SEEING YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME

Chapter 1A: You and I

Disclaimer: Nurarihyon no Mago characters are not mine. Also, the last name of Wakana is just a fictional name that was added for the purpose of the story. There are also some original characters created for the purpose of the story.

Warning: Violence, a bit, for this chapter.

Please read and review. Thank you!

Wakana sat on the park yet again, but this time around carefully looking around to make sure that there's no one or nothing in the area. She has been very careful in threading around the area particularly at night. She just couldn't go home any earlier because every time she makes a stop at Shino's area, the little boy goes crazy with his long stories and various new antics. Not to be mean, but she knew she made a promise, and she's not one to break them.

Specifically today, she over stayed again. Looking at her watch, it's 8:00 PM again. She sighed, somehow, she's starting to berate herself by accepting that promise. But well, it's a little help to Shino, maybe soon, he'll cross over or something, like that movie Casper. She took out her diary and started writing her entry. What will she write today?

She was so engrossed into thinking and placing her thoughts into the diary not noticing Rihan sitting on the slide near the swing. To be honest, he got a little curious with her, so he often drops by at that same time for the past few days, since their first meeting. It made him even more amused with the various reactions she had, even though he perfectly hid his presence. He began to remember the past three days…

Day 1:

He hid his presence behind the Cherry Blossom Tree. Of course, being a Nurarihyon, hiding is such a simple thing. He saw her tiptoeing from the street to the Cherry Blossom Tree with her bag in her hand. She was staring at the branch where he came from the other day. When she saw that no one was there, she breathed out a sigh of relief. She sat and then wrote in her diary.

Day 2:

She stood there, 10 to 20 meters away staring again at the branch where he sat before. She had a pair of binoculars with her. When she saw no one was there she ran to the swing and began to write again, little did she know that he was just there.

Day 3:

She looked a little tired, noting also that she came a little later than usual. She seemed a little exhausted, and found out that they had gym class today. How did he find out, overhearing her talk to herself, of course. She was muttering some curse words along the way about how evil their teachers can get by making them run 10 miles for the day. He snickered since he already knew what would happen next, of course, she's going to write in her diary.

Today is Day 4. She doesn't seem particularly aware of her surroundings so he decided to make himself less invisible to the human eye today. She quietly wrote something on her beloved diary and he quietly observed her. With lack of better things to do for the past few days, he has been very preoccupied with his new hobby, observation. Specifically, Wakana Koizumi Observation…

Wakana Koizumi was particularly simple. She has shoulder length brown hair, her eyes are light brown, her frame is particularly small, her lips normal, her nose normal, her height average, in general, a girl who is pretty average. Nothing about her is exceptional, except perhaps, that interesting ability, the ability to see paranormal entities and her ability to have a lot of unpredictable expressions.

Overall

Normal Human

But, really interesting and a bit funny

Isn't it funny to actually bring binoculars?!

He couldn't help but snicker.

He continued to see her from afar. He was jolted out of his thoughts when he saw two figures running towards the object of his observation. He quickly vanished within the area. Wakana looked up seeing her aunt and uncle running towards her direction.

"Aunt Karin? Uncle Minamoto?" She stood up, placing her diary inside her bag. "What's wrong?"

"There you are. It was getting a little late so we got a little worried. Let's go home dear." Karin motioned for her to follow.

"I'm sorry, I didn't notice." Wakana got her things and proceeded to follow her aunt.

"It's okay my dear, let's go home." Aunt Karin motioned. Wakana didn't fail to notice that her uncle looked a little nervous and often looks around.

"Uncle Minamoto? Is something wrong?" Wakana asked. "You look a little distressed."

"Huh, oh no, not really. Just looking around, its been a while since I was out at night." Uncle Minamoto mentioned. "Let's go home. We prepared dinner."

"Great, I'm a little hungry." Wakana smiled widely.

