Chapter 10

Crossing the River

"I still say, no matter what the Hell King thinks, those four should not be living together unsupervised in that house. He should know better, he runs a school! Surely he's seen what can happen when…"

Roy Cooper wisely restrained the urge to sigh, and instead focused his attention on the newspaper he held before him. He and his wife had returned to their home after helping the four teens unload their groceries, and it would not be long now until it was time to turn in for the evening. Still, Wendy had not overcome her indignation at the situation, and he was almost curious what it had been that had stoked her ire. His own opinions followed a different path than his wife's, but he knew better than to voice them; he was sure that Wendy would not be quick to believe that, if he were right, it was Tsukune who might need protection from his female friends and not the opposite.

He lowered the paper and offered her a nod of thanks as she placed a small plate of sliced cucumbers on the end table beside him. He glanced back to the article he had been blindly scanning, idly reaching over to the plate as he consider his encounter earlier in the day. He had expected that, if the four teens were important enough to the Hell King to warrant a stay in the Resting Place, all expenses paid, they were probably something special. The little time that he had spent with them had offered nothing to prove that theory, but finding one of the leaders of the Hell King's guardians acting as an unseen bodyguard…

He sighed deeply, and on the couch beside him his wife turned from the television to glance quizzically at him. "Is something wrong, dear?" she asked, and he could only offer her a weak shrug in response. A furtive glance at her expression revealed the determined set of her jaw, and he knew that she would not allow him to escape so easily; she knew that something was bothering him. Taking just a moment to collect his thoughts, he finally folded the newspaper and dropped it into his lap as he leaned back into his padded armchair.

"I think that the boy, Tsukune, is in trouble," he finally stated, still trying to shape his words satisfactorily.

"Oh, he will be, if I catch him playing with those girls again. Why, just earlier today, I think I saw him getting ready to kiss the violet-haired one, and after what happened earlier when the other one, Kurumu was it?, was hugging him and…" She paused, reading the grim expression on his face.

'I really wish she had never met that incubus when we were younger; life would be so much easier,' he thought, distracting himself for a moment. Hearing his wife's expectant cough, he decided to press on. "No, not that kind of trouble. I ran into someone today, when I took Kurumu shopping… it was the Fist."

"Michael!" Wendy sat straight up, a plethora of emotions dancing across her face. "Another old friend who can't be bothered to pay us a visit," she huffed, looking hurt momentarily. Suspicion overwhelmed that sentiment, and she frowned as she tried to read her husband's face. "But why…"

"School business, of course. He, and his partner, have been sent to guard Tsukune and the others."

"That loudmouth is here too, then," Wendy commented, a wry smile crossing her face. "It must be trouble, to get those two involved and away from their master. But surely it isn't too much trouble, or the Hell-King himself would take care of it… right?"

Roy steeled himself for what he had resolved to say. "Wendy, please, trust me on this." He met her gaze, and saw her recoil minutely from the gravity in his expression. "I think it's best that we keep our distance from those four, especially Tsukune. Just for the time being, until-"

"Of course not!" Roy fell silent in the face of the rage in his wife's voice. "If those kids are in trouble, then it's up to those who are in charge of them to keep them safe, and for the time being that is us, just as much as it is the Hell-King and his guardians! We can just find out what it is that is after them, and then we can help-" She paused as she heard her husband chuckle softly, and almost bitterly, if she wasn't mistaken.

"Do you think I didn't try that? No, they seem to think that we gave up on everything when we decided to settle down. But maybe they're right. Maybe we are too old for the kind of adventures that we used to have. Maybe we should leave this to the people who have spent more years fighting than we've even seen." Wendy Cooper stared in shock as her husband's voice quavered slightly. "Something tells me that this could be more serious than we know, and I don't want you – I don't want either of us – to get hurt because we got too involved." Inside his mind, a single word flashed across his vision; the word he had seen engraved into the cover of the book the Hell-King had sent to Tsukune. Trouble, indeed.

