Chapter 25

Crimson Kiss

"Hey, Tsukune, the cookies will be ready in just a few minutes!"

Tsukune smiled at Kurumu as he descended the stairs, his nose having already informed him on how the treats were coming. He hoped that they would taste as good as they smelled, and was looking forward to sampling the fruits of Kurumu and Moka's collaborative efforts. However, he was forced to wonder exactly how well the two had cooperated; he had always figured making cookies to be a fairly simple activity, and nothing that would result in Kurumu's face, like Moka's hair, being speckled with dough.

"Sounds great! But, ah, you have a little…" He motioned towards his cheek with the hand that wasn't holding the Headmaster's tome, hoping to point out the most obvious blob of dough that decorated her face. He watched as Kurumu brushed at the wrong cheek as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "No, not that side- no, a little higher…"

"Why don't you just get it?" Kurumu pouted, frustrated. Shrugging, he reached out a finger, collecting the lump of dough on the tip before holding it towards her.

"See?"

He had only a moment's warning, the flash of inspiration in her eyes, before she reached up to hold his wrist as her face lowered towards the finger that was displaying the uncooked dough. She popped the fingertip into her mouth, and he blushed as he felt the suction, the cookie dough quickly pulled off his finger. "Ah…" The heat in his cheeks grew as she kept her hold on his hand, leaving it in her mouth. As her eyes rose to meet his, mischief dancing in their depths, he felt something brushing against the finger. She was licking the fingertip, as if searching for any last sweet trace of the cookie flavor, and he stood paralyzed-

Ding! Kurumu jumped at the sudden sound, Tsukune's finger coming past her lips with a 'pop,' and she glanced down at his hand for a regretful moment before fleeing into the kitchen to answer the timer's warning. "Do you need help getting them out of the oven?" Moka yelled from the next room, to which Kurumu declined, while Tsukune stood in silence, staring down at his moist fingertip with a lingering blush.

A minute later, after he had composed himself, he stepped into the common room and sat down on the couch beside Mizore. Across from him, Moka lowered the copy of the Yokai Times she was reading to smile at him. Mizore, who had left off her hiding in order to also take up one of the newspapers that Gin and Yukari had sent them through the Hellmaw, leaned closer to him to point to one of the pages before her. "It looks like Gin has expanded the "Letters to the Editor" section."

"It makes sense, since we did leave him without most of his workers," Moka suggested. Tsukune nodded, scanning the page over Mizore's shoulder. He could tell that their absence was having an effect, since the paper looked to be drastically shorter; considering that Mizore's novel series was on hiatus, and at best they had been forced to find a replacement writer for Kurumu's cooking column, it was no wonder that the paper looked to have lost several pages. Perhaps, if they got the time, they could try to compose a few articles and send them through the Hellmaw to help Gin out, Tsukune mused, though it might be harder for Moka to do the same with her illustrations. As he thought about this, his eyes fell on one of the paper's advertisements, one that he didn't recognize.

"Hey, what's this?" Tsukune asked, pointing to the ad. It featured an ornate seal, above which was written the name of the organization that had sponsored the advertisement: The Society of Monsters Assembled for the Study of Humanity. Below the seal was what looked to be an attempt at recruiting the students: "Interested in the culture of the human race? Looking to fit in after you leave Yokai Academy? Then join us, our school's newest student organization, in our quest to learn about the intricacies of human interaction, such as – Modern Music – Television – Romance – And Much More!" Further below was the contact information, including that of the group's president, Ceann Macha.

Tsukune sat back, thinking about what he had read. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about the ad made him feel uneasy: perhaps it was the 'study of humanity,' which, he could imagine from his time at the academy, could mean a great many things, only some of which didn't involve dissection. Or maybe it was the fact that he had rarely seen a positive perspective on humans at the school, but, then again, wouldn't this be a perfect place to meet people interested in peace between monsters and humans? Still…

Mizore grunted, scanning the advertisement, following Tsukune's gaze. "Interesting acronym they would have, isn't it?" she pointed out, motioning towards the group's name. Tsukune stared at the title, quickly piecing together what she had noticed.

"Gah! You're right!" Tsukune wailed, his hopes for his school abruptly withering. S.M.A.S.H… Unintentional or not, that was a bad omen.