Her aunt guided her until they reached the door. Uncle Minamoto vigilantly scanned the perimeter and then closed the door. He made a sign that was very similar to an onmyoji's signal and then closed the front door.

Rihan, observed from afar. He noticed how worried the older couple seemed. It also appeared like they were checking out every nook of the street making sure that the area is safe. It didn't look like normal overprotectiveness to him. It looked like they were bodyguards desperately trying to protect their boss from a possible sniper or attack. This behavior is peculiar. He couldn't put it in his brain why family could behave like that, unless…

He never doubted his instincts. Ever since, he became the Nura Clan's head, his instincts has always guided him towards the right path. Therefore in this case, he decided to follow them, discretely of course.

"Aunt Karin, you and uncle seem very nervous. Is there something wrong? Really, please tell me. I'm getting a little nervous too…" Wakana said while eating her bowl of rice and looking at the couple sitting across her.

"Oh, no, not really. It's just perhaps it's the time of the month. You know, girl thing…" Aunt Karin replied while smiling sheepishly. "Sorry for getting on your nerves my dear."

Wakana shook her head while smiling. Although she looked like she bought the excuse, deep down, she was skeptical. She knew that they were hiding something. They looked like they were doing their usual thing but their eyes were scanning the area. She didn't feel very secure at the moment, it felt as if there was an impending doom.

"Wakana-chan, why don't you go up and take a shower first?" Aunt Karin motioned. "We'll take care of the dishes."

"Um…okay…" Wakana nodded. "Good night Aunt Karin, Uncle Minamoto."

She did not remove her gaze from the couple as the smiled warmly towards her. They said their respective good nights without removing their gaze towards her. She felt very awkward. Nothing seemed very comfortable in this house. It felt like a big cage as of the moment, with two very peculiar watch dogs. She felt like the bird with a big cat waiting to pounce on her. And for the record, she hated that feeling.

What's going on?

What had them looking like that?

Why are they acting so peculiar?

I hate this feeling…

Suddenly, the lights turned off. She stood up from her bed. Her eyes quickly scanning for a source of light. There was only one, the clear window with the moon shining brightly. She quickly sat underneath her study table while wrapping herself with a blanket. She gazed at the door patting herself in the back since she made sure to lock it first. The next succeeding events were something she could never imagine.

The entire house shook as if there was an earthquake. From the outside, Wakana could make out sounds of broken glass, mirrors, loud thuds in the walls, and now the smell of burning wood. She could hear screams and shouts from the ground floor. She could barely move a muscle but she knew she had to. She stood up, grabbing her tennis racket. She was about to open the door when to her surprise the body of her Uncle Minamoto came flying across.

His clothes were tattered. His lip was broken and there was blood in his arm. From where she was at, there was a wound caused by a sword. It was bleeding profusely.

"Uncle Minamoto!" She was about to rush when her uncle stopped her.

"Stay there!"

She came into a halt and then was surprised when another body came flying towards her uncle. This time around it was her Aunt Karin. She looked like she was in so much pain. Her arm was twisted so badly as if it was forcibly turned around. She ran towards them holding onto her aunt.

"Aunt Karin….What…."

Her question was stopped when she felt it.

A despicable feeling of doom

There was that unknown smell of fear inside the entire house. Loud footsteps echoed along the hallway, slowly and steadily going up from the stairway. She could hear soft hissing and some growling. To her surprise, her uncle threw her towards the side directly underneath her bed.

"Stay there, don't move." Uncle Minamoto motioned. He struggled to get up as if trying to defend her. His body all bruised up but he still tried his best to fight the pain.

