Repercussions

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from or relating to Rosario + Vampire.

(Issa's POV)

"Two weeks have passed since the attack on Osaka, and the reaction of the general populace has been explosive. Rioters have taken to the streets, hunting down anybody they think are non-humans. These groups span every known faction of the world, but generally encompass major religious groups like Christianity and Islam. People are fearing for their lives in every nation across the world, and it is showing; the world has been thrown into disarray."

Issa stared out his window, listening to the news report drone on. The truth behind their words was apparent; even Japan was having difficulty suppressing and allaying the fears of the populace regarding their newfound neighbors on this planet, as peaceful as it generally was. His attention was drawn back to the news report as he heard a new perspective arise.

"We're now live with a group opposing the systematic hunting of what they deem to be innocent people. Can you tell us why you're doing this?" A reporter asked a protestor.

"All of us heard what that boy said, and he's right! It's not like they've just suddenly appeared on this Earth; they've been here the whole time, and this is the first attack on a city we've ever seen. The attack itself was done by a terrorist group, and the rest of them are trying to help us stop them!" the protestor said.

Issa had one of his servants shut off the television; it was nothing he hadn't heard already. Despite his initial misgivings, Issa had to admit that the boy was charismatic at the very least. Issa loathed to say it, but perhaps his compatriots had been correct in keeping him alive after he ghoulified. So far, the single speech made by Aono had garnered as much support, if not more support from the general populace than the Dark Lords had done through regular conferences with world leaders.

But for as much support as he had garnered, he had garnered just as much kickback in the process. The groups responsible for hunting down yokai and ayashi were everywhere, typically all part of major religious groups, which Issa figured was due to the anti-demonic nature of such religions.

Succubi and all ayashi were considered demons, and as such, minions of Lucifer under the Abrahamic faiths, and such creatures were not tolerated in many other beliefs; they had always been depicted as deceitful and evil.

Such resistance was no surprise to the old vampire. Issa had lived for almost 2 thousands years; Akasha and Alucard far longer, being from times where stories of vampires were easily dismissed as superstitions of the past.

"Sir, your evening meal is ready." Issa heard one of his servants say. "Would you like to dine by your lonesome tonight, or would you prefer to speak with the council? They have been quite persistent in the necessity of your meeting them."

"I shall hear them; I've put it off quite long enough now." Issa sighed as he smoothed his business shirt, turning to face the door that would lead to the dining room. The vampire council had been guests in his manor for some weeks prior to the event, and they had only increased in their persistence that he should meet them after the Fairy Tale attack on Osaka.

"Shall I send for them to meet you in the dining room m'lord?" the servant asked, bowing her head slightly. She was a rather pretty woman; one of the few humans that Issa had in his service.

"No, that shall not be necessary Ayane," Issa stated, donning his signature business jacket, and making himself appear as professional as the occasion dictated. "I will have another of my servants send for them. I would like you and those you deem skilled enough to ensure that the food is well prepared. The council and I have been at odds for quite some time; this must go well for them to even begin considering what I've to say."

"Understood sir," Ayane said, bowing her slightly, before heading out to perform the tasks given to her.

Issa scowled as he contemplated the upcoming meeting, thinking as he walked. "I can only hope that the boy manages to garner sufficient support from the populace as to slow the rampant mistrust and abuse directed towards yokai right now; I do not know if I will be able to garner such support from the upper class members of the vampire society, let alone the rest of the races."

Arriving in the dining room, Issa gave Tsukune one final thought before he put on the mask that he found himself wearing oh so often, his mask of professionalism and cool countenance. "Boy, you have altered the direction this world will take forever more; I pray you're ready to see it through."

Issa was pulled out of his prayers as he heard the doors to the dining hall open, and watched as the various council members entered.

(Tsukune's POV)

He'd never seen the world in such disarray. Tsukune had thought he'd known how people would react, but he never could have imagined this; such chaos and destruction. Humans were hunting each other out of paranoia, and any who spoke up for the yokai were all but guaranteed to suffer some sort of bodily harm; to what degree was always up in the air.

His only solace were that: his mother had survived the initial attack and was thus safe under the Headmaster's care, Moka was by his side, and his teacher had told him that he may not have to be the only leader of this cause; that he may have a partner very soon.

Hokuto had been acting as a spy inside Fairy Tale for the Headmaster, and had discovered that Alucard's main body had been dropped off at a safe location, under the guard of creatures lacking the ability to sense yoki. If the Headmaster and Touhou could infiltrate the base, with sufficiently powerful, but stealthy guards, they could extract Akasha from Alucard once more.

Her influence among the vampire houses could make the difference between their undivided support, and potential civil war between the houses. Such a war was already brewing between the werewolves, and a clear lack of leadership amongst the yokai was not helping the matter, another matter that Akasha could help with due to her history with Alucard.

Prior to Alucard's fall from grace, back when he was still known as Dracula, he had been the King of the Yokai. Following the loss of his kingdom, but prior to his quest for vengeance, he had all but adopted Akasha, making her next in line after him. His crimes had removed him from the line of succession, leaving only Akasha in the line-up, meaning that she was, technically, the Yokai Queen.

Every race had been vying for the position, but the throne was inherited by birth. The only thing that prevented Moka from assuming the throne was that her mother had never truly died; she was just sealed inside of Alucard. If Akasha were to come back, she would still be the true Queen.

The Headmaster had already started his plan to infiltrate the base in question, but he had warned that it was entirely possible that all the information given by Hokuto had been falsely leaked to him; Hokuto was on their side, but Kiria was not. Kiria was someone Hokuto had to spend a large amount of time with Kiria to keep up his facade of camaraderie, and Kiria was far from unobservant.

Even still, it was too big a chance to pass up, which meant that they had to try, despite the potential trap lying in wait for them. They couldn't risk everything on this however, which meant that they were going to have both Moka and Tsukune stay with Moka's father to ensure they didn't lose the fight over what could be nothing of value to them.

Moka's father had already escaped from Fairy Tale, and was not planning on lowering his guard again, at least from what Tsukune had been told. He had no clue how Moka's father had done it, but had also been told that her father had passed a lengthy and complex truth spell, so his credibility was not in question.

