A few days later...
"Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The Newspaper Club's finally got our first issue done for the school year!"
"Read about all that's happened in the past month! From taking down a gang of thugs to a curry-cooking showdown on the roof of Yokai Academy! You don't want to miss out on Yokai Gazette's latest issue!"
"We'll even throw in a free bag of cookies for new readers! Aw, heck! Even for returning readers too!"
I smile with pride as I watch a countless number of students reading from our newspaper, we've been handing them out all morning and I don't think I've seen at least one person not reading our paper. Life is finally turning back to normal at Yokai Academy, just another blip in teenager monster's school days. I feel at peace, nothing could really put me in a bad mood today. even if it were to happen, I'd be ready.
"Yahoo-hoo!" Kurumu's cheers please my ears. And yes, I meant for that to rhyme."Our newspaper's a best seller once again! I. Am. Pumped!"
"Makes all of our hard work worthwhile," Tsukune adds with a smile. "Moka, your illustrations are great as always, and you're layout is awesome as usual, Yukari!"
"Th-Thanks, Tsukune..."
"Aw, shucks!"
"What about my cooking corner?"
"Or my curry recipe section?"
"Kuru, Mizore, you guys did great too," I say. "It wouldn't be the same without you guys."
"That's more like it!"
"Thanks, Elijah."
"Hey! What's the big idea?!" I'd groan at the sound of that annoyed voice, but I've gotten used to Kokoa by now so it's not such a big deal. "My sister isn't even mentioned in this paper at all! There oughta be a full-page spread highlighting Moka's heroics! You didn't even talk about her fight with Kahlua!"
There she goes again with her big sister complex.
"That's not the point of what we do, Kokoa," Kurumu says to her. "Journalism isn't about getting credit. Besides, why are you even here?"
"Oh, well...um..."
"Oh?" Yukari is the first to pick up on Kokoa's flustered reaction. "Don't tell me... You wanna join the Newspaper Club, don't you?"
"You should've said so in the first place!" Kurumu adds, sharing Yukari's joy. "We don't have any freshmen!"
"And we need the younger reader's point of view!" Yukari adds.
I guess it wouldn't be such a bad thing to have another member...then again-
"Wait a minute! I'm a proud Vampire! Why would I join your stupid little-"
"You should," Mizore pops in from behind her, scaring the living daylight out of her.
"Ah! Where did you even-"
"I once couldn't see myself in a club like this, yet here I am writing about my special cooking recipes in my very own section of Yokai Gazette."
"Even I was welcomed into the Newspaper Club," Ruby joins in the conversation. "Though I'm not a student, the others and Miss Nekonome were all so nice to me...and I love it each and every day."
"Aw...Ruby!"
"We love having you here with us," I say, smiling at her.
"Why...thank you, Elijah."
"That settles it!" Moka cheers with glee. "Welcome to the Club, Kokoa!"
"What did I just tell you?! I don't want-"
"Hey, you guys!" We're greeted by our homeroom teacher and Club founder, Ms. Nekonome. "Did I hear we're getting a new member for the Newspaper Club?"
"Uh...Ms. Nekome?" While we were happy to see her, we were all confused about what she was wearing. Ms. Neknpme donned a high school cheerleader outfit with the words 'Newspaper Club' printed across the chest. "Why are you dressed like that?"
"What do you guys think?" She does a little twirl to show off the entire fit. "Aren't I cute? I feel thirty years younger!"
"Thirty years subtracted from...?"
"Dude!" I whisper to Tsukune. "You never ask a woman that! Especially a monster one!"
"Oh, it's quite alright, Elijah! I know Tsukune's always a curious one, and we all know why!" Great subtly Shizu... "New members are essential for a Club's growth! And I'm proud to turn the Newspaper Club over to the next generation! In fact, since we seem to be on a hot streak, let's all get out there and drum up some more members!"
"Right now?" Tsukune asks.
"Aren't we supposed to be getting to class soon?" Moka adds.
"Funny you should ask," The Neko teacher's ears perk up with excitement. "Ever since the 'Super Newspaper Club' incident last year, the Headmaster decided to put a temporary ban on any form of club recruitment. But now, the ban has been lifted, and many students from all of the clubs of Yokai Academy are out and about to recruit potential new members! So let's do the same and get ourselves out there!"
"Hold up," Ms. Neknome turns back to me before she can scurry away. "You mean...we all to wear those outfits? What about me and Tsukune?"
"Oh, don't worry! I made outfits for you guys too!" She swiftly opens her purse and swipes out the 'outfits' she had for me and Tsukune. "Ta-da!"
"What..."
"The..."
"Hell?"
Our jaws drop to the floor. And here I thought the outfit Kurumu picked out for me last year was bad, but Ms. Nekonome wanted Tsukune and me to dress up in leotards?! In our bewilderment, the girls themselves had a mix of amusement, shock, and sheer horror at the thought of us in a skin-tight blue piece of garment. Kokoa especially got a kick out of all of it, she and her bad companion were just on the ground rolling in laughter.
"What?" Gravity makes Ms. Nekonome's head tilt with innocent confusion. "Don't you guys think they're cute?"
"I'm not wearing that!"
"What Tsukune means to say is, he and I aren't not wearing those."
"But...Tsukune just said that."
"Yes, Moka. But I said it in a much calmer way so I wouldn't hurt her feelings by saying that there's no way I'm wearing such ridiculous clothing."
"Hahahahaha! I can't breathe! I can't breathe!"
"Sucks to be those two! Whee!"
"But..." The Cat woman pouts sadly. "I made all these outfits just for you guys..."
"And we appreciate it, we really do. But don't you think it's wise to have us wear such...exposing clothes? Especially with how the Super Newspaper Club did the same thing?"
"...I suppose you have a point. But how are we supposed to gain the attention of all the students."
"Hmm..." It doesn't take me too long to come up with an idea. After all, I've been meaning to try this kind of magic. "I've got us covered."
With a loud clasp of my hands, I surround us all in a bright blue glowing circle of incantation. Everyone is momentarily blinded and surprised by the sudden light, giving me the opportunity to get to work. With a silent utter coming through my lips, my spell changes everyone's clothes exactly to my imagination. I include Kokoa and Ko in my spell as well...sing as she's so eager to join our club. After a few more seconds of blinding light, it slowly fades away, and everyone regains their vision. I dust myself off and get a good look at my sudden change of clothes.
"Well, what do you guys think?"
My friends, now with astonishment in their eyes, look down at the 'uniforms' I conjured up for them. For me and Tsukune, I gave us black slacks with a pure white button-down shirt and vests that were assigned to our signature colors. Mine was a deep blue and he was a crimson red. For the girls, I've provided them with office-styled uniforms, specifically black pencil skirts, white button-downs, and vests with signature colors of their own. Moka donned a half-silver and half-pink vest due to her uniqueness, I even provided her with black knee socks so she wouldn't feel too exposed and tied up her long pink hair into a high ponytail. Yukari's vest was a bright yellow with golden washtubs plastered all across. Mizore's vest was a light lavender that matched her hair and I let her keep her striped socks since I think they look cute on her. Ruby's vest was a majestic magenta color and I even had her hair tied up into a tight bun. As for her skirt, I made it longer and more flowing since I knew she was more comfortable with that. Kurumu's vest shared the same color as her sky-blue hair and even gave it a gold star on the back that matched her hairpin. As for Kokoa...I only provided her with a skirt and a shirt. If she's gonna be a member of our club, she's gotta at least put just a bit more effort into it.
"Wow! How did you do that?!"
"That was amazing, Elijah!"
"Way better than a leotard..."
"I just love this vest with all my washtubs!"
"You see?" I turn back to Ms. Nekonome. "Now we look like a professional News Club who gets...things...done!"
"But...what about me?" The Neko puts at me but I simply point at her, making her look down. Her eyes brighten with glee as she sees the uniform I made for her. It was like the other girls but with a bright orange vest with a bunch of fish etched into the fabric. "Meow! You've really outdone yourself this time, Elijah!"
"Hey! What's the big idea?!" A furious Kokoa exclaims at me. "Why did you put a uniform on me? I'm not even a member of your dumb club! You didn't even give me a colored vest! I'm a proud Vampire! No Vampire would wear anything as lame as-"
"Ahem," Kokoa's attention goes to Moka after I point at her, she's currently twirling herself around in her new uniform. "Looks like someone is already enjoying it."
