Well! I'm back! Nothing to say other than that. There was no winner for the contest because only like four people entered… and then they all had the same idea involving Isshin and Urahara. As I've said to you, I'd really like to go with the idea, but somehow I don't think it'd fit. Plus I have a battle in mind.
Other than that, I hope you enjoy this chapter! It may seem a little dull, but things will warm up soon, trust me! If you spot any errors, forgive me, my editing skills aren't up to par yet. I'll get better soon!
X X X X
"Whisper whisper whisper."
Kurumu nodded, listening raptly to what her mother was telling her.
"After that you that, you whisper whisper whisper." Kurumu's eyes widened as a blush painted her cheeks. "Whisper whisper whisper." Now her eyebrows arched in confusion.
"No way, that's not possible." She replied, only earning a shake of the head.
"It is possible. I know because I've done it with your father." This earned a glare from Kurumu that said 'too-much-information'. Still, it just didn't seem possible. So after Ichigo was in that position, she would have to put her leg around him. Hmm… not too hard. But then after that would be tricky. Deciding to act it out, she bent backwards slightly as her right arm reached out behind her….
"Ow!" Kurumu yelped when she landed on her butt. "I still don't believe that's possible." She said as she got up and rubbed her sore rear.
"Tsk. You have to be flexible in order to do it." The she noticed what her daughter was wearing underneath her Yukata since it had parted slightly. "Nice choice of lingerie by the way, but I think it might be just a bit too strong for a person like Ichigo."
Kurumu looked at her exposed chest, revealing a lacy, daring black bra underneath. Then she remembered the times she had snuck into his room with the very same lingerie. "Yea… I guess you're right. What should I do then?"
Ageha tapped her chin thoughtfully. Ichigo was pretty rare actually. Not many guys boasted power and didn't flaunt it. On top of that, he was shy… until he got turned on. It's possible he was embarrassed because he thought sex was dirty? That wouldn't be the case though if he was actually as passionate as Kurumu had told her he was.
A thought occurred to her as she smiled. "I've got it! Why don't you enter the bath when he's taking one?" Ageha told Kurumu who had already picked herself up.
"In the shower? What's the difference?" Kurumu asked, not really understanding what her mother was trying to say.
"There isn't any really. But I get the feeling he'd be more at ease." Ageha made a contemplative noise before saying, "Besides, he looks really chiseled beneath those clothes."
"Mom! He's mine remember?" Kurumu whined when she noticed the look in her eyes.
"I'm just kidding darling. I'd never take away you're Destined One. That's why I have your father." Then she winked at her, "But it's still fun to tease other men since they can't have me."
Kurumu shook her head, but felt relieved. "He also seems like the sensitive type though. Even though I teased him and he passed out, if I actually tried anything he'd probably get mad." Ageha continued.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I mean you chose a great guy." Ageha smiled, "He would never betray you. If he ever did, he'd probably die from his own shame. He seems the type to sulk easily."
Kurumu looked at her mom before she thought about her words and then what Ichigo had told her. "Yea, he is. He's very protective of everyone important to him. He hates failing, and he does sulk when he fails."
"Oh, so you know that much about him?" Ageha arched an eyebrow, pleased at her daughter's progress even if they hadn't gone all the way physically.
"We've talked about his past." Kurumu suddenly backed away when her mother's face came close to hers.
"You have? Then why haven't you done it already? He's already emotionally connected with you!" She stared at her daughter who merely returned a nervous grin. Then, a thought occurred to her and she couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't tell me… it's actually you who's shy?" Ageha said and Kurumu looked taken back.
"I'm not! I'm always trying to do things that will turn him on and stuff!" She retorted with a huff before her mother eyed her keenly. Kurumu eyed her back before she felt her resolve weaken.
"I… guess I am a little shy… and scared. What if he's not my Destined One?" She voiced her doubts to her mom who looked at her sympathetically. Ageha reached out to her daughter and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Kurumu darling. If you're concerned about him being your Destined One… then that most likely means he is your Destined One." Then she smiled mischievously, "Plus, you'll find out for sure once you have a night of love with him right?"
Kurumu's face turned slightly red at that. But whether or not her mom was teasing her, she always told the truth. "I guess that's true." Then she nodded, reinforcing her resolve with a pump of her fist, "Yea, it is true. He is my Destined One and I'm going to give him all of my heart!"
Ageha applauded her daughter's courage before a thought occurred to her. "Oh, one more thing."
Kurumu turned to her mom who picked something from her cleavage. She pulled out two bottles and showed them to Kurumu who nearly passed out. "What kind of lubricant do you want? The scented one so he can give you great tongue, or the warming one that'll keep you both going throughout the night?"
"MOM!"
X
Ichigo took a sip of his water, taking in the world around him. Now that he wasn't being sexually harassed by Kurumu's mom and there was no immediate danger, he came to realize that humans and monsters weren't that different other than appearance. Yes, Ichigo was being deeply philosophical and he patted himself on the back for it. In all seriousness though, the way the monsters adapted he wouldn't be surprised if they integrated with human society. Granted, there were a few that had a taste for humans so those would have a much harder time to say the least.
He tilted his chair back stretching slightly as he turned his head to the left. In one of the far off tables, he saw Mizore and Tsukune eating dinner with Mizore's mother. The lady seemed rather pleasant and wasn't harassing Tsukune either. Ichigo frowned. He kind of wished Kurumu's mother had been that way. Otherwise he wouldn't have passed out embarrassingly in the middle of a festival. Just the thought made the blood rush to his head.
Ichigo shook his head, ridding his mind of any weird ideas. Ageha's chest had been soft, softer than Kurumu's… but he still preferred Kurumu any day of the year.
"Whatcha smiling about?" Kurumu asked upon noticed Ichigo's goofy grin.
Ichigo snapped out of it as he slinked back into his chair before straitening up. "Uh… things." He scratched the back of his head when Kurumu sent him a questioning look. He coughed before changing the subject, "So what took you guys so long?"
"Well, my daughter wouldn't decide what lubricant she wanted and—hmph!" A hand silenced the mouth that was about the spill Kurumu's secret. Kurumu looked over sheepishly at Ichigo as a shy smile crossed her lips.
Ichigo looked confused, but feeling as if he shouldn't press the matter for the sake of his health, he remained silent. "Um. Alright." Then, feeling awkward, he said, "I saw Mizore and Tsukune over there while you guys were… talking."
