Chapter 21

Washed Up

"Wahooo!"

Tsukune paused at Kurumu's shout of glee, treading water as he turned to face towards the pool's deck. What he found was a blur of motion and color as Kurumu raced towards him, disregarding the pool's warnings about running on the wet ground. As he watched, the succubus took off from the deck, launching herself into the air and curling into a laughing ball as she descended towards the water and, he quickly (though belatedly) realized, him. There was no time to move, barely a second to close his eyes against the eruption of water as the resulting wave rippled through the pool.

Spluttering, Tsukune swiped with a hand to clear the water from his face as Kurumu rose to the surface, shaking her head briskly, the wide smile still plastered on her lips. "Kurumu!" he complained, but any notion of berating her died as he saw the mischievous look in her eyes.

"I couldn't resist!" she offered unapologetically, shrugging as she kicked to stay afloat. "Anyways, it's not like I splashed anyone else."

That was true, Tsukune was forced to yield. Though the day had been fairly warm, there was a certain briskness to the air that might have kept the pool from enjoying more customers, and while the pool was hardly uninhabited it had clearly been designed to hold a much more substantial number. Kurumu's antics had barely drawn any attention from the other scattered groups of people, who were all huddled in clusters some distance away, which Tsukune noted with a rising uncertainty. Kurumu obviously came to the same conclusion but with a different reaction, her eyes narrowing like a cat eyeing its prey. Though her landing had planted her nearly within arms' reach of Tsukune, she drifted closer surreptitiously, placing herself between the open water and Tsukune with the edge of the pool at his back.

"You know, Tsukune," she said almost offhandedly, glancing off to the side, "I had wanted to show you my bikini, but you were already in the water and it would have felt awkward…" Her eyes flicked to him, noting triumphantly the way he unconsciously looked down at her water-blurred figure. "But, I guess it won't hurt if it gets wet before you get a good look at it."

Tsukune swallowed as he bumped up against the edge of the pool, a blush spreading across his cheeks. "Ah…" He looked to the sides, almost expecting rescue but realizing that every other inhabitant of the pool was distracted by their own activities. "Sure, I'll look at it when we get out."

Kurumu smiled darkly in triumph, but swam to the edge of the pool and turned her back to it, floating beside Tsukune. "This feels good," she commented, content to change the topic. "It's been a while since we've gotten to go swimming together."

"Yeah, since that time we saw Sun-sempai and Marin, probably," he mused, thinking briefly of that visit to the human world. "We don't do it often as a group, since Moka can't join in."

Kurumu nodded, enjoying that small victory over her rival but simultaneously feeling a surge of guilt for it. Realizing that the subject might make her date think too much of the vampire waiting back at the Resting Place, she turned to face him, eyes bright. "Want to race to the other side?" she suggested, leaning towards him.

Fighting to not think about what had just brushed softly against his arm, Tsukune nodded. "You're on," he accepted, his jaw set in grim confidence that quickly vanished as the succubus kicked off the wall of the pool and began a swift front crawl towards her destination. Not taking time to splutter out his indignation, Tsukune set after her, relishing the competition. As the two splashed their way across the pool, and after a moment of laughter back again, there was no way for them to know that they were being watched.

At the far end of the pool deck, somewhat camouflaged behind some decorative plants, two observers peered through the fronds at the pair, one of them gripping the edge of the plant's container with white-knuckled tension. "Look at her!" Kyoko growled, her eyes tracking Kurumu like the sight of a rifle. "She's all over him! And did you see that swimsuit?"

Beside her, Gabe glanced at the one-pieced option Kyoko had chosen before turning his attention back to the pool. "Yeah, I saw it," he responded dryly, shaking his head. "No boy that age could resist so much lace and so little suit."

Kyoko's response was less than articulate, but it certainly communicated her point to Gabe, who leaned away warily. "I've seen worse," he offered lamely, but the damage was done.