"Tsukune, what do you think?" She tilts her head and smirks at the human boy, her ponytail falling over her shoulder. "I look like a real journalist, don't I?"
"Y-Yeah, Moka. You look great."
"So do you," A gentle hand brushes against Tsukune's arm as Moka smiles at him with a faint blush. "You look really handsome."
"Moka..."
"Tsukune..."
It's been a while since I've heard them do that, kinda missed it.
"For shame, Big Sister! For shame!"
"Oh, don't be such a sourpuss," Kurumu towers over Kokoa with a smug grin. "You're just jealous that we pull off such awesome clothes while you're stuck looking like our secretary."
"That's the look I was going for."
"But it still looks good on you," Yukari tries to cheer up Kokoa. "What good is pride if you let it get in the way of fun?"
"You call this fun?!" An embarrassed blush finds itself on Kokoa's face as she fiddles with the ends of her sleeves. "Why would anyone join the Newspaper Club just because we're dressed like this?"
"Why don't you ask them?"
In a twisted sense of irony, a rising crowd has been appearing around us ever since my spell was finished. All of which were mesmerized by the sheer awesomeness of how we look. I recognize a few to be our fellow classmates while most are freshmen who've come to see what all the hullabaloo was about. Sure, most of the guys in the audience were completely bewitched by how the girls in our club looked, but at least they're not completely sexualized and no creeps will be able to take a gander at them in a demeaning way. This was mostly why I decided on this specific look. That, and I think we look badass.
"Who are these guys?!"
"That's the Newspaper Club! And their leaders, Elijah Everett, and Moka Akashiya!"
Since when did our fans consider us the leaders of our club? Well, since Gin is never around, I guess I wouldn't put it past them.
"Since when were journalists total hotties?!"
"And the boys are so hot too!"
"Not to mention total badasses!"
"They're the heroes of Yokai Academy!"
While I'm glad our club is getting the recognition it deserves, this amount of publicity is kinda too much for me to handle, not to mention too loud. I wouldn't mind if it just remained me and my friend in the Newspaper Club. But...everyone else seems to want new members to join. I could think of a few ideas that could gain the masses besides our new look, maybe I could pull off some different kind of magic I'm capable of. And I don't mean my cooking skills.
"Oh, forget it!" Kokoa's annoyed yell breaks me away from my brainstorming, she ran away with her bat friend flying close behind her. "I'm not joining your stupid Newspaper Club!"
"Kokoa!"
"Wait! Come back!"
Yukari and Moka try to follow after her but are ultimately stobbed by the masses of our rising audience. "Don't worry, guys," I say. "You two can go after her and make sure she doesn't get into trouble, we'll deal with this crowd in the meantime."
"Thanks, Elijah."
"We'll come back as soon as we find her!"
Moka and Yukari run off, leaving the rest of us to handle the roaring and amazed crowd. They barely managed to get through all the hustle and bustle so they could find our younger Vampire friend. I meanwhile turn back to the surrounding freshmen, sighing with slight annoyance. Well, if I have to deal with a bunch of starstruck fans, I may as well do it in style. With a quick flick of my wrist, a pair of patrolman shades appear in my hand and I put them on. I could feel a forced smile creeping onto my face too.
"Welcome to the Newspaper Club, where we only expose the truth and drive a path forward to peace!"
"Hey, how come you get sunglasses?"
"...Fine. You guys can have sunglasses too."
"Hmph," Kurumu smirks at me, flicking her ponytail back behind her head. "That's what I thought."
Kokoa
The young Vampire finally finds herself sanctuary from all of the noise of today's events at the top of Yokai Academy. Though she couldn't deny that a part of herself was longing to be with her big sister, she dismissed that want and replaced it with frustration. "Who cares about joining some stupid club anyway?! I don't have time for stuff like that, right, Ko?"
"Well...you must admit, Miss Kokoa, it was quite a thrill to be an investigation. Even you were excited about catching the bad guys! Whee!"
"That's not what I'm talking about!"
"Then... Oh..." Ko lands himself on Kokoa's shoulder, and a look of understanding smears across his tiny face. "Don't you ever think it's time to ever...talk about it with your big sister?"
"..." She wouldn't understand. She thought. Stupid Newspaper Club... Sure, it was fun in the dungeon and everything else, but...
"How come you don't wanna join?"
"AH!" Nearly jumping out of her skin, Kokoa stumbles after hearing Yukari break her away from her thoughts. "Yukari?!"
"I've been looking all over for you," She explains her sudden appearance. "Moka's looking for you too but I figured I would find you first."
"Will you just leave me alone? I'm not joining your pathetic club."
"I kinda figured you'd say that but I'm afraid I can't just leave you all by yourself," The Young Witch folds her arms over her chest, expressing her grin with confidence. "As your elder, it's my responsibility to guide you!"
"Since when are you my elder?!"
"Well, you're a freshman and I'm a Junior. So-"
"Yeah, but I'm older than you!"
"Well, at this moment, grade trumps over age," With her hands smugly planted on her hips, Yukari stands strong. "You just listen to Big Sis Yukari and.. Hey!" Kokoa wanted nothing to do with the Young Witch's antic so she walked away only for Yukari to pounce on her. "Wait! I'm trying to help you!"
What a pest... Kokoa groaned as Yukari's feet were dragged along the floor. "Would you just get off of me?! I don't have time for this, I have to catch up with my real Big Sister!"
"It's because of your inferiority complex, right? Believe me, Kokoa, I totally get it."
"Huh?" After hearing these words, Kokoa stops to allow Yukari to straighten herself up. "What are you talking about?"
"You see, I'm just like you, Kokoa. Because...I wanna be like Moka too. I love her so much."
"Love?"
"Not that way, although..."
"Just get to the point!" Kokoa didn't want to hear about Yukari's bisexual tendencies, especially since she's a kid.
"My point is that I understand what it's like to be the inferior one when you're in the presence of someone much stronger, prettier...and perfect."
"...You really do get it, don't you?" Never in her life would Kokoa think she would find another person who understands her troubles, and she didn't even have to utter a single word about her insecurities. "So you understand why I have to toughen up? In all of our fights, especially with Kahlua, I couldn't even lift a finger. All of your club is so much stronger than me, even that Tsukune guy held his own when he had to fight Elijah. And even that jerk is some kinda of chosen one sorcerer or something."
"Blessed Child."
"Whatever!" She felt no need to correct herself, Kokoa was trying to make a point. "I'm just saying that..." She sighs, losing her train of thought and resorting to a disheartened sigh. "It's no use. At this rate, I'll have no right to even consider myself...her sister. She..." A sniffle escapes through Kokoa's nostrils, along with a small sob. "She'll leave me behind..."
"Oh, come on, Kokoa..."
"See?! I told you!" Kokoa mistook Yukari's understanding voice for condescension. "There's no way you can possibly understand how I feel!" Turning to yell at Yukari even more...Kokoa only found the Young Witch just one trigger word away from bawling her eyes out. "Yukari?"
"Kokoa, I do understand," She did her best not to break down. "Like you, I long for the day Moka and all my friends finally acknowledge me. And I don't mean just as a person...but like a grownup."
She gets it...she really does.
"Sometimes," Yukari continues after wiping a few of her tears away. "I feel so childish that I cry alone at night."
"...Yeah, I get that way too."
"I just put my hand over my heart...and that makes me wanna cry more e over this stupid flat chest!"
Okay, not exactly what I was thinking. But then again...
Kokoa unconsciously looks down...agreeing with how Yukari feels. "Yeah, that too. So, why don't we join forces as partners who understand each other."
"Yeah!" Yukari instantly agrees to that plan. "Like a flat-chested alliance!"
"Exactly! Except without the self-hating name. But how are we gonna get-"
POW!
A powerful blow is heard from the ground, making the young girls look over the edge of the roof. Down on the ground was a group of students gathering around some sort of stage where some other students dressed in martial arts uniforms, all of the normal students were mesmerized by the display of strength one of them had just displayed by slamming a fist through what counts to be at least ten gravestones. Such raw strength for everyone to witness, even Kokoa herself seemed amazed by the sight.
"What the heck's going on down there?"
"That's the martial arts pavilion," Yukari explains. "Maybe those clubs are the kinds you're looking for if you really want to toughen up! Next to the Newspaper Club, the Martial Arts Program is supposed to be one of Yokai Academy's greatest strengths."
