A/N – Wow, six reviews for just the prologue alone. I never imagined it would become so popular in such a short time. Anyway, thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, and don't worry. The last chapter was only the prologue, this is where the real story begins.
And again, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or any of the Castlevania series. They belong to their rightful owners.
Part I, Chapter I
The Omen
Tsukune found himself lost in darkness. No matter where he turned, the emptiness greeted him. He felt himself shivering, as feelings of loneliness and fear came over him. He looked repeatedly in every direction, but the result was always the same. His nervous breathing echoed within the void. He hadn't felt as such since he first enrolled at Youkai, and discovered its dark secret. The memory of that day made his current situation even more unbearable, and pushed him further towards despair.
"What's going on here," Tsukune asked nervously, his voice sounding distorted within the darkness surrounding him. "Where am I?" His echoing voice only magnified the isolation he felt at that moment. "MOKA-SAN!" he cried out instinctively.
He waited for several tense moments, and received no response. He head bowed in shame, and had never felt such loneliness in his entire life. He was away from his family, and it seemed from his friends as well. The only thing close to him was the darkness.
"It's all because of your ambiguous attitude that things turned out this way, Tsukune," a distorted voice spoke around him.
The sole human student at Youkai Academy nearly jumped out of his skin at that. He recognized the voice as Inner Moka's, but the void made it sound truly inhuman.
"The time shall come when you must make a clear choice," the voice spoke again.
Tsukune blinked, as he remembered she'd spoken those words to him on the field trip. As he contemplated upon that day, the darkness faded around him. He found himself inside a massive room, that didn't look like it was part of the academy. On one end, he saw a pair of massive arched double doors, well over ten feet high. He looked around the room, and saw the walls lined with ghostly blue torches. Bolts of lightning crackled outside the windows on each side of the chamber. Tsukune begun to believe he was almost better off lost in the darkness.
From the double doors, he saw a blood red carpet which stretched to the far end of the room. A short stairway led the way up an elevated platform, upon which was a ghastly black and crimson throne. The handrests were formed into demonic claws. A pair of huge batlike wings protruded from the sides of the throne. Two large braziers burning with an unnatural blue flame flanked the imposing seat, which Tsukune saw was conspicuously empty.
At that moment, the smell of blood assaulted Tsukune's nose. The scent was so strong it was almost unbearable. Moreover, it seemed to come from everywhere. The young man looked to the floor, and gasped in horror. The floor was comprised of a glossy black marble, with streaks of crimson running through. What truly horrified him was he saw the bodies of his friends laying lifelessly before him. Off to his left he saw the dead body of a cyan-haired girl, her formerly fabulous torso rent asunder with huge gashes. Her wings had been shredded, and her throat had been ripped out. An anguished look was frozen onto her dead face. "Kurumu-san!" Tsukune cried out, aghast at seeing her in such a wretched state. Three feet from the succubus' body was the form of a brunette child. She was facedown on the floor, in the middle of a huge pool of blood. "Yukari-san!" Tsukune exclaimed in horror, mortified by the scene before him.
"Who will be your girlfriend," Inner Moka's voice asked. But at that moment, it sounded like she was taunting Tsukune.
The brown haired youth looked to his right, and saw the corpse of a purple-haired girl beside him. She had gashes all over her body, save her face. Tsukune involuntarily stepped back as he saw tears frozen on her lifeless countenance. "Mizore-chan!" he called out, but to no avail. Four feet from the dead snow girl was the body of the young woman he'd first met on Witch's Knoll. She laid lifelessly on her side, a somber expression upon her face. Her body was also riddled with huge gashes, and her throat had been ripped out. "Ruby-san!" Tsukune cried out, as he felt himself being pushed to the breaking point.
"One day," Inner Moka's voice spoke, "you will have to give yourself an answer."
"Stop it!" Tsukune shot back, wincing as he covered his ears. "Stop it, Moka-san!" And then, he felt his hands were sticky. He brought them into his line of sight, and saw they were covered with blood, not to mention his fingers were elongated, as were his nails. The sight of his inhuman hands were too much for him to bear. Moreover, he noticed his breath reeked of the substance. He probed his teeth with his tongue, and felt his incisors had grown into deadly fangs. He looked down at himself, and saw his entire body was covered in blood. What frightened him the most was the blood he smelt on himself belonged to the girls before him. Terrified beyond comprehension, he stumbled over his own feet, and fell backwards onto the floor.
As he struggled to attempt to regain his bearings, he saw another corpse beside him. His anxiety increased exponentially as he saw the dead body of Inner Moka. Her front had been ravaged, her throat had been ripped out, and she looked at him with lifeless red eyes.
