Disclaimer: I do not own Rosario + Vampire, or any of the characters that are native to that quirky and lovable universe. I only own the ones that I created for this fanfic series, and the one that I own from my other projects. As always, please feel free to read and review!

Rosario + Vampire: Concerto of Shadows

Chapter 20-Spa and a Destiny

Mitsumi Inn. Kyoto, Japan. Human World. Two Months Before

Moka smiled broadly as their bus pulled up to the curb in front of the Mitsumi Inn. While it was true that last time they were here things hadn't gone so well, she had a premonition this trip would be a much better experience. There weren't any indications that those idiots from Monster Industries were anywhere on the premises. The timing for their trip here was much different, since they came when tourism was lower for the Inn. With fewer tourists running around it should keep things like the spa more open. Of course, she wouldn't mind if she was able to pull Tsukune into the spa with her. She grinned wickedly. Maybe all the time around Kurumu had rubbed off on her!

Tsukune sighed with heartfelt relief as the bus finally stopped before the Inn. After all the anxiety and frustrations of yesterday, it was good to get away and finally have a chance to relax with Moka and his friends. She hadn't slept too well, and he thought he heard her moan his name a couple of times during the night. It was bound to be the bad dreams that he knew would come. That was part of the reason he stayed up last night, and hadn't slept very much himself. Of course, if he was honest with himself, the other reason he still had been awake was because he watched Moka sleep. He brushed her hair out of her face a couple of times and gazed at her. Tsukune was so thankful that she was at his side.

"Well Tsukune, we are here!" Moka said happily as she stood up. Tsukune shook his head to clear his thoughts and stood next to her. "Yup, it will feel great to be able to just soak away the cares and concerns for just a little while."

Moka nodded in agreement. She took his hand, and their fingers immediately intertwined. She tugged him gently as excitement lit her face. "Come on, Tsukune! Let's go look around and see what they have!" He nodded with a smile and they quickly left the bus.

"Tsukune!" Kurumu called as she stood up. She started to move quickly up the aisle. "Come on, wait for-"

An arm came down and stopped her dead in her tracks. She looked over at glared at Diademonica. "What the hell are you doing? Tsukune just got off the bus with Moka!"

Dia's eyebrow rose. "Yes, he certainly did." She held her arm out just a little longer until the happy Moka and Tsukune vanished into the Inn. She dropped her arm and gestured toward the front. "Alright, go on. Don't disturb them though, they have been through enough."

Kurumu glared down at the Cambion. "Why are you being so protective of those two being together? You're stopping me from being at the side of my Tsukune!"

Dia gave her a pitying look shook her head. "Just trying to save you some heartache, kid. Destiny has a way of deciding paths for people to travel. They do not always lead the direction you may want it to. It is possible to still be friends with someone even when their heart is held in trust for someone else."

Kurumu's brows knitted. "What do you mean, Dia?"

"Hey, Kurumu! You are holding us up! Come on, I want to get off this bus and get into that spa!" Ruby practically bounced with her pent-up excitement. "I don't get to have time away from Yokai too often, so I would really like to experience everything here that I possibly can!"

Kurumu finally shrugged and headed off the bus. Ruby and Yukari were right behind her, and they talked excitedly as they headed toward the front door of the Inn. Their new friends from the Illuminati practically ran off the bus and headed inside quickly. Haruna shook her head and whistled. It seemed this place did have quite the reputation. She stopped and looked down at Dia, her brow arched inquisitively. "You know, Dia, that was rather insightful and protective of you. To what do Tsukune and Moka owe this particular honor?"

The Enforcer lightly growled. "Oh come on, Haruna! You can't tell me that those two don't make a hell of a cute couple! I may suck when it comes to relationships and not know much about affairs of the heart; but I see in those two something that is honest and deserves a chance to become something more!"

The vampire smirked. "That is a rather mature attitude you have, Dia. Is there another possible reason why you watch over the pair so closely? Hmmm?"