Regardless of that fact, Tsukune himself could not allow himself to stay back when so much hinged on this rescue mission going smoothly. As such, he was currently arguing the necessity of his presence in the mission.

"Headmaster, with all due respect, you cannot expect me to stay behind when the fate of the world might be entirely at stake based on the results of this mission." Tsukune argued, "As it is, the amount of power that you two would need in order to successfully pull off the spell is too great for you to have anybody that isn't capable of fighting people relativistic to Gyokuro or Kahlua."

"I understand your enthusiasm Mr. Aono, but you must understand that you are far more pivotal to the success of this movement than you give yourself credit for." the Headmaster countered, "Like it or not, you are the head of this movement; the bridge between the yokai and human realms. If you were to be captured and/or killed as a result of your being on this mission, this movement is doomed to fail. Furthermore, should the latter of those events occur, the news of your death would likely serve as an emotional catalyst for Ms. Akashiya's latent, repressed Shinso blood to activate. You know that such an event would cause Alucard to awaken from his slumber, all but sealing the fate of humanity in stone."

Tsukune wanted to argue further, but found that he couldn't find anything to debunk the Headmaster's logic. He had attempted to argue for Moka's presence on the team, but found that argument even more difficult to win. If he was being honest with himself, he had been relieved when she had been denied her spot on the team; he understood her wish to save her mother, but he couldn't bear the thought of her getting hurt and/or captured.

"The same is also true for Ms. Akashiya. Should she go on the mission and get captured, we would have all but lost the battle against Fairy Tale at that point." the Headmaster reasoned further, "Additionally, should she get hurt, that may cause you to go berserk once more, and each time you lose control, it becomes more and more likely that you shall entirely lose yourself to the ghoul."

"Yeah." Tsukune responded, looking off into the distance, "To be honest, I'm glad that she is able to stay out of harm's way, even though I wish she could be there when her mother comes back."

"If she comes back." the Headmaster corrected.

"No; when." Tsukune maintained, "If you start to use terms that inherently attribute doubt to a situation, I believe that you are accepting that failure is a viable option for your cause, which could dispel confidence in an operation. So I'll say when; when you guys save Akasha, Moka will see her mother again."

The Headmaster simply chuckled in response. "That is a dangerous philosophy to hold Mr. Aono." he said, before chuckling yet again, "Then again, fortune favors the bold, so I'll concede to your belief. When we save Akasha, we shall return, and begin our campaign to bring an end to Fairy Tale."

The Headmaster directed his attention to the approaching form of Touhou. "Mr. Aono, I suggest you and Ms. Akashiya go and settle down for the time being. We will return as soon as possible."

Tsukune wanted to argue, but decided not to; he'd pushed far enough already, and if it kept Moka safe, then that was enough for him.

Tsukune made his way back to the dorm rooms leisurely. Everyone had retreated back to the Academy, which was currently being used as a "base of operations", for lack of a better term.

The Headmaster had wanted to send the remaining students home until this war against Fairy Tale came to an end, but Touhou had ended up convincing him that keeping the students here was their best option since it meant several things; the first was that Fairy Tale would become suspicious if all the students suddenly went home for seemingly no reason at all.

The second was that each of those students had the potential to be recruited into Fairy Tale if they weren't continually reminded of the importance of coexistence for both humanity and ayashi, making their job even harder than it already was. So as risky as it was, the Headmaster had relented, and thus all the students were to stay at Yokai Academy as if nothing was wrong.

Hokuto had supported Touhou in his argument, saying that he had come to the conclusion that Alucard himself was leading Fairy Tale under the guise of the Masked King. Since Alucard felt little-to-no hatred for the ayashi, only humanity, Hokuto was under the assumption that he wouldn't order an attack that would cost the innocent lives of ayashi children.

Tsukune himself was staying there under the guise as a visiting Alumni, and his mother, as distraught as she was, managed to spend most of her time exploring the school grounds, which she had never seen before. She always had somebody guarding her, typically Kokoa as she was the most adept fighter they had at their disposal currently; Tsukune was busy strategizing with the Dark Lords as to what the best course of action for him to take was, since he had become the figurehead of this movement; Moka hadn't trained in years, meaning that Kokoa had probably surpassed her.

Tsukune found his attention shifting to a group of young girls who were giggling and trying (and failing) to discreetly check him out. Four years ago, such a thing would have embarrassed him; now…..it still did.

He spent most of his time in his vampire form, letting his yoki gently emanate off of him. It was easier for him to maintain conscious control over the ghoul if he wasn't also attempting to suppress his own energy.

He was aware that he was blatantly more attractive in vampire form (i.e. he had a more toned physique, striking red eyes and silver hair), so he'd grown accustomed to people staring at him whenever he was in it, but that did not mean that he enjoyed the attention.

He used to have a problem with his yoki scaring his peers, but he'd learned how to turn it into a comforting presence, similar to how a warm blanket gives the illusion of security. He'd done it so much that now it was second-nature to him; he just did it automatically.

He was surprised when the group of girls ran up to him and spoke to him directly.

"Can we get your autograph?" one of them asked nervously, while the others giggled behind her.

"Why would you want that?" he asked playfully, but still curiously. He didn't remember doing anything worthwhile; certainly nothing worth an autograph.

"You're kidding right?" one of the other girls asked, "You're like … the most famous Alumni to ever graduate from this school."

"Yeah, you're the Tsukune Aono, the guy who took down the biggest tyrant this school had ever seen!" another added.

Tsukune chuckled a bit; they say that as if he and the others hadn't gotten their asses kicked thoroughly during that fight. "Ya know that wasn't just me? I had a lot of help taking down Kuyou."

"Sure, but you were still the guy to take him down!" the first girl responded.

Tsukune just shook his head, but one could easily see the smile on his face; he didn't necessarily like being idolized like this, it made him feel incredibly weird in reality, but he had to admit that it was a nice ego boost. It also made him have hope that maybe his message of peace would be well received.

"Before I do that, can I ask you girls a question?" he asked in return, each of the three nodding eagerly.

"What do make of the situation out in the human world?" he asked, taking each of them by surprise.

"Well … I don't really know," one of them answered bashedly, the others nodding their agreement.

