Kurumu adjusted the strap of her lavender purse upon her shoulder as she watched Yukari enchant their bathroom door. She had on the long sleeved, indigo blouse with the snaps down the center. Her calves were bared below her knee length, ruffled, black skirt while her feet were slipped into her furry gray booties with the side zipper.

Yukari was wearing her long sleeved, white blouse which zipped up in the front and a pair of blue denim jeans. Mizore had on her pastel blue dress with the white dot pattern while holding the keys to her suite and Yukari's yellow tote.

Huang stood beside Tsukune, sporting a long sleeved, plum silk shirt with glossy black buttons and a peter pan collar. Black slacks hugged his legs tightly all the way down to his ankles where the hem was crimped. The hem about his waist probably was too but the bottom of his shirt hung over that.

Tsukune had broken out his black dress shirt but had paired it with denim jeans since his khakis and school slacks were among the dirty clothes that the Huang family would have washed for them when they returned. Since he was planning to spend the night and most of tomorrow with his mother, the duffle bag at his side contained a change of clothes and his Disneyland souvenirs.

Yukari let out a deep breath and stepped back from the door.

"The enchantment is in place. It just needs you to power it up."

Touhou clucked his tongue as he stepped forward to inspect the doorway. The elder was garbed in his usual two robe style though this time his inner robe was a dark red. He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Interesting. You entered coordinates for the source location. What are these coordinates in relation to?"

"I use the phone at my parents' house as the source. My mother linked a communication spell between a toy phone and our home phone. When I called home, I noticed that the spell generated coordinates."

Touhou pointed at the door.

"This time variable is fascinating. Your mother is quite skilled to have come up with a spell that allows time to fluctuate."

"I thought so too. I was familiar with how teleportation spells worked and had already enchanted a ring of return. Neither require time to be a variable as the movement is supposed to be instantaneous."

"Remarkable. The barrier around Mononoke was one of the few inventions that Mikogami made that I could never replicate."

"But many monster communities have similar spiritual barriers like Kabashita and Aserutani."

"I'm aware of that, Ms. Kurono. But to get around these barriers, you need a key. Ms. Sendou's mother has created a spell which bypasses the key."

"I guess I don't understand why you think his barrier was anything special."

Touhou chuckled at her frown.

"His version of a barrier suspends time. While this door's source time variable is changing every second, the destination is a fixed point. But we both know that the world inside his barrier has a passage of time. He has created a new time within a single instance of real time. That is extremely remarkable."

"When I first proposed making a doorway between the world within the barrier and the real world, I was worried about accidentally arriving at the wrong time in Mononoke. But every call I made to my mother uses this same fixed time. Hopefully we will arrive at whatever the current time is in Mononoke."

"I can only imagine the look on his face when you do this. I must ask how he made a world in which time passes but does not pass in the real sense."

"Isn't that how that paradise world of his operates?"

"No, Ms. Kurono. That world exists on a separate plane of existence. A different dimension similar to how many monster communities work. His barrier allows his world to be in the real world yet operate independently of it."

"I suspect Mr. Nurari helped him create the device controlling his barriers. That man seems comfortable breaking the laws of time and space."

"An astute observation, Ms. Sendou. When I first met that troublemaker in the summer of 1859, he was driving a crimson Porsche. Not that I had any idea what that was at that time, mind you, but it made me confident in our victory over Alucard."

"It would be nice if he actually helped us fight Alucard."

"I don't even know what sort of help we could expect from that man. I've never seen him fight."

Kurumu hardly understood this conversation as Touhou touched the door.

"I'm curious. How did you locate this door in reference to your home phone?"

Yukari tapped the emerald stud of her right ear.

"When I made my artifacts, I equipped them with a tracer spell. I am always aware of my position in relation to my home phone."

"You are very resourceful, Ms. Sendou."

"Of course. I'm a genius."

Touhou chuckled, placing his other hand on the door.

"It's time for me to power up this door and send you on your way."

"I won't get sick walking through this magic gateway?"

Yukari huffed, taking back her tote from Mizore.

"Even if you do, we'll be coming out of the spare closet in my room. I doubt that my toilet is in use."

Kurumu snickered, offering Mizore her hand. The snow girl took her hand and squeezed it firmly as the air hummed with energy. It was much more notable than that time Yukari had used this spell to connect the doors of two train stations.

Touhou took a deep breath and grabbed the handle of the door. He pushed it open, revealing a dark room on the other side. Kurumu knew it was Yukari's suite since she noticed the half wall by a stove in the far corner on the right. The exterior door was on the other side of the half wall.

"That's the right place. Here's to hoping that it's also the right time."

Yukari strolled through the opening without any hesitation.

"We'll come back on Monday. I promise."

Huang laughed heartily at Tsukune's declaration.

"Yes. Enjoy your holiday, Mr. Aono."

"I wish I could go with you but someone needs to greet the Han family."

"Tell Ms. Xinyi that I wish her a happy holiday!"

Tsukune passed through the opening as the room on the other side brightened up. Kurumu took in a deep breath before following after the young man whose presence still made her body quiver with desire. She shivered as she crossed through the doorway, stepping into Yukari's suite. Mizore let go of her hand, drifting further inside to regard their new surroundings.

"Shut the door, Ms. Kurono. I would like to turn this spell off."

Kurumu nodded apologetically, grabbing the closet door. She slipped around to the other side of the door, pushing it shut. She felt the energy dissipate the moment the latch was in place.

A quick look around confirmed they were in Yukari's suite. The black cherry desk pushed against the wall between this closet door and the next door had the portraits of Yukari's parents and grandparents.

Yukari's bed was pushed in the far corner on the left. The ivory wood posts jutted up high enough to serve as the framing for a canopy bed, though these posts were not connected at the top. A cerulean comforter was drawn over the mattress with carnation pink pillows arranged along the headboard.

Along this wall on the left was an elegant dresser which matched the style and color of Yukari's bed. On the other side of the dresser was a simple, white wood bed with black sheets and black pillows. There was just enough space between the end of this bed and the corner of the desk to make a path to the bathroom door.

"Time to find out if we are in the right point of time."

Yukari touched her ear, lingering by the exterior door.

"Rubi? Can you hear me?"

Yukari grinned, caressing her earlobe as she reached for the door. She drew the deadbolt back.

"Yes, I'm fine. What day is it?"

Kurumu wandered over to the entryway as Yukari pushed open the door. The witch gestured for them to go as she grabbed her yellow tote which she had placed on the half wall.

"I know this will sound strange, but which Saturday is it?"

"Could you turn up the volume of that spell?"

Yukari frowned at Tsukune as he walked by her out onto the landing.

"I guess. You said the Saturday before Christmas, right?"

Yukari made a twisting gesture which brought Rubi's voice to them.

"- with you?"

"Most of us are. We need to talk to the Headmaster today."

"If you get here before lunch, you should be able to talk with him."

"Are you seriously working the weekend of Christmas?"

Rubi laughed from Yukari's emerald stud.

"It's only until lunch, Ms. Kurono. I won't work at all tomorrow."

Kurumu shook her head as she joined Tsukune on the landing at the top of the black metal stairway mounted to the side of the building. Yukari gestured for Mizore to exit the suite.

"What work could you possibly have to do today?"

"I had nothing better to do at home and it's not like I'm doing anything here. The Headmaster wanted to be available but we haven't had any visitors yet."

"He's probably expecting us since we told him we would be back for the holiday."

Kurumu started slowly down the stairs when Mizore joined them. Yukari closed the door, fishing her keys out of her tote.

"Things have died down these last two days now that most of the teachers have gone home. I was a little worried when you still hadn't returned last night."

Yukari locked the door, dropping her keys in her tote. She shooed Mizore and Tsukune to follow Kurumu down the stairs.

"I'm sorry, Rubi. My spells to contact you about our plans can't get through the barrier."

"Is Mr. Aono with you?"

"I'm here, Rubi."

"That's nice. You'll probably want to take my blood again."

"I probably should. Moka isn't with us."

"Oh? Did she stay in Hong Kong?"

Tsukune grimaced as he arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

"No. Her sister took her from us."

"But I thought her sister was with her mother."

