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"Youichi?" Ryousuke spoke with concern, turning around in hopes that the oni would hear his voice. Wherever he was, this wasn't exactly normal for the heir of the Kuramochi Clan to go missing. Sure he used to go off on his own to explore the woods to escape his lessons, but there shouldn't be a reason to do so now that they were approaching their wedding day. Where could he have gone off to?
The oni heir, future groom to Ryousuke Kominato, was on a mission to find what was proposed to be the best gem for his husband's unofficial wedding ring. His mother had informed him that in Ryou's time, the groom and bride would present to each other a symbolic object that unified them as husband and wife. It worked both ways, even for same sex couples such as himself and his maiden. Youichi figured it wouldn't hurt to go off on his own to do this. He was sure he'd be back before dusk and if his parents were mad at him, and Ryousuke, he would face the consequences head on. This was important!
"Ryousuke? Is everything alright?" a familiar voice spoke as they came down the hall. Lady Himari wasn't yet aware of her son's disappearance and recently finished up preparing everything that Ryou might need for their big day. She had not at all expected to see her soon to be son in law looking a tad bit distressed. Even with his well composed form. Certainly her son couldn't be the reason why Ryou was calling his name?
The maiden turned to address Youichi's mother, bowing slightly in respect to her presence. "Mother" He spoke as he looked back at her, grateful that she was always nearby and attentive. From what he could see, she didn't seem to have any idea that her son wasn't around the castle. Not when they were supposed to meet up for lunch.
"Forgive me for inquiring. Have you seen your son around? Youichi is not where we had agreed to meet up with today," he quietly informed Lady Himari of his concerns for his future groom. It was deeply troubling that he wasn't escorted by their guards, who were coincidentally preparing for the wedding as well.
For a brief moment, Lady Himari's eyes went wide before she let out a deep sigh. Of course her son would try to pull something when no one else was paying him any mind. He was so much like his father...who oddly seemed to be quite busy today. Unless..
"I am deeply sorry that my son rudely went off on his own without consulting anyone of his whereabouts," She spoke, bowing in apology to her son in law. What was her son thinking at a time like this?! They were mere days away from being wedded and he goes missing of all things?!!! Lady Himari rubbed her face in annoyance of her neglect to be prepared for these moments. After all, he was so much like his father. Truly a trouble making oni if left unattended.
"We'll go in search of him. I'll ask the cooks and other staff if they know how long he has been gone. Perhaps we'll find a clue as to where my troubling son has gone off to."
"No worries, Mother. We'll find him," Ryousuke spoke with encouragement, smiling over at his mother in law. There was no way he would let Youichi get off on going off on his own. Wasn't he the one telling him to not keep secrets from him, hm? There was definitely a lot to take into account as he briefly ran over the few places the oni liked to be during this time of day or when he was waiting on Ryousuke the rare times he got out of his lessons early. "I think seeing the cooks first would be best. He's always hungry," the maiden suggested as he clasped his hands behind his back, moving to lead the way towards the kitchen.
Meanwhile, there was another who happened to not be as busy as his wife implied. In fact, Lord Hirotori was on a mission to find his wife a little something as well. Was it really a coincidence that he too was looking for a suitable ring for his wife. He had made sure that all his duties had been fulfilled before inquiring to his trusted friend that he was off to fetch his lovely lady for the evening. Though, that would be later rather than now.
It had been a long while since Hirotori was allowed to leave the castle grounds. He knew every secret passage, so there were no skeptical looks from the guards when he wandered down one of the old underground tunnels. No one in the castle knew of them, even his wife. They were only meant for emergencies in case of invasion from other clans.
The oni king knew his wife would be furious upon his return. She always had ways of knowing when he was out of line. Heck she was the only reason he was able to function as the leader of the Clan. HIs wife was absolutely the one over most things. Which was why he wanted to impress her with a gift that would surely thank her for all that she did for him as his loving companion, mother to their child, and best friend.
