Chapter 30

Mizore Shirayuki

The sound of the scream ripped Kurumu from her slumber, and it only took her a half-second to recognize the noise. Growling deep in her throat, she threw the covers aside and lunged from her bed, charging in a stumble towards her door, which she threw open. She peered with narrow eyes down towards the end of the hallway, but the night's shadows obscured her vision. She could make out a solitary figure kneeling beside the door leading into Tsukune's room as the screaming choked into silence, but the sudden quiet did little to slow her stomping rush towards the offending person that the dim light was beginning to reveal.

"Mizore, I can't believe you!" Kurumu protested, stopping a short distance away and planting her fists on her hips. "Trying to break into Tsukune's room this late at night! What about the rules we all agreed on?"

"You're one to talk," Mizore responded dryly, though her voice sounded oddly tinny. The snow maiden poked a final time at the Seal of Screaming before standing and turning to face her friend, a slight smirk on her face. "Wasn't one of the rules that you couldn't kiss him?"

"You-! That's beside the point, and anyways, he kissed me!" Kurumu shouted, certain that Tsukune's slumber would be deep enough to keep him from waking despite the noise they were making. "But why are you trying to sneak into his room?"

"Why do you think?" Mizore shrugged, walking past Kurumu and towards her own room. "I wanted to check on him."

Kurumu stared at her friend's back suspiciously. Something wasn't right here, but she couldn't figure out what it was that was nagging at the edge of her mind. The faint sound of a drop of water striking the floor snapped her out of her introspection, but it was another realization that captured her attention. "Hey, don't tell me you're warm; you've got the air conditioning down to subarctic already! Why are you drenched with sweat?" She padded after Mizore, who shrugged again and smiled back at Kurumu without immediately responding.

"I must've grabbed the wrong lollipop earlier; this one isn't working. Anyways, I'll leave Tsukune alone for now." The snow maiden stopped at the door to her room and nodded perfunctorily towards Kurumu. "Good night." And with that, she stepped into her room, silencing any further questions.

Kurumu stood in the hallway for a long moment, staring at Mizore's door as she struggled to grasp the elusive thought that was still haunting her. Sighing, she glanced back towards Tsukune's door, satisfied that the Seal of Screaming had looked to be entirely intact and correctly applied; if Mizore wanted to sneak into his room, she would have to risk the seal going off once more. Though that failed to entirely reassure Kurumu, she stepped back into her room and closed the door, listening intently for noises from the hallway beyond for several minutes before exhaustion from her interrupted slumber dragged her back towards her inviting bed.

Even if she had still stood sentinel at her door, Kurumu's keen hearing would not have been enough to register the gliding steps that passed her room, or even the muffled click that preceded them as the door to Mizore's room was closed once more. This did not mean that she would have to regret that negligence; the snow maiden's destination was the nearby bathroom, not the door that she had been discovered at minutes before. Carefully closing the bathroom door behind her, Mizore's lips quirked in a slight grin as she listened for any sounds that would suggest she had been discovered. When none came, she nodded and proceeded to her destination: the emptied bath, where she sat and waited.

Water streamed slowly from her body as she sat in silence, her form gradually beginning to lose its definition as more and more moisture escaped, her temperature gradually rising. Within a short while, the magic that had bound her together would collapse entirely, and she would melt away into the stream that wound towards the drain. The ice clone had served her purpose, and now all that remained was to hide the fact that she had existed at all.

The other component of Mizore's plan had served similarly well, though there was little that could be done to erase its presence. Even now water dripped from Tsukune's door, puddling at its base. The arcane lettering that decorated the Seal of Screaming had begun to blur, and soon the facsimile would be unrecognizable, but without any curious eyes it would not matter till morning. Then, the seal's absence would be plainly displayed, and with Kurumu and Moka already on alert one of them would immediately notice.

But… by then, it would be too late.

Inside Tsukune's room, Mizore stood and listened to the conversation between her clone and the succubus, waiting until she heard them walk back down the hall together. Even then she hesitated, staring towards Tsukune's bed and fidgeting nervously. She glanced down at the crumpled seal in her hand and hastily discarded it, launching it towards his desk as if seeking to hide the evidence of her duplicity. Tsukune didn't notice, still breathing softly with his eyes closed, and despite the anxiety growing in her chest Mizore couldn't help but to allow her lips to quirk upwards in a slight smile. She loved watched Tsukune's sleeping face, and doing it from this proximity was so much better than the awkward angle she gained from the roof of the shed outside. She allowed that vision to pull her forward, certain that Kurumu would have returned to her room and hoping that her clone had completed her final orders. As she neared Tsukune's bed, she called out to him quietly, her hand sliding down towards the sash that held her yukata closed. "Tsukune… Tsukune, wake up." She stopped at the edge of his bed, her happiness fading back into fear, and she increased her volume. "Tsukune, please."

