Disclaimer: Nurarihyon no Mago is not written by me. All belongs to Shiibashi sensei.

"This past week has the highest temperature ever recorded since 1933. Everyone, especially the elderly, is advised to stay indoors and drink lots of ..."

Tsurara sighed as she switched off the tv. She lay down on the tatami and closed her eyes, feeling the cold air surrounding her in the enclosed room. Tonight was the last day of the shrine festival and everyone from the mansion were out enjoying themselves. All except Tsurara, who had been feeling dizzy and tired from the heat for the past week. They had pushed back visiting the festival several times. Even at the last minute, she had to reassure Rikuo, the paranormal gang, and nura clan that she would be alright being alone at home. Tsurara rolled her body around, giggling. Her master was worried about her! Could it be that she actually had a special place in his heart? If only she could go to the festival with them tonight, she would be playing the stall games with her master, catching fish, fishing for the water balloons, eating ice cream and most importantly, watching the fireworks with Rikuo sama.

As the fireworks lighted up the night sky, Rikuo turned to look at the snow white girl who had stood beside him through thick and thin, who never wavered even in the most dangerous battle against Nue which had happened a year ago. Tsurara felt his stare. She turned towards Rikuo and tilted her head in a smile, "Yes, Rikuo sama?" Rikuo smiled back warmly and took hold of her hand. "Wh...Wh...whattttttttttttt..." Tsurara stuttered, blushing madly. "Tsurara, stay with me, always," said Rikuo. "O..oo..of course I will, waka. I will protect you forever." "No, Tsurara, I do not mean as a bodyguard. I want you to be my wife." Rikuo lifted up her chin with his hand and lower his head, tasting the icy sweet lips with his tongue...

"KKkkkkyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaa" Tsurara rolled about on the tatami with her hands covering her face, blushing fiercely from her daydream. Tsurara lay flat on the tatami again and sighed, "That will never happen.." Ever since the final battle with Nue, nothing had happened between them. Life proceed as before. The only change was that Rikuo sama had been very busy as the third leader, forging relationships with the other youkai clans and humans. It was a slow and heart-wrenching process. It pained and angered her to see Rikuo's schoolmates, teachers, neighbours, etc, backing off whenever Rikuo approached and whispered behind his back. She felt like throttling them and screaming into their thick skulls, forcing them to remember how much Rikuo had helped them, by running their errands and protecting them from evil youkai. Thankfully, the paranormal gang had supported Rikuo mentally and physically by sticking around him, interacted with him just as before the tokyo incident and defending him both in the real world and in the internet. This was something that she, as a youkai, could not replaced. The need of human socialization in her master's life. A few people, especially those in his class, had started treating Rikuo sama normally as before.

"I wonder what is Waka doing right now..." pondered Tsurara.

Rikuo strolled down the crowded street which led to the main town shrine, eating the ice cream just bought from a nearby stall.

"Squid ink ice cream... Tsurara will love to eat this.. I wonder how she's doing at home?" thought Rikuo, feeling bad that he had to leave her alone. "Maybe I should go back..."

"Look, Rikuo kun," said Kana, who was walking beside him, "there's a shooting stall."

"That looks fun~ I shall show you all my shooting skill!" exclaimed Kiyotsugu.

Maki rolled her eyes. "Stop boasting, Kiyotsugu kun."

"What?! You think I am boasting? I have been on annual hunting trips in USA with my father ever since I was 8 years old!"

"I wonder will Oikawa san like the big teddy bear on the shelf?" ask Shima.

"Most probably. I would love to have it," said Torii.

"Maybe our dear Kurotabou here can get it for you," teased Kejourou, while watching both Torii and Kurotabou blushed. "He has a big gun as one of his weapons," Kejourou winked at Torii, who turned absolutely bright red.

"Wha.. What nonsense are you talking about! Kejourou!" exclaimed Kurotabou.

While the group was still chattering, Kana and Rikuo were already at the stall.

