Demons In Paradise
So far Tsukune's day could have been better. Granted it could have been worse as well.
It was just barely a day after he and his friends returned from the Yuki-onna village that trouble started.
In his rage, he had bit into Miyabi, something that had stemmed from his newly-emerging vampiric instincts. But the problem was the fact that he wanted to do it again! As if drinking the blood of someone wasn't bad enough, he could feel his throat parch and his canines elongate every time he even thought about blood. Worst of all, the blood had brought with it a rush of power, of fulfillment even, like he was doing what he had been born to do.
More like what he had been reborn to do.
Then, he had to try and convince Kurumu that he had thought he was in his Demonic Form and tried to rip his enemy's throat away. Which was a lie, of course. He hated lieing in general, much more having to do so to his dear friends.
But he had to do it alone, overcome these unbelievable obstacles. He couldn't bring them down with him, they had their lives to live and he had to make sure these lives were as free of corruption and taint as he could. And that included himself, ironically.
Still, it had been very hard, for various reasons, to get to sleep without them around him as had happened in the yuki-onna village. Just being near them brought him stability and a sense of normalcy, being separated from them was torture.
And then had began the 'fun' stuff. Miyabi tried, repeatedly, to escape and threaten them, using various methods. For once, Tsukune was very glad to see someone get sent to the Academy prison quarters. Especially Kuyou's 'tender mercies'. Though he doubted Kuyou himself would take part in any interrogation; the girls that had accompanied the Police Committee leader looked positively murderous when they heard what the prisoner had done.
Really, women were freaking scary sometimes, enough to rival his Inner Demon, and that was saying something.
The very same afternoon after getting back, Tsukune was invited to the Headmaster's office where he was forced to deliver a full report on what had happened.
The robed man had looked very worried and that was enough to scare Tsukune; the man had been unflappable even when impaled by Hokuto's blade-like arm. To see him actually worried about something was a sign of danger. Then he learned why; "Fairy Tale, yes... I know them, terrible people they are. It is an organization, a group, an alliance even, of those Ayashi disgruntled by the way things are and the 'superiority' of humans. 'Aren't we stronger, faster, tougher, better than humans?' they ask. Many are drawn to their teachings, teachings that stand as an exact opposite to this school. While we seek the eventual, gradual, union and acceptance of both humans and monsters in both societies, Fairy Tale seeks the opposite; an all-out war. It was they that told Hokuto-san many things, those that led to his untimely death due to his wrong choices. It troubles me that you entered this fight so early Tsukune-san, I wanted you to have more time as well as the ability to choose which side you would fight on. But this way, conflict is unavoidable and the enemy has the advantage there I'm afraid. They have funds, trained warriors, more people under their command... it is like fighting a chimera. It seems the time when direct combat will ensue is drawing near and both sides stand to loose too much..."
It was ominous and terrifying. Learning just who and what he would be placed against, Tsukune was more than a bit upset. This wasn't his fight, one side of him told him. It wasn't his fight, because that would endanger his friends, it would place them right in the middle of the enemy's sights. Another part of him told him to fight for fight's sake, for killing and destroying. Yet another whispered to him to go to the enemy; they are superior so they stand to gain, he should go there and cut his losses. He could even take his friends with him there. Another said to scream in rage and charge head-on.
With so many different sides of him telling him what to do, Tsukune couldn't make any decision because he couldn't even hear himself over the cacophony.
Not to mention the growing headache of his Inner Demon goading him every single waking moment of his life. And that was even with the meditations he had learned from the Headmaster.
And we come to the present. A present that finds Tsukune in a separate dimension that is clearly not even earth. The reason? Simple; sky wasn't as different as the human world and Youkai Gakuen's, it even had other planets!
"And... why exactly did you wrap this chain around you, Ruby-san?" He asked, looking at the witch as she struggled to get free from chains she bound herself in. And bound in various imaginative ways.
The witch struggled some more, feebly. "W-w-well... you were taking so long to arrive and I got bored so I began wrapping them around me... just to p-pass the time..."
Yes, passing the time is one way to put it. S&M seemed more like the truth though. Shaking his head, Tsukune helps the woman unwind herself from the silver chain. "So, how are we going to do this?"
The witch holds up one end of the chain, a small handcuff on it. "Place this in your hand before the Divine Lock. I will explain more about it then."
And so he does, snapping the lock close. Almost instantly he felt his power drain away by the blessed metal. In response, Ruby pulls out an orb and a whip.
Understandably, Tsukune looked from the whip to the witch several times before raising an eyebrow, the question in his eyes more than evident. At least she had the good grace to look sheepish.
"I-It's not that I want Tsukune-san to use it on me, though I wouldn't mind either! I-I really!" She flushed, trying to justify her masochistic urges, and failed rather spectacularly.
"It's alright Ruby-san, this is training. Now, what are we going to do?" He asked, rather curious. The orb seemed to have a smaller, silver sphere inside, etched with several runes. The whip on the other hand... it seemed like an instrument of combat rather than a training one; it had several metallic studs and he could smell the blood on it, dried but still there. The fact it made him uneasy just looking at it also meant it possibly had great powers in it as well.
The woman nodded, getting serious rather quickly. She gave him the orb to hold on his left hand, the hand with his Lock on, and the whip on his right.
As soon as the items touched his flesh, they reacted. The sigils on the inner sphere's surface began to glow a harsh blue-white light that hurt Tsukune's eyes and self to see while the whip seemed to flood with youki, more than he had ever summoned on his own before. Youki that he could feel flowing to the other side of him and into the chain that linked him and Ruby.
The demonic power coursed through the metal and reached the girl who was suddenly covered in blood-red flashes of lightning, being painfully electrocuted. Dropping the two items became an instinctive reaction as he rushed to help the woman, lest she got further hurt.
