Two Weeks Later...

Mizore

In the dead of night, as the rest of Yokai Academy was asleep, a young Snow Fairy was wide awake in her kitchen. On the stove was a steel pot filled with boiling food over a low blue flame, more specifically, a particular sauce recipe that originated in the country of India and the continent of southeast Asia. Curry. As to why the young Snow Fairy was making this foreign dish, she was preparing herself for a future class that begins only tomorrow, and the final grade will be due at the end of the week. with the sauce heating in the pot, Mizore was now working on slicing up the carrots...only to find her hands shaking with the knife in her hands and she only managed to cut the carrot into massive chunks.

Damn it... How do people make this look so easy? "Oh, crap!" Mizore sees out of the corner of her eye that the curry in the pot is beginning to boil over, she goes to turn off the stove...only to have a drip of steaming foam fall onto her hand. "YYYEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Mizore was already sensitive to any form of heat, so the pain from the hot foam felt at least ten times worse than any ordinary person would experience. The young Snow Fairy heaves in pain, anger, and slight annoyance, but she calms down once she sees that happened to all of her work. "

"Oh, no... Not again..." The pot, stove, cutting board, knife, and all of the food were frozen in a block of ice after Mizore cried out in pain. She sighed in defeat and walked away from the kitchen, her evening slippers falling off her feet once she slumped over to her pull-out bed. "Maybe I'm just not cut out for this..." Mizore sighs, hanging her head low in defeat. "...No!" She raises her head high once more, this time a spark of determination lights up in her eyes. "I can't give up!"

Mizore looks over to her calendar hanging above her bed, reading the circled date she marked earlier in the day. It reads, 'Cooking Practicum', on the day of January Twenty-Seventh. Next to the calendar...was a group photo of the Newspaper Club. Everyone in the photo was sliding and waving at the camera, Mizore could remember that day like it was only yesterday. But her eyes could only focus on one particular boy, a certain Wizard to be exact.

I just want to make it for you...

Elijah...The Same Night...

"NO!"

I rise up in bed in a cold sweat, quickly finding myself back in my dorm room. I sigh in relief as I wipe some sweat off my forehead. Just another nightmare... Ever since I got back, I've been having the same recurring nightmare every other night that just leaves me in a cold sweat like right now. What time is it, anyway? I check my phone and see that it's not even midnight yet, at least it's not the middle of the night like last time. I lie back on my pillow and stare up at the ceiling.

"This sucks... You still here, Archimedes?" My question only echoes with silence, reminding me that my bird friend has moved himself and his tiny house outside of my dorm room until my nightmares stop disrupting his 'beauty sleep'. He's an owl, who's gonna be paying attention to him?

I spend the next few minutes rolling around in bed, desperately trying to succumb to the sweet embrace of slumber. The fear of my nightmare still lingers, not allowing me to get a single ounce of rest. Every time it comes back to haunt me, it just seems too real for it to be a dream. It's not like the visions I've had in the past where it actually came true, but it feels just as real. I dream that I'm back under that parasite's control...and every time it forces me to hurt everyone I care about. Tsukune, Moka, Mizore, Yukari, Ruby...Kurumu...

"...Alright then," I groan, leaning up in bed. "Guess I could try meditating...again." I hop out of bed and sit on the floor with my legs crossed. This might not go the way I hope, but I still have to try... I take a deep breath and clear my mind, allowing the energy within my body to flow from the top of my head to the tip of my toes.

Merlin... I need your guidance... Are you there?

Silence. Just like every time I have called out to him in my meditations for the past few weeks, I am offered only silence. I can still use magic on my own, but I can't seem to tap into the true power within me or even call out to Merlin. Even when I was freed from that monster's hold, only my eyes were glowing blue when I killed it and not my hair as well according to the others. I don't know if it's a mind block or if that Symbiote just made me weaker, but I need to figure this out before we have to face...Fairy Tale again.

"Fairy Tale..." Every time I utter that name, I feel my anger starting to boil. Ruby and Archimedes already explained exactly what their organization is and it disgusts me all the way to my core. How could such a group like this exist? We haven't had any problems with Fairy Tale in the last few weeks...and that worries me. What exactly are they planning? Just how long are they gonna keep us waiting before we have to call to action again? And what am I gonna do once that happens if I can unlock the ancient power within me again? "Damn it!"

I slam my head in my head as I fall back onto the floor. Asking myself all these questions in this state isn't going to get me anywhere. I need to stop and just take a breath, I can't focus if I just stress myself out like this. I lean back up and look at my phone, more specifically the date. Tomorrow's the twenty-fourth...when we'll all be divided into gender-assigned classes. Tsukune and I will be stuck in wood shop for the whole week while the girls will be in cooking classes. Such bullshit! I wanted to be in cooking classes too! I bet Tsukune is just as annoyed about this as I am...guess I'll find out tomorrow.

The Next Morning...

"Hey! Watch it, Saizou!" Tsukune spoke from the floor after the Monstrel nearly got him cut by his handsaw. "You almost sawed me in half!"

I sigh in annoyance as I stop sanding down my current project. "Maybe get your head out of the gutter and actually pay attention."

"Man, I can't wait..." But our friend, no, buddy? Eh, I'll just say Aquataince for now, he's not that bad of a dude. Regardless, he's off in fantasy land, most likely thinking about what the girls are doing right now. "Yeah... I bet the girls are in the middle of cooking class right now, huh?"

Called it.

"They're probably cooking up something good, and I can't wait to sink my teeth into it..."

"I got ya, brother," I help Tsukune up to his feet.

"Thanks, man. I guess today's shot, no one is paying attention in class today," Now that he's said that, I take a second to look around the room and take notice of everyone's carefree, gleeful expressions. One guy was just hammering a piece of wood with no nail in sight and another was even cuddling with a thin two by four...

It's already bad enough that I'm forced to hang out with a bunch of dudes in a room full of wood, now they're fantasizing about the girls that aren't even five rooms down from us.

"Not even me..." I hear Tsukune mutter, making me turn my head and see his daydreaming face. I bet anything that he's' thinking about Moka right now and she's serving him all kinds of delicious food like a loving wife. I can actually hear it in my head...

"This is all for you, Tsukune. I worked really hard to make it."

"All of this is...for me?"

"Yeah...so, you'll eat it?"

"Of course, I will!"

I can even imagine what the Inner Moka would do in this situation.

"You've been working your ass off lately, so I made this for you."

"For me? Th-Thank-"

"So you better enjoy it...unless you want me to put you in your place."

"Oh, Moka... It's delicious..."

Those two are so readable, that it's almost too cliche. "Hey, Romeo," I karate chop him in the side of the head to wake him up from his daydream. "It's just another few hours until lunch, so you don't have to fantasize."

"Ow," Tsukune rubs where I struck him. "You're just pissy because you're stuck here in wood shop and not in cooking class."

"No shit!" I say with an exasperated sigh. "The one class I was looking forward to the most and here I am!"

"It's not so bad," Tsukune rests a hand on my shoulder to try and console me. "Besides, couldn't you just disguise yourself as a girl to sneak into cooking class if you really wanted to?"

"True. But then again, would you want to deal with them afterward?" I gesture to every other guy in the room still off in la la land.

"Point taken," Tsukune chuckled. "But you gotta admit, it's nice to think about."

"Sure, yeah," I rolled my eyes, picking up the wood I was sanding down and getting back to work on it. As my hands moved very so carefully against the small piece, I found my mind going off into a peaceful state. I'm glad Tsukune and I are seemingly back to our old selves, like what happened weeks ago never happened. It relieves me that we can be brothers once again...no, he was always my brother, even when I was the worst person in the world, he looked out for me. As I cleaned off the remaining sawdust, the back of my mind went off to...somewhere else.

"Hey, I made you dinner."

"Huh? But it was my turn to make it tonight."

"I know, but you've been doing so much lately, I decided to give you a break today."

"Elijah..."

"Don't mope, I made your favorite. Omurice."

A soft little gasp comes from the girl I love, her violet eyes practically sparkle with awe as she looks at the dish I made for her. "Elijah... You didn't have to..."

"Well, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't-"

Smack!