The Cambion glared at the vampire. "Haruna, please don't try reading more into it! I don't dig into your painful past, and I would appreciate it if you left mine alone."

Haruna put her hands up in a placating gesture. "Ok, I won't pry. I do recommend that you don't stay on this bus though. Even if you continue to strangely insist on not soaking in the spa, at least you can come keep a protective eye on everyone."

Dia harrumphed and shrugged. "Fine, whatever you say. I will be in there once I get my gear together."

The vampire nodded, but stayed still for a moment. Dia looked up. "Something else?"

Haruna shook her head. "Just…thank you, for helping them. Both of them deserve some happiness before it all hits the fan."

Dia's eyebrow rose as she frowned. "Still believe in that silly old prophecy, I take it?"

Haruna gazed through the dusty windows of the bus toward the Inn. The vampire tapped her lips in thought. "Yeah, I do, Dia. And the ramifications of what it proclaims, if true, is what scares the hell out of me!"

Diademonica stood. "Haruna, I wouldn't worry about it. Truly." Haruna turned and looked at her friend. The Cambion smiled. "If there is anyone who can stop the darkness that comes, it would be Tsukune and Moka. They are quite the formidable team, and they will only get stronger with time."

"Will it be enough though?"

Dia shrugged. "I know of only one creature on this planet that could tell us everything that is planned for the future. She may not speak to us, but maybe she will speak to Tsukune."

XXX

Inside Mitsumi Inn. Human World

Tsukune and Moka milled happily in the lobby of the Inn. After what happened to them here last time, they were looking forward to a quieter stay. He gently squeezed her hand, and put his chin lightly on her shoulder. "I will make sure that we have much more fun on our vacation this time compared to our last time here, Moka." He breathed quietly into her ear.

Moka shivered slightly at the feeling of his breath upon her ear. Her smile turned impish. "Why Tsukune, whatever could you mean? Are you going to come into my room in the middle of the night and steal my virtue?"

Tsukune blushed bright red and coughed and spluttered. "M-Moka! I would never do something so-"

Moka turned around and placed a finger upon Tsukune's lips. She laughed lightly as she kissed the tip of his nose. She removed her finger and put her arms around his neck. Her green eyes gazed into his brown ones. "I know that, Tsukune. I trust you heart and soul." She grinned. "It doesn't mean that I can't still tease you though, my Tsukune." She said the very last part in a low whisper that only Tsukune could hear.

Kurumu quickly entered the Inn, and scanned the lobby. Damn that Dia! Why can't she stay out of my way? She saw that Tsukune and Moka were looking at each other in a way that made her rather jealous. What had she done wrong around Tsukune? Why wouldn't Tsukune look at her with so much… fascination? She was a beautiful woman too, wasn't she? After all, her boobs were much bigger than Moka's! What was it about her that had him so ensnared with that vampire?

Ruby and Yukari interrupted Kurumu's musings when they quickly entered the Inn. They stopped on either side of the succubus, and they too saw Tsukune and Moka as they gazed tenderly into each other's eyes. Ruby swallowed once, and caught Yukari's attention. She pointed at Kurumu, and gestured toward the waiting couches. Lips pursed, Yukari nodded. The pair of witches slowly and gently prodded Kurumu toward one of the couches to wait. They hoped the others would hurry up, since the look on Kurumu's face wasn't too pleasant, and might lead to trouble.

Of course, Tsukune and Moka were completely oblivious to what their little soul gazing had done to their companions. "Oh, Moka!" Tsukune exhaled happily.

"Tsukune!" Moka responded.

"Moka!" He repeated once more.

They both slowly leaned forward, each wanting to capture the other's lips with their own…

"How about that! We are finally here, Princess! Now we can finally have some serious fun! It won't cost us a single yen, either!" R whooped excitedly as she and A entered the Inn. Ruby and Yukari groaned while they slapped their foreheads in frustration. All that effort and work to not have a scene in the lobby and distract Tsukune and Moka just went down the toilet!

