Chapter 29

Silenced Secrets

"A compromise, you said?" The vampire glared haughtily at the succubus, her lips curled in a smile slight enough to be deadly. "Such foolishness."

Ageha Kurono smiled back at her opponent, refusing to back down despite the primal fear that the vampire's power was inspiring in her. Reaching back to pat at her hair in forced casualness, she shrugged indifferently. "Only if you don't bother to think about it." She glanced back at the silver-haired teenager, her mirth giving way to a calm determination. "After all, what do you have to lose?"

Kurumu nervously edged away from her friend and her mother, not at all liking where this conversation was going. From the moment Moka had touched the Belmont, canceling the power of her seal, the younger succubus had known that there would be trouble, especially with her mother intentionally making matters worse. If only Ageha hadn't mentioned the massage- and worse, the box!- before trying to argue this strange idea she had concocted. The thought of she, Moka, and Mizore sharing Tsukune… it was impossible. At the least, Tsukune wouldn't like that idea at all; he was too innocent, and too considerate, to even contemplate such a notion. Even if he would agree to it, if he didn't love each of them in the right way, the whole thing would fall apart quickly enough. Plus, each of them craved to have Tsukune to themselves, wanted his eyes on them alone. Kurumu could imagine the fighting that it would cause, which would create a rift between her and her friends that would be all but impossible to heal.

…Unlike what would happen if Tsukune did choose: a rift that would be impossible to heal. While they had still fought, for the past couple of weeks hadn't they been living something very similar to what her mother was proposing? And things hadn't been getting worse as time went on; far from it, as her relationship with her friends was feeling closer than it had in a long time. She didn't feel like she had to fight quite as hard for Tsukune's attention, because she knew that she would get her time with him eventually, and that had been… well, not quite enough, but better, at least. And Tsukune had started to show her real affection, what she had craved from him ever since she had met him, and while she needed more and more she also knew that she would be alright taking her time and letting their relationship develop at a slower pace than she had considered.

…Then why wouldn't her mother's idea work for them?

"I won't have it." Moka shook her head, her ruby eyes glinting as she stared at Ageha. "I am a vampire; I will not submit to picking over what others leave behind, or begging for attention like a neglected dog."

"You won't?" Ageha pursed her lips in surprise. "I thought it was your other side that was so interested in Tsukune."

Moka refused to be caught off-balance by Ageha's ploy. "His is the most palatable blood at our school, and I have to protect that, at least. My other side can deal with the rest."

"Oh, so you're just after his blood? We're in the human world, dear; for the next little bit, you can get your blood wherever you want it. No, we're talking romance now, and since you don't have any stake in it…" Ageha smiled victoriously, motioning towards Moka's hand. "Let go of that whip."

Moka glared openly at the elder succubus, her hand tightening around the handle of the Belmont. Ageha waited for a long moment, still pointing at the whip, before her smile shifted as she nodded slowly. "Alright, fine. Shall we drop the pretense, then? You want Tsukune to yourself, and that's why you're fighting this idea so fiercely."

"How I feel about Tsukune is not important to this discussion," Moka replied flatly, her determination unwavering. "There are many reasons that such an indecent scheme would fail, my pride as a vampire notwithstanding. For example, the way that the other two take advantage of Tsukune every time my back is turned." Beside her, Kurumu winced, but her embarrassment was immediately burned away by growing anger.

"You're the one that has sneaked into his room to kiss him!" Kurumu shouted, her ire trembling as the vampire turned a cold stare in her direction, yet not willing to surrender. "I've followed the rules this entire time, and so has Mizore… I think." She frowned deeply at her friend, more bothered by the accusation than she would have expected. After all, last night, and at the pool, hadn't she restrained from-

"And anyways," Moka continued, turning her dark glare from Kurumu back to Ageha, "there's another reason that your idea would never work." A single finger rose to point at Kurumu, and the succubus hesitated as if transfixed by the digit. "We all know what will happen if a succubus kisses a man: he will be hers forever, no matter what he may wish. Kurumu has held back so far, but how long will that last? What good would it do me to 'share' Tsukune with her when at any time she can claim him entirely for herself?" Ageha started to speak, but Moka cut her off with a sharp shake of her head. "No. For as long as I am interested in Tsukune, as long as we care for each other, I will not agree to your half-witted scheme. No matter what, for as long as I want to be with Tsukune," Moka glanced at Kurumu, her eyes empty of all kindness, "I will never allow him to be with her. I will do everything in my power to make certain that doesn't happen. Nothing else matters in this."

