Summary: This is an AU story takes place after the fall of Cocoonn, Orphan, and the ending of the l'Cie and crystal stasis. Serah is awake from her crystal stasis and married to Snow now. Fang and Vanille are not in crystal stasis and are kicking it in somewhere in the wilds of Gran Pulse. Lightning and the gang have lost their L'Cie brands for good…or have they?
Hope Estheim is 15 and ready to enter high school, but what would happen if he found a flyer and application for Yokai Academy? Read onward to find out!
… … …
Hope plus Vampire
Chapter 7: School Clubs plus Mermaids
New Bodhum-
As the rain pelted the windows, Lightning sighed at her reflection in the window of her office. She just got around to finishing the last of her paper work. Things were indeed uneventful the past few months. Most of her thoughts drifted to a certain silver-haired young boy. Like, what kind of parent would she be if she didn't worry about her latest charge? A cold-hearted one. But she was far from cold-hearted.
When she finished her work, she opened the latest letter she received from Hope. Snow had gotten around to passing word on to her while she was away on her business trips. When she returned last week, her thoughts returned to its former state and began to worry. Without further ado, she opened the letter and read it.
Dear Lightning,
It has been an awful long time since I wrote to you. Most of my letters have wound up with Snow or Serah. They tell me everything is okay over there. How have you been doing? Sorry for not updating you on the latest information. Well, remember how I wrote you a few months ago that I made friends with someone who looks almost like you? Well, I have more to tell you! I've made friends with three girls so far! I know, sounds crazy, right?
I know that it's not what you've been expecting, but they have honestly made my life even more interesting! And, by interesting, I mean chaotic! Now, I'm no longer the kid that's in the background, I'm the most popular kid in school! I'm even shocked by it! I mean with three girls around you, you'd expect a crowd!
Anyway, you know about Moka, right? She's the girl with pink hair and green eyes. I now have a friend that has blue hair, purple eyes, and erm…I'd rather just show you than describe it. And, I have a friend that's eleven years old and is rather normal, and is the number 1 in school!
My adventures don't end just there! I was involved in a few fights, but don't worry, I'm perfectly capable of defending myself, and so are they! I don't know why, but it feels like karma is working its way against me. Anyway, I'd just like to know, can you still do magic? Because I recently discovered that I could still use my spells even though the brand is gone.
Don't worry, I was only curious and happened to use them accidentally, and no one was there! I promise! Anyway, I have to go now, my friends are waiting for me and I don't want to keep them waiting! I feel like I'm involved in some sort of supernatural works in the making! Heheh, well, bye, Light!
-Sincerely, Hope
P.S: I included a photo of the three of us too!
Sure enough, he had included them. Behind the letter was a photo of Hope and his friends. Lightning let a smile float across her face, indeed these girls were pretty. Lightning could only imagine everyone else's reaction. Though something kept bugging her, he could still perform magic. Lightning shrugged, and just let it pass. Hope was a growing boy, and he was at the stage where he needed to experience the outside life's harsh embrace, even though it worried her.
Whatever pickle Hope's gotten himself into, he could handle himself, after all what kind of parent would she be if she always solved her charge's problems for him? As long as he didn't get himself killed she was fine with it, however only one question remained: Which of these girls will he date? Lightning quickly scratched that. ope's too young to date and what's more, the kid is alone out there with who knows what would influence him. She briefly wondered if he ever had the 'talk' before…
… … …
It was the end of homeroom class when Nekonome-sensei passed out the English test results. As usual, Hope got a perfect score on it. He inwardly cheered himself on while Moka, who got the second highest score behind his, congratulated him. By the time the hour mark came to pass, Nekonome-sensei stood at the front of the class to deliver the announcements for the week.
"Well, students! I have an announcement to make!" she exclaimed cheerily. "As you know, our school is working on trying to imitate the schools of the human world. It is our solemn duty to make sure that each and every one of you gives your all! That includes joining school clubs! It's a requirement that reflects your overall grade, and not only that, it's a lot of fun!"
"Wait, sensei!" one student's hand shot up.
"Yes?"
"Why couldn't we have gotten this announcement a few months earlier? It's already been half a semester and I've been wondering why we haven't been told about this earlier?" Nekonome-sensei's face got all red and as usual slashed the poor guy's face. Clearly, she forgot all about it, but everyone chose to keep their mouths shut.
