Chapter 5

The Coopers

"It's not far now," the bus driver intoned, glancing in the mirror back at the four slumbering teens, grinning as they jolted awake. "Best look around; this is where you'll be staying for some time."

With his arms trapped at his sides, Tsukune resisted the urge to stretch, settling instead for a gaping yawn and blinking rapidly to clear his eyes. As his vision cleared, he realized that Mizore had fallen asleep watching him: her head rested on the edge of one of the seats a couple of rows ahead, facing him, and she smiled at him groggily as she rubbed at the corner of one of her eyes. Beside him, Moka moaned quietly, not quite willing to wake from her slumber, clutching the arm that her head rested on. On the other side of Tsukune, Kurumu snored gently, her mouth held slightly open against his left arm.

For just a moment, Tsukune felt caged, captured by the two girls at his sides and his warden in front of him. As he looked at each drowsy girl in turn, however, the fear fell away, replaced by a sort of dazed wonder. He had never completely gotten used to the fact that these three girls were all monsters that would make entire crowds run in fear at the sight of their true powers. Plus, their constant bickering had occasionally proven hazardous to his health, and sometimes other things as well, such as their surroundings. Despite this, as he watched them slowly wake, he realized how pretty each girl was, how lucky he was to have them all as his friends and now perhaps something more. A deep blush stole onto his cheeks at that thought, and he resisted the urge to shake his head. He shouldn't allow himself to think that way, not when the exact details of their new way of coexisting had yet to emerge.

Distracting himself from his embarrassing thoughts, Tsukune glanced to the right, over Moka's head and out one of the bus's windows. Outside, he could see that dusk had fallen awhile they slept, and the trees that raced past the windows were already cloaked in shadows. All he could tell about their new surroundings was that it was heavily forested, and, as he looked to the other side, that the ground sharply inclined to their left; perhaps a mountain? The road itself didn't look to carry much traffic, as he could see no other vehicles either coming or going. Somewhere rural, then, but had they been taken into the wilderness, or were they-

Suddenly the line of trees to the bus's right side stopped, and Tsukune looked over the guardrail that separated the road from the cliff beside it. Far below them, he could see the glowing lights of a smaller city settling in for the night, but despite his efforts the name of the city didn't immediately rise to his mind. From the look of the landscape, it wasn't somewhere he had visited before, but it was nice to know that they would be close enough to a town to enjoy its amenities. As the trees again blocked his view, Tsukune chuckled; he had been afraid the Headmaster was going to send them to the middle of nowhere.

Suddenly, Tsukune felt a sharp tug on his right arm, pulling him downwards. He felt Moka's head brush against his shoulder, and his eyes widened at the feeling of her lips softly touching his neck. Surprise kept him from recognizing the familiar situation until he heard Moka's drowsy voice say, "So thirsty…"

Kurumu bolted awake at Tsukune's startled cry, blinking once before hastily rubbing her hand at the corner of her mouth and glancing guiltily at the damp spot on Tsukune's sleeve. As she escaped the fog of sleep, she noticed the faint draining sound and Tsukune's paling cheeks, and quickly grabbed his shoulder, pulling him away from Moka. Before the vampire could regain her hold on the boy, an icy claw grabbed her and yanked her back towards the bus's window.

"You're going to kill him doing that, Moka! Does it hurt, Tsukune? Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"You see, Tsukune? Moka just thinks of you as food. Me, on the other hand…"

"N-no, I don't, I was just-"

The bus driver listened to the squabbling in the back of the bus, and smiled as he stared at the road ahead of them. It wouldn't take long now before they arrived at their destination, and then everything would be in their hands. He had done his job.

Minutes later, the bus slowed to a stop. The four teens peered out of the windows, looking around anxiously at their surroundings. The mountain was more level here, though it continued to rise not far from the road. The trees had also given way somewhat, retreating a short distance away, forming a backdrop to the small cottage that sat beside the road. The house itself was quite compact, but looked cozy, complete with a lovingly maintained garden and a plume of smoke rising from the chimney. Tsukune admired the house's quaintness, but immediately began to question how many rooms it could possibly hold; he had heard that he was supposed to have his own bedroom, but would the girls all have to share a room? That could prove disastrous, if they had to stay there for some time…

As the four looked out the windows, the bus driver disembarked and walked to the house's door, studying a piece of paper that had been taped there. The teens stared in confusion as he picked up something lying on the doormat and walked back to the bus, climbing in and taking his seat without a word. Finally Tsukune asked the question on all of their minds as the bus rumbled back to life: "What is that thing you picked up? And isn't that the house we're staying at?"