Her gaze shifted back to Ageha as the elder succubus scowled at her. "Who are you to-" Her angered reply was silenced by a single, soft word that drew both her eyes and Moka's to the side, both of them frozen in place.

"Moka…"

Even the vampire's relentless willpower shook as she looked at Kurumu, saw the anger she had expected replaced by tears that began to collect at the sides of her friend's eyes. Those eyes were wide and confused, as if Kurumu was not able to understand what she had just heard, but she was unable to give voice to her questions, her breath caught ever since Moka had made her grim declaration. Moka met her gaze, regret trapped behind her unyielding resignation, and the coldness that Kurumu found there was enough to prove that she had indeed heard what she had prayed to have been her imagination. With that miserable confirmation, Kurumu nodded weakly and turned, walking briskly away from the pair without another word, trying to restrain the pain that was swelling in her chest until she was somewhere else, anywhere else. She was gone from the room a moment later, but she didn't make it far enough to hide her strangled sob from the two women in the common room.

So distracted was Kurumu that she didn't notice the woman standing at the edge of the doorway, where she had been listening in to the conversation, and Tsurara watched the young succubus go with an expression of mournful sympathy. So, then, it had come to this. With a tight nod, the snow woman turned and made her way silently back up the stairs towards her daughter's room. For just a moment, she too had dared to hope that- but no matter now. She could only pray that her daughter would have made enough progress to tip her scales in her favor, now that Moka had shown how unwavering she really was. If Mizore had not managed to use her time well, however… With those troubled thoughts, Tsurara stepped into Mizore's room and closed the door, too conscious of the silence in the room across the hall.

In the common room, Ageha stared at Moka with an expressionless face as the vampire walked over to the chair and took a seat, refusing to meet the elder succubus' gaze. Ageha didn't notice the way that the rosario twitched on its chain, but she did see that Moka held the Belmont in a deathgrip, and that was confirmation enough for her. She took a seat across from the vampire, content to maintain the silence that had descended upon the room as Kurumu had departed; there was little she could say that would hurt Moka as much as the betrayal she had just seen in Kurumu's eyes.

Nothing she could say, she noted as she heard the door in the kitchen open. She glanced at the vampire as she heard the footsteps draw closer, gaining some shreds of satisfaction from the tension she saw on Moka's face. Ageha had never wanted it to come to this, but she was willing to wait and see how it all played out. She knew it was all up to Tsukune, now.

Tsukune's face lit up as he stepped into the room, and he smiled as he walked over towards them, shaking his head as he came. "You'll never believe what happened to us while-" He paused as the pressure of the tension in the room finally registered, and the glum snow maiden behind him likewise hesitated, glancing first at Moka and then to Ageha, curiosity building in her eyes. Tsukune's eyes, however, were locked on Moka's white-knuckled grip on the Belmont, until finally he raised his gaze to her expression, striving in vain to read it. "What's wrong?" he finally asked, staring still at Moka.

The silver-haired vampire turned away from him, looking towards Ageha with a forced casualness. "Perhaps you would be better off asking her, since this all came from her underhanded scheming anyways."

"Hardly." Ageha's smile was a grimace. "I was merely proposing an idea that would solve a lot of your problems-"

"Polygamy," Moka snarled, crossing her arms. "She thinks that, since you are having trouble choosing one of us, you shouldn't have to choose at all." She didn't notice the way Tsukune jumped at that, so focused was she on glaring at the succubus. Mizore, however, remembered Tsukune's words to the Coopers, and offered him a sympathetic glance.

"And what is wrong with that?" Ageha responded innocently. "I merely assumed that it could end all of your bickering. How kind of you to prove me wrong." Her final words carried an edge; seeing her daughter so upset was still fueling her anger, and keeping it bottled up took more effort than she liked to admit.

