Iridescence

by argos29

Seperated from Tsukune after a horrible act, Moka must now race to find him in a world that hates her.

10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em…

Moka Aono spent the rest of the day in her apartment, lying on the couch in nothing, but a white T-shirt and some panties, aimlessly watching "their" Blu-Ray collection, but was ultimately alone. Her only companion was her inner persona, who rarely said anything unless it needed to be said, but a companion she was not. She desperately needed someone to talk to, when Tsukune was still around he would usually take his lunch breaks back at home, spend some time with her and then go back to work, which didn't take too long. But, Tsukune hadn't returned this time, and for the last half of the day since early afternoon she watched the door, expecting him to come through it, like he always had, and yet here the was the sun going down and still not so much as his approaching scent. Every sound of footsteps outside her door got her hopes up that maybe, just maybe it was his footsteps, nervously anticipating him waltzing through their door with a worried look and a grim, yet determined acceptance of their fate together like he always did, only to be dashed down into the ever deepening depths of her despair when those footsteps kept on going, and as the darkness grew, its shadows mixed in with a reddish glow stretching along every corner of this bleak living space as if it were a scene from hell, it only made the atmosphere feel even more unnerving.

Where are you, Tsukune? She wondered.

To get her mind off of it, off of him, she had been watching some of their movies non-stop, and was currently finishing watching Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith, right where the once heroic, now fallen protagonist begins to strangle the very life out of his pregnant wife in the midst of some hellish atmosphere similar to her own. As she tries to become engrossed in the film, a loud knock came at the door, jolting her out of her focus.

Could that be him? She wondered, as she jumped up and eagerly rushed to the door. Could it be Tsukune?

Before opening, she pondered on what to say to him once he comes in, on whether she should apologize for what she did or let him do the apologizing, instead.

Let me out, Inner Moka said, I'll do all of the talking. I wouldn't want you acting too over joyed that he finally came back when we knew all along that he would.

"W-What if he's angry?" She whispered aloud.

Stop being a baby and do as I said, he wouldn't dare do anything to us, anyway.

Moka thought about doing what she asked, once again feeling apprehensive about caving into her demands, but another loud knock forced her without thinking to simply open the door and try to soothe Tsukune herself.

"Tsukune!" She cried, but was stunned when she saw not her husband standing there, but his older cousin and surrogate sister Kyokou, standing angrily in the doorway with a pair of large boxes in her arms. "W-What are you doing here?"

Kyokou didn't answer nor asked to be let in, but simply barges into the apartment and marches straight over to the still playing movie, where she stops it in mid play and removes it from the player.

"This is his!" She snapped, placing the disk back in its case and deposits it, almost their entire movie collection, and even the Blu-Ray into the box. "All of this is his, I know because I bought them myself for birthday!"

"Hey, what are you doing?" An irate Moka asked, but Kyokou continued her rampage throughout the apartment.

"I know he bought this," she said, grabbing a table lamp.

"That's our lamp!"

"And so are these," she said, dragging down several portraits from the wall, portraits Tsukune had bought from a yard sale down the street, portraits she thought were nice and had loved.

"What are you doing?" Moka angrily asked, standing in the woman's way. "You've got no right to come barging in here and taken our things!"

"'Our' things? Are you serious or just stupid?"

Moka's mouth dropped open upon hearing such an insult from a girl she thought was her friend.

Let me out, I'll deal with this fool!

But, Outer Moka felt confident in being able to handle Kyokou and remained stalwart in stopping her, herself.

"That's it, get out!" She ordered, but Kyokou simply brushed past her and continued stuffing his things into boxes.

"I will, trust me I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here, but Kazumi sent me to gather up his things, and him, and bring them home whether you or him have any objections and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

She then went on to gather several more things that belonged to Tsukune: a snow globe, food processor, decorative plates and cups, power tools, books, magazines, and in the process made it a point to "accidentally" knock over a few of her own things: some candles, trinkets hanging on the wall, a gothic portrait that was bought for Inner Moka, and so many other things before Moka's astonished eyes.

"Stop!" Moka yelled. "Stop destroying our apartment, you are not leaving here with my mate's belongings, do you hear me? He's coming back! Just you see, he'll be back and when he does, Tsukune is going to want to know what happened to all of his things and I'll tell him what you came here and had done, just wait!"

Flat out ignoring her, Kyokou then marched on down the hall to their room and nearly staggered, as despite Moka's lackluster efforts to clean up, the room still reeked of her and Gin's night of debauchery that the very smell was pungent even to a human's.

"Get out of there!" Moka yelled, hurrying after her. "You're not supposed to go in there!"

"...You make me sick!" Kyokou hissed at her, as she feared this is what her cousin must've had to deal with and stared back at this pink haired monster with disgust etched in her blue eyes. "God, what are you?"

"Get out of my house! Now!"

But, instead of heeding her warning, Kyokou goes into the bathroom instead and get some of his things from in there. Moka wished Tsukune would return this minute and put a stop to his meddlesome cousin's rampage like she owned the place.

Let me out I said! This pathetic human will regret ever setting foot in our home!

Moka followed her into the bathroom, and was shocked to see Kyokou grabbing Tsukune's mint green mouthwash and begin to stow them away into the box along with his back scrubber and dental floss.

"You can't take his mouthwash! We bought those together, one for each of us!"

"Oh really?" She asked in mock curiosity as she picks up Moka's mouthwash. "Cinnamon flavored mouthwash. I take it then this is yours?"

"Yes. Give it back and put down Tsukune's things, I tell you he's coming back! Wait, what are you..."

Kyokou pushes past Moka into their bedroom, mouthwash in hand, opens it and begins dousing the entire room with it, splashing the walls, the bed, and even her clothes until it was empty. Moka was struck speechless as the brazen act as the room's pungent stench began to take on a cinnamon aroma, one that seemed to satisfy Kyokou immensely.

"You know something?" Kyokou asked. "Cinnamon flavored mouthwash really is the ideal flavor to get rid of those nasty, bacteria and that god-awful smell that goes with it!"

Finished with the bottle, she chucks it with enough force into Moka's dresser that it knocked over everything onto the floor, including the expensive perfume that she remembered Tsukune had bought as a surprise gift for Moka on her birthday, the one she later wore on that fateful night.

"Ohh, I remember when he bought you this!" Kyokou said in a mock tone of nostalgia. "I remember how happy you were to get it! And, they don't sell this anymore, it was a limited time deal and was it expensive, too! You'd probably have to go all the way to America to find one like this!"

Moka went to retrieve it, but Kyokou was faster and literally jumps up and down on the bottle, using her full weight to smash the expensive brew in a very vindictively glee, again and again, even going so far as to spread it's spilled contents out so it would be completely soaked into the floor.

Moka stood there, devoid of words, hands trembling with anger as they hovered precariously over the rosary, wanting badly to remove it, unleash her full power and put the bitch in her place.

"You want to know something else, bitch?" Kyokou suddenly asked, putting emphasis on the word 'bitch' as if sensing her in-law's thoughts and wanted to point out that the only bitch in this room is the pink haired one who was left staring at her back as she worked quickly to remove Tsukune's clothes from their closet. "You think you may have hurt Tsukune, but the only person you hurt is yourself! He was too good for you. Too wonderful a guy to be caught with a sleazy, scum ridden slut like you! I hope you realize that, but who am I kidding, you're just a dumb bitch, anyway. What makes it worse is that you had us all fooled from the day we first laid eyes on you, especially me; oh, we all thought you were special, the perfect girl for my cousin, but boy did we find out differently."

Her barbed words, just the mere thought of being insulted by this lowly creature, along with all the destruction she was doing to their apartment, was a little more the vampire could take.

Would you let me out already! Inner Moka seethed from within the gem in her rosary. How much longer are we going to let her get away with insulting us!

"I hate you humans," Moka grumbled, catching Kyokou's attention. "All you do is judge and condemn those who are better than you in every way! This is why I did what I did, not to hurt Tsukune, but to open his eyes; he doesn't belong to your kind anymore, he was too good for it anyway, he belongs with me and soon we're going to have a family that won't know anything about you or your narrow minded ways."

Kyokou stared at her, mouth agape as if this was a side of Moka she was seeing and hearing for the very first time. When Kazumi had told her everything that happened over the phone, the college grad could scarcely believe what she was hearing. This was the same Moka who had taught her that not all monsters were bad and had entrusted her cousin's very safety to while attending Youkai Academy, even going so far as to keep her secret or that of Tsukune's transformation into a vampire from the rest of the family and attended their wedding. Now, hearing such a neo-Nazi, elitist speech from her, it was as if being in the presence of some dark imitation of the girl she once compared to a sister.

"So, marrying a human doesn't count anything to you, at all?" She argued.

"Tsukune isn't a human, you idiot! He's one of us, a monster elite, but your constant interference kept him from fully realizing that, so if anything it's your fault!"

"Our fault?"

"Yes. You, his mother and father, all of you constantly interfering with our lives and influencing him with your human ideals! I had to grow up around your kind and your ways and I hated it, I will not allow you to taint our family with it, I will not let our children to go through the same!"

"Your children? What children?"

"The children me and Tsukune will have one day. It's going to happen, and together we'll raise the next line of the Shuzen dynasty as proper vampires as soon as my mate returns and you won't have any part of it!"

Kyokou just kept staring at her, a woman who was appearing to be more and more delusional with each word that escaped from her mouth.

"So go ahead, take his things, but he's coming back anyway, and when we talk out our problems, his going to make you bring everything back and it'll be like nothing ever happened!"

"You must don't hear yourself when you talk, do you? Your children? You did all of this for kids you don't even have, you're not pregnant! The only kids you'll have will be whoever you had bathtub sex with and don't tell me you're going to convince my cousin to raise his?"

"Get out! I don't have to explain myself to you, get out of our house!"

"I seriously hope he doesn't come back before we, his real family, find him and fall for your b-s again, because if he does, I'll drag him back home, kicking and screaming if I have to; no man in his right mind is going to put up with you!"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

"I will, when I'm done packing!"

"You..."

"Seriously, what did we ever do to you? We've been nothing, but nice to you, now all of a sudden you have a problem with us because we're human?"

"Yes, I do. You're ignorant, judgmental, and paranoid around us monsters, you just don't trust us to be your betters."

"...And you wonder why that is? You really have no clue do you, after everything you've done you wonder why we don't like you monsters? Tsukie was, and in every way still is human, that will never change no matter how much vampire blood you give him or what you subject him to, and he trusted you with all his heart, despite being a monster, he even stayed at that hellish school for you, and look what that got him! God, I trusted you, remember? Remember that day when I first set foot on your school and we were surrounded by all of those monsters, I was scared out of my mind, I couldn't go on and I wanted to take my cousin away from there and away from you. But you, you offered me your hand and told me, and these were your words, 'You trust Tsukune right? Well, I trust him too. So, as two women who both love and trust him, I'm asking you to trust me.' I never forgot that day, and, I trusted you..."

"And, I saved you that day..."

"Why did you save me that day, huh? I thought you hated all humans, so why stick your neck out for me? All I know is that from that day forward I learned to trust monsters, believed that not all of you were so bad once you get to know them, and most importantly I believed in you, we all believed in you, all of us, but most especially aunt Kazumi, the one you so cruelly talked to over the phone and broke her heart believed in you! A lot of good that did us! Now, I'll never trust another monster as long as I live, I will always hate your kind because monsters can't be trusted! So, your right, we do judge your kind and we always will as long as monsters like you still exist. And my cousin Tsukie, this time I'll make sure he never sees you again, so burn in hell, Moka Akashiya!"

Finished packing, Kyokou heads out with his things, but Moka, livid at her insulting speech and threat to take away Tsukune forcefully grabs her arm.

"You're not going anywhere with his things!" Moka cried out. "And, Tsukune is coming..."

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Kyokou suddenly shrieked, violently recoiling from her grasp as though a hideous troll was attacking her. "Don't you ever fucking touch me again, you freak!"

"Freak!" Moka yelled, growing angry and tightening her grip around the rosary. "How dare you call me that, human! I won't stand for it coming from you!"

"You touch me and I swear to god I'll scream," a panic-stricken Kyokou warned; as Moka stared into her frightened blue eyes, all of a sudden it appeared as if Kyokou had reverted back to that scared, mistrusting girl she remembered from their initial meeting years ago, before she began to warm up to her. "You just stay away from me."

A knock at the door seemed to offer some solace to the situation, especially for Kyokou, who was only all too eager to get away from this vampire standing in front of her.

"What's going on in there?" An elderly woman's voice asked.

"I-It's nothing," Moka replied.

"If there's any trouble, I'll call the police!"

"No, that won't be necessary, it's just the...uh, TV! Yeah, it's up too loud!"

"All I have to do is scream," Kyokou reiterated as she inched her way toward the door, her hostile blue eyes warily trained upon Moka's irate green ones. "Some guys will be over later to get the rest of his stuff."

"What do you mean the rest of his stuff?"

"The stuff I obviously can't carry on my own, like the fridge..."

"You're not taking our fridge!"

"The fridge that I'm sure has his name on the warranty, yeah I'm taking it, that and the flat screen TV, not to mention the stove that Koji helped him pick up and roll in here, that's coming too. The washer and dryer, Tsukie also bought those, the dishwasher too, pretty much everything; I'd take the kitchen sink, but then I remembered how you hate water, so why bother with it."

"You will not take any of those things out of here nor will you leave here with all of his belongings!" Moka yelled, threateningly moving forward towards her.

"Take it up with Judge Judy! Until then, we're taking all of it and put it in storage!"

"No you're not!"

"You...you keep away from me!" She cried, her voice becoming louder again, threatening to draw more unwanted attention; Moka knew full well what happens to monsters that reveal themselves to the human public or committed any acts of violence and she wondered if Kyokou was aware of this, which reminded her just how much she hated living in their world.

Kyokou had managed to open the door, the crimson rays of the setting sun shining itself upon her as she struggled to walk with her load, like a welcoming beacon to deliver her out of hell itself. When she slams the door behind, Moka was left in the shadows of an increasingly empty apartment. She hadn't realize just how much of his things made up their home and with them gone, it seemed like hardly no one lived there at all. Nevertheless, Moka still remained resolute that Tsukune will return to her and that Kyokou had no right to barge into their home and ransack the place.

Are you going to let her get away with that? Stop her, you idiot and when you do, let me out so I can straighten her out!

We don't want to draw any attention to us!

Don't worry, I know how to be discreet. Just get after her and let me take care of the rest.

Resolved, Moka races outside, determined to stop this thief from making off with their things, but instead of seeing her walking away, finds Kyokou next door talking with her landlord, Ms. Tsubaki. She couldn't tell what they were discussing, but noticed Kyokou hand the old lady a card and humbly bows before her.

"Would you like some help carrying those boxes?" Ms. Tsubaki offered.

"No, I think I got it. Again, thank you."

"It's no problem; I'll let you know when I see him."

"What did you two talk about?" Moka asked the old lady after Kyokou left, who looks up at her with a miffed expression.

"She just wanted to know if I've seen her cousin and I told her what I saw."

Moka's face turned red and she could feel beads of sweat from underneath her shirt.

"You...told her everything you saw?" She asked.

"Yeah, I did, and she gave me her number to call in case I see him again."

"Why would you agree to that, if it concerns my husband then it's my business, if you see him, you come to me not call his cousin!"

"So, are you looking for him, too?" Ms. Tsubaki asked, and suddenly it looked as though the little old lady was giving her an accusing glare, which made Moka feel uncomfortable and head back to her apartment. "...I thought so."

The landlady mumbled those last words, but Moka's hearing was far greater than a human's and she heard it plainly, and having mere strangers judging her was more than she needed. Slamming the door on the outside world, Moka was left with an apartment that was even more empty than before; she hadn't realized how much of Tsukune's things were here, and with his own body scent quickly fading away from the atmosphere, she soon realized that Kyokou's visit removed the last remaining vestiges of his very presence.

You should've let me handle it, Inner Moka said to her. This was our home and you let that human come in and ransack it! I know much of it were just human materials that we could've done without, but it belonged to us; she had no right to come in and do what she did!

What if Tsukune doesn't come back?

And that nosey landlady, she went on, ignoring the question. What business is it of hers, anyway?

Moka glanced down at the two wedding rings that shared her ring finger, both once a symbol of their love; at least Kyokou hadn't taken them away, and as she wandered through the half-empty apartment it began to feel as hollow and lifeless as the halls at her distant home. However, it wasn't what she wanted, far from it; what she wanted was her mate to be here with her at this hour of need. She entered the destroyed bedroom, its air filled with a strong, cinnamon scent while she tried to pick up all of the junk that littered the floor, and comes upon the broken remains of her expensive bottle of perfume, crushed into tiny pieces with its contents seeping through the carpet and floor boards thanks to Kyokou, and breaks down crying. What had once been a tender memento of his love and commitment to her, had went to becoming a tool used to "punish" him and was now soaking into the wooden floor. She recalled first setting eyes on it, two years ago when she and Tsukune went shopping one day and a sales woman offered to give a sample of some new line of perfume that came in.

"How do you like it, ma'am?" The woman asked after spritzing some on her wrist.

It was a pink substance which matched her hair, and the aroma was uplifting, the best she ever smelled.

"Oh, I love it! What is it?"

"It's our new line of Cherry Blossom in Spring Time, loved by women, but said to drive men wild when they smell it on a charming lady like yourself, madam. "

Moka liked the sound of that, anything to charm the pants off of Tsukune and keep his focus on her instead of work or other distractions.

"But, you should hurry, because this is a rare, limited time sale and they're going fast!"

"Ooh, Tsukune you have to buy it for me!" She cheerfully demanded.

"How much is it?" He asked the lady, and when they were told its steep price, Tsukune's face turned pale and Moka walked away disappointed.

"I'm sorry Moka," he sadly told her. "I really wish I can get that for you, but we have to maintain a budget."

"I'm not speaking to you, Tsukune!" She said with a deep frown and a pouty expression. "You can't even give up a few thousand yen for a bottle of perfume."

"Honey, that was not a few thousand yen back there! I mean, we can't simply throw around money like its useless paper!"

"If you don't have enough money to spare, then all you have to do is go to daddy and he'll loan you the money we need!"

"Not for perfume, Moka, I'm sure about that! Look, you don't need any perfume, there's nothing wrong with how you smell, you smell great!"

Moka glared at Tsukune as if he said something he shouldn't have, and punches him square in the eye, sending him tumbling to the floor with a dazed, but confused look.

"What did I say?" He asked, though he kind of knew the answer to that.

Then a week later on her twentieth birthday, she remembered Tsukune acting strangely coy all that week, coming home late, becoming forgetful, and asking her odd questions. Moka wondered if he was seeing someone behind her back, but thought it was ridiculous as this was her Tsukune she was thinking about, he'd never do anything like that.

"Is Tsukune alright?" She asked Kyokou one night as they walked home from a night out shopping.

"Tsukie? Of course not, I mean of course he is. W-Why would you say that?"

Moka looked at her suspiciously, thinking her odd behavior was a clue that maybe she did know something about Tsukune.

"What's going on, Kyokou?" She asked in growing panic. "You can tell me! Is...is Tsukune...he wouldn't be..."

"Huh? No, oh, oh god no! Moka, Tsukie isn't doing anything like that, I swear, he's just...well..."

"Well what? Is he in any kind of trouble? He is, isn't he?"

"No, it's nothing like that at all!"

Moka wanted to believe her, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something from her, and it had something to do with Tsukune.

"You're lying," she accused and then flashed a hurt expression upon her, looking in her blue eyes with a pair of saddest and most worried green eyes that the warmed over, protective cousin in law had ever seen. "I...I thought we were friends, Kyokou."

"We are, Moka."

"I...thought I could trust with anything."

"You can."

"And, I thought you trusted me."

"I do, Moka, you're being..."

"Then why won't you tell me whats wrong with Tsukune, I really want to help, if there's anything bothering him, anything at all, I need to know now!"

Kyokou tried to look away, not wanting to peer into those wounded eyes again, eyes that appeared to be on the verge of crying, which brought about a pang of guilt for lying to her; it really dawned on the loyal relative that Moka truly did love her baby cousin and actually felt bad for doing this.

"Well..." she began to say, "...if you must know...Tsukune is in trouble with the Yakuza."

"The...yakuza?"

"Yes, their a violent gang that runs the country and Tsukune owes them a ton of money. He didn't want me to tell you or you'd worry."

"Where is he?" Moka asked, desperately grabbing onto Kyokou's shoulders until they hurt.

"Ow, he's back at home! He got me to lure you out, said he wanted to face them alone!"

That was all Moka needed to know before she shot off in the direction for home, literally leaving Kyokou in the dust.

"MOKA, WAIT UP!" She cried, but Moka was already out of ear shot, dashing through crowds of people and traffic in a desperate attempt to reach Tsukune, her hand gripping the rosary tightly, waiting for the chance to unleash Inner Moka when the opportunity was right. When she arrived home she was out of breath, but scaled the steps two at a time with uncanny skill.

"Mrs. Aono?" Ms. Tsubaki asked when she poked her head at the door, watching Moka whiz on by. "Where's the fire?"

"I can't talk now!" She said, running up to the door, which was suspiciously left ajar. Even through the crack, it's tiny opening was dark and foreboding, and she could smell Tsukune's scent mixed in with that of others; it was evident he wasn't alone.

Be ready for anything, but don't let them see you attempt to remove the rosary, Inner Moka said. If they're able to cause Tsukune this much trouble, then obviously they must know of our weaknesses.

The thought terrified Moka, that there was a gang of humans that could cause even vampires trouble, but Tsukune was in danger and she knew she could rescue him so, with a deep breath, she carefully opens the door and steps into the pitch black apartment.

"Hello," she meekly called out. "Tsukune, are you there? If you have Tsukune, then come out!"

Suddenly, the door behind her slams shut, and the lights blared on all around her.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone cried.

She was just one jerk of her wrist away from removing the rosary seal when Tsukune and an assortment of his family and her mother appeared.

"W-What's going on?" She asked.

"It's your birthday party, sweetie!" Akasha squealed, giving her shocked daughter a hug.

"My...birthday?"

"Yes, my son got us together and organized this whole event!" A delighted Kazumi said.

Just then, a winded Kyokou finally came in behind her, followed by Ms. Tsubaki.

"Sur-prise," Kyokou wearily said.

"So, the yakuza thing..."

"Yakuza?" Tsukune asked, looking at Kyokou.

"Hey, it was all I could think of, you should have seen the way she was looking at me, Tsukie, I was close to crying for lying to her like that."

"Sorry," he said to Moka, "but I wanted it to be a surprise."

"And...you remembered my birthday?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"We've got cake!" Koji said, cheerfully, bringing out a large, rectangular shaped cake with white icing brilliantly decorated on top and in its center was an ornate candle in the shape of the number 20.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Said Ms. Tsubaki. "You mean to tell me you put your poor wife through all this trouble for a surprise party?"

"You're welcome to join if you like," Tsukune offered. "We've got plenty of food."

Ms. Tsubaki had to contemplate on it, as normally this diminutive woman was not a festive person by nature and it appeared she might not join in.

"If that cake is vanilla, then I'm doubling your rent," she responded.

"Alright, c'mon everybody, let's all sing happy birthday!" Kazumi said.

"Do...I...have to, why don't you all just...go on ahead without me," said a still exhausted Kyokou.

As everybody gathered around her, all with happy faces and singing happy birthday, she felt somewhat confused; even though birthdays were celebrated amongst her kind, they were usually different, mostly extravagant affairs where people paid homage to the person in question, whether they wanted to or not. A large banquet was held in order, servants would line up to cater to their every need, and combat spectacles would be held in the person's honor, often gory and to the death, but most important of all the mood was always a cool one as vampires were raised to feel little warmth or happiness; she was used to that. However, with these humans, and even her mate and own mother there was a warmth about all of this, even amongst such modest trappings that she found hard to ignore, a warmth that nearly touched even her.

Don't tell me you're going to fall for this crap? These meager celebrations would not befit a creature of prime and elegance; face it, you're becoming more and more human.

Moka glanced around at all of their faces, with their human joy and content, even shocked to see her own mother join in the festivities, but most importantly worried to know that Tsukune had orchestrated it.

"Go on Moka, make a wish," said Kazumi.

Before blowing out the candle, there was only one thing she wished for as she looked across at Mrs. Aono. Moka wasn't without gratitude for this gesture and was very happy that her husband remembered her birthday when she herself had forgotten it; it wasn't exactly something vampires normally kept track of, being so long lived and all. However, things like this could not remain this way forever; she and Tsukune were no longer apart of this world and something had to go. After having cake, which turned out to be devil's food cake, and their festivities were soon joined by curious neighbors, including kids who wanted to join in, Tsukune brought Moka alone outside while everyone enjoyed the festivities and gave her a deep and loving kiss, a kiss she reciprocated well.

"I'm so sorry," he said to her.

"Sorry?"

"For lying to you all this time and scaring you."

"You don't have to be, I thought the idea was great," she lied. "It really shows you care about me for you to go through all of this."

"Still, I know what you're thinking."

"You do?" She asked; a little worried that he might've sensed her desires.

"Yes, your mother told me about all of the grand banquets vampires hold when they celebrate someone's birthday, and that you've had a couple yourself."

"Yes, but...this is fine, really I'm happy."

"You're just saying that, I know you want more and I just didn't have the time to book a hall in which to celebrate it."

