Disclaimer: None of the anime used in this story belong to the writer. This is a work of fiction done for fun, not money. Please do not sue. You won't get much anyway.

Chapter Two: Hanging By a Moment

"Ah, but you work too hard, Shizuko-chan!" Iori cooed. "All during the Festival, and now that it's over…."

Sister Shizuko Amaike, Christian name Margarita, glared at the (seemingly) young man. "Sendô-san, if you have nothing better to do, you should find something constructive instead of bothering me here! The chapel needs its cleaning, and…."

There was a bit of a scream from somewhere at the back of the chapel. Shizuko looked that direction and scowled. "Now what...?" she murmured.

"Ah, is the part-timer causing more problems?" Iori chuckled. "Harassing students, or something?"

"If you'll excuse me…." Shizuko hurried off that direction.

Iori watched her go, then sighed. There were many painful aspects to being an immortal personage….

The young vampire heard another sound outside and went to the half-open door at the entry to the chapel. Glancing outside, he spotted two of his favorite kohai and smiled. "Oh? What's this…?"

"Mai…."

"That's enough! I want to know! What's with you recently? Ever since that meeting with Jynx, you've been like this! C'mon, Momo!"

"What are you talking about?" the smaller girl replied innocently.

"It's pretty obvious…you've been…treating me differently since then. I just want to know why. I'm not any different…am I…?"

Momo wouldn't meet her gaze. "No…not…I mean…."

"Momo…."

"Ah, I just remembered! I have to go help Kain-sensei with…some matter right now, so…ja ne!" And she hurried away.

"Momo!" Mai sighed. "I'm not…different…am I…?"

The bell on the church tower began to sound the hour, distracting her. She stared up at the tower, then down at the chapel. Rakasu's words from earlier that day came back to her. And so she started towards the chapel.

"She's coming here…? How interesting…." Iori looked around, but there weren't too many places to hide….

Mai wandered carefully into the chapel and looked around warily. Then she looked over at the confessional box. The priest's door was closed, and there was a faint shadow inside. ('So…if he's inside…that means it's okay, right?')

She stepped inside the confessor's side. Iori started. ('Hmm…why's she coming in here…? Does little Mai-chan have some worries...? Well, I guess I can help out a little….')

"Um…may I?" Mai asked.

Iori used a quick spell to change his voice. "Go ahead, my child."

"…I…uh…had a fight with a friend of mine…about…well…something's changed, and…."

"I see…this friend…is it a boy…?"

"What? No! Of course not! She's a girl…a close friend of mine since the beginning of middle school…."

"I see. Go on…."

"Yes…well…." Mai sighed and was silent for a moment. Finally she continued, "There's something…about my past…shall we say…I'm an orphan, and I don't know much about my family…and recently I found out a bit about it, and…now…."

"Yes, and now your friend is treating you differently…."

"Y-yes…I don't know what to do…."

"So…how different is this treatment? Is she avoiding you, as if she's afraid of you now, or…?"

"…No…she's just…always watching me…and she won't tell me why…."

Iori considered this. From the sound of the little encounter he'd witnessed, and from Mai's descriptions, he could guess what had happened…all of it…but what to say….

"It would seem that your friend is as concerned as you are."

Mai blinked in surprise. "Eh?"

"Yes, it would seem to me that your friend still cares for you just as she always did…but she is concerned for you…she's worried that what you've discovered about your 'family' will change who you are."

"…R-really…?"

"Yes. So, there is no need to worry yourself too much. Your friend will see over time that you are still the same, regardless of your background. You just need to show her this. If your concern is too great, then tell your friend that you know what her worry is, and assure her that you are no different. She still cares for you, so there is certainly no reason to be too concerned for this…."

"Y-yes…I see…thank you, Father…."

Mai found the man's words comforting, and left the chapel with a lighter heart than she had entered. She decided to let things be a bit longer, and then confront Momo about it again as the 'priest' had instructed her…with all the facts, as well….

As she stepped lightly out of the chapel, another student saw her and then turned her own gaze on the church. Perhaps, she, too, could clear her heart a little….

Iori sat in the booth, contemplating what he had just heard. So, Mai Tokiha had finally learned about her past…and Momo Hinamori was wary of the fact. Yes, considering the views of the Soul Society, she would be the one who might fear, just a little, what that might mean….

And he was surprised when another figure entered the other side of his booth. He turned to her. ('This is…Ayase Yue-chan…? Yes, Kain-kun's philosophizing little girl companion….')

"E-excuse me…" she offered quietly, not quite sure how one went about doing this….

"Yes? What is the matter?"

"Well…actually…I have committed the foolish act…of becoming attracted to a man whom my best friend is in love with."

('…Eh?')

"I-I see…and…?"

"W-well…."

Then Yue suddenly burst out of the confessional and ran away. "F-forget about it after all! I'm sorry!"

Iori watched her in bemusement. Well, well…Kain the ladykiller had been hard at work, as usual…and now another of his students had fallen for him, and, what was more, one that felt she had betrayed her own best friend, who had, perhaps, been the very first member of his little fan club….

And while he mused over this new interesting fact, another girl opened the door and slipped into the confessional.

"E-excuse me…" she squeaked.

('Ah…? And now, the little girl Honya herself…?')

"Um…. I came after hearing some nice comments about Mr. Priest…." Nodoka had her book manifested and in her lap as she spoke. "A-actually…uh, um, well…uh…I-I…I just found out that…my best friend likes the same person I do…."

('Oh, dear…young girls' love triangles….')

"I see…that must be…difficult for you…. When did you find out?"

Nodoka thought hard about this. After all the time travel and everything else…. "…A week…? No, four days…it was just four days ago…."

('During the Festival, eh….') "But…something like this could be called fate, you see. It's not as if it's your fault, no?"

