Mizore

Many years ago...

The Snow Fairy is immersed in a field of pure white flowers. Like her skin, they outshine the winter sky's moonlight as their petals seem to go on and on forever into the mountain valley. This night was one that Mizore Shirayuki could never forget...but not because she wanted to remember.

The pristine snow covering the valley gave a quiet crunch with each lavender-haired Snow Fairy's step. The silvery moonlight from the cloudless sky above washed over the flowers and illuminated them like miniature suns, their tiny petals casting a soft glow on the young girl as she stood in the middle of the field…along with a young boy.

"See?" Mizore plucks one of the many flowers and presents it to the boy. "This flower is called a 'Snow White', just like my last name! It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"..."

"Let's promise each other when I turn seventeen, we'll come back here and pick this flower again. That means...we'll be together forever!"

"...Cut it out, Mizore," The boy spoke in a tone that matched the very air he and Mizore stood in.

"What?"

"It's impossible! It can never be!" He shouted, disgusted with just being in her presence. "Because you're a Monster! A Monster that eats humans like me!"

Present Day

"NO!"

The Snow Fairy woke up from her slumber in a cold sweat, the small drips on her forehead quickly turned into crystals due to Mizore losing control of her power. Her hyperventilating calms after leaning up from her pull-out bed and bringing her knees to her chest. Mizore has had this nightmare many times in her youth, but this was the first time in over five years that the thought of that memory haunted her mind.

"Stupid nightmare," She sighed. "Why the heck am I dreaming about my childhood?" Mizore brought her head from her knees, her eyes landing on a small slip of paper that was resting on her coffee table next to the alarm clock. "It's because of this stupid letter I got from Mother," Mizore plucks it from the table and skims through the words of her Mother's letter. "...Seventeen, hmm."

Kurumu

"Hmm..."

Meanwhile, a certain aqua-haired Succubus tossed and turned under her blankets, finding no comfort even in her own bed. After all, how could Kurumu after what she and her friends saw happen yesterday? Elijah, someone Kurumu and the others have looked up to for a long time, and someone the Succubus learned not long ago that she loves...tore a man limb from limb with seemingly no remorse in his heart. Yes, he and his accomplice tried to kill them, but Elijah rarely, if not ever, resorts to such...brutal tactics. The young Wizard always found a way to make his opponent yield or simply outsmart his opponent. There had only been one other time where he truly hated his enemy, but even then he resorted to mutilating the fox demon.

The Doppelganger and Ground Spider have both been taken into custody by the proper authorities and will never see the light of day again, even then, their bodies are beyond repair. The Newspaper Club agreed that this was a story that should be covered on a later day, everyone needed time to process all that happened...especially the Succubus. Kurumu sighed and leaned up in her bed, stretching her arms above her head knowing that she wouldn't be able to sleep for now. So she decided to see if anyone else was awake, she took her phone from her nightstand and opened the group chat Tsukune made for them.

Kurumu: "Hey, is anyone still up?"

Kurumu sighed, leaning her head back against the wall as she set her phone down on the bed. It's two in the morning, no one's gonna be awake now... To pass the time, and to hopefully put her mind at ease, she picked her phone back up. This time she opens the Spotify app and scrolls through Elijah's main playlist. Let's see... 'Highway to Hell'... No, nothing too loud... 'Monster'... No, no Skillet today...

"Wait..." Kurumu stopped scrolling when she read the title, 'My Immortal', her eyes were intrigued by the cover of the album, a beautiful woman with raven hair. Huh, I wonder if she's like Joan Jett... Curiosity seemed to get the better of the blue-haired Succubus as she pressed her finger down on the song, it began with a soft and slow piano that was soon followed by a woman's low yet gentle voice.

I'm so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

'Cause your presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real

There's just too much that time cannot erase

The song hadn't even gone by for a minute, but Kurumu already found herself tearing up by the words of the song. One person came to mind, a certain Wizard of deep brown hair that matched his eyes, her best friend...but now it feels like they're only strangers now.

When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have...all of me

Kurumu couldn't hold back the dam of emotions that plagued her mind, she buried her face in the palms of her hands...and she cried to her heart's content. What was happening to Elijah? She thought. This was not the kind, compassionate, loving, and gentle soul she met that day by the pond. Instead, this was a more cold, violent, cruel, and apathetic...monster.

"This isn't the boy I love," What if... Kurumu gasped which also came out as a quiet sob at the sudden thought she had. "...What if he hates me now?"

DING!

The sudden beep from Kurumu's phone brought her out of that dark place in her head, she checked her phone to see that one of her friends had responded to the group chat.

Moka: "I am. You can't sleep either, huh, Kurumu?"

Kurumu humorlessly chuckles when she reads her Vampire friend's message, she could read her like a book even over the phone.

Kurumu: "No... :( "

Tsukune: "Neither could me and Moka, we've been talking for the last few hours until we saw your message to the group chat."

Kurumu: "I'm just glad I didn't wake either of you two up."

Yukari: "Spoke too soon, you woke me up."

Kurumu: "Oh... Sorry."

Yukari: "Eh, I was only just dozing off, I can't go to sleep with what happened today."

Tsukune: "Are we even going to talk about it?"

Yukari: "What is there to talk about? Elijah practically losing his mind and nearly killing that guy and smiling like a freakin' maniac?!"

Tsukune: "Moka and I were thinking more like...what we should do about it."

Kurumu: "What do you mean?"

Moka: "Well, Tsukune and I were thinking that we shouldn't cover this story in our newspaper, at least not right now. We don't want the rest of Yokai Academy to see all of us in such a bad light, especially Elijah."

Kurumu: "So what exactly do we do now?"

Moka: "Tsukune was thinking of that with me earlier. Tsukune?"

Yukari: "Wait!"

Tsukune: "What is it?"

Yukari: "Has anyone heard from Ruby since yesterday? I've been trying to get in contact with her since she and Elijah poofed away but she's not answering."

The Young Witch brought up a fair question. Everyone had no idea where Ruby could've taken him or what she was even doing with him...or what Elijah could've done with her. After seeing what Elijah did to...well, Kokoa isn't really his friend, but he wouldn't be someone he would openly hurt...but the bruises around the Vampire's neck said otherwise.

Tsukune: "We can get with her in the morning, first we need to sit down and talk with Elijah before anyone else can get hurt. Tomorrow, we take a break from classes and the club and all of us get to the bottom of Elijah's...'condition'."

Kurumu: "Skip classes?"

Yukari: "Ooh! When did you turn into a bad boy, Tsukune?"

Moka: "This is serious, Yukari."