"It's fine, Tsukune, really I'm fine with it, just having you and mother here, and your family...a girl couldn't have asked for more."

"Oh really, because I was kinda hoping you would be mad at me."

"Why is that?"

"Because if you were, then I'd have the perfect gift to make you happy, again."

He handed her a small, gift wrapped box from his pocket and upon opening it, its contents caused her mouth to open in a silent scream of joy.

"The perfume!"She squealed excitedly. "Tsukune! You remembered; but I thought you said we couldn't afford it!"

"I know, but I wanted to give you something special and I remembered how much it meant to you and with it being so limited and all, I decided...what the hell. It wasn't easy though, I had to work double shifts to be able to afford it, but it was worth it if I could make this birthday a memorable one and make up to you for it not being...you know, spectacular."

"...Oh Tsukune!" She said with tears in her eyes. "Yes, it is, I won't ever forget this!"

With tears of joy streaming down from her emerald eyes, she grips him in a warm, yet bone crushing hug.

"I'll wear this only on special occasions so it'll last! Oh, I love you, Tsukune."

"I...love you too...Moka," he grimaced.

She was so overcome with joy that she almost failed to notice the scent of Tsukune's blood had become especially intoxicating, due in part to it being pumped rapidly from his tight squeeze, and clamps down on his neck with enraptured ecstasy.

"Aaaaaawwww!" Moka moaned.

"Aaaaaahhhh!" He cried. "Not again!"

It was a happy moment, a wonderful evening, and a cherished gift. Now, that same gift, treasured as a symbol of just how far her man was willing to go for her, had gone from being used as a weapon against him in her war against human influence, and was now reduced to tiny shards on the floor, its sweet smelling contents gone for good.

"...She didn't have to do this," she wept as she picks up a tiny shard in vain. "How could she?"

It's just a worthless bottle of perfume, said her inner consciousness. We'll have Tsukune buy us some more, it can be easily replaced.

"But, I don't want another one," she began to cry. "This was special; I only used it on special occasions for him, not...Why did it have to come to this?"

Don't you dare start crying! It'll take more than breaking some bottle for that foolish human to hurt us! Pull yourself together and clean up the mess she made, it'll get your mind off of worrying.

Begrudgingly, she did what she was told, angrily sweeping up the broken shards of her destroyed "gift" and then the daunting task of cleaning up the bedroom, still reeking with the scent of mouthwash. She opens the closet, her clothes strewn about by Kyokou's rampage, also drenched with mouthwash, and takes a long look at its interior, recalling what it took for it become as wide as it was. Moka had asked Tsukune one day to hire a contractor to expand their closet so it would better accommodate the contrasting tastes of both her egos; instead, he took it upon himself to do the impressive task himself by buying do-it-yourself books and bringing in his dad's tools for the job. She had her doubts at first, but as she stood before it, marveling at the remarkable craftsmanship he had done and the space for all of the different sets of clothes, shoes and other apparel, Moka had to admit that this, not the perfume, was a true testament to her man's devotion.

And yet, he wouldn't grant us what we wanted? Inner Moka reiterated. He did all of this, everything we asked from him and yet he'd refused to acknowledge our reluctance to keep our children away from his human breed? He should've obeyed us, don't forget that!

I haven't, she sadly thought.

Moka tried to pick up the scattered remains of her wardrobe, soaked and ruined, amongst them the black, cocktail dress that she painfully recalled wearing on that dreaded night and knew full well she wouldn't be able to wear at least that ever again; she found herself somewhat relieved. Depressed, she plops down on her bed and the very act itself brought back more memories, dreadful memories of last night and all that had come to pass. She kept telling herself over and over again that it wasn't her fault, that Tsukune was to blame, but she found it increasingly difficult. All she knew is if Tsukune had stayed and given into her demands, none of this would've happened.

"Tsukune, where are you?" She asked aloud, noticing the shadows creeping ever further up the walls, signaling night's approach and still no sign of him; she was reluctant to spend another night without him, without knowing if he was okay.

What are you thinking?

"We need to go find him."

Are you crazy? And make it seem like we're the weak ones! Don't go chasing after him, he left us! He should be the one to come crawling back to us, begging for forgiveness!

"You heard Kyokou, he hasn't contacted his family, and they don't know where he is! Aren't you worried? He's been gone since last night, he didn't eat anything at all, what if he's hungry and the only reason he hasn't returned is because he still thinks Gin is here, he might do something reckless?"

Mm, you do have a point. A hungry vampire would be dangerous to humans and bring unnecessary attention to us. Very well, we'll go find him, but when we do, you let me do the talking, got it?

Without needing to say more, all too eager to go looking like an excited child let out to play, Moka puts on some shorts and heads out to look for him, following his scent in the wind. It was even fainter than inside the apartment due to the wind, but she was able to retrace his steps from the previous night and was stunned to find it wind up on a nearby park bench. It struck her conscience to think that he spent the entire night on a park bench, alone, cold and miserable, while she was fucking Gin in their warm bed.

"Oh god, what have I done," she whispered, holding her head in agonizing shame.

He only did this to himself; we have nothing to be ashamed of.

As she struggled to make sense of this travesty, it was then that she picked up a different scent altogether, one that was deathly familiar and indicated that maybe Tsukune wasn't as cold and alone as previously thought.

"What...what was she doing here?" Moka asked aloud, alarm growing inside of her. "Y-You don't think he..."

No. He wouldn't. That fool maybe naive and pig-headed, but he isn't stupid.

"But, there's no mistaking it; Ria was here, with him, and now his scent is gone. It's like he went with her!"

Ria used Tsukune, she raped him and threatened his father, he hates her. He wouldn't go have sex with her, just to get back at us!

"Then, how do you explain..."

I don't know! Call her up. If he is there, with her, I'll make sure he knows where his place is. If he thought what we did last night was terrible...

Racing back home, she picks up her cell phone and checks the call history to see if maybe he called, but to no avail. She then dials his number, but no one picked it up, which made her even more concerned.

Call Ria; you must've caught the little dumbass fucking her and was too scared to answer his phone.

Reluctantly, she dials her number, listens to the dial tone with bated breath, and skips a beat when she finally answers.

"Oh me, oh my," she said on the other line, sending a chill up Moka's wretched spine, "if I live and breathe; and how is my dear sister?"

"Where is he?" Moka flat out asked.

"Where is whom?"

"You damn well know who I'm talking about!"

"...Sister, dear I'm in the middle of something, so excuse me if I implore you not to beat around the bush and tell me what it is I supposedly had done? Who are we talking about?"

"TSUKUNE!" She screams in the phone.

"Oh me...oh m...really sister?"

"Where is he? Tell me, dammit what are you doing with him?"

"I haven't done anything with him."

"Don't lie, I know you saw him last night, I can smell your scent mixed in with his."

"Oh my, don't tell me you finally decided to get off your ass and have gone looking for your wayward husband?"

"That is none of your business."

"Oh, but I'd say it is."

"Why are you with him?"

"With who?

"WITH TSUKUNE!"

"What makes you think he's with me, right now? I haven't seen him since last night."

"So you were with him? Why? Why'd you show up and what did you do?"

"And why should you care?"

"I care because he's my bloodmate, that's why?"

"Poor, deluded little girl, you use the term bloodmate so loosely and yet you have no idea what it means do you."

"Just tell me, why were you with him last night?"

"Because he called me."

He...called her? She asked herself.

"Why would he call you?"

"Because, dear beloved brother was so hurt, so devastated by your betrayal that he didn't know who else to call. It would seem you've deprived him of contact with all your other friends, with exception of your...paramour that is."

"And he called you?"

"Yes. Who else was he going to call, you?"

Moka felt like kicking herself; not only had she wound up putting a wedge in their relationship, but in her jealous effort to keep all the other girls from interfering with their marriage, she had left Tsukune with Ria as his only option. Right now, she would've been glad if it was Kurumu who'd picked him up, not her conniving sister.

"Let me speak to him," she demanded.

"I told you, he isn't with me, I haven't seen him since last night."

"Don't lie to me, I know he's there having...sex with you to get back at me. It's the only reason he'd call you, now put him on the phone or I'll go to father about what you're doing!"

"Threaten me all you like, but I'm telling the truth, I haven't got your jilted husband."

"Then where is he, what did you two do last night?"

"Well, we talked, he told me what you did, and then he asked me if I could drop him off somewhere."

"Where? Tell me where he is and I'll find him!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why...not?"

"Because he told me not to tell you, and I respect his wishes."

Moka was flabbergasted; why didn't he want her to find him?

"You have to tell me, I'm his bloodmate, you must let me know where he is!"

"You maybe he's bloodmate, but that is highly debatable right now."

"Don't judge me, I don't have time for that, now tell me where he is!"

"I'm sorry, but though I am obligated to cater to your every whim, my heiress, he is the newly named heir and has requested that no one, not even his own family that you went through all of this trouble to distance him from, may know of his whereabouts...until he's ready."

"What? Ready for what?"

"I guess you'll have to practice that one prerogative that you've never been known to exercise: patience. Toodles!"

Ria, with a big smile, hangs up the phone on her distraught baby sister and turns over in bed at her current paramour.

"Who's that?" Gin asked, resting his head on his arms in utter triumph.

"Oh me, oh my, why be concerned with such trivial matters," Ria replied. "Does it really matter? Anyway, I've got to be going, there's a little family incident that needs taking care of."

"You really have to go?" Gin asked as she stepped out of bed, flashing her incredible bare bottom, which he boldly smacks. If there was one thing he was certain of is that Moka's older sister was, in everyway better, both in body shape and performance in bed; he begins to wonder if he had picked the wrong sister. "We could try for seconds, maybe even third."

"As much as I would like that," Ria replied, slipping on her tight fitting, long sleeved dress, "this can't wait, but...maybe, who knows."

"You're that kind of woman, huh? Leave them wanting more?"

"You got it, but there is one thing I need a big, strong wolf, like yourself, to do for me."

"Sure thing, anything you command, what?" He asked eagerly.

"I know you're seeing my baby sister, Moka, am I right?"

"Um...yes," he replied, warily.

"...Don't worry, I won't tell, but I need you to keep our little rendezvous a secret or Moka might find out and spoil our fun; you think you can do that?"

"Hey, you can count on me, I keep secrets from Sun all the time."

"You bad boy."

"The bad ass; don't worry, it'll be between you and me."

"Good, good, and before I go I want to give you something."

"What's that?"

She reaches in her purse and hands him a small, plastic bag containing two blue pills.

"Something to loosen her up a bit, you know how Moka can get."

"Heh, you don't have to worry about that," he said, readily taking the pills and not even asking what they were, "I got her loose enough."

"I highly doubt it, I know my sister better than you, and besides these will make her extremely willing to do anything, I mean what you did with her before will be nothing in comparison when she takes these, trust me. I'm sure a suave gentleman like yourself knows how to give it to a lady?"

"Sure do," he said with a wink. "Okay, I'll go and do it, it might be better than you say it is."

"Oh me, oh my, I'm counting on it, yes I certainly am."

Leaving the maid cafe/bordello he ran, Ria steps into the back of her limo and immediately begins brushing herself off as if her body was crawling with invisible cockroaches.

Gah! That filthy animal! She screamed in her head. The lengths I will go, ugh! Can't believe I let that animal touch me, he fucks like a dog in heat and doesn't even know how to aim straight, I swear the inside of my legs feel like they were drenched in hot glue; and that bad boy bandana, who is that fool trying to kid? I see my sister has simple tastes if some retard is enough to break her vows; Tsukune was a lover better in bed than that loser, hell his own father was far better than him and that's saying a lot. Oh well, if he does like I ask, which would be a miracle given where his brain is at, then this travesty would've been worth it.

"Driver, take me as far away from here as possible!" She ordered. "I don't care where!"

Back at the apartment, Moka paces about in worried contemplation, her movement creating a slight disturbance for the people below her.

"I can't believe it!" She said aloud. "Why would Tsukune go back to her? Why won't he even let me come see him? I thought...he was supposed to...he wasn't supposed to do this!"

Obviously, he's trying to get back at us! Inner Moka interjected.

"But, she said..."

Our sister is lying, Tsukune was probably right there with her when you called. That's right, while you've been pining for him this whole time, while we've been fondled and degraded by another man the entire night our beloved was out fucking that slut, well he's not going to get away with this!

"What are you suggesting?"

If that's how he wants to play, then fine, we'll play his game. Invite Gin over, we're not done with him, yet!

"Oh, oh no, I-I don't want to go through that again, don't you think we've done enough?"

Enough? It won't be enough until we've won and our rebellious mate learns his place, not to mention payback for his bitch of a cousin coming in here and destroying our home! Now call him!

Moka didn't want to go through another lewd act with Gin, she already felt soiled enough, and concern for Tsukune's whereabouts still weighed heavily upon her, even if he was with Ria; besides, if it was true, then it was only because of her that he did so.

Besides, you know you still want to do it with Gin, at the very least the werewolf is useful something, and enjoying another night with him will only show Tsukune that our resolve is to not be underestimated and remains as strong as ever!

She was forced to admit that having sex with Gin was unlike anything she's experienced with Tsukune, and thoughts of him did cloud what little judgment remained.

"No!" She grimaced, shaking her head violently. "No, I won't, I don't want to, it's...it's wrong, I mean..."

Either you do it or I will.

Her resistance shattered, Moka's reluctance gradually became an addictive willingness to call up her paramour, as well as a curiosity to see if what she felt while fucking Gin was indeed a fluke or that she genuinely had feelings for him.

"Hello...Gin," she said into the cell phone.

"Hey, Moka, what's happening?" He asked, sounding as if he'd been expecting her to call. "And, what can I do for you?"

As soon as Moka asked him to come on over, Gin didn't waste much time in getting there, but not before taking a quick and thorough shower so she wouldn't catch hold of Ria's scent on him. Walking up the steps towards her apartment, all decked out like a male stripper on his way to a client and with a single rose in one hand and a bottle of red wine in the other, he passes by Ms. Tsubaki's place as she looks out at him from her front window.

"Goooood, evening sexy," he said, flashing her very a cheesy smile, upon which she merely scowls and shuts the curtains.

Before knocking, he makes sure his hair was okay and sprays some breath freshener to hide his previous engagement from her.

"Come in!" He heard from inside, not having to knock twice.

"Alright," he said to himself, "you are eager, tonight."

When he opens, his grin grew wider at the sight that greeted him, that of a half naked Moka, sitting nervously on her couch in nothing, but her white bra and panties. With her clothing ruined by Kyokou, Moka had little options available to make it a sexy evening, so she decided to present herself in such a manner; she knew Gin wouldn't mind.

"I see we're skipping the foreplay today and getting right down to business!" He said. "Um, you know who isn't here this time, is he?"

The very suggestion of Tsukune made her heart heavy and to want to ask herself what exactly she was doing.

"No," she said sadly.

"Oh, well...his loss, I say."

"Enough about him," she says, hiding her emotions and putting on a happy, yet determined front. "Its just you and me, tonight. How about we go ahead and...pick up where we left off?"

Just as Gin stood there gaping in his horny, dumbfounded stupor, a mother and her little daughter walks by the still opened door that he forgot to close and upon seeing the half naked Moka, the mother quickly hurries the little girl past before she saw anymore.

"Gin!" Moka squealed, covering herself in vain.

"What are you complaining for?" Gin laughed. "Give the kid something to look forward to when she gets to be your age."

He then sticks his head back out and shouts at the girl:

"Hey, sneak peak, kid! I might come calling on you in 10 years! Don't know what you're missing!"

"GIN!"

"Alright, alright, geez!" He said and finally shuts the door behind him.

Moka never felt more embarrassed than just now, wondering what must've been going through their heads at what they'd just seen.

Who cares about that! Let's get this done with, I'm anxious to let off some steam.

"So," Gin says, sauntering over to his familiar conquest, "let's say we start off with a little something different? Like, say I let your more dangerous side out to play, this time."

"You're...serious?" She asked, a little surprised and a little hurt.

"Yeah," he said as he sat close enough to grope every inch of her, "I think I can handle her, this time."

I doubt that, very much.

"So, what do you say, Moka?"

"...Don't...don't you like it when you make love to me? Why her, first?"

"It's nothing against you, per se, it's just I want to try something a little different, that's all."

The feel of his strong fingers sliding gently over her tender, exposed skin sent waves of arousal coursing throughout her body, bringing back reminders of how great he was in bed and overriding any common sense that may have existed.

"I...I saw you talking to that woman after you left here," she said to him, slowly losing her control. "What happened between you two?"

"What, that? Oh, Moka it was nothing, see I was...asking for directions to the...uh, the nearest flower shop, so that next time I could buy you a new rose, here ya go."

He hands her the flower, but it didn't make her feel too at ease.

"Gin...do you...love me?"

"What's this all of a sudden?"

"Please, Gin I really want to hear you say it."

"Ah...um...sure I do," he said with a pained smile.

Get on with it, Inner Moka complained. Quit acting human and let me out.

"But..." she tried to argue, but Gin's fingers began tracing along her tits, remembering how she letting him fondle them last time was all he needed to entice this desperate housewife.

"C'mon Moka, pleeeease."

"Well...okay," she says, her inhibitions gone, rationalizing that he meant what he said about loving her and removes the seal that bound Inner Moka.

"Oh yeah," he said quietly as he marveled at the stunning transformation, and of how her enlarging physical features stretched out the already, form fitting underwear she wore.

"Well, like what you see?" Moka asked, waving her long, silvery hair about proudly and smiling down upon him confidently and dangerously. "Why don't you take a picture or did you just come all this way just to stare?"

"Huh? Oh right! Let's do it!"

"Really? Because, I remember the last time I wanted to have sex with you, you chickened out; I'm curious to find out what changed."

"Can't a guy change his mind, I mean he would have to be a fool to leave all of this behind! Ooh, a bit soon?"

"Forget about my lost mate, let him stew in his indecisions, I'm not going to waste my time pinning for him like some little, lost lamb; as you said, he's loss! Now, if you're ready, lets go into my bedroom and show me what you've got."

Upon entering the bedroom, he was quick to take note of all of the destruction that went on in there, as well as the strong smell of cinnamon mouthwash.

"Doing some redecorating?" He asked.

"Oh, Tsukune's mousey, little cousin came by and threw a tantrum, it's nothing," Moka casually says, ripping the sheets off and sitting on the bare mattress, gingerly patting it to entice Gin into joining her. "She thinks this'll stop me from putting my husband in his place, she's got another thing coming; well?"

"Boy, you don't beat around the bush, do you? It might get cold, during the night, you know."

"I can handle it, besides I have a feeling we'll be keeping each other both warm or is that too much for you?" She asked with a teasing, yet challenging stare.

"Works for me, but first how about we spice up the mood?" He asks, holding up his bottle of wine.

"It's red, my favorite color; you really shouldn't have."

"I thought you'd might like it; got any glasses?"

"In the cupboards, but be quick, I don't like to be kept waiting."

"No problem," he says, scurrying over into the kitchen to pull down two drinking glasses with the faded initials of Tsukune and Moka printed on them, realizing that these must've been from their wedding reception. "Hey, all I see are your wedding glasses, should I use these?"

"Yeah," she responded without much pause.

"Fine by me; sorry buddy," he said, and begins pouring the blood red liquid into each glass, and then takes out the pills Ria had given them, breaking each down and depositing them into Moka's drink; hoping to get an even more desired experience from it.

"What's taking so long?"

"Hold your horses, you horny slut," he said under his breath as he mixed the crush pills into the drink with his finger. "And, if this works, you too will be a horny sex slave, princess."

Smiling, he returns to his intended target with the drinks and hands her the drugged glass.

"A toast?" He asked and she responds to his request. "To our future kids, may they know what lengths their parents went to provide them with a future!"

He watches Moka drink hers down in a single gulp as he downs his, a single sliver of the red liquid trickling down her chin as if she was bleeding.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Ginei," Moka tells him. "I'm only doing this to get back at Tsukune for allowing all of it to happen, I still intend to bare his children."

"Of course, I agree, I'm on your side. I only meant that, once Tsukune comes back and you two can get to work on making your dream come true, that your kids know what you had to do."

"They won't know until they're old enough," she mumbles, actually worrying on how her children may look on their mother's actions right now and wondering if this was the best idea to do. "Right now, let's not think about that, you and...and I should...whoa!"

"You feeling okay, Moka?" He asked, feigning concern.

Moka felt the bed was levitating and all of her proud, inhibitions started to flow away as Gin suddenly became more appealing than she remembered.

"Oh yes," she said with a relaxed smile, her libido kicking into overdrive. "Take me Gin!"

"Whoa!" He cried when she grabbed a hold of his shirt and pulled him back, on top of her.

"Take me, use me, do as you will!" She said, hungrily. "Tonight, I'm yours!"

She didn't need to ask twice, as the eager werewolf took full advantage of his highly compromised, horny vampire slut, the two making wild sex nonstop for the rest of the night; it was an experience Moka's next door neighbor had a front row seat while in bed, much to her soured enthusiasm.

XXX

By the next morning at Hibachi House, Moka Akashiya's night had been anything, but physically or mentally pleasant. She wasn't able to sleep a wink since getting into bed; each time she closed her eyes a disembodied voice haunted her very mind, robbing any chance of a peaceful night's rest. On top of that, there was a nagging feeling in the pit of her soul that caused her to turn constantly, leaving Moka's very body restless as if something needed to be done, as though there was a wrong that needed to be made right, and it became so consuming that, aside from sleeping on a strange bed, in an even stranger environment, it made everything feel that more uncomfortable. She blamed it on yesterday's therapy session, their discussion still ringing in her head, causing the woman to question her judgment and had unknowingly opened a Pandora's Box of memories she probably had a good reason for stowing away.

"You look like you slept the sleep of the damned," her roommate, Blanche said who had yet to get out of bed, and took note of her young companion's frazzled appearance. "Yeah, the first few nights usually get to ya; the beds are uncomfortable, the pillows are flat, they leave the room temperature the way it is every day, its pure hell!"

"He said they're supposed to help us," Moka replied as she wearily slips on some neatly prepared socks, blue jeans and a red sweater at the foot of her bed.

"Help? Hah! Honey, that doctor couldn't help an ant carry a grain of sugar, this place isn't built to help people like you and me!"

You and me? Moka thought, incredulously.

"I've already talked to my husband about what goes on here, and he's going to the medical review board about what they're doing to me! Dr. Kohaku is going to need some therapy when he gets through with him!"

"Well, I hope it works. I hope you do put him in his place."

"That's right, honey, I sure will, just you wait and see."

But, Moka couldn't wait for some stranger to meet with some committee to shut this place down, she wanted out now. After last night, Moka didn't know how much more her tired body would be able to take. Heading for their private bathroom first, she checks herself in the mirror and notices what a mess her long, pink hair was, but unable to find a brush or a comb to fix it, simply ties it into a long pony tail and for a moment she resembled her mother more than she could remember.

"...Mom," she said to herself, thoughtfully.

She could almost see a reflection of the woman that she called "mother", unable to find a name in the back of her mind or if the woman was even alive and looking for her. Moka looks on the rack full of cheap, complimentary toothbrushes and tooth paste to see if they had any mouthwash, which they did, but the only kind she could find was a small bottle of mint green.

"They don't have cinnamon?" She asked herself. "I can't use this!"

The situation seemed intolerable; her body ached all over, hair was a mess, she failed to get any sleep at all, they didn't have her favorite brand of mouthwash, and to top it all off, Moka was so out of it that she failed to notice she had inadvertently turned on the faucet until her fingers were scorched on the water.

"Dammit!" She yelled.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, sister!" The old lady called from outside.

"I'm not your sister," she muttered, sticking her damaged fingers into her mouth to soothe the pain.

What was I thinking? Moka wondered upon noticing the running water and angrily shuts it off, but as soon as she looks back up, she lets out a startled cry as standing behind her, reflected in the mirror, was a nude man holding out his arm as if to reach her, his lips moving silently. When she spins around, she sees no one standing there, but it nonetheless left her extremely rattled.

"What's going on in there?" The old woman asked.

Moka didn't answer; she hurriedly leaves the room and races down the hall, her mind racing even faster. What did she see and who was it? The image was brief, but she was able to get a look at the man to remember every detail about him; he was tall, with brown, cropped hair, had chestnut eyes that were forlorn and pleading, and there was a strange X shaped scar about his left chest.

It was him! She thought to herself, remembering him as the man from her dreams, the man who continued to haunt her even after the therapy session last night, and whose identity remained lost to her. Was that real, did I really see him? What does it mean?

There was something about him this time, as if it appeared as though he was trying to say something in particular to her, like he was desperately reaching out to her, but lost the will to speak.

Who is he? She thought, the strain causing a slight headache.

"Are you alright?" A middle aged woman stopped to ask; Moka realized that she had doubled over in pain and was creating a scene. "Do you need me to call someone?"

She looked at the woman helping her up, at her kind face and warm eyes that squinted pleasantly as she smiled, bringing forth an image or a memory of another kind woman, but Moka's anger towards humanity shoved such warm sentiments back down and replied with a slight wrench of her arm: "I'm fine."

The smell of freshly cooked food didn't help her mood either, and standing in line with all of these people around her was still just as agonizing as before. The doctor's words continued to ring in her head, as well as a burning desire to uncover who she was, which clashed with a fear of discovering more disturbing stuff from her past. Moka feared that maybe the doctor was right about the mystery man from her memories, that perhaps she had gotten close to a human, closer than she would've liked; it was inconceivable for her to have developed feelings for a mere human and forgotten all which separated them. She wondered if perhaps it was because of him that she lost her memory in the first place, that this man had done something to her.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty, you awake?" The serving lady asked. "I was worried you might start to spaz out there for a moment, what will you have?"