"Don't be embarrassed; it's a complicated situation that requires a lot of thought to understand both sides equally." Tsukune responded, "I'm just glad you three didn't immediately answer one way or another. It's easy to say something in the heat of the moment, but its an entirely different thing to have to act on those words. I'm sure you've heard that plenty by now, but never forget the importance of those words okay?"

The girls all nodded in unison, causing Tsukune to smile once again.

"Now, what was it you all wanted me to sign?" Tsukune asked, accepting a permanent marker from one of them.

In unison, each of the girls lifted their shirts and promptly flashed Tsukune their goods.

"Could you sign our tits?" they asked, causing him to sputter incompetently and blush. That was something he never got used to. Thankfully somebody came to his rescue, as dictated by the loud clearing their throat.

"Hhmph, hhmph." Moka said, getting everybody's attention and causing the girl's to hurriedly pull their shirts down. "What are you doing?"

"W-well...we were just…" one of them tried to explain, all of them clearly uncomfortable under Moka's intense gaze.

"Complete amateurs," Moka commented, making everyone present, Tsukune included, stare at her in confusion. "If you're going to flash someone, you pull the front of your shirt down so that you can easily put your girls away again."

Moka said the last bit with a playful smirk on her face, prompting Tsukune to realize that she had something planned.

"Like this," she added, pulling the front of her shirt down, causing Tsukune to blush heavily and look away in a vain attempt to avoid getting turned on.

Moka laughed as she covered herself back up, the girls also laughing at Tsukune's blushing face.

"Now then, since we've all had our laughs, you three should run along." Moka said, still sporting a soft smile.

"But what about our autograph?" one of the girls asked.

"Girls, listen." Moka started, "Never for a moment believe that you need to receive something from him. Remember, regardless of what he's done, he is still just a person, like you three. You don't see me asking for his autograph do you?"

"Yeah but you're his girlfriend since high school; it's different for you." one of them argued.

"Actually, him and I didn't get together until recently; honestly, I wish I would have had the common sense to let it happen back when we were still in the academy." Moka said, interlacing her fingers with his.

The girls caught the two staring at each other, before panicking after hearing the tardy bell, each taking off almost immediately after they heard it.

"Lost your nerve Aono?" Moka teased, watching the girls run off.

"No; I think its stronger now than it ever has been." he said, moving to embrace his newfound lover and kissing her forehead.

"How come?" she asked, tracing a finger down his chest, and staring into his eyes.

"Because this is worth protecting." he responded, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes.

"Us?" she asked.

"Not just us, but all of this; this is what we are fighting for; everybody's right to live life free and happy." he clarified.

"Even if it means that random girls flash you for giggles." Moka asked, giggling at his spiteful expression.

"Yes, even if that's what it means. I'm gonna get you back for that by the way," Tsukune playfully threatened.

"Oh really now?" Moka taunted further, "Then I await your punishment, oh lover of mine."

She giggled as he picked her up and sped towards their room.

*Sometime later*

Moka snuggled into Tsukune's warmer body, purring contentedly as she did. Tsukune was glad that the Headmaster had managed to sort out the kinks (no pun intended) that cropped up from he and Moka's last attempt at lovemaking.

Tsukune had originally been hesitant to try again. Not to say that he hadn't enjoyed it, just the opposite rather, but he was in no hurry to risk another episode of ghoulification. Luckily the Headmaster had made a new Holy Lock prior to Tsukune's graduation that had a similar condition to it as Moka's rosary had.

Moka's rosary could only be removed by Tsukune, since the condition was that only someone who loved her in her entirety and meant her no harm could remove it. The Headmaster used that condition as a base, but in reverse.

This new Holy Lock was actually weaker than his previous lock on its own. But Moka's presence increased the strength of the lock; the closer she was, the more power the lock could handle and effectively seal … which meant that whenever Moka and Tsukune were in physical contact, as they were whenever they were being … passionate, it was at its strongest.

That also came with the downside that Tsukune was inherently able to release less power whenever she was around. He and Moka had been learning to fight as a team due to that fact, to try and mitigate that weakness.

"You alright love?" Moka asked, lifting her head from his chest, allowing her long hair to hang down.

"Yeah, just thinking," he responded.

"About what?" the silver haired vampiress asked, resting her chin on his chest once again, her eyes gazing into his.

"Nothing in particular," he responded.

"If you say so," Moka said, fiddling with her hair. She stared at it for awhile, contemplating its existence, before finally giving voice to the thoughts swirling around in her head. "Should I cut my hair?" she asked, confusing Tsukune.

"Why? What's wrong with it now?" Tsukune asked.

"Nothing in particular," she said back, "I've just always had it long. I'm curious if I would look good with short hair."

"You'd look good with any kind of hair," Tsukune remarked, thinking that would be the end of it.

"Even bald?" Moka questioned, with a knowing smirk. Tsukune's eyes snapped open as he tried to come up with a response. "Uhhhhh…..I'd still think you would look attractive."

"You're biased, my love," she said coolly, giving him a peck on the lips before laying her head down again, this time using his arm as a pillow.

"Ummmm, Moka, the way you're acting seems sort of off," Tsukune stated, making her open her eyes partly. "It's just...you seem way too … okay with sitting back while the others go and save your mother."

Moka laid silent for awhile, before sitting up and sighing, the covers pooling around her waist. "When I first heard about the plot to rescue my mother, at first I thought that I must be on the team that would go to bring her back." Moka finally said, "She's my mother, and I've waited for nearly 2 decades to see her again. But as I thought about it, and argued my case to Tenmei, I began to realize that I would be little more than dead weight on the mission. I've lost my edge in battle."

Moka stared out the window, towards the setting sun. Tsukune gazed at her, as the orange-red light of the sun surrounded her in a halo of light; combined with her silver hair, Moka appeared almost divine, like an angel that had fallen from heaven and lost its way.

Tsukune felt lost as to what he could for her. He knew from his past with her that she was not okay with the situation, even if she could justify the situation as it was.

Tsukune decided to simply hug her, and just give her a chance to vent. "Is there anything you want to get off your chest?" he asked.