Tsukune and Moka sighed unhappily. As usual, they were so close, too! Tsukune lightly kissed Moka's forehead and took her hand again. They both smiled as their new friends approached them. "Hey!" R interjected loudly. "Did I disturb something? Did I see you two about to engage in a little tonsil hockey? Hmmm?"

"Really, Miss R! That is so inappropriate! What they were or were not doing is of no concern of yours! Sometimes you can be such a horrid woman!"

R snorted loudly, her feline eyes filled with mirth. "What? Doesn't that kind of stuff interest you? I have a nose for these kinds of things! These two are quite an item! Definitely hot stuff!"

A crossed her arms and gave her partner an irritated look. "It just so happens, R, that I respect peoples privacy!"

The cyan-haired Knight laughed. "Don't get your shorts in a knot, Princess! It is all in harmless fun!"

"Stop calling me that!" A hissed loudly as the door opened again.

Everyone turned toward the entrance and saw both a brightly smiling Haruna and a slightly sour-looking Dia as the doors closed behind them. "Ah, we are here!" Haruna exclaimed happily as she clapped her hands once. She glanced at her sour-faced fellow Enforcer and slapped her lightly on her stomach. "Come on, Dia! This is a resort where you are meant to relax! You aren't at a funeral for Vlad's sake! It wouldn't kill you to unwind a little, would it?"

Dia looked at her feet and flushed with embarrassment. "I've never been to one of these resort places before. Just what exactly am I supposed to do here?" She grumpily mumbled.

Haruna blinked with surprise. "You've-" She stopped, and then a slow grin spread upon her face. "Well, we will see what we can do about that! I promise you, by the time we are done at this resort, you will not want to leave here!"

"I'll believe it when I see it." The Cambion grumbled lightly.

"Oh, have a little faith in me!" Haruna cheerily stated and lightly slapped her friend's back. "Come on, the others are waiting for us!"

XXX

Tsukune stretched and yawned. Now that they had everything unpacked and their rooms sorted out, the fun could finally begin. R had snagged Ruby, Yukari, and Moka who then shoved them toward the hot springs. A decided to go explore the Inn's grounds and scenery. Haruna and Diademonica tagged along close behind her to keep her out of trouble. So, that now just left him alone here in the Inn lobby. He still wasn't quite sure what he was going to do yet, especially since the establishment frowned on the idea of him being in the spa with Moka. He doubted that she would have cared, but since it wasn't a good idea to piss off the owners, here he was. Problem was he just didn't know what else he could get into.

"Tell a fortune or reveal your future, young man?" An old voice crackled out.

Tsukune turned slightly toward the voice, and saw a small stand was setup and brightly displayed in the corner. An old woman, probably in her 80's or 90's sat there behind the stand and gazed expectantly at him. He cocked his head in puzzlement. He hadn't seen her there when they came into the Inn earlier today. It was rather curious, but what the hell, he had seen enough of these fakes that it was no big deal to him. What was one more phony prediction to add to the list?

Tsukune smiled patiently down at the old crone as he stood before her stand. She gestured toward a chair that was next to them. "Please, take a seat, young Tsukune Aono."

He grabbed the chair, and then jerked to a rapid stop. He turned slowly toward her with an eyebrow raised. "How do you know my name, miss?"

The old crone smiled knowledgeably at him. "I know a great many things about you, Tsukune Aono! Please, take your seat. I will then reveal your future as it is revealed to me!"

Curiosity had definitely grabbed Tsukune and wouldn't let him go. He placed the chair before the ancient crone, and sat down. He placed his hand toward her, his palm facing up. Her wizened old fingers clutched his hand, and traced the lines on his palm. Tsukune shivered lightly at the touch of her wrinkled fingers, and felt slightly uncomfortable while she murmured. She looked up at Tsukune and gazed into his eyes. Her eyes were a strange mismatched set, as she they were different colors. One of her eyes was a dull gray while the other one was obsidian black. They both seemed to swallow the ambient light of the inn.

