Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rosario Vampire. I am merely twisting the creator's vision into my own dream. If the supernatural, sexuality, or violence is offensive to you, then you should not read this.

Chapter 110

It was the last Thursday of September. A morning that should have been unremarkable in any way. Ruby sat in the Board Chairman's outer office sorting attendance records while thinking about what to cook for her master's dinner. Tsukune's mother had recently sent her a new recipe for a pork curry that Tsukune might like. If she left shortly after lunch, Ruby figured, she would have time to do a little shopping and finish the housework before Tsukune got home from school.

Suddenly a low rumble made Ruby's desk vibrate. That was the only warning before an explosion like thunder rocked the school. Ruby leaped from her desk and hurried to the Board Chairman's office. The man was not present, but through the large window Ruby could see the sky, and the energies that rippled though the barrier around the school. She didn't know what had happened, but she did know that it couldn't be good. She hurried to the secret elevator that would carry her down to the barrier control room. She took it as a good sign that she had to wait for it, because that meant that the Board Chairman was already down there.

Xxxx

The Board Chairman had been at the barrier controls when the attack had struck. Someone had used a blast of demonic energy to try to breach the barrier around the school. While it wouldn't take much work to guess who would want to destroy the sanctuary of the school, the Board Chairman didn't have time to think about that. The barrier was held in place by a balance of science and magic, and was meant for concealment, not to act as a force field for standing up to outside attacks. The blast of demonic energy could have leveled a building, but the barrier had absorbed and redirected the force. Unfortunately for the Board Chairman, all that extra energy needed to go somewhere, and he was standing in the wrong place.

Ruby found the Board Chairman collapsed on the floor. Smoke was coming out of his robes and he was barely breathing. She was on the edge of panic, not knowing what to do. His body was crackling with energy, making touching him risky, and healing magic impossible. Ruby tried to think of what to do, but drew a blank. She needed someone to make a decision, to give some guidance. Ruby needed her Master.

XxX

The classrooms were filled with chatter. Everybody had been surprised by the crash of thunder. The view out the window was distracting, and even the teachers were curious about what was going on. In his classroom, Tsukune looked out the window with a frown. The thunder that had shaken the school was like a giant shoe trying to crush his happiness, he was sure. As he looked at the lights rippling across the barrier red sky, he waited for the other shoe to drop.

"Mister Aono," Ruby called from the doorway. "You are to come with me to the Board Chairman's office."

The effect of her words were impossible to miss. Tsukune's friends all tensed up, shooting him worried glances. The rest of the students turned to him with a mix of curiosity and relief. Whatever it was that had happened, they all knew, Tsukune would find a way to deal with it. Tsukune wondered, for the first time in a long time, of maybe he should quit school while he had a chance. He pushed the thought away as he headed for the door.

Tsukune knew the situation was bad when Ruby had called him out of class. As soon as they were alone in the hall he could tell that she was close to tears with fright. When they reached the empty Board Chairman's office, Tsukune started to bring up his youki.

"Ruby," Tsukune questioned. "What's going on?"

"It's the Board Chairman," Ruby said, crossing the office to the hidden elevator. "He's hurt and I don't know what I should do."

"It will be alright," Tsukune said soothingly.

Tsukune put an arm around Ruby as the elevator started its decent. She responded by clinging to him, her body trembling. Tsukune gave her a warm smile, trying to project a sense of confidence.

In the control room the scene was worse then when Ruby had left it. The extra energy was sparking from the controls and the board chairman was twitching on the floor, surrounded by wild energy. Tsukune took in the scene and tried to remember everything he had learned from Lord Gray's book, and everything he had ever heard about electricity. He knew that he had to keep the barrier up, but a man's life was in danger.

"Ruby," Tsukune ordered. "I need water. Go and fetch two buckets."

"Yes Master," Ruby acknowledged. She hurried off to do as she was told.