"Don't forget that, Tsukune," the vampire's voice spoke, though it came from all around him rather than her body.
Tsukune's eyes went wide, and screamed in uncontrollable terror.
Tsukune shot straight up in bed, terrified by what he'd witnessed. He looked around nervously, desperately trying to get his breathing under control. He slowly relaxed as he recognized the inside of his dorm room at Youkai Academy. Still, the nightmare he'd endured was unlike anything he'd experienced in his short lifetime, and he shuddered at the thought of it becoming a reality.
The young man nearly jumped out of his bed as he heard thumping from the walls. "Hey!" an irritated male voice spoke, muffled from behind the wall. "Keep it down in there, Aono!"
"Yeah!" another boy's voice added. "You scream like a sissy human girl!"
"Make any more noise, and we'll make you wish you were never born!"
Tsukune cringed as he slowly pulled his blanket up, morose after the threats of his fellow students. His only save grace was that none of his enemies lived close to him. But at the moment, it provided very scant comfort. He looked to his alarm clock, and froze when he saw the time. "Twelve o'clock," he said timidly. He couldn't help but shiver at the implications of a terrifying dream at the midnight hour. It made the prospect of returning to sleep highly unlikely, so Tsukune merely suffered in the deadly silence around him.
The next morning, the student body eagerly headed towards the academy, save for Aono Tsukune. He slowly made his way towards the main building, a haunted look on his young face. He didn't sleep well after the nightmare, and it showed as he warily looked about him.
"Tsukune!" a female voice called out behind him.
The human boy looked behind him, and saw the familiar form of Akashiya Moka headed in his direction. Any other time, he would've been elated to meet her. But in his current state of mind, the only thought that came to him was escape. He quickly turned and ran towards the school.
"Wait! Tsukune!" Moka called out desperately. "Tsukune!"
Tsukune ran towards the entrance. Students moved out of the way in confusion. But before he could've reached the building, a previously unseen figure leaped out from behind a tree and intercepted the boy, who found his head smothered by a large female chest. "Oh, Tsukune," a familiar voice spoke gently, "was that scary old Moka trying to suck your blood again? Don't worry, darling, I'll take good care of you."
The young man did not have to think long to identify the speaker. "K-K-Kurumu-chan."
"Oh, Tsukune, I'm sorry we couldn't spend more time together on the field trip. But I promise to make it up to you, any way I can."
The human boy felt his head pushed deeper into Kurumu's chest. He clutched onto one of her large boobs, which made her squeal in delight.
"Easy there, Tsukune," the incognito succubus spoke lovingly, "you need to be more gentle with a girl."
Blood erupted from his nose as he realized what he'd just done.
"Hey!" Moka's voice objected. "Let go of Tsukune!"
"Why should I?" the buxom teenager countered. "You're the one who's always sucking the life out of him. What are you trying to do, scare him to death?"
Tsukune's eyes widened, and he clearly heard Moka gasp in shock.
"Look at him," the succubus continued, "the poor thing is shaking like a leaf."
"It would help if you stopped suffocating him," a young girl's voice interjected, "you big-breasted prima donna."
Tsukune felt himself mercifully released. When he regained his bearings, he saw Yukari standing on her toes to confront Kurumu.
"Prima donna?" the cyan-haired girl said indignantly. "Who do you think you are, you flat-chested bookworm!"
"You should spend more time with your nose in a book," the witch countered, "and less time with Tsukune-san's head in your chest. You might actually get a passing grade that way, desu."
"Hey! I'll have you know I passed all of my courses last semester!"
"And how many were above a D?"
The conversation quickly degenerated into another round of senseless bickering. Tsukune took the opportunity to head into school without their notice.
Moka immediately stopped arguing when she saw the brown-haired youth was no longer among them. "Tsukune, wait!"
"Come back, Tsukune-san!" Yukari called out.
"What the hecht is that," Kurumu asked, pointing down the path which led from the school.
Moka and Yukari turned in the same direction. They noticed many of the remaining students outside had followed suit. They saw a group of three men headed towards the school. The man on the left was tall and gaunt, clad in a conservative black suit and a black and red striped tie. The most distinguishing feature about him was his head, which rose up to a dull point. His features were also elongated, and his black eyes were deeply sunk into his sockets.
"Geez," Kurumu spoke out of the side of her mouth, "is that guy even trying to look human?"
"Shush," Yukari chided.
Moka said nothing, and continued watch the trio approach the school. She saw the man on the right was dressed in similar attire, but was considerably shorter, and had a thick muscular build. He had finely groomed blue hair, with streaks of orange running through. Though his countenance was more humanlike than his companion, Moka couldn't help but notice his eyes were a fiery shade of red, as well as fangs protruding from his upper lip.
