Agony. She panted out shallow breaths as her consciousness let go of her childhood memories. A steady beeping cut through the darkness, synchronized with her heart. It hurt. Her whole back was painfully tensed up, drowning out all other sensations.

"Kurumu?"

The waver in Yukari's voice worried her. Kurumu flexed her hands, feeling the fabric of a sheet drawn over her. Something stiff was secured to her right arm. Her eyes fluttered open and she winced from the brightness of the overhead light. She swallowed dryly, feeling thirsty.

A small hand touched hers. Groaning, she glanced at the murky figure to her right. The colors slowly shaped into a familiar face.

"Yukari?"

Her throat hurt. She grimaced as her back exploded in pain from the slight movement of her head and shoulders. She whimpered out her breaths as she noted the silver rack nearby with plastic bags hanging from it. Another machine beside it continued to chime along with her heartbeat.

"Should I get a doctor?"

She was in the hospital, wearing one of those white gowns which were tied up in the back.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not. The doctor says your back was crushed."

Kurumu panted softly, not daring to take a deep breath.

"Thirsty."

"I'll get you some water."

Yukari hopped off the stool, retreating to the door. The witch slipped out and closed the door behind her.

Kurumu contemplated her situation as agonizing spasms wracked her body. She flexed her hands which caused her shoulders to fiercely ache. She flexed her feet. Feet? Everything below the waist tingled. Not painful but sensitive. She needed to sit up more than the slight incline this bed provided.

Gritting her teeth, she reached over to the side of the bed. These beds had remotes to adjust the incline. She felt around for it, whimpering as the movements tormented her back muscles. She finally found the cord, dragging the rectangle up to her bosom. Panting, she pushed the button to elevate her torso.

Yukari came bounding back into the room with a white cup. Kurumu managed a smile as she gazed down her body. She felt relief to see the outline of her legs and feet beneath the sheets. She flexed her feet again, frowning when she saw no movement.

"Here's your water."

Kurumu nodded, dropping the remote to take the cup from Yukari.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a truck ran me over."

She brought the cup to her lips and tilted it back. She sipped the water down. It burned down her throat, causing her to grimace.

"Are you okay?"

Kurumu let the cup hover near her face as she sucked in breaths.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm not the one on a hospital bed."

Kurumu saw no point to argue that. She sipped down more water, which was less painful than before.

"How did I get here?"

Yukari sighed, crawling back up on her stool. The school uniform she wore had a layer of dirt and grime.

"Lord Chiki and his men found us. Some of us got to stay with those that needed to be in the hospital. The rest of us are at his prison."

Kurumu grimaced, sipping down another mouthful.

"Tsukune?"

"He's unconscious in another room on this floor. Rubi and Mizore are with him, giving him blood. Rubi swears that she cast the spell correctly and that we need the Headmaster to repair the seal."

"Where is the Headmaster?"

"Still missing. And I doubt he plans to come back for us with Lord Chiki controlling everything."

Kurumu paused, taking another sip. Everything still hurt but this persistence had a dulling effect.

"What happened to the doppelganger?"

"Lord Chiki took him. I assume he's still alive."

"Did he ever mention whom he was working for?"

"He was still unconscious when Lord Chiki found us. That psychopath accused us of killing our allies so that they couldn't testify against the Headmaster."

Kurumu blinked. That made no sense.

"Are you sure those two are working together?"

"He found us awfully fast, Kurumu. Even if Ms. Yaisoku betrayed us like he claims, I doubt she would have told him we were in the old prison. She would have sent him to her apartment."

Kurumu drained the last bit of water from the cup. She still felt horrible.

"Do you think Tsukune will be okay?"

"Maybe. Assuming Rubi is correct, Tsukune should remain unconscious until the holy lock is repaired."

"What about Moka? Kokoa?"

Yukari sighed.

"He escorted my Moka and her sister to the prison. He promised to let them join Ms. Shuzen, saying he needed time to figure out how involved they were in this conspiracy. As for the others, Ms. Fukai and Lady Hineri were in the hospital last night but both were taken to the prison before lunch."

Kurumu rolled her eyes. She held the empty cup out to Yukari, grimacing from the slight movement.

"Could you refill this?"

Yukari nodded, taking the cup from her.

"He didn't bring Ms. Zanzou here despite her being knocked out. Claimed that she would escape again if he didn't leave her in a monitored environment."

"Do you think she's okay?"

"I don't know, Kurumu."

Yukari paused, turning the cup about in her hands. She glanced down.

"Those two drama seniors were dead. Your friend, Ms. Sakamori, was cut up pretty bad. Rubi cast a few healing spells on her, but she was so weak. They have her in another room down the hallway."

Kurumu swallowed thickly.

"Will she be okay?"

"Physically. But I don't know how she'll be mentally. She should be able to walk around now but she wouldn't go with me to lunch. Not that food here is worth eating."

"What time is it?"

"Maybe two, two thirty. I could try bringing her in here to talk with you."

Kurumu shook her head.

"Get me more water."

Yukari nodded, slipping off the stool. She retreated for the door.

"I'll be right back."

Kurumu let out a soft breath as Yukari exited the room. She grimaced as another shooting pain radiated about her core. She regarded her feet, willing them to move. She felt them. She knew she could if this damn back would stop bombarding her mind with agony.

"Move."

She let out a slight laugh. That was right. It moved. Not much, but it did. She was fine. She would be fine.

That meant she had work to do. She had to get out of here. With Yukari. There was no telling what would happen if they let Lord Chiki arrest them. If he was approaching this with the notion that they were sent to kill these men under the Headmaster's orders, he might charge them with murder.

She had to get to the doppelganger. She had to find out the truth.

Say hi to your mother.

A painful shudder coursed up her spine. No. She knew the truth. While she had momentarily doubted the Headmaster when Rubi conveniently arrived at the killers' hideout, she knew the Headmaster had nothing to do with her mother's death. These men were here on Fujisaki's behalf. The only question unanswered was if Lord Chiki was part of it.

The door opened and Yukari came inside. Yukari hesitated upon seeing Kurumu's expression.

"Are you okay?"

"We have to leave."

Yukari frowned, slowly approaching the stool.