"We have to figure out a way to get closer, hear what they're saying. I can't do anything from here. Maybe I could get her alone…" Kyoko pondered, not noticing the appraising gaze those words earned her from her companion. Finally she pivoted, facing the blond man directly, staring at him with an inspective intensity despite his mounting look of innocence. "I know!" she exclaimed, pointing to him. "You can get close for me!"

"Ah heh," Gabe responded weakly, but in the face of her determination could do little but nod.

Meanwhile, Tsukune and Kurumu's racing had devolved into a playful argument over the victor, a war waged in wide sweeps of their arms intended to send minuscule tsunamis crashing into each other. A sudden ceasefire was called when Kurumu froze, glancing up at the sun above. "I forgot sunscreen!" she gasped, glancing at her shoulders as if afraid it was already too late.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I did too," Tsukune noted, frowning. "I know you brought some, but I didn't think about it. Still, we're already wet, and I don't think we'll be here that long anyways, so…" He hesitated, noticing the aura that his friend seemed to exude and hearing her low, dark chuckles. He edged away from her as she slowly pivoted to face him, her vicious intentions completely masked by the bright, innocent expression she wore.

"Would you mind putting some on me, Tsukune? I would gladly return the favor."

Tsukune knew where this would lead, but there was no turning back now. "Sure," he acquiesced, squirming a bit in the water as his imagination fought to offer potential portraits of what would come next. "How about those deckchairs over there?"

Together, the two made their way over to one of the ladders leading out of the water, and Tsukune drifted to the side to allow Kurumu to climb out first. As she stepped out onto the deck, brushing at her hair to free the water clinging to it, Tsukune gripped the ladder and began to climb. As he did, however, he allowed himself to look closely at the succubus, and his eyes were captured by gleam of the water on Kurumu's skin, the way that her now-damp swimsuit clutched her generous form. Despite himself he paused on a middle rung, watching her silently.

His hesitate did not go unnoticed, and Kurumu's fierce satisfaction was obvious, but when she turned to face him the usual hunger in her eyes was mixed with an odd softness, a gentleness that was matched by the faint smile on her lips. "Look all you want, Tsukune," she offered quietly, her calm a contrast to Tsukune's immediate clamor as he jerkily climbed out of the pool and blushingly looked away, walking towards an uninhabited group of the low deckchairs. Kurumu smiled in his direction before walking over to where she had left her bag. With it in hand, and the sunscreen it contained, she rejoined her friend at the chairs.

"Do you want to go first?" Tsukune offered stiffly, motioning towards the reclined seat. Kurumu paused, struggling internally to choose between two enticing options, but finally came to the realization that, while she could almost always convince Tsukune to put sunscreen on her back, it was rare that she got the opportunity to be the one to return that favor. "You first," she declared magnanimously, taking the opportunity to do some watching of her own as Tsukune lay down on the chair nearby.

So intent was her study of her beloved that she barely noticed the man ambling nearby, his leisurely stroll bringing him in a vague half-orbit around the pair that left them plenty of distance. Though his approach was cautious enough, Kurumu's gaze fell on him as she turned to forage for the bottle of sunscreen. His carefully impassive mask decayed as he watched recognition spread like a wildfire on her face, and, giving her a conspiratorial wink, he walked on past, making for an alcove nearby where he would be safe from her burning stare. Kurumu watched him go, grinding her teeth as suspicion built inside of her.

"Ah… I'll be right back, Tsukune, I, ah… bathroom," Kurumu managed, woefully patting his back before marching after Gabe. Tsukune watched her go, blinking in confusion; he hadn't noticed any bathrooms in that direction. Shrugging, he settled in to wait, feeling the stress the past days had inflicted on his body melt under the warmth of the sun, and closed his eyes.