A long silence hung over the couple for several minutes as both were consumed by their own thoughts and fears. Finally Wendy broke the silence. "I don't have any reason to go back to the house for the time being anyways," she stated loudly, looking archly away from her husband, artfully concealing her surrender. "I'm sure that they will be able to take care of themselves for the time being, and I know that I've given the boy enough warnings that he will undoubtedly behave for a few days, at least. Surely that will be long enough for Michael to hunt down whatever is after them, assuming that he won't get distracted by his partner's senselessness messes. And, since they finished shopping, I doubt they will have any reason to go back to town for the time being, so we'll be close by in case of trouble."

"Actually, I'll be taking Tsukune and Moka into town tomorrow," Roy offered, relieved enough by the change in the room's atmosphere to reopen his paper and search for the article he had been reading. "They said that they wanted to go to the amusement park together."

He froze as realization dawned upon him a moment too late. He could feel his wife's gaze burning through the paper he held before him, and a drop of sweat rolled down his temple. 'Now that I think of it, that does sound like a date,' he mused.

"I knew it! He's a playboy, a womanizer! He is only going to hurt those girls, you watch and see! I'll make sure that-"

Roy Cooper sighed wearily as he closed his eyes. He felt old, but for just a moment, as he considered Tsukune and his situation, it almost seemed like a blessing. After all, compared to the troubles of a teenager's life, what could be worse?

"It's the darnedest thing, sir. The ship is empty! Not a soul aboard, but everything on the shipping manifest is still here. It's like the thing decided to pilot itself across the ocean!"

Leaning against the wall of one of the storage warehouses that sprawled across the dock, the police officer sighed away from the phone as he heard his superior's excited replies, most of which managed to be both profane and insulting. It was not looking to be a good night, and somehow he doubted things would be looking up by the time he got back to the station. But how was he to know how a freighter, loaded down full of goods but entirely bereft of crew, had managed not only to cross the Pacific but also to stop just off the coast, pretty as you please? It was ludicrous, unbelievable… and it was his responsibility, now. A headache, that's what it was.

"Sir, I doubt my head would fit there, and I've double-checked for logs or records pertaining to the crew; everything is blank. Maybe there's some sort of auto-pilot- yes, sir, I intend to ask as soon as I catch someone who isn't running around trying to figure everything out just like I am. Yes, sir, we've contacted the port of origin. The best they can offer is that it might have been hijacked and then abandoned, but they have no explanation for how it stopped without anyone on board. Dock authority says that they've seen no small craft that could have carried anyone to shore- yes, sir, I know that, but…" The police officer massaged his temples, gripping his phone tightly and stepping away from the wall. "Roger that, I'll contact you as soon as I find any new information."

Though it came close enough to nearly brush against him, the policeman took no notice of the colossal shadow that glided past him, only shivering violently and nearly dropping the phone he held. Though the dock was full of people hurrying in various directions, no one paid any mind to the way that the shadows seemed so much darker in one mobile patch, and those who did look in that direction turned away with a vague feeling of uneasiness. Darkness seemed to meld itself to the figure, turning even lit paths into shadow, and the shade of the alleyway the figure slid into became utterly impenetrable.

Not that it mattered to the man waiting in the alley. "Hey," he offered casually, flicking a cigarette towards the opposite wall. "It's been a while."

The immense shadow paused, as if surprised by the man's audacity. The man paid this no mind, instead smiling up into the gloom surrounding it. "Thanatos… that's what you call yourself now, isn't it? Hey, whatever floats your boat… heh. I imagine from the hubbub that you're well-fed from your journey; good, you'll need the energy, cause your target is a good distance from here. I'd offer to give you a ride, but something tells me that you'd decline." The man shrugged in resignation.

Thanatos was still, watching the man intently. He was from Fairy Tale, no doubt, but why would he act as though he was familiar with Thanatos? His appearance offered no clues: a black suit, sunglasses despite the darkness of night, long black hair pulled into a ponytail, typical height and body structure. Still, there was something in his posture, an indifferent relaxation, that seemed almost threatening. Cloaked in the shadows, Thanatos wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword as a name began to form in his mind. As the name, a single word, was revealed, Thanatos paused.

