Here we are, chapter four, strap on your safety belts and please remember that all flash photography is strictly prohibited.
Note, a few people expressed concerns over how easily Moka accepted the possibility of Tsukune sleeping with Ria when before she was so possessive. Keep in mind that she just spent a night alone on the couch with nothing to think about for about seven hours but what just happened. Put the change of personality down to being in an emotionally vulnerable state, not to mention a bit tired. Everyone has moments like that.
With that said, let's get started.
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Castle Akashiya main entrance
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Tsukune tugged at the neck of the suit he was forced into, uncomfortable in the formal attire. Far to his left, Ria was as passive as she ever was, showing not the slightest bit of discomfort in the black dress despite the sun. Kahlua stood between him and Ria in her usual finery, always smiling and cheerful, unless she looked at Tsukune in which case she pouted and looked off to one side. To Tsukune's right stood Kokoa in what was almost a smaller version of Kahlua's outfit, looking uncomfortable in the long dress. As usual, she had nothing but an angry glare for him when he looked over at her, and she seemed oddly hostile toward Kahlua as well. Apparently she didn't exactly like being forced into the formal clothing by her sister.
Behind the four Vampires stood a dozen servants in the black clothing all servants of Akashiya wore, each of them bearing the same collar around their neck. The sun was just starting to set behind Castle Akashiya, causing the building's shadow to cover almost everything in its feeble darkness.
Such was the sight that greeted Lord Akashiya when he returned home after a long week away.
Tsukune took in the sight of Moka's father, noticing that he had changed very little, if at all, since the last time he had been in the Vampire's presence. Around six feet tall, dark hair that fell to his shoulders, a well trimmed mustache and goatee. In all honesty if you didn't know who he was you might not have been all that impressed. But it was in his eyes, his bearing, his presence. You could feel that the man was used to absolute authority, to absolute obedience. The aristocratic clothing looked like it came from the early 1900's, and it wouldn't surprise Tsukune if it did. What drew his eyes though was the sword at the man's waist. A cross-shaped guard, fine red cloth covering the grip, and a straight blade that looked about fourteen inches long. It looked shorter than when he last saw it, but that could be because it was in a scabbard. But Tsukune recognized it for what it was, the same sword that he had obtained from Fafnir and won him a place in the Akashiya family. The thing that, according to Ria, let Akashiya Issa rise above where others saw as his rightful place and stand among those who thought themselves his betters.
As Lord Akashiya stepped out of the limousine the four bowed, each of them saying the same line, "Greetings Akashiya-sama."
This was hardly unusual; he was greeted in the same fashion every time he returned home from any kind of trip lasting longer than a few days. But the presence of his son-in-law gave him pause. After a moment's thought he put it off to deal with later and continued on as normal. He stepped forward as Ria did the same, embracing her in a tight hug for only a second or two before letting go and continuing onward toward the main doors, which opened as he approached. His children and the servants followed him in, the doors sealing shut behind them.
Tsukune was undoubtedly uncomfortable now. Ria had been drilling him on what to do and how to do it for the last two hours to make sure that he wouldn't embarrass himself. Now he was overly self-conscious, keeping track of every step and making sure it was in time with the pace of Moka's father and sisters. He couldn't help but envy the trio of Vampire girls at this point, not even Kokoa seemed to have any difficulty keeping precisely in step, she even looked bored, her mind clearly elsewhere.
Lord Akashiya led the way to a room Tsukune was all too familiar with. The Main Hall, a large chamber sparsely lit by torches and candles on the wall, and only the occasional rich carpet adorning the stone floor. A luscious red carpet led from the doorway to the far wall, where a dais rose up from the floor, lit by a candelabra at either side. At the top of the dais rose a throne of granite with worn cushions upon the back and seat providing the only comfort there.
Tsukune and his Vampire siblings stopped immediately before the dais, the servants kneeling behind them, as the eldest Vampire present ascended the stone steps and relaxed into the throne with a soft sigh. "Indeed, it is good to be home."
A simple gesture told the servants that they were dismissed and they filed out of the room obediently
After the door shut behind the last of the servants, Lord Akashiya looked down upon the four and spoke. "It is good to see that you have returned to the Castle Tsukune, your presence will be needed here before long. But tell me, if you are here, why is Moka not here to greet me as well?"