Gabe leaned up against the wall of the alcove, slapping his forehead now that he was safely out of sight from his charges, Kyoko, and the rest of the pool-goers. He should've known that the girl would recognize him from the fiasco at the amusement park, but he hadn't seen any other way to deny Kyoko and still keep up the façade. He still wasn't certain whether or not that girl posed a threat to Kurumu and Tsukune, and until he was certain he couldn't act. Maybe Kyoko hadn't noticed that Kurumu had recognized him, or maybe he could explain it away somehow-

With a soft whisper, the long nails extended, ending just under Gabe's throat, uncomfortably close to his Adam's Apple, which bulged as he swallowed nervously. He met Kurumu's fierce gaze, forcing a smile onto his lips. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to interrupt," he apologized, aware of her blade-sharp nails drawing closer. "Even we protectors get days off, you see, and-"

"Fat chance," Kurumu growled, her violet eyes narrowing. "I thought I felt someone following us earlier, but I dismissed it. The swimming trunks are a nice touch, though."

"Yeah, I like them too; black's my color. A bit tight, though-" The foot-long nails brushed his throat, effectively silencing him, an accomplishment many of his acquaintances would envy. "Good guys," he whispered, motioning gingerly at himself.

"You haven't proven that yet, and black suits and sunglasses aren't just the uniform for the Headmaster's people; Fairy Tale uses them too," Kurumu noted darkly. She started as she realized he wasn't wearing said glasses, and squinted as she noticed the unusual color of his eyes. "What type of monster has golden-"

"Hey, mind trimming those back a little?" Gabe suggested, almost nodding; a motion that would have earned him an injury he would have had to explain away as a shaving nick. "You don't want any of these nice people noticing those talons and asking questions, do you? If anyone finds out you are a succubus…" He let the words hang in the air as a threat, but Kurumu didn't rush to comply, staring coldly at him as she weighed her options.

Her hand was soon forced. "Succubus…" Kurumu froze at the female voice behind her, and turned to see another person standing there: a girl her age, in a one-piece swimsuit, wearing dark sunglasses and a baseball cap over dark hair. She also was holding a short beach umbrella before her like a club, no doubt hastily claimed from one of the nearby tables. "I've heard of those, in the books I read after…" the girl mumbled, realization dawning behind those dark glasses. When she faced Kurumu again, her lips were tight with anger. "I won't let you eat Tsuki's soul!" the girl declared, lifting the umbrella dangerously.

"Ah." Kurumu recoiled, but paused as she felt her hand shifted aside. Before the girl could reach her, another figure interposed itself between them, tearing the umbrella from her assailant's hands and discarding it as he grabbed one of her wrists. A moment later, the girl was struggling to free her arms from Gabe's tight grasp as he pulled them painfully behind her, a calm expression on his face despite the dark gleam in his eyes. "Sorry, friend," he murmured, deaf to her complaints as she thrashed about, the sunglasses falling from her face and the hat twisting on her head. "But I can't let you hurt that girl. Now, tell me who sent you and- Ow!"

Gabe winced from the pain emanating from where Kurumu had cuffed the back of his head, the blue-haired girl still holding that fist aloft threateningly. "Idiot!" she huffed, shaking her head. "Let her go! That's Kyoko Aono, Tsukune's cousin!"

"….cousin?" Gabe relaxed his grip, inspecting the fuming girl for a long moment before cocking his head to the side. "Yeah, I can see the resemblance now, but…" He stared at the girl more closely, his confusion growing. "But, in retrospect, that makes this day a whole lot weirder."

Kyoko ripped free of Gabe's loose hold, her expression livid, but she did not turn her anger on the man that had disarmed her, instead facing Kurumu. "I had wondered why Tsukune was going with you on a date, but this explains it!" Kyoko pointed a condemning finger at the succubus dramatically. "You were trying to use your magic to seduce him and eat his soul!"

Kurumu stared in shock at the triumphant girl before glancing to Gabe, who shrugged at her in resignation. "You weren't… were you?" he prompted, but this failed to improve the situation.

"No!" Kurumu roared, glaring at the protector. She turned to try to offer an explanation, but Kyoko could not be stopped now.

