Chapter 8

Old and New

It had only been ten minutes, and already Kurumu could tell this week was going to be awful.

Sure, getting to skip out of classes an hour and a half early was great- there was no denying that. And the setting for her lessons wasn't terrible, though odd: she and her mother sat in one of the lunchrooms, though her mother had mentioned they would only be there for this lesson, after which they would be meeting in Kurumu's room at the dorms (an unsettling notion in and of itself). Getting to grab a snack while she sat through this ordeal was nice, but… when were they going to do something?

For the past ten minutes, her mother had sat across from her, idly flipping through the pages of a magazine whose cover implied content considerably more advanced than the last magazine Kurumu had read while at the Resting Place, occasionally chuckling to herself. Still, she had all but ignored her daughter, and Kurumu had a feeling that, when she did speak, it wasn't going to be-

"So," Ageha started casually, without looking up from the pages, "how are things with Tsukune?"

"And what, exactly, does that have to do with my training?" This demand did not have the desired response; Ageha merely lowered the magazine enough to stare mutely at her daughter. "Fine. Not as well as I would have hoped." Kurumu sighed irritably, crossing her arms under her chest. "We haven't had a moment alone. I can tell he wants to be with me, but the secrecy is making things… hard."

"I won't say I told you so, but… I told you so."

"Not helpful, mother!"

"Well… we'll have to change that, now won't we?" Kurumu noticed a gleam in her mother's eyes as she folded her magazine and slipped it into her voluminous purse. "After all, that is one goal for this week's lessons."

Despite herself, Kurumu had to admit that her mother had captured her attention, and leaned forward over the table in a mirror of Ageha's movements. "So… let's talk history, shall we?" Even the mock-scandalous whisper the words were uttered in failed to keep the open grimace from Kurumu's face, and Ageha laughed at her disappointment. "It is important, you know."

"Let me guess… the 'Mate of Fate' talk and all of that, again?"

"Not quite," Ageha murmured. "You have to understand, Kurumu, for all your distaste of books and schoolwork-"

"You're a fine one to talk…"

"-understanding our history is important to understanding our powers. After all, like all monsters, our powers came about as a way to protect ourselves, and to get food and mates. We are a bit more, ah, specialized towards the 'mates' aspect of it, and the 'food.' Still, what we do is supposed to help us and our race survive no matter what."

"Can I get the short version, then?" Kurumu asked hopefully.

"For today," Ageha conceded. "Just know that we succubi are focused on controlling the desires of others. That's one reason we tend to be the most beautiful of monsters-" she paused to wink at a group of students gawking at her low neckline from another table, "but our powers take it even further."

"Allure and our kiss," Kurumu interjected, her smile tinged with bitter embarrassment as she recalled the times those powers had backfired for her.

"Yes, but that isn't it, now is it?" This question drew Kurumu's attention back to her mother, and in response the elder succubus smiled and turned towards her cavernous purse. "Let's see… ah, here we are." She withdrew a manila folder, placing it on the table between them. Kurumu opened it and found what appeared to be a stack of official documents, and her eyes scanned over the first page. The first student, Kurumu Kurono, restrained the second student, Nagare Kano, with an advanced illusion, making it appear that a nearby tree had come to life and grasped Kano with its roots. The creation of such a potent illusion by such a young succubus is noteworthy, and bears further observation, especially- "I don't really remember you telling me about any slug monsters, my daughter. You handled it well, though."

Kurumu's eyes narrowed as she saw the seal at the top of the page. "Mother, these are from the Headmaster's office. How did you get them?"

Ageha turned her face to the side, sticking her tongue out slightly with an expression of absolute innocence. "I didn't do anything too bad, I swear. I just asked for them, that's all."

"Right. I'm beginning to see what you were saying about our powers being all about getting what we want," Kurumu noted sharply. Before she could turn back to reading the printouts before her, Ageha reclaimed them and slid them into her purse.

"Precisely. Manipulation is in our blood, Kurumu. Our beauty, our Allure, our kiss… even our illusions can be used subtly: making the one we desire think that a rival is cold or cruel, or infatuated with someone else." Seeing the distaste on Kurumu's face, Ageha shrugged. "I've always said that you are innocent… and I love that about you. Still… there is one other trick we succubi have up our sleeve."

