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 241

Tanaka Ito sagged behind the wheel of his car, sweating bullets and breathing hard. He could feel his heart bounding in his chest. With an effort he pulled his hands from the wheel and held them up. They were shaking from the strain and adrenaline of what he had just done. He had to take several minutes to calm down before he got out of the car. The last kilometer he had just driven had been the most terrifying time of his life.

While he recovered, Lieutenant Tanaka reviewed what had brought him to where he was standing. It had taken more time than he had expected, but he had finally tracked down his target, on paper at least. It had taken so long to find, more than a month, because according to official census records the town had been abandoned for close to fifty years. A fishing and farming village that had been developed to support the military before the invasion of China, it had continued to thrive until the end of the war. Then the military had been pulled out and the area had been left to decline over the years.

The final decline and abandonment of the village was easy to understand. It was too isolated to attract investors for industry. Without the military, may locals would have left to find a new way of supporting themselves. Many families had been reduced, their sons and husbands claimed by the war. Finally, the remaining villagers just died out.

A part of the problem of locating the place had been trying to find the name. The name of the place, as it had appeared on Aono's identification, had not matched the official name for the old village. He had been forced to do search after search, connecting a series of unofficial names that had turned up in newspaper stories about such things as UFO's and youkai sightings. Tanaka Ito would have ignored such stories as anything even close to useful if he had not seen as much as he had with his own eyes. His own maid had helped him make the first connections.

Lieutenant Tanaka had found the census data for the village before he found its location on the map. Once he had the location, he knew that he would have to visit the site and see what was there. The Imperial Cosmologist had granted him permission to go, which had given the lieutenant what he needed to get his superiors approval for the trip.

Before setting out, Lieutenant Tanaka took the time to double check his information and make what he thought were adequate preparations. One of the things he had taken the time to do was track down the official listing for the local police. While the information listed in the census data was out of date and useless, the accounting department of the National Police Agency had records of who was currently on the payroll, and how to contact the local office to verify information.

The lieutenant got a copy of that information and called the local police koban. It was clear that the officer that had answered the phone had been surprised by the call. They had sound almost frightened before they had transferred the call to the chief superintendent of the station. The second person had sounded almost amused as he answered Tanaka's questions. With his information verified, Lieutenant Tanaka set out to see 'Captain' Aono Tsukune at work.

It had been a long trip to his destination. The driving had not been bad for the most part. The long ferry trip across open ocean had been uncomfortable. The village where Tanaka first arrived on the island was a calm and quiet place. Its own police force was made up of two middle-aged men who had been surprised that a member of the Imperial Guard had come to the island to chase ghost stories, but they still took the time to give him a bunk for the night and to share hours of stories about the abandoned village on the other side of the island.

The drive over to the abandoned village had started out pleasantly enough. The potholes did add a little challenge to the often narrow road. Lieutenant Tanaka thought that he would make it to his destination in time for lunch, but had brought food along in case, as he suspected, there was no real village at the end of the road. As the road continued to degrade, he started to feel a little nervous about what he was doing. The more primitive the road became, the slower the lieutenant was forced to drive. He had begun to question what he was doing, fearing that he would look foolish for wasting time and energy chasing down phantoms.

Lieutenant Tanaka was starting to feel that something was going to go seriously wrong with his investigation. He was on a back road in the middle of nowhere. A breakdown of his car would mean all kinds of problems. He wasn't even sure he would be able to call for help. He had come to a stop, thinking about turning around, as he considered what he would have to do if anything went wrong. Just as a precaution, he pulled out his cell phone to check for signal.

Seeing that he had a strong signal on his phone gave Tanaka a jolt. He remembered the incident with the telecom truck. He looked around then and saw the faded signs of the work crew. Aono had reported that he had realized the organization, Fairy Tail, were in the area because of a change in cell service. It was confirmation that he was on the right track.

With determination, he pocketed his phone and put the car in gear. He had a destination to reach. He had to grit his teeth and swear at himself to keep going. His grip on the steering wheel was so tight that his knuckles tuned white. Finally he had been reduced to shouting out obscenities like a battle cry as he jammed his foot down on the gas pedal.

For one long, frightening moment, Lieutenant Tanaka Ito was sure he was going to die as he saw the black torii come in to sight. Then he shot through the torii at top speed and the fear he had been feeling disappeared. Hitting the breaks, he brought the car to a sliding stop. He had crossed the boundary into a different kind of world.

Now that the frightening part of the trip was over, Lieutenant Tanaka allowed himself a moment to take in his surroundings. Between the speed he had been traveling at, how long it had taken him to react to the disappearance of the fear that had been pressing in on him, and just how long it had taken the car to come to a stop, he had traveled a fair distance past the black torii. Looking back at it did not make him feel afraid. Looking around did not bring any immediate discomfort. After taking a few more minutes to collect himself, Tanaka was ready to resume his trip.

