Tsukune was feeling nervous. He was in his home room seat looking around at the other students. The boys and girls were all dressed in school uniforms like his. Some seemed nervous and quiet while others were talking to their neighbors; they were all waiting on their teacher's arrival. Tsukune felt a little better seeing that at least the students seemed normal. So far not much else had. Dad, what kind of bizarre monk school have you landed me in?

He grimaced thinking that it was really his own fault. How could he not have passed at least one of the High School entrance tests? Sure he was average, but plenty of average students went from middle to high school without missing a beat. But no, he had somehow managed to fail every test and been lucky to end up here, some weird out of the way place that looked like a gothic castle and was surrounded by cemeteries!

From the second he had stepped on the bus to come here he'd had a bad feeling. The weird bus driver had actually told him this school might be the last thing he ever saw! What the hell kind of greeting was that? Did he say that to all the new freshmen? Was it some kind of weird initiation? Then he'd had to walk about two miles from the bus stop to this creepy looking school built on a cliff. He'd passed through a lifeless wood that had been spotted with tombstones and small graveyards. For the life of him he couldn't understand why any school would be located here, or why it would be in such a strange building. He'd walked as quickly as he could and been glad no one had run into him on the way here. The entire way he'd had the weirdest feeling that he was being watched.

When he'd arrived he'd been directed towards the auditorium where the opening ceremony was to be held. He'd been happy to observe that while the outside of the school looked like the set for a B horror movie the inside had been clean, well lit, and thoroughly modern. During the ceremony the, 'Chairman' had spoken about his hopes for all the students and mentioned he hoped they would all try to, 'survive the experience.' Whatever that meant. The man had been dressed in white robes that reminded him of some type of priest and had even seemed to have glowing eyes. (The bus driver had used the same effect.) Maybe this place was some type of religious institution, that at least would help explain the odd location.

I hope they don't try to convert me to some weird branch religion no one's ever heard of. He had already made his mind to study very hard to try and transfer out to a normal High School near home as soon as he could. At last the teacher arrived and the students began to settle down.

"Hello everyone and welcome to Youkai Academy!" The blonde teacher called out with glee. "I am your home room teacher Shizuka Nekonome. Now I think all of you already know this but this is a school for the sake of monsters to attend."

"Huh?" Tsukune grunted. What did she just say? Was that supposed to be a joke? He looked around the class. No one seemed to be reacting. A couple students nodded, the rest simply listened with a bored expression as though what she'd said was to be expected.

The teacher continued on explaining that the purpose of the school was to allow monsters to learn how to infiltrate and coexist in the human world. For that reason all the students were required to remain in mortal disguise for the full duration of their time here.

Tsukune kept looking about expecting people to ask her what she was talking about. But no one did, they continued to act as though what she was saying actually made sense.

A burly blond boy across the aisle from him spoke up, he had, 'delinquent' stamped all over him. "Why do we have to bother coexisting with humans at all? We should just eat them," he grinned nastily. "Well, except for the pretty girls among them."

The teacher wagged a finger at him. "There are six billion of them and they dominate the earth, coexistence is the only choice. Incidentally you won't find any humans here; all the administrators and staff are monsters in disguise too. This academy exists in a hidden world where no human would be able to find. Of course if one did, he wouldn't ever leave."

That got a laugh. Tsukune was now feeling very, very nervous. What sort of people were these?

"Pardon me," a regal voice called from the door. "I was late arriving."

The teacher glanced towards the door and noticeably stiffened. She suddenly appeared nervous. "Ah, that… that's all right. Please come in and take a seat."

"Thank you sensei." The girls entered the room as though she owned it. She turned to face the class with a look of bored confidence.

All eyes were riveted to her and gasps were heard as people stared at the beauty standing there in front of them. A few boys could be heard to comment on how beautiful she was. The delinquent who had spoken up before actually licked his lips. Most everyone seemed a bit too intimidated to actually talk.