"After that mess at your school, I decided to read up on monsters, so I would know what my cousin was going through. And I read all about you, you… temptresses!" Kyoko shivered. "You make men your slaves, and then you....you…"

"I did not bring Tsukune here to seduce him!" Kurumu protested, ignoring the pointed look Kyoko gave the succubus' bikini. "I-"

"And you!" Kyoko whirled towards Gabe. "You're one of them, aren't you? I should have known!"

Before the besieged protector had the chance to reply, the trio realized that they were being watched by a person standing a few feet away. Simultaneously turning to face him, the three found a stunned Tsukune staring at them, shaking his head slowly in disbelief. "Kyoko?"

"Woo boy," Gabe mumbled before the barrage of questions began. "This just keeps getting better."

It had taken several moments for Gabe to convince the three teens to take one of the tables and continue their conversation in a more subdued fashion, lest their shouting draw unwanted attention; his efforts were somewhat hindered by the fact that Tsukune didn't know who he was and Kyoko did not trust him, until he managed to explain that he was one of the guardians of the Headmaster, Tsukune translating this, for the sake of Kyoko, to "that creepy guy in white robes." Kyoko actually accepted this without question, her sole meeting with Yokai Academy's Headmaster enough to leave her with an interesting impression of the man. Kurumu's acceptance was still less than complete, but she soon realized that this was a conversation best left in Tsukune's capable hands, considering the bladed stares that Kyoko continued to point in her direction.

"No, Kyo, she isn't going to eat my soul," Tsukune chuckled, shaking his head as he laughed to conceal his nervousness. "She is a succubus, but they don't do that. And Kurumu has promised not to use her powers to control me."

"Then why are you on this date? I thought that you and Moka were together. Don't tell me you two broke up?"

"Ah, no…" Tsukune squirmed in his seat while Kurumu looked away, suffering from her own discomfort. "You see…" Tsukune struggled to think of a palatable excuse, but, failing utterly, decided to offer the narrowest slice of the truth he could manage. Some things would be left undisclosed, he knew… like the fact that he was currently living alone with the three girls. "It's a long story…."

Kyoko leaned forward, staring intently into her cousin's eyes. "I have time."

Some time later, Tsukune concluded his story with a shrug. "And so, I agreed to go on a date with each of them, so that I might be able to offer them some resolution. Which is why Kurumu and I are out today… it was her turn."

"I see." Kyoko leaned back, shaking her head in disbelief. "I always knew you were wishy-washy, but this is pathetic, Tsuki." Ignoring his yelped complaint at that, she frowned, still not content with the situation. "But I still can't believe they think you'll be able to choose after this."

"Hunh," Gabe mused, scratching his chin. "I had always thought you four just had this weird polygamy thing going on. That somehow seems less strange, if you ask me." All three of the teens sitting at the table jerked at that statement, their reactions varied: Kyoko glowered at him, while Tsukune looked down in shame and Kurumu glanced to the side with colored cheeks.

"What about you, Kyoko?" Tsukune blurted, hoping to change the topic. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, since my school is out for a half-week I was visiting a friend from middle school, and saw you two together. I was curious, so I followed you in here. I ran into Gabe outside the pool, and he offered to join me. Isn't that right?" She turned a smile in the protector's direction, a saccharine-coated threat, to which there was no response save a nod and thumb's-up. "I had better meet back up with them soon, or I'll be left here." She glanced at a clock mounted high on a nearby wall. "It's getting late. Still… are you sure everything is alright, Tsukune?" Kyoko glanced meaningfully towards Kurumu. "Just say the word, and I can get your parents to come pick you up, or-"

"I'm fine!" Tsukune responded, his tone somewhat indignant. "I can handle myself now, Kyo. You have to trust me." He offered her a confident smile, to which she grudgingly nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll be around to keep an eye on him!" Gabe offered helpfully with a brilliant smile, not shaken by Kyoko's less-than-impressed frown. "I'll make sure he stays out of trouble… well, at least most kinds of trouble."