XxxX

Lieutenant Tanaka was having a hard time believing what was in front of his eyes. He had thought he had found the remains of the old village when the first few houses had come into sight. Driving on, he had realized just how wrong the census information on the area really was. Instead of an abandoned village, he had discovered a thriving little town. There were still some working farms on the outskirts, but there was a lot more than he had ever expected to see. All around him, the locals were looking at him as he drove by. Some were hurrying away, going inside and closing doors. Others were looking at him with looks ranging from curious, to nervous, to hostile. Tanaka didn't know if he was rattled more by how many people he saw, or by the fact that some of them were clearly not human. The way that all of them were watching him made the muscles in his back and shoulder tighten up.

With uncomfortable certainty, Lieutenant Tanaka realized that he should have walked into the town. His was not the only car in sight, but he was the only person driving. Most of the other traffic on the narrow street was pedestrians, with some of them pushing carts.

Another uncomfortable thought came to him as he slowly drove through the town. He had no idea where to go. Because the official village had been abandoned long ago, he had no maps or any other way of knowing where to find the local police. He was bout to simply call Aono Tsukune and ask for directions when the young man in question appeared ahead of him. Dressed in his uniform and looking serious, Tanaka felt a sense of relief at the sight of him.

XxxxX

Tsukune had been enjoying a walking patrol of town when he felt the change in the atmosphere. It didn't take long for him to hear excited voices and feel the raising tension as he closed in on the disturbance. Vehicle traffic in the town was very limited, and the car coming up the street was not one anybody recognized. Tsukune had started towards the car with the intent to offer directions, or if necessary, help clear people out of the way. He was surprised by who he saw behind the wheel.

Tsukune walked down the street. He saw that he had been recognized, and that the lieutenant was waiting for him. Tsukune reached the driver's side of the car as Tanaka rolled down his window.

"Sir," Tsukune said in a tight voice. "What brings you here?"

XxxxxX

"Welcome to our koban," Tsukune said as he held the door for his guest.

"Thank you," Lieutenant Tanaka said. He looked around the quiet and orderly koban as he entered. He recognized Aono's partner, also in uniform, as she stood up from behind a desk.

"Good day, Sir," Inari said.

"If you will forgive me," Tanaka said. "We will leave the ranks aside."

"Yes Sir," Inari nodded.

"Makes sense to me," Tsukune said. "They made me a captain just for public image anyway."

"That was probably a very good idea," Tanaka said with a nod. "If they were not used to having police here, than a high rank would imply more authority and power. I would think that, over time, the higher ranks would be retired, or just be honorary titles."

"You are probably right," Tsukue agreed.

It only took a moment to provide the visitor with proper hospitality. Extra chairs were pulled over to the desk and Inari poured tea for them all. Tanaka accepted the offered hospitality as he tried to maintain a calm appearance.

"Aono," Tanaka said after a sip of tea. "I have to admit that I am finding myself impressed by how you were able to keep your involvement with youkai so out of sight. Even when you were forced to tell me about them at the dance."

"It wasn't always easy," Tsukune nodded. "But I knew that most people would not believe me, and that helped."

"I did not want to believe you," Tanaka replied. "Even after what I had seen with my own eyes. But now I have to admit the truth."

"Try to concentrate on the small details," Inari suggested. "Nothing has really changed for you, you. You just know more than you did before."

"The youkai have always been there," Tsukune added. "Look at this town," He gestured out the front windows of the koban. "It is filled with youkai that like living close to what we see as a modern community, but don't feel comfortable around humans."

"You didn't know about them last year," Inari went on. "But they were here."

"I have begun to see that," Tanaka said. "My daughter's boyfriend has been over every other week to see her. My wife is thrilled to have Onna as out maid."

"Congratulations," Tsukune offered.

"Thank you," Tanaka said drily.

"I thought she would be interested," Inari said. "She likes you enough to want to trust you."

"Well it's been a learning experience," Tanaka grumbled. He gave a small sigh before addressing Tsukune. "But I understand what you were saying about not wanting to give away her secret. You could have just told me that she wasn't human that night at the club, but it would have done nothing but cause problems."

"Yes," Tsukune agreed.

"But now what do I do?" Tanaka asked.

"Excuse me?" Tanaka questioned.

"Those attackers at my daughter's school were youkai," Tanaka stated. "The ones that stole the telecom truck. The incident at the beach city. The Witch's Ranch disappearances. They all involved youkai, didn't they?"

"Yes," Tsukune nodded. "Fairy Tail was involved with most of them. Witch's Ranch was one old woman with a grudge against humans."

"And now I see this place," Tanaka said. "I have to wonder, how many youkai there are in Japan? How many places like this exist? How many youkai are out there that are a threat to the safety and public good of Japan that I need to worry about?"

"It's not like that," Tsukune argued. "Most youkai are just like anybody else. They want to live a normal life. Some just can't make that work around humans, so the go into hiding. Some live in out of the way places, others just hide in the world around us. Just because you now know about them doesn't mean that they are suddenly more dangerous."

"But there are laws that need to be enforced," Tanaka said. "Our country exists because we have order."

"I agree with you," Tsukune said. "But I think you are missing something."

"And what is that?" Tanaka challenged.

"Let's go for a walk," Tsukune said as he stood up. "I want to show you some things. Inari," He said to her. "While we're out, see if the superintendent would be willing to talk to our guest when we return."

"Yes Sir," Inari acknowledged.