"Hrm… Hunh? Wha?" Tsukune blinked blearily, still entangled in sleep's tight grasp. "Mizore…? Why are you…?" He stared at her in open confusion, not certain whether or not he was still asleep.

Mizore glanced towards the floor, her fingers playing with the band of cloth that she had grasped. "Tsukune…" She hesitated, unable to make the final step, but the specters of her mother's words and her own grim thoughts goaded her on. "Tsukune, I want to sleep with you." She spoke with a sharp resolution, but even in his sleep-inebriated state it only took a single glance into her eyes for Tsukune to realize the quiet desperation she was feeling. That sight was enough to momentarily shoo away the fog that hung over him, and he stared at her in silence for a long moment.

Finally he nodded, mostly to himself, and scooted away from her, towards the wall beside the bed. He lifted the blankets, opening a space for her beside him. "Sure." Mizore paused, shocked, the knot she had been picking at still intact. He offered her a gentle smile before snuggling into his new side of the bed, making himself comfortable as he waited for her to take her place on the bed.

Belatedly, Mizore realized that other potential meanings of the phrase she had last uttered, and realized that she wasn't entirely certain which of them she had originally meant. It was obvious, however, which of those notions Tsukune had agreed to: his eyelids were already beginning to droop as sleep conquered him once more, and he hadn't even seemed to notice her aborted attempt at disrobing. For the scantest second, Mizore regretted not applying the perfume her mother had left her, but she brushed the thought aside. Blushing slightly, she sat on the bed in the space he had opened for her, glancing at his face for a long second before nodding in bemused acquiescence and slipping her legs onto the bed and under the blankets, pulling the covers up to her shoulders. She rolled to face Tsukune, watching as he succumbed to his exhaustion, and allowed her former smile to resume its place on her face. At the least, she noted to herself, she had found the best possible place to watch him sleep.

But it took less than a minute for the whispers that had been haunting her to resume their painful chorus. Though she had halfway intended her words to mean something considerably more intimate than sleeping beside each other, Tsukune hadn't given the matter a second thought. Did that mean that, like her mother had suggested, he really only saw her as a friend? She knew that Tsukune could be fairly dense at times, but if it had been Moka or Kurumu, would he have reacted the same? And now, the fact that he so easily fell asleep again… did he not feel the same anxiety and eagerness she did? Or could it be that she was just over-evaluating the whole mess; it was no surprise that he would pass back out, considering the drain that Kurumu's kiss had inflicted upon him.

Groaning far more loudly than she intended or realized, Mizore rolled away from Tsukune, resting on the bed's far precipice. This had all been a mistake. She had hoped to gain something from this encounter, to close the distance between herself and Tsukune that had persisted while the other two girls drew ever closer to him. But now she only felt even more doubt, and as much as she could enjoy this stolen time with Tsukune it would ultimately be one-sided. She might as well have sat on the roof of the shed and watched him, and she had before… and as she might be doing for the rest of her life. Only watching, never coming closer…

Consumed by the thoughts assailing her, Mizore didn't feel Tsukune stir, nor did she notice him turn to watch her, instinctive concern prying him from his slumber. She trembled slightly, gnawing at the stick of the sucker in her mouth, so buried by her accumulated doubts and fears that she jumped when she felt the hand brush against her shoulder. She rolled over to face Tsukune, eyes wide as she noticed that he had forced himself awake enough to stare back at her curiously, apprehension written across his face.

"What's wrong, Mizore?" he asked, trying valiantly to dispel the drowsiness from his voice and demeanor. He smiled gently at her, softly tugging her in his direction. "If you wanted to sleep with me, why are you huddled all the way over there?"

Mizore stared at Tsukune, her expression still questioning, trying to read answers to all of her questions in his soft smile. For his part, Tsukune wasn't certain what was bothering Mizore, but her discontent after their interrupted date, and more specifically interrupted kiss, suggested a possible answer. He didn't know the best way to solve the problem, if indeed that was what was troubling her, but he had an idea that might just work… or could serve to get him in even more trouble. He was having far too many moments like that, Tsukune protested internally, but he shrugged and lifted his arm slightly, leaving it raised in one half of an open embrace. "You, ah, look cold," he offered lamely.

