Chapter 50

I'm a bitch, I'm a lover, I'm a child, I'm a mother

I'm a sinner, I'm a saint

I know you're all dying to know what happens next the big reveal last chapter, and I promise you it will indeed be answered here, just that this chapter isn't solely about Tsukune and Moka. I wanted to a look at all the women involved in this drama, for good or bad, and attempt to indulge my curiosity on a rather unresolved mystery in particular: the origin of Ria Sekitan. Of all the OC characters that have been introduced in the various Rosario + Vampire fanfiction, she has been the most popular, yet despite that, she has been the least fleshed out; her motivations, demeanor, family background and even personality have been a mystery, one that for the most part few, if any author has tried to divulge.

I figured, before I move on I thought I'd use this opportunity to tie up that loose end, not to mention revisit some love stories that had been put on the back burner like Kurumu x Sam, and Koga x Kyoko. Don't worry, our main couple will be amongst this belated Valentine's story.

Night in Sin City was never quiet nor lonely; even the hotel's parking lot was every bit as lively, what with customers and their seedy company huddled about parked cars like shady criminals. Yet, as Koji Aono noted as he trailed behind this strange looking woman on a path towards a vendetta, none were as shady and uncomfortable to be around with; it was if he left reality and stepped into a world of abject insanity. He reflects on what had brought him to this moment: being coerced by a stalker to partake in a scheme to entrap his distraught, turned vampire son, with an affair that didn't happen, destroying his marriage in the process and later finding out said son had gone through god-knows-what with his questionable "wife", which brought him out here just to divorce the bitch. Now, here he was in the company of this ghoulish looking, Chinese vampire clad in so much dark apparel that she could easily disappear into any shadow. It was sheer madness that Koji Aono had fallen in, and yet he didn't falter a step; the reason behind it all, his son, made even this seem worth it. The why's and how's felt irrelevant, his once average son, just another kid who was unsure of himself and had problems getting accepted into schools, now embroiled in vampire intrigue and surrounded by a bevy of supernatural problems, it didn't matter; Tsukune needed his father, and Koji was willing to do what it took, no matter how odd those actions might be.

"Excuse me!" He called to Akua. "Excuse me, hold up for a second!"

"Yes," she said casually, almost as if expecting him to say something.

"…Look, I know we have to go and do…I-I am all for helping my son, but y-you have to be straight with me, dammit! I'm not some fool to be kept in the dark; I deserve an explanation."

"An explanation?" She asked, playing coy. "I'm afraid you'll have to be specific."

"You know what I mean! My son."

"Tsukune?"

"Yes!"

"What about you son?"

"…This…all of this…"

"Hurry up, Mr. Aono, we're wasting time."

"Why my son? Why are you all so interested in my son!? Why are you doing this to him?"

Akua looked him in the eye, like he'd said something so incredibly stupid, that a child would know.

"Mr. Aono; that's rude of you to say. Your son happens to be a handsome, young man."

"Don't play games with me; you know what I mean? All these cloak and dagger schemes, these crazy, mind games and what not; your sister, Ria went through a lot of trouble trying to break up my marriage just to get her hands on our son and I want to know why?"

"You want to know why?"

"Yes! What is she after, what does she want? What do you want? What are these two, twin…Mokas going through all of this over him? Hell, neither one of them didn't even have to involve themselves in his life if it wasn't about love; why him, of all people? I…I want to know."

Akua then smiled warmly at him, her expression meant to be charming, yet was still as ghoulish as always on that pale, white face with dark eyes that stared eerily at him like a panther whose intent remained a mystery.

"You're right, Mr. Aono," she says, calmly. "This does require a bit of exposition. To answer your question, I think we'll go in order; you mentioned dear Ria, right? Why not, after all she is just as knee deep in all of this mess, if not more so."

"That's fine, whatever works."

"Well, let's see, when dealing with Ria you need to go as far back as even I could remember, to before I was born, actually."

She looks around for any eavesdroppers, but luckily everyone was too busy fucking or dealing to notice and went along with the story.

"It all goes back to her grandfather, Lord Sekitan, who was a rival of my father until the vampire that they both served, Alucard, was hastily put down; but, that's another story. Any who, father, ever the keen businessman was quick to assume power and Sekitan was left with only one option to hold onto his: marry off his eldest daughter to him, Ria's mother."

"Dare I ask, but…"

"What was she like?"

"Uhh…yeah."

"Heh. Saki Sekitan; what a bitch. That was a whore that any bleeding heart, social justice whack job or benevolent Christian jaded enough to defend cheating sluts would draw the line at. I first met her when I was just four, staying with father until dear Saki had me and my mother sent back to China; and, actually she looks a lot like Ria, and is just as manipulative, but that's all."

"I can't imagine her being worse," Koji comments.

"You'd be wrong," Akua chuckled. "She was as trash as they got, prancing about the castle in the skimpiest, most revealing outfits you ever saw, boldly flaunting her assets for everyone to see. She was consistently having manicurists flown in daily to prim up her toes and fingernails, at father's cost. She even bedazzled herself with so much bling that she couldn't go anywhere in the castle without all that jewelry making a racket; and, to make matters worse, she had the loudest, foulest, most annoyingly grainy mouth ever, which you could hear often while she was tormenting her personal handmaidens, such as my mother, for no other reason, but that she could."

"Really? I bet there was no love loss there?"

"Oh no. Saki was no more a saintly mother and wife, than she was a genius; one of her favorite mottos was: she was a woman first, and a mother second, and her treatment of Ria really reflected such a self-centered philosophy. She was a spoiled rotten, princess who got she wanted, and why not? She was married to the head vampire nobleman, had plenty of money to splurge and after having Ria, she figured her good housewife duties were fulfilled and indulge in some debauchery."

"She cheated on him?" Koji asked, the implication an almost personal one.

"And, not just once. She wasn't discreet about it, either; not that she was clever enough to be so. Father knew, but they were vampires and things like matrimony was never an issue; it's not like he didn't take a few women on the side."

"I am so sick of that vampire, infidelity crap! So, whatever happened to Saki?"

"Well, as I said, her treatment of Ria left little to be desired in the way of parenting."

"She hated her mother?"

