Chapter 14

Thawing

As soon as Mr. Cooper saw Tsukune and Mizore that morning, he knew that there would be trouble. The car doors slammed, and, swallowing loudly as he fought to overcome the dread that was steadily growing within him, he turned to offer a smile to the two teens. "Why, good morning!" he offered, though he knew this 'good morning' would probably lead to a 'bad evening.'

"Thanks so much for agreeing to take us back to town so soon," Tsukune said, scratching the back of his head and uncomfortably looking off to the side. "It seems like we forgot a few things, and we didn't get enough of others, so we decided it would be best if we went ahead and bought them."

"See?" The violet-haired girl sitting beside him drew a grocery list from the bag she held and thrust it towards Mr. Cooper. He glanced at it, allowing it a chance to reinforce his good faith in the teenagers, but it failed pathetically in the face of the outfit the girl wore. Oh, it was certainly nothing that would seem overly unusual; she even still wore the belt around her thigh that he had never seen her without, as well as the knee-high socks. Also, like her typical outfit, the blouse she wore left her shoulders bare, although a bit more… obviously so. There was nothing blatantly objectionable about her attire, now that Mr. Cooper considered it.

It just screamed 'date' to him.

Heart sinking, he nodded and turned back to the wheel. He winced as he drove out the gates and past his own home, praying that his wife would be busy, even though there was no way she would be able to see anything suspicious. No, he would be the only one privy to this… for now.

He would have had to have been blind to not notice what had been occurring two days prior. The atmosphere between Tsukune and Moka had been too intense, too energetic, for their trip to have been a simple outing for the sake of fun. He had even glimpsed the two of them holding hands at one point, but had smiled to himself and had kept his lips firmly clamped when his wife was near. After all, they were teenagers; it would be unrealistic to imagine that love hadn't blossomed somewhere. The presence of the others would suffice for chaperoning, or so the Headmaster must have believed, and that was enough for Roy Cooper.

But, this…! When he had been asked to drive two of the teens back to town in order to get more supplies and to take care of other errands, he had happily agreed; after all, he made regular trips anyways, and without many of the responsibilities of keeping the Resting Place kept up he had plenty of free time. Surely they would be getting stir-crazy in that house by now, so getting out had to sound tempting. But, still, he had not expected it to be Tsukune and another of the girls, dressed up for a day at town. Plus, there was something in the body language, or at least hers, to further provoke his doubts.

A date, sure, that was acceptable. But two, within the same week, with different girls? Roy Cooper resisted the urge to sink down in the driver's seat in despair. He had spent entirely too much time over the past while defending Tsukune's good name from his wife's infuriated beliefs; God help him if she turned out to be right.

A short while later, he pulled up in the parking lot that they had guided him to. The pair got out of the car, thanking him and confirming the time and place that they would be meeting that evening. He smiled and waved to them as they walked away, feigning a phone call in order to provide himself with an excuse to sit and wait a moment longer.

His heart plummeted when he saw them walk into the building a short distance away. Ice World, the sign at the front proclaimed, with a stylized pair of ice skates garnishing the sign. Roy Cooper nodded to himself grimly, warring over what he should do, or shouldn't. He wished that he could catch one of the guardians, just to have someone to talk to about it… someone who wasn't Wendy.

An ice-skating rink… errands, indeed.

"Sitting there and sighing isn't going to accomplish anything."

Moka fought to keep her distressed emotions in check as Kurumu sat down across from her, sprawling across the chair and stretching luxuriously. Looking down and biting her lip, the vampire tried not to respond. Finally, though, the pressure became too much.

"How do you do it? This is the second time for you, and you seem so much more relaxed about it…"

Kurumu sighed, irritation flashing across her face. "It's not easy, but I know that I get my turn soon, so I can be patient for a little while longer. Plus, even if Mizore tries to break the rules, Tsukune told us he would make sure that we all stick to them, and I trust him."