"The cookies are served!" Kurumu shouted, bursting into the room with a laden plate of the sweet treats. She placed the tray on the table between the other three teens, before turning to return to the kitchen for the drinks she had prepared for her friends. When she stepped back into the common room, her eyes narrowed as she realized how much the plate had emptied in the few moments her trip had taken her. She scanned the faces of her three friends, noting the guilty expressions and scattered crumbs dotting their cheeks, before her gaze settled on Mizore. "You didn't even help make them, why do you think that you get to eat them?" she teased, snatching a few for herself after she had placed the drinks before her friends.

"Well, if you have to help make them to eat them, I guess Tsukune doesn't get any either," Mizore pointed out, and the boy beside her gave her a wounded glance. Kurumu gaped at the snow maiden for a moment before lowering her head in surrender, while Mizore took up her next cookie with a smugly triumphant smile.

Moments later, after the pile had vanished and the praise given to the late cookies' creators, Tsukune settled back into the couch to take up the tome while the girls bickered about what to watch. He pulled the assignment slip out of the book, removing it from its place as a bookmark as he scanned for the next chapter he was to read. Since he had struggled with the book's confusing and often overly-abstract introduction, he was pleased to note that the day's task looked to be a little more interesting: a chapter over a specific type of magic.

He flipped through the pages in search of his assigned reading, scanning the headings as he turned the pages. 'Astromancy… Druidism… Necromancy… Onmyodo… ah, there it is,' Tsukune thought, spying the section. Squirming into the corner of the couch to get comfortable, he allowed himself to focus entirely on the tome, tuning out the program the girls had finally agreed upon.

Shadow Magic, or Umbramancy, is an esoteric school of magical study that focuses, as the name suggests, on the manipulation and manifestation of darkness. Users of this rare art are able to cloak themselves in darkness in the midst of a sunlit field, solidify shadows to attack their opponents, and even step from one patch of darkness to another instantly. While this school of magic is quite potent, it is not widely accepted in the magical community. This is mostly due to the fact that, since it utilizes darkness and often relies upon deception, it is well suited for assassination and other unsavory activities, though, unlike some other magical schools, it does not require forbidden rituals to master its power. Still, few enough umbramancers have proven their virtue to relegate this school, as it were, to the shadows of magical practice.

Known users of this school include several liches, a handful of famed ninja, and scattered witch covens, most of which have been driven to extinction. Notable users of shadow magic include- Tsukune winced as he noticed the long compellation of names and achievements, and quickly skimmed down to the next section. Despite their differing natures, umbramancers and users of the various schools of 'Light Magic' are not necessarily diametrically opposed, though Light Magic often proves quite effective in countering most uses of this art. Holy Magic is less effective: there is nothing particularly evil in shadow magic's power itself, though it may prove effective against many users of this school, since numerous undead have a fondness for this art. It is worth noting, however, that some talented umbramancers have the ability to dampen all magic utilized against them, increasing the threat they pose to fellow magicians.

Specific spells and rituals utilized by this school of magic include-

Tsukune glanced over the following section, and turned over the next page to scan it as well. He sighed as he saw the diagrams and what looked to be incantations; interesting no doubt for those who knew anything about magic, but utterly above his comprehension. Still, he would trudge through it, though he doubted he would retain anything from that morass of magical information. This text had given him a new appreciation for Yukari and Ruby's skills, and for a half moment he considered searching the book for more information about the magic that they used, but quickly thought better of it as he glanced back at the myriad diagrams spread before him.

Once again, he wondered what the Headmaster was thinking, and what he expected Tsukune to gain from these unusual assignments. It was obvious that it was important, considering the urgency implied in the note the Headmaster had sent him some while back, but he could see nothing so crucial about this information. He could only hope that it proved to be worth it in the end. With nothing to do but continue, Tsukune through himself back into the text, resigning himself to hours of agonized study.