"We can't. Lord Chiki has guards stationed in the lobby."

"So use your magic."

Yukari bit her lip, holding the cup out to Kurumu.

"I could. But…"

Kurumu took the cup. Gritting her teeth, she brought it over to her mouth. She took a heavy swallow.

"I can't fight him by myself."

Kurumu grunted as another pain assaulted her. Shaking her head, she leaned forward, struggling to be seated upright.

"Kurumu?"

Kurumu gasped in relief as she let her wings tear out of her back. She panted as her back continued to spasm angrily at her. But this felt so much better. She groaned, flexing her wings in the small space between her and the bed.

Kurumu clutched the cup tightly to her bosom as she whimpered in relief. She finally felt capable of taking deep breaths as she closed her eyes and wagged her wings about. Small hands touched her shoulder. Kurumu gazed into Yukari's concerned eyes.

"It hurt. Holding them in."

Yukari let go of her, pouting.

"As I said, I can't fight him on my own. He took that magic canceler off the doppelganger. And with all of his guards, I don't think I could take him."

"We need the doppelganger."

"Why?"

Kurumu grimaced, lifting the cup to take a swallow. She took in a deep breath.

"Because he knows how Mother's heart got in my freezer."

Yukari's expression became grim.

"So Lord Chiki is working for Lord Fujisaki."

"Maybe. But the doppelganger definitely is. I want to know whom killed my mother."

Kurumu quaffed down another mouthful of water. She felt much better. Her legs still felt funny. So did her ass. It was like prickly numbness all over.

"How are we going to get to him?"

"We can figure that out later. For now, we need to get out of here."

Yukari glanced aside as Kurumu drank the rest of the water from the cup.

"Can you even stand?"

Kurumu scowled, yanking off the blanket with her free hand. The hem of the gown almost reached her knees. She grabbed her knee and shivered. It felt funny. Like there was more sensation from her hand than her leg.

"I have to try."

"Kurumu. It's a back injury. Just like Ms. Genzouyaki."

Kurumu glared at Yukari.

"Don't say that!"

Yukari whimpered, falling back a step. Kurumu hissed, not wanting to raise her voice but unable to fight back the emotions.

"That would destroy Tsukune!"

Tossing the cup aside, Kurumu grabbed her thigh with both hands and lifted the limp limb up. Her foot dragged across the bed. She could feel it. She knew she could. She swung it over the side.

"This isn't like your hair, Kurumu. You can't fake this."

Kurumu ignored Yukari's protests. She grabbed her other leg and proceeded to do the same. She grunted as her wings flapped behind her. It helped her twist in the bed as her ass refused to budge on its own. Then again, moving her ass normally was a combined effort of stomach and leg muscles. Her abdominals were fine, though they hurt almost as much as her back.

"You can't make an illusion of you walking."

Kurumu grimaced as she scooted to the edge of this uncomfortable bed. This dumb IV was not helping things. Her feet were shy of the floor because this bed was too high.

"It's not like Nerume. I can feel them. It's dull, but it's definitely not gone."

"Then it might take time. A couple days, maybe weeks."

"We don't have that time."

Yukari placed her hands on Kurumu's shoulders.

"Kurumu. We might have to wait for someone to save us this time."

"What happened to your confidence?"

Yukari glanced down.

"I was taken out in seconds, Kurumu. First Kokoa and now this doppelganger. With proper preparation and planning, I could pull off what I did in Okinawa, but… I didn't win. You guys finished that fight."

Yukari swallowed, withdrawing from Kurumu.

"I might be able to win a fight against a kitsune. I know many of their skills. But I don't know the true forms of any of his guards. I know he at least has a raiji. If it was one on one, I might stand a chance. But I don't know if I could take him out before his men arrive. And even if I could, I don't know if they would stand down. I can't fight a whole contingent of unknown guards."

"Then I'll help."

"You can't. I doubt you can walk, let alone fight."

Kurumu scowled, pushing off the bed. She felt the floor but her feet were not properly set. She clung tightly to the edge of the bed, knowing if she let got, she would collapse.

"I can do this."

She flapped her wings slightly, hoping to hover. She released the bed and teetered on her feet. But her legs refused to lift. She whimpered, easing her tail out. She shivered at the tingly sensation as the ropy appendage coiled down her right leg. With a tug, she got her foot up.

She came down hard on the floor, catching herself with her hands when her foot twisted painfully beneath her and her knees buckled. Everything hurt.

"Please stop."

Kurumu groaned, flapping her wings in the cramped space by the bed. She knocked over the stool and the rack with plastic bags. She could not lift up on her knees.

"Give me a moment."

"You can't."

"I just need to remember how to do it."

"This isn't a mind trick, Kurumu. Your spinal cord is injured. It's a physical ailment."

Kurumu scowled, shaking her head.

"I'm a monster. We regenerate fast."

"Ms. Genzouyaki is a monster too. Sometimes, nerve damage never repairs itself."

Kurumu grimaced at this IV still lodged in her arm. Fluids were trickling down the clear tubing, sucked into her veins. Hydrating her. Healing her.

"Undines heal with their control of the water."

Kurumu clenched her fist as she regarded the needle jacked in her inner elbow. Lowering down to the floor, she reached for the rack and pulled the plastic bag to her. She unhooked it from the rack and brought it close to her bosom. She took in a deep breath.

"What are you doing?"

Kurumu closed her eyes and concentrated. She wanted this fluid to seek out the injury in her back. She knew she could do this. This would be no illusion because she was part undine. This had to work. For her and for Tsukune.

A soothing sensation trickled through her. It coursed down her arm and across her shoulder. It reached her heart. And with her guidance, this refreshed blood spread out in favor of her back. It swept through her damaged body, saturating the toxins and carrying them off to be processed in her liver. In seconds, the bag she held to her bosom was emptied.

Yukari gasped as Kurumu glanced up at her.

"Can you get me more water?"

"I don't think I can get you another one of those bags without someone noticing."

Kurumu pushed up on her arm, regarding the IV. She unwrapped the gauge holding it in place and tugged the needle out. A small droplet of blood formed on her inner elbow. She continued removing the rest of the tape holding this thing in place.

