Chapter 8

The Five Secrets

Though he had finally reached a deep slumber, the ear-piercing screaming coming from outside his door immediately woke Tsukune. Sitting up in bed with a gasp, he struggled to free himself from the tangled sheets, nearly launching himself to the floor as he tried to maneuver over the edge of the mattress. Finally untangled, he sprinted to the door, flinging it open and staring into the hall.

Kurumu chuckled nervously at him from just beyond the door, her cheeks burning bright red in shame. She glanced down at the door, and the seal dangling from its edge, before meeting Tsukune's eyes again. "Ah, good morning, Tsukune! I've come to ask you what you wanted for breakfast!" It was obvious that the seal's noise had unsettled her enough to make her forget her customary chest-first greeting for her beloved.

Tsukune gaped at her, hand at his chest as if to restrain his wildly-beating heart, still recovering from the shock of being torn from his slumber. As the screaming faded, he could hear shouts from other parts of the house, and feet pounding the stairs leading from the first floor. Seconds later, both Moka and Mizore sprinted down the hall towards Kurumu, murder in their eyes. The succubus followed Tsukune's gaze, blanching as she saw her irate friends. She took a step towards the door, as if to enter Tsukune's room and use him as a shield, but she wasn't quite fast enough.

"I swear, Kurumu, what is with you? Last night, you were all about rules, and then you break them first thing the next morning?" Moka glared at her friend, fists at her hips. "What good are rules if you intend to cheat?"

"Rules?" Tsukune voiced cautiously, glancing at the girls around him in confusion and wariness.

"I wasn't breaking the rules, I just came up to ask Tsukune what he wanted to eat for breakfast!"

"And you couldn't knock?"

"I did!" Kurumu wailed. "He wouldn't wake up, so I thought it would be alright if I checked on him to make sure he was okay…"

"Yeah, right," Mizore snorted. "More like you wanted to wake him up in person; you probably had a good morning kiss in mind, or something worse, since he would be sleeping and couldn't resist." Realizing that Moka was giving her a suspicious stare, the snow maiden shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, she's the one who was going to do it. I was just thinking it."

"N-no, I was just going to…" Blushing fiercely, Kurumu realized from the bladed stares she was receiving from her friends that there was little she could do to salvage the situation. After a split second of concentration, she quickly whirled back to face Tsukune. "So, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Don't think that will work!"

Tsukune scratched the back of his head, trying to think over the noise the girls were making. Suddenly, he froze in place, his brows furrowing. "Wait, how can I choose when I don't know what we have? Didn't the Coopers say we would have to go to town and restock our supplies?"

Moka, Kurumu, and Mizore hesitated, considering his words. After a long pause, the four wordlessly made their way downstairs, curiosity conquering their previous conflict. As the girls headed into the kitchen, Tsukune allowed himself to fall slightly behind them, breathing a quiet sigh of relief that they had been distracted. Still, something they had said had perked his interest. What was that about rules…?

Moments later, Kurumu turned to face Tsukune, laughing weakly as she held a sealed microwave cup of ramen in his direction. "I guess it's been a while since anyone stayed here," Moka offered, checking the shelves above the sink as Mizore inspected the cabinets below.

"Well, we can make do for now, and then call the Coopers after breakfast. We'll have everything we'll need after that," Tsukune suggested, taking the proffered cup of ramen. Stepping aside to allow the girls first turn at the microwave, Tsukune reconsidered his words. Buying groceries would be problematic without a good supply of money, especially since they didn't know how long they would be staying at the Resting Place. He had assumed that the Headmaster had intended for that to be taken care of, but he wanted to be sure.

"I'll fix mine in just a minute; I'm going to go ahead and call Mr. Cooper and ask him when he'd like to pick us up." Tsukune crossed the kitchen towards the phone, reading the number from the piece of paper that had been taped beside it. After just a couple of rings, he heard Mr. Cooper's deep voice come onto the line. "Mr. Cooper, this is Tsukune-"
"Ah, Tsukune! Good morning! Hope you rested well!" Tsukune winced slightly, holding the phone partially away from his ear as the older man's booming laughter blasted from the earpiece. "Ready to go shopping, or tour the town?"