Though Kurumu was showing her friend a brave face, the truth was that she was tormented, too. She had deeply considered stalking Mizore and Tsukune on their date, just as they had done to Moka a couple of days prior, but the snow maiden had pulled her aside not long before Mr. Cooper had arrived and had explained a few things to deter her. First of all, Mizore had pointed out sharply, Kurumu lacked her skill in hidden pursuit. The snow maiden's abilities at stalking meant that she knew better what to watch for, and if she caught them, there would be hell to pay. Secondly, and far more convincing, Mizore had pointed out that she could always ask Moka afterward, and they both knew their friend was far too honest to easily deceive anyone, at least in such a potentially embarrassing case. Grudgingly, Mizore had yielded that such a possibility would mean that Kurumu's own date would be free of interference, and with that carrot dangling before her Kurumu had finally promised to stay at the Resting Place.

"It's not the rules I'm worried about," Moka admitted. She glanced over to Kurumu mournfully. "What if… what if he…"

'Afraid that you'll lose him if you don't have a monopoly over him?' a vicious voice in Kurumu's head goaded her to say, but she brushed that dark urge aside. "What if he chooses her?" she finished for Moka, and the vampire gave her a grateful smile, though one still colored with pain.

"Yeah. What if he decides he likes her more?"

'Don't like having to work for his affection, do you?' the ugly voice in Kurumu's head snarled, but after a moment she gritted her teeth and brutally squashed it. "He won't," Kurumu stated in a voice she hoped carried more confidence than she felt. She smiled, though she didn't feel like it. "If he hasn't chosen in two years, I doubt he's going to suddenly do it in one day!"

Some faint semblance of a smile worked it way onto Moka's face, and she chuckled. "But that kind of defeats the purpose of this whole contest, doesn't it?"

Kurumu almost groaned at those words. Moka was right; they were doing all of this so that he would choose one of them. For one brief, demented moment, Kurumu began to wish that he wouldn't; putting up with this turmoil would have to be better than being separated from the one she loved, closure or no. "Well, that just depends on how long we end up staying here. The dates don't have to be the final act, you know."

Moka now stared at the succubus, her face of fine blend of curiosity, horror, suspicion, and excitement. "Wh- What do you mean?"

Kurumu grinned devilishly, crossing her arms before her. "I have a few ideas. Nothing concrete yet," she proclaimed, silencing Moka's demands before she could utter them. "But, those will only matter if he hasn't chosen one of us after the dates are done, and I'm sure that they won't be needed, since he's saving the best date for last." Kurumu placed one hand against her sternum, staring off to the side regally. Had it been Mizore sitting across from her, Kurumu would have expected a witty comeback, but instead it was Moka, who glowered at her, the ferocity of her expression weakened by a soft giggle. Kurumu joined in on the laughter, and when the silence fell back over the room it was a far more comfortable one that the tense quiet that had hung over them before.

Moka again broke the silence, pointing towards the darkened television. "Before, I saw you dancing to a video… what was that?"

Kurumu considered this question for a moment, weighing her options carefully. After a moment she decided that it would be no great loss, even though she had intended for it to be one of her weapons in their conflict, and stood up. "Would you like for me to show you?" she offered, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

Within moments the two friends were dancing in the common room, bumping into each other and laughing uncontrollably, their actions a far cry from those of the idols on the screen but gradually growing closer. Tsukune lurked at the back of both of their minds, but for now they could distract each other, and it helped. They might be enemies in this fight, they knew, but ultimately they were friends.

They were friends, but deep inside both of them, a resentful voice whispered from the darkness, 'For now.' But neither of them seemed to hear.

Tsukune winced as he felt the slowly blossoming bruises that dotted his limbs and torso twinge chaotically. He hoped that he wasn't keeping Mizore waiting too long; he had brought some warmer clothes to wear while they skated, and had had to change back afterwards, while Mizore hadn't bothered; the chill inside the skating rink was nothing to a yuki-onna, though her briefer attire had drawn some curious glances from the other skaters. Since she didn't have to change, she had given him the bag that held his clothes and had told him she would wait outside; he had noticed the longing look she had given the changing room and was self-consciously grateful for her restraint.

