"Okay, ladies. Walk quickly and stay close. We have about a half hour before the plane leaves."
Ms. Kiyoshi Narau slipped out of the driver seat, shutting the door behind her. Seated in the middle of the back seat, Kurumu had to wait for one of the vampire sisters to exit the vehicle. She clambered out on the heels of Moka as Kiyoshi popped the trunk of the sleek, silver sedan to fetch their luggage.
They were parked under the elevated train stop which preceded the Sendai airport. Rows of square, concrete pillars held up the train tracks in regular intervals off to their right with the station on their left. Kurumu sauntered over to the back of the luxury sedan to retrieve her bag from Ms. Kiyoshi.
Ms. Kiyoshi extracted the handle of her brown leather suitcase before closing the trunk. She pressed the button on a black fab which locked the doors with a chirp. Stashing the key into the pocket of her black suit jacket, she regarded Kurumu with alluring amethyst eyes.
"Get moving."
Gorgeous was an appropriate word to describe this woman. Ms. Kiyoshi's face was smooth and delicate with a pert nose, dainty chin and a tiny beauty mark below plump lips which begged to be kissed. Her long, luxurious black hair was balled up at the nape of her neck with crimson rods holding it in place.
Sashaying around in those heels, Ms. Kiyoshi was almost as tall as Moka. Her hips and derriere moved in an inviting manner within the confines of that tight, glossy black pencil skirt. The suit jacket had given up all hope of being buttoned, content to keep Ms. Kiyoshi's shoulders warm while her silky crimson blouse strained to contain a bosom which had to rival mommy's K cups.
"Remember we have to be inconspicuous."
"But the wig is itchy."
"Do you want to get pulled aside for a passport check again?"
Moka pouted as she pulled a wig out of her crimson tote. She tugged it over her pink tresses, stuffing her locks up into the curly black mess which was supposed to resemble hair. Kokoa had already hidden her reddish hair in an identical wig.
"And don't forget your mask and glasses."
Kurumu was unsure if Kokoa understood the meaning of inconspicuous as she passed by the pair. The sisters were wearing dark, heavy coats over their sundresses in the middle of the summer. As Kokoa pulled a white mask, black sunglasses and a royal blue military cap out of her dark green tote, Kurumu thought the vampires looked more suspicious with all of these unnecessary accessories.
Having no idea what would be appropriate, Kurumu had worn one of her school outfits today. They had spent the night at the Route Inn in Iwanuma, a city south of Sendai. Kurumu had shared a twin room with the sisters while Ms. Kiyoshi had her own. The woman had roused them early, making sure that they ate their complimentary breakfast before driving to Sendai airport located in Natori city limits.
Ms. Kiyoshi approached the stairway on the right leading up to the train station. Across four lanes of light traffic was a concrete island which was covered by arcs. More lanes were on the other side of the island. The sidewalk in front of the airport was shaded by a more continuous canopy.
"Walk quickly, ladies."
Ms. Kiyoshi had paused at the base of the stairs. Kurumu smiled apologetically, clutching her bag closer to her torso as she hurried over. It was not like her bag was excessively heavy, but it was uncomfortable to carry. She wished Yukari was here to cast her weight spell to make this easier.
"I've never been on a plane before."
"That is rather obvious."
Ms. Kiyoshi stepped onto the escalator which flanked the center stairs, prompting Kurumu to follow.
"Left side, Ms. Kurono."
Kurumu nodded, drifting over to the side Ms. Kiyoshi was favoring. After ascending a quarter of the way up, Moka boarded the escalator a step ahead of her sister. Both looked like they were ready to commit a crime as they talked conspiratorially with each other.
"I'm a little nervous."
"Don't be."
Kurumu smiled, not feeling any better.
"Is something wrong?"
"Being called to fetch you in the middle of a crisis had many warning flags springing up in my head."
"Crisis?"
"It's a Fairy Tale matter. Hopefully nothing pertinent to you."
Kurumu nodded with her thoughts returning to last night's drive. The worry Ms. Kiyoshi betrayed upon realizing Kurumu was a succubus had been unmistakable. Kurumu had explained she was Kokoa's servant and that mommy would be in Mrs. Shuzen's employ soon. She had tried to ask a few questions of her own, but Ms. Kiyoshi had shushed her, making one call before leaving the city to Ms. Yashin whom was covering her workload. Confirming her work associate knew nothing about mommy, she had hung up and told them to get some sleep on the drive. Needing no encouragement, Moka had nodded off within a half hour of leaving the city lights.
The expressway between Yamagata and the hotel involved many tunnels before it became a winding path along the countryside. Nestled between two slumbering vampires, Kurumu had tried to open a conversation in the uneasy darkness only to be shushed again. Ms. Kiyoshi had attempted more phone calls, complaining about her bad service with a Ms. Aimai whom also knew nothing about mommy. The phone did not have steady service until they reached the expressway exit near Murata.
Kurumu had cried during the drive at least three times. Ms. Kiyoshi had told her not to be scared and that she was only trying to figure out whom mommy would work with and could not reach some people due to pesky barriers. Setting the phone aside about a half hour before their arrival at the hotel, Ms. Kiyoshi had reassured her that Ms. Fukuda knew her mother and that she had nothing to worry about.
Ms. Kiyoshi stepped off the escalator and started for a walkway which crossed over the lanes of traffic. Hefting her luggage tighter to her chest, Kurumu followed the woman. The walkway had a green floor with bumped up circles to reduce slip hazards. A yellow stripe cut down the center towards a pair of glass doors which opened into the second floor of the airport. The sides of the walkway consisted of glass with white steel beams connecting the top to the bottom in a diagonal pattern. Where the diagonals reached the top, a vertical beam was placed.
Following Ms. Kiyoshi's example, Kurumu walked on the right side of the stripe. Peering off to the right she saw that there was another catwalk much further down the airport. Traffic moved steadily below her, some vehicles stopping to drop passengers off.
"Hurry up, Ms. Kurono. We have to check our bags before we pass through security."
Ms. Kiyoshi had reached the glass doors which had opened for her. Kurumu spared a quick glance over her shoulder at the sisters whom were steadily catching up to her. Clutching her bag, Kurumu quickened her step to pass through the open doors into the airport.
The tiles of the floor were patterned with colors. It alternated from two white tiles with a green stripe between gray tiles to three white tiles between the gray ones. Behind her was a glass wall with white steel tubing stretching up to the arched ceiling. The white panel ceiling was parted with skylights, making the entire upper floor bright enough to not have much need for lighting. That was probably a good thing since there did not seem to be any lights unless those small circles embedded in the tiles were lights.
Ms. Kiyoshi had crossed over the hallway to stand in a line. On the far wall behind a person working a counter was a graphic declaring Japanese Airlines. There were other lines on either side for other companies. Skymark was to the left while ANA was to the right. She settled in behind Ms. Kiyoshi, favoring Moka a slight smile when the vampire joined them.
"You should lose the coat."
Moka smiled apologetically.
"I can't fit it in my tote with everything else."
Ms. Kiyoshi glanced the sisters over, shaking her head.
"The only thing the two of you are missing are fake noses and moustaches."
"Should we have bought those?"
"Take those silly things off. You can drape the coats over your arms."
"Can we lose the wigs?"
"May as well be comfortable delinquents than sweating ones."
Kokoa pouted but decided to comply once Moka promptly tugged her wig and cap off. The sisters had only brought a change of clothes and these cumbersome disguises, limiting their baggage to what they could carry on the plane with them.
"Keep your passports near the top, girls. I don't want to lose too much time through security."
Kurumu nervously clutched her bag.
"You have passports?"
Kokoa nodded, pulling down her mask to reveal a wide grin. Her reddish hair was down for a change.
"We used to travel abroad. We went to Sydney when I was five and Paris when I was seven. I remember Momma and Father drinking on the beach under the moonlight."
Kurumu pouted at Moka whom finished stowing away the last of her accessories in her tote. Stuffed full with her outfit from yesterday, her tote was bulging at the seams.
"But you said I would be fine without a picture ID."
"You will be fine, Ms. Kurono."