"OW!" I recoil after being struck in the head, I scowl in annoyance at Tsukune since he's the one who did it. "The hell was that for?"

"You were totally thinking about it too, weren't you?" Tsukune catches me red-handed, he smirks and crosses his arms at me all smug-like.

"..."

My silence makes him chuckle with a slow shake of his head. "You're such a hypocrite sometimes."

"Shut up."

Meanwhile With the Other Girls...

"Alright, listen up, girls!" The blonde, foreign teacher spoke with a little extra pep in her punctuality. "Today's dish is a very popular one in the human world, commonly known as Curry and Rice! Although," she looks down, sadly. "I am reluctant to call it by that name. In India, where curry originally comes from," She finds her perkiness again as she writes on the chalkboard behind her. "we only have the Tamil word karii, which means nothing more than just 'sauce', and there isn't in fact any specific dish-"

"Sheesh," Kurumu finds small humor in how the teacher is behaving with this specific dish, she whispers to Moka. "She's really fired up about making curry, isn't she?"

"That's putting it lightly," Yukari adds with a giggle.

"I guess you could say that Ms. Apsara is all hot and bothered about it-"

"Hey!" Ms. Apsara's forest green eyes drill into the three girls who were whispering during her lecture. "This is serious, so pay attention, you three!" She clears her throat before continuing on with a smile. "For spices, add plenty of red and black pepper and ginger!"

After a few more minutes of her lecture and a thorough explanation of adding spices to their dishes, the girls each prepare their stations and begin making their Curry dishes. Moka decides to not do anything crazy with hers and sticks with an old-fashioned recipe that's sure to warm anyone's heart. Well, a specific boy's heart... With her curry mostly finished as it stays warm in the pot, Moka decides to check on the other's dishes.

"Hey, Kurumu. How's your curry coming along?" She asked then noticed a strange bottle next to her stove. "Is that...wine?"

"Yep! I've read that some wines can enhance the flavor of many dishes by adding brightness, acidity, and sweetness! I was going to go for white wine but I just love what red wine does to the color of the curry. Check it out!"

Moka looks into the pot and sees that Kurumu's curry is now a pretty shade of burgundy. "Oh, wow, that looks really tasty!"

"Yahoo-hoo!" She cheered. "I knew you'd agree. I'm gonna make the best curry out of everyone in this class! I just hope he'll love it too."

"Hmm?" Moka tilts her head. "Who?"

"Huh? O-Oh! The guys, when we see them later, I hope they'll like the food we made. Hahaha..."

Moka found herself laughing softly at how flushed Kurumu's face got, knowing exactly who of the two boys she was referring to. She now leaves to check on Yukari who was only another station away from Kurumu. "Hey, Yukari," She greets the young witch who was currently stirring her dish in a black cauldron over a low flame, Moka notices the strange lime color inside and is intrigued. "Green curry, huh? That's Thai style too, isn't it?"

"It sure is!" She nods. "But I've added frogs, lizards, and grasshopper extract to make it to make it even tastier!"

"Uh..."

"Don't believe me, then why don't you give it a try? It's filled with magical goodness and I'm sure you'll love it, Moka!"

"Well..." While it did smell appealing to the Vampire, Moka couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit disgusted with the exact ingredients Yukari was using in her curry, even more so when she saw an entire frog leg swirling around in the cauldron. "Okay. It is the polite thing..."

"Hmm," But before Moka could ever attempt to have a taste of Yukari's curry, Ms. Aspara appeared from behind the girls and took it upon herself to judge the quality of the Young Witch's dish. "...It's not spicy enough!"

"But if I make it any spicier, it'll be too hot to eat-"

"Do not be ridiculous, Miss Sendo!" The cooking teacher exclaimed, interrupting Yukair's reasoning. "Cooking is art! Art is explosion! That means spicy!" Ms. Aspara whips out six shakers of spices and has them in between each of her fingers. "Right?!"

"Hey!"

"No! Stop it!" Yukari could only watch as her teacher added mounts and mounts of spices to her curry, ruining what she originally planned. "You're making it way too hot!"

"Ahahaha!" She cackled. "But that's exactly what we want! Spicy is what Curry's all about!" Her persistence to spice up Yuakri's dish eventually leads to Ms. Aspara dropping one of her shakers into the cauldron, ultimately changing Yukari's dish entirely. "There!" she dusts her hands and smiles proudly. "My work is here is done!"

"My curry..." Yukari held back a sob as she now realized she would have to start all over again to get it right. It wasn't exactly easy finding the right frogs to use in her dish.

"It's okay, Yukari," Moka pats her on the head to reassure her. "I can help you if you want."

"Thank you, Moka."

"Hey, everyone!" A familiar voice calls into the room, belonging to a specific young witch. She pushes a metal cart filled with an abundance of ingredients for the classroom to use to their heart's content. "I have meat, spices, vegetables, flour, and many other ingredients. So if anyone starts running out, please let me know."

"Ruby? You're helping out Ms. Apsara today?"

"Yes," She nods. "I am."

"But what about your work with the Headmaster?" Yukari asked with a light tilt of her head.

"He was kind enough to allow me some time away from his work so here I am. I'm actually taking some remedial cooking classes as well, but that's..."

"A long story?" Yukari finishes her well-known sentence, making the older witch blush.

"Y-Yes, it is."

"Well, I you're here to help, do you have any frog legs on that cart of yours?"

"Of course!"

Meanwhile, just outside the window of the cooking classroom, a particular freshman student was spying on her older sister, her forehead was pressed up against the glass as she scowled at what was going on inside. "Big sister... You're supposed to be a Vampire so what are you doing cooking with those lesser monsters?! Come on! Where's your pride?! You're an S-Class monster! Or have you forgotten that?!"

"But you have to admit, Miss Kokoa. A lot of their curry looks super tasty. Whee!"

"Shut it, Ko!"

"How about both of you shut it?" A soft-spoken voice comes from the window next to the Vampire's, revealing it to be Mizore. Her forehead was pressed up against the glass as well as she stared into the classroom.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing here?!"

"I should be asking you that," The Snow Fairy retorts. "This is one of my peeping spots, number three hundred and forty to be exact, and one of my favorites."

"I should've guessed," Kokoa smirks. "You stalker."

"Well, you're really one to talk," Mizor stands up straight and faces the younger Vampire with a hand on her hip. "You stick to Moka just like stink on shit."

"Tch!" Kokoa's eyebrow twitched as Mizore's insult struck a nerve with her. "That's it, you frozen freak! Anyone who dares to insult me gets a taste of me and my Ko Hammer!"

"Let's get her, Miss Kokoa! Whee!"

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry," without even lifting as much as a finger, Mizore traps Kokoa and her bat companion, Ko before she even had the chance to make it within three feet of her. The loud thud of the ice falling over managed to gain the attention of her friends inside.

"Kokoa?!" Moka was more focused on her trapped little sister while Kururmu leaned an arm on her shoulder while she looked at Mizore with a slight frown.

"Geez, Ice Queen, were you peeping in on us again?"

"No..."

"Sure you weren't," Kurumu rolled her eyes, knowing that she didn't even need to ask that question. "Come inside already and make some curry with us!"

"...Okay. I guess I could try."

Elijah

GONG! GONG!

I sigh in relief as I hear the bell indicate the end of our period and it's now lunchtime. Although, I can't help but flinch at the sound of the bell, guess some side effects are still there. At least it's not a big deal as my nightmares. Why am I even thinking about that? It's time to meet up with the others! I set aside my tools and put my blazer back on. I see Tsukune do the same before he joins me with his bag over his shoulder.

"Finally, am I right?"

"You're telling me. Let's get outa here."

After a few minute walk, we found ourselves back in homeroom. I can already smell the food from outside, smells like...Curry? That's what the girls got to make? Lucky... Tsukune and I enter the classroom, only for me to be ambushed but three girls with their dishes in hand. They were practically shoving them in my face, making my now scrunch up from the spices and herbs.

"Hi, Elijah! Can you please try my curry?"

"No, try mine, Elijah!"

"No mine!"