Yukari: "I know, just thought I'd at least lighten the mood..."

Kurumu: "Either way, won't Ms. Nekonome or any of our other teachers give us problems?"

Tsukune: "Moka and I thought of that. I'm sure Ms. Nekonome will understand once we explain everything in confidence, as for our other teachers... They'll just have to deal with it."

Yukari: "Bad boy!"

Moka: "Yukari!"

Yukari: "Okay! Okay! I'll stop."

Mizore: "If I may interject. I have a solution that'll help."

Kurumu: "Mizore? How long have you been up?"

Mizore: "A while, I just waited until I could speak up but that doesn't matter. I know a way where all of us can get away from everything and we can finally get things back to the way they're supposed to be."

Moka: "How?"

Mizore: "I'll explain tomorrow, I'm already tired as it is."

Tsukune: "Great. I'm glad at least someone else has a plan too, let's all meet on the roof of the school around lunch, okay?"

Moka: "Got it."

Yukari: "You betcha!"

Mizore: "Mhmm."

Kurumu: "Goodnight, guys."

The Succubus closes her message app and goes back into the Spotify app, hoping that she can find one more song to put her mind at ease. But before she pressed on Elijah's playlist...another one caught her eye. It was named, 'Spotify Wrapped'. What's this? Kurumu opens the playlist and reads, 'Spotify Wrapped presents the top songs you loved this year'. Huh, so these are his most played songs this year? Kurumu reads the top three songs, her head tilts in slight confusion when she notices a certain pattern...

"'Psycho In My Head'... 'Falling Inside The Black'... And 'Save Me'..." All three songs were by Skillet. Wait...

"What is wrong with you?! Why are you being like this?! This isn't the Elijah I know!"

"..."

The Wizard boy looked down at his hands...they were shaking with what looked like anger but his faltering face showed just a tiny bit of...fear. He looks back up at Kurumu's furious eyes and mutters only two words in a breathless whisper.

"...Help me."

"Elijah?" Kurumu noticed the millisecond of change within Elijah's expression, but only for the anger to overtake him once again and he shook his head violently.

"Just stay out of my way..."

Kurumu knew that this was no mere coincidence, but she also knew she couldn't spend the rest of the night trying to figure out what exactly it could mean. Kurumu needs her rest before any kind of confrontation can be held, so she leans back into her bed and nuzzles her head into her pillow...

"Hold on..."

Kurumu leans herself over the edge of her bed and reaches underneath to pull out a black zip-up jacket, she holds it close to her chest and feels just how warm it is compared to her chilly skin. It still smells like him... Kurumu didn't care how desperate or degenerative she sounded in her head...she stopped denying her desire for her best friend long ago.

"...I could never hate you, Kuru, any of you. You know that."

I know you're still the boy I love, Elijah...somewhere in that heart... Please come back to me.

Archimedes

The wise, snarky, yet caring owl perched himself on the highest branch of the tallest tree that overlooked Yokai Academy, the ancient bird sighed in annoyance as he found no comfort in getting even the slightest bit of sleep. He would never admit it out loud, but he was terrified beyond belief for his master...no, his friend.

"Oh, pinfeathers!" Archimedes shook himself roughly and gazed out into the night sky, looking up to the silvery glow of the waxing moon that was peaking out from behind the clouds. "It's no use. The one time I cannot get a moment's worth of rest!"

The nocturnal bird ruffled his feathers and stretched out his wings. Whenever Archimedes would find himself losing sleep, which was a rare case for the owl, he would take flight until the warm embrace of slumber greeted him again like an old friend. And that is exactly what the owl did, he pushed himself off of the tall perch and began to glide through the night air...only to stop in mid-flight.

"What's this?" Mimicking the vision of an eagle, Archimedes squinted his eyes and focused on what appeared to be...a boy sneaking around the outside of the dorm rooms of Yokai Academy. "Young Everett?"

It was without question that Archimedes could tell exactly who the young man was without much hint, he had come to grow very fond of the Wizard despite their first encounter. Archimedes could always see the potential of exactly what kind of Wizard Elijah is meant to be, even if recent events tell the bird otherwise. The night bird carefully followed the young Wizard until he found himself at a pond he once described to his flying companion.

"What on Earth is he doing in the dead of night?" He whispered to himself. Without making another sound, Archimedes carefully landed on the branch of a tree that was a few feet away from where Elijah was. The owl carefully tucked his wings behind his tiny body and listened keenly to what the kneeling boy was doing.

"...Get out of my head."

Hmm? What on earth is he saying?

"Starting that song again, are we?"

Archimedes immediately heard the sudden change in the boy's voice. The low, guttural, and primal growl rattled the bones of the pygmy owl. Archimedes felt a deep, sinking feeling in his heart as he listened to how quickly Elijah stared deeply into his reflection in the pond with a wicked grin. His voice shifted into what only the owl could describe as a Monster.

"Don't you see? You and I performed exquisitely, tearing that worm apart with our bare hands is only an ounce of the strength of which we hold! Think about what more we could do together!"

"No!" Elijah's voice shifts back, sounding more panicked with his anger still lingering. "You almost made me kill a man and you hurt one of my friends! You said that you wouldn't lay a finger on them!"

What now? What in the blazes is the boy on about? And who exactly is he even talking to?

"What's so wrong with disposing of a monster whose only purpose was to be stomped on by someone like us? The coward was begging for his life, but what good did that give him?"

"Shut up!" Elijah clutched his head and dipped it into the cold water of the pond, only for a second, just to bring it back out. "I swear, I'm gonna rip you out of me and make sure...whatever you are never gets the chance to keep on living! I will exterminate you like the parasite that you are!"

"Hahaha... There it is...that's who you really are."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" The young Wizard yelled, his voice cracking up. "I'm not a monster, I'm nothing like you!"

"Oh, but you already are, you've always have been. It's all right here in your mind. You're a failure, a loser, an outcast, and a freak. But that's all because of how you were brought up, we need to cut that part out of you like a cancer. And then, and only then will you be what you were always meant to be - Perfection."

Archimedes, his talons clutched against the rough bark of the branch on which he was perched, could only watch as the young man struggled to maintain control of his own mind. The owl flinched, almost flying off at the sound of the guttural, demonic voice of the thing that had begun to plague Elijah.

How did this happen? How could this happen, to him of all people?

"Don't you remember my promise? You and I, Blessed Child, are going to make this world...a Fairy Tale."

"...What?"

"Huh?!" Archimedes saw as the boy turned his head on a dime toward his direction...and a black tendril was heading right for him. The pygmy owl soars to the sky and hides himself higher in another tree.