Moka was so lost in thought, that she hadn't noticed how fast the line had moved.

"How about some nice, fluffy scrambled eggs to get the morning going," she suggested, scooping up a large spoonful of eggs onto a plate and putting it on her tray.

"...Thank you," Moka thoughtfully replied. "Do you have any more of that...V-8 juice?"

"Sure, they're all down there," the lady replied, pointing further down the line where the drinks are kept. "Is that all you're going to eat?"

"...Yes."

"Gee, Chiba what are you guys trying to do, kill her?" A random guy asked. "Half the people here know you can't cook for shit!"

Moka looked at the man and then at the food server who seemed visibly hurt by the insult, and became annoyed that he would openly criticize a small, old woman's food that she worked so hard to make to her face and act like it was a joke; then again, it helped prove the vampire's assertion of humans and how they enjoy inflicting pain in order to satisfy their own pain.

"Well, we gotta get rid of you people, some kind of way!" The server fired back. "Heaven knows, the doctors sure aren't doing their jobs if we still gotta see your ugly mugs every morning!"

Everyone laughed, including the rude gentleman, and they continued bantering back and forth with crude jokes.

"Why you gotta be like that, Chiba?" Another gentleman further on back asked. "You know you love me, right?"

"Ha! You must be crazier than I thought! Let me guess, you're suffering from…paranoid delusions, am I right?" She retorted and again everybody laughed or agreed with her.

What was going on? These people were insulting one another, and yet at the same time they appeared to be enjoying each other as if they were all friends. Moka couldn't put heads or tails about it, she just simply grabbed her juice and made for the nearest, isolated table she could find. There was little this place could do for her, let alone teach her anything new or conflicting, just more lies and false imagery to create doubt in a mind that was already made up.

Who cares if I don't remember anything, she angrily thought. I know who to trust and who not to trust: I trust me and not...

"Mo...a!"

The disembodied voice muttered once again, this time followed by the memory of that man in the bathroom with her, causing Moka to wince in pain and frustration.

"Get out of my head!" She grimaced, shaking her head violently. When it all seemed quiet and everything normal again, she settles down to eat her breakfast when a loud crash erupted from behind. The blind man, Jay had accidentally fallen over himself, spilling his full tray all over the floor as the whole cafeteria fell dead silent. With all eyes on the fallen, disabled man Moka fully expected everyone to laugh and deride him for being different, the way those kids had done to her all those years ago, but instead Jay stands up, dusts himself off, raises his hands and says:

"I'm okay! Ladies and gentleman, all part of the show; carry on with your meal! As you were!"

Everybody laughed and began applauding the disabled, yet perfectly fine gentleman.

"Here, let me help you get that," said Norman who started gathering up his food. "Great pratfall, by the way, love slapstick comedy from the handy capable!"

"Why thank you, I always depend on the kindness of strangers," said Jay amidst the whoops and hollers of his adoring fans.

"Hey, don't get gay on me, Klingons don't like it!"

"I did not know Klingons were homophobic; hell, I did not know trekkers were homophobic, you all seem pretty gay to me."

"Very funny, and I'm a trekk-ie, not trekk-er; get it right, man!"

What was wrong with these people? They were all supposed to be making each other miserable and inflicting soul crushing pain, not brushing off every little thing, celebrating their mistakes or even helping one another.

Humans! Th-They're humans! These must be different, they're all insane, that's it! Because, normal humans behave differently than this, I know I'm right!

"Mo...a!"

Stop it! Get out of my head!

Moka could do nothing, the voice, the memory of a man who has no name, and remembering that dream she had last night, and now these people; none of which would permit her to sit and eat her meal in hate-filled content.

XXX

Moka Aono woke up later on with a splitting headache, her hair a mess and legs sticky. She had slept through the morning and once again found it was the afternoon, their room partially illuminated with an afternoon sun that strained to enter through closed, maroon colored blinds.

Ugh, what happened? She thought through what had to be the worst hangover she had ever experienced, if not being the very first; vampires were not usually prone to such ailments and could hold their liquor better than humans, and yet Moka was balled over by this.

She lay alone in bed, naked and wet; the very mattress underneath her soaked with sweat, semen and a smell she hoped wasn't piss. It didn't take her very long to figure out that the smell wasn't indeed piss, but shit; someone had crapped in her bed.

That fool wolf did not do what I think he...

Moka tried to muster up her weakened strength and after much difficulty slid off her bed in a hurry, and stood before the bed to see a dark turd where she'd laid, staining the mattress in a brown circle.

"He did! When I get my hands on him, I'll..."

It was then that she noticed the smell of food wafting in from the living room and thinking, with heightened adrenaline that quickly woke her up, that Tsukune had at last returned and was cooking a meal. This would've been his lunch hour and he was always doing that, preparing their meals even though she did much of the cooking, and he must've come back while she slept.

"It's about time," she muttered to herself.

She noticed her ruined and tattered clothes from last night, all strewn about the room and decided to just throw something else on instead, eager to see him, but then thought about her decision to even get dressed. Tsukune had been gone for two nights now, letting her be violated by Gin and leading her to worry while he was shagging up with Ria; and so she decides to simply appear before him as is, triumphantly showing him the bruises she let Gin inflict during their wild night of sex as pay back.

"This will teach him to defy me," she said to herself, standing elegantly before the dressing mirror, as she examines her marked, nude body and bunching up her pert, but gnawed on tits, determined to put her wayward husband in his place with the show she planned to put on. "But, I knew you'd come crawling back; you didn't have the stomach to leave this."

Remember, you said we would only talk, her outer persona said. We'd let him apologize and then talk, right?

She was happy to see him again and have him back, but she still remained miffed at what he had done and aside from not wanting Tsukune to see how much she missed him, Moka also wanted revenge. It wasn't enough that she showed him her resolve in the face of his defiance to her wishes, but now he needed to answer for allowing this to happen twice, and to do that she will make him suffer greatly for this outrage.

"Tsukune!" She yelled as she throws open the bedroom door and walks, nakedly into the living room. "So, you finally came back, huh? And after all that foolish nonsense about leaving me, but if you thought I'm going to just let it slide, you got another thing..."

"Tsukune?" Gin asked from the floor, sitting cross legged as he eats an already prepared meal for himself. "Sorry, hubby no show. Hey, hope you don't mind, but I made myself a little something to munch on, but you don't want anything do you? You already had some of my blood, so you must be fed. By the way, you were all out of clean plates, and probably won't have any more without a dishwasher, so you might want to get some foam plates; hope you don't mind?"

Moka looked around in disbelief at the near empty apartment, with everything gone: the refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher, couch, recliner and even TV, all gone.

"What happened?" She mouthed, but couldn't find the voice.

"Oh yeah, some people came by early this morning while you were asleep, said they were sent by Tsukune's cousin to get everything that belonged to him. You were still out, so..."

"And you let them in and take everything?"

"Yeah!" He said as though it was a no-brainer. "They said there was some legal precedent that gave the next of kin the right to do this or something, I don't know, I spaced out through most of it. I mean, it ain't my stuff; so they came in, took the stuff, asked me to sign a form saying that they came and performed their job and were gone. When they got the fridge, they removed all of the stuff that was in it and, not wanting food to go to waste, decided I do you a favor and...well, eat it. I was hungry anyway, so I figured why not; there's still some left if you want any."

"I don't want any food, you idiot!" Moka snapped at him, flabbergasted that Kyokou had actually followed up on her threat and had guys come to clean out their apartment, knew that legally she couldn't do anything about it without risk bringing unwanted attention to her current situation or vampire heritage, and worse still that she, an S-class monster, would let this happen while she slept. "I can't believe this, I can't believe you would let this happen! It's bad enough you took a shit in my bed, dirtied up my mattress, but this? You can't be this stupid!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't go playing the blame game on me, I wasn't the one who pissed off his family if they felt they had to go and do this, and certainly wasn't the one who crapped in your bed either, that honor goes to you."

Moka's jaw dropped at the sound of this bold accusation, that either he was even dumber to insinuate an upper class being like herself would do anything like that to her own bed or Gin was telling the truth.

"You mean you don't remember?" He laughed. "Man, you so enjoyed me pumping into you, working that cunt of yours like you wanted, that you just splurged all over; it was gross, but I was already in mid-stride and didn't want to break it. You ought to check your behind, because it's all smeared in it!"

"I...I don't believe you."

"Go ahead and look, I don't see how you cannot smell it, I can. But, looking at you, all naked and proud, I can honestly say I would still hit that in a second, just not now. Nope, it's time I be heading off, don't want to over stay my welcome. Thanks for bringing me over, stinker."

Moka growled in annoyance, but made no effort to do anything about it, faced with the memory of the wonderful night they shared and how she was so lost in utter ecstasy that her bowels were released like some animal. She was so embarrassed, and yet at the same time conflicted; Tsukune was still gone, everything in their apartment had been removed from under her nose and she shamed herself in bed, but Gin had pleasured her in a way that made it seem strangely worth it. She didn't know what to think or do, but change back into her outer persona, tired of all of this. After retrieving her cross, replacing it on its chain with a slight click and her body shrinking back down to the pink haired girl of before, she half expected Gin to catch her when she fell, but wound up falling face first to the hard floor.

"Whoa, Moka you okay?" He asked, not having once made a move towards her.

She slowly lifts her head, dizzy and seeing stars, with blood, her own blood dripping from a bruised nose, but too weak to move.

Clumsy fool, Inner Moka berated, get yourself up and don't look like a weakling!

Slowly, she began to move her weakened limbs and crawled to a stool by the kitchen counter less than a few feet away, the only seat that was left.

"Do you need any help?" Gin asked as he kept on eating, while watching her crawl, her shit stained, bare ass offering him a meal time entertainment.

Moka felt that if Tsukune were still here, he'd have helped her without bothering to ask, even if she didn't really need it; unfortunately he wasn't here and she only had Gin to keep her company, where his only saving grace was being good in bed and apparently nothing else.

"I'll be fine," she said upon finally reaching the stool and steadily pulling herself up.

"Hey, you're probably hungry after the rough sex we had last night, why don't you get something to eat?" He offered. "I'd offer more of my blood, but you know, you got all that I could give you."

"I don't need your blood," she said, still exhausted from the transformation.

"Well, suit yourself," he replied, and after finishing one last bite, gets up and heads for the door. "I'll be seeing you. I wouldn't worry about old Tsukune, he'll cool off and come waltzing back in in no time, though you might want to clean yourself up, reconciliation is going to be tough with, um...how you currently are now. See ya."

With him gone, as she sat on stool, the vinyl seat sticking to her messy rear end, and the deafening silence that permeated the air along with her own depraved aura, the shock and disappointment of not finding Tsukune home suddenly hits Moka like a reverberating shockwave. Whenever Gin was around she didn't think about his absence very much, just on the sex alone, but whenever alone, she needed her mate, needed him badly, and it confused her terribly.

All of this was for our kids, to create a better future for our children, she thought sadly as she glances down at her semen soaked inner legs, felt a tickle in her hymen, and stared at bite marks on both sets of breasts. What's the point of all of this? Why do I still keep going to Gin and let him do this? Why do I think he loves me, when I want Tsukune?

Don't confuse yourself; this is for our kids.

With Tsukune, right?

Of course, don't be stupid! Gin is just a means to an end, a tool to use against Tsukune's wayward personality, that's all. You must not lose sight of our goal, understand me? Stay our course and eventually Tsukune will return to us, apologize like we planned and give us what we want for the children we'll have with him.

But, as she surveyed the absence of so much stuff she wondered how long this plan would last. The removal of so much of their things wasn't warranted, but was rather a vindictive move on the part of Tsukune's mother and cousin, items that he was still paying off on, only to be removed just to spite her. Now, the place hardly looked as if a couple was living there, let alone any one person at all.

"Tsukune," she muttered sadly.

Who needs that junk; we're better off, anyway! We'll just buy newer and better things.

"How, we don't have any money. We can't go to father, not without explaining why Tsukune isn't dealing with this."

So we'll wait until Tsukune returns and get him to buy us new stuff, until then we can make do without it. Now stop moping about him, I don't want to have to hear you whining over him all the time, it's demeaning!

Moka wanted to whimper in utter frustration at her predicament, but a knock at the door interrupted her maudlin thoughts and feelings.

See, that's probably him, now!

Leaping off the stool, nearly ripping the hairs off her ass while doing so, she runs to the door and flings it open.

"Tsukune!" She happily greeted, only to turn pale when she saw Ms. Tsubaki standing before her, who quickly shielded her eyes. Embarrassed, Moka closes the door to a crack and demands: "W-What can I do for you, Ms. Tsubaki?"

"...I wanted to talk to you."

"Okay, go ahead, speak!"

"I got a complaint this morning from Ms. Oneda just a few doors down, she said her and her daughter walked by your room last night, where I assume you were entertaining your guest, and that you...flashed them both?"

She struggled to remember through the fog of what happened last night, and quickly recalled a woman and a child walking past her opened door, where they caught a glimpse of her naked body.

"Oh...that," she replied. "Um, I can explain."

There's nothing to explain, just tell this little fool off. The two should be grateful we didn't come after them for spying on us. Tell her!

"Well, I'm waiting for an explanation!" The landlady said impatiently and it miffed Moka to think that this tiny, human woman was making demands of an S-class monster like herself, so she brazenly opens the door and stands before the shocked woman in all her naked glory.

"Um, y-you know what, I did appear...n-nude before them, so what of it? It was my business, anyway?"

"...And, the disturbance last night? That was your business, too right?"

"What about it?"

She ought to be pleased; we showed her what she could've had if she wasn't so decrepit.

Moka didn't want to say all of these things, she certainly didn't want to stand about naked, in full view of her land lady and anybody else who might be watching, but she had to uphold her own pride and principles in being a vampire and prove to Tsukune that this is serious business.

"Look, Ms. Tsubaki...I'd rather not discuss this, right now, I'm tired."

"I imagine we all are," she replied, disgusted that she had to stand in front of her like this, but determined to say her peace. "Look, what you do within the confines of your own room is your business."

"Then leave it as such, okay?"

"But, how that business reflects on me and the people who have to live here, is my business, you don't own this room you live in, you rent it from me, got that? I don't know what you think of this place, but it isn't some run down motel, I'm trying to run a safe, family oriented establishment and I don't need you or your low-class trash dirtying it up, I'm already getting complaints about your boyfriend or whatever harassing girls whenever he leaves, just now he harassed a 16 yr. old girl on her way to school!"

"What?" Moka asked who was shocked at his behavior after he assured her that she was the only girl that mattered. "Y-You must be mistaken, he wouldn't do anything like.."

"Look! If you've decided to stop respecting yourself then fine, that is your business, but as long as you're doing that, I suggest you do it someplace else, from now on, okay?"

"...Fine," Moka replied, still a little miffed. "Anything else?"

"Yes, your rent."

"The rent?"

"Yeah, your rent is due today, as it always has on been on this day."

Crap, the rent money! Moka panicked, remembering that Tsukune had the account information with him in his wallet, and she still had no idea where he was.

"Um...my husband usually takes care of that, hehehe."

"I know. You happen to know when he'll comeback, Mrs. Aono?"

"Um...soon, uh...he just went out for a bit, you know. I just ask that you give us just a little more time, he knows the rent is due and I'm sure he'll show up to pay it."

"Well...I'll give you an extension by the end of the week, I just hope your husband makes it back by then."

"Oh, he will."

"But, I doubt it," she heard Ms. Tsubaki mutter under her breath as she walks away.

"Excuse me, I heard that, what did you just say to me?" Moka asked, angrily.

"…It's none of your business," Ms. Tsubaki retorted with a wry smile and cast an unfavorable glance at Moka's body before walking back to her apartment.

Stupid bitch! Inner Moka seethed as Outer Moka slams the door behind her. Who does she think she is telling us where to go and what to do?

"She owns these apartments, we pay her rent," she replies, and the very mention of rent reminds her of the dire situation she now finds herself in. "The rent. Oh god, what are we going to do, now?"

Relax, there's very little she can do to us from now until the end of the week, and by then Tsukune would've returned, apologized to us and take care of this matter.

"You really think so? I mean, he hasn't shown up yet, his family doesn't even know where he is and he hasn't called us! What if he doesn't return? What if he decides to stay with Ria and become his..."

Stop your panicking, you little fool! Tsukune wouldn't do that to us, he needs us, he owes us for saving his wretched hide all those times and turning him into a vampire! His threat to leave us was just his way of showing off to us; he hasn't got it in him to do something like that! Now stop whining!

"But..." she tries to argue, but figures it to be hopeless and complies. "I still can't believe Gin would do that after he left us, he swore that last time was a misunderstanding. Maybe that's what it is, another misunderstanding; yes, that's it! Maybe he was only asking the girl for directions."

You think that fool loves us?

"Of...of course he does, he cares about us, right?"

He doesn't care about us, he let you fall flat on your face, and we don't need love from anyone, anyway. Like I said, Gin is just a means to an end, something to tide us over for the time being, that's all.

"So...we don't need love? What about Ts..."

What about Tsukune, you were going to ask?

"I'm not complaining, I was just wondering...if we don't need love, then what of Tsukune, I mean what is he to us?"

Tsukune is our Bloodmate, handpicked by father to one day lead our clan; as long as he loves us, that's all that matters.

"But...but I love him, I mean I still do."

Fine, whatever. Besides, you were so worried about Gin's love for you, what was that?

"I...I don't know...I like both of them, I guess."

It matters not, as long as we get what we want out of this, I don't care.

She didn't care, and yet as Moka looked at the empty apartment room, wondering what tomorrow may bring, and dreading another night alone, sleeping on a filthy mattress and sheets that needed to be cleaned at the public Laundromat now that their washing machine was gone, it certainly felt like it was something worth caring about.

"I don't like being alone," she muttered to herself.

Toughen up, vampires show no fear of solitude, in fact we seem to thrive off of it. This is our domain and no one will dare threaten it.

But, her words brought no comfort to the confused vampire, as the scent of her love grew even fainter and became virtually non-existent in some places, replaced instead by Gin, sex, and the smell of shit emanating from the room. As for the rent, Moka wasn't going to wait and see if Tsukune would return, she needed to find a way to make some money by then or risk finding another place to stay, but balked at the thought of working for humans. She then remembered that Gin ran a Maid Shop/Love Hotel downtown and, unable to get him off her mind and finding it preferable to working for a total stranger, she hoped he might have something. Moka had never done anything like a Maid Cafe before and was unfamiliar with what went on at his establishment, but the werewolf had awakened something within her, a desire or rather an addiction that needed to be fulfilled with sex. She was a vampire after all, a creature of sensuality and conquest; it only made sense to her to follow such impulses, and so with shit still smeared on her ass, she eagerly went back into her smelly room to change. She had no mouthwash to rinse with, no bath products left or even perfume to wear, but it didn't matter as excitement built up at the thought of experiencing Gin's world; Ms. Tsubaki would to get what she wants after all.

XXX

"So, class we're going to continue with our previous discussion about anger," said the mediating counselor at the group therapy meeting. "Last time, we were listening to Mr. Kenshiro's story and today we're going to try a few exercises later on, but first I want to greet our newcomer we have with us; I know last time she didn't want to talk, but I've been assured that she will participate in our activities this time. Now, could you please stand up and introduce yourself to everyone else."

Moka Akashiya still didn't like being there or having to stand up and have all these human faces staring up at her, as if she were back in middle school.

"It's okay, you don't have to be afraid," the therapist assured her, but it did little to put her at ease.

"I...I'm not afraid," she responded, meekly. "My name is...Lucy Akashiya; I don't remember much. I don't know why I'm here."

"Well, we're going to help you with your memory and see what we can do."

"No, I don't know why I'm here...with all of you."

"Oh, well this is a group that helps deal with any hostile, negative emotions that seems to be crippling us. Why don't you tell us what you do remember, what has made you angry enough to be placed here, even though you don't feel like you should?"

"I...I don't...I mean, I just...can't get along with all of you, it feels unnatural."

"Heh, you and me both, sister," said Mr. Tanaka to her right.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"Sometimes I feel like I don't belong amongst the human race, either; just a bunch of ignorant, weak minded douche bags, the lot of them!"

She didn't expect to meet a human who voiced her own thoughts so eloquently, but then something else he added caught her by surprise:

"...And, I'm the biggest one!"

"Okay, Ms. Akashiya you can sit down. Mr. Tanaka, we were about to get to you, so please tell us about your issues with people; why do you hate humanity so much?"

"All my life, I always believed in doing a job worth doing and I'd do it well, never expected a reward for anything from nobody," he rambled on. "You wanna know what ticks me off, lady? Fine, I'll tell ya, it's bullshit like that: being told to be some...altruistic chump in a crummy world like this where everybody walks all over ya! I hate it, I mean I really fucking hate it! The human race blows, doc, we're all a bunch of mindless, gutless, good for nothing sheep, being fed on by opportunistic wolves; no meaning, no justice, no nothing!"

This portly, balding, middle-aged man who was dressed in an unkempt shirt, tie, and brown slacks was furthest from a being like her as a cockroach was to him, and yet he shared a cynicism about the human race that would've made Ria proud.

"You were a cop for twenty five years, were you not?" The therapist asked, calm in the face of such a tirade.

"Thirty, thirty long and miserable life terms. Protecting and Serving the public; and for a while I really did my job like a good and honorable public servant, never expecting thanks from anybody. But, after a while of doing this, it starts to get to ya, I know it got to my marriage; my wife of twenty years finally had had enough and walked out on me after I needed her the most. That...that wasn't the last though, believe it or not, I'd have to say the straw that finally broke the camel's back was this case I worked on back in 95', where this 13 yr. old boy was beaten to death on his way home from school by a 16 yr. old."

It was shocking for her to hear such barbarism; even though her racism towards humanity still remained it was shocking.

"Humans are just awful," she said aloud.

"Yeah, you got that right doll, but that ain't all of it. We finally nail this punk and I'm thinking he's going in for life, but do you know what the fair and just courts of this country did? They gave the bastard 16 months in a reformatory; 16 months! He beats a kid to death for no reason and they give him a slap on the wrist, how do you like that?"

"Is that what sent you on the path of anger and hatred?" The therapist asked.

"Yeah, but in a way I guess I've always felt that way and just...kept it subdued, eating up this sentimental bull crap about kindness and compassion just to get by. Oh, I didn't stop doing my job, I mean a guy has to feed his family right or what's left of it. Even in a world where killers get off easy, and the public servants risk their lives on a daily basis, you still have to make a living! And when they did finally retire me, all I get is a pension that isn't worth spitting on and a hearty pat on the back. All worth it, huh? And then, there's my son!"

"Tell us about your son, we'd all like to hear."

Mr. Tanaka paused for a bit, his angry brown eyes staring blankly to the floor as if lost in some terrible thought, but continues: "Me and him...we never got along, not once! We argued constantly about anything and he would literally go out of his way to do the exact opposite of what I would do."

"What about him angered you the most?"

"...He was optimistic to a fault, you might say. One day, some firefighter's kid brings his father to school, and all of a sudden my boy...my blind, naive, stupid boy comes home and starts going on and on about wanting to become a firefighter, about being a hero and saving people's lives! It made me sick!"

"...Fire-fighter," Moka said under her breath, almost to herself as though the word itself struck a sensitive nerve.

"I thought he was only doing it to get rise out of me, me still being a cop. We get into this big argument all that year, him wanting to become a fireman, and I was trying to drum it into his head that it was all a pipe dream, that he shouldn't waste his time helping other people because they weren't worth it, nobody was worth it, not..."

Mr. Tanaka once again looks away, lost in thought, and then with a frank smile goes on to add: "I look my 12 yr. kid's eyes, our only son and said...not even you!"

Everyone looked at him in shock, even Moka, never imagining any parent, especially her own father from what she could remember, saying something so cruel to their child.

"Did you mean to say that, Mr. Tanaka?" The therapist asked. "Were you trying to hurt your son?"

"No! I was only trying to keep him from going through what I had went through growing up and becoming so disappointed with the work like I was; I wanted him to go into business someday, anything but a public servant, that's all! Besides, I figured he knew I didn't mean it, I said things like that all the time!"

"So, what happened between you and your son?"

"The kid stops speaking to me, he actually refused to talk to me ever again, except when it was in response to a question or demand, and even then it would be so short and quick that it would've been better to have not said anything at all; I figured it was a phase and he'd get over it."

"But, that's not what happened, is it?"

"No. It wasn't until after he graduated from college and he up and moved far away to the south that we hear back from; he tells us that he became...a firefighter. Doesn't even call for a year, had to find out through a single postcard sent through the mail. He continued talking to my wife; they were still on speaking terms, but never me. Then, during Christmas, my wife somehow convinces him to come visit us for the holidays, and only then I find out he married and had his own son; they loved each other, better than I did, I guess."

"Did you two talk that day?"

"You know, we did actually."

"Were you able to bury the hatchet?"