"And that is…?"

"Dreams." Ageha leaned back in her chair, arresting Kurumu's gaze with her eyes. "We succubi have always used dreams to entice and control. Anything is possible in dreams, even things people would never do in real life. Dreams are completely excused, and in that everyone is vulnerable."

"Dreams, huh?" Kurumu's reaction was far from what her mother had expected. Instead, the young girl furrowed her brow, her thoughts turning to the monster they had fought not so long ago: Mori Retsu, who had nearly killed all of them, who had used their nightmares to gain power and had almost consumed Tsukune. The comparison to her own race was not a good one.

"Our history hasn't been the cleanest," Ageha admitted, misreading her daughter's hesitation. "But our powers are not evil. Only how some people have used them."

"Then how could I use them?" Kurumu asked, her mind still halfway stuck on her previous concerns. 'So that is why I resisted him more than the others did… I thought so, but…'

"Well…' Ageha shrugged, parting her hands. 'You say that you can't get time alone with Tsukune because you are afraid of people discovering your secret, but who could catch you with him in his dreams?"

"I- wait, what?" Now Ageha had Kurumu's full attention. "But… could I really? And why haven't you taught me to do this before now?"

"Well, obviously, this is something that could be abused. And it does take a higher level of control, but, considering what you have already been capable of…" Ageha patted her purse, indicating the folder inside. "I think you can handle it. All it takes is direct contact with the person you want to contact, and focus. A lot of focus. We'll work on that in a bit, but first… I'll give you a moment to think about the possibilities."

Kurumu didn't need that moment for a blush to rise onto her cheeks. She could be alone, totally alone, with Tsukune. She could have him all to herself. They could do… anything they wanted. Whispers of guilt began to clamor for her attention. She had worried about falling behind Moka in Tsukune's heart, but this advantage would more than reverse their situations. It couldn't be fair. She could be with Tsukune, but would this be…


"-right, Kurumu?"

Kurumu blinked as the voice beside her broke her out of her reverie. She turned to see Mizore looking at her, the yuki-onna staring at her in confusion. "S-Sorry, what were you saying? I was just thinking…"

"There's a first," Mizore quipped, leaning back against the brick wall both girls were resting against. Their Monster Mentoring sessions had ended some time ago, and they had come to this wall along the main path leading from the main building towards the dorms in the hopes of meeting with the rest of their friends. So far, they had been the only ones to show up, but the tide of students moving in both directions hadn't slowed. "I was saying, this week isn't off to a good start. Did you get the same sort of boring history lessons I did?"

"Something like that," Kurumu said, not eager to reveal the truth about her thoughts to her friend. "It isn't what I expected, I can say that."

"Really? It's exactly what I expected." Mizore sighed, reaching up to pull the sucker out of her mouth. "Hey, did you see that?" she asked, indicating with the candy.

Kurumu followed the direction of her gesture. All she noticed was a crowd of boys walking past, their leader an unfamiliar boy with light brown hair. Something about him struck her as off; perhaps it was the way the others trailed after him, making them seem more like flunkies than friends. Even his features seemed to remind her of someone, somehow-

"There it is again!" At Mizore's words, Kurumu noticed what had really drawn her friend's attention. The glint of light off something in the nearby bushes revealed the figure crouching there, and as they watched the person began to creep after the group of boys. "Is he…?"

"Takes a stalker to know one," Kurumu quipped, but her eyes narrowed dangerously. Something about the way that person moved felt familiar. Maybe it was just the file her mother had showed her, but she couldn't help but remember… No, it couldn't be… "Come with me," she hissed, ducking down in an attempt to draw less attention.

If it was who she thought it was, she was going to have to have a word with him.


"Come on, do something interesting," Nagare Kano mumbled to himself, reaching up to adjust the focus of his camera. "No, no, get out of the way, doofus. I don't want a picture of you."

"Changing over to spying on boys now, Nagare?"

