High above the human world angels were flying about inside the realm of heaven, either ones that lived peacefully in the heavenly city provided by the Almighty or those that were stationed in the grand palace that floated higher up still. Those in the heavenly city were blessed with peace and tranquility, the souls of humans who were deemed worthy of an eternal paradise. The angels higher up in the palace watched over both the city below and the human world further down, the watchful guardians keeping order for the Almighty.
Flying up from the clouds below two figures were seen, soaring up towards the palace in the sky. They flew up and landed down on the edge of the outer courtyard together. One was an angel, his feathered wings retracting slightly behind him. He had the usual attire for angels, with a simple white toga outfit and red belt along with sandals. He glanced back down from where they came with his brown eyes while his short red hair was a bit messy as usual, and then looked over to his travel companion. She was dressed in the Yokai Academy uniform for girls, her skirt and green jacket being worn along with black shoes and a white undershirt. Her wings however were those of a butterfly that were brightly colored with blue trimmings, white segments, and yellow spots. She had short black hair and green eyes, the chronofly looking around with wonder as this was her second time up in heaven.
"That was incredible, so very odd yet fascinating the way you can do that," Gabriel said as he looked back down from where they came. He had used his angelic power to bring the living girl up to the grand palace, with her using her unique ability to control time at his personal request. During half the trip they had flown up in a single moment in time, the angel simply amazed at the concept of moving through time.
"Thank you Gabriel, but we only shifted through time to fly upwards. Nothing really special," Luna said with a soft smile. She glanced to the angel then looked at him with a curious smile. He rubbed the back of his head and looked at her with an impressed grin.
"Don't sell yourself short Luna, that is truly a gift you have," he said kindly. The girl nodded and glanced away. She wasn't sure why, but during the time they held hands on the way up a strange feeling seemed to light up briefly inside of her. She looked around then back down towards the heavenly city. The physical dimensions of the floating city were an impossibility, with the city appearing to be endless at one angle and then only being a small dimension of land at another. The girl looked at it puzzled as her mind couldn't understand the way the city appeared then looked away shaking her head.
"Wow… that'll give me a headache," she said holding her head.
"Yeah, you need angelic sight to understand the ways of the Almighty," Gabriel said with a chuckle. He looked at Luna curiously as the girl held her head while trying to calm her breathing.
"Hey, are you ok?" he asked.
"Yeah… just… headaches don't agree with chronoflies," Luna said with a weak smile. She blinked a few times then looked at the angel.
"A headache for us could be… problematic," she said with a shrug. He nodded and looked at her curiously as she stood there before him. After a while she smiled gently and glanced away.
"What is it?" she asked softly.
"Oh… it's just… it's just hard to believe that you're the same girl Rason saved that night," Gabriel said with a smile. Luna blushed and nodded.
"Yeah, he really is my angel," she said softly. Gabriel looked at the chronofly standing before him, the girl a picture of beauty from her figure to her wings. She may have been a monster, but she was very enchanting to him all the same.
"Ah, so I see she decided to help us after all," the elder said as he walked up next to them. They looked to see the long blonde haired angel looking at Luna with a calm smile.
"Yes elder," Gabriel said with a nod.
"I'm honored actually… I mean… being asked by him for something, I don't know what to say," Luna said looking down bashfully.
"That's quite alright. We are grateful that you would be willing to help us with this task," the elder said calmly. She looked at him then around curiously.
"Um… so, what is it that you need me for?" she asked. The elder looked at her with a calm smile and shook his head.
"Before we get into that, I do have a bit of a surprise for you," he said glancing to Gabriel. The angel smirked and nodded as he crossed his arms. Luna looked at the elder with a curious smile.
"A surprise? For me?" she asked. He nodded and motioned towards Gabriel. Luna looked over to see Gabriel looking up. He waved at something then glanced to Luna. She blinked then slowly looked up. Her eyes widened as her mouth opened in surprise.
"She wanted to say hi to you before you left again," the elder said as a girl flew down towards them gently. She was about Yukari's height and slightly younger in age.
"Oh my…" Luna said under her breath.
She had green eyes and short blue hair.
"Is it… really…" Luna said with tears forming.
Her butterfly wings were brightly colored with green trimmings, soft pink wings, and light blue spots.
"Yes Luna," Gabriel said kindly.
She wore an elegant white dress lined with green trimmings along with white dress shoes.
"You can thank Rason my dear, him and your friends. For showing us that monsters can indeed be worthy of heaven," the elder said as the girl landed down next to Luna, the young chronofly looking up at her with a bright smile.
"Sister!" Complica said happily. Luna trembled then knelt down, hugging her sister while crying softly with a smile.
"Complica! Complica you're here!" Luna said as the young sister held her closely.
"They said you would be coming up here today, I was so happy to see you again!" Complica said happily as the elder sister held her close. After a while Luna leaned back and looked with amazement at her deceased sister.
"Complica… you're… it's really you. Oh my, I've almost forgotten how beautiful your wings were," she said gently as she looked over her sister. The younger girl giggled and smiled at her sister.
"I've missed you. How have you been? What have you been doing? I heard you were fighting some large monster that was destroying everything with a bunch of other monsters! What was it like? What were they like? What did you do to stop that thing? Is it true you're a hero of the earth now? Wow that's so cool, does that mean I'm part hero too because we're related? Hey do you still draw like you did before? I've been practicing you know I'm getting pretty good-" Complica started before Luna laughed a bit and shook her head amusedly. She rested her hand on Complica's head and smiled at her.
"You haven't changed a bit Complica. It's… it's so good to see you again, I've missed you so much," she said as she wiped a tear away. She looked around then back to her sister with a curious smile.
"Are mother and father… are they…" she asked hopefully. Complica nodded quickly.
"Yep yep. They're down in a new city being made for us monsters. It's so cool, there's so many different ones there," she said with a smile.
"A new city?" Luna asked in wonder.
"Times are changing Luna. And with our own guardian of the monster realm comes our own city of the monster realm as well," the elder said with a smile. Luna looked to him with wonder then back to Complica.
"It's still too soon to have all monsters and humans share the same city, but in time we might be able to slowly merge the two. But rest assured, their heaven up here is just the same as the humans. Those that are approved by Rason and the Almighty are granted true peace up here," Gabriel said calmly. Luna looked back to him with a bright smile.