Tsukune could tell there was more to the story than what they were offering, and he glanced around the room for someone else to help explain. "Where's Mrs. Shirayuki? And Kurumu?" Moka's stony mask cracked slightly at the latter name, proving that something else was wrong. "Were either of them involved in this conversation?"

"Tsurara is still upstairs, gathering her things," Ageha explained. "As for Kurumu, well-"

"I merely explained to her why the idea would never work," Moka interrupted, her voice coldly precise.

Mizore's eyes widened as she realized what had been said. "And how, exactly, did you explain that?" she asked, anger creeping into her own voice. She knew that the matter of Kurumu's enslaving kiss was at the heart of the argument, and understood why Moka was feel the way she did. Still, Kurumu had restrained herself thus far, and there had to be a way for them to get around the problem, eventually. After her own foiled date, Mizore could sympathize somewhat with her friend's frustration. It was something that deserved to be handled delicately, for the sake of Kurumu's feelings, yet experience told her that Inner Moka was no advocate of subtlety.

"'No matter what, for as long as I want to be with Tsukune, I will never allow him to be with her. I will do everything in my power to make certain it doesn't happen.' It was something like that, wasn't it?" Ageha asked, drawing a shocked stare from Tsukune. "Harsh words for an old friend, aren't they? And all because of her powers, nothing that she is personally responsible for."

Moka glowered at Ageha, but struggled to respond. She was spared the effort, however, as Tsukune stepped towards her. She turned to him, her rigid defenses slipping as she noticed the pain in his eyes, and any other words died in her throat.

"I'm sorry, Moka" he spoke, shaking his head wearily. "I understand how you must feel, and you're right; it's my responsibility to make a choice. But why would you say something like that Kurumu? If you have to be angry at someone, if you have to lash out, then it should be at me!"

Moka met his gaze silently, overwhelmed by the questions she saw in his eyes and the grim recrimination coming from the rosario around her neck, not certain how to respond. As that quiet drew out, Ageha stood from the couch, stepping past Tsukune as she moved towards the stairwell. "I'm going to check on Kurumu," she murmured, nodding to Mizore, who moved to follow. "It's almost time for us to leave anyways, so I'll let you two talk this over." A moment later she was gone, and Moka and Tsukune were alone in the common room, trying to find answers in the silence.

It was only a couple of minutes later that Tsukune left the room, determination engraved upon his face. He had a responsibility to all of his friends, and right now Kurumu was in pain. That he was the cause of it was too much for him to bear; he could finish his discussion with Moka later. As he reached the top of the stairs and turned towards Kurumu's room, however, his progress was halted by the calm smile that waited for him in the hallway.

"So, you were coming to speak to her, then?" Ageha asked. "She wouldn't let me in, not even to say goodbye, but something tells me that she will open the door for you. Still…" She paused, smiling darkly at the young man her daughter loved.

"There is something I need to tell you first."

"Welcome back, Mizore."

The snow maiden paused as she stepped into her room, noticing her mother sitting quietly on her bed. Tsurara's expression was all but unreadable, but her daughter knew what questions would come, and she was afraid that her answers would not be enough to parry her mother's sharp intent. A quick glance around the room revealed that all of the snow woman's belongings had been gathered, packed into the same neat bag that she had carried with her into the Resting Place, yet still the bottle sat on the nightstand, gleaming silver-white in the light that managed to angle in through her window. Her eyes were trapped by the perfume, a fact that Tsurara could not help but notice.

"So," began the older woman with a forced levity, "did you enjoy your time with Tsukune? Shall I leave the room so you can grab him and make use of it?" Her bright smile was fragile, and Mizore's downcast glance harshly cracked it.

"It was nice," Mizore started, struggling to think of the right way to brush aside what had happened… and what hadn't. "We talked a lot, about our pasts and our plans, and we skipped rocks together at the edge of the pond. We even almost kissed." She didn't meet her mother's eyes, aware of the wounded hope she would find there. "But we got interrupted, so things didn't get to go much further than that."