"I don't need another bag."

"Well… it's going to look weird if I keep running back and forth to the bathroom for cups of water."

Kurumu grinned as she chucked the wrapping aside.

"We're not doing this here. Teleport us somewhere safe with a water source."

Yukari frowned, glancing back at the door.

"I don't think I can teleport you like this."

She walked over to the door, opening it to poke her head out. After looking about for a moment, she leaned back inside and closed the door.

"It's not a long range spell and they'd know immediately that I cast it. We'd have no time to get to a water source for whatever it is you're planning."

"I'm thinking I need a bath."

Yukari bit her lip.

"I guess I could make a magic door to my suite."

"Won't that use a lot of energy?"

"They'll definitely know we left. I don't know how much time it would take for them to come looking for us in my suite."

"We'll make it work. Cast the spell."

Yukari sighed heavily as she turned to regard the door.

"Okay. But you better be able to walk soon or this is going to be a short lived escape."


"Hey Tora. Are you there?"

Kurumu walked alongside Yukari as they cut a path through the woods. After their bath, the witch had changed into that unique marigold blouse with the hidden front zipper beneath the jagged black central hem fastened together with black toggles. Her yellow stockings had bands which slipped up inside the tight, black mini skirt to clip onto a lacy garter belt worn over her matching black panties.

"Kurumu?"

Kurumu grinned, clutching the pink ovoid in her palm. Unable to put her wings and tail away, Kurumu had donned her powder blue, corduroy tank top and her denim shorts with the hole cut in the back. Her back was still sore and her entire legs tingled with every jarring step, but that hour long bath had done the trick. She could walk and fly, but she would not push her luck with jogging any time soon.

"Hey! What's up?"

"Where have you been? I tried calling everyone last night but nobody answered."

Kurumu smiled apologetically, carefully picking her way through the underbrush on Yukari's heels.

"Yea. Sorry about that. I left my keys and my phone in my schoolbag in Coach Yaisoku's apartment."

And so had Yukari. Before leaving the suite, Yukari had decided to go through Chouda's suite. They had startled the quiet sylph but had quickly explained their situation. Without keys, neither of them could get back into their rooms. The sylph had eagerly agreed to let them into her room so that they could access their suites through the wall openings made by Yukari's magical devices.

"Is everyone okay? Lord Chiki came in here yesterday bragging about how what I was doing was futile and that we would all be tried for treason soon. He claimed that he had captured all of our allies."

"We stumbled across those killers in the old prison."

"The old prison? Why were you guys in there?"

"Mostly because of Kokoa. When Yukari mentioned that the new prison had escape routes to that abandoned prison Ginei told us about, Kokoa immediately thought the killers would be hiding there."

Yukari huffed, pushing a branch aside.

"And I agreed it was possible if these men were working with Lord Chiki. It's suspiciously convenient how he found us within an hour of us encountering these criminals."

Kurumu chuckled, squeezing the egg. The black rectangular controller dangled from her hand after having wrapped the cord about her hand a couple times.

"We had Lady Hineri and Ms. Zanzou check the place out because we thought it might be a place to hide from Lord Chiki. Neither came back because these criminals had some magic items that made them impossible to detect. Kokoa woke up before the rest of us and decided to drag Moka down there and capture these guys."

"How do you know these guys were the killers?"

"My Moka took us back to their lair. We found the three missing drama club girls and several bags of money. They are definitely the same trio that robbed the bank. They had already killed the two senior girls. Ms. Sakamori was severely injured but the hospital staff believes she will recover."

"Kokoa killed one of the guys before we got there. And Tsukune went berserk and killed another."

"Went berserk? What happened?"

"Blood loss. One of the guys decided to kill Tsukune and it weakened him so much that the ghoul took over. Rubi cast a spell to seal him, but it left him unconscious. He's in the hospital with Rubi and Mizore giving him blood, but we still need the Headmaster to come back and repair the holy look."

There was a heavy sigh on the other side.

"What happened to my sister?"

"Those killers had her and Ms. Zanzou tied up. When Lord Chiki found us, he decided to arrest everyone. He claims we were sent down there by the Headmaster to kill these guys."

"Yea. He also arrested the third of the group. We're trying to come up with a plan to speak with this doppelganger and find out what he knows about my mother."

"Your mother? What does she have to do with this?"

"Because that bastard knows whom put the heart in my freezer."

There was a long pause.

"Is it just the two of you?"

"Unfortunately so. He has everyone else."

Tora sighed on the other end.

"If getting Moka was his plan, this was a long, convoluted way of doing it."

"Yea. I'm not convinced Lord Chiki is working with them."

"Oh come on. He's a doppelganger and had magic items. He's clearly working with Fairy Tale."

"But he said that his new line of work was more profitable."

"I don't know about that, but you can't pretend that all of Fairy Tale is united against us. Even if this doppelganger is with Fairy Tale, it doesn't mean he's with Lord Chiki."

"What's a doppelganger?"

"Man with many faces."

Kurumu chuckled at Deshi's simple response to Kumiko's question.

"He could be using this as an excuse to have Moka's father take custody of her."

"There was no guarantee that Moka would get herself involved in this."

Yukari scowled at Tora's quick dismissal.

"I still say this guy is rotten."

A couple girls on the other end giggled. Deshi's laugh was quite distinct.

"Are you guys doing okay?"

"We're hungry, but we'll manage. I'm hoping this doesn't drag out for too long."

"We have water but I don't know if we can last a whole week without food. I do hope you have some sort of plan, Ms. Kurono."

Kurumu smiled at the voices of Tokori and Mikomi.

"We're working on that. How's Satsuki doing?"

"I'm fine. Wanting to get out of here."

Kurumu grinned, thankful that she had heard all six girls.

"Well… I suppose we can't tell you where we are or what we are planning. We'll try to get you out of there soon."

"Thanks, Kurumu. And good luck."

Kurumu nodded, murmuring the command to end the spell. She glancing at Yukari and smiled. The witch huffed, shaking her head.

"It's not like you could tell them our plan. We don't even know it."

"We'll figure something out."

Yukari stumbled out of the woods onto a smooth path. She frowned, glancing off in both directions.

"Do you think anyone would take this path?"

