A New Slate
Author's Note: This chapter is going to be ridden with lots of monologues and loaded with large amounts of exposition. I tried my best to break up the monologues so that they aren't all just one giant block of text, but the chapter is still very dialogue heavy.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from or relating to Rosario Vampire or Fairy Tail.
(Tsukune's POV)
Tsukune didn't know what to think at the moment. Unfortunately, that was what Issa was asking Tsukune to do at the present time.
"Listen Aono, I know you must be in pain right now, but we must think of the best way to pro…."
"I don't want to think!" Tsukune shouted, cutting the elder vampire off. "My mother, who was always preaching to me that I should always try to find the best in people, is suddenly turning evil; and I have to fight her!? How could I even remotely try to think about any of this!?" Tsukune suddenly sank into his chair, looking more defeated than ever before. "When I was growing up, I didn't really have anyone besides my mother. My father bailed before I was even a year old, for reasons I could never have dreamt of back then, so back then it seemed there was no reason at all. No friends to call my own, at least none that weren't superficial at best. Life turned around for me as I got older, but even still she was always the reason why I kept going. And now, she's the one who's causing the problems; and from what little I understand of the situation, it's against her own will. And this, a life changing event, I learned not from my supposed 'new family', but from a woman I had never seen before in my life. Think of that, and put yourself in my shoes."
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself." Akua said, looking disinterested, which pissed Tsukune off immensely.
"What the fuck would you know about this?! Huh?!" Tsukune challenged, not expecting an answer.
"Did you get your little sister killed when you were only eleven? Did you have to see her disembodied corpse impaled on stakes, all because of a mistake you made? Did you live your life, wondering why your mother abandoned you as an infant; spend your entire life trying to prove to yourself and others that you were worth the attention?!" the smaller vampire asked accusingly, making Tsukune falter. "My point Aono, is that out of all of us here, you have suffered the least in your life. Now, you can stop being such a pussy about it and realize that you have people around to at least comfort you, unlike many of us; or, you could continue being down and do nothing with your life."
"Akua! That's too far!" Moka yelled jumping to his defense.
"See? My point exactly; you don't even need to ask for sympathy or empathy, it just comes to you. Most of us had to go searching for it; and even then, it was never enough." Akua said, before turning and striding out of the room. Issa had sat quiet throughout the whole ordeal, before standing up to leave, the rest of the room joining him. Tsukune saw the point; they were giving him time alone with Moka, hoping she could bring him out of his depression.
The two sat quiet for a time, with Tsukune resting his head in his hands. Minutes passed as Moka silently comforted her lover, but to him it felt hours. "She's right isn't she?" Tsukune eventually asked.
Moka wanted to say that Akua was wrong, that Tsukune's pain wasn't inferior to the pain the rest of them had felt in their lives, but she knew deep down that her eldest sister was right. The only thing making Tsukune's pain "stronger" was that it was fresh. There's had all passed with time as they'd found ways to get over.
"Yes and no." Moka eventually managed to say. "It's true that we have all felt more pain in our life times, but we've all had time to work through ours, while you are just beginning to feel yours. Akua is also feeling quite bitter towards you."
"Why is that?" Tsukune asked, oblivious to Akua's feelings for Moka.
"Akua once had a little sister named Jasmine, a little over a decade ago. They weren't direct siblings, they were more like cousins than sisters, but they only had each other in life. No parents to speak of, didn't have a home or even a bed to sleep in. They just jumped from place to place and tried to live as best as they could. From what I understand, although my father knows a lot more of the story than I do, is that Jasmine looked strikingly similar to me. One day, in a random town they had been staying for some time, Jasmine developed a crush on a human boy living there and revealed herself to him. The boy was shocked, so he didn't do anything for a time. Before he could react, Akua killed him and tried to run away with Jasmine. Jasmine became angry, in addition to being heart broken, and started arguing with Akua before running back to try and resolve things with the townsmen. By the time Akua caught up with Jasmine, she had been killed and dismembered by the town's people. They decided to mount her head on a spike, along with the rest of her body on different stakes."
Moka stopped to breathe, and resumed telling Tsukune her sister's story. "I don't whether or not she killed town's people or not, but I do know that she got revenge in some way. Afterwards, she fled and traveled alone, depressed and always cynical. Eventually she found herself joining the Miao family, although she left to join our family roughly two years later. My father felt he was obligated to accept her into the family as he had legitimate blood ties with her, as they both have direct relation to Alucard; Akua was his granddaughter and my father was his cousin. Akua loved having a true family for once, but she always loved me more than the rest of her family, simply because I looked and acted like Jasmine."
"There's a reason for that you know." Mayumi said, appearing from around the corner. Moka instantly went on alert, scanning for any sign of danger from the woman. "Relax child, I'm not here to harm your lover. I couldn't help but here you explain my daughter's story, so I felt that I should fill in the gaps that came with your version." the older woman said, taking a seat across from the two of them. "Firstly, Akua had direct family relation to Jasmine, as they were half sisters."
"But, Akua said that…" Moka tried to say, but was cut off.
"There are many things that Akua doesn't know about her heritage, things that I intend on revealing to her sometime in the near future. The biggest one of the bunch being that she has been living under her father's roof for nearly decade without ever knowing so."
"Wait, Akua and I, have the same father?" Moka asked, shocked to her core.
