Megami slowly stalked toward Tsukune and the others, who slowly backed away.

"Seiteki, kill them!" Megami ordered.

"Make me!" Seiteki said defiantly, crossing her arms and poking out her lip.

"Excuse me?! I gave you an order! What is the matter with you?"

"I came to my senses. My personalities have clashed and THIS is the result! And it's all thanks to Tsukune!"

Tsukune mouthed the word 'No!' to try to stop her, but it was already too late.

"So, what they say is true. All roads lead to Rome. Everything is coming back to you, Aono!" Megami growled.

"If you want to hurt Tsukune, you'll have to go through me!" Seiteki said.

Megami looked as if she was pulling back slightly, but she roared just a moment later. Ageha had awoken and had jumped onto Megami's head, grabbing her ears.

Megami groaned, then crouched low to the ground.

"Oh, this is a weakness? I thought I was just being a distraction." Ageha said.

"Who's complaining? Not me." said Tsurara's voice.

All of a sudden, several small snowmen leaped up and clung to Megami's fur, clumping together and bogging her down.

"Run!" Seiteki yelled.

"Where?!" Kurumu yelled back. "She's going to escape eventually, then follow us!"

"We have to do SOMETHING! Standing around isn't going to help us at all!" Mizore complained.

"Neither is complaining, now go!" Ko yelled.

As the larger group ran off, Ageha, Ko, and Tsurara put their focus back on Megami.

"Tsurara! Try to cut her tails off!"

"That's a lot easier said!" Tsurara grunted, trying to slash at Megami's thrashing tails.

Megami inadvertently slammed one of her tails into the ground, causing a brief shockwave. She made a feral smile and raised all of her tails in the air.

"Aw, hell." Tsurara said.

When Megami crashed her tails into the ground, a larger, much more powerful shockwave exploded into Tsurara and any unconscious bodies nearby on the ground. They all flew backward, disappearing in the large cloud of smoke.

"Tsurara! Are you okay?!" Ageha asked. Before getting a response, Megami grabbed her by the arms and legs with two of her tails and slingshot her into the smoke before struggling and wriggling out of her snowy encasing.

"Your turn." Megami snarled at Ko.

The elder vampire stepped backwards, with Megami breathing smoke out of her nose at him. She opened her mouth, but before she could strike, the snow the she had escaped from flew forward into Megami's mouth.

"Ko, fall back! They've escaped safely! There's nothing more we can do!" Tsurara ordered.

Ko nodded and ran toward her and Ageha, into the still heavy smoke.

Megami was finally able to cough the chunk of snow out of her throat, growling.

"I love it when my prey runs. A good chase really frees the mind Get ready, Aono, and company. I'm coming for you."

***

"*sigh* What are we going to do? She's going to find us eventually, and once she does, TSUKUNE'S in trouble." Moka said, pacing back and forth.

"What do you mean?" Tsukune asked.

"What do you mean 'What do I mean?' You know exactly what I mean!" Moka said with a slight nervous twitch.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Kurumu said.

"You're the one who did what you did to Seiteki. Megami's eyes are locked on you." Moka said to Tsukune sternly.

"Thanks for your enthusiasm and support, Moka. And by the way, Megami hates ALL of our guts."

"Not mine." Seiteki chimed.

"Anyway, we need a plan, or else we're all going to die."

"Ooh! Ooh! I have an idea!" said a muffled voice. Tsukune took the rosario out of his pocket and saw that the jewel encrusted into it was glowing, meaning that Outer Moka was trying to communicate.

"Outer Moka… You've been awfully silent."

"Not a lot to say, and I didn't want to distract you."

"So what do you have in mind?"

"What if Mizore made ice clones of all of us that Megami killed instead of the real thing."

"Mizore's ice clones can't bleed. Megami will be able to tell that they're fake." Moka explained.

"What if she swallowed them whole?"

"Oh, God…" Moka said, rubbing her temples. "I did mention that they're ICE clones, right? If you're eating ice, you're probably going to be able to tell."

"Okay, well… What about-"

"I can tell what she's saying. Outer, it's useless. I can dress up my ice all I want, but it's still just ice. It won't work." Mizore said.

The rosario went silent again.

"I wonder what Mom would do to me? She sure wouldn't KILL me, that's for sure." Seiteki thought aloud.

"Okay, you're really starting to piss me off!" Moka said, grabbing Seiteki by the collar.