Tsukune walked around the control console slowly as he tried to consider his options. Magic, he had read, was the manipulation of energy to alter reality. Physics has defined what energy is, but has not been able to discover and identify all the kinds of energy. It is the undefinable energies that are key to making magic work. Tsukune had read that passage over and over again in hope of understanding it, in the hope of mastering his own youki. If energy followed constant rules, Tsukune thought he had a chance.

"Tetsu Odari," Tsukune said aloud as he reached for his left wrist. "Wake. Guard."

Tsukune held the iron staff in his hand for a moment. He prayed that he was right as he aimed, prepared to strike. He aimed for a floor tile just outside of the circle around the control console. Determined, Tsukune thrust his tool down as hard as he could. The floor tile shattered and the foundation under it was cracked by the force of the blow. Again and again Tsukune struck at the floor, until he had a crack at least an inch wide that reached down to the earth beneath the school.

Tsukune needed to save the Board Chairman's life, but more importantly, he needed to protect the school, and the lives of the people that lived under the barrier. If the barrier fell, it could be the start of a war between human and youkai. That was a war that would destroy Japan, and possibly the world. Tsukune stabbed Tetsu Odari into the ground and waited for Ruby to return.

Ruby returned with two full buckets of water, struggling with their weight while trying not to spill their contents. Tsukune relieved her of the buckets. He set the first one on the ground on the opposite side of the circle from where he had planted Tetsu Odari. He hoped that he was right about the nature of magical energy, and that Tetsu Odari would not be damaged by what he was about to do. Tsukune took a firm grip on the bucket and threw the water across the circle, over the Board Chairman and the control console.

The sparking of energy increased and steam started to rise. Growling, Tsukune dropped the empty bucket and took up the full one. He hurried wound the circle to where he had cracked open the foundation. This time Tsukune aimed his throw lower. He sent the water rushing across the floor, from where Tetsu Odari was stabbed into the ground to where the Board Chairman lay wet and convulsing.

The result was immediate. The second bucket of water connected with the puddle from the first to the iron body of Tetsu Odari. The wild energy now had a place to go. Like a serpent of lightning, it arced across the surface of the water to Tetsu Odari, grounding out into the earth. The sparks faded and the Board Chairman went limp.

"Yes," Tsukune hissed as he started forward.

Tsukune lifted the Board Chairman and carried him to a dry expanse of floor. He wouldn't have moved him at all, except that he didn't trust the area around the control console to be entirely safe. Next, Tsukune stripped the man down. The Board Chairman's body was lean and covered with black lines, tattoos of some kind. He was breathing shallowly and had burns on his hands and feet, and blood in his mouth from where he had bit his lip. At Tsukune's direction, Ruby cast what little healing magic she knew. The Board Chairman tensed and drew a deep, gasping breath.

"The barrier?" The Board Chairman demanded in a weak voice.

Tsukune looked to Ruby.

"It stands," Ruby said.

"The barrier is still there," Tsukune said.

"The school?" The man questioned.

"It's safe for now," Tsukune answered.

"Take care of it," The Board Chairman wheezed before passing out.

"Ruby," Tsukune turned to her. "Get the school nurse down here."

"Yes master," Ruby hurried to obey.

Tsukune carefully redressed the Board Chairman to help keep him warm. He sat watch over the man to make sure he kept breathing until help arrived. As a precaution, Tsukune took the Board Chairman's rosary and pocketed it for safe keeping. While he was waiting, Tsukune carefully recovered Tetsu Odari. While it felt heavier then before, which Tsukune suspected was from a case of post-crisis fatigue, he was happy to learn that it still functioned as it did before. Once Ruby returned, Tsukune helped get the board Chairman back up to his office. From there he was taken to the hospital.

Tsukune's mind raced as he tried to decide what to do next. He started by going to the Board Chairman's desk. The man's title implied that he was the head of a board, and therefor there should be a second in command to notify in case of something going wrong. Tsukune looked around, but he couldn't find anything to tell him who should be contacted, or how. Feeling frustrated he dropped into the chair behind the desk with a sigh.

"Ruby," Tsukune called out. "Who is in charge when the Board Chairman is not around?"