"My family… they're up here too?" she said with a smile. Gabriel nodded and looked to Complica.
"Of course, they were some of the first ones we transferred here, just the same as-" he started before he stopped and glanced up. He then chuckled and shook his head.
"Again? How many times am I going to catch you up here?" he asked playfully. The group looked up as Complica giggled.
Floating down to them a young girl was seen. She had brightly colored wings, the feathers appearing to be made of frost and ice.
"She followed me when I said my sister was coming up," Complica said while waving to her friend.
She was about Yukari's age and height as well, having long purple hair that went past her shoulders.
"Who is that?" Luna asked curiously.
She wore a white and purple kimono, the girl's wings appearing to trail a shimmering frost in the air.
"Somebody who has been repeatedly told to stay in the city down below," Gabriel said shaking his head.
She had clear blue eyes, the girl also wearing earbuds and had an mp3 player clipped to her hip.
"You know you're responsible for this one as well Gabriel," the elder mused with a slight smirk.
She didn't have a lollipop in her mouth seeing as how her body temperature was always comfortably cold in heaven.
"Believe me I know elder," Gabriel said tiredly.
The girl landed down next to the group, her white shoes touching down as her wings slightly retracted back. She looked around curiously as the group watched her.
"Hee hee, looks like you're in trouble again Arial," Complica giggled playfully. Arial glanced to her then around again.
"Arial? Wait… Arial Kuyumaya?" Luna said in surprise. The snow girl looked to her with a blank expression.
"Where's Dark?" she asked softly, her voice seeming shy and timid.
"Dark's not here, he's not dead yet. I told you only Luna was coming up, and I've told you dozens of times to stay in the city below," Gabriel said tiredly. The snow girl glanced to him then around again.
"Dark?" she called out.
"She didn't hear you," Complica said with a shrug.
"She never hears me, even when I take those earbuds away. Where does she keep getting them from anyway?" Gabriel asked with a bit of annoyance.
"It's heaven down there, I'm sure she has an unlimited supply. Frankly I'd be surprised if her batteries could ever die," the elder said with a smirk.
"Dark?" Arial called out again. Luna looked at her with awe.
"She's the one that freed Dark isn't she?" she asked in wonder.
"That's right. Her family was brought up as well. We figured your friend Dark would appreciate that. However this one doesn't seem to want to stay down in the city, she keeps flying around looking for the demon she remembers," the elder said calmly. Luna looked at the girl with amazement.
'What Mizore wouldn't give to meet her.'
"Wow…" she said looking between the two deceased monster children.
"She really is a good soul. Even though she was killed by Dark's blade she bears no grudge in the least. If anything she's his biggest fan. From the time of her death she kept talking about how the shadow demon broke free from his shackles for her, how he put an end to the killing of her village for her. She keeps asking the elders to tell tales of you and your friends, or rather only of Dark," the elder said looking at the snow girl who kept looking around the area curiously. Her music was playing as her eyes gazed around, the snow girl searching for any sign of the demon that she last met on earth.
"Yeah, and she keeps sneaking up here to ask where he is now. She doesn't seem to get the picture that she's supposed to stay down below in the city with her family," Gabriel said with an amused smile. The snow girl looked to Luna and tilted her head.
"Is Dark coming?" she asked. Luna shook her head.
"No, he's not dead. He's still alive with Mi-" she started before Gabriel waved his hands in front of him franticly, the angel being out of Arial's eye line. Luna glanced to him then back to Arial.
"With… who?" Arial asked as the temperature dropped around the area. Luna looked at the girl worriedly as Complica quickly hid behind her. Arial's hair frosted over as the ground below her turned to ice, the girl's expression still remaining blank yet cold at the same time. The young chronofly peeked out from behind her sister and shook her head.
"With his friends, just his friends Arial, nobody else," she said worriedly. Arial looked at her for a moment then nodded, the girl's hair returning to normal as did the surrounding temperature. Luna looked at the girl worriedly then over to Gabriel.
"Two things you need to know Luna. One, she can read lips like Dark can. No surprise there as she listens to music literally 24/7 up here. And two, don't ever mention Mizore to her," Gabriel said worriedly. Arial started looking around curiously again while Luna eyed her carefully.
"Why not?" Luna asked cautiously.
"Because Arial doesn't know Dark has a new girlfriend," Complica said nervously.
"New girlfriend? She's the only one he's ever had, isn't she?" Luna asked.
"Yes, but…" Gabriel said looking at the young snow girl as she looked around at the sky with a calm gaze.
"When an elder started talking about Dark having a girlfriend, Arial… didn't take it too well," he said carefully.
"What do you mean?" Luna asked worriedly.
"She froze over a great amount of the city in her rage," the elder said simply. Luna looked at him with surprise then back to Arial.
"She did?" she said in disbelief.
"It took quite a bit of effort to thaw out the city and free the surprised monster souls there," the elder said.
"We had to modify the story so that the girlfriend, who's name we never got to say before, died during the Fairy Tale battle. Everybody up here knows about Arial and her… obsession with Dark," Gabriel said carefully.
"Obsession?" Luna asked cautiously.
"She wants to marry Dark when he comes up here," Complica said simply.
"Marry him?" Luna said in surprise. Arial glanced to her, the chronofly looking at her nervously. Luna watched the snow girl carefully, the little angel staring at her for a moment before looking back around.
"She thinks they're meant to be together since he broke free from his master's command because of her, she's in love with him," Complica explained.
"We're still working on how to break it to her, she can be… rather difficult and touchy when it comes to her shadow demon," Gabriel said worriedly.
"She's a good soul, she really is. She's my friend up here. We talk about everything together. She's the only friend I've made up here so far too. Lloyd hasn't been transferred to the heavenly city yet, and she's the only one here who we can relate to you all down below," Complica said softly.
"She is a good soul Complica, that's why she was allowed up here. It's just she has some… attachment issues with the shadow demon," the elder said glancing to the snow angel.
"Well… didn't expect that," Luna said scratching her head. She then looked to her sister and smiled with relief.
"Still, it's great to see you again Complica. I'm glad you're doing ok," she said gently. She then smiled sadly and glanced away.
"I'm sorry… about how…" she said hesitantly. Complica looked at her with a saddened smile.
"I heard that Falla is with you still," she said softly. Luna looked to her and nodded slowly. Complica smiled gently and looked down.