Kurumu laughed at Rubi's distant voice as she started towards the commissary. The single story structure stood in the center of this clearing with four apartment buildings spaced around the perimeter. The next building on their left was home to many of the third year girls in the track and volleyball programs.

"He means she was taken by Akua, Rubi. Akua is the oldest sister whom was watching over Alucard's body in their mother's secret garden."

"Why did she take Moka?"

"Because Fujisaki is making her do it. He's using Deshi as a hostage. It won't be long before Alucard is revived or someone comes after Tsukune and his mother."

"Oh dear. That might already be the case."

Kurumu frowned, pausing before the commissary. She unzipped her purse to fetch her lunch card which would activate the sensor over the glass doors.

"What do you mean by that?"

Kurumu quickly found her lunch card, pulling it out. The sensor triggered the doors to open.

"Hold your answer, Rubi. We're going inside the commissary and don't need others listening in."

Kurumu giggled at Yukari's warning, walking inside. She nodded at the swarthy man standing behind the counter which flanked the entry doors. She was not greeted with Mr. You's usual lechery as the man was too startled by her presence. She promptly moved around the counter which was in line with the wall which held the many little doors to the mailboxes for the suites in this clearing.

"Doubt I have any mail but may as well check, right?"

Kurumu stopped at the little door marked 323 which was the second one up in the fourth column. She spun the dial back and forth to release the mechanism holding the door tight. The door opened upon reaching the last character, revealing nothing inside the narrow chute on the other side.

Mizore drifted over to her with a sigh. The girl scooted a stool over with her foot, stepping up on it to reach the little door for 402. Kurumu smirked, certain that Mizore could reach her mailbox without the stool since she was shorter than Mizore. She decided to touch the dial for the mailbox door for 320 to confirm her suspicions. The door for the top mailbox would be difficult for her to operate flat footed.

Yukari drifted around her to spin the dial for suite 316's mailbox. Kurumu closed up her own mailbox door, spinning the dial before stepping away. She glanced at Tsukune whom lingered by the counter.

"Do you want to check your mail before we see the Headmaster?"

"Yea. Kyoko might have sent me a letter."

"You haven't heard from her?"

Kurumu felt the temperature dip as Mizore pulled a letter from her mailbox. The snow girl nodded, closing her mailbox and giving the dial a twist to lock it up. She hopped down on her feet.

"My mother wrote me."

"That's good news."

"I got nothing here though Rubi may have checked the mail for me."

"Was I supposed to?"

Yukari laughed at Rubi's innocent inquiry.

"It's fine. We're heading your way now."

Kurumu grabbed the strap of her purse as she headed towards Tsukune which prompted him to turn about. She nodded at the befuddled Mr. You as she made her way back to the door which parted automatically with the wave of her lunch card. She wandered out into the brisk morning air with the others not far behind her.

They were several paces down the trail leading out of the clearing when Yukari let out a dramatic sigh.

"Okay, Rubi. You can tell us your big news."

"Right! Well I can't say this is related to your news but Mr. Kaneshiro returned to Mononoke."

Tsukune gasped, stepping in close to Yukari as Mizore calmly opened up her letter behind them.

"When did this happen?!"

"Last Monday. He just stopped by here with a request to take his winter exams."

"And you let him?!"

"There didn't seem much reason to deny his request. We already had two teachers staying behind to administer exams for Lady Hineri."

"How did he get here?"

"He admitted that Yoshii Kiria brought him through the barrier."

Kurumu grimaced, wondering if this meant Yoshii was here too.

"Where is Kaneshiro right now?"

"I presume that he is with Mr. Sabaku. I have a strand of his hair to find him if you need to speak to him."

"I think we have to. We need to know if Yoshii is inside the barrier."

"Okay. I'll take you to him after the Headmaster lets me leave."

"Thanks, Rubi. I need to check my mail though before we meet up with you. It shouldn't take long."

"If we're doing that, we should walk by the chapel."

Tsukune nodded at Yukari's suggestion as they neared the point where the four trails to the clearings with the senior suites combined into one.

"Did Mr. Kaneshiro ask for anything else?"

"No. He just wanted to take his exams."

"We can find out what he's up to if Kurumu isn't reluctant to use her powers for a change."

Kurumu pouted as they veered to the right, taking the combined trail to the main path which went from the dining hall clearing to the school's main entrance.

"I'm not reluctant. People just get upset when I tamper with other people's minds."

"I'm going to agree with Yukari on this one. As much as I want to believe in Mr. Kaneshiro, I know that we shouldn't take anything he says at face value."

Kurumu nodded at Tsukune, having no disagreement there.

"If you don't have anything else to say, I'm going to end this spell."

"I think that's all the news I had. I'll see you soon."

Yukari touched her ear, signaling the end of the conversation. Mizore was still trailing behind the pair, holding a sheet of paper in her hands.

"Mizore. Do you have good news from your family?"

"Not really. You and Mr. Aono are wanted fugitives."

Yukari snorted with a shake of her head.

"We expected that."

"What about the family trip with your uncles?"

"They want me to come home. It doesn't say anything about my uncles."

Kurumu sighed, guessing that meant the family trip was not going to happen.

"Do you want to go home to them?"

Mizore lowered the sheet, shaking her head as they walked along the trail flanked by the forest.

"Not at this point. I want to be with Aoi. He promised to meet us in Hong Kong."

"Did they mention whom was picked to be the temporary snow priestess?"

"Aunt Kosame. She's my mother's cousin."

"Have you told me about her?"

"I don't think so. She has four children. The youngest is her only girl. Hiyako turns seven in January."

"Shouldn't they have picked someone whom doesn't have kids?"

"If it were up to Aunt Kosame, Hiyako would become the next snow priestess. She's ambitious and unpleasant. Her husband is the one taking care of my cousins."

Kurumu absently fussed with the strap of her purse as they steadily made their way to where this trail ended at the main path.

"You should write back to your parents before you go. Let them know about your plans."

"Yea. I probably should write my cousin if she wrote me a letter."

Kurumu frowned at his offhand remark.

"Tsukune. Your cousin thinks your parents are dead. You should have contacted her."

"I already told her everything, Kurumu."

"What? When?"

"I called her from the hotel after Ms. Nekonome's wedding."

That made sense. She should have thought about that.

"Is she okay?"

"She might be now. It helped that she knew about everyone being monsters and was somewhat aware of there being people after Moka. She wished she could see us but understood why she couldn't."

Kurumu nodded, feeling guilty that she had not been more involved in this. Or even asked about it.

"If you already talked about everything, what would she write you a letter for?"

"Several things. The police are trying to find me. Not that they suspect me of anything but they are concerned that nobody knows where I am. It's not like Yokai Academy is a real school to humans."

"That's understandable. They probably believe that you ran off out of shame after failing to get into any high schools. They might register you as a missing person."

Tsukune nodded at Yukari's comments as they turned towards the dining hall at the end of this trail.

"Yea. So it wouldn't surprise me if she has written something to me. And to my mother, for that matter. There's also the issue of what will happen with the house, so… yea."

"I just hope that it is safe for us to contact your mother. We need to find out if Mr. Kaneshiro's presence here is as innocent as he presented it to be."

Kurumu snickered at Yukari's comment.

"Innocent? He literally admitted that Yoshii brought him here. He wants to be suspicious."

Tsukune sighed, relaxing his shoulders.

"I just hope he is on our side."

"He's in there."

Rubi gestured at the Guilty Pleasures sweet shop. The twenty year old looked like a mature business woman garbed in that burgundy blazer worn over a faded pink dress shirt. A black belt with a silver buckle was fished through the loops of her matching burgundy slacks. Her black leather weave purse hung by its strap resting upon her shoulder.

The small white paneled building stood in the middle of this side street between the Toybox and Fried Delights. Four squared columns held up a black tiled roof which slanted up and away from the street, creating a small covered open porch area. Three large windows were placed evenly on either side of the double glass door in the center of the structure.

Kaneshiro Hokuto was visible through these windows. The young man had his back to them and was wearing a sleeveless, gray suit jacket over a long sleeved, pinstripe dress shirt. His attention was fixed upon the young woman, Sukoyaka Myaku, standing beside his table.