"Anyway, you must join a club! Otherwise you get kicked out, simple as that!" Nekonome-sensei exclaimed while keeping up a cheerful expression and acted like she hadn't mauled a student. Sweat drop.
… … …
"This could be interesting, Moka." Hope said while they walked side-by-side through the hallways filled with club booths.
"Yeah! I hope we get into the same club together!" Moka exclaimed, happy to finally have him all to herself.
They wandered around a bit, and wound up trudging through strange clubs. Apparently, more than half of the clubs weren't 'normal' by human standards. They first walked past a booth for the 'mummy club' whose objectives were to get Moka to join their club and wrap its members in layers upon layers of toilet paper.
Moving on, they walked past a chemistry club booth, oddly enough did not seem like the typical science club, but instead held a bunch of mad science freaks, each with really pale skin and thick, round glasses and white lab coats. They apparently wanted to make love potions in an effort to make Moka apart of their experiments and 'play toy'.
Soon, they were approached by a few members of the photography club, which was a no-brainer that they avoid. The members wanted Moka to pose nude for their club, which got Hope extremely angry and made one of the members paralyzed temporarily from a minor stun spell because he was the most persistent.
A little after that, they were swarmed in by a few members of the acupuncture club. One of those guys had needles sticking out of his bald head. Yeah, these clubs were definitely abnormal. When they say there's a club for everyone, they mean for everyone.
"I'm beginning to think there's nothing moderately normal." Hope sighed before sitting on a bench in exhaustion with Moka plopping down next to him.
"Y-yeah." Moka gasped for breath as well.
After about fifteen minutes of rest, the crowds lessened in the hallway and they were able to wander freely again. Suddenly, Hope felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned around. To his surprise, he came face-to-face with a tall, beautiful girl with orange hair, wearing a green bikini and a wrap. He blushed at the sight and turned away slightly so as not to look at her generous assets. She smiled gently and handed him a flyer. He looked the flyer over in confusion.
"What is this?"
"Oh, that's a flyer for our club." The older girl said with a smile. "We're the school's swim club."
"Oh, I see." Hope said.
"If you ever think about joining a club, you should join us." She said.
"Uh…" Hope looked at Moka for a second, and she just shrugged. "let me think about it…"
"Oh, please do! Our club is mainly female, and it would warm our hearts if you joined." She grinned. "By the way, my name is Tamao Ichinose. I'm a second year."
She extended a hand, and Hope shook it.
"Uh, I'm Hope Estheim. And this is Moka Akashiya." He introduced them. "Nice to meet you."
"Hope, huh?" she said, ignoring the pink-haired girl. "Well, please think about join our club."
Hope thought about it and then his thoughts wandered over to Moka. She wore a blank expression, but he knew better. When he looked into her eyes, he saw fear. Hope remembered from reading that vampires hated water, and since they were friends he didn't want to make her uncomfortable by going through with this.
"I-I don't know." He said finally.
"Well, don't decide now." She said. "By the way, our club is having a swimsuit competition. Why don't you come and have a look? You won't be swimming, and I guarantee you'll have a great time!"
"Well…"
"Why don't you go, Hope?" Moka said. "Nothing's stopping you."
"No, it's just that you…with water and all." Moka blushed because he happened to know that water was one of the many weaknesses of a vampire.
"Uh…no, you should go with what you want…I'll just watch." Moka smiled sadly, but Hope wasn't deterred.
"You said you wanted to be in a club with me and if it's just me, then that's boring. I'd rather join a crazy club with you than to join a club without you participating in it. Then it won't be as fun." He smiled.
She blushed again, and Tamao chuckled a little.
"I'm sorry to interrupt…but if you don't hurry and get to your seats, you'll be late for the swimsuit competition!"
"L-let's just go anyway." Hope blushed red. "It's not like we have anything else to do." On that note, they made their way to the pool while a crowd of boys surrounded the gorgeous bikini-clad girls.
… … …
Meanwhile-
"So, I hear there's gonna be a bikini contest." A certain bluenette said haughtily while changing into her two-piece micro-swimsuit. "Hope-kun's bound to be there, and when he sees oh beautiful me…he'll beg to become mine!"