Upon entering the kitchen, Sachiko was the first to greet the two after putting away one of the dishes they were preparing for their evening meal. "Oh! Ryou-chan! Lady Himari-sama! How may I be of service to you both?" She greeted, bowing respectfully before smiling up at the two. It seemed like she too was clueless as to where the young heir had gone off to, as well as the Oni King himself.
"It's good to see you, Sachiko-chan. I was wondering if you had seen my little hungry child. Seems like he's not attending his duties today," Lady Himari gave a nod, explaining the situation further to the head of kitchen staff. "No I have not. He usually meets up with you, Ryou-chan. Though come to think of it, I thought I saw him a little while ago heading down the hallway in the direction of the gates. You don't think he's planning on leaving without his groom?"
That was deeply unsettling. Youichi always was nearby and certainly would have told him where he was going. Even his mother was troubled to know he left without letting anyone know of where he was going. "Thank you Sachiko. We'll see if we can get him back in one piece," the maiden stated before turning to head out to find his missing groom. Lady Himari followed suit, though soon was met by the Head Guardsmen himself, Kataoka. "Forgive me, Lady Himari-sama. Your husband is not with you?" He inquired, raising a brow as Hirotori was not with his wife like he had proposed.
"Not that I'm aware of, Kataoka. Seems like my son is also missing. Which means I can't leave the clan unattended," Lady Himari spoke as she looked between her son in law and the head of the guards. "Take Toujo and Kanemaru with you. I would feel comfortable knowing you are safe."
"I will make sure to bring him back safe, as well as father too," the maiden promised as he turned to leave to retrieve the guards who would escort him out to find his groom, and hopefully his father too.
Meanwhile, Hirotori was on his own as he trudged from the woods that he remembered as a child. It really had been a long while since he was outside the castle walls, and certainly before the wars and raising their child. He began to stroll down memory lane as he passed by the bushes his son used to hide in, and the trees he remembered spying down on his rebellious wife, and then as he walked up the stream, Hirotori recalled the little girl he met in the woods when he was a child.
Believe it or not, she was oddly there the moment the oni king thought of her. How could that be? She should have aged by now. "Oh it's you! Care to join me?" the once little girl spoke before she materialized into a form more accurate of her appearance. "Don't be frightened. You should know who I am, Lord Hirotori of the Kuramochi Clan. Your family has always shown their devotion and kindness to me all these years. I figured it was time to pay you another visit."
Hirotori blinked, almost too in awe to speak as deep down he knew who she was, the goddess they befriended long ago and keepers of her mirror. The same mirror that brought him his chosen wife and Youichi's Ryousuke. "Forgive me Goddess. It has been a long time since we last met, Amaterasu-sama," the oni king bowed deeply before her, quite stunned that she would pay him a visit after everything he had done. Why did she want to pay him a visit?
On the other side, Youichi prepared the talisman that Miyuki had made for him whenever he deemed it appropriate to go to the human village. This way, he wouldn't stand out with his oni features and could easily visit without worry that he would be killed or scaring anyone away. He simply was here to bargain for the most precious item for his soon to be bride.
He curiously looked around the open market where he remembered his Mom taking him, glancing at all the things for sale or trade. There were plenty of potatoes, green onions, vegetables of all sorts, and fruits. Some had handmade ragged clothing that he was sure humans wore, and then his eyes settled on the display of stones before him. They each were polished and very well kept, and certainly something he could see Ryousuke wearing. If only he was here to actually pick since Youichi had very little knowledge of what his favorite color was or a stone that he liked in his own time period. His mother did say they had meaning.