Myaku had orchid locks with curled ends that almost touched her narrow shoulders. She was the store owner's daughter and a second year in band. She had on a mint green sweater with a dark red geometric pattern. Black denim jeans hugged the curves of her hips and rump.

Sitting on the other side of the table was the massive Sabaku Akira. The brutish man had his dark hair worked into rows of braids along his large head. Despite his dour demeanor, Sabaku was sporting a cyan shirt with pink and orange flowers arranged upon green fronds. The short sleeves of the Hawaiin shirt looked like they were cutting off the circulation of his muscled upper arms.

"I didn't think our former student council president had a sweet tooth."

Kurumu smiled at Yukari's remark, hesitant to follow the witches under the canopy. Mizore squeezed her hand, tugging her forward.

"Do you think they serve ice cream?"

Kurumu laughed, allowing Mizore to guide her to the door which Rubi had opened for them.

"Will you be able to stomach that?"

"I haven't thrown up once today."

"Ms. Kurono!"

Kurumu grinned at Myaku's greeting and enthusiastic wave, quickly taking in the surroundings. There were no other customers seated at the rounded tables scattered about the dining area, though that was no surprise. Even on a normal day the business at this establishment did not pick up until after two.

Instrumental Christmas music played over speakers which were mounted to the walls where the lush green paint transitioned to black. The white ceiling fans suspended from the black structure were still.

Kurumu let go of Mizore's hand, gesturing at the dark haired, burly man standing in a recessed corner area behind a white marble counter which was flush with the far wall. Not far from the recessed area was an opening for a hallway with the sign for the restrooms.

"That's the man you want to ask."

Sukoyaka Ichiro was wearing a black apron over a mint green sweater that was identical to the one his daughter had on. His dark eyes perked up at Mizore's approach as the snow girl pulled out her holiday money from the envelope.

"Kaneshiro Hokuto."

Kaneshiro's shoulders slouched at the sound of Tsukune's voice. The young man did not turn his head to look at them as Tsukune strolled over to the table, holding the strap of his duffle bag.

"I have a few questions to ask you."

Knowing that she would have to be a part of this, Kurumu followed Tsukune over to the table.

"How did you guys get back on campus? Did Mr. Nurari bring you with the mail?"

"I have a spell which can get around the barrier, Mr. Sabaku."

Kaneshiro chuckled softly, keeping his eyes on the table top. These tables stood taller than most kitchen counters and were supported by a central pillar connected to a rounded tapered base. The white wood chairs flanking these tables had elevated, spade seats to accommodate the higher height.

"You never cease to amaze me, Ms. Sendou."

"Spare us your empty compliments. This is a serious security issue."

"Which you take too seriously. You are a student."

"I'm the leader of the PSC."

Kaneshiro sighed, adjusting his glasses. He glanced over his shoulder at Tsukune.

"I thought that you would still be in Hong Kong."

"And I'm surprised that you knew about our trip."

"Don't be. Yoshii was aware of your plans."

Kurumu flinched at his declaration.

"Is Yoshii inside the barrier?"

"Why are you bothering asking him when you can just find out the truth by touching him?"

"I will not sit here and watch you break school rules."

"Yes. Allow the rules to stand in the way of truth. I knew that I could beg for Ms. Kurono to clear my name and you would not allow her to use her powers. I nearly destroyed this school because of your thick headed stubbornness."

Sabaku simmered over those words, glaring at Kaneshiro with pale eyes.

"I did that for your sake. I knew you would not be cleared."

"What did you do?"

Kaneshiro sighed at Myaku's soft inquiry.

"I tried to take down the barrier. Force this world into the real one."

"What would that have done?"

"This world is an alternate version of Awashima Island. Taking down the barrier would be like saving a computer file over another. It would destroy the Awashima Island in the human world."

Myaku gasped at Yukari's answer, holding a hand over her mouth.

"Why would you want to do that?"

"To start a war between humans and monsters. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Mr. Kaneshiro was a human whom was brought here by the Headmaster. He nearly died during his first year but Yoshii Kiria gave blood to him which helped him survive."

Myaku nodded at Kurumu's explanation.

"So you wanted a war?"

"Yoshii wants the war because he believes monsters could win. But I believe that if a war did break out, humans would triumph simply due to having superior numbers."

"Now I'm confused. Why would you want a war that you know monsters would lose?"

Kaneshiro smiled at Myaku.

"Because I wanted all monsters to die."

"But why?"

"Because I never wanted this. I wanted to remain human. The Headmaster spoke of coexistence, but how is this coexistence? He acts like Mr. Aono becoming a vampire was some great success."

"It would have been nice if I could have remained human. But a human would never have the strength to stand up against Fujisaki."

Kaneshiro nodded at Tsukune's declaration.

"I asked about this Fujisaki but Yoshii said I only needed to worry about my own health."

"Your health?"

"Ms. Sukoyaka. Bring over my chair."

Myaku forced a smile before she walked over to the nearby table. Kurumu's heart twisted when she realized what he had asked for. The young woman grabbed a wheelchair which had been parked over there. Tsukune gasped when Myaku rolled it over to Kaneshiro's side.

"What happened?!"

"Yoshii's blood is destroying my body. It's to the point that I can't walk while wearing my holy lock."

"Is this because you haven't properly been given a Rite of Ascension?"

Kaneshiro regarded Yukari with a slight shrug.

"I am familiar with this rite you speak of. But Yoshii was the only vampire I knew."

"My Moka would have been willing to help you."

"I guess it would be too much to ask for Ms. Akashiya's help at this point."

Kaneshiro let out a mirthless laugh. He turned in his chair, holding his hand out to Kurumu.

"You had questions you wanted answers to. Now is your chance."

Kurumu glanced at Sabaku for approval whom looked aside. Relieved by the lack of resistance, she grabbed Kaneshiro's hand firmly. She stared deep into his eyes, pushing her awareness inside of him.

He had made things convenient. His thoughts were centered on when Yoshii had brought him through the barrier. He was in a wheelchair. Yoshii was pushing him along an uneven, unfamiliar trail. As he contemplated the point of his continued, miserable existence, Yoshii promised that he could be whole again if he drained Mrs. Aono of her blood. In his despondent state, he doubted the truth of that.

Kaneshiro only participated in the conversation when Yoshii demanded a response. He was supposed to contact the Sukoyaka girl whom had a crush on him and use her to find Mrs. Aono. Yoshii would contact him again after the New Year, hoping for his success. Yoshii then caressed Kaneshiro's cheek, telling him how important he was to him. Kaneshiro could only feel disgust, looking into those inhuman eyes.

Kurumu pushed forward in time, struggling with the wheelchair down the road. It had taken hours to reach the school. She felt Kaneshiro's confusion upon seeing the state of the school and his frustration when he was redirected to the art building. It had been late afternoon when he finally got to speak with the Headmaster. He was desperate to see if his holy lock could be improved.

He had broken down in tears when the Headmaster told him nothing could be done. In the midst of his despair, he requested to take his exams. She felt his hopelessness. His certainty that this vampire blood in him would kill him soon. He had no belief that Mrs. Aono's blood could change that. As pointless as it seemed, he clung to his duties as a student. He should take his exams. He should graduate.

The Headmaster agreed to allow that, informing him that Lady Hineri was also taking her tests this week. The Headmaster then asked Ms. Toujou, the young woman whom lived with Ms. Sendou, to escort him home. She felt his embarrassment and shame when he admitted having no key to access his suite. The Headmaster laughed at him in that condescending and irritating way before directing Ms. Toujou to take him to Mr. Sabaku's room in the second year dorm.

The silly woman could not walk in silence. She wanted to know what he was here for and he admitted having no idea, keeping the truth from her. He knew what was expected of him but had no real desire to do it. Or even how to do it. Bite her neck and his fangs would do the rest. As simple as that sounded, he had no idea how that worked.

Tsukune and his friends had gone to Hong Kong to repair the rosary. He vaguely recalled Yoshii informing him of the destination but not the purpose. Ms. Toujou admitted that the rosary had been damaged during the fight against Yoshii. She also explained that the school had been wrecked on the last day of the cultural festival because of some chaos caused by a magic mirror and Lady Chuujitsu. Apparently she was a famous witch, one of Fairy Tale's region commanders and Yoshii's lover. Kurumu felt his jealousy over that, making him further doubt the words of his 'savior'.

