Chapter 25: (Saying good night to a snow maiden….)
He opened his eyes first in the morning, his vision slow to come into focus and his brain even slower to start processing and generating comprehensible information. Finally, he turned his head, and looked neutrally over at Mizore, sleeping so peacefully. His eyes narrowed for an instant, but he finally turned his gaze back up to the ceiling, and his expression softened into a light smile.
At first, Mizore's brash actions had left him dazed and confused, then somewhat angry with her. He'd felt taken advantage of, abused, though he would have been hesitant to call it rape. And, in the end, he'd submitted to all her whims and desires; he'd found it to be much more pleasurable once he stopped resisting…. For all of Mizore's, well, obsession with the procreation aspect of lovemaking, she had a tender side, one that seemed to spring forth from out of nowhere and catch Tsukune completely unawares. He suddenly blushed, remembering the couple of times throughout the night, and once in the still-dark early hours of the morning for a particularly intense session, that he had actually initiated things….
Tsukune's head swam in images, not entirely unlike the morning after his second date night with the two Mokas, but something about this was much more lucid, sharper…. He finally closed his eyes and shook his head clear of all the mental noise. He turned to look back over at Mizore, and smiled at her slumbering form. He reached over and swept a lock of hair out from in front of her eyes, a simple gesture that he realized carried a large amount of affection. He watched her for a few minutes, then lightly and quietly slipped out of the bed and into a bathrobe, and walked to stand in front of the large viewing window.
Realization struck him like a brick, and he rushed over to the fireplace. The fire had died, and the bottom of the tea kettle he'd placed over it was scorched, and there was a burnt layer of milk crusted to the inside of it. Shaking his head in disgust, he took it over to the sink and set it down in hot water to soak for a while. He chuckled at himself, and made himself a pot of coffee. He took the cup back over to the window and watched what was left of the sunrise as morning started; the last morning he would spend with Mizore here, in Austria of all places.
As he looked out the window, he saw a mist settling over the thermal spring pool. He watched the mist's tendrils waving in the air, almost as if they were beckoning him. Intrigued, he turned away and walked to his suitcase.
About fifteen minutes later, he was walking outside towards the pool, dressed in a zipped up sweater, jeans, and sneakers. The frosted grass crunched beneath his feet, and as he approached, he could make out the outline of a figure standing at the pool's edge. He squinted as he approached, and saw the figure turn towards him suddenly. "Good morning, Aono-san…," said a familiar male voice.
Tsukune sighed, but smiled in response. "Good morning, Higeki-sensei…."
Higeki Kei stood at the edge of the water, looking at Tsukune with a solemn expression. "It's good to see you again, and have a chance to talk with you alone…."
Tsukune cocked his head to the side, confused. "I-is there something on your mind?"
Kei grinned and shook his head, pointing at Tsukune. "It's not what's on my mind, Aono-san, but what's on yours that interests me."
Tsukune was taken aback. "O-oh? What's on my mind?"
Kei nodded sagely. "You have quite the difficult decision on your hands, my young friend. Not only are you caught up in a torrent love affair with four different beautiful women, you have to choose between them. And on top of that, they're not exactly your average schoolgirls, are they?"
Tsukune choked, "Wha-? H-Higeki-sensei, what exactly do you mean by that…? There's nothing really special about Mizore-chan… or Moka-chan, Yukari-chan, or Kurumu-chan, for that matter…." His voice was unsteady, and Kei just shook his head sadly.
"Aono-san…. Do you really think it's just a coincidence that we met in the first place? Haven't you been listening to me this whole time? Haven't you put it together yet?"
Tsukune just looked at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. "I don't… I don't know what you're talking about…."
Kei tsk-ed. "Aono-san…. You know as well as I do… that those girls… are monsters." Kei let Tsukune get over his initial shock, shown by his sudden gasp and bewildered expression. "Don't worry. I'm not here to expose your friends, and I'm not here to threaten either you or them. I'm not your enemy, Aono-san…. Just a human who, like you, was once ensnared by the charms of a monster girl, and had to make a terribly difficult decision. I think that maybe I can help you… if only just a little. But I need you to listen, first. Will you?" Tsukune nodded, prompting Kei to continue. He cleared his throat.
