Outcast crossover: Ranma and Love Hina

by Benji Himura

Another crossover from my Ranma story. What would happen if people started to see the cursed ones as a threat? Abomination and hate, is that what is really felt towards everyone unlucky enough to get cursed? Who are the monsters and the secret can be kept

12. Tachibana……sensei?

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic. This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and Love Hina I don't own or any of the characters of those shows. Some anime or manga characters might show up in the story I also don't own then. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura.

This story begins in the Ranmaverse somewhere in the middle of the events of the chapter thirteen, actually between the release of Hinako and the events of the Gamble King events.

In the Love Hina timeline in the manga it stars after the chapter twenty six but before the chapter twenty seven.

This is a crossover so both stories casts or at least part of them will interact and there will be changes on both stories and on the plotline of Outcast Ranma. For anyone following the main story this scenario doesn't follow the same 'timeline' from the main story, it works on the line that timeline show on the story is the original one.

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

Text: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

Text: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

"Text" Alteration in the voice, not in the tone but the voice itself.

Chapter twelve: Tachibana……sensei?

Benji enters in the classroom wearing a black suit with a dark red shirt and a black tie. "I am Tachibana." Benji said to the girls with a smile. "Benji Tachibana, I will be your new homeroom and English teacher, nice meeting you girls." "WHAAAATTT!!!!!!!!!!" Ranko screamed in disbelieve.

Benji chuckled inwardly at Ranko's shock. "I know that I will be here just for a short while but let's try getting along okay?" Benji asked to the girls with a smile, as he expected a cheerful chorus of "HAAAIIII!!!" was his answer. "Now you girls can ask him few questions but don't…" Toshiko's sentence is cut by a deafening torrent of questions from the girls.

Benji whistle loudly with two fingers on his mouth, effectively shushing the girls. "One at time." Benji said. "Raise your hand first, if acknowledged then you ask." Toshiko smiled, pleased in seeing Benji controlling the girls. "Okay Miyabe-kun you can ask the first question." Toshiko said pointing to a girl with long brown hair tied in a thick braid.

"Tachibana-sensei you have a girlfriend?" she asked excitedly. "I don't have a girlfriend." Benji answered. "I am married." Shocked Ranko falls from her seat while the other girls let out exclamations of surprised at Benji's words. Toshiko nodded pleased with Benji's answer.

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"You know the expression of utter shock in Motoko and Ranko's face almost make up to the fact that you are forcing me to work here." Benji commented to Toshiko. "I am not forcing you, I just made a proposal that you couldn't refuse." Toshiko replied. "Besides Yuzuhara elementary school doesn't normally takes students without recommendation and outside the regular enrollment period, you are lucky that the headmaster is an old friend of mine."

"I can't deny that." Benji said. "But you could get someone better to teach here you know, I don't have a clue of how to teach." "You will get the hang of it." Toshiko replied. "Besides I am quite sure that I am very accurate on my selection, now this is the last of the classes." "I am so not looking forward to work." Benji commented with a sigh, the idea of having to read and correct homework for four hundred and eighty students divided in three years with four classes each year wasn't appealing him at all.

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Benji casually reads a pocket sized manga while waiting on the lunch line of the school cafeteria, since he left much earlier than everyone else in the pension he didn't had a proper breakfast and he ran out of cereal bars after the third break, in other words Benji was really hungry. He ignores the chatter about him from the girls both ahead and behind him in the line, they clearly aren't used in seeing a teacher waiting in line for lunch.

After a short while Benji can get what he wanted, two meat breads, four cream breads, four pizza breads, three ham with cheese breads, one menu set D composed of a large bowl of Domburi with a side dish of lettuce salad, and lastly one apple. After paying for his food Benji takes the tray and walks to an empty table.

"I always knew that boys ate more than girls but isn't that a bit too much?" Toshiko asked to Benji, she is holding a tray with a plate of curry rice on it. "I am too old to be called 'boy' and you are too young to be calling me 'boy'." Benji replied while Toshiko sits facing Benji.

Toshiko chuckled at his comment. "Considering that all the other males in this school are over fifty, you are a boy." Toshiko commented. "And far more good looking too." Benji pulls a pocket knife from his jacket pocket and presses a button releasing the blade that locks in the open position.

Toshiko eyes the blade. "Now Tachibana-sensei that isn't the kind of knife that a teacher should own." She said seriously. "A folding automatic knife with a blade with a length above four inches." "This isn't a switchblade." Benji answered. "I opened with a small movement of my wrist."

"I didn't see it." Toshiko replied while Benji uses the knife to peel the apple. "It is quite minute now." Benji commented. "I trained a lot." "I advise you to make it more obvious from now." Toshiko said. "So until now what you think of your first day?" Benji sighed while his hands continue to create a single, thin and long ribbon of the peel.

"The idea of making class plans, teaching, correcting and testing almost five hundred girls isn't all that great." Benji answered. "The day is fine but I am not looking forward to teaching." "You will be teaching the easiest subject of the school." Toshiko replied. "All that you have to do is stick to the schedule and fill your class with conversation in English. And Shigure-sensei already agreed in correcting her share of the summer homework."

Benji rest the knife on the tray and holds the apple with his right hand after cutting it in two. "Benji!" Ranko exclaimed rushing at him. Benji shoves the apple on Ranko's open mouth preventing her from speaking. "Now be quiet and eat." Benji said to the orange haired girl.

Ranko holds and take a bite of the apple, quickly munching and swallowing it. "Why you are teaching here?!" Ranko asked seriously. "Ask to your principal/headmaster over there." Benji answered pointing to Toshiko with his knife while holding the other half of the apple with his left hand.

"I told you before the summer vacation that I wanted your brother to teach English here." Toshiko said to Ranko while Benji removes the seeds and cuts the half apple on his hand in two parts. "Since he asked me to find a good school to your cousin I asked him to teach here."

"But he doesn't have permission." Ranko protested. "I dealt with that already." Toshiko replied. "Now finish your apple." Ranko fumes while glaring at the principal. "Benji why you are here?" Motoko asked to Benji while she holds a tray with her lunch. "Toshiko made me teach here." Benji answered. Toshiko nodded confirming while Benji gesture to Motoko sit with them.

"Apple?" Benji offered to Motoko one of the pieces stabbed in the tip of his knife. "Thank you." Motoko said accepting the fruit. Ranko sighed and moves to the lunch line, less than six months earlier she was Benji's classmate, now she is his student.

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"Benji you are going back now?" Ranko asked after getting permission to enter on the teacher's lounge, finding Benji was quite easy, even with all the teachers sited Benji was taller. "Sorry but the other teachers are dragging me to a welcoming party." Benji said not really excited at the idea.

"You are making it sound like a bad thing." Sayuri the school nurse commented teasingly. "Don't worry Tachibana-chan we will take good care of your brother." Ranko nodded and excused herself from the room, if Benji wasn't going to the pension, she should move to catch the next train.

Benji pulls his phone from his pocket, and then he remembers that Shinobu doesn't own a cell phone, with a sigh Benji pockets his phone and writes a note in a small piece of paper. "What is that?" Sayuri asked curious. "Just a note for myself." Benji answered. "I asked to one of girls that live in the pension to pick up my cousin, I was going to call her but she doesn't have a cell phone."

Sayuri nodded understanding, Benji looks at the other teachers who are busy with their own business and getting ready to call it a day, on the meantime Benji calls the pension and learns that Shinobu did picked up Nagisa in the school.

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Ranko sighed for the umpteenth time since she left school. "You are starting to bother me." Motoko said to the shorter girl. "Benji is going to be a teacher in our school, why you are sighing that much anyway?" "Benji said that he was married." Ranko answered. "I never heard of anything like that."

"Hello?" Motoko called teasingly. "It is a lie." "Why Benji would lie about that?" Ranko asked not really pleased with the tease. "Ranko we go to an all-girls school." Motoko replied. "Before Benji all the teachers are over fifty and let's admit not attractive, Benji with twenty five years old and handsome would be showered with love letters, homemade lunch boxes, confessions and presents from the girls if he said that was single."

Ranko frowned she couldn't really understand Motoko's logic. "It means that by telling to the students that he is married, Benji won't have a hard time dealing with lovesick students." Motoko explained in an even simpler way. "Thought I am betting that even with that excuse Benji will get many love letters; many of our colleagues read those stupid shojo manga and live in the fantasy that their love will be reciprocated even in impossible scenarios."

"I do agree that shojo manga is silly." Ranko commented. "And that putting in that way it makes sense that Benji lied about being married. Still I would like to be warned about that before the first day of the new period." Motoko agreed with Ranko on that, it would be nice to know that, but from what she noticed from Benji's expressions, the shock that they had was the only highlight of his day.

"And Ranko in the bright side you got a nice homeroom teacher." Motoko commented. "Benji is quite reliable, look at my class; we have Misato-sensei as homeroom teacher." "You are right, I feel sorry for you girls." Ranko said with a smile. "And you are still a sophomore, so you have another year and a half with her right?"

Motoko nodded confirming. "But she isn't really a bad teacher; she is just too much of an airhead." Motoko commented. "Easily distracted, klutz and forgetful."

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Benji frowns after being sprayed with a mix of beer and saliva from Misato Kisaragi, the school's history teacher when she sneezed with a mouthful of beer. With a handkerchief Benji wipes his face. 'I knew that sooner or later something like this would happen to me.' Benji thought with a dry sigh. 'Being sprayed with liquid that someone else was drinking isn't as fun to receive as it is to watch.'

"Sorry!" Misato exclaimed embarrassed. "I am really, really sorry." "Never mind it." Benji said with a smile. "I will go wash my face." "Don't take too long Tachibana!" Ryoichi Sasaki, the school's math teacher exclaimed as Benji moves to the restroom, Sasaki was one of the three male teachers of the school not counting Benji, he was happy that a new male was around.

After a couple of hours using several excuses to not to drink Benji leaves the bar, the others follow the action since it was a school night. "I am here." Benji called when entering on the house that was the cover entrance of the base. "Please tell me that you have brought anything to calm them." Fuuka said rushing to the entry. "It is way past nine and I still can't make them sit to eat."

"I thought that they aren't giving much trouble." Benji replied loosening his tie. "I can't make them eat vegetables." 'You know that is so familiar that isn't even funny.' Benji thought with a lightly bitter smile. "You have fixed dinner to them yet?" Fuuka denied with a nod. "I don't know what to make right now, they say that they are tired of white rice, miso, fish and salad."

"It can get a bit tiresome eating the same thing every meal." Benji commented. "Did you make sure that they took baths?" "Done that two hours ago." Fuuka answered. "Well put some anime for them to watch, and then you go soak for a while." Benji said to the worn out mage. "I deal with dinner."

Fuuka didn't contested, if he wanted to do it then she would do it, she really needed a long and relaxing soak. Benji moves to the kitchen, throwing his jacket and tie over a chair. 'Well let's see if I can make that.' Benji thought while checking something on Fuuka's computer. 'If worked for me will work for them, I so love internet, now is just find that recipe.'

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Benji smiled pleased while placing two cake pans in the over, one large rectangular tray and a small circular one. "This will do it." Benji said while closing the oven's door, he was using an old strategy that his mother used on him and his brother in their now distant childhood days.

