Chapter 21:

Chapter 21, A New Sort of Normal

Haruhi woke to a few knocks on the door to the room she was in. She sat up with a stretch as she looked out the window and saw that it was still dark outside. She looked around the room with a sigh, not having the chance to do so the last time she had gone in to sleep. The room was set in dark colors that gave off a warmth uncommon to the type of setting on display. The room itself was set very much like the Gothic Era of Europe but had several modern day amendments to it for convenience. She was pulled back to the door when there was another set of knocks.

"Hello?" she called softly.

"Haru-chan," she heard in reply. "It's me and Takashi. I know it's early but would you like to join us for a morning work out?"

Haruhi leaned over to the table near the large bed and grab her phone off the nightstand to look at the time. It was about five in the morning. Thinking about how the lessons she had the other day went, she smiled.

"Yeah," she replied. "Let me get dressed."

"We already have a gi for you to wear, Haru-chan."

Haruhi slid off the bed and straightened out her pajamas before opening the door. She smiled softly at the sight of Hunny and Mori. Both were in already in their karate gi and barefoot. Hunny had Usa-Chan and some folded fabric held to his chest and smiled warmly while Mori gently brought a hand to Haruhi's cheek. She felt her cheeks warm as his thumb gently stroked her cheek. Hunny's giggle broke them out of their small moment causing a faint blush to cross Mori's face as well as Haruhi's to get a little darker.

"Here you go Haru-chan," Hunny said with a bright smile as he handed her a neatly folded gi. "Takashi and I were wondering if you would like us to get you a couple sets so that you don't have to keep borrowing Chika-chan's old one."

"Uh," Haruhi stared at her smaller senpai a bit stunned. "Sure, I mean...if it won't be a bother..."

"Haru-chan," Hunny sighed. "It's not a bother and besides, wouldn't it be easier to have your own sets that fit you rather than keep borrowing ones that are too big?"

Haruhi lowered her head and nodded with a growing blush before taking the offered gi and shutting the door to change. Hunny just giggled again and look up at his cousin with a smile.

"You already have some ready to order don't you, Takashi?" Hunny asked.

Mori nodded. "Ah. I didn't place the order just in case she said no."

Hunny just giggled again and shook his head. He had a feeling his cousin would have ordered them anyway but would keep it a secret from her as to why there was a couple at each estate for practice and lessons that fit her perfectly. He smiled as Haruhi exited her room wearing the gi. Over the time she spent with them, she had learned how to put it on properly with little to no mistakes since the first time.

"Ready, Haru-chan?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "But, where are we going to practice? I don't think this place has a dojo."

Hunny and Mori smiled and motioned for her to follow. Haruhi shrugged and complied making sure to pick out some objects as landmarks so that she could use them to help her find her way back since she didn't know how big the Sanctuary Kyoya had made was. After a few twists and turns, the three teens found themselves at a large courtyard that was surrounded by the rest of the Sanctuary. Haruhi noticed that although the building was made like a medieval castle, it was formed in the same design layout as a traditional Japanese Shiro. She saw that the courtyard was edged in lots of different kinds of flower bushes, and a few blooming peach and sakura trees. The inner most part of the courtyard was dirt and had a few target circles and dummies up as well as a couple weapon racks with some shinai, bokken and various other weapons displayed on them. There were also a couple stands with long wooden staves. But what really caught their attention was the two men that were in the middle.

Asuda stood with a bokken in each hand and was in a stance that would allow him to move backwards or forwards at any given moment. He was dressed in long dark blue hakama with the ankles untied and barefoot. He wore no top, thus showing well defined muscles as well as quite a few faint scars that proved he had seen battle at some point in his life. His face was calm and blank but there was also an edge in his eyes that Hunny and Mori could tell was determination to stand his ground and fight back with all he had. He was breathing somewhat heavily, indicating that he had been practicing whatever he was doing for possible several hours.

Across from him was Trekiva dressed completely in black. He wore a long cheongsam that fit to his chest comfortably that was open partially showing the upper portion of his chest and thin hakama that looked more like slacks with black boots on his feet. In his right hand was a long bokken with the tip pointed towards the ground and his left hand behind his back. Trekiva's face was completely blank, as were his eyes and he gave off an air of complete calm. Even his breathing was calm, giving no insight to how long he had been practicing.

