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, than you should not read this.
Chapter 123
Supper was served once everybody was seated. Tsukune sat at the center of one long side of the table. To his left sat Kurumu, to his right was Moka, then Mizore. Emmy sat at the end of the table, with Kota to her right. Next was Nagi. Aiko sat opposite from Tsukune with Rina and Iris to her right. Next to Iris, at the and of the table, was Ken. It was a more formal meal then Nagi, Kota, or Emmy were comfortable with. Ken borrowed from his skill as an actor to blend in with the setting. The delicious food that was served was filling, and everybody ate well. After a dessert of rich chocolate cake, everybody relaxed around the table for a little while.
"If I can have a moment," Tsukune said, attracting everybody's attention. "I would like to take a moment to explain the purpose for this weekend." With a hand gesture, he drew in Ruby and the maids to listen as well.
"Every year this school holds a festival," Tsukune explained. "Normally only students, staff, alumni, and a few locals attend the festival, but his year is different. This school has a specific mission, to help students from special backgrounds learn to get along with others safely."
"Kota," Tsukune said with a look to his friend. "I told you about this over the Summer break." He looked around the table at his friends and guests. "The Board Chairman wants to expand the school. To prove to the board members that the school is fulfilling its roll, he has invited you here as a test. Not only is he testing the students to see how well they will do with outsiders here, but he is also trying to prove that you five can get along with the students."
"When I was told that I would be representing the school and hosting guests," Tsukune explained. "I thought that the Board Chairman was inviting people that knew about this school, and the truth about the students. When I first arrived here, I did not know what I was getting into, and it nearly killed me. I don't want to put you through that."
"What?" Nagi questioned.
"Tsukune?" Moka gave him a worried look.
"Please hear me out," Tsukune said. "I know what I am going to say will sound crazy, but it's the truth. This school is called the Youkai Academy because it is a school for non-humans."
"You're joking," Nagi accused.
"Youkai?" Rina's eyes went wide as she looked around, remembering the nightmares she had suffered during the Summer trip.
"Tsukune," Aiko tried to sound calm. "Are you trying to scare us?"
"No," Tsukune gave a shake of his head. "I am trying to warn you."
"But that would be impossible," Aiko said with a nervous note in her voice.
"Remember the Test of Courage from our Summer trip?" Tsukune reminded her. "Haven't you wondered how it was done?"
"But..." Aiko looked at her classmates.
"Your safety comes first," Tsukune said firmly. "I may be breaking the rules of the Board Chairman's test to tell you this, but I think you have a right to know. Some of the students or other people you see might react poorly to outsiders. The Student Police have been told to keep you safe as well."
"But..." Aiko was still trying to think.
"Tsukune told me about this school during the trip," Kota said. "I didn't believe him at first ether."
"If you knew," Rina asked in a tight voice. "Then why would you come here?"
"Because I wanted to see my girlfriend," Kota said, taking Emmy's hand in his.
"Girlfriend?" Nagi questioned. "You're actually a couple?"
"Yes we are," Emmy said with a bright smile.
"Congratulations," Aiko said to be polite.
"Tsukune," Nagi looked at him. "Do you know any more single girls?" He gave a hopeful look at Kurumu.
"In your dreams," Kurumu said, noticing his attention.
"Errr..." Tsukiune had to think for a moment before answering. "I might know someone." He remembered that there was a girl in the Drama Club that was hoping to meet one of Tsukune's friends.
"Tsukune," Moka said, touching his arm. "Are you sure it's a good idea to tell them the truth?"
"Yes," Tsukune said firmly. "They have a right to know what kind of situation they are in. Besides, if this test goes well, the Board Chairman will get the funding to expand the school, and more regular people will be let in. It will bring the life we want a little closer."
Moka smiled at Tsukune's words. Once again he was making what he was doing into something special for her. She was going to have to do her part to make the weekend a success as well, for the sake of their future.
"Besides," Tsukune went on. "I think the Board Chairman might have chosen friends of mine for his 'test' in order to help cheat a little bit."
"Tsukune," Rina asked nervously. "What kind of youkai are there?"
"Think about every story you have ever heard about spirits," Tsukune said. "Most of them are true."
"I saw a movie once," Nagi said. "A woman had been thrown into a well after she had been cut..." He made a gesture across his face.