Placing thinly chopped vegetables inside a Brazilian pastry with chicken, corn and other ingredients in the filling with plenty spices, but unlike his mother Benji wouldn't tell to the girls after they ate everything that inside the filled have every single piece of vegetable that they hate.

Benji stretches and let out a sigh, it would take half an hour for the pastries be done, he would leave the dirty pots for Fuuka to wash, it was only two anyway, moving to the living room Benji find the girls watching TV, but as soon they notice him they all pounce on him.

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Ranko sighed while she looks at her watch for the umpteenth time on that hour. "But Benji is sure late." Ranko muttered annoyed, for a change Ranko felt like cooking something, actually more of an attempt of smoothen Benji with food before questioning him thoroughly.

"How long you are gone make us wait?" Naru asked annoyed, the dinner was over one hour late than usual. Ranko gets a plate and moves to the dining table. "Just let me put some of the food aside for Benji and then we can eat." "If he isn't here to have dinner then he doesn't want any!" Kitsune exclaimed, Ranko's food looked delicious so if Benji doesn't get his share means more for her.

"Unlike you I am considerate." Ranko said sternly while putting some croquettes in the plate. "It isn't Benji's fault that he got caught up in some 'welcoming party' that the other teachers decided to throw for him, and if he wasn't going to eat Benji would call letting us know."

"Don't be such a glutton." Motoko said to Kitsune. "You think that your sedentary lifestyle would burn the calories of this meal? Your party time jobs can hardly deal with your normal intake." "Ugh…" Kitsune grunted at the attack over her figure. "And if you were the one who was late for dinner you would like if we allowed Kaolla to eat your share?" Motoko added.

Kitsune remained in silence not want to vocalize that Motoko was right. "Okay you guys can start now." Ranko said before moving to the kitchen. "Itadakimasu!" All the inhabitants other than Motoko exclaimed before starting to eat. After placing the place inside the microwave Ranko takes her seat and half heartily starts to eat.

After the dinner Ranko is waiting on the living area, Shinobu is doing the dishes, Keitaro and Naru are studying, Nagisa was idly reading in a near sofa stifling a yawn now and them, Ranko didn't had the heart to send the girl to bed, Nagisa was dying to tell to Benji about her first day in school.

"You know Ranko you almost look like a worried wife." Motoko commented half teasingly half seriously. "Don't make fun of me Motoko." Ranko said embarrassed, thankful that no one heard it, Nagisa was distracted, Kitsune was in her room and Kaolla was somewhere in the pension.

"It isn't entirely a joke." Motoko said sitting next Ranko. "You are like that since you arrived from school." Ranko sighed. "I am just worried about Benji." Ranko said. "I mean what kind of trouble it could be stirred by the fact that Benji is teaching in our school? What kind of favors the principal will ask him?"

"I am sure that she won't ask for unreasonable things." Motoko replied. "And didn't the principal say that she took care of the situation? Himuro-sensei is a reliable woman, she wouldn't lie about that." "But how could she do that Motoko?" Ranko asked seriously. "Benji doesn't have a license, I am not even sure if he is a good teacher."

"I think that he is good teacher." Motoko commented. "Sure that I haven't learned more than some fighting principles and few moves, his teaching style can be a bit rough but other than that I don't see much of a problem. And in the upside at least now you can see Benji more often, we might even be able to get a ride with him once and a while."

The ride idea didn't sound all that bad; it would sure help in the days that she has class duties, but Ranko was also worried about something else. Benji is a cursed werewolf, with enhanced senses, she had noticed in the past how Benji reacted to female hormones when exposed to large quantities of them for a long period of time without any source of release.

Going to a school where the population is around ninety nine percent female would expose him to a massive dose of hormones from over four hundred females for at the very least six hours for six days a week, not adding living in the Hinata-sou where the female population was of eighty two percent, Ranko knew that isn't easy for Benji.

But another of her reasons is that she knows that as a teacher in her school Benji would have access to her grades before she did and she wouldn't be able to lie about them for him when she get bad scores, it was hard enough to keep her scores over the red mark, with Benji there she would have to work even harder to make them higher since he is always telling her that education was important.

But Ranko can't see much of a reason to study, why she would bother to learn about some guys that died way before she was even born, or learn what happens when you mix two chemicals, she didn't see use for Japanese literature either, at least those old poems and stuff that made little to no sense for her, she was beginning to see the uses of basic math, even some slight advanced math, English, now that was one that she saw a good reason for.

Home economics and physical education was also on her list of acceptable subjects, even art and music in a lesser way, it was good to develop hobbies but everything else she felt that was plainly useless. "You know Motoko I don't know why bother in learning some stuff." Ranko commented. "What use we would have for some ancient haiku poems now days?"

Motoko normally would make a strong point about Japanese literature being important, but she couldn't help in partly agree that was a bit unnecessary. "Ranko you know why the samurai of the past studded calligraphy, tea ceremony, ikebana, and several other seemingly useless skills for a warrior?" Motoko asked seriously.

"Not really, I mean I think that I heard Benji saying something like that but I can't remember." Ranko answered. "Well then let me refresh your memory." Motoko said. "A true warrior knows the worth of those skills, because normally the chaos of battle last for a short while, and periods of peace last for a long time, having only skills for war would make them useless outside the battlefield, and those skills not related to combat also provide them with relaxation during the stressful war periods, taking their minds from the conflict even for a short while."

Motoko makes a small pause to let her words sink in. "Look at Benji, if only had skills for a warrior would the two of you be here today?" Motoko asked. "No." Ranko answered.

"Exactly." Motoko said. "It was his other skills, the ones not related to fighting that allowed you two to live here, and now that there isn't a need to fight Benji is using those skills to make a living, having those skills help him to do more outside combat and they are also helpful during them, at least some of the skills. Is the same with poetry, it is just something else to learn, keep your mind busy with, to allow you to focus on something else, exercise your imagination."

Ranko scratches her chin, the explanation was okay explained why knowing certain things, but still didn't made knowing those poems useful. "Ranko I know that not everything that we learn will be useful in our lives." Motoko added. "But who knows what will or will not be useful for us? Who know what kind of subject would attract us and make us decide on a particular career? And by studying our past it helps us to improve our future, learning from the actions of others."

"I am back." Benji's voice came from the entrance. "Benji!" Nagisa exclaimed cheerfully throwing her book on the sofa and running to the entry. Motoko and Ranko can hear the tackle of the little girl's body impacting against Benji's. "Nice tackle." Benji commented afterwards.

"Welcome back." Motoko and Ranko said moving to the entry. "You look a bit down." Motoko commented. "Your first day was too tiresome?" "A little bit." Benji replied picking Nagisa up, the two girls notice that Benji's jacket is folded over his right arm, his tie is loose and the top two buttons of his shirt are opened.

Motoko smiled a bit at the scene, it was almost like Benji was family man returning from a hard day at work, she had to admit that Nagisa fit the role of daughter quite well. "So how was your first day in school?" Benji asked to the little girl. "Had fun?" "Yes!" Nagisa answered excited.

Benji smiled. "Well you can tell me all about it in a little while." Benji said putting her down. "Now go get changed and go to your room, it is way past your bed time." "Hai!" Nagisa exclaimed running to her room. "You don't look all that hot." Ranko commented. "The party wasn't fun?"

"I just had a long day." Benji answered while taking out his shoes and placing them on the locker in the entry. "The party was okay, it was annoying to keep refusing beer and sake all the time. I don't get why most people that having fun in a party is the same than drinking all the liquor that they can."

Motoko smiled sympathetically. "I saved you some dinner." Ranko said to Benji. "If you want I can warm it for you." "Thank you." Benji replied. "But you don't need to warm it; if you two want I brought something too." Motoko looks curious at the plastic bag that Benji is showing to them.

"What is that?" Ranko asked curious. "Just a something that I made earlier." Benji answered. "Before coming here I had to check on the others, since the person who takes care of them was tired I made them some dinner, but I made more than enough for everyone there. Besides this one has a different filling too." "Now I am getting curious." Motoko commented. "I am not all that hungry but I feel like tasting it." "Me too." Ranko agreed.

"This is quite good." Motoko said resting her fork on her plate. "Yeah it is great." Ranko agreed with her mouth filled with the pastry. "But you don't seem to be enjoying it." Motoko commented. "Well I am just a bit homesick." Benji replied idly moving around a piece of the pastry, turning the frangible crust into small crumbs. "This might be just a cheap imitation but my mother used to make something similar to this when I was a kid."

Motoko and Ranko remained in silence. "I knew that taking care of ten kids wouldn't be easy." Benji commented. "That there would be problems in making them eat, go to bed and do all the other stuff, while I am not there all the time I still help, when she told me that she was getting trouble to make the girls eat their vegetables I recalled of this trick that my mother would to play on me."

The two girls remained in silence; they can feel that Benji wasn't done yet. "She would make empadão; it is a kind of pie." Benji continued. "I would eat and even repeat and then later she would ask if I liked, I would say yes, and then just for the pleasure of doing so she would tell me that in the filling was several types of vegetables that I hate to eat, that I totally despise, I would get mad and she would laugh her ass off making me even angrier, and she would laugh even more and harder, which fed my anger, even after I grew she would once and a while rub in my face that story, that she did it all the time and every time I fell for it, what could I do, I was just a young boy and young kids don't have a really good memory, they can't recall everything that happens around them."

Benji sighed. "Anyway, when I made this I wasn't feeling sad or angry about it, just later when I was done that it finally sank it." Benji said in a tired voice. "It still makes me mad about my mother tricking me like that, and what I hate most is the fact that she took pleasure in angering me and had fun doing so, it was too hard to just keep her mouth shut about it? Yet here I am using the very same trick."

"So you told the girls that you filled this pie with vegetables?" Ranko asked confused. "Hell no!" Benji exclaimed. "As far they know and depending of me they will only learn about this years from now. By then they will understand and just laugh it off, and not keep with this bitter feeling like I do."

"I can understand that you want to keep this a secret from them so they can eat vegetables." Motoko commented. "But didn't experiencing that given you a nice childhood memory?" "Childhood memory yes, nice no." Benji replied. "Trust me Motoko there is several pieces of childhood memories that I have that I would love to erase from my and my family's minds. What for them is just funny to recall now but for me is painful and embarrassing, and they don't care."

Motoko could understand his feelings, she also had a couple of those memories, they aren't harmful but are still painful and embarrassing to recall and that no matter how much you want to forget everyone still remembers about it and have fun recalling it, but she also knew that Benji knew that for his family as happened with hers those are priceless memories of their childhoods that will never return.

"If that memory is that bad why you are homesick?" Ranko asked, Motoko sighed inwardly at the lack of tact of the other girl, even being a bad memory it recalled Benji of his family, and from Benji's expression there is a huge gap between him and them, the kind that can't be breached with any means.

"I just got." Benji answered, Benji makes himself to finish the pastry and the dinner, he still have to pay attention to Nagisa. "You haven't really explained why you started teaching in our school and why you lied about being married." Ranko said changing the subject.