Tsukune took a deep breath and let it out before responding. "Lord Akashiya, I have come to ask you to absolve the bond between Moka and I."
It didn't take a genius to notice how each Vampire took the news. From where he stood between Kahlua and Kokoa he could see the shock and surprise that his request brought forth, but although Lord Akashiya didn't show any signs of it, Tsukune was confident that the older Vampire had a similar reaction.
After a moment he responded. "On what grounds do you ask for this son-in-law? For a Bond to be formed between two Vampires requires a great personal commitment, it cannot be broken lightly."
Tsukune bit back his first and immediate response, taking time to go over what he planned to say in his mind. He wasn't sure whether to thank Ria for her help or damn her for prying the information out of him. They had been together in that game room too long, he wasn't able to keep what happened a secret from her. To his amazement, on some level, Ria actually offered her help. And Tsukune… reluctantly… accepted it. She taught him what to say, how to color the events to make Issa agree to his request rather than dismiss it out of hand.
After a silent moment, Tsukune responded. "I want to sever the Bond between Moka and I based on the grounds that she knowingly and willingly attempted to conceive a child with someone other than myself, and with an inferior being as well. We had an argument based on how our children should be raised, and when I would not yield to her demands she went to conceive children with a Werewolf instead."
Tsukune tried to gauge Lord Akashiya's reaction but he didn't have any luck. Tsukune had no idea what the older Vampire was thinking. Kahlua had also concealed her reaction after that initial shock, so she was all but unreadable as well. Kokoa, luckily, was nowhere near as skilled and experienced in regard to hiding her emotions. Tsukune could feel her anger like heat radiating from her skin. She had herself under control now, in her Father's presence, but Tsukune had no doubts that he would be having words with her before long about his request.
A minute passed in silence, the four children standing at the foot of the Dais while Issa sat upon the throne, staring slightly above them. Then another minute passed. Finally, Moka's Father responded. "Tsukune, Kahlua, Kokoa, leave. Ria, I have to speak with you for a moment."
The four bowed and went to obey his command, leaving Ria alone with the oldest Vampire in Japan.
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Outside the Main Hall
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Tsukune let out a brief sigh as the door closed behind him and his sister-in-laws. About half a second later he felt someone grab his arm and hurl him toward a nearby stone wall with significant force.
His back hit the wall and the air burst out of his lungs. With the wind knocked out of him, he barely managed to get his hands in the way of the punch coming toward his face. And although he managed to stop that punch, he wasn't quick enough to stop his assailant's other hand from grabbing the back of his head and force his nose into her rising knee.
As Tsukune's vision went white with pain he felt that same pair of hands settle firmly around his neck and slam the back of his head against the wall again. A few seconds later it happened again, and then yet again.
After the third time his skull met unyielding rock he heard his attacker growl at him "What the hell do you think you're doing telling lies like that about my sister?"
Tsukune raised his head to face the orange blob, or at least that was what it appeared to be while his eyes tried to focus. "What I said was nothing but the truth."
In response, she slammed his head against the wall again. "LIAR! There is no way that my sister would do something like that! Sully herself by seeking children from a Werewolf? That is the most obvious, bullshit lie that I've ever heard! Now tell me the truth about what really happened before I decide to find out how well your brains decorate a wall."
Tsukune was not in the best of moods after what happened between himself and Moka, and even less forgiving after having been assaulted by Kahlua that morning and having Ria pry the story out of him the subsequent afternoon. So rather than letting Kokoa manhandle him in the evening and make the day complete, when his eyes finally focused properly and Kokoa actually appeared as a humanoid shape he wasted no time driving his fist up into her unsuspecting jaw.
While she was stunned from the sudden uppercut, Tsukune wasted no time ducking low, breaking the hold, and driving an elbow into her stomach. As she hunched over out of pure reflex, he grabbed her and flung her into the other wall on the other side of the hall. Her side hit the wall with a solid 'THUD' and fell to the floor.