"I do not know," Ruby answered. "I never thought to ask."

Tsukune gave Ruby a flat look as he contained his frustration as best as he could. It made sense in a twisted sort of way. The Board Chairman was used to being in control, so if he had any plans for when something went wrong, he would keep them to himself, so that somebody else could exploit them to gain control.

"Ruby," Tsukune said. "Call Nekonome Sensei up here for me please."

Tsukune didn't know who was supposed to take over in an emergency. He didn't even know who was senior among the teaching staff. When in doubt, Tsukune's human reasoning dictated, ask your homeroom teacher for guidance.

XxxX

In hind sight, Tsukune reasoned, his mistake was trying to think his school would use human world logic in a crisis. Nekonome Sensei didn't know who was supposed to be second in command for the school, and suggested declaring a holiday until the Board Chairman was back on his feet. Tsukune decided to get the faculty together for a meeting during lunch, to see if anybody would have a reasonable plan. In the end the teachers all fell into three groups. The first group, like Nekonome Sensei, were all for taking a holiday. The second group were indifferent to who was in charge and were willing to just carry on until the Board Chairman was back. The third group immediately started talking about changing the school. Only they wanted to do it in ways that would let them exploit the students. The first two groups were alarmingly unopposed to the idea.

"No." Tsukune's voice was low and sharp. "The Board Chairman would not want anybody exploiting this school, and I have not been risking my life to protect this place from gangs and criminals to let it get turned into some kind of depraved playground." The last past was directed towards the math teacher Kagome Sensei, and the gym coach Kotsuba Sensei.

"Fine then," Kagome Sensei said with a dismissive flip of the hand. "What do you think we should do?"

"Please," Kotsuba Sensei snorted. "Why should we have to listen to this brat?" He flexed his muscles and cracked his knuckles. "He should just do as he's told and stay out of our way."

"You should do as I say," Tsukune growled. "Because the Board Chairman trusts me to look after the safety of this school." He reached for his youki and looked the gym coach in the eye. "For the last two years I have been getting better at protecting my school mates."

That was enough of a push to make the gym coach back down. Two years ago Tsukune had beaten the Kraken Youkai when he had tried to kill Mizore. During those two years, Tsukune had gotten stronger. Youkai are driven by primal behavior. Tsukune had proven himself strong and determined. His age and experience, or lack there of, was of less importance the his willingness to stand up for what he wanted, and his ability to beat down anybody that opposed him.

"School will remain open," Tsukune declared. "And classes will continue as scheduled. If any problems come up that can't wait for the Board Chairman to recover, I will deal with them. Any objections?"

xx

The faculty meeting had ended with Tsukune in charge of the school. He sank into the chair behind the Board Chairman's desk and offered a prayer of thanks, to whatever spirits or deities that might be listening, that it was almost the weekend. With the lunch break over, Tsukune knew his friends would be worried about him. He wanted to let them know that he was not in any trouble, but his personal concerns would have to wait.

"Ruby," Tsukune called out to her. For some reason she had a habit of retreating to the Outer office whenever he stopped talking to her or giving her instructions for more more the just a few minutes. "We have work to do."

"Yes master," Ruby came into the main office with a small smile and a curtsy.

Tsukune did not like the idea of being in charge of the school, but there was nobody he could think of that he could trust that would be capable of doing a good job. Tsukune took Ruby back down to the barrier control room to double check the condition of the controls and the barrier. After that, Tsukune left her to watch the office while he went to check up on the Board Chairman. As he passed through the school he detoured past his own classroom the give his friends a quick sign that he was aright, but the door was closed and he could hear a lecture in progress, so he kept walking, not wanting to disturb the class. The hospital annex was close to the school, and quickly reached with Hiru's assistance.

"Mister Aono," A nurse passing through the lobby recognized Tsukune and called out to him. "How are you feeling today?" She came up to him with a warm smile.

"I am doing well, Thank you..." Tsukune said. He recognized the nurse who had taken care of him at least once before but couldn't remember her name.

