Summary:

Her greatest wish is to succeed her grandfather as the next head of the Nura clan, to be the Lord of Pandemonium. But being a female, that wish is not going to be easy to attain. Itaku/FemRikuo

Another gender switch story, only this time with Nurarihyon no Mago. So a friend of mine has been badgering me to write this story, with her being a complete Nurarihyon fan, and so, here it is. Originally, the pairing is Zen with FemRikuo (Yuuki in this story), but later, I thought that Itaku would be more interesting.

And regarding the choice of names, I simply could not find a single name that starts with R that suits FemRikuo's personality in this story, and so, my friend and me decided on 'Yuuki'. And unlike canon Rikuo, Yuuki is much more calm and collected. Wakana wouldn't be in this story, as I'll be making Yamabuki Yuuki's mother, with her being a half youkai like Rihan instead of a quarter youkai.

Regarding Hagorome-Gitsune's curse, yes, the curse is still around. But I'm basing the curse around the more old fashioned thinking of people in the past – when they think males are more important than females. It is this way for the Nura clan – the ayakashi blood of the male youkais is stronger than that of females.

Warnings: Gender switch. AU. Some character bashing. Non canon.

Disclaimer: I do not own Nurarihyon no Mago and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

Chapter One: The Third Heir

The cheerful laughter of a little girl resounded throughout the air, and Nura Rihan, the Nidaime of the Nura clan, smiled at seeing his little girl smile and laughed. He hadn't seen his little princess laugh even once ever since her mother had disappeared less than six months ago.

Yamabuki Otome, the love of Rihan's life, probably only second to his only child.

He had married Yamabuki Otome sometime during the Edo era, and for nearly two hundred years, the couple had remained childless, something that he knew had devastated his beloved wife, as she wished to bear an heir for the Nura clan. Rihan and the rest of the Nura clan doesn't care about that, except for maybe some of the more old fashioned and sexist members, like that damn Hitotsume and his lackeys, and maybe even Gagoze.

But whatever the reason is, Yamabuki never really smiled much except when Rihan was around, and even then, he could tell that Yamabuki is merely putting on a brave face for his sake. And then, approximately five years ago, in an era where the darkness is receding and youkais are becoming a thing of the past, a miracle occurred.

Nine months later, the pride of Rihan's life was born; his only daughter, Yuuki.

Nurarihyon is delighted to have a grandchild to dote on and spoil, though in Rihan's opinion, he spoils her far too much, using his ayakashi powers just to amuse the little girl. Like every parent, Yamabuki loves her daughter a lot, but she can't help feeling sad that she couldn't bear the Nura clan a male heir.

And then, out of the blue one day, Yamabuki disappeared, leaving behind only a letter and a stalk of kerria flowers. Yuuki had cried her eyes out in her room after that, hugging a large teddy bear nearly as large as herself that Yamabuki had bought for her daughter's third birthday. Rihan had vanished for nearly three months after that without a word to anyone, searching high and low for his wife, but to no avail. Then, when he had finally returned, a seething Kubinashi had met him at the gate of the Nura mansion, throwing out all kinds of foul words that are enough to make even the Nidaime cringe.

Apparently, when he had disappeared without so much as a word to anyone, Yuuki apparently had it in her head that it is her fault that both her parents have vanished, and it actually took every ounce of Nurarihyon's persuasion skills to convince Yuuki that it wasn't her fault. In order to distract her from the disappearance of both parents, Tsurara, Setsura's daughter and appointed as Yuuki's attendant, spent time with her. And most surprisingly, Hihi had brought his five-year-old son along with him, and the three children got along fabulously.

Hihi was relieved as well, as his son had found it difficult to make friends, even among youkai children. His son, Shoei, is ridiculously tall for a five-year-old that he could quite easily pass off as a nine-year-old. Naturally, Hihi knew that Shoei can't help his height, but he wished that Shoei wouldn't be so shy as well. The three children got along fabulously, and Hihi was pleased to see that Shoei had made his first friend.

And now, nearly six months after Yamabuki's disappearance, Rihan had decided to take his daughter out for a walk to the nearby park – something that he always did with his wife and child. Something like a family day of sorts. The Nidaime had managed to shake Kubinashi and Kurotabo off his tail with some difficulty before sneaking off to the park.

And there, both father and daughter have met a little girl maybe about a few years older than Yuuki herself, playing by herself. At first glance, Rihan was shocked to realise that the little girl looks almost exactly like Yuuki.

There were a few differences definitely.