"Sorry! Sorry! I wasn't thinking!"

"Ooh! Ooh! Idea!" the rosario said again.

"What is it now?"

"Just listen!"

***

Megami stepped through the sea of cataleptic bodies, carefully sniffing for Tsukune and the others.

"This is far too difficult with all of these other scents confusing me. I'll have to get rid of some." Megami said, unsheathing her claws and preparing to swipe through the streets.

Before she could swipe once, a loud clang followed by a whispered 'Ow!' was heard nearby. Megami raised an ear to listen closer.

"You idiot! She probably heard that!" Kokoa whispered angrily.

Megami growled and put her claw down, walking around the corner. She turned her head to the sound and caught a fox fireball in the eye. Megami roared and stumbled backwards, unable to see properly.

"Mizore, now!" Seiteki called.

On top of the building beside Megami, Mizore leaped off, skating on a trail of ice that she was continually creating. She rapidly approached Megami's tails.

"Got to make this quick and clean." Mizore said, extending her claws and swiping them at Megami's tails.

Mizore's claws shattered against Megami's tails as she skated by. She flew to the ground, staring in shock at her broken claws.

Megami raised her tails in the air to cause a shockwave, but Mizore, thinking quickly, spread a thick sheet of ice under Megami so that the force of the shockwave was absorbed into the ice, smashing it to pieces. With no traction or support, Megami's legs came from under her and she fell to the ground.

"Mizore, what happened?" Seiteki asked as Megami tried and failed to stand.

"I don't know. Her tails felt like iron."

"They felt soft and fluffy when she touched me with them." Seiteki said.

"She was in her half-form that time." Tsukune said. "Maybe we can only attack her tails when she's in her half-form."

"How are we going to get her to change back?"

Megami growled, falling back onto her stomach. Debris from a nearby building fell, almost crushing a couple of bodies on the ground.

"We can't try while we're still here. There are too many potential casualties." Outer Moka said from the rosario.

"It's summer. Where are we going to find a place that's empty?" Kurumu asked.

"I've got it! And I've got a new plan!" Outer Moka said.

"Oh, geez." Inner Moka said. "Another plan."

"It's a good one this time!"

Megami was able to dig her claws into a dry section of the road and drag herself off the ice.

"She'll have to explain it on the way! We have to move!" Seiteki said, dropping to all fours and assuming her full form, a scraggly-looking red fox.

"Well, it's a lot prettier that your four-tail full form." Kurumu said.

"Hop on!"

Seiteki crouched low, allowing her friends to climb onto her back. Megami stood up, shaking the gravel out of her pelt.

"Hold on tight!" Seiteki said, leaping forward into a sprint.

"If you can't even scratch me, what makes you think you can outrun me?" Megami taunted, sprinting behind them.

"Wait! We can't just leave Daddy here!" Kahlua protested.

"Same here. We need as much help as we can get. Let's find our parents." Mizore said.

"Alright, then!" Seiteki said, giving the air a quick sniff.

"There are too many scents." she said frustratedly. "I can smell debris, musty deodorant, cheap perfume-"

"Cheap perfume sounds a lot like Mom. Follow that scent." Kurumu said.

Seiteki was about to make a quick turn, but Megami leaped at her, bringing Seiteki to the ground and throwing her passengers off.

"Seiteki, get a hold of yourself! This isn't you!" Megami said.

"Mother knows best, huh? You don't know ANYTHING anymore!" Seiteki yelled in defiance, twisting in her mother's grasp and clawing her on the cheek as hard as she could.

Megami was stunned, but not injured as she pulled back and shook her head to clear her disorientation. Seiteki use her six tails to scoop up her friends and place them on her back again.

"I tore a couple of claws, but I'm okay." she said to them painfully.

"It's hopeless, Seiteki. Just give in. I don't want to hurt you." Megami said sadly.

"The feeling is mutual, Mom. I don't want to hurt you. Nevertheless, I won't let you control me either. You've been doing that for far too long. I want to live my own life." Seiteki said as she ran.

Megami continued to follow closely behind. Mizore launched ice thorns at her, which smashed against her face without slowing her down at all.

"Hold on tight! Sharp turn coming up!" Seiteki said, skidding to a halt, the turning down an acute lane. Mizore blew a sheet of ice on the road so Megami would slide across, slowing her down only momentarily.

"There they are!" Kurumu said, noticing her mother, Tsurara, and Ko sitting nearby.