Smiling despite herself, Mizore turned in the bed and slid against Tsukune, slipping her own arm under his and around his back. The pair fidgeted for several moments, striving to find the most comfortable means of arranging themselves; neither of them were at all accustomed to sharing a bed, so it took them a while to start becoming used to the idea. Soon enough, though, they settled into a likely position: Mizore's head rested on one pillow, propped up slightly by Tsukune's arm under it, with his other arm draped over her shoulder, while she rested one of her own arms against his ribs with the other trapped between them. Thus snuggled together, the two teens enjoyed a slow moment of mutual comfort, sneaking glances towards the face of the other with contented smiles.

Though it had sounded somewhat silly for Tsukune to point out that a snow maiden looked cold, Mizore found herself amazed at how warm Tsukune's embrace felt. Heat was a problem for her race, hence the magically-imbued suckers that she and her mother used when travelling out of their village. Despite this, the warmth of Tsukune's body caused her no such discomfort; much the opposite, as she began to drink in the sensation of his body against hers. Tsukune, having spent several hours under the blankets, wasn't put off by the relative coolness of her body, and instead hugged her closer in the hopes of imparting some of his own excess heat to her skin. As their temperatures began to equalize, both teens found that with comfort came another wave of drowsiness, and soon their eyelids began to droop, though their smiles refused any such wilting.

Forcing himself awake one final time, Tsukune lowered his face towards that of the girl in his arms. "Good night, Mizore," he whispered, brushing his lips against her forehead. Mizore turned her face up towards him, offering him a languorous smile, but, as their eyes met, both of them felt a faint thrill of purpose. Moving together, her face lifting as his descended, the two allowed their lips to meet in a soft, lingering kiss.

After a moment, as Tsukune pulled back and returned to his previous position, settling in for the sleep that quickly claimed him. It took Mizore several moments longer, her mind analyzing what had just occurred. That had been their first kiss, disregarding the one from Mori Retsu's nightmare… it had been nothing like what she had imagined. It hadn't been passionate, or heated, or demanding… it had been slow, and gentle, and comfortable, and it had felt right. Perhaps it couldn't truly be called a lovers' kiss, but now Mizore had new faith that those would come in time. No, this had felt like a kiss between mates, between two people who had their entire futures to spend with each other. This had been a patient, steadfast kiss, and that knowledge was enough to exile all of the doubts that had been haunting her. He did love her, she knew, and she would have plenty of opportunities to hear him say it again and again.

And with that on her mind, Mizore fell into a deep, contented sleep, nestled in the arms of the man she loved.

"Welcome back, gentlemen."

The two men bowed deeply to the figure behind the desk, reunited at last with the man that they had both sworn their undying loyalty to lifetimes ago. Despite this, neither of them seemed particularly thrilled to find themselves in the office of Yokai Academy's headmaster: their expressions were tight, and they deliberately refused to glance towards each other, both knowing what they would see written on the face of their partner. Standing at attention, the two guardians nodded their own greetings to the Hell-King, restraining the questions burning inside them for just a moment more.

"I must say, you are returning considerably later than I had expected," the Headmaster commented, leaning forward and templing his fingers as he watched them intently. He knew already what they had to say, but there was no reason to rush this matter. No, better they mention it themselves.

"We took time to insure that the caretakers of the Resting Place were escorted somewhere safe. They are staying in an apartment within the town itself, with orders not to return to their home until we give them permission," Michael informed his master tersely. Despite the grimness of their situation, Gabriel couldn't help but to snort a laugh as he remembered Mrs. Cooper's dazed behavior during the time they had helped the Coopers to pack their belongings and move; apparently, she hadn't taken the truth of the four teens' relationships very easily.

"Ah, so Roy and Wendy Cooper are safe, then? Wonderful. A job well done, gentlemen," the Headmaster purred, leaning back in his seat. That should be just enough to-

"Except it's not done, is it?" Gabriel erupted, scowling. The Headmaster tilted his head to the side, peering at him intently, but the blond guardian refused to be put off his course. "We guard those four kids until the time they actually need us, and then you pull us back here, where we sit on our heels and wait for the news that they've become Thanatos' latest victims. We watched them, just like you asked us, and we know that there's no way that those four could handle that wraith, even if we were allowed to tell them that he is coming. If all of us working together couldn't take him out, then-"

"Enough," the Headmaster cautioned, raising a hand to silence the impetuous guardian. Gabriel relented, but openly glowered at his master, struggling to restrain another outburst.

"Sir, we ask that you reconsider." Both of the other men turned to face Michael, equally surprised by his behavior. "I realize that you have some sort of plan, some knowledge that you believe will give Tsukune an advantage against Thanatos, but certain other elements have arisen that will no doubt interfere. The traitor-"

"I am fully aware of the actions of our former comrade, and of his new allegiance to Fairy Tale," the Headmaster interrupted. "I have known since the beginning. He is the one, after all, who discovered the phylactery's location and reported it to their agents, and he is also the one that informed them of the special relationship between Thanatos and Morpheus." The lord of the academy paused, his glowing eyes turning toward the earth. "I am sure that not even they are aware of what he is planning, but that does not mean that I do not have a good idea of his schemes. And, with that in mind, trust me when I say that he will not help Thanatos destroy those four. Just the opposite."