Tsukune knew the movie he was talking about. It connected to the story of a woman in ancient times that had been the victim of jealousy, one way or another. The slit-mouthed woman.
"Yes," Tsukune said. "I think that is one of my friend's girlfriend."
"Are there any youkai that can visit people's dreams?" Rina asked.
"Yes," Tsukune said carefully. "But none of them will bother you while you are here." Tsukune gave Kurumu a look as he remembered how upset Rina was on the morning they first talked to each other.
"But Tsukune," Kurumu started to say.
"And if anything happened before," Tsukune continued. "I am sure we can all consider it over and done with."
"If this is some kind of test," Aiko asked, her mental balance restored for the moment. "What is it that we are supposed to do?"
"For the test to be successful," Tsukune said. "All you have to do is enjoy the festival safely. We have to keep you safe and show you a good time. And when it is all over, with nobody hurt or buildings destroyed, you have to be able to return to your lives without telling everybody the truth about the school and raising a panic."
"I see," Aiko said slowly. She leaned back in her seat for a moment to think.
"I know this is a lot to take in," Moka said. She rested her hand on Tsukune's arm. "But I think Tsukune is right to tell you the truth. I told you how Tsukune and I met, and how he saved me. The student that attacked me was an ogre. He was a monster that believed that the strong should be free to take what they want from the weak, and that humans were good for nothing except food."
"The ogre was going to kill you?" Nagi asked, his eyes wide.
"No," Moka said with a small shake of her head. "He wanted to do something worse then kill me."
"Oh," Nagi looked uncomfortable when he understood what Moka meant.
"Tsukune," Kota asked. "Will we be able to tell which students are youkai?"
"I hope not," Tsukune answered. "The purpose of this school is to help them to learn to look and act more human. If they make a mistake, and show their youkai side you might be able to tell, but they are supposed to keep that from happening. That is a part of the test of the School Festival."
"That is one of the nice things about a festival," Kurumu said. "Even if someone makes a mistake, most people won't notice. How do you tell if someone is in a costume, or if it is really how they look."
"Nekonome Sensei," Mizore said.
"Right," Tsukune said. "How many times have you seen somebody with cat ears on their head when you go out somewhere? Ever notice some girls make sure their ears and hair color match?"
"You're saying that we might have already seen youkai in real life?" Nagi asked.
"I know you have," Tsukune said. "This school is for the youkai that need help to fit in. Others might already be going to your schools, or running businesses around where you live."
"Do you know what kind of youkai we will meet here?" Iris asked. She was holding Ken's hand for comfort.
"No," Tsukune said honestly. "I don't know all the kinds of youkai that are at this school. Even if I did, each student is responsible for keeping their youkai nature hidden. I'm not going to give away their secrets."
"What if I want to meet one?" Kota asked.
"Why would you want to?" Emmy questioned him.
"Well," Kota said slowly. "I've been thinking about it for a while now. I mean, I've learned that I am sharing my world with non-humans. It's like living in an apartment building and finding out I have a neighbor I have never seen. I should at least say hello. Besides, isn't that how we make everything work? We talk to each other so that we can understand each other. What if my neighbor is too shy to come and say hello to me, but has been bothered by me watching anime late at night. If I know it bothers them, I can get headphones. Or what if they like anime, but they don't have the time or the money to keep up with the ones they like. If that's the case, maybe we could share. Tsukune says that your school is about helping youkai to live with humans. Shouldn't humans learn to live with youkai too?"
"What?" Rina gave Kota a surprised look. "How does that make sense?"
"Think about it," Kota said with a little frown. "If you listen to the old legends, they tell you about how humans and spirits used to get along, or not get along. The Maneki Neko, the beckoning cat you see in store windows, comes from a story of a man with an inn that was kind to a cat spirit. It was a poor inn because of it's location. He never had a lot of money, and could hardly stay in business. When he showed kindness to a cat spirit, by feeding it, it repaid him by going out in to the street and waving at people to get their attention. They were amused by the way the cat acted to they started going to the inn. The inn became popular, and the beckoning cat became a legend.
"That's just a story," Rina scoffed.
"Is it?" Kota chalenged. "The first Emperor of Japan was said to be a descendant of the gods. What if he was? That would mean that every person that can trace even a single part of their ancestry to the Imperial Family would be related to the gods of Japan. Why does Japan have so many shrines? Why are so many Kami honored with festivals? If I am living next to a youkai, if I am sharing my world with them, shouldn't I be as respectful of them as I am of anybody else? I mean, we're both Japanese aren't we?"
