The rain was pouring down again. Somehow it seemed appropriate for a funeral… assuming this could be called a funeral. Tsukune looked about at the solemn scene. He, Mizore, Moka, Gin, Yukari, and one other person had gathered to bear witness as Petyr was placed into the earth. As they watched two men in ragged work clothes were lowering the body into a grave. A tombstone bearing Petyr's name had been erected in one of the many small cemeteries that surrounded Youkai Academy. There was no ceremony marking the occasion, no priest or minister came to speak any words. The members of his club had actually been surprised when he had wanted to attend Petyr's burial. He hadn't understood until Mizore had gotten him alone and spoken to him quietly.
"Monsters don't see death the same way humans do," Mizore told him in a low whisper. "For us violence and death are just a part of life. We may feel grief, but we don't hold ceremonies, that's a human habit."
"But… but we have to at least attend his burial." Tsukune had argued.
"Why?" Mizore had asked. "What difference would it make?"
"It's the right thing to do; it's a way of showing respect."
She stared at him.
"What?"
"I was just thinking that humans really are very strange." She shrugged. "But if you really want to go see this I guess I'll go too."
Of course as soon as Tsukune announced that he and Mizore would go to witness Petyr's burial Moka had offered to go as well, followed instantly by Gin. Yukari had found out later and tearfully asked to go as well.
There was no coffin, but the body was wrapped in bandages. The two workers seemed annoyed as they placed the body in the hole and busily began covering it with dirt. They didn't usually have to perform in front of an audience. They might also have been annoyed by the rain, it wasn't supposed to rain that day.
As Tsukune stood there a thought occurred to him. "Mizore-chan," he said softly. "All the tombstones and all the skulls, are they all real?"
Mizore looked at him in surprise. "Of course they're real, why else would they be here?"
He paled a bit at the thought of the hundreds of skulls and tombstones he passed every day just on his way to class. "Uh, I guess I was kind of hoping they were decorative."
Mizore shook her head. "The academy has been around for a long time and like I said violence and death are nothing out of the ordinary."
All these graves are filled with academy students just like me. Tsukune thought. They were all monsters with super strength and abilities. If so many of them couldn't survive what chance do I have?
"It's so sad," Yukari suddenly spoke up. "He just up and died like that, there was no reason."
Tsukune looked down at her and spoke gently. "Life is like that sometimes, there is no rhyme or reason. Sometimes people simply die for no reason. It was just Petyr's time."
Mizore heard what Tsukune said and remained silent. She had no proof that Petyr's death was anything more than an ordinary heart attack. She didn't know what sort of monster Petyr had been or what powers he may have possessed, and now it was likely she never would. She had her suspicions but would not speak them without any proof. In any case he was gone so what would be the point?
As soon as the grave was mostly filled the two work men left. Unlike the others they did not have umbrellas.
Gin sent Tsukune a hard look. Somehow or other the three girls had all wound up huddling near the annoying twerp. How is he more popular than me? It makes no sense! "So can we go now?"
"What are you asking me for?" Tsukune asked.
"Idiot," Gin muttered and left.
"Let's go Tsukune," Moka gently took a hold of an arm. "Let's get out of this rain and get something to eat."
"Yes Tsukune-kun! This is too sad," Yukari had gotten hold of his other arm and was starting to drag him away.
He looked over to where Mizore was still standing. "Mizore-chan? Aren't you coming too?"
"I'll catch up," she told him. When they were gone she approached the other person who had come. She had stood a good distance from the rest of them under a large black umbrella. She had not said a word to any of them or even acknowledged their presence. Mizore approached her under her own small umbrella. "Thank you for telling us it would rain today."
Saki glanced at her and nodded slightly. "You're welcome; it seemed the least I could do considering all of you were going to the trouble of saying goodbye to him." She paused before continuing. "That was the boy's idea wasn't it? The one you were standing near."
Mizore nodded. "It was, Tsukune has a very gentle heart." Mizore looked up at the grey sky. "I wonder how long it will rain."
"Until after sunset."