Moka grinned as she slipped out of her dark coat to reveal the pale yellow sundress beneath. She had a white, strapless bra beneath which lacked any frills or lace. Familiar with Moka's wardrobe, Kurumu knew it was Moka's only strapless which she had worn a couple times with her pretty dresses.
Kokoa was wearing a pink sundress with white dots over a dark green bra and matching bikini briefs. Kurumu had asked where the girl had acquired the velvety lingerie since she had not seen it before. Kokoa had admitted it was a birthday present from a succubus named Sho whom belonged to Kokoa's mother for over two decades. Kokoa had not brought the lingerie with her to school.
"Two for check in."
Kurumu looked up, realizing that Ms. Kiyoshi had reached the front of the line and was showing her tickets to the attendant. The man nodded, gesturing to a break in the counter. Ms. Kiyoshi placed her case on the silver square mounted in this space, letting go of the handle. The man nodded again, turning to a console in the counter and punching some buttons. There was a chatter sound and the man pulled out a white strip with lettering. He promptly wrapped it about the handle, the label seeming to stick on itself. He tugged the case off the square and looked up at them.
"And the second?"
Kurumu nodded, handing Ms. Kiyoshi her luggage. The woman placed it on the silver square for the attendant whom regarded his screen. He punched the buttons on his keyboard before another label noisily printed out. He wrapped it about the handle of her bag and lugged it off what was probably a scale. He handed back the tickets to Ms. Kiyoshi.
"Enjoy your flight."
Ms. Kiyoshi thanked the man, moving aside so the next people could check in their things. She grabbed Kurumu by the upper arm, tugging her back to the end of the lines. She gestured towards the large sign for domestic beyond the rest of the airport lines.
"They'll start boarding in the next five to ten minutes. Hurry up, ladies."
Kurumu smiled, keeping pace with Ms. Kiyoshi.
"Do you have a passport?"
"Of course I do. My work has taken me out of the country on occasion."
"I know they used mine to enroll me in junior high."
Kurumu felt her heart flutter as they neared the black sign. There was a passage through the wall lined with steel posts connected with colored elastic bands, making a path to the other side. Several people were walking steadily along this path at the end of which stood a few workers whom operated small conveyors for luggage and bulky archways which allowed one person through at a time.
"Will I be okay?"
"Hold this."
Ms. Kiyoshi handed Kurumu a small pamphlet. It was a brochure for the hotel.
"What's this for?"
"It's your passport. It's not that hard to make one or two people see something differently."
Kurumu nodded with a frown, clutching the brochure to her breast as she walked slowly behind the woman. She glanced back at Moka.
"I didn't know you had a passport."
"Mother has my passport. She only gave it to me for this trip."
"Do you remember anything about the trips to Paris and Sydney?"
Moka's eyes went distant.
"She's being quiet but I have this fuzzy feeling. Like I was loved. It's hard to describe."
Moka's expression changed rather pleasantly.
"It's true. Maybe you showed it to me in a dream."
"How long have you worked for Mother, Ms. Kiyoshi?"
"Fourteen years, though I've been with Fairy Tale for thirty four."
Kurumu regarded the woman with surprise.
"Thirty four? That's almost longer than my mother has been alive."
"It's not polite to discuss a woman's age."
Kurumu timidly grabbed the woman by the sleeve to keep close.
"You don't look that much older than my mother."
"That's kind of you. We age rather gracefully. I work with two women twice my age whom I would swear aren't a day over fifty."
Kurumu smiled softly, noting the line was moving rather steadily. Her heart fluttered with worry.
"Do you know many of our kind?"
"I know about forty."
"There are that many succubi working for Fairy Tale?!"
Ms. Kiyoshi pressed her index finger against Kurumu's lips. She shook her head slightly.
"Not every succubus works for the agency. And not every succubus working for Fairy Tale is involved in Mrs. Shuzen's plan."
"But Mother is the leader of Fairy Tale."
"Yes, but we are agents and every agent works beneath prefectural leaders and region commanders. So far only thirteen of us have been removed from this chain of command to work directly for Mrs. Shuzen. It was something Mrs. Shuzen set in place when she brought me on board to help control the media. We work directly with region commanders to make things easier for them, but we don't work for them."
"But Mother wasn't president fourteen years ago. I remember her getting the position when I was six."
"Your mother was granted permission by former President Futten to form this unit. She tried to recruit me seven years prior to the creation of this unit, but former President Kamiken rejected her proposal and transferred Ms. Yashin from the unit Mrs. Shuzen was working with at the time."
"Isn't Ms. Yashin the woman you called to cover your absence?"
"Mujou works with Ms. Miburui in the Kanto region, since that old hag has priority over the rest of us when it comes to getting help. They even brought in a third girl dedicated to handling matters in the Kanagawa prefecture whom I've only met once. It was her division before Mrs. Shuzen took it over."
"I take it Ms. Miburui is one of the ladies twice your age?"
"She is. From what I understand, Mrs. Shuzen worked under Ms. Miburui two years before trying to create this unit. They put in requests for ladies Ms. Miburui knew personally, getting Ms. Kyuusai and Ms. Shikaru before the higher ups got suspicious. They canceled her proposal and reassigned Mujou because she had always been under Ms. Miburui's command. Bastards felt she needed more experience and had her sucking cocks for about a decade before Mrs. Shuzen could get her back."
Kurumu grimaced, hoping that would not be part of mommy's job description.
"You said it's a unit for information control. How do you control information?"
"That's fairly easy for a succubus, child. Surely you have realized that."
Kurumu frowned, noting they were getting closer to the end of the line.
"Does it require... sex?"
Ms. Kiyoshi laughed pleasantly, reaching over to caress the side of her face.
"I don't need to do anything sexual to get you through that security checkpoint."
"That's not what I meant."
"Information control is not that much different. You convince people to believe what you want them to believe. In circumstances which involve large crowds of people, you certainly can't use sex to solve the situation. But in small matters with only one or two witnesses, it may be an enjoyable way of handling things if the person in question strikes your fancy."
Kurumu still felt uneasy. Her heart was aching with thoughts of mommy and it was difficult not to let it show on her face.
"Is it dangerous work?"
"It can be. We are often in contact with powerful men whom need to be influenced to make things easier for all monster races. These men can be dangerous, but we can be very persuasive."
Ms. Kiyoshi paused.
"Well... unless Fairy Tale decides to kill them. There are races much better at assassination."
"I'm worried my mother can't handle what you do."
"Don't worry over it. I was told that Ms. Juunan would start training your mother this summer before they assign her to Ms. Ontai in the Chugoku region. I understand the two of you are from Tottori."
"Next."
Ms. Kiyoshi stepped up to a man behind a podium. She handed over her passport and their tickets. He looked her passport over, handing it back and making a slash on one of the tickets.
"The rest of your passports, please."
Ms. Kiyoshi stepped up beside the guy, touching his shoulder as she gestured for them to comply with the man's request. Kurumu nervously handed up the brochure while the sisters handed over their passports. The man looked over the brochure as if it was no different from the passports, handing each back and marking on the rest of the tickets.
"Move along."
"Thank you, Sir."
Ms. Kiyoshi withdrew her hand to grab Kurumu by the arm, tugging her towards the gate.
"How did you..."
"It's very easy if you can touch them. Come on, ladies."
Pocketing her passport, Ms. Kiyoshi stepped up in the small line flanked by the conveyor belts. People were placing their small bags and emptying their pockets in small bins being pushed through a scanner. Then they would walk through the archway with their hands up before collecting their things on the other side from the attendants.
"You said there were thirteen of you but there's only eight regions."
"When Mrs. Shuzen officially established our unit, there were only eight of us. Both Ms. Aimai and Mujou joined us later but before Mrs. Shuzen became the president. Anzu was trained by Ms. Kyuusai so she was assigned to help the Kansai region."
Kurumu smiled softly as Ms. Kiyoshi emptied her pockets into a bin. Kurumu had nothing in her pockets since she had stuffed her purse in her luggage next to her schoolbag. She moved slowly towards the archway as the sisters put their totes in the next bins.
"Is it okay that you tell us all this? I mean... isn't this like special information?"