The bus driver looked back with a dark smile, and held up the small device he had claimed from the doormat, which looked almost like a remote with a single button. "This is the way in," he said mysteriously, "and no, that's not where you're staying. That house belongs to the Coopers."

Without any further elaboration, he turned back to the wheel, and the bus jerked forward again, sharply turning to the right. Tsukune blinked as he noticed that what he had assumed to be the driveway to the small house continued on past it, all but hidden behind some tall hedges. As the bus drew close to those bushes, the four teens were surprised to see a pair of tall black iron gates blocking their path, but the bus hardly slowed as the bus driver pointed the remote at the gates and clicked the button. The gates immediately began to part, allowing the bus through just in time. The drive led on up the hill, until the main road was quickly hidden from sight, the gates swinging shut behind them.

Confused and somewhat alarmed, Tsukune and his friends looked around as the bus prepared to crest the hill. Tsukune in particular had been relieved to see that the other house had looked normal, if small, but those ominous gates and the wall they were connected to, which had been only noticeable after they had passed through, suggested that their new home might not be so cozy. Surely it wouldn't be something like a concealed prison for monsters, or a bunker, or an old abandoned house…

The bus finally reached the hill's summit, and the four gasped as they got their first glimpse of their new, temporary home. It was far larger than they had expected, two stories and quite wide. A large storage building was visible behind the house, but no other structures were visible, only the line of trees that neared the shed and surrounded the house. The front of the house featured a broad set of stairs leading up to a small porch, upon which waited two people who were waving at the bus.

Tsukune barely paid them any mind, grinning as he looked the house over again. Sure, it was out in the middle of nowhere, and it was certainly bigger than most, but it was so… normal! No haunted house, no prison cell; it was a normal house that normal people would live in! He already felt more excited about this vacation from the perils of Yokai Academy.

Finally, as the bus drew to a stop, he turned his attention back to the middle-aged couple awaiting them on the steps leading into the house. The two were probably a married couple, but looked as if they could have been brother and sister: they shared the same red hue to their hair, and both were somewhat plump, in face and body. The husband had begun to go bald, his hair a ring around the naked center of his scalp, but he wore a mustache that looked eager to make up for the failings of his other hair. Atop his wife's head was a mass of frizzy curls, and she wore large spectacles and thick makeup. If Tsukune didn't already suspect them of being monsters, he would have sworn that they were the perfect depiction of somebody's, anybody's, uncle and aunt.

Feeling Moka give him a soft tug, Tsukune stood from his seat and looked at each of the girls, giving them a confident nod in reply to their eager faces. Together, they followed the bus driver out of the bus, stepping out onto the driveway. Tsukune turned to help the bus driver unload the luggage, while the girls stepped forward to speak to the couple that had been waiting for them on the stairs.

After several minutes, the two had finished unpacking the bags and boxes, but before Tsukune could rejoin his friends, he heard the bus driver chuckle. When he turned to face the other man, the bus driver tipped his cigar in his direction. "It's time, son." Tsukune blinked in confusion, but the mustachioed man offered no clarification, instead turning to face the house and looking it over. Finally he nodded in the direction of the three girls. "And to think, boy, that you used to be afraid of living at Yokai Academy. I'll bet you never expected that the human world could be this much more dangerous." The bus driver's unnaturally creepy smile grew, and Tsukune couldn't resist stepping away from the morbid fervor he felt from the man. "Good luck, son. You'll need it, and more."

As the bus driver waved his farewell and stepped back into the bus, Tsukune turned to look back at the three girls, all of whom were looking at him in confusion. Tsukune chuckled weakly as his eyes darted to each of them, suddenly understanding the danger that the bus driver had alluded to. "What was that about, Tsukune?" Moka asked, but Tsukune quickly shook his head.

"He always does that. It's nothing, I'm sure."

As the bus pulled away from the house, heading back down the hill towards the gate, Tsukune allowed himself to be led over to the two adults, who were waving in the direction of the bus. As the curve of the hill blocked their view of the vehicle, the woman's face immediately dropped into a scowl. "Why, I cannot believe him! Leaving without even saying hello to us! I see his manners haven't changed." She finished with a loud huff, crossing her arms and turning her head to the side.

