Disclaimer: I don't own Rosario+Vampire, nor do I make any money from the writing of this story. Simple enough, ne? Just don't copy from this story and we're all good!
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V^^ Sow The Wind… ^^V
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Things had been going well for the most part. Their last couple of weeks had been spent with them closer than ever, adapting their ways to what best suited their combined tactics. Exploration took new precedence as they sought new creatures and scenery, new opponents to test their growing style against, and more than once did the two find themselves curled up under the stars, sleeping far from their mountain sanctuary. Tsukune was constantly awed by Rei's sheer size in her true form, and even if the nights could have been colder than temperate—which they never were—he never felt anything but warm and safe resting by her side. It was the days when she chose him to be her source of heat that took some getting used to. The first time he had felt her human body cuddle up against him he had nearly had a heart attack, vampirism be damned.
It was luck that had them by their cave as the days remaining dwindled, just to be in a set position when Ruby—and likely the others—came to pick them up. For all they knew they were on their last day every day, what with no foolproof way to tell what day it was anymore. There was one thing that gave them comfort on that front, and that was the runic circle that had been branded into the inside of Tsukune's leather book-cover. Ruby had explained its purpose as something akin to an emergency beacon. If she ever needed to call them back earlier than their assigned time, she would use it. Tsukune's peace of mind was greatly increased, knowing the headmaster had taken him seriously in regards to his threat. Why, he couldn't honestly say, but he had guessed the board chairman wouldn't like having his favorite go-fer taken away, and apparently he'd been right.
That didn't stop his blood from freezing in his veins when his book started flashing with wild light.
He and Rei had locked gazes for just one, solitary second before they were moving. For reasons unknown to him she had instantly thrown him one of the few shirts that had survived their time together, but he suspected it was because of their return to civilization. Moments after he had donned the garment, he was holding what she wore as shorts and her shirt as well, lest they be reduced to scraps when she transformed, which she did with no hesitation. In hardly any time at all they were in front of the familiar stone door and Rei was back to human form so she could fit through the walkway on the other side. Form was of no consequence, their rage was palpable.
Magic was thick in the air as they made their way to their treasures, the elements and atmosphere forcibly changed under demonic ability and natural ties. He could feel Rei's influence in the clouds above, the storm of her anger mingled with his. Any humidity in the warm summer day responded to him alone, sweeping out like a wave when he saw the reason for their return. The words he heard as they approached infuriated him, so he chose to respond with those of his own to get their attention.
He would not be ignored.
He would not allow them to do any more harm to his loved ones.
This was what he had trained for, what he had put himself through hell for.
It was time to show them the results.
V^^^V
"Now, let me show you why the level one boss never shows up in level two…"
It was one of those instances where something so unexpected happened that for a few moments absolutely nothing was done in response. Every eye was trained on the pair that had walked through the fog, but no one moved, or spoke, or blinked. They all knew something had happened, but for some reason or another, their brains refused to respond to the stimulus. When they had time to think about later, the students that witnessed that day would later come to understand that they had been paralyzed in fear.
They had all seen Tsukune Aono angry. Once thought impossible, the silver-haired goddess he had been forced to fight months ago had evoked such anger in him that they all knew they would never forget it. They had seen Tsukune Aono angry, but quite obviously they had never seen Tsukune Aono angry. Hidden under a veneer of annoyed indifference, it was the young man's honey-brown eyes that testified to the true fury of the vampire underneath. Even a good distance away, the ones safely nestled on the higher floors of the dorm, watching from above, could see what the normally kind and soft-spoken teen thought of the current situation.
On the other end of things, the eldest vampire among the gathering as a whole was taking the time to examine the person who had managed to hold off his little brother once upon a time, brutal injuries incurred during which notwithstanding. Before their arrival Alex had told of his ordeal in as much detail as he was willing to part with, and as much as it disappointed him to think so, his brother had been grossly biased in his reiteration of events, or at least those where the 'boy' was concerned. Much of it could be explained away to pride, and just as much of the rest to a lack of experience in the field of sizing a true opponent up; nonetheless, what he was looking at was a far cry from a mere 'boy.'