"I don't know," she sighed, still gazing out towards the sun, although she was now leaning back on his chest. "I suppose I've just grown used to being stagnant or….or even being useless really. It's not a feeling I enjoy, because that's not who I used to be. I used to be….important and powerful. People listened to me, and that's simply how it went. But I was also alone; ostracized by my own actions within even our own friend group. I don't want to go back to that, but I fear that the strength that I want lies back in that past I tried so hard to forget and move away from."

"What made you start thinking about all this?" Tsukune asked, seeing Moka drop her head slightly; out of shame, he assumed. He remembered Kurumu telling him that Moka had a scuffle with Kuyou during the Fairy Tale attack. "Was it Kuyou?"

"He was part of it, but Kiria was the bigger reason," Moka admitted, "He beat me so easily, and just seemed bored with our fight."

"There's more to being strong than simply being powerful," Tsukune responded, "You're strong in mind; in spirit; in your beliefs and fortitude."

"Little good that does me in a fight," Moka laughed, which garnered a small chuckle from Tsukune himself. The two laid in silence for a while longer, before Moka once again broke the silence. "Thank you, my love."

Tsukune planted a small kiss on her head, before resting his head on hers. The two were interrupted once again, this time by a knock at their door. It quickly opened to reveal Moka's father, dressed up as usual, though it was more business casual this time around; sans the suit-jacket and with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

He surveyed the pair, before sighing. "I take it you two aren't prepared to leave just yet?" he asked rhetorically.

"We just need to get dressed father," Moka said back, she and Tsukune getting up to find their clothes that were strewn about the room.

"Please hurry," Issa responded, sounding absolutely exasperated, "I'm quite done with inconveniences today."

"The council this time father?" Moka asked, clipping her bra in place as Tsukune threw her shirt to her.

Issa pinched the bridge of his nose, and leaned against the door frame, closing his eyes as he did and tilted his head back. "They are the most stubborn fools I've ever had the displeasure of knowing."

"As always," Moka commented back, her voice even and monotone; a fact that didn't go unnoticed by the two men in the room.

"Why do you sound so distanced from me my daughter?" Issa asked, striding over to his second youngest. "Have I done something to upset you?"

"No father, it's simply that I'm no longer part of the family, thus I should maintain my distance from you." Moka said, her facade cracking ever so slightly.

Before she could physically distance herself from her father, Issa brought Moka in for a warm embrace, which she instinctually returned. "Part of the family or not, you'll always be my daughter." Issa said, before bestowing a kiss on her brow.

Moka slumped her head against his chest and sobbed quietly against it while her father held her. Tsukune stayed out of the situation, deciding that it was their family moment; he didn't need to insert himself into it.

After some time, Moka picked her head back up and wiped away the remnants of her tears, before imploring Issa and Tsukune to wait for her at the car, since she needed to clean up a bit more after her tears had made what little makeup she wore to run.

The two men agreed, Tsukune giving her a quick peck on the lips before heading out the door, side-by-side with his soon-to-be father-in-law. The duo walked in silence, Tsukune slightly off put by the power and control radiated by the older male.

The two arrived at the car, which to Tsukune's surprise wasn't overly fancy; it was just a normal vehicle, though it was either new or very well taken care of.

"You seem surprised," Issa commented, making small talk with Tsukune; it was clear Issa still wasn't very fond of him.

"I just expected something a bit more extravagant," Tsukune rebutted.

"Limousines are certainly nice, but I do quite enjoy driving on my own every now and again," Issa stated, patting the car on the hood. "Besides, I do believe stealth is a very viable option for us at the moment."

"Fair enough," Tsukune said back.

The pair drifted into an uneasy silence once again as they waited for Moka. It did not last long, however, as Issa seemed intent on addressing the elephant in the room.

"Cigarette?" the older vampire said, lighting one up for himself, before partially flicking one out of the container, just enough for Tsukune to pull out by the butt if he so chose.

"No thank you, I don't smoke," Tsukune responded honestly.

"Very well," Issa shrugged, putting the package away. "I'll be honest Aono, I find it quite difficult to like you."

"You don't say?" Tsukune asked rhetorically. Moka's father sent a glare his way.

"I'm glad you can have a good sense of humor; I certainly wouldn't," her father said. "You seem indifferent to my dislike towards you."

"Not like I'm gonna be able to change it," Tsukune replied, "No use worrying about it."

"Very well," Issa replied, taking a drag from his cigarette. "Are you not curious about why I have such a reason to dislike you?"

"Because you blame me for Moka's decision to leave your house," Tsukune explained, "She already told me that she left. I can't say I'm disappointed in her decision, though I can say that there is more to my opinion on that matter than mere selfishness in wanting to be with her."

"Oh? Then pray tell, what other reason is there for your opinion on said matter?" Issa questioned, maintaining his professional attitude.

"She spent most of her life as a part of that house; of your house. And all it has gained her is depression and a sense that she needs to be strong to be deserving of love; it planted the notion in her mind that her mother abandoned her, and that it was somehow her fault that she was forced to live alone." Tsukune remarked.

"And what would you have had me do about it? Disregard what is in the best interests of my house?" Issa argued back.

"No, but I would have had you actually be a father to your children." Tsukune said simply.

Moka's father appeared to take exception to that comment. "Are you implying that I do not love my daughters Mr. Aono?" He asked, true anger beginning to reveal itself through his cold and calculating visage.

"I never said anything of the sort; on the contrary, based simply on what I know and have heard about Moka's mother, she never would have even considered you as a partner if you didn't care about your children. But merely loving one's child does not make somebody a father." Tsukune maintained.

"And what does make a good father then, if you are so in tune with what that title entails?" Issa asked, reigning in his anger a bit.

"Sacrifice…." Tsukune started, before Issa cut him off, absolutely seething in rage.

"You dare assume that I have not sacrificed for my children?!" Issa roared.