In one soft breath, Asuda moved towards Trekiva with such speed that Haruhi only saw a blur. With a soft thud Asuda's movement was stopped as Trekiva blocked the blow without moving back from the impact and before Asuda could swing the other bokken at the elder vampire, Trekiva spun and caught the younger in the stomach with a solid kick which sent him back to where he was standing previously. Asuda was somehow able to remain standing despite such a solid hit that they were sure would have sent anyone else backwards farther and on their back.

"Again," Trekiva said calmly.

Asuda took a deep breath before reentering his stance. Once emotion was drained from his face, he stood there for a few moments before charging forward again only to be blocked yet again and thrown backwards. The younger vampire regained his footing after flipping midair and reentered his stance only to exit it when Trekiva held up his left hand in a clear indication to pause. Trekiva gave a soft smile before turning to look at the three teens by the entrance.

Asuda looked over and smiled in greeting. "Good morning, young ones. Did we wake you?"

Hunny shook his head, his eyes still wide in awe. He had seen many people practice fighting with different kinds swords before but never the way they were. Mori also looked at the two in slight awe. He had practiced Kendo almost his entire life but he had never seen it done in such a way as Trekiva and Asuda had, nor had he seen anyone with such grace with two blades at once.

"Wow," Haruhi uttered. "Was that a different style of Kendo?"

"Actually," Asuda explained softly. "It isn't Kendo at all. Lord Trekiva was actually using a European fighting style called Fencing. It is normally done with a thin blade called a rapier. I was using another European style of swordsmanship that specializes in using two swords instead of just one. Although using two swords allows one to do more damage to their opponent, they are not as capable to defend themselves as it leaves them more open to shorter and mid-range attacks. There is also the fact that they have a little less control than with one blade."

"It looked like you two were dancing," Hunny proclaimed enthusiastically.

"Such grace comes with eons of practice," Trekiva explained. "If you are curious, then we can teach you."

"How does it differ from Kendo?" Mori asked.

"The stances and movements are quite different but the over all premise is roughly the same," Asuda answered.

"I am a little curious to learn but," Haruhi paused. "I haven't even started any of the other kinds of training yet."

"Is there any you would prefer to learn over the others?"

"No, not really. But I would like to learn at least one of them to help defend myself."

Asuda smiled softly. "How about we stick with the arts of Japan for now. You have many years to learn the others. We do recall how quickly you picked up on the small lesson you had at Mitsukuin's home."

Haruhi blushed softly before nodding. "Would it be a bother?"

"Of course not, my child," Trekiva smiled reassuringly. "It has been many millennia since either Asuda or I have taught any how to defend themselves. Mitsukuni, Takashi, you both are welcome to the lessons. Although I am certain you are well skilled in your arts, there is always something new to be learned from another."

Both teens nodded and all three moved towards the elder vampires. Rather than dive into the level that Trekiva and Asuda knew the young heirs were at, they began at the level Haruhi was. Neither Hunny or Mori minded since the things that the elder two were teaching her was what they did normally as a warm up. After a series of warm ups, Trekiva had Hunny and Mori step to the side with him to work on higher level skills while Asuda began instructing Haruhi on the skills she was still working on. It continued like that for about a couple of hours until Trekiva called a for a pause.

"You have done very well, children," he praised the three teens.

Hunny smiled widely despite panting slightly. Both he and Mori had sparred against the elder vampire and lost, multiple times, even when working together! He could only be in awe of the skill that Trekiva carried as well as the fact that despite knowing it had probably been several centuries since the elder vampire had actually had to physically fight for any reason besides an occasional spar, Trekiva moved with such skill and grace that distinctly showed he still practiced at full strength against people much stronger than they were. Mori was of the same mindset as his smaller cousin as he tried to regain his breath. He too, was in awe of the skill that had beat him in every way. Although he and Hunny had practiced nearly all of their lives, they couldn't match the several millennia of experience that Trekiva carried. Both bowed in thanks of such praise before looking over towards Haruhi.

Mori couldn't help but smile as he saw her in a slight sparring match with Asuda. Both could tell that the elder male was moving slowly and gently with Haruhi but still had enough strength in his hits to let her know where he had struck. With each blow he placed, he would explain how he reached it allowing Haruhi to adjust accordingly before he moved again. He never struck the same place after his explanation which made sure Haruhi had remembered his previous explanations on other hits. When she managed to land a blow, Asuda would congratulation her on the blow as well as explain what she could do if she hit that area harder and with more accuracy. After a few moments, he had them both pause and turned to their small audience.

"You're doing so well Haru-chan!" Hunny cheered. "Isn't she, Takashi?"