Ultimately, the maiden was prepared for what he needed to go on the journey to the human village. He made sure to pick out the right clothes needed for the travel and to blend in with the villagers. However, most men in this time period didn't grow out their hair, and as such, Ryou had to opt for wearing clothes meant for females. Kanemaru and Toujo both looked at each other, softly snickering behind their palms. "You look great, Ryousuke. I'm sure Youichi would probably fall head over heels for you again," Kanemaru teased, before straightening up as he and Toujo laid their daggers under their respective clothes. They too chose attire fitted for humans, which left them very little in hiding their weapons. Still, it was enough for them to get by and hopefully without any conflicts.
"You were looking for something special for your wife, correct, Hirotori?" Takako spoke as she patted the spot beside her, clearly not in any hurry to look for anything. The Oni King nodded in confirmation as he took the offered spot beside her. Still in denial that this was real and he'd been talking to a goddess all this time. "Humans are very interesting. They say on their wedding day that they are bonded by sharing a ring of their choice for each other. Some are matching sets, but others are unique as their destined partners," she began as she smiled warmly at the oni king, using her power to ease the anxiousness from the oni beside her.
"What sort of things do they look for in those rings?" Hirotori spoke, feeling his pulse calming and focusing clearly on the task at hand. He didn't feel nervous or intimidated anymore. Almost as if talking to an old friend..which was true.
"Anything really. Usually a beautiful gem at the center with designs or maybe entwined loops," the Goddess informed her friend, thinking in a quiet hum before letting her hand cascade through the water. She took a few minutes, but soon retracted her clasped hand. "Ah. This one looks beautiful," she spoke as she revealed the intricate stone within the wet palm of her hand. It was just as radiant as his wife and made him equally as full of happiness as she was to him.
"This is called Yellow Jasper. I think your wife's name means Sunflower, so that is a flower that is also as radiant as the sun," Takako explained, sliding the stone into the palm of Hirotori's hand.
The next thing he knew, the stone shifted shape and became an intricate pair of rings in his hand. How did she do that? He gazed back up at the Goddess, but was met with nothing but the flowing stream in front of him as if she was a spirit passing by.
Yet, he could hear her gentle laugh as the wind carried her back to her shrine. The Oni King silently sent a prayer of thanks before getting up to head back towards the castle. He was sure his wife would love them. After he got a stern talking to of course.
Someone else was going to get a stern talking to as Ryousuke and the two guards made their way out of the Kuramochi Clan's grounds towards the human village. Why did Youichi think this was a great idea to leave without someone coming along? Even that tanuki friend of his was better than going alone by himself.
"Don't worry so much about him. I'm sure he has his reasons. Whether they are ethical or not, that's to be determined," Toujo stated as he walked on the other side of the maiden, grateful that they could escort Ryou to find Youichi safely. They'll have time for finishing up wedding preparations when they get back. "I dunno. Seems quite strange he'd get up and leave like that. Obviously the only thing that would do that to him is you, Ryousuke. You don't think he's up to something?" Kanemaru suggested, taking into consideration the oni heir's thought process. There was only one person that he would go all out of his way for, and that was Kominato Ryousuke.
"Oh? I'm not worried," the maiden inclined his head, grinning over at the two before humming deep in thought. The oni did spend a good amount of time with him, and certainly never did anything for others unless he felt obligated to do so..still..it was troubling he'd leave without him knowing. "I trust he'll show us the reasoning behind his disappearing act," Ryousuke continued, scanning the area with interest.
Kanemaru and Toujo could have sworn there was an evil aura coming from the maiden beside them. Scary. Best leave it to him to take care of his groom, right?
Far ahead of them, Kuramochi was taking his sweet time looking around for the perfect gem. There were so many to choose from, yet nothing seemed to appeal or make him think about Ryousuke. He knew the humans weren't as lucky to find precious gems of tremendous value as the ones he was used to seeing as the heir of the Kuramochi Clan. Oni's could find them in places where humans feared to travel to, and those that did go never came back alive. Tragic.
"Oh sir. I might have something that will appeal to your loved one," a voice spoke from nearby, instantly gaining Youichi's undivided attention. What he didn't expect to find was an elderly lady mostly covered in a shawl. Yet the voice seemed oddly familiar to him.
