Authors Note: So I originally had this idea where some of the characters you are about to read about were used in a totally different way, back with the original Harem and Tsukune… HOWEVER, as I'm sure is no big secret, OC's get ripped to shreds here (by a select few more than others…). I can respect their arguments though, because God knows I won't be able to perfectly show the characters along side my OC's (it's just hard sometimes) so I decided to change things a bit, and I like this idea better than my previous one. That being said, know that the following story will not include the original harem. They will make their respective showings, but they aren't main characters. Before anyone throws their hands in the air, asking "God why is this in the R+V section then?", this will still be in the R+V world. You'll see it. Enjoy and review. Thanks.
R+V: The Second Generation
Sakura Akashiya was brought back to reality as the bus lurched suddenly. The sudden movement caused by the pothole caused her to reopen her light green eyes. Scanning the bus again, Sakura was reminded that she was alone on this trip, minus the bus driver hunched over the steering wheel towards the front. He had not settled his slightly intimidating glowing eyes on her, but raised his hat from his head in greeting after she had gotten on, revealing hair similarly colored to the burning end of the cigar clenched tightly between his lips, and then proceeding to peel off before she had even found a seat. He had not seemed to move from the position he had been in Sakura had noticed in him before she had closed her eyes, but she imagined for a second that those glowing irises glanced at her quickly from the review mirror.
Ignoring the gooseflesh that inexplicably came with that thought, Sakura lightly brushed her waist length dark brown hair out of her eyes to scan the surrounding landscape and view the buses progress. She could hardly believe that they were well out of her hometown area and moving quickly down the highway; it had seemed that only a few minutes had passed by since she had gotten on.
She cast a wistful glance back down the highway, hugging her briefcase tightly to her body as she felt the phantom touch of the hard hug she had shared with her parents. Sakura had been sad to have to leave them…they loved her so much and she hadn't been sure how to fathom life without them. But at the same time she was excited.
She had really been looking forward to her first year at Yokai Academy; she was excited to attend the same school as her parents, to build the same kind of friendships her parents had, and to make memories as her parents had. Sakura couldn't help but smile to herself as she fiddles with the tattered bat keychain still attached to the old briefcase. It had been a gift from her mother, something she had used herself at school, and Sakura couldn't help but feel a rush of emotion with the thought of joining her parents old high school.
It was a strange emotion that teenagers rarely affiliated with school, but Sakura felt it none the less. Hope had taken hold of her and it made her whole body feel warm with the thought. That feeling of hope was joined with a slightly nauseous feeling of anxiety when the sun seemingly turned off as the bus rumbled into a tunnel. The tunnel seemed to radiate strange colors and Sakura found her eyes widening in amazement as it soaked it all in.
"What is this…" she breathed.
"I call it the highway to hell," the bus driver's voice floated from up front. His voice was low and gruff and it shocked Sakura enough that she physically flinched in her seat. The drivers glowing eyes were now totally fixed on Sakura and the girl felt like she was under a very powerful microscope.
"Wha…?"
"A highway to hell paved with the fourth dimension," the driver grinned back through the mirror. He must had finished his previous cigar at some point because he took both hands off the wheel to light another one, never dropping that grin that made Sakura's skin prickle. There was a beat of silence, the driver puffing out a substantial amount of smoke as he continued to blatantly study Sakura. "And our destination…"
The sun suddenly came back on the other side of the tunnel in true dramatic fashion and Sakura raised a hand to shield her eyes. When the sudden blinding was over, Sakura felt her heart flutter in her chest as she spotted the tall building, white walls and green tinted roof cresting over the dark tree line.
"Yokai Academy…"
Sakura rose quickly, still clutching her briefcase, and powerwalked in an unsuccessful attempt to contain her excitement. The twin bus doors squeaked open, and the first thing that really struck Sakura was the pungent aroma of salt weather and accompanying crashing waves on the cliff in front of her. The sun shone brightly on the deep blue water, and that back drop with the green grass bending in the breeze struck Sakura as one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.
"It looks like someone needs a new head."
Sakura felt a chill run down her neck despite the pleasant summer sun shining down. She glanced back at the bus driver nervously, only to find that his gaze was not focused on her, but on something he found slightly humorous over her shoulder. Looking back to the scene in front of her, Sakura noticed what must have caught her driver's attention. A few meters away there was a wooden cross with a sign reading 'Yokai Private Academy'. The tattered remains of a black uniform with gold trimming draped over the cross and there were the remains of what had once been a pumpkin. Most of it was a pulpy mess on the ground, leaving the scarecrow with a half-smile and no eyes.