"Ah," Mori intoned with a soft smile.

Haruhi blushed with a soft smile. Asuda had a smile of his own and glanced at his Sire to see a similarly small smile on his lips as well. Both were pleased that she learned quickly and seemed to have a natural talent for the marital arts she was learning. Trekiva was proud of her and it showed in his eyes as he gave her a soft smile.

"Shall we get something to eat before we continue?" Trekiva asked.

"Um, don't we have to get ready for school?" Haruhi asked. "We've been at this for a while..."

"Time is different here," Asuda stated. "While we have been practicing for a couple of hours, time to the outer world has only moved as many minutes as each hour has passed."

"Meaning only a couple minutes had passed?" Hunny asked in awe.

Asuda nodded. He could easily see the shock in each of them and barely managed to hold back a laugh. Asuda had used the temporal differences of the Sanctuary to his advantage in a number of things once it was explained to him how it worked. He had managed to catch up with all of the reports for his Sire's corporations as well as the affairs of the court and council back in Mongolia. Trekiva was pleased to actually be caught up with each of the affairs that he oversaw instead of dealing with old and new at the same time. It was extremely rare that he was up to date on everything but when he was, everything prospered and ran smoothly. Both fully intended on using the temporal vortex to help Haruhi get better at her skills as well as help her with her assignments. Kyoya had even informed them of what the school was demanding to be implemented that day. Trekiva wanted some time to explain the situation to her as Kyoya had to him.

"Shall we?" Asuda asked, motioning them back inside.

All three teens nodded.

"All right. Go back to your rooms and get changed into something comfortable. After we have eaten, we can work on your class assignments."

They nodded again and went back towards their rooms, leaving the two elder vampires in the courtyard.

"Will you be explaining to her what the school has decided?" Asuda asked.

"Yes," Trekiva answered. "She needs to know. Telling her in here will give her more time to come to terms with it rather than being forced to do so on short notice. They have nearly three hours before they need to arrive at their first lesson. That gives us plenty of time for explanations and training."

Asuda nodded and began to head inside. Trekiva followed shortly after having made sure that the training weapons were put back in their proper places before heading inside himself to bathe and change. Once redressed, he went to the large dining hall and greeted the children with a soft smile before taking his seat at the head of the table. When everyone was seated, a few Shadow phased next to each person and placed a plate of food before them. Haruhi had jumped slightly at the sudden arrival of the Shadows, but gave a meek "thank you" to the being before it left with a gentle bow.

When a majority of the meal had been eaten, Trekiva cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. Once he had it, he spoke.

"Haruhi, I have been informed of a slight change that the school board has decreed in regards to you."

Hunny and Mori tensed slightly and Haruhi's face showed her concern clearly.

"It is nothing bad child," Trekiva soothed. "It is just that the school board has stated that you need to conform to the specified school uniform rather than maintain the one you have worn."

"What's wrong with the uniform that I have been wearing?" she asked. "No one seemed to be bothered by it before."

"It seems as though a few children from more prominent families took offense and complained. The only reason it wasn't forced on you when you got back from summer break was because they were distracted by a few more important matters and the chairman had been setting it off for as long as he could."

"But, I don't even have that uniform! The only one that I had worn was loaned to my by Kyoya-senpai when the one I had got soaked during my first year. I had to give it back once the first one they gave me was dry."

"That has already been taken care of."

"How?" Haruhi asked.

"Abraham has purchased them and all needed items for you," Trekiva explained. "And so that you don't try to send them back or try to repay him for it, he claims it as a gift to you. From one family member to another, as well as an apology for his improper behavior at your first meeting."

"How are he and I related? I thought my ancestor was a servant to his family."

"You two are family because of how Donors were viewed by the head of his family. To Cedric, the head of the Detrio when it still flourished and when Astu was human, he never saw Donors as lesser people or regular mortals as such either. To him, they were people under his care to be loved and treated with the respect they deserved. He had made it his personal mission to aid all he could while he could. Many of his staff, he adopted and listed as his wards so that they would have better futures than what was originally displayed to them. It was with considerable shock when he learned that there were traitors in his family getting rid of those he loved and Cursing them with the blood of others."

"That is part of the reason he took the knowledge of your existence so harshly," Asuda added. "Historian Abraham has spent nearly his whole life trying to mend and find those of his family. For years he came up empty handed and with each false lead, he began to lose more and more hope of actually finding anyone that was dear to his ancestors, and then he learns that the born child of one loved by his family had been found just outside of his reach after several attempts of searching and finding nothing but false hopes and dead ends. When you met him, he wasn't angry with your existence, he was angry with the fact he hadn't found you or your family sooner. He has spent centuries trying only to fail at each turn. When I spoke to him away from the others, Abraham explained everything to me.