"I like that though," Tsukune said with a smile. "I'm going to borrow it some time."
"What?" Kota blinked. As a member of his school's Paranormal Research Club he had become a little obsessed with the supernatural, and had been caught up in his geeky passion. He had to take a moment to remember what he had actually said. "Alright. Sure." Kota blushed, feeling a little embarrassed about running off at the mouth like that. He didn't notice the way Emmy was smiling at him.
"But Tsukune," Kurumu said. "Not all monsters at this school are Japanese. There are western monsters here to."
"I know," Tsukune said. "But if they are born here, if they chose to live here, then that makes then at least part Japanese."
The conversation dwindled. The human guests mulled over what they had been told, and considered what they knew. Tsukune wanted to give them the time to think things through. He stood and invited everybody back to the sitting room. The seats were more comfortable there, and the table wouldn't be in the middle separating everybody. Once everybody found a place in the sitting room, the conversation started up again. It was all small talk about unimportant things, giving the guests a chance to absorb what they had heard.
XxXx
Aiko thought about all that she had been told, and what she had observed. Not everything a person had to say came out in words. She had watched the faces and body language of her host and his friends, watching for signs that they were trying to trick her. She was convinced that they were telling her the truth, and that made her nervous. She was also convinced that they were not telling her the whole truth, and that frightened her. When it was time to retire for the night, Aiko made a point of asking Ruby to show her to her room. It wasn't because she was lost, but because she wanted a chance to question the strange maid.
"Ruby," Aiko said as they reached her door. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Ruby said with a small nod.
"Is this school dangerous?" Aiko wanted to know. "Am I in danger just being here?"
"No," Ruby said. "My master is very capable when it comes to protecting others, and he is very well respected, so none of the students would want to offend him by endangering his guests."
"But I was told that he had to save your life twice now," Aiko countered.
"The first time he saved my life," Ruby explained. "Was before I came to this place. The second time was because I did something foolish, and if he had not protected me, I would have been killed for it."
"What did you do?" Aiko wondered in surprise.
"I kissed Tsukune," Ruby said with a crooked smile. "It was in a moment of weakness, when he was unable to resist me."
"Oh..." Aiko thought that the woman must be exaggerating, but then she remembered the last day of the Summer trip. She had given Tsukune a hug, and his friends had reacted in a way that bordered on hostility. She looked at the maid in front of her.
"Um," Aiko found it difficult to ask what sounded like a ridiculous question. "Are you a... a..."
"Am I a youkai?" Ruby asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes," Aiko nodded, blushing.
"You could say that," Ruby answered. "I am not a full youkai. My kind are a mix of youkai and normal humans. Most people call us witches, but that isn't completely accurate ether."
"I see," Aiko said thoughtfully.
"Will there be anything else?" Ruby asked.
"No," Aiko said, turning to her room. "Thank you."
"Good night," Ruby offered.
As she got ready for bed, Aiko wondered how she was going to get any rest. She had just been told that monsters are real. The school she was visiting had youkai among the students. The idea was strange, but what made it frightening was the thought that Ruby, who admitted to being something other then human, had needed Tsukune's protection. It made Aiko wonder how dangerous of a place she had come to. Then a smile touched her lips. Tsukune had saved Moka. Tsukune had saved Ruby. Tsukune said he would protect her. Thinking about being protected by Tsukune's strong arms was enough to let Aiko relax and slip into pleasant dreams.
XX xx XX xx XX
Nagi couldn't stop smiling in the morning. Something about having a cute maid with long blonde hair waking him just seemed to make the day special. He was sharing a room with Kota, and the pair of boyhood friends had stayed up late talking about the different kinds of youkai they thought might be at the school. Nagi hoped to meet a catgirl, or some other kind of cute youkai. Kota tried to warn him that there were youkai, like vampires, that saw human's as prey, and that Nagi should be careful. They continued their conversation as they made their way to breakfast.
Tsukune greeted his guests with a smile. He saw that Rina was a little red-eyed and suspected that she had slept poorly, but the others looked rested. He explained that Emmy and Ken had Drama Club responsibilities, but that Kota and iris would be able to see them later. Everybody was still eating breakfast when someone knocked at the door.
XxXxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kiyo Himi was a part of the Floral Arrangement Club. It was a club with low participation requirements, so it was popular with the more shy students. Of the few members that took the club seriously, Kiyo was the one that had organized the club's booth. It was a florist's stall, with arrangements put together by club members for sale. Kurumu had spent all day Friday putting corsages together and working the sales counter. Thursday afternoon she had worked her class' goldfish scooping stand. Her plan was to get her responsibilities out of the way so she could have free time to enjoy the festival. When she returned to her house late Friday she saw that she had a letter from her sister, but had ignored it in favor of a hot bath and a soft bed. In the morning, before getting around to breakfast, Kiyo opened her sister's letter, hoping for the small chance that the she was actually going to come for a visit.
Kiyo read through the letter twice to make sure she understood its contents. No her sister was not going to be coming for a visit. She had never bothered to visit before so why start now. What had caught Kiyo's attention was what her sister had to say about Aono Tsukune. Kiyo had told her sister about him, as much as to have something to say as to ask for advice. Kiyo's sister worked in a small hostess lounge, and her advice for attracting a boyfriend was less then helpful. The woman saw men as a source of income, and occasionally for a little personal pleasure. Kiyo had once accused her sister of being cold blooded when it came to men. The woman had just laughed as scales appeared around her slit-pupil eyes.
In her letter, Kiyo's sister had written about a conversation she had overheard where Aono Tsukune had been mentioned. She had sent the letter to Kiyo as a warning. Powerful people were talking about a boy she liked, so she should be careful about getting close to him. Her sister cautioned Kiyo to look for someone else to pay attention to.
Kiyo didn't hesitate once her sister's message was clear. She took only a moment to throw on a clean dress before heading for the door. She tried calling out to Moka, but knew her housemate had already gone out. The pressure of the vampire's youki was more noticeable lately, as was it's absence. Kiyo left the house uncertain of where Tsukune was, but knew if she followed the hint of Moka in the air she would find him. Like everybody else in the village, Kiyo had noticed the activity at the old manor at the end of the street. Tsukune living there wasn't much of a surprise. It was more of a curiosity that he had not moved in to the manor sooner.
Kiyo had felt a little nervous when she knocked at the front door of the old house. Ruby answered the door in a kind of maid's uniform and listened as Kiyo asked to speak with Tsukune. Ruby invited her in, and left her in the entry way to notify her master. When Tsukune appeared, Kiyo felt a wave of relief. She quickly handed her sister's letter to him and explained the reason for her sudden visit. Tsukune listened to her and then read the letter for himself. Kiyo was almost breathless as she waited.
"Thank you for binging this to me," Tsukune said. "You said you just woke up. Would you like to join us for breakfast?"
"What?" Kiyo was surprised by Tsukune's calmness. "Yes. Thank you."
"Come on in," Tsukune invited her.
A little dazed, Kiyo followed Tsukune into the house. She tested the air discreetly and discovered a mix of wonderful scents. When they reached the dining room, she saw Tsukune's girlfriends seated with what must be the rumored guests of the Board Chairman.
Tsukune instructed Ruby to set a place so Kiyo could join them for breakfast. As she took the empty seat beside Kurumu, Tsukune introduced her as his classmate. She listened as he introduced the guests.
"Iris," Tsukune said. "I hope that your visit here will not put you at odds with your father." He held up the letter from Kiyo's mother "It sounds like he not done trying to find out about me."
Kiyo was surprised at how quickly she was included with the group. Tsukune explained to her and to his old friends about how the father of Tanaka Iris had caused a stir while trying to investigate about him. It was during the conversation that Kiyo realized that the guests were all humans. She tried to be discreet as she observed them.
"Tsukune," Nagi asked. "If secrecy is so important, then why are we here? Why are you telling us about youkai?"
"Because the Board Chairman wants to see if you can accept the truth, and not become a danger to the school," Tsukune explained. "Two years ago my cousin got caught up in things and ended up visiting during the festival. She got to see youkai first hand. She knows about this school, but she hasn't told anybody. She hasn't even told my parents. The Board Chairman looks at her as a success. A human that knows the secret of the school but hasn't tried to use it to hurt the school or to take advantage of it."
"Oh," Nagi said as he thought it over.
"Kiyo," Tsukune turned to her. "Are you free today?"