Okay. First, it was all the notes and flowers I got from when I was hospitalized, now all these girls want me to try their cooking all of a sudden. What the heck is going on?

"If you girls will excuse us," Yukari was here to save me and Tsukune from this awkward situation, she shoved us both away from the girls and toward where our friends were all sitting.

"Yukari, what the hell was that?" I ask her.

"Well..." She nervously fidgets with a strand of her hair. "I may have let it slip that you're an amazing cook and a lot of the other girls wanted to make some for you."

"Why?"

"Well, like me, they wanted an expert's opinion!"

"But I'm not an expert," I retort.

"Dude, you manage to make basic onigiri like a five-star dish!"

"Okay? That doesn't make me an expert."

"Oh, just shut up and come try all the curry we made for you guys," Yukari practically pushes us into our chairs and places two dishes in front of us. Upon first look, Yukari's curry doesn't exactly look appealing with its lime green color but the smell doesn't make it distasteful. "Go ahead! Try it! It's healthy, ready, and full of protein!"

Well, when in Rome... I take a spoonful of curry and rice and take a bite. At first, I get a pungent earth taste with just a hint of... "Did you use frog legs in this?" I ask her to which she nods and Tsukune widens his eyes.

"Frog legs?"

"Don't worry, dude. Tastes like chicken. Anyways," I turn my head back at Yukari. "This is pretty good, Yukari. It's not too spicy and equally leaves a warm and sweet aftertaste. Although, I would recommend you don't leave chunks of the meat you choose, cut it up just a bit more."

"Thank you, Elijah!"

"My turn!" Moka places her dish in front of us, I can see she went for the traditional look. It has a more appealing texture compared to Yukari's but looks equally as good. Like before, I take a bite of her curry and allow the flavors to coat my tongue. "Say, 'aah', Tsukune."

"Huh?" I look over and see that Moka decided to feed Tsukune herself, I'd roll my eyes but they actually look adorable.

"Wow, this is really good, Moka!"

"Thanks," She blushes before turning to me. "What do you think, Elijah?"

"It's really good," I nod with a small smile. "You manage to make a traditional recipe taste even better than it was originally supposed to be. Although, it's a bit spicier than I would recommend making it."

"Yeah," Moka laughs nervously. "Ms. Aspara sneakily put in some spices while I wasn't looking."

"That's putting it lightly," Yukari snapped. "She was completely zealous over that."

Okay, that's weird.

Now it was time to judge...Kurumu's curry. "Hey..."

"Hey..." Kurumu barely managed to keep eye contact with me as she set her plates down in front of me and Tsukune.

Ever since things started going back to normal, there's been this...uncomfortable feeling between me and Kurumu. It feels like something is driving an invisible wedge between us and it's slowly pulling us apart. I know she's not mad at me, she and the others have made that very clear. But...I can't help but feel like she still holds some hatred for the words that came out of my mouth. I can't even remember the last time the both of us were alone together after I woke up...

"Go ahead, see what you think," She says to me with a little more enthusiasm, making me feel just a bit better.

Unlike the other two dishes so far, the peculiar color of Kurumu's curry intrigues me. Instead of being a green or a light brown, it was a deep burgundy. And I noticed a faint smell of walnuts among the abundance of scents. Curious of the taste, I take a bite of her food. Although...there's a part of me that hoped that she would've fed it to me too... Augh! Pull yourself together, Elijah! I push down that thought and focus on the flavors.

"Hmm..."

"Do you...like it?"

"Did you use wine in this?" I ask Kurumu and she nods. "That explains the nutty and sweet aftertaste, it really made the curry more tastier that way. You did an amazing job, Kuru," I accidentally let her nickname fall from my lips... but she smiled at me anyway.

"Thank you. I worked really hard on it and I'm glad you like it."

"..."

Maybe I was wrong about that wedge invisible between us...I'm glad.

"Do you want some more? Here," To my own shock, Kurumu holds out a spoonful of curry and rice toward me. I was just about to indulge in her offer...until...

"Cool it, Kurumu," Mizore interrupts, getting close to the spoon that was only a few inches from my mouth. "If you or anyone else force any more hot food in him, he'll burn his tongue off. Here, I'll blow on it for you."

"Uh, that's not really necess-"

Mizore doesn't hear me in time and softly blows a few times onto the spoonful of rice and curry...completely freezing it solid and some of her breath frosted up my hair in the process. "How's that? I cooled it off for you."

"And me too in the process," I shudder, shaking off all of the first that stuck to my hair.

"Oh, that reminds me," Moka speaks, grabbing our attention. "Didn't you make some curry today too, Mizore?"

"Uh, well..."

"You'll be sure to try it too, won't you, Elijah?"

"Of course," I nod at Moka before focusing my attention on Mizore. "Go ahead, let me see what you made."

Mizore smiles shyly at me before placing her dish on my desk. "Here it is," My eyes shoot open as I see all of her food frozen in a block of ice. I mean, the curry inside looks fine, but I can't try it like this. "It's full of fresh vegetables, meat, and rice that have been flash-frozen to your delight," Mizore explained her dish as I tried to use my metal spoon to chip the ice away. "It's my own special recipe, so please, go ahead and eat up."

"Uh, well..."

"Dig in," Mizore softly cheered on, making me feel a little bad. "Don't be shy about it."

"It's not shyness that's stopping me-"

"Oh, look! She screwed up another one!" A condescending girl's voice calls out, making our heads turn. It was a trio of them and I immediately recognized one of them as one of the girls who wanted me to try their curry.

"Again?" The second tallest girl of the three laughs. "Wow. I guess cooking just isn't a Snow Fairy's cup of tea, is it, girls?"

"Well, when winter comes back around, maybe she can do something right for a change."

"Yeah! She can make it snow! Unless she screws it up like that curry!" The shorter girl's remark makes her friends laugh along with a number of other students in the class laugh, making me irritated.

"Lay off of her, you skanks!" Kurumu beats me to the punch but Mizore had something else in mind.

WOOSH!

I cover my face at the sudden whirlwind of a blizzard that rushes through the entire classroom. The sudden change in weather causes most of the students to cry out in a panic. When the snow cleared, everyone but us was trapped in blocks of ice thanks to Mizore's blizzard.

"Hey! How come she froze the rest of us too?!" I could hear one of the students cry out from the ice, and I gave him an answer.

"You laughed, you dick." I turned to Mizore, hoping I could console her...but she ran out of the classroom before I could say another word. "Mizore! Wait!"

"Oh, great," Kurumu sighs, placing her hands on her hips in a huff. "Why can't she just ignore that kind of stuff?"

"It's not so easy for some people," I say with a sigh of my own. I snap my fingers, melting away all of the ice and freeing the students from their cold prisons. "I'll go talk to her. See you guys later."

"W-Wait!" A girl's voice calls out to me, making me turn back. I see that it's the short girl who not only insulted my friend but wanted me to try their cooking. She has her plate in hand and she looks up at me shyly. "Could you at least try my Curry before you-"

"Yeah, I'm gonna stop you right there," I interrupt her, making sure that my anger doesn't get the best of me. But I speak firmly so my point remains as a matter of fact. "You just hurt my friend's feelings. And now you want me to try your curry? Sorry to disappoint, but you've already put a bad taste in my mouth so I can imagine that your curry is just as...distasteful."

That girl's jaw dropped to the floor and I left in a hurry before she or anyone else could stop me. My friend is hurt and I want to help. I searched through the halls, even running into several more students who wanted me to test their dishes, most of which were girls. I politely declined each and every one of them and asked if they had seen Mizore run by. All have said they hadn't seen the girl based on my description until I ran into a very sweet girl who gladly told me she saw her running up to the roof. I made a beeline for the nearest stairway and-

"SPICYYYYYYYYYY!"

"What the hell?" I turned my head back at that sudden shout throughout the halls as soon as I reached the foot of the stairs. Why did it sound so...familiar? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that sounded like Moka's little sister... "Augh!" I groan. "It doesn't matter!" I forget about the scream and run up the stairs as fast as I can, I don't even lose my breath once I reach the top of the stairs and get to the roof. "Mizore?" I looked around, seeing the rooftop was completely empty and the sun was starting to set. "I know you're here, someone said they saw you."