He was looking at a fighter, plain and simple. Just from his body alone he could see a physique no vampire would be opposed to having, and while blood purity was rarely argued over anymore and Moka should have been free to choose whosoever she wanted, as one of the true blood-born Shuzen heirs he had a difficult time believing she had chosen from anything other than her own race. A mate was one thing, a blood-mate was another. Still, he couldn't really fault her on her choice. This was no boy standing in front of him, this was a young man who had worked for his strength every step of the way. He had spied no physical scars on any of the women they had fought, and he doubted he would find any even under their clothes. It was hard to scar full youkai, even witches, and all but impossible on vampires, but on the hazel-eyed youth he could see small marks every now and then, and from the looks of things some even continued under the sleeveless shirt. This was someone who had endured great pain and kept fighting. This was another war veteran to his brother's bar brawler. Alex had the pride and power, only lacked the experience. Truly, even watching the Shuzen sisters at their younger ages was humbling. Experience was one thing the ragged student in front of him clearly had no lack of.
The girl at his side was no more confusing than the others had been by Moka. It figured there were more variables he hadn't been told of before they arrived. What was more confusing was the look in her eyes. He could see it on the man she stood beside, but to see it on a girl at least five years his junior was…unexpected. She had the look any vampire would recognize in an instant: that of a true apex predator. She knew she was dangerous, knew there were things beneath her, and knew when her wrath was evoked there would be casualties. It was a look that wouldn't have been out of place on a vampire years younger, but he could see no cross anywhere on her person, and despite her blindingly white hair her polished silver eyes were far different from a vampire's hereditary red. No less unnatural though, he had to admit.
Vincent's blood quickened within him, the deep, instinctual trait of battle at the forefront of these new developments. The others had been admirable, he would not do them the disservice of thinking otherwise, but now he was looking at two real threats. If the environmental anomalies around them didn't prove that, this reaction inside him more than made up for them. Two vampires against an ice man and an unknown did seem a bit unfair, but he was sure they were up to the challenge.
Then, quick as the lightning frolicking in the sky, the man opposite him tensed, and worse, his expression changed. After an experimental sniff his eyes had moved past them, over to where he knew their previous victims lay recovering; the reward behind the obstacles, so to speak. If the man had been angry before, the way his lips curled up into a definite snarl proved that had been ascended. That look sent a delicious shiver through Vincent's body as the bloodlust tightened his muscles, honed his reflexes, all in wait of the explosion of violence he knew would happen. Cautioning a small glance back, even the ever-prideful vampire's blood had the thought to chill when he discovered that same red substance dribbling from the sides of Moka's mouth. He knew, somehow in his mind he just knew, that that seemingly innocent smell moments earlier had alerted the other man to its presence. He also knew, with that same feeling as before, that the rules had just been changed.
"Tsukki!"
The alarmed cry brought his focus back where it should be, but all he saw was the bronze-skinned girl reaching out as if to catch someone before the white mist around them all coalesced and surged forward like a living entity. His eyes darted down the path of that reach while they could, saw what was happening, and his fist lashed out in the same heartbeat. It was obvious what was about to take place, even if his view of the haggard man running towards Alexander had been reduced to glimpses through swirling white soup. The attack coming in from the side would ensure he never made it there, but to Vincent's shock his fist met an image and the image shattered. Dazed and confused at that conclusion, he regained himself when the ground trembled under his feet and a great shockwave cleared out all the mist in a concussive blast of wind. Clear to see once more, mirrors of ice were revealed to litter the expanse, all at different angles. What was more: off to the side Alex was pinned to a tree by a frozen hand around his pale neck.
Vincent found himself conflicted between annoyance at the ruse and joy at the realization that his earlier thoughts had indeed proven themselves correct. It took a special kind of person to be able to cause the kind of quiet that had settled upon the wild man's entrance, but to do it again so quickly…even the eldest amongst them had to give him credit. It had been a long time since he had seen something similar. It was the kind of thing only select people could do, and since he was glad none of them were there, it told of what that meant. Finally, his blood was feeling alive again! Then he spoke, and when he did he cemented that ideal.
"Do you remember what I told you last time we met, Alex-chan?"
Few spines were left untouched by the ice as inherent in his words as it was in his arms. If Vincent didn't know Alexander could break the grip at any time he might have been affected too, as it was, he only grinned wider. It didn't take long for that to come about after the taunted threat.