Ageha's eyes seemed to twinkle for a bit before she spoke up, "Oh? My old rival is here also? It would make sense since her daughter goes here as well." Kurumu and Ichigo looked at the woman who seemed to have suddenly gone into a thoughtful trance. "Maybe I should go over and talk to her…"
The way she ended that sentence made both teens feel that letting her talk to her 'rival' wouldn't be a good idea.
"Alright!" She said as she hopped to her feet, a serious case of jiggling breasts soon following, "Let's go say hi!"
Kurumu and Ichigo shared an uncertain glance as they followed the older Succubus to who-knows-what.
X
"My, sounds like you've had a lively time here." Tsurara noted as Tsukune and Mizore recounted their tales to her.
"We have, and it's thanks to Ichigo now that I have the power to protect Mizore." His words truly seemed to reflect his gratitude towards the orange-head.
"Speaking of this Ichigo, when will I get to meet him?" She asked before she felt a familiar presence coming up from behind her.
Quickly she dodged to the left in a graceful manner as her claws became visible. "Ageha." She simply stated as the buxom woman smiled at her, though the smile didn't really hold any mirth. It was more predatory in nature and calculatingly polite.
"It seems the only thing that's improved are your reflexes." Her eyes trailed down towards the Snow Woman's chest. "It seems that's the only thing that's improved."
The Snow Woman covered her chest protectively as she replied, "So? They don't need to be planet-sized like yours you overgrown cow." Her voice was icy, yet this did little to deter the Older Succubus.
Ageha held a hand to her chest as she corrected her, "They're not renowned for their size, which are many times yours, but for their softness. My little Ichigo can tell you firsthand just how soft they are!"
Forced to be the center of attention in this little feud, all eyes were on Ichigo as he recoiled from suddenly being put in the spot light. "Uhh…" Was all he could muster as he scratched the back of his head. He didn't want to add fuel to the fire, but if he didn't say anything… wait… why did he have to say anything? He was about to retort angrily when Kurumu spoke up for him.
"Leave Ichigo out of this mom!" Kurumu pleaded, knowing where this was heading as said person let out a breath of relief. Close one!
"Ichigo?" The name piqued Tsurara's attention as she turned towards her future son-in-law. "Is this the boy you were talking about?"
"Yea." Tsukune affirmed as Tsurara's eyes were set on the boy. Even from just a glance, she could tell there was a wealth of power emanating from him. He hadn't even released his monster form yet! Then her eyes registered something else; Ageha's daughter standing protectively besides said boy.
She knew at the moment they were dating. But before she could continue on the train of thought, her attention was jarred as Ageha had tried grabbing her with her tail. Tsurara dodged back, just out of range of the tail. "Nice to have you attention. As you can see, I clearly have the better son-in-law. Not only is he strong, but he's handsome to boot. And from what my daughter's told me, he's quite the sensitive one." Ageha smiled, feeling the she had one-upped Tsurara enough. But then it was time for the Snow Woman's retort.
"True as that is, your daughter has yet to lose her innocence." She smiled when Ageha's eyes and mouth both went wide, "My little Mizore frequently pleases her man; at least three times a week."
All eyes went to Mizore who suddenly stood up, her lollipop just about to fall out of her mouth as her face was alight with a bright blush. "Mother! I never told you that!"
"Oh?" Tsurara arched an eyebrow, "So it is true then?"
Noticing her mistake, Mizore hung her head in defeat as she sat back down. Thankfully Tsukune was there to comfort her… despite his own embarrassment. Yet, no one was more embarrassed at the moment than Ichigo was. All this conversation about sex and breasts was making him feel light-headed. He could feel his heart pumping, his nerves twitchy as his body continuously told him to flee. Only Kurumu's soft hand on his forearm stopped him from doing so. He'd rather face Grimmjow again. Heck, he'd almost rather face his dad! Almost, was the key word… the situation now hardly warranted him missing his dad… and he didn't think anything in the universe could.
"Y-You!" Ageha pointed an accusing finger as Tsurara smiled victoriously, holding up two fingers for the victory sign. Ageha was beyond flabbergasted as she could not come up with a witty reply this time.
"It seems I have won." Tsurara further added insult to injury, saying, "Isn't it strange that a Succubus would lose out to a Snow Woman in terms of sex?" She chuckled at the priceless look on Ageha's face.
But soon that look of surprise smoothed and evened out into a challenging grin. "That may be true, but Succubus are also known for their longevity in bed." She took a quick glance at her daughter, whose cheeks turned a slight pink, before she looked back at Tsurara. "And judging from the energy coming from her Destined One, I'd say they could last at least a day in bed."
Tsurara's features scrunched up at the seemingly triumphant look on her rival. Without turning to face them, she told Mizore and Tsukune, "You two now have to last more than twenty-four hours in bed. Understand?" She demanded as Mizore quickly got to her feet once again.
"Don't you think this rivalry is too immature mother?" She asked as a blush touched her cheeks. Her mother would not move and didn't answer, so Mizore turned to Tsukune for some help.
Tsukune looked away. "Well… I don't really mind if that's the case…" He admitted bashfully. Mizore's sucker simply dropped from her mouth and bounced before cracking against the table.
"There we go, now if you have no further protests, I'll ask of you to comply with my wish." Tsurara said with a twinkle in her eye. Oh how nice it was to be young again!
"You think you've won huh? Guess again, I said at least a day." The she pointed to herself as she spoke in a haughty voice, "My husband can go at it for a week straight!"
Then her eyes seemed unfocused as she shivered slightly. "Oh man… what a week that always is…" She said, more to herself than anything else.
"Bad mental image!" Kurumu looked like she was in torture as she shook her head, a grimace on her face as she did so.
"I agree." Tsurara concurred. "This seems to be putting too much of a mental strain on our children. Why don't we continue this some other time?"
Ageha didn't want to let the fight just go yet, but judging from the unmoving form of Ichigo, he was probably in catatonic shock by now. "Alright fine." Then she said with a point at the edge of her words, "but this isn't over yet!"
"Indeed." All the teens let out a collective sigh that for once, left the parents feeling slightly embarrassed… that is, only slightly.
Then they all sat down and shared pleasant talk, though it did time from time revert back to the usual bantering between rivals. Overall though it was a nice atmosphere and for once, Ageha and Tsurara didn't really feel the need to argue.
"I still say I have the better son-in-law."