Kurumu shrugged, joining the witch on the open trail.

"This should be the path that wraps behind the junior dorms. I doubt anyone will be using it today."

"Good. Because I'm not walking aimlessly through a forest again if I don't have to."

Kurumu smirked as she followed the witch down the trail away from the suites. Having no better ideas, Kurumu had suggested discussing the situation with Okimune. As one of Ginei's friends and one of the most popular girls in the school, Kurumu hoped that Okimune could help them come up with a plan.

"You were the one whom insisted that we avoid the main trail."

"We don't know whom we can trust."

"I doubt Lord Chiki has spread the word about us escaping."

"Maybe not. But he might have told everyone we were criminals yesterday. It's best if we keep our presence known to as few people as possible."

Kurumu sighed. She wanted to believe in her fellow students. But as long as Yukari was around, she would humor the pessimism.

"Then I guess we'll need to sneak into Okimune's room."

"Assuming we can. I know the Housemother for the first years can sense any intruders. I imagine the woman watching over the second years will be the same."

"Do you have any plans on how to avoid her?"

Yukari paused to pick up a couple rocks from the side of the path.

"I could make us invisible. Then we can wait for someone to open the elevator lobby for us."

"But we can't stay invisible. We'll have to drop your spell to speak with Okimune."

Yukari frowned, rubbing the pair of rocks in her hands.

"I guess so. But we can't risk being seen by random students."

"So… what do you want to do?"

Yukari pondered the situation as they followed the slight bend of this smooth trail. Kurumu wondered how many students used this route on a regular basis. Probably not that many, assuming most would go to the dining hall for breakfast before school and would head to dinner after club. The few that did go straight home could either take this path to the back of the junior dorms or they could cut down the other path which ended at the bus stop. The narrow trail connecting the front of the junior dorms to the dining hall intersected this other path. She wondered which route was shorter.

"What room is she in?"

"She's in 317."

"Maybe we could fly up to her room?"

"And then fly through her wall?"

"Yea. If you're holding me, I could cast the spell for that."

Kurumu mulled that over for a moment.

"Maybe. But her room is on the same side of the hallway as the front entrance. We might draw attention trying to do it that way."

"Not if we're invisible when we do it."

"Will we be able to do that?"

"Of course. Your shorts have pockets. Give me a moment while I enchant a rock."

Yukari stopped, kneeling down on the dirt path. She tossed one of the rocks aside, placing the larger one on the trail before her. She held her hands over the rock and started making quick hand gestures.

Kurumu felt the hum of magic as she unraveled the cord connecting the egg and controller. She squeezed the ovoid into her left pocket.

"I don't know if I can squeeze this controller in my pocket."

Yukari ignored her, continuing to make sharp hand motions. Kurumu decided to let the rectangle hang against her hip. She waited at least a solid minute before Yukari let out a sigh.

"You're the dummy that brought it with us."

"Done already?"

Yukari nodded, picking up the rock and getting back up.

"I decided it would be best to combine the two spells. This will make everything in a two meter radius invisible and permeable."

"Permeable?"

"It means we can pass through walls."

Kurumu nodded, holding out her hand.

"I'm not giving it to you. I'll activate the spell and you will fly into her room. We only have a few seconds though. The energy required by this spell will eat through this rock fast."

Kurumu frowned, lowering her hand and looking down the trail.

"Will I be able to fly?"

"Of course you can. I've done this permeable spell before."

Kurumu nodded dumbly. She had seen Yukari fly through a wall before but she had assumed that Yukari had done something to the wall.

"Are you sure? I need my wings to push on air."

Yukari paused.

"You're right. We'll have to be flying before I activate the spell."

"Maybe I could do something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Mrs. Aimai spent her whole vacation looking like someone else. Maybe I could make us look like different people for a short while."

Yukari nodded thoughtfully.

"Maybe you could make us invisible."

"How would I do that?"

"You're already tricking the eye by making things look real which are not. Go one step further by making the eye see through you."

Kurumu glanced behind her. While the idea had potential, she was unsure how she could pull it off. She might not have the right perspective to convince a random person walking by them that nothing was there. It might look wrong.

"I would have to constantly know my surroundings to do that. It would be easier to make us look like different people."

"Fine. We'll do it your way."

Kurumu grinned, holding out her hand.

"I think I know whom we can be. Take my hand."

The moment Yukari touched her hand, the witch grew in height and her dark hair lengthened and curled. Her features became sharper as her eyes turned a light yellow and her locks lightened to a rich auburn hue. Her casual attire was replaced with the school blouse and school skirt. The image of Hiboshi Netsuki frowned at her.

"Are you sure this is smart? We don't know what Lord Chiki has said about Ms. Hajihachi."

Kurumu grinned, feeling her snaggletooth against her lip. She had grown to Tsukune's height and had a substantial reduction in breast size. Not that these breasts beneath this school blouse were small. She was easily a C cup and had plenty of curves in other places. Squeezing Yukari's hand, she fussed with her smoky twin tails to ensure they looked proper.

"What crime could I possibly be wanted for? The Housemother knows I was a victim."

She had Hajihachi's voice. She hoped this would be enough to get them through the front door.

"Are these two girls friends?"

"Sorry. I don't know a whole lot of girls close to your height that are second years. Besides. You look fantastic as her."

Yukari pouted as they resumed their walk down the trail.

"It's a little depressing. Even though her body is younger than mine, her breasts are bigger."

"And she's taller."

"Don't rub it in."

Kurumu laughed as they reached a sharp turn in the trail. She could see the four story buildings through the trees not so far off. The trail continued southwards, intent on flanking the entire west dorm.

"I wonder if you could disguise yourself as Lord Chiki."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"It would make it easy to get into the prison."

Kurumu laughed, shaking her head.

"Maybe I should. Wait for him to leave the prison and then take his place. Release all the prisoners."

"I doubt you could do that, but you might be able to talk to the doppelganger."

Kurumu smiled softly, noting that the trail took a sharp left towards the gap between the dorms.

"Hopefully Okimune will have some ideas on how we should handle Lord Chiki."

"Assuming he's not working with Lord Fujisaki."