"Yeah…," Sakura breathed nervously glancing back at the bus driver and seeing his eyes were locked back onto her.
"You take care of yourself little Miss Akashiya ," he growled, smoke rolling out of his mouth behind every word he spoke. "If you have the same luck as your parents, you're due for one hell of a school year…"
Sakura smiled nervously before quickly making her way down the stairs off the bus. The minute her feet touched grass the bus doors squeaked closed and the shuttle rumbled around back towards the tunnel.
So strange… She thought. She had been unsure about taking the bus; her mother had originally offered that she take her bike as she had, but her father insisted taking the bus was part of the experience. I wonder if that's the same bus driver my dad knew? She continued to watch it go until the tunnel had completely swallowed vehicle and then turned her eyes back to her awaiting academy.
The path between the black and gnarled trees to Yokai was decidedly creepy. Despite the sun shining brightly in the sky, the thick layer of overlapping branches made the sunshine appear spotty and dim. Overhead, crows would caw and suddenly take flight, making shadows flicker all around Sakura. The fair skin girl looked around nervously and quickened her pace; she kept her eyes peeled forward and praying the white walls of the academy would soon come into view.
Sakura paused for a moment as a noise reached her ears; it was a soft chime…like a bell? She cocked her ear up to try and hear better. There was another quiet sound, like something was shuffling around and moving the dirt.
"Watch out!"
Sakura was thrown to the ground as she was struck roughly from behind. She cried out in pain, and heard a similar yell of surprise from somewhere over her head as her face was shoved into the dirt. Sakura pulled herself up, gasping for air and saw a bike lying on its side, its rider crumpled close by.
"Oh! I'm so, so sorry, I didn't hear you back there!" Sakura gasped quickly, running over to the stirring figure. "Are you ok?"
The figure, whom Sakura could now see was a comely looking boy with bright red hair all a mess, rose on his own accord and brushed himself off. He ran his dark purple eyes from her face and down her body. A look of desire passed his face as he settled on her endowed chest, but his eyes hardened when he finally settled back on her face.
"I'm Sakura and-"
"Why don't you watch where you're going and not stand in the middle of the path?" the boy demanded harshly. He picked his bike up off the ground and sped away, turning his head back to shout, "Loser!"
Sakura held her previously outstretched hand to her chest and felt tears stinging at the corner of her eyes. She had been so concerned with the hope she had for the coming school year…she had totally forgotten about how scared she was. Scared that no one would accept her, no one would want to be her friend, and she would be forced to live her school life in sad loneliness. She sniffled and shuffled on down the path, not near as concerned with the frightening forest now that the weight of her first miserable interaction with someone else rested heavy on her shoulders.
I really want to make a friend…she lamented, her mind playing over ever terrible scenario that could happen when she tried to talk to people.
She felt this depressed state until she got to the front gate of Yokai academy, and any mourning feeling was changed to shock. Sakura could barely believe how many people were walking around the open courtyard in front of Yokai Academy. The class body was a sea of green jackets and bright white blouses. Sakura saw many girls dressed similarly to her; the school's standard red tie with white long sleeve button up shirts and brown plaid skirts. Sakura personally wore her socks knee high, and the style amongst the crowd varied.
I'll certainly be able to find a friend somewhere in this great group Sakura thought positively, allowing a beaming smile to take over her face. Her mood couldn't even change when she noticed some of the looks she received from the surrounding teens; boys glanced at her and then suddenly became slack jawed and drooling while girls seemed to leer from behind their bangs before turning back to their groups and whispering furiously. Sakura would never have admitted to being a beauty, but the incoming first year class to Yokai Academy could see it.
"First year students, continue to file to plaza located on your right!" Groups of clearly older students were dotted throughout the younger crowd and directing traffic. One particular, a girl with light brown hair and stunning blue eyes, saw Sakura's nervous face and addressed her directly with a kind smile.
"The headmistress would like to address all the new students personally for the introductory ceremony," she explained. "Just keep following the crowd… The introductions will be starting soon!"
"Thanks!" smiled Sakura.
"Hey you two creeps you're not first year students! Get back to your assigned classrooms before we have to drag you there by your ears!" the older student turned away, addressing two boys trying unsuccessfully to blend in with the younger crowd.