"So what have you sacrificed other than their happiness?!" Tsukune shot back, "I've seen all of your children, and none of them are happy; not a single one! Akua can't maintain a relationship, familial or not, to save her life; Kahlua is forced to kill despite her wishes, and even has suicidal thoughts in order to find some path to redemption she thinks is all but lost to her, while apparently forcing herself to serve a woman she hates because loyalty is all that you taught her; Kokoa believes that because she wasn't born a prodigy or raised to be an assassin that she isn't worthy of the attention of her own father, a man who claims to love her, after being abandoned by her mother; as a result, she's developed such a serious inferiority complex that she constantly tries to prove herself in circumstances where it would be entirely acceptable to fail! More than that, Kokoa is so completely terrified to fail because in her mind, failure is equivocal to being alone again; to her, success is what determines the purpose of love; a reward for those who constantly prove themselves, rather than something that is given to someone close to one's heart. And all of this isn't even bringing up Moka, who felt that the only way for her to find happiness was to leave everything she knew behind, and keep her own father in the dark regarding her life choices rather than let him potentially fuck it up by killing someone she loved because he didn't approve of him!"

Both men had their attention drawn to the sound of a small, hitched breath coming from beside them. Moka had apparently crept up beside them, only hearing those final pieces of the conversation. Even still, the two men could see small tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

Tsukune immediately rushed over and embraced her, which she leaned into while sniffling and struggling to keep the tears at bay.

Her father maintained his distance from the pair. "Is what he says true my child?" he asked, sadness prevalent in his eyes as well, though it was clear he was not a man to shed tears. Moka just silently nodded, still blinking away tears and not trusting in her own voice. "Forgive me … I did not know."

"No, how could you have?" Moka managed to say, "You taught us to remain silent since showing weakness led to pain and suffering; I bottle everything up in the vain hope that it would all go away if I waited long enough."

"I wanted all of you to be strong," Issa tried to say.

"You taught us to be weak, by making us emotionally vulnerable," Moka said.

Moka's father faltered for a bit, before making his way to the car. "Come, we must get going." He said simply.

"I … I think I'd rather somebody else drove us," Moka said sadly, but resolutely.

Her father appeared hurt by that comment. "I'll send a driver for you shortly," he said, before entering the vehicle and driving away.

As soon as the vehicle was no longer visible, Moka collapsed in Tsukune's arms. He did his best to comfort her, but he knew there wasn't much he could do for her, to his shame.

He felt partially responsible for what transpired since the information he threw at Moka's father wasn't his to tell. The things he said were things that should have been told to Moka's father by Moka herself, not a third party, however much they cared for Moka.

After a time, Tsukune rested his head on his love's and murmured an apology. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things to him," Tsukune whispered to Moka.

"No, I think it's for the best that they were finally said; I don't know if I would have had the strength to say them to his face," Moka said sadly.

"I know; but still, they weren't mine to say," Tsukune responded, kissing her forehead before the duo had their attention pulled to the sound of Nurari pulling up with the bus.

"Got a call saying you two needed a ride," the creepy old bus driver said, eyes glowing as ever.

"Yeah, give me a sec to get our luggage into the bus," Tsukune said to the familiar Bus Driver, before turning to Moka. "Go on and rest in the bus; I'll be up in a second."

Moka nodded to her lover, before getting on the bus and letting him pack the luggage into the storage areas on the sides.

Tsukune quickly and effortlessly lifted the bags into the storage area, before closing it and joining Moka on the bus. The two sat in silence, watching the multicolored dimensional tunnel whis by as they did so.

Before long, the pair saw the tunnel disappear, and the view was replaced by a large, European style mansion, its various spires piercing the skyline. Tsukune had never seen the mansion in person, only glimpsing the outside of it for a short time through Moka's memories.

The house, if one could call it that, was beautiful; he couldn't deny that. The walls were made of beautifully cut granite, which made the mansion glimmer in the sunlight. Ornate windows of colored glass allowed light into the interior of the mansion, not unlike that found in old, magnificent churches. Unlike the dorms at the academy, the Shuzen household did not have that mossy, ancient feeling; quite rightly, it seemed like a proper mansion that someone in today's world might very well purchase, if not for it's quality of living, then at least for the potential bragging rights that come with own such a home.

The gardens out front almost rivaled the magnificence of the home itself, though they were equally as strange in their difference from japanese culture. A variety of young trees grew in the gardens; mostly oak, though some notable exceptions to said pattern appeared in the guise of a few cherry blossoms and pine trees. Tsukune could only guess, but it seemed as though this place experienced a consistent spring rather than the state of perpetual fall found in the academy, or the constant winter of the yuki-onna homeland.

Many rare and delicate species of flora grew alongside the young trees, most of which Tsukune couldn't even hope to name. He did clearly recognize a few sunflowers in the mix, which made him think of Ruby; she would probably be able to rattle off name after name of each new species they found in the gardens. Thinking of her, he wondered how Witch Hill was faring now that monsters were a known phenomena to humanity; how many had put two and two together that Witch Hill once housed true witches? Was it even still standing nowadays? Last he had heard of it, it was being taken care of by a group of local volunteers, but things tended to change quickly these days.

There was a great fountain of polished white marble in the middle of the pavilion that interrupted the cobblestone walkway up to the mansion doors, and split into separate paths. The first continued onto the house as they did before. The other two branched off into new areas of the garden, all of which maintained a very neatly kept layer of green grass anywhere that wasn't being used for other flora.

Tsukune heard Nurari order him and Moka off the bus, which they both promptly obeyed. The midday sun shined down on them, warming the duo quite considerably. Tsukune always preferred heat to cold, but ever since he had his body modified by Fuhai, he hadn't felt extreme temperatures as much as he used to; so, even though it was hot, it felt closer to early fall to him than it did mid-spring.

"I think I've decided on a side-shave," Moka commented while the pair unloaded their bags. Tsukune looked at her, wondering what she was talking about. She must have sensed his confusion because she flicked her hair out of the way in a manner that signified what she was talking about.

"Oh," Tsukune remarked, before considering how she would look with that hairstyle, "How long do you think you're going to keep the hair that you don't shave?"

"Probably just down to my shoulder," she said back, as the two got their bags out of the bus, "I'm kind of tired of having really long hair; it's a pain to take care of."

"I don't know if a side-shave is gonna make the work load any easier," Tsukune commented back. Moka just looked at him with a mildly annoyed expression before rolling her eyes. "I'm just saying, I've never seen you do much in terms of hairstyling."

