Kurumu tapped her fingers along the arm of the chair she sat in. Her nails made sharp taps against the taught leather as her mind tried to work this out. There had to be a definite connection, one that made sense to her. She wasn't that smart, she would be the first person to admit that before anyone, but she wasn't that stupid.
Four other succubi in her network had come up pregnant. All four of them already had daughters. This shouldn't be possible, in any manner. Her mother was also pregnant as well, after a lot of work, but pregnant none the less. How?
It had been so long since succubi had more than one child, nobody could exactly say how long it had been. This was history that was almost an inborn knowledge, that nobody understood. What was the... was there a possibility?
A smooth baritone interrupted her thoughts, "A naked woman extremely deep in thought. I can't think of a greater sight in all the world. What has you awake at 2 A.M. tapping out Morse code?"
Kurumu looked over at the owner of the voice. Alexander Carson had been a constant in her life since Heath, though not in the same way that Heath had been for her. He was the only other member of their unit that had known that she wasn't human. Of course now all of them did, and were jealous that Alexander was going to have her exclusive attention.
It was strange, him and Heath had seemed like night and day, and that wasn't just a reference to their skin. Heath had been a rather average sized man, with tanned skin that was almost bone white where his uniform covered, and a rather devil may care attitude. Alexander was this tall, ebony skinned, and by the book, perfect image of a Marine.
"I just got a call from my mother," she said.
He raised an eyebrow, "Is she upset you are about to attempt to marry yet another American?"
"No, she loved Heath to death, and she isn't opposed to you. She just wants you for herself. No, she just tested pregnant," Kurumu stood from the chair and stepped out onto the balcony of her penthouse, unbothered by the air on her skin.
"So, not fully clued in to how it works in succubus circles, but shouldn't she be a little old for it," he stepped behind her and draped a robe he had been holding around her shoulders.
Kurumu looked over the Tokyo skyline. She wasn't really sure how to explain it to him. It hadn't been a big deal with Heath, because he didn't care about anything except that he was about to be a father. She definitely couldn't explain why this whole situation was so strange.
"It is more the fact that I am standing here, that makes things so weird. If it was just me, it could be an anomaly. I think that is the right word, anomaly. Weird instance regardless. We aren't supposed to be able to have more than one daughter. We aren't really sure why at this point, but it has been this way for thousands of years," she leaned against him, welcoming having someone to do this with again.
"I don't really understand, but I will work on it. So, once, is an instance. Twice, is a coincidence. Is there a third for a pattern," he asked as he wrapped an arm around her.
She nodded, "Try third thru sixth. I just don't know what the pattern could be. I have an idea, but I don't know if it is solid enough to say out loud."
Alexander looked up at the clouds as they passed by, "I don't know how much help I could be. Heath was the brains of the two of us, I was just the muscle. Don't expect me to go snacking on crayons anytime soon, but I'm not really that great at thinking outside the box, or he might still be here."
Kurumu took a deep breath. She didn't like him bringing it up, and depressing himself. She didn't quite love Alexander the same way that she had Heath, but she did care for him greatly. She knew that he also cared really greatly for her. But, she would have never considered marrying him if it wasn't for her being pregnant with his child.
"Alex, I've never blamed you, and you shouldn't blame yourself. I, knew what the risk was, of falling in love with any kind of soldier. I was one for a long time myself, even if I had hidden it from all of you. I also know what it could have meant for me."
"Kurumu, I don't really understand the whole monster thing that well, so I may not understand why you are always so thankful that you lived through Heath dying. I don't understand why him dying should have been a death sentence for you. I promised him though, that I would do my best to make sure that you and Harumi would never have to worry. I don't know that he ever thought that I would be taking his place at your side...," he trailed off.
"Alex, Heath was the one man I was truly meant for, and was truly meant for me. We call that our Destined One. Without them, we don't have a reason to live. It isn't so common for us to actually find them, so we don't develop the physical bond. I felt it when he died, I even collapsed. Moka and Tsukune thought I had died. They stayed with me for a couple days, and were there, when the notification arrived. Harumi, me being pregnant with her, is what let me survive. She is my entire reason for being," she placed a hand against her lower body.