"Hardly," he snorted, squinting as he tried to align the camera with the face of his prey. "Ceann just told me- urk." He froze, recognizing the voice of the girl that had sent him to the hospital with multiple severe lacerations. "Ah, Kurumu, so nice to see you!" he lied, his already damp clothes beginning to drip with viscous sweat. "Sorry, but as you can see, I'm kinda busy, so-" Not bothering to finish the statement, he lunged out of the bushes and towards the nearby forest, only to find another girl standing there, icy talons levelled at him. "Mizore Shirayuki. Sorry, but now really isn't the time…"

"Hey, Kurumu, who is this guy, and why does he know my name?" the yuki-onna asked, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she noticed how moist he was. "And why is he so… wet?"

"Ooohhh, you don't want to know." Kurumu's low voice sent a chill up Nagare's spine, and he glanced back to see her walking towards him, her nails elongated and looking devastatingly sharp. "So, Nagare, let's make a deal. Either you tell me what you're doing creeping around in the bushes, or I tell her what you probably have."

"I don't!" Nagare wailed, neglecting to mention that he had sold those pictures of Mizore in various states of undress long ago to help pay his medical expenses. "I swear, I wasn't taking pictures of girls, I was just… doing something for one of my clubs!"

"You, in a club?" Kurumu drew close enough that he could all but feel the piercing edge of her nails against his skin. "Likely story. Alright, Mizore-"

"If you do anything to me, I, I, Ceann will get you for it!" Nagare squealed, shrinking over his camera.

"Ceann?" Kurumu mouthed to Mizore, who offered her a pointed glance. She knew that name sounded familiar! She was the leader of S.M.A.S.H.! "Alright, then, slugboy, I'm listening. How about we go talk to your club leader and get this all straightened out, then?"

"Oh, no." Nagare's panic grew immensely as he imagined what would happen to him now. "No, no, let's not, I don't think that is necessary…"

"Oh, I do." Kurumu's hand came down on his shoulder with an audible squelch. Over Nagare's hunched shoulders, she shared a nod with Mizore. This was their chance to get into S.M.A.S.H. and talk to their leader, maybe even a chance to sign up with them. They couldn't let this opportunity slip by, even if it meant letting Nagare get away with whatever he had been doing. "Lead the way, but don't think about running. I still think you got off easy last time, and I wouldn't mind the chance to fix that."

And so the trio marched on, each anxious about what would come when they reached their destination.


"This place looks familiar," Mizore stated ironically. Kurumu nodded, lips pursed as she looked at the front of Yokai Academy's Annex Building. They had just visited this building a couple of days previously for the assignments for Monster Mentoring, but Nagare had insisted that his club's meeting room was in this building, instead of any in the main campus like every other club. The discrepancy was enough to make the girls nervous, but, sure enough, as they entered Nagare led the way up the stairs and down a side hall with the ease of familiarity.

"Our clubroom isn't really typical," he noted cryptically, with a forced chuckle. Mizore and Kurumu had to agree; beyond the location, most clubrooms didn't have hulking third-years posted outside large wooden double doors with all the body language of hired guards.

Before Nagare could utter anything, Kurumu addressed the two behemoths. "We're here to see Ceann Macha," she declared imperiously, hoping only she had heard the tremor in her voice.

The two guards exchanged a slow, wary glance, but even as one began to rumble a response, a voice from beyond the door cut them off. "They are expected. Let the girls in."

This did nothing the dispel the girls' nerves, as the doors swung open, though Nagare's squeak as he stepped in that direction only to be halted as one of the guard's meaty palms came down hard on his shoulder did make Kurumu feel a little better. They stepped through the doors into a lavishly-decorated chamber that was as spacious as it was ostentatious. The furnishings were all in the same dark, rich wood, and the curtains were a thick crimson fabric. The place would have seemed appropriate for royalty… except for the mess.

All across the room, fliers and magazines were strewn haphazardly. Dignified portraits contested with gaudy posters of human bands. A large television had claimed the top of one cabinet, which two of the room's inhabitants had been watching; the sounds from the speakers identified the program as a comedy gameshow. Both people watching the television sat in chairs around in, one of them leaning back dangerously, the other slouching over one arm to motion to his friend to turn towards the door. In the center of the room was a massive, ornate desk, with an unoccupied imperial-looking chair behind it. Instead, the chair's intended owner was leaning over the desk, idly flipping through a magazine. Kurumu caught a glimpse of men wearing expensive-looking suits from its pages, but the magazine closed before she could see further.