SNAP!

The branch of his previous perch breaks off and a portion of the tree comes along with it, eventually resulting in the tree falling over to its side with a loud crash. The Wizard stood, wiping the cold water from his face as he looked around like a wild animal.

"Something was watching us..."

Oh, dear... Oh, my gracious...

"It matters not," Elijah marched away from the pond and headed back toward the dorms. "All will be resolved soon enough."

Archimedes looked on with fright and terror gripping his heart as he watched the young Wizard walk away with the confidence of a madman, a chill ran up the bird's spine and all of his feathers stood up on end. But what terrified him more than anything...was the two specific words the boy uttered from his mouth.

"Fairy Tale..." Archimedes whispered them to himself. "Surely he did not mean...them, did he?"

"So, you saw it too, huh?"

"Gah!"

"AH!"

The owl spun his head around and he let out a startled screech as he saw the individual responsible for the sudden fright, a certain Witch that was no older than Elijah but shared the same dark brown hair that he has. Archimedes recognizes the girl as Ruby Tojo.

"I say, what on earth are you doing out here, young lady?!"

"I should be asking you the same thing," Ruby responded, raising a brow at the bird. "But you saw him, didn't you? Elijah is not alright."

"I'm aware…but I fear something far worse is yet to come for the boy...if not all of us."

Ruby's expression softened as she took in the words of the bird. "What do you mean?"

"…Miss Tojo, do the words, 'Fairy Tale' mean anything to you?"

Tsukune

"Damn, this heat..." I wipe the sweat from my forehead. Why the hell is it so hot in the fall?!

Ever since we came back after the festival, I've noticed the unseasonal weather. Well, Yokai Academy never really has seasons per se, the internal temperature within the great barrier is maintained at a constant temperature all year round. But now...

"It's one hundred and five degrees Fahrenheit?!" I couldn't believe my own weather app. "No wonder I'm burning up! It never gets this hot back home! Thanks a lot, global warming!"

"You've noticed the change in weather too, huh?" Moka's warm presence greets me for what I hope will continue until the end of time. "Some people are saying that the Great Barrier is still making some readjustments after what happened with Hokuto."

"Really? It's been weeks since then, you would think they had better control over the temperature," Great, now I know how every dad feels when someone touches the thermostat.

"I feel bad for the Monsters who aren't heat resistant, they must be having a hard time today."

"Is that why we didn't see Mizore in homeroom this morning?"

"I guess so, but I'm sure she and the others will show up soon."

"How are you holding up, Moka?" I ask. "I've always wondered if the sun really hurts you. Does it?"

"No, silly," She giggles. "That's just an old wives' tale my kind has told humans so they wouldn't think to look for us in the daylight. Plus, heat doesn't really bother me, this weather kinda reminds me of summer." Moka tugs on the collar of her button-down shirt to fan herself...and only now do I realize just how sweaty she is. "What about you, Tsukune? How are you feeling?"

"Huh? Oh!" I avoid eye contact with her. Focus, Tsukune... Just look at that pretty cloud... "Yeah, I'm fine." Despite my efforts...I could not resist stealing a glance at the girl I love, her shirt was practically sticking to her body...and I swore I thought I could see the outlines of her brassiere. Who knew that unnatural weather could be so beautiful!

"Hmm? Tsukune, are you alright? You look dazed."

"Oh! I, uh...just had no idea how hot it really is!"

"What?"

"I mean!" I fought the new heat that was rising to my cheeks. "Nothing! I'm just...talking to myself." Come on, just change the subject! "I was just...thinking about our summer break when we all went to the human world, so much happened...even meeting Ruby! I hope when summer actually comes back around, we can all go somewhere together again and make some more good memories."

"Tsukune..." Moka, fighting back a rising blush of her own, scoots herself closer to me. "I want to make more memories with you too...more of ones that are just...me and you."

"Moka..."

"Tsukune..."

As much as I want to...we need to focus on the main problem right now, there will always be better times for just...us. I stop myself from leaning in any further and place a gentle hand on Moka's shoulder. "We shouldn't, not right now."

"Right," Moka shook her head, probably clearing her head from the same feelings that I was experiencing. "I'm sorry."

"Am I interrupting again?"

"AH!"

Moka and I are once again scared by the sudden arrival of our friend, Mizore. Only now, she was hanging off of the railing of the roof. "What are you doing, Mizore?"

"You said to meet here on the roof, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but you're literally hanging off the edge of the roof," Moka points out. "That's three stories high! Be careful!"

"Alright, alright..." Mizore sighed and swung herself over the railing, standing up straight as she wiped the sweat away from her face. "I really hate this weather..." She groaned. "Is everyone else here yet?"

"Not yet," I say. "I'm sure everyone will be coming along soon."

"Hey!"

Speak of the devil...

The three of us turn back to the roof access and see Yukari with Kurumu close behind her, both of them are feeling the effects of Yokai Academy's unusual weather. "Phew!" The Young Witch was fanning herself with her hat. "This weather is driving me crazy!"

"I agree with you," Kurumu adds, tying up her slightly damp loose hair into a ponytail.

"Hey, guys!" Moka greets them both with her signature smile. "How are you? I mean, despite the weather."

"We're fine," Kurumu answers first. "Just wish it wasn't this freakin' hot! Yukari, can't you make it a little colder somehow?"

"Sorry. I haven't mastered those kinds of spells yet."

"Well, what about Ruby?"

"Speaking of," I speak up. "Have any of you guys seen her around? I thought for sure that she would at least be around today."

"I'm here!"

"Ruby!" The youngest of our group hugs her Witch friend, she finally arrives with...a passed-out owl on her head?

"Is that Archimedes?" I asked. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine," She nods. "Just a little...not used to this kind of weather."

"By all creatures great and small," The bird groaned, bringing his wing up to the air. "let this unholy weather come to an end!"

"Where have you been, Ruby?"

"I've been doing much research to see what I could find about the condition of a certain friend of ours, I'm sorry that I couldn't spare a moment to get back to any of you."

"Really? What have you found out."

"Quite a bit, Archimedes and I are more than willing to share it with all of you when we have a moment's chance."

"What does Archimedes have to do with this?"

"More than you know," Ruby answers Kurumu with a serious tone. "He's been a real help since last night. But I'm afraid he can't share right now given the situation he's in at the moment."

"That's great," I say. "but for now," I turned over to Mizore, remembering that she also had something to share. "Mizore, what exactly did you plan?"

"It's not exactly a plan, but something that I have to do," She brings a small slip of paper from her pocket. "I got this postcard from my mother, she wants me to come home this weekend for this traditional ceremony thing and she says I can bring my friends with me, so... What do you guys think?"