XxxxX

Tsukune took Lieutenant Tanaka on a little tour. It started with a quick walk through the town. Tanaka was shown drinking establishments, artisans' shops, and small stores. Tsukune bought them lunch at a little sushi shop, that the Lieutenant had to admit served some of the best sushi he had ever tasted. Tsukune explained that many youkai had very sensitive senses, including smell and taste, so they had no trouble choosing the best ingredients.

Mononoko Arcade further surprised Tanaka. It was the kind of shopping center that would fit into most modern cities. He could imagine his own wife visiting the place if she thought she could get some good deals. Some of the people there, ether working or shopping, were clearing other than normal humans.

After a tour of the shopping district, Tsukune lead his guest beyond the town. Tanaka expressed his surprise that the arcade was the at the edge of the town, and once they had left the area, they were walking though undeveloped forest. Tsukune explained what he had learned of the place. The shopping area had been built up over the years to support the school's needs. It was the unofficial boarder of how far from campus students would go. There were no rules saying the student's could not go into the rest of the town, but with Mononoko Arcade where it was, there was no real reason for them to. Tanaka understood the arrangement. It was a way to help reduce potential clashes between students and the locals.

Tsukune had tried to time his tour. The walk through the wood gave Tanaka some time to think about what he had seen so far. Then Tsukune brought him up to the main gates of the school. Tanaka looked up at the strange combination of building styles with some disbelief.

"And this is the school you wanted Ken to bring you to," Tsukune said as he came to a stop just outside the gates. "Back when you were first looking for me. This is the Youkai Gakuen, the Monster Academy."

"Why are you showing me this?" Tanaka asked. "You were so intent on keeping it a secret before."

"Before," Tsukune answered. "I was protecting the secret of Youkai. You already know about them now. You have already found your way here. There is not much point in hiding it any more."

"I see," Tanaka said.

"So now I want you to see why I was protecting it," Tsukune went on. "I want you to consider some things about what you are going to soon be seeing."

"What is that?" Tanaka asked.

"Students of this school come from all over Japan," Tsukune replied. "Not everybody goes to high school. Onna admitted that she never did. Some families can't afford to send their children here. Others don't need to come here. This is a school specifically to help youkai to learn how to get along in the human world. If a family of youkai is already familiar with humans and how to get along with them, or if they don't want to and want to live apart, then they would not send their children here. Others just may not know of this school."

"And my daughter visited your festival last year?" Tanaka asked. He already knew the answer. Iris had shown him the pictures.

"That's right," Tsukune nodded. "A festival where families and graduates come and visit."

"That is a lot of youkai," Tanaka said slowly.

"That's right," Tsukune said again. "Think about them for a moment. Think about whole families of youkai all over Japan while you see what you are about to."

Right on time, the bell sounded to signal the end of classes for the day. Tsukune drew Tanaka to the side of the main path while the other man processed his thoughts for a moment. Then the first students appeared.

As such things do, it started with a trickle that turned into a flood. Students poured out of the school. The air was filled with voices. Students were glad that class had let out for the day. They were upset at the studying they had to do. They were looking forward to getting out of their uniforms. Tanaka saw the flood of teenagers streaming past. Many appeared to recognize Tsukune and greeted him as they went by. A few even lingered to share a few words. Boys and girls, on the verge of being men and women, all went by acting much the same way as their peers all around Japan.

Eventually the the flood dwindled down. The air became quiet in the wake of the teenage chatter from a moment before. Tanaka realized that Aono was watching him expectantly.

"How many of them were youkai?" Tanaka asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Six of them were human this year," Tsukune answered. "Could you tell which ones?"

Tanaka shook his head. Tsukune replied with a smile and a nod. With a gesture of invitation, he turned back towards town.

"Some of the youkai students come here because they are to weak too defend themselves against humans," Tsukune explained as they walked. "Other are here because they have grown up somewhere isolated, like Onna and her family."

"Onna seems to get along with humans just fine," Tanaka said.

"You met her in a yakuza bar where she worked as a hostess," Tsukune gave the lieutenant a dark look. "Does that really sound like the kind of place any woman would want to work, if they had a choice?"

Tanaka realized that he had been wrong in his thinking. If Onna had known more about what she had been getting herself into... I village girl moving to the city and ending up in the water trade out of necessity was almost a cliché. He remembered how quick Onna had been to take a job as his maid. When he recognized how narrow his thinking had been, Tanaka felt a little guilty. He decided that when he got home, he would ask Onna if she would like to go back to school. Maybe he could help her get into a vocational program somewhere.

"That's part of the reason I want to protect this school so much," Tsukune explained. "If it wasn't for this school, so many of my friends would never have the chance to do something they could enjoy with their lives." He looked back up at the now mostly empty school building. "You are worried about protecting the order of Japan. Here is a place where youkai come to learn how to fit in with that order." He looked back to the lieutenant. "You see, the youkai want the same thing the rest of us do."

Tanaka nodded in understanding. He had been given a lot to think about. He knew that there were lots of things he was missing. There were questions he couldn't remember that he wanted to ask. He was just so overwhelmed that he would have to take his time to work through it all.