Deep within her consciousness, Inner Moka gazed suspiciously at the strange party. Her eyes went wide as she saw the man in the middle. He was of average height, with a slender build. He wore a long purple coat over his black suit. His slender hands were adorned with black leather gloves. His head was completely hairless, none even to form eyebrows. His features indicated he was from outside Japan. As he passed by Moka, his gaze slowly turned in her direction, even as he still walked towards the academy. The pink-haired girl noticed herself shivering slightly as she felt his dull gray eyes upon her. She immediately relaxed as his gaze left her.
"Who on earth was that," the pink-haired girl asked nervously.
"Oh yes," Yukari piped up. "Now I remember. Ruby-san said a historian from Europe was coming to the school today. That must've been him just now."
"What?" Kurumu exclaimed. "Even lecherous old bald-headed guys choose Moka over me? This is so unfair!" She thrust her arms down by her sides, and her breasts jiggled for emphasis. "I am tired of being the number-two girl at this school!"
"Maybe it's because Moka-san isn't as desperate for attention as you," Yukari suggested.
"I am not desperate!" the succubus insisted. "I am a proud member of the Kurono family! We have been sought after by men for generations."
"And yet you still don't have a boyfriend? This must be what is called a generation gap."
"What did you say?"
The conversation rapidly went downhill. Inner Moka snarled in aggravation at the scene. "Idiots!" she spoke into Moka's mind. "Are they truly that daft? How many times will they get caught up by such trivial matters?"
The pink-haired vampire wasn't sure how to respond. Suddenly, a large washing basin materialized and smashed Kurumu overhead. Moka let out a nervous laugh, as she rubbed the back of her head.
"And you!" the sealed persona spoke sharply. "What are you doing standing around. Find Tsukune!"
"Right," her counterpart replied, and headed into the school.
Yukari quickly noticed her old friend sprinting towards the main building. "Hey, wait up, Moka-san!"
Kurumu remained on the ground, still dazed from the witch's assault. "I'm gonna get that little girl, if it's the last thing I ever do."
Tsukune ran down the entrance hall, as students looked in his direction.
"What's wrong, Aono," a taunting voice asked, "did you have a scary dream?" Mocking laughter of at least three male students followed.
Tsukune looked around, and indeed saw three male students with condescending expressions on their faces. One had rusty brown hair, and a rather nondescript face. A second had a somewhat tall blonde mohawk, along with a smirk. The third had shoulder length brown hair, as well as multiple earrings. Tsukune recognized him as the bully he encountered on his first day, Komiya Saizou.
"Maybe he's afraid a monster is going to eat him," the boy with the mohawk snidely remarked.
"Wouldn't that be just terrible," the rusty haired boy added.
All three boys laughed in unison.
"Stop that!" a familiar voice snapped.
Everyone turned, and saw Moka standing behind Tsukune. Saizou gave her a startled look, while the other two boys looked perplexed.
"How dare you bullies make fun of Tsukune!" the pink-haired girl snapped indignantly. "Leave him alone now!"
"Or else what," the rusty haired boy asked defiantly. "He's the one who woke up the whole floor last night, he deserves whatever he gets."
"Yeah!" the boy with the mohawk added. "Losers like him don't belong in this school."
"Yeah, they belong in our stomachs. Right, Saizou?"
The incognito orc said nothing in response.
"Oh, that is it," Inner Moka snarled, "how dare these reprobates persecute Tsukune." She paused for a moment. "You know what to do."
The sophomore nodded, and walked up to her first friend. "Tsukune," she said expectantly.
The brown-haired boy saw the young vampire before him, and knew exactly what she wanted. He whole arm tensed as he struggled to raise it. Saizou gasped in horror, as he feared what was about to occur. But as Tsukune's hand neared the rosary, Moka's face changed into the dead, bloody visage of her hidden self. The incognito human screamed in horror, and ran down the hall.
"TSUKUNE!" Moka cried out, as she watched her friend running for dear life.
All three boys laughed in triumph.
"Oh, what a weakling you are, Aono!" Saizou declared. "You're as weak as a human!"
The others laughed in response.
While Moka looked sadly at the fleeing Tsukune, Inner Moka was livid at what had occurred. "This trash is beginning to try my patience! I shall make them rue the day they scorned Tsukune. Especially YOU, KOMIYA!" The vampire cried out in pain, as she felt her alternate persona overwhelming her consciousness. The ruby within the rosary glowed brilliantly, and a monstrous crimson aura surrounded the girl's body. Her hair changed from pink to silver, and her cries, intermixed with anguish and rage, contained the voices of both personas simultaneously.