Forgoing any sense of accuracy, Alex struck out in rage. Normally this would have resulted in broken bones and air time, however he hadn't counted on being let go just before he hit, thus allowing Tsukune to spin himself out of the way and into the delivery for a hard punch that caught Alexander mercilessly in the side. As he lashed out blindly at the source of his pain, the brown-eyed man didn't have the slightest bit of difficulty maneuvering through the blows. In fact, if anything they made it easier for him to bend him over with a solid strike to the gut that had Alex tasting bile and coughing not unlike how he had made Moka minutes prior. He was saved any further suffering when Vincent intervened out of the blue, landing a terrible blow of his own on the icy enforcer that rocketed him back whence he came. The young girl he had come with caught him with her body, gripping him securely under his arms while shockingly staying upright at the same time. That might not have been all that impressive had she not been pushed back several meters by the impact.
Clad in semi-formal wear that probably cost more than the other man's entire wardrobe combined, Vincent straightened proudly as Alexander dusted himself off and wiped the saliva from his chin. That sight alone would intimidate a lesser man, but after seeing what he had so far Vincent knew the ice manipulator was anything but. Turning to the admittedly remarkable student, he graced him with a deceptively amiable grin. "Tut tut, such a bad foot to start out on, isn't it? Perhaps we would better begin with an introduction. I would assume you are the blood-mate of which I've heard so much about?"
To his surprise, the other two ignored him completely.
As soon as Tsukune regained his bearings, he found his footing and concentrated on blocking out the pain as his body moved to repair itself accordingly. Rather, that's what he was doing when Rei smacked him upside the head with no small amount of force. That quickly overrode all priorities as demanding immediate attention. "Ow! Rei-chan, what'd you do that for?!" he whined, all but forgetting the presence of the two enemy youkai looking on at the exchange strangely.
"Do you wish me to start at the top of all the utterly incompetent things you thought to be wise in the time gone yonder?" she replied irritably. Her earlier anger had been dissolved in a look of frustration more suited for a woman well beyond her years as she ran a hand down her face. "Admirable, Tsukki, for sure. Ill-suited at best, but admirable regardless. Has your earlier encounter escaped you so entirely you thought rushing not one, but two vampires unaided would end well?"
Tsukune bit back a snort as he glanced over at the dumbfounded duo, but reluctantly accepted the truth of that statement. "They're hurt! They hurt them! I can smell their pain!"
Rei grimaced. Saying she couldn't smell the less-than-perfect condition the bodies of their treasures were in would be a blatant lie, yet she couldn't condone his mutually blatant stupidity. "Then make them pay," she responded darkly. "Fall not back into actions we have worked to grow out of. Show them what you have become, show them all what we have become."
Warm brown eyes turned flinty and a smile was shared between them, one almost frightening in its similarity.
A sigh brought their attention over to the gray-haired vampires still standing like gods among men in the center of the clearing spread out in front of the women's dorms. "As amusing as this is, I believe we were in the middle of something?" the older one reminded with a small smirk.
The Blood Sage returned that arrogant smirk with ease, which clearly shocked most of the women around them. "Really? I thought we should give your…wait just a minute here! Who on earth are you anyways?! My problem s'with the moron beside you!"
"As I was saying before you decided to have your little huddle over there, introductions are in order. Since you obviously had trouble understanding that, allow me to begin. You may call me Vincent, the elder brother of young Alexander here." If he noticed the glare said younger brother gave him at that, he didn't let it show. "And you are?"
It was hard to miss the change in Tsukune's posture at the announcement, most noticeable in the way his hair literally froze in place. Staring out from under crystal bangs, dark gold eyes seethed with cold vengeance. "In other words," he hissed, "you're part of my problem."
"You are the problem!" Alex spat. "We are the solution!"
Thunder cracked so viciously it drowned out every conceivable noise, as if the entirety of the storm had been condensed into a single bellow of 'SILENCE!'
Two witches were left shivering in terror, not from the vampires that had chosen to ignore them, but from that lone word vibrated into their bones with the full force of Nature's fury behind it. Unsurprisingly, Rei's face was the definition of that fury, yet though her mouth was open the only sounds came from the clouds. The others were simply in awe of the display, with the knowledge deep down that it was because of something and not just random chance. The two it had been directed at may not have been able to understand what was being said, but they understood the intent all too well.