"Do you know how much time I spend brushing my hair? Or how much of my own hair I have to pick up because of how much it falls out?" Moka asked accusingly.

Tsukune held up his hands in a submissive gesture; "Fair enough, fair enough,'' he said. Tsukune gazed around the area, before a thought came unbidden to his mind. "Do you think your father is going to need to speak to us about the infiltration tonight?" Tsukune asked.

Moka stopped moving her bags, sighing quietly; she likely hadn't put much thought into how she would approach her father after the conflict. "More than likely," she said simply.

Tsukune saw that something else was bothering her too. "Something else is wrong," he said matter-of-factly.

Moka merely nodded in response before voicing her fears. "Akua was recently inducted into the Council, and I know they are convening here; they have been for some time." she explained, as they began their walk to the beautiful mansion, "What's more is that my father warned me that they would likely wish to … speak with you."

Tsukune saw what she was hinting at; "They don't want me as leader of this movement do they?" he asked. Moka shook her head in response.

"One of them is likely to try and provoke you into attacking them, probably one of the younger ones." Moka warned, "No matter what, just let the insults bounce off you."

"Have I ever been the kind of person to allow anger to control me?" Tsukune asked rhetorically.

"If someone strikes the right nerve, then yes," Moka said in retort, "You must promise me that you will not allow yourself to strike any of them."

Tsukune stood in mild shock for some time, before doing as she asked: "You have my word," he said sincerely.

Moka sighed in relief, showing Tsukune that she was truly worried about this meeting. He didn't have much time to think about it however, since as soon as they reached the doors, multiple servants appeared in front of them.

"Mistress Akashiya and Master Aono, the council has been waiting for your arrival," a rather pretty servant said respectfully.

"Please allow us to take your bags and get you both situated while Ms. Akane shows you to the Council's meeting room," another said, "Will the two of you be wishing to sleep in the same room?".

"Yes, we will," Moka answered formally, a side of her that Tsukune hadn't seen in some time, before turning to the first servant, "Please lead the way Akane,".

"As you will my lady," Akane responded, before turning with practiced grace and walking off in the opposite direction. Both Tsukune and Moka followed suit, with Tsukune simultaneously admiring both how Moka walked with a similarly practiced grace, and the interior design of the mansion.

It looked pretty much how Tsukune had always imagined fancy houses to look, probably from the various movies he'd seen; it was clear that Moka's father adopted modern aesthetics despite being so old.

The floor was made of expertly cut white marble tiles, with an extravagant red carpet leading from the door to the stairwell. The handrails were gilded with interlaced gold and silver, and beautiful chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating everything around them. Many masterfully painted portraits, some picturing the main family and others displaying a single member, hung on the walls besides gorgeous tapestries.

Tsukune recognized portraits depicting Moka's mother and father together, or her father and step-mother. A couple depicted her as a child, both with and without her siblings, each of which had their own portrait hung in sequence; said portraits appeared to be arranged in chronological order, with Akua at the front and Kokoa at the back. On the other wall, adult portraits of the four daughters hung in a similar fashion; there were also adult family portraits that showed three of the four daughters with Gyokuro and Issa behind them. Noticeably, neither Moka nor her mother were ever in any portraits depicting Gyokuro.

Soon enough, the trio had reached the room where the Council was meeting. Akane excused herself, saying that she must go oversee that everything was in order with the meal that would be served in short order.

Moka stopped him before entering, "Remember Tsukune, you must not let yourself be provoked by them, no matter what." she warned once more. Tsukune once again gave her his word, but shrugged it off; he wasn't the type to let insults get to him. Moka insisted however, "Tsukune, I'm serious. They will try anything to provoke you."

"Moka, so long as they do not harass you, I'll be fine. I highly doubt they will disrespect you in such a way anyways, given that two of your family members are on the Council itself." Tsukune reassured her, to which she seemed to visibly relax.

"Yes … yes, you're right," Moka said, mostly to herself, "They would never, not with both Akua and my father in the room; both of them would never stand for it."

"See, nothing to worry about," he reassured her once more, kissing her forehead lovingly, "We'll be fine." And with that, the duo walked through the doors.

(Moka's POV)

Immediately after walking in the room, Moka noticed that the Council had been in the middle of a conversation; they had interrupted their discussion. She bowed as a sign of respect, and was thankful that Tsukune mimicked her actions; he was following her example to give a good impression.

"Forgive us for the interruption, but we were told you sent for us," Moka stated, continuing to bow until the Council addressed them directly.

"Yes, you were," her father stated, "You may rise."

"Thank you father," Moka said, standing back to full height. She was almost hopeful that they would just be ignored; that is, until one of the younger members began his heckling.

"Well, well, if it isn't the lowly ghoul," he chided, "Come to sit at your mistress's feet?"

Tsukune seemed entirely unfazed as he casually turned towards the heckler, so Moka thought everything would be fine; until he spoke back to the youngest member.

"I don't know, seems like a better seat than next to you," Tsukune shot back, making Moka glare at him. Much to her surprise, most of the other members chuckled at his sharp wit. She could see the young member go red in the face at being laughed at, but the rest of the Council's reaction made her feel better about how Tsukune would be able to handle it.

"How dare a lowly dog such as yourself speak back to me?" the young vampire said back, "Do you know who I am?"

"Someone who spends daddy's money to get into important positions?" Tsukune fired off, eliciting yet more chuckles from the Council members. Even Moka herself had to try hard to suppress a smile; Tsukune had gotten much better at deflecting accusations, for better or worse.

"Come now Vladimir," Issa called, "You're likely to embarrass yourself if you continue."

"No!" Vladimir exclaimed, "This trash must learn his place."

"That trash is my mate, and by extension, a member of the house that you currently find yourself in," Moka said in return, "So you would do well to respect him as such." Typically she wouldn't have spoken back to a council member, but a mixture of anger at her Tsukune being degraded and feeling emboldened by the reactions of the council made her act rather unusually.

As such, she was thoroughly shocked when Tsukune caught a slap that had come dangerously close to landing across her face. She would have normally expected such a reaction, but she had pegged Vladimir as a coward.

"You dare to touch me, you filth?!" Vladimir accused, "I'll have you executed for such a transgression!" Tsukune said nothing in response, he just gave the young council member an icy glare.