"I see." It was Tsurara's turn to look to the floor as Moka's harsh words flooded her mind. She had been afraid this would happen. The vampire was a fierce opponent, cold and unrelenting, and she knew that Mizore's nervous efforts and shy stalking would not be enough to overcome Moka's forthright determination. The fact that neither Mizore nor Kurumu had managed to get as close to Tsukune during their dates as Moka had was proof that their earlier disadvantage had not disappeared; far from it. This had likely been a losing battle from the start.

"It wasn't my fault! And, anyways…" A faint blush snuck onto Mizore's cheeks as she remembered Tsukune's words to the Coopers. "He even said that he loved me… well, he said he loved all three of us, but-"

"I had known that from the start." Mizore allowed her smile to blossom as she looked at her mother, but the expression immediately wilted when she saw the darkness in Tsurara's eyes. "However, my dear, there is an important difference between loving someone, and being in love with them."

Mizore flinched as if she had been struck, and she fought to remember if Tsukune had phrased it exactly like that. He had, hadn't he? Things had been too hectic for her to remember it perfectly, and bereft of that she had little to offer in response to her mother's cold logic. Before she could pick through her scattered memories of the confrontation with the Coopers, her mother's next words stole her breath.

"Mizore, I think it is time that you think about moving on." Had her mother's voice been harsh, or indifferent, Mizore would have been able to instantly and violently respond; it was the quiet regret and concern in Tsurara's words that stymied her absolutely. "I know that you feel that you feel that you have made progress in your relationship with Tsukune, and I can tell that you have gotten closer, but from what you have told me and from what I've seen, I can only see you two as good friends." Her sad smile was the only thing she could offer her daughter, despite Mizore's pained expression. "Mizore, you and I both know that Moka and Tsukune have always been close. Even before you told me that he wasn't really your boyfriend, I could sense the connection between them, and knew she would be trouble for you. Now, however, their relationship has grown in ways that yours with Tsukune is failing to. She is willing to do anything to claim him, and I don't think you have a real chance to take him from her. I don't know if you ever did. I am so, so sorry, Mizore."

Mizore said nothing, staring blankly in front of her, unable to register yet the words that had swept the world out from beneath her. Nodding to herself, Tsurara stood from the bed and walked over to her daughter, pulling her into a slight hug that Mizore couldn't return. "It is time for me to go. If you need me, call any time; I will do anything you need. I love you, my daughter." She stepped away, her eyes darting over to the bottle resting on the nightstand, but she said nothing of it. At this point, it was the kindest thing that she could do for Mizore.

A moment later, Tsurara closed the door to Mizore's room, leaving her daughter standing in agonized silence, locked in her own thoughts. Mizore was still like that even after Tsurara and Ageha left the Resting Place, even as the taxi carried them through the iron gates and towards the train station. When she did move, it was to step forward and fall listlessly onto her bed, weighed down by the echoes of her mother's words, and the responding chorus of her own doubts and fears that she had thought long buried.

For all her efforts, one thought condemned Mizore to quiet defeat: what if her mother was right? What if she really didn't have a chance? Though she searched desperately, no answer came to her; only silence.

The fourth secret to good kissing is variety. Subtle changes in how you kiss, how fast and how hard you press, can go a long way towards making the experience a lot more interesting for both you and your partner. This isn't to say that you should be constantly thinking about how to mix things up! Instead, act subtly and try to read what you can from your partner's reactions. If you feel like either of you is getting too used to what you're doing, feel free to change things a little, and see how it goes!

One good thing to keep in mind is-

Kurumu sighed, letting her head sink back against the pillows as she closed her eyes. Reading the magazine was not helping her to keep her mind from the pain that had chased her into her room, especially since it was dealing with the very thing that was causing most of her problems, but for some reason she had picked it up anyways. If nothing else, for a moment it had helped her forget everything else, but even that anesthesia had proven to be all too temporary. She fought to quell the fantasies that usually emerged as she flipped through these pages; Moka's words had left her too raw to enjoy them as she usually did.

She didn't know what she had felt so angry, so betrayed, by what Inner Moka had said. After all, it was only logical that Moka would feel that way. Kurumu had to admit that, if she were in her friend's shoes, she may even have felt the same. Still, recently it had felt like they had all grown closer, and even their fighting for Tsukune's attention had lost most of the anger and tension that it once carried. That was why, when her mother had made that suggestion, for just a moment it had felt… right.