"Yes, as did Jasmine, who would have been your truest biological sibling." Mayumi further revealed, making Moka shake her head in disbelief.
"My mother and father…."
"Had a child before you, yes." the older vampiress stated, before going on to say, "I understand that this must be a lot to take in all at once, so allow me to explain the circumstances by which this happened. Given that I am older than both Akasha and Issa, already having been a teen when they were toddlers, I watched as the two of them grew quite close during their childhood, until the shinsos were wiped out of existence, at least for the time being. I never got to watch, considering I was on the other side of Japan at the time, but my father Alucard dropped Akasha off Issa's household, which was still known as the Shuzen household, who took her in and raised her. By the time they reached adolescence, the two had become lovers, although Akasha was always stronger. Your mother always remembered my father, who was her uncle."
"Wait, so Akua and Moka are sisters and cousins simultaneously?" Tsukune asked, confused to hell and back.
"Apparently." Moka responded, much to nonchalantly for Tsukune's brain to comprehend.
"But isn't incest, like really bad since it can easily lead to birth deficiencies?" Tsukune asked.
"Vampires are immune to birth deficiencies." Mayumi stated, "There have been entire households of vampires, all of which were directly related to one another in various ways, and never has a single case of a birth deficiency ever appeared."
"Huh." Tsukune stated, surprised. "Still, isn't that wrong ethically?"
"Ethics, and morals, are quite different in the monster world. I thought that much would be obvious to you by now." Mayumi scolded, eyes narrowed in a chastising manner. "Anyways, back to the story. As I was saying, Moka's mother always remembered her uncle, despite having never seen him after the age of five. At some point down the line, she met Touhou Fuhai and Mikogami Tenmei, who had been traveling together. Mikogami, despite being a kishin, had a very calm and kind personality. Touhou, despite being as old, if not older than Alucard, still acted like a hotheaded teenager, though he was obviously much wiser. The three became stout allies, and about as close as friend's could be at the time. Touhou taught Mikogami, Akasha, and Issa everything he could involving martial arts and magic. Mikogami, being the bruiser he was, decided to focus on magic, as martial arts didn't blend with his preferred method of fighting all too well. Issa focused on martial arts, and learned magic to counter many of the long range spells that prove difficult to fight with said martial arts, which were extremely close quarters. And Akasha found herself somewhere in between, choosing a healthy mix of both."
Mayumi stopped to breathe, before attempting to continue her story. However, she was stopped before she could do so.
"I can take it from here Mayumi." Moka's mother said, taking a seat next to the shorter haired woman. "We went on like that for decades, almost a full century when we caught wind of a monster destroying anything in its path, monster and human alike. We three went to go and combat the monstrosity, while Issa vowed to bring support from his household. When we encountered the monstrosity, it broke my heart to find that my dearest uncle had been consumed by the rage and sorrow that was ever present in his mind and soul. From the monstrosity, a human figure emerged, with the likeness of my uncle. He explained his wish, and how he had become the monster standing before us. Touhou and him had been friends long before I was born, so Touhou's sorrow outclassed mine manyfold. Our battle raged for another 20 years, constantly wearing us to the bone as we fought relentlessly for a battle that was becoming increasingly more uphill with each bout."
"Anytime they wanted to rest, I had to smuggle them into my father's manor, as he had strictly forbidden aiding them in the battle against Alucard in any way, shape, or form." Issa said, appearing behind Akasha and gripping her shoulder comfortingly. The pinkette responded with a thankful look, though the sorrow in her eyes was obvious. "I had tried time and time again to convince my father to aid them in their battle, but he refused to listen. He hated humans with the passion of a million burning suns, and he saw Alucard as a blessing meant to wipe them off the face of the planet. I was never able to help my friends and lover in their greatest bout, as by the time I finally managed to overthrow my father and take control of the Shuzen house, Akasha had already made the decision to seal Alucard away by sacrificing herself. Touhou and Mikogami returned just my party of fighters were about to set off, and delivered the news of Akasha's fate to me and my house; I was devastated. I went about leading the house as dutifully as I could, always trying to ensure our prosperity while staying true to the values Akasha had instilled in me. We managed to revive her one hundred seventy years afterwards, although Mikogami and Touhou wouldn't know for some time after. One hundred thirty years after that, I met Gyokuro, whom I took as my second lover. Both Akasha and Gyokuro enriched my life in ways I never dreamt of, despite their values being insanely different. Gyokuro had been heavily biased against humans, simply due to jealousy of Akasha; luckily, their recent relations and talks have started to reverse that hatred. Akasha and I strived to create a utopia of sorts, where humans and monsters peacefully coexisted. Touhou and Mikogami vehemently opposed the idea, saying that all utopias are doomed to fail eventually." Issa noticed the old man who had been listening to the whole dialogue and motioned for him to continue with his story from his perspective.
"Indeed, Mikogami and I did oppose their utopia, simply because we had seen how utopias rise and fall over the ages. Akasha and Issa were still old and wise, compared to humans, but they were young and naive compared to Mikogami and I. Mikogami proposed another idea, that we should instead teach young monsters the value of human customs. That's when Mikogami founded his academy, with funding coming from the queen of the vampires herself." Touhou took a deep breath, before looking to to Mayumi and nodding apologetically. "Forgive me dear, this was your story, and we all went off on a tangent. Please, continue."