"I heard she's changed now, that she learned to be good," she said quietly. Luna smiled gently at her sister and rested her hand on her shoulder.
"She was the one that helped Tsukune defeat Alucard. She's a real hero. She… she does feel great pain for what her darker self did in the past, but she's trying to atone for it. She's even one of the first monsters to attend a human school publicly, to show the humans that monsters can be trusted. She really has changed Complica, she's a good soul now," Luna said kindly. Complica smiled at her sister and nodded a few times.
"I'm glad," she said softly.
"Where is Dark?" Arial asked impatiently while shaking her head, obviously not getting the fact that the demon wasn't coming.
"Anyway, Gabriel will handle those two while I inform you of your assignment. We shouldn't waste much more time since you're here," the elder said with a calm tone. Gabriel nodded and looked to Luna.
"Don't worry; I'll make sure they get back to their families. And this time they're going to stay there," he said, looking towards Arial and calling out the last part. The snow girl kept looking around, either not having heard him over her music or not caring. Complica giggled and smiled at her sister.
"It was great seeing you again sister, and don't worry, we'll be here for whenever you come back," she said happily. Luna nodded and smiled at her sister.
"Take care sister," she said softly. Gabriel smiled at Luna then looked to the young chronofly.
"Ok, let's get going," he said kindly. He looked over and then walked towards Arial with a dull stare. The snow girl glanced to him as he crossed his arms.
"Let's go Arial," he said with a slightly stern tone. The snow girl rolled her eyes and fluttered her wings, the frost shimmering behind her. The three took off into the sky then flew towards the monster city near the human city, with Gabriel and Complica waving to Luna while Arial had her arms crossed before her with a dull expression. Luna waved them off then looked to the elder.
"Thank you elder, for taking them in," she said graciously.
"It's the least we can do. We have seen firsthand that monsters can be just as good as humans. We are slowly starting to get the rules of heaven changed around, and in the meantime the monsters approved for here will be in their own city in their own paradise. The Almighty has seen the good in you monsters, we only hope you can forgive us for how blind we were to your hearts before," the elder said with a bow. Luna smiled and nodded.
"It's all behind us now. I'm just glad my family and friends will have a peaceful afterlife," she said softly. She blinked then looked at the elder carefully, the man looking at her with a solemn expression in return.
"Tell me… if the Almighty needed me to help with something…" she said cautiously.
"That's right; a chronofly is needed for this particular problem. I'm afraid that we have an issue that is causing some concern with the Almighty," he said solemnly. Luna looked at him with a bit of surprise.
"Um… just what kind of problem are you talking about?" she asked worriedly. The elder shook his head and extended out his wings.
"Come, I'll show you. Hopefully a chronofly as gifted as you can take care of this… problem," he said as he took off. Luna nodded and followed after, worried about her assignment now.
Inside the classroom of Ms. Nekonome the teacher was finishing up her lesson plan while very few students were paying attention. As she started wrapping up her lecture she turned to the class.
"Oh, and one final announcement class. Tomorrow we will be holding our annual school festival!" she said with a cheer. The class smiled at her with excitement as the continued.
"We are looking for volunteers to help run the event, so anybody interested in participating please sign up today," she said with a happy tone.
"Wow is it that time already? Yippie!" Yukari cheered out. Rin raised her hand with a curious expression. The teacher looked to her and nodded.
"Um… what's a 'festival'?" she asked.
The class just looked to her in response.
"I thought when she wore her headphones she wasn't an idiot," a boy said with a snicker.
"I guess they're out of batteries," another boy chuckled. The girl twitched and looked down worriedly while her two sisters glared at the boy.
"Oh, it's a celebration we hold here. We will have games and shows being performed for the students of the school. Also previous graduates of the academy will be coming to see the classes, so you can also learn more about how they live among the humans and what they do for a living," the teacher explained happily. Rin nodded slowly then raised her hand again.
"Ok. And… what does 'celebration' mean?" she asked.
Again the class just looked at her.
"She's joking right?" Yukari said flatly.
"I don't think so," Kurumu said with a raised eyebrow.
"It's like a party," Tsukune said gently. Rin smiled brightly at him.
"A party? Really? Can we go too?" she asked eagerly. Tsukune smiled and nodded.
"Sure, everybody in school will be there," he said. She looked at him curiously.
"Everybody?" she asked.
"Yeah, the whole school goes to the event. It's held right here on campus," Moka said. Rin smiled and looked to her sisters, the two girls glancing to each other with smiles as well. The bell then rang and students started to get up and leave.
"Oh, and also for you new girls. Just so you know it's a requirement for all students here to join an afterschool club. So feel free to sign up for any one you wish," Ms. Nekonome called out. The teacher walked out as the group looked to each other.
"Wow the festival is back. I can't wait, I can't wait!" Yukari cheered out.
"I haven't been to such an event myself, this sounds like fun," Ahakon said with a smile.
"Yahoo, you know it will be kid," Kurumu said with a bright smile and cheer. She sighed and looked up with a loving gaze.
"Last year's festival was great, and this time I have a boyfriend to share it with," the succubus said as she looked to her angel with loving eyes.
"Me as well," Mizore said softly looking at Dark, the demon looking at her with a blank glance. He smiled softly for a moment, the girl knowing that was enough to show how he felt.
"Yeah, we all have somebody to share it with. It won't be like last year," Moka said with a giggle.
"Last year? What happened last year?" Rason asked.
"Well…" Moka said glancing to Tsukune.
"I ended up in the infirmary from a little mishap," Tsukune said weakly. The angel nodded and smirked at him.
"Let me guess, girl trouble," he said looking around at the girls. Kurumu looked down with a nervous smile, Yukari giggled, and Mizore glanced away. Moka nodded then looked to Tsukune.
"Sorry again about all that… we were… well you know," she said softly. She remembered how the boy was confined to the bed, the poor human having been caught in the crossfire between a shy vampire, an overzealous witchling, a persistent succubus, and a clingy snow maiden. The girls had stayed in the infirmary with great worry as he was out cold that night with injuries he sustained trying to get them to stop fighting over him. Tsukune chuckled and looked to Moka with a kind smile.
"Don't worry about it. And this time we'll all be around for the fireworks at the end," he said reassuringly.
"Oh yeah, that's right. We missed those," Yukari said looking up thoughtfully.