"Kana chan, rest the butt of the rifle against your shoulder. Just right beside your arm like this." Rikuo embraced Kana from behind, holding both of her hands...

"No no no!" Tsurara shook her head viciously. "Rikuo sama will never do this in his human form! ...Although he might in his youkai form... Rewind! Rewind!"

Rikuo turned and smiled at Kana, "do you like the teddy bear?"

"Yes, Rikuo kun. Thank you for getting it for me. I love it very much." Kana beamed happily and hugged the huge teddy.

".… that's not right too..." Tsurara shook her head again and turned to hide her face on the tatami. "But this is most likely what Waka will do right now in this form..." Tsurara sighed deeply as she continued her daydream, wishing again for a zillion times that she was with her master.

"Rikuo kun, why don't we go to the lake right now for the fireworks?"

"But shouldn't we wait for the others?" asked Rikuo, looking at the group who were shooting and cheering at the stall.

"Looking at this crowd, I think it will be best to go now and reserve place for the others."

"Good idea, Kana chan. Well, let's go."

Rikuo and Kana walked along the little path, enjoying the little breeze that brought some relief to the hot humid night. She glanced at the bespectacled boy beside her. He was gradually beginning to look and sound like the youkai whom she had a crush on. Even though she tried to deny it, she knew that she had been in love with Rikuo all this while. The weird feelings that she had ever since the appearance of Oikawa san, were that of jealousy. She felt a bit relieved when she knew that they were master and servant and came to understand the latter's devotion to Rikuo when Oikawa san asked her to be there for Rikuo. She couldn't fight like Oikawa san, but she could stand up and speak for Rikuo against those rumour-mongers. For the past year, she and the paranormal gang had been slowly dispersing the fears which the schoolmates had for Rikuo, by reminding them how kind and friendly Rikuo was, how Rikuo had helped them, and the relationship they had with Rikuo before the incident. One by one, they began to talk to Rikuo again. Although he didn't show it, they knew how he felt. And she knew how right Oikawa san was to be worried about him. As a girl, she could see that Oikawa san loved Rikuo kun very much. Kana looked up at the full moon and resolved her decision.

"Rikuo kun, I likeeeEEEEEEEEEEEE!" While turning to face Rikuo, Kana lost her footing and stumbled forward.

Rikuo caught hold of her and pulled her and the teddy bear to his chest. "Be careful, Kana chan." His words were breathed into her left ear.

Tsurara slammed her hands on the tatami mat, pushing herself up. "That's it! I am going!"

20 minutes later, Tsurara dragged herself along a hilly forested shortcut along the lake to the shrine, carrying a leaking backpack full of packed melted iced water. She leaned against her ice staff, feeling her head pounding, dizzy and nausea at the same time. The heat was getting into her. For the past few minutes, her heart had been beating very fast and she had difficulties catching her breath. "I must continue on for Rikuo sama..." Tsurara grimaced in pain and struggled to step forward. She dug her staff into the ground and it broke into pieces upon the impact.

"I'm sorry, Rikuo sama..." she thought, as she fell into the darkness.

Some notes: Ha! This sure took me long enough. Thought of this plot in August. It was a very hot month, and sun showers were common. Wrote the first four paragraphs in September and the rest of it today. I thought I couldn't pull off Tsurara's daydreams. Very glad that I rewrote, instead of sticking to the original one short paragraph.

I mostly based Tsurara's character on the radio dramas, e.g. Charge Forth! A Memorial to School Drama. Her personality in the radio dramas makes a deeper impression on me.

naginata or staff, naginata or staff... staff :P

theluckyshipper - thanks for pointing that out! Yes, it's boasting XD

YurikoMinamoto - oops i forgot. thanks!

theluckyshipper & YurikoMinamoto - actually the confusion about which part is reality and which part is her daydream is intentional for this chapter. I was hoping to trick the reader into thinking that it was happening. *evil grin* Then again, who knows? Maybe Tsurara has developed psychic abilities when it comes to Rikuo, so her daydreams might actually be happening ^_^

FeuWitch - Yes! Thanks! XD