"Charon." The man motioned towards the sheathed sword that Thanatos was holding, uninterested in the darkness that should have hidden it from his view. "That was the name of your sword, I remember that. I almost regret that you and I never got the chance to cross blades back then, but then again, who knows how that would have turned out?" The man grinned broadly, shaking his head. "No, this is better. I doubt you'd agree, though…"

Skeletal wings unfolded from Thanatos's back, and he drew the sword, holding it before him. The man's smile didn't drop, but he threw up his hands in surrender, rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses. "Fine, fine. Just business, then." Thanatos lowered the blade, waiting. "The reason I'm talking to you now is to make a point. You've been hunting for that phylactery ever since that final battle, and it wasn't easy for us to locate it. Now, we know where it is, and all we ask in return for it is for you to do something that should come naturally. Kill the boy, get your soul; hardly a fair trade. What I ask…" The man's grin was all teeth and hunger. "Is a little gratitude, when the time comes. I'm sure you'll find that there are other things you will want then and I will be there to help you get them… assuming you're willing to give me what I want in turn."

Thanatos waited without answer. This did not seem to deter the man, who touched his temple in mocking salute. "It's been nice talking to you, really. It's time for me to take care of other business, so I'll leave you to your hunt." Headlights flashed across the alleyway, failing to penetrate the unnatural murk surrounding Thanatos. "Ah, he's here. Miyabi will give you the location of your targets and any further information; please, he's somewhat important to the organization, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't erase him. You'll find in time that he might be important to you, too." A car door slammed just outside the alley, and footsteps sounded on the pavement nearby. "That's my cue. When this is done, we'll speak again, and maybe you'll be a tad more up for conversation. Until then."

Thanatos watched the man exit the other end of the alley, and then turned to face the man and woman entering behind him. Miyabi Fujisaki's eyes narrowed as he strained to see into the darkness, unable to manage even general shapes. After a long, tense moment, a skeletal hand emerged from the darkness, palm up expectantly.

Thanatos listened as the man explained the location of his target, and claimed the maps that the pale-haired woman presented to him, never uttering a sound. However, his thoughts, such as they were, centered on the man who had spoken to him before. Where others would have felt confused or affronted, Thanatos felt nothing. Instead, there was a resolve to complete the task that had been presented to him, and the growing notion of eliminating each and every member of Fairy Tale once his work was complete. They were proving to be a nuisance.

But that could wait. First came the soul… and there was only one thing that stood between Thanatos and his rebirth.

Tsukune gingerly pushed open the door that led into the storage shed's back room, flinching away from the heat that emerged instantly. Inside, the Hellmaw waited for him, the flames dancing inside that gaping hole. Swallowing loudly, Tsukune took a cautious step into the room, watching the stone face as if certain it would animate and lunge at him at any moment.

In his hands he clutched the completed homework that he and the girls had finished, including Kurumu's late contribution. She had been slow to finish, unable to focus on her work but unwilling to talk to him or the other girls about what was bothering her. Tsukune frowned at that, momentarily forgetting the horrifying visage in front of him. He hoped that she wasn't upset at him for some reason, but he couldn't imagine what would be bothering her. Perhaps it had something to do with what was scheduled for the next day…

Tsukune tried to think about that as he hurled homework papers at the Hellmaw from several feet away, praying that none would fall short. Luckily, each paper disappeared in a flash of flame, and he managed to keep his thoughts elsewhere, which helped him to resist the urge to run away from the room. He resented that he had been chosen to be the one to deliver and receive their homework, but it had taken only a brief reminder of what had happened when Kurumu had touched the book the Headmaster had assigned to him to make up the minds of his friends. He had stood no chance against the three of them, and so he found himself here, alone, with the Hellmaw…

But he had to think about something else. A date. That's what tomorrow was to be: a date, with Moka. A blush spread across his cheeks as another paper disappeared into the hellish flames. All day, he would be alone with Moka, on a real date. He was so excited and terrified about that notion that he was certain that it would be another mostly sleepless night, and that made him even more nervous. And what if Moka didn't have fun? What if the other girls decided to crash the date? But what if they didn't, and it all went well, and then he and Moka…

The final paper was fed into the flames, and Tsukune waited, staring upwards and sighing with a blush. Bitter, treasonous thoughts quickly sought to assassinate his happiness, however, and memories intruded upon his imagination. He remembered how worried Kurumu had seemed, and the brief moment of sadness upon the face of Mizore earlier when they had been alone. Could it be that they were upset about the date he would be sharing with Moka? Probably, but what was he supposed to do? It was their idea in the first place…

"Do you intend to marry all three of us?"