Soon after, everyone in the room felt an enormous pressure begin to weigh on them. The room felt as though it was shaking under the pressure. Everyone save for Moka, Akua, and their father struggled, however her knees did bend slightly under the pressure; even the elder council members were having a slight bit of difficulty.

Tsukune retained a crushing grip on Vladimir's hand, which the younger vampire uselessly attempted to free from the vice grip. He had been forced to one knee, and was clearly having trouble breathing. From close up, Moka could hear a couple of the minor bones in his hand begin to break.

Tsukune stood at the epicenter of the energy surge, his hair now silver and his eyes red. His icy stare remained, though it was now significantly colder and angrier.

"I can take personal insults," Tsukune started, as Vladimir gasped in pain as his hand was crushed, "Really I can. I even promised Moka that I wouldn't react if someone decided to insult her in my stead. But no one, under any circumstances, is permitted to physically or emotionally assault her in such a way as you were."

Moka couldn't miss the almost malicious glint in Tsukune's eye, as it made her afraid for his safety and sanity; she had to admit though, seeing him dominate Vladimir such as he was, she found it incredibly attractive.

"So, with all due respect … Learn your place, you absolutely pathetic excuse of a vampire," Tsukune growled, breaking Vladimir's hand well beyond the point his regeneration could repair. The young vampire cried out in pain, prompting Moka to grab Tsukune's arm to calm him down. She felt his energy output noticeably lessen, though its potency remained relatively unaffected.

"Now isn't the time to create such a scene," she whispered in his ear, "You've made your point, now you need to show the council that you understand restraint; we don't need them to become paranoid over your existence."

That seemed to calm him down, as his eyes and hair returned to normal, and the pressure slowly let off. Tsukune released Vladimir's hand, who promptly retreated to lick his wounds, but not before sending a hateful glare in Tsukune's direction.

Looking back at the Council, Moka could see that they were no longer laughing. Seeing that made her realize that they hadn't been laughing at Vladimir; they'd been laughing at Tsukune, assuming that he was a weak ghoul who couldn't possibly hold a candle to a true vampire. But now they had just seen him thoroughly embarrass one of their own, young as he may be; Tsukune was now a threat worthy of consideration and they couldn't just laugh him off anymore.

"When you told us of his existence Shuzen, we were of the belief that he was just another weakling," one of the members said, addressing Akua through eye contact. "What we have just seen speaks volumes otherwise; have you an explanation?"

"I'm just as much at a loss for words as yourself," Akua said in return, "If it would put your mind at ease, we could just have him executed." Moka's blood ran cold when she heard her sister utter those words, sending an equal parts hateful and desperate glare towards her eldest sister.

"Seems like such a waste to me," another member piped, this one an attractive woman, "He's so handsome, and so strong too. Surely he'd make an excellent slave," She offered, "I'd more than happily take him home." Moka didn't like the lustful look in her eyes when she said that, but Tsukune was more than quick enough to shut her down.

"I'm no one's slave," he said simply, drawing attention to himself; Moka wished he would just shut up and let them argue so she could find a way to get him out of this.

"Oohoo, he sure is feisty," the woman responded, before looking to Moka, "Does he have the same energy in bed? If so, I simply must take him home with me; my husband has been so lackluster in his performance lately."

"What happens in our bed is for us to know," Tsukune fired back. The vampiress just smiled amusedly in return.

"Well it certainly doesn't have to be in yours now does it?" she asked rhetorically, making Moka's blood boil at her suggestive nature.

"Certainly not in ours," Tsukune said in a sickly-sweet tone, "And I should certainly hope I'm never cursed enough to end up in yours." Moka heard Akua disguise a laugh as a cough, and she barely registered her father's lips twitch upwards ever so slightly.

"My, my," the woman said, though this time there was a dark undertone in her voice, "He certainly is loyal isn't he? It'd be a shame if that came back to … bite him, wouldn't it?"

"My lady, please forgive him," Moka finally blurted out, swallowing her pride to try and rectify the situation, "He's simply ignorant of our social structure, he means no disrespect, I swear." All she could hope was that he would go along with it … which naturally meant that he immediately fucked it up.

"Oh no, I meant every word I said," he said, very nonchalant about the whole thing, "And correct me if I'm wrong, but even council members cannot force another vampire's mate to lay with another vampire without a unanimous vote; I can all but guarantee that at least two of the members here will not give you the vote you need to force me to be with you, so I'm well within the rights given to me through my courtship of Moka to refuse you, as well as to protect her from any threat, no matter the origin."

Moka was surprised that Tsukune knew the vampiric laws, but it didn't matter since most council members just straight up ignored them. She was just waiting for the inevitable at this stage.

"Laws were made to be broken Mr. Aono, are they not?" the woman asked, a hint of the lustful glint returning to her eye; she likely wasn't used to a male standing up to her like this, and power and independence were among the most attractive qualities vampires saw in others.

"On that we must disagree Ms. Xing, " Moka's father piped up, "The law was made by powers above us, a power that may soon be returning, so I suggest you get used to following them."

It seemed he had been planning his moment to intervene, and Tsukune had gifted it to him on a silver platter. But more than that, everyone seemed shocked by the insinuation that Moka's mother could be returning.

"The queen will be returning to take her throne?" one member asked, this one clearly an older male, "Preposterous; we all know she is sealed within if she should come back, she certainly never took up the mantle before, so why should she now?"

"We have substantial reason to believe that she will accept her title given current circumstances. The ayashi are in need of a true leader, and to avoid civil war, Akasha will most likely claim her birthright." Issa said, though Moka questioned why he addressed her mother so formally.

"And if she shouldn't?" Xing asked, "Who will take the throne then?"

"My daughter naturally," her father said, garnering more than one heartfelt laugh from the rest of the council.

Naturally, Xing was the one to speak up. "My dear Issa, without royal blood in their veins, a majority council vote is needed to crown a new monarch, and most everyone votes for themselves or one of their family members. You have no power to say that she will be the next monarch."

"Perhaps I should rephrase my statement," her father said, pushing his chair back and standing to his full height before gesturing for her to stand. She did so, and her father continued his statement, to her confusion, "Akasha and I's daughter will be taking her mother's throne in the case that Akasha cannot take herself."