Or maybe not…
X
"I'm sooo sorry about that Ichigo! I had no idea that would happen." Kurumu thought over her words a bit before she responded more truthfully, "Well… maybe just a little bit, but not to that extreme."
Ichigo gave her a half-frown as his body felt all warm and uncomfortable. It felt like he'd be in a sauna all day long, even though he'd never been to a sauna in his life. Still, he could imagine. "It's alright." He said a bit dismissively, already trying to get the words and certain images out of his head.
She looked at him and tried to get rid of his doubts. "You don't need to be afraid though. She can be nice when she wants to." At the same time, she defended her mom. Sure she was a bit quirky, but she was a nice woman overall… if a bit too nice.
"I know." Ichigo replied as he turned to her, "You're a nice person too, so I sort of figured she'd be nice as well. I'm sure she meant well." He faced forward once more before he realized that Kurumu was no longer next to him.
He turned himself around to see a faintly blushing Kurumu, who had a small smile on her lips. Before any warning could be given, Ichigo found himself in a tight hug with his girlfriend who snuggled up against his chest. "You know, you can really be a charmer when you try."
"So you've said." He replied with a sloppy grin of his own. No one was particularly paying attention to them right now since others were probably having their own intimate moment as well. That's probably the only reason he hadn't freaked out at the moment.
"Well it's true." She replied as she looked at him, gentle violet eyes peering up at him.
But now that Ichigo thought about it, maybe it wasn't so much that no one was paying attention. As he stared into those violet irises, he maybe thought that he was getting used to her being next to him. For some reason, he couldn't picture her not being there when he turned his head. Could it be… that he was…
Kurumu tilted her head when she caught a fleeting glimpse of something in his eyes. She wasn't sure what to make of it since it hadn't even been there for a second. It looked like he'd been surprised by something… she could only wonder what was going on in that orange head of his.
"Something the matter?" She asked when she felt him focus on her, out of his daydream.
"E-Eh?" Ichigo looked up and away from her as he replied, "N-Nothing really. Just thinking."
Kurumu quirked an eyebrow at his suspicious behavior. "Don't tell me you were thinking dirty thoughts?" She grinned when Ichigo looked at her with a serious look, yet, she couldn't take it seriously because his face was red. Even if it was getting darker, she could still see the red reach all the way up to his ears. He was probably remembering what happened earlier and getting all strung up about it, she assumed.
"Relax Ichigo." She said as she kissed his chin, which seemed to abate his seriousness, "I was just kidding, k?"
"Jeez." Ichigo shook his head. "If you keep doing stuff like that, I might actually fall in-in-in…erm." He coughed as he looked away, hoping to find some sort of distraction. Then he realized it was almost night time and seized the opportunity.
"It's getting d-dark so I'll see you tomorrow alright?" He didn't give her a chance to reply as before Kurumu even knew it, Ichigo had Shunpo'd away.
Kurumu couldn't simply believe what she had just heard. Had he… just been ready to tell her that he loved her? She slapped both her cheeks with her hands, trying to make sure this hadn't been a dream. When she didn't wake up, and it was still night time, and she was still in her Yukata, she realized this was indeed the world she knew. So what had happened had really… happened. Ichigo had a slip of the tongue and revealed his feelings for her. Ichigo loved her? How she longed for him to say that! Well… he hadn't actually said it, but still, he had said it! Wait, if he had meant what he'd been meaning to say, then that meant Ichigo loved her. Not liked her, but loved her. Loved her! Loved her! LOVED her! Lo…
Before the final word could be completed, Kurumu fell backwards as she fainted, a deliriously happy look on her face.
X
"Bout time that hardass admitted what he was feeling." The Hollow ginned as he felt his king's current state of mind. Then he frowned slightly, "He better get laid now, and hopefully he'll get done by that Vampire chick too."
He remembered the fight she'd given him and he also remembered that intoxicated look on her face from receiving his power. For him, that was probably the biggest turn-on during their brief encounter. "Man what I wouldn't give to be with that woman!"
The Hollow turned around when he hadn't received a reply from the other person that resided in this world. Zangetsu was staring away from him, and the Hollow tried peeking over his shoulder to get a good look at him. He arched an eyebrow when he heard something that resembled a sob coming from the sword.
"Are you crying?" Ichigo's other side arched an incredulous eyebrow when Zangetsu still wouldn't face him.
Said person simply gave a short, terse, "No." Before bringing a tissue to blow his nose.
The Hollow didn't know whether to be sick or make fun of Zangetsu for his sudden sensitivity.
He chose to be sick.
X
(Day 2)
Tsukune stretched his arms as he let out a particularly ferocious yawn. He lazily brought a hand to rub his left eye as he thought about getting out of bed. What few people knew was that he wasn't actually a morning person. He hated mornings, but since Mizore had slept over a few times and she was a morning person; then he too became one. That still didn't mean he liked mornings.
It was a shame she couldn't sleep over tonight… though… would they really have gotten any sleep? He grinned meekly at his thoughts. It was a good thing they stayed in their own dorms though. They still had work to do, even during the festival and not getting any sleep—regardless of the reason, be it good or bad—would probably get him into trouble. So as he stifled another yawn that tried to escape his lips, he began to wonder why he had a dream about his cousin the other night.
Speaking of which, what had she been up to? For all his life, she had been like an older sister… a bit of an overprotective sister, but one nonetheless. He got the strange feeling he'd be seeing her soon. He merely shook his head at the notion. How could she possibly get in? It's not like she knew where this place was or how to get in.
He needed to get ready though. So he put the idea in the back of his mind as he got out of bed and prepared for the day ahead. Just as he was about to leave the door, the thought forced its way into his mind. It sat there uncomfortably, glaring at him as if seeking attention. Still he paid no heed, but he began to wonder if there was trouble ahead.
X
"Is something the matter Tsukune?"
Tsukune turned his head to see his girlfriend staring openly at him as they walked towards the festival grounds. "Nothing really. I just had a dream about my cousin and now all these weird thoughts are in my head."
He failed to notice the slight look of jealousy the crossed Mizore's face. It wasn't entirely his fault he didn't notice since she was still very much a stoic person. She was only expressive when they were alone or intimate, granted, she'd become more varied in her emotions now that they'd started dating.
"Is your cousin a girl?" She asked while gauging his reaction.
Tsukune nodded, thinking nothing of the question. "Yea."
Mizore twirled her lollipop in her mouth as she eyed him carefully. "Is she pretty?"