He learned more in that walk about the situation he was in than he had picked up in his three weeks of consciousness before Yoshii had brought him here. How Fujisaki had slaughtered a bunch of people in Yukimura, killed Mr. Aono's father and was planning to use Ms. Akashiya's blood to revive a legendary monster that could destroy the world.

Ms. Toujou told him about her past. About how she had been raised to hate humans by a woman whom had killed her parents. About how she had spent fourteen years with this woman whom had deceived her with a memory alteration spell. About how she had killed humans before Ms. Sendou and her friends rescued her from this misguided view of reality. She was trying to convince him to abandon his evil ways.

Her story only made him feel pathetic. He had never been deceived by Yoshii. His decision to destroy the barrier had been purely out of a hatred for everything. He wanted Yoshii to die. He wanted his human father to die. He wanted the Headmaster to die. He wanted everyone in this whole worthless world to die since none of them had ever cared about him.

And now he was dying. Of that he was certain. He might not even live another year. He was only taking the exams because he had nothing else. He doubted he would even do that well, considering he had missed two months' worth of material in every subject.

His reunion with Mr. Sabaku was understandably tense. Mr. Sabaku did not trust him and vowed to not let him out of his sight. That was fine with him since he had no idea how Yoshii intended to contact him. Sleep had been difficult that night and not because of troubled thoughts. Mr. Sabaku snored loudly.

Kaneshiro took his math and science exams administered by Mr. Mitani with Lady Hineri the next day. He was surprised at Lady Hineri's obvious pregnancy but had refrained from comment. She was surprised at his handicap. It bothered Kaneshiro to hear her genuine sympathy over his condition. He had plotted to kill them all and here she was, worrying over him.

Mr. Tashikana and Lady Hineri's little sister joined them for lunch after the exams, revealing whom the father of this child was. The jovial Voice of Yokai Academy was glad to see him, cracking insensitive jokes about his condition. After the sixth one, Mr. Sabaku spoke up on Kaneshiro's behalf to put a stop to it.

Mr. Tashikana and young Hineri convinced Lady Hineri to catch the latest Harry Potter movie. Despite his protests, Mr. Sabaku brought him along. It was his first time. Mother had never taken him to a theater and he had not thought it important to go to one after her passing. His mother had owned a television but he had sold it along with most of her possessions. His life had always been his studies.

He was popular in school but he had never allowed anyone to come to his home. At first it was because of his abusive mother but even after she died in his first year of junior high, he had kept up the isolation of his private life. At that point it had felt more natural to have a different persona at school.

These reflections on the failure of his life were more important to him than the actual movie Mr. Sabaku had bought him a ticket for. They went to the Raw Deal diner afterwards which had a menu full of things that no human would eat. Mr. Tashikana was kind enough to pay for his meal, confessing to having a delicate stomach himself. Witnessing Lady Hineri eat was revolting but he envied the relationship Mr. Tashikana had with her. It felt genuine. Kaneshiro had never developed genuine relationships.

He was alone for his Japanese, history and English exams the next day which were administered by Mr. Nakanishi. He would not be able to take his business exam until after winter break when Mr. Agano returned, though that was not essential for his graduation. Even though he had Mr. Sabaku with him, he felt alone. Mr. Sabaku was uninterested in sharing idle banter and was content to watch him like a hawk.

Thursday was a relief since he met up with Mr. Tashikana and the Hineri sisters while retrieving his exam score. It was the worst performance he had ever done on a test since primary school. Sixteen points shy of four hundred. The others were impressed, considering he had no study materials and had missed so many weeks of school.

During lunch in the dining hall, Kaneshiro convinced the others to go to Guilty Pleasures where he met Sukoyaka Myaku. Aware of her crush on him, he spent the remaining afternoon trying to learn all he could about her. Despite his desire to know where Mrs. Aono was, he never brought it up. It was more important for him to learn why he should live. He believed that Ms. Sukoyaka would know that answer better than himself. It was after dinner when he finally left, promising to see her tomorrow.

Mr. Tashikana teased him over falling in love with Ms. Sukoyaka on the walk home that night. His natural impulse was to deny the accusation but he calmly responded with empty compliments to justify his interest. In truth, she was average in looks and intelligence. She had no passion for anything despite her years of playing the violin. There was nothing special about her beyond the possibility that she might have seen something worthwhile inside him.

He had returned yesterday morning and was greeted with a surprise. Ms. Sukoyaka wanted to take him about the town though her father refused to let her run off with two young men. She compromised with taking her chubby brother along which had been unfortunate. Kaneshiro already doubted how open the girl would be with her feelings with Mr. Sabaku monitoring their discussion.

His handicap eliminated most of the things they could do which made him depressingly aware of how little he had done with his life. He had gone karaoke for the first time which had been satisfying. He was better at singing than Mr. Sabaku and the brother, Katashi. He also knew most of the songs since he did have a radio and his junior high peers had occasionally talked about music.

After a satisfying lunch at Rice & Spice, Ms. Sukoyaka had taken him into a mahjong parlor called Tiles that he had not even known was in Mononoke. He was surprised with how many locals played strategy games like Shogi. He also learned how much he had neglected his skills, getting thoroughly trounced in the four games he played against the locals. He had to remind Mr. Sabaku that he had been in the chess club which was not as complicated as shogi.

Not that he had attended many meetings of the chess club. He knew that Mr. Yokoshi had taken over as club president and that Mr. Machida was a member. He had not bothered to ask either of them if they had recruited new members this year.

As he played a game against Mr. Sabaku, he wondered if it had just been bad luck that a member of the PSC had taken interest in him. It was not like he had experienced any troubles with his peers during the first term. Nor did many know that it had been a third year PSC member whom had hospitalized him. Yoshii's handling of that matter may have kept Kuyo and the PSC away from him but had nothing to do with how most of his peers treated him.

Was it the world's fault that he had kept himself distant from everyone?

When Ms. Sukoyaka took him home that night, he contemplated the idea of having sex with her. He felt ashamed as he asked questions about her heritage, hoping that her true form was close to human. If he was going to lose his virginity before he died, it would be nice if it was not to some grotesque creature. Sadly it sounded like she was a fire breathing, scaled horse. That squashed his passing fancy.

As Kurumu came to the end of yesterday, she realized that this must be taking several minutes. She was not going to find anything about Yoshii here. She should have gone the other direction but it was too late to do that now.

Kurumu let out a breath, blinking her eyes which felt dry. Mizore stood beside Myaku on her left, putting a spoon in her mouth while holding a small plastic cup.

"Did you get ice cream?"

Mizore shook her head, speaking around the spoon.

"Pudding."

"We don't have frozen treats."

"How long was I out?"

"Eighteen minutes and forty two seconds."

Myaku smiled with a slight blush.

"It was a little uncomfortable watching the two of you look at each other so intently without saying a word or even blinking."

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Kurumu frowned at Sabaku's gruff question.

"Well he hasn't made contact with Yoshii since he was left here."

"I could have told you that much."

"He only knows that Yoshii will contact him after the New Year. He doesn't know exactly when or how."

"What did Yoshii bring him here to do?"

Kurumu released Kaneshiro's hand. The former student council president was still in an unblinking daze.

"He's supposed to kill your mother."

Tsukune instantly grabbed Kaneshiro by the vest, giving the unresponsive man a rough shake.

"What have you done?!"

Kaneshiro stirred from his stupor, looking at Tsukune with genuine confusion.

"My mother! Why are you trying to kill her?!"

Kaneshiro chuckled, glancing aside.

"I haven't done anything."

"That's partially true. You were told to use Myaku to find Tsukune's mother."

Myaku gasped, touching her breast.

"You were using me?"

"People always use each other."

Tsukune shoved Kaneshiro back, nearly causing the senior to topple from his chair. Kaneshiro's quick reflexes allowed him to grab the table and back of his chair to prevent the tumble.

"You disgust me."

"I did think it strange that you had a sudden interest in one of the local girls."

Myaku pouted at Sabaku.