Saizou quivered in the presence of the fluctuating girl. "Run for it!" he shouted, and ran down the hall along with the others.
Moka fell to her knees, holding her head in agony. Her aura faded, and her hair became a stable pink once more. She clutched the rosary with trembling hands. She recalled one other time when Inner Moka manifested herself in such a fashion, when Tsukune was struck down by Ruby. Her grief caused her inner self to awaken, despite the seal. She feared such instances weakened it, and dreaded what would've occurred if the seal was actually destroyed.
"Omote," Inner Moka spoke into her counterpart's mind. "I-I'm sorry I-" Her essence looked away, ashamed at what she'd nearly done.
The pink-haired girl slowly rose to her feet. "You're worried about him, too," she spoke softly. "Aren't you?"
Her counterpart remained silent, yet said volumes at the same time.
"I'll find him, Ura-chan," the sophomore spoke, trying to reassure her alter ego, "just, don't do anything rash."
"Very well. Find him quickly, we have much to discuss."
Moka bowed her head solemnly. "Yes," she said in a barely audible voice. She headed down the hall in search of Tsukune.
The morning bell resounded, as every gathered into their respective homerooms. Tsukune sat sullenly in his seat, still shaken over his horrible dream.
"Tsukune, what's wrong," Moka asked from behind. "Why are you so afraid?"
The boy was too scared to respond. The nightmare was still fresh in his mind.
"Tsukune?"
"Hello, everyone," Nekonome Shizuka spoke in her usual, cheerful voice. "I understand you've all assumed your guises exceptionally well. This is important in maintaining a healthy relationship with the humans."
Tsukune thought about what his teacher spoke, for it reflected the very purpose of the academy. He found himself relieved to hear the verbalized commitment to the school's mission.
Suddenly, the room turned black, the students became like shadows, and an dangerous glint appeared in Nekonome's feline eyes. "But once the dark lord returns," she spoke in a twisted, dual voice, "we can discard this pathetic facade, and give those humans the future they deserve!"
The brown-haired youth screamed in terror, and instinctively held his head.
"Tsukune-san," the instructor asked in her regular voice.
The boy looked around the room, which was no longer black, and saw everyone was staring at him. He also saw the homeroom teacher looking at him, her catlike ears perked up. Tsukune bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Nekonome-sensei," he spoke solemnly.
The somewhat feral looking woman gazed at him with interest, and brought her index finger to her chin. "It's alright," she said gently, "just, don't let it happen again."
"Yes, sensei." A morose Tsukune said nothing for the rest of homeroom.
"Tsukune," Moka thought to herself, saddened to see her best friend in such a despondent state.
Tsukune somberly made his way out of the classroom, his eyes downward cast, and his shoulders slouched.
"What's with Aono-san," a male student asked.
"I don't know," another replied, "he hasn't been like this since he first got here."
"It's like the life's been sucked out of him," a female student commented.
"You don't think Moka-san sucked out too much blood," another girl asked, "do you?"
Tsukune stopped short at that. The image of the throne room came back to him, as well as the dead bodies of his closest friends. The image of Inner Moka's corpse frightened him the most. He felt himself previously growing closer to Moka's alternate persona, and the thought of her death by his hands made him shiver almost uncontrollably. "This can't be true," he said to himself. "Will this be my fate if I don't make a choice?"
Concealed behind an open door, Shirayuki Mizore watched the morose boy tread almost lifelessly down the hall. "Tsukune," she said to herself, "what has happened to you? Where's the warm Tsukune who rescued me that day?"
"Tsukune!" a familiar voice called out.
Mizore watched as Moka raced past her after the disgruntled boy. The snow girl's lips tightened around her lollipop. She was still sore over what happened at the playground brawl in the human world. "Moka," she spoke in an icy voice, "you dare cause trouble for Tsukune again? One day, he will be mine, not yours." Her mood lightened as she thought about herself and Tsukune as a true couple. "We'll make lots of children, Haha-ue would be so happy." Her usually distant mood brightened as she imagined the family she'd have created with the brown-haired youth.
The school resounded once more, signifying the start of math class. The teacher, Ririko Kagome, wrote a complicated equation on the blackboard. Tsukune sat with head bowed, oblivious to the words of his instructor. Moka eyed him sadly, while she gave an occasional cold glance to Ririko, who attempted to enslave Tsukune to her teachings the previous year.
"Now then," the auburn-haired woman spoke aloud, "Aono-san?"
Tsukune broke out of his funk, and looked at the sultry math instructor. At that moment, the classroom grew dark, the students became like shadows, and Ririko's glasses glowed eerily. "Would you be so kind as to offer your soul to the dark lord," the incognito lamia asked in a sinister dual voice.