This information was enough to stymie the two guardians, who glanced at each other with shocked expressions. "You mean that he is playing both sides on this one?" Gabriel demanded, unable to follow his master's logic.

"Somewhat. But that is a matter for another day, and only if things do not go according to my own plans. And, to that end, I need the both of you to remain here, where I can call upon you when the time comes."

"I see. I will comply," Michael answered, bowing deeply to the Hell-King, his confidence restored.

Gabriel was not so easily placated, however. "I still don't like this. Thanatos should be at the Resting Place within a matter of days, and when he arrives those four will be defenseless. Can't you do something to-"

"I think I have done enough," the Headmaster once again silenced his protector, his shrouded eyes narrowing under the edge of his cowl. "And, now, if you will leave me, I have other matters to attend to." Having dismissed them, he turned his attention to shuffling the papers on his desk, ignoring them entirely.

The two men bowed once more before pivoting and marching out of the office. The dark-haired guardian glanced uneasily over at his partner, who wore his scowl openly. Gabriel shoved the door open and walked into the hall beyond, turning to his left and glancing over his shoulder at Michael, who had started to turn in the other direction. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up later. I have something to take care of."

"Gabriel." The concern in Michael's voice made the blond guardian wince. "Don't do anything stupid, alright?"

Gabriel molded his face into a bright smile before he turned to face his partner. "Hey, you can trust me, you know? I'm just going for a snack before I go crash," he lied. Michael made no effort to hide the fact that he hardly believed the other's words, but despite this he nodded gravely and turned away, walking down the hall that would take him to the chambers that the guardians used for lodgings. Gabriel watched him leave, waiting until Michael had passed around a corner before turning back around and resuming his path. He could make it to the car and be in the tunnel that connected them to the human world before anyone knew he was missing, and then anyone they sent after him would just be reinforcements when Thanatos came. He had to move quickly, however, before-

The door at the end of the hallway opened, revealing two men clad in the same style of black suits and sunglasses that he wore. Both were very familiar to him: the one on the left was bald and bulky, with a tight set to his lips, while the other man looked to be decades older, with a silver beard braided into a single thick cord and his hair receding away from the front and top of his head. The second man moved more stiffly than the guardian beside him, but despite this he kept pace easily, his face held in an expression of resolute calm. Both were members of the Headmaster's elite guard, just as were Gabriel and Michael, yet despite their shared loyalties and experiences Gabriel knew that their presence did not bode well for his plans.

"Evenin', Sparky. Evenin', Doc," Gabriel greeted the pair lightly, not slowing his progress. He was forced to pause, however, as both men took steps to the side, blocking his path. Fighting to keep the grimace from his face, Gabriel stopped a short distance from them, waiting for them to make the next move.

"Hey, Gabe," Uriel acknowledged the blond guardian, rubbing the back of his bald head nervously.

"A good evening to you as well, Gabriel," the older man responded gravely. "I trust it finds you well?"

"Good enough," Gabriel replied, motioning to the door behind them. "Other than the fact that I'm starving, that is. I was going to duck down to the kitchens to swipe a bite or two, if either of you would like to join me?" He made the invitation in the hopes they would refuse, praying that they had been summoned by the Headmaster for some other purpose.

"How could we do such a thing, considering that you have only just returned from a protracted mission? No, please allow one of us to fetch you whatever you like, and we shall see it, and you, to your room, so that you may rest and recover from your exertions." The older man bowed his head politely, but his steely grey eyes peered out over the edge of his sunglasses, spearing through Gabriel. "I must insist, as your physician."

"I see. And I'm sure that's why you're here, right, Raphael? Worried about my health?" Gabriel allowed his mask to drop, shaking his head in disgust. "The boss saw through me that easily, eh?"

"You should not begrudge the Hell-King for his deeds. After all, he is merely concerned for your well-being… enough so that he requested that I administer to you some medication that will help you to rest over the next couple of days," Raphael responded smoothly, reaching into one sleeve and pulling out a thin sheath of paper that held the sedatives he had mentioned.

"I see. And how about you, Uriel?" Gabriel asked, staring at the other man. Uriel winced, refusing to meet his eyes; long ago, the two had worked together as partners, and so both were able to easily read each other. Gabriel could tell that Uriel had hardly been pleased to receive his orders, but he was nearly as loyal to the Hell-King as Michael, in his own way.