Still, there was little hope for that, now. Now, things would probably go back to the way they used to be, at best. Kurumu didn't know which she mourned more: the faint hope of a happy, if highly unusual, ending for all of their ambitions with Tsukune, or the relaxed closeness she had felt with Moka and Mizore. After today, they would be openly competing again, back to their old tug-of-war with Tsukune in the middle.

Her sigh all but a growl, Kurumu turned back to the magazine, trying to distract herself once more, even if only for a second. Realizing that she had lost her place, she skimmed over the page before skipping down to the next secret. She hadn't ever made it this far; she usually got interrupted before she got the chance to read the final section.

The final secret to good kissing is knowing how to use your tongue. Like a lot of the other important things to remember, it's all about moderation – not too much, not too little. However, if you find the right balance, you'll keep your partner begging for more! One way to-

Kurumu jumped as the knock came at her door, blushing fiercely and shoving the magazine deep under her pillows. "Come in," she shouted, before remembering that she didn't particularly want her mother to see her like this, her eyes still reddened and damp tissues littered across the bed. Her eyes widened as the person stepped into her room, and she was too surprised at first to hastily sweep the tissues out of sight, or to even avert her eyes to hide the redness from her earlier outburst.

"Are you alright?" Tsukune asked softly, closing the door behind him. "They told me what happened earlier, and I wanted to check up on you."

"Oh, ah, yeah, I'm fine," Kurumu stammered, turning away and using her back to hide her desperate cleaning efforts, gathering the tear-damp tissues and wadding them into a ball that she flung into a nearby wastebasket. "It takes more than that to get me down." Her forced laugh was painfully transparent, but she didn't turn back towards Tsukune in time to see the deep pain on his face. "Don't worry, I'm not giving up on you yet, no matter what that vampire says." She plopped down on her bed with a casual shrug, not meeting his eyes.

Tsukune didn't respond at first, stepping closer to her as he considered his next thoughts carefully. Despite what she was saying, he could tell that Kurumu was still hurting from what Moka had told her. He couldn't help but to feel responsible, and he wasn't certain as to the easiest way to fix things… though his conversation with Ageha had given him a good idea what would be best.

"That's good," he said finally. Kurumu blinked, surprised, as he sat down on the bed beside her. He smiled weakly at her, offering a shrug of his own. "No matter what Moka said, I haven't chosen. I care deeply for all of you, and I've not found the right answer just yet… I'm sorry for that." He sighed, turning his eyes to the floor. "I still can't decide who I want to spend the rest of my life with. Well, I know that; I want to spend the rest of my life hanging out with all of you. But that isn't really the question, is it?" He laughed bitterly, smiling in self-deprecation.

There was a long pause before Kurumu answered. "I'm glad you haven't picked one of us yet. It makes me glad to know that I… I've really had a chance." She hesitated, gathering her strength as her fears fought to emerge. "But, Tsukune… we both know that you love Moka. You always have. No matter how happy being with you makes me, I can't help but feel that I'm just getting in the way of you two… even now." Her voice wavered, but she managed to keep her emotions from overwhelming her.

Tsukune swallowed hard, realizing that the time had come. This was it, for all or nothing. "I do love Moka. I know that." He knew that, in the long run, what he had in mind probably wouldn't help with the greater problem. Still, one of his friends was in front of him, and in pain. He knew how to solve this problem, at least, and what he had in mind felt like the right thing to do. He could deal with the rest later. "But, that doesn't make my choice any easier." He turned towards her with a soft smile. "Because I love Mizore, too. And…" He stared into her expectant, terrified eyes and drank in the small hope he saw there. "I love you, Kurumu."

He watched her face as grief faded into shock, and shock was replaced by burgeoning joy, only for doubt to resurface once more. "Tsukune, I…" Words failed her, so Tsukune took the initiative, leaning towards her, his face drawing ever closer to hers. Her gaze darted from his eyes to his lips and back again, and she tilted her face up to meet him.

