Chapter 4

The Back of the Bus

"That's the last of them," Tsukune panted as he dropped the final box on the stack. Leaning wearily on the boxes, he gave a tired smile to his friends. "I'm glad that's over with."

"Until we get to where we're going and have to carry them all inside," Mizore pointed out, shaking her head as Tsukune slumped.

"H-hey, its not that much stuff! It wouldn't have been a problem if it weren't so far of a walk from the dorms to here, right?" Kurumu pouted, stepping up to Tsukune. The succubus glowered over at Mizore when she saw that Tsukune wasn't looking, but quickly turned back to smile at him. A dangerous gleam entered her eye as she lifted a hand to rest it upon Tsukune's chest, drawing his attention completely to her as her voice took on an alluring tone. "But, since you worked so hard to help me carry all those boxes, is there anything I can do to make it up to-"

"Tsukune! Moka!" Yukari's yell cut the succubus short, and Kurumu grumbled under her breath as Tsukune turned to face the young witch. "Look who have come to see you off!"

While Tsukune and the three girls had been busy carrying their belongings to the cliff that served as the pick-up point for Yokai Academy's bus, Yukari and Kokoa had gone off on their own, claiming other responsibilities. It now became apparent what that duty had been, since a sizeable crowd walked behind the two younger girls. The four friends laughed as they scanned the faces in the crowd, recognizing the faces of many of their friends and acquaintances from the academy, even some of the teachers.

"Take us with you!"

"Or at least take me!"

"I wanna go on a vacation too!"

The four friends smiled as they were surrounded by questions and laughter, and fought to keep up with the horde of demands being flung at them. Some in the crowd stepped forward, clapping Tsukune on the back, hugging the girls farewell or shaking their hands. Even as the bus drove out of the tunnel and pulled up beside the pile of luggage, the bus driver stepping out and beginning to load all of the boxes and bags onto the bus, no one seemed to notice, too busy offering their good wishes or smirking suggestions.

The Headmaster had said they would only be sent to the human world for a few weeks at most, but as all that had been around the Newspaper Club knew, sometimes it was a good idea to expect the worst.

"Don't worry; I'll make sure that all of your homework gets sent to you. I'll even send you copies of any issues of the paper we publish while you're gone," Ms. Nekonome promised Moka, smiling brightly despite the moisture in her eyes. "Not that you should be gone that long, after all, just in case…"

"And if you fall behind, Tsukune, you'll have to come see me for some private tutoring," Ms. Ririko purred, stroking the nervous boy's cheek as she stared up at him through her square-rimmed glasses. The academy's math teacher offered him a coy smile, and Tsukune couldn't help but remember the last time he had suffered through the lamia's instructing alone. "It would be a shame to let that mind of yours go to waste…"

Kurumu stepped towards them to intervene, but was pulled aside by someone in the crowd. Instead, it was Gin who came to the rescue, grabbing Tsukune's shoulder and pulling him away from Ms. Ririko. The werewolf offered Tsukune a tense smile, sticking his hand in his friend's direction. "It won't be the same around here without ya, pal. Enjoy your little vacation, since there'll be plenty of work waitin' here when ya get back. Oh, and just try to keep out of trouble, since I won't be around to bail ya out."

Tsukune shook the offered hand, and both their forearms tensed as their grips reached crushing levels. "Don't worry about us, Gin," Tsukune smiled sharply, ignoring the pain from his hand, "I'm sure that there will be enough trouble here to keep you occupied."

Both chuckled, their transparent smiles unrelenting as they both squeezed the other's hand as hard as they could. Finally their contest ended when a heavy hand landed on Gin's shoulder, pulling him backwards. "Don't worry, I'll keep this guy in line until you get back." Haji Miyamoto grinned at Tsukune, the broad-shouldered captain of Yokai Academy's karate club giving him a thumb's up with one hand and restraining Gin with the other. Ignoring the werewolf's growling, Haji motioned to the side with a nod of his head. "I have to thank you, you know; you're leaving the best-looking members of your club behind for the rest of us to admire."