"I'm, ah, here to make sure you take your medicine," Uriel replied, offering Gabriel an uncomfortable smile. He shrugged widely in lieu of further elaboration, which drew a nod from the blond guardian.

"I figured." Sighing irritably, Gabriel nodded to the pair and turned away, walking towards his room. He heard them fall into step behind him, and knew he would have no further opportunities to sneak out of the academy. No, he would be forced to wait, to hope that the Hell-King was right and whatever schemes he had cooked up would be enough to save Tsukune and his friends. If they weren't… there would be nothing that he, or any of them, could do to save them.

They were on their own now.

"Good morning, Kurumu," offered the sleepy voice from the door down the hall. The succubus glanced over to where Moka stood, the vampire leaning against the doorframe that led into her room as she rubbed gently at the corner of one of her eyes. It seemed that Moka was having as much trouble waking up this morning as she, Kurumu noted as she nodded in greeting.

"Hey, Kurumu, did someone set off the seal last night? I thought I heard it, but it stopped before I could get out of bed… I was wondering if I had just dreamed it," Moka asked, slight suspicion coloring her expression.

"Oh, you heard it," Kurumu replied, frowning. "Mizore set it off. She said she wanted to check on Tsukune, but she should have known she would only wake us all up when she tried. I made sure that she got back to her room, but…" Kurumu glanced down the hall towards the room where Tsukune was sleeping. Mizore had acted strangely the previous night, and it still nagged at her, some key memory dancing just beyond the edge of her grasp. She started to move towards Mizore's door, to peek inside and check on her friend, but another detail captured her attention before she could complete the motion. Tsukune's door… the seal… the seal! It was gone!

It took only one glance at Kurumu's face for Moka to realize that something was wrong, and as the pair stampeded down the hall she quickly noticed what it was that had inspired Kurumu's anger. The two reached the door at the same time, and after fumbling with the handle they forced it open, bursting into Tsukune's room. Catching themselves before they tripped and fell onto the floor, the irate pair stared at Tsukune's bed, quickly finding the one thing they had both dreaded. It was their dark growls that finally pulled Tsukune from his slumber, and he glanced over at them wearily, not understanding the glares they were directing towards him.

"Moka… Kurumu… what's wrong?" he asked drowsily, blinking at them. Something felt different, he noticed, and he glanced down to see what it was that was so entangled in his arms and legs. His eyes widened as they fell upon Mizore's sleeping face, and widened further as they continued on downward, drawn by the suction of the pale skin exposed by the snow maiden's loosen yukata. He stared for a second too long, and it was the change in the pitch of the two girls' growling that finally brought him back to himself. "Listen, I can explain! This isn't what it looks like!" he protested loudly, offering a panicked glance towards the succubus and vampire. Except… it was exactly what it looked like, he supposed, and he wasn't quite certain what he could say from there.

Tragically, he didn't get a chance to consider the matter further. "Mmm… good morning, Tsukune," Mizore mumbled, stretching luxuriously. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him, tightening her embrace as she tried to scoot even closer. "Thank you so much for last night. That was wonderful."

Tsukune knew he was doomed, even before he heard Moka turn and sprint for her room and the whip that she had left there, even before he heard Kurumu's nails extend. These sounds were enough to alert Mizore to the danger, however, and she rolled over to look around the room desperately. Her eyes fell on a glass of water that the three girls had left on Tsukune's nightstand after they had brought him to his bed, and she quickly snapped into action, flinging the blankets off the bed and towards Kurumu. Before the succubus could brush the heavy impediment away, she saw a form sprint past her, down the hall and towards the stairs. "She's going towards you!" Kurumu howled, giving pursuit as the surge of monstrous power rocked the house, Moka's inner persona now released.

Tsukune blinked, watching the succubus pursue the hastily-crafted ice doll, before turning to Mizore beside him. The snow maiden reached up to gently touch his face before standing from the bed and moving over to the door that led to the balcony. "Sorry we have to cut this short," she apologized with a mischievous smile. "But, maybe we can do this again soon, what do you say?" Not bothering to give him a chance to stammer out a response, she opened the door and hopped over the balcony's railing, making for the safety of the forest's edge.

Left momentarily alone, Tsukune sat up in his bed and listened to the shouts that came from deeper within the house as Inner Moka and Kurumu discovered Mizore's hasty deception. Soon enough, they would come for him, and there would be hell to pay, he knew… but, then again, there always was. Despite himself, he let an insane grin take up residence on his face, and he still wore it, shaking his head in bemused exasperation, when the two girls burst into his room and started asking questions he had no satisfactory answers to.