"Ceremony?"

"What the heck does that mean?"

"It means that I have to go home to participate in this ceremony, and I figured this could be a perfect opportunity to get us away from all of the craziness that Yokai Academy always gives us. It would only be for the weekend, and I wanted to invite you all even if we weren't worried about Elijah."

"You guys talking about me?" Oh, boy... The last person I least expected to show up shook not just me but the rest of us as well, Elijah stood by the roof access with his arms crossed and a smirk across his face. "You really thought no one would notice all of you sneaking out of class like that? You guys are getting sloppy."

"N-No, it's not like that!" Moka says, her shaking voice betraying her cheery facade. "We just...um..."

"Go on..."

"Mizore was just telling us about this ceremony thing she must attend this weekend!" Yukari came in to help Moka. "Right, Mizore?"

"R-Right," Mizore, fiddling with the slip of paper in her hands, approaches our troubled friend. "I thought...since you've been doing so much for us lately, I'd invite all of you to come along with me. It could be fun, what do you think?"

"So it's finally time..."

"'Time'?" I repeat. "What do you mean?"

"Time for a well-deserved break!" Elijah cheered... causing an unsettling feeling to rise in the pit of my stomach. "I mean, I've been busting my ass since getting back to this dump, I deserve some R ! When do we leave?"

"It's...this weekend."

"Perfect! I'll start packing as soon as I can, see ya!" We all watched as our friend walked away from us with an extra pep to his step. I don't know if I'd call this a success, but at least we'll have a better chance to sit Elijah down and finally get to the root of his problem. One way or another, this ends this weekend.

A few days later...

Kurumu

Alright...time to be my cheery self for everyone...

Kurumu makes her way to the bus stop with her packed bags, all the while having her mind go back to one particular question she's been asking herself for the past few days. What exactly was Mizore planning? The Succubus once saw Mizore as a rival for Tsukune's love and attention, but now that her true feelings for her best friend have been realized, Mizore is her rival once more but with Elijah as the one she'll be fighting for... Not physically, of course. Come to think of it, there were times when Kurumu had gotten jealous because Mizore wanted Elijah's attention at the same time that she did, but now...

"Augh!" Kurumu groaned, smacking herself on the head. "Get your head together, girl!"

Kurumu eventually found that the bus was already parked at the stop and that everyone else was aboard, they had been waiting for her for who knows how long but Kurumu didn't think too much about it and climbed inside the vehicle...forcing herself to smile.

"Hey, guys! Sorry for taking so long," Now with everyone here on the bus, they take their seats as Mizore instructed the Bus Driver exactly where to go. But there was an unexpected guest along with the Newspaper club...a certain Vampire's little sister along with her tiny bat companion. "What the heck is she doing here?"

"Well..." Moka scratched her cheek, looking off to the side. "She may or may not have found out about our trip and wouldn't stop begging me to come along. Surprise. Hehehe..."

"Well, as long as she won't cause trouble, I guess it's fine," Tsukune tries to find the best out of the sudden circumstances. "Besides, we're all supposed to enjoy ourselves this weekend, right?"

"Right!" Yukari agrees.

"..." Well, guess I have to kick it up a notch "Yahoo-hoo!" Kurumu cheered. "It feels like forever since we all took a vacation together! Step on the gas, Bus Driver!"

"Hehehe. That I will," The Bus Driver smirked, his cigar moving to the corner of his mouth. "Straight through the four-dimensional tunnel."

"Do you have tunes? I don't want this ride to be dull most of the way."

"As long as you don't mind some oldies," The Bus driver cackled as he entered a tape into his radio, eventually playing the sweet sound of one of if not the best rock and roll bands of all time...Queen.

Tonight...

I'm gonna have myself...a real good time

I feel alive

And the world, I'll turn it inside out, yeah

I'm floating around in ecstasy, so

Don't stop me now

Don't stop me

"'Cause I'm havin' a good time, havin' a good time!" Kurumu sang to her heart's content, she seemed to be actually enjoying herself despite any remaining anxiety in her mind.

"According to the Headmaster," Ruby speaks with a majority of the rest of the group. "It'll be a few days before Yokai Academy's unnatural weather will return back to normal. So it's good timing for all of us to take this trip to Mizore's cold homeland."

"This is so cool!"

"Literally!"

Mizore watches silently as all of her friends seem to be enjoying themselves even just on the way to her home, well, everyone minus a certain Wizard, owl, and bat who were all sitting in the back of the bus fast asleep. Regardless, the Snow Fairy smiles to herself, feeling happy to be here with her precious friends.

"So, what's the deal, Mizore?"

"Huh?" The lavender-haired girl turns to the blue-haired Succubus. "What are you talking about?"

"Sure, inviting us is nice and all, but it's not often you'd be the one to even suggest such an idea. So, what's really going on here?"

"...It's a surprise. But...do you like snow?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Then you're gonna enjoy what's up ahead!" The Bus Driver addresses everyone, the darkened tunnel now lighting up with a flashing light. "Take a gander." As everyone sees the bright light at the end of the tunnel, they eventually find themselves in what only can be described as the mother of all blizzards. It would make sense that Snow Fairies would live in a real that is protected by snow. The Bus driver quickly stops and rushes everyone off the bus even the sleeping Wizard and animals. "Hehe. Take care and stay warm!" With a tip of his hat, he closes the doors and speeds off back through the tunnel, leaving the group shivering with their luggage as the snow comes down hard.

"So c-c-cold!"

"I can't feel my fingers!"

"I miss the heat already..."

H-Hoo! H-Hoo!

"Blast this infernal folderol!" Archimedes shouts from atop Ruby's head, his feathers coated with snow. "Who's brilliant idea was this anyway?!"

"To think Miss Koko wanted to come here! Whee!"

"What the heck, Mizore?!" Kurumu grabs her by her collar with her hands. "You call this 'snow'?! This is a freakin' blizzard!"

"Well, you guys wanted to cool off."

"Yeah! But not this cold! I was thinking of someplace nice! Somewhere where we won't freeze to death!"

"I hate to agree with her, Mizore, but she has a point!" Yukari shouts over the roaring of the blizzard wind. "How does your kind live in these conditions all the time?!"

"Well, you all know how Yokai Academy feels like autumn all year round? Here, it's winter all the time. Don't worry, it's much warmer near my home, the wind will die down once we get there," Mizore begins trudging through the snow in one direction and says. "It's right this way, try not to get separated."