Alex looked down, but he didn't say anything. He could tell that she was wondering if his child was going to mean as much to her. Her putting it in those terms, he couldn't help but wonder as well. He wasn't going to hate her if the answer was no though. He knew he could never replace his best friend.
The always scruffy Lt. that gave the upper brass an aneurysm, but was so effective they just let it go. The Platoon leader that everyone looked up to, because he cared less for the decorum, and more for the men that served under him. This versus the disciplined, squared away, and poster perfect Lt. that always impressed during inspections. That led his men with no compromise, and no more care than he needed to. The one who watched his best friend give one last crooked smile, as he hit the detonator that collapsed the bridge he was standing on, killing himself and taking out a large chunk of a North Korean brigade that was chasing them after they completed their mission.
"Hey, aren't Marines not allowed to cry," Kurumu reached up to wipe a tear off his cheek.
He smiled despite his feelings, "A Marine that thinks he is too good to cry, is a Marine that has no one that cares about him, and no one that he cares for."
Kurumu had tear escape her own eye, "I remember Heath saying that when I told him he was going to be a father. I think I need to go see Tsukune tomorrow. He may be able to make more sense of what I have in mind, than I can. So Col. Carson, what are you going to be doing without me tomorrow?"
"I guess I am just going to be spending time in all those boring briefings about things of little actual consequence, daydreaming about your ass," he chuckled as he answered.
Kurumu smiled, "There may be some promise for you yet."
"It's good to see you Kurumu. You said you had something you wanted to talk to me about, but I'm really glad to see you," Tsukune hugged Kurumu as she entered his office.
The succubus snorted, "Let me guess, you think that Moka is less likely to attack you out of nowhere if I'm here. It's good to see you too."
They separated. Kurumu wouldn't deny that she was a little disappointed she had never gotten to sleep with Tsukune, but she was so happy that he was there as one of her best friends. She didn't know that there was anyway her life could be better at this point.
"Tsukune, I have something I want to run by you, that I'm not really smart enough to work through myself. Before you even ask, I don't want the pipsqueak in here to give her op-, you know what, keep Yukari on the table. A doctor's opinion might be needed at some point," Kurumu followed the vampire to one of the couches in the room.
Tsukune sat across from her and scrunched his brow up, "Ok, how about some sort of preamble so I know what I am about to be walking into."
"You know I'm pregnant, despite it being impossible," she waited until he nodded before she continued, "Mother, is pregnant, as are four of my agents that also have daughters."
"That, is a strange pattern," Tsukune said, still not sure where she was taking this.
"Everyone of them, Mother, and Me, were in that valley during the battle. Which leads me to two ideas, that I don't know if are reasonable."
Tsukune tilted his head to the side, "Uh, ok, let's hear them."
She took a deep breath, "One: The power that was expended during the fight between Tekeshi and Shinso may have done something that restarted the ability for us to get pregnant. What, I have no clue. Maybe the sheer force of masculine virility they represented got our baby making equipment ready to put the help wanted sign out."
"Uh, well that is a theory. That one we may need to run by Yukari, since there is a medical component to it. What is the other one?"
"That Shinso, may have been the reason that succubi only have one child," she said.
Tsukune stood up and went to look out a window. He wanted to call that ridiculous, and it sounded like it on the surface. Yet, more than he would like, he kept coming across strangely unrelated things, that seemed to have the fingerprints of the passed demigod. Tekeshi had admitted he had barely scratched even an atom deep in all the power that he had inherited, so would this actually be out of the realm of possibility?
"Tsukune, are you ok," Kurumu's voice brought him back to reality.
He turned around and leaned his back against the window, "I, actually think there is a good chance that is the right one. I just don't know how to prove it. Well, we could always find a succubus with a daughter that wasn't there, and subject her to a marathon sex session until she either comes up expecting, or it is long enough that we can say there isn't a connection."
"So, Thursday with extra steps," the succubus said deadpanned.
"Wait, your people actually have a day set aside for marathon sex?"
"Tsukune, it was a joke. Still, I think I could find a lot of volunteers for that one. I don't know why you think that one is more likely though?"
Tsukune took a deep breath, "Because I think he may have played a very important part in the development of civilization, both human and yokai."