The moment they left his hold, the flushes stopped and Ruby swayed before falling right into his hands.
Tsukune would have been seriously more worried had it not been for that suspicious blush on the woman's cheeks and the way she looked at him.
Hungrily.
"Ruby-san, are you alright?" He asked, frantic.
"Oh my, Tsukune-san... I knew you were strong, but this was too much... I felt such power enter me..." She mumbled and he didn't know if he should be worried or embarassed. It wasn't just the words but the way she said them that gave them a whole new context to the compliment. But Ruby shook herself from her daze quickly. "Anyway, you understand what happened though, right? Allow me to explain. The whip is called 'Belmont', a legendary magical item that has been used by Vampire Hunters for ages. Amongst its powers is the ability to temporarily suppress any seal it comes into contact with, that and turn any form of energy, be it youki or even a holy-man's faith, into a weapon. The orb is different; it's called 'Tenebrae Fugalrix' meaning 'Banisher Of Darkness' in Latin. It has the power to drain away demonic energy and repel it."
She lifted the orb again and presented it to the boy. "With the Banisher's repelling power, we can temporarily suppress your demonic side's power. Because it is in constant 'war' with your Vampire Blood, the source of your Ghoul powers, that means that your vampiric powers begin to overcome you, suffusing you with their power. You haven't used them much, which is why you have so little control; the amount of focus needed to draw them out with your demonic side active is so large that when it isn't there, you can't control your power output. You could think it as wearing weights; you've worn them so long you can't control your own strength without them."
Then she put the orb down and picked up the whip. "Belmont on the other hand is more direct. By cancelling out your seal, it enables you to bring forth the entirety of your sealed power. By combining these two artefacts, you come into a very different state than normal. Instead of depending on your Akuchi abilities, they are suppressed and instead are forced to use your Ghoul powers. As for the chain, it links you and I, enabling me to drain the excess of your power so that it doesn't strain your Lock. This training will progress in two stages. The first stage is simple; limit the output of your power so that it doesn't shock me. Do not worry, we have ample time here. The Headmaster has allowed us as much time off as we need to take care of this, so there is no need to rush."
'No need to rush?' Thought the boy. 'That's impossible; I have to get stronger and stronger! I have to become much stronger so I can defend them!' Outwardly however, he only nodded, when a thought occured to him. "Wait a moment, what about the Banisher? Can't we use its power to suppress my Demonic side permanently?"
Ruby shook her head sadly. "No, it acts against all demonic energy. It is a relic left over from a very troubled time. None of its makers thought it would be used for training. You would have to carry it on you all the time and even then it wouldn't work for long; you would die of withdrawal. Your body has become so adapted to the demonic power in you, that if we took it away, you would die in a horrible, extended, painful death. Trust the Headmaster on it; we have uncovered many works about Akuchi who tried to do that. You are not the first to try it. No, the orb would kill you, painfully. Besides, without your powers, you would become much weaker and unable to protect yourself, let alone anyone else. Our enemies will not wait Tsukune-san, they will strike and we need all the help we can get, be it in combat or in making and maintaining relationships."
"I... see..." He said, saddened. What he wouldn't give to be free of his torment, but the safety of his friends was not a price he would pay. That's what he was there after all; he would be forced to fight, and fight very powerful enemies at that. So he had to become strong, stronger, the strongest, more powerful than even Inner Moka could ever fathom herself to be. So powerful, so strong that no one would even think of hurting them.
Then he would be able to let them live their lives and watch over them as he should. Maybe help them find their matches and raise their children.
For the ones who saved him from himself, he could do no less.
And so he began a long, harsh training session in which he had to do the exact opposite than usual; restrain his powers when he usually let them burst outwards. It was a test of control after all, rather than power. And it was then that he noted once again how he was not human any more; he passively let so much youki circulate in his body that a lesser youkai, like Ruby at least as far as race went, could barely even stand it.
Back in the Academy, the group of girls that was on his mind every second of his training were anxiously talking to each other.
They had known something bad had happened, but they didn't know exactly what. Well, Yukari did know, but she didn't reveal that fact yet and Kurumu only had an inkling. The succubus had not been convinced that Tsukune bit Miyabi while confusing his forms; as long as she had seen him fight he had never once used his jaws to bite someone in combat.
Which meant that he was covering up for something else, but what?
Two others had a very good inkling about what it was, but they wouldn't speak. Well, technically they were three. Kokoa had known that he was part Ghoul as well, apart from her revealing that fact, it had also been his youki; it was too familiar to her onee-sama's to be a coincidence.
Moka however, both parts of her, also thought that he had become a Ghoul. The Headmaster might have not-answered the question, but in doing so he had revealed part of the truth to them, if in a way that the others didn't get.
Truthfully, it made them both sick in their stomachs. That he was so close, so close, to being a vampire and yet be condemned to that mockery, when he deserved to be one of their proud race even more than many other vampires deserved...
It hurt them, it cut them deep. Because it showed that it could have been, a potential they shot just short of.
But they didn't speak about it to each other. Outer Moka was cursing herself for being so weak and needing him all the time, necessitating her to give him her blood. Not to mention her constant yearning for companionship, something that had played a great part in her 'manipulating' the boy to keep him close. She hated it, she really, really did. She wanted to apologize, to ask for his hate, anything but see him look at her, still with that love in his eyes, every time he saw her. She didn't deserve it, not when it was her that led to him being cursed twice.