From above the thunder, the tremendous might of the menacing tempest raging above, it wasn't a shout that was heard, nor even a battle-cry, instead, it was a whisper—a chilled, mellifluous undertone that crawled through their ears like a sickness, withering all in its path until it gripped their hearts in its deathly clutches and twisted.
"You asked me who I am…"
It came from everywhere and nowhere; down their necks, up their spines, caressed into ears with the softness of a summer breeze and the bite of a winter nor'easter. Students up on the third floor of the dorm were shivering and looking around in alarm, desperately searching for the source of the voice. Then they realized that Tsukune Aono had disappeared.
"…If I had to be a man of ice and snow to love a woman of hailstorms and blizzards, I would…"
Mizore gasped tightly as she felt a hand as cold as she was gently stroke the side of her face, taking all pain she might have still felt with it when it departed.
"…If I had to be a man of smoke and mirrors to love a woman of true charms and illusions, I would…"
Kurumu stiffened beside her partner when a soft touch lovingly trailed down her arm and eased her aggrieved breathing.
"…If I had to be the result of the most unholy union imaginable to love women of pure magic and witchcraft, so my blood even remotely resembled the beauty that flows through their veins, I would…"
Yukari and Ruby shuddered as tender fingers massaged a hand each before moving up to their bracelets, where the metal beneath the leather suddenly glowed eerily with new life.
"…If I had to be everything I ever was and everything I ever despised to love a woman of emeralds and rubies, pacifism and war, two hearts that beat in one, I would…"
Both Inner and Outer Moka blinked back tears as a phantom sensation brushed over her lips, down her neck and to her silver rosary, erasing her injuries in the process.
"…If I had to give my all to protect the people important to me, I would…!"
Kokoa—still in agony after pushing her collarbone back into place so it could heal properly—wheezed at the barely noticeable feeling of someone rubbing her shoulder, and before she could be adequately angry at the disallowed touching of her person, she noticed she felt nothing, not even the slightest twinge of discomfort.
Now distinctly strained, the voice snarled, "If I had to fight the strongest vampire there was to keep the place I've come to love safe, then so be it!"
Just like that, Vincent and Alex were sent to their knees as invisible fists crushed into their stomachs, and before their disbelieving eyes their foe reappeared from thin air, glaring down with eyes that promised pain. Devoid of any transformation it was possibly more unsettling than anything they had seen previously, for he looked more dangerous than ever.
"My name is Tsukune Aono, and I have to confess, I'm going to enjoy this far, far more than I should."
For a precious few seconds, a pin striking ground would have been equivalent to a bomb.
The difference between the two brothers had never been as striking as in the reaction to their situation. Tsukune knew full well the kind of debilitating weakness that overcame a body were enough force to be put into a blow to a specific part of the body, an unprepared gut among the worst. There was no sign of that in Alex as a snarl of indignant wrath spilled from between exposed teeth and extended fangs, backed by the full weight of his charge forward, his target clear.
Paradoxically, disregarding the pain apparent in his breathing, Vincent's expression was otherwise unreadable with the many things passing through his eyes as once. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what the overall emotion was, but the dumbstruck sense of excitement was probably the easiest to understand. He made no move to attack, but that wasn't to say Rei took her eyes off of him for one moment. Her partner had done what he did for a reason. As much as it might annoy her, he didn't want her to join him just yet. So she stood where she was, steadfastly holding a battle of wills, all the while praying for him to move so she would have a reason to begin their dance.
For the group of six formerly incapacitated, that was inconsequential. For them, the world stopped as suitor closed in on blood-mate, murder in mind. They expected Tsukune to do something; transform, move, acknowledge the fact that he was being threatened in the first place! Tsukune did none of these things. When the fist bearing death was but scant inches from his nose, Tsukune smirked. He moved in a blink, swerving out low from the attack's path on the ball of his bare foot while moving his entire body into momentum for his other, which launched up into Alex's chin in a display of finesse and power Inner Moka would have been proud of. Though none but one could see her, she certainly was.