Ms. Kiyoshi huffed out a laugh, shaking her head.
"Not to anyone in Fairy Tale whom wants to dig this information up. It's not like knowing our names and the regions we are assigned to could compromise our positions."
"I guess I'm used to people holding out information."
Ms. Kiyoshi smirked at her before heading for the archway.
"I can always change your memories if I think it's a problem."
Kurumu stared blankly as the woman held her hands up and passed through the scanner without issue. Was that possible? Could a succubus change memories? Yukari had admitted it was a bit frightening that Kurumu had removed memories from her. Had it been possible to change them instead?
"Kurumu."
Kurumu snapped out of her reflection, smiling apologetically at Moka before approaching the archway. She lifted her hands as directed and the attendants waved her through. The men gestured for Moka to follow, but she gestured for Kokoa to go first. The younger sister passed through without issue, but sighed heavily as she joined Kurumu and Ms. Kiyoshi.
"I hope they don't take her aside again."
Moka reluctantly approached the archway, holding her hands up. The vampire winced as the archway brightened up with an audible alarm. The attendants shook their head, gesturing at the rosary.
"You'll have to remove the necklace, Ma'am."
"I'm sorry. It's a religious artifact."
"Run it through the scanner."
"It can't be removed."
"Ma'am."
"I'm being honest."
Ms. Kiyoshi placed a hand on the attendant and shook her head.
"It's jewelry, Sir. There's no problem here."
The other attendant frowned and gestured at Moka.
"She can remove it and put it through the scanner."
Ms. Kiyoshi cocked her head and smiled at the other man.
"Is that absolutely necessary when you both know it will pass through fine?"
Both men frowned in confusion. The one touched by Ms. Kiyoshi decisively waved Moka through.
"Hurry on, then. Next in line."
Kurumu stifled her giggles as Moka pouted and took her bag from a grinning Kokoa.
"I hate airport security."
"It was a good thing we were dropped off early by Sho yesterday. It took Moka twenty minutes to get through security last time."
"She could have helped us through security. We nearly missed our plane."
"Enough dallying, ladies, or you'll miss this plane. They might already be boarding."
Kurumu nodded, following Ms. Kiyoshi. This side of the airport was slightly different than the other as the roof consisted of glass panels which curved down the side wall facing the runways. There were rows of seats lined up back to back and overhead signs directing them to numbered gates. At the end of the rows were small stands to buy concessions and other random things.
She passed by one break in the seats, noting it had a counter and an attendant beneath a sign declaring it to be gate six. Beyond the counter was a small ramp leading down. Looking out through the panes of glass, Kurumu saw some planes had different colors and graphics representing their airlines. Many were parked and had chutes attached to the front side of the plane.
"Over here. They are boarding."
Ms. Kiyoshi guided them towards a line which had formed in front of the counter. The attendant was scanning tickets and directing people down the ramp. Ms. Kiyoshi turned and handed a pair of tickets to Kurumu before giving the vampires theirs. Kurumu glanced over the flight details. The first ticket she was holding was for Itami to Kumamoto and would be departing a little before one and arriving a quarter after two. The other ticket was for Sendai to Itami, which would arrive a little after ten thirty.
"Where's Itami?"
"Osaka."
"We're waiting a couple hours in Osaka?"
"We had to do the same thing on the flight here. We ate our dinner there."
"I'll treat everyone to lunch."
Kurumu nodded as they steadily approached the counter. This was moving much faster than the security line check as it was not even a minute before Ms. Kiyoshi handed over her ticket.
"Ah. Our missing first class passengers."
Ms. Kiyoshi nodded at the grinning attendant.
"Yes. We are running a little behind."
"Have a pleasant flight, Ms. Kiyoshi."
The attendant scanned Kurumu's ticket, handing it back. Kurumu dawdled a couple steps down the ramp as Moka and Kokoa had their tickets scanned.
"We're flying first class."
"It means we sit in the front of the plane and exit first."
"They also serve alcohol, but you are all underage for that luxury."
"It's not as crowded as the other section of the plane. You'll see."
Kurumu nodded as she turned through a doorway and started down a small passage. She realized she was walking down the chute which connected to the plane and her heart fluttered a moment. She was suddenly overly conscious about the sturdiness of her footing and the sound of the plane engines. It was like some huge fan was running and she was surrounded by it.
"Are airplanes safe?"
"As far as I know."
"How do these things work?"
"It's lift. You know. Like when you throw a paper plane."
"We're going to be thrown?"
Kokoa giggled, shaking her head.
"Are you stupid?"
"Think of it like how Tora needs a running start. The plane runs forward and gets picked up."
"That's not how it works for Tora. She moves her wings. Do plane wings move?"
"Do the wings on a paper plane move?"
Kurumu paused, well aware that those did not. Her head was trying to wrap around the concept of this plane getting off the ground when she finally reached the end of the passage. With a slight turn to the left, Ms. Kiyoshi stepped through an open door onto the plane. A grinning stewardess with shiny black hair greeted them. Ms. Kiyoshi held out her ticket.
"First class."
"Yes, yes. Please be seated."
Ms. Kiyoshi nodded, disappearing off to the right with Moka and Kokoa on her heels. There were two bathrooms near the entrance. The passage off to the left ended with a small door which was open. The pilots inside were talking with each other. Taking a steadying breath, Kurumu turned to the right and walked a couple paces into an area which consisted of four rows of seats, with two on each side of the aisle. There was a barricade behind the last row of these seats, but the aisle passage was open. The seating behind the barricade was more compact with three seats each side of the aisle.
"Ms. Kurono."
Ms. Kiyoshi stood near the barricade, gesturing to the last row of seats on the right. Kurumu nodded, watching as Moka and Kokoa slipped into the seats of the row in front of Ms. Kiyoshi.
"Wait. Can I have the window?"
Kokoa got up and allowed her sister to squeeze in behind her before taking the aisle seat. As the sisters stuffed their totes beneath their chairs, Kurumu flashed Ms. Kiyoshi a nervous smile. She shuffled into the last row to take the window seat. As Ms. Kiyoshi took her aisle seat, Kurumu peered out the window. She glanced back, noting the wing of the plane with the engines mounted beneath them.
"Are you sure the wings don't move?"
"Have you ever used your wings, child? You should know that most of flying is gliding."
"But that's when you're in the air. You don't glide into the air."
"Shush you silly girl. You'll frighten other passengers with your nonsense."
Kurumu pouted, glancing up as other people moved down the aisle. Most passed by without paying her any attention. If anything, most of them were giving Ms. Kiyoshi an appraisal before moving along.
"Do you think the pilots are witches?"
Kokoa giggled as Ms. Kiyoshi promptly bopped Kurumu's head.
"It's science, Kurumu. You can throw anything. Those engines on the wings throw us into the air."
"Have you ever shot fireworks?"
Kurumu frowned at Ms. Kiyoshi as her first thought that came to mind was exploding. Realizing she would be bopped on the head again if she voiced that random concern, she plastered on a smile.
"I guess I understand. It's… well… this thing has to be heavy."
"It will fly, Kurumu. Don't worry about it."
"Here. This will cheer you up."
Ms. Kiyoshi handed over her phone. Kurumu frowned, noting that the screen had a grinning, dark haired girl with a striking resemblance to Ms. Kiyoshi. She had the same amethyst eyes, soft facial features and was cupping her modest bosom held in a black sports bra.
"Your daughter?"
"My niece, Saikou. She turned twelve in February."
"Oh. You don't have any kids?"
Ms. Kiyoshi smiled, shaking her head.
"Haven't found a compatible partner. But my sister got a lucky break on one of her jobs which resulted in this darling little girl. It's so… wonderful."
The soft tone had Kurumu pause.
"Is everything fine with her?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"
"I don't know. You seemed sad for a moment."
"It's different. That little girl loves being what she is. That picture is her bragging about being a B cup and letting me know she'll be as beautiful as us one day. She was so thrilled getting her wings, saying she was one step closer to becoming an angel like mommy."
Ms. Kiyoshi smiled as Kurumu's heart twisted painfully.
