Tsukune arrived at his house and had assured Kurumu that everything was fine. The two of them sat down on the couch completely absorbed in there own thoughts. Tsukune's thought trail back to his dream he had this morning and to Kokoa. All Kokoa wanted to do was be close to her sister and help save her from Fairy-Tail. That single moment had been the turning point that had brought so much pain and death. Maybe, just maybe if he could have saved her, it might have stopped the horrible chain reaction that had taken place. There was no way to be sure but everything seemed to hinge on that moment.
"What had she been trying to tell me?" Tsukune asked himself for the thousandth time.
The image of her face as she died had been seared into his mind like all of the others. Thinking of Kokoa and her obsession with her sister only made Tsukune think of Moka. Tsukune's attention was draw to Kurumu as she started to walk past him, towards the front door.
"Where are you going?" He stood up and followed her to the foyer.
"I'm going for a walk. Your not the only one looking for answers." Tsukune was left speechless and couldn't help but follow her as she left.
"Kurumu, wait up."
Together they walked through the streets of the city and Tsukune had tried to lead her to the safer parts of town but Kurumu had her own path she was going to follow, with or without Tsukune. So he ended up following her, getting closer and closer to the parts of the city he usually wandered. As they continued to keep walking Kurumu began to noticed that the people in the streets began to run away from them. Most people seemed afraid, but some of the elderly, both human and ayashi, had stepped to the side and bowed as they passed.
"How come they don't run like the others?" Kurumu whispered to Tsukune.
"I don't know. Maybe it is because they are wise enough to know the truth or they are to old to care. The streets are usually empty when I walk around here."
It had been in the middle of the day and the once crowded streets became vacant.
"Look mommy! It's the Reaper!" A little child called out from the side of the street.
"Shhh, be quite."
"But mommy he saved us remember?"
The mother had picked up the child and carried him inside. Kurumu felt heartened by the kids statement but was worried by the mothers actions. Kurumu noticed that Tsukune seemed unaffected by the child or the mother.
"Did you save them?" Kurumu asked Tsukune as they continued to walk down the street.
"I don't remember." Tsukune had lied.
He did remember saving them from a huge ogre that was trying to kill them. He didn't feel like he should have been thanked at all, much less honored for his deeds. He felt he was still paying back the debt that he owed his friends and did not deserve such gratitude. Sometimes he enjoyed the quietness that always seemed to follow him.
Eventually Kurumu found what she was looking for. Something that Tsukune knew was inevitable.
"So you can come out in the sunlight." a very self asserted woman called out to them.
In the middle of the road stood a very busty woman with long blond hair, that flowed freely over her shoulders. Tsukune and Kurumu stared silently at the girl in their way, carefully noting how confidence radiated off of her.
"Oh and who is your friend? Maybe I'll have you kill her!" the girl laughed maniacally.
Kurumu took a protective step in front of Tsukune.
"Be careful! She is a succubus, she can enslave you!" Kurumu said, prepared to fight the new opponent, like she had planned all along, but was stopped short when Tsukune placed his hand on her shoulder.
He calmly walked passed her towards the other girl.
"Giving yourself up willingly?" The girl mocked and laughed.
The streets were completly empty and there was a slight breeze that swept passed them. She looked him in the eyes and used her charm on him, completely confident in her abilities.
"Aha! I got you! Now stop." The girl boasted, but was taken by surprise when Tsukune kept walking forward.
"Stop! I said stop!" she yelled with authority.
Tsukune figured that she must have been a spoiled person who got everything she wanted, most likely using her abilities. She began to get scared and the ground around Tsukune began to sprout steel cables that latched onto Tsukune. Her illusion was quite strong but Tsukune was unhindered as he kept walking on, snapping the cables that held him. In a last ditch effort she turned into her monster form and cast the strongest charm she could. Tsukune stopped right in front of her and the girl closed her eyes tightly. When she reopened her eyes she sighed in relief thinking that she had charmed him.
"Nobody threatens Kurumu." Tsukune said barely above a whisper and the girl shook in fear, realizing her fate.
"How?" The girl quivered in fear.
"Because I already promised my heart to my destined one."
The girl took a quick glance at Kurumu and then back to Tsukune.
"I have to enslave him now!" The girl thought and suddenly leaped towards him, only to be caught by his finger on her lips.
"Even though that would have no affect on me. I'm not going to let you do that." With that said Tsukune turned around and walked back to Kurumu.
The girl fell to her knees in shock, clearly overwhelmed by his questionable actions.