"Hate is such a strong word, Mr. Aono; she didn't care for her, though. Even by vampire standards, Saki took parenting to a new low. From the day she was born, Ria was nothing more than a political tool, who was raised more by servants and boy-toys, as mommy dearest was far too busy living her life to be bothered. When Ria got older, Saki 'entertain' one of her suitors by putting on a little mother, daughter act for them! If the guest wound up liking Ria more, she'd humiliate her by forcing her to bring some champagne and other demeaning tasks as if she was one of the servants."

"My god! I didn't know."

"Oh please, don't go feeling sorry for her like she some abused child deserving of your pity!"

"Why shouldn't I? It's clear her mother was abusive, no wonder Ria's so messed up!"

"Ria is not a victim; she is many, many things, but a victim is not one!"

"How can you say that; you said it yourself, her treatment of Ria was worse compared to your kind."

"I can say that, because I know Ria, I know her mother and the relationship they had. See, I think a part of her did resent her mother, but not the way you'd imagine; don't forget, we vampires are vastly different from you humans. Please understand, Ria is a born sociopath, like her mother, and like her she's ambitious, not to mention suffering from a deep, daddy's girl complex, and the one thing the young, ambitious Ria wanted most was to be her daddy's Right Hand."

"Right Hand?"

"A First Officer or Junior VP in the family business, so to speak; Enforcer, in some other circles. Her only obstacle with that, however was that the position was already filled…by her mother. Luckily, that obstacle was removed, one day; see, Saki found herself pregnant and it was quickly determined that the baby wasn't father's. Word had spread throughout the vampire community, and Saki couldn't whine and beg her way out of this embarrassing thing, so the jig was up and her marriage to my father quickly dissolved when, to curry favor and facilitate the separation, Lord Sekitan gave away his other daughter, Gyokuro Sekitan, who promptly oversaw Saki's execution; and no one lost any sleep that night, either."

"And, Ria became the Right Hand? I see."

"Do you? Ha! Everything moved so fast that it seemed so unlikely that it was mere happenstance."

"What, you think she orchestrated her own mother's downfall?"

"No doubt. It was she who outed her in the first place. Remember, how she would sometimes deliver her mother wine while fucking some stranger? It's not inconceivable that she'd have slipped something to make mommy dearest pregnant; you know how my sister is."

"Good lord," he whispered, shocked and disgusted at the thought.

"Oh yes, because she exposed her mother's betrayal, father and the ruling council rewarded a then fifteen-year-old Ria with her one wish, and as her very first act, she was to execute Saki Sekitan, which she did without so much a tear. Do you feel sorry for her, now?"

"…Get on with the rest!" He gasped in utter revulsion.

"Well, as is typical with Ria, she didn't think things all the way through for while she got to be closer to her father, just the fact that she was the daughter of the reviled, ex-wife of Issa Shuzen also removed all social standing and drove a noticeable wedge between them; a fact that bothers her to this day."

"How so?"

"Ever notice her odd choice in clothes: the full-bodied dresses, leather gloves and all-around drab, gothic look? Not to mention that annoying, Suzy Q way of speaking?"

"Thought she was being…eccentric."

"Nah; they're all a stark contrast to her mother. It's her sad, warped, desperate attempt to show daddy that she's not mommy; but, she can only go so far. Father's bitter heart over Saki's stinging betrayal didn't fully heal until he met Lady Akashi Bloodriver, who warmed his cold heart like never before, and the birth of Moka finally gave him a reason to smile, something that Ria had not been able to recovery herself despite all her efforts to please him. All her cunning and hard work had been for nothing, as this concubine and her daughter had come right in and stolen what she saw as her birthright. I don't need to tell you how that made her feel."

"So, that's why she wants my son; to make Moka jealous?"

"It was, at first."

"What do you mean? Are…are you telling me Ria actually is in love with my son?"

"Ria is a sociopath; people like her are incapable of 'love'."

"Then what is her reason?"

"It's the same, I imagine Moka was initially drawn to him, though that seems to have been lost after becoming acquainted with your handsome lad."

Koji blushed.

"Well, my son is…O-Okay."

"Your son is good looking, Mr. Aono, especially now, but there's much more than that."

"Like what?"

"Well, there is his intoxicating blood."

"His…b-blood?"

"Yes, it seems your bloodline and that of your wife's had mixed the right cocktail of hemoglobin that drives bloodsuckers wild. If not for how he looks, he'd might've just been a delectable beverage."

"How he looks?"

"What, y…you mean you really don't know?"

"Know what?" He frustratingly asks.

"I mean, you've met the man yourself, right?"

"Who?"

"My father."

"What about him?"

"That your son could pass off as a younger version of my father."

The stunned and incredulous look on Koji's face told her he really had no clue.

"Wow, you really don't know this, do you? I guess it's forgivable, being a man and all, but it is obvious. If not for being older, more muscly, and having more hair and scars, father would be the spitting image of Tsukune."

"What!?"

"It's rare, but some people resemble each other, from time to time. In fact, I've had a few look alikes on my employ."

"That's…I mean…So, she likes him because of that!"

"It's not unusual, most women who love their dads look for men who resemble them."

"I-I…How…?"

"I know it seems farfetched, but I'm not making this up. It's been known, though rarely seen, that in his human form my father had some of the most beautiful brown eyes and charming smile that could make most female monsters fall for him."

"Okay, I get it! So, you think my son looks like your father and…W-Wait a minute, what do you mean more scars? You say Tsukune is covered in scars?"

"I think we're getting off track."

"Oh, now what!?"

"I'm saying that Ria hopes to achieve a symbolic victory over Moka, that in some twisted way she'll gain what she's been longing for so long; the 'love' of someone who reminds her of daddy, and she'll do anything to get that, even if it means manipulating you!"

"…This is just…So, this is her master plan?"

"You said you wanted the truth."

"Okay, so maybe there is some minor resemblance between my son and your father. But, I met the guy and he doesn't act at all like my Tsukune. In fact, he doesn't act like any of you; my boy is a kind, sweet young man."

"Ha! That ain't gonna stop her from trying to fix him."

"Fix him?"

"You've seen the kind of man he's become after what 'Moka' did to him in fucked up attempt to change him her way; just imagine what Ria plans to do to him."

It didn't take a stretch of the imagination to think about, and it was enough to turn Koji's face pale and sickly. This woman, however damaged she maybe, has done enough to his family and he wasn't about to let her do more just to satisfy some warped fantasy.