"Thank you. See, several years ago, when I was nineteen, I was a sailor…. Nothing special, just a deckhand, but a family friend owned a large mercantile conglomerate, and he hired me at my father's request. I'd been working on that ship for a little more than a year and a half. I enjoyed it, because I got to see so many different places…. We travelled to Australia, Hawaii, China, and all over Europe…. One day while we were in port, I finally worked up the nerve to ask my childhood friend, a girl named Kiyama Nishiko, for her hand in marriage. She happily accepted, and we were maybe one of the happiest couples in the city. We were to be wed, after one last excursion out to sea….
"However, as you might guess, the universe seemed to have different plans for me. The sea seemed to have its own evil machinations, and one night we were caught in a horrible storm, a veritable tsunami. We fought the terrible wind and waves, but eventually, we were capsized. I clutched to a floating box of cargo for as long as I could, but I eventually lost consciousness….
"When I woke up, I was in some rocky cave filled with moss and an unfamiliar scent, exotic but beautiful…. Then, she walked in…. Clothed in nothing but some strips of seaweed, with beautiful eyes blue as the ocean and a fiery red mane of hair, she was perhaps one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. She came in, and sat down next to me…. She checked my temperature by placing her forehead to mine, and I could tell by how cool she felt that I must have had a terrible fever. She put my head in her lap, and started to sing. From the first note, I was transfixed. It was so beautiful… to this day, I've never seen or heard anything as beautiful, as the way her voice sounded, resonating in the deep of that cave.
"It took me a long time to get my strength back; apparently I'd been drifting unconscious for days, and it was nothing short of a miracle that I'd survived at all. In that time, I tried again and again to communicate with my mysterious benefactor, but she wouldn't speak with me. It started to register in my mind that I might have fallen prey to some fantastical creature of myth, and I started to become afraid that she was nursing me back to health only to devour me when I was strong again. In fact, it wasn't until I finally felt strong enough that I thought I'd be able to fight her off and make a run for it, that I asked her if she was… some kind of sea monster. That was the first time she answered me. She turned and looked at me, looking like she was on the verge of tears, and told me that yes, she was a monster…. She called herself a siren. These creatures are well known by sailors for using their beautiful melodies to lure sailors to crash their ships on the rocks and drown, and it's said that the sirens feast on their souls once they leave their drowned bodies.
"Well, as you might imagine, I did my best to feign illness for a little while longer, building up my strength secretly day-by-day…. Finally, when she left to gather ingredients for dinner, I made good my escape. I found myself in a deep wood, on the outskirts of a coastal town that had regular trade with my home country. I managed to beg my way onboard, promising the captain a large reward upon my safe return. The thing is… as we were leaving port, I… I saw that siren, looking out at me from behind a tree…. She… she was crying, and waving…. I spent the rest of that trip wondering if she was bidding me farewell, or desperately beckoning that I come back….
"Those thoughts haunted me, long after I returned home and to my Nishiko…. I realized with some dread, that… that I didn't look at her the same. It had only been a few months that I'd been trapped with the siren, regaining my strength, but that Nishiko had waited for me the whole time, hoping against hope that I'd return, and in the interim, I… miserable, pathetic Kei… I had…. Well, I had fallen in love… with another woman… and it wasn't even a real woman, at that…!
"I was haunted by dreams of her at night, by dreams of her singing, dreams of her face, dreams of her body…. I couldn't tell Nishiko what was wrong with me… how could I? She'd never in a million years believe me…. But everything came to a head with less than a week before we were to be finally married…. I still loved Nishiko; that was true…. But, every time I thought about her… that siren's face just superimposed itself over hers…. It got to the point that I even saw the siren when she walked into the room…. And finally, I had to make a choice…. The woman I had loved all my life, and the woman I was supposed to marry…? Or a phantom… a siren woman who might eat me as soon as love me…? It seemed like it should have been the simplest choice ever… but I couldn't…. In the end, my heart won out over all reason and rationality. I told Nishiko that I couldn't marry her… that something had happened while I'd been lost at sea, and I would never be the same Kei she used to know… that I could never make her truly happy while my heart was no longer mine to give her.
