Mentor Demented

A/N: I apologize immensely to all who have been waiting so patiently for this chapter, and I am sorry to say that I hate this chapter, so it might change later. cries I thank you guys for the suggestions and encouragement! I love you! (hugs for all) And thank you for the cookies, Lil Washu1!

Kloudy Reignfall, you are my kindred spirit in subject romance

Crimson Devil (cousin!) I'm so sorry it took so long!!


4thNight- Remember me?


Shuichi continued to stare at her in slight awe. He swallowed, giving himself time to try and formulate a proper scream.

Before the lady ever had a chance to properly answer him, she had involuntarily thrown the coffee mug towards his head, Shuichi covering his head in time before the shattered glass could reach him. As he peeked up carefully from under his shielding arm and saw her body begin to shimmer and deliquesce, like clay. Within moments a reddish wolf with blue eyes sat in her place, watching him with an even gaze. Neither of them had dared lose their eye contact.

'What in the world?' Shuichi knew that he should scream; that he should run and find somewhere else to go. Something weird was going on in this house, at this moment; something that was beyond his poor mind to fully fathom.

"That is quite enough," Yuki called, pulling the trembling boy under his arm, a mere impulse he decided that was part of his job as guardian. "You will not gnaw him down to the bone, understood? He is my guest and will remain here until he can live on his own." 'Which will probably be never,' that nagging voice intervened. Yuki's golden eyes flashed in irritation.

Shuichi hadn't noticed his body quaking, similar to the way the girl's touch had made him feel. But this was being caused by- Yuki? He dared himself a glance, allowing his eyes to appreciate the blonde as his eyes sparked back to a sullen golden hue. They shimmered so strangely, Shuichi found them more fascinating as each moment passed. Some of his tension was slowly easing out of him, allowing him to secure his fingers closest to Yuki into his silk shirt, not wanting to be left alone again. I still need to ask him about that house map, he reminded himself, but jumped as the wolf stood up on its hind legs and loitered out the back door, which somehow opened before she even touched it. Wait a minute, Shuichi thought in sudden surprise, there wasn't a door in here last night! Was there…? I don't remember a door…

"Are you unhurt?" Yuki asked, removing his arm and glancing down into the pink-fropped teen. Honestly he could care less, but it seemed like an appropriate moment to show some concern, a rarity that even he thought didn't exist within him anymore. He would need counseling before the month was up.

Shuichi still had his fingers clawed into his shirt, missing the comforting touch the other had provided. He nodded mutely, not too for sure if he wanted to voice the questions that buzzed through his mind like an angry bee-hive. He settled for asking about the map. "Do you have a map of your house?"

"Excuse me?" Previous thoughts of maybe further exploring this new feeling called worry evaporated in an instant. Now why would he have a map of his own house, in which he has lived for well over, one, two, three…however many centuries it's been! Yuki presented him with a blank stare that clearly said 'You really are and idiot if you can't even get this much done without pre-written directions.' "Why would I have a map?"

Shuichi's face reddened with embarrassment, unsure on how he should continue. He settled for letting go of Yuki and clasping his own hands together instead.

Yuki sighed, turning around to gaze into the living room. 'There has got to be a way to get him out of the house and keep him out of trouble at the same time', he grimaced, already annoyed with Shuichi so early in the day. A picture that had been taken as he was still alive caught his eye. Slowly the conspiring wheels of his mind started to turn as a plan was being created to get the brat out of his hair during the day. He mentally pulled an image of himself tapping his fingertips together, and silently mouthed 'excellent'.


"School?" Shuichi asked in dismay after he'd finally eaten and Yuki sent him upstairs and had him change clothes. Actually, he had to follow Yuki to his rooms, who 'kindly' pointed out that his room was located in the only blue hallway on the second floor. Go figure. Shuichi had nodded, figuring it best if he just looked for something else to wear that matched, settling for his old school uniform, and hopped/ran down the stairs, anxiety and excitement battling within him for the position of ruling emotion the next half hour.

Confusion won in the end.