"Yes," Kiyo answered.
"Would you like to join us?" Tsukune offered. "We are going to be visiting the festival."
"Yes," Kiyo answered quickly. "Thank you."
"I hope that nobody minds a walk," Tsukune said as he got up from the table. "The village we are in now is a little ways away from the school campus. The idea was to create a human neighborhood so that students from isolated places would have a chance to learn how to get along."
"Do the faculty live in the village also?" Aiko asked as she gathered herself together.
"No," Kurumu said with a smile. "There is a small shop in the village for the bare essentials, but everybody else is a student."
"Isn't that taking a big chance?" Aiko wondered. "Its a co-ed school after all."
"The Student Police helps keep everybody honest," Tsukune said.
There was a short break while everybody got ready to go to the festival. There was no rule against taking pictures, but Tsukune wondered if Aiko's fancy digital camera would work under the barrier, or if it's memory would survive the transition back to the human world. After everybody had their walking shoes and pocket money, and had a chance to use the water closet, the group set off for the festival.
Aiko took in the sights as they walked from the manor house towards the school festival. The little houses of the village looked like nicer places to live than a school dorm. The walk through the woods could have been scary, but with people she knew it was kind of nice. For being a school, there was a great sense of freedom. Everything wasn't fenced in.
"Hey," Nagi turned to Tsukune as they walked. "What do you do if you have a lot of things to carry? I don't see any cars, or even tire tracks."
"You get your friends to help you," Tsukune explained. "Also, a lot of the students here are stronger than they look."
"Where does that path lead," Kota asked, looking over his shoulder as they joined a larger path.
"That's the way to the dorms," Moka answered. "Before we lived in the village, we all stayed there."
"I am sure the village is nicer," Aiko said.
"It's nice," Kurumu said. "But there are two students to a house, and that can make it a little hard to have privacy, unless you want to stay in your bedroom. The dorm rooms are a little bigger then our bedrooms in the village, and each one had a little kitchen."
"Yes," Mizore agreed. "When Tsukune came over for dinner with me, we could be alone in my dorm room. Now I have to make sure my housemate will be out if I want to have privacy in the living room."
"You would visit their dorm rooms?" Aiko gave Tsukune an accusing look.
"Why not," Tsukune challenged her. "They're my friends. We are in the same class and the same club together too."
"But that's not..." Aiko started to say.
"Tsukune is not like that," Moka said firmly. "He would never do anything improper when he would visit."
"Not even if we asked him to," Kurumu added.
"And we did ask," Mizore gave Tsukune a dirty look. "I still do."
Tsukune made eye contact with Rina and gave a defeated sigh. Rina couldn't help herself. She remembered what she had said to Tsukune the first time they had talked, and how he had agreed with her. Seeing the exchange, and Tsukune's resignation, she laughed.
Nagi looked at Tsukune with a face that suggested he had swallowed his tongue. He knew that his friend was popular with girls, but it was more then he had expected. The idea of having more then one girl interested in Tsukune was entertaining, but their open desire for him made Nagi want to punch his friend.
Tsukune felt embarrassed by the turn of conversation. He was trying to think of a way to distract everybody's attention away from him. Fortunately help was quick to arrive.
"Captain Aono," Inari called out in greeting. "Good morning."
The SSS of the Student Police had gathered at the school gates to welcome the Board Chairman's guests, and to be ready to support their captain. Tsukune saw them and smiled. They were all in their uniforms, looking sharp and alert. They were the perfect distraction.
"Good morning, Lieutenant," Tsukune returned the greeting. "It is good to see you."
Tsukune performed another round of introductions. There was an exchange of hand shakes and smiles. Kota, Aiko, Nagi, and Iris all wanted to take some pictures. From where they stood, they could see the front of the school building and the beginning of the school festival. It made for some very colorful pictures.
"Before we go in," Tsukune said to the gathered Student Police, and to his friends. "It's not a secret that our guests are human, but don't call attention to the fact. This is a test to see how well everybody can act around humans. If necessary, just remind people of that and it should be enough. If there are any problems, don't hesitate to call for help." Tsukune turned to his guests.
"Try to stay with one of us here," Tsukune motioned to the group of Youkai students. "If you want to look at something, or just need a break, please let one of us know. Now then," Tsuke smiled and waved towards the school. "let's have fun."