Aunt Karin mustered enough strength to go towards her. She placed a necklace on Wakana and smiled. "Wakana-sama, sorry for lying all these years. Please forgive us for doing this. This is nothing but your parents' wishes…"

Wakana was left speechless. Her aunt was barely able to speak. She quietly obeyed listening to every word said to her. "Wakana-chan," Aunt Karin continued, "from this day forth, please always smile. Forget about the days of pain, forget these days of anguish, forget everything…soon someone will come and will make you happy…"

Wakana nodded blindly, staring at her barely alive aunt. From her peripheral vision, she saw what she never thought she would see inside the house. There were three big demons, one is a onibaba, long dark hair with red glistening eyes. She was wearing an old kimono, her make-up resembles that of a geisha. The second one is a Nuribotoke. It's a corpse like being with dangling eyeballs. His stench spread in the entire house. The place smells like death. The third one was an old man who looks like a bird. He had black wings, which made him resemble a tengu.

Wakana's eyes widened. Her eyes could not believe it.

These are demons. These are evil demons.

What are they doing in the house?!

Wakana was thrown to the ground by her aunt and there she saw the onset of a battle that she never realized would happen. Her uncle started chanting some unknown incantations and a so-called shikigami appeared in front of them. A shining armor rushed towards the invading demons. However, as soon as it appeared, it vanished, dissipating in the air.

"Hahahaha, puny little shikigami! Did you ever think that this is all we can do?! You're underestimating us priest." The onibaba teased. "Oi, Nuribotoke, kill that guy."

The Nuribotoke rushed towards Minamoto driving him towards the floor. The tiles were raised with the impact of the crash. The demon bit the human prey under him from his arms. A scream of pain echoed inside the room. Wakana's eyes widened, her body shivered at the sheer pain that reverberated inside the room.

Wakana heard a soft warning from her aunt. Karin said,

Close your eyes.

Never open them.

Wakana nodded. She knew that at this point, at the sound of her aunt's voice, she was dead serious. She decided to obey instead of question. There are things in life that she knew she could not counter. She could feel her aunt smile at her willingness to agree. Karin rushed to the side of her partner. Her arm was pulled back by the Onibaba.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" The onibaba remarked. "You should never turn your back towards the enemy."

Karin glared at the onibaba. She raised up the other working arm only to have it twisted yet again. She bit her lip to not shout, to bravely take in the pain. Karin glared back towards the onibaba, "You will never get what you want."

"Well, we will get it once we kill you." The onibaba retorted.

The next sound was something that Wakana feared to hear. Empty loud thuds paired with crunching sounds, it bought tears to her eyes. She covered her ears, afraid to hear more, her eyes shut tight. She could vaguely hear sounds of mocking laughter, hysteria, insanity inside the room. Until, there was silence.

For a moment, there was nothing but sheer silence.

She thought that perhaps she had gone deaf.

She thought that perhaps, she has gone to the after life, dead before she knew it.

With her eyes still closed, she shivered underneath her bed, where she was left by her aunt before she charged towards the opponents. She abided by the instructions given by her aunt, but at the same time she could not let go of the nagging feeling inside her.

What happened to Aunt Karin?

What happened to Uncle Minamoto?

What happened?

She slowly opened one eye, and then another. She removed her hands from her ears while slowly raising her body up from lying down on the floor. She could barely make out anything in the dark. She leaned on the wall trying to find support as she stood up. Again, the only source of light is the moon. She slowly walked out of the bedside, trying to make anything of the room until suddenly she seemed to have stepped on something.

She slowly looked down and saw a hand, lying there, separate from its body. Her eyes widened, her mouth dry from fear, her body trembling, she took a step back and then was surprised when a hand covered her eyes. At first startled, she struggled, paused a bit, and then continued to struggle from her unknown enemy.

But the one holding her was really strong. She could barely make any impact with all the struggling that she is doing. She continued to writhe under the grip of the person holding her but it was to no avail. Tears started to well under her eyes until she felt a warm breath near her ear.

There was a soft whisper at first…

She could barely make out any of the statements. She continued to struggle, this time with a lot more force. Another hand caught her. It felt as if an arm wrapped around her. The enemy felt so big, so frightful, so intimidating, until she heard him whisper yet again.

"Sorry…"

After that, she was knocked out cold. She just hoped that when she wakes up, she's still alive.