He didn't know why, but he felt happier than he had any right to be, considering the enraged vampire and fuming succubus standing in front of him, considering the lustful snow maiden that seemed to want to make a habit of sneaking into his bedroom, considering all of the insanity that had consumed his life. Yet still he smiled, and wondered if it would ever end, or if the rest of his life would be like this. For all of his earlier protests and discarded dreams of normalcy… he didn't mind the notion of passing the rest of his life just as it was then.

Well, he amended, wincing away from Moka's crimson-eyed stare and Kurumu's daunting glower, perhaps not just as it was right then.

"We still haven't forgiven you, you know," Moka commented sharply, refusing to look at Mizore as the snow maiden took a seat beside her at the table. Instead, the vampire focused her attention on opening the can of tomato juice before her, taking a deep swig before reaching for the ramen she had prepared for herself. Hours had passed since Moka and Kurumu had discovered Mizore in Tsukune's room, and it had only been recently that the snow maiden had skulked back into the Resting Place, wearing an embarrassed smile.

"Oh, come on," Mizore cajoled her, smiling sharply. "It's not like we did anything anyways; Tsukune was way too tired. Kurumu saw to that." She motioned towards her other friend, hoping to deflect some of the unwanted attention towards the succubus. "And it's not like this is the first time one of us have broken the rules. As a matter of fact, you yourself have slipped into Tsukune's room to kiss him, and Kurumu was the first of us to set off the Seal of Screaming," she pointed out. "If you look at it that way, it was my turn to break the rules, just to make it even."

"Hardly!" Kurumu snorted, digging furiously into her own lunch. "I've told you, I was only going to wake Tsukune up for breakfast that time, not sleep all night with him!" She bit down wrathfully into the morsel that she had speared, glaring across the table at Mizore.

"And the kissing yesterday?"

"I told you, he kissed me!"

Moka exhaled slowly, gathering her calm. She had already mostly forgiven Kurumu for the previous evening, and had made progress towards doing the same for Mizore, but she wasn't yet ready to show it, especially considering that she had already been forced to deal with her inner self's fury at discovering what had happened. Her carefully sculpted demeanor drew Mizore's attention, however, and the snow maiden saw an opportunity to earn herself a little more leeway. "Personally, I think it's only fair, what I did. I deserve to get a little extra attention from him anyways, since both of you are going to be leaving him emptied from here on out. As if Moka drinking his blood wasn't bad enough, now you're going to be draining his energy, Kurumu." She blinked at that, sudden curiosity distracting her from her efforts at defusing her friends' ire. "Speaking of that, I have to ask: what was it like? I mean, not kissing him; the energy-drinking part."

Kurumu paused, the memory flooding into her, bringing a smile to her lips despite her earlier anger. She hadn't really noticed it until the end of her embrace with Tsukune, and even then hadn't understood what had happened, but it had left her with a certain… flavor… that she had spent a long time trying to decipher. "It was very nice," she offered dreamily, remembering how his lips- how his energy had tasted. "It was like air, but with a taste to it…" The other girls waved her on, their interest peaked, but it took Kurumu several moments to find a way to phrase it in a form that felt halfway adequate. "It was warm, and comforting, and dark… If I had to compare it to real food, it would be smooth, like a milkshake, and it tasted like…" She grinned broadly. "Like fresh chocolate chip cookies."

All animosity between them was erased as Mizore and Moka exchanged horrified glances. Hearing Tsukune's life-force compared to cookies did not bode well at all, especially coming from the sweet-toothed succubus. "You are not allowed to kiss him ever again!" the two exclaimed, standing and looming over Kurumu with dark glares. The succubus ignored them, lost in the memories of the previous evening, already imagining the next chance she would have to get Tsukune alone.

It was this scene that Tsukune stepped into, cautiously gazing at the trio of girls before surreptitiously slipping across the kitchen towards the sink. He had come for a glass of water, but had prepared himself for trouble; considering all that had happened over the past few days, he hardly expected to escape any such encounter unscathed. He was not to be disappointed on this occasion, and he froze as he heard Moka's voice call out his name. He turned with a shy grin, turning off the water and clutching tightly to his cup. "Yes?"

"Could I borrow you for a second? I'm, ah, feeling a tad thirsty myself." She offered him a bright smile, and he nodded without pausing to think. The other two girls at the table sighed and grumbled, but said nothing against it, allowing Moka to follow Tsukune back up to his room without complaint. They both knew that she deserved a little time alone with him, considering what they had enjoyed, and it would be better to surrender a small advantage to her than to continue to fuel her irritation. Sacrifices must be made, they all knew, if they were to keep things moving along as they were. And, for that purpose, they were willing to put aside their bickering… at least for the moment.