"How do we stop that from happening?" He asked.

"You are going to Fairy Tale Headquarters and using your business savvy to fix a little mess I created in her name."

"We're going back to Japan? How long is that going to take?"

"Not long."

"Are we taking that weird bus, again?"

"Nope; I have something better and a little faster."

Akua casually sticks her hand into a large shadow and he watches it disappear before his startled eyes as if swallowed up.

"Mr. Aono, an ancient technique: shadow stalking. Used by ninjas and Buddhist monks from Tokyo to the Himalayas; very ancient and highly effective, plus shortens the distance considerably."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"You won't, silly; just hold my hand and don't let go."

"We're…I…in there!?"

"Why, yes," she says smiling another chilling grin. "Be calm, you have nothing to fear, you won't die from it…unless, you should let go of me. Come."

"Wait! Why are you doing this?"

"I thought we've been through this."

"No, I mean…why are helping my son, why are you doing all of this for us? What makes you any different than Ria?"

She stares in his eyes blankly, her demeanor neither deceitful nor hiding any malice, instead looked at him as though he was a child asking her a simple, everyday question.

"Nothing, really," she says. "You can say we're both the same and you wouldn't be wrong. I have used, abused and manipulated people almost as much, if not more so than she has; I've even killed for a lot less."

"Then, why should I trust you?"

"Because, I am the enemy of your enemy, Mr. Aono. Because, I play Go and she plays Chess. Because, she is in the way of my own ambitions, and aligning myself with you helps me gain what I seek. You, also have an ambitious obligation to meet, to get back at the ones who harmed your family, and deny it all you want, but you are a primal man, motivated by a primal desire for vengeance; to me, nothing is more pure than that, and to get revenge on one bitch, isn't it better to have another bitch in your corner? Now, I'm not doing this so that you'd like me, Mr. Aono, but you do need me as much as I need you."

"Then, one more question: what makes Moka, real or not, any less a sociopath than you or Ria?"

"You think she is, Mr. Aono?"

"I don't know what to think, but you're said she was originally turned on by him because of who he resembled, and after everything that happened, I don't know if Moka Akashiya is as pure as liked to believe."

"I can't answer that, for you. I'm afraid that's where 'faith' plays in."

"…Fine, let's do this."

"Hold my hand," she instructs.

Her little, pale hand was cold to the touch, but he ignored it. She was right, right about everything; like it or not, despite his belief that being human made him above these violent monsters, there was a primal urge to get back at Ria, and this woman who married his son. So, to gain at least that much, he was willing to hold hands with the devil herself and be led straight into; he just hoped desperately that this was the right decision.

Blasting through the night, the chill wind tickling up Moka's almost bare back, giving her newly freed skin an invigorating message as green hair from her wig danced in the breeze, she could not help feeling rejuvenated; however, one important component made the whole thing feel less than invigorating.

"Is that how it's going to be?" She asked over the roar of the engine.

Her athletic arms wrapped themselves tightly around his firm body, while his muscled tensed teasingly underneath her, but Tsukune was extremely cold and has been for the entire ride. He drove the bike for miles without uttering a single word since leaving the store, speeding down lonely highways at dangerous speeds as if escaping something, but all the while his silent treatment only annoyed her.

"Stop the bike!" She yelled to him. "Your mood is sapping the fun out of this ride; stop the bike!"

But, Tsukune would not listen.

"Fine, have it your way!" She yelled, suddenly letting go of his waste and violently shaking the bike as they made a dangerous turn.

"What the…!?" He cried, as he lost control and the two of them went tumbling across the ground like a pair of tumbleweeds.

When he comes to, they were both beat up and ravaged by the crash, but otherwise were well enough to stand up. He looks around for Lucy, and through his hazy vision saw her up and about, messing with her wig.

"What the hell were you doing!" He demanded.

"I told you to stop the bike," she casually explains. "You wouldn't listen, so I stopped it for us."

"I wouldn't talk to you, so you deliberately tried to kill us?"

"As you can see, the crash wasn't enough to do that," she casually responds, her red eyes showing little concern over what just happened, as if it was nothing at all.

He was mad, but unwilling to challenge her further, opting instead to haul up their bike and tempted to leave her, behind.

"Oh yeah, here!" He yelled, tossing her metal cross from his pocket. "You might need it on your way back to town."

"You're going to leave me out here?" She asked him. "Really? After we finally meet after so long! First, you treat me like I'm the plague, now this; if not for the circumstances, I'd be extremely insulted."

"What do you want me to say, Lucy; you change into your true form and all I can see is…."

"Is what?"

"You wouldn't care, either way."

He begins rolling the bike to the road, and for a second it seemed like he would up and leave her, so she steps in front of him, stopping the bike with one hand.

"Try me," she responds. "Or…"

"Or what? You'll put me in my place?"

"That's beginning to look like an idea."

"Obey me or else; just like her."

"Just…like…who?"

"You heard me," he growled, his demeanor taking her back and momentarily distracting her from the insult he unintentionally gave, before adding:

"You want to know what's wrong with me? Looking at you, hearing your voice, it takes me back to the woman I'm trying to forget, but you're not making it any easier."

Those very words, the very idea of being compared to a woman so vile to her that it nearly made Moka puke in her own mouth was enough for an aura of malice to come sweeping over.

"Listen to me, and listen good," she hissed. "I am nothing like that woman!"

"How can I be sure? And while you're at it, why don't you tell me where my place is? Because, I'm tired of playing around, I just want it to end."

Moka had calm herself, but she was by no means ready to let this go.

"You're angry, I get it," she says.

"Who said I was angry?"

"Bull, I know you better than you think. You're pissed alright but as always, you're internalizing it rather than unleashing it. That's always your problem, Tsukune, you don't know how to let go, you never knew how to let go, because you gotta be so nice and so self-sacrificial. Look at yourself, you're all scrawny and pitiful, you're letting that bitch and her mutt of a boyfriend turn you into the walking dead!"

She takes the bike and hops on the driver's seat, and with her half bare ass practically exposed, gives him an enticing glance with a look of "come on" and adds:

"Let's fix that, shall we?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm going to help you externalize and I think I know where to start. So, get on."

He wasn't sure if he wanted to, but she was tempting, even if her request was an odd one.

"I'm not going to ask you, again," she adds with a teasing smile.

