A/N: Don't own.

Winter Warlock - Tsukune X Selina Kyle

Tsukune's morning went as usual as ever. Moka even showed up!

"Gin-kun has to help his friend with a project, this morning," she said casually when asked as to why she had shown up.

"So," Kurumu began, "You have nothing better to do and figured coming back to your friends after ignoring us for days, and you figured we would welcome you with open arms?"

Moka put a finger to her lips thoughtfully.

"Yup," Moka nodded, "I mean you have to forgive me, New Boyfriend Syndrome."

Kurumu sighed and nodded her head while Yukari looked confused. The little witch tugged on Mizore's sleeve and whispered in the older girl's ears.

"What's New Boyfriend Syndrome? Is it a disease?"

"Kinda, it where you'll ignore other people in favor of your new boy or girl friend until you get used to the relationship," came the Yuki-onna's answer.

Yukari nodded.

"How are you doing Tsukune?" Moka asked a small but sweet smile on her face.

"Well," he smiled at the vampire, "but cold. Really cold. But the jacket and the scarf Kurumu-chan knit me help out tons."

Moka's hand twitch was the only thing to give away her displeasure.

"Really?" Moka asked surprised, looking at the blue-haired Succubus, "Can you teach me? I'd love to make something for Gin-kun. He's been so nice to me."

The group began to wander off towards their homerooms, listening to Moka tell them about how nice and handsome Gin was. She also made mention several times of his kissing abilities.

X x X x X

Tsukune was headed to the bathroom at the end of the day muttering about Moka's praise of Gin. Tsukune liked Moka. He thought that was pretty obvious. So he either had to wait for her to break up with Gin, or ignore the whole thing and find a new girl to like. A third possible option was to just wait and see for now.

Ririko-sensei walked up behind Tsukune, who had yet to notice her presence. Still, Tsukune smelled the strange flowery smell that permeated Ririko-sensei's room and it jogged his memory.

"I should ask Yukari to help me with math today, before -"

"If you have time to worry about other people's relationships, you should be studying math, Aono-kun," Ririko-sensei cut him off in an 'oh-so-sexy/cute' tone,' making him jump and turn around to almost faceplant in the woman's cleavage, "It would be my pleasure to assist you, so there is no need to bother Sendo-san. Come along now."

Stuttering responses, Tsukune was dragged along by Ririko-sensei to a study room.

X x X x X

Tsukune stumbled into the clearing, holding his head and muttering something that sounded suspiciously like math equations. He shook his head and looked up at Yukari and the others.

"Are you alright, Tsukune?" the little witch asked him.

"Yeah," he said, "Studying with Ririko-sensei is weird. I don't remember what we did, but all the math is in here."

He tapped his head.

"Maybe you studied too hard. But at least you retained it. Let's hope you do that well with what I have to teach you, desu~!"

Yukari pulled out her deck of coloured Tarot cards and flung them behind her. The cards spread into a circular shape, though four sections stayed in the middle. The backs of the cards all faced them.

"Today, we will be learning the significance of the symbols in the Tarot in relation to many things. Most importantly for you, the Seasons."

Tsukune nodded and sat cross-legged in front of her.

"First, there are twenty-one Major Arcana in the Tarot that I use," Yukari waved her wand and the cards that made up the outer circle turned around briefly, before returning to their backs to him, "Next, we have the four suits. Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles," the four suited cards turned around and faced him.

"Pentacles, in particular, should interest you. In reference to the Seasons, it belongs to Winter. It also belongs to Earth and the direction North. It is the completion of Energy or the return to a state of rest, and represents the physical realm."

The lecture for the Minor Arcana was limited to the suit and not its minor cards. Yukari offered more instruction in the Minor Arcana if Tsukune wanted.

"And now we return to the Major Arcana. The first that is also sometimes last, is, the Fool," Yukari explained, the card showing its face and moving into the exact middle of the circle, "For the most part it isn't really a Major or a Minor Arcana, it belongs to itself. Much of its representation is in randomness, or even madness that makes frustrating sense after the fact. Sometimes the Fool will represent a return to the origin or the end of things. The number zero, both being something and nothing, truly represents the Fool, in my opinion, but we need to remember, Tsukune, that we are the Fool, traveling through life. The Fool learns something from every other Trump card in the cycle. Just like we do."

Yukari was on a roll, and Tsukune did his best to soak it all up. The Empress, representing Mother Nature, sexuality, desire, and delight, lined up with what Tsukune thought of Kurumu, for the most part. Kurumu didn't quite seem nature-y enough. Instead she was much more the Lovers, something he, the Fool, wasn't quite ready for.

What also stuck out in Tsukune's mind was the idea of being the Hermit. Having learned all of the lessons of life the Fool becomes the Hermit, transcending the lesson to become the lesson, the source of wisdom. It vaguely reminded him of the Great Buddha. There didn't seem to be any Nirvana. Just wisdom.