Both were now seated in the car, Yuki wearing a leather-black trench coat and his signature sunglasses. "Even if it's not required, you're still going to be enrolled in school," he answered, never taking his eyes off the road. "I'm sure you're parents would want you to continue with your studies even after their untimely demise, and I'm just reinforcing their wishes." Yuki chose to cackle in his mind instead of out loud as he caught sight of Shuichi's face from the corner of his eyes. It was very unclear if he wanted to look mortified or laugh.

"But, this is school," Shuichi said, still not sure on what he was supposed to think. A new school, new people, not to mention this would be a public school. It was awkward enough living on the outskirts of Tokyo, but Nagano Prefecture? Oh, this would be fun, fun, fun. Im0ages were racing through Shuichi's head of how his first day would be: Bullied by older students, Girls laughing at his strange hair color (it's natural, by all things considered), teachers threatening him- "Isn't there some other way?" he pleaded.

Yuki sighed, wanting to rub his temples as his patience was becoming strained. "Just calm down," he said, doing his best not to shout at him to- what was it that kids said these days? Take a chill pill. Yes, that's it.

The 'possibilities' of what could happen to him today were racing through his head as well as the idiot sitting next to him.

Unaware, Shuichi inhaled and exhaled as Maiko had taught him many times before when his thoughts went haywire like they were at the moment. It might not be so bad, he tried reasoning with himself, it could actually be a splendid day. Yes, aim for the positive view of-

"It's going to be awkward getting you enrolled so late," Yuki admitted, tapping his fingers on the wheel impatiently, glaring at the light to turn green already. "Lucky for you the principal is a good friend of mine, so you shouldn't have too many problems."

If Shuichi was to learn one thing before he moved out, it was that whenever Yuki smiled that smile where all his teeth showed, no good could come of it. No good could ever come of it.

But he had to find this out on his own.

"We're here," Yuki stated, turning right and pulling up into a big parking lot. Shuichi's eyes went wide as he stared at the alabaster building, estimated five stories from the outside and a gym which was built separate from the main structure. The car shook as Yuki slammed his door shut, debating whether or not to hit Shuichi in the back of the head with something. "Are you going to get out or are you just going to sit there and stare all day?"

Immediately Shuichi snapped out of it and followed Yuki's example, slamming the door and walking with a proud and confident gait. Rather, he attempted to walk with a proud and confident gait, but at most managed a stumble every four steps as they neared the glass doors. They were twice his height and five times his width, and the inside of the school was more like a modern mall with steel steps and an elevator to his left at the far end.

Shuichi swallowed, wondering if it was safe to talk. "This is going to be my school?" he whispered to Yuki, no more than a step away from him. They were still walking up the stairs, heading towards the second floor.

"If I can convince this lazy bimbo to get off her butt and start making changes, yes," he replied, his sunglasses still in place. It was a strange sight, watching a person who could almost blend in with the walls he was so pale, wear sunglasses and have on a black suit, with a pink-haired kid following him around like a lost puppy.

Finally reaching the second floor, Yuki abruptly stopped in the middle of the hallway, Shuichi walking straight into his back as he hadn't expected him to stop. "Oh-oh," Shuichi started to flail his arms in an attempt to keep his balance as his feet unwillingly slipped back down the stairs.

"Watch your step," Yuki said as he turned and caught Shuichi's forearm before he could stumble back down. His mind was frenzied and still anxious about having nearly let him fall down the stairs, only luck having pointed out how close he stood at the edge. His sunglasses slipped down to the bridge of his nose, exposing Yuki's eyes towards the unguarded light of day for a moment. Instantly he hissed like an angry snake, letting go of Shuichi and trying to shield his face from morning.

Shuichi was recovering from the previous scare he had of descending head-first before he could notice the swirl of black, blue and gold that fought to envelop the white of Yuki's eyes as well. He held on tightly to the railing, still not letting go once he stood on the level floor.

A girl wearing a violet and evergreen striped skirt and a plain green shirt with an emblem over her heart continued to run down the hall before noticing the two strange intruders. "Oh my!" she started, trying to avoid tripping over the blonde person. Instead, she tripped over his outstretched arm, earning a string of colorful swearing and falling into the unexpectedly open arms of her soon to-be new classmate.