"Toshiko was quite resolute about me teaching there as part of the deal of getting Nagisa on Yuzuhara elementary school." Benji answered. "The lie about being married is to lessen the harassment of the students, and that should keep more than a handful of them away from me, it is bad enough that I have to teach, I don't have time to deal with lovesick students."

A smile traced Motoko's lips at Benji's words. "Fine you won the parfait." Ranko muttered to Motoko. "You really nailed that one in the head." Benji chuckled at the exchange; he guessed that Motoko would see through his lie quite easily.

"For sake of appearances you two back up the story, I already arranged a ring to use as wedding band, one of my female friends will pose as the wife in a couple of pictures." Benji said to them. "I am sure that tomorrow more than one girl will ask for evidence of my 'wife'."

Motoko and Ranko nodded agreeing. "And if asked you two tell that she lived in Yokohama with her parents while I am looking for a place for us here." Benji continued. "See Ranko was a good think that you haven't said anything to anyone." Motoko said to the orange haired girl. "If you told to your classmates that was a lie they would be bothering Benji a lot."

Ranko nodded understanding. "And what I say if they ask if I know her?" Ranko asked to Benji. Benji taps his chin while thinking about the answer, he didn't had much time to go through all the details so he didn't had an answer ready for that. "Well just say that you don't get along with her and wished that I haven't married her." Benji answered. "I am sure that saying that they won't bother you with more questions about her."

Ranko nodded understanding, it was simple enough and close enough of the truth, she didn't liked of the idea of someone claiming to be Benji's wife even if was just an excuse to keep girls away from him.

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"Is there anyone in there?" Benji asked knocking on the changing room's door, not getting a answer he enters and repeats the operation on the door of the hot spring, twice, now sure that no one is in there Benji hangs the sign on the changing room door that indicates that either him or Ranko are using the bath, well originally Ranko and his wolf self but still works.

To avoid problems the sign is on the door above the reach of Sara and have several bells on it, so when opening the door they would make noise indicating to a distracted tenant that the bath is being used. Benji was quite confident that he wouldn't be bothered, normally he wasn't, and also normally no one bath that late, throwing his clothes in a basket Benji grabs a towel and moves to the bathing area.

He really missed a good, strong and powerful stream of warm water coming from a tank less gas water heater, as the shower of his grandparent's apartment where he grew, the pressure of the water was high and without turning on the cold faucet the water was almost hot enough to boil.

With an annoyed sigh Benji washes himself in the cold shower, he had to literally bolt in the wall a pair of clips to hold the shower head in the height that he uses, so he wouldn't have to hold the damn thing, making easier for him to wash himself. As western man Benji preferred to wash himself when standing and not sited as the vast majority of the Japanese.

After rinsing away the soap and later the shampoo Benji turns the water off and walks to the large pool, he sighs in a mixture of pleasure and tiredness, he was finally able to just relax after the long day, first he had to wake at five and half in the morning to arrive in the school at six for a tour in the school to learn the locations of everything, after that introducing himself and dealing with six classrooms filled with teenager girls, worrying about Nagisa for most of the day, then dealing with the teachers, after that giving Fuuka a worth break and making dinner for the girls, dealing with the girls for one hour, then walking all the way to the pension since he wasn't in the mood for riding his bike, then speaking with Ranko and Motoko, and lastly hearing Nagisa cheerfully telling him her first day in school.

"You know my life was easier when I was being hunt." Benji muttered in Portuguese, the worse part is that it was true; he didn't have half of the responsibilities that he now has. "And I was thinking that my life would get easier after killing Nodoka and the others…"

Sighing again Benji said. "What did I ever do to deserve this?" Benji looks at the sky, then around as he recalls what is just on the top of his mind. "You know what don't answer that." He finally said. "I need to find some new pack members; at least with one or two more it will greatly relieve the stress on me. Maybe I should have kept Nagisa out of the school until the end of the year."

"No, I did the right thing." Benji said throwing some water on his face. "She is happy, and her smile is worth, thought it wouldn't be bad have more free time to move around and meet new people. And as soon Fuuka is done teaching the girls the basic then we can enroll them in the elementary school too and things will be easier too."

"Man…I am not even married why suddenly I have twelve daughters who aren't even mine dropping on my lap? I am just twenty five years old, I am too young to have eleven daughters under ten years old and one on her mid teens." Benji muttered looking at the sky. "Maybe I should get a wife for real, at least then I would have someone to share my troubles with."

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"Do you understand anything that he is saying?" Kitsune asked to Ranko, she as well Motoko, Sara, Kaolla and Keitaro are spying on Benji from Keitaro's bath. "No, that isn't English and for sure isn't Japanese." Ranko answered. "But we should stop, Benji will notice us if we stay here too long." 'Long enough to the wind change and carry our scents to him.' Ranko added to herself.

"It is bad enough that we are violating his privacy like this." Motoko said. "You say that but still are here." Kitsune teased the swordswoman. Motoko blushed embarrassed. "I am here to prevent you from doing anything worse than this." Motoko replied not sounding very convincing.

"I agree with Ranko-chan and Motoko-chan." Keitaro said. "We should leave now and stop this, didn't he already had a harsh day today without adding us invading his privacy like this?" "Come on we can't even see him well from this position." Kitsune replied. "And we can't understand one word of what he is saying."

"But those are things that he is speaking to himself." Keitaro protested. "You wouldn't like if we peeked on you when you do something like that would you?" "Urashima is right." Motoko agreed. "As odd that is coming from him, we should leave, and Kitsune if needed Ranko and I will use of force to achieve that." Kitsune clicked her tongue and leads them out.

"Kitsune it is that hard for you to not intrude in other people's business?" Keitaro asked to the eternal fox as they walk to their rooms. "I am not saying this in fully disapproval even thought it is some there, if you focused half of the energy that you focus on meddling in other people's lives in studying or working you would have a good life, get good grades and eventually getting a well paying job."

"I don't want a boring life like that." Kitsune replied. "I don't want to wait I don't know how long to get money, and I don't want to work ten to twelve hours a day six to seven days a week for god knows how many months to have a average life, I want a easy and good life now, enjoy my life and not waste it studying and working."

"You want a good life but you do nothing to achieve it." Keitaro said seriously. "How much money you wasted in gambling and in liquor, don't forget to add the money borrowed from others and stole from others as you did to me, and how much money you won from gambling?"

Kitsune gasped as Keitaro's words, she did expended large amounts of money betting and drinking, she still has large debts all over Hinata, she didn't know exactly how much she had expend on gambling but was over half million dollars that adding the debts that she have, and that wasn't counting the ones of liquor.

"And Kitsune you think that we like you meddling in our lives?" Keitaro added. "While I was happy in see that you gals worried about me and searched us in Kyoto, I was angry because Motoko-chan later told me that you used that as an excuse to do a food touring, wasting the money that I worked hard to save so you could have some fun. Ranko-chan told me about that day that Seta-san came visit and all that you did, part of me appreciate the effort, but couldn't you just let things follow their natural courses? You had to meddle and use us as entertainment?"

"I was trying to help." Kitsune defended herself. "And how much parts of wanting to help were added to use them as amusement source?" Keitaro asked. "One part of want to help to nine of using them as amusement." Kitsune answered in a defeated tone. "See, and all the efforts were futile." Keitaro replied. "A couple weeks later Narusegawa and Seta-san met again. Sure I went overboard and declared Narusegawa's feelings to Seta-san, but unlike you I really wanted to help them to develop a relation, there wasn't anything else behind it."

"And what you say about Benji and Ranko?" Kitsune asked. "Just look how things changed since they came, you won't tell them to not meddle in other's business?" Keitaro scratches his head. "Did they meddle in something before you tried to do something?" Keitaro asked. "Or did it just for fun, to see me or someone else sweat? Or they did to help me or someone else?"

Kitsune knew the answer, the two siblings only acted after she started something and always turning things better, by talking some sense to Motoko the damage to the pension was greatly reduced, when dealing with Keitaro Benji gave to the bespectacled man some confidence and caused a even larger reduction of the damage to the building and Keitaro, other than trying to help the two siblings pretty much kept to themselves, they did interacted and have fun with everyone else, but they never intruded in their business.

"Ranko-chan is studying, well not studying hard in a mad frenzy as Narusegawa or me, but she is studying hard in her own way, she even asks for Narusegawa or Motoko-chan's help." Keitaro said. "She also helps on making dinner every now and then, Benji was unemployed for a while but now he is working, and before that he paid the rent in advance for one year for both him and his sister. Now he has even more responsibilities by having to also raise his cousin mostly by himself."

Kitsune frowned. "Wait a minute there Keitaro." She said seriously. "If he was unemployed how he got that much money to pay two years worth of rent?" "Before he moved here because Ranko-chan's neko-ken incident he was working." Keitaro answered. "And he had some savings that he could use. I also asked him that, he was unemployed for a couple of months since he quitted his former job."

"And you just accepted that?" Kitsune asked. "What if he didn't found a job?" "He had already paid one year of rent for two rooms." Keitaro answered. "So until he had to pay the rent again I wouldn't bother if he found or not a job. It isn't my business." Kitsune sighed.

"Not everyone is like him." She said annoyed. "I don't want to work my ass out to get paid a flimsy salary in the end of the month and after half a century get an even smaller pension." "Well I hate to break this for you Kitsune." Keitaro said seriously. "But I really doubt that right now you would be an acceptable bride for a rich bachelor, sure you are an attractive woman, but your habits are too much for your appearance to make up for."

Kitsune is stunned with his words; she would never expect Keitaro to say something like that to her, perhaps think, but never voice it. She knew that Keitaro was right, she have a reputation in the bars of Hinata, she could always find a cot ready for her in any bar if she drank too much, there is also the rumors about her being used when passed out drunk, or selling herself for a bottle. She would never find a rich guy who would marry her if he knows that, getting pregnant to force a marriage or getting a pension was also hard and wasn't something that she wanted to do.

End of the chapter twelve:

Author explanation corner:

School day: Based in what I gathered from manga, anime, live action series and few other sources I realized that I don't know much about the details of a school day in Japan. So here is the day based in what I know and think:

Six periods of one hour each, plus half an hour of homeroom in the morning and another half in the afternoon before the end of the classes, half an hour of lunch between four periods in the morning and two of the afternoon, one break of five minutes between each period, the classes start at seven thirty in the morning, lunch at half past noon until one in the afternoon, the classes end at three and a half in the afternoon, from where the student can go to a after school club or go home.

At least that is how I arranged based in what I know, if is different let me know and I will fix it.

Classes: Once again based in what I know, three years of high school, then add a number of classes at least two, but based in anime and manga where we often see four is not more I decided to set on four classes for each year. Based both in anime and internet research the classrooms have an average of forty students each, so twelve classrooms between the three years multiplied by forty students equals four hundred and eighty.

Once again this is all guessing; in a regular big city school of Japan there could be more than four classes on each year increasing the total number of students.

Students: Based in Love Hina manga and anime Motoko goes to an all girls' school. When looking back in the anime the trio of girls that followed Motoko around in the beginning and until the beach episode; culminating on the possession of the most passionate girl by a ghost. That added to her initial opinion regarding males is a natural assumption, and I think that it is told somewhere in the manga or anime that she goes to an all girls school, but I can't recall where.