Everyone follows close with their luggage in tow. All the while, the Succubus thinks to herself as she shields her face from the snow. What exactly are you planning, Mizore? You're being nice...too nice. You're showing a lot more hospitality than normal, and you're smiling too much too...

"I'm really glad to have all of you here," Mizore says everyone reaches the peak of a hill. "Because...I really wanted you to see...all of this."

The group looks forward with amazement and wonder at the ice-covered wonderland, it's an entire city that was entirely made out of ice and seems to have three castle structures far off behind it. Two of them were smaller next to the third biggest one.

"This is your hometown, Mizore?" Tsukune asks in astonishment.

"It's so beautiful!" Yukari adds.

"I have to agree," Ruby speaks, her eyes sparkling with fascination. "It's amazing how many structures seem to be formed out of nothing but ice."

"Yeah..." Kurumu even found herself amazed by how wonderful Mizore's home was.

"What do you think, Elijah?" The Snow Fairy asked him, wanting to hear his opinion most of all. "This is my home."

"...It's really something."

Everyone eventually made their way to the frozen city, which they thought to be more impressive the closer they got. As they walked through the ethereal crystalized city, Kurumu shouted, "Wow...this place really is amazing! It's completely unreal!"

"It's like we're in a real-life fairytale!"

"Ahem!" A certain owl cleared his throat, finding himself cringing at Yukari's words. "Not quite the words I would use, Young Witch. But I must agree, this realm truly is exquisite. Truly prepossessing."

"Why do you talk like you're always carrying a thesaurus around with you? Whee!"

"Who? Who?!" Archimedes grew offended by the bat's remark. "What? What?! Unlike you, my brain doesn't match the same size of a molecule!"

"You wanna go right now?! Whee!"

"My, my..." Before the shapeshifting Bat and wise Owl can begin their dispute, the Students of Yokai Academy are greeted by a familiar, calming voice. She smiles and takes a small bow. "Welcome, everyone. We've been expecting you."

"Oh, it's you, Ms. Shirayuki!"

"Please, call me, Tsurara," The Mother of Mizore turns to the young Wizard. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Elijah. I hope our land is to your liking?"

"Well, despite the pain it is to get here, it's quite a nice place you all have here."

"I'm glad," Tsurara's warm smile shifts into a guilty frown. "And I believe I must apologize to you for my previous behavior, I truly hope it doesn't affect the way your relationship with my daughter."

"It's nothing..."

"Still, I apologize," Tsurara bows deeply. "I truly hope you and your friends have a wonderful visit here."

"It's so pretty here!" said Yukari to Tsurara. "How is a place like this even possible?"

"Our homeland is encased by a barrier of ice," She began to explain. "which generates a perpetual aura," Tsurara pointed to the darkened sky which was entranced by an aurora borealis. "This is similar to the Great Barrier of Yokai Academy, only it's not as powerful and is created by us Snow Fairies."

"Wow..."

"That's amazing!"

"Truly a work of magic and the mystic arts..."

"Sadly..." Tsurara once again bore a sad frown. "There are fewer of us to enjoy this beauty, for our younglings no longer bear enough children. In other words," As the others remained entranced by the sky's beauty, Tsurara leans over to Elijah and whispers. "I truly hope you and Mizore are ready for the next stage in your relationship."

"'Scuse me?"

"I already have a room prepared for the two of-"

"That won't be necessary, Mother," Mizore grabs Elijah by the hand before Tsuara can start dragging him away...and Elijah doesn't let go. "I can handle this on my own, there's no need to go the extra mile for our sake."

"Hmm... Very well," Mizore's mother nods, acknowledging her daughter's decision. "Come along then, your accommodations are being prepared as we speak."

"Come on, Elijah," Mizore, with Elijah still in hand, follows her mother as she leads them to her house. But as they walked hand in hand, Elijah looked back, bearing a small smirk on the corner of his lips as he looked straight at...Kurumu. The Succubus stood there with her feet planted in the snow as a familiar pang of jealousy stabbed her in the heart, the sight of watching the boy she loved holding her rival's hand was enough already...but the fact that he was smiling at her as he did it was like salt on an open wound.

What's happened to you?

The Yokai Academy group heads over to Mizore's house for the rest of the day, everyone has made themselves comfortable with the bedding that Ms. Shriayuki and her servants have provided for them. Now that they were settled into their temporary living spaces, Tsurara invited Mizore and her friends to a bountiful feast full of a variety of cuisines such as Sashimi, Tempura, Yakitori, Kaiseki, Donburi, and even Okonomiyaki.

"So, Mizore's come to take part in this 'ceremony' thing, right?" Yukari asks with a mouthful of tempura shrimp.

"That's right," Tsurara nodded. "Mizore came home to partake in tomorrow's Flower Offering Ceremony."

"What exactly is that?" Moka asked.

"You've never heard? I was sure Mizore would explain everything once she got my letter."

"You pick a certain flower from the mountain and offer it at the temple, this flower in particular is called a 'Snow White'."

"'Snow White'?" Yukari asks as if that name meant something to her...

"Hmm..." Even Archimedes found that name familiar as well.

"Isn't that what your last name means, Mizore?"

"Yes," She confirms Moka's question. "That's right. In my culture, it's considered a good luck flower...for matchmaking. Snow Fairies are expected to choose their marriage partners soon after we turn seventeen, so we perform the Flower Offering Ceremony and start praying right away to find our dream mate."

Tsurara giggles after Mizore finishes the explanation. "The ceremonial costumes are so beautiful this time of year, I know you'll find the man of your dreams someday, Mizore."

"Costumes?" Moka sounded excited with the idea of dressing up, mostly for Tsukune.

"That...actually sounds fun," Kurumu was excited as well, although a small part of her brain remained skeptical. The Succubus only felt excited by the thought of dressing up to see how a certain Wizard would react. I wonder how he would react to the idea of us getting... Kurumu immediately shakes away that rising thought from her head as a warm blush comes to her cheeks. Pull yourself together!

"Oh? Do you all wish to take part as well?" Tsurara amusingly asked. "Well then, I'd be happy to lend you all some kimonos for the ceremony."

"Really?!"

"That's so kind of you!"

"I can't wait for you to see me in a kimono again, Tsukune!"

"Uh, y-yeah..."

As the others talked amongst themselves about tomorrow's ceremony, Kurumu leaned over and whispered to Mizore. "Is this really what you wanted for us, Mizore? To...actually have fun?"

"Of course. What do you me-"

Kurumu didn't need to hear the rest of what Mizore had to say, she could sense that the Snow Fairy had no ill intention...she could feel it in her heart. The Succubus, despite the small doubt, hugs her friend. "Thank you, Mizore."