"Fine," he said, climbing on.

"Hold on tight."

He does, in which Moka found his thin, yet strong arms wrapped about her tiny waist, coupled with the rumbling of the bike between her bare legs, very arousing. And, with a roar of the engine they rode towards the city, this time looking for more trouble than outer Moka had previously offered.

Back at the strip club, Kasumi, Kyoko, Koga, Caro, Ruby, Ageha, Kurumu, Mizore & her family all sat around a private table in one of the many secluded rooms used for "private" shows; oddly appropriate, as it were, what with the kids around and the isolation needed to discuss recent matters.

"And well, that's it," Kasumi got through explaining. "That's all I know."

"Hmph, I should have known," said Caro.

"You did?" Asked Koga.

"Yeah, you dawg; Ria is the kind of fake ass whore, pardon my French."

"Thank you," said Mizore.

"Anyway, to pull a cheap trick like that. Now me, I'd go all the way, and have."

"Don't boast, sis," Ageha said.

"You're no saint, either!" Caro countered.

"Yes, but I don't kiss and tell."

"Wait a minute, you mean to tell me you two have slept with married men?" Kasumi asked.

"Oh yes, and then some," Caro responded.

"What on earth does that mean?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know more," said Kurumuru.

"Basically, Mrs. Aono, I hate to waste perfectly good stud, like your hubby."

"He isn't available!"

"You mean, you want to have sex with uncle Tsukune's daddy, old lady?" Yuki asked.

"YUKI!" Her parents yelled.

"Is there a better place we can go besides…um, here?" Hiba asked.

"What's wrong with saying 'sex'?" Yuki innocently asked.

"YUKI!?" Her parents scold.

"Nothing's wrong," Caro scolded. "But, there's plenty wrong with calling me old!"

"Where on earth did a little, lady such as yourself learn such a word?" Ageha asked.

"Grandma says it all the time when she talks about uncle Tsukune; she said that's what happened that time at school where uncle Tsukune planted his face between her…!"

Mizore cleverly muffles her daughter's mouth from saying further, as if enough damage hadn't already been done.

"M-My son did…w-w…?"

"You know children," Mizore nervously giggled. "Yuki, we need to have a little talk, outside."

"While you're at it, kindly discipline her about calling women old!" Caro politely demanded.

"Kid's got a good eye, though!" Koga laughed, but an ominous glare from her quickly shut him up.

"You needn't worry, mama explained what happened between Tsukune and grandma was an accident," Setsura quickly said while buried in her iPhone.

"An accident!?" Kasumi gasped. "Mizore?"

Mizore's face turned even more pale than before, while Ageha and Kurumu laughed.

"Oh, many, many things have happened in school," Ruby points out. "The stories between him and us, well, they're best left…unsaid."

"That mother of yours," Hiba grumbled.

"Wh-Whatever, look I'm just glad that uncle Koji didn't do it," said Kyoko.

"…Me too," Kasumi replied, though her demeanor was hardly cheerful. "But, it doesn't mean everything is okay. What about what's happening with my son?"

"I can't believe that cunt's hold over him is so strong!" Kyoko said.

"Believe it," Koga responded. "The power of an ex-wife over a man is…as strong as adamantium."

"Even after what she's done to him, his mom and his whole family?"

"…Yeah. If the guy really loved her; I've heard stories of guys literally remarrying women who were convicted of murdering their own kids!"

"I kinda feel responsible; partly anyway," said Hiba.

"Don't beat yourself over it," Kurumuru said. "You don't know her like I do. She has that effect on him, on everyone and everything. She really knows how to ruin a good thing."

Ageha comforts her daughter, sensing the despair she felt.

"What about…you know who?" Ruby asked.

"Last I saw of her, she and that young witch went after him," Kasumi replied. "I just hope they had better luck talking to him."

"To be honest, I don't know," said Yukari as she stumbles in.

"Master Yukari," Ruby said.

"Heh, wish I can say I was a complete success," Yukari replies.

"That's not promising," Koga said.

"What happened?" Kasumi inquired, eager to learn everything about her son. "Is he alright?"

"Well, it's a long story," she responds, slumping down in a vacant chair like a world-weary traveler.

"This whole thing seems like one, big long story," Koga points out. "We got room for more."

"…You know how I have the power of divination?" Yukari asked Ruby.

"Yes; tell me you didn't?" Ruby responded.

"What?" Kasumi asked.

"Ma'am, you know how your son wanted to get back with…her? You'll be happy to know that I stopped him from doing that."

"That's a relief," Kasumi said, but her joy quickly evaporated when Yukari's look of uncertainty became increasingly painful and regrettable. "What happened, how did you…?"

"Well, with a spell, I showed him what life would be like if he'd stayed with her; and…"

"And? He's seen the light, has he; my son?"

"Y-Yes."

"So, Tsukie is okay, right?" Kyoko eagerly wanted to know.

"…That's up to him," Yukari vaguely responds.

"What does that mean?" Kasumi asked. "How is he?"

"He just saw the most damning, most warped reality anyone should see; how do you think?"

"I can't, so explain it to me, young lady."

"How best to put it; imagine you're a teen visiting a fortune teller, and she tells you that you'll marry a convicted rapist who molests children, will beat you into compliance to where you will also molest kids, and when you have your own, you'll molest them until the police catch up to you two and are sent away for a long time, where you'll ultimately get raped in prison because they find out what you're in for."

The looks on everyone's faces let Yukari know that she had them on the right track.

"Yeah, it's something like that, but multiplied by ten."

Koga whistled in amazement.

"Excuse me, there are children present!" Hiba points out.

"Oh, hi there, little ones!" Yukari greeted, putting on a cheerful façade, thought belatedly.

"Mom, what's 'molested'?" Yuki asked, of which Mizore promptly covers her ears.

"Y'know, there are family oriented places in town; you might want to go there," Kurumuru kindly suggests.

Kasumi wept, shielding her eyes and face from everybody, trying to show some strength.

"Thanks a lot," Kyoko scolded.

"Oh, you were in this bad future, too Kyoko; you all were, well most of you, but you don't wanna know the details."

"And, you didn't need a crystal ball to tell you that," Kurumuru chided.

"That's why divination is not used under these circumstances," said Ruby. "The person may not handle what they see."

"I could have told her that," Caro said.