"Crazy. Michi and I never really thought it great or wonderful being what we are. But our little Saikou loves it. Michi is hoping she won't lose that smile when the charm and hunger sets in."
Kokoa popped over her seat, clearly on her knees as she held her hand out to Kurumu.
"Can I see her?"
Ms. Kiyoshi nodded, prompting Kurumu to hand over the phone. Kokoa cocked her head and smiled as Moka scooted up to also regard the phone. Grinning, Kokoa handed the phone to Moka.
"Does your sister work for Mother?"
"She goes by the name Mawari Michi and works the Hokkaido region. We both joined your mother's cause at the same time along with that Sakurai brat Ms. Ontai raised. That twit was only seventeen and already had herself a baby girl."
Kokoa pursed her lips.
"I think I've met Ms. Sakurai."
Kurumu smiled at thoughts of other succubi her age.
"Does your sister have any other daughters?"
"Sadly not. The father of Saikou passed away before she was born."
"Oh. Overdose?"
Ms. Kiyoshi smirked.
"I have no idea what the official record was, but I doubt overdose would explain his mangled corpse."
"What happened?"
"He was compatible with Michi. That didn't mean he was a nice person."
Ms. Kiyoshi chuckled at Kurumu's surprised look as she took her phone back from Moka.
"She's very pretty."
"Thank you. Someday I might stumble across a man for me. Maybe I'll be lucky enough that he's also a good person to consider settling down with."
"Does that ever work out?"
"Clearly you are aware of the dangers of our kiss."
"Well… I have a boyfriend."
Ms. Kiyoshi clucked her tongue, shaking her head.
"Much too young for that."
"Well… my body did react."
"Oh? A lucky girl then. Be cautious with him. Ruining someone with addiction could break your heart."
"I am trying."
Ms. Kiyoshi sighed, leaning back in her seat.
"My sister and I had no understanding of what we were or what we could do. By the time I was old enough to have proper memories, it was just dad."
Ms. Kiyoshi lowered her voice to a whisper.
"My father was addicted to succubi. He… I didn't understand what he wanted from us. He would… lick us. But since we were young, our juices weren't strong enough to harm him. That kind of changed after Michi sprouted her wings shortly after her eleventh birthday. We became more potent. By the time I got my wings, Michi was his preferred fix."
Ms. Kiyoshi paused, leaning in closer with a wistful smile.
"I'm the lucky one. Daddy didn't die on top of me. I'm the one whom kept Michi alive when Daddy's heart gave out. We survived because we had each other. I know a lot of girls aren't so lucky. Mujou was in a coma for four years when she lost her mother."
Ms. Kiyoshi grinned, tousling Kurumu's hair as she straightened back up in her seat.
"You're not going to hear great stories from most of the girls, if you can get them to talk at all about their pasts. That's why… I love our Saikou. It's uplifting to raise this girl without a messed up past. Sure… she doesn't have a father, but that's a small price to pay."
"How did you end up in Fairy Tale?"
"Well… two young girls whom have no guardians can't hide from the world forever. The humans found us first, since we were technically registered with them. I was twelve and my sister was fifteen. They didn't know what to do with us because we were dumb as rocks. We could speak our language but neither of us could write or read."
Ms. Kiyoshi smirked.
"We could suppress our forms because daddy didn't like our wings or tails. Michi convinced the humans to leave me in her care and to give her an allowance for us to live off of. It's amazing how we managed to avoid Fairy Tale for as long as we did, considering they have agents within the human government. They eventually found us, gave us new identities and forced us to work for them."
"That sounds like slavery."
"Eh… we were picked up when the Doma household was running Fairy Tale. They changed a lot of rules regarding the treatment of lesser races."
"That's also when vampires were allowed back into Fairy Tale."
"Yea… the vampires did everyone a favor overthrowing the Taizai regime. If we had been picked up three years earlier, we would have been butchered like pets before being put to work. The Fairy Tale of the seventies was much more lenient, only requiring that we work in exchange for protection. I don't envy the older ladies one bit. They all have shitty stories."
"Do you think your sister is happy, Ms. Kiyoshi?"
Ms. Kiyoshi grinned at Moka.
"She certainly is. That's why I keep hoping I get my chance. Having a little girl would be wonderful."
Kurumu smiled, aware how favorably mommy had viewed parenthood. She took in another deep breath to squash down the pain in her chest.
"Do you think Ms. Hajinai could help you? I understood she was like a matchmaker."
Ms. Kiyoshi snorted.
"How do you know about that ancient granny?"
"I… well… she helped my mother have me."
"That's right. You were down in Tottori. From what I understand, that old woman doesn't leave the southern regions. She's in contact with Ms. Ontai frequently, helping Sakurai make more babies."
"She has more than one daughter?"
"That brat has three little girls. Must be lucky to run a region that has about the same population as the prefecture of Miyagi."
"I have definitely met Ms. Sakurai. She stopped by our estate right after construction was finished. She had just had her third baby girl."
"Uwaki is a nice woman, even if she is an airhead. I just wish someone would take Miyagi off my hands. I don't care much for Sendai. I'll happily run the region while some new girl handles this hell hole."
"Buckle your seatbelts, Ma'am. We're about to give the instructions."
Ms. Kiyoshi nodded at the smiling stewardess, sitting up in her seat. Kurumu frowned as Ms. Kiyoshi tugged a belt up and fastened it about her waist.
"What is that for?"
"It's a seatbelt."
"I know what it is. I was wondering why a plane has them."
"It's because the takeoff can be bumpy so they don't want you to be jostled about too much."
Kurumu frowned at Moka's explanation. And these safety instructions the stewardess started rambling off was not making her any comfortable with these crazy humans thinking it smart to fly through the air in a glorified brick.
"Are you sure this is safe?"
Ms. Kiyoshi leaned over and pressed her lips gently upon Kurumu's temple, startling her.
"Calm down, little one."
A soothing wave pushed through her consciousness, causing her pained heart to slow. She looked at Ms. Kiyoshi, feeling somewhat distant and tired. She reached out and the woman took her hand, offering a reassuring squeeze.
"Feeling better?"
She could only nod.
"What do you mean, you're here? I was told to rent a car."
Ms. Kiyoshi frowned as they walked towards the glass doors which lead outside. She was tugging her luggage by the handle. Kurumu followed on the heels of the agitated woman, carrying her own baggage tightly against her torso while the vampire sisters walked quietly beside her.
"I already rented the car, you twit. There was no reason for me to think I had to turn my phone on the moment I got off the plane. If you knew there was a change of plans, you should have called me while we were in Osaka."
Ms. Kiyoshi shook her head as the glass doors sensed her presence and opened. Her heels clapped angrily against the white tiles as she entered the vestibule prompting another set of glass doors to open.
"So what do you want me to do with the car?"
Ms. Kiyoshi sighed as she walked through the other set of doors into the heat of the afternoon. A wood panel canopy stretched overhead to keep the sidewalk in the shade. Across two lanes of traffic was a covered concrete island with some cars parked alongside it. Beyond the parking lane were more lanes of traffic. A row of bushes separated the road from an open parking lot.
"I suppose we can do that. Where are you?"
While flying first class meant they were the first off the plane, it did not make their luggage come to the carousel any faster. With the time lost at the baggage pickup and at the car rental booth, it was almost three. Kurumu hovered in Ms. Kiyoshi's shadow, admiring the clear blue sky.
They had waited over a half hour to eat lunch, since many of the restaurants at Itami did not open their doors until eleven. To pass time, Ms. Kiyoshi had called her niece and let Saikou loose on Kurumu. The girl was an excitable child, running over Kurumu's responses with random topics which had Kurumu often confused over what they were talking about.
To Kurumu's surprise, Saikou attended human schools. She took a month off for the illness of figuring out how to suppress her wings, but she had returned in time to graduate from her elementary school. She was presently attending Fuji Women's Academy, which was both a junior and senior high. Kurumu had asked if being in an all girls' school was healthy for her but Saikou had laughed it off. She claimed to have bunches of boyfriends in the neighborhood to keep her heart happy.