Tsukune froze as Mizore's voice echoed in his ears, but his brain failed to handle the rush of thoughts and feelings that erupted in response. He was saved by the belch of the flames nearby as a packet emerged from the Hellmaw, slapping down onto the stone tongue. He groaned as he realized how close he would have to come to that dangerous portal in order to reach the folder, and slowly inched his way towards it, his eyes darting between his goal and the carved face that seemed to be eagerly anticipating its next meal.

When he did touch the packet, however, his retreat from the Hellmaw more than made up for his slow approach.

Only after he was on the other side of the locked door, the Hellmaw safely sealed behind him, did Tsukune glance at the homework he had risked his life for. He was relieved to see that Moka had guessed correctly on the next day's assignments; both of them were all but finished with their work already, which meant they would be able to focus their energy on their date instead of worrying about returning to take care of homework. His brow furrowed as he noticed a few papers tucked in the back of the folder, and pulled them out.

The first was a simple note, signed with the doddle of a crying witch; a short letter from Yukari, asking them to hurry back. His eyes widened when he noticed that the next letter was quite similar, but addressed only to Moka. Kokoa, no doubt. Tsukune chuckled as he drew out the final paper, all but expecting it to be from Gin or Ruby-

READ FASTER.

Tsukune stared in shock at the paper, a piece of stationary bearing the watermark of the Headmaster's office. It was unsigned, but it was obvious who it was from and who it was intended for. Tsukune sighed, his distress fading into annoyance. What a slave driver… Tsukune couldn't see why the text that he had been assigned was so important, unless it was somehow connected to their trouble with Mori Retsu. And why would it be so important now? Still, he mused as he made his way back into the house, perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to do a little more reading before he fell asleep…

Tsukune stepped into the kitchen, and the night was silent as time passed and, one by one, the lights of the Resting Place were extinguished.

Author's Note: I am somewhat embarrassed to note that I've become quite skilled at cranking out chapters in no time at all, but only when I am staring at a quickly encroaching (and passing) deadline. Seven hours have passed since I started this, and entirely too much of that time was wasted. Ah, if only I could be that productive all the time, then… Well, maybe I'd have a job, for one thing. And I'd be posting chapters quicker than once a week, which would be nice.

But, this week at least, it was not to be; a wedding and the surrounding excitement kept me from the keyboard, and then there was a computer virus that managed to devour an entire day before I bested it. But, circumstances are arranging themselves in my favor: I'm now free of the holidays and the confusion of an impending wedding (to my red-haired brother, I hope you are enjoying the fruits of that chaos!), and I've received a few reminders in the meantime that should help fuel my writing frenzies, and then there's the fact that now my life should be back to the same schedule it was when I created Out of Nightmares. Not that I expect my release schedule to match that insanity… I doubt this tale will be finished in a week like that one. Still, here's hoping that I can pick up the pace… if I can crank out a best man's speech in ten minutes, and a damned good one if I say so myself (I was not, as a matter of fact, the best man, but one does what one should), then I can at least accelerate work on this tale.

Speaking of pacing: I have noted before that I'm one of the rather pitiable sort who tend to watch their hits counter with all the intensity of a politician on election day, despite it often being more comparable to watching grass grow. I've noted that, since I've switched to publishing on Thursdays, I've started getting shoved down in the list shortly after I publish, which I fear has a negative effect on my hits. Anyways, the part you might care about is that next week I will probably publish on a different day. Maybe Tuesday, maybe Saturday; who knows. Either way, it will be different, and I just wanted to let you know.

Oh, and a quick thank you to Iwannabeahero; nice catch with your last review. I was able to change that nasty little detail right away, thanks to your head's up. And to the others of you as well; thank you for your kind reviews!

Okay, enough meandering blather from me for one week. Time for me to get this posted and get to bed; I have a lot to accomplish tomorrow… or is that today? Aw, hell, there's sunlight already!

Now, I sleep.

~Wynn P.