Inner Moka thought much the same, but also so differently. Being so proud, she wanted him to be with her, because he was one of the few worthy of such an honor. There he was, less than a year after his demonic bloodline awoke and he could go toe-to-toe with so many, powerful enemies. Beyond that, he had the spirit necessary to be as a Lord; he cared about each and every one of his friends, he didn't waver, he could make the harsh decisions and wasn't afraid to put himself in harm's way. Just like a Lord should be; held above his people to observe and protect them all. Not to mention of his pride, so different from her own and yet so similar. His strength of will, so great as to hold a demon's soul back, so powerful as to not kill someone who deserved it at only the behest of a single person's request. So, was it wrong for her to desire him? Was it wrong for her to want him so? To want to give herself to him, to want to take him for herself, to be his equal? To be his as he was hers?
She was split in that. Part of her said no, no it wasn't wrong. It wasn't wrong because he had managed a feat that no strength of arms or purity of blood could ever manage. He could touch her heart. He could reach out and touch her, hold her hand when she needed to and stand back when he had to. He could trust her but always support her. He could shield her but never insult her. He was perfect in that way. But another part of her said the opposite. It said that she shouldn't be with him; she cared for him enough to not betray him after he died, if they ever came together. It said that he was mortal, for all his power and his perfection, he was still merely mortal, even if he would live to be a couple of centuries old with her blood re-vitalizing him. But before her endless millenia of expected life, it was less than a blink. To love and loose him, to let go of her control and let him in would hurt her more than any blade ever could hope.
It was maddening, to be lost in that question. To love or not to love. It became a struggle every time Omote drunk his blood, even if it wasn't his true blood. It became torment every time he stood protectively before them, ready to face odds no mortal should ever have to, just because he didn't want them hurt or even upset.
At least her Rosario did help her, in a sense; by holding her captive inside, the time she was forced and yet pleased to be near him was very short, too short for him to create a bond that would overcome her feelings of terror.
Because Inner Moka knew what her emotions comprised of now; terror. Sheer, mind-numbing, soul-rending terror.
She could not love him, she wasn't allowed to even care for him as more than friend. Much less a mate.
And yet every time she said that to herself, be it her other side or not, she felt her heart waver and hurt.
Inner Moka had yet to learn the value of trust and communication. Had she spoken about it, had she talked to her other side and then to their friends, things might, could, should have gone differently.
But a vampire would never reveal his weakness, physical or emotional. So she went on silent, hating herself for it but unable to do anything about it as well.
It could have fallen to Kurumu to hold the group together, but the succubus wasn't inclined to do it. Other things took precedence for her.
Things like how she seemed to loose to the other girls, how she seemed to be unable to reach him.
He had braved an entire race's wrath for Mizore. He had braved unbelievable odds for Moka. And both of them deserved that.
But what about her? What about Kurono Kurumu? Both Mizore and Moka were great people, they were smart and the strongest of their respective generations. Herself however was only beautiful. Granted, she was a vision of sensuality but that's all she was, that's all she could ever be. She wasn't a genius like Outer Moka, she wasn't 'cool' like Mizore and neither was she a warrior-queen like Inner Moka. She was just herself, everyday average Kurono Kurumu. And she hated herself for it.
In her desire to be something other than what she was, she forgot her own greatest characteristic; a heart of gold, a shining beacon of kindness, a soul so genuinely caring that she could pull an Akuchi from his berserk fury with just a touch and forgive someone for almost attempting rape on her Destined One like Mizore had tried with the Snow-whites.
So she was torn; she was average and Tsukune was all but. Even as a human, when everything he did was the definition of average, he had had something exceptional; his heart. He was a kind and caring as a human could be and it was exactly that which drew her to him. One could say he even inspired her. But she could not do the same for him. Not now. Not with him being as powerful and unique as he was.
The only one amongst their group who would tell, and actually convince, Kurumu of her being all but mundane was Mizore, and she was too absorbed in her recollections to do it. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, the Snow Priestess' prophecy had hurt her terribly. Because as much as she detested that woman, it was also true that none of her prophecies had been wrong. Ever. In one or another way, they always came true. Which meant that she was destined to be apart from him as he was. After all, she couldn't change him, and neither did she want to change him. She loved him as he was.
But accepting that he would not love her as she wanted him to, hurt her. Still, it was her choice to stick with him, no matter what, and that was way stronger than any Fate or Destiny foretold.
She had made her choice and she would not renege on it. Unfortunately for her heart's peace, it didn't mean she liked the way things would unfold. But, if she could, for just a bit more, enjoy this peaceful life before being forced to bear children for the survival of her race... if she could be near him a little bit more, if she could just help him a little bit more...
Then it was fine. It wasn't as good as she wanted, but it would be fine. Just that would be enough for her.
Observing the group, Yukari would sigh if that didn't draw their attention. Being who she was, she could see a lot of tension in her friends, but if they weren't going to talk about it, she couldn't do anything about it either. Pushing them seemed like the wrong thing to do and it wasn't as if she knew exactly what to say either. She would just hurt them worse if she poked. And then there was Tsukune. He had changed after the mission, became more guarded. Not cold though, but guarded as a person. He still smiled like before and joked, but he spoke about himself even less.
It must have had to do with him jumping on Miyabi and biting him. Which would mean he was afraid of his growing vampiric side. Something rather weird, since his demonic one was much worse.
Or so the little witch thought, because she had never had the urge to drain the life out of a friend, or felt the deathly rage of a Ghoul. She wasn't even aware of what a Ghoul is, beyond legends about some failed experiments. After all, no vampire would let the proof of his failure live or become known, and so every Ghoul was summarily executed along with whoever made it. It was one of the cardinal rules. Laws that were enforced on penalty of death, by beheading if you were lucky or well-connected.
Being so absorbed in her theories and thoughts and plans, Yukari overlooked her own best friend, Kokoa.
The poor vampire girl was filled with a tension of another kind. She knew the witches had heard of her having a mission and betraying it. She was also sure they had told the rest of the group.