Since it is an all girls' school it isn't surprising to have a big fuzz when Benji is introduce as substitute teacher there and that prior to him all the other male workers teachers or not are above a certain age and also considered unattractive for teenager girls, at least the bulk of them.

I don't plan on developing all the students, I will most likely have something as the initial Negima manga focusing a small group of students and slowly if needed adding few more (remember that in the first issues of the manga Negi hardly got along with ten of the thirty and some girls of the 2-A, and he got along better with Azuna and Konoka since he shares a room with them).

And while not show in Negima I am quite sure that Negi also teaches English to the other classes of the Jr. high school, but the manga and anime only show him teaching the 2-A, and doesn't show many students outside it, that will be the base of some of the school events focusing more in Motoko's class and Ranko's class, and some after school incidents (clubs wanting Benji to be the supervising teacher and things like that).

Once again based in anime (let's not forget that in the most technically sense it is an anime world, and it fused Love Hina and Ranma's worlds, well add a dash or two or Negima) the bulk of the girls are the 'stereotype standard' girl who reads shojo manga, loves shopping, believe in impossible love stories, wait for her 'prince', and the list goes on.

So they are easily affected and attracted by 'unique' figures as Motoko (slightly boyish strong willed girl), Ranko (downright tomboy strong willed girl, remember they have no idea that she is originally a boy), Benji (handsome bellow thirty male, no need for anything else), for more details watch shojo anime as Maria-sama ga miteru, or something like that with tons of girls or something else in the purest shojo style (nothing against shojo manga, I red some, I like few CLAMP stories but that one overloaded my limits).

Once again I won't develop all the characters of the school, some of them might be developed, and if I find the name of the girls that follow Motoko around I plan on using them too.

Lunch: Another area that I have no idea of, at least in Japanese schools, back when I studied in a boarding school, the teachers and the students used the same line in the cafeteria and ate the same food, there wasn't a separate table just for the teachers they sited in any available table and more than once I ate in the same table as one or more of the teachers (even I being not a model student, I was just friendly with everyone teachers included), I don't know if it is like that in Japan.

I do know that is common for students and teachers take lunch boxes (the so famous bento), and that there is also students that eat in the school cafeteria if there is one there, since Benji didn't had time to make a lunch box (or just wasn't in the mood to make one), didn't bought one before moving to the school he decided to eat in the cafeteria.

The apple thing on Ranko was just something that popped in my mind and I thought that would be funny, even thought it didn't came out as funny as I thought (and the best way to shut her up is with food, so there is the apple).

Empadão: As explained it is of the family of pies, I can't find a similar name in English and the closest thing that I got in my dictionary was pastry, it is a common food here in Brazil, thought not the kind that you eat everyday, a smaller version called empadinha, is much more common and is sold in nearly every bar and bakery in Brazil, there is countless types of fillings that change with the area, but the most common is the chicken, made with boiled chicken breast separated from the bone and unraveled (the closer of the meaning of the Portuguese word anyway), seasoned with spices and other stuff.

As said in the story the main trick used by my mother to make me eat a handful of vegetables that even today I hate, and I also get mad when recalling it (and yes she did all that I said that she did in the story), but still a good way to make children eat vegetables without knowing it since the filling is spicy and tasty, covering the taste of the vegetables (cabbage and few other mild tasting vegetables).

Even genetically engineered the girls are still children so let's admit that having them to hate a handful of vegetables and not wanting to eat them is reasonable, and let's assume that they were only fed with some kind of concentrate food, bland and tasteless that only gave the needed amount of calories, so now in a brand new world of tasteful food and drinks they would find their likes and dislikes.

And that would be another stone in Fuuka's bumpy path and would tire her even more (ten kids are a handful even when normal, ten genetically engineered kids six times 'better' are only worse), so the poor woman needed a deserved break even a small break.

Eri is buried under hundreds of books catching up with her studies, so she can't help all the time, seven hours of sleep, a total of three hours for meals and resting after eating, twelve hours studying and the last two hours for short breaks thought the day adding toilet and bathing breaks.

Motoko teasing Ranko: I know a bit unusual for her but not in this story, and let's admit that Ranko was looking like a worried wife waiting for her late husband at that scene.

Discussion over school subjects: Just some opinions over the subjects of the school based in what I show in anime, manga and movies, they are just fictitious arguments and don't have any weight.

Bath scene: In the Love Hina anime and manga there was always a free fanservice scene in the bath, well there is one here, okay just kidding. After a day like that a long soak would be more than welcomed, I added some random thoughts about the turns of events, a questioning over pairings (which I haven't decided to anyone), just plain complaints.

Spying on Benji: Kitsune wanted to have fun and if possible blackmail material on Benji, it was also a good chance to show some development on Keitaro (after all the changes in the story of Love Hina he had to be different too), Ranko was curious and worried since Benji doesn't tell her much about his plans, much less his problems, Motoko also wanted to know more about what is happening, as well using a good excuse to see Benji naked or near naked, Keitaro was there to stop Kitsune without much success, Kaolla was there just for plain fun.

………Extras………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Before the first day of the new period

Benji looked at his image in the mirror and sighed. "Why the long face?" Eri asked to Benji. "You look good in that suit." Fuuka nodded agreeing. "But the tie isn't right." Fuuka said walking towards Benji and adjusting his tie. Fuuka frowns at her inability to tie it when facing him.

She moves and presses her body against his back, now she can easily tie it with practiced ease. "It is kind of hard because you are too tall." Fuuka commented looking at the reflection on the mirror, her head poking at his left side. "You don't seem to be having trouble." Eri commented.

"I am used on tying ties." Fuuka replied while adjusting the pressure. "But I never did when facing someone; it was always my tie that I saw in the mirror." "I actually knew how to tie it." Benji commented. "But since I hardly used a suit or even owned a tie I forgot how to do it."

"Well you should learn it again." Fuuka said moving back to face him and making sure that the tie is straight. "You never know when you have to wear one again, and I might not be available."

Benji nodded, while not liking to wear ties he also knew that he had to wear them in certain occasions. "But what surprised me is the fact that you own suits." Fuuka commented. "I do know when I have to dress up and when to wear casual clothes." Benji replied. "I just wished that for this meeting I wouldn't need to wear a tie."

"You have to make a good impression." Eri said. "A well dressed man will always make a good impression, you know what they say, the clothes make the man." "And if everything goes well in few months we will send the girls to that school too." Fuuka added with a smile, she was so looking forward to that, but first she needed to teach the girls the basis of connivance with others and how to hide their abilities from the others.

"So you will take the Yamaha or Subaru?" Eri asked. "The Subaru." Fuuka said before Benji could answer. "Remember impression, he will look better coming out of the Subaru instead of riding on a Yamaha, it will also make sure that his clothes doesn't get dirty, and in the case of taking the principal to some other place the car is better too."

"Well Fuuka does have strong points there." Eri commented. "But I prefer the Ford." Benji said. "SU-BA-RU!" Fuuka replied seriously. "And the Subaru is cheaper than the Ford, we might have a fortune that we stole from the organization and what we had before but as far legitimate reasons, we don't have much money or explanation for that much money."

"Once again Fuuka is right." Eri pointed out. "While the Subaru is also an expensive car it is easier to find here, so you can tell that you bought together with someone else or borrowed from a friend." Benji sighed a the two, if he truly wanted he could impose his will over them but he also knew that they had valid motives, he just didn't get used to the Subaru, it was from his past back on his world where the only Alcyone that he knew was the villain of Magic Knights of Rayearth, the car was good looking and comfortable, it was just his particular reasons weighting against it.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I have to admit that you impressed me." Toshiko said to Benji with a smile. "You are going a little extra far to make an impression on the headmaster of the Yuzuhara Elementary School. I almost feel underappreciated."

"It is just that unlike it happened with you I don't have enough time to get to know the headmaster." Benji replied while driving to the school after picking up Toshiko. "We had seven meetings before making the arrangements that adding the phone calls, now I don't have that much time. I can't let Nagisa out of the school for so long."

Toshiko chuckled. "I know; I am just pulling your leg." She said with a smile. "It is good to start early, and as you said she is already a little late." Benji nodded confirming, according to Eri and Fuuka Nagisa was at least half a year behind the others in terms of social interaction, even with private education giving her more knowledge than the average.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Now let's discuss the terms of your presence here." Toshiko said to Benji after they finished the meeting in the Yuzuhara Elementary School that ended in Nagisa's late enrollment being accepted. "You will teach here for a period of ten months, including the winter break and the spring vacation, it is the final six months of Shigure-sensei's pregnancy plus four months of maternity leave."

Benji nodded in silence, while displeased that he would teach it was the condition that Toshiko had to putting a good word for him in the elementary school. "Your pay will be the same of a substitute teacher which should be enough for you to take care of your sister and cousin, and still have some to save." Toshiko continued.

………Sailor Moon twist part 4………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Once again the senshis are meeting on Rei's house. "We sure live in violent times." Motoko commented to the others. "I would never think that some guy would turn a car into junk killing everyone inside in a live feed for the entire country, speak about boldness."

"Yeah, but I kind of sympathize with the guy, his brother was killed and he was badly scarred, and the company that he worked for refused to pay for his treatment and his brother's posthumous benefits and compensations." Rei replied sipping her tea. "I can understand the drive for payback after everything that they did for those men. Not that makes the crimes less wrong; it justifies them, and doesn't make the crimes of those who were killed right either."

"And in the other hand our enemy is quite quiet lately." Minako commented. "Please tell me that you didn't call this meeting just to discuss a terrorist act." Haruka said to the inner senshis. "Well we did." Usagi said meekly. "It isn't just for that." Rei added. "Ami called."

"Which is quite odd since she is always punctual." Makoto commented. "She never gets late." "Sorry!" Ami exclaimed rushing to the room. "It took longer than I expected to finish." "It is okay." Michiru replied. "Why you called us here for?"

Ami rests a laptop over the table and boots it. "As the rest of you I have watched those horrible news from the day before yesterday." Ami said to them. "But I also noticed something, after hours selecting images, filtering and calculating several equations I came with a result."

"And how that affects us?" Haruka asked, Ami was getting too technical. "While I can't say for sure based only in the jacket that we found on you." Ami explained. "I have calculated the height of Akimoto, the man who attacked that car, it is approximately one meter and ninety nine centimeters, that counting his shoes and helmet, without them one meter and ninety centimeters."

"Well Ami while interesting, that jacket doesn't belong to a man that tall." Michiru pointed out. "And what about the shoulders?" "Well based in my calculations they are also broader than in the jacket." Ami answered. "But he could be wearing padding, the same with his height."

"True, so Ami what is the percentage of that man being the one who rescued Haruka?" Michiru asked seriously. "Less than fifteen percent." Ami answered. "But he was using military grade weapons, that machine gun is heavily controlled and is used only by the military. Looking solely on that side the chance increases to seventy six percent."

"But he is bigger than the man who rescued me." Haruka said. "So even if he was alive he doesn't fit the profile." "Actually there is something that is bugging me." Minako said raising her hand. "That Akimoto man died, but didn't the corpse as well his records say that he is under one meter and eighty centimeters? Even with tons of armor and that helmet he would be smaller than in the TV?"