"I'm sorry I haven't gotten to talk to you in a while, Kyoko, but I'll come home to visit when I can. Just have faith in me, alright?" Tsukune's smile finally began to crumble Kyoko's doubts, and she nodded reluctantly, standing from the table. Tsukune followed suit, hugging her farewell, and she walked away, waving to the others as she went.

"Whew… glad that's settled," Gabe sighed, stretching luxuriously. "She's a handful, I gotta say. If I didn't know better, I'd say she-" He registered the silent stares he was receiving from the two remaining teens. "Ah. I'll just leave you two to your date, what do you say? What's left of it, anyways. Later!" The blond guardian hurriedly stood and trotted away, though not after Kyoko; instead, he seemed to be headed for the far side of the pool, and a crowd of young women gathered there.

Tsukune sighed in relief, slumping into his chair. "What a mess," he groaned. Kurumu nodded, but didn't look in his direction, her head still lowered. Kyoko's assumptions about Tsukune and Moka had reopened old wounds, weakening her confidence, as had the realization that the end of their date was swiftly approaching. They would have to leave soon, she knew, and then her chance would be gone. And, if he did choose, like they expected him to, then she might not ever get another day like this.

Silently watching her, Tsukune struggled to think of a way to overcome his friend's obvious melancholy. "Hey, why don't we go swim some more? We still have at least a half hour before we need to change back and start walking towards where we'll meet Mr. Cooper." He tried to project as much enthusiasm as he could, but Kurumu's responding smile was worse than half-hearted. Still she stood, and the pair started towards the pool.

They had only gone a couple of steps when Tsukune felt the hand grip his wrist. He stopped, turning to face Kurumu, who hesitated just a step behind him, staring at the ground. "What's wrong, K-" he managed before she released his wrist and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him in a hug without a word, burying her face in his chest. His immediate blush quickly waned, and soon he responded by wrapping his own arms around her. "Our date isn't over yet," he mumbled, pressing his check against the side of her head. "We can enjoy what time we have left, at the least."

After a long moment, with what sounded like the faintest of sniffles, Kurumu relaxed her hold enough to lean back and meet his eyes. "Yeah. You're right, we should take advantage of all the time we have left. It's just…" Her eyes stared into his, and he could see happiness and sorrow mixed in their violet depths. "I don't want this to end. Ever."

Tsukune nodded, smiling sadly. "Yeah. Me too." The response had been automatic, had caught even him by surprise, but in that moment he had meant it. It had been nice, being with Kurumu like this, and it pained him to think about it being over. No, better to not think about it. He owed Kurumu his full attention now.

And she had it. He still stared into her eyes, not noticing the way that his head was lowering, the way she had tilted hers back and slightly to the side. Her lips were barely parted, and her hands pressed against his back as they drew closer, so close that her breath danced across his lips-

"We'd better get in the water," Kurumu blurted, turning her head quickly to the side as she let her arms fall away from him. She swallowed visibly, trying to catch her breath. Tsukune watched her for a long moment, realizing what had nearly happened but not understanding why she had stopped, and not completely comprehending why he felt so disappointed. He nodded and step back, motioning to the water as he plastered a weak smile on his face.

"After you, then." And so the pair made their way to the end of the deck, both of them fighting to calm the hearts that still beat wildly in their chests, minds numbed by too many thoughts at once. For just a moment a shadow threatened to fall over Kurumu as she realized how close she had come to something she had craved for so long, but she shook off that clinging regret.

Soon, the date would be over; Kurumu knew that all too well. But there was still time, and she would make the most out of every last second she had with him. Nothing else mattered, not right now. Laughing, she leapt into the water, and Tsukune followed after.

"We're back!"

Mizore and Moka had started at the sound of the door opening, and before the sound of Kurumu's greeting ended the two had already darted from their seats in the common room and were rounding the wall that divided it from the foyer. Kurumu shook her head as she watched them come, the remnants of her bittersweet smile fading from her lips, and turned to offer her hand to Tsukune. "I can take those… unless you want to bring them to my room," she offered coyly, motioning to the bags of clothes that he held.