"So I left my home… for the last time. I travelled the world, for almost five years…. And I finally found her again. I was working, as a massage instructor, just taking some time to replenish my funds, and one day she walked in…. I couldn't believe it; just as simple as that, and she was right in front of me again…! I didn't even have to say anything; as soon as she saw me, saw the look on my face, she rushed into my arms, and I kissed that siren for the first time in my life…. That night, I made love to her for the first time… it was the first time for both of us. Strangely enough, she didn't have a name. She had gotten by, by making them up, naming herself after cities as she'd wandered.
"When I told her my story, she wept for me… and for my Nishiko. She insisted, despite my arguing against it, that she take the name Nishiko. So, based on her fake family name at the time, Herikawa, the nameless siren became… Herikawa Nishiko."
Tsukune felt numb from head-to-toe. He was astounded at this turn of events. "Higeki-sensei… so… all this time… your wife, Herikawa-sensei… has been a-?"
"A siren, yes…. A monster. She was able to pick up on the Yokai energy of your friends right away. And, granted, even a human such as myself, was able to pick up on it after so long with Nishiko. I'm sorry I hid this from you, Aono-san…. But I… well, we… had to make sure of what kind of man you were…. I've seen how you are with your friends; I can tell that your love for each of them is genuine…. If that wasn't the case, we wouldn't be standing here talking."
Tsukune's knees wobbled, and he fell back onto his rear with a hard thud. He looked out at the water's surface, his expression dreamy. "I understand what you're saying…. And it's a beautiful story, but… but I don't understand how I'm supposed to use it to help me. I love them all… so much. They're all dear to me, each in her own way. How am I supposed to choose, who amongst them I want to be with… romantically… for the rest of my life?"
Kei smirked around his trademark blade of grass. "Well, Aono-san…. That's the million dollar question, isn't it? I can't… won't… tell you whom you should pick. But I can… and will… tell you a few things I think you should know about before you make your decision. I know some of what I'm going to tell you will be hurtful… you probably won't want to hear a lot of it. But I have to ask you to bear with me…. I'm not trying to make your decision more difficult, not at all. But there are some facts that you would be missing if you tried to make your decision right now… facts that are very important and which should carry considerable weight in your determination…." Kei started to talk… and Tsukune listened.
(An hour later….)
Mizore's eyes fluttered opened to the sound of the door opening, and sat up to the sight of Tsukune walking in through it, a deeply thoughtful expression on his face that made Mizore's eyebrows lift in unspoken question. However, once he had noticed she was awake, he fixed her with a charming, warm smile that made her apprehension melt away. "Good morning, Mizore."
Mizore blushed at hearing Tsukune say her name without an honorific so easily, and she smiled up at him bashfully. "Good morning… Tsukune."
Tsukune breathed deeply. "Mizore, I thought maybe this morning I could cook you up something for breakfast. Anything you'd like in particular?"
Mizore seemed to give the question considerable thought, and finally said, "Maybe some pancakes…? Anything else is up to you."
Tsukune beamed and nodded at her. "All righty, then! Pancakes it is!" He retreated into the kitchen unit, and Mizore heard the sounds of pots and pans and a griddle being pulled out of cabinets. She rolled over onto her side, and exhaled, letting her mind wander to the events of the previous night.
She had worried that when they saw each other in the morning there would be some tension, something, between them. That the whole dynamic of their relationship would have changed. What she'd found instead was the same old Tsukune, the same warm boy she had fallen in love with; nothing had changed between them. Were she not naked and… tender in certain areas, she would have sworn the whole thing might have been a wonderful dream. But the smell of their love hung heavy in the air, and her body buzzed with the afterglow of Tsukune's caresses and kisses. They had made love more than half a dozen times, mostly with Mizore coaxing Tsukune through the motions, until finally he had surprised her at his sudden show of eagerness and… well, inventiveness wasn't far from the mark.