"No." She pushed quickly against his chest, shoving him away before their lips could meet. She shook her head, filling the tears well up in her eyes but unable to do anything about them for the moment. "I can't, Tsukune, I just can't. I'm a succubus; my kiss will enslave you, you know that. I… I just can't risk it." She looked to him desperately, searching for understanding. "I want to, so bad, but-"

"Your mother told me everything." Tsukune smiled gently as Kurumu's jaw dropped. "She told me about the exception. I know why you are afraid, but I'm not." He leaned closer again, staring into her eyes. "I love you, Kurumu." His voice was strong, certain, as he repeated those words.

This time, when he drew close, Kurumu didn't push him away.

"Mm." For one fleeting second, the Five Secrets flitted through Kurumu's mind, but they were immediately discarded. They didn't matter right now, not compared to the softness of Tsukune's lips, the feeling of his breath dancing on her cheek, his scent and warmth. After a split-second eternity, they slipped apart, only to come together once again. Even as the arm Kurumu was supporting herself grew weak, and as Tsukune caught her and lowered them down sideways onto the surface of the bed, still they kissed: soft and gentle, roughly insisting, a multitude of sensations Kurumu had never managed to imagine.

This was the final secret, Kurumu realized. Nothing else mattered compared to the feeling of kissing the man she loved, drinking in his nearness and the sensations of touching him, feeling his emotions through the pressure of his lips. He loved her, and she loved him, and that was everything she needed for now.

Except for one last confirmation. She let the kiss break for just a moment, pushing away from Tsukune to examine him closely. He stared at her, confused, but that wasn't enough to be certain. "Tsukune," she said, her voice carrying her words as a command, "stand up and squawk like a chicken."

"No!"

A slow smile of perfect contentment and relief spread across Kurumu's face, and she threaded her arms around his neck, pulling him close once. "Then, kiss me again."

Tsukune chuckled as his lips lowered to hers. "That, I can do."

"Hmm… hmm…"

Turning away from the train's window, Tsurara sighed as her companion continued to hum out her otherwise self-contained musings, and glared at Ageha. "What is it?" she demanded, her frayed temper beginning to show once more.

"I can't help but think I forgot something. I don't know what it is, though." The succubus shrugged helplessly. "I would just wave it off, but it feels important."

"Well, if its one of your belongings, Kurumu can mail it to you," Tsurara offered dismissively, turning back to gazing out the window.

"No, that's not it…" Ageha cupped her chin, straining to remember. She had told Tsukune everything she knew about the exception, and had left it up to him as to what he would do with that knowledge; she intended to call her daughter later and find out how things went. She had hopes that the situation would improve for it, but she couldn't be certain. Still, she hadn't forgotten to mention anything there, so it didn't have anything to do with the kiss-

Wait. There was one other important thing about a succubus' kiss, but surely Kurumu would remember that, right? After all, it was one of the most important things about their powers! Surely her daughter wouldn't have to be reminded of one of the core elements of their nature.

Surely.

Ageha shrugged. Oh well, she could always call Kurumu later and find out. It wasn't that important right now. With that resolved, she settled back into her seat and closed her eyes, contented.

Moka stared at herself in the mirror, running her fingers through her silver hair. Her left hand still clutched to the hilt of the Belmont, and the rosario remained stubbornly silent, but she knew that her other self would have plenty to say once she released her grip and transformed back. Better to get this over with while she was still in power, the crimson-eyed vampire concluded, staring at her reflection intently.

"It is better that I said it," she spoke harshly, hoping that her other persona would see why she had responded the way she had.

"Oh?" The voice from the rosario was livid. "And where is Tsukune right now?"

"She won't kiss him," Inner Moka assured herself. "Not now. And he'll come back to you after this is all done."

"That isn't what is important right now!" The vampire flinched slightly despite herself. "Kurumu's hurt, Tsukune's angry at himself, and they both probably hate us for what you said!"

"Tsukune can't hate you," Inner Moka replied calmly. "Anyways, you didn't say it, I did."

"But I'm going to be the one to apologize," Moka responded sharply.

"Apologize! Why?" Inner Moka glared down at the seal. "What did I say that was wrong? Even if no one wants to admit it, that's the only way we can handle this!"