Rihan stared at the girl that he held in his arms. Despite his efforts of calming her down, she still continued to fight. He couldn't understand the subsequent events at first. In fact, he could barely make out a reason demons would attack such a simple house.

When he arrived, the demons were on their way towards her. Without warning, he drew Nenekirimaru and struck the demons. In one fatal sweep, all those demons were taken down. However, he knew that he was a little too late for the two humans lying on the ground. The woman's hand was brutally torn off by the onibaba. He had been in several battles before but this was a first for him, to actually see this happen in a house of a simple, normal human.

The man on the other hand was bitten in several places. The nuribotoke took care of that corpse really well. It was the end for these two humans. Looking around as well, it seemed that they fought bravely, with the paper scattered in the room, they looked like they had experience in divination, though not that strong, but there is an effort done.

The tengu, on the other hand is also a goner. Though he did not do anything, he seemed like the overall leader of the invaders in the household. Then his attention was caught by the slight gasps of breath on the side of the bed. He stood there from a far, making his presence as invisible as possible. There he saw her.

Her breath was ragged, her eyes were jaded, her hands supporting her back as she leant on the wall barely able to stand. She wavered as she tried to walk while covering her mouth with one hand. She stepped forward and tripped on the hand, she looked down and saw it.

At that moment, Rihan decided to cover her eyes. She struggled in his arms, continued to resist, until he was left with no choice. He apologized first, then knocked her out. He then decided to bring her to the Nura household.

And here they were, on their way back to the Nura household. Wakana is unconscious in his arms. Her frail body looked so helpless that he could not help but tighten his grip on her unconscious being. He softly landed in front of the Nura household, again with a worried Kubinashi waiting in the front door.

Rihan walked directly towards the two. Kubinashi was seething mad, a replay of the earlier encounter. However, this time around, they were distracted by the package that the Second heir has in his arms. They rushed towards his side and gazed at the human.

"Young master, this is a…" Kejoro placed a hand over her mouth, as if shocked beyond belief.

"A human?!" Kubinashi continued shocked, which earned him a smack on the head from Kejoro.

"No you idiot, it's a woman!" Kejoro blushed, "Young master has bought a woman!"

Kejoro danced in the front door, happy and giddy almost to the point of launching a full-fledged teasing festival towards the Second heir and the woman in his arms.

"And a human is different from a woman?!" Kubinashi shook his head. "Geez…"

"My goodness, the master has bought home a woman! An unconscious woman?! Tomorrow will be a great day!" Kejoro remarked and then happily made a dance around Rihan.

Rihan snorted and then shook his head. "Before you begin your party and barrage of teases Kejoro, help this woman first. As you can see, she's out cold."

"Maybe she's out cold because she was knocked out because of you." Kejoro teased, thinking along the lines of being head over heels in love with their master.

Rihan's brow twitched. "How did you know?"

"My, my, so she really fainted because of you?! Oh my…" Kejoro twisted and turned like a crazy fan girl.

"I don't think you're on the same page." Kubinashi muttered. "Kejoro, I think he meant he knocked her out, LITERALLY."

"Eh?!" Kejoro looked shocked. "Young master…a girl…"

"I had no choice!" Rihan sounded defensive.

Rihan walked past the shocked demons and then headed towards the guest room. Luckily most of the demons at home were busy enjoying themselves in the main hall to notice his arrival. He swiftly went past all of them and headed towards the guest room. The two other demons followed him swiftly.

"Seriously, young master, who is she?" Kubinashi asked, preparing the futon and the blankets.

"Her name is Wakana Koizumi." Rihan answered, "Let's just say, I happened to have saved her from her haunted home."

"Haunted home? What is she? She doesn't smell like a demon nor like an undead to me." Kejoro remarked. "Although, there is a very strong tangy smell of blood around her, and somewhat, the smell of the dead."

"It's a long story. Please take care of her Kejoro." Rihan glanced before going out of the room. "Kubinashi."