"He wished to convey his apologies so much sooner to you but with everything that had happened and was still happening, he didn't have the time. He does truly wish to recognize you as true family, as Atsu was accepted as such. This is why he had taken the initiative to get you the new uniform as well as bring in the needed members of the Historian's Archive here to meet you and save you the trip of needing to go all of the way to England. Though you will still need to head out to England to sign the documents and see the estate."

Haruhi looked down at the partially empty plate in front of her. She actually hadn't known that Abraham was part of the family her ancestor was a Donor to. She had thought he was just part of the Archive that Hunny's mother had mentioned. She nodded softly indicating that she accepted his gesture and wouldn't try to give back the uniforms or try to pay him back for them. Trekiva and Asuda smiled softly before changing the topic to what the plan for after lunch was.

"Now that we have that out of the way," Trekiva stated. "We shall be going to the library and after a few hours there, we shall practice your Arcana."

"Takashi and I don't have Arcana though," Hunny stated.

"I am aware. While Haruhi is practicing her Arcana with me, you to will be with Asuda working on your Shadow and Blood use. I may not use very much Balance Arcana but I know enough that I can help you gain a better understanding, child. Takashi, you might even be able to gain a better grasp of the bond between yourself and Qurdox through the course of this. But first, there is reading and classwork to be done."

The three teens nodded and stood before following the elder vampire through the long halls of the Sanctuary, each one bowing softly to the Shadows as they reformed to take away the plates and cups as they left. When they arrived at a rather large room, Haruhi sucked in a breath as she looked upon the vast collection of books inside the sprawling chamber. Not only where there more books than she could count, but she could feel the hum of Arcana throughout the room meaning that several of the books there were tomes of Magic. She looked at Trekiva with wide and eager eyes which caused the elder vampire to laugh softly before motioning her to enter. When she hurried in, he had a Shadow gather her school bag for her. He had a feeling that Haruhi would want to take notes with some of the books she would be reading. He watched as Hunny and Mori smiled at the girl's enthusiasm to learn something before entering themselves.

Trekiva followed shortly after and picked up a book from one of the shelves to read while he waited for the children to read all they wished. He mentally separated his mind to focus not only on his present moment but also on the rune stone pulsing in his pocket. The stone he carried was linked to his council and with the urgency in which it was pulsing, it was something important. With the separation made, he opened the book he chose and let his mind slip into the segment plane where his council awaited.

*~*0o0o0o0o0*~*

Kayon pinched the bridge of his nose as his mind slipped into the segment plane of the Council Summons. He felt relatively better at the fact that Vyen was physically with him and thus entered the plane at the same time. The elder Dragon was an immensely soothing presence in the turmoil he was dealing with. He took a deep breath and focused on the others as they arrived. The next to show was Tsuke which didn't surprise him much since the crown prince was already on an airplane heading towards the isle of Japan. The next to arrive was a tall male with short darker than black hair and deep mahogany red eyes. He was dressed in a crimson cheongsam with black designs and trim with black thin hakama and short ankle boots. The last to arrive was Trekiva.

Trekiva looked at those assembled and smiled at the tall male that was also the only one standing.

"It has been some time since we have had you with us in conference Tai Zhou," he smiled. "How is Lin Kai faring?"

"He is well," the tall male intoned with a short bow. "I ask for pardon on my absences from prior meetings."

"It is given dear friend," Vyen stated. "We are fortunate that you could join us now. Has young Tsuke brought you up to current events?"

"He has. I am relieved that Childer Atsu's family is alive and well."

"You will meet them when you arrive, my dear general," Trekiva smiled.

Tai Zhou bowed his head in understanding. From there the conversation turned to the reason for the urgent summons. From what was being explained, it appeared that Tsuke and his two brothers were already on the plane to Japan but were going to spend a couple days tending to the matters that had cropped up in South Korea before flying over to Japan for not only the annual evaluation of the Covens but also for the Union Ceremony for their newest family member. Kayon and Satsuki would have been on the plane with them but their trip needed to be postponed a couple days due to the fact the Mage's Council had taken offense to the person he had picked to be Japan's Representative on the Council. Apparently they had hoped that he would have picked one of their members to be his Voice in Japan even though their choices weren't out in that part of the world, nor were they inclined to pack up and head there. The closest they had was in Guam, since Alyona and Katsuro Nekozawa had their control set more in Russia than in Japan.

