Standard disclaimerapplies.

A/N: Time to answer some reviews…

Illusion137: Chinpira is the Okinawa rival school. Three guesses why Aoi wants to go there… and as to Toujou's state of dress sleeping under a tree… read on!

Massu Chan: Almost. He sleeps like a log really ^^

Grow On You

Chapter 11

~ The Mu ~

Saotome Zenjyuurou chugged down on his bottle of sake and stared over the roof overhang where he sat. The palace was quiet, serene, peaceful, whathaveyou.

… A little too peaceful, perhaps.

"All your fault," Zenjyuurou groused as he toasted to the moon, to his King. "If you're here there'd be dancing girls and singing. And I'd get to see Her Majesty whoop your ass for all that noise." He chuckled to himself at the memory but quickly sobered. The deal with the northern lands was dragging on too long. The people of Makai were getting restless with their ruler's absence despite Prince En's somewhat capable administration. Although Zenjyuurou had been making daily rounds around the city to placate the masses, the fact that news of Prince Belze's disappearance had leaked out was adding fire to the pan.

"Here you are!" Quetzalcotl landed neatly on the roof. "Pay up, I won our bet."

"What bet?"

Quetzalcotl grinned. "Hilda is alive; Hecatos found her with a tracking spell. Yolda and Salamander had just teleported to their location."

"Buzz off, we never made a bet," Zenjyuurou grumbled as he took another swig of alcohol. So the nursemaid really was alive. But why did both Yolda and Salamander have to personally fetch her?

"Oh you're right!" Quetzalcotl snapped his fingers. "We didn't bet on that – we betted on whether Hecatos and Graphel would come back alive, didn't we?"

Zenjyuurou twitched. "We. Didn't. Bet. ANYTHING."

"Mister Oga!" Alaindelon just barely managed to grab Tatsumi's shoulders, but that didn't stop him from crashing into the treetop, smashing through several branches before catching on a fairly thick one. He dangled from the branch with one free hand, breathing hard and feeling the sting of protecting his back from the fall. "That bitch, tossing people around like leaves!"

"Mister Oga, are you alright?" Alaindelon squawked from above him. Tatsumi was about to answer when an enraged roar shook the tree, forcing him to drop to the ground. He quickly moved into a defensive stance when a large figure landed in front of him, no doubt the bear that shook the tree.

"WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLEEP?" Hidetora rose to his full height, bellowing mightily. Tatsumi blinked at this disgruntled display. In some way it was rather anticlimactic. "… Oh, it's you, Toujou."

Hidetora noticed Tatsumi and visibly calmed down, scratching his head in puzzlement. "What, you wanna sleep outside too? Find your own tree man."

"Forget the tree, haven't you heard anything that's been going on?" Tatsumi jerked his thumb in the direction where he came from. "Shit's happening there are you're snoring here? Even that brat Lamia came over to help!"

"Pipe down, I'm still groggy," Hidetora picked his ear and stretched his arms above his head as he stared at the point in the distance, feeling the dangerous waves of energy pulse even from here. "What're we waiting for? Let's go."

"Before that…" Tatsumi clapped a hand on his shoulder and cast his glance downwards at his exposed manhood; "You should put on some pants before the girls thrash you."

"You dare disturb my fight?" Yolda attacked sharply but was deflected by Aoi's katana. The Touhoushinki princess gritted her teeth at the force of the blow – the woman had some strength! "You're a coward, attacking someone who's already tired. I'm just leveling the playing field."

"…Levelling?" Yolda's eyes narrowed dangerously as she stepped back and landed daintily on the ground. "What impudence. You have the nerve to put yourself on par with me, a Royal Guard? Hah!" She summoned black energy to the palm of her hand and hurtled it towards Aoi, who met it head on and forced it to dissipate. Upon seeing Yolda's stunned expression she allowed herself a smug smirk. "Yes I am," She raised her sword to strike. "En garde!"

Yolda's face twisted in anger and she charged forward. "I'll wipe the floor with you, wench!"

From inside the fire barrier, Hilda eyed Salamander warily. The royal advisor made no move; he remained standing there with that sickening smile on his face. "Y'know Hilda, I don't know why you murdered Dr. Folcass," Salamander said casually. "I thought he'd be your support in case things go bad."

"I did not kill him," Hilda hissed. "For all I know, you could have done the deed and put the blame on me!"

"Ha. As if I could," Salamander sighed. "Not that I haven't tried, mind you. That man's cunning is on another level. But no matter; Prince En will be satisfied with your dead body." He raised his hands and the flame walls jumped even higher, burning intensely. Hilda could barely breathe in the scorching air and she was fighting to maintain her Black Sword.

With a sweep of his arms Salamander sent a jet of flame hurtling towards Hilda, who dodged it only to be struck by a coiling flame from behind. Gasping in agony, she fell to her knees but immediately got up, charging towards Salamander. The fire master manipulated more flames to repel her but Hilda was ready, vaulting over the defense to drive her sword into Salamander –

Who wasn't there.

"I told you, this is my territory," His slimy voice in her ear sent alarm bells ringing through her system. Before she could react however, burning shackles snapped over her ankles and wrists. "Guh!"

"I've watched you battle a hundred times," Salamander chuckled as she struggled against her bonds. "Your defense is good, your reflex is top-notch. However if you're agitated all of that goes down the drain. I suppose you accept that I have agitated you well?"

Hilda wanted to spit in his face so badly but settled for a glare. "You used Yolda as a diversion. Is that it?"

