Ex Headmaster Aono stood alone in a dark passage way. It'd been years since he'd wandered down the halls of this school. Usually he'd just head from point A to point B. Tonight though, he'd decided to do something different. Maybe for security reasons or maybe to think about the years he spent with his friends.

From the moment he stepped foot on the school grounds to the day he lost his humanity Tsukune had been a chew toy of fate. His arrival and a greater part of his academic experience was in fact more or less engineered to ensure he'd one day act as a bridge between two worlds. There was always some one pulling the strings. Funny, and now all he could think about is what he would have done differently if he'd only known.

Of course the Tsukune that would get nosebleeds, and was always misunderstood, and whose heart was their greatest weapon, that Tsukune was gone. Now all he had was memories of what it must have been like. Before the injections of blood and the 109 needles, before he gave up his humanity to save Moka, and before he became a father.

Huh, to think a Headmaster and a bus driver were behind all this.

Youkai Academy was so beautiful at night. The way the moon would shine in through the windows. It was probably a good thing that the inside was way less creepy then the outside. Who ever had designed this school seemed to have put a great deal of thought into it. Was it because they wanted it to better simulate the human world? Was it so that higher tier monsters with allot of influence wouldn't be put off? Did monsters also appreciate the little things in life?

He could ask Moka, but he didn't really want to bother her. These last two decades had been the most exhausting yet rewarding years of his life. The Ex Headmaster had a hunch his beloved felt the same way.

Whether it was their eldest starting a fire, or Kino accidentally raising the ghost of George Washington, they'd always had their hands full. Who knew that raising kids could be so hard? Especially compared to defeating the most powerful vampire of all time. All things considered Tsukune was really glad he'd followed the advice of big daddy Starbucks about the whole Polygamy thing. Life was challenging enough as is.

His mind crept on and the sun started to peak just over the Horizon. He knew that through out the school students were desperately trying to wake up, or rushing to head to the mirror, or groggily realizing they'd accidentally turned into their monster forms during the night.

Perhaps he could talk to Ruby about easing the punishments on tardiness. Keeping the current draconian rules in place felt ridiculous and a tad hypocritical. Especially considering the old Newspaper clubs rule breaker status. Sure no one followed the rules too closely back then but there was no denying they had a rebel streak to them. Just like the previous newspaper club, or so Gin had told them.

With a sliver of reluctance Tsukune headed to his respective homeroom. It was time to try and slam some knowledge into these kids heads. So they wouldn't make the same mistakes he did.

As he walked in and took a seat his eyes caught something he hadn't really noticed before. This was their old class. The number had changed and they'd replaced darn near all of it though. It was the same and yet so different. Just like him.

Thanks to years of practice he was able to suppress a smile as his daughter came in accompanied by the rest of his pupils. She was glaring daggers at him again. If she only knew how much he cared. If only he had a way of expressing it that didn't involve nearly getting her killed, grounded, or stalked by the intelligence agencies of the human world.

Still, pissing off 68 countries of the world wasn't that bad. Was it?

Silence. The class was waiting for him to start talking. Now his composure slipped. He smiled a little. It made his face feel funny. A few of the students recoiled further back into their seats.

"I've decided to disregard the assignments due today and redact any punishments I've given you from your permanent record. You've all been through enough. There will be no homework for the rest of the week. Class dismissed"

Every got up to leave. Everyone, except Ice. She was staring at him like he'd just grown a third eye or started unleashing dangerous wavelengths.

"Dad, are you okay?"

"That's, that's one word for it Ice"

"You haven't been acting yourself recently"

"When have I ever?"

Silence. The ex Headmaster averted his eyes. His posture slipped. Ice remained in her seat. Trying so desperately to look into the eyes of the man called her father.

"I know", she began with a broken voice, "that I'm not like everyone else. I don't have any stories to tell, or anything that I think would make you proud. But I'm proud that you're my dad"

The ex Headmaster froze. No words. Ice got out of her seat. She ran towards him and gave him a big hug.

"You never gave up on us", Ice said.

"You always found time for us when we were little", She told him.

"Dad, I love you"

At long last the Headmaster returned her embrace.

"I love you too ice"

Letting go was once of the hardest things Tsukune ever did. The ex Headmaster certainly did take their sweet time.

"You're next class is coming up soon"

"I Know"

"Mcgonagall won't appreciate you missing class"

"You're right", whispered Ice, and then she finally let go as well.

She went back to her seat and grabbed her things. Right before she left, ice asked one last question. She didn't bother turning around. Maybe she was afraid of what the answer might be.

"Dad, do you ever think things will go back to normal?"

Ice couldn't see it but her dad was smiling.

"Normal, as in Normal for us? I don't think so. I'm afraid things might be . . . quiet"

Ice walked away. Tsukune couldn't see it but his daughter was smiling. Before she left his visual range the ex Headmaster heard something. A whisper on the wind, something that was barely even audible when blended with disappearing footsteps.

"Thank you dad"