Kurumu had no desire to argue over that possibility again. They walked in silence up to the point at which the trail cut through the thinning forest towards the buildings.

"I still think the Headmaster should have let Ms. Hitori kill this bastard."

Kurumu coughed up a laugh. She nodded as they neared the edge of the forest.

"We killed two of them and caught the third. And this moron is obsessed with pinning everything on us."

Kurumu suspected there was a reason why the Headmaster had chosen this path instead. She sincerely hoped it was a good one, since at least one person had died because of Lord Chiki's prejudices.

"So… is there some story I'm supposed to be playing along with?"

Kurumu nodded, rolling over the idea which had inspired her to take these forms.

"I was finally released from questioning about Ginei. And you are a kitsune from Lord Chiki's village. You were summoned by him and when he was done, he sent us home together."

"And how will we explain why two complete strangers are holding hands?"

"It was a traumatic experience. He molested you."

Yukari shivered as they finally arrived at the gap between the buildings. They passed through the shadows, quickly making their way to the front.

"It's kind of scary because it's believable."

"Exactly. Lots of people heard Ms. Yoshino's accusations."

"I wish we could have enlisted one of the teachers to help us."

"Well… we don't know where Mr. Fujita lives. And I'm not going to get Akari involved just to ask her about her Aunt or Ms. Kibashiro. I'm certain Okimune can get all that information for us."

Yukari took in a deep breath as they arrived at the main entrance where the two wings came together. The glass doors parted upon sensing their presence.

"Are we going to sneak in with other girls?"

"I think I'll stop at the Housemother's office and get a key to my room."

Yukari nodded as they slipped inside. They walked across the genkan, pausing at the rise of the tatami floor. Flashing Yukari a grin, she stepped up onto the matting which caused her illusory loafers to vanish.

"That is so cool."

Kurumu squeezed Yukari's right hand as they made their way down the hall to the left. Passing by the alcove for the mail, Kurumu stopped at the first door on the left for the office. Twisting the knob, she pushed into the adjacent room.

Kurumu grinned with a snaggletooth as she approached the counter. The platinum haired Housemother glanced up from her magazine, cocking her head slightly. The woman was garbed in a denim shirt dress with short sleeves.

"Ms. Takahashi. I need a key to my room."

"Welcome back, Ms. Hajihachi. I was wondering if that man would ever let you go. If I had known he would be so unreasonable, I wouldn't have taken you to the hospital."

"Yea… I don't know what happened to my keys or card. The hospital staff might have pitched them with my clothes. I heard they were all torn up beyond repair."

The woman sighed heavily, shaking her head.

"I'm not giving you my spare key. If you want another key, have your roommate make a copy of hers."

"But we don't know when Mononoke will be open to us."

"The same goes for me, Ms. Hajihachi."

The woman turned a page in her magazine. A long moment passed.

"Um… Ms. Takahashi? I can't get upstairs."

"Oh yes. You lost your card."

The Housemother nodded, finding the contents of her magazine more demanding.

"You'll have to get a new one from admissions."

After another long moment passed, Yukari huffed and tugged on Kurumu's hand.

"This is stupid. Let's go."

Kurumu frowned, allowing Yukari to lead her to the door.

"But… how will we get upstairs?"

"We can wait for someone to let us in."

Kurumu supposed that they could. She paused at the door to bow slightly.

"Thank you, Ms. Takahashi."

The woman made a slight sound of acknowledgment. Forcing a smile, Kurumu grabbed the knob and pulled the door shut as they retreated into the hallway.

"That was a waste of time."

Kurumu laughed softly as they made their way back down the corridor. They walked by the genkan and the housemother's suite. The corridor made a sharp turn to the right which they followed.

Not far after the turn was the glass door with the sensor which gave access to the small elevator lobby. Yukari let go of Kurumu's hand, instantly reverting back to her normal appearance. She held her hands up to the sensor and muttered something under her breath.

There was a moment of flickering lights followed by the sound of the release of the door mechanism. Yukari pushed open the door and gestured for her to go. Kurumu quickly darted across the small lobby to press the button for the elevator. The light instantly chimed as the elevator door on the left opened.

"Won't she notice somebody casting magic?"

Yukari snorted as she stepped into the elevator ahead of Kurumu.

"Who cares?"

Kurumu slipped into the elevator, pressing the button for the third floor. The door slowly shut and Kurumu let out a heavy breath as they started to ascend.

"Do you think my illusion failed?"

"Does it matter?"

"It's a short walk down the hall once we get there. Hold my hand?"

Yukari took her hand and rapidly reverted to the image of Hiboshi. The elevator dinged their arrival with the doors slowly opening.

They stepped out into the corridor beyond. There was no lobby like the ones in Baratoge since this was the juncture of the corridors for the two wings. The bathrooms were directly across the hall from the elevators. Kurumu tugged Yukari towards the hall which was on their left.

The first door was on their right and was for 314. Almost immediately after it on the same wall was the door for 316. Passing by both doors, they came to their first door on the left which was for 313. Just like the ones across the hall, the door for 315 was less than a meter further down the corridor.

They encountered nobody on this short walk to 317. Kurumu paused in front of the door, favoring Yukari a snaggletooth grin before knocking on the door.

The door swung open and there was a moment of confusion. The silver pigtailed Roniushi stood on the other side of the door, dressed in her school uniform. The girl's cerulean eyes lit up as she jumped out of the room to throw her arms about Kurumu's neck.

"You're alive!"

Kurumu staggered back, grimacing as her illusion was immediately lost under the contact. Her body protested the rough greeting. Grunting in pain, Kurumu gave up her grip of Yukari's hand to hold the okami for support.

"Inside! Quickly!"

Yukari darted into the room as Kurumu flexed her wings. Roniushi drew back, frowning.

"You're not Mika."

Kurumu whimpered, grabbing the sides of Roniushi's blouse.

"Ms. Kurono? Bring her in!"

Under Okimune's urging, Roniushi grabbed Kurumu and retreated into the room. Kurumu tucked her wings in as Roniushi steered her inside and over to the couch while Okimune shut the door.

"What is going on?"