Sakura watched them slink away apprehensively, but continued to follow the stream of people that were making their way to the make shift ceremony area. She had not expected to get so caught in the flow she would be thrust into the middle of the slowly increasing number of prospective students gathering around, but Sakura soon found herself surrounded on all sides by tall, wide shouldered boys who squished her together uncomfortably. She shifted around, unsuccessfully trying to make room for herself.
"Excuse me…."
It was worthless though as the crowd suddenly cheered in excitement. Sakura swiveled her head around quickly, trying to locate the source of the excitement and quickly caught on; the pair of double glass plated doors behind the balcony overhead had opened up, and a tall thin figure had stepped out.
Sakura found she was unable to really recognize the figure, though she could see long flowing black hair and a white dress as well as…were those dark shapes outstretched raven's wings? Whispers around Sakura confirmed that this was the headmistress and she found her mouth opening slowly in awe.
The headmistress spread her arms out, calling for silence and the crowds excitement decreased to a dull roar.
"New students of Yokai Academy," she called out in a strong, commanding voice. "Welcome to your school! I trust that we will have three wonderful years here as you grow and learn to be the best possible monsters this world can use!"
There was a collective murmur in response, a couple people discussing just how good of monsters they'd really be.
"We are most excited to welcome you here. However, with this welcome come warnings. There are rules at this academy, and since we are doing are best to insure you can successfully reside in the human world, it is most important that you follow these rules." The figure of the headmistress placed her hands on the banister, leaning over and fully spreading her four black raven wings. "You will live the entirety of your time on this campus in your human form, save for extreme emergencies. You are to appear to be human and never reveal your monster form to others. This is our most important rule. And I stress the word important students."
The murmur that had been present in the crowd had completely died down. Sakura thought her beating hear must surely be echoing in this vacuum.
"The rest of the rules will be clearly explained by your homeroom teachers when you go and meet them now." The headmistress retuned to fully standing and allowed her wings to fold behind her. Her head moved as she surveyed the group below her again. "Consider this your official introduction! You are now all officially first year Yokai Academy students!"
There was an explosion of cheers as the group of students let their elation burst forth. Most all students threw their hands in the air and Sakura felt herself thrown off balance by the rough and sudden movements of those around her. She teetered dangerously forward, before she was shoved back and she felt her feet slide out from under her and she tumbled backward.
"Whoa there," chuckled a kind voice somewhere above Sakura's head. She felt strong arms grab her gently under her arms before she could hit the ground. Looking up she was momentarily blinded from seeing her savior's face by the sun. The stranger lifted her gingerly and Sakura turned quickly with a large smile.
"Thank you so much! It's so wild in here; I thought I'd get trampled for sure!"
"Don't mention it," the boy smiled, scratching the back of his head with an abashed smile. Sakura could now get a good look at him, and she found herself blushing and smitten. This boy had a cute smile that just looked natural; it went well with his dark brown hair, combed down save for his bangs which spiked up out of his face, and equally dark eyes. He was about half a head taller than Sakura and built slim but wide shouldered. The boy was dressed in the typical Yokai uniform, white shirt, red tie, green jacket, and khaki slacks with smart brown shoes.
The two stood there for a minute, Sakura smiling shyly and the boy smiling dumbly, before he whipped his hand out from behind his head and extended it.
"My name is Akita! Akita Aconite."
"I'm Sakura Akashiya," Sakura answered brightly, grabbing Akita's hand with both of hers. His grip was gentle, something she was not expecting from a boy; however, she found her smile growing as she looked at him blush slightly. He was pleasant and she felt a quick trust building.
"Nice to meet you, Sakura," Akita grinned. She's so beautiful, he thought. How lucky am I for someone like her to just…fall into my lap! There was another beat of time as Sakura and Akita continued to stare at each other, oblivious to the jubilation of their peers surrounding them. But this was broken as a yell came from the front of the group, 'C'mon to your classrooms!', and the crowd surged forward.
Sakura quickly opened her case to pull out the small schedule slip that had been mailed to her with the rest of the introductory packet.
"So where are you-," her question was cut off as she was caught in the flow of stampeding students and sucked into the entrance hallway to Yokai academy. As she was shoved back she saw Akita still standing there, looking around as if he was trying to find something or someone. He finally noticed that Sakura was not in front of him and made eye contact with her before the sea of students in-between them obscured her from his view. Maybe it was just foolish hope, but Sakura felt a jolt in her stomach when she thought he looked disappointed.