"Your not going to kill me?"
Tsukune stopped and stood in silence for a while. He had figured her to be a confused girl who did not know what she was doing and her distressed state only confirmed that. She was probably in it for the money or reputation like most of the others. The girl began to softly cry fearing that he was going to change his mind.
"I don't kill and I don't harm the innocent. . .and I will forget that you threatened her."
The girl had been relived, but his last words stuck fear into her and she took off flying as fast as she could. Kurumu had come looking for someone to fight her but she was just as interested in watching what Tsukune would do. She had been surprised to say the least. He wasn't even affected by her charms and instilled fear into her without doing anything.
"It's not fair." Kurumu said when Tsukune rejoined her.
"I know you could have handled her, but I thought you needed to see that."
"I know but that's not what I meant." Kurumu folded her arms and looked down the street.
"It's not fair, that they are scared of you or that they think that you are some kind of evil serial killer. You are a good person and you help people." Tsukune stepped forward and hugged her.
"It's ok. I don't care what they think as long as you still know the truth and believe in me." Kurumu hugged him back and nodded.
"Did you find your answers?" Kurumu walked down the street with Tsukune by her side.
"No. . .did you ever find any answers?"
"Yes, the answers have been with me this entire time."
Kurumu looked up at his smiling face and she smiled when she realized he was talking about her. Together they walked hand and hand back to their house.
[~][~][~]
"NO RUBI! NO YOU CAN'T DIE! YOU CAN'T!" Tsukune cried as he held Rubi.
She was dying and he couldn't do anything to save her. His tears cascaded down from his face and landed on her pale cheek. Rubi reached up and wiped his tears.
"It's ok Tsukune. . .let go. . .just let go. I w-will. . .understand." Rubi said with her last breath and died in his arms, and the last recents of magic left her eyes.
"I can't. . .I can't." Tsukune cried.
He lifted his head up and screamed, "RUBI!"
Tsukune woke up screaming her name and as always Kurumu was there to hold him.
"I can't Rubi. I can't." Tsukune said quietly and cried softly.
Kurumu wrapped her arms around him tightly. She was deeply troubled and her heart hurt immensely.
"You can't what? What's happening to you?" Kurumu thought incredibly worried, but knowing the truth would only hurt her more.
There had been noticeable differences when he dreamed lately. His dreams were so conflicted she could no longer go in them. There was no order to his dreams anymore and this morning was the first time he woke up crying. She cried with him and they sat there for a long time. Tsukune waited till she fell back asleep. He tried to unwrap her arms but she gripped him tighter.
"Kurumu. . ." he said softly.
"I'm not letting you go! I'll never let you go!" she cried.
Tsukune turned around and looked into her eyes.
"Kurumu. . .why. . .why put yourself through so much pain. . .why do you love me?" he asked her.
"Because! You were my first! My first everything! You were the fist person I charmed. You were the first to offer up your life to protect me. You were my first kiss and the first person I made love with. The fist person I lusted after, dreamed about, fell in love with, wanted to marry and have children with. The first person to accept me for who I truly was and not just a slutty succubus. I share a connection with you that could never be broken and anyone else would just be a hollow shell of the love I have for you!" Kurumu cried and pulled him down on the bed holding he as tightly as she could.
Her arms wrapped around his chest and her tail around his waist. Her legs intertwined with his and she folded her wings around them both.
"Then I won't ever let you go either." he told her and embraced her.
She had been waiting so long to hear those words, it made her happy and she squeezed him even tighter than before. The two showered together and Kurumu never let him out of her sight afraid he would slip away and go on one of his "walks". She held on to him as much as she could staying in her monster form the whole time. She made Tsukune sit back to back with her tail wrapped around his waist while she wrote in her diary. She still tried to hide it even though he read most of it anyways.
"Dear Diary,
Something is happening to Tsukune and I worry about him. I also hope that whatever he is going through that he will come out whole again. This time he dreampt about Rubi but he was so focused on her that I could not get in. He woke up screaming her name and crying. He was crying for Rubi, he has never cried after one of his nightmares. But for now I will never let go of him, no matter what and he promised to never let me go either. I hold him even now and being close together make me happy and gives me more and more hope."
They were still laying in bed, neither wanting to leave their embrace. Tsukune was staring at the ceiling when he sensed an incredibly fast projectile pass through the air above them coming through the open window. Tsukune instinctively rolled on top of Kurumu to protect her which had startled her. Tsukune brought his finger up to his lips to quite her and she nodded scared. He waited for several long minutes sensing other youkai but not killing intent. He slowly got up and walked over the the dart in the wall that had alarmed him. It had a note attached to it. He pulled it off and read it.