He smiled as he thought back on the past hour. Ice skating was not something he had done before, which excused his myriad bruises, but Mizore had been a patient teacher, and on a few occasions Tsukune could have sworn that the ice itself had shifted to guide him away from a collision with the walls around the rink. Mizore, on the other hand, had been unbelievably graceful; moving without hesitation or even apparent effort, soaring across the ice in front of him, sometimes even teasing him by staying just an arm's reach away, so that his efforts to stay upright became an effort to catch her. At other times she would draw close, supporting him as they accelerated, building his confidence moment by moment. He blushed as he remembered one spill that had drawn her down with him; he had managed to twist himself under her to save her from the ice and the pain of his blunder, but still she had stayed on top of him for several long moments, her face just inches away from his, her eyes unflinching and mischievous.

A ghostly memory of Moka flittered before him, and he quickly dismissed those tempting thoughts, but resolve as cold as steel began to fill him, and he shook his head to clear the image. Fairness, he had sworn; he had remembered that, as he had declared his love for Moka, he had quashed all thoughts of the other girls, and now it was Mizore's turn. This was to be a date for two people only, he reminded himself harshly as he pushed open the exit, stepping out onto the sidewalk.

For a moment, he looked both ways down the road, trying to spot Mizore; she wasn't waiting for him right outside as he had expected, but the press of pedestrian traffic made it hard to see where she might be. A needle of concern pierced him, and he started walking in one direction, hoping to find her nearby. As he passed by the alleyway beside the skating rink, the voices coming from nearby answered his fears with greater fuel.

"Come on, girlie," one thick voice wheedled, "we just wanna have a little fun. No harm, we promise."

"Yeah!" a shrill voice prompted eagerly. "We'll show ya a good time!"

"No thanks." Tsukune froze as he recognized Mizore's icy tone. "I'll be going now."

"Not so fast," another voice ordered, and Tsukune could hear Mizore's angered grunt. "Stay for a while."

Tsukune had heard enough. He stepped into the alley, scowling at the backs of the three men who had formed a semi-circle around Mizore, herding her into the enclosed space and cutting her off from the alley's only exit. She saw him immediately, and her face lit up, drawing the trio's attention in his direction. As they turned, Tsukune resisted the urge to groan; if they had wanted to look like stereotypical yakuza, they had skillfully succeeded. The one on the left was wiry, with a smile that displayed all his teeth at once. On the right was a human brick, squared frame with a flattened-looking face, topped off with a short flattop. The final one exuded the oily calm of a leader, down to the practiced sneer and casual stance.

"Let her through," Tsukune ordered, his voice wavering just enough to cause snickers to spread through the flanking thugs. He was nervous, but not for the reason they might expect; if they pushed Mizore too far, they would regret it, and so would Tsukune. The leader shook his head in pity and turned back to Mizore.

"Come on, cutie. We'll take you somewhere nice." Innuendo dripped the words, as did blatant malice.

Mizore, however, had other plans. "Why would I go anywhere with you when I could go somewhere with him?" She pointed towards Tsukune, refocusing their attention on him.

"Fine, then. We'll show you." The leader turned back to face Mizore's would-be rescuer, shrugging broadly as he and his minions began strolling in his direction. "Sorry, pal. If you want to play smart, you can start running; we won't chase too fast."

Tsukune gritted his teeth and stood his ground. Better they face him. Better for everyone involved.

"Have it your way." The leader nodded once to each side, and his companions sprinted forward, arms cocked back.

In their training together, Tsukune had become used to Inner Moka's speed and power; had he not been extremely irked that his day was taking a turn for the worse, he might have been bored. The thin one reached him first, and threw himself at Tsukune, his punch wild and wobbling, dangerous only for its speed. Tsukune easily sidestepped it, feeling his monstrous power trickle into him; he wouldn't need much, just enough to finish this quickly. His return punch caught the thug in the stomach and caused him to bend in half, coughing loudly.

The second one swung at Tsukune, and this slower punch obviously carried a lot more power behind it. Tsukune jerked his head aside, the meaty fist passing within an inch of his ear, and in turn threw his weight behind a punch that landed squarely on the thug's already-flattened face. Tsukune caught a brief glimpse of the man's eyes rolling skyward before he fell backwards, landing with a resounding thud. Tsukune felt a brief surge of guilt and concern that he might not have held back enough, and that distraction cost him as a right hook from the final ruffian snapped his head to the side.