"Really?"
"Yep! All of my friends even train in the martial arts too."
"They do? So...you're not even gonna try to convince me to join the Newspaper Club?
"I wouldn't pressure you to do anything you don't want to do. But I would love it if you joined, Moka would too. But it's okay if you really don't want to."
"..." At least she's not being a brat about it. I always thought martial arts was just for fun...but if it can toughen up people like those guys in the Newspaper Club... "I guess...it might be worth a try."
"Great!" Yukari cheers, taking Kokoa's hand. "Let's get you down there and see if they're willing to have a strong, badass Vampire in their club!"
"Nope. Absolutely not," Much to their disappointment, one of the members of the Karate Club immediately turned down Kokoa without so much as a second thought. He looked down on the girls with a condescending grin. It was bewildering to the girls that someone with a bowl cut could ever look down on anyone else. "This club is serious," He continues. "It's no place for little girls."
"What?!"
"That's completely sexist!"
"You dare speak so little about Miss Kokoa?! Whee!"
"It's not because you're girls, it's because you're little."
"Why you-"
POW!
At the sound of crumbling stone, Yukari and Kokoa turned around and saw that another member of the Karate club had just broken another set of ten gravestones like it was nothing. He was a much more heavy-toned young man but that did nothing to diminish his strength. "Ten slabs again!" A student watching the display exclaims with amazement. "This club is the bomb!"
Tch...I could do that too...
"You see?" Bowl Cut smirks. "Come back when you can at least break one of those."
"You think I can't?! Gimme a turn and I'll-"
"Then that'll be one thousand Yen."
"What?!"
"What kind of club charges people to join?!"
"It's our gimmick we're doing. Potential new members of the Karate Club place a thousand yen wager to see if they can break through a gravestone. If they fail it gets added to the pot, and when one finally pulls it off, they win the whole thing and are eligible to join the toughest club in Yokai Academy. Our current record is ten gravestones."
"That doesn't even make sense!" Yukari exclaimed. "What's the point of paying something if you're not guaranteed to join?! You know what, just forget it!" The Young Witch doesn't want to waste any more time trying to wrap her head around such a ridiculous gimmick, so she takes Kokoa by the hand and takes her away before she or Kokoa can lose any more brain cells. "Let's go check out the other clubs."
Unfortunately, the other clubs shared the same standards as the Karate one and threw both Kokoa and Yukari to the curb due to how 'little' they were. The Taekwondo Club, Boxing, Wrestling, and even the Sumo club all said the same thing and turned down the girls without even giving them a chance. But at least the other clubs weren't charging them. Even so, this frustrated the young Vampire.
"This isn't fair! Why do they all say that I'm just a kid?! Maybe it's because I have a real little kid following me around like a lost puppy looking for a soft place to lie down!"
"Oh yeah?! Well, maybe it's because you have the body of a little kid!" Yukari retorts.
"How dare you?! You know I'm sensitive about that!"
"You started it!"
"I know! And I'm sorry!"
"Then why are you yelling at me?!"
"Because it'll look like I'm losing the argument!" Kokoa sighs, bringing her voice back down before she wears out her vocal cords. "It's no use. Even if a club lets me join, how can I ever catch up with my Big Sister?"
"Well..." Yukari sighs, she really didn't want to resort to this but it seems she may not have much of a choice. "I guess it's time for Plan B."
"'Plan B'?"
"Yep! And it starts with these!" Yukari pulls a classic magician's act and reaches into her witch's hat, pulling out a glass jar filled with sparkly-looking candy with a pretty fuchsia color. "Magical Grow-Grow Drops!"
Grow-Grow Drops. Legend has it that during China's Qin Dynasty, a child emperor, feeling inadequate to the task of dispensing his royal duties, gathered doctors from across his empire to find a way to accelerate his growth to maturity. Many months passed but at last, a military doctor named Ah Taruto discovered the magic formula. His name is, no doubt, the root of the word 'adult'.
"A candy I conjured up just for occasions like this!" Yukari continues. "Swallow one, and you'll be instantly...well, theoretically...I mean, uh..." Yukari fumbles with her sentence as she picks one of the drops out of the jar. "Actually, I haven't tested them yet..."
"You haven't?"
"Nope..." Yukari, feeling her magical curiosity getting the better of her, hands Kokoa the Grow-Grow Drop. "What do you say? Mind being my guinea pig?"
Moka
"Kokoa! Kokoa!"
The second youngest Vampire's search for her little sister came to no avail. Moka has searched nearly top to bottom for Kokoa only to find nothing but disappointment. Where could you be, Kokoa? I hope she's not too mad at me...
"Don't beat yourself up over it." Inner Moka speaks to Outer Moka through the Rosary. "She's probably off somewhere crying...again. It's just how Kokoa is, wish she would remember what I told her."
"What did you tell her? I...I can't remember much after you were sealed away in the Rosary."
"I know. There are things from before that even I don't remember. But that's not important. Kokoa will eventually get over it, there's no need to exhaust ourselves by searching for her for hours. We may as well go back to Tsukune and the others."
"Yeah...I guess you're right, Inner Me..." Moka giggles at the sudden thought which makes the Inner Moka sigh.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing... Just wondering if you just wanna go back and see Tsukune in that cute outfit Elijah made for him," She teased with a wide grin.
"Don't push your luck, miss prissy pants."
"Come on, you can at least tell me that he looks a little bit adorable."
"...He's more tolerable, that much I can say. The color compliments his eyes."
"Ooh! You were looking at his eyes?"
"Just shut up and start walking, you'll hear nothing from me for the rest of the day."
Spoiled sport...
Moka, now with just a tad more pep to her step, makes her way back to her Club's booth. She hopes that the rest of her friends are doing well with all of the newer students. The Vampire couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have some new members for the Newspaper Club as she passed by more students. Moka was looking forward to having her little sister but seeing her reaction to it...she feels like maybe she pushed too hard on it.
"Let me hear you, Yokai Academy! This next one is called 'Hero'!"
Huh? Moka's ears ring from the sudden shout of...Elijah? What the heck is going on? "'Scuse me," She squeezes through the crowd surrounding her booth, politely dispersing them so she can see what's gotten them so riled up. And she wasn't quite sure, but Moka swore she thought she could hear...music? Finally reaching the front of the cheering crowd, Moka found her friends...performing as a band. "What the heck?"
"Save me just in time!" Elijah's voice roared as he took the mic, the crowd cheered at the sound of how raw and passionate it was while Kurumu provided backup vocals as she joined him. Not only that but the aqua-haired Succubus was providing the beat of the song with her drum kit. "Who's gonna fight for what's right? Who's gonna help us survive? We're in the fight of our lives!"
"And we're not ready to die!"
"Who's gonna fight for the weak, who's gonna make 'em believe?"
"I've got a hero!"
"I've got a hero!"
"Livin' in me!"
"I've gotta fight for what's right, today I'm speakin' my mind!"
"And if it kills me tonight..."
"I will be ready to die!"
"A hero's not afraid to give his life!"
"A hero's gonna save me just in time!"
Tsukune and Mizore capture the attention of the crowd with a short guitar solo, and Mizore provides the bass. Moka couldn't believe what she was seeing. How are they doing that? When did they learn how to play all these instruments? And where did they even get them?
"I need a hero to save me now!" Elijah comes back with his powerful vocals. "I need a hero..."
"To save me now!" Kurumu backs him up with equal passion.
"I need a hero to save my life! A hero will save me..."
"Just in time!"
"I need a hero!"
"Who's gonna fight for what's right who's gonna make you believe?"
"I need a hero!"
"Who's gonna fight for the weak, who's gonna make 'em believe?"
"I need a hero!"
"I need a hero! A hero's gonna save me just in time!"
The crowd roars in applause as Moka's friends finish their performance. Elijah wipes the sweat from his forehead and lets out a loud whoop, his eyes meet with Moka's in the crowd and gives her a small nod. "You guys have been a great crowd! We're gonna take a few minute break and we'll be back with another song!"
While some people in the crowd let out some 'awws' at Elijah's announcement, most disperse themselves and go about their business and some stay to talk with their own friends for a while. "So..." Moka steps forward, addressing Elijah with a curious pout. "Does anyone want to explain what's going on here?"