It was noted that Tsuke and his brothers would arrive in two to three days. Kayon was hoping that things would settle down after he explained that although Chi Yen Tusji wasn't formally part of the Council, he was in fact a good choice as he was a Level 3 Holy Sorcerer and a Level 4 Light Mage. It was clear that the man knew his Arcana and was a logical choice as his perception of Arcana was towards the betterment of all beings. There was also the added ease that he already lived in Japan and had a good standing in mortal society. Whether things calmed down or not with the Council was debatable but even if things hadn't settled down, Kayon and his family would be heading to Japan in five days with no stops along the way, whether they liked it or not. If the Council still hadn't accepted the choice of the Arch-Mage by then, they would have to live with it either way since Kayon wasn't changing his mind. He just loathed the fact he was going to have a headache until they stopped trying to pester him about it.

The last to arrive to Japan would be Vyen and his brood since they were flying in the traditional way that dragons normally do, with their own wings. Due to Vyen's advanced age, there would be the overly worried flight attendants, as well as the fact that the elder dragon really didn't like the "metal cans with stiff wings" anymore than he liked the people that worked on them. It had only taken one trip to and from a location for the aged dragon to vow never to fly in one again. The biggest concern with them flying wasn't being seen since they would be far above the clouds. The only ones that might see them were people actually in planes but their sightings were already rare and far between since they were white dragons and would blend with the clouds; no, their biggest concern was if the aged dragon could actually make the flight since he was insisting on being the one leading it, rather than letting his stronger children do so. They knew that he had enough strength in him to shift and take flight but they weren't sure if he could keep it up for the span of time it would take. The central palace was a long ways from Japan and his family were worried for good reason. Although Vyen waved off the concern the others clearly showed, he did inform them than if he grew tired while in flight, he would consent to his brood carrying him along with them or stopping to let rest and regain some strength. He was, however, firmly adamant about arriving at least two days before the actual Ceremony for the two children though. His children had nothing against his desire to try and spend a day with the intended pair, they just worried on if he would actually make it.

Once those matters were attended to, they slipped into easy conversation about the events to follow not only their arrival but also what would happen after the planned events. With the knowledge that one of the Master Archivists was already in Japan by request of Abraham, as well as Fernando and Hannah Antiago, the key members that needed to be present for the Union from each court was taken care of and they could easily get through the bigger bulk of the paperwork formally accepting Haruhi into their respective clans. The Union wouldn't be able to be argued against nor would it be severed should any of the Courts or Councils not like the matching. After all, Takashi Morinozuka was heir to not only his family name and all titles tied to it, but also his father's position on the Japanese Council of Covens. Although Haruhi had a ways to go in actually accepting her heritage and being accepted by it, she was in fact a blood child to not only the Antiago Crown, regardless of it being through a curse, but also a blood child to Trekiva. She was also counted as an heiress to what is left of the Detrio line alongside Abraham. None would be able to argue with her bloodline with four Historians verifying the lines with the same results, not to mention Qurdox being her summoned companion through the Arcane Arts by the Arch-Mage, the Brood-father of the Dragons, a Master Archivist and her instructor, Alyona Nekozawa. Anyone who tried would have to be carrying some pretty solid fabrications against such truths, as well as have a good network of liars to back them up.

Once the conversation seemed to die down, Trekiva bid farewell to the others and rejoined his focus in the library with the children just as Haruhi walked up to him.

*~*0o0o0o0o0*~*

When Haruhi had seen all of the books in the library as well as felt the faint hum of the Arcane Tomes, she couldn't contain her excitement at reading everything she could with what time she had. When given permission to go further in, she barely managed to hold back the urge to just run in. She managed to get to the first set of shelves in which she felt the hum of Arcane power and took some of the books off the shelf. She glanced at the covers and noticed that the ones she grabbed were similar to the ones she already had but were quite a bit thicker. After skimming a couple pages, she realized that the books were thicker because they carried more detailed explanations as well as variations and drawings. She moved towards a small table bench under a large window and was about to sit when she caught a flicker of movement near her. Looking up she noticed a Shadow holding her book bag out towards her. She thanked the being as it set the bag down near her feet before is faded from sight. Haruhi sat down and pulled out a few blank notebooks and a pencil before she started reading the thicker tomes. When she came across a useful bit of information or something she had a question about, she wrote it down with a little indication next to it reminding her on if it was a note or a question. After a bit she was pulled from her reading by a gentle tap on her shoulder.