Before Tsukune could respond in force, he felt two snaky arms wrap under and around his shoulders, yanking his arms outward and holding him in place. With his slender minion keeping Tsukune from defending himself, the leader of the trio gave the teen a self-satisfied smirk before lashing out again, catching Tsukune in the stomach. As the now-helpless Tsukune coughed and fought to regain his breath, the thug drew his fist back, taking careful aim for Tsukune's face.

He paused as Tsukune looked up at him, fear painted across his face as he noticed the spreading crimson color in his victim's eyes. With a snarl, Tsukune twisted, and the thug holding him wailed as he was pulled from his feet and sent sprawling towards his leader. Both were unbalanced, but the leader recovered from his shock and decided to cover his hesitation with bravado, pushing past his subordinate and lunging at Tsukune.

It was the wrong decision.

Moments later, Tsukune panted as he glanced remorsefully at the three unconscious men lying around the alley. He winced sympathetically, noting that he definitely hadn't held back enough on the last two; their bruised faces would take a few days to return to a normal shade. Straightening, Tsukune dusted himself off, offering a weak "Sorry," to the senseless trio.

He glanced to the side as Mizore walked over to him, a sly and almost hungry smile on her face. Giving him a coy glance, she brushed a hand against his chest as she walked past him. "Shall we?"

Eyes widening, Tsukune looked from her to the motionless delinquents and back again. "You could have helped?" he asked, his voice incredulous and curious. Or at least not provoked them with that last line, he mused to himself.

Mizore shrugged, her back facing him. "Yes… but you wouldn't have wanted me to use my powers against them, and I would have." She looked back towards him, her smile sending a chill down his spine. "Anyways, I like watching you fight." Her hand came up to draw her sucker away from her lips. "And what girl wouldn't want to be saved by the man she loves?"

Tsukune watched her walk out of the alley, his emotions warring within him; frustration, confusion, embarrassment, and a swelling pride. Finally, without coming to any real conclusion, he shook his head with an exasperated smile, and walked after her. Behind them, the supine yakuza began to groan and twitch, still too dazed to lament their wounded pride more than their bruised bodies.

"Another hour and a half?" Tsukune and Mizore looked to each other, surprised. Still, glancing at the marquee verified the ticket salesman's words; the movie the Mizore had chosen for them wouldn't start for some time. Tsukune winced as he watched the gloom fall over the snow maiden's features, and smiled at her in support. "Well, is there anything else we can do until then?"

Mizore frowned; this miscalculation would cost her, since the date would have to be altered in order to fit into the time frame they had given Mr. Cooper, especially since they had agreed to pick up groceries as a cover. Still, perhaps things could be salvaged. She looked around, scanning the nearby surroundings as she searched her memory of the scant research she had done on the town. Suddenly, she paused, staring off into the distance.

"There." Tsukune followed Mizore's pointing hand, and after a moment's survey found the entrance to a park. A quick glance to her confirmed their destination, and the two walked off in that direction. As they walked, Tsukune was surprised to feel Mizore step closer to him and thread her arm around his, but responded only by blushing slightly. To any watchers, they would have looked like any normal couple on a stroll… he enjoyed that more than he was likely to admit.

And so they continued as they walked through the park, their steps slowing until they were in sync. Together, they glanced around at the natural landscape, not indulging in conversation; Tsukune admitted that despite the silence he felt comfortable, even relaxed, even after Mizore leaned closer to rest her head against his shoulder.

Some time passed like that, until they neared an area that sported benches and a water fountain. "Hey," Mizore said, pointing towards the seats, and Tsukune altered course towards them. The two sat down, Mizore snuggling even closer to Tsukune, neither of them breaking the silence for several more minutes.

"You fight well, Tsukune," Mizore murmured, her eyes closed as she savored their contact. Tsukune blinked down at the top of her head, confused.

"Wh- what do you mean?"

