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"Why would I say Elemental? " Heidi patpatted her forehead in a blush,"oooh... that's... that's the word in Spanish. Silly me, the Spanish class is all to involving! Pardon me!"

"What's the catch? " Heidi blinked at Samantha, rubbing her head. She was silent for a bit, but then she smiled warmly once more,"Sometimes people just want to help! What's so bad and unbelievable about that?"

Many things weighted in her mind at that precise moment. . .

--
Seijin had been about to force the door open when Lucy bursted in before her. Right behind her student she quickly began to inspect for Maria.

In the center of the room, Maria was laying face down. She had apparently knocked a like decor table to the side, and its contents had be thrown astray, but that wasn't what caught the teacher's attention. Around the room black feathers were floating down and scattered across the floor wildly. The source of these feathers were two enormous black wings that were mounted from the unconscious Maria's back. Her white shirt was torn at place where the wings were protruding; red stains of blood were also visible in the shirt.

. . . Seijin closed the door and locked the top latch," Lucy, help me sit her up, she is wounded from the looks of the blood!"

". . . " Heidi only smiled gently, patting Samantha's shoulder,"That will be where we st-- That smell again!"

She moved to the window once more, peeking through it a searching for whatver may have been the source for the smell. Once more she spotted Tabitha. A small growl found its way to its throat, but Heidi quickly stopped, blinked and shook her head, as if trying to free herself of some idea,"Ah... Its my imagination."

---
Seijin too joined Lucy's side as she helped her lift Maria's upper body. "Maria?" The dark haired girl seemed unconscious, and she leaned heavily forward threatening to collapse again. Seijin moved behind her ,"Lucy, hold her close so she won't fall forward again, hear? I will look at her back, you try to get her to wake up."

Moving behind Maria, Seijin tore the few shreds that held her shirt together. The blood flowing out seemed to have stopped, probably 'plugged' by the new bones and muscles of the powerful wings,"Lucy, the wings ripped out from her back. This was what was causing her so much pain. It's as if they were growing inside of her. " The teacher stood, and disappeared into the bathroom," I will get a clothe to clean her..."

"Jumpy?... Ah, I can't say for sure..." Heidi said, quite honestly, "I think my allergies are acting up , or something, You honestly can't smell that? " She took her glasses off, the small chain that tied them to her breast pocket jingling, and cleaned them off on the corner of her shirt.

"Mh... Maybe she had practice today.... Ah, Its sad I have no idea of the sports schedule because well, I never joined a sport!" Heidi laughed,"Do you know if any sports have practice during the summer?"

---

Maria continued to rest, even as Seijin returned with the cloth. "She seems quite unconscious," the teacher commented as she began to pat the wet cloth against Maria's bloodied back.

Within a few seconds Maria's eyes open startled, her wings ,tense and spread , knocked Seijin back and against the bed, hitting her head to the wooded frame.

While the teacher was dazed, Maria took Lucy down on the floor pinning her roughly. She leaned down to Lucy's neck, breathing in deeply," Mh~ Why do you smell so good all of the sudden~?"
"Maria!"

Seijin threw herself over the winged girl's back, putting maria's Kendo sword infront and across Maria's neck. With a strong yank, she brought both of them back onto herself. The teacher wrapped her legs around Maria, who continue to struggle with her, before rolling them so as to put Maria face down. Now straddling her, the teacher hit the butt of the sword across the back of the head with no hesitation, ending the struggle quite efficiently.

Seijin was panting a bit, and she wiped her brow before letting out a breath and standing,"Keep an eye on her for a second...." Seijin moved to ruffle around Maria's drawers, "I will need some belts, do you know where she keeps the ?"

"You do have a point," Heidi commented idly as Samantha moved to drink water.

"Oh, that's because Tabitha is still wearing her basketball jersey. She hardly does that unless there is practice. Unless it's hot out..." Heidi went into her skirt's pocket and pulled out a handset, moving about the screen with a thumb," Mh... It's is a bit cold for that.... " She locked the screen and tapped the phone to her lips pensively. "To wear her jersey? Last practice was yesterday, the last day of school. That is a bit out of character of her if the basketball team's season is over." She slipped her phone away, taking the time to adjust her shirt's collar and her glasses' pin. "I should go check up on her later. It's been a couple days since I've seen her."

"She's also got cards you know?" Heidi finally turned her attention to Samantha,"Really weird ones, too. Ah, necromancy, reanimation, scorpions and poisons... You'd think it revolves around some sort of magician or witch. Albeit, she's had her deck for a while now. "

- - - - -

"Third drawer, third drawer..." Seijin repeated to herself as she finally found what she was looking for. She draped them over her shoulder and returned to Maria. Rolling her over, she placed herself over her student and began to use a belt to bind her hands and then her ankles. That done , the teacher took Maria and, after her ears and tail appeared, hefted her onto her own bed. "That should keep her still for now," Kazuko commented as she checked that the belts were tight enough.