Tsukune blanched as he noticed that Haji had been motioning vaguely in the direction of Yukari and Kokoa, and answered only with a weak chuckle. Gin, however, was more vocal in his disgust. "I swear, there's something wrong with your taste! Why ya would pass up well-endowed beauties in favor of prepubescent children, I'll never know. It'll take years before those two are even worth botherin' to peep at, I tell ya-" Gin paused, sensing the two pairs of eyes staring darkly at his back. He glanced behind him to see that Yukari and Kokoa had heard his protests, and had become quite interested in his opinions. "Ah…"

As Yukari and Kokoa pounced, Tsukune turned his attention to other matters, only wincing slightly at Gin's pained complaints. He noticed that the bus driver had finished stowing their luggage, and was waiting patiently for them to finish their farewells, leaning against the bus and smoking his cigar. Though Tsukune felt some sadness and trepidation at leaving all their other friends behind, he knew it was time for them to go.

Stepping away from the crowd, Tsukune took advantage of the momentary lull that Gin's plight had afforded him, a good deal of the well-wishers becoming impromptu spectators of the werewolf's punishment. Tsukune scanned the group, a sad smile crossing his face. It was amazing, really… when he had first arrived at Yokai Academy, he had never imagined that it would ever be anything like a home to him. Now, though, he felt deep regret at the notion that someday he would be leaving the school for good, returning to the human world with, hopefully, at least a few of his monstrous friends, but not all of those he had befriended during his years at the school.

And he wasn't the only one who had made those connections to the rest of the students at the academy. Each of the girls had been circled by friends and admirers; even Mizore, who usually preferred to keep her own company and tended to prefer stealth over socializing, had a thick ring of people surrounding her, offering their smiles and laughter. They had all grown much closer to the various people they had met at the academy, and to each other, Tsukune noted with a slight blush.

Walking over to the bus, Tsukune turned and waved in the direction of the crowd. "Goodbye, everybody!" he shouted, knowing his farewells would free the girls to offer their own. Sure enough, the group parted enough to allow Moka, Kurumu, and Mizore to walk towards the bus, the girls waving over their shoulders to all their friends.

As the four friends waved and shouted their goodbyes, the bus driver stepped into the vehicle, glancing behind him with a sinister smile. "I'll leave the seating arrangements to you," he offered, and instantly the three girls froze in place. Unbeknownst to Tsukune, the trio turned slow, alarmed glances towards each other, silently sharing their dark epiphany. It would probably be a long ride, and there would only be at most two seats beside Tsukune… and there were three of them.

"Me first!" Kurumu yelled, lunging for the door to the bus. She almost made it to the door before being grabbed by Mizore as Moka thrust an arm into the door, trying to wedge herself in front of the succubus. As the three struggled to enter the door first, Tsukune obliviously continued his farewells, not understanding the laughter spreading through the crowd before him. Finally, he turned to glance behind him, sighing deeply when he saw the tangled trio locked in place at the bus' entrance.

Shaking his head, he turned back, offering a final wave. His eyes met those of his closest friends: Yukari, Kokoa, Ms. Nekonome, even the sulking Gin. Giving them one last bright smile, he turned away from the crowd and stepped towards the bus, wincing as the girls forced their way past the door and carried their fight inside. Tsukune paused as he watched the bus shake slightly from their struggles, and realized that, for the first time, he was beginning to wonder if the human world could prove to be just as dangerous and frightening as Yokai Academy. Shaking his head, he stepped onto the bus, and the doors closed behind him.

As the bus rumbled forward, turning towards the black tunnel that led away from Yokai Academy, the crowd surged forward a few steps, waving and shouting their farewells, watching until the darkness of the tunnel had swallowed even the bus's taillights. Even then they waited a moment more before beginning to wander back in the direction of the campus, their smiles faltering as many of them released worried sighs.

Surely the Headmaster was sending them somewhere safe. After all that Tsukune had done for the school, he didn't need any more danger in his life. And, if he had expected trouble, surely the Headmaster would have sent the whole Newspaper Club instead of just those four… right? Concerned glances and nervous laughter circulated through the group as they made their way back to the school, and the person watching from just beyond the edge of the trees chuckled at their fears.

"Sir." The Headmaster turned from watching the departing crowd to face the two men who had just arrived behind him, the pair bowing deeply to him. Both men wore identical black suits and sunglasses, as well as similar emotionless expressions. Only their hair served to easily distinguish them; one had short blond hair and was clean-shaven, while the dark-haired one wore a mustache and goatee. They were his guardians, two out of the many that protected him from the various nuisances that often came calling at Yokai Academy. They also served as his hands, reaching out beyond the boundaries of the school to attend to matters that had drawn his attention, but were not great enough to require his presence.