He let out a sigh of relief, thinking her to be unconscious and did the best he could to stop the blood streaming from his nose. He couldn't help but groan as he saw that the blood had gotten all over the front of the tuxedo Ria had gotten for him so he wouldn't make a bad impression. He knew he would be requesting something difficult to grant from Lord Akashiya, so he did everything he could beforehand to get on the guy's good side.
And now he had blood all over his front.
Unfortunately, Kokoa didn't turn out to be as out cold as she first appeared to be.
The moment he took his eyes off of her to examine the state of his borrowed clothes Kokoa leapt up and tackled him to the floor, straddling him as she prepared to rain punches down upon his head. Unfortunately, she didn't brace herself correctly, so Tsukune flipped them both over. With him on top it didn't take long to lock both of her arms in place, using his own superior strength to force her hands behind her back.
The two were in that position, panting for a moment before another voice sounded through the hall. "Oh, Tsukune-kun, first me and now Kokoa? You really DO have a thing for women in your own family don't you?"
After Kahlua's little remark, Tsukune realized the position he had forced himself and Kokoa into. She was lying on the ground, he was on top of her. She had been straddling him before he flipped their positions so he was between her legs, his hips maybe an inch away from hers, the long skirt of her dress, more than just a bit tattered after the previous engagement, riding up and showing a lot of leg and the occasional glimpse of her underwear. The way he forced her arms under her, he was all but lying on top of her, Kokoa's face maybe an inch away from his own.
And shortly after he realized the position they were in, he became distinctly aware of what five years of growth had done to the young Vampire. Where before she had been skinny and flat-chested, Kokoa at nineteen years of age had definitely filled in and he could feel her breasts pressing into his chest and strong thighs on either side of his hips, her panting breath growing slightly ragged as her cheeks turned a darker shade of red. A certain part of Tsukune's anatomy made its approval of the changes, and this whole situation, VERY apparent.
Ria chose that particular moment to come out of the Main Hall.
Moka's eldest sister looked down upon her youngest sister and brother-in-law for a moment of stunned silence before shaking her head. "Oh me, oh my. Brother dear, I know it may be hard, but if you insist on taking my little sister's virginity you could at least do it in a proper bedroom, make her first time special."
Kokoa, if it could be believed, went an even deeper shade of red as her two older sisters openly stared at the spectacle before quietly growling at the man on top of her "You have two seconds to get off of me, or so help me I am going to mount your head on a pike."
Rather than risk antagonizing her any longer, Tsukune quickly got up, letting the embarrassed Vampire run off in an attempt to preserve some fragments of decency.
Usually Tsukune was rather hard-pressed to find similarities between the daughters of Akashiya Issa, aside from the fact that they were all crazy, but he could clearly see a familial resemblance at that moment, as both Kahlua and Ria gave the same small, barely concealed smile at the whole situation. Both sisters got the same amusement out of seeing Tsukune in an embarrassing situation.
"U-umm…." Tsukune stammered, trying to find some way to steer things away from what was most likely going to be relentless teasing about the most recent… incident. Luckily for him, he managed to spot something that would work. "Ria, what happened to your face?"
With Kokoa… distracting him, Tsukune hadn't noticed until that moment the darkening bruise on Ria's cheek.
The eldest sister brushed it with a hand, and Tsukune just barely saw her suppress a wince. "It is a simple thing really. Father asked me what I did to convince you to follow this course of action. After I told him that I had nothing to do with it, he gave me this mark of his displeasure, for supposedly lying to him. After that, I proved the truthfulness of my words and I was dismissed. It didn't take long."
"Uh, I'm sorry that you got hurt for my sake, Ria-san." Tsukune wasn't really sure what to say right now. He had once hit the woman as hard as he could and had failed to leave a mark. He had seen plenty of bruises, and he could tell just by looking at it that the one Ria had received would be throbbing for some time. More than likely the chastisement Issa had dealt to her would dislocate Tsukune's jaw.
Ria smiled, despite how it must have made the bruise her even more. "Oh me, oh my, if you really are sorry I can think of a few ways that you can make it up to me."
Tsukune sighed, he should have known better. Ria was still Ria, and there wasn't anything he could do to change that. "Thank you Ria-san, but no thanks. If you don't mind my asking, what did Lord Akashiya plan on doing now that he knows you had nothing to do with what's happening?"