"N-no, it's not that. What I…what I'm afraid of is my own heart."

"Your…heart?"

"…Even after we understood each other's feelings, I…I told her we should still remain friends and try our best together…. No, to be more frank, I actually thought…it would be okay…if the two of them got together…."

('…Oh? This little girl is….') "But…is that how you truly feel…?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation. Then she added, "No…that was…supposed to be the case…but…on the last day of the Festival…and again, the morning after the Festival…watching a pair of scenes that might have been considered casual…I suddenly realized that my best friend…was able to understand and empathize with the worries and pains of that person on a very deep level, and that was something that I could not do…. The moment I realized that, my heart was thumping, I was sweating, my chest became tight…I became filled with unpleasant feelings as if I was being chased by someone or falling off of some height…." Nodoka sighed. "That was probably…jealousy. Jealousy…why? She was supposed to be my most important friend, and I even told her that we'd try our best together…yet this feeling…even if I wish for it to go away, deep within my chest…the area around my diaphragm only gets heavier…."

('…Diaphragm…?')

"…And that scares me. I can't even peek at my own heart. To have something this dark within me, I…."

Iori fought hard to keep from laughing at the matter. Ah, yes, romantic young human females….

"Well? What's wrong with that?"

This announcement brought Nodoka up short. "…Eh…?"

"Jealousy is considered one of the seven deadly sins, of course. The Lord commanded us, 'Thou Shalt Not Covet'. But no one is perfect…not you, not your best friend, and not that admirable young man you so care about. It's quite normal to feel this way…to have feelings like jealousy in such a situation. However, what you should be wary of is not that so much as the fear you carry. You can't give in to those dark feelings…but neither can you simply suppress them. You must accept what you feel and continue forward with those feelings. As long as you also remember your love for your friend, your concern for her…you will not take a step on the wrong path."

"Ah…I see…thank you…."

Iori watched her depart. Well, well…so many of Kain's students had troubles…he had a feeling that if he waited around longer even more of them would come to bother him with any number of problems, some inane, but perhaps many more like that….

A bright voice was humming as it made its way around the chapel, and Iori stepped outside to see Shiro cheerfully sweeping the chapel. "Ah, Shiro-chan. Good evening."

Shiro started and clutched protectively at the broom. "I-Iori-senpai! W-what were you doing in there…?"

"Oh, just cleaning," Iori said. "Have you seen your onii-chan?"

"Eh? Ah, he was in the Student Council Building…I think he was saying something about the paperwork…."

"Ah, yes, of course…he'll be quite furious with me. I better go talk to him and apologize for leaving him all the work. Take care, Shiro-chan."

('Well, amongst all these troubled students of Kain-kun's…there's one in particular that I'm more interested in, who is probably more troubled right now than all the rest…yes, I must do something for all of them…and for the poor troubled boy himself, too….')

8-8-8

Kain stared up at the sign. So did the crowd behind him. "Okada Onsen," he read with bemusement. He turned to the tall man beside him who was responsible for their being here. "Iori-senpai, this is…?"

"Your reward, of course," Iori said. "All of you," he continued expansively, looking around at the assembled group. "For your hard work during the Festival. Without all of you, things would have been a lot less interesting, and may have become a lot more interesting…."

His gaze swept the scowl on the face of his sister. "And, of course, all of you need this, after everything you went through. Some more than others. So, please! Enjoy yourself! The Sendô family insists!"

Iori's invited party consisted of Kain and his usual students (Mai, Momo, Kagome, Nodoka, Yue, Ami, Kiami, Akari, Erika, Hinagiku, Kazumi, Nanami, and, now, Rei and the reluctant Chisame), as well as Kenjirô, Kajirô, and Hikaru. And himself, of course, and Seiichirô as well. Thus the twenty of them entered the fine hot springs.

"Very kind of you to include so many of us," Kajirô noted softly.

"Ah, I am quite in earnest about it. As I said, all of you both deserve and need this break. So, please, don't hold back and enjoy yourselves!"

Alyssa's resort had a bath that most of the girls were now used to, and the dorm itself had a pleasant hot bath as well, but it was nothing compared to this specialized hot springs resort. Despite the many troubles on their minds, most of the girls were quite impressed with the facilities and the opportunity presented to them.

"Since it's Iori-senpai, I must admit I'm a little wary," Mai noted as she, Momo and Kagome put away their possessions in their room. "Considering the kinds of things he does at the athletics festival and such, I mean. And considering he practically forced all of us to come here. Still, this seems quite nice…I'm looking forward to these next two days…."

"Yes, but they're certainly going to be difficult," Kagome giggled. "Even with this group, a place like this is going to be a battlefield…or perhaps…especially with this group…?"

"That's enough, Kagome," Mai sighed. "I'd like to enjoy this trip a little without getting into too much trouble…." She glanced back at her, considering. "Although…if you're really concerned about that…."

Kagome looked at her quizzically and caught the look. Their eyes darted simultaneously to Momo for just an instant, and then Kagome said, "Yes, I think I'd like to…at least look around a bit…." And she scampered out.

Momo glanced after her, then turned to look at Mai, who was now regarded her seriously. Mai stood and walked carefully over to her.

"Now, then, before we get to relaxing, we should clear the air so we can," Mai announced, sitting on Momo's bed next to her.

"Mai…."

"No…let me, please," Mai insisted, holding up a hand to forestall her. "I…know that things have been different between us since the day we learned about my past. Moreso than when I learned you were really a hinigami (and what that even meant). I…still don't remember everything. I'm not sure I even remember more than a little about my past. But I know…what I might remember…worries you somehow." Mai looked away. "I guess…I can understand why, at least a little. I don't remember anything about…the Obsidian Star, or how they used me…or my power. But I know that…regardless…I'm still me." Mai turned back to Momo again. "You don't have to be afraid of me…becoming someone else…I'll always be me."