The human student screamed in terror once more. The room immediately brightened, and he found everyone staring at him again. He also noticed his instructor looking at him with a confused expression.
"That," Ririko began hesitantly, "isn't the correct answer." She leaned over her desk, and smiled at Tsukune. "Would you like to try again?"
Most of the class erupted into laughter, while a demoralized Tsukune sunk deeper into depression. "What is happening to me," he thought to himself. "What is this 'dark lord?' And what about that dream? Am, am I destined to lose everyone I care about here?"
Later on in the day came gym class. Since it was a very physical activity, Tsukune knew he had to concentrate. The class had a soccer match that day, and Tsukune used the opportunity to escape the dark visions that plagued him. The more he focused on the match, the less the dark visions he'd received bothered him. As he ran down the field, he saw the ball headed his way. Unfortunately, the ball was kicked a bit too hard, and wound up smacking the boy flush in the forehead. He reeled back, and knocked over two players in the process.
A whistle blew, piercing the afternoon air. "What's the matter with you!" an angry voice demanded. "Focus, Aono-san!"
The sophomore slowly got up, and saw the gym teacher, Kotsubo Okuto, glaring at him. Suddenly, the area grew dark, and Kotsubo's stare became even more ominous. "You must become stronger if you are to be deemed worthy to serve the dark lord!" he proclaimed in a horrific voice.
Tsukune screamed, and ran headlong off the field.
"Get back here!" Kotsubo shouted, and ran after the fleeing youth.
The other students looked on in confusion, completely oblivious about what had just occurred.
Tsukune sat alone in the nurse's office. Though he was glad the previous nurse was removed from her position after the incident with Yukari, it did little to improve his situation overall.
"What do you mean there's nothing wrong with him," Kotsubo demanded. "He was distracted in class, and ran screaming off the field."
The new intern stood anxiously before Kotsubo, Ririko, and Nekonome outside the office. "There's nothing physically wrong," she insisted, "this, malady, seems to be of a more mental, or possibly spiritual nature. And I am unqualified to discuss either matter."
"A mental malady," Nekonome asked.
"Yes, he says he has these, visions whenever someone directly speaks to him."
"What sort of visions," Ririko asked.
The nurse turned to the math teacher. "In your case, Ririko-san, he said you asked him if he'd offer his soul to the Dark Lord."
The auburn-haired woman was shocked. "Th-that's not at all what I said! I asked if he'd be so kind as to offer a solution to the problem I wrote on the board."
"I'm sure you're correct, but that's what he heard."
Kotsubo turned to the intern. "And just what did he hear from me?"
The reserved nurse faced the gym teacher. "He said you told him he had to become stronger if he was to serve the Dark Lord."
The stern-faced man blanched at that. "I told him to become stronger to survive in the human world. I said nothing about a dark lord."
Nekonome's ears flattened against her head. "And what did Tsukune-san hear from me?"
The nurse turned to her. "He heard that once the Dark Lord comes, we could discard this pathetic facade, and give the humans the future they deserve."
The blonde woman mewed in shock. Her ears and her tail stood straight up in response.
"Moreover," the demure intern continued, "these visions seem to be proceeded by the blackening of his surroundings, and the distortion of the speaker's voice."
"It couldn't be any of them," Nekonome said thoughtfully. "The three dark lords have always worked to maintain order in the school until it achieves its true purpose."
"Yes," Kotsubo added, "these, visions go against everything they stand for."
"How ironic they are being sent to young Tsukune," Ririko interjected.
"Indeed," a hollow voice spoke from behind.
Everyone gasped in unison. They turned to see the acting school board chairman behind them, his eyes glowing eerily. "Bring the boy to me," the robed figure spoke in a mysterious voice. "I shall handle the matter personally."
"Y-yes, Chairman-sama," Nekonome spoke timidly. She opened the door, and looked inside to see the young boy, sitting morosely on a cot. "Tsukune-san," she asked.
The incognito human hesitantly faced his speaker. "Yes, Nekonome-sensei?"
"The chairman of the school board wants to see you immediately."
Tsukune gasped audibly. The feral teacher knew he'd never been before the chairman, and wasn't surprised to see a wary expression on his face. The youth slowly rose from the cot. "Coming, sensei."
Watching the nurse's office from behind a corner, Mizore's jaw dropped at what she'd heard, and lost her lollipop. "The chairman," she asked in shock. "What in the world is happening, Tsukune?"
She saw Kotsubo glance in her direction, and she quickly hid from sight. "Blast him," she muttered irritably. "It'd be so much easier if he wasn't there." She still remembered how the gym teacher attempted to violate her in a moment of weakness, and though she acted in self-defense, she was nearly expelled for her efforts. After that, she took great pains to avoid him.