"What are you-"

"You always seem cold and dismissing of us, I didn't really know if you considered all of us as real friends...me most of all. But you really think about everyone, don't you?" Kurumu pulls away, keeping her voice at a soft whisper. "We may be rivals in love, but we're still friends..." Her words trailed off as Kurumu looked off to the side, staring right at Elijah, who'd been silently eating for the past few minutes. The Succubus looked back into Mizore's eyes to ask one final question. "Aren't we?"

"...Of course, we are."

Mizore...

The cover of the night has fallen over the Shirayuki household, everyone throughout the house has fallen under the warm embrace of sleep...all but one Young Snow Fairy. While everyone else had fallen asleep, Mizore had only pretended to do the same until she knew that everyone was unaware of her conscious state. Remaining as quiet as she could so she wouldn't wake up the others, Mizore gently shook Elijah by his shoulder to wake him up.

"Elijah," She whispered softly into his ear. "Wake up..."

"Mmm..." The young man lets out a gentle groan as his eyes slowly fluttered open. "What's-" Mizore covers his mouth to avoid any louder noise being made. "Mmm? Mmzzmmee?"

"Shh. I don't want to wake up the others, be quiet." Mizore pulls her hand off of Elijah's mouth, allowing him to speak.

"What's going on?" He whispered. "Why are you dressed in a kimono?"

"I want to show you something before the ceremony tomorrow. Come with me?"

"Right now?" Elijah stood from his bed on the floor, making sure that he didn't step on anyone as he followed Mizore to the bedroom door. "Please tell me this isn't just another wild goose chase."

"No," Mizore shook her head. "I promise, this is something I really want you to see. This won't take long...please, Elijah?"

"...Fine," He sighed, seeing the desperate look in her eyes. Elijah leaves the room to find his clothes, Mizore waits until he's a good few feet away before she looks back into the bedroom. She looks at one particular sleeping Succubus on the floor...and she frowns sadly with a guilty tear going down her cheek.

Thank you, Kurumu... But I'm sorry, I truly am...

"Achoo!"

"Are you alright, Elijah?" The Snow Fairy looks back at the shivering young man.

"I'm fine! Just wish it wasn't this fuckin' cold!" Elijah shouted now that he and Mizore were outside and away from the house. The wind wasn't bad enough to where travel wasn't possible for anyone, but it was enough to where Elijah couldn't feel the tip of his nose. "I swear, I don't know how your kind even tolerates these conditions."

"I know it was selfish of me to drag you out here in the middle of the night, I really am sorry for that."

"Why are we even out here then?" Elijah sounded more annoyed than before. "If you're going to pick this 'Snow White' flower tomorrow, why bother coming out here? Won't it ruin the entire ceremony for you?"

"..." Little did Elijah know, that's exactly what Mizore had in mind...but there was reason for that. "When I was little, I used to sneak past our barrier to take a peek at human cities. One night, I met a boy. We became friends..." Mizore's voice trails off and her smile falters when she explains this particular memory. "But one day, I brought him to my home to pick a flower. 'I'll tell you a secret, just you', I said to him."

"..." Elijah, despite his face showing annoyance, listened intently...a good portion of his mind feeling Mzore's rising sadness.

"'I'm a Snow Fairy, and this flower is called a Snow White, just like my last name. Let's promise each other, when I turn seventeen, we'll come back and pick this flower together again. That means...we'll be together forever'."

"...What happened?"

"...As soon as he heard I was a Snow Fairy, he ran away. I guess he thought I was going to eat him or something."

"Mizore..."

"Elijah," The young Snow Fairy turns her head back to look straight into the Wizard's eyes. "Do you remember the gym teacher that..." Her voice breaks, not wanting to remember what that man wanted to do to her. "The reason I was even getting close to him was because...he looked a lot like the boy I met all those years ago. So...I guess I just have a knack for choosing the wrong guys, huh?"

Mizore's heartbreaking chuckle manages to tug at a small chord in Elijah's blackened heart. "Mizore-"

"Ever since I was little," But she wasn't done just yet. "I had the feeling that I would be alone forever, that I was never meant to fall in love with anyone and end up like the rest of my kind."

"Don't say that about yourself!" Elijah, for the first time in what feels like months, shows genuine concern and compassion for his friend. "You'll find someone someday, Mizore. I know to most people, you seem like this cold and dismissive person, but I know who you really are...and I know how much you really care about others."

"...So you accept?"

"Huh?"

"I'm afraid, Elijah. I'm afraid of losing someone again. So, Elijah..." Mizore raised her right hand over her heart as a light blush painted her cheeks red, her eyes, begging, praying, worshiping for his acceptance. "Will you be...the one?"

"...I..." Before Elijah could stutter out another word from his chapped lips...his face began to twitch and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. "...I...nnnggghhh..."

"Elijah? What's wrong?"

"MIZORE!"

Oh, shoot!

Recognizing exactly who was shouting, Mizore grabbed onto Elijah's hand and quickly hid herself and Elijah behind a tree as the source of the voice came into view. It was Kurumu and the others, looks like they found out that she dragged Elijah out here.

"Mizore!" Kurumu shouted again with equal anger. "I know you're out here, you little traitor!"

"Kurumu, slow down!" Moka chased after her, followed by Tsukune, Yukari, Ruby, and even Archimedes. "Shouting for them isn't going to help things!"

"So what?! She fooled me! She fooled all of us! Being so nicely-nice to us...when all the while she was planning on stealing Elijah away for herself!"

If that's what you really think of me, Kurumu... I won't argue with you.

"You don't know that!" Tsukune says. "And we won't know if we're not careful out here, remember what Tsurara warned us about?"

"He's right," Yukari agrees. "There's a snow monster lurking around the flowers so we have to be-"

"You don't understand!" Kurumu cuts her off. "She played me like a fucking idiot! I hugged her! I thanked her! I really thought...we were finally putting our rivalry past us! But it was just another trick! So I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind," The Succubus raises...and overside gun in her hands, her teeth grinding as she claimed her jaw shut. "one way or another!"

Is that my mother's snowball gun? That thing can pack a wallop if Kurumu isn't careful.

"If that's what Mizore was only after, then why would she invite all of us?!"

"Just stop and think about this for a second, Kurumu!"

Mizore waits until the others walk in the opposite direction and are out of sight before she comes out from behind the tree with Elijah in hand, the young man's face and eyes returning back to normal. "They're gone. Let's keep going, it's not much further now."