"Well, yes, that's why I'm calling, but first… How are we supposed to buy groceries? We weren't provided with money by the Headmaster, and-"

"Don't worry about it. You can use your personal money for whatever you like; the academy will take care of your basic needs. One of us will go with you when you buy groceries, and charge it to the academy's account. So, just let me know when you'd like me to pick you all up, and… ah."

"Mr. Cooper?"

When the older man's voice came back across the line, it was tinged with embarrassment. "Well, perhaps not pick you all up. My car isn't large enough to carry four passengers and groceries… perhaps just one of you?"

"Oh, yes." Ignoring the immediate problem Tsukune knew that would cause, he optimistically said, "That should be fine. Would an hour from now be a good time?"

Moments later, Tsukune returned to the group just as Moka claimed her ramen from the microwave. Moving towards the sink to prepare his own, Tsukune announced without turning around, "Mr. Cooper will be here in an hour to pick one of us up to go shopping."

"One of us?" came the inevitable response, but despite expecting it Tsukune still shivered as he glanced behind him, seeing the contemplative looks each of the girls were leveling upon each other.

"I have an extra assignment to finish, so I should probably stay," he suggested.

The three girls sat silently, weighing their thoughts on the matter. Whoever went shopping would get to see the town, but at the same time those who stayed would get to be with Tsukune, and with the third person out of the way their chances to be alone with him would be doubled. Best, then, not to be the person sent to do the shopping…

"I would like to get a head start on my homework too," Moka offered, and she couldn't help but feel a slight surge of satisfaction at the fact that she would be the only one that excuse would be probable for.

"I'm not good with cooking, so I wouldn't buy the right ingredients," Mizore admitted, willing to sacrifice pride in the name of staying beside Tsukune for the day.

"Ah… I'm not done unpacking yet!" Kurumu hastily mentioned.

After considering that for just a moment, the other two girls faced the succubus. "That's your fault for bringing so much. And, you know, you did break the rules this morning, and we hadn't figured out a punishment for that yet," Mizore mused coldly.

Tsukune fought the urge to ask about the rules they kept alluding to as Kurumu struggled to regain her composure. Moka and Mizore thought they had her cornered, but Kurumu had no intention of surrendering just yet. Crossing her arms across her chest, she glared defiantly at her friends, daring them to challenge her. "There is no way I'm going to leave you two here alone with Tsukune. I refuse!" She allowed her nails to lengthen as she stared at her rivals. "There is nothing you can do that will make me go."

The sound of Tsukune swallowing loudly was the only thing to break the silence that followed Kurumu's declaration, and the tension within the room reached the point of shattering. Finally it was Mizore who spoke up, her eyes glowing a frigid blue.

"Oh, really?"

"Oh, I forgot something! Let me see the list, Kurumu."

Kurumu grumbled irritably as she fished the piece of paper back out of her pocket, thrusting it towards Moka. As the vampire scrawled another entry onto the long list of necessary supplies, Kurumu turned a plaintive look towards Tsukune. "Please, be careful. I won't be gone that long, but…"
She had underestimated the ruthlessness of her opponents. She was still furious from Mizore's response to her earlier refusal to be the one sent to do the shopping: "Well, if there's no punishment for breaking the rules, why should any of us follow them? Unless…" The snow maiden's smile had bared her teeth. "Unless the punishment for breaking the rules is losing your date with Tsukune. Which would be fine, too…"

"Date?" Tsukune had asked, as Kurumu had stared incredulously at Mizore. As Moka had hastily explained the girls' agreement from the previous night, Kurumu and Mizore had stared at each other for several long minutes, silently measuring each other's resolve. Kurumu soon realized that she had lost this fight, and stood to lose far more unless she relented.

"Fine! I'll go! But if either of you does anything to Tsukune while I'm gone…"

"Don't worry!" Tsukune chuckled, breaking Kurumu from her recollection as he shook his head. "We're going to be doing homework. Nothing bad will happen."

Kurumu stared at him for a long moment, judging his optimism, before turning to look at Moka, who was smiling brightly. Her sadness replaced by determination, she turned back to him quickly. "I've changed my mind, I won't go-"

"He's here," Mizore said calmly, pointing down the hill. Kurumu watched the car drive up the hill with all the despair of the condemned, but as it came closer her grief slipped from her face, only to take up residence on the faces of Moka and Mizore, as the second person inside the car became visible.