"Hey, it's better than the alternative!" Yukari tried to defend. "He needed to wake up, and what better way to do it than the being rough! Am I alone in agreeing that going back to his cheating wife is far worse?"

"No!" Koga chipped in, despite all the glares his way. "Look, Kyoko I know you don't want your cousin get even more damaged than before, but if it'll help him see that the woman he's been married too ain't what he thought she was, then I say force the little would-be smoker to smoke a full pack."

"'Molest': to grope and or harasses someone physically without their consent," Setsura said after looking up the definition.

"That's good, dear," Mizore said, though uncomfortable.

"Ohh, so that's what uncle Tsukune did to grandma?" Yuki asked.

"People, enough!" A flabbergasted Kasumi tried to reign in everybody before demanding:

"…Where…is…he?"

"Last I saw him, he was with…her," Yukari replied. "You know…"

"That's a good thing, right?" Koga asked. "It's what we've all been wanting."

Yukari went on to explain: "What matters now is that if things go right. Remember, he's been hurt bad by 'Moka', but if he finds out who whatshername really is, then no amount of explanation is gonna make him make everything better, not after what he's been through."

"I am aware of it," said Kasumi. "I am aware. I've seen what she did, I was even insulted by her, and explaining to him what really happened won't be enough to just erase the stinging betrayal."

"Well, that girl is resourceful, so I wouldn't worry," said Kurumuru, wearily rising. "Now, if you excuse me, I got a show coming up and there's a pole with my name on it."

"Really?" Mizore asked, holding her daughters' ears.

"Hey, why don't you take them somewhere else," she responds. "Not my fault if they pick up something they shouldn't."

"Hey, Kurumuru!" Yukari called.

"What?"

"You know what!" She demanded, pushing her chest out for all to see, but Kurumuru rolls her eyes and leaves without making a single acknowledgement.

"Is she okay?" Hiba asked.

"No," Ageha responded, her worried, purple eyes watching after her daughter. "These days, I don't think any of us, are. What's a mother to do?"

"…I can tell you what she could do," Kasumi said. "My husband has been used as a pawn, in some twisted bitch's sick game, my son was just betrayed and humiliated. And, while they're both out there somewhere, here I am, sitting in here, talking about it!"

"Yes; and what are you doing about it, Mrs. Aono?" Caro asked.

"I want my own revenge; I want, no I need to make it clear that no one hurts my family and gets away with it!"

"Aunt Kasumi," Kyoko whispered as she watched her aunt, with a fire, never before seen, flicker in her eyes, stand up and boldly claim the status of both wife and mother.

"Well said, Mrs. Aono," said Ageha. "And, how will you do this?"

Kasumi looks at her and her sister dead in their eyes and humbly asks:

"I don't know either of you, but lately I've…heard things, and…teach me."

"Teach you?" Caro asked.

"Yes!" Kasumi said, bowing her head before them. "Teach me to be half the women you both are!"

"Uhh, aunt Kasumi," said Kyoko.

"Whoa!" Whispered Yukari, while Koga and Ruby laughed.

"Mizore, did she just…?" Asked Hiba.

"I think it's time we go see the sights on the Vegas Strip," Mizore suggests. "Come, kids."

"Is the old lady and the blue hair gonna molest Mrs. Aono?" Yuki innocently asked.

"Yuki, shhhh!" Was all Mizore said as she ushered her family from the room.

"Ugh, hate kids!" Caro whispered. "Now, honey I hope you know what you're getting yourself into?"

"I do," Kasumi said, with not a hint of reserve or anxiousness in her voice.

"I can be fair," Ageha said. "But, my sister can be quite strict and very rough."

"Isn't that right, Ruby?"

"Uhh, yeah!" Ruby chuckled, nervously.

"I've just been through hell," Kasumi replied. "I think I can handle what you dish out."

"Oh boy!" Went Kyoko, trying not to freak out at the idea of her sheepish, well kept, run of the mill aunt being schooled by a pair of succubus, strippers/hookers. "Aunt Kasumi, please!"

"Let her do this," Koga explains. "Your aunt is trying to get her groove back. Way to go, Mrs. A!"

"Oh yes," said Caro with a devilish smile. "She's gonna get her 'groove' back and then some."

Caro and Ageha get up and walk around Kasumi, eyeing her like she was a piece of meat up for inspection.

"Well…" Kasumi stammered.

"What say you, sis?" Caro asked.

"I like the back," she whispered to her sister, loud enough for Kasumi to hear.

"My…m-my what?" She asked.

"Your…assets, Mrs. Aono," said Caro. "You've got it going on down there, and don't get me started on those thighs."

"One has to wonder why you keep them hidden by wearing those pants," said Ageha. "What a waste!"

Kasumi's face turned beat red, but she tried to remain stalwart.

"Oh god!" Kyoko muttered, bashfully averting her eyes.

"Oh yes, is more like it," said Ageha. "The honorable Kasumi Aono has a nice booty, does she not? Worthy of only the finest accessories."

"Yes, yes indeed," Caro agreed, brazenly pinching Kasumi's heart shaped butt and causing her to unintentionally squeal so loud that a few, lecherous eavesdroppers outside whistled. "You sure you haven't done any dancing? You're not too old to start now."

"Let's see what we can do for her, first, don't you think?" Ageha asked.

"Let's."

"Where are we going?" Kasumi asked as they led her out onto the floor.

"Take you to a few places," Caro said. "Introduce you to some people, and get you out of your 'comfortable' clothes, uh I mean comfort zone!"

Sam, while busing tables, and like Kurumuru troubled, immediately saw Ageha and dropped what he was doing just to talk with her.

"Excuse me, Ms. Korono you wouldn't happen to have seen Kurumuru, by any chance?"

"When I meant introduce you to some people, we didn't mean this one," Caro explains to Kasumi. "Get lost, you little…my 'Mumu is busy, as you should be!"

"Oh, be quite!" Ageha tells her. "She was just in the 'Executive Suite, but I'm sure she'll show back up. We were just going to have a nice girls' night out, but there's room enough for you."

She presses her gargantuan boobs against him and batted her eyes to charm the lovelorn, potential son-in-law, but true as he was, quite nervously, and yet politely rejected the offer.

"Uh, thanks but I better go find her."