So, why didn't they ask her about it? Why didn't they push her to a wall and force the details out of her? Why did they keep on treating her like they did every day, if only with a lot more tension in their actions?
She couldn't get it, why did they trust her so much? Or was it that they didn't trust her even before they knew of her treachery?
That thought alone was the one to hurt her the most. It would mean that none of them trusted her, none of them was her friend.
And, though the vampiric ideal commanded that she be superior to all and that she needs no friends, she herself knew it to be wrong; she wanted friends, she liked having friends and messing around with them.
Well, as long as they didn't insult her pride while doing so anyway.
The doubt within her caused her to almost explode every time she and Yukari were alone in the same room, or when Moka asked her if there was anything wrong.
So, it was with no surprise she did explode. At least she waited until they were alone, in the Newspaper Club room.
"Alright that's it!" She screamed. "I've had it!"
Moka tilted her head to the side. "What's wrong Kokoa-chan?"
The innocence in her action infuriated the girl. "That's it! That's exactly it! Why? Why are you doing it?"
Now Kurumu was curious as well, though she did notice Yukari almost flinching when the other girl spoke. "Doing what exactly? We haven't done anything other than normal."
"My point exactly!" Screamed Kokoa, rather incessed that they tried to keep playing the fools. "Why are you treating me the same? Even though you know I had another mission, even though you know I was with those guys!"
And then she realized that maybe she had miscalculated. The genuine surprise on the faces of the three older girls could not be faked. Yukari sighed sadly, there goes her hope for a peaceful afternoon.
"What the hell are you talking about Kokoa?" Demanded Mizore, still not completely over her ordeal.
"That's enough Mizore-san... Some of them gave some sort of signal to Kokoa-san when we fought. They said something about a mission and 'Leader-sama's trust'~desu." Said Yukari, putting away all their newspaper paperwork. What was about to come could ruin all their work and she was too tired to be able to redo it from scratch.
"Wait, that's a joke right? I mean, we know Kokoa, she's annoying, bratty and too damn arrogant for her own good, but she's one of us right?" Asked Kurumu.
"That's the damn point! I never was one of you! Don't you get it? I didn't come here to get nee-chan, I was sent here to recover onee-sama! So why don't you at least react to that?"
"Because they didn't know~desu. And I didn't want to pressure you about it until you were ready to talk about it~desu. You are my friend Kokoa-san, and I trust you. Otherwise, you'd have gone back with them. So," Paused Yukari. "what was that mission anyway~desu?"
Kokoa rubbed a hand down her face. How could they do it, react to everything in such a laid-back way? "Ugh... I'll start from the beginning, when onee-sama left." She sat down and looked outside the window, seeing Kou-chan flutter around some leaves. "It was few weeks after Onee-sama left and Mother disappeared... Father was so angry at you both, but we didn't know why. Not even Kahlua-nee-san did and that's rare. In the end, he left the mansion for a bit but ordering us to stay inside, the servants would see that nothing happened. He returned a few weeks later and he seemed... triumphant, no more like he had managed to find his way out of whatever troubled him..."
A deep sigh and an inhalation. "That's when things went wrong. He had us sisters tested, extensively. We were pitted against servants and each other, fighting almost to the death sometimes, to the real death others. Or he would test our mental abilities... I was left behind, of course. Kahlua-nee-san was second and first... was Akuha-onee-san... It might have been best if she had lost." She turned to look at them and they saw something different in her eyes, something they had rarely witnessed. "Father was overjoyed about our oldest sister winning... he took her away for a year... When she came back... she was... she was different. She looked like she had lost her soul." There was terror now in these eyes. "I don't know what he did, but he twisted her. Before she left, she was a vampire sure, but she was still nice, she fed Erl-Gray, gave small treats to Kou-chan and even helped me train. But then she changed. She was different, in a bad way."
Kokoa unearthed a small silver pendant, held in a simple steel chain that was obviously different to the original. "This was Akuha-onee-san's, the last memento she had from her life before Father brought her home. She always cherished it, said it was very important. But when she came back, she tossed it away, broke the chain and almost destroyed it. I was barely able to salvage it and get a new chain. When I asked her... her eyes changed again. I... I think that something was affecting her, something strong and evil, she managed to come back for only enough to tell me it's mine now and to keep it safe... I don't know what it was, but I know something; ever since onee-san came back from her trip with Father... she's had two types of youki inside her."
"Two? That's impossible~desu!" Said Yukari. "Two different youki energies inside her would kill her slowly~desu! It's why youki transfusions are so dangerous! Tsukune-san's blood-power is different, but that's mostly because it burns out so quickly~desu! If someone was exposed to another energy from within, it would tear them apart~desu!"
Kokoa nodded at her genius friend, it was a good thing to have such a smart friend, it cut down on her explanations. "I know! But it didn't seem to hurt her. Besides, we also know someone with two different powers inside him; Tsukune. He has two energies inside him; his own Akuchi abilities and remnants of onee-sama's blood from all the times he got infused with it."
"True, but his Divine Lock prevents my blood from affecting him, it diffuses his power until he learns to control it. Which means, he would suffer from the two different powers, but Akuha doesn't? Maybe she has another seal on her?"
Kokoa scoffed. "Do you think I wouldn't have looked for one? Besides, even Aono's seal just limits his powers, Akuha's doesn't. She can use any of them or even both of them together at the same time. Onee-sama can also verify it; when I used Tsukune's blood while also enhancing my strength, I felt my stomach burn. I almost puked until the rush of power drowned it out, it means I still suffered from some after effects. Onee-san was different. Anyway, after a couple of years, she slowly pulled it together, but in the wrong way; instead of turning back to being nice, she became colder, harsher... she became eviland you know how rare it is for me to say it. She's the one that led our family into Fairy Tale, everyone, even Father is a member, even I."