"Hmph! I think all I said to him was, pass the soy sauce. I figured why should I apologize when I was only thinking of him, I mean he should've known I was doing him a favor. And all during his visit he goes on and on about how great it was being a fireman, that his dream came true. Never said goodbye to me when he left, never even looked at me. We don't hear from...about him for another year, until 2011 when that Earthquake and Tsunami hit. It didn't happen in their area, but...my wife gets a call from his wife, and...and she tells us that he's dead; apparently, he and a group of firefighters from his area had voluntarily gone down to the disaster area to help survivors when people were being evacuated, he was among the first responders working to make sure everyone got out alive. My son was off duty...off duty, spending the paternity leave to help with his then pregnant wife, but he responded anyway and was able to save a trapped mother and her two kids before a big wave hit and washed him out to sea; they never found his remains."

Everyone remained quiet, so quiet Moka could hear cars on the highway just outside, as the weight of his story hit them, but especially her.

"He wasn't even supposed to be at work, so why would he do a thing like...?"

"What did you do when you heard the news?" The therapist asked as Mr. Tanaka looked like he was about to break down.

"...Oh, I balled like a baby," he said after a desperate attempt to choke back his emotions. "My ex-wife said she never saw me cry before in her life, except on that day."

"And why is that, Mr. Tanaka? Is it because you really loved your son and didn't mean to say those things to him or was it because, you never got to say you're sorry?"

"Sorry," he said thoughtfully. "It's such a simple word: sorry. You'd think anyone could say it every day, but...I miss my boy!"

Mr. Tanaka couldn't hold it in as tears came cascading down his hardened face, muscles trembling greatly as the man poured his emotions out.

"I'm sorry, Kenji! Oh god, I'm so sorry!"

Moka felt stunned and unnerved to find herself thoroughly moved by his story and the outpouring of support everyone else around him was showing. They were putting their arms around him, whispering kind words and being respectful; but, she had been taught that humans thrive off of the misery of others, so why were these humans trying to console Mr. Tanaka? Furthermore, why had his son, who wasn't even supposed to be working on that fateful day, whose job was to rescue people and yet was only a job, and who had his own family to think about, sacrifice his life to save some random people? She felt like wanting to go over there and hug Mr. Tanaka or say something that'll cheer him up, even though it might not do him any good, but old prejudices die hard, especially within a vampire.

I...I shouldn't feel anything for him, she thought angrily. His son was a fool, anyway! Wh-What made him think he could make a difference when he was only just a human?

"He was a fool," Moka wound up saying out loud, and suddenly everyone turned to look at her. Moka thought she should've bit her tongue at that moment, but felt this needed to be said. "Your son was a fool for risking his life like that. He was a human, he had no power, no real strength. You were right, it wasn't worth it, he should've known better than to be some hero."

"Ms. Akashiya," the therapist began to ask, "what would make you say that about Mr. Tanaka's son?"

"It's true, isn't it? Humanity is weak; you can't decide if you want to destroy something for being different or pretend to be some kind of hero."

"So, are we supposed to choose one or the other?"

"Well..."

"What if we choose to do good and help others?"

"Just know your limitations and recognize who your betters are! Mr. Tanaka's son should've recognized that, realized that his frail, human physiology had its limits and left the rescue attempt to people who are better qualified to survive under those conditions, that's all!"

Everyone seemed genuinely shocked that their young, pretty newcomer would say something so hurtful at a time like this, and Moka thought it was a little strange that they would feel that way, but she found Mr. Tanaka slowly nodding his head as if agreeing with her.

"Yes...you're right," he replied. "He was a fool...he gets that much from his old man, and he should've recognized his limitations. As angry as I want to be towards him, for robbing me of the chance for us to reconcile our differences, for leaving me this...big hole in my life, I wanted to curse his name until the day I die, but...when I learned...of all that he did that day, saving over 40 people in a single day, when that...lady, with her two small boys, came to me, smiling up at me as they hold these...drawings of my son wearing Superman's outfit and saying 'Thank you', at the end of the day...he was my boy...and the only person I can stay mad at until the day I die is me."

"It's going to be alright, Mr. Tanaka," the therapist tried to reassure. "We're going to help you see through this."

"No, no it's not going to be okay," he wept. "Nothing's ever going to be the same again, don't you understand? Doesn't any of you? My son is gone, I killed my son when it should've been me, it's my fault!"

Nothing's ever going to be the same again! His words echoed in her mind, bouncing off the walls and inflicting great, internal distress in her heart.

"No, no don't say that," some of the people said to him. "You don't want to think that."

"The fact that you're able to share with us all of this, shows that you are willing to help improve upon yourself and overcome your anger. I know your son wouldn't want you to continue suffering like this; you've acknowledged your guilt, which I'm sure must've been a tough thing to do, and now that you've reached out to us, we can help you."

"Save the touchy-feely act, doc," he said. "Nothing can help me, nothing can fix my life now that's in ruins, that I've ruined. A parent shouldn't have to outlive their child! It ought to be me who's dead and not boy, not my boy."

"Your son fought to preserve life at the cost of his own. At the very least, if you won't help yourself, if you won't fight to live on and let go of the hate and anger for you, then do it for your son. Honor him by finally letting go."

Mr. Tanaka said nothing, but it looked as though her words had struck a chord within himself, it certainly did with Moka who had very little to say.

"Now class, I want to try a little experiment; we are going to sketch whatever or whomever it is that affects us the most, it could be a co-worker or a family member or even a boyfriend or girlfriend, whomever, and then you're going to pretend to talk with this person as if they are here and discuss why you are so angry with them or angry at all and you just wanted talk to them."

She goes around each person and hands out a sketch pad with drawing pencils; Moka wasn't sure about any of this, but Dr. Kohaku insisted that she participate and there were very little options.

"Now, I'm not asking any of you to draw the Mona Lisa, just your best rough sketch will do and this is for private use too, so that you can work on issues and we can discuss them."

Moka raised her hand.

"Yes, Ms. Akashiya?"

"What if we don't remember anything, I don't think this is for me."

"From the way you talked today, I'd say you remember something; just...try to recall as much as you can and we'll work from there. C'mon, you can do this, I have faith in you."

She couldn't remember anyone having faith in her and she wanted to be indignant in the insistence of participating in this crude, childish game. Nevertheless, with a frustrated sigh, she picks up the pencil and sat for what felt like an hour trying to remember something. The therapist said it could be anyone from the past, and as murky as much of it was, there wasn't a whole lot to choose from; a co-worker, family member, or even a...boyfriend.

"Boyfriend," she whispered.

Suddenly she began to sketch like a woman possessed, drawing methodically something that required incredible detail, erasing each mistake to get certain lines right or ripping out a sheet whenever the picture turned out wrong and starting over again with sweat building on her brow, but determined with a mysterious, singular goal locked within the recesses of her mind. When she was finished, what stared back at her was a perfectly drawn face portrait of the mysterious man she'd been thinking about, every line and shadow of his smiling visage done with perfect precision as though it came fresh from her mind.

"Why, that's a beautiful sketch you've made!" The therapist said when she looks down at her work. "Can I see it?"

Moka hands her the sketch pad and she holds it up to get a better look.

"That's some detail you've got there," one woman commented, who she and a few others came over to get a glance. "You must be some kind of artist."

"He's handsome, Ms. Akashiya, do you know who he is?" The therapist asked, handing the pad back to Moka.

"...N-No...I don't know."

"He is good looking," Blanche said upon seeing the drawing.

"Is there anything you remember at all about him, surely there must be if you can draw a detailed picture of him. Is he short? Is he tall?"

"Medium build," Moka responds in almost a trancelike state. "About 5' 10", with an X-shaped scar on his chest."

"Sounds like he's one of those hoodlums on the streets, then," a guy remarked.

"He can't be, not with a face like that!" A woman argued.

"Hey, you never know."

"You're wrong," Moka said, "he isn't like that, isn't like that at all. He's kind...and generous, and he wouldn't ever hurt anyone."

"Must've got the scar from an accident."

"If you say he's nice, then why do you feel anger towards him or around him?" The therapist asked, but Moka just shook her head, eyes transfixed on the gentle face in her hands. "Is there a reason you decided to draw him, then?"

"...It's not him that I feel...feel any anger towards him, but what happened to him."

"And, what happened to him?"

"...S-Something bad...s-something wrong...terrible...horrible...all I remember when I see his face is anger...sadness...and despair, but not at him."

"Mysterious," one guy whispered. "Looks like we got us one of those mysteries you read about."

"These feelings were the last thing you felt before your memory was lost?" The therapist asked, but then Moka began to blink real hard in pain, and noticing the attention it was getting, as well as this unknown interest in a human she had no memory about, yet continued to plague her, she rips the paper from the pad and starts crumpling it up.

"Hey!" Most of the people shouted in confusion, upset that she would destroy a wonderful piece of artwork.

"Ms. Akashiya!" The therapist went, but Moka was already up and storming away from the group. "Wait up!"

The therapist picks up the wadded up paper from the floor and begins to chase after her distraught, pink haired patient.

"Uh, that'll be all for today class, we'll pick up tomorrow. Ms. Akashiya, please wait!"

"Leave me alone!" She shouted back, not stopping her fast paced stride that her therapist had to literally jog to catch up.

"I just want to talk to you; I promise it won't take but a second of your time!"

But, Moka wasn't slowing down and the therapist had to run right in front of her in order to block the young woman's path.

"Why won't you people leave me alone?" Moka wept. "I don't need your help, I don't even want it!"

"Lucy..."

"That's not my name, don't call me that!"

"Ms. Akashiya; can I call you that? Listen, I know you're under a lot of stress right now and if we made you feel uncomfortable back there then I apologize, we were just curious about your drawing."

"Would you stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"That's another thing, why are you all so nice! You're always so nice to me, stop that!"

"I...I don't understand, what's wrong with being nice?"

"I just want to know why are you so nice to me, can you answer me that?"

"It's because we want to help you."

"Why? Because it's your job, is that it, isn't it? You don't care about me at all, you're being paid to care and put on this false show!"

"Ms. Akashiya, my job is a college professor of mathematics, this is just a volunteer thing I'm doing," she tells her.

"Volunteer?" Moka asked, bewildered by the word.

"Yes, it means I chose to do this for free."

"Y-You're not even doing this for money?"

"No, most of the people who work here don't, either; that's why the taxes on the place aren't too high."

"Then why? I don't understand."

"Well, mostly because I got early classes and for the rest of the day there's nothing to do, but also I want to help those who need it; it's why I became an educator, and it's why I do this."

"It's wrong!" Moka said, shaking her head. "It's all wrong!"

"What is?"

"You humans...you're so frustrating to me! Oh, I just wished I was never brought here!"

"Look, why don't you go out, a breath of fresh air would do you some good. In the meantime, you know, would you mind if I hold onto your picture if you don't want it?"

"...Keep it," she says in haste and storms away from the therapist, who reopens the paper and looks once again at the picture, admiring her handiwork as well as the warm, gentle smile of this mysterious figure from a woman's past.

Once outside under the warm, soothing sun she felt she could relax a little, walking as far away as her legs could take her and letting nature intrude. It was unusually warm for early October and the air felt very comforting, so free of any odors to infest her nose, nearly soundless and tranquil. Moka gradually found herself paying more and more attention to the birds, the squirrels scurrying about, and even saw a rare raccoon dog warily skulking out of the brush in the distance; despite a fuzzy memory, she was certain that she could nary recall ever seeing one of those before. So focused in the splendor of seeing this endangered animal in the wild, it soon dawned on her that she was doing exactly what Dr. Kohaku described as one aspect of being human, matters that a proper vampire would otherwise consider to be mundane.

So what? Moka thought bitterly. It's just a lowly animal, anyway! I'm above that!

Abruptly ignoring the rare sighting and wishing nothing more than to brood alone like any vampire should, she soon heard soft singing nearby in the surrounding brush. She couldn't make out the vocals, but it was a melodious tune, one that drew her closer and closer to its source, towards a small clearing where a young girl in school uniform laid sprawled out on the ground on top of her over coat, with one leg over the other as though there wasn't a care in the world. Moka didn't want to disturb the girl, being human and all, even though she never knew a human could sing something so beautiful, but unfortunately one wrong step snaps a twig underneath her foot, its sound so loud it would've shocked a quiet library with its noise; Moka felt like dying right then and there, and secretly hoped the little girl didn't notice.

"Hello?" The girl asked in mid song, and Moka knew the jig was up. She quickly turns around and prepares to make a hasty retreat when the girl next says: "Oh hey, it's you!"

Moka looks over her shoulder and sees it was the doctor's daughter, Rin who rather than seemed shocked at being intruded, as she would if she were a vampire, instead warmly greeted the pink haired woman who stood nearby.

"It's me, Rin. Remember, we met the other day?"

Moka didn't know what else to do, it seemed like she just couldn't get away from humans, no matter where she went.

"You enjoying the weather, too?" Rin asked.

"...Yes," she replied with a sigh. "I...needed to get out of the building for a while."

"Tell me about it, school can be like that too."

"Really?" She asked as her interest peeked that a human girl would have some grievance about school.

"Yeah, I fucking hate it. Everybody is a total ass and a tool, and even though I get good grades, kids pick on me all the time because they're jealous!"

"I...I didn't know."

It was strange and downright eerie that this girl, this human girl voiced her own feelings from so many years ago when she was her age.

"I had the same problem when I went to school," Moka replied.

"I bet it sucked right? Did they talk bad about you behind your back whenever you got the right answer to something?"

"Y-Yeah."

"I bet you had to deal with stuck up bitches too, am I right?"

"Yes."

"And they get on your nerves and shit? Heh, girl I've been there!"

She's just like me! Moka thought with amazement.

"Yeah, but I don't let it get to me," Rin added.

"You don't?"

"Nah, they're just tools, gonna be left behind anyway or wind up working some low income job when they grow up. Besides, whenever I get out of school I come out here, usually when it's warm or not too cold, and just relax, let the day wear off and I'm cool. Oh hey, you never guess what I saw! A raccoon dog! It was scurrying about not too long ago, it nearly startled me! Did you know there are like a few of them in the wild, and I got to see one! Awesome, huh?"

"You...really come out here and relax? Does that help you?"

"Yeah, that or play Halo online or watch my anime collection; you know do whatever to get your mind off the stress. C'mon, why don't you sit down and talk."

She wasn't sure if she should, but Moka couldn't think of anywhere else to go where there wouldn't be a single human presence, and one human girl seemed to be the lesser evil.

"What...were you doing just now?"

"Huh?"

"That song...what was it?"

"Oh, it's just something my mom used to sing to me every night before I went to sleep, back before dad chased her away!"

"You really hate your father, don't you?"

"Yeah," Rin replies, but then thinks on the response more thoughtfully and then corrects herself. "No, I don't really hate him, it's just that...sometimes he makes bad decisions and has a way of frustrating me, you know? You ever have that problem with your father?"

"I..."

"Well, well, look what the loony bin let out!" Yelled Suzaku, who appeared out of nowhere with his little gang.

"Ugh, get out of here, Suzaku!" Rin yelled. "Can't you go bully someone else?"

Moka eyed them furiously, reminding her so much of the boys who used to pick on her and once again reaffirming every prejudiced thought about humans.

"Why go anywhere, when there's a place full of whack jobs and psychos to mess with?" He asked with a mischievous grin.

"Look at her!" One of the boys pointed out. "It's the crazy doctor's daughter is getting ready to kick your ass, Suzaku!"

"Yeah, looks like we interrupted her make out session with her new girlfriend!" Another joked.

"Now that'll be something; a school girl and a hotter, older half crazed chick going at it in the woods, who wouldn't pay to see that?" Suzaku commented and all the boys laughed at the insulting remark, a remark that saw Moka turning red with anger before finally snapping.

"You humans are just terrible! So what if these people are different from you! All you ever do is pick on others because your own lives are miserable, so you can bring them down to your own pathetic level and feel happy! Are your lives that worthless that you will not be satisfied until we're mad like you?"

"What got into her?" One boy asked as he and the others seemed less than fazed, all but Suzaku who appeared to be visibly affected by Moka's harsh words.

"What the hell do you know, bitch!" He yelled, and picked up a pine cone and chucked them at Moka, striking her in the thigh. "Eat shit and die!"

"Lucy!" Rin cried out.

No longer contained, her anger passed the boiling point, Moka began to angrily advance towards the boys with murder in her once tranquil, green eyes.

"You little bastards!" She yelled, causing the other boys to back away.

"Oh, you did it now, Suzaku!" One boy cried. "RUN!"

They all dashed into the woods, but it didn't deter Moka one bit who immediately began chase.

"Lucy, wait they're not worth it!" Rin cried, trying to grab hold around her waist, but to no avail, Moka's rage was unchecked and the vampire was soon taking flight after the fleeing boys.

She didn't know what she would do the to them nor cared at all that they were only kids, all Moka cared was exacting revenge on these small-minded, ignorant and weak creatures called humans with their love for nature, sentimentality, intolerance, non-compliant, complex and fake lives that has become the bane of her existence. Ever since arriving at this place, it has been like reliving a nightmare of years gone by and now she didn't know if she could take any more of it. The boys were running well ahead of her, she could hear their footsteps and panicked voices, and like the predator Moka knew she was, whose instincts have been homed into her kind practically from birth, the enraged vampire knew it would be only a matter of time before catching them. However, the boys appeared to be as much nature buffs as most of the humans in this area, as they seemed to know every nook and cranny of these woods and before long used a clever tactic of splitting up in every direction so as to slow down their pursuer, which is what happened. Though their trick worked, it didn't deter their predator who only stopped to pick up the scent of one boy in particular, the one named Suzaku; however, stopping only made her aware of not only a different scent altogether, but of someone grabbing hold on of her waist. Bewildered at first, Moka was shocked to find that Rin Kohaku had been with her during the entire chase through the woods, holding on for dear life about her waist as she undoubtedly was being flown through the air at break neck speed. With hair a mess and wide, hazel eyes staring shakily up at the woman, Moka felt like dying on the spot as she knew the jig was definitely up.

"...Coooool!" The girl yelled with a huge smile, looking at Moka as if she was the coolest person this young teen had ever had the privilege of meeting. "You-are-strong! I mean, damn!"

If Moka was bewildered before, she was floored by this girl's reaction; she had just been carried through the forest by a woman who possessed unnatural strength, and all she can do is smile like an idiot and say "cool"?

"I wanted to stop you, but you were like...off, man!" She said, finally releasing her grip from around Moka. "You really scared them; hell, you nearly scared me! Um, one question: can we go again?"

"...Just...just leave me alone!" Moka ranted, backing away from the girl. "Okay? Just...just...keep away from me!"

"Lucy, wait! Those boys won't bother you anymore! Lucy!"

But, her words could not keep up with Moka, who fled away from her, away from the institution, and away from all else. Nothing made any sense to her, everything and everyone seemed to be out to get her, and as she ran through the woods, with the wind rushing by, she could almost hear a voice calling out:

"Mo..a! Mo...a!"

Faster and faster she ran, but the voice grew louder with every step, chasing her as fast as she had chased those boys, only this time her own inhuman speed couldn't help. It was everywhere, hounding the girl who ran blindly through the woods, playing right next to her ear as though some invisible man was running right behind her.

"Leave me alone!" She screamed as she ran, never seeing the bus coming until some good Samaritan grabs her by the waist and throws her on ass.

"God, are you okay?" He and a dozen others asked.

Moka blinked hard several times, trying to gather up her bearings, yet with more humans crowding around her with worried expressions on their faces, it slowly dawned on the distraught woman that was no longer in the woods, but on a street corner in town.

"You were almost hit, just now," her savior commented, a fish salesman on his lunch break who looked genuinely concerned.

Moka sees just how close to the street she was and to an imminent death, and yet this stranger took a moment off his lunch break to save her.

"You...saved me?" She asked. "Why?"

"Why?" He asked, just as confused as she was. "Look, are you okay?"

"Maybe someone better call the police," someone said, the sound of which made her panic.

"No! I mean, no need, I'm fine. I just...was running late, that's all. I'm okay."

"You sure?" He continued to ask, still wanting to help, but Moka quickly got up herself and tried to hide her disdain of having him touch her.

"Yes. I am fine! Thank...you."

Very quickly composing herself, she wastes no time in sticking around these strangers and starts walking, aimlessly about this concrete jungle. Moka was relieved to finally be free of that prison, but what had been perceived as freedom has now become an even bigger nightmare as she becomes lost in a sea of these humans, in what was an even bigger community of buildings that blot out the sky and vehicles of all forms, but what made it even worse was that she still had no memory.

"Like to try some of our new line of clothes?" A saleswoman, standing outside advertised. "New brands, straight from the U.S., but half off the original price!"

"Fish!" A swarthy man advertised from inside a booth, holding a large fish in his hands. "Get your fish, here!"

"Excuse me, lady," said a rather large, dark skinned foreigner who tried to offer her a restaurant pamphlet. "Would you care to try our specially made, calamari soup, the best you'll find anywhere in Japan!"

Moka was close to freaking out again, only this time there was nowhere else to go; there were humans everywhere, there various scents intermixed with that of food or perfumes nearly overloading her nostrils, and yet there were very few places to escape from all of this.

I gotta get out of here, she thought frantically. I gotta get out of here!

What she saw ahead of her, however, across yet another street corner seemed to her like an oasis in a desert, a lighthouse along a dark sea of people for this weary traveler desperate for salvation.

A tea house, she thought, remembering what the delivery guy, Koga had said the other day about being in the only tea house in town, and so far this teahouse was the only one she'd seen. He must be there. Oh, please be there!

She ran across the street, almost getting hit once again in her haste, but the moment she drew even closer to the modestly sized building, Koga's scent became apparent in the air and it spurred her on even further. The tea house was crowded, but not terribly busy. Most were college students, sitting in corners and taking advantage of its Wi-Fi, while others were long distance travelers like herself, taking advantage of being off the bustling streets and enjoying a rather, quieter atmosphere to chat away others and drink their tea in relative peace. Moka kept her head down, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone and doing her utmost best to avoid bumping into anyone, as she homed in on her quarry's scent; she didn't have far to look. In the center of all of this there appeared to be a group of men at a table full of Saki and playing poker, one of them, to her relief was Koga, laying back casually in his seat in roughly the same outfit she remembered seeing him yesterday, and holding his cards out in front like a cocky player.

"Your move," he coolly says to his opponents, laying down a card from his hand and waiting patiently for their next move.

His opponent, from what she could tell, was a rather strange looking monster in the guise of bald, human wearing a white duster and pants, and whose features were obscured by a red goblin mask; his entourage was equally strange. Amongst them, towering behind him was a blond, bearded fellow who was as enormously bulbous as he was jolly, in a grayish blue suit, the top opened to expose his T-shirt wearing tank for a stomach, while both his meaty hands fed whole cakes into a cavernous mouth. On his expansive shoulders perched a balding midget in a lime green Hawaiian shirt and dark green pants who, hardly seemed phased by his gigantic friend's appetite, watched the game going and seemed to be dropping hints to a lean, silver haired gentleman standing behind Koga, who scratched his small goatee as if dropping some subtle hints to his boss; strange as they were, these characters felt almost familiar to the girl. As she watched, a memory was beginning to flicker into view, something that was obscure, yet growing prominent. Moka saw these men, younger, but no different standing upon a hill that she slowly approached on; however she wasn't alone. With her were three other girls she had never seen before, all of them were strangely dressed as sukeban (girl gang) members, as if marching towards a confrontation with these weird guys.

"I feel ridiculous!" Cried her blue haired companion.

"Well, this is how _ said humans dressed," said another companion who was much too young to be hanging with them.

Moka wanted to crawl under a rock and die of embarrassment, and yet she knew there was something more important at hand, for up ahead she could see what was at stake or rather who was at stake.

It's him! She thought, seeing the man of her visions sitting beneath the fat man's shadow, captured by this gang to be used as bait. No, no not again! Please, stop!

"Mo...a," the hushed voice came again, causing her to nearly stumble into the silver haired man.

"Hey, watch it!" He yelled.

"Sorry," she said, whose voice, if not her very scent had managed to catch Koga's attention.

"Yo, don't talk to my friend like that, she's with me!"

"She is?" The boss said in his guttural voice. "How convenient, Koga that your companion would show just when I was about to win the Miazake Express!"

"If that's what you want to call your posturing this whole time, then fine, but we ain't done and my friend was running a little late," he said as he boldly grabs Moka about the waste and pulls her over to his side. "Besides, she's my good luck charm. Have a seat, good-looking."

"Good luck charm?" The fat guy bellowed. "Hahahahahaha!"

"Che-che-che-che! Koga is full of it, I say!" Said his small companion. "No amount of luck is going to save you from my magic!"

"Hold it!" His boss commanded. "We mustn't resort to such tactics amongst this human vermin, besides I don't need magic to mop the floor with this scum."

"I'll remember you said that when I come to collect on what you owe me!"

"I owe you nothing, fool! If memory serves it's you who owes us and a shit load of people you ripped off!"

"Explain again how I ripped you and your friends off!"

"You ditched the goods you were delivering when those Fairy Tale security agents started inspecting your truck! That stuff was worth more than you are alive!"

"I had to look out for my neck!"

"You're always looking out for you neck, especially when it's those guys!"

"Hey, even I get bored of doing that every time, but with pissed off warlocks and Tao Masters breathing down my neck, the last thing I need are some angry vampires and men in black suits!"

"You wouldn't have quite so many enemies if not for your shady dealings!" The midget said.

"True, but I'll make turning over a new leaf my New Year's resolution."

"I'll remember you said that, when you hand over the deed to your Miazake," the boss said who, despite wearing mask, Moka could tell was enjoying this.