"I'm up here..." Her soft voice makes me look up, I see her sitting on the edge of the bell tower with her head pressed into her knees. I take a moment to climb up to where she is and sit beside her, it takes me a second to figure out what I should say to her.

"...I know what it's like to deal with bullies, and you shouldn't let that kind of stuff get to you."

"It's not what those bitches said that I'm upset about," She says, managing to lift her head to rest her chin on her knees. "I tried really hard to make a good dish, but I managed to screw that up too..."

"Why are you so worried about it anyway?" I ask. "I didn't know you cared so much about cooking."

"I didn't," She retorts. "But...once I knew we were starting them, something...sparked within me."

Something's telling me that's not entirely the truth as to why she wants to cook so badly, but something is also telling me that it's something that shouldn't be talked about where potential listeners could come along to interrupt. I bring my knees to my chest to my knees as I try to think of a solution. I want to help Mizore, she's my friend and someone I care about... My head shoots up as an idea pops into my head.

"How about I help you?"

"What are you talking about?" Mizore keeps her eyes out to the distance.

"Well, I wanted to be in cooking classes and you could use a few pointers in the kitchen. So..." I shrug. "I can stop by your room after school and I can teach you everything I know."

"..." Mizore lifts her head up and wipes a few small tears away with her sleeve. "You'd...do that for me?"

"Of course," I nod, patting her on the shoulder. "All you need to do is ask."

"...Thank you," Mizore's small, grateful smile fills me with hope.

"Anytime," I stand up and stretch my arms over my head. "I'll see you after school, okay?"

"Okay," Mizore nods, her smile still remains on her small face. "Bye."

After School...

Now that everyone else at Yokai Academy left to their own personal activities of the evening, I now have the free time top go to see Mizore for my cooking tutoring session. This kind of reminds me of when I had to tutor Kurumu back when we first had to pass our finals, I think all of us made a study group to prepare for that too. We should do that again once summer break comes back. I think that's...a month to two away now? But that's something to worry about further in the future, I need to focus on what I'm doing now...and that's helping a dear friend of mine.

Knock! Knock!

I gave her door two gentle knocks and I only had to wait a few seconds before she opened it and greeted me with a smile. "Hey..."

"Hey," I smile back at her. "You ready to get cooking?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Mizore nods, stepping aside so I may come inside her room. "Come on in."

And so I do, immediately smelling curry being made as Mizore closed the door behind me. "You started without me?"

"Mhm," Mizore nods. "I was just starting on the recipe I used earlier today and got most of the ingredients ready."

"Already preparing? Well, that's good- OH, MY GOD!" Once I got a look at her kitchen, my jaw dropped to the floor. The pot on Mizore's stove was starting to boil over thanks to the flame being set to the highest setting. I raced inside and set it to low before her room could burn down. "Why did you have the stove set so high?"

"Well, Ms. Aspara said that making the pot hotter can make the curry taste better, I just wanted to try it out."

"That's not how that works!" I yell more at the teacher's logic than Mizore. Just what kind of teacher is she?

"That's what I thought when I did it earlier too, and that's how..." Mizore trails off in embarrassment, reminding herself of her earlier failure. That's when I noticed just how many band-aids are wrapped around her fingers.

"Geez, Mizore... How many times did you burn yourself before I got here?"

Mizore looks down and starts counting with her fingers. "Twelve, maybe more or less? Not sure anymore." She replies nonchalantly, unbothered by her wounds. "Besides, some of these are from when I was cutting the vegetables."

I sigh. "Give me your hands."

"What?" She seems puzzled by the request but obliges and holds her hands out. I gently hold them both in my own, feeling how cold they are.

"Healing Touch," I mutter and a green glow comes from the palms of my hands. Mizore just watches me silently as the glow envelopes her hand. The cuts and burns on her fair skin heal over, leaving no scars or blemishes whatsoever.

She gently pulls her hand away, flexing them open and closed with amazement. A small smile creeps on her face. "Thanks for that."

"Anytime. Now..."

I look at the state of her kitchen, taking note of every small mistake she's made so far. From what I can see, the vegetables she was cutting up were chopped into chunks rather than into small pieces, most of the spices she had on hand were barely touched, and...

"Why is there a welding mask on the counter?"

Mizore sheepishly picks up the mask and explains. "It got really hot when I was cooking earlier and I needed something to protect my face from the heat."

"Okay, makes sense. But you don't have to worry about that for tonight," Before Mizore could ask what I was implying, I waved my hand with a small orange glow as I said. "Resist Fire."

Mizore's eyes go wide with intrigue as she watches me cast the spell. "The flames…I don't feel them anymore."

"And you won't be able to until we're done for the night. Now, let's start fresh. Show me your process."

"Okay..."

For the next half hour or so, I stand by and watch Mizore cook her dish. Every now and then, I gave her small snippets of advice as to how she could improve her cooking skills. I don't step in to do anything for her or overstep my bounds when it comes to my teaching skills. So far, Mizore has taken my notes to heart and applied them to her cooking thoroughly. Instead of shakily trying to chop up the vegetables with the knife, I suggest she use her ice claws which proved to be much more efficient. My spell especially helped her when she had to sautee all the spices and herbs in the pan. I suggested only adding a few pinches of spice since I knew she was more sensitive to it than most. Once everything seemed to come together, all we had to do now was wait for the rice to cook as the curry stayed warm on the stove.

"So far so good," I say. "Now all we have to do is wait." Mizore smiles at me for the twentieth time today, brushing a lock of her lavender hair behind her ear.

"Thank you again for doing this for me, Elijah."

"It's no big deal," I shrug nonchalantly. "It's the least I could do, especially after..."

"After...?" Mizore repeats the last word that trailed out from my mouth, taking notice of how distant my voice became.

"After everything that happened last week...?" My hand unconsciously scratches the back of my head.

"...Oh," A look of understanding washes over Mizore, knowing exactly what I was referring to.

"...I really am sorry, Mizore. For everything."

"No," She shook her head at me. "you don't need to-"

"No," I speak firmly, keeping my voice at room level. "...Can we sit down? There's something I need to get off my chest." Mizore hesitates but ultimately nods before walking over to her small pull-out bed and sitting down in it, patting the spot next to her. I join her on the bed and fold my hands in my lap, thinking how I need to start this conversation. "I turned into the worst version of myself under the influence of that...parasite, and I took it out on the people I cared about most, including you too. The Festival, afterward, after the Durian Hunt, Parents' Day, the dungeons, and even in your home village, I lost my temper and I took it out on you..." Mizore sat there silently, listening to me ramble on about my guilt. From the corner of my eye, I could see her gripping the hem of her skirt tightly. "If I had just kept myself under control, I wouldn't have turned into that...monster, I wouldn't have hurt your mother, I wouldn't have nearly killed those thugs, and I could've saved you sooner from that son of a bitch, Miyab!" I could feel my anger, my self-loathing for not being...better. My hands start shaking, my jaw clenches shut to avoid myself from yelling, and my eyes shut to avoid seeing Mizore's expression.

"Elijah..." But this only lasted for a brief moment though, as I felt a cold hand rest on top of my hand. My eyes opened to see Mizore giving me a soft, gentle, and understanding look. "It wasn't your fault," That's all she had to say, her eyes looking a bit wet as if she was this close to crying, but she held it back.

"I know... I know..." The two of us sat there for a few more seconds, the only sound that could be heard was the hum of the air conditioning as Mizore held my hand. "...Mizore?"

"Yes?"

I know what I'm about to ask I messed up, but...I have to know. "...Do you have nightmares about...him?" Mizore's face darkens and her eyes quickly become downcast, she bit the inside of her cheek and the hand holding onto mine becomes a little colder as she grips it as tightly as she can.

"...Yes."

I knew it. I mean...how could someone not have nightmares after being violated by some high and mighty prick and cast aside like some cheap plaything? "I'm so sorry, Mizore," I return her grip on my hand. "It's all my fault. If I were under control, you never would've been-" I was cut off by a finger being placed on my lips, my head jerked up so my eyes once again met Mizore's gaze.