To the vampire girl's great surprise the others didn't react too much to her admission. It worried her actually.
"Well, I was one anyway, I don't think they'd take me back even if I wanted to return. My mission, you see, was simple; earn your trust, break you up and take onee-sama back. The signal they gave me? It was a signal if I needed to change my loyalties fast. Supposedly, they'd give it if capturing onee-sama was definite. As you can see, I betrayed them. Well, I was never loyal to them anyway. Especially not when I was placed again my onee-sama."
"Hey, Kokoa, if you were one of them, at least in name, then shouldn't you know a lot about them?" Asked Mizore, rather curious.
The vampire shook her head. "I wasn't high up enough. I was treated like a child, onee-san's mission was supposed to get me a promotion, but what do I care about that? She lied to me about onee-sama being used. She even said Tsukune was a harem-holder that was just using girl. Psch." She huffed. "That idiot doesn't try to do that at all. He's just too nice for his own damn good."
"Ara, Kokoa-chan, are you developing a crush on Tsukune-san?" Asked Yukari, knowing it would embarass her friend, but also aware that it wasn't true. Still it would be hopelessly funny to see the girl embarassed by the 'accusation'.
"W-w-w-what are you talking about Yukari-chan? There's no way, no way, I'd be attracted to that lukewarm, weak-looking guy!" Kokoa's denial made everyone around her laugh and her blush more out of embarassment. Still, it was true what she said; she wasn't attracted to him. Well, not by 'love' anyway. His power on the other hand, his charisma and even the way he held himself when serious, that was another matter. She could understand, in part anyway, why these girls were rivals in love and yet managed to remain friends.
"So what are we going to do? With Fairy Tale I mean... these guys don't seem like the kind to back off that easily..." Moka's voice was quite subdued. She didn't want to fight anyone, unlike her Inner. But, even her other side could understand that fighting meant danger, if not for her then for her friends.
The joking atmosphere became serious very fast after that. They all knew what she was thinking, at least in part. "Train hard. Or harder." As always, Mizore was frank and to the point. "They don't understand reasoning and don't feel sorry for their actions. Then, the only way to stop them is forcibly." Of course that didn't mean that any of them had to like it, not even Mizore if one went by the frown on her face.
Well, Kokoa did, but she had a bone to pick with them anyway, for forcing her to go against her onee-sama. "Well, I know where I stand anyway, I train every weekend with the Police committee. Then there's Aono, where the hell is he anyway? Wasn't he supposed to be over here by now? Didn't see him running his rounds either before club activities started."
Yukari quickly checked her charms and found Tsukune's to be a slightly less than pristine white. Ruby's however seemed to fluxuate from soft gray to dark gray and back again. Upon revealing the paper to the rest of the group, they looked at the event weirdely. "Maybe it's broken or something?" Asked Kurumu, weirded out.
That got her a nasty, indignant look from Yukari. "My creations don't fail~desu!"
And that got Yukari a nasty look from Kokoa. "Yes, like your Growing Drops, they're perfect." She mocked.
She should have stayed her tongue rather than set it against the genius. "Weren't you the one asking me if twelve minutes are enough the other day? I think that qualifies as a great success~desu!" And the little witch was poking her tongue at the blushing freshman.
"Well, if it isn't broken then we must find out what's going on. Who always knows where Ruby-san is? We must go to the Headmaster." Although it was Mizore who suggested that, it was plain as day that it was the last thing she wanted to do. That man creeped her out every time.
And that seemed to be a good time. "Ask and ye shall receive, I have come to you. So, what seems to be the cause of your worry?"
There was not one person in that room that didn't leap to the ceiling as soon as they heard that voice come right behind them. They would have wondered where he got his sense of humor, but upon seeing the mirthful giggling that came from his shoulder, they began to realize it; a terribly familiar pixie-like being was perched there, laughing. "Oh this is so rich! And here I thought you had no sense of humor, Mikogami!" Laughed Lilith.
Said man chuckled creepily like he always did. "Now, now Lilith, behave. As for my humor, it is hard to make jokes when besieged by headaches from all sides. Have you ever tried to run an Academy? Maybe I could make you Headmaster for a day?"
The pixie went ashen pale at that; she had seen what he had to go through. And the paperwork, that blasted thing was almost alive! "No, no! I'll be good, I promise!"
All around the Headmaster, the people of Newspaper Club gawked. They had not once seen him laugh or joke. Then again, every time they saw him, it was usually just before or right after a misfortune had messed up their lives. "A-ano... Headmaster? W-why are you here?" Asked Moka, shyly. Her other side might have a grudging respect for the man, but she was almost scared of the holy aura he released. Not to mention that unlike the rest of her club, she knew that he was a Dark Lord.
The man's shining eyes turned to the group and he sighed. Even though they were usually emotionless, they could see a lingering sadness in there. "Many, many things, as young Ruby would have said. Prime amongst them is to hear of your choice. You now know of Fairy Tale, I'm sure little Kokoa has regailed her story so far, yes? Good. Fairy Tale is the opposite of this school; we seek peace and a unity with the humans, acceptance of both sides in both societies. Fairy Tale seeks war, chaos and bloodshed. In their eyes that would mean the eradication of humanity, but they fail to see that it could very well mean our end as Ayashi. So, now you stand before many, harsh choices. You can fight, flee, cower or do nothing. I know that Tsukune-kun however is training, right now. He is training harshly, training to unleash all the latent power in himself even though he is not sure he can command it. And he does it all for you, yes even little Kokoa. He is... not human any more, but neither is he full Akuchi. He is a hybrid of three races and on his shoulders fall the damnations of all three. Amazingly enough, he also bears all the exaltations afforded by them."