Mayumi just nodded back respectfully, and resumed her story where she had left off. "About thirty years ago, Issa and I crossed paths for the first time since that day. He had business with the queen, and simply decided that it would be easier for him to go meet her at her castle. He had known that I was serving under the queen, but we hadn't ever met in person after my household was destroyed. I was shocked to find that he had become ruggedly handsome, as opposed to having that boyish charm that I remembered. The attraction was mutual, and soon after we had a bit of fling going, though I guess nine years isn't really a fling. When Akua was born, tensions between Gyokuro and I were starting to grow, especially since I was pregnant, so Issa and I decided to break it off. Akua was born shortly after, but I never got to truly be a mother, as the council took her from and hid her away. They told me she was dead, and that was the last I saw of her until today. Issa attempted to keep contact with me, trying to console me over the loss of our daughter, but I was too far gone. I went into a state of depression, which lasted until I caught wind of easily the stupidest decision the council had ever made; they had taken Akasha Bloodriver's first daughter from her. Issa had been furious already due to losing Akua, and them taking Jasmine was the final straw for him. He went on a rampage, and eventually the queen had to intervene herself. She managed to beat Issa, and calm him down, but when she found out that Akasha was also on a rampage, she immediately called Mikogami and Touhou. The two showed up roughly a week later, and managed to calm down their pink haired friend."
Touhou jutted in and gave him own input regarding the matter. "I had always assumed that Akasha didn't have a malicious bone in her body. But like with anyone else, she too has a specific nerve that if struck will send her spiralling into rage. We heard the story, and while we too were outraged, we knew that the council would never risk incurring the wrath of a shinso descendant completely, so we theorized that both Akua and Jasmine were still alive. We found Jasmine's body, dismembered and placed on stakes, left for the birds to pick at. We assumed that Akua had either died soon after being dropped, had died at the hands of the townspeople and had been dropped off somewhere else, or was simply so far gone that we'd never find her. We returned as the bearers of bad news, and watched as our friend and lover descended into depression for years. Kahlua was born shortly afterwards, which did manage to help Akasha a little bit, although it may have been forced happiness. Soon after, Akasha found out that she was pregnant with Moka, and she exploded into the vibrant person she used to be. Kokoa followed, and the Shuzen household became filled with laughter and joy, for the time being."
"As always, the elders were not content to allow my daughters to live normal lives, so they forced Kahlua to become an assassin." Issa said, jumping in once again. "They saw that Kokoa had little talent in stealth and hand to hand combat, so they assumed that she was a hopeless cause. Less than half a decade later, Akua joined the house. At first, I was confused, as she reminded me of the daughter I lost so long ago. But I convinced myself that it couldn't be true. By the time the truth dawned on me, almost 3 years later, it was too late to fix things in my mind. The queen had disappeared, and Mayumi refused to talk to me under most any circumstance. I never found a chance to let her know. Soon afterwards, Akua attempted to get Akasha's shinso blood for herself, ultimately causing Moka to have go away, as well as Akasha having to seal Alucard away again. And the rest Aono, you should know through your link with Moka."
Silence encompassed the group for sometime, before Mayumi broke it in her usual stoic manner. "I think it's high time we adjourn this little meeting of sorts. Issa and I have matters to discuss with Akua, and then I must oversee the training of little Kokoa. So if you'll excuse us, we'll be taking our leave." she said, before bowing respectfully and gesturing for Issa to follow. The eldest male vampire kissed his pink haired wife, before following his old mistress. The rest of the party broke up, going their separate ways throughout the house. Moka dragged Tsukune off to her bedroom, so he could get some much needed "R&R", as well some time to think.
(Akua's POV)
The thought of Aono being intimate with her little sister made her blood boil. Him being with any of them would have left her seething in rage, but him being with Moka made her especially angry. Not even because he was a bad match either; he was a great match for either Kahlua or Moka. It was the fact that she couldn't, even in her own misguided mind, find a viable argument for why he shouldn't be with her most beloved sister; that was what pissed her off the most.
The eldest Shuzen daughter was snapped out of her thoughts by her mother's call, quickly turning to see her mother and father coming towards her, stopping just shy of being an arms length away. "Find a seat, we need to talk." her mother said, in her ever so stoic manner. Never one to disobey her elders, Akua did as she was asked, and found a seat next to her parents. She'd been expecting her mother to come find her at some point during the night for awhile, but she hadn't expected her father to be there as well.
"We have some things we need to explain to you." her father said.
*Some time later*
Akua had difficulty comprehending all that her parents had just told her. She only had questions to ask, and not enough time to ask all of them. "How long?" she eventually asked, addressing her father, "How long did you know I was your daughter?"
"I've known since you were 16; I never found a chance to let your mother know that you were still alive." her father said, before finding a sword level with his neck. Her mother had unsheathed her sword, and was holding to his neck.
"You could have gotten my attention, if you simply tried harder." she accused, eyes narrowed with rage. "I missed 21 years of my only daughter's life when I could been there for the last 5. You kept her to yourself, and never even attempted to tell me!"
"Would you have listened to me, even if I did try? Let's assume that I did manage to tell you, would you have believed me?" her father asked, never even flinching from the blade at his throat. The gradually dropping blade was all any person needed to know the answer to Issa's question. Akua had never seen a vampire look so defeated, especially not one as proud as her mother.