The lesser vampire stumbled back drunkenly, disoriented from the unanticipated preemptive counterattack that would have broken the jaw of any other monster. Tsukune used this advantage to its fullest. Ever since he had seen the state of his family, his mates, the rage seeded deep in his blood had been howling for vengeance. Alexander may have been trying to be intimidating in his vicious snarl of challenge, unfortunately for him all it did was push that bloodlust higher. He had no idea he was challenging one of his own race, no idea that his foe's instincts would recognize that snarl for what it was, and no idea what it was he was about to face. It had been Tsukune's primary goal in Paradise to overcome that destructive yearning, yet at the same time he had known he needed it, and was willing to use it. There was no slow bleed, some inane fantasy that dictated there must be a medium before there was a hard; the sealed vampire allowed that rage into his system the only way that was possible: immersion.
A snarl no weaker, and certainly no less vicious, than Alex's own ripped through the droning thunder, and in the temporary weakness he had dealt, Tsukune proceeded to lay into his opponent with fearsome enthusiasm. Perhaps it would have been better if it had been under a fierce charge, some gratuitous display of velocity that made the blows raining down on the arrogant man indiscernible from one to the next. What happened was very different. If ever there was an expression to convey animosity, Tsukune's eyes held every one, and at a slow, steady walk, he dismantled the other vampire.
Alexander found himself in something akin to an out-of-body experience as he watched himself get pounded every which way. He felt the pain, felt the force push his body in the decreed direction, but in his shock he couldn't process any of it. A punch to his right cheek was quickly followed by one to his left, which flowed into yet another strike to his stomach, and that to a chop to the now-exposed back of his neck, summarily sending him to his knees only to be blasted backwards by the merciless kick to his face once there.
Needless to say, other than the thunder, no one else made a sound, likely because they couldn't even if they wanted to. They were entranced, disgusted, awed, and terrified all at once, but they couldn't tear their eyes away.
When the daze finally left Alex he wasted no time in catching the next punch set against him, stunning all those present anew, but also cluing him in to the extraordinary—almost impossible—amount of force the snow man had been putting into his attacks. While before a grapple between them would have been unequivocally one-sided, now his arm was nearly trembling just at the effort it was taking to hold him off.
"What in the hells have you been doing this past month?" he asked before he could stop himself. At full strength as he had been, his healing factor was making short work of his injuries, but he could still taste the blood on his tongue when he spoke.
After a few attempts to get back his hand, with the result being both held captive, Tsukune settled on glaring at him…before promptly smashing his forehead into Alexander's face. The lesser vampire released him immediately in favor of clutching at the spewing faucet of blood in the form of his broken nose, shouting curses all the while.
"You're done asking questions," Tsukune hissed with finality, though he might as well have roared from the way everyone flinched at the sound of his voice again. "I told you before I wouldn't have you even breathe the same air as her, so of course you have to come back and not only assault her again, but everyone else I care about! The only thing you'll be getting from me is another one-way trip back to wherever it is you came from!" A hand twined with his, and he looked down to see Rei standing beside him proudly. "Okay, the only thing you'll be getting from us," he amended.
Alex glared at him rather than make a fool of himself by talking before his nose healed enough to not impede his speech. That became unnecessary when another voice chose to rise up in its stead.
"A warning worth heeding by any account, certainly, with the power at your disposal, young iceling, even favoring your right side as you are," Vincent ceded graciously, but his eyes sparkled with intentions anything but. "However, what you failed to consider is my brother's past defeat. You seem to think he bowed to his pride and sought my assistance to deal with the surely powerful Lady Shuzen, should she awaken under duress, no?"
The tone, more than the words themselves, shook the confidence his bloodlust had imbued, and the fledgling vampire felt his blood turn cold for a much different reason. Only Rei's secure hold on his hand kept him from giving in to that fear, and he hardened his features defiantly. "I didn't say I made any assumptions. Actually, you might remember I didn't even notice you."
The older man shrugged. "Yes; interesting, that. We come to find these women sparring, quite admirably, might I add, and yet somehow, just when they stand on their last leg of defense, you appear out of nowhere. Now one might think this coincidence, but from what Alexander tells me, you have the power to awaken the real Moka Shuzen. I would dare to suggest you know her better than most any could claim, so tell me this: if I'm weak enough to be overlooked completely in even your eyes, what good would I be against a vampiress feared among her own family?"
