Awesomeness said: "Just want to know who is your new beta reader?"

Dante of the West. Great guy by the way, and creator of one of the two Rosario + Vampire abridged series on youtube.

3 Weeks Later – Yōkai Academy

In spite of the school's efforts to keep a lid on the murders, gossip slowly made it's way around. Students began to wonder about the restricted areas out in the forest, as well as question the necessity of a new temporary rule, requiring all students to never leave the school buildings without supervision. It wasn't much longer before word of the mutilated bodies leaked out. It was never publicly announced, but steady talk of it made the student body feel more and more uneasy.

In some ways, Akuha thought it was better to keep the students ignorant. Telling them would simply cause a panic, and they may calm down in belief that the killer was already caught. No murders had happened for six days now, as strange as it seemed.

Every square inch that the school's barrier covered was searched many times, and nothing strange was ever found. No one hiding, no energy spikes, nothing but more corpses with hand-shaped holes all over them. It seemed like any investigation the school's staff made would always turn up with no results. It was like there was no killer at all.

Seeing that aimlessly searching around wasn't getting them anywhere, the staff and authorities decided that they would instead study the bodies and let Akuha know if they found anything. With Ruby and the staff busy on yet another investigation, Akuha had very little to do while she waited.

"Hogetsu Jigen-Tou!" Akuha shouted as an ominous cutting force released an inch front of her hand as she chopped. She was practicing her most lethal technique, the Moon Crushing Dimensional Sword, out in the same grassy plain where she and Tsukune had their picnic. It was dark and cloudy today, but nonetheless she was getting attached to this field. It was her personal, quiet place to relax and train.

"Hogetsu Jigen-Tou!" Akuha shouted again. This time the cutting force swept a foot in front of her. "Damn it!" No matter how hard she kept trying, she could never pull off a ranged one like she did on the blimp a month ago. Even while that wasn't perfect, it still reached considerably far. "Maybe it was the heat of the moment?" she wondered.

"You're pushing yourself too hard." Tsukune said from the grassy hill he sat alone on. "Couldn't you take a break for a moment?"

"No, pushing myself is how I got so good in martial arts in the first place." Akuha raised both arms above her head. "That's Kung Fu for you; achieved through hard work." She began to drop her shoulders and swing her arms with one in front of her and one behind, alternating them quickly and pausing briefly between each cycle.

Tsukune looked at Akuha curiously. The way she alternated her arms back and forth looked a bit funny. "Uh, Akuha? What're you doing?"

"When you punch, your muscles tense up to prevent any strain. This however slows the movements of the arms." Akuha continued swinging her arms, relaxing them each time they make their rotation. "Swinging them like this helps loosen them up, allowing me to punch again much quicker."

Tsukune couldn't help but feel impressed, not with the arm movements, but with the endless amounts of knowledge Akuha seemed to have in martial arts. He had seen her fight on many occasions, and she had spoken to him about many different techniques, but no matter how much she shared, she always seemed to have more up her sleeve. "You sure know this stuff. How long have you been practicing martial arts?"

Akuha smoothly lowered her arms and relaxed her entire body. "I lost track," she said with her eyes closed, "fifteen years, give-or-take."

"Fifteen years?" Tsukune's eyes widened. "You've been training since I was a toddler!"

Akuha made a single punch forward. The force of it was so strong, that it shook a few dead trees a distance away. There was more than just her vampire strength at work, but also good technique that had been passed down for countless generations. "Tsuk, I just had a thought."

"Speak your mind."

"Would you like to learn martial arts?" Akuha asked.

"Guah!" Tsukune looked much more surprised than she expected. "You mean you want to teach me?"

"Sure." Akuha looked at him and returned to a casual expression. "I've given Moka a few minor lessons, but besides that I've never had a chance to pass on what I know."

Tsukune scratched his head. "Sorry, but like I said before, I don't like to think about fighting."

Akuha stared at him. "But you did admit you come across trouble quite often, and I've certainly seen it to be true."

Tsukune always wanted to protect his friends, especially Moka. "You got a point there." he said. "Martial arts is self-defense after all."