"Damn!" Yuki spit out again, holding onto his wrist and glaring angrily through the safe shading of his sunglasses at the idiot who fell over him. Another downside with this act was that none would notice his 'death stare' because no one was able to see his eyes anyway. He still continued to glare even after that little bit of information registered. 'Who cares?' he thought, 'it feels nice to be sending spiteful thoughts at unsuspecting victims.' A scary laugh began to bubble within his chest, one slightly more terrifying than the cackle he had experienced in the car. 'An unsuspecting victim she will be,' he promised himself if not her.

"I'm sorry," she started breathlessly, "are you okay?"

Yuki opened his mouth, ready to tell her exactly how 'okay' he was. But not one syllable was uttered after he correctly comprehended where she was, whom she was with, and in what position they were in. Lucky for her Yuki still wore his sunglasses, for his eyes went wide, very wide, and took on an unearthly hew of midnight blue.

Murder- the word flashed through Yuki's mind in an iridescent haze. There would be murder. He was about to commit murder; he was ready to commit murder; he wanted to commit murder, and it wouldn't be the first time.

No, forget the first three completely. She was about to be turned into a new dead whore Jack-the-Ripper style if she didn't take her hands off of Shuichi; take her whole being off of his Shuichi this very instant!

Shuichi, who was obviously innocently oblivious to this happening, was more worried about spurting a nosebleed if he stayed in this position any longer. "I'm-I am perfectly…what?" Not only had this girl landed in his arms, but also on top of him, both their limbs still somewhat tangled. It was getting unbearably warm for the hormonal teen as each attempted to remove him/herself from the other person in a dignified and respectable manner. She had asked him if he was okay, he debated whether he should admit it felt like he had momentarily touched heaven or risk hell if she thought him a pervert.

Yuki's remaining personal blood was reaching its boiling point. The more they moved against each other, the more scarlet Shuichi's face was turning. The sudden pang of anger and jealousy that clouded his thoughts was unreasonable and certainly unexplainable, but the recklessness that accompanied the malevolent emotions made Yuki feel untamed, wild, and positively unpredictable. He suddenly didn't care if it was morning or nighttime, student or homeless teen. Yuki was pissed enough to let his teeth slink down his bottom lip to full length, preparing themselves to sink into the girl's soft skin and inhale her warm essence of life. It didn't matter how vile it most likely tasted, so long as her fingers never touched Shuichi again.

"Enough!"

All three slowly turned around to look at where the commanding voice boomed. The girl was still holding on to Shuichi's sleeve, but at least they had managed to get on their feet before this new addition could witness their humiliating meeting.

Yuki's teeth instantly retracted to resume their position under his top lip, his face also slightly coloring, much to his dismay. He had nearly let his hard-trained reigns on his fury be unleashed, and all for a snot-nosed green-behind-the-ears brat, who probably couldn't spell his last name without looking at his student pass. But what unnerved Yuki most was that he almost let something terrible happen as an act of jealousy.

What was the meaning of this?

"What exactly is going on here?" the woman demanded. She had that same authoritative air about her, just as Yuki, only the strange part was that hers seemed more. . . imperious. Shuichi saw an image of her dressed as a Japanese Napoleon. Unwillingly, he grinned slightly.

"U-Ukai-se-sensei," the girl began to tremble in fear, attempting to hide herself behind Shuichi.

Yuki sighed in resignation, knowing exactly that if he didn't intervene now, this could go on until lunch. He couldn't wait that long. Resettling his sunglasses onto his face, he lifted himself off the ground, without so much as having to bend over again, turned to face her, and smiled his most charming smile. "Hello, Noriko-San," Yuki nearly sang, slowly closing the space between them, "how long has it-"

Before he had a chance to finish his inquiry about time, she had firmly slackened his jaw by slapping him, resulting in a resounding echo of the hand-cheek impact. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing here?!"

The air was bristling with an unnamed tension between the two, Yuki trying to regain what little feeling remained in his jaw and the Noriko trying to hide the pain that coursed through her hand. She hadn't meant to hitthat hard, just enough for him to remember.