She absently looked down, and saw her lollipop on the floor. She hated littering, so she picked it up, and disposed of it properly. "Didn't expect to bring out the spare," she muttered to herself, as he produced another lollipop. "This was supposed to be for Tsukune." She sighed as she unwrapped the candy, and then placed it in her mouth. "I'll get you a real gift, Tsukune, just you wait."
Tsukune was led to the top floor of the academy. He followed Nekonome to an ominous black door, and couldn't help but shiver. It was colder in that hallway than the rest of the academy. As he neared the entrance to the chairman's office, his shivering intensified. He dreaded what lied behind the black door.
"Wait here, Tsukune-san," Nekonome said, and mewed in chagrin as she approached the imposing chamber. She knocked cautiously on the door. "Chairman-sama, I have brought Aono Tsukune as ordered."
"Send him in," a hollow voice spoke from behind the door.
"Yes." The catlike teacher bowed reverently and turned to her charge. "Tsukune-san, the chairman will see you now. Be courteous and honest, and you should be fine."
"I certainly hope so."
Nekonome opened the door, and Tsukune walked inside. No sooner was the door closed behind him. Immediately startled, he cried out and instinctively turned around. When he did, he saw there was no doorway. He felt like an animal, trapped in a cage.
"Approach, Aono Tsukune," the same voice spoke.
The young man warily turned back, and found himself in a square chamber. A single desk rested at the far end of the chamber. Two cathedral windows at the far end allowed sunlight to enter the room, though it did little to pierce the gloom that the room seemed to exude. Two tall burning candles rested upon the desk, one on each side. Behind it was seated a robed figure, his features concealed under his hood. Tsukune warily approached the seated man. As he neared the desk, he saw the figure raised its face to him, and winced as two glowing white eyes peered at him, much like those of the bus driver who he first met over a year ago.
"Aono Tsukune," the mysterious being behind the desk spoke, "you have been reported for disrupting class on three separate occasions today." He leaned forward in his seat. "Explain."
The human boy quivered under the ominous gaze of the chairman. He swore he felt the robed figure's eyes boring into his very soul, and guessed if he attempted to mislead him in any way, he would've been immediately discovered, and probably punished severely. "Those times," Tsukune finally began, "the room grew dark." He gulped down hard, he'd never felt such fear before. The presence of the chairman truly terrified him. "Everyone became twisted beings. And the teachers, spoke of, the dark lord."
"And what is this, dark lord," the chairman asked coldly.
"I don't know," the brown-haired youth replied in a trembling voice. "Nekonome-sensei, said he would, give the humans, the future they deserve."
The robed figure's lips tightened noticeably. "And when did this begin?"
Tsukune quickly found he couldn't stop shaking when the question was asked. "Last night, I had a terrible dream. I was in this, throne room."
"Throne room," the chairman asked in mild interest.
Tsukune brought his trembling hands close to his face. "A black and red throne," he went on. "There was blood, everywhere. All my friends, dead! Their blood was, was-" He screamed in sheer terror, and held the sides of his head. He collapsed onto his knees, still holding his head.
The mysterious being rose from his desk. And walked over towards Tsukune. "This is a serious accusation you make," he began flatly, as he circled around behind the stricken boy. "We, the Three Dark Lords who rule over the youkai realms, have always labored to fulfill a single goal." He stopped behind Tsukune. "Peaceful coexistence with mankind." He circled around the other side. "To suggest that any or all of us have an ulterior motive could be constituted as slander, and that we will not tolerate."
Tsukune looked up, and saw the robed figure standing before him, a rosary hanging from his neck. The youth wondered if the man was the same one his father encountered on the streets over a year ago. "I never meant, to slander anyone, especially you, Chairman-sama."
The man's expression was unreadable. "Rise."
The human boy warily regained his footing.
"To insure there are no more disturbances, you shall don this until further notice." He raised his hands, and Tsukune saw each held half of a circular band. He reached out and reconnected the article around Tsukune's neck. The youth winced in pain as he felt small pincers digging into his neck. "This band you now wear will insure you no longer act out of turn. Moreover, you shall be serving detention for the next week, under my supervision."
Tsukune gasped in horror at that.
"Return at the end of the day," the chairman continued, "your punishment begins then. Go now."
He pointed behind Tsukune, and a creaking sound was heard. The boy looked behind him, and saw the door was opened. He looked back to the robed figure, who hadn't changed his expression the whole time. Tsukune bowed before the strange man. "Yes, Chairman-sama." He turned and left the chamber without another word, and found himself relieved to have escaped the priest's foreboding presence.