Akuha made a worried frown. "Uh…" She always thought of 'martial arts' as 'killing arts'. "It's… open to interpretation."

Tsukune thought about it for a moment. "No thanks." He shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I've already got enough to study here at school. Atop of that, my mom said she would enroll me in sex education when I get back."

"Wait… 'what' education?" Akuha thought. "Never mind, I don't think I want to know."

"Besides, I think we're just fine as we are." Tsukune said obligingly, "The others and I handled ourselves just fine in the past, and now we have you around. We don't need to worry about that kind of stuff."

XXX

Moka's Dormitory

Moka poured some boiling-hot water from a kettle into a tomato and noodle cup. "Ah…" she murmured softly, "my favorite tomato flavor." Ever since being moved here at the age of 10, she almost never had any blood to drink, and so the red color of tomato juice caught her eye. Sure it wasn't a substitute for blood, but she became well adjusted to the taste before she knew any better, and just stuck with drinking it.

"Hey!" Inner Moka, her other personality, yelled from the back of her mind, "You're having noodles for dinner?"

"Yeah, is there a problem?" Moka said, taking in more noodles with her chopsticks.

"Of course there's a problem!" Inner Moka's voice rang, "You need something with more nutrition! What will you do if your skin starts to go dry?" She and Outer Moka shared the same body, so it was natural she would be concerned with her health. "Take in more vitamins, fiber, and stay away from carbohydrates! You're gonna end up with edema if you keep-"

"Aww be quiet." Moka said as she lost herself in the taste of tomatoes.

"I'm not letting you ignore your own health." If Inner Moka had any physical presence, she would be putting her palm to her face. "If only I wasn't sealed up like this."

"Sealed up?" Moka came up with an idea. "I got it!" she said with her index finger raised, "For the entire day tomorrow, you can use our body! I'll tell Tsukune to remove the seal!"

Inner Moka's voice hesitated to answer. "The… entire day?"

"Yeah! It sounds like a great idea, and I've been feeling so tired recently."

"But who knows what'll happen to the seal! It's too dangerous!"

Moka put down her chopsticks down. "Ura-chan, aren't you curious as to what high-school life is like? I mean, you've never experienced it yourself."

"Well…"

"How about this?" Moka said enthusiastically, "Let's ask Ruby and the Headmaster about our seal. They have a lot of nice spells. Who knows, maybe they've got a solution for this."

XXX

Night Time – Irena's Dormitory

Coming by to visit became a daily routine for Ginei, and he had gotten to know Irena quite well by now. Apparently she was experienced in ballet, ballroom dancing, and classical music, and so she had joined the music club, much to Ginei's disappointment. Considering Irena's perfect curves and long legs, Ginei would much rather have preferred seeing her join the swim or fashion club, though he kept quiet about that. The day after meeting her, Irena had sat at the harp in her room and played him a song, getting Ginei to quickly reconsider. The melody she played was beautiful, gentle, and very relaxing.

(Youtube "Lost Odyssey OST - Eclipse of Time (Harp Version)" and listen while you read. A relaxing tune like this is what I'd imagine Talia playing. Important that you don't get the vocal version… it's ugly.)

"I've been playing the harp for centuries." Irena had told him, obviously exaggerating. She was very fluent with stringed instruments, and claimed to have skill with the violin as well. She wasn't any good with woodwinds or other types of instruments though. She explained that she came from a family of respected musicians. In fact her father had joined a professional choir at the age of six.

"That's pretty impressive." Ginei said with his lady-killer smile. The dorm had all it's lights off, save for a group of lit candles on Irena's dresser. The stars and bright crescent moon illuminated the room quite well through the open window though. Irena seemed to like the calm, peaceful feeling that the night sky gave her. "She talks a lot about her father," Ginei thought, "but… she hardly mentions her mother."

Irena pulled over a small, backless chair and sat down before the mirror in her room. "I wonder…" she murmured, staring down at a hairbrush in her hand, "The skirts that these school uniforms come with. Why do they flip up so easily?" She shrugged and began to comb her hair. As she moved the brush down, Ginei lightly placed his hand onto hers.

"A true gentleman offers to comb a lady's hair for her." Ginei said, watching their reflections on the mirror that stared back at them.