"By the way, thanks for showing," Koga whispered in her ear. "I was really up against the wall, here."

"You...were?"

"Yeah."

"What's going on, and what's the Miazake Express?"

"My truck, now do me a favor and pretend you're glad to see me."

"What?"

"Just do it!" He says as Moka notices the masked stranger staring at the two of them.

"I hope we're not disturbing anything private?" The masked man asked.

"Uhh, oh I'm so sorry, please don't stay mad at me!" Moka cried, embracing Koga in a warm hug. Though it was all an act, the words themselves felt prophetic, coming out of her almost on impulse and without being rehearsed, as though they needed to be said; but, she had just met the guy.

"Smooth, smooth," Koga whispered in her ear with a big grin. "Now, see the guy standing behind me?"

"Yes. I noticed him on the way in, why?"

"Is he doing anything, any small movements at all?"

"He's been scratching his goatee a lot, why?"

"I thought so. Ass has been cheating this whole time! Follow my lead."

"Okay, enough dawdling Abarai, I raise you three aces!"

"Good one, boss!" One of his many underlings cheered him on.

"You got him for sure, boss!"

"Not bad, not bad," Koga complimented. "Mm, I'm thirsty; hey baby how about you get me a drink?"

"A...drink?" She asked, a little lost. "You want me to give you a drink?"

"Yeah, spot me," he said to her, holding up his cup and motioning for her to come around and grab the bottle of Saki.

Slowly catching his hint, she does as she's told, filling his cup in the process.

"Now, pretend to spill the bottle on him," he whispers when she's close enough, but holds the cup in front of him so as to not show him talking to her.

Moka prepares to walk back around to her seat with the bottle in hand and accidentally stumbles into the white-haired man, spilling its contents all over his purplish suit.

"HEY!" He screams.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" She says to him.

"Sorry, my ass! I just had this dry cleaned! Why, I ought to fry you, you little..."

"You gonna fry who?" Koga asked, giving the irate gentleman a look of foreboding intent that this, obviously lower class monster knew to steer clear of. "If the lady says it was an accident, then it was an accident, capice?"

"Capice," he said with great reluctance and then humbly bows to Moka. "My apologies."

It was then, during his bow that he got a good look at her and his eyes narrowed as if caught with some sense of familiarity.

"Hey, I ought to get that looked at unless you don't mind people thinking you went and blew chunks all on yourself!" Koga joked.

"...Yeah, I better get this cleaned," the guy said, eyeing Moka suspiciously the entire time. "Sorry, boss."

With his underling and ace in the hole now gone, the masked man knew it left him at the tender mercies of not only a high class monster, but a reputable high class poker player; if there was a hint of foreboding upon his face, that mask did well to hide it.

"Now, where were we?" Koga asked, grabbing a card from the deck. "Oh yes, you wanted me to lay down my cards. Well, after you."

The boss hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should go ahead with his deal or fold. As the situation at the table began to heat up, little did Moka know at the time, that several Fairy Tale agents had snuck in with the crowd and instantly spotted her pink hair, which stood out like a signal flare.

"All soldiers, come in!" One of the agents spoke into a wrist communicator. "We've located the target! We're at the local teahouse, meet us immediately!"

"C'mon boss, you can beat this loser!" The midget cheered his leader on.

"Show him how we do business, boss!" The loud giant roared.

"C'mon boss!"

"Yeah, you can do it!"

"Then we can rule the entire eastside with our new truck!"

All of his pompadour wearing, goofy looking underlings continued to cheer on their masked leader, but it didn't do him much in the way of instilling confidence as he eyed Koga with uncertainty.

"Yes, boss put me in my place," Koga egged.

"...Your place?" Moka asked, more to herself.

"But, before you put down, lets raise the stakes a little," Koga added. "My truck, and my services as a bodyguard, for your entire west side connections and your gang's services for whenever I might actually need it. Deal?"

"Why all of this, all of a sudden?" He asked him.

"Why not? We're playing for broke. How about it...Monster Industries?"

You cocky bastard...the leader thought. Why's he placing down these bets? Why is he even smiling like that? He couldn't have a winning hand, he's bluffing! Damn it, if his girl hadn't distracted my man, Koga would still be on the ropes and I'd have won by now!

"So, are we doing this while we're still young and beautiful or what?" Koga asked, breaking his opponent's train of thought.

Close to the breaking point, but too damn proud to quit, his adrenaline pumping so much that he could've jumped out of his skin, the masked man had two choices: fold or play ahead and hope for the best.

...FUCK IT! He thought. I'M DOING IT!

"ALRIGHT!" The man screamed, jumping up and striking a dynamic pose for everyone to witness.

"Hold on," the Fairy Tale agent said to his comrades. "Something's about to happen; wait."

"YOU THINK YOU CAN PUNK THE NOBLE, THE GREAT, THE UNBEATABLE LEADER OF THIS ILLUSTEROUS GANG YOU SEE BEFORE YOU! Well, think again, for I do not know the meaning of the word 'punk'! MEN, SOUND OFF!"

His top lieutenants all strike a pose as they sound off for the assembled crowd.

"HAHAHAHAH! I AM SEA MONK OF AWA!" Yelled the fat one.

"CHE-CHE-CHE! I AM GHOST BRAT OF IYO!" Yelled the midget.

"AND I AM...THE GOBLIN OF TOSA!" The Leader cried the loudest, and most boisterous of all. "And, with my man Wraith of Sanucki in disposed, WE...ARE...THE..."

"MONSTER INDUSTRIES!" They all say in unison, striking a very dynamic, though ridiculous pose.

"I accept your terms, fool!" Said the goblin. "You've sealed your fate, and now, we, shall own you! IS THAT RIGHT, MEN!"

Altogether, they begin chanting and striking their fists into the air, making themselves into a magnificent spectacle of manliness and brotherly love, as well as a group who's fighting spirit was comparable to none.

"HERE! TASTE MY EPICNESS AT THE ART OF POKER, AND BEHOLD, THREE KINGS AND TWO QUEENS! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Ohhhh," the Sea Monk bellowed. "You got him, boss, you got him, yeeeeahhh! BWAHAHAHAHA!"

"Che-che-che, that's great! Nothing's going to stop us now, boss!" The midget giggled, while the masked leader stood triumphantly as everyone basked in his glory, everyone but Koga.

"Aces and clubs," he said simply with a smile, laying the cards on the table with a very modest confidence. The gang seemed frozen in place, stuck permanently in their epic poses, despite the fact that they lost big, and that everyone knew it. "Now, as I was saying."

"You...you cheated!" The masked man accused. "Y-You cheated, there's no way you would've gotten that win, I had you!"

"I ought to take a serious offense at being called a cheat," Koga said. "You got some balls, ugly."

"I know you cheated, because I was winning up until my guy had to leave and..."

"And, what? You were winning, up until your guy left, the same guy you had standing behind me and looking over my shoulder, and throwing you signals about what I had on me? Is that what you were complaining?"

The irate gang leader was struck dumb and speechless by the accusation, and hearing the subtle sounds of disapproval from people all around them.

"How about you quit your whining and pay up! Let's see, you owe me money, that's for sure, triple than what was originally agreed when we started! And, I do believe I also own all of you, so I'll tell you what; pay what you owe and I'll forgo the servitude clause, entirely."

The distraught gang gathered into a huddle, discussing on what their next course of action should be.

"I...don't understand," Moka whispered to Koga. "If they're your servants, why are you giving them options? Why even play this...'game' with them and give them a fair chance to win, anyway?

"Oh, they're not my servants, well not yet," he replied. "I just want more money and to punk these losers for good, they're always getting on my nerves."

"But, I don't understand the nature of this game, what is it anyway?"

"It's a human game called poker. What, your kind don't play poker? Everybody does, the whole point is to either gamble for what you want, like me, or gamble it all away like these jack-offs."

"To...gamble? Is that what humans do? And you enjoy playing it?"

"Yeah, I play it all the time, this and Russian roulette, which is intense!"

"What is Russian Roulette?"

"Well, it's this game that was invented from way back, where you take this gun, six-shooter revolver, loaded with one bullet and put it in-between you and your opponent, and take turns pulling the trigger against your head; the one blows their brains all over the place is, naturally the loser."

"It sounds stupid; and these humans play games like that?"

"It's the game of chance; life is all about taking chances, it's just one big gamble. I'd say it's one of the few things these people have made that I actually like; got to know when to hold 'em or know when to fold 'em!"

"What do we do, boss?" A gang member mumbled to his leader as they continued to deliberate.

"See, like these jokers," Koga added, "some people just don't know when they should back away from the table and go home with what they got, so instead they need to be taken by guys like me in order to be taught a valuable lesson about life."

"I say, we take him," the midget suggested.

"Are you kidding, he'd rip us all to shreds, even with his powers restrained! Not that I fear him or anything, but a wise leader must know when to fight," The Goblin responded, then he eyes Koga's new woman. "It's all her fault, if only she hadn't shown up when she did, none of this would've..."

"Hey boss!" Said his silver haired subordinate who had just returned.

"Wraith!" He berated him. "What happened? How could you let that foolish girl take you by surprise?"

"Boss! She's no ordinary girl!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Doesn't she look familiar to you, boss? Like someone we know? The pink hair, the green eyes?"

Now that his underling had pointed it out, it soon began to dawn on him and everyone in the gang just how familiar this mystery woman was to them.

"Yes, I do believe I see it," the leader commented, more to himself. "There's only one way to find out."

"Well, Goblin, you and your 'Monster Industries' have wasted my time long enough, how about you pay up so we can get going?" Koga asked. "Me and my friend would rather be somewhere other than looking at you."

"Alright," said the Fairy Tale agent to his subordinates, "let's get ready to move in on my signal. We'll surprise her from behind; if any of those idiots get in the way, kill them."

"I would hate to keep you and your friend from anything more important you would like to do," the Goblin said, casually and as non-descript as possible. "A pink haired, femme fatale showing up out of the blue like that, she must be very special."

"I hope you're not implying anything indecent about the lady," Koga threatened.

"Not at all, just implying that she is, indeed very unique around here; it's not every day a beauty like hers shows up. I remember, many years ago, back when we were a low level gang of youths..."

"Which, you aren't now, right?" Koga asked.

"...As I was saying, I and most of my men can vividly recall another pink haired maiden who happened across our paths and reshaped our destinies. She carried with her a rosary from around her neck."

A rosary from around her...Moka thought with a heightened level of concern, meaning the sudden flash of memory she just had wasn't some random hallucination. It...couldn't be! If it is true, if these people do remember me, then that means...him...that man...he was real!

"No," she muttered, flinching in agonizing pain as she gripped the sides of her head.

"We do not remember her name, only by the one we gave her: ROSARY BOSS!" The Goblin went on, and then pointed towards Moka was still reeling from the sudden epiphany.

Koga noticed the men were making her feel uncomfortable and began to grow agitated; he also noticed the men in black near the entrance that had been eyeing the woman and appeared to be moving their way.

"Look, you children are aggravating the lady, so how about you either pay me my money or get ready to be my bitches for so and so, before I go I Stewie Griffin on all your asses!"

"You wear a rosary, don't you?" Asked the Wraith.

"I don't know what you're talking about!'' Moka replied.

"She must have it hidden under her shirt," said Ghost Brat, upon which Moka gripped her blouse with a bright blush.

"Alright, you guys are asking for it!" Koga yelled, getting ready to stand up in defense. "You insult my friend and now you gotta deal with the alpha male!"

What's going on? Moka asked, confused that this total stranger would stand up for her.

"Psst!" He quickly whispered to her upon getting up from his chair. "Behind! Don't look! Get ready to run!"

Moka didn't know what he meant, but unbeknownst to her, four Fairy Tale agents were narrowing the distance between them and their long awaited target.

"How about you apologize to the lady and we'll forget all of this," Koga suggested. "Well, not what you owe me, but I'm willing to go easy on you on getting my payment."

"C'mon, Rosary Boss!" Yelled Sea Monk. "Kick his ass and lead us!"

"Yeah, Boss," yelled another one.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Moka yelled as the Fairy Tale agents were less than a few feet away.

"Didn't she have another man with her?" The Wraith asked which grabbed Moka's attention. "Yes, there was something different about him, different from all of us."

Another man? Oh god, please...he couldn't be real, he couldn't! He's just a figment of my imagination, it doesn't mean anything!

But, deep down she knew it meant everything to her, and it frightened her to no end thinking about him. Was the doctor right? Did she really fall in love with a human? If so, then what happened to him? What did she do to him, if anything at all.

"I wonder what she did with him?"

"I thought they were inseparable!"

"She must've ditched him, somewhere."

"Stop it!" She shouted. "Just stop it!"

"Okay, that's it!" Koga yelled and seeing his cue, lifts the table up and punches through it, smashing his fist straight into Goblin's mask. "Heads up!"

During the ensuing chaos, he then swirls about and hits one of the Fairy Tale agents causing him to bump into one of his cohorts, who in turn fell into another guy, who spilled his drink on the blouse of another guy's date, this domino effect resulting in a massive free for all that erupted all around Moka.

"What's going on?" Moka asked as Koga grabbed her hand.

"I don't know, I thought you'd tell me," he replied. "Those guys in black suits aren't after me...as far as I know!"

"Ugh! You'll pay for that, Abarari!" The Goblin cried, vengefully. "I don't care how strong you may be, no one sucker punches the Goblin of Tosa and gets away with..."

Before he could make good on his threat, he noticed a draft upon his face and reaches up to feel the exposed contours of his face, a face that differed very little from that of his mask.

"Damn!" Koga went. "No wonder you're mad!"

"Huh, ooh, hoo, hoo!" The Goblin squealed in embarrassment, his once boisterous sounding voice now frail and nerdy. "M-M-MEN, GET HIM!"

"Not today!" Koga yelled, kicking one gang member in the stomach.

"Look out!" Moka cried out as a Fairy Tale agent got up and charged at the two.

Koga reaches under the man in mid-stride and flips him over, sending him flying into the Sea Monk, who was still enjoying one of his large cakes until the flying agent caused him to spill it. Picking himself up, with cake all on him, the agent didn't seem to care at all that growling, pissed off giant stood, towering over him with murder in his eyes.

"Outta my way, lard ass!" He yells at the behemoth. "Before I really get..."

The agent couldn't finish that sentence before the Sea Monk bats him away with an enraged fist. With everybody embroiled in a brawl, those low-level monsters like Monster Industries didn't feel the need to hold too much of their powers back as they found themselves engaged with some of Fairy Tale.

"Beat it!" One agent warned the Wraith.

"Heat it, you say?" The Wraith said as he produced a small fire ball from the palm of his hands. "O-kay."

"Oh, time to go," Koga said, making sure to grab a bottle of saki and, with girl in hand, punches his way out of the tea house before the Wraith set off a mini explosion that sent a number of agents, and some of his own men, flying. No one else was seriously hurt, but it did help chase a number of people out of the establishment, as well as create significant damage of which Monster Industries was left to deal with.

"My place!" The owner cried, and looked furiously at the last people standing, which was Goblin and his crew. "Who's going to pay for all of this?"

"Um, what do we do now, boss?"

Safely driving away from the scene in his Miazake Express, Koga laughs excitedly at what he had done, thinking it was the most fun he had in a long time, while Moka sat quietly next to him, confused.

"Wooh! Nothing like a good fight to get the day started!" He proclaimed. "You were pretty handy yourself in a jam! Thanks for having my back!"

Moka wanted to just sit there in silence, not wanting to discuss anything with anyone, but simply glad to be with anyone other than a human.

"Man, you're not much for talking today, aren't you?" He asked. "Does someone, normally have to take the initiative with ya or what?"

"...Who were those men back there?" She finally asked, seeing no point in remaining silent if she was to ride with him the entire time.

"Fairy Tale agents, from the look of it."

"Fairy...Tale? You've heard of them?"

"Who hasn't, besides a few people around here. I know it's none of my business, but...do those creeps, I mean the other creeps, the ones who started going on about 'Rosary Boss', did you...uh..."

"...You gonna drink that?" Moka asked, pointing to the saki, but grabs it without waiting for an answer and begins drinking it.

"Be careful with that, it's got a kick to it."

"I don't care," she says, reacting immediately to its strong taste, but desiring nothing more than to forget the question and hoping to forget what she saw. "Anyway, what difference is it of yours?"

"Sorry, just asking."

"What do you know about Fairy Tale?" She then asked him. "I heard them say you had troubles with them."

"Oh yeah, see I got something of a...off the books kind of operation, a part time occupation, if you will, where I rip off certain businesses of their 'goods', ferry said goods around the country and sell them at half the normal price. Had a few partners that I was working with at the time and we would strike at their sea ports, and one night the CEO caught wind of our little activity and sent down two of his 'problem solvers', your people, and downsized my company. So, I've been lying low, but still operating."

"What do you know about them?" She asked again, drinking the saki heavily, afraid at what else she might learn.

"What would you like to know? That it's a no good, less than wholesome conglomerate that has its fangs sunk in just about every business from here to Timbuktu? Or, that it's run by your not so-friendly neighborhood vampire family..."

"Shuzen," she replied.

"Ah, so you do know about them?"

"What are you implying?"

"Nothing, just that I know those guys back there weren't interested in me, that I am sure! But, I guess it's none of my business, so why bother with it."

"I...I don't know them, I never met them before in my life," she said, drinking more of the Saki. "And, I've never met those...people you were talking to, either. I don't know any of them, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. So, how's life been treating you at the house?"

"The house? Why? What do you care, you left me there."

"Just thought I'd ask."

"So, you just drop the conversation, like that and move on to something else, is that it? I didn't have to command you to stop, but you just moved on."

"Why wouldn't I? You don't want to talk about your life, then fuck it, you know."

Moka tried drinking more, but the Saki's affects already began to take their toll on her, and she found her thinking slightly impaired.

"Look...I just...you don't under...," she rambled. "You really don't care that I'm forced to live with them? With the humans?"

"Oh, I care, believe me I know what it's like."

"You do? They pick on you or force you to live by their rules?"

"Don't know about the picking on me part, I mean I got into a lot of fights in school, and it got so bad that I up and dropped out by the 8th grade, but it wasn't so bad it bugged me."

"Really?"

"Hell no, punk ass kids respected me by the time I up and left, they stopped talking about me behind my back, that's for sure. But, the being forced to live by their ways and being made to act like a trained pooch while they hold the leash? That always got to me."

"And...and you hate it? You hate it, the way I do, right?"

"Oh yeah, ever since I was kid."

"Then...then how can you work with them? How can you even play their games and...stuff?"

"Because; I mean, I gotta pay the bills. Hate won't do that for you; ain't got the time and energy to deal with all that, so I just move forward."

"Move...forward? I...I-I don't understand."

"Move on with your life, the whole hakuna matata mentality, can't waste your life worrying how humanity screwed you over in the past."

"I think...I think it's foolish. Just...plain...lazy."

"Whoa!" Koga said, as he began to notice her succumbing to the Saki. "How many drinks did you have?"

"What...diff-erence, is it of yours?" She asked, trying to drink the rest of the half emptied bottle.

"I told you to take it easy with that stuff!" He laughed. "Man, you are a light weight!"

"I...am a vampire...and I don't need..."

After an abrupt hiccup, Moka slumps over in her seat and lands her head in his lap. Faced with a past out chick in his cab, her apple-shaped head resting gently on his crotch as he eyed her supple body clothed in tight sweat pants and T-shirt all while driving, he found himself in a trucker's dream.

"A vampire you are indeed," he said to himself with a grin, remembering how they were often known as creatures of extreme everything, and what monster in his right mind would pass up the opportunity to take advantage of a helpless member of this sexually appealing and overly proud race or to simply dump or kill her before she had enough sense to retaliate; by all appearances, vampire Moka was in an uncompromising situation and at this monster's tender mercy.

XXX

After finally getting herself fixed up for her visit as best she could with the limited amount of clean clothing available, Moka Aono walked down main street with showy confidence to see Gin that same day. She was simply glad to get away from that apartment complex and it's dreary, increasingly uncomfortable atmosphere. It hadn't escaped her mind that Tsukune might show up at any moment while she was gone, but Moka had to get out of there or risk being driven mad. In any case, she both needed to raise some money in case Tsukune didn't show up on time with the money, in which a part of her felt depressed in thinking about him not showing up, and at the same time a part of her desperately wanted to see Gin again. She had heard he ran a Maid Cafe downtown, and the thought of working at such place would've, once upon time discouraged her, yet it now filled her with some growing excitement of trying something so dirty; but then again she was doing that a lot these days.

Is this what I want? She continued to ask herself. Should I even be doing this?

Of course you want to. You want to sit around that smelly apartment, anyway, waiting for that stubborn mate of ours to finally leave our sister and come home?

N-No.

Besides, we need the money and you need to do something to at least keep your mind off of expenses. Now, relax and keep doing what I tell you, I know what I'm doing.

Well, it's just I've never done anything like a...maid cafe, before, she thought to herself, blushing. What if I don't like it?

It's no different than when you, Kurumu and Yukari dressed up as maids and sold the school newspaper back at the academy.

The old School Newspaper Club that they worked on, both her, Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, Gin and...Tsukune; they would all work together for something that seemed so simple to her now and always had each other's backs. Those were good times, good times that felt so brief and wonderful, but now gone. Now, she had slept with Gin in front of Tsukune, chasing him away from her and possibly their marriage to god only knew where, and she had personally saw to having little or no contact with the others. She wondered if it had all been worth it, and if so then why did it hurt thinking about it? Why did it hurt her so much thinking about what she had done to Tsukune and why does it hurt thinking about him at all? But, most of all, why did hurt when she thinks of Gin and feel a strange excitement when there should only be total and complete revulsion?

Enough of that! Focus; Gin isn't anyone special, he's just our boy toy, remember? The tool we need to win this, so focus on the task at hand and we'll have everything we want: Tsukune, a future for our children, everything!

I...think I love him... more than just a…a boy-toy, I mean. Not like Tsukune, but just...in a way that's different from him, I think.

Whatever, just don't get too attached to him; when Tsukune returns and caves into our demands, we may have to limit seeing him. Now, just be as you have been before and don't let him see you begin to choke.

Moka considered her inner personality's words well, but when she finally stood outside Gin's establishment and saw what it was, her mouth fell open like a dead fish and any resolve she had nearly died on the spot.

"Welcome to Gin-Sempai's, where all your fantasies come true," said a pair of attractive and very young women standing outside of the establishment in nothing, but tight-fitting tank tops and striped panties. "May we pleasure your delight, master?"

What she originally thought was a maid cafe was actually a shimapan or panties cafe, where all the waitresses work in striped panties and tank tops, located conveniently down a red-light district; the thought of servicing patrons in nothing but underwear was less inviting than doing so in a maid outfit.

I...I can't...

Grow up, we've done worse! You thought you couldn't make passionate sex with Gin, either and you did, twice! What's walking about in your underwear amongst a bunch of high school twerps compared to what we did already? Don't let them see you chicken out! Now, go on or let me do it!

"...Um, ahem...m-may I please see your boss?" She asks one of the girls. "I'd like to...see about a job...here."

"Oh, then right this way," one of the girls happily said, gesturing with a hand for Moka to go inside, in broad daylight where she feared anyone she knew might see her going into such a place.

The cafe was bigger inside than it appeared outside, but it was seedy nonetheless with similarly clothed girls walking about the place on top of floors that boasted a surface shiny enough to cast a reflection. It was lunch hour, and the place was packed with hungry, horny business men who chose to have their lunch being served by teen girls in striped underwear. There were tables to sit at, but there also appeared to be leather sofas as well, where groups of men could sit and playfully pulled some of the girls down on their laps. To the far right of her was a large staircase that led upstairs where she could only imagine the people heading up there were doing, but descending down came the proprietor of this bustling business; to her his dark hair seemed beautiful, if not slightly disheveled and reeked with recently had sex that only she could tell, and become upset over.

"Moka, what a fine surprise!" He said. "I never thought you'd come to my place of business, you should've called, I would've had a rose waiting for you."

He notices a small vase containing some fake roses by the entrance and plucks one to present to Moka.

"For you," he offers.

"Uh, thanks," she says, taking the 'gift' without much consideration. "Why do you smell like sex?"

"Um, you see, I...oh boy. God, I really wish you called."

Forget about that, just ask him the question!

"F-Forget about it," she tells him. "I just wanted to ask you for a job. See, the rent is due at my apartment and Tsukune usually takes care of that, but since he isn't around I needed some money and so I..."

"Sure," he said without much consideration. "I always enjoy helping you out Moka, you know that."

His good intention came craftily veiled with a desire to see her strutting about in striped underwear and a T-shirt, and overcome with excitement he comfortingly drapes an arm around her, where his fingers gingerly gropes in between her buttocks.

"You needn't worry Moka," he said softly. "Your upperclassman is always there to assist your all your wants, I'm the new guy in your life now, and I'll always be there to lend a helping hand."

"I appreciate that, Gin," she said, blushing. "Do I need to fill out anything?"

"You? No need, just show up tonight and I'll get you set up. We do, however have a dress code and last I checked you don't own any striped panties."

The very conversation itself was abhorrent to say the very least, but to this housewife just the feel of his strong arm wrapped around her tiny, supple frame once again, of his toned fingers going up under her short skirt and smoothing the crease in her panties as she stared up into a suave, debonair grin brought back more urges and conflicting emotions. Once again, she found herself torn between pleasuring herself or pining for her lost husband, but growing physical demands brought her to the brink of diving headlong into base desires and erased all feelings of doubt in the choice she was making.