"Not if I win the contest first!" a childish voice piped in, interrupting Kurumu's monologue. "Hope-nii-san is my lover!"
"Excuse me! Flat chest!" Kurumu pointed at the little witch's chest area, taking notice of Yukari's one-piece school issued swimsuit and witch's hat.
"Hey, not everyone likes a cow for a winner!" Yukari shot back while dropping a wash bin on Kurumu's head. "Honestly, people could use a little cute and flat!"
"Well, that's no match for hot and busty!" Kurumu removed the wash bin and smirked while watching Yukari glare furiously at the older girl.
"You wanna bet, cow-tits!" the little girl challenged.
"There's honestly no competition here, but who am I to turn down a challenge!" Kurumu and Yukari shook on it and each vowed to win no matter what.
… … …
At the swimsuit contest-
Hope and Moka finally found their seats on the bleachers by the time the contest rolled in. The whole place was crowded with hormonal, teenage monster boys and a few jealous and seething girlfriends that were dragged out here by force. The crowd settled a little as Tamao made her way to the diving board and turned to face the crowd with a microphone in hand.
"Ahem! Welcome, everyone to our annual swimsuit contest!" Tamao exclaimed, prompting a few hundred cheers from the audience. "On behalf of the swimming club, I, Tamao Ichinose shall be your host for this most esteemed event! The first place winner shall be given a glorious prize and be crowned this year's Miss Yokai!"
As each girl walked onto the diving board, poised, and dived into the water, Moka groaned ever so slightly, but it was so inaudible that Hope didn't quite catch it. Looking at his amazed expression, the pinkette just rolled her eyes in exasperation. Just when the contest got even more irritating and annoying, a familiar bluenette who they came to know as a friend in the months they were together. Hope blushed a really dark red as well as sent half the boys into a fountain of blood.
She wore the skimpiest swimsuit any of them had ever seen. With those jugs, she had the contest practically in the bag. Even the much older girls were jealous and heavily outmatched by her well-endowed breasts. Kurumu strutted onto the diving board with all the poise of a supermodel, stopped, and dived into the pool.
The girls that came after were extremely nervous, as would be expected from them. Yukari eventually made it, but her cuteness far made up for it than what they thought she could do. She, too made it onto the diving board and jumped into the pool, as she wasn't able to dive properly yet.
The judges came around and made their choice. The winner, obviously was Kurumu. Much to Yukari's dismay and outrage, she marched right up to the blue-haired girl and started a scene with her, only to have her held back by Hope and Moka.
"Congratulations, Kurumu!" Hope beamed. "You are the best of them all."
"Oh, thank you, Hope-kun!" taking note that Kurumu was wearing a wet bikini and that she promptly shoved her giant breasts into his face did little to stop the impending flood gates. Before, she would glomp him while she was fully clothed, now she did it while she was only wearing a bikini, a pretty tight one at that.
Hope's face was flat-out red and his eyes swirled like an anime-style pinwheel. His nostrils were dripping blood. While Moka and Yukari attempted to revive him and keep Kurumu away from the silveret as much as possible, Tamao approached them.
"Hey, guys!" she called out.
Hope snapped out of his stupor and stood up shakily.
"Yes?"
"Did you like our little show?" Tamao asked playfully while receiving hard glares from the trio and a dazed one from Hope.
"Yeah, I suppose." He rubbed the top of his head in an effort to clear the pounding in his skull.
"So, did that make you wanna join our club?" she asked.
Hope looked dazedly at the guys that were now playing with the girls from the club.
"Maybe…" was his answer.
Finally, Moka couldn't take it anymore.
"Fine!" she cried, startling everyone. "You only wanted to come here so you can see half-naked girls, didn't you?"
"Huh?"
"I've been holding it in all afternoon so I could support you, but I just can't take it anymore! If you wanna spend your free time with these girls, be my guest!" with a huff, Moka stormed off, leaving Hope and co. to ponder what happened.
"What just happened?" Kurumu asked.
"I think she snapped." Yukari offered meekly.
"Wait, I gotta go apologize. I didn't mean for this to go this far. Forgive me, Tamao-senpai!" he was about to run after the pinkette when Tamao's hand shot out and grabbed Hope's wrist in a vice-like grip.