Hours later, as the light outside began to dim, the four teens were still in the common room. Perhaps inspired by Tsukune's diligent efforts at wading through the book sitting before him, or maybe by the lack of interesting programs on the television, the three girls had settled down to their own homework. They had been finished for over an hour when Tsukune finally flung the tome aside in disgust, and afterwards they had revived the television for a few programs that, with Tsukune's moderation, had passed a democratic vote of approval. It was as the latest of these had begun to wind down that Moka had begun to glance nervously toward Tsukune, and as the credits began to roll she looked over to the other two girls and coughed conspicuously.

After the third such cough Kurumu glanced at the vampire. "Something stuck in your throat or something, Moka?" she asked, taking up the remote control. She blinked as she found Moka staring at her relentlessly, her face carefully blank. The pair sat in eye-locked silence for a long moment as Kurumu tried to deduce what her friend was thinking. It took a pointed eyeshift in Tsukune's direction for the succubus to understand. "Oh!... oh." She looked down, and then shot a petulant frown at the vampire. Moka's expression didn't change, though her green eyes might have grown sharper. Sighing, Kurumu stood from her seat beside Mizore. "Come on, let's go upstairs for a while."

"I'll just hang out in the kitchen," Mizore announced, but when she glanced over at Moka she hesitated. The vampire had directed her determined stare towards Mizore, fully aware that the stealthy yuki-onna had espionage in mind, and the snow maiden writhed under that glare for a second before yielding. "On second thought, I guess I'll come with you," she surrendered, trudging after Kurumu.

Tsukune blinked, realizing that he was alone with Moka just as he heard the footsteps reach the top of the stairs. He glanced over at her, and noticed that she wasn't meeting his eyes, instead staring to the side with a faint blush. So, it was time for her request, then. "Do you want to watch that movie now?"

Moka turned a brilliant smile towards him, nodding eagerly. "I'll go get it," she declared, hopping from her chair and rushing towards the stairs. Tsukune sat back on the couch, waiting for her to return, feeling an odd anxiety build within him. He didn't see why he would be so nervous; after all, he had watched a movie with Mizore, so it wasn't like he had never done anything like this. Of course, that had been in a theater, instead of a darkened living room with just the two of them. Or, in a strange way, the three of them, since she would have to split her time with Inner Moka. Still, the privacy and the comfort would make this feel so much more… intimate. Discovering that such thoughts had done little to ease his nerves, Tsukune shook his head and tried to think about nothing at all.

It took Moka longer to return than he had expected, but he could see that she had stopped to retrieve more than just the movie: she carried a thin blanket in her arms, and wedged atop it was an alarm clock. She dropped the blanket onto the couch before extending the movie towards him. "Will this one be alright?" she asked, her voice revealing that he was not the only one feeling nervous. He glanced over the movie's case; it was a romantic comedy, one that he hadn't seen before.

"Sure, this will be fine," he responded, glad that it didn't involve zombies. She smiled, pleased, but the expression fell as she turned to set the clock's alarm. Setting it for an hour's wait, she turned the clock away from them. Tsukune blinked at this, but realized that, while it meant she wouldn't know exactly how much time they had left, she also wouldn't watch the minutes tick away. Next, she took the movie's disc to the television, sliding it into the player.

That accomplished, Moka turned to him. "Is it alright if…?" She motioned to the seat beside him, and he nodded. She took the seat, leaving the rest of the couch open, and picked up the blanket to spread across both of their laps. The pair adjusted themselves, getting comfortable, though they left a slight gap between them, neither confident enough to scoot the rest of the way to the other. A moment later, the movie began to play, and they watched it in silence, though neither of them was able to give it their full attention.

Distraction quickly dispelled their anxiety, and comfort prevailed over caution. As the film progressed past the opening scenes, Moka leaned closer to Tsukune, and he in turn shifted his weight to rest against the couch's corner and arm. Soon enough her head was laying on his shoulder, and after he noticed this it only took him a few minutes to gather the courage to slide his arm around her, letting his hand rest on her shoulder. Minutes passed in relaxed silence as the two fought to pay more attention to the movie in front of them than to the person next to them.

Finally it was Moka who lost that struggle. "Are you enjoying this?" she asked quietly when the movie lapsed into a slow pan over scenery. Tsukune turned towards her with a smile, nodding.