It wasn't long before Mizore finally led Elijah to where she wanted them to go, a field filled entirely with the Snow White flower...the very place she had taken that aforementioned boy all those years ago. Like her dreams, the flowers acted as tiny sins that only shined due to the brightness of the moon.

"Mizore..." Even Elijah couldn't believe such a wondrous sight. "This is-"

"Yes," She nods. "I wanted you to see this. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"...Why bring me here? Aren't we going to be doing this tomorrow anyway?"

"..." Mizore takes a few steps forward, the snow crunching underneath her feet as she kneels down on the ground. "Elijah...I know I'm betraying the trust in everyone right now, but Snow Fairies aren't adaptable. We can only bear children during the early stages of adulthood, and once that happens, we have to have snow babies as soon as possible...or not at all," Mizore plucks one of the flowers from the field...and a few small tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "If I lose you now, according to the laws of our people, I'll have to agree to an arranged marriage and have a family with someone else."

"...What?" Digging his fingernails into his wrist, Elijah couldn't believe such a fate awaited for Mizore. "That's preposterous..." But that wasn't all that Elijah was angry about. "So I'm just a boy toy for you to have your way with?"

"The future of my people is at stake! I have no choice!" Mizore retorted, not even bearing to look up at Elijah for a moment. She allowed more tears to fall as she continued. "I really wanted to have more time with everyone at Yokai Academy, but please understand..." Mizore stood up straight and held the Snow White flower up to her chest. "this is the only way left for me. The only way..." She holds the flower a little higher...the fragrance of the Snow White makes the young man feel lightheaded and makes his face flush. "Elijah, just for tonight...make me yours! We don't have the many options humans have, we have to mate before our mid-twenties. After that, it's almost impossible for us to have children," Now feeling bold, and now that the effect of the Snow White was making Elijah feel strange, Mizore slowly unties the ceremonial kimono she was wearing. "Our population has been dropping so fast that the Oracle made a decree to ensure the survival of our people. We come of age at seventeen, after that, we have to find a partner, one way or another," The last of the ribbons fall to the snowy ground, and the only pieces of clothing that remained on Mizore's body were the snowflake patterned kimono...and her white panties. "That's why I need you, Elijah. I need you tonight..."

In one motion, Mizore's kimono starts falling to the ground, revealing Mizore's pale skin and exposing her entire upper body to Elijah...but the young Wizard catches the clothing just as the sleeves almost fall off of her arms, he quickly pulls the kimono back over the Snow Fairy's torso, covering her and hiding her exposed breasts.

"Elijah?"

"I didn't see anything!" He says, his face now more flushed. "Nope! Not a thing! Nada! Nuh-uh!" Elijah takes a second to get himself under control...now that he is the one in control. "Mizore, please, help me understand. By some decree, you have to marry some random man...even if you don't love him? How can you accept an awful law like that? You can't do this, there has to be some other way..."

"Sheesh," Mizore sighed sadly. "Even now, you're still selfless. It's just the way things are for me, Elijah. We can't defy the Snow Oracle."

"'Snow Oracle'? And who the hell is that?"

"She's the leader of our people, she's over a hundred years old. Some people even say that the great spirits of the past speak through her, even the very land we stand on was chosen by the Oracle's decree. She told us we were fated for extinction if we didn't settle here, and she was right..."

"What do you mean?"

"Elijah...we're the last of the Snow Fairies across the entire world."

"...And this Oracle, she-"

"She chooses our mates for us...if we can't find our own. No one defies her, it's not right to value our personal feelings above the survival of our own people. So that's why..."

"Why you want me to be your...fuck toy?" Elijah's anger came back as he was losing control.

"No! It's not like that, it's not just because of our law..." Mizore closes the distance between herself and the young Wizard, she raises the Snow White to his face...making it flush with red once again. "I really want to be with you, Elijah."

"..."

"I know you're hurting, Elijah, and I know that I'm partially responsible for that. I can never apologize enough for turning you into...whatever it is you are now, but I can help you. I can be the person that you've always wanted, let me help you." Elijah's face twitched but the redness in his cheeks still remained. "You look flushed, the flower will do that to you," Mizore tosses away the flower and wraps her arms around Elijah's neck, she pulls him down all the way to the ground and straddles him by the waist. "Please don't hate me, Elijah." I know Kurumu and the others will, but I don't care! Even if I lose everything...I'll still have you, Elijah. "You don't have to worry, it'll all be okay. Please, just touch me, Elijah. Take me...and make me yours."

"Get the hell off of...me," At first, Elijah's anger overtook him as soon as he saw how Mizore was practically throwing herself onto him...but that anger faded away as his eyes met hers. "Mizore? Why...Why do you look sad?" This wasn't the only thing Elijah saw, Mizore was trembling...but he knew for a fact that it wasn't because of the cool weather. "You're shaking like a leaf..." He reached a hand out to wipe away some of the tears from her cheeks. "I'm afraid if I touch you...you'll shatter."

"...I'm not trembling, I just-"

RUMBLE...

The rumbling of something coming to Elijah and Mizore's way causes them to look over to their way... Coming down the steep hill with a crack as loud as any sky-born thunder was the rapid flow...of an avalanche. The loose snow accelerated down the frozen ground and toward the Snow Fairy and Young Wizard, the body of it sweeps away the former away from the latter.

"Mizore!" Elijah called out for his friend, only to see that the avalanche was taking the shape of...something else. Wiping away the snow from his face, Elijah could see...a woman with a decorated headpiece and a coat made out of ice crystals, she hovered above the field of flowers with Mizore in her arms. "HEY!"

"Found you..." The woman spoke, looking down at the Snow Fairy with a knowing grin. "The girl of my prophecy..."

"Snow...Oracle?"

"Get your hands off of her!" Elijah roared with a guttural scream...but the impact of the avalanche and the seething coldness of the night was affecting him...making him lose consciousness. His efforts to try and get back on his feet were futile and he was forced to watch as the decorated woman took Mizore away into the night...and the sound of familiar voices echoed as they got closer.

"There he is!"

"Elijah!"

Elijah

"...ke up, Elijah."

"Elijah..."

My vision comes back to me as I wake up in what I think is Mizore's house, I lean up and see that everyone minus the Snow Fairy is waiting for me to awaken. "The hell happened?"

"Elijah!" Kurumu threw herself onto me, hugging me tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay! We heard the sound of that avalanche and we found you unconscious!"

"Get off," I say, pushing her away from me. I looked around the room to confirm that Mizore was in fact not here with us. "Mizore was with me. Where the hell is she?!"

"We haven't found her yet," Moka answers me. "You were alone when we found you."