Seconds later, Mr. Cooper stepped out of the car, offering Tsukune a brief look of chagrin as the car's other door opened. Mrs. Cooper rose out of the vehicle, deliberately analyzing the four teens slowly. "I remembered that there was some cleaning I had left undone, and I decided that it would be wrong to trouble our guests with it, so I came to see to it personally. I trust that you don't mind." There was absolutely no question allowed in her final words.

"Ah, no, that'll be fine. We were going to be doing homework anyways, so it's no trouble," Tsukune commented, as Moka and Mizore fought to hold their faces blank, struggling against their frustration. Kurumu was less subtle, chuckling darkly as she glanced back at her rivals.

"Well, if you're ready, we can head out," Mr. Cooper suggested, perhaps a little too eager to be back on the road.

"One second," Kurumu replied. She knew that her actions might have a price later, but for now it might serve as added insurance. Quickly, she faced Tsukune and grabbed him in a tight embrace. Though he was caught off guard, he soon returned the hug, lowering his shoulders slightly to do so. Seizing the opportunity, Kurumu planted a quick kiss on his cheek and let him go. "Don't miss me too much while I'm gone," she told him, raising her voice enough to be certain that everyone would hear.

As she walked to the car, Kurumu felt Mrs. Cooper's fierce gaze shift from her to Tsukune. Though she regretted that he would have to put up with the older woman's scrutiny even more after what she had just done, she now knew that Mrs. Cooper's presence would guarantee that neither of the other girls would get the chance to be alone with him. As far as she was concerned, the contest to win Tsukune was a war, and sometimes the enemy of one's enemy turns out to be very useful indeed...

Stepping into the car and closing the door, Kurumu favored Mr. Cooper with an eager smile. "Shall we?"

Tsukune sighed as he turned to walk back towards the house, following in the trail of Moka and Mizore. He was feeling somewhat unbalanced at the moment; not only did he have to worry about Mrs. Cooper's intimidating presence, but he was still trying to recover from the revelation Moka had presented him with earlier. Certainly, the rules were reasonable, and if the girls actually followed them it would make his life a lot less… hazardous. He had surmised that there was something that Moka had glossed over as she discussed the final rule about monstrous powers, but it had been just then that Kurumu had conceded to be the one to do the shopping. After that, he hadn't managed to discuss the rules any further, and with Mrs. Cooper present it seemed like a good idea to avoid the topic, just to be safe.

The dates, however, had come as something of a shock. Of course, he should have expected something like that, considering that the girls had all declared their intent to spend time alone with him, but he did feel somewhat irked that he had been left out of the decision-making process entirely. Still, he felt curious about what each girl had chosen for their dates, and found that despite himself he felt an irresistible eagerness for the coming days. Getting to spend some time with each of them, alone in the human world, doing things like normal couples would…

"I don't know what you're thinking, mister, but you had best stop it!" Tsukune faltered at that piercing declaration, facing Mrs. Cooper with an unconsciously sheepish smile as he felt the warmth in his own cheeks. Facing that scowling inspection quickly cooled his ardor, however, and Tsukune stammered as he fought to concoct an excuse.

"I, ah, I was just thinking about, uh…" His words came even more haltingly as he realized that Moka and Mizore had turned to see what was wrong, curiosity evident in their stares.

Finally, Moka came to his rescue, stepping back to him and touching his arm. "Come on, we need to start on our homework." Moka faced Mrs. Cooper without flinching, smiling softly at the older woman. "Ah, Mrs. Cooper, what room was it you needed to clean, again? We'll be sure to study somewhere out of the way."

Mrs. Cooper offered her a smile of her own, though one somewhat lacking in Moka's gentleness. "Oh, don't worry, you three can study wherever you like. I'll just clean around you, if need be."

"Ah… right." Moka nodded, turning back to Tsukune. "Let's get our books, then. We can use the common room, since we'll have plenty of room there." She resumed walking, noting Mizore's pained expression and responding with the slightest of motions in the direction of Mrs. Cooper. Studying in a bedroom would not be permissible, that much was obvious.

As Tsukune followed the girls up the stairs, headed for his bedroom to gather his books, he allowed himself to wonder whether Mrs. Cooper would be a frequent 'guest.' With such an intimidating presence, she all but negated the need for rules; she was a law unto herself. Safely away from her hearing, he chuckled quietly at that notion. One consolation was that it would be easier to focus on his studies, or so he hoped.