"Do...do they have to be striped?"

"Yeah, but no problem, I got like several used pairs upstairs from girls who don't need them anymore, I can loan them to you if you'd..."

"No!" She said, a bit abruptly than she meant to, but balked at the thought of wearing used panties. "I mean, that's okay, I'll...go out right away and buy some, and then I'll be back tonight."

"Fine by me, and after work tonight, you and I can stay after hours for some quality time, eh?"

"Of course, and thank you," she says and prepares to leave.

"Moka," he said, stopping her in place with a gentle grab of her arm by his strong, but tender grasp, a grasp that a part of her wished was a little rougher in spite of the mixed feelings. "I just want you to know, you made the right choice."

"...I know," she said, swallowing back her emotions, and left to go buy a new pair of panties for work tonight.

XXX

When Moka Akashiya finally awoke, the sun was already beginning to set behind the trees and nightfall was slowly approaching. She remembered riding in a truck with a strange man she had recently met the day before and got drunk off of some Saki, but it now felt like they've stopped somewhere. Alarm hit her upon realizing with mounting dismay that she had fallen asleep inside the truck's cabin with him and feared she must've been subject to all sorts of heinous things while unconscious. Rising up with a start, she soon discovers however a denim jacket and an old trucker's cap had been draped over her, while all her clothes remained intact; in fact, Moka found no reason to suspect she was molested at all, only that someone had simply allowed the girl to sleep unmolested.

So, he just let me sleep? She wondered with some mild apprehension. Where is he?

She sees the driver side door open, letting in a cool, almost summer time breeze in, where outside she sees him lying by a nearby creek, dangling a fishing line that was tied around his right toe with a pile of freshly caught fish lying next to him. Bewildered, she puts on the jacket and cap, and immediately hops out of the truck to confront him rather than leave without saying anything, his peculiar actions so far have compelled her to seek some answers.

"So, sleeping beauty finally awakes!" He jokes without even looking up from his fishing. "You really are a light drinker, I mean I think you only drank half a bottle, usually it takes me four or five of the stuff to get me blitzed!"

"How long have I been out?" She asked.

"Oh, I'd say a few hours; a cat nap. I know some people who'd go to sleep at three in the afternoon and wake up early next morning!"

"And, you've been out here this whole time?"

"No, first I stopped at a bait and tackle store just a few miles out of town, chat for about an hour with a buddy of mine who owns the shop, then stopped to grab a quick burger to eat, drove a few more miles listening to my mix tape, and yes people still make mix tapes, and then finally decided to stop to fish; this hour is usually the best to catch fish, by the way, and being a country boy myself, I never pass up a good opportunity like this!"

"And, this whole time you...let me sleep, undisturbed?"

"Yeah, I figured it was the gentlemanly thing to do to let a lady sleep off a hangover."

"Why?"

"Why?" He asked, looking up at her with bewilderment of his own.

"Yes, why? Most guys in your position would've taken the opportunity to...you know. You really expect me to believe you honored my privacy this whole time?"

"Well...yeah. You're welcome by the way."

"Welcome? You don't expect me to say thanks to you, I'm a vampire."

"Yeah, yeah, vampires are supreme, vampires are awesome, ya-da, ya-da, ya-da, only now you're a vampire with no memory, zero tolerance to rice alcohol, and who could've gotten a ride with a guy who would've taken advantage of you; if that's what you're into."

"...How...how dare you imply that!" She responded, visibly shocked at such an assertion.

"I think I have fair enough reason to imply that, seeing as how instead of thanking me for being celibate, you're asking me why I didn't rape you in your sleep!"

"That isn't what I meant at all, it's just...you being so nice and all, you can't really expect me to believe that you would help me twice and not expect anything out of it!"

"Well, first of all you so far ain't loaded, so I'd say I can't get much out of ya, anyway! Second, I don't rape women, no matter how rape able they seem! And third, who says I need a reason to do anything nice. You vampires go about acting like the world owes you a favor for simply existing and think you aren't deserving of a little sincerity. You also act like you're entitled to do and get whatever it is you want without expecting any consequences, now I could've raped you back there thanks to your decision to get wasted rather than talk about why those guys had it in for you back at the bar, going on about that rosary around your neck, which isn't real hard to miss considering I can see the choker it's attach to as plain as day; real smart princess!"

Moka felt indignant that this monster would talk down to an S-class monster such as her, but at the same time she blushed deeply at making such a foolish mistake like that.

"Luckily for you, I ain't about that. I may be many things: a scoundrel, scum, heavy drinker, brawler, working class slob or, if you're like my ever-loving ex-wife, a deadbeat loser, but a pervert I am not! Now, you must be starving, I know I am; want some? How about it; I cook, you clean?"

"Is this…relaxing for you?"

"Nah, I was just hungry for some fish. It's so much cheaper to get food straight from the source than buying it. I was planning on sharing my catch with you anyway, before I take you back."

"Take me back?"

"Yeah; you didn't still think I'd take you away from that place? They'd have a manhunt out for you before you even got two towns over!"

Moka was deeply reluctant to go back to the halfway house, but finding herself out in the middle of nowhere and unwilling to simply stomp off and run into someone who probably would take advantage of her, she saw very little options available.

"C'mon, I got one more coming up and we can wolf all of this down!" He said with a big smile.

"Wolf down? You mean you expect me to..."

"I expect you to not act like a stuck up lady, for once and chow down on this fish like you did with that Saki! You can eat like slob, right?"

Moka blushed again, and Koga felt like laughing. With the sun still setting and darkness only hours away, Moka sat by the camp fire, having eaten almost half of her helping of cooked fish with the inscrutable Koga as he regaled the woman with stories about his past: of his mother and sister, quitting school at age 14, traveling all over the countryside doing anything to make ends meet whether it was wrestling crocodiles in Indonesia or working as a debt collector for the Yakuza. By age 20 he got his GED, married his childhood sweetheart for about 2 years before divorcing, and spent the last part of his life as a trucker; all in all Koga was becoming less mysterious by the minute, helping her to open up a little, only telling him things about herself that she could remember, but comfortable enough in revealing them.

"...And, now that my ex has taken pretty much everything I own, short of my truck, I now have to make ends meet," he goes on, finishing up on the story of his less than stellar life, though he made it sound interesting to her.

"Wow, you've...had it pretty rough," she said.

"Whoa, you actually listened? Most girls I tell that to usually drone it out, but then again most girls I talk to will also give it up to you for money."

"Well, you are interesting, and quite nice."

"Thanks, I'll take that as payment for the meal I brought in."

"I did help clean it."

"That was down payment, listening to my sob story was the full payment."

Moka laughed, the first time since she could remember, and noticed that she was no longer being plagued by disembodied voices or dealing with humans ever since hanging out with him. She found Koga very charming, a bit rough around the edges, but charming and polite, in which a rare quality he was.

"Thankyou," she said quietly, as if it took a lot of courage to say.

"Thanks for the meal? Oh, you're welcome."

"No, not that. Thanks for...you know, what you did for me today. You're right, I...should've been more appreciative."

"Hell, don't mention it, just being me. And, um, I want to apologize for giving you a hard time with all of the questions and everything; I keep forgetting you got amnesia. Forgetting...amnesia, ha, I think I just made the world's sorriest pun, huh?"

"Huh? Oh, oh, I get it, amnesia is when you forget; funny! But, seriously don't worry about it, I'm okay."

"That's really all you remember? What the doc helped recover?"

"Yes. If I knew those men at the tea house, then...it's locked away in my memory. I certainly hope that...me and...that goblin guy...ehh!"

"Ha! I wouldn't worry, I'm pretty sure that guy couldn't get lucky with Chinese prostitute, let alone a lady such as yourself."

"Stop," she said, gushing uncontrollably. "I'm no lady."

"I've never been one to agree with a vampire on anything, even on pain of death. You're a lady alright, there's no denying that."

Moka noticed a necklace about his neck, hanging just inside of his dirty, white T-shirt and wondered if it was a rosary just like hers, maybe even making him a fellow vampire just like her.

"Is that...around your neck," she points out.

"Hmm, this?" He asked, pulling out a crude necklace that had large claws strewn at its center.

"Is that a...power seal? I was asking because...I don't know, I thought maybe you were a vampire like me."

"Oh, no, it's just...something from my father, really. It's nothing, just a reminder. Actually, believe it or not, my power seal is in the eye patch."

"It is?"

"Yeah, it ain't just decoration, you know. But, hate to burst your bubble, I'm not a vampire; sorry."

"Oh," she said, looking a little disappointed. "It's okay."

As disappointed as she was, she nonetheless found some tranquility in the setting they were in; the sound of crickets chirping, birds making strange calls as dusk settled upon them and the time being spent with a new friend, it all brought Dr. Kohaku's words back to her.

Why think about that, now? She wondered with growing aggravation. It has nothing to do with being human, not at all!

"It is really nice out here, though," she comments.

"You think so, too huh? Being a trucker, you travel all over the countryside and you see lots of places like this. I was once down by Osaka, find this large creek with a view that, at a time like this, the sun sets on the water and its sparkling like diamonds."

"Really? I wish I could go to a place like that, maybe even one day go with you, once this is taken care..."

It was just then, just as she was feeling some connection being established with Koga, that her train of thought was interrupted by the call of a most unusual bird calling overhead. The two look up and see that the unusual sound came from a very unusual and surprising sight: that hob-knobbing amongst a murder of ravens flying over yonder, each one as silky black as night, there appeared with them was a large, brown bird that Moka at first mistook to be a hawk, only as it landed in a nearby tree did it turn out to be a rare, brown colored raven. Moka thought she was seeing things, that the glare from the sun was playing with her eyes and that she only mistook it to be brown, but upon looking closer, the bird did indeed appear to have cinnamon colored wings, as brown as the chestnut bark that held up the green trees all around.

"Is...is that raven...brown?" She asked Koga.

"Oh yeah, good eye; yeah, this must be a first for you, huh? It's rare, but every so often you see a brown raven. I dated this witch once who was into ravens, told me once in a blue moon you'll see some born with different colored feathers like white, splotchy or spotty, but that the brown ones are the rarest ones of all and if you see one, then obviously you were meant to."

"You don't say," she said, strangely drawn to this unique specimen. She found it odd that she would notice it out of the blue, and that its very presence seems to take all of her focus as though it was the most beautiful thing her green eyes had privilege to witness. Its chestnut wings reflected the golden rays of the sun, casting a bronze sheen about its smooth, pretty feathers as though they were metallic, and its radiance seemed to draw all the other ravens about it.

"Look at that," he said, pointing out at the birds. "See, all of them are females, except for him. You'd think, because he was so different that they'd keep away from him, but nah, because its mating season and it looks like all the girls are flocking to him! Ladies' man! I think it's because that he stands out, like how peacocks mate, you know."

He was surrounded by so many female ravens, all flocking around him either out of curiosity or because of his attractiveness, and yet he seemed uninterested in either of them; strangely enough, it seemed to her that his large, strong, yet gentle eyes were trained only on her. She didn't feel weird out or unphased by it in anyway, instead Moka felt honored and even possessive that his attention be on her and only her, despite upon being a clearly, separate and highly removed species from him.

"He's beautiful," she found herself saying.

"Easy, I think they saw him first," he joked. "Besides, I'd say he's a little out of your league, don't you think?"

Her stomach started to growl, catching her by surprise that she would still be hungry, but apparently it was loud enough for all in the vicinity to hear because Koga smiled, knowingly.

"Hungy, still?" He asked.

"Yeah, I guess fish alone isn't going to do it for me," she said, almost looking at him pleadingly.

"You vampires need blood to replenish your strength, right?"

"Yes; that or tomato juice as a substitute. I'm sure I can get some more elsewhere."

"Why wait and go hungry? I say, if you gotta eat, then eat."

He rolls up his sleeve and presents his bare arm for her to bite on.

"You...you really don't mind?"

"Nah, just don't drink too much, I gotta drive you know?"

Moka bites her lip, unsure if she should do it, but her stomach was growling and the sweet taste of that warm liquid coursing down the woman's throat once again after what felt like forever did seem too inviting to pass up.

"You're sure about this?" She asked once more.

"Will you go ahead and drink, the mosquitos are starting to bite and I'm afraid they won't leave much behind for you at this rate."

"...Mm, okay, but I...I prefer the neck, that's where I...ahem, get the most blood in a single bite," she replied, blushing.

"Oh, okay," he replied and tilts his neck towards the right, exposing a nice, healthy vein for the hungry vampiress. "Like this?"

"...Yes," she said with hunger in her green eyes.

Never had he seemed so tempting to her before than now, the throbbing of blood pumping and undulating underneath his membranous skin with each pass almost beckoning to her, its thumping sounds like an addictive music that captured Moka in a trance. As she moved in closer to him, she could begin to smell it, permeating her taste buds and leaving an enchanting taste, and yet there was something missing, like a secret ingredient. But, blood was blood, and if Koga was all too willing to supply her with the rich nectar that all vampires crave for, nectar that she had been denied for far too long, then who was she to be choosey. It was Moka's hope that Koga would become a good friend to her, it was something else she wanted badly out here in the middle of nowhere, and so far he's proven to not only generous, but someone she could trust as such, and maybe even more. However, when her sharp, piercing fangs bit into his neck and began literally inhaling his blood, her pleasure faded instantly as though some mechanism in her brain had found rejected the blood being processed. It wasn't him, far from it, Koga was a nice person, but her taste buds just flat out rejected his blood and she immediately pulled away before ever fully being satiated.

"What's wrong?" He asked, noticing her abrupt release, which she hadn't meant to be so. "Is everything okay?"

She couldn't bring herself to explain to him that his blood tasted wrong to her, for she found it hard to explain to herself. Ever since losing her memories, there has been a taste, a certain taste that persisted on her tongue like a ghost, and much like an addict there was nothing else she consumed that served as an adequate replacement.

"...Um...yeah," she said. "I think I'm going to go for a walk, instead. Clear my head."

"You sure everything is okay?" He asked, but she was already wandering away, lost in thought.

What is wrong with me? She thought. I'm a vampire, right? I'm supposed to like blood, so what is it about Koga's blood that doesn't agree with me? Why can't I enjoy a can of tomato juice without taste buds acting up? Is it because I crave only human blood, when blood is just blood? Or, is it because there's someone else's blood that I crave?

The sudden realization hit her like a frightening thought, wondering who had bewitched her so that she was at risk of starving to death and how could it be undone. It was stupid that she would be that hung up on the blood of one man unknown to her or that it would be causing so much woe. Suddenly, a loud caw and the sudden rustling of trees snapped Moka out of her thoughts as she looks up to see the large, chestnut colored raven taking off down the path ahead of her. Curiosity gripping her ever more about this creature she ran after it, wanting to see where it landed to next and hoping to touch it or even capture it herself. She felt confident in apprehending the creature, as being vampire she had the speed and capability to capture a creature as simple as a bird, even one as exotic looking as this bird. As she ran, she had already made up her mind not to let this fascinating creature go, unknowing of if or when she'll ever get another opportunity to see it, and fantasizing that if her memories ever returned and was reunited with her family, that she would have such a fantastic creature to keep as a pet. However, the bird proved to be faster than she realized, flying ever further ahead of her that she had to quicken her pace in the thick wood, in which the bird had no problem soaring through with a supernatural stamina all in its own. It flew through the ever growing shadows of the trees, almost disappearing from sight underneath, however every so often it'll pass through an opening and the sun would strike it's bronzed feathers like a moving homing signal for her to follow. Still, fly as it could, she was nonetheless confident that if push came to shove, she can catch it with relative ease; catching a bird is no large feat for a predator like a vampire, catching a fleeing human would be considered child's play. Unfortunately and strangely enough, her quarry disappears suddenly, as though it was nothing more than a figment of her imagination, and would've been chocked up as such if not stumbling upon a single large, brown feather on the ground, freshly removed from the bird as if either a parting gift, a taunt or confirmation that he was indeed real. Upon examining it after picking it up, she noticed no aberration in its coloration, just smooth chestnut appearance with some silver along the edges. The texture was soft and delicate in her hands, while her fingers which constantly ran sent a calming effect through her and she felt extreme calm for whatever reason, like everything would be alright.

I better get back, she thought, noticing how far she had gotten out, but still delighted in her recent acquisition.

What came next was a subtle interruption to her tranquility, however as the sweet, familiar metallic smell of blood, human blood wafted gently in the wind coming from a direction towards her left. Intrigued, she followed the invisible contrails to its source not too far away, but it was the brutal sounds of hitting that greeted the curious vampire before sighting it at the wood's edge, and it was what greeted her eyes that proved to be more disturbing than satisfying.

"Get up!" Yelled a muscular, sweaty foreigner who stood outside his small, run down house beating up on what Moka originally thought was a little, rag doll, but when that "doll" began to stir, she realized to her horror that it was young boy. "You worthless, no good shit! Always getting into trouble, worrying your mom to no ends!"

"C'mon, Ryan leave that kid alone and get inside!" A woman at the door, watching the entire proceedings, a woman she assumed was the boy's mother, said in a more irritated tone than concerned.

"Shut up and get your ass back in the house!" The man yelled back at her, and turned his attention to the writhing form on the ground, in which he takes his massive, combat boot and kicks him so hard, the kid was literally lifted up into the air by its force. "Come on, get up! You supposed to be tough and shit!"

When the boy failed to do as he was told, the towering man actually grew irate at what he perceived in his alcohol addled mind as defiance or just plain weakness, raised his giant foot to deliver a bone rendering stump on his back.

"You worthless..." he muttered, raising his foot again, preparing to deliver an even harder stomp on his back and teach the boy a lesson for his defiant and weak stance, when suddenly the man was violently propelled backwards onto his ass by a force he at first didn't see. "...W-What the f..."

He was more affected by the sudden shock of being attacked by an unseen assailant than his painful landing, but as he quickly regains his senses and sees his attacker standing before him was nothing more than a pink haired woman, any sense of shock died underneath a wounded pride that the man sought to remedy.

"Who the fuck are you, bitch?" He asked, angrily standing up and towering over her with a 6ft. 5in. frame that would've intimidated most, but Moka stood her ground firm, green eyes aflame with seething rage at this overgrown android's attack on a helpless child. "I said, who the fuck are you and what are you doing on my property?"

"How dare you," she seethed. "How dare you beat up on a defenseless kid!"

"What are you, his teacher?"

"No, I'm not, I was walking by when I saw what you were doing to him, son of a bitch!""

"Huh! Stupid, mother-fucking japs, always butting their heads into things that don't concern them!"

"You want to fight someone, then why don't you try fighting someone your own size...bitch!"

"Oh yeah? Like you? You don't think I won't hit a woman? You don't think I won't mess up that pretty, little face?"

The man stalks menacingly toward Moka like an ogre, his blue eyes filled with such sinister intent that she wasn't sure if what she was dealing with was a human or some low level monster in human guise, but either way her resolve was far from shaken as his shadow loomed over.

"...Too bad," he said in a thick, lust filled voice, "you ain't bad looking. Maybe when I'm done with you, I'll just make an example out of you, right here, right now; show the boy what it really means to be a man."

With that said, Moka swiftly kicks him hard and sends the man flying back onto his ass. This only infuriated him further, who jumped to his feet even faster, fueled now by both pride and adrenaline and swiftly marched towards her, fists balled tightly into solid, red pistons ready to pound her face in.

"Thats it!" He roared. "Time to put you in your place, bitch!"

A fist raised, he sends it careening towards her while in mid-stride, and she readied herself in a battle stance, determined to meet his attack head on, when another intervened in between the two combatants, catching his fist and stopping it stone cold.

"No way man!" Koga yelled. "It ain't happening!"

With impressive strength of his own, sends the man flying back onto his ass with just simple push of an arm and stood defensively before Moka.

"Koga!" The man yelled. "The hell are you doing here, I didn't know you were back!"

"Well, I am and I see you're up to no good, as usual!"

"If she's your bitch, then maybe you ought to tell her to mind her own, goddamn business!"

"If you don't shut that goddamn mouth of yours, I just might make you into my bitch! Now back the hell off, man!"

Still pumped up with pride and anger, the man looks up at Koga, whom he knew was a bear in a fight, and if he were a smart, betting man, would know to back down.

"Raaawwwr!" The man roared, lunging at Koga who merely punches him in the face and knocking him a few feet away towards his porch.

"RYAN!" Cried the woman who came out to assist him, and eyed Koga with hate. "You two better get out of here before I call the cops!"

Helping Ryan to his unsteady feet, she lumbers him grumbling some inaudible defiance back inside his home.

"Lucky thing I decided came to check up on you," Koga said. "You alright?"

Moka had so far been rescued twice and she still didn't know how to respond to that, but her mind quickly returned to the wounded boy at her feet who steadily tried to get back up.

"His hurt," she said to Koga as she rushed to the young lad's side. "We have to do something!"

"I wouldn't, if I were you," he said to her.

"What are you saying?" She asked, surprised at his sudden reluctance. "He's a human boy, his bones aren't strong as ours, he'll need some medical treatment."

"...I really don't think you understand."

Annoyed, Moka tries to help steady the boy to his feet and attempts to look at his injuries.

"Are you alright?" She asked. "Can you walk? I can find some people to leave you with, they'll take care of your wounds."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" The boy cried out, smacking her helping hand away and upon looking up at her with furious, brown eyes; it was then that Moka received a most unwelcomed shock: the boy she had saved was none other than Suzaku, the neighborhood bully whom she had chased earlier today.

"It's...it's you!" She stammered. "But..."

"Suzaku, man look," Koga tried to tell him, but the boy, who's pride was more wounded than the broken bones and bruises on his face wouldn't allow him to acknowledge their sincerity.

"I don't need your help!" He said, staggering to his feet with great difficulty, the anger in his voice straining to hold back a trimmer of an emotion.

"I don't understand; why was your father...?" Moka tried to ask.

"I said get LOST FREAK!" He screamed at her, staring up into her green eyes with a veiled pain in his puffy, brown ones so acute and so intense from the swollen, purplish cheeks which surrounded them that it was almost heartbreaking.

"BOY!" An irate voice cried out from within the house. "YOU BETTER GET YOUR ASS IN HERE, NOW!"

Without saying another word, Suzaku stumbles back into the house where, behind closed doors they can hear the man yelling some more curses and insults at him.

"That wasn't the boy's father," Koga tells her, looking at the house with equal forlorn. "His name is Ryan Mathewson, a Marine from one of the U.S. bases stationed here who shows up every once in a while to bang the boy's mom. He's a real treat; just about everyone can't stand him, not even his fellow servicemen, always picking fights and turning into a drunken loser whenever he can't back it up. I heard once while on patrol in Afghanistan, his own squad tried to leave him behind during an ambush so the enemy could get him."

"He was...beating on the boy," she muttered. "I still can't believe it was him! Why?"

"Because, he thinks he's cock of the walk!"

"No, why does the boy's mother allow this to happen?"

"Because, the sex is great. Why else would any woman bet on a guy like that? He beats her, too when he doesn't get his way, but he loves beating on that kid of hers, claims he trying to teach the boy on how to be a man; makes him feel superior. And, as you've seen so far, the boy takes it out on you and pretty much anyone else he thinks deserves it."

"Deserves what?"

"For him being born, I guess? I try to stay out of it, it's another one of those complicated, human affairs, but that's just how they are."

Moka grew angry as memories of yesteryear came flooding back, reminding her of Takane and how she and her parents inflicted pain upon everyone to make themselves feel good.

"I hate humans," she muttered under her breath. "I mean it, I really hate humans! They're all the same, all of them!"

"C'mon, Luce let's not stay around here, any longer than I want to," he said to her as he tries to gently lead her away and noticing how much her body trembled a little with a smoldering rage. "Like I said, I try not to get involved; it's hazardous to your health."

"My health? Ha! I feel just fine! For a while, I was actually feeling sick after what the doctor told me, trying to make me believe I was wrong about humanity when it was he who's in the wrong! I can't wait to tell him what I saw today, to see the look on his face when he tell him what I think of him!"

"Well, if you're going to do that, then now would be a prime time to tell the good doctor off!"

"And, why is that?"

"Because, the guy probably only has a few years to live; he's got Leukemia and it's slowly killing him."

The news came at her like a sudden shock of electricity from an unknown source, never fully anticipating a bit of news like that.

"Oh, you don't know, do you?" Koga asked. "Well, I'm not surprised as my species have a better sense of smell than yours, but you can smell it in his blood which, it's probably not a good idea to drink from, but then again I don't know how vampires respond to tumors. But, yeah he's chock full of holistic medicine inside, but I'd say he's on borrowed time; such is the fate of being mortal, I guess. And, rather than simply staying at care facility and giving his daughter over to his ex-wife so as to spare her the burden of taking care of his sorry ass, he's running this half-way house and putting that girl of his through all of this drama for no other reason than because he's pissed and wants everyone around him to be just as miserable. Still, no skin off my back; wouldn't be surprised if the next time I come by here, I find another guy in his place. Business as usual."

Moka took all of it as it was and didn't question any of it; humans were like that, and since they were mortal and susceptible to death, it would stand to reason that on the last days they would seek out to drag as many people they know down with them into despair.

"Take me away from here, please," Moka pleaded once again.

"Hey look, it's gonna be fine at that place. They're humans, but really the worst they could do to you is get on your nerves a little."