Finally the crowd dispersed enough that Sakura could stop and take in the amazing sight that was the inside of Yokai Academy. The hallway was lined with floor to ceiling large gothic windows, and the wood on the staircase that split two ways leading up to the upper levels gleamed in the light; cute little signs adorned with room numbers and mascots hung over doors that seemed to stretch farther than Sakura's eyes could see. Everything, even the bathrooms and her locker, were exactly like the stories she had heard about from her parents for years and Sakura could do nothing about the over the top grin she had simply by looking around.
However, this was not to last, as Sakura found herself inexplicably lost with only a few moments until she was supposed to be in her homeroom. She had felt like she had searched high and low down the endless hallways trying to find room 193, and she was become more flustered by the second. How was it every girl she tried to get directions from had no idea where to go?
"Great," she sobbed to herself, leaning against the banister in defeat. "My first day and I can't even find my class…"
"Sakura?" The girl whipped around in surprise, barely recognizing the voice. A few feet away stood Akita, his hand clutching the strap to the black case around his shoulder and a concerned smile on his face. "What are you doing up here all by yourself?"
"Oh I'm so glad I got to see you again," Sakura said, elated. She ceased her crying and quickly jumped next to this one familiar face she knew. "I was worried that I wasn't going to catch up to you again and you were the first friend I made all day.."
"We're friends?" Akita went red but smiled all the same. I can't believe my good luck! he thought.
"Oh I guess that was me presuming a bit wasn't it…" Sakura said, deflating.
"No! No, no, no," assured Akita, holding his hand up. "I'd love to be friends! You'd be the first friend I would make at this school too so… I think that would be awesome."
"Super!" Sakura jumped up and wrapped Akita in a big hug around the neck. The boy felt the blush in his face deepening, and Sakura quickly let go, her own face red. "I… I don't suppose you could help me find my homeroom could you?" she asked, toeing at the carpet.
"Where are you headed?" Akita asked looking at Sakura's schedule. "Oh you're in room 193 also? That's awesome, that's my homeroom too!" The two new friends grinned at their good fortune. "You weren't too far off though, I know where the rooms at. Just a couple doors farther down the hall." The duo walked down the hallway side by side.
"So… Are you excited to be at Yokai academy?" Akita asked.
"Yeah, I truly am!" Sakura beamed, placing some loose strands of hair behind her hair shyly. "My parents would always tell me so many stories about the academy... I couldn't wait to be here and make my own memories and great friends!"
"Well Sakura-san," Akita smiled kindly, opening the door to room 193, "I hope meeting me has started has started you out on that path."
I truly think it has Sakura thought brightly, smiling with giddy excitement. She entered the class, the chatter dying down as students idly glanced at the opening door to view the newcomers. The young men in the room goggled and went slack jawed, their whispers of "Woah!" and "She's so frickin' hot!" sailing right over Sakura's head. However, Akita's soft baritone growl behind her did not.
"Are you ok?" she cast a quizzical glance back to her companion. Akita was glaring daggers out his brown eyes at a group of particularly foul group of four sleazy boys leering at Sakura.
"Oh yeah, haha," Akita laughed, quickly averting his gaze and smiling again. "It's nothing." Sakura shrugged and flattened her skirt under her as she slid into her seat at her desk, next to the window and towards the front. Akita took his seat as well, and smiled as Sakura turned to face him, the two holding a gaze for just a minute…
"So you're a lizard person?" a male student sitting next to the two awed. "That's so awesome!" His companion flicked a forked tongue out and winked at Sakura's startled look.
"I thought we weren't supposed to reveal our monster forms," Sakura whispered nervously, peering around the room as it was clear that was the hot topic of the homeroom.
"Guess no one's much for following the rules," Akita said, grinning. "What about you, Sakura? What kind of monster are you? I'll tell you if you tell me right?"
"We're not supposed to tell, it's against the rules," Sakura teased, sticking her tongue out at Akita. He laughed and held up his hands in defeat. It was good timing too, because it was then that a wooden ruler came down in the head of the lizard boy; his tongue had still been out of his mouth and he slumped in his chair with glazed eyes and his tongue lulling about.