"Look, I've been asking nicely if you wanted to come here! All I was looking for was an answer and all I get in return is a vampire bitch on her PMS! Well, the least you could've done was say no! But, all I get is this hesitation!" Tamao shouted.
"Hey, now!" Kurumu and Yukari shouted in his defense, only to have them pushed into the water.
"Stay outta this, you sluts!" Tamao shouted.
Hope was now getting the ominous feeling that the area was going to get dangerous.
… … …
Meanwhile, Moka was behind the gym, crying again. She slumped down and hugged her knees to her chest.
"You fool!" a very irritated voice shouted.
"Huh?" Moka was startled out of her misery.
"How could you let yourself be led into a pool of all places?"
"I thought I…I thought I could just stay out of his way and just watch him...b-but I-I couldn't t-take it anymore! I wish I were normal!"
"Why the hell would you wish that? We're proud vampires! We are one of the strongest and most feared and respected of them all!"
"That's exactly why I wish that!" more tears sprung to her eyes as she continued conversing with her inner self. "I just wanna be with Hope! That's all I want…"
There was silence for a while, but her inner self continued.
"If you really want that…then go and take what's yours! If you were even half the vampire you are now, you would do everything in your power to. Get. Him. Back."
"Huh?" Moka was startled by these turns of events. "Why?"
"It is simple, really. You are in love with the boy."
It took Moka a long moment to consider it and when she thought about it, her inner self was right. The boy known as Hope Estheim was more than just a human friend to her, or just a friend. He was like the soul mate she could never ask for. But, how could she muster the courage to do that? She wasn't that confident, unlike her regal self who just radiated with confidence, bordering on arrogance.
"You know what you have to do…"
With that, Moka stood up and ran back in the direction of the pool. Suddenly, she picked up on hostility and a bunch of demonic auras coming from it. That knowledge only proved to further her haste. Hope's in trouble!
… … …
Hope stood by the pool as he watched helplessly while the members of the swim club transform into mermaids. Their mouths grew wide with razor sharp teeth and dug into the helpless males that were with them. He was horrified by what he saw. One moment the boys were normal, then their hair started turning white, like his, and their faces grew wrinkles until they were reduced to nothing. Hope turned back to Tamao, who had yet to transform, but looked like she was going to. But by this point in time, Yukari and Kurumu were getting out of the pool and stopping to catch their breath and look back at the horrific scene before them.
"Why?" Hope asked.
Tamao laughed evilly.
"Don't take this personally…" she said, when she opened her mouth, her teeth grew into razor sharp claws and the jaws disconnected allowed a second row of teeth to appear. Her skin turned gray and what looked like the beginnings of webbings grew between her toes and fingers. "…but we're mermaids! And a mermaid's gotta do whatever to survive by sucking out the youth out of a helpless male and then eating them!"
Hope stepped back until he was backed up on the edge of the pool. A couple of hands went and grabbed him by the ankles and pulled him into the pool, dragging him to the very depths of the pool. Shaken out of their daze, Yukari and Kurumu tried and attempt to rescue their friend, but they were caught up in fighting off a few mermaids in the process.
"We have no need for females, so you must die!" Tamao lunged for Kurumu, only to have the succubus grow wings and a tail and fly up above them while carrying Yukari with her. "Get down here!"
"I don't think so, ugly!" Kurumu stayed hovering above the pool
Tamao dived into the pool to gain her bearing as her legs turned into a giant tail fin. In the nick of time, Moka arrived, only to catch the horrific sight.
"Kurumu! Yukari!" She cried.
"Moka!" they called back
"Where's Hope?"
"He's gone under and there's no way to rescue him with all those fish girls in the way!" Kurumu answered while dodging the stream of water that shot like bullets at her, like a fly.
Moka hesitated at the edge while Tamao taunted her.
"Oh, the big, bad vampire has come to rescue her little boyfriend." She spat water at Moka, while Moka tried as best she could to dodge and weave around the blasts. "Too bad he'll be fish food before you get your filthy hands on him! Oh wait, you did! I know what you did! You vampires are all the same! You wish to treat him like a blood source!" like all the ones before her said.
"Well, you're doing the same thing!" Moka argued.