Momo finally turned her gaze back up to Mai's face as the other fell silent. Finally Momo said, "You're right…I'm sorry, Mai…it's just…."

Mai gestured to cut her off once again. "No, it's all right. You don't have to explain; just as long as you stop trying to avoid me…."

"Y-yes…I know…I'm sorry…." Momo giggled slightly and played with her hair. "I have been unfair…you have as much reason to treat me differently because I decided to do this with my hair…."

Mai smiled back. "As long as it doesn't turn you into a diabolical villainess, you can do what you like with it. Now, shall we head out before something crazy happens to Kain-sensei?"

"Right."

8-8-8

"Ha!"

Again Kain missed Kenjirô's shot.

The watching group stared. "I'm surprised," Kiami announced in her mellow, coy manner of speaking which left one wondering whether she were serious or not. "Something that Kain-sensei is not a master of…."

Kain grimaced slightly as he tossed the ping-pong back to Kenjirô. "It's just…I don't know. It's too difficult to know how to handle your strength when you strike them…."

"Excuses," Kenjirô snapped amiably. "Here I go again!"

Kain returned the ball, but too hard. Kenjirô stepped aside as it flew out of bounds and slammed against the wall behind him.

"Why's he bothering to keep playing if he's so bad at it?" Chisame muttered. She was seated in a corner, her laptop on her…lap, but she seemed to paying a decent amount of attention to the contest.

"He's taking pity on Kenjirô-kun because he's found something Kenjirô-kun can beat him at?" Nanami suggested, eliciting a glare from the black-haired young man.

"Kenjirô-kun is his rival," Hinagiku replied matter-of-factly. "Of course Kain-sensei can't stand to lose to him, even at something like table tennis…."

"No…Kain-sensei is playing simply because that's what you're supposed to do at an onsen."

The group turned and stared at Mai as she and Momo entered. "…Eh?"

"It's just like Mai says," Momo agreed with a giggle. "Kain-sensei thinks in stereotypes too much. He's at an onsen, and everything he's read about them suggests you're supposed to play table tennis at onsen, so he thinks he has to play table tennis."

Slowly all the stares turned to Kain, who tried to continue playing around his red, embarrassed face.

"Yes…that's Kain-sensei…."

"No question about it."

"I guess that's so…."

Kain missed one last shot and then sighed, putting his paddle down. "Right," he said, grinning in self-deprecation. "Well, I don't want to hog the table, to be sure. Anyone else want to subject themselves to the mandatory torture?"

Kajirô shrugged. He strode forward and took the paddle from Kain, who continued, "I'm going to go check on our dinner arrangements. I'll be back in a bit."

They watched him walk out and the girls exchanged looks again. "Sulking?" Nanami suggested. "Perhaps Kain-sensei is more competitive than he lets on…."

"I-I don't think that's it…."

"Maybe sulking," Kagome considered. "Far too dutiful, in any case."

They continued playing for a few minutes more. Then there was a clap, and the group turned to see Iori standing at the back of the room. "Time for the baths," he announced. "The young men can go first…."

"Why the young men?" Kagome asked suspiciously. "Even assuming we even worry about turns at a segregated onsen (and honestly I don't think that's necessary),shouldn't the girls go first?"

"No, no!" Iori insisted. "It's obvious the young men should go in first. That will make it harder for them to peep on you lovely young females…naturally, they can't stay in too long, so if they bathe first they'll be too heated to sneak back in to peep once you girls are in the bath."

Several of the girls shared wary glances. "There're some flaws in that logic," Yue muttered. "Getting heated up in the bath is not exactly a deterrent from finding a way to peep…."

"And Iori-senpai is the only…boy…here we have to be worried about," Kiami agreed.

Again, almost as one, the group's gazes turned to regard the parties of interest.

Exhibit A: Hikaru Tsukino. Gentleman kensei. In addition to being a composed and proper gentleman, raised by the most sane and gentlemanly masters of Yokohama, his experience with females consisted of those who were trained to respond (lethally, or nearly so) to peeping toms. The only reason he would have to peep would be if he wanted a particularly strenuous death match.

Exhibit B: Kajirô Tsukai. A polite gentleman who was nearly chronically depressed, it seemed unlikely he could muster up enough energy to even attempt something like peeping. Also, as many of the girls had already deciphered, the object of his personal affection was a girl who would also respond to peeping with lethal force. And as far as the lady in question was concerned, Kajirô simply didn't have any interest in girls.

Exhibit C: Kenjirô Hanatabi. A sometimes brash and aggressive young hanyô who nonetheless was a gentleman himself, and seemed to show absolutely no interest in girls. His only interests were fights in general and competing in particular against Kain in any kind of contest.

Exhibit D: Seiichirô Tôgi. Iori had brought his trusty sidekick along. 'Sei-chan' had a younger sister he was obsessively protective of, but otherwise seemed as emotionless and robotic as Rei, Yuki and Miyu. Most of his energy was spent trying to curb Iori's wild fancies to just the tiniest degree. The thought of him thinking to peep on girls just a year older than his precious younger sister was….

Exhibit E: Kain Lockeheart himself. Kain was frightened out of his mind by something as simple as a confession of love from one of the many females around him. Although his gentleman nature could lead him to unintentionally sweep females off their feet, it was (painfully, to some of the girls) obvious that he wouldn't be caught dead peeping on the ladies. As in, if he was killed and his body was dropped into the women's bath, his corpse would get up and flee the premises.