"Please..." A lone tear fell down her cheek. "Don't blame yourself for..what happened to me. If there was anyone to blame...it's me."

"Mizore!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "How could you say that-"

"Let me finish, Elijah!" Her voice was sharp and stern, her usual soft tone replaced with a cold edge. I haven't heard her speak like this in a long time, it was enough to shut me up and let her go on with what she had to say. "It was my choice to take you and the others to my village, I knew what was coming and I still decided to betray everyone's trust...just because I thought I was serving my village. All of my dearest friends could've died...all because I wanted to be with you."

Those last worst twist my heart, knowing what she meant by that. I always knew that this conversation would come, and like I predicted...I have no idea if I'm ready for it. I know this going to hurt her...but this conversation needed to happen, one way or another.

"Mizore…" My body shifts, facing her head on. "What exactly do you feel for me? And when you answer, don't think about your duty to your village, or what I may think, just…tell me what you feel…in here," A light pink tinge appears on Mizore's cheeks as her heart picks up in a speed, my hand was able to feel just how fast it was thumping.

"I..." Mizore gently places her hand on top of mine. "I…" She takes a deep breath, looking down in embarrassment. "I like you…so much, Elijah," I quietly sigh, knowing that's exactly what she was going to say. But I stay quiet, I want her to finish with what she wants to add. "Even more than that, I've...fallen in love with you. I want to be with you, I really do mean that. But…I know that you don't see me in the way I want you to."

"Huh?" Now that wasn't what I expected to hear.

"I know that you love someone else already…I heard you say it all to her when she was fast asleep," Her grip on my hand tightens, and I feel her nails starting to dig into my skin. There's a slight tremble in her voice, she was trying so hard to hold her emotions back.

"Mizore..." She was awake that night... Oh, God...I feel like the worst person in the world...

"I know you could never see me that way." She lets out a shuddering breath as her head goes down and her hair covers most of her face. The grip on my hand loosens and her body begins to tremble. "I always knew, but I still wanted to hold onto some hope that…you would feel the same way about me, that you could see me in the way I wanted you to," I could now see tears beginning to trail down her pale skin.

"...Mizore. Please, look at me," It took her a few seconds, but Mizore finally looked up at me, tears were still streaming down her cheeks as her icy blue eyes stared into mine. My hands grip hers and I give them both a reassuring squeeze. "There is no doubt in my mind that I care about you, don't you ever think otherwise. But…it's true. I do love someone else…and I wouldn't be lying if I said that there was a time when I thought of being with you. You're a really special person, Mizore. Any person in the world would be lucky to have you by their side, and I know you're going to make them the happiest person in the world."

Mizore's lips trembled and her eyes became glossy as she tried to hold back more tears. It didn't work, of course, more started rolling down her face faster than she could stop them. She covers her face with her hands and takes a shaky breath as a sob begins to swell up in her throat. The sound of her heartbroken cries twists my own heart.

"I'm sorry, Mizore. I'm so sorry..." Whether she wanted me to or not, I pulled her into a hug, her small, freezing-cold body curled up into mine. She's now full-on crying uncontrollably as I hold her close, gently rubbing her back to comfort her as best as I can.

"It's not fair," Mizore croaked. "I love you… Why can't you love me the way I want you to?"

That's a question I know I can't answer because no matter what I say, I'll just end up hurting her even more. I just held her as she bawled her eyes out into my chest, clutching onto my shirt tightly as she continued to sob. I could feel my own heart crack in half at Mizore's state but I held back my own tears. I need to be strong for her sake, not mine.

"...Back in your village," I manage to find my voice again. "you said you were afraid of losing someone again. But you need to know that you are never going to lose me, Mizore. Not me, Tsukune, Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, or Ruby. We're always going to be there for you."

Mizore took a deep, shaky, and shuddering breath to try to calm herself down. "Promise?" She finally asked, and it was the softest sound I'd ever heard. I gently squeeze her closer to me.

"I promise. You're always going to be my friend, and you're always going to be a part of my life, even if you start hating me for it."

"I could never hate you," Mizore says weakly, her voice slightly muffled thanks to her face being buried in my chest. "You…you mean so much to me… I could never hate you…no matter what happens."

"So...are you okay? Are...we okay?"

Mizore slowly pulled her head up and stared at me, and I could still see tear streaks on her cheeks. But her expression was more neutral and composed than before. She finally sighs and nods slowly. "It hurts, more than anything in the world...but this isn't the first time I've ever dealt with heartbreak. But...I think itll be okay this time."

I sigh in massive relief, I don't really know what I would do if she didn't want to be my friend anymore. And I wouldn't even know how to tell the others. "I'm still sorry, Mizore."

"You don't have to apologize, She shook her head at me. "I knew in the back of my mind that you never saw me that way. I just held onto some hope…that you might one day… I was just being silly."

"You're not silly for feeling the way you feel, Mizore," I wipe her cheek with the end of my sleeve. "Honestly, it makes me kind of happy that someone like you could see me in a way I don't even see myself."

"…Really?" She asks quietly, a slight pink tinge appears on her cheeks again.

"You're one of my closest friends, Mizore, someone who I hold dear in my heart. And you're an amazing person. The fact you think so highly of me makes me happy, does that make sense?"

Mizore just nods weakly, burying her face into my shoulder softly. "But you don't...love me..."

"...I'm sorry. I really am."

"Stop it. can you just…hold me like this for a few more minutes?"

I nod and wrap my arms tighter around her. "Take all the time you need, I'm right here," I place my chin softly on top of her head as we just sit there in silence. After what I estimate was at least ten minutes, I hear Mizore take a deep breath and let it out slowly, her body now noticeably shaking a lot less than before. "...Mizore?"

"Hm…?" She replied softly, her voice a bit muffled by my shirt.

"…Do you wish to forget what…Miyabi did to you?"

There was a slight pause as Mizore thought about my question before answering. Her body trembled a little in my arms and her grip on me tightened. "…Yes. But…I shouldn't."

"Why?"

"Because…as much as I want to forget about it…what he did to me…I'm never going to forget it. I'll always remember the feeling of…him touching me. And there's nothing I can do about that." There's a slight edge to her voice, a hint of anger and venom at the memory of what happened, but her voice also held a slight tremble to it. "Because when the day comes, when I see him again…I am going to tear him apart for every single thing he did to me."

"We will, all of us. Fairy Tale is still out there, but we'll be ready when the time comes." I hope… "But...if there comes a time when you feel like you can't take the nightmares, where you can't bear the memories, you can always come to me if you want it out of your head."

Mizore finally looks up at me, her eyes are slightly wet and glossy again but no more tears are falling. "…You'd really do that for me?"

I nod. "No one deserves to bear that kind of memory, least of all someone as kind and gentle as you."

Mizore just stared at me for a few seconds before finally smiling softly, letting out a shaky sigh and closing her eyes. "You're only making me fall for you even more. But...I think it'll be okay, I just don't want you to disappear from my life...any of you."

"I'm not going anywhere, Mizore. I already promised you that."

"You did," Mizore chuckles, wiping the last of her tears away. "Thank you, Elijah...for everything."

"Anytime, Mizore."

DING!

The sound of the timer on the rice cooker going off breaks the silence between us. I can feel Mizore shifting in my arms, but making no effort to get up. I let out an amused huff and shook my head, carefully grabbing her by her shoulder and giving her a slight push. "Come on. Time to see if your hard work has paid off."

Mizore reluctantly gets up, her body still feeling a little stiff. I offer to help her up, and she accepts. Once she's on her feet again, she looks toward the pot of curry and a weary expression appears on her face. "I hope I didn't mess it up…again…"

"Well, it's not in a block of ice this time. That's a good sign," I bump her with my elbow, trying to lighten the mood.

Mizore lets out a small huff but smiles nonetheless, still not entirely herself just yet. "Shut up…" She mutters though it lacks any real malice behind it. After grabbing a plate along with some silverware, Mizore serves me a plateful of curry and rice. "Third time is the charm, right?"