"Fireworks?" Rin said with wide eyes and a bright smile. The group looked to her as Tsukune nodded.
"Yeah, at the end of the festival there's a big fireworks presentation," he said with a smile. Rin blinked and tilted her head.
"Presentation means show," Kurumu said flatly. Rin jumped with a big smile and looked back to her sisters.
"A fireworks show, oh can we go too? Please please please?" she asked eagerly. Ran and Ren looked to each other then back to their sister.
"You already know we're going, the entire school is going to be there, remember?" Ren said, having an expectant tone at the end. Ran merely nodded in agreement. Rin bounced around with joy.
"Yay!" she cheered. Ran and Ren stood up and walked over to their excited sister.
"Ok, c'mon let's get going," Ren said dully. Rin bounced to her feet and nodded then waved to the group.
"See you all there!" she called out with a wink. The group smiled weakly and waved as the three sisters walked out. Ran and Ren glanced back to them quickly then walked out with their sister.
"Well… they're friendly," Tsukune said with a shrug.
"That poor girl, having to deal with that memory problem," Moka said softly.
"She seems happy enough," Mizore said simply.
"Happy? Puppies are happy. That girl is thrilled," Kurumu commented with a raised eyebrow. She then smiled at her angel as she stood up.
"Let's get going too angel boy," she said with a wink. Rason nodded and stood up, the girl instantly grabbing onto his arm.
"Here's hoping our day finally calms down for once," he said with a nervous laugh.
"I think the worst is behind us at this point," Tsukune said as he and Moka stood up. The girl held onto his arm and smiled at him.
"Still nice to know you're here to save me," she said with a giggle. The boy smiled amusingly at her then kissed her forehead, the girl blushing from the gesture. Dark stood up as did Mizore, the silent couple walking towards the door together. Yukari hopped up and pulled Ahakon up, the boy again being dragged towards the door by his loving and overzealous girlfriend.
"Hey slow down, what's the rush?" Ahakon said with a small laugh.
"C'mon, we don't want to be late after all," the witch giggled.
"We have plenty of time, calm down Yukari," Moka said as she and Tsukune started walking after them. Rason and Kurumu followed, the two enjoying the feel of each other's touch as they walked behind the vampire couple.
"Yeah, not like we're going to miss anything," Rason said with a smirk. The four couples walked out into the hall, then looked over to the side.
"And once again, I spoke too soon," Rason said flatly as they watched something along with other students that had gathered around the hallway.
"Give those back!" Ran shouted out as she tried to reach for her sister's headphones, the device being held up by a taller male student as he used his other arm to hold the girl back. Near them Ren was holding Rin, the blonde haired girl looking around with a confused expression. Ren looked at her sister with worry then glared over at the bully.
"Haha, why? Not like it helps her. She's dumb as a brick either way," the bully said with a laugh. A few other boys around them laughed a bit while girls pointed and snickered. Ran jumped up and down trying to grab the device while she held her books to her side tightly with her other arm. The group just looked at them with blank expressions.
"Really? More of this?" Kurumu said shaking her head.
"There's always going to be bullies in school," Tsukune said shaking his head.
"That's so cruel, she needs those," Moka said worriedly.
"Yeah, they keep whatever mind she has in there from going out completely," Rason said.
Ran hopped around trying to get the headphones, the bully then pushing her away with a shove. She stumbled back as her books dropped to the ground, the girl looking down with surprise as the students around laughed at her. The girl scrambled to pick them up while Rin looked around worriedly, confused as to why everybody was laughing at her and puzzled as to where she was.
"Haha, oh I'm sorry," the bully snickered as Ran trembled with an embarrassed expression as she picked up her books, the girl holding them close to her chest as she looked down while she was kneeled down on the floor. Rin started to cry as everybody was laughing at her, becoming scared as to what was happening. Ren looked around with discontent then towards the bully with a glare.
"Those jerks, they need to be taught a lesson," Ahakon growled with anger. Yukari nodded and brought out her wand.
"Hey! What's going on over here?" Ruby called out, the witch walking over towards the commotion. Students started chuckling and walking away as the bully laughed, the kid dropping the headphones down and running off. Ruby walked over and looked around then at the three sisters. She looked to the headphones, picking them up and looking over to Ren.
"I'm sorry about that, are these-" she started before Ren snatched them out from the witch's grip. The girl glared at Ruby then put them on Rin's head, the blonde haired girl blinking then looking around while wiping her tears away. Ran shakily got up and looked to her sisters with a nervous expression. Ruby looked at them with remorse then bowed politely.
"I'm sorry they were being so mean. I'll speak to the headmaster-"
"Don't bother. Like that would do any good," Ren snapped. The witch looked at her with a bit of surprise as the three sisters looked away with discontent.
"Hey, it'll be ok. We'll deal with those troublemakers," Ruby said gently.
"No, you won't. What can you do? Give them a stern talking to? Like that will do anything," Ren scoffed while shaking her head.
"We can be very persuasive. Please, don't let them-" Ruby started before Ren glared at her.
"We'll deal with our own problems. Go mind your own business," she said sternly before the three sisters walked off. Ruby looked at them with worry then over to the group. They looked to each other then towards the three girls that were walking away, the three that had dull glares in their eyes.
Inside the girls restroom in the academy three students were seen. Rin was standing before the sink and mirror, holding her arms around her and looking down while trembling. On either side Ren and Ran were looking at her with sympathetic eyes and holding one hand on her shoulders. The blonde haired girl choked back a sob and then slowly looked into the mirror.
"Sister, it's ok, really," Ran said softly.
"It's not like we're here to make friends," Ren said gently. Rin nodded and looked down with a sigh.
"I know. Still… I was scared. I couldn't remember anything, and everybody was laughing at me. I always feel all alone and lost when that happens," she said softly. She held a hand to her headphones, the device once again over her ears and allowing her to think properly. The music was turned down so she could hear around her better, the girl merely having to wear the device for it to take effect.
"I'm sorry Rin, I know it's hard on you," Ran said looking down.
"You were young back then; father said you didn't know any better. It's not like you did that to yourself on purpose," Ren said gently.
"I know. Still…" Rin said as she looked into the mirror.
From behind two girls had quietly walked into the restroom, both of them seeing the three students and watching them with sympathetic eyes. Yukari and Kurumu backed out slightly and peeked through the open door.