"Throw the dog a bone, would you," Caro argues. "Now, come sister, our subject awaits."

Back in their private room, Kyoko appeared close to freaking out over her aunt's drastic decision to whore herself out.

"I hope they aren't too rough with her," Kyoko said to Koga. "Oh, what was I thinking, I should have talked her out of it!"

"Would you relax!" Koga tells her. "I wouldn't worry, she's a big girl, after all."

"Just the same, I think I better keep an eye on them," Ruby offered.

"Thank you."

"You coming, master?"

"Nah, you go ahead, I'll 'come' later."

"Why did you call her 'master'?" Kyoko asked.

"Uhh, it's a long story."

"I could tell you all about it, if you'd like?" Yukari offered.

Kyoko looked at the two witches, but after all the weird conversations this night, she decides against it.

"No, I-I'd rather not know."

Ruby nervously smiled and hastily beats a fast exit, unexpectedly bumping into Sam just as he was entering the room.

"Can we help you?" Kyoko asked the strange man.

"Yeah, I was just looking for Kurumuru; you haven't seen her, have you? Her mother said she was just in here."

"She was, but she had to go work, I think," Koga said. "Probably dancing on those poles out there; if you're her boyfriend, then you are one lucky son of a bitch. Now, if you'd all excuse me, I'd like to show this other fine lady here just how young this night is."

"Oh, why thank you!" Yukari said.

"I was referring to Kyoko."

"Thanks, but I think I've had quite enough for tonight."

"C'mon, you look close to shedding those beautiful, dark locks of yours."

"I am fine, really I…Y-You think my hair is beautiful?"

"Don't you?" He asked, laying on the charm as his broad, teasing smile literally charmed the worry from this blue-eyed beauty, as he calmly escorts her by hand out. "Girl, I got a lot to teach, you about self-confidence."

"I have self-confidence?"

"Really? With all this worrying you're doing, you haven't once acted as spunky as you look."

"I…I'm not 'spunky'. I don't think I come off as spunky."

"Then, why don't you show me what you really are."

As the two leave, Sam and Yukari are left alone, with him growing very uncomfortable being alone with another woman.

"Well, I guess I might as well get back to work," said Sam. "If you happen to see her, could you tell…Nah, forget it; sorry."

"You're gonna abandon a customer without asking if I needed anything?" Yukari asked. "I do believe I've dropped a button and can't find it; would you be a dear and look for it, for me?"

"Huh? Oh sure, ma'am. Where'd you drop it?"

"On the floor," she says, pretending to search for it from her chair. "Maybe, under the table."

He crawls underneath, feeling around the soft, velvet, red carpet while aghast at how dirty it was beneath the table.

"God, looks like nobody's been down here for a while!" He comments.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it needs a man's touch."

"You don't say!"

"A guy to go down and go to work."

"Ohh."

"Put his elbow into it."

"Oh my!"

"I mean, really go to town."

"Yes."

"Yeah, just let me…"

Suddenly, he realized how close he was to Yukari's legs, legs that had been precariously opening wider the whole time, practically showing to his startled eyes the entire length of her smooth, thighs and a crotch area where a piece of her black, thong underwear had some hair poking out as if to greet him. He was so close he could smell her, which unnerved him.

"Well," she began to ask, "need any help there or shall we begin?"

"Uhhh."

"Here," she says, gently nudging his head closer and closer, her legs opening further as if ready to receive him, "let me show you where to begin."

"W-W-Wait, WAIT!" He stammered, his face just inches away, the salty smell already invading his mouth.

"Yes?"

"No!" He screamed, jumping up and bumping his head against the table.

"Hey, Yukari!" Kurumuru said, just as she suddenly barges in. "Would you mind telling…?"

"A-A-Angel," Sam muttered, frozen still yet drenched in sweat, while the table laid across the floor, showing Yukari just now closing her legs, a mischievous smile plastered upon her face.

"Sam? What are you doing in here?"

"I, uh, I just wanted to…"

"Oh, me and Sam were spending some quality time together," Yukari said, coyly. "Yes, he said he was gonna go down on me and clean up; isn't that right?"

"W-What!?" He stammered. "N-N-No, that wasn't what I meant, I was referring to the table!"

"Don't be shy," she said, running her hand over her ample chest.

"Ms.!" He whispered heatedly. "Angel, look, this ain't how it…"

"Yeah, Angel!" Yukari mocked.

"It's not how it looks!"

"Can we speak in private?" Kurumuru said, leaving the room, but not before giving Yukari a glaring look of warning.

"Yes, dear," Sam said, nervously.

"Nice spending time with you, 'Angel' boy!" Yukari teasingly calls after, relishing in her mischief.

Kurumuru didn't say a word, but he followed her through the horny masses regardless, until they were at last outside the dingy and loud club, with the cool, soothing night air bringing on a welcomed relief.

"Hey look," Sam tried to say. "About what happened…"

"I don't care about all of that, fuck her! I want to talk about earlier."

"Oh; I wanted to talk to you about that too, that's why I went in there looking for you. I don't want to fight, not over this."

"No, you were right," she comes right out and tells him.

"I am?"

"With everything happening after Tsukune's return it…it put things into perspective. I don't know if Moka is who she says she is or not, but regardless of how I might feel, it isn't worth ruining what we got."

"…Wow," he said. "Never had a discussion where the woman said I was right."

"Don't get used to it," she chuckled. "But, you and me, we got a groovy thing going on; horrible ex-wives and awful best friends, be damned."

"I second that," he said as they embrace and lock into a passionate kiss, his body melting against the warmth of her ample bosom, while becoming lost in her enticing lips.

"One more thing," she says, her breathy voice whispered into, drifting into Sam's dreamy consciousness.

"Yeah, angel?"

"You didn't think Yukari was hot, did you?"

"Huh?"

"She's been bugging me the whole time she's been here, trying to show off her how hot she is. What do you think? Is she hot?"

"Why you asking me?" He laughed.

"Just curious."

"Like you said, forget about her, right?"

They both laughed, but Sam noticed Kurumuru's mound like breasts were pressing themselves ever so tightly against his chest as did her embrace.

"Uh, angel," he laughed nervously.

"I know her, she'll use any spell just to fuck with me; she didn't cast a spell on you or nothing? She…didn't…right?"

"Uhh, of course not; you're squeezing awfully tight, angel!"