Irena looked over her shoulder and up at Ginei. "Not just anyone can touch a lady's hair. Only those that she trusts are allowed."

Ginei tried to look as compassionate as he could. It wasn't easy to control himself around such a pretty girl. "Do you trust me?"

Irena looked into his eyes, blinked, and placed the handle of her hairbrush onto his hand. "I trust you." She looked back at the mirror as Ginei started to comb her long, white hair.

"You know," Ginei whispered, "you've never told me much about your mother."

"Oh?" Irena glanced downward and frowned. "My mother died of childbirth when she had me. All I know about her is what father told me."

"Sorry to hear that." Ginei said.

"It's alright." Irena folded her hands together on her lap. "She lived a happy life and had no regrets. I only regret that I could never see her face."

"How'd your dad describe her?"

Irena took a moment to recall what little she knew. "She was a sweet, kindhearted woman with a very rebellious spirit." She turned her eyes towards her bed, which Ivory happened to be sleeping on. "My father used to tell me lots of bedtime stories about her."

Ginei stroked the hairbrush through her hair again. "You remember any of them? I'd like to hear one."

Irena giggled. "I don't remember any of them word-for-word, but… I do remember what they told me about mother." Her expression calmed and became less playful, looking more passionate. "She didn't seek fulfillment in fleeting material possessions, but instead found joy in seemingly small interactions with others. Travelers on the road, a family at an inn, a decorated general… My mother had a reverence for life's simple pleasures, and had a deep, protective instinct towards anyone close to her."

Ginei came to a complete pause at that. "You sure got a fancy way of putting things."

"Acquired from my mother." Irena said. "Or so I've been told." Her father was smart, but her mother poetic.

Ginei went back to combing Irena's hair. "This girl's a keeper." he thought. Like Moka, Irena was smart and beautiful, but unlike Moka, she was also wise and very philosophical. Maybe a little too thoughtful, but her playful and good-humored attitude more than made up for it. Ginei thought about saying the 'three magic words' to her, mostly just so she wouldn't consider anyone else.

Irena looked over her shoulder. "Hmm?" She made a naughty expression. "Something on your mind Gin?"

Ginei looked down at her as she looked up at him, each staring into each other's eyes. In the background was the moon shining between them. Much to Ginei's fortune, the scenery was working in his favor. "Irena…" He brought his head closer and smiled. "We've been spending time together for a while and…" He completely lost his composure. "I really love ya baby!" he shouted as he brought a thump up.

Irena grinned a snickered a little.

"Is that really something to laugh about?" Ginei asked her, "Or are you laughing out of joy?"

Irena faced the mirror and looked downward again. "We've only known each other for three weeks now, and yet you're already confessing love for me."

"That doesn't mean I can't love you. Ever heard of 'love at first sight?"

"Sorry Gin, but isn't that 'attraction at first sight? Love and infatuation are as different as night and day." Irena looked up at Ginei's reflection in the mirror. "You're not just saying you love me because I'm pretty right?"

"Why of course not," Ginei said with his arms raised, "that'd just be so insensible." His face cringed a little.

Irena just stared at him for a while, not looking convinced. "I'll just…" She giggled again. "I'll just take your word for it." She faced forward again and stood up.

Ginei looked down Irena's back, slowly examining her long mane of white hair, her deep curves, and her long smooth legs. True, he was solely interested in the way she looked, and there was still so much he didn't know about her. "You know," he began, "after all these chats we've had, I'm starting to wonder how real love is."

Irena faced towards him. "Excuse me?" she said with an eyebrow lifted, "'How real love is?"

"Uh…" Ginei didn't understand his own words either, but he knew what he was trying to say. He thought about Sun, and then about Moka. He thought he loved the both of them, but was it really just attraction… or even… lust? "I thought I'd be the last one to say this, but I'm starting to think it's all just instinct and impulses."

Irena stared at him blankly for a moment, before turning and walking over to her dresser. She picked up one of the lit candlestick and held it with both hands near her chest. "Gin," she said as she turned to face him again, "which is more real? Love, which you cannot feel nor touch…" She looked down at the candle she held. "Or this candlelight, which can light a room or burn your hand?"