"I couldn't help it. I love music, so much," Rin said softly.
"We all do, comes with being one of us," Ran said with a soft smile. Rin nodded and closed her eyes, the girl breathing out to calm her mind. Ren looked at her sister with remorse then up. After a moment she started to sing a song, a gentle melody of unknown tongues. The two girls peeking through the door couldn't understand a word of it, but the sound of it…
"Wow…" Yukari said with awe.
"Her voice. It's… amazing," Kurumu said with wonder.
Ran smiled and joined in with her sister, the two singing in perfect harmony. Their voices sang the melody, seeming gentle, sad, and uplifting at the same time. Rin smiled and looked to her sisters, then joined in. All three sang the melody in unison, all of them obviously knowing the song very well. Slowly all three girls smiled and sang together, their voices filling the restroom.
"I've never heard such singing before," Yukari said with amazement. The song they heard seemed to make all their worries vanish, they both felt so relaxed and comfortable just hearing the melody. The world around them seemed to just melt away.
"Yeah, they're really good. They should join the music club or something with that talent," Kurumu said. She felt so happy inside just hearing the song, unsure as to why but loving it just the same. The two nodded then walked in to the room.
"Hey, you guys are-" Kurumu started before the three girls looked to them quickly, stopping their song and just staring at them with caution. After a pause they started to walk out while avoiding eye contact.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Yukari asked. They didn't reply, but merely walked out with dull expressions.
"What was that about? We were only going to compliment them," Kurumu said scratching her head.
"Maybe they don't trust anybody here yet. Seems like they've been getting picked on since they arrived," Yukari reasoned.
"C'mon, let's go try to talk to them. Tsukune was right, they are friendly, they just need a friend or two," Kurumu said, the two then walking out after the girls. They looked around the hall then noticed something.
"Again? Seriously?" Kurumu said with annoyance.
Down the hall a familiar scene was taking place, with a bully holding Rin's headphones back behind him while holding Ran back with the other hand. Rin was looking around with a confused expression while Ren was being held from behind by another bully.
"Give those back, she needs those!" Ran cried out.
"Haha, oh really? And why's that, some good tunes on here or something?" the bully said with a laugh.
"Where am I? Who are you?" Rin asked a boy that was grinning at her.
"Your boyfriend, c'mon cutie, let's go somewhere and get to know each other better," the boy said grabbing her hand. She looked at it puzzled.
"I have a boyfriend? Really?" she asked curiously.
"Rin get away from him! He's not your boyfriend!" Ren shouted out. Another boy walked up and slapped her across the face, then grabbed her white hat and looked at it curiously.
"Wearing hats and headphones in school, that doesn't seem proper for students of this academy," the boy said with a snicker. Ren growled then looked at the boy with a deep glare.
"Those jerks, what the hell is wrong with them?" Kurumu said with anger.
"C'mon, they're not going to get away with this," Yukari said as she brought out her wand.
"Stop it; she needs those to think properly!" Ran cried out before she was pushed around and shoved against the wall, dropping her books as the bully held the headphones behind him still.
"Oh please, that girl is as stupid as they get either way. Besides, we'll take good care of her, I promise," the boy said with a sly grin. Ran thrashed about as the boy had her pinned back against the wall then glared at the bully. The boy leaned in closer and eyed her carefully.
"You're not too bad looking yourself, how about you and I get to know each other better?" he said playfully. Ran narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth slightly, the same as Ren started to do. They each took a deep breath then-
"Hey!" Kurumu shouted out. The group looked over to see Kurumu and Yukari walking up to them.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Kurumu said sternly.
"I'm going someplace with my boyfriend. I think," Rin said looking back to the boy holding her hand.
"He's not your boyfriend Rin," Yukari said holding her wand at the ready. Rin blinked and looked at her curiously.
"He's not? Then who is? Are you and I dating?" she asked. Yukari glanced to the girl with a raised eyebrow.
"Um… no," she said slowly. Rin nodded then looked around.
"Then who am I dating?" she asked.
"You're not dating anyone," Kurumu said shaking her head. Rin looked down with a disappointed frown.
"Why not? What's wrong with me?" she asked sadly.
"A lot," the boy holding her said dryly.
"Enough of this, let them go now," Kurumu demanded while extending her nails. The boys glanced to each other then to the succubus, knowing full well that the two girls were indeed capable fighters. Most of the school even knew Yukari alone would be strong enough to strike down any bully that messed with her.
"Hmph, fine," the bully said as he let go of Ran. The kid dropped the headphones down and walked off as the one holding Ren let go. He tossed the girl her hat with a careless fling while the bully holding onto Rin let go and grunted as he walked away, all the boys avoiding a fight with the two girls who could likely wipe the floor with them. Yukari walked over and picked up the headphones and looked to Rin.
"Hey, these are-" she started before Ren snatched them away and glared at the two girls.
"Mind your own business!" she shouted before walking over to a confused Rin.
"What? What's wrong? We just helped you," Yukari said as Ren put the headphones back onto her sister's head. Rin blinked a few times then looked around.
"Not again…" she said softly before looking to her sister. Ren nodded then looked back to Kurumu and Yukari. Ran picked up her books with an annoyed expression then looked to the two girls.
"We can handle ourselves just fine," Ran said sternly before walking over to her sisters.
"What the hell, we're just trying to help," Kurumu said annoyed.
"We didn't ask for your help," Ren said with a bite. Rin looked around then to where the boys walked off, and then glanced to her sister curiously. Ren merely nodded then looked to the two other girls.
"Just leave us alone. All of you," she said before the three started walking off.
"Hey, hold it. We're just trying to be friendly you jerks," Kurumu snapped back. Yukari looked at the three girls with a puzzled expression as they walked off.
"What was that about? Seriously, we only tried to help," Kurumu said shaking her head. Yukari shrugged, the two girls then walking off to regroup with their friends.
"I have no idea," she said as they walked down the hall together.
Luna and the elder angel flew through the clouds up in the heavenly realm. The chronofly was looking around in awe, as after they had left the palace and floating heavenly cities there were endless clouds all around.
"So… where is this… problem?" she asked.
"It's down below," the elder said as he looked around carefully.
"In the human world? But… why bring me up to heaven if it's down there?" Luna asked curiously.
"The problem isn't in the human world, it's between there and here," the elder said as he came to a stop. The two floated in the sky and looked down. There were white clouds flowing gently by below them, as well as something else.