"You've gotten a lot better, even since I've met you. And it isn't all Moka's blood; you've always been brave, but now you know how to handle yourself. You don't have to rely on Moka any more. That's why I wanted to watch." She grudgingly surrendered her position, straightening to meet his eyes. "You used to be terrified at the Academy, and you mostly showed your bravery when we were in real danger, but now you're confident." The stick of her sucker rolled from one side of her mouth to the other, and he followed it with his eyes, his attention logically drifting from there to her lips, as if charmed by siren song. Her blue eyes stared at him, frighteningly intense. "It's really very attractive."

Tsukune blushed at that, uncertain how to react to the compliment, but Mizore had seemingly grown tired of being quiet and continued. "I was worried at first, though. When we first met, and when I was reading your articles in the newspaper, I thought that you spoke with the voice of the underdog. Our weakness united us, I thought, even in our isolation. Now I know that it was because you were the only human at school, but still, you knew what it was to be alone." Her smile was a tad melancholic. "When I saw that you had friends, I didn't understand… until I became one of them. But you continued to get people's attention; I guess I had something to do with that, nominating you for class president and all." She smiled mischievously, drawing the sucker from her lips and looking away. "And you kept getting stronger. It started to worry me; what if you left me behind? What if I was alone again?" Though her voice was level, Tsukune could feel the pain lurking at the edges of it.

"But you don't have to be afraid of that now," he insisted. She turned her gaze back to him, gauging his words carefully. "You are one of us, now. You have friends." Tsukune smiled broadly. "You don't have to be alone again."

She chuckled slightly, amused by his assurance. She leaned back, staring upwards with a smile. "Still…" She leaned back into him, and he adjusted himself to make it more comfortable for her. "It would do a lot to reassure me, if we got married."

"H-hey!"

Mizore snickered at his outburst. "Just kidding," she assured him, though both knew it wasn't half-true.

Tsukune felt dark talons of realization begin to sink into him as he saw another side to what he had nearly done after Moka's date. He was afraid that, by choosing, he would be creating a rift between the girls, but what about with him? Would being around him pain them, if he chose another? Tsukune swallowed with difficulty, his eyes unfocused. Mizore was afraid of being alone; would he be responsible for causing just that, if he chose someone else?

He shifted, and his arm slid lower, unconsciously resting on Mizore's shoulders. His line of thought had stirred up a rebellious faction within his warring mind, and before he could resist he was treated to glimpses of his potential future. Mizore was not the most reserved of his amorous friends, but there had always been something of a distance between them; what would it be like, he wondered, to close that gap?

Mizore had spoken before of a feeling of shared perspective, and that notion wasn't lost on him. He was forced to admit, with their popularity both Kurumu and Moka somewhat intimidated him. Both of them had been isolated in their pasts, and it was likely that that drew them to him just as it had Mizore, but once they had arrived at Yokai Academy, things had changed. He still felt as if Mizore could relate to certain things better, even as she helped him to overcome them; he had long ago forgiven her for pushing him forward to be class president. Plus, he knew they shared other interests, such as a love for writing. She… made him feel at ease, supported, when she wasn't trying to seduce and/or forcibly claim him.

But… pain lanced into his gut as he took his previous thoughts a step further. If, by choosing another girl, he would be condemning Mizore to solitude, then wouldn't that be largely true of whoever he chose? No, no, surely not… surely they would find someone else, any of them.

Surely.

'But wouldn't it be nice…?' the rebellious voices suggested, and Tsukune stared down at Mizore's violet hair, tempted and terrified.

"Um." Mizore stirred, looking around at their surroundings. She turned to him only to look away, color creeping into her cheeks. She considered her words for a moment before deciding on blunt honesty. "Bathroom," she explained, the word clipped.

"Oh." Tsukune joined her in looking around, finally spotting one some distance off. Together, they stood up from the bench and made their way in that direction, Tsukune exiling his troubling worries for the moment. Both were still preoccupied enough, however, to not notice the eyes watching them from the shadows.

From the shadows of a building nearby, a man stared intently at the object of his desire. He smiled gently as he leaned in, his tongue extending to trace a slow, sensuous trail upwards. At its peak he sighed in satisfaction, and swallowed visibly.