Unlike the little girl's straight pure black hair, Yuuki's hair curled a little at the ends, and she had dark blue highlights through her hair. And unlike Yuuki who had amber eyes like him and his old man, this little girl had black eyes.

Apart from these few disappearances, this little girl could almost be a twin of Yuuki's if it wasn't for the fact that she is older. Yuuki looks almost exactly like her mother already, that it sometimes pains Rihan to look at her. But this little girl… She looks almost exactly like his missing wife.

"Ah? I wonder what is that?" Yuuki mused as she wandered off towards some random direction.

Rihan smiled at seeing Yuuki smiling again. Just like how she smiled before her mother had pulled her disappearing trick. "Yuuki, don't wander off too far," he called, only to receive a 'Hai' in response.

He then paused in his tracks as he eyed the wondrous sight of the kerria flowers surrounding him, the sweet fragrance of the flowers almost intoxicating him. Rihan's face fell.

"'Flowers bloom sevenfold and eightfold, for the kerria laments, for not a single fruit does it bear. Such sadness'." Rihan mused, his face falling as he recalled the parting words in the letter that his wife had left him. "Ever since that day, just how many times have I looked up the meaning of the kerria in the language of flowers? 'Elegance', 'Nobility', as well as…'Impatience'." Rihan gave a small smile, lost in the past.

He gave a loud gasp just then as a sharp piercing pain went through his body, and he looked down only to see a sword sticking out of his chest. Turning around, he saw that little girl from before holding that sword in her hands, a confused look on her face before her eyes widened when she saw Rihan.

"Dad?" A high-pitched voice of a little girl carried across to him, and Rihan turned only to see his only child running towards him.

"N-No… Don't come here…Yuuki…!" Rihan coughed and rasped, turning back towards the little girl.

"R-Rihan-sama…?" she whispered.

Rihan's eyes widened. Only one person had ever called him that… "I-It couldn't be…" he whispered. "You're…"

XXXXXX

Three Years Later
Nura Clan Mansion

Eight-year-old Nura Yuuki jerked awake with a start, realising that the sun is shining down on her face. "I fell asleep?" she muttered, rubbing at her eyes. "Another dream from the past?"

"Yuuki-sama? I'm coming in." A voice from outside the room that Yuuki was in called out just then, and the shoji door slid opened only to reveal Yuuki's faithful attendant and close friend and confidante since early childhood, the Yuki Onna, Tsurara, resting on her knees. Tsurara smiled at Yuuki. "Good morning. We have to get ready for school soon. Shoei-kun had just woken up as well."

Yuuki nodded absently. After that incident from three years ago, Yuuki had practically shut herself off to all humans, and what her only human friend at that time had said to her did not help any matters. Thus, her grandfather had decided to send her to a human school. Not only to keep up their cover, but also to allow her to understand humans more that way, since in a way, she is half human as well.

"I'll leave your uniform here. Please excuse me." Tsurara bowed to Yuuki, leaving a clean set of her elementary school uniform on the ground before excusing herself.

Yuuki sighed before getting up from the ground, slipping out of her pyjamas and changing into her elementary school uniform. The dark haired girl then concentrated on her youki before transforming into her human form. She basically kept her features from her youkai form, only instead of amber eyes, she had dark blue eyes instead.

Though like nearly every youkai out there, creating misconceptions in humans are part of their youkai powers. Because of this power, whenever she appears in her youkai form, the humans wouldn't be able to place a connection between Nura Yuuki the human to Nura Yuuki, the youkai.

Yuuki then knelt down next to the futon that she had been kneeling next to for the entire night, like how she did every single time when she's free, or just feeling down. The eight-year-old then sighed and took the unresponsive hand in her own, the hand seeming so big compared to her own small hands. A small rare smile lit up her face.

"I'm going, Dad," she told the comatose Rihan who had been pretty much knocked into a coma after the attack on his person three years ago.

Nurarihyon had actually taken her aside after their own clan's healers had announced this fact, telling her that if she hadn't tried healing Rihan (with the same healing power that Rihan had inherited from her grandmother), he would most probably be dead instead of being in a coma. All that it takes is a matter of time before Rihan wakes up, though who knows when that is. And in the meantime, Nurarihyon had resumed his position as the Supreme Commander.

Yuuki had pretty much sworn then that she would become the next head of the Nura clan, and that she would find out the truth behind the attack, and to find her missing mother. And she knew that that little girl from back then is the key to it. Youkai or not, it doesn't explain just how the heck that she looks almost EXACTLY like her and her mother.

