Jove had been shocked to hear the news.

Sure he had seen the reports. The newspapers. He had heard the rumours being whispered, that the school was no longer safe, that it was a danger to students, and possibly even Halloween itself. That it was no longer a teaching academy, but a place to recruit children for dangerous activities on behalf of the staff.

The pup accepted a test paper, a written exam. It was a better choice for him than some of the others, but his mind was terribly distracted as he settled in under the watchful, and disapproving stare of the Bogeymen.

At one point, Jove had maybe felt the same as the general population. After field trips there were always messed up students. Himself included. They had been hurt, feared for their lives, even lost them in some circumstances. And what had they learned from it so far? That they were up against an enemy much greater than themselves, who would invade their home and take them prisoner to fight against their own friends and family? That they couldn't stand up to those renegade humans? That even the strongest amongst them could be taken captive, or killed?

The pup looked at the first question on the paper. "What is the social importance of Baron Crouville Von Hann in Halloween Society?" Ah... What had Jove learned about history? Not much, those books were dry and tasteless at times. He wrote, "He was a pioneer in making contracts with humans that brought about additional fear with very little effort." The pup's thoughts were to distracted by his thoughts to put down a decent answer.

Yeah... It was only logical for people outside the school to see only the surface of things. And even worse when the very existence of hunters was questioned. Jove couldn't understand it, how the world outside the academy just refused to see it, refused to listen to a whole campus full of students. But they just saw that as more evidence of this... brainwashing.

Next question. "List one plant that will weaken a Reaper, and how it is prepared." Jove's ears drooped, he had spent more time coming to terms with reapers than he had studying how to keep them away as of late. He idly scratched down "Monkshood makes their weapons weaker when it's boiled or powdered."

It was after a couple weeks at home, slowly recovering from the last field trip, Jove had realized that this school... It was more to him than just a place to learn. There was the education, yes, the wisdom of the teachers and vast library to be passed along, the potential for becoming bigger, more terrifying, learning to better FEAR abilities. But when Jove thought of losing the school, it wasn't the missed education that stuck in his mind. It was his friends. Would he be able to spend time with his brother again, if there wasn't a school for them to live in? Would Seiji stay in the area, would LW go home? Would Tybalt go back to his pack and never stop by? How many of his friends would just drift their separate ways?

And then there were the hunters. Jove still had no idea what their end goal was, but he knew they wouldn't stop their transgressing if Amity was disbanded. They wouldn't give up, they would continue to infiltrate and take captives, and there would be nobody around to stop them. If there wasn't a school, who would protect Junko and Tomoko? Who would watch Demi's back, or help make sure Herryk came back to his fluffy little Nana? And then after the school fell... Jove thought about his newest little sister, the gryphon Baroque. She was just too tiny, too helpless. But she wouldn't be spared if the hunters got that far in, even with her family there to defend her. She might be caged, used in experiments...

The little wisp forced himself to read the last question. "Describe the Sun in the human world." What sort of question was that? Most students would only know what the Sun was from reading, but Jove remembered that field trip, the giant bright light appearing over the horizon... "The Sun is a huge moon that is brighter than a million wisps. It rises in the human world and makes humans less fearful."

No, Jove had made up his mind. Even if he was put through another field trip, even if he dissipated a hundred more times, even if he was nothing but the tiniest thorn in the side of the tiniest hunter, he couldn't sit back and do nothing. He couldn't go home and cower, dreading the day when they came for him. Taking action was the only thing he could do.

He stood up, handed in his paper, and scowled at the nearest Bogeyman as he limped back to his room.