Roniushi let her go, allowing her to crawl onto the couch. Kurumu opted to kneel on the cushions, flexing her wings as her back shuddered unpleasantly with spasms. Yukari stood in the middle of the room with her arms crossed.

"We have escaped Lord Chiki's clutches."

Okimune managed a giggle as she shook her head. Her lovely curls danced on her shoulders. Like Roniushi, she was dressed in school attire.

"Clearly. We were told the other day that the whole newspaper club was arrested for treason."

"The whole club?! Did he arrest Kana and Kiki?!"

Okimune frowned.

"I can't say that I know whom those girls are."

"Ms. Zukkutani and Ms. Honda."

The two older girls regarded each other for a moment. Okimune nodded slowly.

"The blond. She does your comics."

"Yes. That's Kana."

"I don't know. I could ask around at dinner for her."

Yukari sighed heavily, shaking her head.

"It's not like that matters anyways. We need to figure out how to get rid of this guy."

"Do you have any news about Mika?"

Kurumu forced a smile, shaking her head.

"Last update we had on her was from Ms. Zanzou on Thursday night. As far as we know, she's okay."

"That liar. He said he would release her after he arrested Morioka."

"How is Ms. Zanzou?"

Yukari sighed again.

"She was also captured."

"How did he capture her?"

"She was knocked unconscious by the bank robbers."

"Yea. We found out where those guys were hiding. They were also the ones killing the girls."

"Moka's sister killed one of them and Tsukune took out another. The last one is being held prisoner by Lord Chiki, though I think that's only because he had to. He can't pretend these guys are at large now that we found them."

Both older girls had confused expressions.

"Yukari seems convinced that these guys are working with Lord Chiki to set the Headmaster up."

"That makes sense. He's a prefectural officer and can get people through the barrier."

"Not without the Headmaster noticing."

"Maybe the Headmaster was distracted that day. It's not like the guy is super powerful. He let Lord Chiki kill Ms. Rin."

"I suppose it's no less possible than this idea of Lord Chiki's that the Headmaster let these guys in."

"Exactly. And that's why we've come to you for help."

Okimune smiled softly.

"I'm unsure what you are expecting, Ms. Sendou."

"It was her idea."

"We were hoping you could help us think of a way to end this situation."

"Is there a teacher that can take this guy on or maybe a strong student?"

Roniushi laughed nervously.

"I don't think we know anyone like that."

"When I think of tough guys, I think of the Outcasts, the PSC and the goofs from my old homeroom."

"What about teachers?"

"I'm sure some of our teachers are strong, but they don't ever show it."

"So you can't think of anybody whom would be willing to stand up to this guy?"

Okimune pouted at Yukari, wringing her hands.

"I suppose we could ask Mr. Kaneshiro."

Kurumu grimaced at the thought.

"Why him?"

"He's influential. Important. He might be able to reason with Lord Chiki."

"Reason? This psychopath roasted a teacher in front of an assembly."

"I don't know if he would fight him. But Mr. Kaneshiro knows how to play by the rules. If anyone could force Lord Chiki to accept the situation as it is, it would be him."

Roniushi nodded vehemently.

"That's true. He's a smooth talker. I heard that he is studying law."

Kurumu frowned, having her doubts.

"That might sound good, but I don't see why he would help us. We're practically fugitives. He's more likely to turn us in to the authorities."

"Maybe he would think of this as a challenge?"

"What about other options? Like the Voice?"

Roniushi grimaced.

"The Voice was detained this morning for sleeping in."

Kurumu gagged in disbelief. Okimune sighed, nodding.

"He wasn't the only one whom forgot Lord Chiki was mandating weekend classes."

"Yea. You miss roll call at any meal and you will be arrested. He deliberately singled the Voice out to make an example out of him."

Kurumu shook her head slowly. The other name that popped in her head was Kyuushutsu but that was probably worse than Kaneshiro. She sighed, glancing at Yukari.

"What do you think?"

"I'm thinking that legal background makes him our best choice if we want to debate with this nutcase."

"I guess it's worth a shot. Worst thing that could happen is he might betray us."

"We can teleport away if he does."

"Where can we find this guy?"

Okimune smiled apologetically.

"I don't know. I would have to ask him at dinner."

Roniushi snickered.

"Which will look suspicious to randomly ask him where he lives."

"Perhaps we could test his loyalties?"

Kurumu frowned at Okimune.

"What do you have in mind?"

"What if I tell him that you are staying with me tonight?"

"Well I'm sleeping somewhere else if you're doing that."

Okimune stuck her tongue out at Roniushi.

"I'll ask for a meeting with him early tomorrow morning. If he's good, nasty men won't haul me away in the middle of the night."

"I'm assuming this means we won't be staying with you. So if you don't show up in the morning, we will know that we've been betrayed."

"It's worth a shot. I can't help you much in any other way."

Kurumu sighed heavily. She hated this plan.

"I'm starting to think the idea of me walking around disguised as Lord Chiki is the best way out of this."

"You can do that?"

"She's not tall enough. Her illusion of Ms. Hajihachi was blown the moment you touched her."

Kurumu managed a smile, supposing Yukari was right.

"I still need to figure out a way to talk to this doppelganger."

"Doppelganger?"

"That's the true form of the guy whom lived. He can take the shape of anyone he touches."

Okimune nodded thoughtfully.

"Do you think he's still alive?"

"Why wouldn't he be?"

"I don't know. He's outlived his usefulness?"

"I think Lord Chiki would want a confession from the guy."

"But there's no way this guy would admit to murder. That's a death sentence."

"Maybe not."

Roniushi favored Okimune a puzzled look.

"What do you mean? Getting convicted of murder gets you executed."

"Not if this guy can change his appearance."

Yukari nodded at Okimune's remark.

"I see. And then Lord Chiki burns a body into ash to destroy the evidence. Claims something like the guy tried to escape after he got a recorded confession."

Kurumu grimaced, disliking how easy that sounded.

"Can we focus on scenarios where we actually have a chance of winning?"

Okimune smiled apologetically.

"Sorry. It was just a thought."

"A morbid thought. I'm clinging to the hope that I can still get my hands on this guy for some answers."

There was a long silence following her frustrated remark.

"Well… does this mean the killing will stop? I mean… it kind of has to, right?"