After all, each of them would admit, their own happiness was at least worth such small sacrifices.

Tsukune winced, rubbing at the twin puncture wounds at the side of his neck as he picked up the thick tome he had saved for the last of his homework. Moka had just left, after drinking her fill of his blood and claiming a handful of kisses on the side. Though she had not been shy in showing how upset she was that he had allowed Mizore to sneak into his bed, his repeated explanations had taken the edge from her ire, and after their few minutes alone together her mood had seemed greatly improved. He was surprised at how quickly her feelings had shifted; it was as if she had already forgiven him, but still had needed something more from him to close the matter. He hoped that his words, and the embrace that he had offered with them, had been enough to answer her doubts, even though he was beginning to feel overwhelmed by his own.

Tsukune knew well that he had allowed himself to get in over his head. His relationships with each of the three girls he loved were picking up, and he desperately hoped he could keep the whole thing balanced until… until what? Until he was forced to choose? He almost laughed at the idea, feeling bitterness well up inside him momentarily. Scant chances of that happening; he couldn't even begin to imagine such a thing. No, he couldn't see what lay in front of him, could only react without really planning too many steps ahead. Yet, somehow it had worked so far, and he prayed that it would continue to do so. For the moment, they were all relatively happy, happier than they had been before… and he could ask for little more, he supposed.

Trying to tear himself from his anxiety, Tsukune opened the tome and began to hunt for the next section he had been assigned. He was running a little behind on his reading, thanks to the turmoil of the visit from Tsurara and Ageha, but no further texts had emerged from the Hellmaw that evening, so he wasn't too concerned. This was the final assignment on the sheet the Headmaster had sent him, and he hoped to make good progress through it that evening. After all, he admitted to himself, his room was probably, for the moment, the safest place in the house for him to be. He flipped through the pages, searching for the chapter's heading, and nodded to himself as he finally discovered the correct page.

Time Magic, or Chronomancy, was once a popular school of magic, but has fallen into relative disuse in modern eras due to the strict limitations that beginning practitioners of the art face. The manipulation of time itself is a massive undertaking, and more strictly speaking most applications of this art involve managing how one's mind or body perceives time. For example, a skilled chronomancer may speed up his own perception of time, so that he perceives an hour as a mere minute, or instead strive to slow down his own reactions so that the same hour passes as a full day. Inevitably, the amount of power required depends on the level of effect desired, and also on the nature of the target of a chronomancer's efforts. Changing one's own perception of time is comparatively easy, while directing those same effects onto another is exponentially more difficult. Extending the magic to envelop one's entire body is possible, but extremely taxing for all but the most experienced of practitioners of time magic, a fact that is greatly appreciated by those who have been forced to do battle with chronomancers.

Tsukune sat back from the book, considering what he had just read. Compared to the shadow magic that had been the focus of his last reading, this magic sounded considerably more interesting and useful. There had been many times at school he had watched the last few minutes of class tick away with painful slowness, wishing that he could shove forward the minute hand of the wall-mounted clock overhead, and yet other times, as deadlines approached, that he would have begged for extra minutes to work on the newspaper. Being able to control the passage of time would be incredibly handy, though it sounded considerably difficult. His interest excited, Tsukune plunged back into the text, reaching down to the next paragraph.

Another usage of chronomancy involves the study and manipulation of memory. Since memory is how one perceives the past, a student of this school can, with enough practice, call forth buried memories, or even erase them altogether. Such activities as that latter concept are frowned upon, especially considering the difficulty in undoing damage wrought in such a fashion, but were once commonplace. Hypothetically, a truly skilled chronomancer may be able to manufacture false memories and implant them in the mind of another, but such is beyond most modern practitioners, and any further details on this skill have largely been lost to the mists of time, an irony greatly appreciated by those aware of its potential ramifications.

Tsukune paused, staring blankly down at the page. Somehow, this idea reminded him of something, something he had heard and forgotten. Hadn't he known someone that was able to do something similar to what the Fundamental Varieties of Magic was describing? After long moments of mental searching, he shrugged and turned back to the tome, hoping that it would occur to him later. He allowed himself to skim over the next paragraph, which dealt with using the magic to attempt to see into the future, in the hopes that this chapter would include a section similar to one in the previous chapter he had read. His ambitions were answered when he discovered the paragraph devoted specifically to those known for using the magic, and his focus intensified as he scanned over the words.