A voice from the door interrupted them, "I wish that talking about him wouldn't get something in the back of my head buzzing. Two entirely different people, yet he has to make me suffer over this. Also, you aren't wrong."
Tekeshi walked into the office and dropped into a chair, putting a massive amount of pressure on his temples. Tsukune would have laughed in most other cases, but this was actually a very fortuitous interruption, if only his son wasn't supposed to be in his world history class.
"Tekeshi, why are you not in class," his father asked.
The son opened one eye and focused it on his father, "Because Hagaruki-sensei won't let me in his classroom after I broke his ego yesterday. He said that if I don't come near his class for the rest of the year, he guarantees me a perfect grade. I would have gotten that anyways, but I decided to go for the path of least resistance. So, how have you been Aunt Kurumu?"
"Uh, well, pregnant, and finding more pregnant succubi. I'm also about to have a sister," she said.
"That, has to be a joke. With the weird that surrounds our family, I can understand you knocked up again, but Great Aunt Ageha? Also, how many succubi are we talking," he asked.
Tskune spoke up, "Apparently four others. Everyone of them fought during the battle against Fairy Tale."
"So, from what little I caught, and this massive headache I'm dealing with, you think that Shinso may have had something to do with the weirdly specific fertility of your entire race?"
Kurumu nodded, "I know that most people find the way you act as a genius irritating, but it makes things like this easier for slightly below average people like me. Yeah, do you know anything?"
"Honestly, not jack shit. When I get directly confronted by certain things or concepts, I have memories from him try to detonate my gray matter, but something like that most likely wouldn't bring anything up. Sorry," the young demigod gave a pained, but apologetic smile.
"Well, that doesn't really help that much," Tsukune commented.
"Don't count me out yet Dad. You said something about him possibly being a cornerstone of civilized development, and you aren't wrong. I'm trying to remember exactly what he told Jakkasu during the moment where the power was transferred. 'I have lived for a long time, even if it would still be just a moment to you. I have outlived, everyone that I have loved. I'm, tired. I have been tired for at least a thousand years. I have seen entire empires rise, and fall. I have lead crusades, jihads, and whatever other holy wars you could imagine. I have been a teacher, a preacher, and the king of many nations.' There was more, but it isn't really consequential given the subject. So, there is a chance that he was responsible, and his death, and the resultant transfer of power, may have restored the natural fertility to your race," he had another twinge.
"Are you ok," Tsukune was starting to feel very concerned.
Tekeshi flapped a hand in his father's direction, "It won't kill me. Ugh, I was hoping it was you two talking about Shinso that was causing this. God damn it all. I'm just going to go get some sleep. See if that helps things. Can you have 'Suki bring me my classwork later?"
"Yeah, I will let her know. Are you sure you are really ok," Tsukune went to help the younger man stand up.
"If I was more arrogant, I would say there was a very needy woman thinking very hard, and very naughty things concerning me. Wait, I haven't seen Karasu today."
As Candace looked through the clothes on the rack in the little boutique, she thought as hard as she could about Shinso, hoping that he would pick up on it, and come searching for her. She just hoped that he was in a situation that he could.
"This is so cute. I don't know what the character is supposed to be, but it's just so cute," Simona held up a shirt with something that looked like a mix of a dog, and some kind of masked animal.
"Uh, yeah. It's cute," she replied despondently.
"Are you ok, you usually have more energy. Did you not sleep well last night?"
"We are so close, yet it doesn't feel like he is even aware that I am here. I'm even doing my best to direct memories of things that he would really enjoy repeating towards him. Nothing," she continued to just shuffle through the racks, not really paying attention to the clothes she saw.
"Well, maybe I can be of help," a very deep, and malicious voice said from behind the women.
Both turned to see a strange sight. There stood a tall man, in a blue uniform, and smoking a huge cigar. Simona immediately started to have a very bad feeling about this person, while Candace simply raised an eyebrow.
"I know you. I don't know who you are, but I know you, and that I do not like you. Why are you here," the vampire shifted her stance, ready to lay into the interloper if he showed he was a threat.
"Heh, if you really know me, then you know that is a worthless effort. I'm not here for a fight though. You are looking for someone, and I might be able to help you get to them. You just need to understand something," the man said.
"What is that?"
"What you find, may not truly be what you think you are going to find."