"I just….I thought for so long that my only child….had been stripped away from me, like everything else I loved." Mayumi stated, with the most saddened look Akua had seen since she had been in the Shuzen household. "Even if I'm lucky enough to have gotten her back, much of the bitterness that I felt towards those who took from me remains. For a long period of time, that same bitterness was directed at you, since you'd rampaged when Jasmine was stolen, but you simply sat by when they took Akua."
"I can assure you Mayumi, I was just as furious as you were when Akua was stolen from us. When I'd heard about it, the first thing I did was appeal to the queen to support us in our case to keep her; but, as before, by the time I had garnered the necessary support, I was already too late." Issa said, his voice filled with self loathing; something Akua had never heard from him before. "However, those people that took our daughter are enemies of our cause now, and we've been given permission to eliminate them."
Akua watched as her parents' eyes, particularly her mother's, filled with a malicious glee. Her face remained stoic as ever, minus a slight smirk that portrayed evil intent, but her eyes were filled an emotion Akua knew all too well. It was the same look Akua had felt after she'd massacred the townspeople who taken her sister from her. However, something about her father's statement confused her.
"Father, I thought that the elders were the ones who ordered my being sent away. Did you misspeak?" Akua asked, never even considering that her mother and father were about to assassinate the Council of Elders.
"No, I most definitely did not misspeak; it was the council that stole you from us." her father clarified, while her mother's malicious glee continued to grow more and more noticeable.
"You can't be serious that you are going to kill the entire council are you?" Akua asked, in complete and utter disbelief.
"Mayumi's last order from the Queen was to do so. Without a full council vote, the order can't be overturned." her father said.
"But….you're a member of the council. Why would you not overturn the order?" Akua asked, wondering if her mother was going to kill her father.
"My family and I were the exception to that rule, so I have no reason to veto the rule." her father said, "Besides, revenge is a dish best served cold."
"B-but…..it's against everything that we as a species have regarded as sacred." Akua said, in complete disbelief. "It's what we built our society off of."
"Times change, and in order to survive, nations must change." Mayumi said, "As long as the council survives, our race will be trapped in the past; always under Alucard's shadow. The council thrives off of old laws that sacrifice the weak to benefit the strong. They would never allow for peace to occur, which is exactly what all monster kind needs. Human's weaponry has grown too much for even Alucard to fight. He'd eventually succumb to their militaries, assuming they don't just drop nuclear bombs on him whenever he's away from civilization."
"Who will succeed as our leader?" Akua asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"Come now, you're more intelligent than that." her father scolded.
"So it's true then." Akua thought, with more than a little bit of prejudice. "He is the queen's son."
"Aono? Aono is going to lead our nation?" Akua asked critically, with obvious doubt. "He's a child. He doesn't know the first thing about leading."
"But people follow him; they respect him. Kasumi was the most beloved vampiric monarch in the history of our people. Our people will flock to the peace cause, knowing that her son is her successor." her father argued. "His morals were the same as hers, and him defeating his mother to secure the peace will go great lengths in making him just as beloved as his mother before him."
Akua noticed that her mother looked somber, all her previous glee gone from her facial features. Her father noticed as well, and spoke up. "Mayumi, it's entirely possible that Aono will manage to convert his mother back to our side. Always keep hope for that."
"He won't." her mother said simply. "She knew that he couldn't from the get go. You don't understand how much influence Alucard has over her. You have to remember that she practically ceased to function after learning of Alucard's betrayal to her cause. The only way for Aono to get her back is if he can somehow manage to 'Talk no Jutsu' Alucard."
Akua just looked at her mother in complete awe for a moment, while Mayumi registered what just came out of her mouth. Her face instantly turned red as she realized what happened.
"I-I-I mean, ummmm if Aono can manage to ummmmm…." Mayumi said, face red as a beet from embarrassment. Issa was dying from laughter, while Akua was still processing.
"You like anime?" Akua finally asked. "I love that shit!"
Mayumi's face changed from one of embarrassment to one of unparalleled glee. "Death Note."
"Psycho Pass." Akua said back, starting a streak of her mother and herself rattling off their favorite animations. Towards the end, both Akua and Mayumi were acting like teenage school girls, rather than serious adults.
Issa just kept a slight smile, having finished his laughing fit. Clearing his throat, he brought the two back to reality. "Mayumi, we have some business to attend to. You two can geek out after we get back."
The two women, reluctantly, stepped away from one another and went back into their typical serious manners, although one could tell that Mayumi's mood had being drastically improved. Mayumi hugged Akua in place of a goodbye, before both she and Issa exited the room, and presumably, the building.
Now left alone, Akua had little to do but think of the future know that she knew all that she had just learned. Eventually her thoughts found their way onto Aono. Akua just didn't understand why everyone so unanimously agreed on him being a good leader. So she became determined to find out.
(Kasumi's POV)
Life with Alucard was changing Kasumi, that much she could tell. She found herself letting bitterness and hate shape her emotions of humanity more and more these days, no matter how hard she tried to fight it. She resented Tsukune's father, the people who slaughtered the innocent people of Dracula's kingdom, and as she witnessed more and more of the barbaric people that made up a decent percentage, she started to hate humanity as a whole.
As of right now, Tsukune's human half of the family were the only people keeping her from falling into darkness entirely. That and Tsukune himself acted as a beacon of hope for her; that maybe salvation could come. Alucard had tricked her into becoming his bride, and now she had no feasible escape except for either her or Alucard's death.