"Yeah. It's nice to get the chance to relax like this," he said sincerely, noticing the uncertainty on her face. "This is a lot less stressful than the dates- not that I didn't enjoy those, don't get me wrong!" He chuckled self-consciously. "Peace and quiet is good too. Plus, it's nice that I get to be with you for a while."

"I'm glad," Moka responded, beaming up at him. She snuggled closer to him, and he curled his arm tighter around her, resting his cheek against the top of her head for a moment. He could smell the shampoo she used and the herbs she added to her bathwater, and before he realized what he was doing he lifted his hand to stroke her hair, running his fingers down beside her ear and down to her neck. After a moment of this he froze, afraid that he had done something that she wouldn't like, but instead it was the sudden end to his caressing that earned him a saddened glance from her. Taking the hint, he resumed the action, and when he looked at her face moments later he noticed that her eyes were closed as she savored the attention she was getting from him. The movie had begun to fade into the background, as it had been destined from the beginning.

Minutes later, Tsukune was so absorbed in what he was doing, on the feeling of her smooth hair and tracing the line of her neck down to her shoulders, that he barely noticed Moka tug at his shirt. He paused, and she sat up, the nervousness returning to her face but not managing to overcome the contented look on her face. Still, she wanted something more, he could tell, and as she pressed against him and stared into his eyes it took him only a moment to deduce what that might be.

He was, once again, wrong. Her lips drew close to his face, but did not swerve down to his neck, instead edging close to his own before hesitating, waiting for him to answer her intent. He eagerly complied, lowering his face to hers, and felt the teasing touch of her breath give way to the softness of her lips. The kiss was, at first, gentle and cautious, but as he shifted to bring his other arm around her in a complete embrace they both began to press harder, allowing the past couple of years' worth of dammed-up desire to begin to take charge. When they broke the kiss, their breath coming far faster, he didn't release his hold on her, and she only shifted to get more comfortable before bringing her face to his once more, the soft sounds coming from her throat reaching his ears better than the unheeded television playing in the background. So passed Tsukune's third and fourth kiss with Moka; he would very soon lose count altogether.

When the alarm cried out some time later, it was in the midst of yet another kiss, the pair having resumed after a short break to catch their breath once more. The abrupt cacophony caused both of them to jump, and Moka's face barely had time to display her distress before anger took hold. She pushed herself up and lunged at the clock, slapping the sleep button at its top, and turned to return to him. She didn't make it to him before pausing, glancing down with a frown at the rosario she wore. Tsukune watched as she warred with herself, struggling to make a difficult decision. Finally she turned back to him with despair in her gaze. "It's my other side's turn," she announced woefully, reaching to take his hand and lift it towards her neck. Before he touched the silver cross, however, rebellion blossomed in her eyes, and she moved his hand aside as she pressed against him once more.

This kiss was harder than its myriad predecessors, desperate and hungry, and Tsukune struggled to keep up. All too soon she leaned back with a gasp, biting her lip as she looked down at him, before lowering her head in resignation and lifting his hand towards her throat once more. He took hold of the rosario and, meeting her gaze, allowed her to pull that hand to the side, freeing the seal from its bonds.

The surge of energy was instantaneous as Moka transformed into her other self, her hair lightening to silver and her green eyes closing, only to open to reveal their new crimson sheen. Inner Moka smirked at Tsukune as he lowered the rosario to the nearby table, shaking her head. "About time," she criticized, but despite her complaint did not push herself away from him, still lying against his chest. Her position was not the only thing that hadn't changed; she still wore the same livid blush that her other persona had sported at the moment of the transformation, and it showed no sign of fading as she looked at him with an odd curiosity.

'They share the same body, so does that mean that, after all the other Moka and I did, she-' Tsukune thought, interrupted by her next words.

"So, this is supposed to be your penance for not choosing?" She grumbled at that, shaking her head. "Well, at least the next few days should teach you humility… as long as you don't let yourself get too carried away." The final words held an ominous warning, underscored by the hard stare she directed at him. "I'm not so happy about this arrangement either, but at least this means you get to pay me back with the next hour." She leaned closer to him, her face nearing his. "And I know one way to do just that."