"Hop on, quickly!" Seiteki said, stopping. Once the adults were on Seiteki's back, she took off again.

"So what was that plan you were talking about?" Moka said to the rosario.

***

Seiteki ran until she was out of the city and in the residential area.

"Even here, people are affected by the charm." Moka said, glancing at the unconscious bodies on the ground.

"Oh, are you serious?" Seiteki said as she approached a tunnel that was too big for her to fit into.

"What do we do now? You're too slow in your half-form and human form." Tsukune said.

"Not to worry! I have six tails now. The sixth tail now gives me the power to expand my horizons in terms of transformation. In other words…"

Seiteki closed her eyes and waggled her tails, rapidly transforming. Soon, she had completely transformed into a large lion, but smaller than her original form.

"I can morph into other living things!" she finished with a roar, storming through the cave.

Not far behind, Megami charged forward, waggling her tails as well. She progressively shrunk until she was just large enough to fit into the tunnel.

"You can't escape!" Megami said, charging a fox fireball and launching it at Seiteki. It explode on the ground right behind her, propelling Seiteki forward and out of the tunnel, sending her and her passengers tumbling to the ground.

Megami stalked out of the cave, reassuming her full size. She charged a fox fireball, then threw it at the ground, extending it into a circle arena with Seiteki just outside the edge.

"This place will be your burial grounds!" Megami snarled, kneading her claws into the soft dirt.

"Not if we can help it!" Ageha said, firing two narrow beams from her chest. Megami dodged to the left, then slapped Ageha away with the back of her paw. She charged a fox fireball, but Tsurara threw a large slush ball at Megami's mouth, putting out the ethereal flames.

"You think a little cold water will put me out? Not even close!" Megami said, blowing a cloud of green flames. Tsurara and Mizore ran backwards to avoid melting.

Ko took the Shirayukis' place and ran forward, delivering a powerful rising kick to Megami's jaw.

"Humph! That almost hurt!" Megami said, head butting Ko and launching him into the ground. Megami then smashed Ko into the ground with one tail.

"Father!" Moka yelled, sprinting forward and leaping into the air, dropping a fierce axe kick right between Megami's eyes.

"Grr. And that DID hurt!" Megami growled, pummeling Moka into the nearby dead forest with one of her powerful tails.

The battle raged on, and Megami was gaining the upper hand. When all looked lost, Megami stopped, hearing a loud voice ring out.

"STOOOP!!!"

Megami turned and saw Seiteki standing on the edge of the nearby cliff.

"Isn't that the cliff I threw you off last year?" Kurumu asked.

"Please don't remind me."

"Seiteki! What are you doing?! Stop acting crazy!" Megami said, dispersing her flames and walking up to the cliff edge. Seiteki stepped back once so that her heels were off the edge.

Megami tensed and stopped where she was, reverting to her half-form.

"Think about what you're doing, Seiteki. You're about to throw your life away, and for what?"

Seiteki sighed, angst growing in her eyes.

"In my first state of mind, I knew what I was doing and what I was doing it for, but I didn't completely understand it. In my second state of mind, I didn't know anything, except that I had my independence. Now that my two personalities have combined, I finally understand it all."

Megami seemed stunned.

"All of this time, I was your lump of clay, and you were molding me into your image. I was just a marionette, and you were working the strings. At first, I blamed Moka, then I blamed myself, but now I know who's REALLY to blame!"

"Seiteki…" Megami whispered.

"You're the cause of all the heartache that me and my friends have experienced. To be so numb and so cold, and then to be so numb-skulled and clueless. What direction will my life turn next? I'm not going to wait and see!"

"It's over! I'm ready to die if it means seeing all of your schemes and ambitions fall apart right before your eyes!" Seiteki finished, closing her eyes and beginning to lean backward.

"Seiteki!! NO!!!" Megami said, running toward her and following her off the cliff.

Seiteki and Megami freefell until they were mere feet from the ground. Then Seiteki opened her eyes and with a mischievous smile yelled,

"PSYCHE!!!"

Once Seiteki smashed into the ground, she shattered like glass into multiple shards of ice. Megami's eyes became widened and dull. She rotated her body in time to land on the ground with her feet. Stunned slightly, she stared with glazed eyes around her. She finally looked up and saw Moka, Ko, and Tsukune in his ghoul form falling to the ground with their legs stuck out, striking Megami in the face with three simultaneous axe kicks.