"Well there is some debate over that subject." Ami commented. "But the state of the corpse because the explosion and following fire of the crashed car make hard to accurately pinpoint his height, and the measurement of him was old at least four years since the attack."

"There isn't that operation in China that makes you taller?" Makoto asked. "I red about that in a magazine a while ago, that many Chinese men were submitting themselves to an operation that would create small gaps in the leg bones, hold it with metal pins and frames so the bone would grow in the gap, I don't recall the details but is something like that."

"It is a possibility." Michiru commented. "But even if was true Akimoto is dead." The others remained in silence. "I had another reason to call this meeting." Ami said after a while. "After consulting with Setsuna, I think that I managed to create upgrade to our uniforms, they would be thermally insulated, which would protect us from harsh temperatures better than before."

"Now that is what I call advancement." Minako said recalling the cold that she felt and how long it took for her to feel her toes after that fight. "So I need your transformation wands to add that upgrade." Ami said to them. "I know that it would make us defenseless so first I will do in the inners so in case of an emergency the outers can fight."

"That is reasonable." Haruka commented with a nod, the inner senshis take their transformation wands and place them in the table before Ami. "And what about me?" Usagi asked, she doesn't have a transformation wand. "You give your compact." Rei said exasperated. Usagi blushed and places her compact next to her friends' wands.

"How long it will take?" Makoto asked, the idea of having to sit out while the outers fight doesn't please her. "It will take two days." Ami answered. "And after that you girls will need to test it to see if everything is okay, it is just a formality."

"We don't want you to learn in combat that there is something wrong and you girls will stand there buck naked." Setsuna said, the senshis blush madly at the idea, the sheer shame and embarrassment of imagining is enough to make them question the wisdom of the upgrade.

"That won't happen." Ami reassured her friends. "And in the unlikely case of happening it will be during the test, here in the shrine." "Well that is a little better." Minako commented. "And it shouldn't take all that long."

………Two weeks later………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Still not done?" Michiru asked to Ami. "Sorry." Ami replied with an apologetic smile. "I never guessed that the upgrade would reveal so many flaws in the system. I am still hammering down the bugs on our transformation wands." "I guess that all those power-ups would carry so many problems when coming so quickly." Michiru commented. "They just kept pilling and pilling without much of an interval between them."

Ami nodded agreeing, especially for the inner senshis that started in a lower rank than the outers, the successive power-ups through the years fighting the forces of darkness stacked up quicker than the wands and the magic science of them could process and correct problems of the stronger powers.

"As long there isn't an attack, Haruka and the others don't mind in being the ones able to change." Michiru said to Ami. "As much we don't like to admit the attacks are getting harder, and now with the environmental changes things are getting even troublesome, first was that unbearable heat, then came that snowstorm, I don't know if just the four of us would be able to handle an attack in another harsh environment as the snowstorm."

"I am sorry, I am working as fast as I can but there are still problems appearing on every new scan." Ami apologized looking at her tea cup. "Setsuna says that is because our wands are made by Silver Millennium technology and we are using technology of the New Silver Millennium or Crystal Millennium, since it is newer and more advanced when compared with the original it is causing minor incompatibilities."

"I understand that, like trying to install modern software in a twelve years old computer. Even if is compatible there will be bugs on it." Michiru commented. "That is just what is happening." Ami replied. "But when I am done dealing with your and the others wands will be fast."

"Actually it won't be all that easy either." Michiru said. "The outers use a different system than the inners, I am sure that you noticed that Makoto's wand is slightly different than the others right?" "I did notice that, so you mean that Makoto's wand is an outer wand?" Ami asked.

"Originally yes." Michiru answered. "But back in the Silver Millennium Jupiter was changed to a inner so her wand was adapted to work as a inner, I don't know all the details, but her wand isn't an outer or a inner anymore, somewhere in the between. It was advised to make a new one but the senshi back then didn't want to do it so it was left like that."

"But all the inner changes from the other wands are working on Makoto's." Ami commented. "But there are some particular bugs on Makoto's wand that isn't present in the others, I guess that the change explains why those bugs." Michiru sips her tea. "How long you think until the inners are back in duty?" Michiru asked. "At the best scenario one more week." Ami answered.

………One week after Benji started teaching……………………………………………………………………………………

"Why a church?" Michiru asked to Makoto, while Ami was fixing the transformation wands Makoto was investigating suspicious incidents that could be related to their new enemy as a way to do something helpful. "It was rumored to be haunted." Makoto answered. "Rei is busy with her classes today so she couldn't come and you are the only other psychic of the team."

Michiru nodded understanding, if there was something she was bound to feel something odd. "But why people left an old and deserted church in ruins in the middle of the city?" Michiru asked.

"Based in what I gathered in the past month this church is supposedly owned by a private party." Makoto answered. "Since the terrain is indeed private, the city can't demolish it, now it is as we see; an old building that appears to be falling apart from the outside, but still solid from the inside."

"If this place is here long enough to be considered haunted then it should be unrelated to the enemy right?" Michiru brought out something that was bothering her. "What we know about the enemy?" Makoto replied. "We barely know anything about them, as far we know they could as well be some demons sealed under the city."

Michiru thinks on Makoto's words, the chestnut haired senshi had a point, they knew so little about the enemy that just ruling out the church just because was too old would be careless. "Someone is coming!" Makoto whispered harshly as the sound of footsteps echoes coming from the outside.

"To the confessionary!" Michiru replied in the same way, pulling Makoto on the direction of the old confessionary, just as they close the doors of the two cabins the front doors of the church are pushed open, casting three long shadows in the walkway between the two lines of benches of the church.

"As someone raised in a catholic country this sight kind of hurts." Benji commented walking inside the abandoned church. "I have to agree, it is sad to see a place of worship forgotten like this." Tsuruko agreed with Benji, following him inside. "But we are here to fix it."

"Why you called me anyway?" Benji asked to the long haired woman. "Isn't like you need my help, or Junko's." "Gee thanks." Junko replied annoyed. "I know that I am a weakling but you don't need to rub it on my face." "I am weaker than Tsuruko." Benji said to the short haired girl. "She can wipe the floor with me without breaking a sweat."

"I am not so sure of that Benji." Tsuruko said casually. "What you lack of skill you make up with stubborn resilience and dirt fighting. Besides exorcism shouldn't be performed alone, so I need people who I can trust to watch my back. And you know how much I trust my backside on you."

"I will pretend that I didn't notice the not so subtle flirt there." Junko said shoving her hands on her trousers' pockets; Junko is wearing well polished black leather shoes, black trousers with suspenders holding it in place, a white button up shirt and a black tie.

Tsuruko giggled amused, she is wearing a pair of dark blue sneakers, a pair of jeans pants with a brown belt around her waist, a dark green t-shirt and a white vest over it, her hair is tied in a simple ponytail. "You are too innocent." Tsuruko commented. "Forgive me for being a virgin." Junko said acidly.

Benji sighed at the barbs between the two; he is wearing a pair of black leather shoes, a black suit with a dark red shirt underneath it and a black tie. "Can we just deal with this and leave?" Benji asked to them. "Since I first got in Japan I really don't get along with holy places."

"That is because you are evil." Tsuruko cooed sweetly. "The nastiest demon that hell ever breed." Junko added in the same way, in a first moment agreeing with Tsuruko. "You corrupted a poor married woman, seducing her from her solemn vows." Tsuruko continued. "Using your unholy charms to defile her will and using your pulsating rod to fully corrupt her."

"Excuse me?" Benji said annoyed. "It was you who came after me in Kyoto, and I didn't knew that you were married back then." "And why you don't deny the demon part?" Junko asked teasingly. "After everything that I did in the past years?" Benji replied with a shrug. "I am most likely going to burn in hell anyway."

Michiru and Makoto hear the conversation feeling very awkward and embarrassed. "Well if I did believed in hell I agree that you might end there." Tsuruko commented hugging Benji from behind, wrapping his chest with her white arms. "But since I don't believe in hell and I don't believe that you did anything bad I don't think that you would end in hell, besides I like warm places."

Junko sighed annoyed. "Why you two don't make out later? You are scaring the demons away." She said annoyed. "What kind of demon would be scared of sex?" Tsuruko asked casually. "They are supposed to like it. And according to the Catholic Church favor anal sex."

Junko blushes madly at Tsuruko's words, unknowing that Michiru and Makoto are also blushing in the same way. "Well now that you mention the church keep saying that sodomy is bad, is the way of demons." Benji commented. "I fail to see why since it feels good."

"I agree with you there." Tsuruko commented. "Anyway leaving the anal sex for later we should start looking for the demons, I am supposed to go back to Kyoto tomorrow morning so I want to end this soon and enjoy the rest of the day." Junko sighed at the shameless older woman words.

"Junko, see if you can locate anything with your detection spell." Benji said to the girl. Junko nodded and holds her hands over her chest and whispers something. "Stop!" Tsuruko exclaimed, light flashes around them filling the church. "Too late." Tsuruko said blinking a couple of times. "I don't believe on this, a denial melody very well hidden, cast to react when a spell is cast."

"Denial melody?" Benji asked confused, he wasn't familiar to all the magic systems. "It isn't a song or melody in the literal sense of the word." Tsuruko replied. "It is a token incantation; it draws the magic power from the surroundings in the dormant state. The legend says that originally spells with the words; song, melody, lullaby, and any other related to music were originally spells that required a musical instrument and be sung."

"So it is like bard magic from RPG?" Benji asked. "In those lines." Junko answered rubbing her throat. "But is more discreet than that, but the entire church is now a non-magic area, the denial melody expelled the magic of the environment and denies the use of magic inside."

Benji rummages on his pockets. "My hidden space isn't working either." He said when unable to access his hidden weapons. "My onmyo isn't working either, it is a good thing that I left Shippuu home." Tsuruko said. "Mou, two tantos are hardly enough for a good exorcism."

"Come on Tsuruko you are better than I am with a blade." Benji said pulling his pocket knife from his pocket. "All that I had on me was his one." Punctuating his words Benji presses the button releasing the blade, and then he locks the button to prevent an accidental release of the locked blade.

"And I that am not carrying anything?" Junko complained. "I am mostly defenseless without my sorcery." "You certainly don't walk like a plain support spellcaster." Tsuruko sneered. "You do know some martial arts; I can tell by the way that you walk." "I know some aikido." Junko replied. "But hardly enough to defend myself of human attackers, not enough for demons."

Benji sniffs the air, both Tsuruko and Junko stop taking and stay still, Michiru and Makoto tenses and remain in absolute silence and hold their breathes. "What you picked up?" Tsuruko asked in a soft whisper. "Feels like perfume." Benji answered looking around. "But at the same time isn't perfume. It is a hard to define scent."

"At least you senses aren't affected by the denial, who would know that the curse would be so handy." Tsuruko commented. Junko nodded agreeing. "Benji don't move on your own." Junko said as Benji moved towards the altar. "Then we go with him." Tsuruko said to the other girl. "Whatever is the source of the scent can't be natural; this place is abandoned for years."

Michiru could feel Makoto's eyes against her, silently reproving her for wearing perfume, it wasn't her fault; she always wears a hint of perfume. "Something isn't right." Tsuruko said to the others. "Denial melody isn't a good spell to keep as a trap." "So what you think?" Benji asked while running his fingers on the dust covered altar.