"It wasn't what you said. It was that you said it," Outer Moka answered. "We've moved past all the fighting and bickering, or at least we had."

"So what, you agreed with that succubus' suggestion, that we should all just lump in together? You don't want that any more than I!" The vampire's voice raised enough to carry, but the rosario was silent for a long moment.

"It doesn't matter," Outer Moka finally responded. "We have to fix this, or things will only get worse.

"Careful," Inner Moka pointedly warned the rosario. "This isn't so easily resolved. If you don't watch yourself, you might just do more damage than I when you 'fix' what I said. You will have to make your own choice: Tsukune or your friends."

"They're your friends too."

"Tch." Inner Moka snapped her head to the side, not willing to meet her own eyes. "Have it your way." She relaxed her hold on the Belmont, feeling the pins and needles as blood flooded back into her fingers. "But remember what I said."

The Belmont dropped to the floor and Moka staggered as her hair darkened to its usual shade. She caught herself on the edge of a dresser, giving herself a moment to regain her strength before forcing herself upright. Recovered, Outer Moka stared at her reflection for just a moment. "I will remember," she promised herself. "But, just like Tsukune, I don't know if I'm ready to make that choice yet."

With that said, she stepped towards her door and opened it, moving out into the hall resolutely. She turned towards Kurumu's room first, but paused as she noticed something lying on the floor in front of Kurumu's room. It took a moment for the truth to register: it was Tsukune, lying face down and still. Her eyes widened as she gasped, and she sprinted towards him, kneeling at his side. "Tsukune! Tsukune, wake up!"

The doors to the other two girls' rooms were flung open, and both Kurumu and Mizore lunged into the hall, immediately spotting Tsukune and dropping to their knees beside him, shouting his name just as Moka was doing. For a long moment, there was no reply, Tsukune's face still and his eyes closed. Finally there came a response, though hardly the one that the girls had expected: a soft snore.

"I didn't think Tsukune was that tired, and he doesn't have narcolepsy," Mizore mused, blinking down at her sleeping friend. "So why would he pass out in the middle of the hallway?"

"…Oh." Moka and Mizore turned towards Kurumu, curious at the realization on the succubus' face. "It's nothing, nothing!" she assured them, but it was obvious that it wouldn't be enough to placate them. As they loomed over her, she laughed nervously, shrugging. "I just remembered something, that's all."

"And what is that?" Moka asked calmly, but her insistent gaze offered Kurumu no reprieve.

"Well, I remembered that, if a succubus kisses a man, she absorbs some of his energy. It doesn't hurt the man, he recovers after a nap, but it leaves them pretty drained." She glanced to the side with a blush. "I had wondered what that feeling was after-"

"Kurumu!" The succubus winced, sheepishly meeting the fiery gaze of her two friends. They stood and stepped towards her, and she cast a longing glance towards the door to her room, but knew she wouldn't make it there in time.

"Kurumu…? Moka…?" The girls paused as they heard Tsukune's sleep-dulled voice. "…would you help me get to my room? I'm just so sleepy…"

"He sounds normal to me," Mizore noticed, giving Kurumu a hard stare. "Not like a love zombie, or anything like that."

"We got around that problem, don't worry," Kurumu explained hastily. "Let's get him to bed-"

"And then we can talk about it." Moka met Kurumu's gaze, and her warring emotions were obvious to the other two girls. "I think we have a lot to talk about."

And so, the three girls worked together to half-carry, half-drag Tsukune's limp form to his room and into his bed. With that accomplished, they moved next to the common room, the scene of the argument that had led to much of this trouble and, Moka hoped, the place where much of it could be resolved. First, she knew, came an apology. After that, they could work things out… or so she hoped.

After all, they were friends. They could trust each other, have faith in each other. Without that, what would they have?

"Mother… I'm sorry."

Hours later, the three girls had returned to their own rooms to go to bed, left to their own thoughts. For two of them, sleep came much easier than they had expected: after Moka had apologized, she and Kurumu had patched things up, and both Moka and Mizore had forgiven Kurumu for kissing Tsukune. It had been hard not to, especially since Tsukune had initiated the kiss. Mizore felt glad for Kurumu; she knew how much that issue had been preying on her friend, and Tsukune's actions, and subsequent lack of mental servitude, had proven that he really did love her.