Moka sat at a round table in the library, along with Kurumu and Yukari. Despite her best efforts, the young vampire found it impossible to concentrate on her studies, as the plight of Tsukune troubled her to no end. "Tsukune," she thought to herself, "what could've happened to you?"
"Pardon me, my dear," an urbane voice spoke from behind, "but would you perchance be Akashiya Moka?"
The vampire gasped as she was broken out of her train of thought. She looked behind her, and saw the same man who'd glanced at her at the start of the day.
"What the!" Inner Moka spoke within her outer self's consciousness. "When did he get there? He couldn't have been there but a moment ago!"
The pink-haired girl became even more worried, for it was very rare when her alternate persona was taken off guard. "Um," she began hesitantly, "yes, I am."
The bald-headed man relented at that. "Oh dear, did I startle you? Sorry about that, I'd just heard so much about you that I felt, compelled to make your acquaintance."
"Yes," Inner Moka said with scathing sarcasm, "I'm sure that's not your only compulsion, either."
"Hey, it's the historical researcher," Yukari piped up. "It's such an honor that a man of your intellectual stature has decided to grace our fine establishment with your presence."
"Geez, could you suck up to him any more obviously," Kurumu said to her out of the side of her mouth.
"At least I can speak to him as an equal," the witch shot back. "You seem to demonstrate the classic inversion of the size of the breast and the size of the brain."
"What was that?" the succubus snapped, as she rose from her chair, which caused her chest to bounce accordingly.
"I rest my case," Yukari said smugly.
"Simmer down!" Moka interjected. "Have you forgotten we're in the library?" She looked back to the scholar before them. "Please excuse their rudeness, it is indeed rare to meet someone of your stature."
"Indeed," the stranger replied, "I am called Colton Pierce, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He looked meaningfully at the others. "Hmm, quite entertaining company you keep, Akashiya-sama."
"Please," the pink-haired girl replied with a blush, "you're embarrassing me. Just call me Moka."
"If you insist." The older gentlemen looked at the sophomore thoroughly. "Pardon me for asking, but is it really proper for a vampire to be garbed in such attire?"
"Wh-wh-who told you I was a vampire," the young woman asked in a startled voice.
"You mean you're not?" He held his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, I must've been mistaken. I usually have a keen eye for these things."
"Don't be fooled," Inner Moka warned her outer self. "He knows exactly what we are."
"Pardon me, Colton-sama," Yukari spoke up.
"Yes," the clean-shaven man replied.
"What made you think Moka-san was a vampire? I mean, it's not really obvious, not that anyone's supposed to know our true nature. It's the first rule of the academy."
"Indeed, it is to prevent strife between warring races."
Yukari was even more impressed by the historian's knowledge.
"However," the urbane man continued, "from my findings, I've noticed most vampires have a, darker side to them. One that is not readily apparent. And those who discover it rarely live to tell anyone."
Moka looked away, a sad expression on her face. Deep within her mind, her counterpart glared at Colton with her burning red eyes.
"That may be so," the witch said defensively, "but Moka-san is different. She saved my life last year, and dark side or not, she's my best friend. I'd do anything for Moka-san."
"I'm sure you would," Kurumu said out of the side of her mouth.
Without another word, Yukari produced her magic wand and waved it in the air. A washing basin materialized and smashed the incognito succubus over the head, which resulted in a loud banging noise that drew dirty looks and shushing sounds from everyone in the library.
"Yes," the historian remarked with a bemused look, "I see you are very skilled in the art of witchcraft."
"Thank you, Colton-sama!" Yukari replied with a beaming face.
Moka laughed nervously, as a few strands of hair sprung out of place.
The essence of Inner Moka slapped her hand over her face. "I am surrounded by idiots."
"Oh dear," the short brunette said with an embarrassed smile, "I cause all this commotion and I haven't even properly introduced myself. I am Sendo Yukari, Youkai Academy sophomore."
"Ah yes," Colton dryly remarked, "the girl genius of the school, most likely to graduate valedictorian next year."
"You're embarrassing me," Yukari said gaily, holding her cheeks in her hands.
"I see you've met some of our more, distinguished students, Colton-sama," a mature woman's voice spoke from nearby.
"Ruby-san!" Yukari exclaimed happily, as she saw her fellow witch approach the table, clad in her business attire.
"Hello, Yukari-chan," the administrative assistant replied. "I've been acting as tour guide for Colton-sama during his visit here at the academy, and from what I understand, he is most impressed with the facilities here." A bright pink cloud surrounded the woman. "So many many things are happening, and hopefully many many more, I'm sure Colton-sama will give this academy the highest of commendations to his colleagues abroad."