Haruhi looked up and saw Mori standing near her. She smiled up at him and moved over slightly so that he could sit next to her and look over what she was doing alongside her. She could tell there was something on his mind but figured that he would let her know if it was important and so she focused back on the book and her notes. Mori had a small smile on his face as he watched Haruhi study the tome she had chosen. He could tell by the energy he could fell coming off of the book that it was an Arcane Tome of some kind, the vibrations of the magic inside it churning like the waves on a beach. When she moved over to let him sit near her, he smiled a little wider as he joined her to watch over her shoulder. Although he couldn't actually read the pages in the book, since they appeared as nothing more than blank pages, he could read the notes she was taking as she read. As he read over the word she had written, his mind wandered over to the question that originally pulled him over to her in the first place: would she let him hold her as she read?

He could tell that Haruhi noticed he had something on his mind but made no move to force it out of him, which he was grateful for. Mori smiled again before moving slightly closer and gently pulled her into his lap. Haruhi had tensed slightly when she his arms wrap around her but relaxed and let him move her. She found herself blushing as she was situated in his lap. She glanced up at him with a soft blush on her cheeks but smiled softly before adjusting slightly to get a bit more comfortable so she could continue reading and taking notes. Mori gave her a gentle squeeze and rested his chin on her shoulder as he read over her notes a little better and not get a kink in his neck at the same time. When she paused to look at him he quietly spoke to her about what he read of her notes as well as offering his ideas on how to answer some of her written questions. Haruhi listened with rapt attention and began to take some notes on what he said. Every now and then there would be a question that Mori couldn't answer or a question of his own about somethings so she made a note next to those questions so that she could ask them to Trekiva or Asuda when she got the chance.

After a bit, her brain was tired from all of the reading she had done and felt Mori loosen his arms around her so she could stand. Haruhi immediately felt the change of temperature and wished that Mori still had his arms around her. She had felt warm and safe wrapped in his arms and now wished to go back into that warmth but the need to stretch her legs won over the want of warmth. Picking up her notebook, Haruhi moved over to Trekiva with slow hesitant steps. When she saw him raise his gaze to hers, she smiled softly.

"Yes?" he asked calmly.

"Um," Haruhi paused. "I was hoping you could help clarify some of the things I read in one of the Tomes. As well as answer some questions i had about what was in them."

"Of course."

Haruhi nodded and began going over the questions she had with some of what she read as well as adding in Mori's thoughts on the topic after she had sat in the chair next to his. Trekiva listened calmly and explained everything he could in a way she could better understand. It didn't escape his notice that she would occasionally rub her arms while she was talking, or the occasionally glance towards the stoic child while she spoke before refocusing back on him. It also didn't escape his notice that Mori was much the same but he kept his observation to himself and focused on Haruhi's questions. Once each was sufficiently explained, he stood and had the teens follow him back towards the dinning hall as it was time for lunch. During lunch, Trekiva explained that he would actually begin their Magic lessons once the meal was done back in the courtyard they had practiced martial arts that morning. All three teens nodded and the meal was eaten in companionable conversation about the books each had read in the library. When they arrived in the courtyard after the meal was cleaned up, Trekiva had all three start with a basic warm up of minor spells that he knew all three should be able to use with relative ease. After a few sessions of basic incantations, the elder vampire began working on more advanced items while trying to maintain a balance of the different magics for the benefit of each teen. After about an hour, Asuda came outside and took over the lessons for Hunny and Mori which allowed Trekiva to focus more on Haruhi's Balance Arcana. After a few moments, he had her begin to cast some of the offensive spells that she picked up from reading the Tomes as well as the ones that Alyona had her do when they were at the Haninozuka estate.

As he watched her practice, giving some advise every now and then, a few thoughts popped into his head. Their bonding came about so quickly, Trekiva thought with a gentle smile. And although they have known each other for around a year prior, Haruhi doesn't know everything about the one she is to be entering Union with and the same is for Takashi. Their bond is pure and although short, it is filled with love. If only they could have had the opportunity to... Trekiva's thoughts tapered off as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a breath and looked around him before chuckling softly. He noticed that not only had he forgotten that he was in a place where time flowed more quickly than the world outside it, Haruhi had managed to place an Ice Barrier around the whole courtyard and that it was snowing inside the barrier, much like the inside of a snow globe. He saw Hunny running around excitedly in the snow with Mori nearby but had his gaze towards where Trekiva was. The elder vampire glanced over towards where Haruhi was once standing and saw Qurdox coiled around her trying to warm her up.