Even still, that did not stop her from delighting in his presence. He was like a drug to her, more addictive than heroin, cocaine, or any other drug known to man. He was changing her back into a vampire of the olden times; when her race were predators of the human race.
"Kasumi…." Alucard said enticingly, "I think I've found something you might enjoy." Despite herself, Kasumi looked at what her mate had to show her. She was greeted by a picture of the human she despised most; Tsukune's father. He had another family now, although his wife was covered in bruises and the child seemed fearful of her father. She wasn't much younger than Tsukune was, probably only a year or so.
Almost instantly, Kasumi felt rage building inside of her. She had never wanted to kill a man so brutally as she did Koji. Kasumi stopped to think about the thoughts flying through her head, and forcefully shook them off. She wouldn't let herself fall so quickly, she was stronger than that. At least, she hoped that she was.
*Several Hours Later*
(Tsubaki's POV)
Tsubaki hated her father; he was a drunk who regularly beat her mother and was always talking some nonsense about monsters and vampire queens at whatnot. The one he did do that was somewhat respectable was that he worked for a large company and made quite a handsome salary; but even that was downplayed by the fact that he spent a larger portion of that salary on alcohol than he did for his daughter and wife combined.
Tsubaki was brought out of her loathing her father when she heard a knock at the front door. Her mother and father were in another of their arguments, so she knew it was best to answer the door and send whoever it was on their way.
"I'll get it!" she yelled to her mother, though she wasn't sure if her mother heard her or not. As she answered the door, she began her usual mantra of letting someone it wasn't the time to drop by. "Listen my parents are in the middle of something right now, if you could back in an hour….or…...two…" Tsubaki trailed off as she was greeted by a beautiful woman with dark brown hair, not unlike her mother's or her own. What made her so quiet however, was the woman's eyes; they were crimson red, and slitted like a reptiles.
Tsubaki suddenly remembered the one time she asked her father about the vampire queen he spoke about so often. He had described her…..exactly as how the woman standing before her looked. Tsubaki start to shake uncontrollably without realizing she was doing so. The woman scared her, and she hoped that it was just coincidence.
"C-can I help you?" Tsubaki said, opting not to have any sass with the woman just in case.
"Is Koji here by any chance? It's to my understanding that he's your father." the woman said, making Tsubaki's fear begin to grow. Tsubaki attempted to say that her father was not there, but at that moment he yelled particularly loudly. Tsubaki didn't miss the smirk that spread across the woman's mouth. "I see he is. Mind if I come in?"
Tsubaki knew that it wasn't really a question, and allowed the woman into her home. She didn't know what to expect from her, as the woman slowly, but gracefully walked into the house and quietly observed it in its entirety. She stopped for a moment, and then head off in the direction of the kitchen, where Tsubaki's parents were arguing.
"I-I don't think now's the best time for this. M-m-my parents are currently in the middle of s-something." Tsubaki stuttered.
"That's quite alright my dear, I assure you that Koji will end his little trifle with your mother once he catches sight of me." The woman continued to walk towards Tsubaki's father; Tsubaki was starting to panic. Before she managed to say anything though, she heard her parents stop their argument. She caught up to the woman to find her father, wide eyed, staring at the woman.
"Hello…..Koji. It's been quite a while hasn't it?" the woman said, her eyes portraying an emotion far from her current, calm demeanor.
"No….no! How did you find me?" Tsubaki's father asked fearfully, while her mother just seemed confused and startled by the woman.
"Oh my dear Koji, you know that with the money in the world, you couldn't hide from me." the woman mocked, her demeanor becoming increasingly more creepy. The woman was now examining the curtains.
"I did my best to get away from you, you demon!" her father fearfully, making a break for the door. "You won't take me!" His retreat was cut short when the woman suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Koji, I'm doing my best to be civil. It'd be in your best interests not to anger me right now, especially with your family so nearby." the woman said, before walking over to examine the couch cushions.
Tsubaki expected her father to attempt to run away again, but to her surprise, he stayed. Tsubaki and her mother slid closer to Koji ever so slowly, as if trying not to spook a wild animal. The vampiress walked around the house, amusing herself with whatever took her fancy. More than once she examined their necks, Tsubaki's in particular.
Unbeknownst to the vampire, or the other residents of the house, Koji had been sliding closer and closer to the door. He continued to go unnoticed, until he attempted to open the door. At which point he found himself pressed to wall, held up by his neck.
"You sly dog, you tried to run away again." the woman said, looking very pleased. "I was beginning to think that you actually weren't going to run; that maybe you weren't as big a piece of shit as I remember, but obviously that isn't that case." Koji suddenly slapped something on the woman's arm, which somehow caused electricity to race up it and travel down her body.
It obviously caused her pain, but honestly looked like it just pissed her off more than anything else. The look of rage in her eyes was now clearly visible, and it frightened Tsubaki and her mother even more. "Just for that little charade right there," the woman began, before breaking Koji's neck, "your family will die with you."
"RUN!" Tsubaki's mother yelled, pushing Tsubaki away and rushing to fight the woman. She met the same fate as her husband, dying instantly. The woman bit into Tsubaki's mother's dead corpse, before taking several audible gulps. Little rivulets of blood ran down from the sides of her mouth. Not long afterwards, the woman threw the body to the side with distaste, fangs on complete display.