Quite simply, Ria shrugged. "I honestly have no idea. He left the room the moment he dismissed me. He is most likely going somewhere private where he can think about this matter. Aside from that, I can make a few guesses as to what he'll do, but nothing I could guarantee."
Her eyes narrowed as she continued on. "He doesn't want to believe it. He doesn't want to believe that Moka did such a thing, that she has done something so foolish and so demeaning. He thought that I had lied to him, that I had disobeyed him, rather than believe the truth about his precious daughter. He doubted what I said, he thought I had disobeyed his instructions, something that I have never done, even once. Even in her disgrace she has a greater presence in his heart than I do."
Tsukune was silent as Ria spoke. He could see that she wasn't talking to him, or to the equally silent Kahlua. Tsukune had never seen Ria like this before. He had seen her in the throes of ecstasy, he had seen her as she thoughtlessly committed murder, he had seen her when she was embarrassed, and he had seen Ria when she was absolutely furious. But never, ever, had he seen Ria when she was anything less than totally in control of herself. He had never seen her worried, saddened and… hurt, the way she looked at that moment.
He looked to Kahlua, hoping for some hint as to what they should do.
And found empty space. Kahlua had evidently decided to make her exit while he wasn't watching her.
He was alone, and not at all sure of what to do.
So, with no other idea of what was expected of him, he went with his instincts, no matter how much some parts of his brain screamed at him not to. The same thing that he had always tried to do when he found someone in pain, provide whatever comfort he could.
Tsukune calmly, slowly walked toward the older Vampire and put his arms around her, hugging her close, his heart pounding in his chest, not at all sure that he was doing the right thing. He felt her stiffen in his embrace for a moment, before slowly, somewhat hesitantly, responding in kind.
He was scared. He had never seen her like this before and he didn't like it at all. He knew how to deal with Ria, but never before had she been like this, been… understandable, she had never been someone he could relate to. But Tsukune knew how it hurt when a parent hurt you.
He could remember the disappointment in his father's eyes when he failed his High School Entrance Exams. Tsukune remembered the awkward silences at dinner, how cold his mother had been for the few days after the results came in. The pain clawed at his heart, to the point when he actually wished they would strike him, punish him, rather than just letting him sit with the guilt and the weight of their disappointment. They never said anything, but it was there, and it hurt. Everyone wants their parents to be proud of them, no matter who they happen to be. And Tsukune realized that Ria had been seeking her father's affection since before his grandfather was born.
So he pretended that he didn't feel the wetness on his shoulder as Ria hugged him back, happy to provide what comfort he could.
His reaction might have been different had he seen the small, cruel, knowing little smile that played at Ria's lips as she hugged him even closer.
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A few minutes later
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If Tsukune was uncomfortable before, he was absolutely worried now as Ria led him by the hand through the Castle halls. His brain kept saying that something was wrong, that he should be careful, but he couldn't make his hand let go of Ria's, nor could he make his legs stop following her. Before long they were standing at one of the few places in the Castle that he was familiar with.
They were outside of Ria's bedroom.
As they stood outside that door, Tsukune finally managed to make his hand let go of Ria's. "Don't think that just because of this that I'm going to let you have your way with me Ria."
He was expecting an angry, possibly violent reaction. Instead, Ria surprised him once more and only smiled. "Oh me, oh my, brother dear did you think that I was going to do something like force myself upon you? Don't worry, I can be patient." She leaned in closer and started whispering into his ear. "The next time you impale me on your throbbing manhood and we make each other scream out in absolute ecstasy, it will be because you sought me out." The tip of her tongue touched his earlobe for just an instant before she pulled away, grabbing both of his hands and holding them in hers as she stood before him.
"Well, goodnight brother dear." Then, quick as lightning, before he could do anything about it, she darted forward and pressed her lips against his, her fingers curling in his hair as she made her passion known to him.
Then she pulled away, gave him a brief smile, and vanished into her bedroom.
Tsukune struggled to contain a shudder as he was reminded of just how much stronger Ria was than he. That had all taken a second, that searing hot kiss was over and she had made her escape before he could react, even by reflex. It made him well aware that if she wanted, she could easily take what she wanted. Just like she had before.
'But, if she can just take what she wants, why doesn't she?'