"Kyahaha, what do you have for me to see, old lady?" the oni inquired, perked with interest as he walked up to study her stall. She had some of the most beautiful gems and other trinkets in tow. Not a whole lot, but definitely better quality than the ones he glanced at earlier. "These are beautiful," he gasped, instantly drawn to a pair of rose quartz that reminded him of his bride.
"Like what you see, don't we?" the older lady giggled as she watched Youichi eye the stones, too afraid of picking them up without permission. "Ah. Those are rose quartz. Your partner must be one who has a universal and unconditional love. A lucky one at that," the shopkeeper hummed in approval, smiling as she gestured for the oni to pick them up for a closer look. "Don't be shy. Have a closer look, young man."
While the oni took a look at the rose quartz a final time, a certain pink haired maiden wasn't far from his location. Ryousuke didn't waste any time looking around. Even in a human village, he was certain his hair would make him stand out. Plus, who knows what Youichi was getting himself into, much less if he even planned on bringing anything to trade or sell for whatever he had planned to do here.
"Well look at who's stalling over there. He doesn't make himself too hard to find," Kanemaru spoke as he spotted their oni heir, seeing his green braid from afar with that certain cut of his that not even humans dared to spike. "You don't think he's looking for jewelry?" Toujo questioned as they made their way over to stall as quietly as they could.
"I think I'll take these, ma'am," Youichi spoke once he made his decision, smiling as he gently laid the rose quartz pair on the cloth display in front of him. He knew it might be more than what he could give, but it never hurt to ask.
"Good choice. However, they are quite expensive young man. You think you can..hmm..I know. Why don't you tell me a story about your fated mate? If it's good, I'll give them to you. Sound fair?" the shopkeeper proposed her portion of the trade. Which sounded unheard of coming from a human that should be making a living, right? The oni took a moment to think over it before nodding. Why not? He was pretty convincing at telling stories and he loved telling how he met Ryousuke. Even if it may seem unreal to some.
"Oh look! We have an audience to join us. Come browse and listen to a tale, young ones," the older lady proclaimed once she spotted the trio from afar.
A tale? Ryousuke thought as he gazed over at the older lady before smiling behind his mask. Of course Youichi would be the one to tell a story. What sort of story was he telling that would entertain the shopkeeper? Was he using this as trade for something? He wondered before gesturing for the guards to join him. So far Youichi hadn't recognized them. Too into it, perhaps?
Honestly, the oni was quite confident until he settled his eyes right on the masked figure. Instantly he felt a familiar warmth as he recalled the moment he first laid eyes on the Head Shrine Maiden. Was his eyes tricking him? He wondered, mouth agape as he felt almost spellbound before straightening up. He wasn't going to let this opportunity run away from him! Not even in front of another pink haired visitor!
"Kyahaha! Welcome! Come sit. I've got a tale that you've never heard before!" Youichi exclaimed as he gestured for the trio to take a seat on the open grass before him. The shopkeeper hummed approval as she carefully took a seat beside the pink haired maiden. "He's quite a handsome fellow. You don't perhaps have a husband?" she inquired in a hushed whisper, smiling as she got comfortable with the help of Kanemaru and Toujo. "Thank you both. Such gentlemen. "
The maiden contemplated on how to not give himself away, but was interrupted by the oni heir himself. "Now quiet down. It's disrespectful to talk while someone else is talking. Especially you, gramps. You're the one who wanted me to tell this story," Kuramochi coughed, finding his courage briefly deflating as he found the pinkette staring back at him. So much like how Ryousuke would when studying him under heavy lidded eyes.
"Anyways, this is a story of how I first met my fated love..." Youichi began as he settled into a steady head space, recalling the moment when he was five. He was skipping out on his lessons and went to one of the forbidden rooms to see why his parents were so obsessed with a mirror. The mirror wasn't anything special. Sure it had intricate carvings and was well taken care of, but it was old! Probably older than his grandparents! Seriously, who would value such a thing? Well, as he leaned up against the mirror, back facing it, he was startled by what he found. Or lack of as he fell back into the mirror rather than against a hard, glass surface.