Tsukune knew full well what would happen this time, and tensed against the coming pain. As the silver-haired vampire brought her face down to his neck, however, she glanced up at his tightly-closed eyes and smirked darkly. A moment passed as Tsukune waited to feel her fangs plunge into his skin, but nothing happened, and he started to open his eyes to see what was wrong. His jaw dropped as he felt the chill gust against the side of his neck, dropping his guard in surprise as Moka blew sharply against his skin. Before he could say anything, however, she pounced, sinking her fangs into him.

Tsukune gritted his teeth against the sudden pain, but his face relaxed as he felt his head begin to swim, and despite himself a low moan escaped his lips as he felt his lifeblood flowing into Moka's mouth. Her hand clutched at his chest as she drank deeply, and when she sat up, wiping at her lips, the room spun around him. "Ah, delicious," she purred, the redness in her cheeks deepening. She glanced down at him as he looked dazedly into the distance, hunger reigniting in her eyes. "And now for a little more."

"Ah… I don't think I have much more to spare," Tsukune apologized, fighting to clear his head. He blinked his eyes rapidly, but stopped as he noticed her drawing close to him. "Wait…"

"Don't worry, I'm not thirsty anymore." There was an undercurrent in her voice he struggled to understand as her face came closer. "I spoke to you before of choosing between myself and my other half, after our date at the amusement park. If you ever get around to that choice, which I begin to doubt," Tsukune chuckled weakly at Moka's sharp appraisal, anger flaring in her eyes for a half-second before dulling back into her previous need, "I wouldn't want my other side to have an advantage."

Tsukune fought to deduce what she was implying by that statement, and she gave him a hint as her lips descended towards his. Eyes wide, he tasted the metallic sharpness of his blood upon her lips as she pressed her face to his, the kiss slow yet rougher than any he had shared with her other half. He was kissing Inner Moka, though he could hardly believe it, but Tsukune forced such disbelief out of his head as he resolved himself to make a good show of it, returning the kiss wholeheartedly. He was so focused on the act that he scarcely remembered to breathe, and by the time she moved away his lungs were screaming for oxygen. As he gasped for air, she watched him with a slight grin, though her own chest heaved as she pulled in a deep breath. "Not bad," she complimented him grudgingly, mirth glowing in her crimson eyes. She shifted uncomfortably, glancing down towards where her waist was pressed atop him. "But I thought you said you were almost out of blood," she commented dryly, and he once again proved himself false by blushing fiercely.

"Does this mean you've forgiven me?" Tsukune hazarded as the vampire adjusted herself, inclining towards him once more. He winced as he saw her immediately shake her head, her eyes disapproving.

"Hardly. And don't think that you are going to get out of making this decision; I won't allow you to do as you like with the four of us. Still…" She hesitated, glancing off to the side with a slight frown, her eyes falling upon the rosario. "This will work well enough, for now." She turned back to him, and he was relieved, thrilled, and worried when he saw the desire returning to her expression. "Since I have to compete against not only the other two, but my other self, I don't intend to hold back." She drew closer to him, her face just inches from his, even less, and he thought he could feel her lips brush against his as she continued to speak. "They call this a war. They should know vampires fight to win."

She closed the distance between them, and Tsukune sank into darkness and the feeling of her lips on his, her body pressed against him. As Tsukune's arms curled around Moka, he felt a dying surge of guilt as a thought raced through his mind: if he would have to choose someday, then perhaps they wouldn't mind if he called for a few more of these sessions first. Behind them, the final credits of the movie rolled over the black screen, but they didn't notice it or even the silence that followed, so focused were they on each other, and they stayed that way as time itself rolled on unheeded.

"Hasn't it been two hours already?"

Mizore sighed irritably as she glanced over at her bed, where Kurumu was curled into a fuming ball around one of her pillows. The snow maiden shook her head, tired of the question ten repetitions ago; Kurumu was not known for her patience, but this was ridiculous. "Do you want to interrupt them before their time is up?" She paused, fully aware of how the succubus would answer that, and so she amended the question. "Or, rather, do you want to burst in on Inner Moka before her time is up? Imagine how she'll take that."

Kurumu harrumphed, squeezing the pillow mercilessly as she glowered at a nearby wall. "Why does she need the extra time, anyways? Inner Moka is not one to sit calmly and watch a movie, and beyond that she's a real ice queen… no offense."