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Of course I do!" I shout at Tsukune. "She was taken by this woman that appeared from the snow! How could I be so stupid?!"

"It's alright, Elijah," The warm voice of Mizore's mother catches my attention...and it makes me angry. "Thank you for your assistance," Tsurara smiles at me after taking a sip of her tea. "It seems that Mizore's abduction was arranged by the Snow Oracle herself, she had just assured me that Mizore is safely under her protection."

"'Protection'?" I scoff. "Protection from what?!"

"Well, according to the Oracle, she caught a man taking off her kimono and was about to have her way with her."

Oh, for fuck's sake...

"Elijah!" And just like I feared, the other's minds went to the wrong conclusions. Kuurmu was the first to grab me by my shirt collar. "What exactly were you doing out there with her?!"

HOO! HOO!

"I say! Can't you keep your temptations under control, boy?!"

"Guess the guy got too horny! Whee!"

"Will you all just shut the fuck up!" I shout, pulling myself out of Kurumu's grip and eventually bumping into Tsurara. "I can explain."

"Why don't you start by explaining to her mother?" She stares at me with daggers in her eyes. "How far along did you two get? Did you two finally do it?"

"What kind of question is that?! I never touched her!"

"So you didn't do it?" Tsurara asked if that was the worst possible scenario to happen. "Just how cowardly can you-"

SMACK!

The room falls silent once I slapped Tsurara across her cheek, my strike makes her sucker fall out of her mouth and stick to the floor. "You dare call me...a 'coward'?" I spoke...but it wasn't entirely my own. "You call yourself a mother when your daughter's fate could now belong to another man?"

"What are you talking about, Elijah?"

"Mizore told me everything," My voice returned to normal as my eyes met up with Tsukune's. "Snow Fairies are a dying species and they are assigned to arranged marriages by some stupid prophecy if they do not have a chosen mate by the time they come of age!"

"What?!"

"Th-That's terrible!"

"...Dying species?"

"It's true," Tsurara confirms my statement, her cheek now red from my slap. "But it's just the way things are, we've all gon through this. But there is one secret only we adults are privy to."

"What's that?"

"At tomorrow's Flower Offering...Mizore will receive her prophecy."

"Oh, no..."

"Yes, indeed. And if you all receive prophecies of your own, you can all finally stop you're petty fighting. I suspect that Mizore knew her prophecy was coming which is why she took one final stab at pressing a union upon Elijah. But please, don't worry your little heads over this. The survival of our people comes before our own happiness, that's the fate of every Snow Fairy from birth.

"That's bullshit!" I shout, my knuckles turning white as my fingernails dig into my palms. "If I learned anything, it's that fate isn't as always what it seems, I'm living proof of that! And I'm not just gonna stand here while Mizore is forced to be with some man to have her way with her!" I stood up straight and marched right for the door. "Like always, it's up to me to help!"

"Elijah! Wait!"

"Think about this for a second, man! We need to sit down and strategize what-"

"ENOUGH!" My voice booms...and another one rings in my head.

It's finally time, Blessed Child. Allow me to set you free...

No! Don't do this! You said you'd never hurt them!

I said I wouldn't lay a finger on them...I never said I wouldn't hurt them.

My body turns to face my friends and I wear a sour frown across my face. A small shiver went up my spine...but it wasn't a chill, I felt the tendrils emerging out of my skin and underneath my clothing, wrapping themselves around my skin.

"...I've had enough of all of you," I spoke...but the will is no longer my own.

"Huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You are, all of you, beneath me. From day one, I've had to associate with you...filth. It shames me enough that I have to share the same Earth as all of you!"

"Wh-What?"

"Dude..."

"Elijah..."

"What are you saying?

Please, don't do this!

Oh, but I'm afraid that I must. The voice cackles in my head as my body marches its way over to my friends, each and every one of them wears a face of equal shock and heartbreak.

"I don't need any of you, I never need you. When this is over, I pray that I never have to look at your pathetic faces ever again," It was already bad enough...but I knew that this monster wasn't done, not by a long shot. He forces me to face Yukari and wear a condescending sneer. "You're a disgrace to all of our kind. You're immature, weak, spineless, and above all...worthless."

"Elijah!"

"And you," I turn to Moka, pointing at her accusingly. "The strongest of all Monsters...reduced to a scared little girl who can't even tell a boy how she really feels. Pathetic."

"Hey! You can't talk about my sister like that!"

"And you're even more pathetic than she is!" I roared at Kokoa. "I've faced creatures that would grind your bones into dust! You're a pathetic excuse for a Vampire!"

"I say! Stop this madness, Elijah!" Archimedes hoots at me. "This isn't who-"

"You should've been buried with that old bag of bones long ago, wretched vermin!"

"Elijah, just listen! You're not-"

"Her Ladyship made a mistake in keeping you safe, Ruby. You should be dead along with her."

"Snap out of it, man!" Tsukune shouts, having enough of this monster's rambling. "What's gotten into you?! We know you're not yourself! Please, just let us help you!"

"'Help'? Ha! I don't need help, least of all from someone as worthless and pathetic as you! Associating with a Human like you was the worst choice I ever made." I turn to the last person that the monster hasn't spoken to yet...my best friend.

No... Stop it... Not her too!

But I must... It's how you truly feel, after all, isn't it?

"And you...you..." I fight the entity's hold over me, making my face twitch and my eyes dart all over the place.

Get...out...of...my...head!

"You...nnnggghhh..."

It hurts. It feels as if a knife was being twisted around in my skull as I fought for control...but I was in a losing battle from the start. This...'Symbiote'...had a complete hold over my entire mind and now...my body. Feeling my own willpower fades...I turn to Kurumu with a cold look in my eyes.

"How could anyone ever love you?"

Before she could even respond to my words dripping with venom, I was forced to leave the room and was outside of the Shirayuki household in seconds. My heart drops to my stomach. This monster...made me say all of those horrible things. It laughs inside my head, mocking me.

"There. Now, isn't that better?"

"...I'm gonna kill you. I'll make you pay for this. My friends know better, they'll see right through your ruse! I would never say those things to them!"

"But you did. And now..." I feel the black oozes coating my entire body as it tears away most of my clothes. It wraps around my entire being, eventually leading all the way up to my face. My vision is engulfed in darkness. "We must finish what they started. And after all is said and done, we'll finally make everything the way it's supposed to be... A Fairy Tale."

I feel it deep within!
It's beneath the skin!
I must confess that I feel like a Monster!
I hate what I become!
The nightmare's just begun!
I must confess that I feel like a Monster!

I, I feel like a Monster!
I, I feel like a Monster!