That's when Tsukune finally understood where this was going. He looked at her as a grin formed ever so slowly while Mizore looked away slightly. "Don't tell me… you're jealous?"
"I'm not." The blush on her face clearly told otherwise, but even so, Tsukune didn't call her on it. "I was just wondering."
Tsukune opted to kiss her cheek, further deepening the blush that stained his girlfriend's cheeks. "Don't worry Mizore-chan, you know you're the girl for me right?"
Mizore, for her part, looked immensely relieved after he had said those words even though she already knew how important she was to him. "I know… it's just…"
She didn't finish, but Tsukune nodded in understanding. "It's alright, I'd prolly be the same if you mentioned some other guy or something." He blinked. "You don't have another guy right?"
She looked at him with a sparkle in her eye, and for a brief second thought of messing with his head to get revenge. But seeing those puppy dog eyes of his melted away her resolve. "No, you're the only one."
"Heh, glad to hear that." He smiled at her, which she returned. "But about my cousin… she's more like family than anything else actually."
Mizore looked up curiously at him, wondering why he'd never mentioned her before. "Of course… she would always be stubborn and overprotective. I remember one time she made me eat her 'sand cooking' when we were younger…" Tsukune grimaced at the memory and now Mizore could understand why he'd never mentioned her.
"Still. She was always around like a big sister so I'm grateful for her in a way." He paused in mid-thought, "I wonder what she's doing? I get this strange feeling that I'm going to see her soon even though that's clearly impossible."
Mizore eyed her boyfriend. "What?" Tsukune asked upon receiving the look.
"Well… you're here even though… you know." Mizore left the words hanging, but Tsukune knew what she'd meant.
"I guess that's true." He scratched his head. "Still… what are the chances?"
Mizore shrugged. "You never know."
"True." They walked in comfortable silence for a bit before Mizore broke the silence.
"What's she like?" Mizore asked, this time out of curiosity.
"Well… she was always looking out for me." He mused as he remembered something, "We practically did everything together. As I said before, we were like family and since she lived nearby, we grew up together like siblings. Whenever my parents weren't around, she took it upon herself to take care of me even though she was a natural dummy."
"Any specific memories?" She asked, curious as to how close these two were. As siblings of course!
Tsukune "Hmm'd" as he thought. "I remember one time I peed my shorts because I couldn't hold it in." Tsukune gave a short chuckle as he recounted the next part, "Then she grabbed a bucket full of water and poured it all over me, saying that no one would notice now."
Mizore giggled at the story, but found it incredibly endearing. Imagining a chibi-Tsukune was always entertaining for her. But his cousin sounded kind of nice, especially since she took care of him. She actually felt like meeting this person. "What does she look like?"
"She's kind of a tomboy in the way she dresses." Tsukune glanced around to see if anyone even remotely looked like her. He saw a girl carrying a package and pointed towards her. "Actually, she looks a lot like that girl over there. That girl looks exactly like Kyou-chan."
The girl turned her face, almost as if she knew she was being talked about. "Yea, she had the same exact hairclip and… all…" Tsukune blinked and Mizore wondered why he had paused.
"KYOU-CHAN?" He yelled suddenly, startling Mizore whose eyes went wide. This was Tsukune's cousin?
The girl seemed a bit slower in realization before her eyes widened. "Tsukki?"
Tsukune's mouth was open in surprise as he couldn't even fathom how she was here. Here they were, discussing his foreboding feeling when the object of said feeling suddenly appeared. And now, as he continued standing with a stupefied expression, the girl ran over towards him and gave him an all-encompassing hug.
Mizore let the lollipop fall out of her mouth at the sudden action, but she had to calm the growing jealousy within her. This girl was family and not anything to worry about… right? Sure she was cute… but not as cute as her… or at least… that's what Tsukune's said…
Mizore shook her head, she had to get these thoughts out! Tsukune wouldn't be with her if he didn't like her. And so, with a deep breath, she calmed herself down.
"It's so great that you're okay Tsukki! I was so worried about you!" She sobbed into his chest, feeling relief flood her at knowing her Tsukki was alright.
Tsukune tilted his head to try and face his girlfriend. He gave her a helpless look which she returned as they both didn't really know what to do. He sighed, he supposed he would have to talk to Kyou in private to try and clear things up.
X
He was glad Mizore understood, especially since he hadn't introduced them to one another seeing as how Kyou had been so distraught. Even so, he could tell Mizore was hiding behind the bushes a few feet away. He sweatdropped at that, but in a way, he was kind of glad since that was just another way of showing she cared for him.
"I was looking for you all this time," Tsukune heard his cousin say as she wiped away her tears, "I wanted to call you… but you didn't have a mobile phone." She continued rambling, wiping away fresh tears every now and then. "And you didn't call me either… that's so mean! You always followed me around!" She recalled to him, despite Tsukune not remembering it quite that way.
"Did… did I?" He wondered about that as a slight look of disbelief claimed his expression.
"Yes, you couldn't do anything without me!" She exclaimed at him through teary eyes.
"No… I actually could do m—" But he was cut off.
"We even bathed together!" This interruption was particularly deadly as he felt Mizore's sudden chilly presence wash over him.
Growing panicked, he finally caved in to his cousin. "I'm sorry! It's all my fault, please don't talk about when we were kids!"
Meanwhile it the bushes somewhere in the back, Mizore could only think one thing. 'There's a side of Tsukune I didn't even know… I must find out more!'
'Oh boy…' Tsukune thought helplessly. He was going to have to tell Mizore that they bathed when they were kids and not recently.
"And… it's so suspicious."
He caught his cousin's words and looked at her curiously before a feeling of dread began to fill him. He always got this feeling when this girl was about to do something over the top. As it were, he waited for the anvil to fall.
"This academy… can't be seen on maps. I looked for it according to the address, but I only found an empty plot that made me shudder." And as if to emphasize, she shuddered.
Tsukune hung his head as one thought went through his mind, "Then how the heck did you get here?"
Kyou ignored her cousin's long face as she continued to tell him about the hardships she went through to get here. "I had no choice but to find that building. So I did an investigation! Then a woman came up to me and said…You want to go to Youkai Academy?"
Then Kyou told Tsukune how the conversation went. She told him that the woman had told her that Youkai Academy would be having its festival and that she could use that opportunity to sneak in. She had been suspicious, because after all, what kind of school required 'sneaking in'? Still, since that was the only way she could get to Tsukune, she took the woman's offer of delivering a package in exchange to be let in.