"What did we learn?" he asked with an amused chuckle.

"N-n-not to aim a fr-frost sphere at the-the ground," Haruhi shivered.

Trekiva smiled softly and looked towards the coiled dragon. "Would you kindly?"

Qurdox rumbled softly before a faint click was heard and a stream of golden fire left his maw towards the highest point of the dome. Once the fire hit it, the dome creaked and groaned before cracking and shattering. Fortunately it faded back into a harmless mist and faded before any of the larger chunks could land on anyone or anything. Mori had moved over to Haruhi the moment the ice wall fell and Qurdox let him in so that he could wrap his arms around her and begin to help warm her up. Hunny, Asuda and Trekiva watched with soft smiles, and some chuckles, before a few Shadows formed carrying some warm blankets for the freezing girl. Asuda glanced at the rune sphere on his wrist which allowed him to tell time inside the Sanctuary's Vortex.

"Well," he sighed. "Why don't we head inside to warm up a bit and work on your class assignments. I was able to get in touch with the teachers and gather the assignments you missed as well as the relevant displays for notes."

Haruhi nodded and let Mori guide her back inside. She was really cold from the backlash of the Frost Sphere but was steadily warming up thanks to the warm blankets she was given as well as Mori sharing his own warmth with her as they walked inside. After a quick detour to the room she was using to change since the clothes she was wearing were damp with melted snow, they all went back to the large library. Once back in the library, Mori had her sit in his lap with one of the blankets wrapped around both of them near the large fireplace that now had a roaring flame inside, helping to warm up the room and its occupants. When the others sat near by, no one questioned it and Asuda placed a few stacks of papers on the table they were seated at before sitting with them. He had organized the papers in the order of the class and by assignment. Since Asuda wasn't sure how far into their lessons the three teens were, nor had he really been inclined to ask, he had grabbed everything for their year.

Mori and Hunny looked at the large stacks and sighed softly. As they both went through it, they set aside the assignments they had already completed and began focusing on the rest of the pages they hadn't touch yet in their classes. Haruhi had done the same thing but would occasionally look at the assignments Mori had since he was going into Law as well, the only difference was that he was doing Corporate Law while she was going to do the kind that was used to fight for a persons rights. All three teens worked on their assignments, with the occasional question for clarification to either Asuda or Trekiva. Every now and then Haruhi would ask a question in which either Hunny or Mori answered before the elder two vampires could or her focus would be solely on Qurdox indicating that the dragon was answering the question. After a couple hours of this, Trekiva stood and cleared his throat.

"It is time for dinner," he stated calmly. "We shall continue these tasks tomorrow much like we have done today."

Everyone nodded and began to put their assignments away before they slowly stood, each one stretching due to being seated for so long, and followed Trekiva back to the dining hall. Once again, when everyone was seated, the Shadows appeared and placed the meal in front of them before fading. As everyone ate Trekiva pondered a bit more on his thoughts from earlier before smiling softly. Upon seeing the soft smile on his Sire's face Asuda tilted his head to the side.

"Sire?" he asked hesitantly. "What's on your mind?"

Trekiva turned to his child before letting his smile get a little bigger and gave a soft chuckle. He turned his gaze towards Haruhi and Mori with the same smile as he noticed that they had heard Asuda's question.

"I was wondering if you two children would like the time to properly court each other before your Union," Trekiva stated softly.

"Court?" Haruhi asked. "Is that kind of like dating?"

"In a sense," Asuda explained, instantly knowing why his sire had asked. "In a normal pairing, such Unions are setup at any time and the two that will be entering the Union will court, or date, for a time. In many cases the Union is formalized at or before the birth of the children so that they are raised with each other. In such cases where Unions are not preplanned, a child will enter a courtship with a prospective partner which will let them know how things will work between them. Sometimes a Union is formed from such and other times the courtship is ended and both people go their separate ways."

"Although you two have known each other for a little over a year," Trekiva added. "You two do not know everything about the other, or near enough to fully understand what it would be like between yourselves. What I am proposing is the time and opportunity to do just that. You have eleven days before the actual ceremony and with the flow of time here in the Sanctuary, you will have days, even months, to do so if you wish for them."