Kurumu glanced at Yukari. The witch pondered Roniushi's comments.

"Lord Chiki clearly hasn't shared this news with everyone yet. That's disturbing. We should fix that."

"What do you propose we do?"

"We should get the word out. I don't know if it will change much, but letting everyone know that the guys that killed those girls have been caught should force Lord Chiki to make a statement."

"We can try spreading the word around at dinner."

"What time is it?"

Roniushi pointed at the microwave on top of the refrigerator. The digital display read four forty one.

"We have about two hours before we need to head out for dinner."

"That's a lot of time to kill."

Kurumu grinned, gesturing at the CD tower flanking the television.

"Well… she has music."

Yukari glanced at the tower and frowned.

"I'm not singing karaoke for you again."


"So what are the odds that there are guards waiting for us in our suites?"

Yukari shrugged as they walked along the path to the senior suites. The witch had enchanted a pair of rocks to keep them invisible, though it was unlikely for any other students to be walking about this late at night. It had been almost nine when they had left Okimune's suite with the undine promising to meet them tomorrow morning at six. At least no guards had come with her.

"Probably high. With Lord Chiki showing up for dinner and asking for us to be turned over to him, it would be weird for him not to have someone watching our suites."

Kurumu sighed, flexing her wings as they steadily approached the point where the trails diverged to the four commissaries. In summary, their options concerning Lord Chiki were to reason with him, charm him or kill him. Since Kaneshiro was willing to meet with them, the smart thing to do first was determine if Lord Chiki could be reasoned with.

"Do you think it's safe to spend the night with Chouda?"

"We'll find out real fast if it's not."

Kurumu smirked as they cut sharply to their left, starting down the trail to their commissary.

"Maybe we should make use of one of the empty suites."

"I'm not sleeping on the floor unless I have to."

Kurumu sighed, continuing on in silence. After Yukari's refusal to engage in music, they had settled on watching a movie Okimune had recommended to them. It was a foreign flick called the Sixth Sense. The ending had blindsided Kurumu which she had blamed on poor translations. Yukari had enjoyed the movie but had felt the urge to remind everyone that ghosts were fictional creations.

Once the second years had left, Kurumu had sifted through Okimune's CD collection and decided to finally listen to this Hamasaki Ayumi she often heard about. She had gotten through the entire Best CD and half of the Ballads CD before Okimune had returned with news about Kaneshiro. The undine had refused to tell them where Kaneshiro lived, stating she wanted to go with them.

"I wonder if Mrs. Shuzen would send me money if I asked for some."

"What do you need money for?"

"I don't know. Could use another set of pajamas or casual clothes. Maybe a television. Lots of CDs."

"I'm surprised you can fret over stuff like that."

"What else am I to do? Agonizing over our situation isn't getting me anywhere."

Yukari sighed as they angled away from the commissary, intent on the second building on their right.

"You do realize that eight hours ago you were unconscious with a diagnosis of a broken back with the possibility of never walking again."

"Yea… but that's the opinion of a Mononoke doctor. The same hospital staff that had you so doped up that you were catatonic."

"It seems they were right about Ms. Genzouyaki."

Kurumu hesitated to respond to that.

"Do you think I could heal her?"

"I'm still wrapping my head around your ability to heal yourself. I know that undines have a talent for healing, but it's purely physical. I'd argue that Tora's and my healing spells are more restorative because it heals the spirit and the body."

"Well… you argued that it was a physical injury that I couldn't fix with my mind."

"I think I'm going to stick with your notion that those doctors are incompetent. You can't be that strong of an undine. You're only like a third undine."

"I do look a lot like my mother. Maybe she was part undine."

Yukari paused at the central stair leading up to Chouda's suite. She gripped the black railing.

"Maybe you do have a strong affinity for water. Your father did come from Ms. Shirayuki's village. But it's strange that you haven't shown any undine powers before."

Kurumu pouted as they started up the stairs.

"It's not like I've seen any undines use their powers. Other than healing, I don't have a clue what else they can do."

"But you know several undines. You could ask them to teach you some tricks like water manipulation."

"I guess if you think it would be useful."

Yukari stopped at the top landing by Chouda's door.

"Undines can be powerful. Some can control the water in an opponent's body, literally tearing their foes apart. They're not just healers."

Kurumu grimaced, recalling how Umizake had handled the two akaname boys.

"I'd rather not learn such a gruesome technique."

"Hand over your rock."

Kurumu smiled, surrendering the stone she had been holding in her right hand. For a short moment, she was alone on this landing. Then Yukari appeared, depressing the small button flanking the door. The sound of a small bird tweeted in the room beyond.

Kurumu glanced about nervously, tucking her wings in. If there were guards watching over their suites, they had not taken notice of them yet. The sound of the deadbolt drawing back caught her attention.

The door swung open. Chouda Sumire had dressed down for bed in a pink, spaghetti string tank top and matching knit pants. Her long, mint green tresses almost reached the back of her knees. While the young sylph was short, she was taller than Kurumu.

"I think there's someone in your room."

Yukari slipped into the small entryway, bending down to slip out of her loafers. Kurumu squeezed in behind her, taking the door from Chouda and closing it for them. She set the deadbolt back in place as she stepped on the heels of her loafers to remove them.

"What about Kurumu's room?"

Chouda shrugged, backing up as Yukari stepped away from the entry. Kurumu scooted her loafers up beside Yukari's.

"I didn't dare check."

It made sense. The device which opened up to Yukari's suite was through a closet while the one to Kurumu's suite opened directly into the room.

On impulse, Kurumu stepped in to give Chouda a hug. The girl's hair smelled like vanilla as she breathed her in. The shy girl timidly placed her hands on Kurumu's waist.

"Ms. Kurono?"

"Don't mind her. She's weird."

Kurumu laughed, letting go of the sylph. She smiled as she looked into her periwinkle eyes.

"Thank you for helping us."

"I'll do what I can."

"So… what do you want to do?"

Yukari paused with a thoughtful expression.

"Could you charm the guards?"

"Maybe temporarily. We wouldn't be able to stay the night in there."

"Can't you do something more permanent?"

"Like what?"