"And what brings you two to us today?" asked the person behind the desk. Kurumu immediately identified her as Ceann Macha, the leader of S.M.A.S.H. She looked just as her picture from the files Gin had given them: tall and elegant, with long, teal hair and piercing blue-green eyes. Her school uniform was complemented with bulky shoulderpads that looked to have originally belonged to a suit of medieval armor, and a flowing black cape draped behind her, bestowing her every move with a dramatic flair. Her eyes were narrowed slightly as she took in Mizore and Kurumu, but otherwise her expression was friendly enough.

"Well, for one, we found Nagare snooping around taking pictures of students, and he implied that it was on your behalf-" Kurumu started.

"For which I will have a long conversation with him. Thank you for bringing that to my attention," Ceann answered curtly.

"And… we wanted to hear about your club," Mizore offered, hoping to save them from a quick dismissal. Her ploy seemed to have worked; immediately Ceann seemed to relax, her upright posture melted into a more casual stance. Before she could reply to this, however, the two boys sitting in front of the television began to mumble to each other, not quite quietly enough to keep the others from hearing them.

"Hey, bro, check out the new meat!" suggested the red-haired boy, jerking a thumb in the girls' direction. "Pretty nice, eh?"

"Very," purred the blue-haired brother, offering the two girls a smile not too removed from a leer. He stood up, sweeping a hand down to dismiss the wrinkles from his uniform. "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier," he said more loudly, bowing slightly towards them. "I am Ushi Megijima." He stepped towards them, his hand out to take one of theirs, though neither had been offered, his smile uncomfortably suggestive. "The pleasure is all mine."

"And I'm Tora," the other boy added quickly, raising a hand in a friendly wave, though Kurumu noticed his gaze didn't quite rise to their chins. "Nice to meetcha."

"Ahem." The soft cough from Ceann drew both boys up short. Bowing slightly once more, Ushi returned to his seat, and Tora quickly lost himself once more in the television. "Forgive my lieutenants; I swear they are potty trained, though that's about all I've managed."

"Yeah, she's not gotten us to stop humping the guests' legs yet…" mumbled one of the brothers, but the voice fell into silence as she directed a sharp glance in their direction.

"That's alright, we're used to it," Mizore quipped.

"Ginei Morioka," Ceann sighed in condolence, surprising both of the girls. "I imagine he is part of the reason you both are here."

"What do you mean?" Kurumu asked genuinely.

"I had figured it was obvious. I know of you both from your work on the newspaper; please don't be modest. I, at least, am an avid reader of your publication. But, I know what you are going through." She sighed once more, raising a hand to her chest. "I know what it is to be surrounded by… by brutes! By lecherous monsters who only want to use their strength to intimidate and coerce, who try to take what they want, no matter what it is! I have suffered like you, trapped in this school of beasts, bereft of hope…" Mizore and Kurumu exchanged a glance as they saw her look down towards the magazine once more. "Maybe you, like me, want someone- something more sophisticated, more genteel. Maybe you crave culture that isn't based on who has the sharpest teeth or the biggest muscles." Ceann directed a compassionate smile towards them. "That is why I made this society, a group of monsters assembled to study other options, other cultures… a whole world outside this one, with people who are more refined, more kind…"

"…more easy to seduce…" mumbled Ushi from his seat. Kurumu glanced towards him, but just that quickly Ceann covered the distance between them, her hand swinging in a backhand that sent him slumping forward senselessly. As Kurumu struggled to figure out how she had had time to put on the iron gauntlet that covered her hand, Tora slid down in his seat in a desperate attempt to remain inconspicuous, his eyes darting to and away from his unconscious brother.

"Anyways, I can see why those in your club would lead you to seek us out. I am well acquainted with the habits of your club president," Ceann admitted, nodding to Mizore's bitter apology, "but I also know of the worst one: Tsukune Aono."

"Tsukune?" Kurumu asked incredulously.