"And then we have the thirteenth Trump. Death. To draw Death doesn't mean you are going to die, per se. It means more along the lines of an end of things. And then, transition to a new state. Even psychological change. In Arcane Tarot Theory, or ATT, Death in conjunction with the Hermit represents a Winter Warlock."

Tsukune sat up a little straighter, interested in something about his own caste. And learning about Winter Warlocks from someone other than Ezekiel was going to be interesting.

"While Winter Warlocks are tight lipped about it, from the observations of Researchers of magi who have under gone the change, each Winter Warlock gains a bit of wisdom from something. And that wisdom is so drastically life altering their soul changes. However, each bit of wisdom seems to vary from warlock to warlock as much as one snowflake is different to the next. Also, the final catalyst to the change is unknown..."

Yukari trailed off, looking thoughtful. Before she could resume speaking, she was interrupted by Ezekiel.

"Thank you, Yukari," he said with a small smile, "Even I learned something from that, however, I must stop you for the day. It is getting late and I have something to discuss with Tsukune. Can you continue tomorrow?"

"Of course! Desu~!" Yukari waved her wand and the cards returned to her. Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari all said their good-byes, Yukari darting in for a hug form Tsukune, much to the chagrin of Kurumu and Mizore, and headed off to do homework or finish an article.

"We gain that wisdom," Ezekiel started waving to the girls as they walked away, "as we die in our thirteenth year. When we come back to life, we change. We then do our best to pass on that wisdom to everyone we meet, without quite telling them outright. I hope that you will never need the wisdom I will pass on to you when you become my Apprentice."

"Yes, Shishou."

"You may leave."

Tsukune looked back over his shoulder as he left the clearing. What was the terrible thing his Master learned upon his death? And was the number of Death related to the change or was it a coincidence? Perhaps that, too, would be learned upon Tsukune's graduation to Apprentice.

X x X x X

She was so very pretty. She seemed like a china doll to him. Almost too beautiful to even touch. She had confessed her love to him and in the same breath denied it and him, claiming she loved another more and that the boy was more important to her and her village. Still, he had tried to take what should have been his. Her and all that she was. He would stain the white snow red with her virgin blood.

He had managed to invade her mouth with his tounge and feel the delightfully soft skin of her buttocks before she knocked him back and froze him. It wasn't so much that she froze him that irked him so much, his kind were used to freezing cold, it was that she allowed it even for a second before denying him.

He would have her. He would drag her to the depths and enjoy every facet of her body in retaliation. He would enjoy what should be his and not some snot nosed punk's. He would let her flounder in despair before claiming her for all she was worth. That punk, Aono Tsukune would be the first to be dragged to the bottom of the ocean.

And then Kutsubo Okuto would have what would be his.

X x X x X

"Oh-hohohohoho!" Ririko-sensei laughed, her elongated body coiled around Tsukune in his nightmare, a flower of some sort ending her tail, "Tsu-ku-ne-kuuuun~ has been such a naughty boy."

Tsukune looked on in horror unsure of what to do, the choice taken from him as the flower latched on his head. He mindlessly sat at the desk in the study room, the coils moving with him, and he began to study.

"Such a naughty, naughty boy. Not only are you not studying math like you should be, you are thinking such dirty thoughts about people other than your incredibly beautiful sensei. The only tail you should care about is mine. Allow me."

Ririko-sensei's torso moved to behind Tsukune. She observed his work for a moment before she began to nibble on his ear her, hands trailing over his chest. Her own chest soon began to rub against Tsukune's back as her hands sought purchase lower.

Nightmare-Tsukune shuddered, with what he wasn't sure. Desire? An attempt to regain control? Her hands undid his belt buckle and slid into his pants, touch -

X x X x X

Tsukune sat bolt upright, coated in a cold sweat and breathing heavily. He looked down and saw his little guy pitching a tent. He face palmed.

"Of all the screwed up things to dream about, and get turned on by..." Tsukune sighed. A glance at the clock and he rolled right over back into sleep land, hoping there would not be a repeat of the previous dream. Or that it would at least skip to the good parts.

X x X x X

A/N: Phew. Knocked this out in a sitting. Felt like I needed to push it out to you guys. Real life has been hectic and I can't really research inspiration for this story. It weird, but I research stuff for Belladonna and it spirals into a chapter. When I do it for Winter Warlock I always catch a hump in that first part of the chapter, and HK helps me get over that hump. Methinks I might start opening the chapter in a different way.

On the Tarot, I did some research, interpreted it how I saw fit and wrote it down. The Empress and the Hermit are important. The Hermit more so than just in conjunction with Death. We prolly won't see how either are important for a little while. But we will and you'll go 'd'ooooh!'

Got a little descriptive. If it offends your sensibilities, I do apologize, however, it should never get graphic. So no he stuck his that in her there. The language might refer to such acts, pleasant or otherwise.

A scant seven reviews and I, the fantasmagorical Existential Insanity, shall write an Omake to be tagged onto the next chapter. In 57 reviews I will create R + V: 100 or Better. A community for R+V fics with more than 100 reviews. I have a forum for this story, as well.

Please Review or I'll break out Bruce Banner.