Tsukune was one of them. Looking at this girl filled him with an unspeakable dread. She was dressed in the same skirt and jacket as the other female students and had a leather case in one hand. But she was anything but ordinary. She had long silver hair and a sensual curve filled body that did not belong on any high school student. But the feature that caught his attention was the eyes. They were blood red and slitted like a snake's, they were the eyes of a monster. And there was more, there was some sort of… presence about her. Some invisible aura that he could feel that seemed to press down on him. He was filled with terrible sensation; a wild mix of blind fears and awe. It was all he could not to get up and bolt from his seat. And all this was just from looking at her.

"Ah," the teacher spoke cautiously. "You do know one of the school rules is that you disguise your true self and appear human at all times?"

The girl reached into a jacket pocket and produced a piece of paper. "I have been granted a special exemption from the Chairman. I am allowed to remain as I truly am."

"Special rules for vampires," someone in the back muttered.

"Who said that?" The girl said sharply. "Does anyone have something to say to me?"

Faces paled and heads looked down.

Tsukune couldn't bring himself to look away. Vampire?! No way it couldn't be! Yet while his rational mind screamed vampires did not exist his heart knew. On some instinctive level he was sure that this girl was nothing human. She was something else entirely, some other creation.

The teacher nervously handed the paper back to her. "Well then, won't you please take a seat Akashiya-san?"

"Yes sensei," the girl nodded politely.

There just happened to be an empty seat behind Tsukune and the girl walked to his row. Tsukune quickly turned his eyes to his desk as she approached, eager not to draw her attention.

Her footsteps halted right in front of his desk.

Noticing he instinctively looked up. She was standing right there and she was looking directly at him. His brown eyes stared up into her red ones. His heart began to pound as fresh terror began to flow into him; he had to grip the edges of his desk to keep his hands from shaking. She was just standing there looking at him, her face a blank slate that gave no hint of what she was thinking. The other students all noticed the odd interaction and began to wonder if the two of them might have some sort of connection.

"What is your name?" She said breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"A… Aono Tsu… Tsukune," he struggled to say.

"Wait for me after class." She then sat down in the seat behind him.

Tsukune wanted to run away screaming. His hands tightened around the desk and he forced himself to at least appear as though he were calm. The last thing on earth he wanted was to have this monster girl notice him. He was seriously wondering if he would ever make it home again.

The other students were quickly whispering to one another their speculation of what had just happened. The blond delinquent had his own suspicions. He stared longingly at the silver haired beauty so close at hand. Her power was rather frightening but he still wanted her.

Since this was the first day there were no actual classes. The freshmen were only required to attend the opening ceremony and meet in their home rooms. After only another fifteen minutes they were dismissed for the day.

The strange girl turned to Tsukune and spoke just two words. "Follow me." She then strode away.

Though scared half to death he was more scared of what might happen if he angered her. He fell in behind her. As they walked through the halls people got out of their way. The students and teachers alike looked at her with expressions ranging from interest to mild terror. Everyone stayed clear of her though.

Unnoticed one solitary figure trailed after them.

XXXXXXXXXX

She led his purposefully out of the school and into some of the nearby woods. She did not look back at him or say a single word. Fort his part he didn't have the courage to make a sound. At last they came to a small clearing in the woods and she finally halted. She then turned around to look at him.

"Why are you here?" She asked without preamble.

"Huh? You… you asked me to come with you."

"That is not what I mean," she replied. "Why are you, a filthy human, here at this school?"

She's going to kill me, he thought with depressing certainty. It was real. This really was a school for monsters. She really was a vampire. And he really was going to die because he was a human and had come here. "I'm… I'm not human."

Grinning she took a couple steps towards him. "Really? Then show me your monster form."

He wanted to run but his legs didn't seem to work. "It's against the school rules."

She was standing right in front of him; her eyes were looking through him. "If you don't I'll kill you."

His knees were shaking. "I… I'm human," he admitted miserably. "Please don't kill me! I came here by mistake! My father somehow got an entry form and he enrolled me here not knowing what this place was! Please, I just want to go home."

She reached out gently caressed his neck with a single finger making him flinch. "Any human who learns of this place is to be killed immediately, and I happen to hate humans. Can you give me a reason to spare you?"

"I… I'll do anything," he pleaded.

"Anything?" Her finger ran slowly up and down the length of his neck. "How about becoming my familiar?"

He blinked and looked at her questioningly. "A… familiar? I don't understand what you mean."