"I wouldn't mind carrying- ah, maybe not," Tsukune chuckled, noting the expressions that his other two friends wore, combinations of outraged scowls and petulant glares. He smiled at Mizore and Moka, not noticing the relieved glance that passed between them. "Hey, everything alright with you two?" he asked cheerfully.

"Everything's fine now," Moka responded, smiling brightly. She didn't notice Kurumu looking at her, but Mizore did, and the combination of pain and anger in the succubus' eyes did not escape the snow maiden.

"Well, I'm going to go upstairs and unload everything," Kurumu explained. She took a single step up the stairs before turning back around. "Oh, and Tsukune," she began sweetly, "thanks so much for the wonderful time today. I hope we can do it again soon." It was obvious that her words were largely intended to discomfit her rivals, but the light dancing in her violet eyes told Tsukune that her gratitude was real.

"Yeah, I had fun too," he responded, smiling up at the succubus. Beside him, the other two girls glanced back and forth between them, their ire growing.

"Oh, Tsukune, would you mind taking the homework out to the Hellmaw?" Mizore asked loudly, ending the exchange. Moka took advantage of this opening, making for the stairs and asking Kurumu to come with her to get the rest of their work, luring her away from their mutual target of affection. Kurumu yielded, allowing herself to be led up the stairs, but she allowed herself a final glance back at Tsukune, the fading embers of her joy still enough to warm her for now.

Moments later, Kurumu was in her room, the bags of clothes casually discarded for the time being as she fell onto the bed with a sigh. She closed her eyes, basking in the memories of how the day had gone, though she hastily skimmed over anything that involved Tsukune's cousin or that annoying guardian. True, things hadn't been what she had dreamed, though not for want of effort; she laughed as she remembered how, as they left the pool, Tsukune had asked her if there was anything she had wanted to do. It had taken her only a second to find and point to a moderately-unimposing hotel that advertised hourly rates. Tsukune had, of course, declined.

Still, it had been wonderful. Her mind pounced gleefully upon the most treasured of the memories, the moment they had almost… her cheeks burning vividly, Kurumu shook off the painfully powerful image and reached instead for something to cool off her mind. A second later the magazine was in her hands, dutifully flopping open to the chosen article, and Kurumu's eyes lit upon the third secret.

Another thing to remember about good kissing is body contact. While it's easy to get lost in the sensation of your lips pressing together, you can subtly use the rest of your body to enhance the feeling for both you and your partner. For example, running your hands down his back slowly, or gently tousling the hair at the back of his neck, may drive your kissing partner wild. This also provides some variety in locking lips, which keeps it from getting boring, the last thing either of you want.

Kurumu's eyes lost focus as she thought back to that moment at the pool, when she had held Tsukune and their faces had come so close. She remembered the feeling of his arms around her, and how it had felt to hold him as well. She ached to have that feeling back, and could only imagine what it would have been like to kiss him like that. For a fleeting second, resentment began to build within her. If it weren't for Moka and Mizore and their stupid rules-

The knock at her door cut that thought short. Hastily stuffing the magazine under a pillow, she jumped from the bed and rushed to the door. Could it be Tsukune? She threw the door open, and didn't bother to hide the disappointment on her face when it revealed not her beloved, but instead Moka. The vampire didn't say anything at first, staring down uncomfortably and fidgeting nervously as the succubus glared impatiently at her. "Yeah?" Kurumu prompted, wondering what had brought Moka to her door.

"I, ah…" Moka looked to the side as she mustered the courage. "I just wanted to say that… I'm sorry." The impatience and slight anger on Kurumu's face melted into guilty concern as she watched her friend. "Mizore and I, we spent most of the day wondering if you would, you know. Give in. That's why we were so happy to see that Tsukune was himself, but afterwards we both felt guilty." Moka looked directly at Kurumu, her green eyes wide. "We're friends. We should have trusted you."