"Gladly," Elijah nods. "We had a big crowd, got tired of the amount of people asking to be in our club, and made a raffle for all students wanting to join. Not knowing wat to do next, I thought of an idea to keep them entertained. So...boom! We're performing some songs."
"Yeah, I can see that. But...how exactly are you all doing this? I know you guys don't play any instruments."
"I may have had a little help with that," Ruby joins in their conversation. "It's a long story... B-But I'll make it short! Elijah asked me for some help with a 'Potion of Musicality', I never knew such a brew existed but I was fascinated by how successful it was."
"'Potion of Musicality'?"
"To put it bluntly, it temporarily makes whoever drinks it a musical genius," Elijah explains as he holds up a small bottle filled with a pure white liquid with black spots. "That's how the others are performing like professional rockstars."
"That's so cool! But...how come you didn't perform, Ruby?"
"Me? Well...I have severe stage fright," The Witch admits, a flush of pink taking over her face. "So I decided to simply watch and cheer everyone on along with the crowd."
"And you did a good job, Ruby," Elijah pats her shoulder, making the Witch's face flush with a deeper red.
"Thank you, Elijah."
"What about the instruments?"
"Ruby and I conjured them up, we're planning on giving them to the music club once we're done so we can get on their good side."
"That's sweet of you guys."
"Man! I am exhausted!" Kurumu exclaims, breathing through heavy pants as she, Tsukune, and Mizore join Moka's conversation. "I don't know how Jen Ledger does it all!"
"That's why she's one of my favorite drummers," Elijah points out. "She's a badass drummer, and she provides powerful backup vocals. And you, Kurumu, did a phenomenal job," Elijah's praise makes Kurumu blush with a shy smile. "You guys too!" He turns to Tsukune and Mizore. "You two were awesome! We should all do this more often!"
"No thanks," Mizore shook her head. "I'm burning up as it is and my fingers are killing me, I want to lie down."
"Yeah, me too."
"You said it!"
"Yeah," Elijah chuckles. "I don't know how much longer I can keep up this kind of voice. John Cooper has my deepest respect."
"Why don't you guys take a break?" Tsukune suggests. "Elijah and I can handle things from here."
"But, didn't you just say you were tired too, Tsukune?"
"I am," He nods at Moka. "but I don't mind looking after our booth just for a little longer."
"Are you sure?"
"I am," He nods again but this time at Kurumu. "We got this. Right, dude?"
"Hell yeah," Elijah punches Tsukune's arm before turning to the girls. "You guys go take a well-deserved break, okay?"
"Aren't you tired, Elijah?"
"You kiddin'? I can do this all day."
"Yeah right," Kurumu rolls her eyes at his words. "Don't over-exhaust yourself, okay?"
"Kuru, don't worry, I'm-"
"Please?" The Succubus tilted her head to the side and smiled sweetly. "For me?"
"...Alright," Elijah concedes to Kurumu's plea. "I promise."
"Good," She gives the Wizard Boy a quick hug. "I'll see you later, okay?"
With their goodbyes, the girls of the Newspaper Club leave the crowd and head back toward the Academy building. On the way, Moka suggests that they should all grab some snacks and drinks and bring them all to the club room for a small get-together. Everyone else thought this was a wonderful idea and wasted no precious time to quicken their pace to get the basic necessities.
"By the way, Moka," Ruby speaks up. "Did you ever find Kokoa?"
"And what about Yukari?" Mizore adds. "Where's she?"
"She's still looking but don't worry, Inner Me knows Kokoa will come back eventually..."
I hope...
Back with the Karate Club...
"Come one, come all!" The sophomore with the bowl cut shouts to the crowd, flaunting the box filled with money to the crowd. "Are there no more challengers?! The record's set at ten stones! beat that, and you'll find yourself with nine thousand yen!"
"Hah!" A current challenger attempts to break the stacked gravestones, only to find his knuckles bleeding and broken as his hit barely even made a crack in the top stone. "...Ow."
"Ooh! Make that ten thousand yen!" Bowl Cut yells to the crowd, smirking to himself at the challenger's failure. Hehehe... They all don't stand a chance. Not a single stone will break since we purposely gave the challengers extra hard stones! Not even the famous 'Heroes of Yokai Academy' could break them, those paper-pushing nobodies are nothing but a bunch of posers! We'll show them all who's the strongest club at this school. "Is there not a single person out there that can take on the challenge!"
"Hehehe..." The current champion of the Karate Club's challenge laughs to himself, knowing and completely aware of his buddy's true plan. You sure are a clever one! We may not be getting any new members, but we are sure racking in the dough!
"I'll take on your challenge..." A tall, slender girl steps onto the stage, her slightly athletic figure earns a few wows from the crowd watching...and her orange-red hair tied in pigtails slightly waved in the small breeze. "But I'll pay the thousand Yen entry fee later..."
"Huh? No way!" Bowl Cut shouts. "You can't pay after...wards?" He nearly drops the prize money as he sees exactly who is taking on the challenge, immediately noticing how the buttons on the girl's white shirt were barely holding together thanks to her...distinguished features. Not to mention that her pencil skirt reached just above her knees. That's...you can't be-
"Show these bozos what you can do, Miss Kokoa! Whee!" A bat accompanying her squeaks.
"With pleasure, Ko," She cracks her neck and raises her right hand above her head, a few of the other members of the karate Club recognize her movements, knowing that she is about to use a simple chop on the stones.
BOOM!
With a loud crumbling sound along with a boom, the crowd watches in awe as Kokoa easily breaks through not one, not two, not even ten, but thirteen gravestones. "That's a new record!" remarked a sophomore. "I don't believe it!"
"Someone beat our record!"
"Just look at her! Hot and powerful!"
"On second thought, I don't think I'll pay at all," Kokoa swipes the prize money away from Bowl Cut with a smug grin as he's still bewildered but such a display of strength. "I'll just take this prize money and be on my way."
"Yahoo!" Kokoa High fives Yukari. "Your Gro-Gro candies worked! Did you hear all of those people cheering for me back there?! Not only am I powerful, I'm hot now!"
"Well, if you're happy, I'm happy," Yukari smirked as she counted all of the money in her hands. And now I have research data and money out of it!
"I had no idea it was so much fun to be a grown-up! My body's bursting with power, my line of sight is higher, this is a dream come true! And check these girls out!" Kokoa referred to her now decent-sized chest. "Aren't they just awesome?!"
"Yep!" Yukari couldn't help her bisexual tendencies to show as she stared. "Amazing, truly amazing!"
"I don't know if I'm comfortable with this conversation. Whee!"
"Yep, you're amazing, all right!" A familiar voice calls to the girls, making them turn around and cringe at the sight of Bowl Cut and the previous champion of the stone-breaking challenge. "You really surprised us, uh huh. In fact, it would be such an honor if you were to join our club."
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah!" The bigger boy agrees. "We've been lookin' all over for someone with your talent! Please?!"
"Well, would you look at that," Yukari whispers to Kokoa. "You've been scouted!"
"So, what do you say?" While Bow Cut wore a smile, his true intentions were anything but genuine. That's right. No one cheats us out of ten thousand yen and gets away with it! Once you join us, I'll make you work off the money! And more!
"Hehehe..." And his buddy seemed to be on the same wavelength as him, though his thoughts were much more perverted. Yeah! And we can touch her boobs when we spar and make it seem like an accident! Nice thinking, boss!
"But when I was little, you wouldn't give me the time of day. Not even my friend here," Kokoa quickly refers to Yukari before looking back at the Karate boys with the same condescending frown they once gave him. "So, I'm gonna pass. You guys are just too wimpy for me," Both boy's jaws drop as if they had been gonged in the head with one of Yukari's washtubs. "I'm serious about toughening up, and I'm not wasting it on lowlifes like you."
"You!" Kokao's insult struck a nerve with Bowl Cut, and he and his heavier friend were ready for their technique stance. "Who the hell are you calling wimpy?! You're gonna eat those words after we beat you do-"
BAM! POW!
Bowl Cut couldn't even finish his sentence before Kokoa took him and his fatter friend down with one singular punch, leaving Yukari completely astonished by her power. "You really are Moka's sister all right!"