"I was also hesitant but all of his questions were about me. He never asked about Mrs. Aono."

"Maybe he just hadn't gotten around to that. Kurumu did say that Yoshii would meet up with him after the New Year. He thought he had more time."

"Why would you even consider killing my mother?"

Kaneshiro sighed at Tsukune's seething demand.

"I'm dying, Mr. Aono. Yoshii told me that if I drank your mother's blood that I could be healed."

"And you believed him?"

Kaneshiro frowned at Yukari.

"No. But what options did I have?"

"You've known about the Rite of Ascension."

"It was never my desire to become a vampire, Ms. Sendou. Where is Ms. Akashiya now?"

Kurumu paused, sharing a glance with Yukari.

"She's been taken by her older sister. She might even be with Fujisaki as we speak."

Kaneshiro snickered with a shake of his head.

"So that fool is one step closer to starting his war."

"You shouldn't think this is funny."

Kaneshiro favored Tsukune an impassive look.

"You must have hated being human."

"No! But I had no choice!"

"Is there no way of becoming human again?"

"No. It's why vampires don't give blood to non vampires. Failure of the Rite of Ascension either causes you to become a mindless ghoul or outright death."

Kaneshiro sighed heavily at Yukari's explanation as Mizore placed her spoon in her cup. The snow girl sauntered off towards a trashcan stationed by the opening to the restrooms.

"So that's it. Life as a vampire or death."

"You could wear the holy lock for the rest of your life."

"The holy lock only slows the process, Ms. Sendou. It was never meant to be a permanent fix. Right now it is the only thing keeping me sane."

"You seemed quite lucid the last time you removed your holy lock."

"The only time I removed it, Ms. Sendou. I dare not remove it again."

He sighed, looking at the floor as Mizore wandered back over to them, holding her keys and letter.

"Wearing the holy lock is only prolonging the inevitable. It is unlikely that I would live through my college years if I could even go that route."

"What are you talking about? You're one of the brightest students of your class."

"I have to agree with Ms. Sukoyaka. While your last performance was less than average, you will still graduate as a top hundred student."

"Graduation is not the issue. I would never be able to afford it."

"You don't have money?"

"No, Ms. Sukoyaka. My mother passed away when I was thirteen and my father disowned me when I turned sixteen. I have no home to return to. Free tuition and housing was part of the Headmaster's offer which brought me here."

"The Happily Ever After-"

"-is not an option, Ms. Kurono. I'm not registered with Fairy Tale."

"That's a common problem for monstrels even if we are registered. The Happily Ever Program favors students whom will be of use to them."

Sabaku grunted at Sukoyaka's words.

"Take the college entrance exams. Keep your options open."

"I plan to. The test is paid for so there is little reason not to."

"You could always get a job. Take out loans like human college students do. Your situation is not unique."

Kaneshiro chuckled at Sabaku.

"Are you forgetting that I might not live through my college years? I'd never repay those debts."

"You attempted to kill countless lives with your 'destroy the school barrier' scheme. Stiffing a few banks is a petty crime by comparison."

"Fair enough. I had considered the option of going into debt for college in the event that Yoshii perished and my 'destroy the school barrier' plan never happened. I do have three prominent schools in Tokyo in mind as well as Nagoya University."

"Can I trust you to abandon your plans of murdering my mother?"

Kaneshiro glanced at Tsukune whom had a sour expression.

"Is there a reason why your mother's blood would heal me?"

"The only thing special about her blood is that it might be why I can remove Moka's rosary."

"And drinking all of her blood would allow me to have that power?"

Kurumu shivered at how calmly he asked that.

"Yes. That is how Yoshii acquired the power to fight off my Lilith's Eye."

"Then that was their plan. I acquire your mother's power to break Ms. Akashiya's seal and then they kill me. I presume this is also why Fujisaki murdered your father."

Tsukune grimaced, clenching his fists.

"Yes. But if I inherited my power from my father, he would have no need of my mother's blood."

"He's just planning ahead like I would. And in my current state, I'm very expendable."

"You could help us."

Kaneshiro frowned at Kurumu.

"What are you proposing?"

"That you could flush out Yoshii for us."

"He will find me when he wants to. I am honestly worried about that. He might kill Mr. Sabaku."

Sabaku huffed indifferently.

"We can worry about that after the New Year."

"But if we capture Yoshii, we might be able to rescue Moka."

"I can't help you, Ms. Kurono. Even if I could, there is nothing you could offer me."

"What would you want?"

"To be human again."

"You could probably prolong that by taking blood from others."

Kaneshiro scowled at Yukari.

"Why would I want to extend my life by killing a few people? I would have earnestly pursued Mrs. Aono if that were the case."

"You don't have to kill anyone. Tsukune was taking blood from Rubi and Shirayuki to dilute the strength of his vampire blood."

"That's correct! Mr. Aono can even take blood directly with his fangs now!"

"He doesn't need to know that!"

Kaneshiro chuckled at Tsukune's embarrassment.

"You mean there are other ways of taking blood?"

"Yes. If you can find people willing to give you blood, it should buy you some time."

"I can give you my blood."

Kaneshiro smiled at Myaku.

"You don't have to."

"I think I understand your situation. You felt like you had no choice."

"Ms. Sukoyaka. The reason I came to you was because I was told about your infatuation with me."

Myaku blushed, glancing aside.

"Well I still am. And it's not like I know where Mrs. Aono is. I couldn't help you even if I wanted to."

"Is it my looks? My personality? I've never understood what people see in me."

Myaku blushed deeper.

"I'd rather not say."

"But I must know."

Myaku shook her head fiercely.

"No. And it's not like my blood is anything special."

"If it's just a little blood, I could spare you some. I bet my holy blood would kick that filthy vampire blood to the curb."

Kaneshiro smirked at Sabaku.

"Really? What's the catch? Are you wanting me to help you spring a trap on Yoshii?"

"No. I'd rather not be involved at all in this. No trying to find Mrs. Aono and we stay in groups from here on out to avoid you running into this Yoshii bastard."

"I have no objections to hanging out with Mr. Tashikana more. Maybe his good luck will keep us safe."

"Good idea. How do we give you blood?"

"Does he have to take it from our necks?"

Sabaku soured at the blushing Myaku's question.

"If that's the case, I retract my offer."

Kurumu giggled at the thought of Kaneshiro necking with Sabaku.

"That's not required. For the first couple of months, Tsukune was drinking blood from a glass."

"And you don't swallow the blood. You just swish it around in your mouth. Your fangs will pick up the blood on their own."

"Bear in mind that this will only prolong your humanity by weakening the vampire blood inside you. The only way you will survive is if you get blood from other vampires."

Kaneshiro smiled softly at Yukari.

"I have nothing to offer the Shuzen Estate. Why would they help me?"

"I'm certain that my Moka would help you. Maybe she could convince that brat of a sister to also give you blood. She was the third donor for Tsukune."

Kaneshiro drummed his fingers upon the table.

"Perhaps the Headmaster would know of other vampire families."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Kaneshiro. But the Headmaster won't be seeing anyone until Monday."

"Of course, Ms. Toujou. It is Christmas tomorrow. I can wait until Monday."

"Speaking of Christmas, do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

Kaneshiro smirked at Myaku.

"To be scrutinized by Mr. Sabaku all day long."

"He can come too if he likes."

Kurumu smiled, recalling a note on Sabaku's door last night.

"Didn't Tashikana invite you both to a Christmas party in the dining hall tomorrow?"

"How much of my memories did you see?"

"Enough to know that you haven't been a willing participant in this scheme to murder Mrs. Aono."

"Well that party doesn't start until seven. We will be free for most of the day."

"In that case, would you like to join my family for Christmas lunch?"

"I shouldn't intrude."

"It would be a rescue. The shop won't be open so I have to spend the whole day with my brothers."

Kaneshiro smiled at her pleading copper eyes. He glanced at Sabaku.

"Do you have an issue with this?"

"None if her parents are okay with it."

"Dad! Can Mr. Kaneshiro and Mr. Sabaku join us for Christmas lunch tomorrow?!"

The burly father behind the counter chuckled.

"Sure, why not? Your mother does want to meet the notorious Mr. Kaneshiro."