"Why should I continue being around these ignorant people!"

"Because, these ignorant people run the law around here, for one, and we have to obey them in the name of harmony or suffer the consequences; god, it sounds like my last marriage, sheesh!"

"It should be us who make the laws and they the ones who have to obey them or else," Moka said with an icy bitterness that could've literally chilled the air around them and might've scared away most of the small, eavesdropping animals as they scurried away in the underbrush.

"Yeah," he laughed. "And, what exactly would you do, Judge Dredd?"

Moka was ready to answer, though not having really thought out her hatred carefully and undeterred in saying something she would later regret, but fortunately a most unwelcomed, and surprised interrupting came from a familiar voice crying out from the shadows.

"LUCY!"

"Who the fu..." Koga started to say as his scent and hearing could immediately ascertain the identity of Moka's ardent pursuer even before she came into view.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as Rin came running up.

"Looking...for you," she replied, short on breath and sweat raining down from her hair matted brow.

"Damn, you look like you've been running through the jungle!" Koga joked.

"Huh? Oh, hi Koga! Man, Lucy you can run, I've been looking all over for you!"

"You've been searching for me this whole time?" Moka asked with some surprise. "Why?"

"Why?" Rin responded with some level confusion. "Uh, so you won't get in trouble if you don't report back in time, which is 3 minutes from now."

"And, you got lost in the woods just so you can find me?"

"I'm not lost, I grew up around here, and I know the area like the back of my hand!"

"You shouldn't have come looking for me; I was just fine on my own!" Moka replied with stiff indifference. "I prefer to stay with Koga!"

"Come on, Lucy, I know he's cool and all..."

"Thanks," he said with suave smile.

"But, you have to report back or my dad's going to call the cops to say you went AWOL! Koga, tell her...please."

"...You heard the lady," he said, and gives a wink at the girl, who blushed upon receiving such an acknowledgement from this dark-skinned, one eyed rogue. "Besides, I better get on back to my pad before Monster Industries decide to give me a congratulatory trashing ceremony for earlier. You gotta go back."

"Fine, I intend to see Dr. Kohaku, anyway, so I may as well get this over with!"

"Good, now let's go!" Rin eagerly persuaded.

"I guess I should give these back?" Moka asked, taking off the jacket and cap, but Koga declines.

"Keep em, I got a ton like them anyway. And, I gotta say you really pull off the denim jacket and trucker hat look, if ever there was one. I'll see you around, Luce!"

"Um...see ya...around, too Koga," Rin nervously says, upon which the tan-skinned gentleman smiles in return, causing the girl to nearly lose herself by the simple gesture and watches him leave.

"Well?" Moka asked, impatiently.

"Well, what?" Rin asked, her attention elsewhere as she watches Koga's ass in his tight, denim jeans walk away.

"Are we going or what?"

"Oh! Uh, yeah let's...let's definitely get out of here before...we get laid...I-I mean, before we get late, I mean before we're late; that's right, I meant to say that! C'mon, I know a shortcut."

Rin doesn't anymore time dawdling about in her stupor, she grabs Moka by the hand hurriedly leads her back through the woods towards the halfway house. Already in a foul mood from her encounter with Suzaku's parents, Moka greatly detested being led anywhere by a human and jerks her hand back.

"I can walk by myself," she said to the girl.

"Oh, okay," Rin replied and lets her go first. "But, you don't know which way to..."

"I can find my way through these woods on my own; I don't need the likes of you to show me around these woods!" Moka yelled back while walking incredibly fast for the girl to catch up on.

"Hey, wait up!" Rin cried out as she scurried after her, but didn't have far to go as Moka appeared to be stumbling in the other direction, uncertain if this was the right way to take, and yet unwilling to let the girl know. "Um, Lucy."

"I don't need your help!" She yelled back, obstinate and still walking in the other direction.

"Yeah, but you're going in the wrong direction; the halfway house is that way," Rin tells her, pointing straight ahead of her. Rin couldn't see it, not that Moka would've preferred it, but the proud vampire tracker was blushing heavily at the error in judgment, and quickly regains her composure so as to march back to Rin with nary a sign of defeat.

"I knew that," she muttered.

"Maybe I should lead the way," Rin suggested.

"You think I'm stupid, don't you?"

"Huh, no! What gave you that idea?"

"Alright, so I screwed up back there, it doesn't make you smarter than me or better than me!"

"Lucy, I never said I was smarter than you or better than you, I don't think that at all!"

"Y-You don't?" Moka asked, visibly confused at this human girl's response.

"No, what would make you say that? Trust me, I wish I was like you!"

"You...do? But..."

"Yeah, why wouldn't I think so? You are so cool, like the most awesome girl I've ever met!"

"You...think I'm cool? Awesome?"

"Yeah, you're beautiful, even with Koga's clothes on you, which by the way is cool in itself that you're such good friends with him; and you just tore through the forest after those boys without hardly breaking a sweat or getting dirty, and you're hella strong, too! I don't know how you do it, but you gotta tell me your secret!"

Moka wasn't sure how to handle this human girl, or how to react to this situation; not too long ago she witnessed an incident that reaffirmed her prejudice towards humanity and now here was a human girl idolizing all of the qualities that made vampires unique to her kind. She had complained about how her classmates used to pick on her because they were jealous, but she couldn't remember a single one ever showing any idol worship like some little, middle school girl was; it was what she wanted and yet it felt so uncomfortable.

"You're just different," Moka muttered.

"Huh, you say something?"

"You're annoying. Stop it! Just stop looking up at me, okay! I'm different from you, that's all, so just drop it."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say anything to upset you."

Moka looked at the kid and she couldn't help, but feel some guilt for being so ugly towards her, even if a part of her balked at bestowing any form of compassion to a lowly creature.

"No...it's alright, I didn't mean it," she finally said to the kid. "It's just been a bad...bad time for me, that's all."

"Losing your memory and all, I guess I can understand."

"You are special, though."

Rin beams up at her and views it as a compliment.

"Why, thank you, Lucy! Y-You really mean it? Me, special?"

"I meant in the way you act, you're special from the other humans because you're not so narrow minded and intolerant, that's all."

"Oh. Um, thanks. I...try not to be."

"...But, you're also pretty too, so that's something."

"Oh, thanks!"

"Why did you come all this way after me, anyway?" Moka asked. "You could've went about your business and left me; why'd you make it any of your business what happens to me?"

"Because, silly, you're my friend, I'm supposed to look after you."

Her friend? She thought and upon looking down at this smiling girl who walked next to her, an image flashed before her eyes, that of a different girl entirely, one with dark hair, purplish eyes and an equally large smile, a smile of idol worship, as well as friendship.

"You okay, Lucy?" Rin asked, her features returning within the blink of an eye.

"Yeah," she replied and moved on, though her mind once again at war with itself, remaining so all the way back to the halfway house, followed by a sound calling away in the wind from around her that she assumed was that raven again, but didn't want to think that it was something else entirely.

It was many years ago and again Moka found her appearance changed, her demeanor slightly altered, and the setting different from before. It was easily recognizable this time as being inside her family's castle, her tiny, pre-teen frame walking about the family's palatial dining hall as many servants bustled about in setting up everything for what appeared to be an upcoming event. By her side walked her mother, appearing as elegant in her crimson, laced dress as she could ever remember who seemed to be supervising the organizing.

"But, mother why not?" Moka complained.

"Because, it'll be too inappropriate for you to try, dear," her mother patiently explains, her warm smile doing little to pacify Moka's obstinate mood.

"But, Angelica Pierce and the other kids are going to participate in their first bout, so can't I? Are you ashamed of me, mother?"

"Of course I'm not ashamed, where would you get an idea like that? Besides, Angelica Pierce is far older than you and it wouldn't be too dangerous for her to do."

"Dangerous? Oh mother, I can fight and defeat anyone who challenges me."

"I'm sure you can," her mother laughed, finding her young daughter's defiant outlook charming rather than annoying. "You are my brave, little warrior after all. Say I let you go and fight, wouldn't you get your new dress ruined? The dress I picked out for you and that you liked, hmm?"

Moka had to weigh in on that, considering her options of proving her mettle in an arranged fight earlier than was expected or risk destroying a beautiful dress she did make such a fuss over; it proved to be vexing.

"Well..." she said thoughtfully, "when you put it that wa..."

Suddenly, a young maid comes hurrying along with an arm full of cooking pots and accidentally tumbles over the child, bringing the pots cascading across the floor with a loud crash that brought the room silent. However, as the maid lay on the floor, stunned and with the wind knocked slightly out of her, she realizes that the prevailing silence in the room was due to her embarrassing position, but of whom she ran into. The little girl towered over the prone woman, hardly scathed at all by this maid's fumble, but nonetheless angered that this lowly animal would dare run into the way she had and damage their family's fine cooking ware.

"You idiot!" Moka screamed and began kicking the woman, hard in the sides, each kick powerful for a girl her age and seriously impacting the woman's ribs. "How dare you bump into me like that! I should kill you for this!"

"I'm sorry, my mistress!" The woman begged as she faced the floor in utter humility and pain. "F-Forgive me, I wasn't looking where I was going!"

"Forgive you? Why would I waste my time forgiving a clumsy dog like you?"

"Lucy!" Dr. Kohaku called to her from a nearby corner, observing this scene with great concern and hoping she could hear him, but it appeared his patient was too caught up in her brutal display of power.

Moka places her tiny foot upon the woman's neck and begins pressing down, her kitten heeled pumps leaving their mark.

"...Mistress, please!"

"Silence! You will learn your..."

"Lucy, stop! Lucy!"

"DAUGHTER!" Her mother yelled who firmly pulls the girl off of the maid.

Shocked, Moka watches as her mother, the feared, respected Hell King and shinso vampire, stoop down before all eyes in the room and gently helps the maid up.

"Are you alright?" She asks her with such compassion that Moka wondered if she remembered whose mother she was supposed to be.

"Y-Yes, my mistress."

"Can you walk? Can you still perform your duties for today?"

"I...I think so. Yes, my mistress."

"Very good, gather up what you were carrying and try to finish up. Everything is going to be fine, just don't let it happen again, okay?"

"Yes...I hear you, mistress."

"Will some of you help her carry some of her load to the kitchen?" She orders two other maids who obediently begins helping her pick up the pots.

"Mom?" Moka asked, confused at what just happened. "What are you doing? Why didn't you punish her?"

Her mother looks down at her after briefly supervising the cleanup and for a moment Moka seemed nervous that she might've spoken out of turn for questioning her actions, but then some things needed to be questioned.

"Mom?"

"You're okay; she didn't hurt you at all."

"Of course she didn't, no human can hurt me."

"Then, what was that just now?"

"It was the principle of it, she had no business bumping into me like that, if we don't set these vermin straight, they'll lose all respect for us!"

Moka said it in a way and volume that it seemed like she didn't care if all of the maids and workers heard her, affirming her stance.

"So, it's the principle, right?" Her mother asked. "You wanted me to kill a human for bumping into you by accident?"

"Well, why not? They're lower than us, so why not kill them for that? Why do we keep these cattle around, anyway, they're incompetent, they're weak, and are completely small-minded! So, why not punish them for something like bumping into me?"

"Even if it was an accident, which it was, by the way!"

"So it was an accident, that isn't the point."

"No, the point is that they are weaker than us, therefore they should be destroyed, huh?"

"Well, yes."

"You truly do not understand, my daughter," she patiently tells her.

"What's to understand, mother?"

"Well, for starters you can go and apologize to her for what you did."

"Me? Apologize? Never! I'd sooner kiss a human than apologize to one!"

"What if someone had done that you? Wouldn't you want them to apologize?"

"If someone did do that to me, then they deserve to kill me for letting them take me down."

"...Oh honey, I know you don't mean that," she responded while almost, visibly upset to her daughter say that.

"I do, we're the superior ones; are we not taught we either conquer our foes or die? These humans aren't the same as us, mother?"

"Humans have the same rights as all sentient beings, daughter and just because we are different, doesn't make it less so; what you did was reckless and unnecessary, and I guarantee you that you didn't learn to be so intolerant from us."

"But, I did, I did learn it from you; well, not you but...father doesn't feel the way you do, he teaches us..."

"Oh, I think I know your father better than you and let me tell you that he wouldn't have been proud of what you just did today. He may tell you he hates humans, he may even act cold when they are in his presence, but not once have you seen him mistreat them, now have you?"

"No, but...I still don't see why I have to treat them with any kind of respect, they are our servants and are weak, who cares if they get hurt or die?"

Seeing she was not getting through to her daughter, she seems ready to dismiss the argument when a small caterpillar inching along the floor catches her emerald eyes and a plan takes shape. Walking over to the tiny, underdeveloped creature, she keeps a stiletto heal menacingly over the unsuspecting being while her daughter watches.

"It's so tiny, so weak and helpless," she whispers to Moka. "If I wanted to, I can squash it beneath my boot without much care."

Moka looks on, her young, red eyes watching in curiosity, expecting her mother to step on the insect; and why not, as she herself had crushed many a bug for casual amusement.

"Orihimie!" She then calls to a maid. "Hand me your broom and dustpan, please."

"Yes, my lady," the maid responds, and Moka's mother carefully brushes the fuzzy caterpillar onto the dustpan and walks out onto the balcony where she deposits it on the wall.

"You could've killed," Moka points out. "It's just a bug."

"I could've, you're right, but I didn't. In fact, I can a lot more things if I wanted to, being more powerful than any vampire, even the elders, I could either conquer all the vampires or flat out destroy them simply because I'm stronger than all of you, but I won't. Just because I'm big and strong doesn't give me the right to treat others who aren't like animals; we are all different, my daughter, and we all share this world together. If every human was dead, where would we get our food? We do live off of their blood, right? Furthermore, if they were all gone or if they and every other creature was gone except us it would be a very lonely existence for our long lives to live, wouldn't you agree?"

Moka glanced; she didn't want to hear what she had to say or cave in to such a ridiculous demand, but her mother only smiled warmly and knelt down beside the frowning, little girl as she wraps a loving arm around her.

"Are we not best friends, darling?" Her mother asked, of which Moka nodded. "As your best friend, you trust me right? Have I ever let you down or disappointed you?"

"No."

"And, you've never let me down, now have you?"

"No, mother."

"Well, as someone who trusts and loves me, as I trust and love you, can I trust in you to do the right thing?"

Moka looked away thoughtfully, her small face taking on the appearance of a mind locked in a bitter battle between pride and conscience, and for the better part of her own logic it would've made since to the prissy child to ignore everything and continue fretting about pointless matters. However, Moka Akashiya, whose surname bears the pride of her mother, marches briskly back to the maid and performs a brief, angry bow.

"Sorry!" She yells at the surprised maid, but then adds: "But, do not let it happen again or I won't be so merciful!"

"Y-Yes, my mistress...thank you," the maid replied and scurries away.

Her mother looks on with a proud and an approved smile, but Moka felt like she just spat out a bile of acidic vomit and her face could not hide the distaste of such an act.

"It sounds like your mother was a smart and caring person," the doctor comments.

"She was wrong," Moka replied through a bitter breath. "Wrong about everything."

"No, she wasn't wrong, Lucy, she was only trying to provide sage..."

"SHE WAS WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING!" Moka snapped at him, trying to silence his foolish, meaningless words. "My mother simply could not understand the ways of being a vampire, and I didn't know why. Was she displeased with me? Did she want to punish me because I wanted to participate in the ritual martial arts competition?"

"Lucy," the confused doctor tried to explain, "I think you're overlooking what she's trying to tell you; it wasn't a punishment, that's for sure."

"Goodness, Akasha," came an unexpected voice and Moka looked up to see her stepmother, Gyokuro walking into the picture, having observed everything like it was a comedic act, "sometimes I wonder how you could be considered a shinso after that hilarious piece of advice you gave to your daughter!"

"And, where would be the honor in that?" Akasha asked. "Where would the honor be in killing a human for every, minor infraction or lording over everyone who isn't a vampire?"

"Honor?" Gyokuro retorted as if it was a joke. "We don't need honor, we are the forever young and beautiful, what do we need honor for when we can get whatever we want? If it was my darling Kahlua, I would've..."

"But, it's not your daughter I'm talking to, Gyokuro, I don't need you trying to raise my daughter," Akasha warned.

"Or what? You'll give me a stern talking to? Ha! A real pure blood would've allowed their child to eviscerate the wretch where she lay; I swear, at this rate you're going to raise your child to be a weak, helpless fool, prey to those whom you would teach her to show compassion for."

And, Moka knew, she was right as that is exactly what happened to her a year or two later when she was sent to live amongst the lowly human race. Though Moka hated to see her mother being insulted by anyone, the very indignity of being forced to apologize to a human was too much for even a young one like her to bear and she storms out onto the balcony, close to tears and further ashamed to show it.

"Stupid mother," she angrily muttered, hurt that her own mother would betray her like this.

"Lucy," the doctor tried to comfort.

"Why did I have to apologize to her! It was her fault! What did I do to deserve this?"

"She wasn't trying to punish you, Lucy."

"But she was! She made a fool out of me and worse, she'll kick me out of my home to go live with them! I hate her!"

The words just flew out of her mouth before she even realized it and the shock that came with it was like a reverberating shockwave. Did she really mean to say that? It was still hard to conceive anything like that; Moka knew, deep down in her faulty memories that she deeply loved her mother, so why had such words come out.

"She makes you mad, doesn't she?" A voice asked, of which she assumed it was her doctor. "You think you deserved to slaughter that unruly human bitch, huh?"

"...Yes, I do," Moka replied almost like it was a no-brainer. "Why do you say that, doc?"

She looks up to the doctor, but was stunned to see that rather than the comforting, and all around naive human male, stood her eldest sister Ria in her usual black, full-bodied dress and casually looking out beyond the valley stretched out before them; not really seeing the landscape, but relishing more the anguish in her little sister.

"Ria," Moka said.

"Who else were expecting, sister dear? I saw what happened back there, I thought she was wrong, too."

"Don't say that about her, I love my mother."

"I thought you hated her?"

"No. I was just mad, that's all."

"Mad that she was wrong?"

"...I...I don't know."

Ria looks down on the wall and notices the small, furry caterpillar Akasha had kindly freed; it's plump, soft body busily minding its business as it inched along the wall. A part of Moka felt some sense of tranquility watching this tiny, frail creature, it's prickly looking hairs made it seem like a cute, plush toy and she knew that one day it'll blossom into a magnificent butterfly. Ria cups a leather, gloved hand over this creature, its fingers gradually closing out the light as they swallowed the caterpillar up, and for a while she could feel it moving about her palm, it's tiny legs almost tickling the sultry vampire princess. With a mere flinching of the muscles in her wrist, she tightens her hand around the caterpillar with rock hard grip until all that came was small, trickle of ooze pouring of the crevices of her hand. When she reopened her hand, all that was left of the caterpillar was a stain on her once, pristine glove, which she casually wipes on the wall's side. Moka didn't know how to feel; at one point she was upset and confused that her sister would do that to an animal that hadn't done anything to them, but then again she wanted to be indifferent to it at the same time, like a true vampire would be towards death.

"Do you know why I did that, sister dear?" Ria asked. "Because it was its fate?"

"It's fate?"

"Oh me, oh my, yes, It was meant to die, sister dear. By crawling in our path its fate was sealed, I was meant to snuff out its life. Do you know what would've happened if I hadn't killed it? It would've just met its fate through some other means: like being eaten by ants, scorpions, or birds, being washed out by the rain, get stepped on by some oblivious person or run over as it crosses a road; only 1 out of 10 survive to adulthood. And yes, they undergo an amazing metamorphosis and become something truly magnificent to behold, but it's fate doesn't change."

"No?"

"Not by a long shot, sister dear. As a butterfly, it and its ilk still encounter so many dangers from birds, spider webs, car windshields, high winds, famine, all sorts of hazards that are less threatening to people like you or me. And, even if they survive all of those which, few will, do you know what sole goal in their meager, insignificant lives is? They migrate vast distances to mate, lay eggs, and die."

"They die?"

"That's right, they die."

"But, why?"

"It's in their nature, they're hardwired for it; yep, after only three months of remarkable life on earth, they mate and then die so that their descendants may carry on the same routine again and again. So, you see, it was the caterpillar's fate to die either you look at it; such is the fate of these lesser beings. They were given such short lives because they are meant to die, meant to live a pre-arranged life that is brief and insignificant to higher beings like us. That maid fell before you, because she was meant to die, your mother just can't see that; do you understand? There's no point in trying to relate to humans or even acting like they are anything like us; they're no different than a caterpillar. Do you want me to...remedy the situation and show that wretched caterpillar its fate? You are father's beloved, as such I am bound as his right-hand to honor any request you have."

Moka allowed Ria's words, and colorful analogy sink in her small, silvery head. She loved her mother very much, that much was certain, but Moka knew she was wrong; it was just too inconceivable to view humans as anything remotely like her and Ria made such a view so simple to look at. Her pride had been wounded and the maid was at fault; as a vampire, a being far removed from all things human, she had to reassert dominance and where these lowly creatures' place was.

"...Yes," Moka said quietly. "Do it."

"As you wish, my dear sister."

Ria quietly disappears with a humble bow, leaving only Moka and the doctor, who looked at her with a most troubled expression on his face.

"Your sister just threatened to murder someone," he finally said after a lengthy pause. "And, you signed off on it?"

"...I did," Moka said in a matter of fact tone, trying to play off how troubled she felt recalling that.

"So, what happened? What happened between your sister and this woman?"

Moka was hesitant to speak at first, trying to jumble together the right words to better explain what happened as the memories for that night gradually marched into view, but she rationalized that she was, once again a vampire and above any level of shame or regret, so she answered him.

"...That night...," Moka began to say, "...she was found with her neck broken and blood drained at the bottom of nearby ravine."

"And, you suspect that this...sister of your might've had something to do with it?"

"I don't know," she said softly. "Father was mad."

"He was?"

"Yes, so Ria blamed it on Kahlua, said she had lost controlled and killed another servant; father was most displeased."

"What did he do to her?"

"He grounded her for the next six months," Moka said without shame, saying it as if it was a perfectly normal thing for a parent to do.

"He grounded her for six months?" Doctor asked. "For committing a murder?"

"The maid was part of his property," Moka said with little indifference. "Human help is hard to come by, it cost him a lot of money to find a replacement."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" The doctor exclaimed, trying to find any kind of logic in this story he's being told. "I'm talking about a life, a human life, and you act like it was if she'd destroyed an expensive piece of furniture! You don't...feel anything?"

"...N-No," Moka replied, trying to down play the small amount of compassion that struggled to the surface. "Besides, it wasn't my fault it happened!"

"It wasn't your fault, why?"

"Why? I don't know, because I didn't actually think she'd go through with it!"

"Is it that or that you really think that all things mortal deserve to die and therefore that woman's death was of no concern of yours?"

"I never said that?"

"But, you were thinking it when you told your sister to kill that woman, weren't you?"

"I..."

"Let me ask you another question: what was your mother's reaction?"

"I..."

"Did she know you had something to do with it?"

"I don't know, she didn't say anything!"

"But, do you believe she was happy at what happened?"

Moka thought deeply and let the question weigh on her uncertain shoulders, remembering the moment and the look of sadness upon her mother's face when she found out about the maid.

"She was," she lied to him. "She was happy because she remembered that she was a vampire and that her daughter had just proven herself to be a proper vampire."

"Even if said 'proper vampire' didn't exactly come forward about putting a hit on someone."

"S-So what if I didn't, what of it?"

"She wasn't happy, and you know it."

Moka couldn't deny it, as much as she wanted to, of seeing the look on her mother's face that night after the ball, and she came back from observing the body along with her father; the look of sadness, of disappointment, and most of all of knowing, that somehow her daughter and best friend had gone and betrayed her.

The session ended early this time, and the doctor was kind enough to provide Moka with a bottle of vegetable juice to help her become refreshed after another, peyote induced trip down memory lane, but the mood was just as heated as before.

"Well," the doctor broke the ice, "I've learned some rather disturbing facts regarding your family's history, in particular this...older sister you have. I don't think she served as a good influence on you as a child, and if she's still around then perhaps she had something to do with losing your memory."

"Don't go blaming my family on my problems, doctor," Moka mumbled, wearily rolling the cool drink bottle about her sweaty forehead. "The problem is with you."

"You're still going on about humans as being the problem."

"I know you're the problem, I see it every day."

"What do you mean?"

Moka didn't want to talk anymore, but they're time together wasn't up yet and she knew he was only going to pester some more.

"Just today, I had a run in with that boy, Suzaku."

"Oh him, look I know he can be a...problem, but..."

"Do you know he's being abused at his home, doctor? That the reason he's a problem is because of his abusive parents?"

"...What?" The doctor asked, genuinely surprised. "No, I didn't know that."

"Really? Because, I heard that the only reason he picks on others is because he wants to make them suffer just like him. It would seem I was right all along, doctor!"

"Now, wait a minute, Lucy. Granted I suspected there might be something going on in his home, just never knew what or had the legal right to go an investigate, but I never disagreed with you that humans, some humans process their anger out on others to make them feel better, which I guarantee they don't, at least for very long. If you're willing to go to the police with this information, I assure you action will be taken."

"And what will happen? What are you humans going to do about it?"

"If the police find any evidence of abuse..."

"So, I'm a lair now? You think I didn't know what I saw?"

"I didn't say that, it's just that evidence needs to be collected for a court of law to take any action, and if there is any evidence, the boy will be taken away."