"Now, now, students, there is no revealing are monster forms remember! Unless it's an emergency ~meow," the cheery voiced, gray haired teacher said, wagging her ruler at the class. Behind her, a frayed, gray tail swished behind her.
"But sensei, what about your-" the lizard boy's companion was cut off by another whack from the teachers ruler.
"Now boys and girl, I am Ms. Nekonome," she continued on just a cheery voiced, flipping her gray ponytail behind her. Her hair bounced at an odd angle, giving her the appearance of having flattened cat ears with her pony tail; her skirt navy blue skirt swished back and forth just above her knees and her short sleeve shirt was almost too white as she spun around at the front of the classroom to face the students. "I've been doing this thing for quite a while, so don't think you'll get anything past me! Now why don't we go around the room and introduce ourselves and get ready for a fabulous school year ~meow!"
The class did that, going around and saying a couple words in varying degrees of interest, ranging from deathly bored to eerily peppy. A trio of girls in the very middle of the class room introduced themselves in the same flippant valley-girl voice that made Sakura's skin crawl and most the boys gape. However, it was at Sakura's name that Ms. Nekonome paused at.
"Ms. Akashiya…" she said, her gray ears twitching under her hair. "Well this is a great surprise!" she positively beamed from the front of the room, her tail swishing behind her again. "I absolutely adore your parents; they were by far my favorite students and now I can't believe I have you! Fantastic ~meow!"
Sakura turned red but smiled appreciatively as the class looked at her with interest. "Oh look, already a teacher's pet," one of the valley girls with dark purple hair and cruel blue eyes hissed, getting a cackle from her two friends. Sakura felt her sprits falter slightly, until she felt a strong squeeze on her shoulder and saw Akita smiling kindly at her.
"That's pretty cool," he whispered a-matter-of-factly.
"Thanks," Sakura smiled softly. The rest of the class passed without incident, Ms. Nekonome, reluctant to dive into any school work, filled the rest of the class with stories about fish and the fun of the upcoming year.
From there, Sakura and Akita said reluctant goodbyes, having to separate to different classes. Sakura however, found she was unable to truly concentrate. The fact that she had made such a good friend, and with such ease and so rapidly, had elated her to a state of abstraction; chemistry barely registered with her, and it was lucky cooking class was a lot of making sure people knew how to boil water.
By the time lunch came around, Sakura was back to her mindset of before she had met Akita. What if she couldn't find anyone to sit with? Would she be alone? Would the people at other tables laugh at her? She took her salad lunch and can of tomato juice from the line and surveyed the mess hall with worried eyes. She was quickly relieved to see a hand wave in the air, following it to see Akita at a small round table, already happily munching away.
"Hey there, Akita!" Sakura gleamed.
"Sakura, hi-" he smiled. He paused, as though struck with a profound thought. His eye's wide and locked on Sakura.
"What's the matter?" Sakura blushed.
"Oh…sorry, it's nothing!" Akita recovered, waving his hands nervously. "It's just the sun behind you…" You're beautiful! But he kept that last part to himself.
"Oh, sorry, I'll get out of the way," Sakura smiled and sat right next to Akita. The two smiled at each other and shared their thoughts of the beginning of the first day.
Their conversation continued as they finished the day together in math, English, and gym. They were attached at the hips, enjoying every minute of each other's company as the school day dwindled down.
Before they knew it, they were walking down the path past the headstones and approaching the dorm rooms.
"Listen, Sakura, I had a great day getting to know you," Akita smiled. "I'm glad you got to be my first friend here."
"I couldn't have asked for it better friend!" Sakura beamed. She threw herself at Akita, wrapping him in another bear hug; this time, Akita returned the hug with both arms. Sakura realized that Akita had a pleasant smell about him, a deep musky smell that just her feel good. She licked her lips and breathed in deeply, before she caught herself and scolded her weak will. She wanted to actually keep this friend. The two separated and Sakura gave him another big smile.
"Well… I'll see you tomorrow Akita!" she said happily, trotting to the girls dorms with a final wave.
Akita returned the wave with a bemused expression on his face. This is nuts... this is only day one! But he decided, he was just fine with that. It could only get better right?
Sakura barely noticed her room, or her belongings that had been mailed and delivered from her house via her parents. She was just suddenly aware how tired she was from the day's events. The combination of stress and jubilation had drained her. She rummaged through her things just enough to pull out her pink sheets and make her bed.
There she collapsed with a pleased sigh, and rested with peaceful dreams.