Finally, Kyou held out the package, as if telling him that her suspicions were the package itself. "See? Isn't it really suspicious? That's why I was so worried about you!"
He was about to ask what was in the package when the seriousness of the situation finally clicked in. She, a human, was in a school of monsters that would sooner kill her than anything else. How was he going to deal with this! He just hoped she didn't want to walk around and inspect everything and that she was satisfied with just seeing him…
"So I want to walk around today and thoroughly check what's wrong with this Academy!" Tsukune suddenly felt heavy as the metaphorical anvil finally dropped.
"If I find anything suspicious, I'll take responsibility and bring Tsukki home!" Kyou said with the utmost determination that left Tsukune feeling he had eaten something rotten.
Mizore also shared the same emotions as her boyfriend. She got the feeling that it would be a combined effort in order to not reveal the true nature of this Academy to the currently unaware girl.
X
"Hmm…" Kyou observed the hallways filled with people and lively entertainment. There were booths, stands, and anything else that could describe this place as festive. "It's livelier than I expected."
Tsukune, feeling like he was standing on shredded glass, felt slightly relieved by those words. "Yea… can you stop worrying now then?" He hoped the answer was 'yes.'
"It's too lively!" She retorted, crushing Tsukune's hope, "How suspicious…"
Tsukune couldn't help but feel that his cousin hadn't changed at all. Even now she was turning her head every which way, trying to find anything out of the ordinary. The only reassurance he had as Mizore, whose presence he could feel following them. He looked over at his girlfriend and waved at her only to see her pointing frantically in the opposite direction. He 'eeped!' when he saw Kyou going into a particularly shady booth and quickly pulled her out.
Kyou, however, was undeterred and proceeded with her investigation. Alone, it would've been difficult to keep Kyou from entering every single booth, but thankfully Mizore was using her snow powers to create thin, nearly invisible sheets of ice where Kyou would "accidentally" slip on and deter her from entering. The couple were using all they could to prevent the true nature of Youkai Academy from being exposed.
"Hm? Tsukune? Have you seen Ichigo?" Said boy turned around and noticed Ichigo's girlfriend standing in a very skimpy maid outfit. The skirt barely reached to mid-thigh and it was black with white frills along the bottom. And to top it all off, her top barely covered her well-endowed assets which made Tsukune turn away in embarrassment.
"No… I haven't." He scratched the back of his head before a chuckle nearly escaped his lips when he heard Mizore sigh. He could even picture her shaking her head. He was glad Mizore didn't flip out, then again, it's not like he was going to ogle Kurumu, especially since he already had Mizore and Kurumu had Ichigo.
"T-Tsukki! Who is this?" Kyou exclaimed as she pointed a shaking finger at the bluenette.
"She's just a friend Kyou-chan…" He hesitated when she gave him a glare and a suspicious look all at once.
"How can this," She moved her hand up and down in Kurumu's direction, "be just a friend?"
"Hey!" Kyou turned around when she noticed the maid girl talking, "I'm already taken thank you very much!"
"See? Tolda ya." Tsukune smiled at Kyou when she noticed her mistake.
"S-Sorry… but still, it's kind of suspicious that you're in that get-up!" She countered.
"What? Don't they have this in the human world?" She asked, a confused look on her face.
Now it was Kyou's turn to be confused as she mouthed the words, "Human world?"
"A-Ah!" Tsukune did not like the direction this was going and proceeded to grab Kyou by the shoulders and turn her around, "Let's check out something else! There's goldfish scooping here, and I'm sure it'd be fun!"
Tsukune didn't even allow his cousin to protest as he pushed her along. He noticed Mizore went back to probably fill Kurumu in on the details. He sighed… this was going to be a really long day…
X
"Ara, Tsukune-kun!" Nekonome called out to her student when she saw him enter, completely ignoring the girl that came with him as she went to talk to him about more important matters.
"Since Ichigo isn't here, I want to discuss the matter about the goldfish with you." She began semi-seriously before her lips curled upward in a friendly smile, "Can you give me the extra to me? I haven't really eaten goldfish in a long time and… huh?"
Nekonome looked behind Tsukune and noticed Mizore waving frantically at her… or at least, she thought she was. Then Mizore ducked away and disappeared, leaving the poor teacher confused. Then her face brightened when she turned her attention back towards Tsukune only to find him gone. Her ears drooped as she thought she wouldn't be able to have any of those delectable goldfish after all.
X
"What was that about?" Kyou demanded as she was hauled out into the hallway once again.
"A-Ah! It was nothing, nothing to worry about!" He said in a placating manner, but he could tell she didn't buy it. Luckily she didn't press the matter and opted to continue her investigation.
As they were looking around, Tsukune spotted some orange hair stick out from the crowd. He then realized that since Ichigo was still human, regardless of his power, he would probably be able to act more normally around his cousin. "Hey Kyou-chan, I'd like you to meet another friend of mine."
"Is at another pretty girl?" She asked suspiciously while Tsukune gave her a nervous look.
"Actually no. Here, follow me." He led her through the crowd by the hand while she tried to hold on to the package with her other. Somehow, she found it kind of strange being led by the hand when she was the one always guiding him. She glanced up at her Tsukki and started noticing that something had changed about him… but what?
"Hey Ichigo!" Tsukune greeted him as he turned around.
"Yo." Ichigo replied before looking at the girl next to Tsukune.
"Ah! This is Kyou-chan, she's my cousin." Then he pointed to Ichigo and told Kyou, "This is my friend, Ichigo. He's also Kurumu-chan's boyfriend."
Kyou gave him a blank look before Tsukune remembered he hadn't told his cousin Kurumu's name. "The girl in the maid outfit." He said to clarify things.
"Oh." Kyou looked at Ichigo intently, who did not feel comfortable being scrutinized like that.
"Something wrong?" He said, probably harsher than he had intended as he saw her flinch.
"You don't happen to be part of the Yakuza or something?" She asked and Ichigo blinked, utterly bewildered.
"…No." He replied as the two seemingly had a staring contest.
"You're still suspicious." She finally said as she crossed her arms in front of her. Ichigo simply shook his head before he remembered what Tsukune had said.
"You said you saw Kurumu?" Ichigo asked Tsukune, who nodded.