Gabriel regarded the ice cream cone with a blissful smile, savoring the way the vanilla flavor spread through his mouth and lingered. Glancing lazily in the direction of his two wards, he confirmed that they were still alive, and turned back to more important matters. He shook his head, thinking back to the school and its confining restraints and regulated diet, and shook his head.

"God, I love this job," he purred, and leaned in again for another bite.

He paused as the trio of men walked past his position, faces set in furious scowls and eyes narrowed, though that was largely due to the swelling. They were making a beeline towards Tsukune and Mizore, and Gabriel remembered them as the yakuza who had unwisely chosen to pick a fight with Tsukune earlier. Shrugging, Gabriel returned his attention to his rapidly-melting paramour, but his eyes flicked over the object one of the delinquents held, and he groaned as he registered what they had in mind.

Gabriel sighed. His orders had been to only intervene if Fairy Tale became involved, but he could just imagine how much grief he would get if word got out the people he was supposed to protect got knifed while he was on duty. A ghostly image of Zack floated before him, scowling massively and gesticulating wildly, and Gabriel swore that there was no way he would let that blond-haired stick-in-the-mud give him another lecture; well, not over this, anyways.

He turned a mournful gaze to the ice-cream, which was shedding white tears of sympathy, and nodded gravelly. His face descended, the ice cream dwindling in a carnage of licks, the protector barely taking time to swallow. As the ambrosia-in-a-cone began to disappear, he leaned around the corner, ready to intercept the villainous trio before they could reach the teens. As his teeth sank into the edge of the cone, however, he blinked, starting to turn to answer the nagging suspicion he felt.

The all-but-empty cone somersaulted through the air, landing some distance away and leaking its remaining contents onto the ground in a slow stream. Gabriel, meanwhile, had fallen to his knees, and drifted down to the pavement, his sunglasses clattering to the ground before he could reach it. Those sunglasses crunched as a shoe came down onto them, and the owner of that expensive piece of footwear laid a metal pipe down nearby, the pipe ringing out despite the gentleness of its landing. Gabriel's still form was hefted and began to slid into the shadows as his assailant drug him away from sight, the ice cream the sole witness to the attack.

"Sorry, old pal," a smooth voice offered in apology. "But you're just too loud for what I need to do. Sleep it off, eh?"

Once Gabriel had been tucked in to his temporary bed, the man smiled and reached up to remove his own sunglasses. Tucking them into one of his pockets, the man strolled away from his victim, in no rush to reach his target. After all, what good is a protector if no one is in danger? The man chuckled darkly at this, ambling casually after Tsukune and Mizore.

"I'll wait right out here," Tsukune promised as Mizore stepped into the restroom, motioning to a wall a safe distance away. She gave him a grateful nod, squeezing his wrist before stepping towards the door. As she entered, he walked over to it, already lost in thought.

He was troubled. Truth was… he was enjoying the date. True, it was a little more subdued than his day with Moka had been, but because of that he felt it was a little easier to let his guard down. That surprised him; Mizore had always maintained a distance from them all, but today she didn't seem so inclined. Instead, he was surprised at how good he had gotten at noticing little hints here and there, subtle emotions and gestures that would have been lost on him a year prior. She was relaxed, too, he knew, and that both worried and pleased him. The notion of the choice hung over him like a guillotine, and every moment he spent with any of the girls, it seemed, only made the blade that much sharper.

He froze as he felt something sharp jab painfully into his back. He had been too distracted to notice the murderous intent creeping up behind him, but it was all too apparent now, all too late. He risked a cautious glance behind him, and was rewarded with a panorama of purples and blacks, faces just recognizable as those of the yakuza that had been menacing Mizore earlier. Their confident smiles were back, however misshapen they may have been, and the leader, pressing the knife a little more sharply into Tsukune's back, motioned with his head towards the building that held the bathroom.

"Why don't you and us step around the corner there and discuss what happened earlier?" the battered thug suggested, the blade in his hand serving as all the punctuation he needed.