But first and foremost, she didn't want to create any tension by dwelling on the issue any more than necessary. In the end, what she had done was completely at odds with the rules that Tsukune had set forth in the beginning of the competition. She felt a twinge of guilt at that, but she shook herself free of it at once. She had told Tsukune everything; had let him make up his own mind. When he had followed her into bed, he had accepted everything that had followed.
She lay there in bed a while longer, losing track of the time, until the sudden silence in the kitchen roused her from her thoughts. Tsukune came into the room, carrying a tray of food for her. Her eyes widened at the sight of a short stack of buttermilk pancakes, two small jars containing blueberries and strawberries suspended in preserve, respectively; buttered toast cut in half diagonally; sausage links; and scrambled eggs garnished with shredded cheese and diced green onions. She whistled appreciatively. "Wow, Tsukune…. You really know how to spoil a girl."
He blushed as he brought the tray over. "Oh, this? It's nothing, really…." He set the tray down on a nightstand, and sat down on the mattress next to her. His eyes met hers, and she followed his gaze as it moved from her face, to her bare arm resting on top of the mattress, along her covered form, and finally tracing a path along her exposed leg, bent at the knee and jutting out from under the mattress high on the thigh. He sighed contentedly, placing his hand on her thigh and making her jump slightly at how warm his palm was, and he leaned forward, planting light kisses on her bare shoulder. She leaned in and breathed in the scent of his hair, sighing happily.
She whispered into his ear, "You know, I wouldn't mind letting my food get a little cold."
He chuckled, but shook his head. "I think I'm going to take a shower while you eat. I just came in from a long walk, and I could use it…. Not that… you know… I don't find the offer somewhat tempting." His cheeks were flushed crimson as he said it, though he tried to keep his voice steady and manly.
Mizore laughed behind her hand at his obvious discomfiture, but she pulled back. "All right, Tsukune…. I just… well… th-thank you…."
Tsukune looked at her with his head cocked to the side. "Thank you? For what…?"
Her eyes sparkled. "You know what…."
He blushed and smiled sheepishly at her. Finally, he cleared his throat, nodded, and stood up, taking off his sweater as he walked into the bathroom.
(Two hours later….)
It had taken some doing on Tsukune's part, but he managed to get through taking a shower, dressing, packing, and getting Mizore to do the same without any further 'distractions' occurring. They checked out of the hotel finally, and Tsukune suggested they pass the remaining time until the bus driver arrived with a short tour of the town of Bad Kleinkirchheim. Tsukune was impressed with all the farmland, and they made it a point to visit the most famous building in the area, a beautiful church built around 1492. They visited a few shops, and Tsukune bought Mizore a postcard, in which he wrote a short but heartfelt note. All the time they walked around, their hands were tightly clasped, and the young, obviously foreign couple drew quite a few looks from the native passersby.
They ate a quick snack, a succulent pastry called Marillenknödel, which was a dumpling filled with apricot and covered with fried breadcrumbs and a dusting of powdered sugar. The dish had both young teens sucking the tips of their fingers and patting their stomachs appreciatively. After a quick coffee afterwards, they meandered a while longer, making easy and lighthearted conversation before finally making their way back to the front of the hotel, where they found the bus driver was already waiting patiently for them.
Tsukune took Mizore's luggage and helped the driver load it into the storage compartment, then turned to get on the bus himself when he saw Kei looking at him from inside the hotel window. The two's eyes met, and they nodded to each other solemnly, then Tsukune got on the bus after Kei gave him a final wave goodbye, a hopeful smile on his face. The bus started up, and soon they were ensconced in the interdimensional portal leading back to the monster realm.
Tsukune gave the bus driver the directions for the intermediate stop, and the bus driver, chuckling enigmatically, nodded his understanding.