That left Exhibit F: Iori Sendô. The group was fully aware that he was actually a vampire nearly a century old, and they did not know just how much interest he had in the young girls, although his manner always suggested quite an interest. In addition, simply due to his incorrigibly mischievous nature, he was more than able to peep and do all other sorts of things. He was the only one the girls really felt concerned about.

Oh, yes, and there was also Exhibit G: Kamolai. The magical spirit was lecherous and a natural prankster, but despite his actions, he was perceived mostly as a rodent, and it was nearly impossible to prevent him from going and seeing where and what he wanted; however, despite his tendencies, he actually did seem to have some idea of propriety towards the females and left them alone in their most vulnerable moments (perhaps he got most of his pleasure from embarrassing them in the presence of human males). Although the fact that he was hanging around, popping in and out as was his wont, was somewhat perturbing, he was mostly harmless and could generally be thought of as nothing more than a minor nuisance.

Most of the girls considered this information in varying degrees, but Hinagiku took command. With a sigh, she said, "Very well, Sendô-senpai…you young men go and enjoy your bath…."

"Of course. I'll inform Kain-kun…."

As the young men trooped almost reluctantly off after Iori, the girls watched them go. "We don't really have much a schedule here," Kagome muttered. "It worries me that Iori-senpai is trying to organize things…."

"It's usually a bad sign, but what can we do?" Akari asked. "Well, at least the weapons at his disposal are dull-edged…."

"Right," Mai said. "Well, he's your brother, Erika, what do you think…?" She looked around and frowned. "Wait…where's Erika?"

"Yes…I haven't seen her around," Ami mentioned. "I suppose she's still feeling…at odds with us…."

"I believe she decided to take a trip into the baths already," Hinagiku mentioned. "She…does want to be left alone, and I'll let her be…for now."

8-8-8

"Kain-kun!" Kain turned around warily as the smiling blond approached. "I understand you're seeing about our meal arrangements. Once you're done with that, it's our turn in the baths. Come join us as soon as you can…."

"Ah?" Kain nodded in acknowledgment. "All right then. I'll be there presently, Iori-senpai."

And as he said, once he finished handling the matters—and regardless of his sentiments, his intentions on the matter were honest, dutiful teacher that he was—he made his own way towards the bath.

He was somewhat leery of the idea, to be honest. There is quite a bit of difference between the mentalities of Americans and Japanese regarding social proprieties of modesty—Americans, founded by Puritan Christianity, tended towards strict codes of modesty and things like public baths were unheard of. True, there were some situations where communal showers and such were common—any participant in team sports at nearly any level had to learn to handle such matters, amongst others—but Kain had never had much to do with any of those. His natural tendency was towards this Puritan modesty. The Japanese, on the other hand, had for centuries been a very prolific race confined on a tiny island chain, and space was a premium—this led to less strict ideas of modesty than those possessed by westerners. Most of their modern views on modesty, those few they actually possessed, had been caught from the American invaders after World War II. Communal baths were common—and while they were no longer as common as they once were, mixed baths were still existent.

The long and short of it was that Kain felt self-conscious about joining his fellows in the bath, but he had enough pride (and honest, healthy curiosity about these famous baths) that he had to go join them.

And so he found the two rooms leading to the changing rooms before the baths, with no doors but only curtains noting the 'men's' and 'women's' baths separating them from the outer chamber. Kain went inside the men's changing room, undressed himself and boldly strode through the curtain and into the bath proper.

As was his wont, Kain took in the strange surroundings with interest. It was a large garden area with the steaming pool in the center, obviously natural, irregularly shaped, and surrounded by large stones, quite an impressive sight. Off to the left, up against the building wall, was the bathing station, equipped with stools, faucets, wooden buckets, and other cleaning supplies—Japanese custom required that bathers washed themselves thoroughly before entering the water, in order to avoid contaminating the bath proper.

Kain knew he needed to use it, but he waited a moment more, taking the scene in. "So big," he murmured, glancing around at the large bath. Then he really took in the scene.

The men had already gone into the bath, so of course it was occupied. In his brief seconds of taking the scene in, he didn't think about it much. Steam rose from the hot bath, partially obscuring the scene but occasionally drifting away to open up vision. As it began to part, he realized that there were a smaller number of figures than there should have been…only a single occupant was in the bath, which occupant turned to gaze at Kain as he stared, trying to find out why the bath was so empty…and Erika and Kain stared at each other for several long, frozen seconds….

Erika broke the spell first, reddening, screaming, and moving to preserve her modesty. Kain stumbled back, sputtering. "Ah, no! I mean, it wasn't…I didn't…s-sorry!" He made a quick sign, and vanished.

Kain's instincts were good, and he popped into existence above the other bath. He splashed down in the middle of the water, causing three of its occupants to shrink back in surprise while Iori and Seiichirô continued to relax. All five stared at Kain, however.

"Ah, Kain-kun," Iori said pleasantly. "I can see you're eager to join us in the bath, but you've forgotten a few matters of propriety…."

"Gah!" Kain bobbed to the surface. He stood in the water for several seconds, panting, before he sighed and then mumbled, "Which bath is this?"

"I would assume, from the number of male occupants, that this is the men's bath," Kajirô noted. "Why?"

"Kain…were you in the other bath?" Kenjirô demanded. "How did you make a mistake like that?"

"Does it really matter?" Hikaru asked. "The girls aren't supposed to be in the bath yet…."

"Oh, no, there was one girl who went in early," Iori chuckled. "Erika needed to clear her head, and so she went in before…."

The four young men turned their heads as one to stare at the vampire, then the other three turned to stare at Kain, who flushed strongly. "Considering you're suggesting that your sister was severely intruded upon, you seem awfully cheerful, Iori-senpai," Kenjirô accused.