Now it was Kurumu's turn to stare at the floor, and the memory of her near-kiss with Tsukune suddenly felt much heavier. "Yeah, you're right," she finally said, slowly looking up to meet Moka's gaze, mischievous laughter beginning to glow in her own eyes. "Just remember that next time, hm?" She gave her friend a cocky grin, which brought a relieved laugh out of the vampire.

Moka's smile slipped, and she bit her lip slightly as another uncomfortable thought crossed her mind. The dam had already broken, however, so she spoke before she had a chance to second-guess herself. "If you wanted, we could… talk about how things went. With Tsukune, I mean."

Kurumu blinked, amazed at how far her friend was willing to go to repent for her not-entirely-undeserved mistrust. She did want to talk about it, but knew that her words would probably hurt Moka, just as much as… "Fine, but on one condition," the succubus agreed, her smile soft. "Only if you tell me more about how your date with him went." She watched as the emotions welled up in Moka, and the vampire nodded gratefully without words, her eyes gleaming moistly.

"Count me in," offered a cool voice from just down the hall. The two girls turned to see Mizore standing there, leaning against a wall as she adjusted the sucker in her mouth. The snow maiden smirked at the pair, shrugging. "I'll consider it gathering information on my rivals, eh?"

Laughter rang through the halls of the Resting Place, and a moment later the door to Kurumu's room closed, the three friends cautiously sharing stories about their dates with the man they all loved.

Tsukune sneezed loudly as he sat down on his bed, and hugged his shoulders for a moment. Stepping out of the heat of the Hellmaw's chamber into the chill night air had probably shaken him, he guessed, and he pulled at the blankets of his bed. Before they could come down far enough, he had to move the new book from where he had dropped it, placing it atop the other tome on the nightstand. He inspected that new addition for a moment, marveling at the mystic symbols etched across its surface.

Fundamental Varieties of Magic, the title page had declared. After Tsukune had warily tossed the day's homework into the Hellmaw, this book had come tumbling out in response, with a note attached to the front, which stated simply: Tsukune, this is your new assignment. Read the following chapters over the next few days. The list had been short, featuring only the introduction and two of the myriad chapters on specific magical specializations. Once again, Tsukune had no idea what the Headmaster had in mind, but he couldn't help but feel concerned.

His unusual studies were not the only thing weighing on Tsukune's mind. All of the exercise he had enjoyed on his date with Kurumu was catching up to him, and he knew it wouldn't take him long to sink into slumber, but still the ever-present worry had begun to break through the warm after-effects of his time with the succubus. No matter how hard he tried to temporarily erase the word 'choice' from his lexicon, still it haunted him with all the destructive fury of a psychological poltergeist, tossing around all the furniture of his mind. This was the final date, he knew, and his struggling funds would not support another round of excursions with his friends. Kurumu had mentioned that she had something special in mind for the following day, but he knew what would be awaiting him at its end.

They would ask him if he could choose.

No, no he couldn't. He thought about Moka, about Mizore, about Kurumu. He thought about their smiles, about how it felt to hold to them, about all they had shared. He thought about his dreams and ambitions, and how each of them would fit into them… and how those dreams would look without any one of them. He thought about hope, and about despair.

He fell asleep still thinking.

"Tsukune… Tsukune…"

The name echoed in an agonized threefold chorus, the repeated sound surrounding him. He looked into the darkness for its source, for anything, but could see nothing at all. Still it echoed, the three familiar voices chanting in between harsh sobs, their voices jerking discordantly. He could hear their tears, could feel their pain, but he couldn't find them, even as he took off running in a random direction. The sounds didn't change, still surrounded him without drawing closer.

"Tsukune… why…"

There, a shape in the shadows! He could make out a crumpled form, one of the girls bent over on their knees as wracking sobs shook her. Her face was cupped in her hands, and in the darkness it took him a moment to realize that it was Moka, her long hair hiding her face further.

"Tsukune… why didn't you choose me?"

Those words drew him up short, and he stared in horror at Moka as she wept. He had… but…

He glanced to the side as another cry erupted there, and to his surprise he found another form a short distance away, equally as far as Moka was. This one was Kurumu, and she too was kneeling on the ground, wiping futilely at a flood of grief that wouldn't stop. Her words pierced him as she pounded a fist to the ground.

