"I do believe I will walk to class with Tsukune today."

XXXXXXXXXX

Tsukune left the dorm that morning and was a bit disappointed to find neither girl waiting on him. He'd started getting used to having someone to walk to class with. Moka had gotten into the habit of meeting him outside his dorm every morning. Mizore didn't always meet him but would often pop up out of nowhere along the way. He headed out and wondered if he would run into Mizore along the way.

But instead a looming presence approached him from behind.

"Good morning Tsukune," Petyr's cheerful voice greeted him.

Tsukune looked at the tall rail thin boy. Petyr's smile had no warmth to it; it reminded him of the skulls that lined the road. Even so Tsukune forced himself to smile back; after all the boy had been friendly enough yesterday and they would be working together. Trying to hide a small shiver he greeted him. "Good morning Petyr-sempai."

With a couple long strides Petyr came to Tsukune's side and they began walking together. "How is your story coming along?"

"Oh, I haven't started it yet." Tsukune admitted. "I'm going to try and interview someone today and then I'll write it up. Hopefully this one won't be as scary as my last interview."

"Well that would depend on who you plan to interview," Petyr said helpfully. "Who do you plan to talk to?"

"A freshman girl named Yukari."

"The witch?"

Tsukune frowned. "Is she? How would you know? I thought we weren't supposed to reveal our true selves to others."

"Some people follow that rule better than others."

Tsukune shrugged. "I don't know if she's a witch, I just know she's eleven and supposed to be really smart."

Petyr nodded. "That's who I was thinking of, Youkai academy's one and only witch."

"Are witches dangerous?" Tsukune suddenly began to worry. In literature witches had a mixed reputation. Having met a snow girl, a vampire, a succubus, and a mermaid he'd come to realize he really knew nothing about the various monsters.

"More dangerous than some not so dangerous as others." Petyr's eyes seemed to glisten with amusement. "She is only eleven though, are you actually worried?"

"Well I've had a mermaid want to eat me and a crazy succubus almost mash me into the ground. My experiences meeting new people haven't been good lately."

"Well I hope that doesn't include me!" he feigned a hurt expression.

"Well of course not, you haven't tried to kill me."

"Not yet at least," Petyr teased. "I wouldn't worry too much Tsukune, I am sure you will be fine. In fact," Petyr began to chuckle. "I do believe she will love you."

Tsukune noted that the rest of the way to the Academy Petyr was in a very light mood.

XXXXXXXXXX

Moka came rushing into homeroom just as they were leaving for first period class. Apparently her alarm clock had not gone off and she'd woken up late.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Excuse me."

Saki turned around to see a girl with long purple hair and pupil less blue eyes standing right behind her. Saki was a third year student who wore her sun yellow hair in a single long pony tail all the way down her back. Her face was a bit too harsh to be considered pretty and the way she frowned didn't help. "Yes?" She answered sharply. "Do you want something?"

"I'm a reporter for the school newspaper and I was wondering if you could tell me about someone who just joined us. His name is Petyr and he said he used to be in the fortune telling club."

Saki nodded curtly. "That's right; Petyr and I were the only members, it's just me. At least for right now"

"For right now?" Mizore asked. "Do you expect him to come back?"

"Eventually, though…" she hesitated. "Though I didn't see it in the runes."

"Runes?"

The bell rang and the few students still in the hallway hurried. "I have to go," Suki sped away.

"I'd really like to talk to you about Petyr," Mizore called to her.

Saki looked at her and seemed to consider. "Come to room 312 after class, and bring some gold with you."

"Gold?" Mizore asked but Saki did not bother to respond.

XXXXXXXXXX

Following class Mizore came to room 312. Entering it she found it empty except for Saki who was seated at the teacher's desk. In the middle of the desk was an old looking cloth sack. Saki was eying her from the teacher's chair. She looked severe and somehow much older.

"Did you bring me some gold?"

Mizore nodded and removed a gold chain from around her neck. She didn't own much jewelry; it was a gift from her mother. "Will this do?" She handed the chain over to Saki.

The blonde girl took it and held it close to her eye as she inspected it. She then put a length of it in her mouth and gave it a taste. Apparently satisfied she made it disappear. "Sit down and we'll begin."

"I'll stand; I never expected to have to pay for an interview."

"You're not; you're paying for a telling." Saki handed her the sack. "Reach in without looking and draw out nine runes."

Mizore shook her head. "I didn't come here to get my fortune read. I came here…"

"I know why you are here Shirayuki Mizore," Saki informed her. "You want to ask about Petyr."

Mizore frowned at her. "How do you know my name?"

"I know a great many things," Saki almost grinned. "What matters is that I won't simply inform you about him, but if you ask a few questions as I perform a telling for you I might answer them." Her shoulder shifted just a little. "Or I might not."

"Is anyone actually dumb enough to come ask about their future?"

Saki looked at her in surprise. "Of course, what I say always comes true."

"And what about Petyr?"

"Take out nine runes and place them on the desk." Without a word Mizore did so. "You don't believe people can know the future."

"Just the opposite," Mizore stated. "I do believe in it. The snow priestess of my home village really can see into the future. My entire race has come to rely on the power of her prophesies."