"I'm sure he has a long drive ahead of him, and no time for reminiscing," the man apologized, glancing warily at his wife for a moment before noticing Tsukune. "But, come, we have company! I believe another introduction is in order."

Tsukune stepped forward, bowing his head in greeting. "My name is Tsukune Aono. I am pleased to meet you."

"What a nice, polite young man!" the woman cried, beaming broadly at him.

Her husband offered Tsukune a smile as well, stepping forward and offering his hand. As Tsukune shook the hand, the man chuckled. "I'm Roy Cooper, and this is my wife Wendy Cooper. We're the caretakers of the Resting Place; we live in the house just past the gates, and keep this house and the grounds in good shape for whenever the Hell-Ki-, I mean, for whenever your headmaster decides to put it to use. For as long as you'll be staying here, feel free to call on us whenever you need something. Also, any time you need to take a trip into the nearby city, just give us a call and I'd be glad to take you; the number is posted next to the telephone in the kitchen."

Tsukune blanched slightly at the name of the house. 'Resting Place? That sounds like a graveyard or a funeral home!' Out loud, he responded, "Thank you for your kind offer. We'll probably have to make trips to town to stock up on groceries, so we'll definitely be taking you up on it."

Suddenly, both men felt a sharp chill in the air, and turned to face Mrs. Cooper. Both took a step back at the harsh set of her face and the glint of light off of her glasses as she stared intently at Tsukune and the others. "Just one moment. Do you mean to tell me that you four shall be sharing this house? Three girls and a boy, all of you teenagers, without adult supervision? Indecent!" Her indignant rage seemed to magnify her size, as the short woman loomed over all of the people standing around her. "I shall not have it!"

"Don't worry, we're all good friends, and-" Kurumu fell silent as Mrs. Cooper's gaze fell upon her, the succubus visibly shivering.

"Friends, certainly, but at your age, some things cannot be controlled! And one of those things is…" She leveled an accusing finger directly at Tsukune. "The desires of a young man! You never know what he might do, given the chance!"

Mr. Cooper took a step forward to reassure his wife, but immediately thought better of it. Instead, Moka was the next to speak. "Actually, Tsukune is very polite and kind and…" She quickly read Mrs. Cooper's face, and decided to change tactics. "And anyways, we outnumber him. And our monstrous powers are stronger than his, anyways. We'll be able to protect ourselves."

Tsukune's face fell as he lamented the fact that, typically, he was the one that needed the protection. Moka's words seemed to salve Mrs. Cooper's temper, however, and after a long moment she nodded in acquiescence. "Very well then. But know that I'll be watching you!"

"Well now!" Mr. Cooper said, erasing the remnants of the tension by clapping loudly. "Wendy has made some food for you all, and after we warm it back up we shall eat and get to know each other better. While she's finishing getting it ready, I'll give you all a tour of the house and grounds. But first, let's get you and your belongings inside!"

The four teens nodded, smiling, and moved to gather their luggage and start carrying it inside. As Tsukune threw his duffel bag over his shoulder and grabbed one of Kurumu's boxes, he spared a glance back at the house. His earlier nervousness at the estate's name had faded; it was just a house, like any other.

They were in the human world now. At long last, for just a while at least, he could have a taste of a normal life with some of his closest friends. They could relax, enjoy themselves, have fun without worrying about Fairy Tale or berserk classmates or nightmare-wielding ancients.

For the first time in years, Tsukune felt completely safe.

Author's Note: Woooof. Had to really fling myself at it, but I got this chapter done in time for my weekly schedule. If something in it seems rushed, please forgive me; I wrapped most of this up in two sittings. Also, if you're reading this, I probably survived Black Friday. I'm staring down a 18-hour long shift for that day, and ~12 hours every day after for at least half a week. Stupid commission retail…

Anyways, now that my writer's block seems mostly gone (knock on wood), I should be able to make decent pace on this story again. Next chapter, expect a description of the house, and a glimpse at the mysterious artifact held in that shed. Oh, and there will be homework, of course.

In any case, I shall hope to see you all back for the next chapter. Ah, and my usual reviewers can ignore this, but… for those of you who are being a tad shy, please, chime up! Right now I need the encouragement, and your opinions, whatever they may, will give me the motivation I need to even glance at this Word file this week. I hope to hear from you!

Until then.

~Wynn P.

Post-Black Friday Postscript: Braaaiiins... Braaaaiiiins....