"So weird, right?" he continued, using exaggerated hand gestures to illustrate how scared he was for his life as he remembered thinking how long he had been falling until he finally appeared in a place that wasn't even from this time period. "For real though. I was so scared. This kid who had pink hair like yours kept saying strange things about how yokai were no longer visible to humans, and then I wasn't even from his world. Like, how could that be?"
Well it did happen. The oni heir was sent to the future to meet his fated partner years before he was supposed to take them as his bride. When it was time for his coming of age ceremony, somehow, the mirror stopped working. The Council Elders claimed it was unheard of and something was wrong. The Kuramochi Clan always had favor with the Goddess, Amaterasu, and thrived by having successful wife's from the future. This time, it didn't happen. Not in the way it always had, and certainly not for a few more years later until...
The night of the Festival when the Kominato's would present their eldest with the honors of being Head Maiden of the Shrine.
"So, this was the big day! I had planned to go with Miyuki and Mei to convince my bride-to-be to come peacefully with us back to our time. Well...that didn't go as planned either," Youichi explained as he told the trio of how they stumbled upon the night festival. The lanterns were bright with foreign lights and there was so much sound coming from everywhere. The food smelled amazing! People were all dressed up with masks and beautiful yukatas, and then people started gathering around the stage near the shrine!
"Gosh, it was so beautiful! Okay, well..maybe a bit overwhelming, but then...there were two maidens on stage. One with a fox mask and the other with a rabbit, and they were heavenly. I think the Goddess would have been impressed!" the oni continued, looking love struck until his eyes met the pinkette in the audience again.
They're so pretty..where have I met them before? The oni questioned silently to himself, feeling his heart racing and cheeks growing warm from that familiar feeling. Ryousuke had called this, 'Love at first sight'.
"Oh how lovely! Do tell us more about these shrine maidens, young man," the shopkeeper interrupted the oni, trying to get him to focus on the tale and not on the masked pink haired villager beside her.
Youichi ruffled the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed that he was caught staring at the villager. "Oh right! The rest is a little fuzzy..since..well..I was kind of spellbound by her beauty. Almost like I was drawn to her without knowing who she was," the oni continued, smiling as he told them about how the fox maiden led him on a chase through the crowd, and then into the woods, and finally while his friends were busy, the oni heir caught up to his maiden.
"The maiden really didn't like what I told her. I suppose I wasn't very convincing enough for her, but I really wanted her to come with me! She was my destined bride. Surely she wouldn't refuse me, right?" Youichi chuckled, recalling how there was a moment in which he felt like he was five again. His hand still clasped in the other's and it felt familiar. Like the same pink haired boy he met. "Right when we were sitting beside each other under the sacred tree, my friends interrupted us! I was so close to knowing who my maiden really was...and then the two kidnapped her. I'm sure she's still mad about it til this day since it took her 3 weeks to wake up."
This was the first time Kanemaru and Toujo actually heard the story of how Ryousuke and Youichi met. Sure they were told he took awhile to recover, but they had no idea of how it happened. It really was an eye opener. "Dang. So tragic," Kanemaru spoke, forgetting that they were all hiding behind masks in favor of not alerting any of the villagers, and yet he knew Youichi would recognize them if he heard their voices.
"Wait. Kanemaru?" The oni stopped in his tracks, blinking as he knew that voice and then looked over at the other guard. "Toujo? Then.." Youji found himself gulping as he turned his attention further to the pink haired figure who wore a fox mask. "R-Ryou-san..."