Connecting the clues didn't take long. He wished it had. Sometimes, clarity was a terrible thing. "You weren't here for Moka in the fir—!" The sudden kick to his midsection cut off his revelation and launched him into one of the trees frozen upon his entrance, and had Rei not stumbled back at the sudden jolt of him being torn from her grip, she might have been in a position to better protect herself. Sadly, she wasn't. Sent flying by a backhand that whipped her head to the side, the disguised dragon was given a painful introduction into why vampires were one of, if not the most, feared youkai of the current time.
"Very astute, Tsukune Aono. The only reason we were forced into combat at all was because I wasn't told of the other high-level youkai she kept company with. I expected the only resistance to be you. She may be nigh undefeatable unsealed, but take that opportunity away and…well, I'm sure you get the idea. Of course, sense dictates that our battle was far from silent, but judging from your appearance I hesitate to think you were anywhere near here. How then, did you show up like you did? I don't claim to know everything about the finer details of an honest and true blood-mate, but when I put everything into perspective, another possibility reveals itself."
Even as Tsukune and Rei strained out of their disgraceful positions, something told them they weren't going to like what conclusion he had come to.
"You can release her seal, you know when she's in danger, where she is, and your own life means little next to hers. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but there seems to be little difference between a blood-mate…and a familiar. A clever ruse, no doubt, but there is still the matter of certain obligations to fulfill."
That insult went beyond anything anyone either behind or before the vampire had been ready for.
The storm stilled as Tsukune and the real familiar in attendance rose to their feet, silent as Death. Dark clouds churned in agitation above, but more disturbing was the utter lack of emotion on the faces hidden beneath brown and white hair respectively. That did nothing to describe what was going on within. The blood he had come to inherit bubbled inside him as the small amount of pride he did hold on to was affronted in one of the worst ways. Vincent had scoffed at everything he had done to find his place, and that was something not acceptable!
Across from them, no one had ever seen Moka Akashiya so enraged. She was positively shaking, and Kokoa wasn't the only one that flinched back upon seeing her full fangs bared to the air. The bloodlust she radiated even sealed was nothing short of terrifying. Not one person doubted they were, quite literally, in the eye of the storm, the only place of solace before the consuming destruction all around imploded inwards. The only question was how long that would take.
Sparks flashed in the ripe atmosphere, a shallow precursor of the true danger to come, and when the next roll of thunder sounded many of the vacationing students took shelter in the rooms nearest them, especially those on the higher floors. Some braved the weather, and it was only those that heard what happened next.
Calmly extracting the small tome from his back pocket, Tsukune didn't even bother opening it, nor did he raise his head to look at his targets. Rather, in stilted, accented Latin, he shouted, "Heed my call, Lightning! Rain on my enemy and capture! Binding Lightning!"
Eyes went wide as the storm roared its response, and from the skies bolts of electricity clapped into existence. With a blinding flash a cage of power had formed around the two vampires facing him, effectively imprisoning them in a dome of incalculable current. It was wide, but they didn't dare move from where they were. Lightning's arcing capability was a very real danger, and they both knew it. Neither trapped could do anything but stare.
"That's an interesting theory," said the whisper from his downturned face, nearly unheard, "but like me, you forgot to take something into consideration." There wasn't a single eye that didn't follow him as he and Rei noiselessly walked by his captives and straight to his family and friends, where he turned to show the brothers just how powerless they were in the situation. "You couldn't see me, and while you couldn't I got close enough to touch every one of the people you hurt. So now you tell me: if I was close enough to touch them, why in the hell wouldn't I have removed Moka's rosary?"
Stunned silence answered him.
He scoffed in disgust before spinning back around and offering the equally stunned vampiress his hand. When she stood before him, the question was clear in her eyes. "Moka, do you trust me?" he asked gravely.
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him so fiercely it was like nothing else existed. As she pulled away she couldn't resist one last peck, then finally she simply smiled. "Of course, Tsukune. Always." His hand enclosed over her rosary, but rather than be surprised she only closed her eyes and awaited the inevitable.