I feel awesome! Kokoa thinks as she smiles down at her tightened fist. It's like I'm overflowing with power! I wonder... What would Moka think if she saw me with this grown-up body? Would she want to finally spar with me again? It would be a good match at least. She smiles at the thought, maybe she can finally look worthy enough to be...her sister. Maybe she can finally accept me...
"Excuse me," Kokoa's childlike hopes are momentarily stopped as she and Yukari are approached by four more guys dressed up in Karate uniforms, and not a single of them looks happy. Well, the one who addressed both girls seemed impressed with the taller one's display of fortitude. He was slightly older by just a year, he had broad shoulders and short gray hair. "I see you took care of a few of my club members. I heard they were trying to con some students into joining us."
"They weren't so tough," Kokoa crossed her arms over her chest. "That's what happens when you mess with me."
He chuckles at Kokoa's attitude. "Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself? Do not underestimate the Karate club."
"Kokoa...those guys are the seniors!"
"It's alright," Kokoa reassures a worried Yukari. "Just stay back."
"Uh, maybe we should think about this for a second, Miss Kokoa-"
"No, Ko. Moka would never run away from something like this...and neither should I!" Kokoa glares at the grey-haired young man with a challenging smirk. "Okay, fine. If you four beat me, I'll join your little club."
"Hahaha," He laughs, liking the sound of Kokoa's words as he prepares himself along with his three fellow club members. "I like your spirit! Let this be an honorable battle!"
"Ha!" Kokoa matches his enthusiasm. "Let's do this then!"
POOF!
A sudden puff of smoke appears from around the tall Vampire, temporarily blinding her and making her cough. "What the heck?!" She lets the smoke clear so she can properly see her opponents...only now they completely tower over her and each has a shared shocked gaping look across their faces. "Huh? How did they get so big all of a sudden? And why do I sound weird?" Kokoa refers to the sudden change in her pitch of voice.
"Uh...Kokoa?"
"What?" She turned to Yukari...completely dumbfounded by the fact that even she was taller than her now. "Wait, why are you bigger than me now too?!"
"Miss Kokoa! You...you've shrunk!"
"Huh? What are you talking about, Ko? That's ridiculous! I'm not..." Kokoa looked down at her body...her face instantly flushing when she saw how the button-down shirt she was wearing was now too big for her...and her pencil skirt was falling halfway down her legs. "YAAAAAAAAA!" Kokoa squealed as she hastily tried to cover herself back up with her oversized clothing. "What's going on?!" She yells at Yukari. "The Gro-Gro Drops turned me into a grown-up, didn't they? So why am I even younger now than I used to be?!" Kokoa's normal height was four foot eleven before she took the magic candy, the effects made her five foot four, but now...the aftereffects now leave her at a shorter three foot eleven. "Turn me back to normal!"
"I-I don't know how!" The Young Witch confessed throwing her hands up in the air. "I'll need some time to figure out how to reverse this side effect. Sorry," Yukari couldn't help herself from laughing nervously. "I guess that's what happens when you try untested potions! Hehehe..."
"..." This isn't fair! All I ever wanted was to be tough, to catch up with my amazing sister...and now I've fallen even further behind. The inner turmoil within Kokoa's mind made her smaller body shake. What if she sees me like this?! I have to get my regular body back and fast! I can't let her see me this...puny! I couldn't stand it!
"Hmph. Why'd you have to go and shrink now? We're in the middle of a match, in case you forgot," The grey-haired senior cracked his knuckles and neck. "You think turning into a kid is an excuse to forfeit?"
Oh, crap! I forgot about these Karate Club guys!
"Not only did you beat my fellow Club members," He continues. "but you also disrespected the great art of Karate."
"Hehehe. That's tellin' her, Haiji!" Bowl cut slowly recovers from Kokoa's earlier blow, wiping the blood away from his mouth. "She fights dirty! She caught us with a weak sneak attack! Shrinking is just another trick! Show her how karate masters teach dirty fighters a lesson!"
"That's a lie!" Kokoa retorts. "You're the ones who wanted to gang up on me!"
"Not to mention you two initially tried to scam us!" Yukari backs her up.
"I'm a proud Vampire! I don't do sneak attacks!"
"Prove it then!" Hehe... Haiji is the toughest martial artist in Yokai Academy. You don't have a chance against him, you'll regret trying your cheap tricks on me!
"Fine. I will!" Kokoa, though she may be small, still stands strong. "If that's how it's gonna be, if I'm stuck in this body, then bring it on-" Kokoa didn't even finish her sentence before a fist had just stopped merely an inch away from her face, she didn't even see it coming. The force and speed behind the grey-haired boy's display were enough to generate a gust of wind and make Kokoa's hair flutter.
"I am Karate Club captain, Haiji Miyamoto," He said, bearing a serious frown. "I'll teach you how to respect Karate."
Kokoa only stood there, astonished by his speed and power. That blow... I...I couldn't even see it coming! There's no way I can fight him like this! I have to get my regular body back before-
"Just kidding!" Haiji says with a sing-song tone...as he patted Kokoa's head softly with a warm smile. "I could never hit you, you're just so cute! To tell you the truth, I just love kids! They're so sweet!"
"..." Kokoa stood there with a dumbfounded look on her face. What the hell is going on?!
"As for you two," Haiji turns his head back to his two bleeding club members with a sour look. "quit whining like a pair of sissies and be glad it was a girl that beat you two instead of me. We're done here, let's go."
"Huh?! That's bullshit!"
"Come on, Captain!"
"Hey! Hold on a second!" Kokoa calls out Haji before he could walk away. "Are you saying that I'm not even worth fighting anymore since I'm now small!"
"Aww... Come here!"
"Hey! Hey!" Kokoa wriggles as Haiji picks her up from the ground like a happy father holding their child.
"You are just so adorable!"
"Agh! Quit it! Put me down! And stop calling me that!"
"...This is weird," Yukari remarked to Ko.
"You're telling me. Whee!"
"Careful there, Haiji!" Bowl Cut calls out to him, now more annoyed than before. "She might look cute, but she's evil! Avenge our honor! Beat her to a pulp!"
"You shut your mouth," But his demands were cut short by the Karate Captain's bone-chilling gaze, Haiji set down Kokoa and made his point clear with his voice. "You had no honor to begin with, so stop parading our club's shame and be lucky that you're getting off easy today." Both Bowl Cut and his overweight friend cower in fear of their captain, knowing that they stand no chance against his decision. "Let's go."
"Y-Yes, sir..."
"Okay..."
Yukari and Ko sigh in relief as the Karate Club takes their leave, Kokoa, however...could only feel shame in her current state. "Kokoa," Yukari rests a hand on her shoulder. "At least we're saved now. Let's just get back to the clubroom before we attract any more unwanted attention, okay?"
"You call this being 'saved'?! I'd rather get pounded down than be humiliated! In their eyes, we weren't even worth a fight! I can't go back to the Newspaper Club, especially like this! One look at me and everyone is gonna burst out laughing!"
"But there's really nowhere else we can go."
"NO! I won't let the others see me this way! Nuh-uh!"
"Come on, Kokoa. I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think..."
"...PPFFTAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Just like Kokoa had feared, she was met with sheer and utter humiliation as Kurumu laughed at the top of her lungs. even Mizore couldn't keep herself from snickering at Kokoa now being a little kid. Yukari gave the others a quick rundown of what happened and they seemed to understand, though the young Witch didn't give the true reason behind why Kokoa wanted to use the Grow-Grow Drops. Yukari knew that was something that must be discussed between her and Moka.
"Grow-Grow Drops, huh?" Ruby asked as she looked over the list of ingredients that describe the spell and its effects. "Candy that ages the user..."
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kurumu couldn't stop laughing, she slammed her fist into the table over and over again as she leaned her forehead down on the mahogany table. "Please! I can't breathe! AHAHAHAHA!"
The magic candy augments your natural transformative powers, Kokoa," Ruby explained to her once she got a good grasp on the potion. "So you should change back to normal...eventually."
"Oh, please don't!" Kurumu stopped laughing and squeezed the newly sized Kokoa tightly. "She's so cute this way!"
"Smaller does suit her," Mizore adds, patting Kokoa on the head.
"Kurumu! Mizore! Stop teasing her!" Moka shouts at them.
"Why did you even want to be older anyway, Kokoa?"
"Well...when I tried to join the Karate Club, they made fun of me, and...and-"
"I thought you were joining the Newspaper Club," Mizore says.