"You, my dear child, were born from the culmination of two of the most powerful warrior bloodlines." She rasped. Tsukune's eyebrows shot up in question as she continued. "The darker part of your heritage stemmed from the ancient children of Cain from the world of monsters and demons. This is the very heart of those dark powers that you command, child."

Tsukune swallowed nervously. How the hell does she know so much about me? I have never told anyone here in the human world! "Please, continue." He whispered.

She gave him a wrinkled and knowing smile. "Your other special bloodline is also as powerful as it is old, young Aono. It is interwoven into the very soul of Japan herself! The blood ties and power of the greatest of human warriors, Oda Nobunaga, calls forth just as loudly from within your veins! This is the source of your compassion, your loyalty, and your guardianship of all you hold dear. You are Scion for the best of both the Cainite and Human bloodlines. You are most unique, in that you are of the very souls of darkness and light itself! It is through you that both worlds will soon be brought into a lasting and much desired peace. Or, it will fall into the deepest depths of darkness and ruin."

Tsukune sat slumped in his chair as he stared hard at the floor. This old woman couldn't be talking about him! He was just Tsukune Aono, student at Yokai Academy! Yes, it was a school for monsters. Yes, his best friends whom he had ever known in his life were also monsters. That wasn't the point though! He was just an ordinary student who barely could keep his grades in the acceptable range! How the hell could something like this be set before him! He was an absolute nobody in the human world, and he barely registered as a blip within the monster world!

The old woman closed his hand and squeezed it lightly. He looked up and his eyes widened in shock. The old woman had changed into the sultry shape and appearance of Inner Moka! Tsukune's mouth hung open as the doppelganger of Inner Moka gave him a seductive smile. "There are many tasks and trials before you, young Tsukune Aono! Your destiny will take you to places that you never thought possible, and your journey will be long and difficult." The visage of Inner Moka blurred, and Outer Moka now sat before him. Her bright green eyes and wholesome smile warmed Tsukune. "Know this, young Tsukune Aono. For you to succeed, there are three things: You will need to know yourself. You will need to trust others. Lastly, you will need to trust and follow your heart." She gave him a bright smile. "You will know to whom I mean."

Tsukune gazed imploringly at the woman before him and scratched the back of his head. "How do you know all of this? Just who are you?"

Tsukune jerked back slightly in his chair as the shape shifter appeared as Lady Haruna. She gave Tsukune a warm smile. "I have had many names of the course of many millennium, Tsukune Aono. Some have called me Destiny. Some have called me the Weaver, or Mistress of Fate." She shrugged. "Names and titles are pretty, but useless. I merely have an interest in your destined future, young Tsukune. As do many of us."

Tsukune gulped. "Who is 'many of us'?"

The woman appeared as the old crone again. "All of your answers will be answered, young Aono, in the fullness of time."

XXX

Tsukune's room. Mitsumi Inn.

Tsukune woke with a start and gasped. He rubbed his face and quickly looked around his surroundings. He lay on his pallet in his room at the Mitsumi Inn! Could he have dreamed the whole thing up? He laughed in relief, and shook his head. It was rather unusual for him to take a nap in the middle of the day, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He stretched, and his smile faded as he looked at himself. He still wore his normal clothes that he had worn in his dream. He frowned as he got up from his pallet. That had to have been a dream, wasn't it?

Just because it may or may not have been a dream doesn't make it any less real, young Aono.

Startled, Tsukune jumped and quickly looked around his room again. No, there wasn't anyone here within the room other than his jumpy self. He laughed aloud nervously and scratched the back of his head. Great, now on top of everything he was losing his mind! This vacation became more and more unsettling as time moved on. Perhaps being back at school and studying for tests would prove less stressful than this vacation has turned out so far. With one last look around, he headed out of his room and shut the door behind him.