Tsubaki couldn't move, for a multitude of reasons. Paralyzed by grief over her mother's death, paralyzed by fear. Emotions overwhelmed her, and she just curled up into the fetal position, blinded by tears. The woman stalked closer to her, speaking in an oddly motherly voice, as if trying to ease Tsubaki's pain.
"Shhhh, there there, it will all be over soon. You won't feel a thing." the woman said, lifting her to pierce the girl's stomach. Before she could however, another person's hand caught her own. Tsubaki recognized that someone had just saved her, and instinctively looked up to see who had done so. The woman did the same, looking surprised, almost scared even. It was a tall man, with dark black hair past his shoulders with a third eye in the middle of his forehead.
"Touhou…." the woman said, jumping away from the man, and Tsubaki in the process. "Fancy seeing you here. Do you like what I've done with the place?"
The man just looked around, at the blood stained carpets that supported Tsubaki's dead parents. Soon after, Tsubaki heard her savior speak for the first time. "Kasumi…..I never would have imagined that you would break so quickly. I had always believed you to be stronger than that."
He sounded sad, as if he knew her from a time before all this. Tsubaki's mind couldn't really process a coherent thought, so anything she heard went completely over her head; stored in her brain for later comprehension.
"Alucard is a persuasive man you know." Kasumi said, in a sadistic manner. "He let me see that anything human can't be trusted, no matter how little human that thing may be."
"And what of your son?" the man asked simply. Surprisingly, the woman faltered in her demeanor, seeming conflicted for the first time since she arrived here. Whatever that man had said dealt a huge blow to her confidence. "Is he not to be trusted either? He is half human, which by your definition would mean that he untrustworthy. Would you kill him so easily as you did this girl's parents?"
The woman faltered even more under the man's quiet, yet apparently powerful verbal assault. The man just looked at her sadly, almost piteously. "Why not come back? Why not go back to your son?"
The woman began to shake, as she seemed to struggle to come to her own senses. At that time, another woman entered the household.
(Touhou's POV)
Touhou was glad he had tracked down Tsukune's father's whereabouts shortly after Kasumi was captured, since he was at least able to save the girl. He wished that he had been able to save the girl's mother as well; not so much the father however. He was a fine example of how a person could effectively be nothing more than a waste of space. Alas, he had failed in saving the mother, but at least the girl could live.
Mayumi had just returned from executing the elders when Touhou had received word from his spies that Kasumi was heading after Tsukune's father, so he set out before she did, giving her time to catch up shortly after. Now she was here, and the queen was battling with herself internally. Some part of the Kasumi that Touhou had known for so long still existed inside the woman standing before him, but he could see that part was fading quickly.
With quick, and cautious ease, Touhou drew an enchanted knife from his pocket. It was laced with Dragon's Bane, a poison that would kill any yokai within minutes of entering the bloodstream; it was one-hundred percent fatal in all cases. Touhou had intended on blindsiding Kasumi when she got to the house itself, but he was too slow and had arrived after her.
"Kasumi." he said simply, handing her the knife. "I cannot do much to help you, but I can allow you to at least die on your own terms, and while you still have yourself." Kasumi looked at the blade for sometime, before her eyes slowly shifted to the mouse brown she had worn as a human.
With shaking hands she took the blade, and held it gingerly. After some time had passed, Kasumi finally managed to say something.
"I can't picture Tsukune's face so clearly anymore." she said simply, "It scares me; that I might so much as forget my own son." Touhou could hear the pleading tone in her voice, though she was no longer shaking as before. She had calmed down, after regaining her sense of self, although for how long she could manage to do so, Touhou did not know.
Touhou just looked at his old friend sadly, as Mayumi's sobs became increasingly more apparent. It had been a long time since the queen had been in such a sorry state, and seeing her mother in all but name be in such a state was likely traumatizing for the younger vampire.
"I have a picture if you would like to see him again." Touhou said, watching Mayumi nod gratefully. Tsukune had given him the picture sometime ago, and now Touhou was giving it to the boy's mother. Kasumi took the photograph, and just smiled at the happy visage of her only child.
"He looks so happy there." Kasumi managed to say, between the sobs that now wracked her body. "I wish I could have been there to see it in person."
The girl, though still in tears, had managed to catch Kasumi's eyes. Kasumi just looked back at her, with regret ever present in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, for what I've done to you. Your mother did not deserve to die, nor did you deserve to suffer like this." Kasumi said to the girl, whose tears flowed freely. "It is not much, but you have a brother elsewhere in Japan. He can take you to him." Kasumi said, pointing towards Touhou. "At least, there, you won't have live a life of extreme hardship."
Kasumi just looked the girl for a bit longer, before throwing the knife over to her. "If you wish to take revenge, this will kill me, no matter where I am stabbed."
The girl looked at the knife for a bit, before looking back to Kasumi. "What's his name?" she asked eventually.
Kasumi looked surprised, before replying. "Tsukune. He is a kind boy who would never allow himself to be taken with rage as I was." The girl's fear was still present, and she was hesitant to do anything with the blade she was given. But before Touhou could take it back, another guest appeared.
"It's been awhile, Mayumi….Touhou….How are the both of you?" Alucard said, appearing from the shadows of the night beyond the doorway. Instantly, Mayumi's sword was drawn and Touhou went on the defensive. "Oh come now fools. You honestly can't expect to live through this bout. The moment either of us makes a move, Kasumi will intervene; both to save you two, and to protect me from harm. So instead, I offer this solution: take the girl, and leave this place. Let the dagger alone, and depart immediately."