"It's a very old custom," she explained. "Where you take a lower being and bind him to you. I will give you a tiny fraction of my power and place you under my protection. In return you will serve me in any way I choose. You will give me your blood if I am hungry, you will carry anything that burdens me, you will prepare my bath and scrub my back, and you will even give your life for me if that is what I require."

He stared at her not believing the bizarre offer. "Wash your back? Are you serious?"

In a flash he felt her hand around his throat and could not breathe. He grabbed at her arm trying to pull her loose. It was like she was made of iron, all his strength failed to move her even an inch.

"Do you think I came here to tell you jokes?" She spat. "Humans like you made my existence a misery for the last three years. I had stupidly locked away my strength in the deluded notion that life would be better if people were less afraid of me. It never occurred to me how savage and cruel humans could be to those they saw as strange. It was terrible, but it did teach me the truth that the strong always take advantage of the weak. I swore I would never be weak again."

Seeing he was about to pass out she released him. He fell to the ground gasping for breath.

"The instant I caught your scent on the road I knew you were human. After three years immersed in that stink I could never mistake it."

"You… were… watching me."

She nodded. "I was tempted to kill you then, but your scent… is not too distasteful. Like all of my kind I suffer from anemia if I am forced to do without blood for more than a few days. This is unacceptable to me as it might be seen as a weakness. I think you could provide me with blood, and if I am to rely on you for that I may as well make you my familiar so I can rely on you for other things. As a familiar you will gain special abilities and strength, and I will protect you. So will you agree?"

Tsukune was on his knees staring up at her. He was about to answer when he heard movement from behind him.

"What do we have here? A lover's spat?" It was the blond delinquent from class.

"What do you want?" The vampire asked in a curt tone.

The boy smiled at her and licked his lips. "My name is Saizo. Why settle for someone as weak as this when you can have me? Become my woman and I promise you won't regret it."

She stared at him for an instant before putting her head back and laughing.

Saizo's face began to darken. He was not used to being laughed at, especially not by a woman. "What is so damn funny?"

She looked at him with amusement. "Do you really think I would have anything to do with a half breed piece of trash like you? You are not fit to touch my foot and you presume to treat me as an equal?" She shook her head and the mocking laughter began again.

"Don't you dare laugh at me you bitch!"

Tsukune watched as Saizo began to shake and his uniform tore to shreds. His body grew and transformed into a hideous beast with scaly grey skin and claws and fangs. "I'll show you my power and make you mine!" He howled.

Moka yawned and stepped past a still kneeling Tsukune. "Watch closely, this will not take long."

"What are you doing?" Tsukune gasped. "He'll kill you!"

Moka looked over at him amused. "You really have no idea what a vampire is do you?"

Howling Saizo ran at her and punched her with all his might. He would teach her respect and make her his!

Moka made no effort to dodge or block. She allowed him to hit her. His punch landed and his fist stopped and bounced off like it had hit a mountain side.

"Is that all you have?" She asked with a grin.

Saizo stared at her and wondered if he might have made a mistake.

Her good humor vanished as she moved with blinding speed and delivered a kick to his chest that sent him flying through the air. He crashed through several trees and wound up in a small crater beaten and unconscious.

"Know your place!" She shouted and wiped her hands as though they were dirty. She turned back to a gaping Tsukune. "Do you understand now? That is what a monster looks like, and he was not especially strong. Even if I let you live you will not survive long without my protection."

"I'm not staying! I just want to go home!"

"It's too late for that," she said. "You have seen this place, you know its secret. If you try to leave I will kill you or I will inform the administration and allow them to kill you."

He stared at her. "What does that leave me?"

"It leaves you two choices, subservience or death," she held out her hand. "Serve me and I will shield you."

Shaking he reached out and took her hand allowing her to pull him up. "I… I guess I have no choice. I'll serve you."

She nodded. "That is wise, my name is Akashiya Moka. From this point on you may refer to me as Moka-sama or as master." She placed both hands on his cheeks. "From this moment on you are my familiar."

She leaned in and to his amazement kissed him.

He felt his entire body filled with a blinding heat and his heart thrummed. He shook as a strange energy flowed into him. He had become hers and his life would never be the same.