"Let's find out," I brought a spoonful of rice and curry to my mouth. Mizore watched me intently as I took my first spoonful of her homemade dish, her hands clenched at the hem of her shirt. I could tell by her expression that she was incredibly nervous, awaiting my thoughts on her cooking. "Congratulations, Mizore," I smile at her before bowing my head a little. "You have made an exquisite dish."

Mizore just stared at me, looking a mixture of surprise, disbelief, and relief as her face turned a little red. Then a small, genuine smile crept on her lips and she relaxed her hands. "So…it's good?"

"Absolutely," I look back up at her. "The spice-to-texture ratio is perfectly balanced and it's not overbearing, truly a dish worthy of recognition."

"Eh," I shrug as Mizore takes a seat across from me. "I just gave you a few pointers, the rest was all you." I take a few more bites of her curry, enjoying every one…until i remember something that I wanted to ask her. I swallowed the last bit of food in my mouth and cleared my throat. "Why is it you wanted to start cooking like this, Mizore? You never really shown interest in it before."

Her smile drops a little as a look of contemplation passes over her face. She fiddles with a fork in the table as she tries to contemplate an answer. "I've been...thinking of a way to try and make it up to everyone for what happened at my village. I heard that making a meal for your friends is a good way to start making amends, so..." She blushes, looking off to the side. "I just wanted to do something for my friends for once, you especially."

"Oh…." I say softly, a pang of guilt hitting me in the gut. Even after everything that happened, Mizore was still thinking of her friends and wanting to do her best to make it up to us. The thought of that makes me feel good but also…kind of guilty...and it also gives me an idea. "Then how about we make them the best curry in the world?"

Mizore's eyes go wide and her expression is caught in surprise for a few seconds, not expecting that kind of response. "What do you mean?"

"You've only made one good dish," I smirk as I rise to my feet. "Which means there's a lot of room for improvement. If you ask me, we still have a lot of work to do! What do you say?"

Mizore blinks back at me a few times, still registering what I just said. She's quiet for a few seconds, taking everything in, then it finally clicks. A look of determination comes over her as she tightens her grip on the fork, staring at me with a look that was all Mizore. "Yes. I'm gonna make the best damn curry in the world if it's the last thing I do."

"Then come on," I reach my hand out to her, hoping she would take it. "Let's get to work!" Mizore stares at my hand for a few seconds before a big smile spreads across her face, she practically beams as she intertwines her fingers with mine.

"Yes!"

The Next Day...Lunchtime...

"Yahoo-hoo! I claim this fried goodness for me!"

"Hey! That nugget was mine!"

The whole gang gathered around in a clump of desks formed in homeroom, enjoying their short time for lunch. This time, they immediately took notice of the absence of their friends the Wizard and Snow Fairy. "Where's Mizore and Elijah?" Moka asked in concern.

"Maybe they're still working on cooking together?" Tsukune suggests that possibility since his friend told him and the others Elijah would help Mizore with her cooking after school but never heard anything else since. "I just hope Mizore isn't upset..."

"Probably," Kurumu muffles as she munches down on the chicken Yukari was going to grab and eat. "Mizore's still pretty thin-skinned about bullies."

"So maybe we should all go see her together after school, try and cheer up?" Yukari's idea seemed to go over well with Moka and Tsukune, as for Kurumu...

She better not try anything with him, we made a pact...

"That's a great idea, Yukari," Tsukune agrees with the young Witch. "As soon as-"

"Hey, Big Sis!" Tsukune was about to elaborate further on what should be done but was interrupted by a familiar voice. All four turned to Kokoa...but they were bewildered by how she appeared. Kokoa seemed more cheerful than usual and she was balancing three plates, one on both hands and the third on top of her head. All of which had...curry. But the most alarming thing was her skin, it had turned into...bright yellow. "Namaste~"

"Kokoa? You're being nice?" Moka asked.

"And she brought...curry?"

"That's what you two noticed?!" Kurumu snipped at Tsukune and Moka, completely baffled by the fact they were not questioning why Kokoa's skin was now yellow.

"I'm sorry. I'm always such a pain in the neck to you guys, so I thought I'd apologize by making everyone this delicious curry for lunch. Curry up and get it!" Kokoa replies happily, making her older sister stand from her desk and run over to her in naivety.

"Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?"

"Yes," Kokoa nods. "And I'm sorry about everything, Big Sis."

"Kokoa..." Moka savors this moment, not worrying about how strange it may seem on the outside. She hugs her sister tightly like she hasn't done in such a long time.

"Come on!" Kurumu exclaimed. "There's something weird going on here! Just look at her skin and the way she's acting!"

"She's got a point," Yukari nods in agreement. "It feels like she's under a spell of some kind."

"It's okay," Kokoa's head slowly turned back so she could look at the Succubus and Young Witch with an eerie grin. "No need to curry."

"Um...nope," Yukari shook her head. "Something's definitely off!"

"Let's go find Elijah and Mizore before something else weird happens."

"Right behind you!"

Kurumu practically dragged Yukari out into the hallway and they sprinted their way through the halls...only for more strange encounters to occur. At the end of the hall, a crowd of students was gathered around a water fountain. each of them desperately trying to have a turn to have a drink.

"Um...what the heck is going on?" Yukari asked a male student, his mouth stained yellow from consuming something.

"The water fountains are pouring out curry! And it's so delicious!" He answered before fighting his way back to the fountain.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"

Elijah...

"Phew!" I wipe some sweat off of my forehead. "I don't think I've ever cooked for so long in my life!"

"Sorry, we lost track of time and that you ended up passing out on the floor."

"It's alright. You were kind enough to at least throw a blanket on top of me," I look at my phone, checking the time. "We're a little late but we should make it in time just before lunch period ends," I check on Mizore, chuckling as I see her cookware strapped onto her back. "You know, I could've helped you carry that."

"I know, but you've already done so much. I just hope everyone will like my curry..."

"They're gonna love it!" I cheer her on. "You came up with a really awesome idea, possibly the best damn curry I've ever tasted in my life! If you can impress an 'expert' like me in just one night, I guarantee the others will love it just as much."

Mizore blushes at my bombardment of compliments. "Thank you, Elijah."

"Now, let's hurry up and-"

HOO! HOO! HOO!

"Everett! EVERETT!" The panicked squawking coming from my flying friend makes me stop in my tracks on the dirt path. Archimedes swoops down toward me and Mizore, perching himself on top of the pots on her back. "Hoo..." He speaks through exasperated heaves of breath, wheezing like he had just flown around the world in only a day. "Students... Yellow... Curry!"

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow down, Archimedes," I say. "What's gotten you all riled up?" And what is he talking about? 'Students, yellow, and curry'...

"Some...heinous spell has fallen over the academy!" The owl declared. "Students have gone mad...and are craving only one thing!"

"What exactly are you-"

"Elijah!"

"Mizore!"

"Kurumu? Yukari?" I turn back to see them both running towards us in a panic. "What the hell is going on?"

"Something weird is going on! Curry is everywhere, even in the plumbing system! Everyone is turning yellow! And I'm pretty sure this all has to do with that dumb teacher who ruined my first curry!"

"Slow down, Yukari," I rest a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me everything you guys know."

"Why do you have a bunch of pots on your back, Mizore?" Kurumu asked her.

"Uh...that's, well..."

"Kurumu, focus."

"R-Right! Sorry. Basically, Moka's bratty sister came along acting all nice and tried serving us curry. But the weirdest part is that her skin was entirely yellow!"

I thought I heard her voice yesterday... "Come on!" The four of us, plus an exhausted bird who rode on top of the pots, ran to the entrance of the school. Once we reach the front gates...I see exactly what my friends were so freaked out about. "What in the Simpsons?!"

So many students are now outside with plates full of curry in their laps. As Yukari and Kurumu described, each and everyone's skin has turned bright yellow. I could smell all the spices in the air thanks to how much curry there was...and I could also whiff the faint scent of some kind of spell. This definitely has something to do with that cooking teacher, Ms. Aspara. Guess it's time to put a stop to another teacher's bullshit, just like old times.

"Huh?" A few of the students take notice of us, more specifically, what Mizore was carrying. They ditched their plates and slowly walked toward us like zombies. "What are you currying in your bag?"

"Let us curry it instead!"