The blond man ignored him and looked at Kain while Seiichirô considered his president out of the corner of his eye. "So, Kain-kun, did you enjoy the little reward I arranged for you? I hope Erika found it energizing as well…."

"Reward…arranged…Sendô-senpai, what did you do!?" Kajirô demanded, rising from the water slightly, his voice becoming more excited (or agitated) than it ever had previously.

"Oh, I just switched the curtains in from the baths before Kain-kun went in," Iori explained nonchalantly.

"…I think that's borderline criminal," Kenjirô growled. "Why?"

"So Kain-kun and Erika could have a heart-thumping encounter…."

"Perhaps you should switch the curtains back before the rest of the girls head into the baths," Seiichirô noted.

Iori blinked in surprise, as if he had just thought of something…perhaps the idea honestly hadn't occurred to him. "Oh…yes, we should…."

And then there was the sound of chattering…and the rest of the girls walked, quite in the nude, into the bath area…and time froze once again as the sudden surplus of occupants all stared at each other in shock.

And then, finally, all pandemonium erupted.

8-8-8

Kain spent the rest of the evening in his room, completely secluded. Iori also spent the rest of the evening in his own room, with his body—what remained of it, since he was a mass of bruises—being tended to by Seiichirô.

Kazumi was sitting alone on a bench outside the building, staring up into the darkening evening sky. She sighed to herself, troubled by inner thoughts.

"Traumatizing, wasn't it?" quipped a teasing but oddly pleasant voice. Kamo settled into existence on her shoulder.

"Kamo-kun…y-you…."

"I actually admit I feel a bit guilty over all the pleasure I got from that scene," the spirit said with a surprising amount of conviction. "And from the reactions afterwards. But…I might not have the right to say this, but I think Iori might have actually gone too far with it this time. Although I think he didn't actually intend for all of you to walk in on the boys like that….

"Never mind. I'm sure you want to forget about that as well. I came here because…you seem troubled by something more than just that embarrassing incident…."

Kazumi glanced down at him. "You…feel what I'm feeling…because you're a spirit of emotion…."

"Well done," Kamo murmured, appraising the girl. "You understand, do you…?"

"It's…my artifact…." Kazumi put a hand to her chest, just below where the red jewel hung from the string about her neck. "I…I'm keeping it…here…most of the time, because it's innocuous…and it just makes me think of Kain-sensei. And…I'm picking up things from it…it's helping me understand things about magic and spirits…."

"Right. No surprise. But…that's part of the problem, isn't it? The artifact, I mean?"

Kazumi sighed. "Yes. I…I've been troubled ever since I…found out about magic. Ever since I learned the secret. The others…Mai-san…Nodoka-san…even Hina-san…they're all here with their friends. They're all here, we're all here, because of Kain-sensei, but they have their friends supporting them. But my friends—Yukari-chan and Matake-chan—they don't know anything about magic…and I really have no reason to tell them, not right now. I wanted to get close to Kain-sensei, but now I feel…kind of lonely…. It's easier now that I have this…I'm closer to Kain-sensei, because of our contract…but it feels like my friends are getting farther away. And even this…doesn't make me belong to this world…to your world. I've never been…a science fiction otaku like Nodoka-san and her friends. I never thought anything about magic, never thought that I needed it. I'm still out of place here. But…now, especially after this contract, I've come too far to go back…I don't belong in the normal world, now, either…. I've thought about stopping going to Alyssa-chan's resort, stopping learning about magic, staying away from that world, but…even though I can't do very much, I can't stand the thought of turning my back on it, and always wondering if some trouble or rumor is a danger from the magical world, targeting Kain-sensei, worrying if he's all right. Maybe…if I am here, maybe all I can do is wonder and worry anyway, but…just being close enough to see comforts me…."

Kamo was unusually silent for a few moments. "I must admit, you are in the most troubling situation, Kazumi-chan. Personally, I've wanted to share magic with Kain's whole class and get the entire group contracted to him so we wouldn't have to worry about any of that, but wiser minds than I have always been opposed to that. Well, what do you want to do? I don't want to be a downer, but it is true that walking away would just about be equivalent to giving up on Kain-sensei. I could tell you that you're young, and you'll have plenty of opportunities for love in your life, and that waiting for someone more normal would suit you better…but I know young teenagers don't want to listen to truths like that." He chuckled softly. "Sorry if my frankness hurts. I won't say anything more about that. I could undo the contract if you wanted to go that route, even make you forget about Kain…but I see you've got enough strength in you that you can't just run away like that. So, the only thing you can really do is press forward, trying your best, right? You've started practicing with your artifact on your own, but we ought to get a couple partners to practice with during the training sessions. You can develop your own powers and become a worthy part of this team…and, although you like being close to Kain, there's a much better benefit from it—namely, developing your friendships with the rest of our comrades. All of you need to get along, and the better friends you are, the better team you'll be. And then, most importantly, you won't feel so alone.

"That's my view on things. I'll support you any way I can, Ojô-chan, so tell me…what do you want to do?"

Kazumi was silent for a moment, then finally replied, "Yes…you're right, Kamo-kun…now that I have this, I have a chance…to do more…and I need to. Please…help me become a part of this world." She smiled wryly. "I'm…even more afraid of losing my friendship with Yukari-chan and Matake-chan, but…I think they'd understand…."

The other person whose emotional state must most be soothed after this encounter was Erika, who had found her own corner to hide in. Of course, amongst the girls, she was the least scarred, because only one male had viewed her in the altogether, but it was not a trial she needed on top of all the other trials she had recently faced….

There was a small rivulet that emerged from a small hill just off from the walls of the baths in front of her, and she sat there, staring at it. Then a shadow emerged from the direction of the building and passed in front of her, and her gaze turned to it. It was Kajirô, and he seemed not to notice her as he sat in front of the stream and starting tossing stones into it.