Moka grabbed Megami by her neck, tossing her into the air.

"Kurumu! Ageha!" she called.

The two succubi flew down to the ground, rapidly scratching and cutting Megami with their long claws.

Megami hung in the air for a moment, which gave the real Seiteki an opening to leap into the air and deliver a violent punch, charged with fox fire. The recoil sparks that flew from Seiteki's hand jumped onto Megami and sparked one of her tails.

Megami slowly stood with what little strength she had remaining. Before she could do any more, Mizore and Tsurara mid-air ice-skated down to the ground, each extending one finger to a lengthy distance and jabbing them Megami's sides. Both Shirayukis smiled, then caused they're extended fingers to grow multiple branches, skewering Megami's skin until she was barely recognizable.

By this time, the tail that had been sparked caught completely on fire, and with every part of her body skewered, it was impossible for her to put out the flames.

Megami smiled weakly as Seiteki walked up to her.

"Oh, what cruel fate and tragic irony that a kitsune dies by its own signature weapon." Seiteki said.

"And what irony that a mother is slain by the one whom she gave birth to." Megami said weakly.

Seiteki was silent.

"I understand your reserve. And I have realized that you were right."

"Wait. Just to keep things as little complex as I can, that wasn't me up there."

"I know. I also know that what you said were your words. I was cruel, commanding, and downright evil. I couldn't see that inside, you were hurting, because you followed my will without complaint."

A small tear began to form in Seiteki's eye.

"I've been a horrible mother, and whatever happens to me is fairly just."

At that point, all of Megami's tails were progressively burning down into scorched nubs.

"Wait! Who's going to take care of my littermates? Rujutan and Kenage are dead, and I don't-"

"It's okay, Seiteki. Arata can be put in charge. She's the leadership type." Megami said.

"Just one more thing." Seiteki said, her face shifting from panic to seriousness. "I've seen a lot of stepfathers come in and out of my life, but I have to know. Who was my real father?"

"Not was. Is. Your father is very much alive."

"You told me he died."

"Out of my own selfishness. Your father and I ended our relationship on bad terms. He saw you as an infant, but you've never had a solid memory of him, I'd assume."

"I've always wanted to see him. Do you know where he is?"

"He…He lives… near…Fuji."

Megami was getting much weaker as her tails began to reduce themselves to ash.

"I love you, Mom." Seiteki said, closing her eyes to hold back her tears.

"I'll always love you… Seiteki." Megami said, closing her eyes and dying with a smile.

Everyone around Seiteki had misty eyes, except for Ko and Moka. Moka took the rosario from Tsukune's hand and attached it to her chain.

"She knows her place now." Moka said softly before regressing to her outer self.

***

~two days later~

Tsukune and his friends were sitting on and around the living room couch, watching the news. Kokoa, Kahlua, Ko, Tsurara, and Ageha returned to their respective homes. A report was being aired about the recent events that happened in the city.

"Two days ago, at about 3:43 P.M, a mysterious explosion sent a small city into a panic. Strangely enough, just a few seconds after the explosion, nearly every single person in the city simultaneously lost consciousness."

"When people began to awaken, nearly half of the city was in ruins. However, only a few casualties were reported. Authorities believe that this was a terrorist plot, but as of yet, no suspects have been reported."

"Wow. Nobody has any idea what happened that day." Moka said.

"As long as they never know, we're in the clear." Kurumu said.

"I'm ready!!!" Seiteki bellowed, stepping out of the hall. She was wearing the glittery tube top that Kurumu had purchased with the orange-white bellbottom pants that Moka had purchased.

"Hm. That really does go great together." Kurumu said, eyeing Seiteki up and down. She patted her on the shoulder.

"Well done, my pupil. Fashion is your forte."

"So are we all ready for our day on the town?" Moka asked.

Mizore nodded, leaning near the frame of the door. They all walked out of the house, forgetting to turn the television off. As the TV set continued to blare, a breaking news report suddenly came up.

"Breaking news! Thanks to a thorough scan for fingerprints and blood samples on scene, authorities have been able to identify several key suspects for this investigation. If any of these characters are seen, please notify the authorities immediately."

All of a sudden, the faces of Tsukune, Inner Moka, Kurumu, Mizore, and Seiteki respectively appeared on the screen.

A/N: Cliffhanger! This is the end of the story. Please feel free to review my story and give your own views. All criticism is expected, accepted, and appreciated. =)