"Taken to where, doctor?"

"To foster care, I would imagine."

"What will happen to him in foster care?"

"I don't know, I guess he'll be adopted by a good family, eventually."

"Eventually? That's it, he's just taken away and rots somewhere until someone else gets him, is that right?"

"Lucy, I don't know what you want me to say; it'll be certainly out of my hands, whatever happens, I mean if I could do something more then, believe me I would. Why do you care so much for him, I thought you hated humans?"

"Oh, I don't care, I just find it curious how your words of encouragement and compassion fall short when stacked against your species inadequacies. He was too weak to defend himself from his attacker, you're too weak to take charge of the situation and raise the boy yourself, your laws are so weak that it can't do more than put some orphaned children in some foster facility."

"Our laws are designed to protect the weak."

"And, because of that it is weak and it reflects upon you! That is the problem; do you deny it, doctor?"

"Yes, I deny it greatly. I also, vehemently deny that the boy was at fault for being abused simply because he couldn't defend himself!"

"You would say something like that and I think it's sad, too."

"You think it's sad? I find it sad that you alone clutch to such an antiquated notion."

"But, I'm not alone, that's the difference, because others think the same way I do; others like me!"

"Who, your sister?"

"No, Koga agrees with me."

"Koga? The delivery guy? So, you spent some time with him today, what did he tell you?"

"A lot, actually, of how reckless your people can be and how you love inflicting pain on others because of how small and petty you all are!"

"Did he? What else did he say?"

"Well, for one thing he pointed out what a total hypocrite you are!"

"Me? How so?"

"You told me that the kinds of humans who find pleasure in inflicting pain on others are disturbed individuals, but let's talk about you! Koga told me you were sick, that you might die someday."

"...He did, did he?" The doctor asked, a little shocked at the news. "I can't see how he could've known but..."

"Is it true, doctor?"

"Yes, it's pretty...what does this have to do with what I said?"

"Why don't you admit why you put your daughter through this?"

"My daughter?"

"You keep your daughter around in your place of work, wasting away her life and letting her feel alone and pick because you're angry about your fate and don't want her to be happy! If you did, you would've sent her to go live with her mother, the one you chased away, but no you're keeping her here until you die! How do I know you're not doing the same to the other patients like my roommate, does making them suffer help ease your pain?"

Moka half expected to see an admission of guilt etched across his face or at least a look of anger that this vampire had figured out his small-minded, petty motivations and that she was right all along. However, the doctor took off his glasses and looked at her with the utmost shock and confusion, like he had just been accused of a horrifying crime he didn't commit.

"Lucy...that's a terrible thing to say. I love my baby girl with all my heart, I wouldn't do anything like that to her. And, for your information, Rin and half the staff are well aware of my condition. I don't know what Koga told you, usually he has a good head on his shoulders, but he doesn't know anything about my situation to make any kind of an accusation like that. As for my family situation...the situation with Rin's mother is...more complicated than you can know, but believe me when I say that if she was a viable option for my daughter, I would've had her go live with her a long time ago. Nevertheless, I know my days are limited and I've made peace with it, but I don't intend on dying just yet. I intend to live as long as I can, at least to see to it that Rin is old enough to take care of herself."

"Well, who's afraid to admit the truth, now? You don't seriously believe..."

"That I'm not scared? Of course I am, but I'm not going to turn into an asshole to fit your view of humanity."

"You should be mad, knowing that you're not an everlasting being like me, and yet you say I should be jealous of you? It should be you who's jealous of me! I'm immortal, you are not!"

"Lucy, have you ever watched the Twilight Zone? It's an old program that went off the air many years ago, but still comes on TV; the episodes were designed to be scary, but they were also thought provoking. I remember the scariest episode I ever saw as a kid was one in where a guy, just an ordinary fellow, was granted immortality by the devil and he went around testing his newfound 'gift'. Unfortunately, every death defying incident he was in began to lose its luster, even life itself lost all meaning; and when he accidentally kills his wife after she tried to stop him from committing another foolish test of his might, the man felt no remorse whatsoever, not even when he finally allowed the devil to take him to hell. It frightened me then, it still frightens me now, because immortality turns you into an unfeeling machine and I'd rather die than lose my love for Rin or anyone else I care for."

"It's nothing like that, you just don't get it."

"It is exactly like that, you said it yourself yesterday; vampires feel no happiness, no joy, no sorrow, any of those 'human' feelings, you definitely feel no love."

"That isn't true, I do love."

"Love who? Yourselves? I see you've brought in a feather."

Moka glances down at the big, brown feather she had been twirling in her fingers for the last hour and a half.

"So, what of it?" She nervously asks.

"Where'd you get it?"

"Outside; I saw a raven and decided to..."

"Ahh, you've met Chairo."

"Chairo?"

"It's what we've been calling him, the big, brown raven; first showed up a year ago, very beautiful animal, and incredibly smart. He caught your interest."

"...I don't know, briefly I guess."

"I remember last winter, there was this white, albino raven that popped up here one day; she was beautiful too, with white feathers, red eyes, a real eye pleasure. Still, I got the feeling she was a bit...stuck up! Anyway, here were these two, uniquely colored birds, and the white one was brushing off all the other male ravens like they were beneath her, and yet Chairo was the only one who didn't pay her any attention. She would fly in his field of vision, nest in the branches above him, do all sorts of things to get him to notice her sort of actually going up to him like all the other females, but Chairo either didn't like her or had his pride, too. In the end, the white raven moved one and Chairo is still here being free, I thought it was cute."

"Fascinating; what does it have to do with me?"

"Nothing, actually. I just never thought vampires were avid bird enthusiasts."

"I never said I was! I was only curious about it, that's all!"

"Then why hold on to his feather? If you were anything like your sister, anything at all like her, you probably would've killed him just to prove how badass you were!"

"Don't talk about my sister like that, you know nothing!"

"Am I not speaking the truth, is that not what she tried to teach you?"

"No, I..."

"And, while we're at it, let's talk about mom. You accused me of inflicting pain on others for pleasure because of my own anger, but what about you?"

"What about me? I'm not anything like you! What would give you the idea that I'm angry at her!"

"But, you are angry at her! All of your hate is about your mother!"

"Shut up."

"It isn't humans you're mad it, it isn't even them that have caused you this much grief, I'm not even certain it's because of them you lost your memory, but a large part of your grief stems from unresolved issues with your mother!"

"Shut up! I love my mother, you don't know what you're saying! Ever since meeting you, all you've done is confusing me, and drugging me with this!"

In a fit of anger, Moka kicks the still smoldering peyote off of the table and sends it crashing to the floor.

"I can't sleep, you got me seeing things that aren't really there, you've filled my head with utter nonsense, you even got me hearing things that aren't really there?"

"What things, what are you hearing?" He asked.

"Voices, doctor, voices that you put in my head!"

"And, what are these voices telling you."

"There not telling me anything!" Moka literally shrieked, thinking that the doctor might see her as a head case. "All its saying is Mo.. At this, and Mo..a that! The same things I hear when I'm put under!"

"Really? And, what about these things you are seeing, what are you seeing?"

"For one thing that mirror trick you pulled, I can't hardly look at another mirror without freaking out, and just this morning I...I thought I..."

"You thought, what?"

"I thought I saw a man in the bathroom with me."

"A man? Who was it, did he do anything to you?"

"It was the same guy I dreamt about in during our last session, doctor! He's been in my head all day, it's freaking me out!"

"Fascinating."

"Fascinating! Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"And, you swear you've never seen him before? Because, it seems like he's a very important figure in your life; I'm guessing since we haven't encounter anyone fitting his description so far, that he isn't someone from the distant past, but rather someone quite recent, maybe even current. And, he's human, right?"

"Stop that, you're only confusing me!"

"Lucy, I can't magically conjure up a person, all I did was bring out your memories."

"Then he's the one who hurt me!"

"How do you know that?"

"I don't need to know, he's human, that's all that's important, right?"

"No, I don't think he represents fear or apprehension, because in each case he was in the role of the protector, a heroic figure of a sorts, and I think it's his voice that you are hearing, but since he's popping frequently in moments when you are lulling in anger and resentment, I believe he represents your guilt."

"Guilt?"

"He's a reminder that you don't belong here, and by here I mean you don't belong wallowing in your own anger and self-delusions, of listening to your sister's racism or remembering the bad people do to you."

"I have no guilt, I've done nothing wrong! And, I don't give a damn about him, whoever he was or is!"

"Don't kid yourself," he said with sympathetic eyes which only frustrated her even more.

"Stop looking at me like that! I'm not the problem, my mother is not the problem, my sister isn't the problem, you are! You and your human ways!"

"If your mom isn't the problem, then why did you say you hated her?"

"I...don't know...you made me say that! I didn't really say it, that's what happened."

"You didn't really say it, but you felt it then."

"Just shut up! Just shut up, okay?"

"You got a very poor poker face, I can see it plainly."

"What?"

"You think you're the only one who hasn't spent some time with Koga and learned anything from his worldly view. I said he has a good head on his shoulders, and he's made some astute observations about people like you."

"Like me; what's that supposed to mean?"

"He once compared life as one, big poker game where every day you take chances, and in this life there are usually two players involved: you got your pros, who know when to fold em or leave them, and your suckers whom are easy to take advantage of. They are either cocky in themselves or completely clueless that what they got could help them win or lose big, in which they bet almost everything on the latter, and you normally can read it in their faces, the sheer lack of a poker face. Sweaty forehead, twitchy palms, the nervousness in your eyes and the fact you can't even rest are all signs of a born sucker."

"Shut up," Moka muttered.

"You're not sure if what you bet on in regards to humanity or yourself is the right course for you, I know it, you know it..."

"I said shut the hell up, you know nothing. Humans are the problems, you are the problem, everyone else is the problem, not me! It was never me!"

"Like how it was your friend's fault for getting upset with you about your sister having an affair with her father?"

"She wasn't even having an affair, they were just talking, I told you that!"

"I find that hard to believe, Lucy! This is the same sister who killed a caterpillar to justify killing a maid who bumped into you, excuse me if I have misgivings about her sincerity!"

"You wouldn't believe because it's in your nature as a small minded, ignorant insect!"

"And, it's Suzaku's fault for not defending himself from an abusive parent? Because he was human?"

"It's exactly it, you're all human, you're all weak and-and insignificant and you can't act any better and...and..."

"Let's stop this routine, Lucy, and get at the heart of the matter; it's not humans and it isn't me, it's your mother that's got you upset, and you're taking it out on everyone else because of that! You couldn't relate to her point of view and when she sent you abroad, away from the world you grew up in, it angered you into thinking that humans were to blame for woes! And, if she were here, right now, which I don't know if she is alive, but if she heard you saying all these things now, knowing the way she felt, how do you think she'd react? You think she'd be proud of the way you're thinking or that you'd been given life lessons from your sister? Would she be happy knowing how you felt about her, because you're afraid to see past your own hatred?"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" She shrieked, grabbing the sides of her head to drown out the doctor's words and sobbing uncontrollably. "Just leave me alone! Why won't leave me alone?"

For a while the room was quiet, with exception to Moka's sobs, and Dr. Kohaku had to admit that they weren't going to be getting anywhere with the time they had left; his patient had, for the most part, clammed up and was unlikely to open up today.

"I'd like to say we made some progress," he finally says, "but, it feels like we went from a 180 to a 360 today; maybe it would be best if we continue this tomorrow."

Moka didn't say anymore as she immediately propelled herself off the couch, only too eager to get out of the room and be by herself for the rest of the evening.

"Wait!" He called out loudly, reluctantly stopping her in her place just before the doorway. "...Wolves don't just go where they please or get what they want, they live in a highly structured family group where each member depends on one another to survive and our led by their leader to food; in reality they're no different from how sheep live, but those wolves, those lone wolves you so praise much who go where they want and get what they want, only get what they want by scavenging off of others and go where they want because they are outcasts, and rarely live long; especially the females. Your sister or who ever put those words in her mouth couldn't tell the difference between a wolf and a common jackal, so you need to ask yourself: what are you? That's all."

Moka wanted to say more, to tell this foolish therapist off and even put him in his place, but the very sound of his voice was exhausting enough and she dearly wanted to get out of there, shrugging off his parting words, and yet not really escaping them.

XXX

Later that night and miles away, after spending the entire day shopping for the right materials for her new job, Moka Aono finally reports to work in her new work clothes.

"I like what I see," Gin said with an appreciative, and hungry smile as he sat in his 'office' which was nothing more than a love pad. He sat in his chair, eyeing every supple form of his latest job applicant, admiring the way her stripped panties, white and pink colored, appeared etched against her hips and the way her tiny, tight white T-shirt was stopped short of the mid-drift by the bust line. Nevertheless, this was still a job interview and Gin tried to conduct himself professionally. "Could you twirl around a bit, if you don't mind?"

Moka did what she was told, but it made her feel uneasy, standing before him in barely anything on, parading herself in front of him as if a piece of candy and will soon walk back out onto the busy floor where she'll cater customers and call them masters in this same outfit. It had been at the urging of Inner Moka that she bought the shortest outfits she could find in order to draw more attention in what she saw as a competition game.

I can't believe I'm doing this! She thought. I feel so embarrassed!

Quit your complaining.

But, you saw the way people were looking at me when I came in here! You really want me to go back out there dressed like this!

So, let them stare, we have nothing to be ashamed of. And, if any of them so much as make the wrong move, remove the seal and I'll take care of them.

"You really went all out, didn't ya?" Gin commented. "Short everything. You wouldn't mind letting your significant other out, maybe she'd like to do this?"

Moka clutched on to the rosary that nestled in between her white boobs and felt hesitant to grant such a request, let alone go ahead with this plan.

"How long will I have to do this?" She asked, her voice tiny and shrill with fear.

"Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds, my clientele are actually very respectable gentlemen. However, as part of the job you will have to learn how to be submissive to their wishes and I mean 'submissive'; if they ask you to jump up and down, then smile and jump in place. If they, I don't know, sample the goods...eh, try to take it in stride; remember a happy customer might decide to leave you a big, fat tip and most of my girls go home with over 200 yen so..."

200 yen did sound inviting to the wary vampire, theorizing that in a few short nights she might earn enough to pay the rent, at least until Tsukune came back, but even if he didn't it would give her something productive to do with her time.

"200 you said?" She asked, her interest peeked. "And, all I have to do is serve their orders?"

"That and, ahem, them-some."

"What does that mean?"

"Hey, forget it, it's nothing, really! Besides, I know why you're doing this."

"You do?"

"Yeah, you couldn't get enough of me! You figured you can come work with me and spend all day and night with your man! And, we have this room, just you and me, you won't have to worry about no nosy neighbors or relatives always judging you. You'd like that, right?"

"Well...yeah, I am getting sick and tired of all those humans interfering with my life and trying to control me. I guess, we can finally be alone together like this."

Moka did like the thought and entertained the notion of being in a private world together, with no intrusions or feelings of regret that what she was doing was considered dirty. She then thought of Tsukune and of how nice it would've been to have such a secluded spot, especially when they were dating. Now, it felt like she was enjoying that privacy with another man; she still loved Tsukune, but it just felt like now she was starting to love being with Gin as well.

"That's the spirit!" Gin says and gets up, turns Moka towards the door and gives her a playful, but firm smack on her ass. "Now, go make me some money!"

When Gin opens the door for her to leave, she was stunned to see a distraught, young woman in a green cocktail dress standing outside, with daggers being shot out of her green eyes as she glared at Moka.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Moka asked.

"Who am I?" The woman repeated in an irate, aggravated tone. "Who the hell are you? Is this another one of your paid sluts, Gin!"

"What did you just call me?"

"What are you, deaf? I called you one of his paid whores, he's got a dozen of them out there honey, and he brings them up to his 'love nest', did you really think you were the only one?"

"Gin, what is she talking about?"

"Uhh, Nikki, what a surprise!" Gin responded as he carefully pulls the woman into the room with him. "I...didn't think..."

"You didn't think I'd stop by and see what you really do when I'm not around?" She angrily replied. "You think I'm stupid? Who is she? She looks like she's still in school, you sick bastard!"

"I'm 24 years old!" Moka yelled. "And, I'm his girlfriend!"

"His girlfriend?" The woman retorted. "Honey, he's got like over a dozen girlfriends, you're going to have to be more specific, little girl."

Moka was anxious to rip off her rosary and put this pushy woman in her place for all of the insults and lies she continued to spew, but Gin wisely gestures not to.

"Hey, Moka how about you go on the floor and meet with some of the girls while I deal with this, I'm sure someone will help you."

"Gin, what is she talking about?" Moka asked.

"Yes, Gin, what am I talking about?" Nikki asked.

"Damn it Moka, would you please just go, we'll talk later."

A little rebuffed by his rude dismissal, and further miffed by the triumphant, smug smile on this other woman's face, Moka nonetheless retreats downstairs with a deep uncertainty in her heart, as her new love argues with the his other woman behind a closed door.

Who was she? Why, was she saying all of those things? Gin wouldn't be involved with several girlfriends, he has me.

And, what if he does, we were never in this for love; remember he's just a boy toy, a tool and nothing more.

But, he loves us, right? Not the same way Tsukune loved us, but he loves us, and Tsukune had so many girls after him; maybe that's what she meant by a dozen girlfriends, that they weren't real girlfriends, but only wanted to be with him and he was trying to tell her off.

Would you get a clue! Gin is nothing to us, he's just good for fucking; it's Tsukune who loves us, not that wolf, and the sooner that good for nothing finally returns, we can finally ditch the mutt.

I don't know; I don't know about anything, anymore. I feel like my whole world is turned upside down, I don't even know if any of this was a sure thing to bet on.

Ugh, for the last time, this is the right thing! Inner Moka sighed. You share my body, you also share my resolve, so don't choke out on me now, not after having come this far! We play to win, and I'm not backing out. Now, smile and get ready, we have work to do.

Moka put on her best game face when she stepped onto the bustling floor of scantily clad waitresses and horny patrons. But, her heart sank into the striped panties she wore when whistles and cat-calls could be heard all around her, the moment all eyes laid on the new, piece of candy.

"I have to play to win," she coached herself and pranced onto the floor in her high-heels like Gin's highly trained call girl.

XXX

Moka Akashiya didn't have easy access to the mineral baths this time, after leaving her session with Dr. Kohaku early and getting dinner out of the way, she found the baths currently occupied and was actually forced to wait behind these humans. She was told to wait by the doctor, told that it would be a lesson in humility, but Moka wasn't having any of it and went to complain that the people using them must be removed and the tubs cleansed of their filth. She fully expected them to comply with her demands, but Dr. Kohaku was adamant that her request be denied and that she either wait or go without taking a bath. Moka had spent all day running after kids, hanging around crowded teahouses, riding in a truck, gutting fish, chasing after birds and getting into a fight, so through it all she was far from being clean, but the obstinate princess with no memory decided to go to bed without taking a bath. And so, she sat in the living room, mindlessly watching Star Trek with Norman and most of the other patients.

"So, he's fighting himself?" One of the female patients asked Norman, feigning interest in the program. "Why?"

"Weren't you watching?" He asked. "Oh, that's right, you just came in. Well, there was a transporter accident and Capt. Kirk came out split in two, where you got a passive, indecisive Kirk and an aggressive Kirk, see what I mean?"

"I got that, I meant why are we being made to watch Kirk fight himself, I don't get that?"

"Duh, it's to demonstrate the eternal conflict we all have within ourselves and of how the strong actually needs the weak to help balance itself out, see what I'm getting?"

Moka was actually able to hear every word he just said about a program she had just recently began taking notice of and thought his description was absurd.

"I'm surprise you were able to get that from this old show," the woman retorted.

"Hey, I've seen this episode over a dozen times since I was kid, I know Star Trek and this is what it teaches!"

If Norman was the big expert on this show then Moka theorized the entire series was full of it; to think that the simple minds of humans would dare put their flawed ideology on television programs and encourage their young to think that way.

No wonder he always felt that way, she thought, a thought that nearly made her tense up in surprise. He? Who am I talking about?

She felt like she should know, the very memory of a he at the very back of her clouded mind, but resonating so strongly in her heart. The show brought her back from her reverie, catching focus on the dialog between the Capt. Kirk and his hostile double, listening the more compassionate one telling the other of how they need one another or risk dying and of the dark clone crumbling before his weaker counterpart, just as Norman explained, but it was pure dribble. The notion that the strong needed the weak to survive, and not just to prey on, but needed their very presence to feel complete, it felt maddening to listen to. After the show ended, everyone began milling about as though the program had actually grabbed their attentions for a brief moment, and then she heard him, the blind man, Jay begin playing a soft tune on the piano; it was different from the before, more slow and melodic, not as fast paced or upbeat as before. She had assumed all their songs were the same, but never imagined the tunes were so varied or that the tunes to these songs carried with them different meanings.

"Come on, baby, dry your eyes

Wipe your tears

Never like to see you cry

Won't you please forgive me?

I wouldn't ever try to hurt you

I just needed someone to hold me

To fill the void while you were gone

To fill this space of emptiness

I'm only human

Of flesh and blood I'm made

Human

Born to make mistakes."

What kind of song was that? A song that declared their very weaknesses openly as if a tribute to being human, when they should be ashamed and live in shame. It was like sheep singing what it meant to be a sheep rather than live in fear of the wolves all around them. What made it worse, what made it seem like a big slap to the face, was that everyone around her were either becoming lost in his singing or dancing to it.

"Ahh yeah!" Norman yelled. "I love it! Sing it, Jay, sing it!"

"You people listen to this?" Moka asked him.

"Not always, some of it, but I love anything the Human League puts out!"

"The human league?" Moka asked, incredulously.

"That's right, saw them in Fresno back in 95, hell of a time to be alive!"

"This is ridiculous! Stop it! Stop it right now!"

Jay stopped playing and all eyes were on her as she stood up and looked at every human in there as though they were truly insane.

"What is wrong with you people?" She asked. "How can you all be happy with what you are, with the way you live? And, stop singing that song! What so great about being human?"

For a moment there was a stunned silence and a part of her began to regret ever saying anything at all.

"Well," Jay spoke up, "sounds like someone is a critic."

"Hey, not everyone is a Human League fan, it's not you."

"Oh I know, my singing is gold."

"It's not the song!" Moka continued to rave. "Just stop singing, what has singing ever done for any of you? You're all prey, you're weak, helpless, small minded prey, and yet you sing despite your handicaps, watch TV filled with your meaningless nonsense and even crack jokes that you laugh at! And, this is okay! And, it's not just that I hate this Human League, I hate humans in general, I hate the fact that you celebrate being human, I hate that you would even call yourselves as something ridiculous as the Human League!"

"So, we should all spend our days and nights wishing we were, who, you?" Jay countered. "Sorry you don't like us, but life's too short to worry about people like you."

"What do you mean people like me?"

"He means..." a lady tried to intervene politely in order to defuse the situation.

"He means, people who hate," Norman responded. "You got a problem..."

"Now, Norman," the lady said.

"Stop defending her, Miyako!" A younger woman said. "All you do is defend a bitch like you did for Blanche awhile back and she turns around and talks about you behind your back; for once let them say their peace!"

"I do not hate!"

"Sounds like hate to me," Jay said. "And, it sounds like you hate yourself more than us."

"Me? I don't hate myself?"

"Hate for others always comes from hating thyself; it's that inner pain you feeling and you don't know how to express it properly so you take it out on others."

"...I...w-what..." she stammered, so angered and frustrated to come up with anything coherent. "...P-P...then, then what's so special about being human?"

"Nothing," he responds, which surprised her. "There's nothing special about us, we're all children of Mother Earth, all of us, and we're no different from any of her creatures who share this planet with us. How about you stop thinking small and see the world through a wider lens."

"Yeah," said Norman. "If this world is ever visited by aliens from another planet, like from a more advanced world, they might view you and me as being insignificant."

"What?" Moka asked.

"Listen to him, this guy has seen more Star Trek to shake a fist at," said Miyako.

"Well now, now that that's taken care of, I seem to lost my place, anybody care to remind me or come up and offer a request?" Jay asked. "Anybody?"

"I got a request," said Norman, jumping on the couch and ready to dance.

"Not that god awful song from Star Trek V, anything but that!"

"I have you know 'The Moon Is A Window to Heaven' is a classic among fans; not so much the film, though."

"You ain't dancing around naked; I may be blind, but I don't want to imagine you nude."

"You don't even know what I look like!"

"And, I'm comfortable with that, too!"

"Play something guys!" A woman whined. "I need me some music!"

Dumbfounded by their apparent lack of concern and complacency, Moka just leaves the room, still taken aback by Jay's bold, rather odd comment. As she leaves, she looks back over her shoulders as the people, these humans, listening to Jay play a different tune, upbeat enough to get everybody up and dance, having a good time and thoroughly happy. His words, strangely poignant, continued to resonate within her troubled mind in spite of her vampire pedigree and brow beaten philosophy of how different their ways were from hers.

We are all children of Mother Earth, came his words, echoing throughout her head; it was strange, but they sounded almost, exactly what her mother was trying to say.

Halfway into a quiet, deserted hall, she could faintly hear a whispered voice trying to call to her; it was indiscernible, but she knew what it was and were she not already weary, it would've disturbed her.

Guilt? She thought. Do I have a right to feel guilty? Do I even have a right to feel so angry? If we are all children, like my mother tried to say then...what am I fighting for?