Erika watched him silently for a minute or so before softly saying, "Are you trying to forget the scene, or burn it into your memory?"

Kajirô started and nearly fell into the water. He whirled around and stared in panic at the girl. "S-S-S-Sendô-san! I-I didn't hear you arrive…."

"I was here before you. Obviously, the scene was so striking you can't even notice anything else…."

"N-no, it's not…! I-I'm not…!"

Erika smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, Tsukai-san. I suppose I shouldn't tease you so when Nii-sama is to blame for what happened…to all of us." She stared back at the river again for a moment before continuing, "Still, that's the most flustered I've ever seen you…you're usually so depressingly composed. Even when Miki teases you subtly about Hina when you're right in front of her…."

A tiny, fleeting smile crossed Kajirô's lips. "I suppose I don't have a right to say this, but that…scene, as you put it, was not something I should have been subjected to…."

"Right…." She turned back to the water.

Kajirô considered her for a few moments. "Sendô-san…are you all right…?"

"What? Oh, other than my brother arranging for my teacher to see me nude, I'm fine…."

"No…." Kajirô shook his head. "That's not what I'm talking about. I'm just wondering…are you going to talk to any of them about it?"

"About what?" she demanded.

"About…why you fought against us during that…during the Festival. You, alone, out of the group that Kain-sensei has put together…you fought of your own will on Sanada-san's side. It has to hurt…them, and you, too. I…only have hearsay, but they tell me you were involved in nearly all of Kain-sensei's battles so far. And then, you went against them. They seem to have forgiven you…they don't want to pressure you, or even bring it up. But…I'm not sure that you've forgiven yourself, nor have you solved whatever problems inspired you to…turn on them. And I'm not sure you can until you talk it over with them. I can't tell you…to stop blaming yourself, or to stop worrying about your problems…but I can see that you need your friends' help."

He rose, bowed to her, and then left. Erika stared after him for several seconds. Then she smiled slightly. "Forgive…myself…? I suppose…that is one of my greatest fears…."

8-8-8

By the next day, everyone's injured sentiments had healed enough that they could interact with each other and enjoy their little vacation properly. Iori was properly treated as a pariah, and every once in a while when members of the opposed genders interacted, they would suddenly recall the previous day's embarrassing incidents and look away, blushing…after which they would turn to other topics in desperate effort to put it from their minds.

Nevertheless, they were all in much better spirits…even Erika, Kain noticed. In truth, she was mostly avoiding Kain, but, to a certain degree, all the girls were…it was continued interaction with him, of course, that most prompted the unpleasant memories of yesterday. Still, it surprised him when, shortly after dinner that day, she passed by him and said, "Meet me outside at the stone oak tree in the west garden at seven o'clock tonight."

She did it out of sight of anyone…except for Iori. "Oh…so she's ready to make her move," the vampire murmured. Kain turned a wary glare at him, but he continued, "That particular tree is a known confession spot…many love-struck youths journey to this onsen and make their confessions or proposals at that tree. I guess it's about time for Erika to admit to you the truth: she fell in love with you at first sight, ever since your first meeting in February." He laid a hand on Kain's shoulder. "It pains me, but if it's you, I can entrust my imôto-chan to your care…."

Kain suddenly gripped Iori's intruding hand fiercely and squeezed it as he removed it from his shoulder. "Iori-senpai…I think you've done more than enough with your jokes during this little trip. We're quite grateful for your care, but I would ask you to kindly refrain from bothering us with any more of this, all right?"

"A-ah…yes…I suppose you're right, Kain-kun…."

Kain released him and whirled around, leaving before Iori got anything else into his head. Iori watched him go with a smile, massaging his hand. "I suppose I have played too much…but it seems everything's going to work out…."

8-8-8

So the next scene shows Erika alone at the tree, furious, finally raising her head and shouting, "He stood me up!"?

No, our protagonist doesn't have the problems of certain others.

Erika was seated on a bench next to the tree. She glanced over in surprise as Kain showed up a little before the appointed time. "Kain-sensei…."

"Sorry…did I keep you waiting?"

"Ah, no! I just arrived…."

He gestured to the empty seat, and she gestured for him to sit down. He did so, and then, after Erika was silent for a few moments, he offered, "So…are you finally ready to talk about what happened at the Festival?"

Erika started. "E-eh? How did you know?"

"Your brother was suggesting something about this being a tree for confessions, but I'm pretty sure I could discount that. But…the Festival was rough for both of us…and between all of us…since we were on opposite sides. For you to struggle against us…all of us…and against your family…Sakura must have given you some convincing reasons to help, but I didn't want to press until you were ready…if you ever would be ready."

"Y-yes…." Erika brushed at her hair. "Kain-sensei…I'm afraid to say…I think, under the circumstances, that I…it's best if I withdraw myself from your company and fellowship."

Kain stared at her in surprise. "Erika-san…there's no reason to separate yourself from us just because you fought against us once…Alyssa, Miyu, and Ayanami-san all fought against us, too, and…."

"That's not it, Sensei," Erika declared, shaking her head. "It's not…because I fought against you…it's…the reasons behind it." She took a deep breath, tried to put all other thoughts from her mind and gazed hard at Kain. "I agreed to help Sakura-san…in all honesty, because I knew that if we succeeded…you would be banished from the academy."

Chisame, walking about, happened upon the scene. Watching from the shadow of a nearby tree, she began observing the exchange.