"Yea, she was in her classroom. Apparently they did a maid café." Then he grinned as he said, "She's really looking forward to showing you her costume I think."
At first he didn't get what Tsukune meant, but then he remembered Kurumu talking about a maid café a bit back and how she was going to 'service' him if he allowed it. A single drop of blood dripped its way down Ichigo's nose before he quickly wiped it away.
Kyou, who had watched the whole exchange, could not believe that Tsukune had talked like that! Did that mean… he was experienced?
"Uh… yea… thanks for telling me." Ichigo fidgeted uncomfortably before he looked at Tsukune, who knew what was coming.
"So… I'll see you later." Ichigo turned towards Tsukune's cousin, "Nice seeing ya."
Then Ichigo left, and Tsukune knew full well where to with a knowing grin.
"Wow… since when did you become so grown up?" Tsukune looked at Kyou, who was looking at him strangely.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"I mean… you've become… manly." She looked away, suddenly feeling very distant.
Tsukune stared before putting a hand on her shoulder. Kyou turned around and stared into the warm eyes of her cousin as he said, "I'm still the Tsukki you know though. I haven't really changed."
She frowned slightly, but admitted that though he did seem more manly, he was still indeed the same boy she knew. But…
"Yea, but you're probably not going to follow me around are you?"
Tsukune gave a sheepish grin. "Probably not." He admitted and only got a shake of the head from Kyou.
"I guess… everything is alright then. I thought this school was kind of suspicious, but I guess it isn't." Then she turned to Tsukune with a grin, "You think I have a shot at that Ichigo kid? He seems like a bad boy with that scowl and all."
Kyou became surprised when Tsukune laughed at her. She pouted, feeling indignant at being made fun of.
"Sorry… it's just, once you get to know Ichigo, he's probably one of the nicest people you'll ever meet."
"Really?" Kyou raised an eyebrow, "He doesn't seem like the type."
"He is. He's just shy I guess." Tsukune replied, and that's when he received a disbelieving look.
"You call that shy? I thought he was going to attack me for a second!" She retorted and Tsukune shook his head.
"He's always scowling. He even scowls in his sleep sometimes, or at least, that's what Kurumu-chan's told us."
"Oh." Kyou felt like she was missing something and then it hit her, "Wait, how would she know what he looked like in his sleep?"
And that's when Tsukune realized his mistake. "Uh…"
Then, to further add fuel to the fire, she also said, "And wait, you said something funny back there. You were implying something when you said that she wanted to see that Ichigo in her costume. What were you implying?" She eyed him carefully, not giving him any wiggle room whatsoever.
"Uhhhhh…"
A brief moment of silence, then Kyou's eyes widened to dramatic proportions and Tsukune felt like he was going to be sick. "Don't tell me… you've lost your virginity?"
Before he could reply, Mizore popped from the bushes as she said, "I heard the word virginity? What's going on?"
"Wahh!" Kyou, surprised, jumped back while Mizore made her way towards her boyfriend.
Tsukune was wary of introducing Mizore to his cousin, because she would likely connect whom he had lost his virginity too.
"W-Who are you?" Kyou demanded, not remembering Mizore from earlier.
"I'm his girlfriend." Mizore stated simply, sucker in her mouth. Well there went that plan.
Tsukune noticed the look in Kyou's eyes and braced himself. "You're the one Tsukki's lost his virginity too?"
Mizore merely nodded. "At least fifteen different times."
Tsukune slapped his forehead as Kyou sputtered nonsense. She continued doing so until she calmed down enough to say, "H-How can you be so calm about this?"
Mizore shrugged before Kyou shook her head and said, "No, not you, him!"
"Me?" Tsukune pointed to himself and Kyou nodded vigorously, "Well… she's my girlfriend, I have no reason to be ashamed of her."
Mizore nodded again, this time with a slight pink color on her cheeks to accompany her cheeks. Kyou still couldn't believe that Tsukune, of all people, had lost his virginity. The crybaby… was now a man. As surreal as it seemed, the proof was standing before her and she couldn't deny it.
"E-Eh?" Tsukune became panicked when tears started pouring out of Kyou's eyes, and he wondered what was wrong.
"Heh… looks like I'm the crybaby now." She sniffed, a small smile on her lips. Tsukune had a brief moment of confusion before he understood what was going on. He smiled.
"See? There's nothing. This is just a school like any other." That feeling in the pit of his stomach was finally disappearing. Maybe everything would turn out well in the end.
"You're friends are suspicious though." She noticed the slight frown on Tsukune's face and smiled, "I'm not going to investigate them though. This is a festival I guess and people act differently I suppose."
"Everyone's strange in their own way." Mizore suddenly said cryptically, earning bewildered looks from the other two.
"Er… alright." Kyou didn't know what to make of it as the strange girl gave her a ghost of a smile.
"So… I take it you'll be heading back?" Tsukune asked, a trace of hope in his voice. He didn't want to sound pushy, but the sooner she left, the better.
Kyou was about to nod when she remembered the package. She pulled the large envelope from inside her sweater and took a look at it. "Ah! I totally forgot about this thing!"
She regarded it as she moved it about, trying to feel what was inside. "Strange. That person said someone would come and take the envelope, but nobody came."
She handed it to Tsukune who took a look at it along with Mizore. It didn't seem to have anything special inside. Mizore even asked if they could sneak a peek, but got denied by Tsukune. Suddenly, there was a tremor that nearly caused everyone to lose their balance.
"Wh—an earthquake?" Kyou exclaimed as her legs wobbled, the ground buckling and twisting beneath her.
Suddenly both Mizore and Tsukune could feel a power inside the envelope. It was almost as if it were reacting to the earthquake. Everyone heard loud snaps and cracks and turned around to see trees being torn in half and branches falling off. All of Tsukune's hope seemed to fade away as he thought, 'No way. We finally settled things with Kyou-chan and now this?'
Then, a large, looming shadow towered overhead. They could all see sharp teeth reflecting the small amount of light there was in this word, yet, the feet weren't made out of claws, but of rubber webbing. To them, it looked like a frog with teeth. Yet, somehow, even as it drew closer to them, it still remained its black, shadowy form.
"Wh-What is that thing? It can't be real!" Kyou's awe and shock filled voice snapped Tsukune out of this thoughts as he reacted quickly, running towards Kyou. "We have to run Kyou-chan." Tsukune stated simply as he grabbed her arm and hauled her away.