Over lunch, Ms. Kiyoshi had confessed her concerns over Saikou's friends. While they had told the girl everything, it was impossible to truly be prepared for the onset of charm and the need for the desire of male attention. Kurumu had understood this, since mommy had warned her about such needs and she had blown them off until the point of collapse.
Having almost a whole hour to burn before they boarded their twelve fifty plane, Kurumu had proposed checking out the souvenir shops. She had wanted to pick something up for mommy, hoping Ms. Kiyoshi had some idea what would be an appropriate gift. As Moka and Kokoa both found the idea agreeable, they ended up buying three boxes of Kuidaore Taro pudding. Having no room in their totes, Ms. Kiyoshi had carried the bag of souvenirs with her onto the second plane.
"There she is, Ms. Kiyoshi."
Kurumu followed Kokoa's gesture, picking out a statuesque woman waving at them from the covered island. She was a silver haired beauty with her mane slung over her right shoulder. Her gesture caused the tresses to dance to and fro across her jiggling bosom contained within a short sleeved, bright peach blouse with a tee shirt collar and a pleated front. Due to this bosom, the shirt was not long enough to be tucked into those pristine white capris which hugged curvy hips and thighs in a manner which had Kurumu amazed the woman had ever squeezed into them. The fabric ended halfway down her calves with her feet garbed in crimson flats.
"Coming your way."
Ms. Kiyoshi sighed, hanging up the phone and slipping it into her jacket pocket. She started off towards the bouncy woman, pulling her suitcase behind her. White bars were painted in the shadow of a canopy which stretched over the pedestrian walkway.
"That's Ms. Juunan Soushoku. We just call her Sho."
"She's one of those ladies you don't want to know more about than you have to. As Mrs. Shuzen is fond of Juunan, she keeps her in the Kyushu region. She hired Ms. Fukuda straight out of high school a few years ago to handle Fukuoka, since that prefecture has the region headquarters."
"Do you remember these women?"
Moka smiled apologetically as they neared the covered walkway.
"I know she dislikes Ms. Juunan. She doesn't want me interacting with her."
"I'd prefer not talking to her either. Her cat and mouse games are annoying."
Kurumu felt nervous as they crossed the walkway. Ms. Juunan was retreating to a nearby luxury sedan with a black cherry finish. The front black grill had a small silver circle with a pair of lines slashing down from the top before sweeping off to the side.
"She seems like a nice person."
"She'd be a poor succubus if you felt cautious upon seeing her."
Kurumu smiled as they turned right at the concrete island, approaching the vehicle. The woman had popped the trunk and was motioning for them.
"How was your flight, Narau?"
Ms. Kiyoshi shrugged as she parked her luggage next to the trunk. She gestured at Kurumu.
"This is Kurono Kurumu, the daughter of the woman you'll be training. I've already introduced you."
Ms. Juunan closed her frosty blue eyes, bowing her head slightly.
"I hope I don't disappoint."
Ms. Juunan held her hands up to Kurumu, prompting her to surrender her bag.
"So what's this big appointment we got that I can't take the rental car now?"
Ms. Juunan smiled, stowing away Kurumu's luggage in the trunk. She reached up for Ms. Kiyoshi's suitcase, prompting Ms. Kiyoshi to pick the thing up and collapse the handle before handing it over.
"I've been instructed to deliver Ms. Kurono to the hospital in Iromori."
Ms. Kiyoshi frowned as Ms. Juunan closed up the trunk.
"What for?"
"For surgery."
Kurumu staggered as she was pulled tightly to Ms. Kiyoshi's side.
"She's too young for that! She turned sixteen only yesterday."
"Well… technically two days-"
Ms. Kiyoshi's glare silenced Kokoa's murmuring. Ms. Juunan chuckled, cupping her sharp chin while her other arm crossed her torso below her ample bosom.
"My oh my. You seem to have quickly become attached."
"You better be joking about taking her to the hospital."
"I'm following orders."
"There's no reason for it."
Ms. Juunan smiled with eyes betraying mischief.
"You can call Mrs. Shuzen if you doubt me."
"Is everything okay?"
Ms. Kiyoshi squeezed Kurumu tighter.
"What's going on?"
Ms. Juunan grinned, glancing in both directions.
"We can chat on the drive."
Ms. Juunan stalked away along the far side of the sedan to the driver's seat. Ms. Kiyoshi sighed, relaxing her grip and guiding Kurumu back to the passenger side.
"Get in the car girls. You should sit in the middle, Ms. Kurono."
"Why?"
"Because I want to be able to see you easily."
Kurumu frowned as Moka opened the back seat door. Kokoa clambered in first, scooting over behind Ms. Juunan. Kurumu settled in next while Ms. Kiyoshi took the front passenger seat. After Moka got in and shut her door, Ms. Juunan pulled out into the adjacent lane and picked up speed.
Nothing was said for the first minute or so. The road curved to the right and Ms. Juunan steered the vehicle back into the left most lane to avoid making the next right curve. She passed through the intersection, continuing into the green countryside. They passed through another intersection before driving by a blue sign indicating the next intersection was for 206. They had to stop for a red light.
"So… why does Kurumu need surgery?"
"Why indeed."
Kurumu clutched her chest, thinking of the last times she had been operated on.
"Will it be okay? We ate only a few hours ago."
"Enough with the bullshit, Juunan. You're making her nervous."
"I can only tell you what the Lady informed me. She arrived at the Estate this morning and instructed me to pick you up at the airport and bring Ms. Kurono to the hospital."
Ms. Kiyoshi looked Kurumu over, making Kurumu worry as they turned left on 206. The road was flanked by fluffy bushes on both sides.
"Has something happened?"
"Someone killed Sugawara."
"Sugawara?"
"A senior girl whom was attending Touge Technical in Iromori. She was one of us."
"What does that have to do with Ms. Kurono?"
"What indeed."
"Answer the question."
Ms. Juunan pouted.
"You're no fun."
"I'm not trying to have fun at the expense of a young girl."
"Has it not occurred to you that I don't have a clue?"
"You practically share a bed with Mrs. Shuzen. You must know something."
"All I know is our Lady has been scrambling to get this situation under control. She left early in the morning yesterday and I did not see her again until this morning with the update about Ms. Kurono's appointment. I suspect Ms. Kurono might have some idea why she would need to visit a hospital."
Kurumu's thoughts waffled over which thing she wanted to talk about. She was worried about this situation Ms. Juunan mentioned since it might be the same crisis which troubled Ms. Kiyoshi. But at the same time, she was aware of a reason why she could be called to a hospital.
"Is Mrs. Shuzen wanting to fix me?"
"There's nothing broken with you."
Kurumu bit her lip as they drove by more fields on the right.
"I… well… my organ that makes babies was broken."
Ms. Kiyoshi frowned at her.
"What? How?"
"A recent accident. My mother made a deal with Mrs. Shuzen to have it replaced."
Ms. Kiyoshi stared at her for a moment. The foliage and farm fields flanking the road gave way for some small buildings. Ms. Kiyoshi sighed, relaxing back in her seat.
"Thank goodness it's something harmless."
"My oh my. You worry too much."
"It was a reasonable concern given the circumstances."
"There's a good chance she would survive the operation."
"Yea, and those chances are worse the younger they are and you know it."
"An eighty percent chance of survival at sixteen isn't that bad."
"Tell that to any human and they'd refuse."
"Both Anzu and Mujou had their operations done at sixteen."
"And both of them would have died without the operation. Does that girl look like she's dying?"
Kurumu frowned as they passed by more buildings, many seeming like residences. It seemed like they were in some sort of small town.
"Um… wasn't Ms. Yashin in a coma?"
"They're not going to keep a girl in a medical coma forever. The doctor waited for her body to mature before performing the operation."
"And then Tenshi wiped Mujou of her past, rewriting herself into the mother role."
Kurumu shuddered at the blithe delivery of that fact.
"That still bothers me. Ms. Miburui should tell her truth before I say something on accident."
"If that worries you, I'm sure Tenshi could fix your memories too. It's not like you knew Mujou's mother to have any attachment to the truth."
"I'll pass on the idea of her fucking with my mind."