"I asked you to join my family three years ago and I'll ask you one last time.
Meet me in the same alley as last time, immediately!"
"What is it?" Kurumu asked still on edge.
"I have to go." he said and put on a black jacket.
"I'm going with you!" she said also putting on a sweater.
It hadn't been cold out this time of year but there was an unusual amount of fog outside. He looked down at Kurumu, her tail wrapping around his waist and she looked determined. He knew he couldn't argue with her so he just nodded.
"You need to promise me something." he told her.
"What?" she asked and he could tell she was worried.
"If I tell you to hide, you hide. If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to leave and never come back, you never come back." he told her, as he gently but firmly grabbed the sides of her arms.
Kurumu started tearing up as she looked into his eyes pleadingly.
"I can't, I won't. I already told you I wasn't letting go!" she cried.
"Kurumu. . .if something were to happen to you. . .I would never forgive myself. . .it would be the end of my world." he told her softly and silently begging her.
"What if I promise you everything will be alright!? What if I promise never to leave you!?" Kurumu yelled through her tears.
He looked at her and couldn't bear to see her cry anymore.
"You promise?" he asked gently.
"I promise." Kurumu said and kissed him to seal the deal.
"Quickly we have to go meet an old friend of ours." Tsukune said to her and quickly pulled her through the door.
They quickly made their way through the fog while Tsukune was holding Kurumu's hand tightly. He sensed a man waiting for him in the alley but it wasn't Fong-Fong. Tsukune and Kurumu walked quietly towards him but the fog was so thick they couldn't see him clearly.
"Reaper, please follow me." the stranger said in a deep voice.
Kurumu looked up at Tsukune, it was the first confirmation that he really was the Silent Reaper. Tsukune kept his eyes forward as and followed the man. He took them through manny different alleys and Tsukune noticed that he had backtracked some of them. He lead them into a well hidden alley and stopped by a red door. He knocked a certain pattern of knocks that was clearly a password of sorts. The door opened and he quickly ushered them in. The room was very dark and it took them a minute to adjust their eyes. The door guard talked to the man making sure he wasn't followed.
"This way." another man said stepping out of the shadows.
They followed him to the end of the long hallway. The man opened the door and they stepped inside.
"Fong-Fong!" Kurumu yelled surprised.
Fong-Fong sat on a wooden chair behind a simple desk that was covered with papers.
"It's good to see you again Kurumu!" he said happily and then nodded to Tsukune who acknowledged him.
Kurumu was confused, she knew that Fong-Fong had died but Tsukune didn't seemed surprised like she was. Tsukune saw Kurumu look back and fourth between the two of them confused.
"I ran into him the morning we went to Hawaii and I was just as surprised. His sister Ling-Ling brought him back as a zombie." he told Kurumu to clear up the confusion.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Kurumu asked dishearted.
"I didn't want to give you false hopes about the others coming back too." Tsukune told her and she nodded silently and held his arm.
They both took seats in front of Fong-Fong.
"What is it you called us hear for?" Tsukune asked him impatiently.
"I want to offer you an invitation to my family one last time. I need your help." Fong-Fong told him seriously.
"I went into hiding to keep the past buried. I just want to live peacefully. . .with Kurumu." Tsukune told him calmly.
"So crashing a plane is you way of staying 'low' and 'peaceful'?"
Tsukune shrugged.
"What do you need help with?" Kurumu asked a little curious.
"There are those that want revenge on us for what we did to Fairy-Tail, specifically you." he told them.
"I thought Fairy-Tail was wiped out?" Kurumu asked him.
"It was, but they had strong supporters that also wanted to wipe out all the humans. Including many vampires and other S-class super monsters." Fong-Fong informed her.
"I don't want any part of what could put Kurumu in danger." Tsukune said and stood up and turned to leave.
"They killed my patents, and now I am the leader of the Wong family!" Fong-Fong told him and Tsukune stopped.
"They know who we all are and they are hunting down every one of us. Yukari's parents were forced into hiding. The ice village has cut off all communication. The werwolves and vampires are at war with each other. There will be an all out war and humanities survival depends on it. We saved the world once. . .don't let there sacrifices go in vain." Fong-Fong told them both and Tsukune turned on him.
"I WOULD GLADLY TRADE THE WHOLE WORLD TO GET THEM BACK!" Tsukune yelled angrily motioning to everything around him.