"On that note, I believe I should retreat. Leave you to your duties."

Myaku snorted at him.

"It's almost two and there isn't a soul here."

"True, but my cover is blown. I need to formulate a new strategy on how to get what I want from you."

"I already said that I'm not helping you find Mrs. Aono."

"That's not the only thing a young man could want from a young woman."

The confidence with which he said that even made Kurumu blush. Myaku shyly retreated a step.

"Are you asking me out?"

"Good day to you, Ms. Sukoyaka. Could someone help me into my chair?"

Sabaku got to his feet, moving quickly about the table to assist the former student council president. It took a few awkward seconds for Kaneshiro to settle into the steel framed wheelchair. The bulky man gripped the black plastic handles and turned the young man about to face the door.

"It was a pleasure chatting with you, Ms. Sukoyaka."

Myaku pouted at Sabaku.

"That's not nice. Now I'm going to think about this all night."

"I imagine that was his plan."

"Quite perceptive of you, Mr. Sabaku. Would you accompany us, Ms. Kurono?"

"What for?"

"I would like to ask your opinion on something that I don't want Ms. Sukoyaka to know about."

"And now you're flaunting secret conversations in front of me."

His smile was as genuine as Myaku's pout.

"I will see you tomorrow, Ms. Sukoyaka. And thank you."

Sabaku and Myaku echoed farewells before the big man started pushing Kaneshiro towards the exit. Kurumu glanced at the others before darting ahead of the pair to get the door, allowing Sabaku to push Kaneshiro out onto the porch without needing to slow down.

"See you later, Mr. Sukoyaka!"

The store owner chuckled at her call, offering a wave as her friends filtered out of the door. Once Rubi passed by her, she stepped out and let the door shut under its own weight.

"So what did you need to talk to Kurumu for?"

"Advice, Ms. Sendou. It is Christmas tomorrow. I'm hoping that one of you ladies would have a good idea what kind of inexpensive gift I should have Mr. Sabaku buy for Ms. Sukoyaka."

Kurumu grinned, having several suggestions.

"Why ya still here?"

Hanetsume Hatoko placed a hand on her hip as she regarded them with annoyance in her golden eyes. Her chestnut hair was pulled back in a high ponytail with a crimson bow at the base which matched the fiery color of her maid uniform. Golden lace lined the hem of her puffy, short sleeves and daring front collar which betrayed the tengu girl's cleavage. The frills of the skirt failed to reach her bared knees.

Kurumu smiled, picking up her phone from the table to check the time. They had dragged a fifth chair over to the rounded, white topped table since they had not felt like splitting their group up. The chairs and the tables of the Gates of Heaven maid café had metal framing which had been painted golden.

"It's only a little after five. Don't you stay open until six?"

"Only open cause yer still here."

Kurumu frowned, glancing about the dining area. It was true that they were the last customers present. Mr. Okada stood behind the white counter in the far corner of this space, dressed in a sky blue dress shirt and gray textured slacks. The blond owner of the store was busy with a notebook.

His niece, Wanibuchi Bunko, stood behind the podium beside the glass door entrance. Bunii's maid outfit was a pastel pink with a white lace hem. Her apron covered most of her front torso.

"But you were busy when we got here."

"Never busy the last hour. Doubts that change fer the holiday."

"Will you be open tomorrow?"

"Naw. Just stay with Bunii."

Kurumu smiled as Tsukune grabbed the bag of six taiyaki they had ordered. It still had two treats since Mizore had ordered a bowl of ginger honey okayu to go with her lemon tea.

"It was sweet of her to let you spend the winter break with her family."

"Bah. She just bored. Only child like me."

Tsukune stood up from his chair, pushing it against the table with the bag of taiyaki in hand.

"We should get going. Is Kaneshiro still in town?"

Rubi grinned brightly, holding up a finger which had a strand of Kaneshiro's hair wrapped about it.

"Nope. He is nowhere near."

Tsukune leaned over to retrieve his duffle bag from the floor as everyone vacated their chairs. Kurumu held her arms wide as she stepped closer to Hatoko.

"I'm not leaving without a hug."

Hatoko eyed her like she had said something ridiculous.

"Why ya wants that?"

"It's Kurumu. She likes hugging people."

Kurumu giggled at Yukari's annoyed tone. Not waiting for permission, she stepped in closer to embrace the stiff tengu. Hatoko sighed, slipping her arms about Kurumu's torso to return the hug. The girl relaxed as she leaned the side of her head against Kurumu's.

"Guess pressing tits feels nice."

"Act tough all you want but I saw the look in your eyes when you first saw us."

"Yea. Boring here. But going home be worse."

Kurumu relaxed her grip, stepping back to arms' length.

"Hopefully winter break won't get extended and we'll get to see our classmates soon."

Hatoko snorted, letting go of Kurumu.

"Whatever. Gets going."

Kurumu giggled, turning to grab her purse and phone off the table. She hurried off to fall in step with Mizore as they made their way to the front door where Yukari and Rubi were waiting. She nodded at Bunii as they neared.

"You take good care of Hatoko for us."

"Of course. Have a merry Christmas, Ms. Kurono."

Everyone echoed those sentiments as Rubi opened the door for them. Yukari headed out first with Tsukune on her heels. Kurumu exited the café a step ahead of Mizore.

It was dark out with a few stars peeking through the clouds. Thankfully there was no breeze as it was quite chilly. Tsukune and Yukari strode off purposefully down the street to the right.

"Thanks again for the treat, Rubi."

Rubi laughed, waving her hand dismissively as they followed the others.

"It's no big deal. I have more money than I know what to do with."

Yukari snorted as they arrived at the intersection. The red brick building across the street on their right was the Hogo and Sons interior decorating service. The lamppost at the intersection corner was just enough to illuminate the sign.

"We should be thankful that she hasn't blown it all on her silly cosplay hobby."

Rubi laughed sheepishly as they crossed the street.

"I don't know what I should buy without Ms. Hitori's help."

"There's a perverted old man in Hong Kong whom would eagerly offer you guidance."

Kurumu snickered at Yukari's comment, imagining Rubi would get along well with that old lecher.

"You know it might be good if she went with us to Hong Kong. I'm sure she could learn a useful spell or two from Master Touhou."

"The Headmaster did say he would find us some support before we returned."

"Whom could he possibly get to come back to Mononoke on Christmas day?"

Tsukune sighed heavily as they neared the next street intersection. This building on the right with the glass windows lining the street was Lucky's Diner. Several couples and families were seated at the tables inside, enjoying a Christmas Eve dinner. The first time Kurumu had eaten inside that place was when she had been tailing Inui and Moka with Yukari's help. Tsukune had paid their bill. That felt so long ago.

"I know it sounds unlikely. But it would be nice if friends like Tora, Miyamoto and Ginei could join us."

"I don't know how much help any of them could be in a fight against Fujisaki."

Tsukune sighed again at Yukari's statement. The other three buildings on the corners of this intersection were either closed or abandoned.

"Maybe not. But Haiji and Ginei did take down a Fairy Tale office."

They crossed the intersection, passing by more dark buildings. Kurumu could not recall if she had ever walked down this particular stretch of street before.

"It's Christmas Eve."

Kurumu giggled at Mizore's offhand remark.

"Yes. It has been all day."

"I wish I could have spent it with Aoi."

Kurumu stuffed her phone into her purse before she reached over to pull Mizore to her side.

"Yukari is going to spirit us over to her parents' house and we will have an amazing Christmas together."

"I might have to use some of your spirit energy to power up that door if there isn't enough electricity in my apartment."

"Can't you just pull from the environment?"

"I would probably kill every strand of grass in that entire clearing if I tried that."

Tsukune chuckled nervously as they neared the end of this street. A large, two story building stood in front of them with the intersecting street running in the other directions.

"I only asked because I was worried."

"Worried about what?"

"Mizore. She's pregnant and-"

"I'm not going to hurt the baby, Tsukune. It will be like that time when that device was using our spirit energy to restore the school barrier. She'll be very exhausted."

Mizore sighed, leaning against Kurumu.

"I'm already exhausted."

They arrived at the end of the street, turning to the right. The town's temple and cemetery were behind them at the end of this street with their destination at the next intersection ahead of them.