Still, that created quite a few problems for Mizore. Even Kurumu, who had been expressly forbidden to kiss Tsukune, had managed to do so before her. His confession to Kurumu, his actions on her behalf, proved the depth of his connection with her; now even Moka would have a serious contender in her, certainly. But, where did that leave Mizore? Her own interactions with him had never been so intimate, at least on a physical or emotional level. She felt like she knew him so well, but it was hard to judge the depths of how he felt for her. Was it like her mother had said? Did she really have no chance of winning his heart?

Should she try to give up on him entirely?

No, that would be impossible, Mizore knew. She cared too much for him to even imagine that; the thought of it sickened her. She couldn't give up, but then again what could she do to tip things in her favor? How could she catch up to the other girls in his eyes?

Though she didn't want to see it, desperation tugged her eyes over to the bottle of perfume resting on her nightstand. Using that would excite his lust; it wouldn't change how he felt about her, but it might break down the barriers between them enough for- for what she wanted. She knew it might rush things between them, it might be going too far, but what other choice did she have? She haltingly reached for the bottle, her trembling fingers almost brushing against its side before she pulled her hand back to clutch at the chest of the yukata she was wearing. But would that really be what she wanted?

Determination burning icily in her eyes, Mizore stood to her feet. She knew now that she could no longer watch from afar, nor could she be happy with what stumbling progress she had made with Tsukune. It was time for her to act, and she knew exactly what she had to do. She knew it would be breaking the rules… but she could accept that.

It was her turn now.

Author's Note: Wow, this one took it out of me. Fresh off the presses, as it were; forgive me if it's a tad more prone to slight problems (which, given time, I will be hunting down and fixing), but I've not had time to send it through the reviewing process, tragically… 18 pages of this chapter were written tonight. Partially, this was due to the fact that my writing time was choked by visits to family and from a friend. Also, I had something to take care of today that served as a distraction, scheduling an appointment to apply for a job that was suggested to me: dock worker at a trucking company. It pays reasonably well, for a part-time night shift manual labor job… sigh, why did I get a Master's degree again?

Ahem, anyways, one of the most problematic chapters behind me, and the next should be just slightly easier. With Kurumu's major problem resolved, and Moka's developing, it's time for Mizore's. I shall aim for the release to come after a single week this time, now that I believe I will be a bit more free of distractions, though I do ask that you wish me luck. ^_^;

I will notify you, somewhat randomly, that the next chapter will not feature an author's note… for reasons. Should you feel that you require one, might I suggest the first A/N of Out of Nightmares? It should serve well to answer any questions over my (unchanged) goals. Consider this, to answer a promise made in an earlier note (23: Epiphany), a certain sort of sign. Ah heh heh.

And, before anyone asks, no, I will not be including any more of the article over the fifth 'secret.' Sorry.

Hrm… I could continue to blather on, or I could go ahead and post this. With this in mind, I shall end my note here, with my usual appreciation for those of you who take the time to review. I shall hope to hear from you soon, should this work prove worthy.

And so that I will still have a mind left by the time such reviews arrive… it is best I go sleep.

~Wynn Pendragon

P.S.: Congratulations go to Grandluicharde and Ghfghf7 for deducing the true reasoning behind the Cooper's name; the naming process pretty much follows the path that Grandliucharde outlined. Good work, you two.

P.P.S.: For some reason, FFN saw fit to remove my line breaks. Hopefully this will fix the problem. Grrr....

P.P.P.S.: Oh hell, it's all my line breaks in all my stories. Guess what I'll be doing for the next hour...

P.P.(Ohyougetthepoint).S.: An hour might have been about right, but I've finally replaced all the section breaks in all of my stories (On this account, /sob... my poor neglected older tales...). Though I doubt that anyone who has made it this far will be rereading this story any time soon, I do ask that, if you ever do, please notify me if you notice a place where a section break is missing. I will eventually go back and manually search for such problems, but before that, the sleep this accursed dilemma has delayed!