Kubinashi followed suit while taking in the look of the woman lying down on the futon. Kejoro smiled, nodding to accept the responsibility. She stared at the unconscious woman and smiled.

"Wakana-sama, please take care of our young master." She smiled. "One thing I'm good at is seeing future couples."

Humming to herself, she proceeded to take care of the unconscious Wakana.

"Rihan-sama." Kubinashi stood in front of the Second heir with his arms crossed. "What happened?"

Rihan sighed. He didn't know where to start, from him "observing her" or from the part of the attack. Well, this is Kubinashi that we're talking about, so he's bound to happen. He looked up and started his story. For the record, he decided to start at the fact that he was discovered from his hiding spot by this "normal human girl"

"Rihan-sama, so you mean to tell me that she has the ability to see demons?" Kubinashi remarked.

"Yeah, she can. I've been observing her. In fact, I think she can see ghosts too. So I'm guessing most paranormal things she can see." Rihan pointed randomly with his head leaning on one arm.

"That is a pretty rare ability. This kind of visions can be triggered only by previous encounters with demons or ghosts." Kubinashi added.

Rihan simply nodded.

Kubinashi played with his string as he thought of the actions of his commander. It was pretty interesting how he went out for the past few days only to see this mere human. Although, it was a very tedious job to worry about his safety, it was also something that made him sense a glimmer of hope. Even though he did not know of his antics, he also wished that Rihan met a girl.

Well, true enough he did.

Only though, she doesn't look really friendly towards him, based on his story.

The door slid open and there appeared Kejoro with the clothes that Wakana wore when they arrived in the house. She looked towards the other two and then smiled.

"I'll be washing these first. It's not very hygienic to ask her to wear these dirty ragged clothes tomorrow when she goes back home."

"I don't think she's going home anytime soon." Rihan muttered.

"Oh." Kejoro blushed. "My, that's a bold declaration you have there, young master. Ohohohoho~"

Rihan's amber eyes widened ever so slightly at the snide remark. Kubinashi simply shook his head and looked at his liege.

"Honestly, that wasn't something I expected to come out from you Rihan-sama." Kubinashi sighed. "But, we can expect Kejoro to come out with various thoughts after that."

Rihan stood up and headed towards the guest room. Kubinashi observed his young master from afar. Rihan slid the door open and proceeded to go inside. He left the door open to gaze at the sleeping form of Wakana. She seemed very helpless. Though she looked really normal, at this moment, just this specific moment, something about her made her look a little more special. Rihan thought that it probably was the kimono that Kejoro made her wear that made her look more feminine. But then again, that was the superficial look. Right now, there was something very vulnerable about her. Unbeknownst him, he was feeling very protective of her already.

He took a place beside her futon and then stared at her for a while. He was contemplating on the reasons why that took place in her home. No one else knew of the occurrence except for him. He was the one who slain those filthy demons who wanted nothing but to destroy a human home. And he also was the one who failed to rescue her aunt and uncle…

If only I was a little early…

He was surprised when he suddenly her tiny hand grasp his hand in a soft squeeze. He looked at her hand, it was small compared to his. Though, small, it had a firm hold in his hand. He looked up to her and saw her eyes. It was lining with unshed tears. She bit her lip a little and then a tear fell down.

"Aunt Karin…"

"Uncle Minamoto…"

Tears continued to fall from her eyes. Her hand firmly grasping his. Somehow someway, a part of his heart was writhing in pain as he observed her. He could not even notice the presence of his old man observing him beside Kubinashi and Kejoro. He merely stared at the woman who was in so much pain, so much turbulence, and so much confusion.

He unconsciously held her hand between his palm as if to reassure her that he's there. He moved his hand to wipe her tears.

No words were needed.

Just the actions.

It was enough.

At least, in that moment.

Nurarihyon stepped out tapping Kejoro and Kubinashi to go with him. The two demons followed the Supreme Commander leaving Rihan and Wakana alone in the room.

To be Continued.

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Thank you!