"A part of me wants to go with you to Yukari's place."

"No. You should stay here with your mother."

"I know. But I'm worried about Kyoko. I thought that she would write something to me. Strange how not getting a letter from her made me worry more. If I was at Yukari's place, I could call to check on her."

"I can't vouch how good the cell phone service is at our house."

"But you have a home phone."

"I never said we had phone service."

Kurumu giggled as they neared the intersection. She had no idea what this building on the left of them was for but the squat structure on the right was Corner Pockets. Across the street from the billiards place was the Fresh Press dry cleaners. Since the lights were off, she assumed the laundry place was closed.

The three story building on the other corner of this intersection was where Ms. Atsumoto resided. On the walk to Mononoke, Rubi had informed them that she had not seen Ms. Atsumoto or Mrs. Aono at all this week. That was unsurprising since the teacher had stated that she would keep them in the safety of her apartment as much as reasonably possible.

They passed through the intersection with the bright lights of Up Your Alley catching Kurumu's attention. The bowling alley was at the end of the short stretch of street on their left. She was mildly surprised that the place was still open as they made their way to the glass door which served as the main entrance to the apartment building. Tsukune tugged the door open by its steel handle. Yukari passed into the room first with Kurumu and Mizore heading inside seconds later.

"May I help you?"

Kurumu grinned at the gruff greeting from the man behind the window which flanked the only other door leading out of this small lobby. A bright red Santa hat with furry white hem rested upon his silver locks. Ivory tusks flanked his massive jaw as he glared at them with pitch black eyes.

Releasing Mizore, Kurumu skipped across the room to stop short of the window. She smirked upon seeing that the grizzly old man was even wearing a red Santa suit with that dour expression of his.

"We are here to see Ms. Atsumoto."

The man huffed, picking up a phone receiver with one meaty hand while thick fingers punched the buttons of a panel she could not quite see.

Kurumu shivered when Tsukune nearly touched her. She stepped safely away from him, knowing that he had not intentionally done that.

"You have a few high school kids in the lobby."

"I'm not in high school, Sir."

The man looked up at Rubi with an unreadable expression.

"Do you want to come get them?"

"It's Aono, Ms. Atsumoto. I'm here with friends."

The man nodded, placing the receiver back out of sight.

"She'll be here in a moment. Sit tight."

Kurumu smiled, glancing at the two cushioned benches which flanked the two walls. She turned her attention back upon the man, gesturing at him.

"Are you a Santa today?"

"My daughter insisted that I wear this for her kids."

"You're a grandpa?"

"When they want me to be."

Kurumu bit her lip. She was curious about this man's family but it felt like he was not in a mood to talk about them. Then again, he would not have answered at all if that was truly the case.

"How old are your grandchildren?"

"The boy is ten. The girls are eight and five."

"Is your daughter your only child?"

The doorman huffed, sitting back in his chair.

"The only one that stayed in Mononoke after the fire. My two boys saw no reason to stick around. Tama might have left if she wasn't in high school."

"Oh? When did she graduate?"

"The following school year."

Kurumu nodded as the nearby heavy door was pushed open.

"Hurry inside before Grumpy Claus makes me stand in the lobby with you."

Kurumu giggled, offering the doorman a wave.

"It was nice talking with you."

Ms. Atsumoto beckoned to them. The teacher's rusty blond, wavy locks spilled down to the small of her back. Her bosom was barely contained in the pea green tank top she had pulled over her torso. Loose black pajama pants were tightened about her narrow waist by drawstrings dangling against her crotch.

Kurumu was last to enter the small space between two heavy doors. The teacher moved out of the door's path, allowing it to shut under its own weight.

"I wasn't expecting you to come back from Hong Kong so early."

"But I told Mother that I would be here for the holiday."

A loud click sounded in the chamber which allowed Rubi to tug open the other door.

"My apologies, Mr. Aono. I know you said that but I dismissed that as you just being nice."

Kurumu chuckled as she followed the others out into the hallway beyond.

"It's only for today and tomorrow. We're going back to Hong Kong Monday morning."

She waited for Rubi and Ms. Atsumoto to join them before starting down the hallway on their right.

"How long have you been in town?"

"We got here around nine. Checked mail and talked to the Headmaster."

"Is the Headmaster working you to death, Ms. Toujou?"

"Not at all. There hasn't been much for me to do these last two days."

"That's good to hear. I'm a little surprised you kids took so long to stop by."

The others gathered in the corridor in front of the door for 109, waiting for Ms. Atsumoto.

"We stopped by Guilty Pleasures and Gates of Heaven to visit with some friends first."

Ms. Atsumoto chuckled, opening the door to her suite.

"Sounds like you kids need a better diet. Go on inside."

Tsukune stepped through first, shedding his shoes.

"Mother. I'm home."

As Yukari entered the apartment behind him, Mrs. Aono hurried into view to embrace her son. The dark haired mother was garbed in a long sleeved, beige shirt dress with a notched collar and pockets over her breasts. Tsukune chuckled, stepping up which forced his mother to adjust her grip about him.

"Welcome home."

Tsukune steered his mother away from the passageway to allow Yukari a path up.

"I brought clothing for tonight and tomorrow."

"Oh dear. I hope none of you are expecting a meal as I don't have enough food for that."

Kurumu giggled as she followed Rubi into the apartment.

"No. Rubi treated us to a late lunch after we helped a young man find a gift for his new girlfriend."

"I wouldn't claim that those two are getting together."

"Thank goodness. I was momentarily worried that she was talking about you."

Tsukune chuckled as Kurumu bent over to unzip the sides of her booties.

"No. This is a third year guy and the daughter of the owner of Guilty Pleasures."

"Oh? Ms. Sukoyaka has a secret admirer?"

Kurumu wiggled her feet out of her booties.

"I wouldn't say it's much of a secret at this point. But since they aren't really a couple and he doesn't have money, we encouraged him to get her a pretty barrette from Mixed Bag."

Kurumu stepped up into the apartment with a brief survey of the room. It was exactly how it had been the last time she had been here two weeks ago. The doors to the two bedrooms were in this indent space on her right. A shelf laden with DVDs, CDs, VHS tapes and books rested against the wall of the indent with the TV around the corner.

Along the far wall was a dining room table with three chairs, one of which Yukari had already claimed. In the far corner on her left was the stove. The kitchen counter stretched along the wall on the left, ending at the refrigerator. Behind her in this space beside the entry corridor was the door for the bathroom.

"That was right around the corner from us."

Kurumu grinned, turning about as Ms. Atsumoto closed and locked the door. Mizore slipped out of her loafers, stepping up onto the tatami flooring and drifting over to Kurumu's side.

"When you think about it, everything in Mononoke is kind of close. I remember having the impression that the town was huge but then I saw Kofu and Niigata. Heck, Yukimura is larger than this place."

Ms. Atsumoto chuckled, stepping up from the entry corridor. The teacher cut across the apartment as Rubi sat down beside Yukari.

"I can't say that my memory of Yukimura is great but I do recall that it was bigger than Mononoke. I hope none of you mind if I start making dinner."

Everybody sounded a dismissal as the teacher lifted up on her toes to fetch a skillet from the cabinets.

"How have you been adapting to life here?"

Mrs. Aono sighed, still holding her son in a relaxed embrace.

"Not much to adapt to. We spend most of our time indoors. It's sad that the highlights of my week was when we went grocery shopping Sunday evening."

Ms. Atsumoto huffed as she dumped some oil on the skillet before turning on the burner.

"Hey now. We went out Wednesday night too."

"Only because you realized that you might not have enough booze to make it through the weekend if the stores were closed."

"Hey, hey. I'm not the only one drinking."

Mrs. Aono smiled softly as the salamander strolled over to the refrigerator to open it. The teacher pulled out a bag of sliced chicken, wandering back to the stove to shake the contents of the bag into the skillet.

"We mostly watch old movies all day long. I can't believe that I miss my Fuji TV."

"Is human television that great?"

"Of course not. Once Tsukune left for this school, my life became even more remarkably dull. But I still had something to look forward to. Someone coming home to me."

Tsukune pulled his mother into a firmer hug.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I know that this must be hard for you."