Hopefully, Kurumu at least was having a better time.

"This list, it doesn't end!" Kurumu wailed, adding another box to the heap she had already collected. Beside her, Mr. Cooper examined the piece of paper she held, finding the next item on the list. His own shopping was long finished, but restocking the Resting Place was proving to be a far more daunting task than either of them had expected; Moka seemed to be preparing for a long stay. Kurumu almost felt guilty about her own additions to the list, but she felt certain that Tsukune would appreciate her cookies, even if no one else did.

"I think that we're down to the last few items," Mr. Cooper said contemplatively, studying the list carefully. "Ah, a few of those, and those will be next to the counter… that should just about do it." He reached down into his pocket, drawing forth his wallet and flipping it open with one hand. His face paled slightly as he scanned the row of cards within its pockets, but quickly adjusted his expression when Kurumu glanced in his direction.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, but he immediately shook his head.

"No, nothing; I just remembered that I needed to grab a few more cucumbers for tonight's dinner. I'll just set these over here at the counter, and I'll be right back." Offering her another broad smile, Mr. Cooper walked over to deposit the items he had been carrying on the counter, giving the shopkeep a brief explanation before walking away.

Kurumu made her way towards the same counter, her worries beginning to catch up with her now that she wasn't talking to someone. She had left Tsukune alone with Moka and Mizore, and while she knew that Moka was too much of a goody-goody to break their rules, Mizore was a different matter. Perhaps she would even be brave enough to fend off Mrs. Cooper somehow… well, probably not. And, since Kurumu had embraced and kissed Tsukune, albeit on the cheek, she knew that Mrs. Cooper would not react well to any blatant affection from the other girls. And, to look at it from a different angle, doing the shopping gave her an advantage over the other two, since she had gotten to add a few items to their supplies. With those secret weapons, she could prepare at least one wonderful meal for Tsukune, hopefully proving her worth as a potential wife. She had heard that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, though she had some doubts about that herself. Still it was worth a try, since she had been denied other possibilities…

Kurumu blinked as she realized that she had stopped short of the shop's counter. Instead, she was standing in front of a rack of magazines, staring blankly at one of the covers. Now, she examined the picture that had drawn her unconscious attention: a man and a woman, faces held just inches apart, staring at each other intently. She didn't recognize the title of the magazine, but the tagline below the picture did seem interesting: Five Secrets to Incredible Kissing! Things You MUST Know Before You Lock Lips!

Surreptitiously glancing from side to side, Kurumu made certain that no one was watching her. Finally assured that she wasn't being observed, she struck like a cobra, snatching the magazine from its rack and burying it within the groceries. She would have to distract Mr. Cooper while it was being rung up, but the curiosity roaring within her made it apparent that it would be better to risk discovery than to spend another day without knowing these five secrets, whatever they were.

Moka and Mizore had made her agree not to kiss Tsukune, but that rule would only last as long as their contest to win his heart; after he was hers, she could kiss him to her heart's content. And, with any luck, that day would not be far off. After all, though she had initially believed it bad luck to draw the final date, her sleeplessness the previous night had given her time to reconsider that notion. As Moka had said, Tsukune liked to take things more slowly than she usually desired, but after Moka and Mizore got him warmed up, he would be far more vulnerable to her charms. And, after that, there was the second stage to consider…

Barely able to restrain the evil smile that was trying to take over her face, Kurumu glanced down at the heap of groceries that concealed the magazine. First, though, there was the matter of the kiss. Perhaps the matter was not as simple as she had believed. After all, she didn't know as much about her powers as she would like; there might be another way to circumvent the release of her powers. If so, then…

Kurumu laughed quietly. There was someone she needed to speak to, as soon as possible. Surely she would know.

Roy Cooper cleared his throat loudly as he stopped behind the salaryman that was standing in one of the store's aisles, tapping the younger man on the shoulder. As the suit-clad man turned to face him, Roy gave him a sheepish smile, chuckling as he shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I'm helping that girl, the one you were watching, buy her groceries, and I just realized I left my credit card with my wife. I was wondering…" Roy's eyes gleamed coldly as he stared at the younger man, silencing the nascent denial the other man had started to voice. "Do you happen to have your card for the school account on you?"