"Three races? But Tsukune is a former human and an Akuchi, what are you talking about a third race?" Asked Kurumu, rather worried her Destined One would be suffering more.
"It... It's my blood, Kurumu-chan. I gave him my blood a lot. Normally it would have turned him into a Ghoul but, with his demonic blood..."
"No, it has turned him into a Ghoul. A Ghoul as well as an Akuchi. Which makes him all the more astounding, to be able to fight off all that madness, even if my Lock aids him in that. Tsukune-san must learn to control both sides of him, Ghoul and Akuchi and then balance them with his human side. He must find his balance, his equilibrium. If one side overpowers the others, then it will assimilate them and they will be no more. Do you understand now how dangerous his position is? He may very well be the first of his kind. So, he must train all the harder for it, he must understand all aspects of him. He has depended on his demonic side for so long that it has grown much stronger than his vampiric or human side. He must train his Ghoul powers now, elevate them to the point they can cancel out his Akuchi bloodline so that it can make room for his humanity to control them. And then, one of them will go out of balance and the cycle will begin anew. Young Tsukune-kun is faced with many trials, most of which not even I can predict or aid him against. He is all alone in that."
"But he's not alone! We're here for him, right?" Asked Kurumu. "We can help him, we will help him, right?"
"And how do you plan to do that exactly? By stuffing him in your chest every chance you get? Or by dragging him off to have progeny? Or by drinking his blood?" He pointed out, watching them squirm. "So far, the only two who have at least shown some understanding are little Yukari-san and Kokoa-san. You do not understand an Akuchi's needs. Therefore, you cannot help him in that regard. You can help him by making him fight less and think more. Not to mention by training to be strong enough to not need him to worry about you every moment."
"B-but... but we... what can we do?" Asked Kurumu, having deflated after the robed man's counter.
"That is for you to find out. I can help, but you must each find your own way to deal with this. I will say this however; I know where he is and I can take you there. I cannot let you take him away from his training however, regardless of what you wish. He has made his choice, now he has to stick to it and find his own limits. Without exertion, there is no progress. Or as the humans would say; no pain, no gain. In his case, it is a bit more literal. He and Ruby are in what's known as a 'Monster Paradise'. An alternate dimension wherein I have rescued and... salvaged... several monsters that would have gone extinct. The constant danger and pressure will do him good to advance his powers in a short time. It will hurt however, terribly I'm afraid."
Moka, Kurumu, Mizore and Yukari only needed a glance at each other to know what they had to do; go see him of course. "Then please show us where he is." They had made their choice.
Kokoa however wasn't satisfied. "So you knew about my mission... so, what's going to be my punishment?"
"What punishment? I have no intention of punishing you."
"Don't joke around with me! I come from your enemy's side! I could still be an enemy for all you know!" She screamed at him, annoyed at being dismissed. In her mind, the fact he didn't give her a punishment meant that he didn't see her as a threat worthy to be taken out. A gross insult to the vampire.
But the Headmaster only shrugged. "Beyond having a rather acute description of what Tsukune-kun would to do me if I let any of you get hurt, much less hurt myself, I also think there is no punishment befitting your punishment. You have already hated yourself enough and the insults about being a traitor hurt your pride enough. There is no need for punishment. Though, if you still want something," His eyes glinted mischievously. "I could give you some of Ruby's books on that matter. She has a whole library filled with illustrations on what humans call 'masochism'. Amusing reads, I admit. How one would enjoy pain, given or received, is such a revolutionary concept."
And then she was blushing again. Was there nothing in these people's heads other than sex? Poor Kokoa had yet to enter puberty and find out for herself. She was in for a sore surprise. "S-shut up you pervert!" She screamed at him and then stalked off to sulk, annoyed and embarassed at the giggling of the rest of the club.
"But Kokoa-chan has a good idea." Said Moka. "We all need training. Maybe we could train together?"
"Oh, like bootcamp! We could even make matching t-shirts and uniforms!" Kurumu squealed, thinking about how she would look in a uniform, and of course how to design one that would exemplify her 'aspects'.
Unfortunately, the idea was met with facepalms, though the Headmaster only chuckled at the teen's flighty nature. It was good to see that at least one of them could be a child when she wasn't forced to fight for the greater good or her life. If only he didn't have to resort to manipulations to control these children and let them take their own paths. While he believed they would make the same choices, he couldn't afford to give them that time. He didn't have that time to spare. "Well, you had better follow me if you want to find Ruby and Tsukune-kun. They are not far, but the gateway is not in casual sight, it would be very dangerous if someone released some of the rarities I've rescued in there."
And so the group was led to the Monster's Paradise, a place even they would be hard-pressed to survive. Through their walk, Kokoa was left to wonder what exactly it was that made this group not react to her traitorous actions. Why did they just nod and accept her?
She realized it was something profound and strong. It was called 'trust'. Simply put, they trusted her. They had read her, they had understood her and they trusted her despite her imperfections. Maybe that's what made the group so endearing to her. The fact that they could accept anyone if they were justified enough. But she was still split between her new loyalties and her loyalty to her family. She knew, for example that Kahlua did not deserve to be fought and possibly even killed for going with the wrong people. She might be scary, but she was also nice deep down, if one went past the passive disquiet the blonde vampire created just with her presence.
Then there as Akuha. She didn't want her dead, despite what she had done. She had known the old, nice, Akuha. Who, might not have been kind or caring, but at least she spoke and laughed and even fed Kou-chan or trained her. And that gave her a benefit of a doubt. Kokoa also realized that she was the only one to truly believe in Akuha, the only one who would search high and low to find a cure for whatever had ailed her oldest sister.