"There is indeed something here." Tsuruko answered. "Yuurei or yokai, something with intelligent and with spell casting abilities. This place must be the lair." "If is haunted then it wouldn't mean that ghosts live here?" Junko pointed out. "That is the whole point that we are here for, exorcise the ghost."

"You don't get it do you?" Tsuruko replied. "We are in disadvantage here, we are in a denial area, in unfamiliar grounds and under armed, we don't even know for sure what lurks here, I don't flee from battle, but I also know when to temporary retreat to reorganize. Facing a possible strong entity here in these conditions is strongly prejudicial for us."

"Benji what you think about this?" Junko asked to Benji, whatever he decided she would support. "Tsuruko is a seasoned exorcist warrior." Benji answered. "If she says that we should pull back for now and come back more equipped later then I say that we should do what she says, she knows what she is doing."

Tsuruko smiled pleased, she knew that Benji would understand her reasons and respect her experience. "I guess that we have no choice then." Junko commented moving to the door. "What waste of time…" Junko looks at the shut doors and then turns to Benji. "Benji did we close the doors after we entered?" She asked pointed to the two large wooden doors.

"No." Benji replied looking at the doors. "You were the last one to enter, I was the first and I left open." "And I didn't hear you closing the door." Tsuruko said to Junko. "I didn't even heard when they closed." The trio tenses and Junko walks closer of Benji and Tsuruko.

In the confessionary Makoto and Michiru get tense and scared, something was happening, they could feel it. "Tsuruko your spirit control is better than mine can you access spirit techniques?" Benji asked while keeping a firm grip on his knife. "Since it isn't magic it shouldn't be affected."

"I will try." Tsuruko replied, she makes a sign with her left hand and closes her eyes. Tsuruko smiled and opens her eyes, looking pleased at a concentrate aura around her left hand. "Ki isn't denied in here." Tsuruko said. "Spirit attacks can be used. I forgot about them, shame on me, I need to train more since I forgot the basic principle of my Shinmei-ryu."

A smirk traces Benji's lips. "You just have too much in your mind." He said casually. "And having a gay husband only makes things worse." "Her husband is gay?" Junk asked confused. "To not have sex at least twice a day with a woman as gorgeous as Tsuruko he must be." Benji replied.

"As far I know he isn't gay." Tsuruko said seriously then she stops, thinks and scratches her chin with her right hand. "You know, now that you brought that up, I start to wonder. A straight man would get excited if I walked around naked after a shower and bend over in front of him right?"

"Right." Benji answered, he can't deny that just the image excites him, but used to more intense sights it doesn't affect him much. "A normal male would get a hard on and then pounce on you." Tsuruko guessed as much. "I fear that he might be gay then." She said. "Looking back to all the times that I hinted, flaunted and openly tried seduce him in the past; that is the only explanation for the lack of reaction."

Michiru had to agree with them, she could see Tsuruko well enough and she wasn't afraid to say that the other woman was beautiful and the idea of having sex with Tsuruko excited even her, to a man not respond to Tsuruko's advances he had to be blind or gay. In the other hand Makoto is almost dying of shame and can't understand how they can speak about such things in that situation.

Benji suddenly but strongly stomps in one of the wood benches breaking it and sending large pieces of sharp wood on the air, Benji takes a step in the direction of the air born pieces of wood and kicks the largest one in a straight line, the shard of wood stops in the middle of the air as if met some invisible obstacle.

"I think that is the first time that I see you kicking." Junko commented. "But how you saw that?" "Who said that I am seeing anything?" Benji replied. "Then what you are using?" Tsuruko asked. "I can't feel anything." "It isn't only my sense of smell that was enhanced." Benji replied.

The piece of wood falls in an arch, similar of one of a limp body falling down, then the air around the wood darkens until finally reveals an entirely black bodyline that crumbles into dust, the wood falls with a small noise. "I hate invisible creatures." Tsuruko muttered. "Even my senses being sharp I can't pick up noises as you do."

"They also smell like rotten sand." Benji commented. "Rotten sand?" Junko asked confused. "I don't know if sand could rot." "It is the closest thing that I can describe." Benji replied. "They also make a kind of gritting sound when moving."

"I didn't hear anything." Junko said. "Me neither." Tsuruko added. "You are sure that isn't in a sound length that humans can't hear?" "It isn't like I can tell you know." Benji replied. "I just hear, I can't tell if is infrasound or ultrasound, it is just sound for me." "One day we will make some tests on you to learn the exact reach of your audition." Tsuruko said. "But now I just want to know how to fight whatever is in here."

"You two get down." Benji said, knowing better than asking for an explanation they obey first. Benji takes his knife to his neck makes a cut in the right side of his neck over the artery, blood sprays from the thin cut, a thin mist of blood droplets falls far from Benji, coating everything red.

Tsuruko recovers from the shock and understands what he is doing, drawing her two daggers from her vest Tsuruko attacks several blood covered invisible figures, the blood allowed her to know where to slash.

"Benji!" Junko exclaimed while Benji covers the cut with his left hand. "I am fine. It takes way more than this to put me down." Benji replied wincing. "Please tell me that you didn't burn the artery." Tsuruko said turning to Benji, she had quickly killed all the attackers. "I can feel the scent of burnt flesh."

"I just cauterized the artery, the cut was small." Benji replied. Tsuruko sighed. "That is dangerous." She scolded him, Junko nods agreeing. "Anyway we should find the source of those creatures." Benji said to her. "As soon they are gone sooner we can leave." The two women sigh as one but agree in doing so.

After ten minutes Junko sits in one of the benches. "This is annoying." She said tired, they searched on the entire church and didn't find a thing. In that time Michiru and Makoto felt their blood freezing on their veins when Benji looked straight to the confessionary were they are hiding, far too close for their liking. Michiru was sure that Benji knew that they were there, but he told to Tsuruko and Junko that there wasn't anything there.

Benji looks at the altar, they had already examined the church and the living area behind the church where in the past the priest would live, but he had an odd feeling nagging him. Tsuruko looks at Benji that is gazing at the dust covered cross in silence, the still open cut on his neck no longer bleeds but the dry blood that escaped from it clings on his skin.

"Why you are so thoughtful?" Tsuruko asked worried. "The desecration of this church bothers you? It is after all from the religion that you grew believing." Benji denied with a nod. "It isn't that." He said. "You know that people say that dogs can tell if someone is scared right?"

Tsuruko nodded confirming. "They can smell the hormones." Tsuruko replied. "It excites them. Wait, you mean you can smell fear?" "Yes and no." Benji answered. "It is hard to explain, tastes like fear, but it is different, it is almost like it isn't fear at all." Tsuruko couldn't understand his explanation, she didn't blain Benji for being so vacant about it, trying to explain with words a scent is something hard to do, and when you try to explain to a normal person how a scent that they can't feel is even harder.

"What else?" Tsuruko asked. "Something stale too, not air, wood or anything like that, something more…" Benji paused for a moment. "Organic, living…" "Don't try too hard to understand." Tsuruko said in a gentle tone, lightly placing her hand on his shoulder. "You got that curse for a short time; you can't expect to fully understand everything in less than one year."

Tsuruko sees Benji's ears perking, he looks at the stone altar and walks to it, in any other situation Tsuruko would be angry for Benji so carelessly ignoring her gesture of affection and comfort, leaving her with her hand now in the air as he moves to the altar, but she knew that Benji was now in hunting mode, he heard something that stirred something inside him.

Benji kicks hard the altar cracking the stone, with a second kick he stone facing him shatters and a burst of black mist hits Benji dead on in the chest sending him flying across the church and landing on the benches shattering them. Benji growls and stands up, Tsuruko follows the mass of mist twisting and turning in the air above the cross, she knew better than charging without a plan.

"What the hell is that?!" Junko exclaimed while rushing to Benji's side. "A specter!" Tsuruko answered. "A fear specter, it creates illusions and hallucinations that induce fear on the victims and then it feed of their fear. They have the ability of steal knowledge of their victims."

"That explain why it knows the denial melody." Junko commented. "Benji?" Junko said while Benji walks back to the altar, the specter charges at Benji, but Benji backhands the mist sending it against a wall. Benji kneels in front of the broken altar and starts to move the stones away.

The specter charges again and Tsuruko blocks the attack. "You found the victim didn't you?" she asked while pushing the creature away. Benji tears a metal plate from bellow the altar and throws it away. (Shhh…) Benji whispered in a gentle tone in Portuguese. (There is no need to be scared…)

"Dear god please tell me that it isn't a baby's cry!" Junko exclaimed in horror, the stench of rotten flesh, stale and dead impregnates the church. Tsuruko charges at the specter that became solid, she knew that was now safe to kill it, Benji had severed the connection between the victim and the specter.

"Zanmaken Ni-no-Tachi!" Tsuruko shouted striking the specter, with a shrill wail it vanishes. Tsuruko sheathes her daggers and turns back to the altar, Benji now without is jacket is cradling a bundle made of his jacket on his arms. "No wonder we couldn't find it." Tsuruko said. "They sealed the specter under the altar in an attempt of imprison it."

Benji nodded agreeing. "But it wasn't just that specter that was sealed." Benji added, inside the altar there was the remains of skeleton, fabric and some odd organic nest. "They sealed a yokai." Tsuruko said crouching and examining the remains. "A female one, by the skeleton looks like a kemonomimi one, I am not sure of this, so Benji what kind is the child?" "I can't tell just by the ears." Benji answered. "And she smells like corpse so I can't tell by the scent either."

"How old is she?" Tsuruko asked. "I would give one year on the tops." Benji answered. "Well based on the state of the skeleton, the nest, the time that the church was abandoned and the pieces of cloth inside, the mother hibernated, or was forced to a state that her metabolism was slowed down so much that it took fifty years for the pregnancy reach the right maturation, from there the child was also placed on that state, the mother died at least ten years ago, the nest was made by the specter that when lost the mother turned to the baby as food source."

"You mean that this baby is chronologically older than I am?" Benji asked surprised. "Yokais can live much longer than humans, and their biology is very different too, the child looks healthy if you ignore the filthy, right?" Tsuruko replied. "Yes." Benji answered. "The mother died and the corpse still sent all the nutrients to the child for a long time, almost like happens to a chick in an egg." Tsuruko said. "Humans don't do that."

Junko walks to them with a handkerchief over he mouth and nose, she threw up because the stench. "Can we leave now?" She asked pale. "We can." Tsuruko answered. "So Benji what you will do with her?" "I can't just abandon her, and I am not that far gone to kill a baby." Benji replied. "I guess that I will be keeping her."

Benji snorted and then chuckled. "I am already with eleven surrogates on my lap." He said. "One more won't make much of a difference, thought it would be nice having more adults in the group, I am already overloading Fuuka with ten surrogates."

"We can think on something, now let's go to a hotel." Tsuruko replied. "We need to wash that child, after so many years trapped in fear and darkness she deserves to live in the light." Benji and Junko nodded agreeing.

Michiru and Makoto wait for ten minutes inside the confessionary before leaving, sure that they won't come back. "I don't know what to think about this." Makoto said covering her nose. "Clearly they aren't evil, but they are also very odd."