Ginei just stared at her, not sure where she was going with this.

Irena blew out the candle below her. "Is the candlelight real now?"

Ginei hesitated to answer. "I… guess it isn't anymore."

"Was it real before I lit it?"

"No."

Irena put the candlestick back onto her drawer. "Is love real right now?"

Ginei nodded. "Yes."

Irena tilted her head to the right. "Was it real a thousand years ago?"

"It was."

Irena tilted her head to the left. "And will it still be tomorrow?"

Ginei just shrugged.

"Which is more real, Gin?" Irena held up one hand. "A candlelight, which only exists for a brief time." She held up her other hand, making a shrugging expression. "Or love, which has existed as long as we… and humans have been around to understand it?"

"Love." Ginei made a warm smile, understanding what Irena meant. "It's eternal, and that's part of what makes it so real."

"It'll always be as real as we are." Irena said graciously. She turned her waist towards the window and looked out at the gorgeous night sky. "It is invisible, and cannot be observed or measured, yet… it's so powerful. It can transform you in a moment, and offers more joy than any material possession." She faced Ginei again and lightly grasped her diamond necklace, bending a knee forward. "D'aimer et d'être aimé… that is truly something beautiful."

Ginei approached her and slowly placed his hands onto her shoulders. "Yeah, love is one of the most beautiful things I've seen to date." He slid his hands down and wrapped them around her. He held her against himself and hugged her.

Irena closed her eyes and slowly hugged Ginei back, putting her arms around him and resting her chin over his shoulder. "D'aimer et d'être aimé…" she whispered quietly to herself, "To love and be loved."

XXX

The Next Morning – Grassy Plain

Near a corner of Akuha's private training ground, a tall stone, much like a toy chest stationed upright on its side, sat close to where the trees started. On the very top of the rock was Akuha's right palm. She was holding herself upside-down with her eyes shut, her left arm out to the side and both legs straight, half-spread apart. The wind blew across both her pigtails that hung down. She was half-asleep, and as motionless as the rock itself.

"Gah!" Akuha suddenly felt a pebble hit her stomach. "Ooph!" She felt off the rock and flat on her back.

"I still remember you used to do this a lot back home." A deep, but womanly voice said.

Still lying on the ground, Akuha opened her eyes at the sight of the gray sky. Inner Moka suddenly came into view, leaning over and looking straight down at her.

"Hey Nee-sama." Inner Moka said.

"Moka!" Akuha lunged off the ground and flew up, turning around mid-air and landing both feet onto the rock, facing her little sister. "How'd you…" She noticed that Moka still had her rosary attached.

Moka bent her left leg up and glanced at it. "I got my hands on this." What looked to be some kind of whip was wrapped around her upper leg. Only half of it dropped below her skirt. The hilt of the whip was wrapped under the long cord. "It's called 'Belmont', a whip meant to cancel out magic." She dropped her leg back down.

Akuha smiled. "And it canceled the effects of your seal without damaging it."

Moka nodded. "I was allowed to borrow it until the end of today, courtesy of the Headmaster."

Akuha dropped down and stood up straight. "So, the real you will be awakened for the whole day?" The both of them stared at the other for a moment. "That's just fantastic…" They both smiled, almost sadistically, knowing what was on the other's mind.

"Hey Nee-sama…" Moka looked around the grassy field, an open plain surrounded by dead trees. "Doesn't this place remind you of our sparring ground near the Shuzen Household?"

Akuha couldn't help but agree. Now that someone mentioned it, this place did resemble the spot both of them sparred at seven years ago. While there was no grass there, the hill in the middle of the plain was still quite similar.

"Whaddya' say we spar one more time," Moka asked her, "for the good ol' days?"

"Heh," Akuha patted the dirt off her clothes. "I didn't think you'd have the guts to ask me." She eyed the pebble Moka had thrown at her earlier, and tapped it straight up with the front of her boot. "You know, considering your win-lose record with me." She grabbed the rock as it rose to eye level and threw it at Moka.

Moka opened her palm in front of her face and caught the stone. "That dear sister is talk of when I was nine. Since then I've grown up and gotten much stronger." She dropped the pebble aside.