"I didn't say any such thing!"
"Well, you'll regret it if you don't," Kurumu points out. "We're the hottest Club in school now! We got so many applicants that we had to schedule a raffle!"
"Well, half of them were creepy-looking guys," Mizore added. "I think I only counted at least ten other girls who wanted to join us, but that was only because they were gawking at Tsukune and Elijah."
"Don't remind me," Kurumu rolled her eyes at the memory, her annoyance quickly faded as she looked down again at Kokoa. "But if you accept now, you won't have to go through the lottery. You can even be our mascot!"
"I'd rather be dead than be a mascot!" God dammit! everyone is making fun of me! This is so humiliating...
"Guys, stop making fun of her," Moka says again, her voice now more motherly. "She only looks like a kid now, but Kokoa is still Kokoa. We should all treat her the same as usual."
"Sheesh, Moka. We're just messing with her, lighten up!"
"You must be uncomfortable in that form," Moka smiled sweetly at her precious little sister. "Want me to try and help?"
"Moka..."
"That's the spirit, Moka!" Yukari cheered on for the Vampire sisters. "I'm glad someone is the mature one around here. You see, Kokoa? Aren't you glad we came back to the club?"
"..."
"Come on," Moka takes her little sister by the hand. "Let's get you out of those baggy clothes."
"O-Okay..." Kokoa allows her sister to lead her to the other side of the clubroom, allowing the rest of the girls to continue the conversation.
"By the way, where are Tsukune and Elijah?"
"They're currently handling the masses back at our booth," Kurumu answered Yukari. "While you and Moka were gone, we really kept our fans entertained."
"You could say we 'rocked' them," Mizore corrected her, making Yukair tilt her head slightly confused. "We'll explain later."
"I swear," Kurumu huffed, crossing her arms. "Those two have been drawing the attention of way too many girls since this morning, it's bugging the living hell out of me."
"You sure it's not because of one of them, Kurumu?" Yukari smirks with a knowing tease.
"...I don't know what you're talking about," She looks away, hiding the blush on her face.
"You sure?" Mizore, adding to Yukari's initial teasing, smirks. "You started hitting your drums a little too hard when that trio of girls started cheering."
"They were just getting way too close to us! That's all!
"Hmm. Suuuuure, it is."
"Shut it, Yukari!"
"What do you think you're doing, Moka?!" Kokoa's angered shout breaks the attention away from teasing Kurumu to back over where the young Vampire and her older sister were. "Is this some kind of practical joke?! Aren't there any normal clothes you have around here?!"
"Well, we don't really have any clothes that are in your sizes so I thought this was the best temporary solution until you're back to normal."
"Isn't that the same maid outfit I wore last year with Kurumu?"
"Mhmm," Moka nods, answering Yukari. "It's not ideal but at least she'll be comfortable."
"She's like a kid on Halloween," Mizore notes, patting the young Vampire's head again.
"Aww!" Kurumu coos, finding herself getting lost in thought. "It looks so cute on you!" I wonder if this is what it'll be like when Elijah and I... Kurumu smacks herself in the face at the sudden thought. Pull yourself together, girl!
"I think the coffee I was making is just about done," Moka reminds everyone. "Let's all take that deserved break now, huh?"
"Shouldn't we wait until the guys are here?"
"I'm sure they won't mind," said Ruby. "We've all been working hard, I say a little R&R is alright."
"Coming from you, Ruby," Yukari remarks, making the older Witch blush. "When was the last time you took a break from your work?"
"W-Well...it's a long story..."
"There she goes with that number again."
"This is ridiculous!" Kokoa, having been tired of being humiliated, runs up to her big sister. "None of you understand how humiliating it is to be dressed up like this! No one but you, right, sis? You get it," Her eyes sparkled with a desperate plea, hoping that the one person she idolized would at least understand how she feels. "right?"
"Of course," Moka smiles sweetly, stroking the back of Kokoa's head softly. "You're my dear little sister, no one could possibly understand you like I do."
"Moka..." Kokoa sounded like she was about to cry from joy.
"Relax, Kokoa. Have a seat here," Moka moves her sister to the table. "You'll feel better after a little breather."
"O-Okay..."
"Come on, everyone," Moka asks for the others to sit down around the table, she pours a small cup of coffee for Kurumu, Ruby, and Mizore. "Yukari, would you like some too?"
"Yes, thank you, Moka."
"And for you, Kokoa," Moka sets down a tall glass with ice cubes and a small lemon wedge. "A delicious cream soda."
"Yay!" She cheered with a big smile. "I love cream soda...wait a minute! How come everybody else gets coffee?! Why am I the only one with soda?!"
"Well, since you're in a kid's body, you shouldn't be having-"
"I can drink coffee! Okay...maybe not black coffee, but I can have it if it has lots of cream!"
"Okay, okay. I'll just trade with you then."
"Hey!" But Moka's gesture only made Kokoa more furious. "You stole my cream soda!" She grits her teeth, she can't stand to take such humiliation any longer. "How dare you make fun of me... I can't take it anymore!"
"Miss Kokoa! Come back! Whee!"
"Kokoa! Wait!" Moka's little sister stormed out of the club room before anyone could stop her. "What's wrong?" Did I...did I do something wrong?
The disfigured Vampire kept running without even thinking about turning around, Kokoa was just too distraught to even allow anoyn to give her the time of day. As she ran through the halls, Kokoa's mind filled with her memories of childhood. More specifically, of her time when she would be crying all alone in her room. But there was one specific memory that came to mind as well, one where the Inner Moka had come along to find her crying.
"Kokoa? Are you crying again?"
"I...I can't help it. Kahlua and the others treat me like a little kid. And it's not just our sisters! Dad and Mom...they treat me like-" Inner Moka had had enough of her excessive whining, so she pushes her over with her foot. "Hey! What did you do that for?!"
"If you have time to cry, you have time to train," Her sister says. "You have to toughen up, Kokoa! That's the only way you'll ever be taken seriously in this household. You and me both."
"Shut up! I can kick your butt!"
"Oh, yeah? Try it." But as always, Moka remained the victor and Kokoa the loser. "You...You don't pull any punches, do you?"
"Of course not, it isn't real training if we don't go all out."
"How come...you're the only one who doesn't treat me like a baby?"
"...Becasue," Inner Moka smirked at her little sister with pride. "I'm a kid too."
The memory of that day stops and Kokoa finds herself away from the main building of Yokai Academy and inside a small and quiet graveyard. "...It's not fair," She mutters to herself.
"Miss Kokoa..."
"I just want to be accepted..." But she thinks back to how the members and sister of the Newspaper Club have treated her minus today. Sure, they don't exactly treat her in the way she hopes, but...maybe in their own way, they truly accept her? Kokoa shook her head at that ridiculous thought. "I hate you...all of you..."
"I don't know who you're talkin' to, but it looks like you're havin' a hard time stuck in that kid's body," Kokoa turns her head back to that sudden voice, finding herself surrounded by the Bowl Cut boy and a few other of his lackeys dressed up in casual wear. "Serves you right."
"You again..." Kokoa sighs. "Didn't I tell you to get lost, creep?"
"Sure. But this isn't about Karate anymore, just straight-up bullying," He admits outright. "I rounded up a few friends of mine who don't exactly fit onto the club scene but are still...quite dangerous, if you catch my drift," Bowl Cut raises his hands, his fingernails slowly turning into digging claws. "I'm here for payback, brat! This'll be the last time you make a fool outta me!"
"Miss Kokoa! Run!"
"...No, Ko," She refuses to back down, even with her current weakness. "I'm not running away again. Not now. Not ever!"
"Oh, boy..."
Back in the Newspaper Clubroom...
"..Hey, Ruby?" Moka sighs as she looks out the window with her head resting on her hands. "Those Grow-Grow Drops, how long until Kokoa's back to normal again?"
"I'm not exactly sure. Why?"
"Because...if this 'Little Kokoa' vs 'Big Moka' keeps up, I don't think she'll ever forgive me."
"Huh?"
"What are you talking about, Moka?"
"I just remembered something from our childhood together. Our older sisters always made fun of her for being the youngest of us, she was always crying...she even said our parents had low expectations of her too."
"Really?"
"That's...kinda sad."
"I know," Moka sighs again. "How could I have forgotten all that...and treat her like the baby of the family again? I think I really hurt her feelings."