Touhou, although he didn't want to leave Kasumi and Alucard alone in this town, knew that his hand was being forced. The girl and Mayumi were both in incredible danger at the moment, and Kasumi would not be able to hold onto her rationality for much longer. Mayumi was hesitant as well; she hated her father, who now stood before her, but she knew better than to start a fight with Alucard while Kasumi was around.
"Do as he says Touhou, as a final request from me." Kasumi pleaded, clearly wanting the girl to survive.
Touhou sighed deeply, knowing it was the safest option. "Very well Alucard, we'll accept your deal; sheathe your sword Mayumi." Touhou said, helping the girl to her feet. Touhou was pleased to find out that Alucard intended on keeping his promise, though he remained wary of said man.
"You needn't worry old friend. I will not attack you; I have too much respect for you." Alucard said, reading Touhou's body language clearly.
"We'll be on our way then." Touhou said, opting to simply pick the girl up. "Mayumi, I believe we've overstayed our welcome." Touhou looked back at his old friend, wanting to say something. But the words didn't come, and he was forced to leave alongside Mayumi.
(Alucard's POV)
Alucard had been outside, listening for quite some time before he revealed himself. He had only intervened so that Kasumi would not die. But now, looking at her, Alucard wasn't so sure if forcing her into hating humanity was the right thing to do. He hated the humans who destroyed his kingdom, but even he wasn't so stupid as to believe that monster kind could hope to win a war between the two races. Eventually, even his body would give into their superior technology, and monster kind would undergo a genocide unlike the world had seen ever before.
And, looking at his mate, the woman he loved, reduced to tears as she forgot the face of her only son, Alucard faltered. He had always planned on being a martyr, using his death as a catalyst for peace. But he had also planned for Kasumi to rule over monster kind, and promote peace in his stead. Now, he realized that he had done nothing but cause her pain as his own hatred corrupted her. She wasn't the Kasumi he loved anymore; she was a shell of her former self. This wasn't what he wanted, and so Alucard was forced to do something which he had never even imagined.
So while Kasumi kneeled down, and lamented her losing the memories of her son, Alucard slowly picked up the knife and walked over to his mate. He lifted her chin so her eyes met his, and gave her a gentle kiss. At the same time, he deftly drove the poisoned knife into her chest, piercing her heat.
"Rest my love; no more pain." he said gently, as Kasumi's eyes widened in shock.
"Drac….ula….." she whispered, as she gently convulsed and dropped onto her side, before her breathing stopped entirely. Dracula stooped down on one knee, and gently closed the eyes of his now late lover. And unbeknownst to the rest of the world, the infamous and cruel Dracula, shed a singular at the peaceful visage of his dead love.
"Rest easy Kasumi, my love." he said, before he walked out into the night.
(Tsubaki's POV)
The trip to where her apparent brother lived was a nothing more than a blur for Tsubaki. The loss of her mother had hit her hard, and she was still attempting to process the events that had just occurred. Strangely though, she couldn't bring herself to blame the woman, not after her savior had calmed her down.
When she arrived, Tsubaki almost thought that perhaps her father had survived; her brother was his spitting image, though he had the same kind, remorseful eyes that the woman had just before Tsubaki left. But of course, the similarities were nothing more than a passing dream; a glimpse into the life Tsubaki once led.
That realization was what made the tears come in full force again. Tsubaki couldn't help the sobs that wracked her body, though she presently surprised to find she had a shoulder to cry on this time, as her brother (Tsukune, she heard some of the nearby say), sat next to her and simply acted as an outlet for her sorrow.
Some hours later, after Tsubaki had stopped crying, the man who saved her came back in and asked to address Tsukune privately. Tsukune left, and returned sometime later, though this time is was his eyes that were full of tears. The two sat together in silence for some time, before Tsubaki broke the silence.
"What's wrong?" she asked silently, supposing that he deserved her sympathy as he'd given her his.
"Touhou, the man who brought you here, went back to bury your parents and found my mother with the knife in her chest. He doesn't think that is was suicide either, judging on the way her hand were positioned, and that her eyes were closed." Tsukune said, before the two fell back into silence.
After a while, Tsubaki broke the silence again. "What was she like?" she asked, "There was a moment where it seemed like two completely different women occupied the same body. I want to know what she was really like."
Tsukune just looked at her with his saddened eyes, before he turned away again. Shortly after, he began to speak again. "My mother….she was….probably the kindest and most understanding person I ever knew. I remember that whenever I felt alone, or that I was always going to be the odd one out, she would tell me stories of her past. Back then, I thought she only meant like 10, 15 years prior. Looking back on it, it could have easily been hundreds of years in the past. She would tell me how she didn't have that many people by her side for a long time; she only had one or two people, and that was after years of searching for the right kind of people."
"She told me….that sadness was a part of life. Some people felt more of it than others, and some people were almost always surrounded by it. Afterwards, she would always remind that if you looked closely into someone's eyes, you could almost see their essence. And if they loved you, you would be able to see how happy you made them in their eyes." Tsukune gained a small, sad smile as he reminisced about the past. "She would always ask me what I saw when I looked into her eyes, and I would swear on everything that I could see the love in her eyes. We would always smile together, and then laugh as she would do something silly, like cross her eyes and puff her cheeks. It was such a simple explanation, but I never felt alone after she gave it to me. I always felt like I had everything I could ever need. And even if I didn't, I always knew that somehow, everything would turn out all right."