"Yes, but I doubt that's what they're doing." When Kurumu shot an alarmed glance her way, Mizore reluctantly continued. "Especially after Outer Moka spends a whole hour with Tsukune. I imagine she was pretty warmed up after that."

"What?!" Kurumu sent the pillow winging towards Mizore, who barely raised an arm in time to deflect it. "If you had thought of that, why didn't you mention it? We could have interrupted, or, or… something!"

"After this morning?" Kurumu blanched as she remembered their sparring, but Mizore didn't stop there. "Anyways, let her have that time. She's too rigid to do anything that would tip the scales in her favor too much, anyways." The snow maiden turned back around, missing the assessing stare that Kurumu was leveling towards her. The succubus, at least, knew better. "Plus…" Mizore glanced back at the blue-haired girl, icy determination burning in her eyes. "I intend to put my own time to very good use, anyways. She won't win him over without a fight."

Her fears only partially balmed, Kurumu nodded, sighing once more. Mizore was right, at least on the last note: her time was better used to plan out her own request, rather than worrying about Moka's. Still, just the thought of the word 'time' was enough to reignite her impatience. "How much longer do they have, anyways?" Kurumu pleaded, grabbing the other pillow and constricting it as she had its mate.

Caving, Mizore glanced at the clock. "It's…" She looked towards the succubus, but her face snapped back. "Time is up! They've run over!"

Before she could turn around, Kurumu was already at the door. Still, despite the head start, their race down the stairs was neck-and-neck, and they burst into the common room together, Kurumu reaching over to flip on the lights. "Time is up! You-"

Both girls froze in place as Moka pushed herself up slightly off of Tsukune's chest, glancing towards them lazily as she took in a deep breath. "Oh. Guess I forgot to set the alarm." She looked down to Tsukune, smiling indolently. "Oh well, I suppose I should change back, then." Tsukune nodded, swallowing loudly as he wondered if she was resealing herself just so she wouldn't have to deal with the uproar from the other two girls. "But, let's do this again." She smiled triumphantly at him as she replaced the rosario at her throat, and with a shimmer her body returned to its usual state, Outer Moka slumping forward against Tsukune.

Meanwhile, the other two girls were exchanging glances. "'Rigid,' huh?" Kurumu snarled, while Mizore raised a hand, ice spreading across it.

"Time to cool off, you two," Mizore remarked, taking a threatening step towards the pair on the couch, who were rapidly disentangling themselves.

"I didn't break any of the rules!" Moka protested as her friends stalked towards her, fury on their faces.

"You were kissing him!" Kurumu roared, the topic especially sore for her.

"No, that was Inner Moka-"

"So you didn't kiss him when it was your turn?" Mizore demanded.

"Well…" Moka glanced towards Tsukune, and her cheeks blazed scarlet.

"Get her!"

It would take Tsukune nearly an hour, and several reminders of their own imminent turns, to calm Mizore and Kurumu. In retrospect, he had never considered tug-of-war to be an efficient means of debate, though serving as the rope might have prejudiced him against it. Still, he noticed that, once his attention had turned to them for a few minutes, the genuine anger that the other two girls had shown had quickly faded, replaced by loud bravado and quiet need. The shock of finding him and Inner Moka as they had had incited their anger, but with Outer Moka at the fore they seemed unable to cling to that rage.

Still, as they climbed the stairs to their respective rooms, each of the girls was focused on their next session with Tsukune, or in Moka's case reminiscing over the time that she had shared with him. She, and Tsukune himself, would spend the rest of the evening unable to think of much else. In the eyes of Kurumu and Mizore, however, the gauntlet had been thrown. Now, it was their turn to prove themselves, and they both had several ideas on how to do just that.

Inner Moka was not the only one with a competitive streak, and they would soon prove that they wouldn't allow anyone, even the vampire, to take the advantage.

"Oh ho ho…"

The low sound coming from the kitchen made the man drop his paper in sudden panic. His eyes widened as he listened, his mind racing through all the dread possibilities that could have inspired such an ominous rumble, but could find no answers that could dispel his fear. Swallowing loudly, he forced himself to climb from his comfortable armchair and to edge towards the source of the sound, sweat beading on the bald top of his head. Mustering his courage, he peeked around the edge of the doorway separating the two rooms, searching cautiously for the person responsible for his terror. "….honey?"