It's not entirely your fault, you know that. It's just the effect of the Rosary. It's cut off some of our memories from our childhood, remember?
Still... We could've at least been more considerate.
"Moka..." Yukari expresses her concern "You can't blame yourself for that, I'm sure Kokoa will come around eventually."
"She's right, Moka," Ruby agrees. "Perhaps we could-"
CRASH!
"What the?!"
"What the hell was that?!"
The girls all shifted their shocked expressions to the window and what came through it, shattering the glass. It was...a bat? "Ko? What are you doing here?"
"It's Miss Kokoa!" The bat squeaked in a panic. "She's being jumped by a bunch of creeps! One of them was from the Karate Club! Whee!"
"What?!"
"Those lousy guys again?"
"We have to do something!"
"But...I have a feeling that Kokoa won't be so accepting of our help. Her pride will get in the way..."
"But we can't just sit here, Moka!"
"I know! I have an idea..." She explains, eyeing down the jar of magic candy Grow-Grow Drops. "...But only if you guys are okay with it too."
Kokoa...
WCH!
PAP!
THCK!
"Geez! This kid's way too fast!" One of the thugs trying to attack Kokoa shouts out, wiping the blood from his nose.
"Just grab her, you idiot! It's six against one, so just-"
WCH!
PAP!
THCK!
"Oh, please," Despite how small she was now, Kokoa was still fast enough to catch these thugs off guard and hit them with swift punches. And while it didn't bring them down to their knees and make them yield, it was still enough to cause some bleeding. "Even when there's six of you creeps, you're still not much of a threat to me. If you're gonna beat me up, you'll have to bring back that dorky Captain of yours!"
"Boss told us she was just a kid! What the hell is she?!"
"He told us this would be easy pickings! This ain't no fun at all!"
"Boss, what do we-" One of the lackeys turns to find Bowl Cut...only to see that he's nowhere in sight. "Hey! Where the hell did he go?!"
Huh? That guy with the bowl-shaped head... He ran away? This is lucky for me, my body is already feeling fatigued as it is. I just need to deal with these guys before-
"Gotcha!" A voice roars...from the ground, belonging to the missing Bowl Cut. He erupts from the ground with his hands now formed into mole-like claws, grabbing onto Kokoa and lifting her up from the dirt ground by her legs. "Stupid kid, I told you this wasn't no Karate match! And I don't run away from a fight, you idiots!" He yells at his lackeys. "My home is underground. All your complaining was pretty annoying, but she's quite the catch once I got close!"
"Hahaha! That's the way to do it, boss!"
"That'll show her!"
"Now then," Bowl Cust sneers as he looks down at his struggling prey...grabbing onto her skirt and beginning to tear it away. "Let's play, shall we?!"
"NO!" I can't get free! What about all of that honor he was talking about?! This guy is the scum of the earth! But...he's still stronger than me. Kokoa began to lose hope, feeling that this was going to end very badly for her...especially with how her clothes were being ripped off.
"AHAHAHAHAHA! Huh?" Bowl Cut stops his maniacal laughter, feeling a sharp projectile in the middle of his forehead. "What the heck is this thing?" His question remains unanswered by anyone but instead by being on the receiving end of a barrage of what seems to be...tarot cards. The onslaught makes the mole monster drop Kokoa to the ground, she hears the pained cries of Bowl Cut's fellow thugs as she fumbles to get to her feet.
"Hey! What the hell?!"
"Who's throwing these cards at me?!"
"Why, that would be me!"
"...No way," Kokoa sees who that voice belongs to and her jaw nearly drops to the floor.
"I came to help you, Kokoa," It was Yukari...and she had eaten the Grow-Grow Drops. The Young Witch now stands over five feet tall and her deep brown hair now reaches just past her shoulders. Another noticeable change in her now adult body was her prominent features, the small smug on her face was enough to tell everyone she was finally happy to have the body of her dreams. Yukari wields her signature magic wand and has used it to conjure a floating circlet of tarot cards that rotate in place behind her back.
"W-What the?! Did you turn into a grown-up just to mock me?! Well, you can forget it! I don't want your stupid help!"
POOF!
"Wh-What?!" As it happened to Kokoa, the magic candy wore off and suddenly turned Yuakri back into a kid. But since she was already on the younger side, this was already back to normal for her. "What did you-"
"Twelve minutes and thirteen seconds," Yukari says, holding up a pocket watch. "That's how long the Grow-Grow Drops transform you into an adult...before the backlash turns you into a kid."
"But why did... What does... Why are you...? I just..." Kokoa couldn't find the right words and just stuttered.
"Isn't it obvious, Kokoa?" A girl's voice calls out...but it was in a slightly higher pitch. "Now we're all on even grounds."
"Yeah! This was a great idea, Moka!"
"I still feel weird...but I agree."
"We can't treat Kokoa like a little kid anymore because..." Ruby, Moka, Kurumu, and Mizore now stand before Kokoa, each and every one of them has now turned into a small child too. "Now we're all little kids now!" They all bear their signature choice of weapons. Kurumu had her wings and claws, Mizore sharpened her ice hands, Ruby had her own magic wand, and Moka wielded Ko who shapeshifted himself into a giant hammer.
"WHAAAAAAAT?!" They're all like me! Every one of them turned into a little kid!
"Let's get 'em, you guys!"
"Yeah! Let's go get those big jerks!"
"Use me to pound that Bowl Cut guy! Whee!"
"..." They...did all of this for me?
Elijah...
"Whew! I'm beat!"
"Me too. It's good to finally be done with that crowd."
"You're telling me," I pat my best friend's shoulder. "But you gotta admit, it was a helluva lot of fun, right?"
"Fair enough."
"Hey, that's my thing. Don't go around parading it."
"Whatever, man," A small chuckle escapes Tsukune as he rolls his eyes at me. We finally reach the clubroom. "Hey, guys, we're..." But we find no one inside. "Huh? Where is everyone?"
"Don't ask me," I shrug. "Maybe they decided to call it a day?"
"Maybe... Hey, why the heck is the window broken?"
I take a look at the said window, seeing that there's a good-sized hole in the middle of the glass. "Dammit," I groan. "Probably one of the sports club's fault." With a quick wave of my hand, I repair the window with my simple repairing spell.
"I wish I could do that."
"It definitely comes in handy," I laugh. "Hmm," I take a look at the table, my nose scrunched up at the smell of coffee. "Guess the girls had some coffee before they left. I'll never understand why they like it so much."
"Me neither, dude. You think they left any snacks left for us?"
"Let's see..." I scrimmage through the wide variety of snacks and delicacies on the table, finding some chips, cookies, pastries, and... "The heck are these?" I hold a jar of what looks like sweet candies in my hand, my natural guess is that Yukari brought these since she has the natural sweet tooth out of us all. But what exactly are they?
"What are those?"
"No idea," I shrug, opening the jar and pouring out two of the candies in my hand. "Can't hurt to give it a try though..."
Back outside...
"What's going on here?!" Haiji, now appearing to put a stop to all the commotion, booms. "I heard some fools from my club are causing trouble," He looks around, finding the Bowl Cut boy on the ground bleeding. "You..." The Karate Captain sneers at him and picks him up by the throat. "What the hell are you doing? Haven't you dishonored the name of our club enough?!"
"Take that!"
"That'll teach you to mess with us!"
"You're all a bunch of meanies!"
"Huh?"
Haiji turned at the sound of higher-pitched yells and pained cries...finding himself completely flabbergasted by the sight of a bunch of little girls beating up full-grown teenagers. Mini Moka was whacking one boy around with a giant hammer, Kururmu sucker punched a guy in the face over and over again, Yukari slammed a golden washtub into a dude's face over and over again while Kokoa held him down, Ruby kept any thugs from running away with her magic, and Mizore jumped up and down on an unconscious boy's stomach until he couldn't breathe.
What the...? All of these little girls...on a rampage?!
"Over there!" Kokoa pints at Haiji now that all of the other guys have been taken care of. "That's the Karate Club Meanie!"
"Huh? Me?" He pointed to himself. "But I only teased you because I love kids, they're just so-"
"Get him! No mercy!"
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Haiji backed up a little once the rampaging girls started to charge at him. Why are they attacking me? What did I do? I never even met the other ones...but...they're all just so cuuuuute! Unfortunately for Haiji, his child-loving trait was his ultimate downfall, leaving him open for their final attack.