"Well c'mon then Moka." Akuha spread her arms out for her signature Chinese Kenpō stance. "Show me!"

Moka didn't make much of a fighting stance, and instead just readied herself. "No problem!"

The wind picked up, and invisible waves brushed over the short grass around them. Both Akuha's short hair and Moka's long hair blew to the side, neither of them moving a muscle.

Moka made the first move… she charged straight at Akuha with the same high-kick she always used for fights.

Akuha leapt straight above and over Moka. "Those exact same kicks?" She was all too familiar with the way her sister fought.

Moka moved her raised leg backwards and kicked up at Akuha behind her. Much to her surprise, Akuha somehow side-kicked her ankle while upside-down in mid-air, throwing Moka to the ground hard.

Akuha however landed like a soft feather. "Head-on attacks like that won't cut it, Moka!" She brought her arms up for a Muay Thai stance. "You're not fighting some school delinquent this time!"

Moka studied her sister. She had never seen her take such a stance before. "I'm just getting warmed up, Nee-sama." She flipped off the ground for a kick from the air.

Akuha made an upward elbow strike at Moka's heel, causing her to flip backwards. Moka landed on both hands and swung both legs under her arms and around herself, similar to how a break-dancer would perform flares, though they didn't hit. She leapt back onto her feet and began a flurry of kicks and spear-handed jabs. Akuha stood her ground, standing completely still, save for her arms that flailed around like a thousand blurs. Every attack that came her way was deflected immediately, either pushed off course or blocked by an open palm.

Moka jumped back to catch her breath. She had just noticed it, but her Akuha's palms were moving to block her attacks before she even started them. "You must know my fighting style really well to keep blocking me like this."

Akuha relaxed herself. "Actually, there's a lot more to it than that." She took another stance that Moka didn't recognize. "There's a lot of aspects to cover across all my martial arts styles, but the one I've rehearsed the most is 'understanding the mind'."

Inner Moka always had an interest in anything martial arts-related, even if her other personality didn't. "You mean like countering a person's reflexes?" she asked, "You used that in your fight with the doppelganger."

"That was a small part of it, yeah." Akuha scratched at a small itch on the side of her head. "You see, by understanding how the mind generally works, I can predict, trick, and even manipulate it." She started to ramble on, unable to help herself after an eternity of training. "Analyzing the rhythm of an opponent's movements, creating an opening by misleading their reflexes, or for an obvious one, pissing them off to keep them from focusing."

Moka was no long breathing as heavily. "You didn't use anything like that when we sparred seven years ago."

"I've learned a lot over the last seven years." Akuha said. She frowned to herself in realization. Already the better fighter from the start, she had gotten so much better since they last sparred. While busy honing her skills, her sister had been completely sealed away. Moka just didn't have any moves besides the same ones she used when she was nine.

"You still doze off like you used to, Nee-sama!" Moka yelled as she broke into a charge.

"She's far too aggressive." Akuha thought. She punched both fists forward, one high and one low, and rammed them into Moka's stomach and face, bouncing the force of her charge back. Akuha then head-butted Moka in the stomach while grabbing her lower leg.

Moka felt her leg being thrown up like a caber in caber tossing, causing her upper body to fall backwards to the ground.

"Ooph!" Moka landed flat on her back. The technique was meant to have the victim land on the back of his or her head, but Akuha didn't want to do any permanent harm to her. "Damn," Moka said, noticing a fist stopped an inch from her face, "you are good Nee-Sama."

"You're not bad…"Akuha retracted her fist back and helped Moka up. "Just a little rusty." She noticed that Moka's movements were stiffer than she remembered. While still flexible, and a bit stronger from having matured, her joints weren't loosened up.

"Yeah…" Moka made a sigh, disappointed in herself. She had been fighting vastly weaker yōkai for too long. "I guess so."

The both of them moved to the rock Akuha had been handstanding on earlier. Moka sat down on it, hanging her legs down to the ground. A third of the way around the rock, Akuha sat below with her back resting against the side of it. Another breeze settled across the grassy plain.

Moka looked across the plain, again being reminded of their sparing ground back home. "Nee-sama, why did mother send me away?"