Tsukune considered this for just a moment before another jab made the decision for him, and as he started walking towards the building he could feel a trickle of blood meander down his back. This was not good, not good at all; out of sight, they could take their leisure in doing whatever they liked, and the knife kept him at enough of a disadvantage to make resisting a dubious proposition. If he could stall until Mizore came out, then perhaps she would hear him and… His jaw set, and he marched onwards. No, he wouldn't put her in danger; he would deal with this himself.

"This'll do. Turn around." Tsukune's bravado faltered as the first punch connected with his stomach, and the second dropped him back into a sprawl. The leader waved his knife leisurely as his minions stepped forward to start the beating in earnest. "You really shouldn't have butted in. We wouldn't have hurt her, really. You, on the other hand…" The leader raised his voice over the sound of the barrage of punches and kicks. "Well, we'll just have to have our fun in a different way, now," he promised darkly, grinning just as the hand gripped the side of his head and thrust him towards the wall of the building.

The other thugs turned as their leader slid to the ground, the knife falling from nerveless fingers. Snarling, they stepped away from Tsukune, converging on the interloper. Wincing, with arms protecting his head, it took Tsukune a moment to register the sudden silence.

When he opened his eyes, it was to notice the last of the yakuza fall to the ground, dropped by his rescuer. This new addition to the fight was a man that looked to be several years Tsukune's senior, with a roughly-chiseled face and squared chin. He wore a battered leather jacket and had dark hair that looked to be pulled back into a ponytail. The man smiled down at Tsukune hopefully, dusting his hands off. "You alright, kid?" When Tsukune managed a nod, the man motioned to the again-motionless thugs. "Saw those guys force you back here, and figured that, whatever was going on, three on one isn't a fair fight. 'Specially not with that little toy." He frowned at the knife, which had buried itself in the dirt when the leader had dropped it.

"Thanks…" Tsukune groaned, trying to climb to his feet but finding climbing a mountain a more likely prospect. His rescuer bent down to offer him a hand, which Tsukune gladly accepted. His eyes widened as the man pulled Tsukune to his feet effortlessly; whoever this guy was, he was strong.

"Tsukune!" Mizore darted around the corner of the building, desperately searching for him. When she saw him, her eyes raced over his rumpled appearance and the still forms of the three thugs before focusing on the other man, who had placed his hand on Tsukune's shoulder to steady him. The snow maiden's eyes flared absolute-zero blue, and the temperature plummeted. Before the ice could form over her hands, however, Tsukune waved a hand and offered a disarming, if wounded, smile.

"He helped me," he managed, and that was enough to kill Mizore's rage. She immediately moved to his side, and he shifted his weight from the stranger to her, surrendering to her frantic examination and worried exclamations. Tsukune did offer another grateful smile to the man, who nodded and turned to leave, his work done. "W- wait!" The man paused, turning back to Tsukune. "What's your name?"

The man smiled in response, and, though it may have been a trick of the light, his eyes seemed to glint golden. "Sam." The man nodded again in a final salute, reaching into a pocket and drawing forth a crumpled packet of cigarettes. "See you around," he offered in farewell, walking away as he tapped the packet against his other hand.

"Are you okay, Tsukune?" Mizore begged, and the concern in her voice made Tsukune turn back to her. He offered her a brave smile, forcing himself to stand straight despite the erupting complaints from the bruises that the thugs had given him in their brief frenzy.

"I've had worse," he noted bravely, slipping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her away from the unconscious yakuza. "And so have they, now." He started walking towards the edge of the building, offering Mizore a bright smile. "Come on, we'll be late for the movie if we take too long."

Mizore hesitated, staring at Tsukune with a mix of concern and regret. Finally she nodded, stepping to him and taking his arm again. She didn't fail to notice his wince as she brushed against a bruise, so she retraced her hand's path until it rested over the wound, immediately cooling. "At least you won't have to worry about finding ice for your bruises," she mused, and he laughed with her.

Together they walked on, resuming their date, leaving behind them three motionless thugs who, when they would wake much later in the day, would decide to temporarily seek refuge, and aspirin, in a house far away from any place they had seen that troublesome pair.

"He's perfect."