As they were running, Kyou turned her head and looked at the towering thing behind her. She was shocked beyond belief by what she saw as she whispered, "Is that a monster?"
Then she turned to Tsukune. His face didn't even register surprise, or at least, not to the extent of hers. It almost seemed as if he was used to these kinds of things. What made matters worse was that his girlfriend acted even less surprised than he did. Feeling frustrating well up in her chest, she yelled at Tsukune, "What's going on!"
It was Mizore who replied, since Tsukune seemed to be deep in thought. "Now's not the time to be talking, we have to run." The Snow Girl replied succinctly, ending all possible conversation in one-go.
Meanwhile with Tsukune, he was having troubled thoughts. 'How could this happen? She saw a monster.' He chanced a glance at his cousin and frowned slightly, 'Kyou-chan is like a real sister to me. If she finds out this is an Academy for monsters, she'll definitely tell my parents.'
His mind raced with solutions and possibilities, all of them being not too good for either of them. With his mind so busy, he failed to notice his cousin's startled reaction.
'What? Who said that?' Kyou thought as she looked around. She thought she heard someone asking to be let free. The voice said it didn't want to be caught. But the voice didn't speak up again and she shook her head, thinking that it was just the adrenaline making her go crazy. Still…
"Why… since I came here weird stuff has been happening." She whispered to herself as she realized that something was definitely wrong like she first thought, "What's wrong with this Academy…"
X
"It should be safe here." Mizore stated. Currently they were in the far back of the school where the furnace was. Heaps of trash that were waiting to be burned were piled next to the burner, which was probably a fire hazard in some way.
"Are you alright Kyou-chan?" Tsukune asked to the panting girl. Though in his mind he told himself he would pretend nothing like that existed… though… it would be very hard to fool her since she had actually seen it. He just hoped he would be able to use Kyou's stubbornness to his advantage.
"I think I understand what's going on now." Kyou stated seriously, which caused Tsukune too gulp. Maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought…
Kyou turned to Tsukune and said, "I know the true reason behind the monsters! You know it, don't you Tsukki? But why are you hiding it from me!" She huffed as she looked around, "I found it weird from the start. It's impossible for such things to happen!"
'Oh no! For once Kyou was smart enough to figure something out!' Tsukune thought, frantic at being exposed to early, but there was nothing he could do to stop her. He saw as she lifted a finger into the air, almost as if she was about the bring down the hammer of justice of something.
"I knew it! The reason is…" She paused for effect as she eyed both people before finally saying, "This is a prank right!"
Tsukune's jaw dropped to the floor while Mizore stood as still as an ice sculpture. "What I've just seen, they're all set up by the Academy to scare people, right?"
Tsukune was utterly dumbfounded, even as he realized that she was just trying to reassure herself. There was a quiver of fear in her voice as she had said it, but even so… just how oblivious can you be?
Kyou nodded vigorously, approving of her assessment. "After I calmed down, I realized it was impossible for monsters to exist. Those were props!"
"I found it weird right from the start." She said as she took the enveloped from Tsukune. She looked at it, almost feeling like laughing at being pranked. "I couldn't find the location on a map and an unknown lady gave me this suspicious envelope."
"I even heard a strange voice coming out of the envelope—quickly escape, the guy is catching up—it said." But before she could take apart the prank that was this school, the earthquake from earlier came back and the ground shook once more.
"It's back." Mizore stated, this time getting into a battle stance if need be.
Kyou however, took the earthquake a lot differently. She took it with confidence. "Don't tell me it's that thing. That's enough Tsukki. You're asking for it if you continue with this prank. I won't be frightened now!"
Then, she saw that huge, webbed-foot come crushing down on the ground just a few feet in front of them. She nodded, took a deep breathe and…
"Kyaaa!" She screamed as she bolted, trying to get away as far from this overused prank. No, she wasn't scared, she just simply had it with all these weird pranks and all. Yea… that's it!
Meanwhile, Tsukune simply seatdropped as he thought, 'She's fleeing… Kyou-chan is fleeing with all her might…'
Then a rumble brought him out of his thoughts as the monster reared its ugly head. Despite it being a frog, it did nothing to diminish the ferocity of the vicious-looking teeth. "Damn, why is it following us?" Tsukune wondered out loud as he prepared to go to his other form. He'd probably have to ask Mizore to move it someplace else.
"Hehehee, I've never said I wanted to assault you guys." Tsukune looked up as he knew that voice. It couldn't be… could it?
"Eh!" Tsukune couldn't believe it. The person riding the giant frog thing was none other than the bus driver!
The headmaster himself didn't concern himself with their surprise, instead asking, "Speaking of which, have you guys seen a strange talking mirror? I've been looking for that mirror, but don't seem to find it."
"What's the bus driver doing on top of a frog?" Mizore asked as said person took a whiff of his cigar.
"Sorry about scaring you younglings." The bus driver said with an eerie smile, per usual.
X
Meanwhile, Kyou was busy wiping away tears, not of fright, but of frustration. "To think I was so worried Tsukki and made a trip to this Academy…" She sniffed and wiped away some tears with the sleeve of her jacket, "How could he treat me like this? Tsukki is so horrible…"
Suddenly the package she had carried with her began vibrating. It took her by surprise before she hoisted it up and decided to open it, fed up with everything that was happening to her. "Irritating!" She muttered, "What is it now? There must be some trick inside this envelope…"
What she pulled out was not what she had expected. Instead of a trick, she pulled out a circular mirror which was pretty ornate. It had angelic wings spread upwards and outwards.
She blinked. "Mirror?" She stared at it for a bit before shaking it rather violently.
"That's weird," She said when nothing happened, "It doesn't look like a trick."
"Ya~stop shaking it!" At first Kyou thought she was hearing voices again when the mirror suddenly brightened. A light came out of it before it diminished enough so that she could see a strange being come out of it.
"It hurts." The being sighed. Kyou looked at it, and noticed it resembled a fairy from… fairy tales. It had four little dragonfly moved about every so often.
Then, the fairy turned to Kyou and smiled at her. "Nice to meet you. I'm an artifact spirit of the mirror, Ririsu."
Kyou gave it a flat look before tossing it aside, the fairy yelping in a process. She turned on stiff legs and began walking away. "As I thought… another trick…" She said with a monotone, almost as if her mind was broken.
"Ah! Wait up master!" The fairy said as it hoisted the mirror and followed Kyou.