It seemed that hit didn't help remind him in the least. He actually couldn't find any reason for her to hit him. Normally she would always screech, punch, scratch, or just swear at him. This slap would be memorable, but not in a bad way. Still, it had held enough force to knock his glasses off his face, and he immediately shut his eyes to search for them, luckily not stepping on them in the process.

"Why, Eiri-San!" she smiled back at him, though no kindness escaped through her lips, "exactly what are you doing here? And why is he with you?"

It wasn't too hard to discern who he was, seeing he was the only other male present at the moment.

Yuki was still too busy with his glasses to respond, leaving Shuichi to take the stand for himself. The girl's hand provided a comforting weight upon his arm, even though his face was aflame instantly again.

"My name is Shindou Shuichi and I. . . I was hoping to be allowed to finish my schooling here." The momentary pause he took seemed like an eternal drop before Shuichi knew how to continue. Trying to remember her name, Ukai-San already left an impression of being a fire-breathing harpy in his mind, and would be glad to escape this woman's presence as soon as possible, thank you very much.

Feeling he should add a little more to make his point, Shuichi started again, "I would be very grateful if you would accept as another of your students, sensei." He hastily bent over, nearly forgetting his manners, it had been so confusing lately.

Noriko decided to ignore the still wincing blonde and directed all her attention to Shuichi. "So you are the Shindou's kid?" she stated more than asked, but her doubts were reassured. "Didn't you have a sister? Where is she now?"

Shuichi couldn't breathe. His eyes burned and his lungs began to slowly close on him as he tried to recall exactly what had happened for Maiko to be gone.

"She is presently under someone else's care for the moment," Yuki interceded, subconsciously knowing this would still be a delicate subject for Shuichi to partake in. "But I'm just here to ask you to enroll him as a late student," he carefully moved his hand until he felt the cool lens of his glasses and set them back on his face. No one could see, but he carefully squinted an eyes open to make sure that the tinted shading was still in tact. It was.

Noriko glared in Yuki's direction, deciding on whether to retort with something snappy or just continue ignoring him. Deciding on the latter, she took on a stance as if deep in thought, still having not noticed the girl playing hooky today. She heaved, but immediately snapped her eyes onto Shuichi, who felt cornered like a mouse caught by the cat.

"What grade are you in?" she asked, going over required classes in her mind.

"Um, third year high school." Was this a good sign? Shuichi wondered.

She smiled, wondering if she would ever have him in one of her classes. "I hope you're ready to learn, Shuichi-kun! You've still got a long way to go till graduation, and I expect to see good grades from you, understood?"

Shuichi relaxed slightly, the cornered feeling slowly easing out of him, even though he felt a lack behind him for some reason. "You mean, I can. . .?"

She stepped past Yuki, who didn't even bother to glance in her direction this time. He might be immortal, but he still could hear Mika lecture him about hitting girls. He started to growl, but it was too low for any of them to hear.

"Welcome to Takashi High School," she reached up to pat his shoulder, and for the first time that morning showed an open, honest smile. Yuki shivered in slight mistrust.

Shuichi caught flame of some of his old charisma, and instantly lapsed back into talking nonsense. "Thank you, Ukai-Sensei! Thank you so much!" he continuously bowed over her hand, which he took in both of his, tears shamelessly falling from his eyes. "I promise I will do my best to keep up and not fail! Even if I have to stay after school, I will not disappoint you! I swear it by my name and honor here and now, that I-"

She raised her hand in front of his face, ending his comical rant that would have continued for the next three paragraphs if she didn't have sympathy for the author. (As if!)

"Don't swear nothing yet, Junior," she told him, her face serious again. "Until you've proven to me that you can meet our requirements, I want you studying your brains out, got that?"

Shuichi nodded, affirming that he would not fail! Yuki just stood in silence, his thoughts flicking between relief and annoyance.

Finally choosing to end her blockade towards Yuki, Noriko turned on her heel to gaze him evenly in the eye. "We will have to talk," she told him, he remaining still and saying nothing, "we will need to talk soon."