Kain stared at Erika in surprise. He wasn't sure what he thought about this, so he waited patiently for Erika to explain. Finally, she continued, "We've spoken before about my…vampire urges. I felt a strong reaction to your blood from the first time we met…and that's why, in the beginning, I tried to avoid you as much as was possible without seeming rude or insolent. But then…with Alyssa-chan's rampage…the crisis in Kyoto…and the other events…I found myself…drawn in. And it was fine, at first. I was wary of being so close to you, but…I valued the friendship Mai gave me, and then the others as they came along. I've never avoided people, but I've always been too…wary to gather too many friends. The first friend I had, when I was a child…I ended up doing something terrible too, because I'm a vampire, and I'm constantly reminded of that….

"And so at first I was happy to be part of the group…and despite my fears, the bloodlust didn't present itself too strongly. But now, more recently, it's come back, and has been getting worse. Sometimes, it's been unbearable. I can't…I'm not sure I can handle being around you for very much longer. And so, Sakura-san's plan, and the suggestion that you would be sent safely away if it succeeded…appealed to me. Perhaps it was just a foolish idea…but I knew it was the easiest way of …dealing with my problem. It was the best I could come up with. But it shows that…I'm just no longer cut out for being a part of your group. I can't…."

Kain stared at her, then turned away. "I…I understand. I…wish I could convince you otherwise, but…."

"So, you're just going to run away?"

Erika started as Chisame emerged from her hiding place. She glared at Kain. "And you, Sensei, you're just going to let her go?"

"Ch-Chisame…."

Chisame turned back to Erika. "One little trouble and you fall to pieces, Fukukaichô? That's unlike you."

"Hasegawa-san, what are you talking about!? You don't understand…!"

"No, probably not…not fully." She pushed against her glasses. "I finally had a good talk with Ayanami about some of these magical things…and she told me all about the Sendô family. So, you're a vampire, right? And vampires have to feed on human blood. (Dear, oh dear, vampires now…why am I even involving myself with this magical nonsense?) And the blood of magically-endowed people—mages—is like an addictive drug to you. All well and good. Or not, in this case. But all you're doing is running away. You've decided it's too hard and you're just not going to try to deal with it anymore…regardless of the circumstances.

"Sure, I may not understand just how hard this…addiction can be on you. But I do know that you're punishing yourself unnecessarily…all because of selfishness. This isn't just about you. I…may not really want to be part of this crazy group, but I can already see that so many of these girls look up to you. Kaichô relies on you as her number two, and Tokiha seems close to you…but some of the other girls like Ayase and Miyazaki seem to look up to you as well. And Kain-sensei already owes you so many times over. And so while you may believe that ditching them now would be the best thing for them…well, I'm sure they don't feel that way, and in this case, I'll agree with them.

"Furthermore, you have this deal with your mother, right? About trying to live your own life, outside of the vampires' rules? So cutting yourself off from this group of people who accept you as you are…how is that going to help your case? Looking at it objectively, I'd say this breakdown could serve as proof that vampires can't function outside of your carefully-set 'vampire rules' or whatever.

"Well, I don't intend to stick around this crazy group any more than necessary, so it's not like it matters to me at all…but I just can't stand stupidity being waved in front of my eyes." Chisame turned around and started to walk away. "Well, whatever…do as you think is best. But I really thought Fukukaichô was stronger than this…."

Erika watched her go with a mixture of shocked admiration and furious embarrassment on her face. Kain's eyes followed Chisame as she left and then swiveled slowly to regard Erika, and he smiled slightly. "Well," he said finally, "moving on…personally, I never wanted to involve any of my students in my battles and business to begin with. I didn't want to put any of you in unnecessary danger. But…after all that's happened…I've grown to depend on all of you. I…don't feel I have the right to ask you to stay on…and help me with my personal goals…but I will say that Chisame is right…all of us will be sad to see you leave us….

"But more importantly, I think Chisame was right about your…circumstances. I promised you and your mother that I would prove that you could live by your own rules, amongst humans, amongst friends, and…well, it seems I'll need your help to even keep that promise. You can't give up yet. We'll do everything we can to support you and help you…just…I don't want to see you give up on it yet…."

Erika turned back to stare at him. Finally she smiled, and, playing with her hair, she answered, "Jeez…I guess none of you really will let me go, will you…? I…can't make any promises, Kain-sensei…but…I'll withhold my 'resignation' for now…."

Kain nodded. "That's all we can ask." He rose. "Well, we better get inside…before Iori-senpai starts saying unnecessary things to our more impressionable comrades…."

Laughing, Erika followed him inside.

Chisame, of course, had arrived inside ahead of them. She started as a soft voice said, "That was very kind of you, Chisame-san."

"W-wha!? Ayanami!? What are you doing here…?"

"You are most considerate of your friends' feelings."

"F-friends? D-don't be ridiculous…! I-I just…."

"It's good to know that you are our comrade."

"N-now look here, I'm not anyone's comrade…!"

8-8-8

The next day, on the short train ride back to the academy, Kain and Mai found themselves alone for a few minutes as everyone separated to pursue varied activities.

"What a weekend," Kain sighed. "It was…surprisingly stressful for rest and relaxation, but still…I think it was good overall…."

He turned to Mai, who was staring out the window, lost in thought. "So, Mai, it seems you got things settled with Momo all right. Convince her to stop avoiding you?"

Mai started. "W-what? Uh, yeah…how'd you know about that…?"

"She's been wary of you ever since Jynx and Takamichi told us about you…about your past. But she seemed better during this trip." ('By the end of it, pretty much everyone did act more at peace,') he added to himself.

"Y-yeah…you're a lot more observant than you seem sometimes…."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"N-nothing! It's just, uh…well, you're…last week, you seemed lost in thought so much. I was sure you were thinking about nothing but your father, and I wanted to talk to you about that, but, well, with the way Momo was acting…."

"Really? Did my teaching suffer or something?"

"No, no…we know you're not the kind of person who would slack off or anything…but you always get so obsessed, thinking about your father…and after learning more about him from Jynx, I just assumed you were obsessing again…."