"How would that work though?" Haruhi asked. "We still have school and we are still trying to formalizing when my other lessons will be."

"Do you know the schedule?" Asuda asked pulling a slip of paper towards him with a pen. "Or something to branch off of?"

"Mondays are when I have study sessions with Ayame Jounouchi about an hour before school instead of after school, Wednesdays and Saturdays are the days that we are planning on having Karate and Judo with Hunny-senpai and Yasuchika, Thrusdays are Kendo with Takashi and Satoshi, with Friday being my Arcana lessons with Lady Alyona."

Asuda wrote everything down as she spoke. "What about the Host Club hours?"

"Lets see," Hunny thought out loud. "If Kyo-chan sticks to the way it was done last year, then Mondays are meeting days so there is no Hosting hours. The meeting usually only last about an hour unless Tama-chan and the twins keep getting distracted. With Ayame-chan changing the sessions to morning, Haru-chan would only need to be there for the meeting, so Mondays she would be off campus around 4:30 with 5 o'clock being the latest. Tuesdays would be around 6 o'clock. Wednesdays were originally going to be the day that Haru-chan would stay the night and go to school with Chika-chan and Sato-chan so that she wouldn't be late or really sleepy due to practice. Same thing with Thurdays for Kendo. I'm not sure how long the Arcana lessons would take but I am sure you could ask Neko-chan. As for the weekends, Haru-chan would practice as long as she wanted to with us on Saturdays in Judo, Karate and Kendo. We left Sunday alone since she usually uses that day to do all her house chores, catch up on homework and spend time with her dad."

Trekiva nodded. "I see. May I suggest that a few hours each day are spent here to allow for the bond between the two of you to grow?"

"We would need to ask our families and Kyo-chan but I don't think it would be a problem," Hunny said with a soft shrug.

"We would need to be back in time to head to school as well as get some morning practice in with our families," Mori added.

"I will call and ask," Asuda stated. "For now it is just to get an idea set upon the table."

Hunny, Mori and Haruhi nodded. They would think about doing so, especially Haruhi and Mori. Hunny already knew it would be a good idea since Trekiva and Asuda had a very good point in their favor, Haruhi and Mori didn't know each other very well outside of the Host Club. True there were several times when the Host Club had occasionally intruded on her life outside of school but it wasn't near enough for them to actually get to know her one on one, and although Kyoya had his handy black book filled to the brim with information, he didn't know everything.

Haruhi knew that both elder vampires made some good points and she was curious about what kind of person Mori really was outside of and away from a majority of the Host Club and their antics. Sure she had a good idea from the few times the Host Club has ambushed her but she knew that it wasn't everything and she was curious to learn more about the man who was going to become her husband. Mori was of the same mind set as the others. He knew that a chance to properly court his intended would do both of them a world of good for a multitude of reasons. Although he had experienced a fair bit of her life through her eyes when he had the few small tastes of her blood when her finger got cut plus when they inadvertently completed their bond, but he knew there was much more to her than what he saw and he wanted to show her more of what he was like away from the rest of the hosts, his cousin included. It was with that thought in mind that he asked the question that popped into his mind.

"Haruhi?" he asked. "Would you like to take a walk around the Sanctuary's gardens with me?"

Haruhi blinked a couple times in surprise before smiling and nodding. "Sure."

When both looked towards Trekiva with a silent question in their eyes he nodded and both stood with a soft bow before walking out of the dining hall, Haruhi's arm linked gently with Mori's. Hunny just giggled softly as he watched the two of them leave.

"I think that answers the question on their end," he said enthusiastically.

"Indeed," Trekiva smiled. "Asuda?"

"I will make the calls momentarily," he stated. "Although I am certain that the patriarchs of the houses are awake, I would rather not interrupt their morning stances just yet. Nor wake young Ootori before he would do so normally."

Trekiva nodded softly in understanding. "Very well. I wish you both a pleasant rest and I shall see you in the morning."

Hunny bowed softly before walking towards the room offered to him. Even though it had only been about half an hour outside of the Sanctuary, he had a good day so far and was looking forward to the rest of the days they had before they needed to leave to go to school. He also hoped that their parents would allow for the "extended" time so Haruhi and Mori could gain a better understanding of each other before their Ceremony. He was fairly sure that his aunt and uncle would agree but there was a slim chance they wouldn't. It was a very teeny tiny chance but it was still there. He said a small prayer before climbing into bed that they would allow it and maybe even come to visit to see how everything was going for themselves. It would be interesting and well worth it if they did.