The maiden grinned behind his mask, giving a nod as he eyed the oni. That same aura returned as it made the hairs on Youichi's back shiver. "Wait then.." He turned his attention back to the old lady. However, she was no longer there. Only the pair of rose quartz were left in her place. Upon closer inspection, the stones were crafted into intricate matching rings with inscriptions of the Goddess Amaterasu. "T-the goddess visited us.." he could barely speak out the words, shocked at what he had witnessed before finding himself face to face with his fated bride. A little too close for comfort. "Ughh..I can explain..oww! Ryou-san!"
"Serves you right for wandering off without telling anyone!" Kanemaru decided to butt in as Ryousuke had given the oni a sharp Kominato Chop to the head. The oni now cowering as he held his throbbing head. "Now now. I think he has his reasons," Toujo tried to make peace with them, returning the attention back to the mysterious gift at hand. "Care to explain, You-i-chi?" the pinkette softly hummed as he clasped his hands behind him, tilting his head to the forgotten rings.
"Ughh..I...I can..just give me a second," the oni heir gulped as he knew Ryousuke was not happy that he ditched him and left the castle without telling anyone of where he had gone. There was a lot he could apologize for, but nothing would excuse his behavior. Not even the beautiful rings that he earned from the mysterious shopkeeper.
Yet, Youichi figured if he was upfront and honest with his soon-to-be bride, then maybe the punishment wouldn't be so harsh. "I came out here to find you a ring for our wedding ceremony. Since you and mother were talking about your traditions from your time period...so..I wanted to find one to show you how much I really care and love you, Ryou-san," he explained, finding it a little easier to tell the truth about his adventure.
"I see," the maiden hummed, keenly now aware of what his groom-to-be was doing out here in the human village and how he came to meet the mysterious shopkeeper. "You did well to earn them," he continued, noticing how tense and withdrawn Youichi became when he hadn't spoken in a couple of silent moments.
"I'm sorry that I went without telling anyone. I figured it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you or the others. Next time I'll make sure to bring you along and tell you where I go, Ryou-san," the oni apologized further, bowing his head at his maiden before doing the same to Kanemaru and Toujo. "My apologizes for not informing you two as well. Please forgive me."
Ryousuke turned to look at the guards, tilting his head over to them both. "Should we forgive him?" He asked with a thoughtful hum, letting them debate innocently among themselves. It wasn't like he wouldn't forgive Youichi. However, the prospect of teasing him, even a little bit, was amusing to say the least.
"I dunno. He went without his parent's nor his loved one's permission. You know that's a heavy penalty already," Toujo decided to speak up, giving a shrug to further emphasize his point with a slight hint of teasing. "You even forgot to mention this to your right hand man. Shame we can't lift the punishment for you, Mochi," Kanemaru also gave a shrug of his shoulders, shaking his head solemnly.
This lasted for a few minutes in which the oni groom was flabbergasted that his bride and guards would turn on him so quickly. The guilt was soon lifted as Ryousuke stepped forward, moving to lift his hand up to cradle the oni's cheek rather lovingly. There wasn't any hint of malice or anger in it. They had only been teasing.
"We'll forgive you this one time, "the maiden hummed, eyeing his groom from behind his mask as he snickered softly. The look on his face was speechless, but soon he could tell Youichi was flustered with embarrassment. How cute, hm?
"Yeah. This one time only. For now, we should head back before your parent's really get worried. Plus, I think we're gaining some unwanted attention from the villagers here," Kanemaru warned as he tilted his head in the direction of some of the villagers staring at the strange group with more than a brief curiosity.
Begrudgingly, Youichi gave a nod in agreement as he put the rings safely aside to follow the trio back to the Kuramochi Clan's castle. He'd have to explain himself further upon his return and he was not looking forward to it. At least at some point the oni could be left alone with his bride to enjoy and talk about the rings further. Ryou couldn't stay angry for long, as it was proven as the maiden slid his fingers into his hand, gently giving him a reassuring squeeze. Youichi had Ryousuke, and that was all that mattered to him at the end of the day. Perhaps longer into eternity.