"Kangoshi May," She said with a smile. "You can call me May, Mister Aono."

"Tsukune," He said with a smile.

"What can we do for you today, Tsukune?" Nurse May asked.

"I am here to see the Board Chairman," Tsukune explained. "I need to give him a report, and to ask for instructions."

"Oh," The nurse's eyes lit up. "I see. Well, I was just coming back from break, so I will take you too him."

"Thank you," Tsukune said.

"This way," Nurse May said, turning and starting across the lobby. "So, Tsukune, Have you decided on what you want to do after graduation?"

"Yes," Tsukune nodded, following the nurse. "I am going to work for the police for a while, and then open an investigation and security company of my own."

"I see," May gave a soft laugh. "My little sister is planing a nursing career, and she was kind of hoping you might become a doctor. She will be disappointed." She laughed softly again. "It was her big romantic dream. Kind of silly in a way."

"Nothing wrong with dreams," Tsukune said. "Tell her I wish her the best with her nursing career. Heaven knows I've been in need of a good nurse more then once."

"Haven't I always taken good care of you?" May asked with a little pout.

"Yes," Tsukune agreed in a neutral voice. "But what about the nurse during my first stay in the hospital?"

"When was that?" May asked.

"Two years ago," Tsukune answered.

"Oh," May said. "That must have been before I started here. I was hired shortly after there was some kind of attack."

"Yes," Tsukune said. "I was a patient here during that attack. It was one of the nurses trying to kill me."

"Oh my," May's eyes went wide.

The rest of the trip through the hospital was done in silence. May considered what she knew about Aono Tsukune, and compared it to what her little sister had to say about him. Tsukune had narrowly escaped death in his first and second years of High School. The fact that he had not yet been a patient in the hospital during his third year was suddenly ominous. May couldn't help but wonder if he was over due for some bad luck to strike. She eyed him carefully. He was tall, good looking, and confident, but she was aware of the scars that hid under his uniform. May knew she would never be able to convince her sister to stay away from Tsukune, but she was suddenly glad that he wasn't interested in a career in the medical field.

A pair of men in black suits were standing out side the Board Chairman's room. Tsukune entered the hospital room with mixed emotions. He was glad to see the Board Chairman sitting up and awake. His eyes were open and he looked to see who had opened the door. His appearance, however, did not inspire hope that he would be back to work soon. His skin was pale and his eyes had dark circles under them. Tsukune could see the bandages around the man hands where the rested on top of the bedding.

"Well boy?" The Board Chairman questioned, his voice rough.

"I wanted to let you know," Tsukune said. "Ruby says the barrier is holding and everything seams to be working."

"Good, good," The man nodded slowly.

"I informed the faculty of what happened as best I could," Tsukune explained with a sour expression. "I am effectively in control of the school at the moment. I don't know who is supposed to take over during a crisis like this, but I knew you would want to keep everything running as normal as possible, so I had to take charge until you can appoint someone."

"I see," The Board Chairman said slowly. "And you have my Rosary of Judgment?"

"Yes sir," Tsukune nodded. "I remembered how important it is." He looked around the hospital room. "And I know how vulnerable you can be here."

"Good thinking," The man said. "I have made arrangements for some additional security, and will be moving into my own rooms at the school soon enough, but you hold on to it for me for now."

"Yes sir," Tsukune said. He was hoping that the Board Chairman would take it back. It would have been nice if he could have used his rosary to heal himself.

"I sent a message to the board," The Board Chairman said, resting back against the pillows and closing his eyes with a sigh. "Until I recover, you are Headmaster. I'm counting on you."

Tsukune gaped in shock, looking like a stunned and landed fish. He had hoped to be told who would be taking charge of the school, not to be named to the post himself. He suddenly wished he had let Nekonome Sensei take charge. A prolonged holiday probably wouldn't have hurt the school much, and Tsukune would have been off the hook. He saw that the Board Chairman had fallen asleep, and knew that arguing would not solve anything.