He then returned to his seat next to Mizore, and the two fell into quiet conversation again, until they finally dozed off, both understandably tired from their exertions the previous night and well into the morning, their early start, and the sugar crash from their previous snack.
They awoke just a few miles from the karaoke bar, and when Mizore finally saw it, she looked at Tsukune with her mouth open in surprise. "A… a karaoke bar? You want… to sing, Tsukune?"
He nodded, blushing and smiling. "I thought it would be a good way to end all the dates; just going in and singing something to each other, taking turns…. Just… think of a song that you feel encompasses everything that's happened the past 3 days, and we can make a game of it. If you do a good enough job, I'll sing something in return for you."
Mizore blushed. "Well… it's not usually something I'd see myself doing, but…. It sounds like it could be fun."
(Forty minutes later….)
Mizore finally noticed, between her drinks (chilled white wine), that the bar had been steadily clearing out of clientele, until finally only she and Tsukune remained. Tsukune grinned at her confused expression. "I reserved every table in the bar for the next twenty minutes; I figured maybe it would be easier for you to sing with no reservations if it was just the two of us…. Sorry for all the surprises."
Mizore shook her head. "Oh, no need to apologize…. Although, I think now there's even more pressure for me to do a good job…. I feel like if I mess it up now, with just you listening, it would be even worse…."
Tsukune chuckled and put an arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Mizore-chan…. Just do your best; I'm sure it'll be great."
She smiled in appreciation, but she couldn't stop herself from shaking just a little as she approached the stage. She stood in front of the microphone, cleared her throat, and closed her eyes. She focused on slowing her breath and getting her nervous jitters under control, and when she opened her eyes, Tsukune's warm expression did that for her instantly. She blushed again, but started humming, took a deep breath, and began singing:
So high tonight and I don't feel like coming down
I could lie to you all my days but you're the one
You're the one
And I'm a fool for waiting so long to let you know
Come around, come around, come around
Come around to me
There's something in between you and I
Come around, come around to me
You feel like breathing
Come around, come around, come around
Come around to me
Like sunlight won't you come and lay me down
You're the one
I could run; I could run
For the life of me but where would that get me
Where would that lead
And I'm a fool for waiting so long
Please come around, come around, come around
Come around to me
There's something in between you and I
Come around, come around to me
You feel like breathing
Come around, come around, come around
Come around to me
Can't you see you're my lifeline, oh…
Come around, come around, come around
Come around to me
(Come around to me)
Come around, come around, come around
Come around to me
There's something in between you and I
Come around, come around to me
You feel like breathing
Come around, come around, come around
Come around to me
Come around, come around, come around
Come around to me
Come around… to me
Tsukune stared at her, amazed at the tenderness and fragility of her voice and her words. Finally, when he noticed she was looking at him, as if asking for his approval, he smiled, stood up, and clapped his hands. She seemed to slump forward with relief, and jumped down to him, hugging him and burying her face in his chest. He held her for a moment, then finally turned and eased her back and into a chair. "Thank you Mizore-ch… Mizore. That was lovely…. I'd like to sing something for you now. I really, really hope you like it. Here goes." And with that, he closed his eyes, hummed a few bars, and started softly, gradually swelling his voice as he continued:
She's a wild one
But she has her reasons
She can take you in
Or just leave you freezing
She'll drag you deeper than you ever thought you could go
You're helpless without her, but somehow inside you know
When she loves you
You'll do anything that she wants you to do
And when she comes to you
You can't deny when she looks in your eyes
She's the one thing you don't understand
But you can't live without
When she loves you
When she loves you
Have you ever laid in the arms of your lover?
Have you ever prayed the sun wouldn't come up?
'Cause you know it would be just another morning
When she goes
And all you really know... is...
When she loves you
You'll do anything that she wants you to do
When she comes to you
You can't deny when she looks in your eyes
She's the one thing you don't understand
But you can't live without
When she loves you
When she loves you
When she loves you
When she loves you, oh…
Tsukune let the final note fade away, and then finally opened his eyes and looked down at Mizore, who looked to be on the verge of tears. It was one of the only times he'd seen her with so much emotion on her face, and he tried as hard as he could to imprint it into his memory. He held out his hand for her, and she stood up and slowly walked up to the stage, letting him pull her up and into an embrace, and he kissed her again.