Yuuki knew that there are quite a number of officials among the Nura clan, like that damned Hitotsume and his faction whom her father has never been fond of anyway who believes that a male leader is more suitable to lead the clan, rather than a female, as by blood lineage, Yuuki is the Nura heiress.

Rihan laid slumbering in the futon, with the steady rise and fall of his chest being the only sign that he is still alive.

Everyone in the Nura clan knew better than to enter this room where Rihan is in. The only ones who enter this room apart from Yuuki and Nurarihyon are only Shoei, Tsurara, Kejoro, Kubinashi and Kurotabo. The first two because they knew that this is where they'll find Yuuki if she isn't found anywhere. Kejoro because it's her duty to clean Rihan every single day, and Kubinashi and Kurotabo because they're technically Rihan's bodyguards.

"I'm going now." Yuuki patted her father on the hand and left the room, closing the shoji door behind her.

Shoei was waiting outside the room for her like how he always did.

For some reason, Shoei had pretty much attached himself to her after their first week upon knowing each other after her mother's disappearance when Hihi, her grandfather's close confidante had introduced his son to her. In fact, after her father had gone into a coma, Shoei never leaves her alone for even a single moment unless it is to the bathroom or when she is sleeping.

When Shoei had volunteered to follow Yuuki to school along with Tsurara to keep up their 'cover', it had taken a hell lot of convincing to convince Shoei to leave off his red mantle when he goes to school. Like how his father had never taken off his mask, thus making the younger youkais in the clan curious about how he actually looks like beneath the mask, Shoei never took off his red mantle.

"Are you ready?" Shoei asked, and Yuuki nodded. He then straightened up. "Let's go."

"Yeah." Yuuki muttered, looking over her shoulder at the door where her father is slumbering in. "Let's go."

XXXXXX

Ukiyoe Elementary School
Ukiyoe Town, Japan

Pheet!

The teacher blew on his whistle as the students crossed the finishing line, looking at the stopwatch in his hand. He then raised a hand. "Fifty meter sprint at thirty seconds, Nura!"

"Wow…" Saori Maki muttered, eyes wide at the dark haired girl as she walked back to the two friends that always followed her around, but were sitting out of the race. The silver and red haired boy – Hihi Shoei or something, handed her a towel, a small smile on his face. "As expected, she came in first again. She's fast."

"Our school's fastest sprinter." Torii put in. "It looks like Ukiyoe Elementary will win this year's sports meet again. It is coming up soon, isn't it?"

Tsurara handed Yuuki a water bottle. "Good work," she chirped, smiling.

"Thank you." Yuuki sighed, taking a few gulps of water.

Ienaga Kana bit on her lip before gathering her courage and walking towards Yuuki as quietly as possible so as to not attract her attention. Unfortunately, when your targets are three youkais (not that anyone at the school is aware of this fact), it wouldn't really work that well, as they could both sense and smell humans and youkais alike from a mile away.

Three steps before Kana could reach them, Yuuki stood up at the same moment as when the final bell for the school day went off. "Let's go," said Yuuki, walking past Kana before she could even open her mouth, ignoring the brunette and pretending that she isn't there.

Kana stared at Yuuki's departing back, looking rather hurt. 'Why don't you ever give me a chance to talk to you, and to tell you 'I'm sorry'?' Kana thought miserably. 'I'm…really sorry, Yuuki.'

"Why are you so adamant on talking to Nura anyway, Kana-chan?" Maki asked as the elementary school bus arrived. "She just simply blows you off without even listening to a word you say, and pretended like you didn't exist. And she's creepy! There are rumours that her house is haunted!"

"Yuuki is not!" Kana insisted crossly. "Don't talk about her like that! And it's not her fault! It's just…"

Kana paused in her words as she saw Yuuki with the two that she is always with standing behind her, apparently going to board the bus as well. The two girls stared at each other for a long time without speaking until the bus driver got impatient and sounded his horn. Startled, Kana boarded the bus, but Yuuki, Tsurara and Shoei stayed where they were, and the bus rode off.

"You're not boarding?" Shoei asked, and Yuuki shook her head.

"No. Let's walk home," said Yuuki, walking down the street where the bus had taken off, and which she mainly takes to head home. "Karasu-Tengu is going to get worried again." She sighed, and Tsurara and Shoei exchanged amused looks.

The overseer of the Nura clan tends to be a pretty big worrywart, especially when Yuuki was involved. It actually took Nurarihyon to convince Karasu-Tengu to allow Yuuki to go to school, and even then, he was only assured enough to allow her to do so when Tsurara and Shoei both volunteered to follow her to school as bodyguard detail.