The widespread confusion and shock across the council's faces suddenly made Moka realize that the council had not known about her heritage; they had assumed that she was Gyokuro's daughter, just as her sisters were.

"Given that my daughter has been of age for some time now," her father started once again, "I figured now would be the time for me to reveal her true heritage, to which I've made sure to have sufficient evidence for my rather lofty claim."

No sooner than he said that, did the doors burst open to reveal both the Chairman and Touhou Fuhai … with her mother at the helm!

"MOM!" Moka said, foregoing caution and running to embrace her mother. Her mother eagerly returned the embrace, tears running down her eyes just as they were Moka's.

After separating, her mother held her at arm's length as she examined her only child. "You've grown so tall," she said with a small laugh. Moka now stood a solid 1-2 inches taller than her mother, and the last time they'd seen each other, Moka couldn't have been more than four feet tall.

"A lot's happened in the past 16 years, " Moka said with a short laugh herself.

"I can't wait to hear all about it," her mother said back. Their moment was cut short when they each felt a hand on their shoulder. They looked up to see Moka's father, beaming down at both of them.

"I do hate to cut the moment short, but we have some business that needs…." he never got to finish his sentence as he got slapped by Moka's mother.

"You sent OUR daughter to live all on her own?!" she accused, "Are you insane?!"

"It was your idea for her to live in the human realm!" he said back incredulously.

"Under the condition that we help her adjust! YOU just gave her some money and sent her out on her own! That was never what I wanted!" Akasha yelled back, making Moka laugh.

Both of her parents looked back at her in confusion, her laughter contrasting the tears in her eyes. "I just … I had given up hope that I would ever be able to experience … this; all of us, here, together …" Moka said gleefully. Her parents appeared to forget their argument and smiled at their daughter, before the council brought them back to the matter at hand.

"Welcome back, your majesty," Xing said, bowing gracefully before her, "We are all … ecstatic regarding your return. Though we must question, is what Issa Shuzen says true? Do you truly intend to take your throne after so many years, and is Ms. Akashiya your daughter?"

Moka's mother sat in silence for a few seconds before answering. "Yes, both are true." The council visibly reared back.

"W-well….why claim her now? Surely it would have been easier to simply claim her at birth, as most mothers would correct?" Xing questioned, beginning to straighten from her bow.

"If I had claimed her that young, others would have tried to set forcibly arranged marriages to get to the throne," Akasha stated simply, "She never would have gotten the chance to at least have a semblance of a normal life, which is never what I wanted for her." Her mother turned to look at her, pride shining through her loving gaze. "But now look at her, a beautiful woman in a committed relationship, who I couldn't be more proud of."

"Yes, and what a mate she's found at that," Xing said, a look of envy flying Moka's way. "Anyhow, I do believe Issa was quite right earlier when he said we had business dealings to discuss, isn't that right?"

"Yes, quite," Issa affirmed, "So unfortunately, our reunion must be cut a bit short as the world is not so stable as we would like."

"So I've heard," Akasha sighed, before mournfully looking at her daughter, "Even when I'm freshly returned to consciousness, duty calls my dear. We'll have to catch up later."

"I know mother," Moka said, hugging her mother tightly, as if afraid that she might disappear if she let go for even a moment. But even still, she did release her mother before facing the council. "If you have nothing more for us, we'll be taking our leave. Shall we see you all for dinner?" Moka said, with another bow, one that Tsukune notably did not join her in; he appeared rather content to gaze annoyedly at Vladimir.

"You shall," Ms. Xing said, before waving at Tsukune flirtatiously, "And I'll see you later, Mr. Aono~..."

Seeing her still so openly flirty with her Tsukune left Moka seething, though that feeling was quickly replaced by mortification when she heard her lover's response.

"Get bent bitch," Tsukune said, turning to leave rather brusquely.

"Only if you're the one to bend me over," Xing said with a laugh as Tsukune walked out of the room. With a final glare at Xing, Moka left the room after her mate.

"Well then," Issa said, taking his seat once again, with Akasha sitting next to him while Mikogami and Touhou opted to stand near the doors as they closed behind the lovers.

(?'s POV)

He did not like it when people deigned to speak to his mistress in such a discourteous manner, as if to imply that they were at all deserving of even breathing in her presence. The man had even gone so far as to attempt to strike her; an action that under any other circumstance, he would have personally bled the man out for as proper punishment.

But his mistress had requested that he cease his course of action, and as any good familiar must do, he listened. Still, the thought of the man leaving with such minor wounds did not leave him feeling satisfied.

"Tsukune," he heard his mistress cal from behind him, her beautiful silver hair swaying behind her with each practiced and delicate, yet quickened footfall. He wondered how she would react to his presence? After all, his other half had kept him under lock and key most of the time; hardly any of his other halves' entourage knew of his existence. Only the headmaster of the school and Fuhai knew that he existed; mayhaps the elder witch had some inkling, given her working relationship with the old headmaster, but such was only conjecture on his end.

"Tsukune!" he heard his mistress call for him again, though he did not turn to face her.

"She's calling for us you know," he heard a voice say in his mind, unbidden from his own thoughts. It was his voice, but without the hard edge that accompanied it; it was the voice of Tsukune, his other half. "Proper manners would dictate that you stop and face her…."

"She calls only for you, as she does not know that I am even here," he said in response, "I do not imagine that my mistress would respond kindly if suddenly her love had hidden something so vast from her, so I do not show her our face."

"Then give me back the reins," Tsukune shot back, clearly having some tension between the two of them, "That was our deal; I'd handle the emotional stuff, and you take care of those who can't be reasoned with."

"Very well," he said, willing his consciousness to the back of his mind while Tsukune took control of their body once more, "But please do avoid allowing such a transgression towards her again; it took more strength than you realize to not simply kill the man for such an act."

"I won't let it happen again," Tsukune assured his other self, "But if it does, the only one who will stop you would be Moka. Speaking of which...tonight, after she's had time to reconnect with her mother, we'll show you to her. She deserves to know."

"As you wish," he managed, before the void of their mind swallowed him once again.