.
"Leave me alone!" He shouted back drunkenly.
"Please stop hurting yourself!" She refused to back down easily.
Kana saw blood coming out. She gasped in shock when she saw a cut in his wrist. She tried to hold his hand but her hand passed through him. She forgot she was a ghost.
"NO!" He threw a tantrum and took a knife, cutting his hand with it.
"Rikuo, stop!" Kana shouted as she tried to stop him but her hand passed through him like last time.
"Rikuo-sama!" Tsurara rushed to help him, just to get shoved harshly away from him.
"Rikuo! What are you doing? Stop this!" Kana yelled at him. "Why are you doing this? Can't you see that she cares about you?" No one can hear her.
"You don't know what I've been through!" He said, angrily.
Kana felt Deja vu. Didn't I say that before? She remembered herself thinking that no one would understand if they haven't experience it themselves.
He threw the bottle in his hand at Tsurara and screamed monstrously.
Kana was taken aback by the familiar scenery. She looked at Rikuo just to see herself in that position. She turned to Tsurara just to see Rikuo there. Did I act like that?It took her a long time to realize how foolish she was.
"She didn't forgive me!" He sobbed, hugging his knees and buried his face. "She hated me."
She swallowed her emotions at the fact he still thought she hated him. The immense feeling of regret she felt at that moment made her wish she could turn back time and forgive him.
"It was all my fault." He brokenly said.
"It is not! I'm sorry Rikuo. I'm sorry..." She wished her voice could reach him. "I forgive you."
He gave a bitter laugh all of sudden. "Now I'm hearing voices. Did I really want her to forgive me that badly?"
He could hear her! Kana smiled, feeling relieved that she could tell him how she really felt.
"I forgive! It was not your fault! I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. I just want you to know that I'm truly happy that you consider me your friend till now. I never knew I was blissed with such great friend that loved me even after all I've done." She kneed down and gave him a hug. Much to her surprise she didn't pass through him this time.
He gave a confused look. "Why do I feel warm? Am I forgiven?" It looked like he was looking at her but she knew he couldn't see her. She gave one last smile, feeling really light like she could float now. Light started to shine on her and she found herself floating away.
"I really wanted to forgive him in person." She felt that regret again as she slowly faded away with the light.
"I wish I could turn back time." A single tear rolled down her face.
When she opened her eyes again she was back where the arrow was shot toward her. I don't want to die in regrets.Was the last thing she thought before blood splattered across the floor.
"Tsurara! Medical attention!" Kubinashi order.
"Hai!"
"Ao! Kurotabou!" They nodded their head in understanding.
"Ao, you check the left side while I check the right." They immediately went to action. Itaku and Awashima followed their lead.
Kubinashi tightened his grip on the door looking confused. What the heck just happened? He couldn't sense any enemy from outside that could have attacked. He observed the door closely and couldn't find a single scratch on it. From the inside? He witnessed that arrow form from thin air but that was impossible. Whoever did that from outside was a skilled archer for that arrow to slip from under his nose.
"Rikuo-sama! Are you okay?" He rushed toward his master.
"Kana!" Rikuo shouted at the dazed girl beneath him. He gritted his teeth at his bleeding arm. He managed to push her head with his hand just in time before the arrow killed her. The arrow cut through his arm and into the wall, creating a crater from the force. He did not want to imagine what would have happened if he didn't save her in time.
She slowly snapped out of it when she saw his worried red eyes.I got back...She started to cry, remembering that she thought she was dead and then attacked him with a hug. He groaned from the instense pain that shot through his arms from her movement.
"Are you okay?" Rikuo asked, not understand her sudden change in behaviour. She just held him tighter, afraid that if she let go he would disappear. He stroked her hair gently and whispered assuring words, while rocking back and forth to calm her down till she eventually fell asleep.
"Rikuo-sama!" Tsurara practically jumped across the room to him and spread the medical kit all over the place. She looked like she ran a marathon and came back. She quickly applied ointment and bandaged his arm.
"There! All done." She wiped the sweat off her forehead. "We have to wait till Zen-sama comes back to heal your injury." She wasn't a doctor to fix such wounds unlike Zen. Rikuo nodded in understanding and decided to change the subject to something important.
"Did you find out who's behind this?" Rikuo asked, still hugging the girl.
Kubinashi shook his head. "They are still searching."
"Do you think they wanted to kill Rikuo-sama?" Tsurara interuppted.
"If they wanted to kill me they should have shot it at me not Kana."
"Then do you think the target is Kana?"
"Maybe, maybe not but whoever it is must be a powerful yokai." Kubinashi answered.
"Tsurara and Kubinashi, I want you to gather everyone. We are going to have a meeting." Rikuo proclaimed.
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EDIT 2: I hope Nayrael liked this chapter better than the previous one. *Throws Nayrael a ball with "Rose's responsibility" written over it* Fangirls, you can attack him now LOL!
Phew! Finally finished. Now that I have gotten rid off this problem I can finally write some RikuoXKana moments. Rikuo will also find out that she is mute in the next chapter (About time)
Nayrael: Lol Yeah xD
Okay I will fix that. I thought it would be different since it is Rikuo.
What kind of thoughts? The food one? It will be around that time.
I was eating an ice cream when I read your review and I have to say you had me halting the spoon from what I read. LOL What kind of yokai was he? o.O Painter? *-* We will be best friends!
xNightDreamerx: O no you came back xD I guess you don't forgive me...
Fede194:Lol It is okay. It is quite accurate I think xD I'm no genius here so~. Why did you reread the first chapter? It does have a clue I guess. :P
There could be hope or maybe there isn't.
You will find out ~ I'm about to reveal it soon :3
Exactly XD! Well, she isn't cooperating with them so =/
silvergoldmoonlight:Don't feel pressured to review :) She/he is.
Yeah something like that.
You could say there will be more LOL
Awesome D.T:There will be more in the next chapter to redeem myself. Geez I think I'll be visiting Kei and Beyond soon. Maybe because of this chapter since torture comes in different forms.
It was important xD
Ta-dah! You found out and no, she attacks because of mistrust and for the spies part it could be a reason too.
Awashima is my girl/guy! There will be some Awashima with Kana moments :3
XxThe-Crest-Of-AnubisxX :My angel! I think the next chapter is worth it though *laughs evily*
Thanks guys so much for the love and support. This chapter came really late! Sorry~! See you next Tuesday!