Which is why they had come to him now. "You know where you will find them," the Headmaster stated, eyeing each man in turn. "It is your charge to protect them if need be, and to monitor them from a safe distance at all times. Do not allow them to discover your presence; it would negate most of what I intend from this plan. You have my permission to directly intervene if Fairy Tale becomes involved, but anything less than that should be within their abilities."

"And what if the person you warned us about shows up?" The dark-haired guardian showed no sign of concern, though both men knew the risks of the Headmaster's plan.

The Headmaster grinned at both men. "Report back to me immediately. We cannot be openly involved in this matter." Both men nodded to him, but he could see the glance that flickered between them. They didn't approve, but would follow his orders without deviation.

They had reason to be worried, the Headmaster mused as the two men departed. After all, their enemy was ancient, and had destroyed kings and generals and normal humans by the thousands. In his prime, he had seen to the destruction of entire cities, their names lost to history. And now, that enemy would hopefully soon be destroyed.

The wind that raced through the trees failed to carry the Headmaster's soft laughter to Tsukune's departed friends. He had high ambitions for Tsukune Aono, and the Headmaster hoped that he would not be disappointed. After all, he thought as he turned to glance at the tunnel that had carried Tsukune and his friends away from Yokai Academy, the boy had accomplished so much already.

It would be a shame to see someone with such potential vanish entirely.

"Next stop, the human world." The bus driver glanced back at the four nervous teens, his eyes shining under the shadow of his cap. He smiled darkly at the four, particularly Tsukune, before turning to hunch over the wheel of the bus. "Say goodbye to this place; you won't be seeing it again for some time… if ever."

"What do you mean, if-" Kurumu paused as Tsukune laid his hand on her shoulder, shaking his head mutely in resignation. Disquieted, Kurumu sank back into her seat, frowning at the back of the bus driver's head for a moment before turning her attention to more immediate concerns.

Upon entering the bus, Tsukune had discovered that the girls had come to an arrangement on the seating, unconcerned with his lack of input. Moka and Kurumu had taken to either side of the long back seat, leaving him an opening between them. Of Mizore, a cursory scan revealed nothing, despite the small dimensions of the vehicle, but as Tsukune took his seat between Moka and Kurumu he could feel the snow maiden's unseen eyes upon him. He and Moka had shared a shy smile, interrupted by the bus driver's declaration, and now that they had settled in for the ride Kurumu wasted no time in attaching herself to his nearest arm, nuzzling his shoulder. He chuckled weakly as the bus entered the dark tunnel that linked Yokai Academy with the human world through the school's magic barrier. Some things never changed, he realized.

It was then that he felt the cautious touch at his wrist. He glanced down to see Moka's slim hand curving under his, and she smiled at him shyly as their fingers intertwined. She shifted in her seat, leaning away from the window as he head came to rest on his shoulder, and he was glad she couldn't see his warm blush.

Some things do change, and as the four settled in for the long ride to the place that would temporarily be their home, Tsukune concluded that sometimes change can be very good indeed.

Author's Note: Ah, it's been a while since I've had a chapter that served as such a stumbling block as this one… I've been stuck on this chapter for weeks now, and I fear that my grudging progress might show in the writing. This is definitely one of the chapters I'll be considering for heavy revision, so if you spot something that seems awkward, please let me know.

And speaking of stumbling, bad news: the next chapter of this tale will unfortunately be delayed for a bit, as I fear that my writing time has been cut even further back. Such is the fate of one who works retail during the week of Black Friday. But don't worry, I'm still hammering away at this fic, and finally in the next chapter you'll get a description of Tsukune and Co.s temporary new abode. As soon as I get the chapter finished, it'll be posted here on FFN, and hopefully after that I'll be resuming my weekly schedule.

And, perhaps, I'll have another writing project to post here, should I get really bogged down by work. Still making up my mind on that one, but if I decide to go for it, it'll be up in just over a week.

Anyways, farewell until the next chapter! Feel free to review, I'll definitely appreciate the distraction from work and the reminder of my duties to you all.

~Wynn P.