"What… is that?" Luna asked. In the clouds there seemed to be a rift torn open, a bright darkness that appeared to pulsate and ripple out erratically. All around the disturbance clouds floated by gently, however inside the rift only a dark void was seen.
"We were hoping you could tell us, since it's nothing in the Almighty's design," the elder said glancing to the girl. She looked at it carefully.
"Wait… that void… that's…" she said softly.
She remembered the void that was carved into the sky above her kingdom, the void that Falla was cast into and trapped in a strange plane of existence, the void that seemed to be beyond time and space completely.
"You know of it?" the elder asked curiously.
"I think so… but… I'm not sure what it is exactly," Luna said as she floated down slowly. She stopped a good distance away from the rift and looked at it carefully.
"Whenever our chrono magic pushed too far into the time stream… we would break through into a strange plane of existence. It looks, and feels, just like that," Luna said carefully.
"Whatever it is, the Almighty did not create it, and is concerned about it being here. It seems the strange anomaly is beyond his sight, and he is unsure of where it came from or why. However he did think that you might have a guess," the elder said inquisitively. Luna nodded and looked up. The Almighty was right to pick her, seeing as how she's come across the strange rift before in her past.
"It's a tear in time… but where it goes I'm not certain. My sister was trapped before on the other side, we just barely managed to get her out," Luna said carefully. She looked back to the rift and shook her head.
"How long has it been here?" she asked.
"A few days now," the elder said.
"A few days? But… whenever these appeared before they sealed up right away. How… how can it still be open?" she asked. She held her hand out to it and focused her magic, the girl's eyes glowing green as a few green symbols appeared around her hand. The elder watched as the chronofly let out a pulse of magic around her, the air rippling away as it distorted briefly. After a moment the symbols faded as did her glow.
"That… can't be…" she said softly. She focused again, this time with larger green symbols appearing around her. The air around her bent and cracked apart as a tear seemed to form around her hand. After a moment her power subsided and the air returned to normal. She shook her head and looked to the elder.
"I can't close it," she said worriedly.
"That's not good to hear. Any idea why it's here in the first place?" the elder asked with concern.
"I'm not sure…" Luna said cautiously as she looked back to the rift, the dark tear remaining open while crackling with erratic pulses. Luna looked to the elder worriedly.
"That too is something that we didn't want to hear. The Almighty has tried to erase this strange rift from the skies, but has had no luck in doing so. It's placed between the heavenly realm and the human world, the rift somehow forming between the gateway into the two realms. It's unseen to the humans below by the clouds, but quite an eyesore to us up here," the elder said gravely. Luna nodded and looked to the rift with cautious eyes.
"I don't know why it's here, I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help," she said as she tried again to focus her power around the rift. Her eyes glowed green as did her bracelet, the girl focusing all her magic to try to seal the tear in time. The edges of the rift crackled and pulsated but did not recede.
"I can't close it… my magic has no effect on it," she said worriedly.
"A tear in time that the Almighty cannot see into or beyond; wherever that rift leads it's not of our plane of existence," the elder said holding a hand to his chin. Luna looked at it carefully then glanced to elder.
"Tell me… has the rift… been stable the past few days?" she asked.
"I don't know if you would call that tear in space stable, but it hasn't grown or receded at all since it was discovered. Why?" the elder asked. Luna looked at the tear carefully as they flew above it.
"If it's not going to close… maybe I can take a look inside," she said carefully.
"Inside?" the elder asked with concern.
"I have no idea what that dark void is or where it is in time for that matter. But if the tear isn't going to close, I might as well check out where it leads to. Um… nothing has come out of it since it's been here, right?" she asked with worry.
"I don't believe so. We have had guardians watching the tear closely, and nothing has been reported," the elder said looking back to the rift.
"Well, wherever this thing came from, it's being held open somehow," Luna said with concern. She glanced to her bracelet then back to the elder.
"I'll take a quick look inside; just a single moment in time is all I need. Even if there was anything hostile in there I would be in and out before they ever knew it. I'll take a look and see where it goes to, and then I'll let you know what I've found," she said confidently.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? We could have our guardians check out the anomaly instead," the elder reasoned.
"No need to risk their lives. Besides, one second, not even, and I'll have a better idea what's inside," Luna said assuredly. The elder looked at her with an impressed glance, amazed that she would be willing to risk her life to prevent other angels from risking theirs.
"Very well, is there anything I can do to help?" the elder asked. Luna shook her head and smiled at him.
"No, thank you. I'll shift into time and look inside quickly. If… if I don't come back within a few minutes, then you'll know something went wrong. I just hope… nothing goes wrong," she said solemnly.
"I hope to see you in a few minutes then," he said sincerely.
"Me too," Luna said softly. She looked down to the rift, the tear opening up into a dark void that seemed endless.
"Well, here goes," she said as she focused on the rift.
"Wow, are you going inside of that sister?" Complica said with amazement from behind them. They turned to see the butterfly girl floating there looking at the rift with wide eyes.
"It looks scary in there sister, are you sure you have to go?" she asked worriedly.
"Complica? What are you doing here?" Luna said in surprise.
"You're supposed to be back in the city with Gabriel. Why did you follow us child?" the elder asked.
"I wanted to see what you were doing up here. What is that thing anyway? Is it some sort of wormhole that leads to another world were giant spiders and eels roam the world while the sky is dark and black and lighting is everywhere while people are screaming and yelling out in horror- oh don't go in sister please don't go you'll die for sure those things will eat you!" Complica cried out franticly.
"Complica you shouldn't be here, please go back-" Luna started before the young chronofly raced to her and hugged her tightly.
"Don't go in there, please don't go!" she cried out. Luna sighed and glanced to the elder.
"I'll escort this wild thinker back to your family. Please use caution while inside there Luna," the elder said flying over to the young chronofly angel. Luna nodded and looked to her sister.
"I'll be fine sister, I promise. Please, go back and be with mother and father. I'll tell you all about what I find in there later, ok?" she said gently.
"But sister… it's dark in there," Complica said worriedly looking down to the dark rift.
"I know, but I'll be fine. Please go Complica," Luna urged. The young chronofly nodded and looked to the elder.
"She'll come back, right?" she said worriedly.