Tsubaki and Tsukune fell into silence again, as the rest of the house mourned the death of their queen; their ally; their friend.
*sometime in the future*
Months had passed while Tsubaki became accustomed to life surrounded by monsters. She had also opted to become one herself, a vampire to be more specific. Tsukune and her had grown quite close, seeing as they were siblings and had lost their parents on the same day. After she'd recovered from the ordeal, Tsukune had taken her to Yokai Academy. There she had met the likes of Gin, Kurumu, and Mizore; she also met everyone from the Fairy Tail guild. A few more mages from other guilds had come over to their world, including a purple haired woman with a katana at her side, and a blue haired man with a red tattoo over his one of his eyes.
Others had joined the group throughout the various misadventures they all had, including a young witch named Yukari who had tried to prank Tsukune so much that Moka would leave him. She eventually got caught, and after everyone had a good laugh about the sheer number of wash bins that had been dropped on Tsukune's head, they offered a place among them. She'd accepted with tears in her eyes, and was now one of the most level headed members of their little family.
Another, older witch named Ruby had joined them after they had helped her out at a place called Witch Hill. Moka's father bought the whole place and delegated it to the witches living there, on the condition that Ruby would go to school and learn to work for him as repayment at a later date. He also strictly forbid the two witches from using their plant monster guards to deter people. He turned it into a park that people had to pay to get into, where all the funding went towards keeping it healthy and thriving. Many humans had praised him for his actions, and even volunteered to help keep the place healthy by donating fertilizer, and even working in the gardens themselves; pulling weeds and whatnot. Slowly, but surely, the hatred towards mankind that the two witches had built up slipped away as they made friends among many of the charity workers.
Akua and Kahlua has also enrolled in the school, though they were in the same grade as Tsukune and Moka due to having never had a public education before. Akua eventually befriended a man named Hokuto, and the pair had become a couple before anyone was able to say a thing. Kahlua was just enjoying everything about school, having always wanted to go if she could drop her assassin gig. It was her dream come true, and she reveled in it. Everyday, she walked to class with a smile on her face that no one in the family had seen for a long time.
There were a few more odd "additions" to the group, which resulted in the Public Safety Committee making more than a few major changes. Firstly, Kuyou and Keito were offered protection and housing by Gyokuro at Kahlua's request. Tsukune had also convinced the Headmaster to allow the house to be built on school grounds, which prevented Kuyou's family from interfering. Kuyou expressed his gratitude to Tsukune by altering the methods of PSC, which was quickly becoming a true representation of the name; they were no longer a tyranny group that survived by exploiting the weak.
And now, Tsubaki looked forward, at her school and her new life. Partly down the road, her brother and friends stood there waiting for her; her new family. She breathed deeply, and stepped onwards to her new life. Tsukune still had to prepare for taking on the mantle of the vampiric monarch, and Fairy Tale was still at large, though they had slipped into the shadows. Even still, none of that bothered Tsubaki anymore. She still missed her mother, and even her father somewhat, but now she was filled with hope for what the future held, and she'd be damned if she let anything stop her from enjoying it. With one last smile, and a wave towards her new family, Tsubaki left her past behind, and ran headfirst into the future.
(Inside Moka's psyche, No one's POV)
"Looks like they don't need us anymore." the armor clad version of Moka said, to seemingly no one in particular. "This universe's version of you has got his powers all under control, and my alternate self never needed me anyways."
Damph appeared from the shadows, though he was now clad in the same kind of bat-like armor that the inner moka was. "Yeah I suppose you're right. Guess it's time to be heading back home now." he said, before waving his hand and making a portal appear beside him.
"Say Tsukune, what made you think of coming to a different universe and living in the minds of our alternate selves?" Moka asked, curious of her husband's intent when coming here.
Tsukune just chuckled in response, before finally responding. "We lost a lot when we were forced to confront Alucard. I figured that maybe, if we just tweaked things a little bit in this dimension, we could make a better life for some version of ourselves."
Moka just kissed her husband in response, before walking towards the portal. "See you on the flip side." she said, before passing through it. Tsukune just took one last look at the mind of his alternate self, before knocking on one of the walls and imparting one last message to himself.
"We've done all we can for you kid. I used my magic to give you strong, and dependable allies for when you inevitably face off against your world's version of Fairy Tale." Tsukune said, before walking towards his portal. "Now it's your turn to do your part in this little scheme. Do your best at all times to protect those you love, and never lose yourself in doing what's right." With those final words, Tsukune walked through the portal, leaving his alternate self behind.
Out in the real world, this dimension's versions of Tsukune and Moka looked at each other, as the truth behind the versions of themselves in their psyches was imparted on them. They just smiled at each other, and made a silent together regarding the plea that the other Tsukune had made.
"Don't worry," they said mentally, "We'll take of this world."
So this is the end of "A Hidden Truth". It was one hell of a story to write, and I have no doubt that I'll make a sequel story at some point, after I've finished my others two stories. With any luck, I'll be able to take "Revelations" off of its near year-long hiatus finally. As always, thanks for reading, and for sticking by this story till the end. Hopefully I'll see you all next time; and remember, I hope you all had a great time embarking on this journey, and I hope you all have a great day.