Tsukune really didn't want to think about that, he didn't want to think about what that could possibly mean. He decided that the best course of action would just be to go to bed. And so he did, walking down the hall with his shoulders stiff as he tried not to think about this new side of Sekiten Ria that he had never seen before.
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In Ria's room
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Ria stretched her arms above her head after she closed the door in Tsukune's face. After a moment she looked down at what she held in her hand, the real reason for her little indulgence just then.
She held a number of Tsukune's hairs in her grasp, with how fast it happened and the kiss that happened at the same time, she highly doubted he'd ever notice their absence. She went over to a nearby dresser and quickly taped the hairs to a business card so that she could easily keep track of them.
The Vampire caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she did this. She took a second look, running her finger along the dark discoloration that marred her face. She smiled at the twinge of pain. Indeed, the progress she had made thanks to the self-inflicted bruise had been well worth the pain. She let her natural healing processes take care of the bruise. Without her consciously restraining her powers, her skin was unblemished again in a few moments.
She brought the card over to a corner of her bedroom, the only part of the room that wasn't covered by a rug or a carpet, instead leaving bare stone. Upon the stone floor was a circle of silver, several feet across that was held in place by several overlarge staples that were embedded in the rock. She placed the card on the nearby Queen size bed and took a small broom from her closet.
During any kind of magic, the integrity of the circle was paramount. She swept the area of stone, making sure that nothing, such as a stray hair, would fall across the circle and make what she planned more difficult than it had to be. After she finished she stripped out of the dress she was wearing, leaving her only in her bra and panties. It wouldn't do for her dress to break the circle either. After she stripped she went back to that closet, grabbing a bottle of Windex and a roll of paper towels. Then she knelt down and cleaned the circle as though she meant to perform surgery upon it. It took about ten minutes before she was satisfied that no speck of dust would degrade the circle while she was working.
With the preparations complete, she took the business card with Tsukune's hair taped to it and stepped into the circle.
She smiled as she glanced down at the hair. 'Sweet dreams dear brother.' Then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to chant words under her breath.
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With Tsukune, the next morning
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Tsukune woke up feeling rather horrible. His head felt heavy, his mind fuzzy. He frowned as he sat up, noticing a couple of things were wrong. First off, his sheets weren't exactly dry. 'Was I sweating during the night?' It was the only thing that made sense. In addition to that, he woke up rather… 'excited' one might say. And he only had to think about his dreams the previous night to figure out why.
It was without a doubt the most vivid wet dream he'd ever had in his life, and given how things were at Youkai Academy that was saying something. But unlike those little escapades of Tsukune's imagination, which usually involved Moka, Kurumu, Mizore, and sometimes even Ruby, there was only one person in this one. Ria.
He didn't want to think about it, but his mind just kept going back in that direction. Ria. Her naked flesh warm and soft against him, pliant under his hands, sweet and delicious under his tongue. In that dream he had done… hell what hadn't he done with her in that dream?
Tsukune shook his head as he forced himself to get up. 'I need a cold shower… right now, badly.'
He wasted no time in leaving the room, turning toward the shower room he'd been told was his. It used to belong to a number of the servants, but it was dedicated solely to Tsukune's use until his own room was prepared.
He hadn't taken more than a single step when the door right next to his own opened and a sleepy person walked out with a head of disheveled pink hair.
Tsukune gaped, stunned at this person's sudden arrival. He knew he'd have to face her again, but not immediately.
It didn't take her long to notice him, her bright green eyes growing wide as she took in the sight of him. "Tsukune!"
He took in a deep breath as he prepared to deal with the woman who, only days ago, shattered his trust in her. 'On the bright side,' he thought to himself, 'I don't think I'll be needing that cold shower.'
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And so that is the chapter. Sorry it took a while, but I couldn't get it to you guys any earlier than that. In the next chapter we'll be looking at how Moka arrived at Castle Akashiya, not that it's a long or complex story but putting it in this chapter would ruin the flow of it. We'll also see Issa trying to get to the bottom of the whole mess. And who knows what Moka's sisters might or might not do. If you want to find out, you'll have to wait patiently and read the chapter when I'm done with it.
Until the next update,
Artful Lounger