He nodded, and released Shuichi from her grasp, him following once again down the stairs. But before he stepped out, a question played through his mind that would be answered soon enough:

Who was that girl anyway?


"Today wasn't too bad," Shuichi concluded as they drove back home. He couldn't start school that day, but Yuki let him go to the local Game Arcade until five o'clock that evening. Yuki chose not to respond.

They sat in companionable silence, listening mostly to the engine of the Porsche every time Yuki stepped on the gas pedal roar a little louder. Or Shuichi was at least.

Yuki was too preoccupied with other matters that had happened earlier during the day. He'd given Shuichi about two thousand yen to go blow on some games, some in which he had actually won prizes and that were now in a bag on the floor behind them.

He told Shuichi some kind of cock-and-bull about a sun-allergy and that he'd be back after he took some medication. Shuichi, not being one to raise suspicion, of course believed him every word from the tip of his tongue and didn't question a thing he said.

Before they could leave the school, however, Noriko, whom Shuichi found out was a 'friend' of Yuki's was also the principal of Takashi High. It took them another half hour before Yuki had all the paper work filled out and Shuichi received his new uniform, which was the same green that girl had worn, though the blouse to be worn underneath was a shade lighter than the rest. Of course after they left, which was around ten-thirty, Shuichi had already spent all the money Yuki had given him around three and had sat there for two hours, playing with the dolls he'd won. He finally found out his name was Eiri Yuki after catching a glance into his wallet. Why his eyes directed down into his wallet, he had no idea. It just seemed like he should.

But something about the picture of Yuki in the wallet from a while back, as Yuki had put it, made Shuichi's head ache, as if trying to recall a memory long subdued.

The drive back home seemed to take forever, which to Yuki wasn't much of a deal, but Shuichi was starting to get nervous as to whether or not they'd make it back before the moon rose. It was already well past sunset, with autumn frost slowly covering the grounds as winter made it's slow appearance.

To see the metal bars of the fence surrounding the estate against the twilight sky made Shuichi let out a long breath he didn't know he had been holding in. Even though dusk had a strange effect on the whole property, Shuichi felt relevantly calmer than what he did outside of them. It was peculiar, the way he had been terrified the first night he spent here and now how he couldn't wait to get to bed.

Unnoticed, both of them stepped out of the car simultaneously, Shuichi having to reach behind to get out his new toys and uniform, almost forgetting to close the door.

Yuki didn't bother to comment on that, either, and rather just stepped up to the entrance and opened the doors so they could go in.

"Can you find your way back?" he asked before heading towards his own rooms.

Shuichi stopped, having not expected Yuki to say anything more to him this evening. "Um, sure I can," he smiled confidently.

Although Yuki didn't seem convinced, he nodded and turned, heading towards his own chambers. "Hey," he said, turning around once more to look at Shuichi, who still hadn't moved. There hung an awkward silence that Yuki filled in. "Don't forget to empty out that garlic, understood? I'm allergic."

Shuichi nodded, feeling somewhat disappointed. Why did he expect more? And where had that voice gone? "Good night," he mumbled, shuffling towards the stairs.

"Good night."

He replied? Shuichi started blushing yet again, and he felt very alive suddenly, alive and happy.


Yuki closed the door gently behind him, glancing over to the silken drapes that showed nothing but darkness and hid a doorway to even more shadows.

"Who are you?" Yuki asked aloud as if the surrounding silence would be able to answer him. "Who are you that can make me feel?"

Who was Shuichi to him that he could feel enough anger to kill? And for him of all people?


A/N:The End (not the official one, though).I know many of you have been waiting for this chapter, but I still don't like it. The only reason I present it is because I woke up with a spoon next to my face (strange reason, I know, but you have not lived through the horrors I know!). If D.S. comes over before I wake up and a spoon is next to me, I'm in trouble. I will probably edit this later, because it is very confusing, but it will make sense in the chapter after this. Season's Greetings ( a little late-sorry!)

And the whole 'Christmas Special' story thing will be a 'New Year's Special'. I think I'll post some kind of specialso as to appease those who are unappeasable.So you can't get more spoons, D.S.! (evil laughter)

Love you all!

C.S.