"And you believe she's the only one with such a gift?"

"I don't believe that if you could really see the future you'd be a student here doing readings in an empty classroom."

Saki shook her head. "My powers are real, whether you want to believe in them or not. I don't claim to be able to know everything, but I can only see glimpses of a person's fate." She nodded to the small wooden tiles Mizore still held in her hand. "Now toss the runes and I'll tell you what I can see."

"Tell me about Petyr instead."

Saki sighed. "Petyr has the gift too, much stronger than mine."

"He said it was going to rain yesterday and it did."

Saki nodded. "I'm not surprised, like I said his power is much stronger than mine. I have to rely on the runes, but he requires no tools to read fate. In fact I sometimes think…"

"Yes?"

Saki looked at her carefully. "I sometimes think he does more than read futures."

"What does that mean?" Mizore demanded.

"It's nothing, nothing I know for certain." She looked at Mizore's hand. "Are you going to toss those or not?"

"I only have one more question. Is Petyr dangerous?"

"We're all dangerous, given the right circumstances."

Frowning she let the tiles fall from her fingers onto the desk. They were just tiny squares of polished would with a symbol carved into either side. "This is how I know you can't really tell the future. The snow priestess gives us answers, you just have double talk." Mizore headed for the door.

Saki glanced at the nine runes and the order in which they had landed. "You're afraid you're going to end up alone aren't you?" Mizore stopped just as she got to the door. She glanced back at the together girls but said nothing. "But you're wrong, you've already met him."

"Who?"

"Your one true love of course." Saki told her. "You've met him and you know him."

Mizore felt her heart begin to pound. "Who… who is it?" She already knew who it had to be but still wanted to hear it confirmed.

Saki looked at the runes on the desk again. "I don't see a name, but would you like to know whether or not you end up together?"

Mizore waited but the girl said nothing more. "Well? Will we?"

Saki gave her a knowing smirk. "How would I know? If I actually had the gift I wouldn't be sitting in an empty classroom would I? Go ask your snow priestess." With a swipe of her hand she swept the runes back into her sack.

Mizore's first instinct was to demand Saki tell her, but then she reminded herself that this girl was not the snow priestess and probably didn't know anything. I've met my one true love, sure. How many girls has she said that to? She left the room without saying anything else. She kept reminding herself that Saki's reading had been nothing more than a mean joke.

But for some reason her heart kept racing.

XXXXXXXXXX

As Tsukune was wrapping up the interview he was relieved. This time things had gone fine. No chance of suddenly being dropped from a thousand feet in the air or of being eaten. Yukari was this incredibly cute little girl with white stockings, a cape, and a pointy hat and wand. She had been a little nervous at first but before too long she had begun to relax. While they had talked she had let it slip that she sometimes felt a little lonely. He had asked a few more questions and slowly discovered that she was something of an outsider due to her status as a 'half breed.' Being a witch she was a human with supernatural abilities, she straddled both the human and monster worlds. As such she was looked down upon by most, 'pure' monsters. Being a human Tsukune could understand and sympathize with her plight. By the end of the interview he had come to the decision to do whatever he could for this poor little eleven year old.

"Yukari," he reached over and took a hold of both her hands. "I promise you that I am going to write a really great article to let everyone at this school know what it's like for you."

The little girl felt the warmth of his hands and could see the fiery passion in his eyes. "Re… really, you… you'd do that for me?" She asked shyly. Desu! He's so nice! He's like a really handsome knight in shining armor!

Tsukune nodded vehemently. "I absolutely will! It's not fair that you're treated the way you are and I'll do what I can to change that." He looked down at her with his chocolate colored eyes and Yukari felt herself starting to melt. "Yukari I want us to be friends, if you feel lonely or need someone to talk to please come and find me."

No one other than her mother or father had ever said they wanted to be with her. "Tsu… Tsukune-kun… I… I…" her voice was trembling.

"Yes Yukari-chan?" He asked kindly.

"I LOVE YOU!!" Yukari leapt on to his chest knocking him over.

XXXXXXXXXX

Petyr stood in the middle of the cemetery under the velvet moon. As a figure approached he did not bother to turn around.

"Good evening Kuyou, a nice night isn't it?"

The commander of the Student Police Committee looked around carefully before stepping out of the shadows. He held a burlap sack in one hand. "Don't speak my name, I've already told you I cannot be connected to any of this."

Petyr smiled at him. "You did tell me that, and it was even true. I do believe no one will find out about our connection." He noticed the sack. "The rain convinced you?"

"It did, you really are what you claim. Hard to believe any of you are still around."

Petyr nodded. "Oh there are still a few of us hidden away, we know how to hide. Others have never liked us." He looked pointedly at Kuyou. "Though they do not mind using us."

Kuyou handed over the sack. "As we agreed ninety nine pieces of gold."

Petyr took the sack from him. "Yes, as we agreed."

"When will it be done?"

"Soon enough," Petyr opened the sack. The gold sparkled beneath the moon's light. Looking up at Kuyou his dark eyes sparkled with malevolent glee. "I do believe someone within the club will die a cruel death tomorrow."