"Huh?" Akuha was taken aback back by the sudden question. "What makes you think I know?"

Moka crossed her arms and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you would at least have an idea."

Neither of them said anything, and just enjoyed the relaxing breeze.

"I remember," Moka said, "that neither you nor mother said goodbye at first. When I ran back for the rosary, I found the two of you talking about something. It seemed like it was important."

"Important?" Akuha had thought and rethought that day so many times. She had moved in for the kill… to murder Moka's own mother. "She regretted it," Akuha said, "regretted chasing you off like that."

Moka turned her head towards her. "Then why?" she asked loudly.

Akuha thought about it. Akasha discovering the assassination plot couldn't be the sole purpose. The fact Moka was still forbidden to return, as well as the magical seal suggested that there was more to this. "I don't really know… she never told me." Perhaps… whatever made Akasha send her away was linked with Fairy Tale's obsession with her. "I know she wouldn't have done it without good reason."

"Good reason eh?" Moka looked back out into the field. "When I see her again, I'm gonna punch her and then hug her for hours."

Akuha could pretty well guess… no, understand Akasha's actions. She wanted to protect Moka from something. "Love is beyond reason, Moka. She just wanted you to live happily, even if it had to be without her." She leaned forward and looked down at the grass. "Love is not self-seeking…"

XXX

Academy Courtyard

In one of the many courtyards along the perimeter of the school, Irena lay on her side on a bench, just in front of where the dead-tree forest began. Apparently she was asleep, half curled in a ball. The rest of the courtyard was mostly empty, save for three males students that began to approach.

"Hey, check that out!" One of the boys pointed at Irena as she lay on the bench. All three of boys looked snobbish, much like stereotypical rebellious kids.

"Man, she's pretty," said another boy, "she so cute while she's asleep."

Irena opened her eyes. Still lying on her side, she brought her upper body up, putting her elbow down to support herself.

Mischievous looks of desire ringed through each of the student's eyes. "What's such a pretty girl doing all alone out here?" The three of them chucked.

Irena didn't speak a word, and just got off the bench and stood up. She didn't look interested.

One of the boys stroked his hair. "So, got a name?"

Irena just gave them the cold shoulder and began to walk away.

"Hey, don't be like that, baby!" The boy reached after her, attempting to grab her skirt.

Irena turned and smacked the boy's hand. "Bythuss," she suddenly said, "be sure not to make a mess this time." She continued off.

The boys each stared at her, confused at what she just said.

"What did she-" He was silenced as a skeletal hand plunged through the back of his head and out his open mouth. The hand was covered in scarlet, scale-like armored plating. Along the hand's joints were small openings that revealed neon blue skin beneath the scale-like armor.

"Holy hell!" The other students screamed and ran as fast as they could.

The impaled student was quickly pulled into the dead forest, leaving nothing left of him behind. The strange presence in the forest shifted its attention on the other two students. They were only halfway to the academy building before two tentacle-like arms grabbed them.

XXX

To be continued in next chapter…

Sorry I took so long to get started on this one. I've been busy with college summer classes.

Looking back, the exchange between Ginei and Talia is why this is one of my favorite chapters.

Because of how long I took, I'll include a short extra story that has nothing to do with previous entries:

Once upon a time there was a human being, and every one of his body part's argued over who should be in-charge.

"I should be in-charge because I'm the smartest!" said the brain.

"I should be in-charge because I know how to put up a speech!" said the mouth.

"I should be in-charge because I show lots of love." the heart explained dreamily.

Even the Kidneys threw a fit. "We should be in-charge because we keep everything clean!"

"Wait just a sec," said the hands, "we should be in-charge because we're the ones that do most of the work!"

The lot of them argued and argued to no end, until suddenly the asshole spoke up. "I say I should be the leader, and I wont do my job until I am!"

Three long days went by. The body became so worn, in-pain, and filthy that the other body parts had no choice.

So that's why the asshole is always put in-charge. There are so many kinds of people out there, some that are smart, some that are charismatic, and some that are kindhearted, but in the end, there's only one kind that is dirty enough to use such grotesque methods… the asshole.