"I don't need to feel threatened for my Chosen One by that little, pipsqueak of a witch! If she's bewitched you…!"

"She didn't bewitch me, you're the only one I care about!"

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Angel…she's messing with your head! Now, let's calm down and take a breath."

"Don't patronize me…!"

As they argue, nearby Yukari watches from the shadows and grins maniacally.

"Dance, puppets dance," she whispers. "That'll teach you to keep ignoring me."

Things at Issa's Castle weren't so jovial either, as Ria Sekitan marches through the halls, breasts bouncing wildly, her pace frightening the staff enough to hurry out of the way, all while staring in awe and fear for there was a purpose on the slutty vampire's mind. Her usually well calculated machinations were in turmoil, now and she methodically plotted every next move upon Tsukune's return.

"Damn puppets," she muttered to herself. "Why do I rely on them when they can't even perform a simple task! Now, I got this skank to deal with and at this late in the game!"

Reaching her father's study, she composed herself and puts on the best con she can think of before knocking. But, Kokoa's pet bat, Ko abruptly flaps into her face and in her hair, ruining what little composure she had left.

"You little…!" She shrieked, grabbing the animal in her hands and threatening to squeeze the very life from him. "You had better not have damaged my hair, or I'll pop your little eyes from their sockets!"

Yet, strangely the bat didn't seem frightened, instead it continued yapping and behaving frantically as if it was trying to tell her something important.

"You stupid…," she muttered, not having the patience nor care to know what it wanted. "Get away from me! Go find your master!"

"Ria, what is this?" Akasha asked after opening the door. "What do you want?"

"Oh me, oh my, I hope I didn't disturb anything," Ria pleasantly responds before drop kicking the little bat down the hall, sending him bouncing along like a rubber ball. "Please, forgive the noise."

"What do you want; speak!" Demanded a harsh voice from inside the room.

"Fa-…My lord; please, excuse me, but I thought I should let you know that the time is near for Tsukune to return home."

"Yes, I know," Issa responds.

"I ask to be along for the ride when you retrieve him, given his current state."

"He is with Caro and Ageha Korono, I'm sure he's fine," Akasha tells her.

"Is he?" Ria asked. "Well, do you really feel leaving him with those two any longer is wise; unless, you know something that we don't, my Lady?"

Akasha gives no answer, but a mild glare told Ria plenty, enough to sell her pitch.

"If anything," she continued, "I say he's been away long enough, for his sake; let me help him further with his dilemma."

"…Very well," Issa said, his face still hidden.

"Issa," Akasha whispered.

"His time is up; so, let's get this over and done with."

"…As you wish," Akasha complies, but not before giving Ria a look. "Is there anything else?"

"No, my Lady," Ria says with a small, content grin. "I'll have preparations for our trip ready."

After a 'humble bow' from their diabolical femme fatale, Akasha closes the door gently and rests her world-weary brow upon it's cool, wooden surface, but atmosphere from before had lost its appeal.

From the reflection of his dressing mirror, a pair of gentle, chestnut colored eyes saw the anguish in his lover even without looking at her face and a look of worry came over him.

"I can't stand to see you that way," he says, quietly.

She turns around and smiles, responding:

"I'm okay; all we can do is hope for the best. Please, don't look at me like that."

"In what way?"

"With your eyes so sad and so troubled; it breaks my heart to see them that way."

She slowly walks over to him and lovingly wraps her slender arms about his broad shoulders, draping smooth, soft fingers across his bare chest crisscrossed with battle scars, most he'd won for her, much to Akasha's dismay, but soothed gently by the manly scent of his shoulder length, brown hair. She enjoyed the smell, almost as much as she enjoyed the aroma of his blood coming from his long neck which she rested against, bringing a warm smile to his slender, lightly bearded face; perhaps, his most endearing quality to her.

Indeed, Issa was a vision to behold while in this, his more human form, a form he rarely showed to anyone, save for her.

"How I wish you could stay like this," she whispered. "So soft and gentle, without the weight of this world hardening it."

"Mm, these lines under my eyes do seem to be growing," he mulled, sadly.

"You're not getting old."

"No, but I feel it, the stress of trying to maintain this tyrannical farce, of keeping all this shit in balance and now this…Its more than one man can bear. What's more, I hadn't seen you this upset since that incident on Moka's honeymoon, remember?"

"Mm."

"Pulled all the strings necessary just to keep the Korono girl from being put to death, all for you."

"I remember; I just didn't want her mother to lose her daughter. Had hoped Moka would've learned from it, but I guess…Oh Issa, I wish we could just go away…away from all the politics and scheming, just live a normal life."

"I know," he said quietly, his brown eyes locked in deep, longing.

Later, his wife, Gyokuro was furious about the sudden arraignments, complains to her daughter, Kahlua, as she marched through the castle.

"Do you believe this!" She hissed. "Not a moment's warning and already that scheming little bitch of a niece got Issa to bring her boy toy here without giving me due warning! I barely have enough time to schedule my tailor!"

"Mommy, don't cuss!" Kahlua whined. "You know I hate it when you cuss."

"Be realistic, for just once, will you! The event of the century has arrived: pretty, princess Moka is about to be kicked out on her fucking, lily white ass, the moment I've been waiting for so long, and I have to show up wearing yesterday's drab; so, excuse me, if I like to FUCKING SWEA—hmph!"

Just then, Ko slams into her face so hard that he finds himself sliding down into the opened cleavage of her short dress, which with a mighty shriek she almost literally tears apart just to rip him out of.

"KOKOA!" She roars as she struggles to find the writhing, little mammal wedged against her skin and the flimsy fabric of her outfit as it wiggles its way to her panties. "KOKOAAA! Where is that stupid bit…KOKOA!"

Finally, the bat frees itself by squirming out from under her legs and onto the floor, where she attempts to step on him with her stiletto heel, only to fly out of the way and starts buzzing her, frantically screeching.

"Oh, he wants to play!" Kahlua says, jumping and clapping joyously.

"Then you deal with him!" Gyokuro growled and unceremoniously knocks the bat into her daughter's waiting arms before storming away, humiliated and enraged.

"Hi, little Ko!" She said, smiling so innocently, though Ko has come to know just how dangerous she could be, even when in playful mood. "We're gonna have so much fun together!"