"He's just worried." Shoei said sensibly. The skies are slowly darkening, and he knew that it would probably be nightfall by the time that they've arrived home. Shoei sighed inwardly, preparing himself for the verbal assault by the mother hen of a crow youkai. "I mean, there are quite a few factions that had been speaking out against you of late, and you know how youkais can get when they're extremely high-strung. Especially that Gagoze." He had a dark look on his face at the mere mention of that cloaked youkai.

Yuuki was silent. She knew that her father had never liked Gagoze when she was little as well, because of all his comments about little children and stuff like that. That youkai had also been one of the most outspoken members on the matter about having her as Nura heiress.

"Ojou-sama!"

All three of them blinked owlishly just then as they recognised the voice, and turned only to see Kubinashi and Aotabo running up to them, with Kubinashi's head bobbing along on his missing neck. Yuuki immediately looked left and right, hoping that no one had seen Kubinashi. Thankfully, it is nightfall by then, and no one was around.

"What is it?" Tsurara asked, confused at the appearances of two of the top officials of the Nura clan.

"Don't you 'what is it' to us, Yuki Onna!" Kubinashi huffed. "We assumed the worst when Yuuki-sama hadn't returned, and there is a news report on the television that the bus that you three usually take had been half buried in an accident in the underpass!"

"Let me guess, Karasu-Tengu sent you out to look for us?" Shoei guessed, and he got nods for that. "Why am I not surprised?" He sighed.

Yuuki was looking towards the direction of the underpass that she knew the bus that she usually took always passes through. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she could sense some faint malice in the air. With a sigh, she concentrated, and was soon standing there in her youkai form.

"Yuuki-sama?" Kubinashi questioned, surprised.

"I'm going to the underpass. Something is bothering me," said Yuuki, walking towards the underpass. "Don't even try to stop me. If you're so worried, then you can come with me."

XXXXXX

"Sending little children to hell is my style!" Gagoze exclaimed, reaching for a frightened Kana, before a loud explosion rocked the entire underpass amidst the children's screams, and the temperature of the surroundings fell several degrees at once.

"So killing kids makes you think that you're a big shot?" said a familiar voice, as slow footsteps echoed throughout the entire underpass. "Looks like my intuition about you is spot on, and that keeping an eye on you is the correct decision."

The mist cleared away, revealing Aotabo, Tsurara (as Yuki Onna), Kubinashi and Shoei (in youkai form), with Yuuki standing at the fore in youkai form, the taller forms of the others practically dwarfing the eight-year-old. Even Kejoro, Kappa and Kurotabo were present. The Nura heiress rested the blade of her Nenekimaru against her shoulder as she narrowed her amber eyes.

Nenekimaru had been the blade that had been passed down from father to child in the Nura clan, and which was said to be the weapon of the Lord of Pandemonium. It had originally belonged to Nurarihyon who had never told her how he had gotten it. Then when her father had became the head, Nurarihyon had passed the sword down to him. After Rihan went into a coma, Nurarihyon had given her this sword, telling her to use it to protect herself.

"Targeting children, huh?" Aotabo grunted, brandishing his powerful fists. "And here I thought that you could sink no lower, Gagoze."

Yuuki narrowed her eyes at the youkai in mention who suddenly seemed very nervous. "If you're hoping to take over as the Third Heir in the Nura clan by killing me, then I have to say that it makes you look even more pathetic, and here I thought that that isn't even possible." Yuuki sighed. "You're so pathetic that it's not even funny."

Gagoze twitched in pure rage as he eyed all the newcomers, but in particular, the smallest of their lot who seemed to be leading them, wondering who the hell is she. He didn't recognise Yuuki in her youkai form, as only a few in the clan had seen her youkai form. And even then, Gagoze only recognised her because of her amber eyes – the same eyes that her grandfather and father before her possessed.

"You…" Gagoze trembled. "You couldn't be…!" Yuuki smirked. "It couldn't be…! Kill her!" Gagoze ordered his underlings. "Kill the princess now!" His underlings immediately lurched forward. "And kill those gutless fools from the main family too! Annihilate them all!"

One of the underlings reached towards Yuuki, but before he could even touch her, he was immediately wrapped in Kubinashi's strings, a cold furious look in the eyes of the neckless demon.

"I won't let you take one step closer to the princess." Kubinashi stated coldly, tightening his strings even as the youkai struggled. "It's no use. Struggling only makes it tighter." Kubinashi tightened his string, hereby ending the life of the youkai.