"Indeed. For all of his seeming innocence, he has left a bloody trail through this school. I have my sources, you see, and the list of names of his victims is long and impressive. I know he is responsible for getting the last iteration of the Enforcers disbanded, for one, and they were terrors themselves. Don't say anything, dears," Ceann offered gently, clasping both girls on the shoulder and meeting their eyes in sympathy. "I know you're probably too afraid of him to say anything."

"The less we say, the better," Mizore offered, subtly choking her laugh into a thickened voice. Kurumu nodded beside her, keeping her face composed through sheer effort.

"Then join with us. We will show you a better, softer way." Behind Ceann, Tora glanced sympathetically at his brother as the blue-haired Ushi finally began to stir. "We can discuss the details later… we'll be having a rally later this week. Here, take these documents; they have all the information. And-" Ceann offered both of them her hand with a bright smile. "Welcome to the Society of Monsters Assembled."


"That was unexpected."

Ushi didn't reply to his brother with more than a groan, holding a bag of ice to the back of his head. Tora shrugged, carrying on the conversation anyways. "Did you see the rack on the succubus, though?" At this, Ushi perked up, offering his brother a sly grin.

"I liked the quiet one, myself. Dibs?"

"You got it."

"A-hem." The cough straightened both of them in their seats. "If you two are finished spewing hormones into the air, I believe we have some business to attend to."

"Gotcha, boss." Tora turned in his chair to look at Ceann, who was staring out of the window. From her angle, she could probably see the two girls descending the hill towards the school. "But it does make things easier, doesn't it? I mean, we wanted to get some insiders in the paper, and here they come to us, pretty as you please."

"Considerably easier. Almost too good of luck." Ceann frowned out the window. "We will use them, in time. But now, we have other concerns."

"The yucky slug kid?"

"No, he's doing his job monitoring Ruthven, and I'll handle his lack of discretion later. No, I'm referring to the attacks from the end of last week. Ten of our members injured, several taken by the Enforcers. Those thugs in M.U.N.C.H. are getting arrogant, and we're suffering for it."

"Oh ho." Tora grinned at his brother, who seemed to be recovering quickly, judging from his toothy smile. "Want us to cause some damage?"

"No, you idiots." Ceann shook her head tersely. "We can't have anyone official involved, in case the Enforcers show back up. I want it quiet, and I want a distraction to keep the Enforcers distracted."

"You got it, boss." Tora's enthusiasm was only a little dampened by the knowledge that he could only direct the violence from there.

"Oh, and both of you…" Ceann started, drawing their attention back to her as they started to leave. Her eyes gleamed coolly as she stared at them. "Make it bloody enough that they'll get the message, won't you?"

"With pleasure," Ushi chuckled. Without another word, both brothers left the room, leaving their leader in silence. With them gone, Ceann stared out the window towards the distant school. This was far too important for them to mess up. The fate of their school depended on what they accomplished here. It was up to her to make sure that their fellow students saw the right way forward, and she would have to do whatever it took to make sure they did.

Even if it killed some of them.

Author's Note: I missed my deadline on this one by, oh, say, a year and two months. And then the next deadline by two months. But not the third deadline, no. For that one, I took off a day of work, shacked up with copious amounts of Pepsi and pizza and a Grape Creamslush from Sonic (in honor of Mizore, and because the blue ones aren't so wonderful), and wrote until I was vaguely dizzy and not too certain what day it was anymore. I hope the next chapter won't take such extreme measures. Or, for that matter, a year and two months.

Still, I swore an oath that on this day (well, on yesterday, because revising took me beyond midnight) that this chapter would be done; on this day, sixteen years to the day after I started my first fanfiction. It is a birthday of sorts, and I'm the one giving the present, and I don't even have the decency to keep the receipt for you in case it is a terrible gift.

Alas, my exhaustion pushes me further into incoherence. I hope to return to the keyboard soon, but I will say no more in fear of jinxing it as I have done too often recently. I now go not to slumber, for I've transcended such pleasant things- no, I am going to pass out, a sudden blackness instead of the usual gentle fade. I am done.

I sleep now.

~Wynn Pendragon