"Of course my dear. The Almighty chose her for her impressive magic for these situations. I have faith she'll be just fine," the elder said looking Luna with a calm smile. Complica nodded and looked to her sister.
"Ok… but be careful," she said worriedly.
"I'll be alright sister, go on back. I'll see you again soon," Luna said with a small smile. Complica nodded then the elder and she flew off back towards the heavenly city. Luna watched them go then looked down to the rift.
"Yeah… I'll be just dandy," she said softly to herself. Luna looked around at the rift carefully, the dark void she remembered seeing high in the sky during her kingdom's final moments.
"What the hell is this thing anyway?" she asked cautiously. She slowly floated down towards the gateway and looked at it carefully. She stuck her foot inside of it slowly, the shoe and foot seeming to vanish in the dark void like stepping into murky water. She waited then pulled the foot back out.
"Well… foot's still there. That's a good sign, right?" she said worriedly. She breathed out, and then slowly lowered down into the rift, flying into the dark void with a cautious expression. She floated into the darkness, only seeing pitch black around her. She looked up, seeing the faint opening that went back into heaven slowly vanishing from sight. She looked around then down, barely seeing a faint light below. All around there was no sound, no light, no movement; just dead quiet space.
"Falla was trapped in this place? How did she manage to stay sane?" Luna said in wonder. She blinked then rolled her eyes.
"Stupid question," she said flatly. The girl floated down towards the rift below her, looking around carefully then back down. She flew down through the rift, ending up outside the dark void and somewhere else. She instantly landed down on ground, looking around carefully as she slowly stood up. There were dark swirling clouds all around in the air, the girl appearing to be on a stone courtyard. She looked behind to see the courtyard overlooking swirling dark clouds below, the clouds revealing glimpses of light underneath. The dark rift she floated through seemed to be gone entirely as she surveyed the area. She looked down and around to see the courtyard was built into a black mountain, and against it a palace was seen. There were stone pillars seen at the front and inside was pitch black. Nothing but the swirling winds and lightning from the storms below and above were heard.
"Where… is this?" Luna asked puzzled. She walked around towards the palace as she glanced around carefully.
"Well… I've come this far. Guess I'll see if anybody is home," she said softly. She blinked then focused her eyes again. She waved her hand around in front of her then looked around quickly.
"What… but…" she said worriedly.
'I can't shift into time… what the…'
She focused her mind, yet nothing happened. She wasn't able to shift into the moment of time at all.
"What… how can that be?" she said confusedly. She blinked then slowly looked behind her, feeling a dark presence nearby.
From down below the dark clouds swirled around the black mountain, lightning and thunder echoing out as the storm seemed to rage on endlessly. Above the mountain the dark clouds flowed by, the sky seeming to be cast in a dark shadow as the area was cloudy and stormy as far as the eye could see. Nothing but thunder and wind howling was heard around the palace that was built into the mountain side.
Except for a girl's scream that echoed out from the dark and shadowy palace.
Inside Apsara's cooking class students were listening to the teacher once again go on and on and on… and on about the joys of cooking with spices. As she continued her speech, complete with erratic and sudden hand movements, the girls in the class were going about their usual day. Moka was thinking about what she could cook for Tsukune to have during lunchtime, having a lengthy discussion with her inner self on what would be best for their mate. Mizore was thinking about making another frozen meal for her demon, knowing that anything cold would be a delight for him. Kurumu was contemplating between cookies or brownies, unsure of what sweets to make for her angel. Yukari was looking at a cookbook intently, starting to get the hint that her boyfriend didn't quite appreciate her cooking. It was only after she had caught him, repeatedly, throwing up after eating her meals that she started to think it may be her cooking and not just a strange coincidence. The four girls were debating what meals to make for their boyfriends as the teacher started to wrap up her opening speech.
"Ok class, now let's get cooking. And remember, think spicy!" she cheered out.
"Yahoo, time to bake some sweets for my sweet," Kurumu said with a big smile as she started prepping her station. Mizore glanced over and saw Moka looking down at her station with discontent.
"Moka? You ok?" she asked. The girls looked to her as she seemed to be frustrated about something.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Kurumu asked. Moka's eyebrow twitched, her eyes rolled around in derision, and she shook her head.
"Um… what's she doing?" Yukari asked. The vampire growled and slammed her hand down on her station, the other girls looking at her with surprise. Kurumu walked up to her and rested her hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Hey, what's up?" she asked. Moka glanced to her then down again.
"My inner self says I have no creativity with cooking for Tsukune," she said bitterly.
"No creativity? But, you've cooked for him dozens of times before. What's wrong with that?" Yukari asked.
"Well she does make the same thing over and over again," Mizore commented. The girls looked to her as Mizore started to prepare a chilled steak for her demon, and by chilled I mean it had frost on it still.
"What was that?" Moka snapped sternly.
"Just what I said Moka. You made him fish, chicken, and rice over and over again. It's the same meal every time. I've at least been changing meals for my Dark. Even Kurumu has baked different sweets for Rason," Mizore said softly while working on her dish.
"Yeah, I've made different things for Ahakon as well," Yukari commented.
"Everything you've made has nearly killed him, and sometimes even us," Kurumu said flatly, the young witch twitching at that. Moka sighed and looked down.
"I wanted to make a more elaborate spread for him, but I've never really practiced with other foods before," she said softly. She growled then looked down to her rosary which was glowing softly.
"Hey, chill out Moka; just try to cook something else. That's what this class is for anyway, to learn how to cook, right?" Kurumu said with a nervous smile. Moka looked at her rosary with a sharp glare.
'I can cook something else for him just fine.'
'Hardly, you've been feeding our mate the same thing over and over all week. He's going to get sick of our cooking and we haven't even married him yet.'
'I'm doing the best I can; I've never really cooked anything else before.'
'Then let me cook something for our mate, a change of pace would be good for him.'
'You? You're kidding. You can't cook, you've never cooked before.'
'I know how to eat properly; I did have this body before you existed remember? I can cook him a healthy and new meal without any trouble.'
'Really now? And what makes you think you're capable of cooking for our mate when you haven't cooked him one thing yet? Actually, have you ever cooked before?'
'I can handle myself in the kitchen, hardly anything like a battlefield. Besides, better than him eating chicken and rice again…'
'He says he likes it!'
'You think our mate wouldn't say that to be nice? Of course he likes it, but he needs some variety.'