"What kind of operation are we talking about?"
Ms. Kiyoshi smiled.
"A succubus can have her heart strings severed."
"Heart strings?"
"Some muscle that is strung about the heart. It's a delicate process, but it does remove one of the leading causes of death for our kind."
Kurumu nodded, feeling numb over that revelation. She wondered if removing the muscles which squeezed her heart with grief would be a good thing.
"So… because Sugawara died I'm getting fixed."
Ms. Kiyoshi sighed, reaching back to caress Kurumu's temple.
"Don't think like that. Think of it as carrying on our race. Far too many of us die young and we must do what we can to keep from vanishing."
"So when will you make arrangements to do your duty to our species?"
Ms. Kiyoshi glared at the grinning Ms. Juunan.
"When Mrs. Shuzen sends me some help. Michi had a hell of a time trying to toggle her responsibilities to Saikou and Fairy Tale."
"But it gave you an excuse to help her every chance you could."
Ms. Kiyoshi blushed, shaking her head.
"That is completely missing the point. I'm not calling my sister down to babysit for me. She's done more than enough for my sake."
Kurumu smiled as they exited the town. They were flanked by fields on both sides once again.
"Do you have any daughters, Ms. Juunan?"
"I've been sterile since I was twelve."
"Did something happen to make you sterile?"
Ms. Juunan giggled with a slight toss of her head.
"You could say that."
"Before the Doma household took over, Fairy Tale would sterilize any succubi they captured."
"But… I thought Sho joined Fairy Tale after Mother."
They stopped for a red light at an intersection which seemed like it might be the start of another town.
"The Buyouken household was not interested in repeating the mistakes of the Haishi household. Some vampire households would keep us as toys to settle debts and make money. Every succubus is different, but we are all limited in whom we can breed with. Some families would not bother sterilizing their pets because the chance was slim a succubus would find a mate."
The light changed and Ms. Juunan accelerated the vehicle, passing by the gas station and other shops. The only thing behind these buildings was more farm land. Verdant hillsides were waiting for them further down the road.
"After being sterilized, I was juggled between the roles of maid and prostitute. When our Lady turned six, I was assigned to be her nanny. My influence upon her was favorable enough that she challenged her parents over my ownership when she was fifteen. I have been her possession ever since."
"So you're like… ten to fifteen years older than Mrs. Shuzen."
Ms. Juunan pouted as the road curved to the right, bringing the hillsides closer.
"I'm not that old."
"But she's correct. The Buyouken household's records state she was acquired in March of 1958, which was right after you got your wings. Since most of us get our wings between ten and twelve, you are at least that many years plus one year older than Mrs. Shuzen, since she was born in November of 59."
"Yea, on the twentieth of November."
Kurumu shared a smile with Kokoa as the road curved back to the left. The trees covering the hillsides were much closer now.
"Have you ever thought of getting a new thing to make babies?"
"I have never had a desire to bring another one of us into this world."
Kurumu had not expected that response. She stumbled to think of something else to discuss.
"Have you met Ms. Hajinai?"
"I have."
"Is she really as ancient as Ms. Kiyoshi says she is?"
Ms. Juunan giggled, glancing at Ms. Kiyoshi.
"What have you been telling this girl?"
"The truth."
"Are you trying to endear yourself upon her so that she might help your region?"
"I was worried about her getting called here suddenly in the middle of a mess."
They passed through an intersection with a green light. The intersecting road did not go far off to the right before cutting a path up the hillside. The buildings were becoming more spaced and that the fields on the left seemed lower than they were.
"I don't think anyone knows how old Elder Hajinai is. She claims she was around when the purge of 1862 was sanctioned, allowing succubi to be killed on sight. She also claims she founded four succubi villages over the past century. Tenshi and Kaiga were survivors from the 1922 massacre of one of her villages, so we know she is at least that old."
"Could Ms. Hajinai find a mate for Ms. Kiyoshi?"
"Possibly. When Uwaki was trying to find a partner, Elder Hajinai was having her meet with five or six men every month. Finding a mate is nothing more than persistent trial and error. Her younger girls both took over a year of meetings before finding a compatible partner."
"Uwaki?"
"Ms. Sakurai. This minx doesn't use polite surnames for any of us."
Ms. Kiyoshi sighed grandly as they passed by some trees. The view ahead was mostly countryside with the occasional building tucked away.
"Though I'm surprised I haven't had a baby yet if it's only a matter of trial and error. I've had dozens of relationships over the years."
"You're too hung up on the notion that it has to be more than physical. Uwaki didn't keep in contact with any of the fathers to her children."
"That's dumb and you know it."
"It's safer for all involved parties."
Ms. Kiyoshi sighed again as they came about a bend and started across a bridge. There were houses below them on the left and forested hillside on the right.
"The girl understands. I bet you hope that your new babymaker will respond to your boyfriend."
Kurumu smiled, nodding enthusiastically.
"That would be wonderful. Though… I'm not going to break up with him if it doesn't."
Ms. Juunan giggled, shaking her head as they passed by a large body of water on the right
"What does a sixteen year old girl need with a steady boyfriend?"
"Does it matter? I know if I found a guy I'm compatible with and he isn't a complete scumbag, I'm going to keep him around as a friend. I can't do this disposable crap Uwaki is doing."
Ms. Juunan smirked as they came off the bridge and crossed another intersection.
"And what if he wants a serious relationship?"
"I'll have him charmed out of that nonsense. Keeping him healthy and safe to make babies with me would be more important."
"My oh my. I didn't realize you were part harpy."
Kurumu chuckled softly as they continued. There were some shops scattered on both sides of the road. Trees hemmed in around these structures. The road was approaching more hillsides, with these ones being more grass than woods. They finally broke through the trees into a more open, verdant area
"Have you ever thought about dating someone not human?"
"If I stumbled across a guy whom could make a baby with me, I wouldn't fret over what race he is."
"What about dating an Undine? I understand they are more resilient to our kiss."
"They might be more resilient, but not many races desire a succubus for a bride. Sure, nobody is going to pass a chance to have sex with us, but we can only make more succubi. And that's assuming the guy is compatible. I've let a lot of guys go, knowing my charm was the only thing keeping them with me."
"Narau wastes too much time on incompatible men."
Ms. Kiyoshi sighed as the road winded up and beside the grassy hillside.
"Incompatibility makes it easier to break things off. You tire of being cautious and apologizing for your inability to get pregnant. Maybe I should get in touch with Ms. Hajinai."
"So… Mrs. Shuzen knows where this woman is."
"Our Lady knows but since the intelligence division is presently controlled by us, it's not an issue. Elder Hajinai scolds us for taking this position of authority and has refused to help us, though she enjoys the freedom we have provided. She's particularly fond of Riyuu."
Kurumu nodded at first, frowning when she realized the name did not belong to Sakurai.
"Riyuu?"
"Ms. Ontai. The woman your mother will be trained to help."
"I do hope your mother is easy to get along with. I heard from our Lady that she is a rather carefree, silly individual whom still doesn't quite understand the way this world works."
Kurumu grinned, squeezing her breast to ease the sudden pain in her heart.
"I'm sure she'll cause you trouble. She's like a big kid."
"That sounds similar to Uwaki."
Ms. Kiyoshi sighed heavily as they passed by a building. Up ahead was a huge steel structure standing above the road. It was shaped like a white X and had many cables stretching down to the ground.
"Isn't Jona planning to help our cause when she graduates?"
"We were thinking to have her assist her mother."
"That brat doesn't need the help. I had to pull Mujou to cover for me."
"You have Saikou for your future."
Ms. Kiyoshi shook her head vehemently.
"No. Michi and I have talked about this and Saikou is not joining Fairy Tale. You need to stop ignoring the northern regions. I can't keep Lord Sakigake in check all the time while keeping Miyagi under control. I need someone for Sendai just like you needed someone for Fukuoka."
"We'll find someone for you soon."
Ms. Kiyoshi snorted as they started to cross the bridge at the center of which was that white X. A white fence was built up at each side of the bridge. There was a vast view out to the left while the right was a wooded hillside.