"I love you so much! I can't…"

Tsukune jerkily stepped back, feeling that he should go to them to comfort them, but was frozen by the realization that he would have to walk away from one of them to go to the other. He might never find them again in this darkness, he somehow knew. He looked in between the two frantically, his mind grinding uselessly.

"Why didn't you choose me? Tsukune…"

He twitched as he heard the third voice again, and slowly pivoted to face in the other direction, frozen at the center of a triangle. There was Mizore, curled in a ball on the ground, tears streaming out of her closed eyes as she shook her head, breathing raggedly. As he watched her, the other girls cried out again, and he looked around him repeatedly, completely unable to find an escape, to conceive any possible course of action. He was still standing there as the darkness fell once again, and as he sank to his knees even the cries of anguish faded away, leaving him alone in the black silence.

This… this was a dream, he told himself. The girls were fine, he hadn't chosen. He couldn't choose. This was what it would be like if he chose none of them, if he rejected them all… and, partially, he realized with swelling terror, what it would be like if he chose any of them. He could save one of them from that pain, but in doing so would condemn the others to it in their place. What could he do? What could he do? What could-

He barely registered the sound, almost like breaking glass followed by a hissing. He didn't even turn at the sound of soft footsteps, or the deep sigh that came as those steps ended just behind him. Even when he did turn at the sound of the voice, his eyes were blank.

"How pathetic," the man with the black wings said. He smiled, and his grey teeth shined in the darkness. "I expect better of the man that could best me." He extended a hand, and before comprehension dawned Tsukune mechanically took it, allowing the man to pull him to his feet. "Come, Tsukune Aono. Is that all it takes to defeat you?" Recognition finally came, and Tsukune stepped back, alarm and anger on his face.

Before him, his shoulders shaking from the force of his deep laughter, Mori Retsu extended his arms in greeting.

Author's Note: It's ah, been a while, eh? Two weeks and a day since I last posted a chapter, geez. Don't worry, this isn't the new norm; at least, so I pray. No, I have a pretty good reason for this delay: just as I was settling in to work on this chapter, I was struck down by a stomach virus, and spent the better part of a week bedridden. I'm finally feeling somewhat human, at least as much as is usual for me, and so I managed to piece this together over the past three nights. I gotta say, though, the longer I stay away from writing, the harder it is to pick it back up. Maybe that explains the fact that I hadn't really written for years before I took up Out of Nightmares.

Let's not have a repeat of that, what do you say?

In that spirit, next chapter is due out within a week. It would be sooner as a form of recompensation for, what I hope to be, your patient waiting (those of you who have not forgotten me, that is). However, that whole being behind on my other deadlines for Toren and my Love Hina fic? Yeah, the stomach virus really didn't help those, either. So, a week, and with those behind me I can aspire for a few quicker releases.

Moving on: this chapter has a lot in it, including a cliffhanger that I just couldn't resist. I rather enjoyed writing some of it, even if I did so under a haze of a headache; please, anything that feels off, feel free to point out. Quality control still isn't up to optimum, I fear. I will also say that it is hard to keep Gabe from stealing the show at times; he's just crazy enough to keep me on my toes. Such a shame that… well, never mind.

Next chapter will feature, hopefully not spoiling too much, Kurumu's planned event for the day of the choice, and a few other tidbits. I feel compelled to warn you that the first scene of that chapter will probably be a little disturbing, but I think this is the right place for it, even if it means you have to wait a little longer to get back to Tsukune. A bit of a teaser for what is to come after Into Dreams.

Anyways, I feel I've rambled enough; I would blame the medication, but I'm too stubborn to take any. I'm cantankerous enough that I follow my own prescription for healing, a natural remedy that works for most of what ails me. I'm due for another dose soon, as a matter of fact.

I am speaking, of course, of sleep.

~Wynn Pendragon