X
After having walked a distance, Kyou had given up and let this strange… thing follow her. She still didn't believe it, but at least it wasn't as scary as the last prank.
"Thank you for just now." The fairy said with gratitude in its voice, "Thanks to you, I was able to escape pursuit. To show my gratitude, I am willing to grant you a wish. Just say whatever comes to your mind, master!"
However, Kyou would have none of it as she inspected the mirror. Sweat was now pouring down her forehead as she thought furiously how this could be a trick, especially if she didn't see any wires or mirrors… other than the one this 'artifact' was carrying. 'What is this? Maybe it's CG?' She wondered, feeling like her head was about to fry.
The fairy though took the intense look as praise. "Don't tell me the master thinks I'm a rare sight?" Then she said proudly, "That's for sure. Master is human and she rarely sees monsters."
"Monster?" She blinked before she laughed it off, "Don't be silly, how can there be monsters! Don't kid me, I'm not a child!" She waved off the fairy, who backed away lest she be hit by the waving hand.
"Eh?" The fairy was filled with disbelief at hearing those words, much like her master, "Aren't I in front of you, talking to you? Aren't you a little muddle-headed master?"
Then she shook her head as she took the mirror and headed over to a pair of people walking. "Guess it can't be helped. I'll search for other monsters for you to see."
"Hey you, over there, can you look in the mirror?" The two monsters that had been walking heard this and turned around to face said mirror. She shorter bald male stared into a mirror only to see his third eye exposed. He blinked before he touched his forehead to realize that his transformation had somehow been undone.
"Wha? Why was my disguise removed!" He yelled frantically as he tried to cover up his third eye.
The fairy ran away, happy that she had proved to existence of monsters to her master. "Did you see that? Although he looks like a human on the outside, he is really a monster. Ririsu's mirror has the ability to reveal the true nature of beings. When reflected, the monster's true nature will be revealed."
Kyou was in awe. "Amazing, amazing!"
"How is it?" The fairy said, feeling rather prideful at the moment, "Do you believe now?"
"It's a magic trick this time!" Kyou figured, only sending the poor fairy to the floor as she deflated. Then, she heard something which made her extremely happy… and devious.
"Okay then… if that's the case, tell me about the rest of the people." Kyou nodded. "Yes, show me the 'true nature' of this Academy. This place is where Tsukki attends, I must see it with my own eyes!"
The little fairy gave a wide smile as she hoisted the mirror up. "Ok!" She said cheerfully, "Is the master's wish? I'll make it come true immediately!"
X
The face of one Kyou was a mixed one, showing horror, surprise, and disbelief. One would generally have that face after having been licked by something that resembled a living umbrella. Hurriedly she wiped the drool of her face, still not believing what had just happened.
"St-Strange…" She muttered, "Why do those who have been reflected in the mirror change into an inhuman appearance?"
The little fairy, exasperated, explained once again, "Didn't I tell you that it's not a hoax? Why can't you just believe me?"
Kyou looked around then spotted a guy holding a camera, sweating quite profusely. "Then," She said as she held up the mirror to the boy, "How about this guy who seems quite disgusting?"
It was to her horror when the disgusting boy turned into an even more disgusting monstrosity. It was like a slug, slimy and still sweaty. Letting out a shriek, she quickly ran away. And so began her little adventure. After the initial monster, she went out to a beautiful looking lady who termed out to be some sort of mermaid… with really sharp teeth! Then when she reflected another person, he turned out to be some sort of Frankenstein thing! So on it went until she virtually saw everything, and even some things she couldn't even tell what they were.
Of course… because she had ended up doing this it let to something even more horrific. "Kyaa!" She yelled as all the things that had transformed all chased her. She panted and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but they were quickly catching up. Even as she was running for dear life, the little fairy next to her seemed to be laughing. Heck, she was practically enjoying herself!
Suddenly she spotted a ground and ducked into them. The monsters all lost sight of her before turning to each other. Some bore fangs, others tentacles, and others yet claws and innumerable other appendages. Kyou saw that none of the other human ones even gave it much thought. Some merely laughed as they saw the horde of fighting monsters, almost as if this kind of thing was common.
"Let's stop this…" Kyou told the little fairy as she panted, suddenly not feeling good. Either this school must have a large amount of funds… or…
"Eh? Why?" The little fair said, sounding disappointed.
"You had your fun. You should be satisfied." Kyou said, hoping she would stop. To her dismay and sudden fright, the little went off, happy as a whistle as she tried to get other people to transform.
"It's too late to regret it now!" Ririsu suddenly replied in a harsh tone, which made Kyou flinch.
"R-Ririsu?" She called out to the fairy, but she paid no heed as she went around with the mirror. Everyone in the ground began twisting, shaping, forming into new beings. Some struggled to maintain their appearance, but failed in the end.
Then, Ririsu gently floated down in front of Kyou, who was in shock and fear as she trembled. "What's wrong? Isn't this what the master wished for? Didn't you wish to see the true nature of this Academy?" She said almost tauntingly to the distraught girl.
Suddenly the fairy's gentle appearance turned into a monstrous one as she sported a vicious grin and malevolence in her eyes. "Just watch slowly… while you're still alive."
While the scared form of Kyou watched the spectacle, no one realized there was another person watching the same view, though from a different perspective. "Because of the potential danger, it had been sealed up for a long time. It was worth the effort for me to steal it." Ishigami stated with a dark grin as she saw the school descend into chaos, "Such a view… this is art!"
X
Finally, after seeing all she had seen… she began to realize the truth. She began to realize what exactly this place was. "Thi…This place…" She said with a quavering voice, "is a monster academy…"
"Ping pong! Seems like you finally understood." Kyou turned towards the fairy who continued speaking, "Then… I'll ask you a question: Why am I telling you the secret of this school?"
Suddenly a whiteboard magically appeared behind the fairy with three different answers. "Three choices: 1. Because I'm kind 2. No reason 3. To eat your soul for the price of fulfilling your wish?"
Kyou reached out for the buzzer and nervously answered, "Num…Number 1!"
But when the fairy simply licked her lips, Kyou knew the answer right away. "A terrified soul is most delectable."
"Itadakimasu!" The fairy held the mirror to Kyou and a blinding light surrounded her.
X
In the outskirts of school, a multitude of bats congregated, forming a miniature cyclone of the living creatures. Then, almost as suddenly as they appeared, they vanished and a man stood there, looking at the chaotic school from a distance.