She affectionately presses his little body into her ample bosom, threatening to suffocate him with her massive strength, and yet there was something that made the little animal more concerned than his wellbeing, forcing him to break free of her grip and continue squeaking in a way that began to register for even this child like vampire that something was up.

"What is it; what's got you so fired up?" Kahlua asked. "And where's sister?"

Thinking he's finally found someone to remedy his dilemma, the bat bites the hem of her white dress and pulls her along.

"You want me to follow? Hey, okay, okay, I'm coming!"

Back on the Vegas Strip, it was business as usual for one group of hoes, as they each hover around a supped-up Buick while its owner, and their pimp tallies up the night's earnings, his thuggish appearance a contrast to his whores' garish outfits, but whose use of the English language was hardly distinguishable.

"This all you bitches got?" He asked.

"What you talking about?" Asked a large, black prostitute. "I went and gave you 10 grand; where's that?"

"I don't know what's you talking about, I ain't seen no 10 grand! Now, why don't you bitches get on back out there and you better not come back to me with nothing!"

"Hey, shitheads!" Someone yelled out. "I got something for ya!"

"Who the fuck!?" The pimp angrily demanded, and spots a tall, familiar looking brown-haired gentleman boldly coming towards them.

"Oh, I remember him!" Yelled the large prostitute. "It's that homeless guy from earlier, acting all mopey and shit!"

"Hey, what's the matter, homie; you finally got lonely and wanted to spend some time with my girls? It's gonna cost ya!"

However, it soon dawned on them that he wasn't interested in what they had to offer, and he wasn't alone as another familiar face appeared from behind.

"Shit, he brought that crazy ass stripper from before!" Another prostitute recognized.

"You sure about this?" Tsukune asked Moka as she walked carefully behind him.

"I know what they did to you; they humiliated you, kicked you when you were down, after so many others have essentially walked all over you. So, why not; get some revenge, don't let these vermin get away with it, at least. Take what is yours: your pride."

"I don't like to be bossed around, y'know?" Tsukune reminded her. "This isn't like…"

"Do not compare me to her, again! Trust me, this you'll thank me, for."

"Oh, I see!" Yelled the fat whore. "He needs his new girlfriend to back him up, huh? Cry baby can't handle his business?"

When he heard them laughing at him, an up swell of evil emotions rose to the surface like a boiling froth, and a part of instinctively tried to stifle.

"Don't hold back," he heard Moka whisper in his ear, as though she had become his conscience and sensed what was within him. "Let it go."

Let it go? He wondered.

A part of him felt fear, the kind of fear one gets when they're about to open door they know they shouldn't, and yet again the phrase "Let it go" resounded, whether real or imagined.

Let it go.

"Let it go," he muttered aloud.

To hell with it! He thought as something cruel was finally unleashed.

As Tsukune quickened his pace, slowly took off his jacket, and ran straight at the pimp.

"HEY!" The pimp shrieked as Tsukune literally hoisted him in the air like a toy and slams him through the windshield of his own car, with the startled shrieks of the prostitutes' music to his ears. "Who's next?"

Tsukune eyes the fat one, remembering her taunts from before.

"I remember you!" He says to her, menacingly.

"Stay the hell away from me," she warns as she fishes from her purse for a can of mace.

"Or what?" He taunts.

She readied the defensive weapon, but he was too fast for her to use it as he cups it in his, then with slight pressure, forces her thick fingers to release it wherein he casually tosses it away and proceeds to do the same to her what he'd done to the pimp. Frightened, the other prostitutes ran for their lives, but Moka had already blocked their path of escape.

"Leaving us, so soon?" She taunts. "Why, that isn't very manly of you, seeing as how you knew so much about being a man; here, I thought you better than him."

"That is what they said," Tsukune agreed. "Talking all that crap about being man, like they knew!"

"W-We'll call the police," one of them warns.

"Will they get here in time to save you?" He asked.

"P-Please," another begged. "We're sorry, okay; we won't say or do anything bad to you ever again, just let us goooo!"

"I don't know, what say you, Lucy?"

"…Fine, let's send them on their way. Give them a car."

Pretty soon, all eyes on the Strip were fixated on this strange couple as they walked down the street, carrying something even more unusual than anything these visitors were used to.

"HELLLP!" Came a muffled scream from inside the Buick, now crumpled and folded into a metal heap, with arms and legs dangling helplessly as they tried to free themselves from its steel prison.

"That looks good!" Moka nodded towards an opened dumpster in a back alley

"What are you doing man, what are you doing!?" The pimp cried, but to deaf ears as they drew nearer to the dumpster, it's rancid smell already penetrating Tsukune and Moka's senses, granting them some encouragement that it must already be infested with enough vermin to keep their captives company.

"Alright, on the count of three!" Tsukune instructed, readying Moka.

"Three!" She gleefully shouts as they hoist the object onto the dumpster, the sound of squealing rats, rustling from within confirming what they'd hoped and making it all the sweeter.

"Lucy," Tsukune said, staring into her eyes.

"Tsukune," she replied, doing the same, and before he said anything further, they were drawn into a lusting kiss, as he pushed her roughly into the brick wall, grinding against her soft flesh as their lips locked hungrily into each other, but none more hungrily as him.

Moka found him ravishing every inch of her, his left hand riding up her mini skirt until she could feel his fingers lick her tender crotch, while his right caressed her taught, lean torso. Moka wanted to bite his neck, drink hungrily his rich blood and devour every inch of him as grabbed hold of his hair gleefully.

"Wait!" She suddenly tells him, pushing him back, but with eyes that seemed teasing.

"What's wrong?" He asked, breathless and eager to continue.

"Maybe it's the sound of police sirens in the distance or perhaps its these slack jawed yokels gawking at us, but you and I have a lot to make up for and this calls some well-deserved privacy."

"I think I know where. This was worth it, though; bringing me to do this, turning me on like you did. Yeah, let's take this back to my room, it's high time I take what is mine."

"You had me at 'turning me on'," she said, her husky voice his lusty heart like ice. He couldn't wait to take her back, rip off her skimpy clothes and just unleash his animalistic desires.

And, as they rode back to the hotel, her hardened nipples poking him through the flimsy fabric of her blouse and tickling his back while the roar of the motorcycle between her legs excites her more, she erroneously, and perhaps carelessly believed that this was all the remedy Tsukune needed.