In Tsukune's room, two wispy transparent figures slowly took shape. One of the specters was the old crone whom Tsukune recently met. The other was a beautiful young, shapely woman. The younger woman gazed toward the door that had been recently shut by Tsukune. "You really think that he truly has the personal strength and abilities to take the burdens of the future destined for him onto his shoulders, Mother?"

Destiny chuckled lightly with light humor. "Fate, my dearest daughter, you simply need to have faith in the boy! Don't you know by now that a Mother is always right?" She gave her daughter a lopsided smiled. "No, I don't think it will be just on young Aono's shoulders that we have placed so much trust and hope on, daughter. It will be born by Tsukune and Moka. Shared between them, as it was meant to be!"

Fate sighed loudly in frustration and threw her hands up into the air. "When is that blockhead going to finally realize that she loves him, and he already loves her? I mean, can't we just-"

Destiny in the guise of the old crone snorted a laugh. "Patience, my daughter, patience! We both know that while men can be very intelligent and resourceful, sometimes love has to come up and hit them over the head and drag them off by their hair."

Fate giggled. "You may need Moka to take such a drastic step. I still think he doesn't have a clue what his heart has been telling him!"

Destiny smiled and shook her head. "No, my daughter, it will be quite soon that the boy listens to his heart. Their love will be something for the storybooks in both worlds." She pulled out a pocket watch and gazed at the hands for a moment. "Oh, good heavens! We have spent too much time here, my daughter! I forgot to set the DVR, and our shows start in about five minutes!"

Fate grinned. "Sweet! Race you there!"

Fate quickly vanished. Destiny chuckled and rolled her mismatched eyes. "Ah, to be so young again! All that energy is truly wasted upon the youth!" She gazed toward the door again. "Good Luck to you, young Tsukune. We will be watching you both. Don't let us down!" Without another word, she vanished just as quickly as she appeared.

XXX

Tsukune descended the stairs with a feeling of déjà vu. He positively remembered coming down these steps not very long ago. When he entered to lobby, he gazed toward the corner where the stand was setup before. His brows knitted and he frowned lightly as his gaze drifted over the corner. There weren't any signs that anything had even been there. He quickly walked over to it, and glanced around. There weren't any scrapes along the floor; nothing to indicate it had ever been disturbed in the corner for a long time. Chairs and couches were unoccupied, and magazines were piled untouched upon some of the smaller tables. He shook his head. Maybe he really was losing it.

XXX

As Moka and her group entered the hot springs, she apologized profusely to them for what she was about to do. She pulled out her container of herbs, and gently treated the hot springs water with them. R looked at her with an eyebrow raised, but shrugged without comment. Almost as one, they entered the water and lay down comfortably with the water up to their necks. Their group formed a rough semi-circle, with Moka and R at the ends of it. R exhaled loudly while she closed her eyes and relaxed her shoulders. "This is the life! I would love to be assigned bodyguard duty more often if it takes me to places like this!"

Moka gave a friendly smile. "Does the organization you work for keep you really busy?"

R grinned brightly. "Yup. We bounce around all over the world and go to where we are needed. We just happened to get this assignment as a lucky draw. Whomever your Lord Rylan is, he must be a pretty important guy!"

Ruby sighed as she adjusted her legs slightly. "Yup. He is one of the senior members of the Night Raven Council."

R opened her eyes and nodded her head. "No Shit? Well, if I ever see him I will give him a big thank you! I haven't had a vacation in months!"

"You consider guarding us a vacation?" Moka asked incredulously.

R shrugged. "Beats just sitting around and waiting." She shifted, and her feline eyes narrowed a bit as she gazed at Moka. "So, tell me, what is the deal with you and that cute guy with the black hair?"

Moka blushed. "Tsukune? He is my best friend."

R grinned mischievously. "Oh, is that what you call him? Here I thought he was your boyfriend or even boy toy, seeing as how the two of you were about to enter the tongue-wrestling Olympics!"