When the Newspaper Club reached the gateway, it wasn't what they expected it. It was a lone door standing on air, no walls around it, right in the middle of a large room.
The Headmaster made a wave towards the door. "If you go in there, I cannot promise your safety. I will accompany you, of course, but please make sure to keep watch at all times. Also, do not disturb Tsukune-kun when he is training. His power fluxuates rather greatly and it could prove... a hassle... if it went out of control. For all his vaunted power and potency, he sorely lacks in controlling. It is what this whole training is all about; in terms of amount and potency he needs no help. However his power is almost uncontrolled, unfocused, leading to wasting far more than he actually uses. This will also help him by condensing his power within him and hasten the adaptation of his body to youki. He is still mostly human physically, at least when not in combat."
And then they were through the standing door, straight inside a different world, a jungle of some sort, though it was filled with beings much more terrible than oversized cats or carnivorous fish. Almost immidiately from setting foot, Kokoa and Moka recoiled.
"Yeesh, you weren't lying..." Winced Kokoa. "He really has no sense of control. Feels like he's engaged in full-blown war over there. At least the power's just vampiric, no interference from his demonic side."
"Correct. Your usage of your supersensory detection is excellent. Very rare for one your age. Why, I remember Akasha had quite a lot of trouble when it came to detecting other youkai. If I had a coin for every time we got lost or followed the wrong trail-" Then he noticed Lilith poking his cheek impatiently and realized he had been entering an 'old man rambling' state. "But I digress. Yes, because we've temporarily suppressed his demonic side completely, he subconsciously calls on his vampiric one to compensate for the lack of power. Which, as you can see, results in that."
And 'that' was Tsukune sitting in a meditative position, an orb and a whip in hand with a long handcuff over his Divine Lock, the other end of which ended to Ruby. A Ruby that looked more than a little bit frazzled.
The reason to that became obvious as Tsukue's youki flared out of his control and the poor witch was electrocuted. When the group realized that she wasn't screaming in pain, but in pleasure, they blushed. As the flux continued to stubbornly resist it's bearer's efforts to reel it in, four girls, a robed man and a pixie became witnesses to what many would call an 'orgasm'.
Suspiciously, Yukari and Kokoa were found with identical nosebleeds, though one cursed while the other looked on hungrily. Kurumu tried to stop the woman from taking 'advantage' of Tsukune by smashing a weaponized Kou-chan on her head, promptly knocking her out mid-wail.
"S-sheesh! And here I thought she was the most level-headed of us! She's the greatest pervert I've ever seen!" Raged the succubus.
That drew a chuckle from her duet partner. "Have you ever looked at a mirror lately? Because I swear, some mornings you almost copy her just by looking at Tsukune."
"S-shut up!" She didn't deny it though. Really, some mornings he looked so yummy... It was with little surprise her blush deepened when those thoughts entered her mind and she was promptly subjected to the group's laughter.
"Gah... no good, I just can't control it..." Panted Tsukune, letting the orb and whip to the ground, just barely realizing there was company around him. "What the... what are you girls doing here?" He asked, surprise clear in his voice.
"Aww, you act as if you don't like us here!" Pouted Kurumu, draping herself on him as usual. "And here I thought I could steal you from Ruby-san. I'm so jealous right now, doing this and that with her!"
The poor boy. He knew what the girl referred to, but he just couldn't say it, he'd have died of embarassment. "Kurumu-chan!"
The girl giggled and poked out her tongue. "Relax, I know, she's just a big pervert. Makes me consider if all witches are perverts..."
In another dimension, the mother of a child genius witch sneezed softly before looking around; everything was perfect for their 'dungeon cosplay' night. She giggled as she played the 'damsel in distress' and awaited her 'knight in shining armor' to come and save her.
Kurumu was quickly pried off the male by the hands of the other two of the group, Yukari preferring to stay back and blush, remembering some of the scenes she had walked in when she was younger, and less perverted. Sometimes, having eidetic memory sucked. Kokoa on the other hand preferred to shake her head.
"So what exactly went on in here Tsukune-san?" She asked, much more polite than usual. Because usually she just called him 'Aono' or 'Tsukune-senpai', preferring not to get too close to him. "Your power was pretty much out of control, was it the orb and whip?"
The boy nodded as he wiped his forehead with a hand, perspiration gathering there from the many hours he had kept on practicing. "As expected of our number-one detective, Kokoa-chan." He said, smiling. "Yep, the orb repels my demonic powers, letting my vampiric blood take over. The whip cancels out the seal, allowing me full access to my youki, or well one side of my youki. Still, didn't expect it to be that hard to control..."
"It's because you have a large amount, Tsukune-san." Said Moka, looking admiringly at him. He really did have a lot of youki, even her other side admitted to that. He still wasn't at her level of course, but considering he was a human less than a year ago... "Most ayashi come into their power slowly, you took a giant leap forward. Ura-chan says that it's like her in a way; even as a child we had too much youki to safely use. Until we learned to control it, we were pretty much isolated from anything, and anyone, that broke easily."
It did make a weird kind of sense. "I think I understand. Still, it's just unfair how hard it is to control it!" He whined, though it was more mocking even then.
"So how long do you expect this to take?" Asked the Headmaster making almost everyone jump; they had forgotten he was there with them.
Tsukune sighed. "At the rate I'm going? Forever."
"Not true, Tsukune-san." Said Ruby, having recovered from both his youki and Kurumu's homerun. "You have already learned to control it a bit."
"But it's still not much of a progress is it? I don't know, I just hoped things would be easy for a change..."
"Idiot." Said Kokoa haughtily. "I told you before; life isn't fair, your demon isn't nice and you have to do something about it. If you have time to whine, then train."