Moka growled and looked at her station with a glare.
'I can cook for Tsukune just fine thank you.'
'Really, then tell me. What are you going to make him this time?'
'I could make him some rice balls.'
'Rice? That's it?'
'Well… I could also serve him some fresh sushi.'
'You've been serving him fried fish before, how is that different?'
'It's raw.'
'It's boring.'
'I could make him some takoyaki balls then.'
'We don't have octopus here in the class to cook, and I doubt you're able to properly prepare such a meal for our mate.'
'Then… how about some yakisoba? He would love that I'm sure.'
'Fried noodles with vegetables. Nothing elaborate but at least it's a step in the right direction, though I still question if you're capable of preparing it correctly.'
'You just love to knit pick what I make for him don't you? And just what would you cook for him that would be so much better?'
'I would serve him a proper meal, with fried pork cutlets, freshly chopped vegetables, tofu, and some dipping sauces.'
'How is that better than what I would be cooking? Mine's just as different compared to the previous meals as yours is. And what makes you think you could even cook that the right way?'
'I told you I can handle myself in the kitchen just fine. As if I would have any problem cooking for my mate, if anything I would far excel the low bar you've set with your lack of creativity.'
'Stop saying that!'
'It's true, even in bed I'm more creative with our mate.'
The other girls were looking at Moka worriedly as her face turned red and she growled with anger.
"Um… Moka?" Kurumu said as she backed up.
"I think those two are fighting," Mizore said as she watched the rosary on the vampire glow red.
'You… that isn't true at all!'
'Really? The maid outfit and cat ears were fun and all, but they were Kurumu's idea, not yours. And whose idea was it to try the handcuffs and rope? Mine of course. And I dare say he enjoys my mouth at work far more than yours. Not to mention-'
"SHUT UP!" Moka yelled out, the entire class looking to her with surprise.
"Um… what was that?" Apsara said confusedly. Moka growled loudly as she clenched her fists.
'Get something straight here, you are NOT more creative than me, you are NOT more exciting in bed than me, and like hell could you EVER cook something better than me!'
'You want to bet on that? Let me cook the meal for Tsukune and see for yourself that I can surprise and amaze him far better than you. I'm tired of always having to watch from here as you have time with our mate anyway. I deserve my time with him as well, and I'll show you how a true mate cooks a meal for her man.'
Moka growled then glanced to the door.
"Moka? You… ok?" Kurumu asked nervously.
"Excuse me teacher," Moka said as she ran out the door. The class looked toward the door then to each other.
"What's gotten into her?" Yukari asked puzzled. Mizore shrugged then went back to fixing up her demon a frozen meal.
Inside the shop class the boys were busy working with a table saw to cut some wood. They all had safety goggles as the four boys were around their workbench. Tsukune was holding the wood firmly with two hands while he pushed it through the spinning blade. Rason was sanding off a piece that was cut off while Dark was measuring the ones that were needed to be cut still. Ahakon was looking at the board carefully as he studied how they were supposed to assemble the small shelf unit they were making. As Tsukune pushed the piece of wood through and cut it into two even pieces he chuckled to himself.
"What's so funny?" Rason asked as he glanced to him.
"How long has it been since we've been accident free here in this class?" Tsukune asked amusedly.
"Ah, that would be since Dark was asked to kindly stop maiming students with the school equipment," Rason said with a laugh. Dark continued to work on measuring without reacting to their conversation, either engrossed with his music or not caring that he was being mentioned.
"Still, don't jinx it. I actually like this class when blood isn't flying everywhere," Ahakon said with a smirk.
"Oh c'mon, it wasn't that bad before," Tsukune said with a weak smile.
Suddenly the door opened and Moka ran in, racing up towards the boys as everybody looked to her in surprise. As she ran by a boy backed up in in surprise and pushed his friend who was pushing a block of wood through a table saw. As the kid flew forward towards the blade the vampire rushed up to the boys.
"Sorry to burst in but I need to settle something quickly," Moka said as she grabbed Tsukune's hand and plinked off her rosary with it. A blast of vampiric energy swept through the room as everybody stared with wide eyes, including the boy who was an inch away from the moving blade. He was stopped before going headfirst into it by his friend, the two looking with stunned expressions at the girl that nearly killed one of them. Moka's hair shifted to silver as her eyes turned blood red, her bust size increasing as Tsukune held the rosary with a puzzled expression.
"Uh, Moka? What… what's going on?" he asked curiously.
"You'll see soon enough Tsukune, I promise not to disappoint you with this task," Inner Moka said with a wink before she ran back out. The class just watched with puzzled expressions as everybody stood still.
"Um… what was that about?" Rason asked.
The kid holding his friend away from the blade twitched his nose, and then sneezed, covering his mouth with both hands in doing so. A scream was heard as blood flew out from behind him, the kid looking back and jumping with surprise as he had let his friend drop onto the moving blade. Ahakon watched with wide eyes as he turned pale, the rest of the class watching as the kid screamed while he lost a good amount of blood.
"Ok… I see what you were talking about Ahakon," Tsukune said as the wounded boy fell back off the table screaming in pain while the class just watched with wide eyes. Ahakon twitched a bit then looked to Dark, the demon merely watching with a blank expression as the boy cried out on the ground with a giant gash on his upper chest.
"Well, that had to hurt," he said simply before returning to measuring their work, not seeming to care at all about what just happened.
Inside the cooking class the girls were looking to each other curiously.
"Should we go after her?" Yukari asked.
"I'm not sure," Kurumu said.
"I wouldn't, seems like it's something between those two. I would just stay out of it," Mizore said calmly as she continued to prepare frozen vegetables with the frozen steak for her boyfriend.
"She seemed really upset though," Yukari said worriedly.
"Mizore's probably right. We should let those two work it out. I mean, they do share the same body, so they must have to deal with each other's personalities with everything they do. We don't see it often, but they have to have arguments from time to time. This is probably just another harmless tiff between them," Kurumu reasoned.
From the door Inner Moka walked in, the vampire flicking her silver hair behind her as she smiled arrogantly.
"Alright, time to show you all how cooking is done," she said proudly. Kurumu and Yukari blinked then glanced to Mizore, the snow maiden who stopped working to look over to the vampire. After a pause she resumed working on her dish while Inner Moka walked over to her station with a confident smile.
"Harmless huh?" she said simply.