Ch. 26

Woes of a Friend

I can't believe Nekonome sometimes. To go ahead and tell us that we're going on a summer camp trip, and at the last minute, too! Well, I say last minute, but we still have a couple of days to prepare and pack.

"I wonder what we'll have to be doing when we get to the human world," Mizore said as she finished up packing her own bag, which was all neatly packed and organized.

"There's no telling," I comment as I tossed in a shirt into my own bag, which was the complete opposite of Mizore's bag, having clothes spilling out from the sides of it. "We'll probably end up doing something mundane, knowing Ms. Nekonome."

"Nathan, your bag is so messy," she said as she put her hands on her hips.

"Hm? So what?" Sighing, she walked over and started to fold all of my clothes for me.

"You really should be more organized, even when packing."

"You sound like my mother. It's all going to end up the same way, anyway, so what's the point?"

"Don't question me, love. I know what I'm doing."

I wonder how this girl operates sometimes. Really.

'Be that as it may, she does have a point. You were completely messy when you were tossing clothes into your duffle. It is shameful.'

Oh would you shut it?! I don't wanna hear it, Ifrit!

"Ok, that's everything," Mizore said suddenly, surprising me.

"Wait, what? You're already done?" I asked surprised, only getting a smile and nod from my little snow bunny.

"Of course. You didn't have too many clothes in your bag, after all. It wasn't too hard to fold them all already."

"You… are so amazing." Smiling, Mizore hugged me and we kissed once again before there was a knock on the door.

"Yahoo~! You two up?" a familiar voice asked from the other side of the door.

"Guess that it's time for us to go and get ready for the summer camp," I say as I stood up. Mizore nodded as she got her jacket back on before going over and opening the door as I got my own shirt on, which was a sleeveless tank top with a rock band's name across it, my pendant hanging from my neck. Mizore opened up the door and let Kurumu and Kasumi in.

"Morning, master," Kasumi said with a wave, wearing skinny jeans that was held up with a black belt with metal studs, a red t-shirt along with a black leather jacket, her own bags over the her shoulder, her sword bag among them.

"Taking that even now?" I asked the salamander, only getting a grin in return.

"But of course. You'll never know when you may need a nodachi, after all."

"Just make sure you don't point that oversized katana towards any of us," Kurumu said as she backed away from the salamander, wearing her usual attire minus her sweater vest.

"Seriously," I hear Mizore mumble as she got our bags together. I walked over and took my own bag from her, swinging my own backpack over my shoulders. "Where's Yukari? I thought you two were supposed to get her."

"We tried, but she just locked herself in her room when we went by to pick her up," Kurumu said while holding and shaking her head.

"I'll go and get her then. She probably just didn't want to listen to you, as usual." With that, Mizore turned and started to walk out.

"Kasumi, go and help her," I tell her, getting a nod. "Just make sure that Mizore at least doesn't freeze her and drag her to the bus, please."

Kasumi nodded and walked out with Mizore as they headed to Yukari's room. Kurumu and I headed out of my room, walking towards the bus stop by the tunnel. While walking, Kurumu was skipping ahead of me while humming to herself.

"What do you think we'll be doing during this summer camp, Nate?" she asked while skipping still.

"No telling. Knowing Ms. Nekonome, she doesn't have any idea of what we'll be doing, either," I told her, making the two of us chuckle.

"Yeah, she doesn't really seem the type to think things all the way through." Soon, she stopped skipping and walked next to me. "Say, this is going to be an odd question, but what is like? This connection that you and Mizore have?"

"You're right, that is an odd question," I say with amusement, making her roll her eyes with a smirk before bumping her hip against me.

"Just tell me already!" she said with a smile on her face.

"Ok, ok, no need to result to assault." We both laughed at this. "Hm… Well, it's hard to explain, really. Ever since I met her, there was some unspoken connection between Mizore and I. It was… fate, I guess. Like the world wanted us to be together."

"I see. So it's almost like destined ones for succubus."

"Probably. Like I said, I can't really explain it. Why do you ask, Kurumu?" At that question, she stopped walking while looking down at the ground. "…Kurumu? You ok?"

"It's… It's just this talk about fate and destined mates," she said while looking down. "You and Mizore are so lucky, to meet each other on the very first day of school. Meanwhile, I was just running around making slaves of every boy that so much as looked at, blindly following my own nature."

"Kurumu, you know that no one blames you for that," I tell her while shaking my head, she doing the same.

"I know that, but I still feel guilty about it. Tsukune saved me from more than the Other Moka's wrath; he saved me from my loneliness. After that, I was able to meet you and everyone else. You're all my closest friends, and I couldn't be happier… but…"

"You want more. You want your destined one," I concluded for her, making her slowly nod.