"Ha, unlike you, I intend on eating him up and leaving nothing behind! It's our nature! We must feed! But, don't you think for a second that you're gonna win here! I know all about your weakness toward water! Leave now and I'll spare your life."
"I'm sorry, but I won't abandon him!" Moka shouted and dived into the water.
"Is she nuts? She'll die!" Kurumu shouted, while in the air.
… … …
Meanwhile, underwater, Hope was trying to fight off the mermaids that had him trapped by his ankles deep in the water. Soon, he would give out and he would die as fish food. His vision was about to give out on him, and his lungs started filling with water as his world started to get dark. The only thing that was odd was a familiar head of pink hair swimming toward him with her body surging with electricity like mad.
She reached him in the nick of time just as both of them were about to give out, he reached a hand out to grab her, but accidentally grabbed onto her rosario instead. Suddenly, a flash of light grew from her and the pool started parting and whirled like a tornado around them. Then there was a giant whirlpool and a dry spot in the middle of the pool's floor where Moka stood.
She was drenched all over, which was to be expected when she just dived into a pool. Her body was crackling with an electricity of some kind. Hope was still trapped within the space where there was still water and he was on the verge of losing consciousness.
Just then, Moka leaped from her standing position and drove her arm through the water and grabbed onto hope's arm and pulled hard until he was freed and he was in her arms, coughing out the water that was still in his lungs. She set him down and glared up at the mermaids that were swimming around them like sharks.
"Well, look who decided to show up!" Tamao shouted.
"Ah, look at the little fish who thinks she's a shark~" despite being drenched and crackling with electricity still, she still found a way to make a snide remark.
"Why, you little!" Tamao shouted and lunged at the silver haired vampire. "I'll kill you for your insolence!"
"Ha, you kill me? That's a laugh."
"Don't you dare insult me! You're in water, which is a mermaid's territory!" she shouted.
"Thundaga!" Hope's weakened voice said and threw a thunder spell at the water, making it surge with the lightning. Since water was a proud conductor of electricity, it was a smart idea to use the spell. While they were distracted, Moka grabbed Hope into her arms and leaped up out of the pool, sending the whirlpool of water back to normal.
They were just in the air when Tamao leapt up after them, still crackling with electricity. She barred her fangs and tried to reach for Hope, but Moka had other plans.
"You can't defeat a mermaid here! I'll devour you!"
"Not this time, minnow!" Moka raised her leg in midair, which was extremely difficult to do while airborne and brought it down hard on the mermaid's head, sending her crashing into the pool, sending a shockwave and the draining of the pool's water out. "Know your place!"
Moka landed on the ground and lay Hope on the ground who was still throwing up water. He gasped for breath when Moka grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him up to where she could meet him eye-to-eye. Kurumu and Yukari landed on the ground short after so they could regroup.
"What were you thinking?" Moka demanded.
"Thinking…about what?" Hope gasped.
"You leading us to water!"
"*cough* I already knew…about your…condition." Hope said, prompting the crimson-eyed vampire to stare deeply into his half-lidded ones.
"Then why didn't you say anything?" Moka asked. "You could've gotten all of us killed?"
"But…you said…"
"I know what she said, which was stupid of her." Moka said with a small smile on her face, which Hope hadn't been expecting. "She cares too much about the well-beings and wants of others before herself, which was foolish of her. Doubtless, that selflessness could've killed you, more importantly, me."
"…I know…I'm sorry." Hope said weakly before bowing his head.
"I think you should tell her that." Moka said.
"I will." He said. Moka finally let him go and he could stand up right okay.
"I think I will be going now. After that little display and her jumping into the wretched pool, I'm weakened. I must recuperate to gain my former power back…" she was about to place her rosario back into place when Hope shouted for her to wait.
"Hold on a minute! Let me heal you!" Hope closed the distance and placed a warm hand before her, stopping just an inch before her chest, much to the embarrassment of the silveret. "Curaga."
In moments, Moka's clothes dried themselves and her aura restored until she felt her power return. The warm feeling and the glowing white hand disappear, leaving Moka with disappointed.
"Well, I think your efforts have proven you're worthy." Moka smirked.
"Huh?"
"You are interesting. Until we meet again, I bid you good day." Moka placed the rosario into place while the other Moka promptly fell into Hope's arms.