"You seem very sure of that," Mizore said carefully. "Did the runes tell you it was going to rain?"
"Does it matter?" Saki said coldly.
"I suppose not."
Saki looked her over. "I know what you're dying to ask so why don't you?"
"There's nothing I want to ask you."
"I see," Saki looked at the fresh grave. "Well, since you don't want an answer, would you like a story?"
"What sort of story?"
"A tragedy," Saki answered. "Do you know any of the old human tales? The myths and fables of ancient days?"
"I know a few of them, I grew up near a human village and heard a few of their stories growing up; little red riding hood, Goldilocks and the three bears, stories like that."
"Ever hear the story of Pandora's box?"
"Can't say that I have."
"Then let me tell it to you." Saki said. "In ancient days the gods were cruel and often sought amusement to the cost of others. So one day the gods created a mortal woman and gave her all the gifts of both the earth and of the heavens. She was wise, beautiful, strong, brave, immortal, and blessed with eternal youth and perfect health. Having thus given her every gift any human could want the gods gave into her possession a small chest and a simple instruction, to never open it. It was a game you see, the gods wanted to see if the human soul could ever be satisfied. Well, Pandora was wise enough to set the chest aside and do as she had been commanded. But along with all her other gifts she had also been given a desire to know, curiosity you might say. She resisted the urge for many years but eventually it was too much and finally she opened the chest."
"What was inside?" Mizore asked curious.
An amused look came into Saki's eye. "Horrors, from out of the chest came demons who represented pain, sorrow, disease, jealousy, greed, and all the other agonies of human life. They escaped their prison and spread to encompass the world and all humanity. Seeing what she had done though Pandora used all her strength to shut the chest again before the last and most terrible demon could escape. This last demon would have allowed humans to see their own futures and thus deny them hope. It cost her, her life but Pandora shut the chest and spared the humans that, allowing them to at least have hope in their own futures."
"That is a pretty tragic story," Mizore admitted.
"Ah, but I'm not done yet." Saki informed her. "You see there's a second part to the story that very few people know about it. You see long ages later the chest fell into the possession of a powerful Djin. One day the Djin was summoned by a very petty and very stupid monster named Cassandor. Poor stupid Cassandor had stumbled upon the Djin's lamp home and accidentally summoned him. As per the ancient laws and customs the Djin was required to grant Cassandor a single wish. Cassandor was a gambler and like most gamblers he lost far more often than he won. So the wish he spoke was to be able to know and control the future. Whereupon the Djin handed him the chest and told him that if he opened it both he and all his descendants would see and effect the future."
"What happened?" Mizore asked. "Did he get his wish?'
"Oh yes," Saki said grimly. "He got his wish. He opened the chest and the last demon entered his blood, cursing him and all his descendents. He was able to see and affect the future, just not his own future. When he tried to use the power too often terrible things would happen to him including a very painful death. You see the more he used the power the more bad things would occur to him. The same happened to all his descendents, the Cassandori. And each one always dies some sort of painful death no matter how little or much they use their power. They are truly a cursed and sad race."
"Is that what Petyr was a Cassandori?"
Saki looked at her and almost smiled. "It's just a story," Saki said. "And so you know, humans aren't the only ones with curiosity. Come see me again when you're ready to ask your question, and do remember to bring some gold with you."
Saki looked away from her and out into the rain. Mizore got the uncomfortable feeling that she was being dismissed. She left to hurry up and catch up to Tsukune and the others.
XXXXXXXXXX
It was sometime later when she felt his presence coming from behind.
"The answer is no Kuyou."
He came to a halt still well behind her. "What happened to Petyr was not my doing."
"I know that," Saki informed him. "But the answer remains no."
"I could make things very hard for you," Kuyou said menacingly.
She slowly turned around to face him. "And you know what I could to you." She stared him down without an ounce of fear.
He held her gaze for a time, but finally he was the one to look away. Without speaking he turned and left in the pouring rain.
"They never understand," she said quietly to herself. "Some things are not worth the cost."