"Oh ho ho…"

It was too late to escape now, he knew. He could only face the inevitable. "Wendy, what's gotten into you?" Roy Cooper asked nervously, wincing away from the following eruption of dark chuckling.

After her mirth had died down, the red-haired woman turned her vicious grin towards her husband, motioning towards the phone, which she had recently returned to its base. "You will never believe who just called," she commented in a sing-song. When her husband blinked in response, Wendy Cooper laughed once again. "It seems we, or rather they, are going to be receiving a guest tomorrow."

Roy stared at her, confused. No one was supposed to know the location of the four kids that were staying in the Resting Place, so it was highly unusual for someone to contact them for that purpose. He imagined that it would be possible for such information to have been released by the Hell-King, but it seemed more than improbable to him; the Headmaster of Yokai Academy was one to hoard secrets with the zeal of a dragon watching its treasure. "Who is it?" he asked finally, hoping that would provide him with a clue.

"It was the mother of one of the girls," Wendy cheered. "She told me that she found out about the situation that those four are living in, and is coming to take care of matters personally. Finally, someone else realizes the danger that the Hell-King has left those girls in! If that boy has done anything, she'll find out and set him straight; I could tell from the sound of her voice that she's very determined!"

Roy Cooper shook his head, glancing in the vague direction of the house on the hill. Oh well, it would work better this way. After he had discovered that Tsukune had taken all three girls on dates, he had decided to sit the boy down and have a long conversation with him, saving him from Wendy's more… enthusiastic commentary. He had been putting it off, however, and the fact that the responsibility had been lifted from him was a relief. Still, he almost felt sorry for the boy, and hoped that the woman would go easy on him for… well, whatever his transgressions happened to be.

Still, that left an important question, and one that might have a big effect on Tsukune's fate. He called out to his wife as she started to walk, chortling, back into their living room. "Say, which mother is it that will be coming?"

This gave Wendy pause, and she stood still, tapping her chin as she tried to remember the name that the woman had given her. "Let's see… it was, ah…" She lowered her head, plumping the frizzy curls at the side of her head as she thought deeply. Finally her eyes lit up, and she smiled triumphantly at her husband. "I remember now!"

"She said her name was Tsurara Shirayuki."

Author's Note: "For some members there will be missing traffic data for time periods spanning part of 26th and 27th." BAH! Cue Donald Duck rampage. I hate it when that happens right after I post a chapter. -_-

Now that I think of it, 'Cue Donald Duck rampage' is a fairly effective way of describing the time I had writing this chapter. It posed several challenges for me, but I think it came together well enough, and hopefully those of my reviewers who prefer Moka (judging from my survey in the previous chapter, that would be the majority) are well satisfied with her session with Tsukune. For those of you who prefer the other pairings, well, they will have their time soon enough.

Since I mentioned the survey, I suppose I should add my conclusions: Wow, I had expected a bias towards Moka, but not quite as much as she received. As of this posting, Moka received 6 votes, Mizore and Kurumu tied at 1.5 (one for Kurumu via my inbox), and, if my understanding is correct, 'All of the Above' got 2 votes. To you of the latter category, I tip my hat; I like how you think. As for my own preferences? Well, that should be obvious, or at least it will be by the time this tale is concluded. But, thanks to all who offered your opinions; it was greatly appreciated, and helped me realize how important this chapter is overall.

Next chapter, the inhabitants of the Resting Place receive company, with predictably unpredictable results. Also, Kurumu will make her decision as to what she and Tsukune will do for her request, with a little help from a certain box (Ah heh). And, there may even be a surprise appearance from another manga character who has thus far been neglected…

Since I can think of little else to comment upon, I shall end this and send it out to be posted. But, as always, I greatly appreciate your comments and compliments, and eagerly anticipate seeing messages reach my inbox. But, since it will take a while for most of you to discover this release…

I'd best go sleep.

~Wynn Pendragon

P.S.: Edited to include a couple of revisions suggested by Artful Lounger and Lord Slayer; my thanks, you two.