"When you deal with this kind of thing you have the right to be odd." Michiru said walking to the altar, using tissues from her purse Michiru collects some samples from the skeleton, the nest and the clothes, and then she moves to a bench and rubs a clean tissue on some blood.

"What are you doing?" Makoto asked confused. "Collecting samples." Michiru answered. "That man, Benji as those two women called him, he knew that we were here, you heard them, he have enhanced senses, he could feel our scents, our nervousness, our fear; but instead of exposing us to the other two he pretended that there wasn't anyone else here, and Makoto, he looked straight at us."

Makoto knew that, she recalled curling inside the booth hoping that he wouldn't open it and find her there. "And there is more." Michiru said carefully wrapping the tissue inside a plastic wrap from a chocolate bar. "He fits the profile, he is taller than an average Japanese male; has special powers, wears a tailored suit, and I can bet any amount of money that he has access to illegal weapons and wears Obsession."

"Aren't you jumping conclusions on this Michiru?" Makoto asked worried. "Maybe." Michiru answered. "I might be wrong and he might not be our mysterious man, but I have a feeling that he is, and if we find any trace of him in the jacket when I ask to Ami look for it again then I will prove it."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Six baths and she still smell." Junko said to Benji, who was bathing the demon child, as well taking his sixth bath. "But is weaker than before." "Well there goes the seventh. At least she is having fun in the water." Benji commented. "But the bathroom is running out of shampoo and soap."

Junko wonders what to do, meanwhile Benji is the child wrapped in a towel in his arms, the girl is happily pulling on the towel, her hair several shades lighter than before her first bath, Benji pulls the plug of the bathtub, draining the water before filling it again to wash the girl for the seventh time in a row.

"I am back!" Tsuruko exclaimed while entering on the room holding two large shopping bags. "I brought a package of diapers, baby formula, three bottles, three weeks worth of baby's clothes, baby oil, baby powder, all kinds of baby bathing goods and toiletries." It was more than clear that she had a great time shopping for baby's stuff.

"You bought shampoo and soap?" Junko asked. "Yes." Tsuruko answered placing the bags over the bed and rummaging on them. "Here, baby shampoo that doesn't sting the eyes if fall in the eyes, approved by dermatologists and tested." Tsuruko said holding a bottle of a golden semitransparent liquid and showing to Junko.

"You seem to know a lot about this." Junko commented taking the bottle. "After all I am a housewife; I wanted to have kids so I studied." Tsuruko answered while rummaging on the bags looking for the soap. "Babies have sensitive skin so they need specific products."

"Okay seventh is over." Benji said walking out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, the baby wrapped in a towel on his arms, his air damp and drops of water run on his bangs before gathering in the tip and then falling on his chest. Junko moves to them and sniffs the baby.

"I think that she passes now." Junko commented. "Let me check it." Tsuruko said moving to Benji and sniffing the child. "Yes, she doesn't smell anymore." She said with a smile. "Let me hold her, so you can dry yourself and put some clothes." "But didn't she complain in the last time?" Junko pointed out.

"She has to get used to other people." Tsuruko commented while Benji carefully give her the child. The young demon cries with the transfer, Tsuruko gently rocks the girl and hums softly. Benji moves to the bathroom where he gets the last clean towel and dries his hair.

"Tsuruko you could dress her up too." Benji said. "Put her in the bed and make sure that she is dry." "Okay." Tsuruko replied casually, the demon child wasn't crying anymore as much Tsuruko could tell that she wasn't all that comfortable either. Few minutes later Benji leaves the bathroom in casual clothes. "I will burn the suit later." Benji commented; he knew that the stench wouldn't come out easily.

"Well in this line of work you have to get used to losing clothes." Tsuruko said finishing putting the clothes on the baby. "You thought in a name for her?" "Well I have few on my mind but I am not sure about them." Benji answered sitting on the bed. "Let's hear them." Junko commented.

"Sumire." Benji started, and is quickly interrupted by clapping. Tsuruko chuckled. "Well it is clear that she likes Sumire." She said looking at the baby who is happily clapping her little hands. "And Sumire is a pretty name after all." Junko commented. "But what you will do with Sumire?"

"I can't just take her home." Benji commented, if he showed up in the pension with Sumire Haruka would blow her top, he already was on her bad side, showing up with a baby less than one month after he appears with Nagisa would make her get even more suspicious about him, he still don't know how to deal with the other girls when the time came. "Things are already edgy as they are."

Tsuruko scratched her chin. "What about leaving her with me?" She asked, Benji begins to think on the possibility, the idea of Sumire coming as a mini-Tsuruko is even scarier than dealing with Haruka, Sumire with Shinmei-ryu knowledge and perhaps somewhere between Motoko and Tsuruko, definitely not something to look forward.

"I don't think that your family would accept a demon child." Benji replied. "We did that in the past." Tsuruko commented. "In matter of fact we have a half demon girl in training on the training grounds." Benji runs his hand on his hair. "Let's leave you taking care of her as a last resort, I don't want to burden you, and Sumire is quite attached to me." Benji said.

Tsuruko nodded agreeing, that was a fact, and even now the demon child crawled to Benji and is resting on his lap. "Then what about leaving her with the others in your group?" Junko asked. Images of a berserking Fuuka casting area spells on him fills Benji's mind. "Fuuka is with her hand filled with the girls." Benji answered. "And babies are way more high maintenance than ten years old. She would burn out."

Tsuruko nodded agreeing. "Waking up in the middle of the night, changing diapers, bathing, preparing bottles." She said. "And the list goes on; it isn't something to be taken lightly." "Then leaving her with me is out of picture right?" Junko asked. Benji nodded confirming. "You have your studies to worry about and the work to keep your school clean." Benji said. "Not adding sorcery."

"So you have anyone else to ask this?" Tsuruko asked. "Well I have one person that I prefer not have her taking care of Sumire." Benji answered. "And I might have someone, but that will depend if I play my cards right. She already raised a water spirit, so a demon child shouldn't be that different, but approaching her will be hard."

"And who is that person?" Tsuruko asked. "Well she is a water spirit that lives in Hinata; I kind of have her daughter in my group." Benji answered. "Well I guess that is time for a parent and teacher meeting."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Now wearing another black suit, this time with a white shirt under it Benji is facing a light blue haired woman. "Ah Tachibana-sensei, you are quite punctual." The woman said with a smile. "I am Chie Mizuumi, Chiemi's mother." "Nice to meet you ma'am." Benji replied with a smile. "I am Benji Tachibana; I am Chiemi's English teacher. It isn't much but I have brought some sweets."

Chie smiled. "I love sweets." She replied taking the offered parcel. "They are from a shop around here?" Benji smiled back. "No, I felt that something more unusual would be more appreciated, those are homemade sweets." Benji answered. "Chocolate sweets, if you like them I can teach you the recipe later."

"I love chocolate." She said. "Please come in, my daughter is upstairs, but I am sure that you will prefer starting this meeting just the two of us. I know that my daughter can be a handful sometimes." Benji enters in the house and takes his shoes as the etiquette required.

Ten minutes later Chie is laughing. "I saw this coming." She said wiping her tears away. "I keep telling to that girl to not go swimming in her other form so near of the city."

"It was kind of embarrassing to see a naked girl suddenly get those odd fin like ears." Benji commented sipping his tea. "I can understand the need to follow those basic instincts but she was too close of the place that I live, if was someone else who knows what would have happened."

Chie nodded understanding. "I did spoke to her about that." Benji added. "And kind of forced her to join my group, one of the members call it of pack, but is hardly a pack." "Chiemi needs that kind of thing." Chie commented. "While spirits and other mystical creatures like us aren't uncommon, normally we don't get along all that well, not to mention that is very hard to find others like us. Contact with others will be good for her."

Chie rests her tea cup on the table. "So you are a wolf right?" she asked. "Werewolf to be more accurate." Benji answered. "But I was born human and after I moved to Japan I got cursed when I was helping out my friends in China, so I am a cursed werewolf, no were as good as the real thing, but isn't all that bad either once you get used to it."

"As you probably guessed by now both Chiemi and I are water spirits, normally we are banded with mermaids, in a way you aren't all that wrong." Chie said. "But we don't have fish like tails; you can say that we are kind of cousins to mermaids. We can easily live in water or in land, I am sure that you know legends of river spirits, lake spirits and all those water related spirits from the countryside of this land."

"I have just a minor knowledge of those." Benji replied. "People would pray, give offerings and even sacrifice for those spirits asking for them to help in the harvest or for a good fishing." Chie nodded confirming. "We are from that family, our ancestors originally came from the sea, attracted by the sweet water of the land, for generations we lived in lakes, mountains and other bodies of water, even dam, those ones got used to the change of territory easily, anyway I moved from the mountains here to Hinata after the war, I like this city, it has mountains, rivers and the sea is quite near, a good place to raise a child."

"I can't deny that." Benji commented. "But doesn't the human population make hard for you two to enjoy the water freely?" "Well we can't change to our other form, which is more suited for water, you know we have less resistance when swimming, we can swim for days without getting tired." Chie answered. "And it feels good too, but we can enjoy water if we keep the human form, so isn't all that hard. But there are times that we like to find a nice and secluded river or lake of pure water to swim and have fun."

Benji nodded understanding, weeks earlier he isolated himself in the mountains to fully enjoy a more 'animal' period for a while to vent out instincts and just relax. "While this conversation is fun and the sweets are delicious I have a feeling that you aren't here just to tell me about my daughter's escapades." Chie said to Benji. "Or just as a meeting with a student's mother."

Benji nodded confirming. "You are right, there is more than that." Benji replied seriously. "As I told you I have group that we are calling pack, your daughter is part of it, unwillingly as she says, not that I force her to do things there, I do know that someone with her abilities might be needed in certain circumstances, and is also for her protection, but that isn't why I am here."

Benji pauses and rests his cup of tea on the table. "Currently in my group I have an effective of three adults, counting me, four if I count your daughter, but she is kind of a ghost member." Benji continued. "And because conflict with a certain human organization that was hunting people like us, I now have twelve children under my care, currently one of the other two adults are taking care of ten of the children as we speak, I am taking care of the eleventh, and I need help with the twelfth. That is why I came speak with you ma'am."

Chie sips on her tea, she appreciated the honesty. "Is that child human?" She asked. "Demon." Benji answered. "I am not entirely sure of her specific race, but I think that she is reptilian related, and her apparent age is one year old, chronologically she is older than that but she was sealed and hibernating."

Chie nodded understanding. "Of course that I am not asking this without offering an compensation." Benji continued. "I will cover all her expenses, food, clothes, medicine, toiletries, everything; and paying you for taking care of her, four thousand dollars by month plus expenses. And in the first months a white card to pay for furniture and if needed remodeling of the house."

"Mother you can't be seriously thinking in accepting that offer!" Chiemi exclaimed from the stairs where she was peeking on the two. "Of course that I am seriously considering this." Chie replied gesturing to her daughter to join them. "As you heard from our conversation I do believe that us mystical being should help each other and be a close community, we are speaking about the well being of a lost child."