"Certainly you're the smarter sister," Salamander grinned. "But you were blind to her feelings. If there is a single fault with you Hilda, it's that you killed your emotions, rendering you numb to other people's hearts even when they tried to warm yours."

She barely paid any attention to his words but at his last sentence she clenched her fists. "Unhand me. Now."

"What idiot would comply with that?"

The flame wall suddenly shuddered violently and Hilda heard a scream. Yolda!

Aoi froze in her finishing move as she watched Yolda slam against the fire barrier. Although her outward appearance was calm, inside she was quivering with fear. This was the first time she had used her Hundred Sakura style outside of the practice range and the actual strength of the attack astonished even her.

Yolda dropped to the ground, gasping for air. Her mind whirled furiously. How dare she! How dare she! "Salamander!"

Salamander dropped the barrier, revealing him and the still-shackled Hilda. At that moment Tatsumi and Hidetora burst back through the trees, the latter thankfully in –

Lamia promptly colored and shrieked; "Toujou! What is that?"

"Huh?" Hidetora looked down to the towel he was wearing around his waist, the only thing keeping him from being branded a nudist. "Found this on the clothesline."

Salamander noticed Hilda looked livid. "Toujou," She said dangerously; "That is my towel."

"You want it back?" Toujou asked blankly as his hand reached towards it, causing every single female (including Yolda) to frantically snap; "KEEP IT ON!"

Tatsumi saw the shackles on Hilda's limbs and his eyes narrowed. "…Oi."

"This is a little more than I anticipated," Salamander scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Yolda?"

The royal nursemaid cast a glance around the crowd and a growl escaped her throat. There were too many people to her liking, and if things got out of hand it could spell disaster for the country. "Let's go."

"Well then," Salamander tugged on the chains attached to Hilda's shackles. Before he could make a move however, Tatsumi had appeared and caught the chains. "You're not taking her."

He's fast, Salamander thought with a jolt. "Grown attached to her, have we?" He teased and a vein twitched on both Tatsumi and Hilda's temple. Both simultaneously threw a vicious punch to Salamander's face, taking the man by surprise. As he staggered back from the double blow, Tatsumi shattered the shackles on her wrists and handed her the sleeping baby. "It'd be annoying if she's caught, dumbass," He spoke to the still-reeling Salamander. "Who'd look after the baby?"

Yolda swiftly opened a portal and pulled Salamander into it but not without a parting shot. "You haven't seen the last of us, Hilda."

"Spoken like a true villain," Lamia muttered as she watched the portal close. Simultaneously the tension left her shoulders and she quickly hurried to Hilda's side. The nursemaid made her stand down first however, more concerned with Prince Belze.

Hidetora walked up to Tatsumi and Hilda, who was examining the royal blanket in dismay. "It's all torn!" She glared accusingly at Tatsumi, who glared back. "That's what happens when you throw me into a tree, lady."

"Here," Hidetora handed her a cloth and Hilda took it gratefully before freezing in trepidation. The fluffy terrycloth towel in all its innocent white glory seemed just a tad sinister now. "… my towel?"

Tatsumi kept his gaze straight ahead, feeling the temperature drop a few degrees. Hilda was about to let loose her temper when the Touhoushinki princess stepped up hesitantly. Aoi hastily untied the shawl that she wore as part of her costume and handed it to him without looking. That did not prevent her face from reddening like a tomato, however. "P-Put this on, please…?"

"Thanks!" Hidetora happily accepted the shawl. Unbeknownst to Aoi, she had just saved Hidetora from being turned into strips of meat.

"What the hell happened here?" Takayuki, who had just returned demanded. Tatsumi raised his hand in greeting. "Yo. Where have you been?"

Takayuki took a look at the battered Tatsumi, the injured Hilda, Aoi with her sword unsheathed, and Hidetora with a woman's shawl around his waist and felt an impending headache. This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever come home to. "Nevermind that – we need to hide," Takayuki signaled to them furiously. "The Rokkisei are coming to retrieve the princess. Look at you lot!" He critically eyed Tatsumi and Hilda's injuries.

"The Rokkisei?" Aoi hurried her steps to match Takayuki's. "Were you from St. Ishiyama?"

"Damn right. I left at the same time as they did, but since I used the underground tunnel they should still be a few hours behind. Hurry!" He hissed to everyone.

They re-entered their house and Takayuki pulled aside the carpet in the living room. With a few clicks, stamps and fiddling a trapdoor opened, the lid lined with spellrunes. "A non-invasive space," Lamia read them carefully. "Pretty high-end stuff you got here Furuichi."

"Damn right they were. You'll thank me at the end of this, I promise," Takayuki helped everyone down the ladder in a cavern below. Lamia was about to enter when she caught sight of the Mu from earlier zipping across the floor and jumping right down into the trapdoor. "Wait!"

Aoi spotted the strange creature almost immediately and gasped in delight at its cute appearance. "What is that?"

"Sorry!" Lamia jumped down the last few rungs and caught the Mu. "It's a Mu, one of Makai's common creatures. I don't know how it got here – "

"Shilly thing," The Mu spoke, taking everyone by surprise – even Lamia. "So it wasn't a dream!"

"Move aside, fool," Hilda pushed at Tatsumi, who was in the way. Hilda leaned forward in her sitting position, staring hard at the creature. There was something so insanely familiar about that contemptuous tone... "What, did you bring it along with you when you fell from the sky?" Tatsumi asked and she glared at him. "As if I had time to grab anything from the Palace." She returned her attention to the wobbly, jelly-like creature. It returned her stare. Putting the lisp aside, she was almost sure… "Dr. Folcass, is that you?"