Everyone had a drop of sweat run down the sides of their heads, save for Colton.
"So not even she suspects him," Inner Moka asked mentally. "This is mortifying."
"Yes," the historian replied, "I'll be sure to spread the news of your, fine establishment back in Europe. They'll be most impressed. I do think I am ready to continue the tour now."
"Certainly, Colton-sama," Ruby replied with a bow.
The older man smiled at the girls. "Well then, I bid you adieu, ladies. Perhaps we shall meet again." He then followed Ruby away from the table.
Kurumu finally got back into her seat, and looked to find themselves alone. "What? Where'd he go?"
"You missed him," Yukari said snidely, "though I'm sure he didn't miss you."
"Hey!" the succubus snapped. "That's not fair! I didn't even get a chance to introduce myself!"
More shushing noises came their way.
"Speaking of introductions," Moka spoke up, trying to appease her friends by changing the subject, "where is Mizore? I haven't seen her in a while."
"Probably stalking Tsukune again," Kurumu said irritably. "If we find her, we'll probably find Tsukune."
Inner Moka actually smiled in response. "That's the best idea anyone's had all day," she remarked to her outer self. "How ironic it came from her," she added with a wry smirk, "Do so."
"Right," her alter ego succinctly replied, and rose from her seat.
"Where are you going all of a sudden," the incognito succubus asked, startled by her sudden actions.
"To find Tsukune. Thanks for the tip, Kurumu-san!" She waved and headed out of the library.
"Hey, wait up!" the cyan-haired girl called out as she followed her. "What do you mean, thanks for the tip? Hey, I'm talking to you!"
Yukari made a face as she found herself alone at the table. "I hate being left out." She got her books, rose from the table, and followed the others.
Mizore watched the door of the chairman's office from behind a corner. She saw Tsukune enter the office and had not yet returned. She was very worried, as well as perplexed. From what she could gather from the day's events, Tsukune had done nothing to raise the chairman's ire. It brought back painful memories of last year, when the brown-haired youth was nearly executed simply for being human. Though the ruse had not yet been discovered again, she feared what was occurring with the chairman's office.
A few minutes later, the object of her desire emerged from the most important room in the academy. His face was downward cast, and the purple-haired girl gasped as she saw a black choker around his neck, with a red eye symbol on the front. His arms hung limply by his sides, and his gait was very slow. Appalled, the snow girl immediately ran up to him. "Tsukune," she said worriedly, "are you alright?"
The young boy slowly raised his face to her. "Mizore-chan," he replied in a near lifeless voice.
The yuki onna reached out and held the saddened boy's shoulders. "Tsukune, let's visit my mother this weekend. We can watch the human telecast of the night's circus, won't that be swell?"
The brown-haired youth's eyes darkened for a moment, and then brightened again. Suddenly, he screamed in terror, and raced down the hall.
Mizore spun around, shocked and confused at what had just occurred. "Tsukune!" she cried out, but received no response. "Tsukune, what was that I saw in your eyes just then? What's, what's happened to you?"
Far behind the door, the chairman watched the scene outside his office. His expression was unreadable, and he mad no indication he had even noticed the disturbance.
"Is this really necessary," a voice asked from the shadows, "what are we accomplishing here?"
The robed figure turned and saw the familiar form of the bus driver in the corner. "It is as I thought," he spoke in his hollow voice. "This, malady only takes effect when someone speaks directly to the boy, and he makes eye contact with the speaker."
The driver gave his superior a startled look. "Is it a curse?"
"It would definitely appear that way, old friend. It started last night, with a dark vision that has shackled with soul with fear. Since then, he has been plagued by premonitions of a, dark lord, that shall come and destroy humanity."
"That's not good," the mustached man remarked. "What do we do now?"
"We shall observe what transpires from here on in. I truly hope he has grown from he trials he's already endured. I see a dark storm coming, far greater than anything that has ever befallen the school."
The bus driver looked directly at the chairman. "What sort of storm, chairman?"
"That I do not know, yet. But this school and its purpose shall soon be tested like never before, and I fear once the storm has passed, nothing will ever be the same. Keep watch over the boy, as well as the girl. No harm must befall them."
The man in the blue coat inhaled deeply on his cigar, and blew a small cloud of smoke. "Leave it to me." He then vanished from the office, melting back into the shadows.
What is this storm the chairman foresees? Does it have anything to do with Tsukune's visions of the dark lord? And will the girls stop squabbling long enough to combat the coming threat.
"I'm not holding my breath."
And for reference sake:
Haha-ue = most honorable mother
Anyway, tune in next time for Part I, Chapter II What A Horrible Night...