Chiemi remained in silence and sits next to her mother. "And I do miss having a child around the house." Chie commented. "The money will also be welcomed; while we have a source of income another one wouldn't hurt, sure babies are a lot of trouble, but they are cute."

Chiemi sighed and glares at Benji. Chie slaps the back of Chiemi's head. "Don't glare at your pack leader." She said seriously. "I didn't raise you to challenge a superior like that." "Mom he blackmailed me!" Chiemi exclaimed rubbing her head. "I warned you several times to not swim near that pension, you reap what you sow, and you got lucky that was another mystical being that saw you, one that is nice enough to not imprison you." Chie replied.

"Where is the child?" Chie asked. "She is with a friend." Benji answered. "Well then bring her here." Chie replied. "I will take a look on her and then decide." Benji nodded and calls Junko. Half an hour later Chie is holding Sumire. "She is so cute." Chie said with a smile. "And you were right, she is reptilian. To be more precise snake."

"How can you tell that?" Benji asked. "She looks just like a baby girl." "For starters as you noticed in the past is the slim and forked tongue." Chie answered. "Second the very discreet spots between her eyes and nose, they are hard to notice, but they are pit organs, right now they are of a slight different color than her skin, but pretty soon they will be invisible."

Benji nodded understanding; he did know about those organs, they allow snakes to see heat. "Lastly the venom glands." Chie said pointing to Sumire's mouth. "You can notice right now because she is a child and still doesn't have teeth, but quite soon when her teeth grow and she gets the full set she will have an extra set of fangs, retractile ones that when she will it will appear over her canines to inject the venom."

"I didn't noticed." Benji commented. "Unless you know what you are looking for you don't see it." Chie replied. "So how she reacted to the formula?" "I think that rather well." Benji answered. "I mean she didn't eat anything since her birth so the formula was the first thing that she ever drank."

"So you think that a little diarrhea is understandable." Chie said. "And you are indeed right, demons with human shape are essentially mammals, even when clearly reptilian origin, that is why the females have breasts. It will take a week or two for her to get used to digest."

"You aren't really thinking on accepting this are you?" Chiemi asked to her mother. "Why not?" Chie asked. "She is cute; I don't do much during the day anyway." "However Sumire is quite attached to me." Benji commented. "She is just starting to accept others."

"Don't worry about that." Chie said. "I am a water spirit, snakes like water." Benji decided to not say anything, besides Sumire looked comfortable with Chie. "So you need anything else?" Chie asked. "If you want you could work part-time with the others too." Benji replied. "The person looking after her right now would love the help."

"Sounds good." Chie commented. "Then I will throw another two thousand if you help everyday." Benji said. "As many hours as you want in a minimal of four." "Deal." Chie replied. "It is like a daycare isn't it?"

"Well it is close but is also like elementary school too." Benji answered. "The girls doesn't know much about social interaction and mundane stuff, so they need to learn a lot of things before they can have a regular life." Chie nodded understanding. "Well that sounds like fun." She said excited. "I don't work since I was removed from my old job."

"What happened?" Benji asked. "She was expelled from the kindergarten because she attacked the headmaster." Chiemi answered. "He tried to rape me." Chie said puffing her cheeks. "It is only fair that I ripped his dick with my teeth." "As a man I can sympathize with his pain." Benji commented. "But since I am also cruel to rapists I think that you were quite light on him."

"So what you would do?" Chie asked. "Depends of my mood." Benji answered. "The last one that I killed I nailed him in a wall, stabbed him in the hip, shoved a ball of plastique on his mouth, taped it shut, made him hold the detonator, then I made a cut in his groin and left him to die with a dead man switch detonator on his hand."

"Nasty." Chie said with a smile. "I like it." "You are even worse than she is!" Chiemi exclaimed angrily. "As Chiemi said I lost my job." Chie answered. "And I am on the blacklist of teachers because of that, those sexist pigs of the board are afraid of letting a woman who teaches girls to fight back their rapist, teach a new generation of women to not accept their advances."

"Well I don't care about that." Benji commented. "I kind of support that." Benji scratches his chin and looks to Chie, and then he smiles. "What you would say if I told you that I would sponsor a kindergarten or daycare, whatever you want to name it, with you as the principal, director or headmaster of it?" Benji asked. "And the first group of students would be the girls of my pack."

Chie smiled back. "Now that is an interesting proposal that you laid for me." She said clearly interested. "What else I gain?" "Official joining the pack or group, the one that I lead." Benji said leaning forward. "Private budged, of course a sensible one for a institution like that, freedom to select the employees, but I do want to be consulted before hiring, it is my surrogates who will be the first group of students, unless I like of the person I won't expose them to the person."

"I like those terms." Chie replied. "You have problems with mystical beings being the staff?" "As long they aren't evil I don't mind, we are all mystical beings here." Benji answered. "However the girls while possessing superior affinity with the mystical forces they aren't mystical creatures, even thought a couple of them look like."

"I understand." Chie said. "Sensible exposure, a normal childhood or a closest one as possible, their choice to be mage or a spirit user right?" "Right." Benji replied. "Those girls suffered a lot, so I want them to be happy, being the path of happiness something that they decided on."

"I think that we will get along just fine." Chie said. "So leader when I meet the other pack mates?" "What about tomorrow?" Benji answered. "All the official pack members will be there." "You have unofficial ones?" Chiemi asked. "I need contacts outside the pack, the same goes to friends." Benji answered.

Chie can understand that. "Well tomorrow is fine for me too." She said. "It will give me plenty of time to get ready, and prepare Chiemi too, after all she is from the pack too." "What? Mom I don't want to!" Chiemi exclaimed. "Chiemi, this is a good opportunity for us, we hardly have any friends who we can share our real selves to, and belonging to a group is also essential for our survival, you heard those rumors about an organization that was hunting and killing magical beings." Chie said in a serious tone.

Benji decides to ask about that later, but he had a pretty good idea that it was Nodoka's organization, the fact that he was getting two more adult members will make things easier on everyone.

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Over the ruins of the building that once housed the base of Nodoka's organization three people stand over the edge ruins. "It caved in quite badly." One of them said crouching by the edge. "I guess that at least five meters bellow the street level." The three of them are wearing long black coats with hoods over their faces, hiding their features.

"They really went overboard." The person in the left side of the one crouched commented. "What a waste of a good base in perfect conditions." "They didn't eliminate the entire opposition, only the key members and everyone inside this base." The person on the right side said. "This place was compromised from the beginning for them, so it was useless, it is better to get rid of the base than leave it here so the enemy could use them."

"You should know that better than us Leo." The person in the middle said standing up. "The Russians did that against the Germans in the world war two. They burned out houses, poisoned water supplies, everything so the German army wouldn't use them." "I know, but I still think that is a waste." Leo replied.

"Anyway enough with history, you brought the sonar?" The figure in the middle said. "I have it." The figure in the right replied. "So I take it down there and scan the entire area?" "Yes." The one in the middle replied.

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"Man that took a while." The person with the portable sonar said. "So what are the results?" "Total collapse of the structure." Leo answered. "No pockets or gaps that could house survivors, not even a piece of hallway intact, even the ground between the level gave in, that is why the entire area caved. The best way to proceed is to dump as many tons concrete down there, fill the areas between the wreckage the best as possible, level the ground and then build over it. Removing the wreck would be far too time and money consuming."

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Author explanation corner part 2:

Subaru Alcyone: Benji didn't buy that car, it belonged to Fuuka's former group, and the same goes to his Yamaha.

Ami: After some consideration I thought that Ami should call a meeting over the 'terrorist' because his use of strictly military use weapons and above the average height. For anyone asking why Benji was so 'big' on Ami's calculations, the reason is armor, padding and boots with thick (way thicker than the average) soles, the purpose of those as well the helmet is to throw of Benji's height, let's admit that there is technology to accurately pinpoint the height of a man in a video, since Benji is taller than most Japanese changing his height is good for him.

Transformation wands upgrade: Thin and rather skimpy battle uniforms, come on is pretty obvious that those can't protect the senshis from the harsh elements, and let's remember that originally the senshis where the bodyguards of the Moon Queen, so they fought inside a castle where there isn't winds or snowstorms.

Sure there is magic on them, but there are limits over how much protection they can provide without changes on the 'system'. And based in Negima, Sailor Moon, Fate Stay/Night and Magic Girl Lyrical Nanoha, magic is also technology and produce magic items (Negima and Fate, and Sailor Moon), technologic items (again Negima, Sailor Moon and now Nanoha, and I also think on Fate since there is the 'magic circuit') as Ami's computer, the Cassiopeia watch and Chachamaru from Negima. And in Nanoha's world magic itself is considered a technology, I won't get in details on this.

So the wands have technology on them as well magic, or magic technology, the same goes to all the other items from Sailor Moon as the communication devices and Ami's computer, so they can get upgrades to enhance performance, in the show they took place as the power-ups that they get each season.

Since the wands are with the senshis since the first season is reasonable to believe that it they are from the Silver Millennium, therefore older than all the present nations ages combined, Setsuna can go back and forward in time from the present to the future, so it is reasonable to think that she would bring back for the senshis some useful items from the new Silver Millennium or Crystal Millennium, the technology and the magic even based from the old Silver Millennium would be different from the original, causing the problems that once solved won't happen again.

Church incident: Came different than what I imagined but still close enough, Makoto isn't a smart girl, at least not like Ami, she is a more 'average' one, a more physical one so she would try doing something else to help in her 'downtime', so she was doing some investigation and legwork. Michiru was there because her psychic powers, as well her mirror that reveal the truth among other powers.

Tsuruko was there because she was asked to do an exorcism there, with a perfect excuse to go to Tokyo and fool around with Benji later she called Benji to help, Benji called Junko who is a mage (still in training putting in a normal school setting for her magic knowledge she would be in high school) to help out.

This event is supposed to be a pointer for Michiru about the 'mystery man' incident with Haruka, allowing to Michiru and the senshis having more information to start their search on him.

Since I am still not sure if the Sailor Moon twist will be added to the 'main' series of this story and the church even as well the meeting with Chiemi's mother (fish girl) are part of the main story, disregard the Michiru and Makoto's events of the church scene, (quite easy since there isn't much of a interaction between Benji and his group and the two senshis).

Sumire: Originally she was going to have six years old (physical appearance), but I decided that there was already plenty of those around and I needed something more innocent and harmless than that, so the concept changed to an infant. In the original concept she would be the one 'haunting' the church, her territory protecting it from strangers, she was also a kemonomimi girl (animal ear a couple of examples cat girls and bunny girls).

Since the church event became different than the originally planned so did Sumire, and then she became a good way to introduce Chie and Chiemi, as well getting them on the group.

Chiemi and Chie: The girl that Benji first met in chapter three and then again in chapter five, since as I mentioned over and over in the story Benji is looking for more companions on his group, and even without the two water spirits is already a mess, a cursed human, a werewolf, a mage, ten genetically altered girls, and we can't forget the unofficial ones on Mizuki, Rin, Shiaki, Junko and Saeki (those never went to the base or stay there so they are unofficial pack members because that).

Throwing water spirits there isn't all that odd when you consider everything else, and Tsuruko might as well join the pack based on her relation with Benji, so it is an odd group, why not make it weirder? More details on those two will be later revealed.