"I feel like that won't happen. You'll give another girl to Ms. Miburui to take Saitama off Mujou's hands."
"Saitama and Chiba both are heavily populated prefectures. Who knows what will be the best decision when we add another girl to our ranks."
They passed through the woods on the other side of the bridge in a moment of silence. Kurumu glanced at Moka, whom smiled with a slight shrug of her shoulders. Kokoa was leaning against the door, staring out the window at the trees on their right. Kurumu felt restless and uneasy for the next quiet minute of their drive. The forest thinned as they approached a blue sign, indicating they were on 28.
"How much further is Iromori?"
"It's at least another half hour away."
Kurumu nodded, noting how the view had opened up on the left. The landscape looked so pretty with forests and fields stretched across the horizon. Some structures stood up in the distance but it was not like overlooking a city as she had from the observation deck of the science museum in Kofu. The road banked to the left with tall, grassy hills looming on the right.
"Is the Shuzen Estate in Iromori?"
"No, but I've been to Iromori often."
Kurumu smiled at Kokoa whom had torn her gaze away from the countryside.
"Does your mother work in Iromori?"
"Sometimes. The prefectural office is in Iromori."
"So… does that mean Touge Technical is the prefectural school?"
"We try to have the main Fairy Tale office in the villages which host our prefectural schools. The Fukuoka office is in Arukasa, home to Meisou Academy."
Kurumu nodded as they coasted by a parking area on the left. Some people were standing further out at the railing, taking pictures of the scenery.
"Yea, but your region headquarters are in the actual city like mine is in Sendai."
Crossing another bridge over a gorge filled with foliage, Kurumu noted they were fairly high up. The only hillsides which seemed higher were far off in the distance. White spires stood up from the hilltops on the right. Each spire had three blades mounted to the top, turning with the wind.
"Moka and I are in the school newspaper and I do a lot of articles for our sports. I hear about the other prefectural schools often and how good they are."
"While I don't know much about sports, I can claim that Meisou offers the best academic program in Kyushu. It's also the most expensive so many students flock to our other prefectural schools like Touge. There's Hozen High in Konotake of Saga, Gaibun Institute in Sanrin of Miyzaki and Seifuu Technical in Torimiru of Oita. Our school in Kagoshima is Hokori Institute in Nagusame. And the school for Nagasaki is Minato High, located in Ikamizo in the depths of Omura Bay."
"What about Okinawa?"
Ms. Juunan smiled thinly at Kokoa.
"We don't quite know what is going on at Ranten Academy these days. The new prefectural leader there is quite the handful and I'd rather not talk about it. Our communication with Umishita is very restricted."
They had come around the bend and were descending again. The hills rose up on both sides for a short while before the hill on the left gave way to a forest. They crossed another bridge and were quickly approaching another one.
"What sort of things did you do in Iromori?"
Kokoa shrugged, sitting back in her seat.
"Not much. That's where my tutors live and Kahlua and I would have our yearly physical at the hospital. There's also the memorial Mother has us go to every year."
"Yea."
The soft melancholy utterance from Moka caught Kurumu's attention.
"You've been to Iromori?"
"The couple times I've been to the Estate."
"The true Moka and this seal both spent quite some time in the Iromori hospital."
Kurumu looked up at Ms. Juunan's cheery remark. They were more than halfway across the next bridge and there were many spires spinning on the hilltops off to the right.
"What do you know about Moka's seal?"
"About as much as our Lady knows."
"Mother was living with Sho in Fukuoka at the time. She was too busy with work."
Ms. Juunan laughed with a slight shake of her head.
"Silly girl. That's not how I remember things."
"But that's what happened. She left us so she could focus on her work. We barely saw her that whole year while Akua lived with us."
"That would be Lord Issa's wishes. Our Lady objected to having Akua stay at the manor. Under threat of divorce, which would have ruined our Lady's position as President of Fairy Tale, she agreed to move out."
"But that's not what we were told!"
Ms. Juunan cooed as they came down a curve in the road. A cable fence stretched along the right side shoulder while a hill rose up on the left.
"You were told your mother choose work over you, which is true. She could have gone through with the divorce. Maybe Lord Issa would have allowed her to take both Kahlua and you away. Akua was already established as the Eldest Daughter and Moka was his favorite."
The road continued to bend towards the hillside. An arched tunnel was carved up ahead, allowing the road to pass through.
"But a big part of her rise to President was due to her relations with Lady Akasha, a founding member of Fairy Tale. A divorce from Lord Issa would have prompted calls for her resignation. She weighed her options and felt withdrawal was the best course for everyone."
Moka sighed as they passed into the tunnel. The lights of the vehicle turned on automatically, revealing the reflective markings which defined the path.
"It doesn't feel like this was the best path for everyone."
"You can't save everyone, child. Sometimes there are no options for everyone to be happy."
Kurumu grimaced, clutching her breast. The uneasiness had not diminished. She forced a deep breath as she noted the darkness of the tunnel about them.
"So… does this vehicle work like Mr. Nurari's bus?"
"Sadly not. There is a tunnel up in the Aso Mountains on 111 which synchronizes with Iromori, but it's the talisman I hold which allows me to enter Iromori. It has nothing to do with this vehicle."
They were nearing a ring of sunlight, signifying the end of their enclosure.
"Elder Nurari is special in that he can jump from tunnel to tunnel as if they were all connected. We wish he would share his secret as it would spare us the trouble of driving about in the human world."
Ms. Kiyoshi snorted as they came back out into the afternoon sun.
"As if you're one to pout over someone keeping secrets."
Kurumu sighed as she rested in a hospital bed in the small room they had wheeled her into after the operation. She was dressed in a white gown with teddy bears printed about the fabric. The collar was hemmed with a blue cord which became a tie in the back. A similar tie was stitched at her waist, which was all there was to the back of this gown.
The blue cushion was not that comfortable and the white sheet did little for warmth. She had asked for a thicker blanket, but Ms. Kiyoshi had that draped over her lap in the stiff, blue cushioned chair pushed into the far corner of the room next to the window. Both of their bags were resting against the chair.
She had an IV hooked up to her right arm because that seemed to be what nurses did for anyone having surgery. It was not like she was incapable of hydrating herself but one of these bags was medicine to ensure she did not develop any infections. It was standard practice since some races were more susceptible to illnesses, despite all having superior constitution when compared to humans.
Kurumu sighed, popping open the lid to her CD player which rested on a nearby counter while plugged into an outlet. She tugged out the Utada CD, having listened to it twice now and not in the mood to play it a third round. The clock on the wall over the door indicated it was a quarter after eight.
It had been shy of four when they had pulled into the parking lot of the Iromori hospital. Like Mononoke, the hospital stood at the edge of the town. After helping Kurumu fill out some paperwork, Ms. Juunan had left the luggage in Ms. Kiyoshi's care.
She had listened to her CD once before her operation, which was actually a short wait considering this had not been scheduled until she signed in at the front desk. As the procedure had been elevated to emergency status by Mrs. Shuzen, Kurumu had been put under before six and had roused an hour later in this room. She had never seen the doctor, though she understood she would be released tomorrow afternoon if all her readings were acceptable. She had missed dinner, which Ms. Kiyoshi assured her was not something she would have enjoyed. Apparently hospital food was bad no matter where one went.
After pushing the CD back in its case, Kurumu tugged her earphones out.
"Did you want to listen to the CD?"
"I'm wondering how much longer I'm expected to wait here. I'll give them till nine before I head off to find a local hotel. While the nurses might let me spend the night, I have no desire to sleep in this chair."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not like you were involved in the planning of this."
"You can go now if you want. I'll be fine."
"If you were asleep, I would."
There was a sharp knock at the door. Ms. Kiyoshi set aside the blanket, getting to her feet as the door pushed open. Standing in the hallway was a familiar, silver haired woman with calculating crimson eyes. A white business jacket was worn over a black blouse. Her bangs were clipped back on the left side with a diamond encrusted cross. Her textured gray sailor pants clung tightly about her hips with glossy black buttons stitched up the sides. Her long heels clipped against the white tiled floor as she approached.
"Madame President. I didn't expect you."