"It's not like I remember anything that happened when the monstrels kidnapped me."

Kurumu paused, biting her lip.

"That's completely different. I took memories from you. That's not the same as my charm."

"Can't you do something like that to an enemy?"

"What good would it do taking their memories away?"

"They could forget their orders."

"I guess that could work. If I charm them into playing nice while I fuck with their heads. It is a time consuming process."

"I suppose we could use the rocks."

Kurumu frowned as Yukari held one of the enchanted stones out to her. She absently took the rock.

"We could, but what do you want us to do? It's not like we can sleep in there and they will be able to see us interact with objects."

Yukari grinned wickedly.

"Maybe we can have some fun with this."

"What do you have in mind?"

Yukari made a quick set of gestures. After several seconds, she touched her chest and the lights flickered. Yukari's body shifted, becoming taller. Her clothes became a ragged, torn up school blouse. There was no skirt or panties to hide the black curls of this new body, but the skin was bruised and bloodied. Multiple lacerations lined her thighs and shapely hips. Purplish entrails hung out of her slashed open belly.

Yukari turned white eyes without pupils upon them, causing Chouda to gasp. Her face had broadened and her hair had turned gray. Her locks curled slightly at her shoulders. A cut crossed her throat. Her swollen, black lips turned back in a sneer.

"This is how we found Ms. Ketsuyama Tomiko."

Kurumu grimaced, thankful she had not been awake for this grisly discovery. The blouse had been slashed up to bare the slight swell of the senior's breasts, both of which had the nipples sawn off. She wondered how long they had toyed with this girl before finally killing her. She doubted Tsukune had made the fiend suffer nearly as much.

"That poor girl."

"Why don't we go next door and scare the guards. With a mix of using these stones and ghastly images, we could convince them that my suite is haunted."

Kurumu smirked at Yukari, shaking her head.

"But you said there's no such thing as ghosts."

"I doubt the average guard under Lord Chiki's command knows any better. Take a disguise."

Kurumu hesitated. The first horrific images that came to her mind were those she had seen in the movie they had watched. While she felt she could pull off an imitation of Kyra, she wondered if that movie was popular enough for most people whom were not living under a rock had seen. She might draw more suspicion than terror.

And then she shuddered at the thought of Ms. Rin.

"I can do something if I must."

Yukari nodded, raising her hand to the wall. A silver box appeared.

"We'll start off being invisible. Use your rock."

Yukari tapped the box and it started to hum. A rectangular gap quickly formed in the wall, allowing them passage into one of Yukari's closet. Favoring Chouda a faint smile, Kurumu squeezed the stone in her hand and muttered the activation word. She assumed she vanished since the colors of the room became shades of gray and the sound of the device became muddled.

Yukari glanced back and motioned for her to follow. The witch strolled through the opening, waiting for Kurumu to pass through. Kurumu shivered as she walked through the magic portal. Once inside, Yukari promptly tapped the magic box on this side to close the opening.

"Ready?"

Kurumu nodded, opening the door. She stepped through quickly as two startled guards looked up. The guard with the wild eyes was lurking by the kitchen sink while the sturdy guy with his hair over his eyes was seated on Yukari's bed.

"What was that?"

"That door opened on its own."

The wild eyed guard scowled as Kurumu retreated over to the refrigerator.

"I could see that, moron."

The guard pushed off the counter and walked towards the closet door. Yukari deftly stepped out of his path, allowing him to shut the door for her.

"Okay. Now what?"

Yukari snickered as she strolled over to the kitchen sink.

"Let's have some fun."

She turned on the faucet, causing both guards to flinch.

"What the hell?!"

Yukari opened up one of the cabinet doors and slammed it shut. Seeing the startled expressions, she did it a second time.

"What's going on here?"

The brute on the bed got up, shaking his head.

"This is cursed."

"Shut up you. Someone's here."

"A ghost?"

"No, you idiot. I bet that little girl can turn invisible. I heard she was Sendou's brat."

"The warlock?"

Yukari frowned, leaving the cabinet open.

"I guess this one isn't as dumb as he looks."

"Come on out, little girl. We know this is only a trick."

Yukari made gestures with one hand. After a couple seconds, she swung her hand down which caused the wild eyed guard to flop face first against the floor. The guard swore.

"I'm thinking even if we run these two off, we might not be able to stay here."

The witch gestured at the closet.

"Pick out some clothes for me to wear to bed and for tomorrow."

Kurumu nodded as the angry guard picked himself up off the floor. She opened up the door by the refrigerator and slipped inside the closet.

"Got you!"

A loud screech tore through the apartment followed by cries of terror.

"Everything okay?"

Yukari cackled maniacally.

"Oh, I'm fine."

Unsure if she should leave Yukari alone for too long doing whatever diabolical thing she was inflicting upon those guards, Kurumu quickly selected the hanger with the silky blue tee with the cloud print. The matching pant was slung over the bar of the hanger.

As another shriek tore through the adjacent room, Kurumu glanced over Yukari's selection of casual clothes. Kurumu grabbed that short sleeved, white blouse she had seen Yukari wear instead of the school blouse on occasions. She picked up a black, knee length skirt to go with it.

Kurumu opened the closet in time to witness the horror Yukari was inflicting upon these two. She was popping in and out of visibility by messing with her enchanted rock. The big brute slammed open the exterior door and ran out of the suite, literally tumbling over the railing to hit the ground below with a thud. The wild eyed guard was hot on his heels but had the sense to take the stairs.

Kurumu shook her head as she walked over to the cackling witch.

"Do I want to know what happened?"

"You should have seen their faces."

Kurumu smirked, shaking her head.

"Is there anything else you need?"

"Maybe. We should check your room first."

Kurumu smiled, thankful that she had been spared participating in this insanity. While she probably could have pulled off a scary image of Ms. Rin burning, it felt wrong.

"I hope Ms. Ketsuyama forgives you for this."

Yukari huffed, stalking over to her bathroom door which had been left open.

"I am honoring her by terrifying those whom would use her death to push their own agendas."

"She says with maniacal glee."

"Those animals! They didn't even flush!"

As an angry ghost girl stomped into the bathroom to right this injustice, Kurumu had to laugh.