"Back off!" I shield Mizore before they could get any closer. "That curry's not for you!"

"It's for all of my friends alone!"

"You made it...for us?"

"Mizore..."

While Kurumu and Yukari were touched by Mizore's words, the students in front of us only cared for what was inside the pots. "Give us your curry..."

"No!" Mizore steps ahead of me. "Chill out!" Like before, she freezes all of the students ahead of us without so much as a finger twitch, giving us the opportunity to move ahead.

"Where are the others?" I ask as we run inside.

"They should be back in homeroom!"

The four of us quickly make haste to our classroom, but all we find did not meet our expectations. Much like all the other students, we found even more with their skin tone changed to yellow...even Ms. Nekonome. "Meow!" She perks up once she notices us. "Oh, there you four are! Come on! You all have to try this curry! It's so much better than fish!"

"No thank you!" I slammed the door before any more students could approach us. Okay, this is making me mad. As a cook, I will not stand for lacing something foul into the food and forcing everyone to like it! "Well, they weren't in there..."

"They're everywhere!" Yukari shouted, looking around to see more and more students with yellow skin. They were all approaching us as well.

"Oh, give me a break," I groan. "Just what we need. Curry Zombies."

"Where could they have gone?"

"Where else? Where most of our showdowns have taken place..."

With my answer, the four of us raced our way through the horde of curry zombies and made our way up to the roof. Sure enough, we found our friends, even Ruby got caught in the crossfire. All of them had yellow skin...but Tsukune had it worse. Thanks to Moka, Ruby, and Kokoa feeding him insistently, his lips were completely swollen from all of the spice and he was sweating like a dog.

"Here," Moka lifts up a spoonful of curry for him again. "Have some more, Tsukune~"

"You too," Tsukune did the same and offered a spoonful of his own. "Have some more curry, Moka~"

"This is definitely a problem..."

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" A cackling laugh brings my attention to the above, and I see that it's coming from Ms. Aspara herself. "Cooking is art! Art is explosion! That means spicy!" She leaps into the air, a cloud of what I can tell from the smell is spice shields herself, making the four of us cough from the overwhelming amount of spice in the air. "Mizore Shorayuki, Kurumu Kurono, Yukari Sendo, Elijah Everett..." Her voice drips with venom at the mention of my name as the spice cloud clears, revealing herself in...a more revealing stereotypical outfit. "All of your skin is still unchanged, that proves without a doubt all four of you have yet to be baptized in my fountain of specialty curry."

Before I could let this woman know how pissed off I was, Koka's bat, Ko, flies in front of us...even he was turning yellow. "Ms. Aspara is an Aspara! A water nymph from Hindu mythology! Whee! I mean, curry!"

Since when was the bat a commentator? "Baptized? Please," I fold my arms with a scoff. "You've basically drugged the entire school!"

"How dare you!" The nymph snaps at me. "The world is overflowing with curries that are pale imitations of the real thing and that is such a tragedy! I wanted everyone to taste the real thing for once, to know the true spiciness that can't be tasted in those impostors!"

"It doesn't matter if it's imitations or not. No law says a fake cannot surpass an original. In fact, my friend here proved that in only a matter of hours. Hey, Tsukune?" My poisoned friend looks up to me. "Do you want some more curry?"

"Yes! Please! I need more!"

"Well then," I smile. "Mizore has made plenty for all of us," I turn my head back at her, seeing her blushing face. "Right?"

Mizore smiles back at me and nods. "That's right. I'll make you some curry, Tsukune. And you can eat it to your heart's content." With a new goal ahead, Mizore takes her cookware off of her back and sets it all down on the rooftop floor. I smile with pride as I watch my friend prepare the food she tried so hard to make, especially her secret ingredient. Even Yukari and Kurumu seemed astonished with how Mizore so swiftly prepared her dish.

"What is that travesty you're trying to pass off as curry?!" Ms. Aspara sounded disgusted by the sight

"Something only a Snow Fairy can make," Mizore finished the last of her preparations, presenting her plate. "My light and breezy shaved ice curry!" she presents it to a crawling Tsukune to which Ms. Apsara despised seeing.

"No, Mr. Aono! Don't you dare touch your lips to that hideous-"

I stand in front of her, blocking Ms. Aspara from getting any closer. "Let. Her. Cook."

"Here," Mizore tilts her head. "I made it for you guys." Tsukune snatches the plate and spoon from her, scarfing down the food. This makes the cooking 'teacher' cry out in anguish.

"NO! That so-called curry is a perversion!"

"But...it's so good," Tsukune speaks, his throat still a little dry thanks to the water nymph's tainted curry. A sparkle of wonder came back in his eyes as he slowly took another bite, Ms. Aspara went on about how that's impossible but we all ignored her. "My taste buds were paralyzed by the hot spiciness, but this chilled curry has brought them back to life. The shaved ice accompaniment is exquisite, it melts on the tip of my tongue like a light, refreshing breeze! And while the curry itself leaves a pleasing aftertaste, it's not oppressive and floats away like a cloud on the wind! IT'S A MASTERPIECE!"

"Let me try!" Moka demanded.

"Me too!"

"May I have a plate as well?"

"Save some for me too!"

"I wanna try it for myself."

"It's full of ice crystals," Mizore explains her secret ingredient as she prepares more plates for everyone else. "Not even a Snow Fairy can make them unless her mind and heart are pure...and I did it all for you guys."

"Thank you so much, Mizore," Tsukune's voice is much clearer now and his lips are no longer swollen thanks to Mizore's hard work. "That was the most delicious curry I've ever had."

"Thanks so much," Moka thanked her as well. "It was so yummy!"

"Not bad...for a snow fairy."

"Thank you, Mizore."

"You're almost as good as Elijah now!"

"Yeah...it is good..."

Mizore sat there in shock, she couldn't believe what she was hearing from each and every one of her friends. She smiles, and small tears form in the corners of her eyes. "Thank you...all of you."

Told you they would love it.

"No! I won't allow it!" Ms. Aspara shouts in defiance. "That curry is an abomination! So," She raises her hands above her head, conjuring a giant plate of her tainted curry. "I am going to cleanse their mouths with true authentic curry!"

"Watch out!"

"Get down!"

I tackled Mizore, Yukari, and Kurumu to the ground as Tsukune got Moka, her sister, and Ruby to avoid being hit by the giant plate. Once I look back up...I felt an overwhelming sense of energy, immediately recognizing it as Inner Moka's presence. Tsukune must've accidentally hit her Rosary on the way to the ground. We don't really need to kick her ass, but it's always good to see... It was her alright, but like the Outer Moka, her skin was yellow too. It looks ridiculous but in a seemingly cute way.

"Even you have yellow skin too, huh?" I quip.

"Well, the other Moka and I," Inner Moka crosses her arms at me as her silver hair flutters in the breeze. "We both share the same body, don't we? Curry," Her right hand goes to cover her mouth after saying that last word, her cheeks flush with slight embarrassment. "To think a Vampire of my strength could be manipulated by something like this... What kind of weakling have I become?"

Well, that was cute, but I need to deal with this false chef the only way I know how. I get to my feet and dust myself off. "Sorry, we woke you, figured that you would want a peaceful nap for once."

"Hmph," Inner Moka huffs at me. "Making comments like that better mean that you've finally stopped your whining. I can deal with this bitch like it's no problem."

"Nah," I shake my head. "I got this." I turned back to the Hindu nymph, she was sprinting towards me with a plate full of her curry and cackling like a madwoman.

"This should stain your soul with the very color of curry-"

SMASH!

As soon as she reached me, I chopped the plate of tainted curry out of her hands and it broke onto the floor, splattering all of the food everywhere. "if you're really so confident in your curry, then why bother messing with people's heads?!" I demand. "A chef never forces one to like their food! It's most foul!"

The Aspara sneers at my remark. "And I suppose the girls fawning over your cooking abilities has gotten to your head, Mr. Everett! They just wouldn't stop talking about you in my class! You seem so sure you and your friends can do the same with imitations."

"With good reason, duh!" Kurumu interjected. "Elijah's cooking is phenomenal! And you're lucky he's being more mature about this!"