Shuzen Gyokuro regarded Ms. Kiyoshi whom bowed her head in respect.
"Stand outside the room to ensure we are not disturbed. I would have a moment alone with her."
Ms. Kiyoshi frowned, sharing a glance with Kurumu. She turned her gaze back to Mrs. Shuzen and bowed her head slightly.
"Of course, Madame President."
Kurumu's heart fluttered as Ms. Kiyoshi's heels clipped across the floor. Mrs. Shuzen watched the woman exit the room, waiting for the door to close. The vampire walked slowly over to the chair, picking up the brown blanket from the chair.
"She left behind her bag. She must be worried."
"Mrs. Shuzen?"
The vampire stalked back to Kurumu's bedside, dropping the blanket on her waist. The tanned woman peered down at her with those commanding eyes, causing Kurumu to breathe shallowly. Mrs. Shuzen leaned over the bed, lifting a hand to gently tap Kurumu's nose.
"I believe you have something I need."
Kurumu nervously bit her lip as her thoughts fumbled over what was going on.
"I'm sorry. I don't understand."
Mrs. Shuzen cocked her head, pressing a slender digit against Kurumu's lips. The vampire's skin was icy much like Mizore's.
"A blond man with interesting yellow eyes. His pupils are not normal."
Kurumu's heart skipped a beat.
"Yoshii Kiria. He tried to kidnap Moka."
Mrs. Shuzen smiled, baring her fangs.
"Good. I would very much like to find this man."
"We gave his name to the Headmaster. Did he not tell you?"
Mrs. Shuzen huffed, drawing back upright.
"Mikogami is a proud man. I'm trampling his ego in my efforts to fix the mess our saviors left for us."
Kurumu cared little about pride or politics.
"Then you should know that Yoshii Kiria works for Fujisaki Miyabi. It is their desire to use Moka to revive Alucard and destroy the world."
Mrs. Shuzen paused, glancing at the door. She lifted a hand to her chin as she remained silent for a long moment. Her lips tensed and relaxed. Her eyes returned to Kurumu.
"That is troublesome. Sadly the testimony of a child would not be enough to convince the elders to remove him from authority."
"Authority?"
Mrs. Shuzen promptly pressed a finger to Kurumu's lips.
"This is not something you can deal with, Ms. Kurono. Allow me to handle Mr. Fujisaki."
Kurumu nodded dumbly. She disliked being told such things, but Yoshii frightened her. She flinched as Mrs. Shuzen leaned back over, brushing Kurumu's temple with the back of her hand.
"I need to look into your eyes, child. I want to see what you will see."
"You'll help us, right? You'll help Moka?"
"I will do what I can to bring my daughter back and safe."
Kurumu sniffled at a sharp pain in her chest. She wished this woman cared for the Moka that went to school with them. She stared into Mrs. Shuzen's eyes, feeling the woman push inside her. The crimson of her eyes were like an ocean of blood she was swallowed into until there was nothing else.
Kurumu gasped when the vampire's gaze turned aside. Mrs. Shuzen caressed her locks while drawing back upright. She removed her chilly hand to smile thinly upon Kurumu.
"You shall grant my request to see my daughter."
"What do you mean?"
"Lilith's Eye. Your mother mentioned something odd about pulling people into your head if you put your tail behind your ear. I had Sho try it out and it seems that you have unlocked a little secret which has been kept from us. It does have me curious how many of my ladies actually knew about this secret."
Kurumu smiled apologetically.
"I'm sorry. I don't know if I could honor that request."
"Oh? I don't wish to threaten you, Ms. Kurono. I would prefer you to willingly do this for me."
"Moka doesn't want this."
"It is irrelevant what the doll wants."
Kurumu bristled at the cold remark.
"I wasn't talking about our Moka. The Moka inside doesn't want this either."
Mrs. Shuzen smiled darkly.
"Would you feel better if I said her wants are also irrelevant? This is what I want."
Kurumu grimaced, clutching her chest.
"You should care about what your daughters want."
"And you should respect the wants of your parents. We provide for you."
"Why don't you have Ms. Juunan do it? It doesn't sound like you need me."
"Because I see no reason to take excessive risks for a chat with my estranged daughter. I saw a possibility for Sho's death, Ms. Kurono. No such thing will happen if you cooperate."
Kurumu paused, realizing Mrs. Shuzen was sounding reasonable. It was only a chat. Plus if it was inside her head, she would have control of the situation. She wondered if Mrs. Shuzen understood this.
"Fine. I'll let you have your chat with Moka."
Mrs. Shuzen clapped her hands together.
"Excellent. Now I do have some other matters to discuss, the first of which pertaining to your health."
"My health?"
"Yes. How are you feeling?"
Kurumu frowned, rubbing her breast.
"I guess I'm okay."
"The surgeon informed me that the operation went smoothly and that everything should work."
"Ms. Kiyoshi told me this earlier. She said I could be released tomorrow."
"If everything is fine, I shall move on to the next subject. Your guardianship. I trust your mother made you aware of the deal we made."
Kurumu grimaced at another shooting pain in her heart.
"She mentioned it."
"And I'm sure she would honor it, though you are sixteen years of age. I require your permission to put your guardianship into the care of the Shuzen household."
"Don't you mean to you?"
"Yes and no. Vampire households have a long tradition of assigning dependents to the Estate instead of any particular person or couple. So yes, you would be my daughter, but only because my husband has been absent for years and none of the Shuzen Elders have successfully challenged my authority."
Kurumu mulled that over. She absently rubbed her breast, wishing this dull ache would cease.
"Ms. Juunan said she would start training my mother over the summer. Will she be at the Estate?"
"She will not."
"Oh. I bought souvenirs for her. Is there a way I can give them to her?"
Mrs. Shuzen paused. It was eerie to see a look of uncertainty in those eyes.
"I would like you to focus on this matter of your guardianship. If it is not handled promptly, I will be forced to emancipate you and leave your care to your own capabilities."
Kurumu regarded Mrs. Shuzen in shock.
"What? Why?"
"Because that is how it must be. Like your operation, this matter is time sensitive and must be resolved before your return to school, assuming you are able to return if you do elect emancipation."
"But mommy said she would keep paying for my school."
"That will not be possible. I suspect the only way you shall be able to return to school is if you agree to become a ward of the Shuzen Estate."
Something dark and heavy gripped her heart.
"Why can't she pay for my school?"
Mrs. Shuzen shoulders stiffened as she held her head up imperiously.
"You made a promise of a life of servitude to my daughter. Do you intend to back out?"
Her heart beat rapidly as her anxiety elevated. She clutched her breast tighter.
"I don't understand. Why can't she pay for my school?"
Mrs. Shuzen glared down at her.
"Because it makes no sense for her to do so, Ms. Kurono. I need you to calm down and think about your promise to Kokoa. There is nothing wrong with having your tuition, room and board paid for by us if you continue to serve her. Consider it compensation if your initial promise was not enough."
Something was not right. It did not feel right. She was not being told the truth.
"Is my mommy okay?"
Mrs. Shuzen stalked around the foot of the bed with her heels clipping on the floor as she crossed over to the door. The woman knocked on the door as it became harder for Kurumu to breathe. Her throat was tight and her eyes were watering.
"Madame President?"
"You will have to spend the night here."
Kurumu turned pained eyes upon the women. Mrs. Shuzen had her back to her while Ms. Kiyoshi peered at her with concern.
"What is wrong?"
"She's crushing herself over a matter she has no control over. Soothe her. My daughters care too much for you to fail."
Kurumu started to cry. This was not fair. She heard Mrs. Shuzen's heels strike their way down the corridor as Ms. Kiyoshi hurried to her side to caress her. The feeling of Ms. Kiyoshi's warmth was enough to bring out noisy sobs as her heart turned and squeezed.
"Hold on, little one. Hold on."
She felt waves of comforting ease pushed into her. It cut through the pain, leaving her with an immense sense of exhaustion. She was dimly aware that Ms. Kiyoshi had crawled up into the bed and was holding her in a close embrace. As she drifted deep into this warmth, a somber thought flitted to the surface.
She would never see mommy again.