… … …
Moka awoke sometime later and found herself looking into Hope's sleeping face. He looked so peaceful and cute while he slept next to her. She blushed when she thought about it. He was really close. His face and wrist were covered in bandages. He probably didn't have time to heal herself as she recalled what happened. She looked around and found that she was in the infirmary.
At the same time, Hope's eyes fluttered open until his dazed eyes stared deeply into Moka's own eyes. Moka was compelled by those eyes and felt a pull toward him, until the door was slammed open.
"Good morning!" Kurumu held a bouquet of flowers in her hand when she came upon the two on the bed. Yukari appeared from behind her, also with flowers when her eyes widened. "What the hell? Why are you two in the same bed?"
"Huh?" that got both of them into sitting positions.
"Oh, forgive me! I placed them that way. They just looked like a cute couple, don't you think?" the nurse's voice came when she walked into the room. All heads turned toward her and back at the two still in the bed.
"Ah, right." They said in unison.
Just then, two perky ears appeared at the doorway until the form of Nekonome-sensei appeared before them, looking very concerned.
"Oh, are you two all right?" she asked.
"Y-yes." They both said, and blushed.
"I heard about the fiasco that happened at the pool area. All those poor girls had to be sent to the hospital and were promptly suspended for displaying foul play at the pool!"
"Oh, it's okay!" Moka said.
"Yeah, we're okay now." Hope said.
"Well, since you're all here…have you entered a club yet?" she asked.
"Huh? No, we haven't." Hope answered.
"Well, I forgot to tell you that I'm the teacher for the school newspaper club and sadly we only have one member at the moment. So, what do you say about joining us?"
"Oh, well, I'd love to." Hope said.
"Us too!" Yukari vouched for everyone, followed by nods and quiet assents.
"Great! Now that we have new members! You can come in after school tomorrow to meet our sole member!" Nekonome-sensei exclaimed and left. "See you then!"
When all that was over, Moka turned toward Hope and looked directly into his eyes again. There it was again. Her heart raced when she laid eyes on him. She gulped and sighed before her breathing became short rasps.
"Hey, are you okay, Moka?" Hope asked.
"Hope…" Moka said, leaning in, making both their faces red. "…I'm very sorry…"
"No…No, no-wait! Ah!" he shouted before it was too late.
"Chu~!"
"Moka! Let him go!" and so proceeds the grabbing of Hope's head and the shoving into breasts thing.
"You let him go, cow-tits!" Yukari shouted.
"Aaaaaahhhhh!"
… … …
A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed that little chapter. This is where the fun actually begins! Oh, don't forget to review and let me know what you think! Please, get people you know to rate this too! Make this story expand! I really want to know how I'm doing, and not from just a handful of people! Sorry, but I'm just like that! Until next time! Sayonara!
Next chapter: Newspaper Club plus Werewolf
-Omake-
When Lightning got home, she showed the photo of Hope and his friends to Snow and Serah, which was the latest development in the boy's life. The former snatched the photo right out of Lightning's hand as she looked it over while looking at the letter.
"Woah! The kid wasn't lying!" Snow exclaimed, looking at the photo of Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari aware that the two pink-haired sisters were behind him. "They are hot!"
Suddenly, the air around him grew very cold and ominous. His whole body shivered as he slowly turned around to meet Lightning and Serah, both wearing identical expressions. His wife in question grew very angry.
"What was that, Snow?" Serah inquired darkly.
"uh-uhm...they were hot?" wrong answer.
"And what about me?"
"Uh-uhm...y-you're hot too! I-I was just c-complimenting them, r-really! I-I have no interest in seeing them like that, believe me! No, wait, that came out the wrong way!"
"Snow..." came Lightning's voice.
"Eep!" came the giant man's sqeak.
"My sister is your wife and you say Hope's friends are hot? Even the little girl?" she said, tick marks growing on her temples.
"Yeah, they a- I only meant it like-oh shit!" he ran like a mad man out the door while the two sisters in question shouted after him.
"You pedophile! Get back here before I kill you, you asshole!" Lightning shouted after his rapidly disappearing figure.
"Boohoo! No! My husband likes little children!" Serah cried.
... ... ...