The man chuckled to himself, not quite willing to believe his good fortune. It had taken him a lot of effort to bring things to this point, and he had wanted to be sure that it would all be worth it in the long run. He had known that coming close to Tsukune, especially talking to him, would be incredibly risky, but the opportunity had been too much to resist.

He glanced in the direction of the dumpster into which he had dumped Gabriel's limp body. It had been worth it just for that, he smugly noted. For once, he had seen Gabriel without hearing a constant deluge of random nonsense, which was its own reward. Security around Aono would be a lot tighter now, but it didn't matter; he had come close enough to discover what he had wanted, and now he knew for certain that the boy's aura was a perfect match. And, anyways, security wouldn't matter eventually; the dock where he had met Thanatos was a great distance away, but the wraith would not swerve in his path, even though it would be days yet before he arrived.

A lighter flared as he lit the cigarette he held, and Sam took a deep draw, savoring it immensely. It would be a few days, but then things would get truly interesting. He turned back in the direction he had seen Tsukune walk, and ashed his cigarette in salute. "Good luck, boy," Sam said, drawing his sunglasses from the pocket of his jacket. "You're going to need it. Still…" He grinned fiercely in Tsukune's direction. "My money is on you."

And, with that, Sam turned and walked into the shadows.

Author's Note: Paradoxically, I have noticed that a longer chapter tends to breed a longer author's note. One would assume that I would be tired of writing; perhaps I am merely on a roll. I fear that this example may not prove to be an exception.

Ah, where to begin. Well, first, though not to tip my hand too much: some of you may lament that this date is a little less… centered, than Tsukune and Moka's. I will argue that there is plenty of romantic content in this chapter, if not romantic action. Also, I will point out that this is only half of the date. However, to be perhaps more transparent than I should be (read: slight spoiler), this is intentional. I have mentioned that each girl has their own romantic subplot, and this lack of action will play a major role in Mizore's. However, to the Mizore fans among you, let me offer this comfort in advance: I have things very concretely plotted in this case, and I assure you that she will not lack her share of romantic development. Far from it, as two of the biggest warm-and-fuzzy-feeling inducing scenes in my plotwork are devoted to her.

On original characters, and related matters: One of the most faithful of my reviewers has often espoused a philosophy of restrained fore-writing in favor of the ability to adapt a story to utilize reader response. I will not argue with this idea; to be honest, GrrDraxin is quite right about the virtues of flexibility. However, I personally prefer to lay out all the major, and many of the minor, elements of a story before I begin hammering my words into shape, and my currently dilemma comes from a case of me failing to do so. You may notice that this story has introduced several original characters, though in auxiliary roles. This will continue for a bit, I am forced to admit; I wish that I had managed to give some of these people, such as Gabriel and Michael or Sam, appearances in this tale's predecessor, since they will be reoccurring elements in the stories to come. Instead, I am forced to introduce them each in turn; please bear with me on this. Not too many more now; two main ones left to get allusions, if I recall correctly.

Also, on releases and such. This chapter is running several hours late, not that most of you will mind, but I offer an iron-clad excuse that none of you can foil, anyways: I wasted a night that was meant for writing, reading fanfiction. I dare someone to call me on that. (Though, if you are curious, not R+V fics; I try to avoid reading other works of a story that I am also writing for, in order to avoid being overly influenced by others' styles and concepts. Instead, I was renewing my appreciation for Slayers). But, the next release may be delayed, for far less… pleasant… reasons, as previously noted. I deeply appreciate the good wishes for my luck in the coming days; I may well need it, though I yield that the notion of actually getting the job in question is almost as frightening as the possibility of failing to do so.

And, in conclusion, I offer my appreciation for my readers and especially my reviewers. As fond as I am of my new accelerated schedule, it has begun to wear at me slightly; your words have buoyed me enough to keep me running full throttle, or as close as I need to be. So, until next time; I eagerly await hearing from you!

Also, for Lord Slayer: you're sharp as a damned tack, and let no one tell you otherwise. Two for two, or perhaps one-and-a-half, considering how close and yet how far away your much-earlier guess about Mori Retsu was.

Ahem, moving on. Now to do what I was supposed to begin hours ago: sleep.

~Wynn Pendragon