HOO! HOO!

"Quite right, nymph!" Archimedes adds. "Young Everett here really hates it when you taint food!"

"If you claim yourself to be the genuine article," I rest a hand on my hip. "then it seems to me like I'll just have to surpass you as well."

"What are you suggesting?" Ms. Aspara folds her arms and I smirk, pointing a finger at her in a dramatic way.

"I challenge you to a curry cook-off! Right here. Right now. No magic. No spells. Only our skills in the kitchen. Surely someone like you doesn't need such crude methods to prove yourself to be the real deal, do you?"

Ms. Aspara hums as she thinks about my proposal, eventually nodding. "Very well, Mr. Everett. I accept your challenge!"

"Alright then. Yukari, Ruby, would you mind conjuring a makeshift kitchen for me?"

"Got it!"

"Of course. Curry." Both witches waved their wands and made a simple stove appear along with the necessary utensils, they provided the same thing for my competition as well. Ruby gave me the proper ingredients for my cooking station and to add a little extra, Yukari was kind enough to provide me with a black apron as well as a white head wrap.

"Thanks. As for the rules. Each of us will have fifteen minutes to prepare our dishes, no magic of any kind will be added, and certainly no lacing it with any mysterious ingredients."

"I agree to your terms, Mr. Everett."

"Then let's begin," I smirk, tightening the cap around my head. "I hope you still have enough good ingredients in stock."

"you think too highly of yourself, Elijah Everett," Ms. Aspara shot back at me, a few of her curry zombies providing her with said ingredients.

"Kurumu!"

"Yes?"

"I need some tunes," In my opinion, I cook a helluva lot better with music. "Surprise me with an oldie!"

"Gotcha!" Kurumu scrolls through her phone for a second before placing it on the table by the stove...and my ears are blessed by the sweet sound of an intro to a classic rock song. My head naturally bops as soon as the beat comes in, a timeless classic indeed...as well as a good motivator.

Risin' up...back on the street...
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive!

So many times...it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive!

It's the eye of the tiger, It's the thrill of the fight!
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the eye...of the tiger

"Let's do this."

Fifteen minutes later...

"Times up!" I make the finishing touches on my dish as Yukari calls the time. "Chefs, present your dishes!"

Glad to see someone else as enthusiastic as I am about this.

"Perfect," I softly admire my handiwork, if only it were under...normal circumstances. I take my dish in hand and present it to Ms. Aspara and she does the same for her own. "It's ready."

"Well, it's about time," We place our prepared food down on the middle table.

"Ladies first," I say. Ms. Aspara carefully eyes my dish, circling around the table to get a good look at my work from all angles.

"Hmm... For an imitation, it is spot-on in appearance. But does it match in taste?" She takes her silverware and samples it, her eyes immediately widening. "What...?" The water nymph spoke with disbelief. "How could a boy's skills match my own?"

"I'll take that as you think it's good?"

"Yahoo-hoo!" I heard Kurumu cheer from behind me along with the others. "That's how it's done alright!"

"As for yours," I found myself scowling when I examined her curry, I don't even know how curry could even turn that yellow. "May I ask why it looks like yellow vomit? Or the rest of your curry for that matter?"

"Enough of your insults, Mr. Everett. It's still the same recipe without my charms. I'll prove my original is better than your imitations," She insists. So I indulge myself to take a bite of her curry everyone in this school apparently craved...

"HUUGH!" I gagged. It was positively revolting. Instinct took over and I spit it out. "Pleagh! Puh! Puh!" I wiped my tongue with my apron and glared at the water nymph. "Are you out of your mind?!" I shout, she on the other hand had a shadow over her face for her curry was once again rejected.

"It's not my fault you cannot like it through inferior taste."

"Can't like it? Can't like it?! Of course, I can't like it! It's completely unedible! The only thing everyone was addicted to was your magic nonsense! In fact," I call my friends over with a wave of my hand. "Try this!" Reluctantly, they did and without the spell to mess with their heads, they similarly gagged. Tsukune and the girls bent over and spat it out, even Archimedes was choking on the foul taste. "And magic isn't the only problem with your dish," I continue, a fire in my eye blazes as I stare at Ms. Aspara. "The spices are off the scales! It was too hot to enjoy any flavor in the first place! And if that wans't bad enough," I pick up the plate and shove it in her face. "Look at the rice and meat!"

"What are you-"

"IT'S RAW! IT'S FUCKING RAW, YOU FUCKING DONKEY!" Ms. Aspara cowered in fear after I flung her plate across the roof, and so did the other girls, Tsukune and Archimedes, even Inner Moka looked nervous. "Not to mention that some of the meat is still stuck in your pot! If you cook stuff in a non-stick pan, it won't stick! That's why it's called fucking 'non-stick'! I don't know what 'non-stick' means in India but fuck me!" I don't think I've ever been this angry over food, but I forgot how good it feels to put inadequate chefs in their place. "And you put this in the fountain plumbing! Look at my friends before Mizore cured them! You're poisoning the entire school!"

"N-Now now," Ms. Aspara tried to speak, backing up slowly. "There's no need to get upset, Mr.-"

"Oh, I beg to fucking differ!" I further berated her. "You don't force people to like food, period! Now get off of this roof, clean the water system and cafeteria of this heinous slop you call curry, cancel the rest of your classes to let everyone recover from your witchcraft, and don't come back until you've properly learned how to make an edible dish!"

"Yes, Chef!" The water nymph quickly ran away to just do that. I take a few minutes to breathe and calm myself down. The crisis was over and I didn't even have to fight anyone this time. But...I got angry again...

"Remind me never to piss you off about food," inner Moka walked to my side as she said this. "At least your anger didn't turn you into a rampaging maniac this time."

"Yeah, well, at least we have the rest of the day off now. And rightfully so," I stretch my arms over my head. "I'm already sick of curry."

"Curry," Inner Moka placed her hand over her mouth again, embarrassed for the second time which made me snicker. "The sooner I rid myself of this humiliating spell, the better."

"I think someone already has an idea for that," I say, turning back to Tsukune who has Mizore's pot full fo curry in hand.

"Mizore, do you mind if we start giving everyone this great curry you made?" He asked her. "They could really use it so they can start recovering from the effects of Ms. Aspara's."

"...I suppose you're right. I just hope they like it as much as you guys did. I really am happy you all liked it so much."

The Next Day...Lunchtime Again...

With yesterday's curry-tastic events finally out of the way, everyone seemed to go back to normal and their skin tone had returned to their original pigments. As for what was on the menu for today, Mizore had surprised each of us with a new dish of her own special making. She presents it to each of us with a proud smile.

"It's my latest creation. Shaved ice beef stew with carrots and potatoes."

I know it's the same secret ingredient, but if she's got a system that works, who am I to judge?

"What? You made one good dish and now you're getting cocky on us?" Kurumu sounded like she was upset but I could tell it was just playful banter...at least just a little bit.

"It's tasty!" Tsukune notes after taking a bite.

"Yeah, it is!" Moka agrees.

"Another masterpiece!" Yukari adds.

"A remarkable dish indeed."

"Oh, come on, fess up!" Kurumu demanded to Mizore. "You put a spell on everyone didn't you?"

"Uh-uh," she shook her head. "I didn't use any magic. I made it out of love for all of you." Mizore's comment gets a few 'awws' from the others but Kurumu reacts by sighing.

"Come on, Kuru," I say. "Don't knock it until you try it."

"Fine, I will!" My best friend takes a bite...sighing again. "Not a word, you."

I laugh at Kurumu's ultimate defeat, at least she's the best baker I know. Although, I wonder how Mizore would do if Kurumu and I taught her how...then that thought immediately goes away when I imagine Mizore accidentally setting the oven on fire. As I enjoy my bowl of stew, she and I share a few glances and she smiles at me. I'm glad that even after everything, we're still friends. I can imagine that she's still hurt by my initial rejection...and I'm not sure how long it'll take her to get over me, but seeing her here with all of us now is more than enough to tell me that she's always gonna be there, and I'm happy with that. After all, a friend like Mizore is almost impossible to replace and comes along once in a lifetime.