The salaryman paused for a long moment, meeting Roy's gaze nervously. Finally he straightened, all emotion slipping from his face as his posture changed, and when he spoke his voice was far deeper than one would have expected. "Well done, Roy Cooper. I must ask, how did you know it was one of us?"

Roy beamed in triumph. "Well, you hid the fact that you were watching her pretty well, but I knew that he would send someone, at least. And then there's the fact that you're standing here."

The salaryman glanced around, not understanding the importance of his location until Roy pointed at the shelves in front of him, the products he had been standing in front of since Kurumu and Roy had entered the store. "Ah."

"Yes, I've yet to see a young man stand in front of the contraceptives for thirty minutes without at least blushing. A dead giveaway, really. Nice disguise, though; it must be nice to have access to illusion-granting items." Roy managed to subdue his laughter somewhat as the other man crossed his arms in front of him.

"In any case, you shouldn't talk to me so openly, Roy Cooper. You endanger my mission."

"Oh? So the Headmaster has a special interest in that girl? And here I thought it was the boy, Aono."

The other man hesitated for a long moment before sighing. "Very well then, if you insist on prying. He is interested in all of them, but yes, Aono specifically. I left my partner to watch the house while I kept an eye on the girl."

"Wow, the Fist and the Mouth, both babysitting students? This has to be interesting!" Roy's grin resembled that of a child being presented with a wrapped gift. "So, tell me-"

"No more, Roy Cooper." The other man held up a hand, reaching with the other into his pocket. "I congratulate you on your deductive powers; you haven't lost the touch for it, it seems, since we last met. But I can say no more, other than a warning." He drew a credit card from his pocket and held it towards Roy, staring resolutely into the larger man's eyes. "Don't get too close to the boy. You chose to leave the side of the Hell King to settle down and make a home with your wife; I strongly suggest you don't forget that decision now. It might prove… dangerous."

Roy stared at him, all mirth slipping from his face. Closing his eyes, he nodded his head, reaching up to take the card. "I was afraid of that. Alright, Michael. I'll keep your words in mind." He glanced at the card before raising an eyebrow. "How can I get this back to you?"

"Leave it on the doorstep tonight." The younger man stepped away from Roy, walking towards the door. "Remember what I said, Roy Cooper. And trust your old friend; he has plans for Tsukune Aono, plans that extend for years to come. Have faith in that, at least." Without waiting for a response, he walked away, moving towards the store's exit.

Roy stood there for another long moment, staring at the card he held. His shoulders slumped as he shook his head slowly, remembering the other man's words. He had assumed that the boy was in trouble, but from the sounds of it, it was far beyond anything he would have expected. "He's right. I'm getting too old for this stuff."

He had no choice but to trust in his old friend. After all that they had been through together, Roy knew well what that man was capable of. The Hell King always knew what he was doing. Always.

Author's Note: Holy Monkeycopter, it feels good to see the end of this writing marathon. While this chapter is 'only' a 'small heifer' like the last one, cough/ mock grumble, I did write all but a page of it today. I didn't get it done last Saturday, like I had suggested in my last note, but I did manage to get it done within a week, as my standard deadline demands. I offer partial credit and a grateful salute to my new reviewers Wispr and Kaozbleeds; your reviews were especially well-timed, and gave me the momentum I needed to keep this thing rolling to the end.

Forgive me if I, once again, slap a 'work-in-progress' sign on this chapter; I'll be reviewing it again in a day or so, after I've slept, but for now I feel it's good enough to get posted. I contemplated releasing this chapter Saturday, as per my previous schedule, but I prefer to stick to my self-imposed deadlines with a rabid zeal, no matter how close I may cut it. One week; if I can stick to that now, I can hopefully continue to do so, no matter what my job situation ends up being. Plus, Saturday is the graduation I've been so anticipating, and knowing myself I would use that as an excuse to procrastinate if I waited any longer.

And finally (I realize that this Author's Note may be uncharacteristically short, but I feel I've written enough today!), I once again offer thanks to my reviewers, old and new. You all are the other half of my determination to get this released on time, and I appreciate the time you take to type out a response, no matter how long or short they may be. I hope you all have enjoyed thus far, and with any luck at all I'll be back before a full week is out, a new chapter in hand… well, 'in hand' as much as is possible when one is dealing with the internet.

But now… I sleep.

~Wynn P.