Aotabo dodged a strike from another one, punching the same youkai in the face with his full strength. "It'll take more than that to take down Aotabo, the Strike Team leader!" he roared.

"You're as much a show off as always." Kurotabo stated, swinging his staff around. "And you're not the only Strike Team leader around here."

"Yare yare, the grown ups are all really something, aren't they?" Shoei shook his head, swinging his sword around, and with every swing, he took down one of Gagoze's underlings. "It simply astounds me how they could still remain part of the Nura clan if they're this weak."

Not too far away from Shoei, Tsurara blew out a breath of cold air that simply froze about five of Gagoze's underlings at once. And in another corner, Kejoro and Kappa were coordinating their attacks by taking out the others.

"I-It couldn't be…" Gagoze was in shock. "My clan… My invincible army who killed more than anyone!" He immediately turned towards the stunned children still in the bus who were all looking on with a mixture of awe and fear. And with a loud cackle, he leapt towards them. "I'll kill them! If you don't want me to kill them, then make me—"

Amidst the children's screams, Gagoze let out a gurgle of pain, as there was a sudden glint of steel in the bleak darkness, as Yuuki appeared in front of him in an instant, blood flowing down the steel of her blade. Gagoze was forced back from the bus with this attack, letting out a scream of pain as he did so.

"OJOU-SAMA!" Karasu-Tengu turned up from out of nowhere just then, froth nearly bursting from his mouth, with Daruma, one of Nurarihyon and Rihan's advisors close behind him, both looking extremely bewildered at the current scene. "What is going on here?"

Yuuki landed back on the ground on both feet, skidding back slightly, still with her sword held in front of her, a nonchalant look on her face. Gagoze let out a gurgle of pain, blood flowing in a steady stream from the deep wound on his forehead.

"Why?" he choked. "Why a brat like you? And not to mention a female to boot?" Yuuki's eye twitched dangerously at this comment. What is it with all these…sexists? "What's wrong about me? I'm the most feared!" He let out a louder scream as more blood spurt out.

"A youkai that devours children?" Yuuki stated, the blade of Nenekimaru shining from what little moonlight that had managed to enter the dark underpass. "Don't make me laugh. It is youkais like you that my father tried to stop. Sure, a youkai that devours children is terrifying. But a youkai that targets the weak and helpless taking the reins of the clan, and attaining the title of the Lord of Pandemonium? Don't make me laugh. I won't let you do that." Yuuki closed her eyes as she took another step forwards, swinging her sword about in her left hand.

"Ojou—" Karasu-Tengu was about to head towards Yuuki, but Daruma stopped him. "Daruma?"

"Just watch."

"Like what I'd sworn three years ago, I'll swear this again. I'll lead you all." Yuuki stated. "I'll become the Third Heir! I finally understand why my father wanted to protect humans so much, and what my grandfather wanted me to understand. And just like them both, I will not allow anyone to harm humans! Let it be known to every youkai in the world; I will become the Lord of Pandemonium, and I will not allow anything to stand in my way!" Yuuki leapt out of the way of Gagoze's attack as she counterattacked by slicing him in half. "All youkais shall follow me, on the parade of the Hyakki Yako."

The watching children in the bus stared on with awe.

"Wow…" Shima whispered in awe.

"Cool…" Kiyotsugu whispered, with stars almost shining in his eyes.

"Did you see that, Karasu-Tengu?" Daruma questioned the overseer of the main family of the Nura clan. "The princess isn't some weak and fragile girl that everyone in the clan thought her as. I, Daruma, knew this right from the start. The Lord of Pandemonium is one that has the ability to evoke awe, even among humans. One who wears the true mantle of 'Fear'. Female or male, it doesn't matter. As long as they possess that, they have the right to lead us."

Kubinashi smiled a small rare smile as he exchanged looks with Kurotabo. 'Are you seeing this, Nidaime? When I see Yuuki-sama, I see you. It is going to be a long tough road ahead of her. But if it's Yuuki-sama, I believe that she can do it. And as promised, I will aid her. I will protect her. This, I swear.'

A/N: How is this for a start? I had never written a Nurarihyon story before, so I'm not really sure how it turns out. And as stated before, the pairing will be with Itaku. Originally, I was going to kill Rihan off, but later, I thought that it might be more interesting if Rihan stays alive. Yuuki will have more motivation to follow in her father's footsteps that way.

Anyway, I hope that you like this story and chapter, and please read and review!