"I still think that it's Tsukune. He's been so kind to me."

"It takes more than just being nice and friendly to you, Kurumu. You know that."

"Yes! I know!" Kurumu suddenly shouted while feverously shaking her head, tears falling from her eyes. "But what am I supposed to believe? This is the first time in my entire life that I've felt this way towards someone! It has to be him! It has to!"

"Kurumu, calm down!" I tell her while holding her shoulders, making her look at me. "Just because you haven't discovered who your destined one is doesn't mean that you'll never meet them!" Kurumu, still teary-eyed, looked at me and sniffled. Wiping her eyes, she nodded and then shook her head a bit.

"I guess you're right, Nathan," she said softly. She shook her head again before smiling wide. "Besides! I'll make Tsukune fall for me yet! Just you wait!"

"Ah, there's the old Kurumu," I commented, making her giggle as we started walking down the path again, the succubus all smiles once again. She walked beside me as she looked up at the sky.

"…Say, Nathan. One more strange question for you," she suddenly said. I smirked a bit and chuckled.

"What's up?"

"Say that you and I met on the very first day of school. Do you think that we'd be together like you and Mizore are right now?"

That… caught me off guard a bit. I looked at her surprised before shaking my head and scratching the back of it.

"…I'm not sure… Probably not, really," I tell her. "Like I said, there was some sort of connection between me and her. I felt it since day one."

"Hm… I wonder if it should feel like that for me," I hear her say, just on the edge of my hearing.

'Sounds like the succubus is having doubts.'

Can't say I blame her. Tsukune seems to only have his focus on Moka all the time, so I'm sure that Kurumu feels like she's being ignored most of the time.

'It is sad, when you put it in such a way. What do you think, youngling? Does she have a chance with the human?'

Honestly speaking, I don't think so. But that doesn't mean that she won't find her destined one. And who knows? She may just find that person soon.

'Is this that human concept of foreshadowing that I feel at that statement?'

Quiet, Ifrit.

Shaking my head, I just rolled my eyes a bit before we arrived at the bus stop, Moka and Tsukune already waiting there. Of course, Kurumu rushed on over and planted poor Tsukune's face between her bosom, Moka and her using the poor human as a tug of war rope. I'd be surprised, if this didn't happen almost every day now. I'm actually a bit surprised that the poor guy is still alive at this point.

"NO! I DON'T WANNA GO!"

Hearing this, the two girls had put a hold on their tug-of-war to turn to the source of the scream, as did I. We looked to see Kasumi having Yukari over her shoulder, the young witch trashing about in the salamander's grip, Kasumi herself looking none too pleased by Yukari's antics. Anna was walking behind them, wearing a pale blue sundress along with white leather sandals and carrying her own luggage, seeming to be a little more distressed by how Yukari was acting.

"Would you can it already? It's too late to back out of it now, Yukari," Kasumi stated as she made it to the bus stop, only setting Yukari down finally when she's there with everyone else. Yukari seemed… stressed. Like she's scared of something.

"I-I don't wanna go to the stupid human world! I'm staying here!" Yukari exclaimed as she threw her arms down in protest. Everyone looked at her in surprise, the girl having not raise such a fuss over the trip up until now. Walking up to her, Tsukune had a troubled look on his face.

"Yukari… Why don't you want to go?" he asked her gently. The young witch frowns as she looks down at the ground with a worried look on her face… I wonder what's eating her up…

'Are you truly surprised, youngling? Hath thou forgotten how witches are seen, not only to monsters, but to human beings as well?'

Ah, crap, you're right… She's probably scared out of her mind to go to the human world, especially out of everyone here.

"She's probably just scared. What do you expect from a little kid?"

And, as usual, Kurumu isn't helping.

After Kurumu got her well-deserved golden wash-bin to the head, the bus pulled up to the group as we all got on, Moka having to usher Yukari on with some gentle encouragement, everyone else following after them. Once we were all boarded and had our stuff put away, we were off into the strange tunnel that we had used to come to the academy in the first place… I just hope that this trip goes without anything crazy happening.

'Doth thou truly believe that will happen?'

That's why I said that I hope it does. Too much has already happened to us. It'd be nice if we could just relax and just focus on something fun for a change.

'Be that as it may, youngling, do not let down your guard. The winds of change shift and move constantly, and are rather merciless to those unprepared.'

I'm aware… As if these past few weeks haven't been any indication of that. Still, I'll hold out hope that things go smoothly from here on out.