"I know. . .but others need your help now, including me." Fong-Fong said they stared at each other.
Kurumu pulled on Tsukune's arm and he sat back down.
"Now I want to show you something, that I am curious about. I think you know her." Fong-Fong said and motioned at the guard at the door.
Kurumu was surprised when the stewardess from the plane to Hawaii walked through the door. "Its the Reaper! Please don't hurt me! I did as you asked! I told everyone not to harm your wife!" the poor girl cried on the floor.
"Wife?" Kurumu thought, they had been together for a long time but had never been officially married.
"My men picked her up wandering the streets spreading word to everyone about the 'Silent Reaper'. Another good way of staying under the radar I assume?" Fing-Fong glanced at Tsukune.
"The girl was traumatized even though there wasn't a mark on her. I am curious, what exactly did you do?" Fong-Fong said folding his arms and looking towards the girls on the floor.
"She threatened Kurumu." Tsukune said coldly still ignoring the girl.
Fong-Fong motioned her away and the guards dragged her out.
"Everyone in the entire world knows where to find the Silent Reaper and me and my men have been busy dealing with the ones who come looking for a challenge or revenge. Right now the war in the youkai world is distracting most of them, but if they were to find out that the Reaper is Tsukune Aono, the human who destroyed Fairy-Tail? There would be no place you could hide and would constantly be in danger." Fong-Fong warned them.
Kurumu looked uneasily at Tsukune and held her necklace tight. Tsukune glared coldly at Fong-Fong and he returned his gaze. There was only a few people that could look into his eyes, the two who had shared his pain and his lose.
"Revenge only gets rid of your fear. It could never get rid of the pain." Tsukune told him, "Do you fear them?"
Fong-Fomg stares at him for a long moment before answering.
"Yes. I fear them." he told Tsukune.
He had no fear for himself but for his family and friends.
"Then we will join your family." Tsukune told him and the two stood up.
"Welcome to the family. . .brother. . .sister!" Fong-Fong said embracing both of them.
"First things first, my parents funeral will be held in Hong Kong in a few days from now and I would like the two of you to be there." Fong-Fong said getting serious again.
"Of course." Kurumu said still holding Tsukune who nodded.
"Second, after the funeral, prepare for an all out war. We will hit them hard and without mercy!" he said venomously.
"So what's the plan?" Tsukune asked him.
"Ling-Ling will locate Yukari's parents and bring them under protection. Kurumu, you will go to the snow village. . ." Fong-Fong said.
"I will not be separated from Tsukune!" Kurumu interrupted and Fong-Fong nodded.
"Then I will send both of you to the village. Then the two of you will go to the the werwolves den and offer an alliance and our help. Be careful though, the werwolves hare no love for humans. Luckily though they hate vampires more. The last thing I need is a favor." Fong-Fong told them.
"What kind of favor?" Tsukune asked him.
"I want to spread your names around. I want to tell the world that Tsukune Aono and the Silent Reaper have joined my family." he asked looking at Kurumu for her approval too.
"What would that accomplish?" Kurumu asked him clearly nervous about the idea.
"Tsukune Aono is a shinso who single handily beat Fairy-Tail and the Silent Reaper is the worlds most wanted ayashi. Having two such powerful people in my family would make people think twice before joining the other side in the upcoming war. Some might even join our side from fear and respect. It would also put down any suspicion that the two are one and the same." Fong-Fong told them.
Tsukune and Kurumu thought about it for a long time. It was very risky but a necessary risk.
"Ok." Tsukune said and Kurumu nodded.
"Good! I have already started spreading the word." Fong-Fong said happily but Kurumu frowned at him.
"Better to ask for forgiveness than permission right? And besides what do I got to lose? Because. . .'I'm already dead'." he said in a mocking voice of his sister and it made Kurumu laugh.
They reminisced over the good times that they used to have and just spent the morning enjoying each others company. Fong-Fong escorted them out and they stood in the thick fog.
"I summoned this fog to help mask our movements. It also blocks any youki detection. Quite useful really." Fong-Fong told them, looking around in the fog.
"We'll see you in Hong Kong." Kurumu said and they waves their goodbyes.
Well another chapter posted way sooner than I had planned, I can't help it. Now, between the headmaster and Fong-Fong, he is not going to be able live a peaceful life for a while. I know exactly where I want to go with this story. Now I just have to write it, which has not been a problem yet. I'm just having trouble combing up with inspiration for my other stories.
Thanks again to all the those read and reviewed.