Finally, their time was up, and Tsukune paid the tab and led Mizore out and into the dusk air. They climbed back into the bus, and for once the bus driver didn't have any comments or chilling laughter; he seemed to defer some quiet respect for the couple's new intimacy, and Tsukune and Mizore enjoyed a quiet, slow drive back to the academy.
Finally, they arrived at the school, and after a slow trek across the grounds and through the girls' dormitory, they finally arrived at Mizore's room door. She turned and leaned back against it, gnawing thoughtfully on her lollipop and blushing. "So…."
Tsukune smiled bashfully and rubbed the back of his head, his usual nervous tick. "So…."
They looked at each other's eyes, and relaxed. Both realized there was no need for wordy farewells. Tsukune knew that once the date was over Mizore would likely retreat mostly back to her old stoic self, and he wasn't sorry for it. It was that girl, after all, that he had initially fallen for long ago, though he had discovered another side to Mizore the last three days, as well, and loved that part just as much, if not more….
Mizore had enjoyed letting Tsukune in, metaphorically and literally. She felt like she'd made a real connection with Tsukune, and no matter what happened with his decision, nothing would take that away from her, ever. She knew that the memories they had shared the past few days could carry her through a lifetime, even if spent alone. She hoped that their… efforts… had not been in vain, but it would be a little while before she could know anything. She had given it her best, though, and if it was meant to be, she would bear Tsukune's child. All she could do now was hope.
All this and more was spoken through simple eye contact, until finally Tsukune cleared his throat. "I wanted to say… Mizore… that… that I-"
Mizore lifted her hand and put a finger to his lips. With her other hand, she removed her lollipop and smiled shyly up at him. "I love you…, Tsukune." With a swift, fluid motion, she leaned in and up, and kissed him. She pulled away, and stroked his face once more, trying her best to imprint the memory of the feel of his skin on hers in her mind…. And finally, before Tsukune knew it, she had disappeared behind her door and he was alone in the hall.
He took a deep breath, seeming to be steeling himself for something difficult. He closed his eyes and clenched and unclenched both his fists and teeth. He turned and made it a dozen steps before he fell to his knees in the hallway, clutching his chest. "Damn it…. I'm such an idiot…. An idiot!" Kei's words echoed through Tsukune's mind, and he clenched his jaw as he fought down burning tears. His face full of angry resolve, he stood up shakily, shook his head, and turned to walk resolutely in the direction of a particular dorm room. He had a certain blue-haired succubus to talk to….
-Okay, and that's the end of Mizore's arc! Finally, we arrive at the "arc of resolutions, soul-searching, and decision"! I feel like the story's going in a million different directions in my head at once, and just two chapters away from my intended ending…. But, we'll have to see what happens together! At this point, I'm being dragged along for the ride just as much as you folks! God, I just hope I have enough sense to pull this all together…. I really REALLY hope I'm not taking too much liberty with the plot at this point…. It just stuck in my head as a way to try and resolve all the 'unfinished business' I've created along with justifying the continuing presence of Kei and Nishiko, with my limited foresight being what it is, throughout the course of this story. Please forgive me! And I promise; I'm going to do my damnedest to pull it all together into one cohesive, solid ending! Don't lose faith in me just yet!-
-Thanks to everyone who's reviewed everything up to this point. I'm really glad to welcome some new readers, Tellemicus Sundance, Just Saiyan, SupernalGodzilla, and cybercorpsesnake; thanks for reading and reviewing! Obviously, thanks to all my regular reviewers as well…. StorieReaderJ.O, Miyuki-chan, Killah883, HybridTailedFox, Dante'sRaven1993, devildogbingman, Krookodile553, KingxJD43, Cassius Brutus, Lost Guy, Lord Frieza, ALL you guys! Thanks so much; I hope that you'll continue to read and enjoy! See ya next time!-