Notable practitioners of this art were once largely relegated to Middle and Western Europe and, in a form focused primarily on divination, China. A particularly well-known chronomancer was the Count of St. Germain, though accurate sources dealing with his activities are all but impossible to locate- Irritated, Tsukune skimmed over the next few lines, his goading curiosity still not sated- Another group of monsters that were once known to utilize this school of magic are liches, whose search for immortality often leads them to attempt to defy time. Few hold to this art, however, once they attain the eternal 'life' they seek, preferring other, more easily exploited, forms of magic. As methods of escaping mortality, unsavory as they might be, become more widely discussed, research into chronomantic methods of prolonging one's life have largely been abandoned, severing the connection between the undead and this magical school.

Tsukune signed in annoyance, letting the book sink back against his lap. He hadn't found the answer he had wanted, though he was willing to bet the mention of liches in both this chapter and the one he had been assigned previously was significant. He mulled over his thoughts for several long minutes before returning to his reading, and was still buried in the tome hours later when Moka returned to his room to summon him down to dinner. After the meal, which proved to be far less eventful than he might have expected, he excused himself and returned to his room, still haunted by a nagging clue that remained just out of reach.

Finally, when he stepped out and told the three girls goodnight, he surrendered to futility and decided to sleep on the idea. There was a connection there, he knew, and one that might answer his questions as to why the Headmaster had assigned the various texts to him. But, with any conclusions remaining firmly beyond him, he had nothing he could do but try to let his mind gnaw on it while he dreamed. After all, whatever it was, surely it wasn't that important right now.

Tomorrow would be another day, and it could wait until then.

"Goodnight, Tsukune."

Mizore smiled to herself as she lowered the binoculars, adjusting her position on the roof of the shed that housed the Hellmaw in the hopes of making herself more comfortable. She knew a far better position now for watching Tsukune sleep, but had no intentions of pressing her luck just yet; better to let things cool down before she snuck again into Tsukune's bed. Still, the notion tantalized her; while the cool breeze outside had never before fazed her, she found herself craving Tsukune's warmth once more. She could remember perfectly how his arms had felt around her, how his breath had sounded as he slipped into his dreams, how his face had looked as he had bent down to kiss her…

Sighing contentedly, Mizore allowed herself to relax. She was tempted by the balcony door, which she had intentionally left unlocked as she had made her hasty escape earlier. Even if Tsukune had locked it later, a few knocks would wake him, and surely he would let her inside, and then… No, better that she didn't, Mizore chastised herself. Her friends had forgiven her for her actions, and she didn't want to risk proving even more unworthy of their trust. She would make her way back into Tsukune's room, but not tonight… at the least, not tonight.

Mizore stood up, stretching out muscles made sore by the less-than-comfortable surface of the shed's roof. She knew that remaining here would only keep her temptation close at hand, and she had enough memories to savor that she hardly needed to remain out here in the hopes of a handful of glimpses of the man she loved. Still, one final time she lifted the binoculars, promising herself that she would leave after one more glance inside.

She shivered violently as a fierce cold settled over her, and the moon's light dimmed as a shadow descended onto the shed. Alarmed by the unnatural cold, she turned to glance behind her, curious what had caused that piercing drop in temperature-

"Mizore Shirayuki."

Mizore stared in shock into the two empty holes in the bone-white mask of the giant standing before her, unable to understand why she felt so very, very cold. Her eyes dropped down towards her stomach, widening as she saw the pearlescent blade that had impaled itself into her abdomen. She couldn't understand why there was no blood, no pain, nothing at all… "Tsuku-!"

The binoculars clattered to the roof's surface, and a shadow, detaching itself from the giant figure that stood alone there, wrapped around the device and cast it from the shed, towards the nearby trees. The figure stood silently, considering the house that the rest of his prey inhabited. He could end it now, he knew; in just a matter of minutes, their lives could be erased, and he could be on the way towards regaining his soul.

But no, Thanatos decided. Better to take things at his own pace, not expend too much of his powers before it was necessary. He would take his time, and devour them each in turn, hoarding their life-energy for himself. With this decided, he moved towards the edge of the shed, but soon paused, turning to watch the pale shade that was all that remained of his latest conquest drift towards the house that held those who had already forgotten her. He would wait, until it was time to feast. It had only begun, Thanatos knew.

And it would all end, soon enough.

Author's Note: …

P.S.: I deeply lament that I must do this, especially in light of, ah, how I ended this chapter, but I am afraid that the next installment shall be delayed a day or so. Tragically, I spent the night that I had allocated to put together the next section in the emergency room of the nearby hospital; fortunately, my wife's condition was declared a pinched nerve, and not the myraid other possibilities we feared, so things are fine on that end. However, that has me off-schedule enough to be behind. Again, my deepest apologies; I shall return soon with chapter 31 in hand.