His mother let out a shaky breath.

"None of this feels real. Like I'm not even alive."

"If it really bothers you, we can try going out next week. But I'll warn you that this isn't a big city. It won't take long before you've done everything this small town has to offer."

"No, Ms. Atsumoto. I know that isn't safe."

"Well I'm getting a little stir crazy myself. We have a bowling alley and a billiards hall nearby. We also have a pachinko parlor a block away if you're into that."

"None of those things sound interesting."

"We can stop by Kyouko's place when we pick up groceries on Monday. Her house is close to Stockers."

Kurumu perked up, certain that the teacher was talking about her choir instructor.

"She lives in one of the old homes?"

"Mhm. Right across the street from the bathhouse."

"Whom is this Kyouko?"

"She's the choir teacher at Yokai Academy. She's got two little girls."

Mrs. Aono smiled softly at Kurumu's prompt answer.

"Which room are you using? I'm going to put my duffle bag in there."

"Your mother is sharing the bed with me. Take the spare room. It has a futon in there."

"Are you okay?"

"I just have troubles sleeping. Nothing to worry about."

Tsukune nodded, detaching from his mother's embrace. He stalked over to the open door for the room that lacked the bed. He dropped his duffle bag inside.

"Will we have enough food for my son?"

Ms. Atsumoto chuckled, pulling a spatula from a drawer. She stirred up the slices in the skillet.

"With him here, I could slip out and get something to tide us over for the holiday."

"What will the rest of you do?"

Kurumu shrugged, absently slipping an arm behind Mizore to grab the girl by the waist. She tugged Mizore closer to her side.

"We have to run back to our rooms and change. Yukari will be taking us to her parents' place tonight."

"So we won't see any of you tomorrow?"

"No. We're just going to hang out here for a bit. Make sure that you're okay."

Mrs. Aono smiled softly, glancing at the floor.

"Thank you for your concerns. Though I'm also worried about all of you."

"We're fine, Mother."

Mrs. Aono laughed, waving a dismissive hand at Tsukune as he came over to her side.

"I have all of tomorrow to chat with you. I was asking about these girls whom spent the summer with us. I know this may have been explained but I was not myself. I recall that Ms. Kurono had devil wings."

Yukari snickered as Kurumu pouted.

"I hope you don't think that's a bad thing."

"No. I just… thought you were dating my son. His recent letters were trying to claim that the two of you weren't in a physical relationship which I know isn't true."

Tsukune sighed heavily, relaxing his shoulders.

"I was confused when I wrote those letters."

"Kyoko told me that the two of you had broken up."

Tsukune sighed again with a nod.

"That is true. I was in love with another girl so I broke up with Kurumu."

"But the two of you seemed so much in… well… passionate love."

Tsukune blushed, glancing aside.

"I guess. But the love I have for this other girl is deeper and more than something just physical."

Mrs. Aono favored Kurumu an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Kurono. I imagine this isn't easy to hear."

Kurumu sighed, feeling awkward.

"It's nothing I haven't heard before."

"I'll say. Kurumu and Mizore haven't exactly been friendly towards me these last two months."

"Mizore? That's…"

Mrs. Aono smiled when Mizore raised her hand with her keys and letter.

"Ah yes. Ms. Shirayuki. The girl whom ran out of my house naked."

"I'm pregnant now."

Tsukune threw his hands up defensively.

"That was not my fault."

"It's my fiancé's baby."

Mrs. Aono frowned at his look of guilt and Mizore's nonchalant expression.

"You have a fiancé?"

"We would have married this winter break but his father died."

"Oh! I see… Well… congratulations then. I guess. Aren't you too young?"

Ms. Atsumoto chuckled while tending the skillet.

"Not for her kind, Mrs. Aono. The snow girls start having kids as soon as they can."

"There was a time when I wanted Mr. Aono to be the father of this child but that time has passed."

Mrs. Aono let out a nervous laugh.

"Okay then. I'm not going crazy. I was certain that there had been tension between the three of you."

"Yea. That's all over now."

Mrs. Aono smiled softly in the uncomfortable silence which followed.

"I don't see Ms. Akashiya with you. Is she still in Hong Kong?"

Tsukune stiffened up at his mother's inquiry.

"No. She's been taken by Fujisaki."

"Fujisaki? The man whom killed my Kouji?"

"Yes, Mother. That's why I must return to Hong Kong. I need to become strong enough to rescue Moka and avenge my father."

Mrs. Aono clucked her tongue.

"You will do no such thing."

"But I have to."

"If a person breaks the windows of your house, you can't fix your windows by breaking their windows. Nothing you do can bring Kouji back."

"But he will kill Moka when he's done with her."

Mrs. Aono nodded thoughtfully.

"I understand. But don't go after this man with hatred in your heart. No good will come of that."

"Okay. I will just focus on rescuing Moka."

"Now we know where he gets his idealistic nonsense from."

Mrs. Aono frowned at Yukari's tone of disgust.

"Excuse me, young lady."

"Fujisaki needs to die. It would make the world a better place."

"That's not a healthy way of thinking."

"This man killed your husband. That death in the family that Shirayuki mentioned was also caused by Fujisaki. He also had Kurumu's mother killed."

"Is that true?"

Kurumu nodded along with Mizore at the mother's bewilderment.

"You may have some silly notion about the evils of vengeance but this isn't about vengeance."

"It is not a silly notion. Killing this man won't bring anybody back."

"It isn't about bringing dead people back. I'm the only one left, Mrs. Aono. Everybody else has lost family to this guy. I'm not going to wait for my turn."

There was a tense moment of silence in which they could hear the sizzling of the chicken.

"The young lady has a point, Mrs. Aono. Even humans wouldn't tolerate a serial murderer."

"That is handled in a court of law."

"He is above the law, Mother. But I know that you are right about not pursuing the man with hatred."

"This isn't about hate, Mrs. Aono. It's simple logic. If there is an opening to kill this man, we would be fools not to take it."

"No. We have to hold true to our beliefs. If we don't, we are no better than-"

"What does it matter if we are better? Why must we be better? Is it pride? Is being better than someone else that valuable to you?"

Mrs. Aono reeled at the onslaught of fierce questions.

"But we have to be good."

"Humans called witchcraft evil! Do you understand me? The line between good and bad is a myth only created to make people feel better about themselves if they stood on the right side of it."

Tsukune wrapped his mother up in a hug, shaking his head.

"Yukari, stop. This isn't helping."

"No. She needs to understand that this way of thinking is going to get someone I care about killed. We can't show Fujisaki mercy on the premise that it makes us the better person. What good does that do anyone when you're dead?"

Kurumu shivered when she heard the mother sob against her son's chest. Mrs. Aono looked so meek and vulnerable in his embrace. She felt sorry for her but knew that Yukari had reasons to defy the idealism.

"I have to pee."

Kurumu laughed softly as Mizore detached from her side. The snow girl stalked by Tsukune and his mother to slip into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Didn't she go when we arrived at the Gates of Heaven?"

Kurumu nodded at Rubi.

"Yea. That tea must have gone straight through her."

Mrs. Aono lifted her head from Tsukune's shoulder with a sniffled laugh.

"That's right. You mentioned that she was pregnant. How far along?"

Kurumu smiled at the mother's interest.

"Well this isn't a human pregnancy. I understand that in human pregnancy terms she would be about at the twelve week mark."

"Oh? When will this baby be due?"

"End of April. Early May."

Tsukune perked up.

"Really? Around Moka's birthday?"

Kurumu laughed, having not thought about that.

"I guess if she's late. Remember that she could also come as early as March."

"Do you kids want to watch a movie or listen to some music?"

Yukari shook her head as she got to her feet.

"No. We should leave once Shirayuki empties her pea sized bladder."

"Yea. We do have an hour and a half walk back to our rooms. We probably shouldn't drop in on her parents too late."

Ms. Atsumoto chuckled as she turned off the skillet.

"I'm surprised that ornery old codger is going to drive you to your parents' house this late at night."

Yukari snorted at the sound of a toilet flushing.

"We aren't relying on Mr. Nurari."

"Oh? How are you getting home?"

Yukari smirked as Mizore opened the bathroom door.

"With my magic."