Despite the fact she was a bit uncomfortable with her tail pressed again her leg in one of her short's pant leg, Seijin took the time to move Maria and tuck her wings properly and put a pillow under her head. "No matter what she says, you don't untie her, alright? "

"Yeah! She's been my friend for a year or two now. She's actually very ni---" Heidi jumped back holding her hands up, her eyes staring at the little knife. Having always been peaceful and a good two shoes, the girl had never seen one of those other than in movies!

"Samantha, I never bullied you! Prithee, I am always the bullied one!" Heidi said flustered, though she seemed concerned when Samantha cringed," Look, don't over exert yourself! Let's sit down and talk, because I am confused and I will answer whatever you want truthfully, I swear!"

Sharp, pointy, deadly thingy.

- - -

"Well... I know I will have to leave at some point," Kazuko sighed, putting her hands at her hips," As much as I dislike it, I am meant to be in my office slash room should anyone need something. I can't stay here and watch Maria myself."

"She is stronger, she is more tengu now, like me, I guess," Seijin turned to Lucy,"She just pretty much tried to eat you, and likely will keep trying to do it. You see, the tengu of japanese culture had a tendency of misleading and taking humans. They'd dump them in forests just to see them get lost, love gossip, drinking, swords, kidnappings and fights... that's the kinda spirits they are. Their kidnappings weren't just for fun, if you get where I am going at."

"That is why, no matter what, you keep her tied --- Ah my tail?" Just now she noticed it was stuck,"erm... its okay. I ... I guess? It doesn't hurt or anything."

"Ah!" Heidi let a small gasp, covering her mouth in suprise. She inched a bit closer for a more detailed inspection,"Samantha, we need the nurse to take a look at that! Or... or a doctor!" As Sammy sat down, she picked up the knife, carefully, and closed it, setting on the table next to the glass of water.

"I-... I'm sorry for what Tabitha did. I don't know what sort of motivation she could have, or why so much hatred but, ... that's just not right," The girl sighed pushing her glasses,"I will... talk to her about the cards, discreetly. There is something obviously wrong with her! ..."

"We should inform Ms. Kazuko about the problem at hand. If it is really the cards, Tabitha needs to be kept an eye on. Also, she might know what to do with your injuries. She is wiser so she might have more idea of what to do."

"Would you like me to escort you there?"

- - -

"Yes, we will have to find a way to get Maria back to normal. I will need to give the idea some thought and figure out what triggered this sudden transformation in her. Then we might know how to reverse it," Seijin nodded to her student. Her tail and ears began to retract and hide, disappearing soon enough,"If she does try to talk to you, don't be too shy about trying to get information out. Maybe she will tell us something important!"

"I will keep a constant check on you, and I will come around as often as I can, alright Lucy? Call me should you need anything," With that the teacher left.

"Ah... okay...." Heidi nodded,"I will go along. If Tabitha is acting like this, hurting people with no involvement, then I will find a way to help her to, and if Ms Kazuko is the way to do it, then I will go there." The girl picked up the papers she had brought with her, pausing. "I don't know why you seem to dislike and distrust me so, Samantha, we aren't so different, you and I." She shook her head , pushed her glasses and turned to go out the door.

- - -
The soft touch to her hair made Maria stir if just a bit. Her nose wrinkled for a split second before her eyes started to open lazily. "Lucy...?" Her wing twitched a bit under her as her red eyes focused on the hand that was oh so sweetly close. "Lucy."

The room's colors seemed to fill in, memories started, and her body had feel to it again. For the first time in weeks her back didn't hurt, and she felt. . . vigorous, energetic, perhaps hungry, but better than in ages. The only thing that troubled her were her bound wrists. "Hey," Maria bent her elbows to examine her bindings. It looked like a simple belt. She wiggled her wrists ,"What gives? Why am I tied? Lucy, I didn't know you were into this kinda stuff! Ah my ankles are bound too-"

"Lucy these huuuuurt. They are on too tight-" Maria whined,"Wait, how did you get into my room?"

"Sometimes things just happen," Heidi shrugged walking ahead as Samantha continued to rant, not stopping even as a deck hit the wall. That is, till the white haired girl made the conclusion.

Heidi stopped ahead of Samantha, a pit forming at her stomach, she looked over her shoulder at the shorter girl. Without a word she went back to walking to Kazuko's room.

- - -

"But why did you tie me? Let me go they are too tight--" Maria wiggled in her bed ,"Why would Kazuko do this?"
She rolled over onto her stomach, spreading her wings and giving them a bat to push herself sitting. "Lucy can you untie me, please?" She whined holdig her arms out expecting to be freed at the request.