"So you still remember these words Kokoa? You've really come a long way since you were a crybaby. Well done." And that voice, that was so similar to Outer Moka's, but also charged with power and confidence. She smirked from her place at the side of the gawking group, the whip Belmont in hand.
"I-Inner Moka? How did you get out?" Cried out Kurumu, prompting a slap to the back of her head from Mizore.
"Idiot, Tsukune told us, didn't he? The whip cancels out seals. Even Moka's Rosario."
"Precisely. This way, I can help you all train. You, Tsukune, will need to learn to control your power a bit before joining. Think of it as a goal; if you don't make it, I won't train you. And that would be a pity now, wouldn't it?"
Maybe it was the way she looked at him when she spoke, maybe it was the way she stood, maybe it was the whip she had comfortably wrapped around one of her long legs, but Tsukune couldn't help but blush. And she was right; it was one hell of an incentive. "R-right..."
"But, since I'm here anyway..." And then the vampiress proceeded to bite down on his neck and drink his blood, which became infused with his youki once he realized what was happening.
There was no mistaking the sounds the vampire made once the warm, life-infused blood rushed down her throat and the donor could hardly contain his own rumbling of the same nature with her body so pressed on his own. That of course provoked quite a bit of glaring from the girls around, even Kokoa.
The newest of the group might not have liked Tsukune in that way, but she sure as hell was jealous of him. She wanted her onee-sama time too! It wasn't fair that he hogged her all the time!
"Exquisite as always Tsukune." She complimented once she was over, sealing the wound with a small lick over the puncture wounds. "I wonder how strong you will really become, your blood becomes tastier every time you fight, every time you progress."
Falling back to a habit of his human days, Tsukune rubbed the back of his head embarassed.
Unfortunately Kurumu chose to interfere. "Hey! Stop hogging my Destined One, Moka! I don't care if you're Inner or Outer, but you're taking way too long drinking his blood! Are you trying to seduce my Tsukune?"
It was a good thing that Mizore reacted badly to Kurumu's claim or Moka would have found herself in a rather weird conundrum. She really was taking her time drinking his blood, not sucking on it ravenously like her less-mannered other side, but gently coaxing it out and enjoying every second it spent on her tongue before slowly letting it flow down her throat, like fine wine. She wouldn't admit it to anyone though, but spending all that time with her arms around the boy, no man she decided, gave her a very good image of how trained he was. Clearly those six months he had spent at school instead of home had given him a great physique, one she took every chance to admire, even subconsciously. There were many male vampires after all whose bodies were not nearly as trained. That definitely gave Tsukune more weight when it came to him deserving to have been born a vampire, but also made the contrast of his 'so close but not quite' situation all the harsher.
Inner sighed. She just couldn't escape introspection these days, could she? At least she could have chosen a worse place and company to do it. "Your petty and pointless squabbles aside, we have all training to do, even you little sister. So, while Tsukune tries to get his power under some control..." Her eyes seemed to glow red and four girls in front of her reflexively took a few steps back. "Get ready for training from hell!"
On the sidelines, the Headmaster shook his head, amused. These youngsters had gone through enough troubles to traumatize most others, but they kept on undeterred. Still, he could see the beginnings of cracks in their relationships, regardless of how strong they seemed, or were. And yet, it was exactly through these cracks that their relationships would be galvanized and strengthened. He only hoped they could survive the coming troubles.
Already there were some who suspected, or even knew, Tsukune's demonic bloodline and they were pressing him for action. There was Kagome Liliko who was looking for a chance to get revenge for being publicly humiliated. There was remnants of Anti-thesis still at school, giving Fairy Tale information about everything they did. Then there was Fairy Tale itself. The organization bent on universal destruction. The Headmaster sighed, if only Akasha had been a bit more patient for them to find another way to seal Alucard, then she would have been around still. And if that had happened, Fairy Tale wouldn't have even thought about going against the humans. But now, not only was the strongest of the three Dark Lords sealed more tightly than even Inner Moka and her Rosario, but the accursed organization had the backing and support of the Shuzen Family.
Maybe the Snow Priestess was right, maybe it was all for naught.
But until he had done his darndest, until he had exhausted all options and burned out completely on this task of his, then he wouldn't accept defeat.
He only hoped that his students would one day understand and forgive him for his machinations, for pushing them like he did and making them fight in a war that was not their own.
He hoped. That was all he could do at the moment when, despite his many plans and schemes, so many more things hung out of his reach.
Mayhaps he should not have hoped as much or thought his students as firm as he did. Mayhaps he should have given Kyouko's letter instead of saving it for a 'peaceful time'. Mayhaps he should have realized that as endless as a person's potential for good may be, they also have an endless potential for evil.
Mayhaps he should have remembered he was using children, not adults.
Then things could have gone different.
Though, in the end, would it have really mattered? Where does Fate stop and Destiny begins? Up until which point is one free to choose and until what point is he controlled by circumstances or blinded by beliefs as to one's real choices?
Fate cannot be changed. Destiny can. Youkai Gakuen and the entire ayashi race would come to know that in time.
A/N: Hello, hello my dear readers!
This is the last chapter for a long time, I'm afraid. I'm up for boot-camp on Tuesday and won't be out at least for 2 weeks. Which means I can't even write, much less update.
I'm aiming for an office job however, which would mean I'll get a tad more free time than others and may even get the chance to write and even publish. Otherwise, the only times I can update will be when I get leave. It's 8months total for me, but I got 2 months of leave. So six months of not writing.
Might as well kill myself and get this torture over with, but I don't think Hell has PCs that would let me post.
Then again, Bill Gates...
*Ahem* This chapter took a bit more to write, but I needed a small break after my 19k word marathon of the previous chapter. Still, hope you liked it and please review.
Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.
I shall not update this, or any other story.
I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.