"Super Combo Kiddie Assault!"
Haiji falls to the ground after being struck by all the girls at once, sending him back a few feet with a bleeding forehead. I can't believe this... Me, Haiji Miyamoto, undefeated in one hundred matches...beaten by a gang of elementary school girls! "Who...are you people?!" He cries up to the sky.
"We're the Newspaper Club!" Mini Moka answers with a proud hand on her hip. "And don't you forget it!"
"We did it!"
"that'll teach those meanies!"
"Kind of pathetic they couldn't beat a bunch of kids..."
"Indeed."
"Don't you think so, Kokoa?" Moka turns to her little sister, now matching her height. "Now everyone will have to respect you after this."
"Moka..." Kokao couldn't hold back her smile any longer, she wiped a tear before anyone could see. "Thank you."
"So, what are we going to say to the guys about this?"
"Good question," Ruby giggles. "I'm sure after we explain, they'll-"
"YUKARIIIIIIIII!"
"Huh?" The girl whose name was called looks around, confused of why two older voices would be calling her name. "did you guys hear that?"
"Yeah...it kinda sounded like-"
"Yukari!" The voice calls out once again, appearing to be a taller gentleman with dark brown hair...and stubble. Another man storms up beside him, like the former's clothes, they're a little oversized and their buttons have snapped off, exposing their slightly muscle-toned bodies underneath. "What did you do to us?!"
"What's happening?!"
"Elijah?! Tsukune?! You two ate the Grow-Grow Drops?!"
"What the heck are Grow-Grow Drops?!"
"Who cares about that?!" Elijah says. "Why the heck are you guys kids now?!"
"J-Just let me explain..."
As Yukari went on to inform the boys, two certain girls couldn't help themselves and stared at the now grown-up Elijah and Tsukune. Moka was mesmerized by Tsukune's height difference and change in hair length, it was now just as long as Elijah's normal hair and it looked so...dreamy. Kurumu however just got lost in Elijah's eyes, falling under a certain spell of her own making.
Wow...he's so handsome...
Tsukune is so beautiful...
"Are you two alright?" Ruby asks, making the Succubus and Vampire break their gaze away from the grown-up boys with a flustered look across their faces.
"Y-Yep!" Tsukune's an adult right now, control yourself!
"W-We're fine!" Cool yourself, girl! Take it easy for a change
"Wait a second," Yuakri cuts herself off in the middle of her explanation. "How long ago did you guys eat the Drops?"
"I don't know...maybe ten minutes ago?"
"Why?"
"Oh, no..."
POOF!
Like clockwork, the effects of the magic candy wear off and a puff of smoke comes from the boys. Tsukune coughs and fans away the smog so he can see again. "What the heck? Wait...what's up with my voice?" He looks down at himself, finding that his clothes are now baggy and too big for him. "AAAHHH!"
"Calm down, Tsukune!" Yukari tells him. " It's just a side effect of the Grow-Grow Drops, it should wear off in a while. I promise!"
"Wait," Moka looked around, noticing that a certain boy was now missing. "Where's Elijah?"
"I think I saw him go hide behind that tree," Ruby points out. "Elijah, what are you-"
"Don't come over here!" He shouts from behind the dead wood. "Just leave me be!"
"What's wrong?"
"Are you okay?"
"Just don't come over here!" Elijah insists despite Moka and Kurumu's concern. "Just leave me alone until this wears off!"
"But-"
"You!" A weak voice croaks, coughing a bit of blood from his mouth. "You think you've gotten the best of me?!" His Bowl shaved head was now scruffy from his initial beat down, he rose to his feet despite barely being able to stand. "As long as I can still stand, you can never beat me!"
"You leave my friends alone!" A Tiny Tsukune shields himself in front of the other girls...his eyes slowly start to glow red. "Go away!"
"Hahaha!" Bowl Cut laughs mockingly. "And what are you going to do about it, ya stupid-"
"Leave them alone!"
"Huh? GAUGH!" Sent back flying by a powerful punch to the face, it's guaranteed that Bowl Cut won't be getting back up this time. His attacker's eyes now glowed blue as he stood alone before his friends.
"Elijah?" The wizard boy flinches at the mention of his name and covers his face with his oversized button-down shirt.
"Don't look at me!" His voice muffles. "Just wait until the spell wears off!"
"What's wrong with him?" Moka whispers to Tsukune but he shrugs.
"I don't know."
"I think I know..." Kurumu doesn't elaborate any further and slowly trots over to the shaking wizard...since she knows why he's acting like this. "Elijah?"
"...Please don't look at me," He peeks through his shirt, looking at his best friend. "I look...hideous..."
"Elijah," Kurumu slowly pulls the shirt down away from his face, Elijah shows little resistance to her gesture. Now with his head fully exposed, the young Succubus sees that Elijah's face is much more round than before. looking down, Kurumu also notes that Elijah now has an obvious tummy. Kurumu may be biased, but she honestly thought Elijah looked...kinda cute like this. "You're not hideous, okay?"
"You're just saying that," He looks away with a frown. "I hate this, I wanna go back to normal. I worked very hard to fix this stupid body..."
"It'll wear off eventually," Kurumu reassures him, wiping away a small tear out of his left eye. "But even now, you're still the handsome boy I know."
"H-Handsome?"
"I-I mean..." Kurumu looks away, fighting her blush from the boy as he does the same. "L-Let's just go back to the clubroom, okay? The spell will wear off soon."
"O-Okay..."
Elijah...Hours Later...
I am never taking my body for granted again, that was the most uncomfortable two hours of my life.
Thanks to our fanbase, the story of the Newspaper Club taking down the troublemakers of the Karate Club spread like wildfire. Even going as far as calling us 'living legends'. Even so, our fans weren't so keen on joining a club that's a probe to danger on a nearly daily basis. So even after we drew in more potential members today, not a single one of them wanted to join us. Most have said that they don't want to get 'eaten' or 'beaten up', they couldn't handle the dangerous life of a journalist like us.
"I guess it's going to be just us again this year," Moka says with a sigh.
"I don't understand... We were so nice to everyone..."
"Well, I'm glad it turned out this way," My words come as a shock to everyone. "I like this Club the way it is, just me and my friends...and I wouldn't want to ruin that for anything else."
"...Yeah," Tsukune is the first to agree with me. "I guess you're right."
"But it still would've been nice if we got at least one new person."
"Sounds like you guys are in trouble," All heads, in sync, turn to the door, finding Kokoa and her trusty bat, Ko on her shoulder. "But, if you insist..." The Young Vampire pouts, her cheeks betraying her true feelings. "I guess I'd be willing to join your club."
"Count me in too, Miss Kokoa! Whee!" Ko squeaks, carrying a slip of paper that says, 'enrollment form' in his claws.
"You really mean it?!" Moka couldn't keep her excitement contained.
"Y'know, if you wanted to join us, you could've just said so in the first place!"
"But I didn't!"
"You really need to work on your lying, Kokoa."
"What do you think, Elijah?" Moka turns to me. "As acting President, do you think Kokoa is Newspaper Club Material?"
"Since when was I 'acting President'?"
"Well, would you rather we go find Gin and let him make the decision?"
"...Good point," I walk past the others and stand before Kokoa Shuzen, she looks up at me with a scowl...but I can read that small hope behind her eyes that I'll say yes. "On behalf of the Newspaper Club..." I reach out my hand to her and smile. "We welcome you, Kokoa."
"Welcome, Kokoa!"
Everyone greeted the Vampire with much enthusiasm, I smiled as I watched the entire thing unfold. I know I said I didn't really want any new members, but if it had to be anyone, I'm glad it's...a friend. "Seems like we have a new member, after all." Kurumu pokes me in the side with her elbow, making me chuckle.
"I guess we do."
"You sure you're okay with that?"
"Yeah," I nod. "I think I am. And...thanks."
"Hmm?" Kurumu tilts he rhead at me. "For what?"
"Just...for earlier today," I shrug, scratching my cheek with a finger. "I worked really hard to lose all that weight as a kid, I'm just glad to be back to normal."
"Me too. But...even if you didn't look the way you do now, It wouldn't change how I see you."
"Thanks, Kuru," I offer her a grateful smile which she returns. "I know I can always count on you."