Kain thought for a moment. "No, not particularly. I mean, yeah, I am thinking about him, still, but I've had something else on my mind this week. Sakura, actually. She left me a note of encouragement before she left…and she was such a puzzle, and I still don't understand why exactly she was here. But now, I even think of her every time I look at Momo. I thought they looked eerily alike before. Now that she's taken her hairstyle…."

Mai laughed. "That's true, isn't it? Hmm…what if she's the future daughter or descendant of you and Momo, come back to the past to help her parents out? She did say she was a time-traveler…."

"C'mon, Mai," Kain sighed, "please don't even joke about things like that. First of all, I'm a human and she's a shinigami. There's no way there could ever be a half-shinigami half-human…."

"Why not? It's more than possible. And she was so in love with your father…."

"That's enough, Mai, please…."

And so the trip passed pleasantly. A small event had significant impact on the hearts of a few….

F I N

Author's Note: Onsen and the Lovelorn

The obligatory onsen episode! Nearly every anime has an obligatory onsen episode. And this seemed the best place to have it in this story. Obviously, I adapted this little fiasco from the bath moments in Fortune Arterial, where Iori uses this tactic to set Kohei up to see what he shouldn't not once, but twice—the first time with Erika in the first episode, and then in the OVA with his whole harem. I changed the situation a little—the rest of the girls walking in later seemed a logical side effect from swapping the bath signs as Iori did…and, in a way, makes up for all the fan service I've skipped. As I've mentioned, the continuous fan service of Negima always drove me nuts, but sometimes, especially considering the characters involved, it is a source of humor and story development. I still feel a little guilty and sorry for the girls, subjecting them to even this much…but when I compare them to the ladies of Negima, suddenly they are incredibly fortunate. If you haven't read it, you really have no idea….

Zettai Karen Children, for its 300th manga chapter celebration, actually had an amusing scene that explained many of the rules for onsen (and, of course, featured blatant fan service). I considering going into them here, but decided it wasn't necessary.

Ah, I should first mention the confessional episode. Misora Kasuga was a member of the class who, despite being a mage, was low-key and, essentially, useless; except for the fact that she was a member of the track club, she has nothing in common with any of my girls and therefore has completely vanished. She is a nun-in-training as well as a young mage, and has a contract with a strange and quiet young girl (another ice-girl model) named Kokone (another bargain-price Pactio artifact!). Her artifact is a pair of shoes that let her run incredibly fast. She is actually useless in combat, and yet is required by Sister Shakti (the sister/mage in charge of the local chapel) to help out on occasion—she had a *few* appearances in the Festival, doing a few things, but really didn't do anything significant; this confessional episode was the only mark she made. Even after her magic was 'revealed', she sat on the side, watching everyone else work, and not wanting to be a part of it.

She first posed the suggestion to the class (I had the German Rakasu give the advice here) to see the priest for confessions if people were troubled. Then she was inside cleaning it with Kokone when Asuna first entered to tell about the fight she had with Negi, and Misora tormented her with talk of loving Negi. Then Yue entered, and Nodoka after her, similar to how I presented them. Back in class, Nodoka told how the 'father' had really helped her, and encouraged everyone to go, and so Misora decided to get into it, since she's a bit of a trickster, transforming herself into the priest and waiting for everyone's confessions. A surge of panels show that this wasn't such a good idea, as so many random people with their random problems come in, until Negi finally came in last, and at the end she is caught by Sister Shakti and thoroughly punished.

It was…a minor adventure, only two chapters in the manga, but I decided to adapt it; I had already planned Iori's vacation at the onsen with the 'reward' for Kain, and moving Iori into Misora's very vacant place in this story was a convenient way to inspire him to do it. I *almost* had Erika drop in, too, but she never liked the church in Fortune Arterial, and it…just doesn't make sense for Erika to seek the answer to her troubles there. Iori, of course, was after Sister Shizuko, a girl he loved when she was young, but that he had to erase the memories of. That side plot was a great excuse to have him at hand to start this confessional incident. In addition, I decided to keep the confessional since it helped address the angst of Yue and Nodoka over the boy that has suddenly come between them….

Erika's confession to Kain was also adapted from the Erika/Kohei initial meeting, which happened in between the failed handshake/save the rabbit events in Fortune Arterial. Initially, Iori told Kohei that Erika was in love with him and then immediately set naked Kohei on naked Erika, and then when Kohei was explaining himself to Kanade and his other friends, he was indignant for Erika's sake, and Erika overheard this. So she quietly invited him to this supposed confession-spot tree. However, en route Kohei was, as I've previously mentioned, photographing the school for Kanade and found Iori in the chapel, sucking a young girl's blood, and was so disturbed he wandered off and forgot about his meeting with Erika. The post-episode scene (after the credits—most Fortune Arterial anime episodes had these post-credits mini-scenes) showed Erika waiting by the tree in anger and then yelling, "He stood me up!" which I directly lampshaded. This led to the fukukaichô, during her opening speech, to spotlight Kohei and (sort of) subtly reveal his misdemeanor to the school. The Shiro/Yukimaru moment that followed finally allowed the pair to make up and begin their relationship. Naturally, Kain's start with Erika wasn't as rocky, but it was amusing to use most of the events.

Back to the onsen. Mostly, it provided a place for the outlet of angst (not because of what was seen, either, but from last Act's events). Momo seems troubled over Mai for some reason, Erika is still suffering from the fears that drove her to go against the group, Kazumi still isn't sure she belongs to the group…this necessary angst has to be brought out to help prepare everyone for the summer's hard training sessions. Our heroes have to ready themselves to take on their biggest challenge yet, and there's a still lot to do….

So, let's go onward. Next Chapter!