The explosion of youki from her subsequent release had both Vincent and Alex fighting off fear, and when the unsealed vampiress took her place they knew they had failed. At least, that's what they thought. To their unmitigated astonishment, Tsukune repeated the question.
"Moka, do you trust me?"
She made a point of stepping out beside him so she could be seen fully by those in the magic prison, pinning them further in place under her rich ruby gaze and hiss of contempt. Elaborately flicking her hair to the side so there could be no mistake, the powerful heiress unashamedly exposed her alabaster neck to her mate. The harsh gasps from the cage told of just how well the action was understood. Moka smirked victoriously as she lovingly drew her hand down the side of his face.
"Until the end of time. Shall we dispose of this filth that dare question us?" Of all the reactions she hadn't expected him to look pained, and the caress of his cheek halted to turn his eyes back to hers. "What's wrong?"
Tsukune swallowed the guilt in his throat as he held out her rosary. "Moka…do you trust me enough to put this back on?"
Her look of confusion warmed into an amused smile before she pulled his head down to hers and let him know of the hunger that had grown in his absence. He just as easily took her breath away when he reciprocated, and she playfully nipped at his lips as she let him go and took her seal back. "I think I like what this month has done for you. I expect the next time I'm released to be under much different circumstances. We have a lot to catch up on, lover," she purred sensually, and with one last significant look at her would-be captors, clicked her rosary back onto her choker.
Shock, or any synonym thereof, no longer adequately described what the suitor family was exhibiting. Though she hadn't done it physically, both got the distinct impression they had just been flipped off. As the pink-haired, cheerful Outer Moka returned, she frowned as she processed the memories of what had transpired. Adopting a pout that looked much too put out for the current state of affairs, she glowered in Tsukune's direction as she grabbed a fistful of his shirt. "You are going to make me forget my name before you get near this rosary again, got it?"
Despite absolutely everything going on around them, a laugh forced itself from the depths of his heart.
Pink-haired, cheerful, kind Moka was amazing.
Pink-haired, cheerful, sexually frustrated Moka was even better.
Suddenly, he just couldn't keep the smile off his face. Things were bad, there was no saying anything against that, but like always, they would get through it. Hadn't that been the whole point of him going off to train? Hadn't that been the whole point of that display in the first place? The answer, naturally, was yes.
A wave of his hand dispelled the electric bars keeping his opponents immobile, and while they recovered from what they had just witnessed, Tsukune bowed good-naturedly to his bronze-skinned companion and held out his hand. "Now then; shall we dance, oh wonderful familiar of mine?" His emphasis of the word had the desired effect in the newfound pallor of Vincent and Alexander.
She curtsied back mock-seriously with her giant shirt and slid her hand into his. "Let our enemies be our floor, friend of my heart."
The imagery of the single moment in time was forever engraved in the minds of the six nearby women. Even though one would never admit to seeing him in a romantic way—ever—there was something far more powerful in what they observed there than any youkai on Earth. As a smiling young man extended an invitation to the young, yet noticeably different woman by his side, they all knew that same request had been made to them. Though it took some longer than others, and challenged them in ways nothing ever had, eventually every hand had surrendered to the love and kindness they knew was in that gesture. Even some of the most rare, prideful, and powerful monsters in existence were drawn to it, and races that had never associated with each other as anything other than nuisances or enemies were now fighting side by side, as family. And it all started with one, extraordinarily ordinary human boy with a heart bigger than his head.
Rei giggled softly as her partner played the part of the gentleman and kissed the top of her knuckles. Wearing clothes more suited to rags and only negligibly clean because of the frequent use of their self-styled pool, there was still something princely about the way he carried himself, and it was with confidence that the two looked towards their enemies, eager to fight. Moka had never been so proud of him, even if it wasn't her he was fighting with. He looked like a true vampire, self-assured, ready to face any obstacle and…and…were his ears….pointed?
For the challengers, who had faced nothing but one new thing after another, forced them into stunned stupidity time and again, Alexander for one could be heard grinding his teeth. Admittedly, Vincent wasn't that far behind, though he knew better than to let his emotions cloud his judgment. This proved invaluable when Alex's hair-trigger nature snapped with all the finesse it was known for, which was of course: none. It was the only thing that kept Alex on his feet when he made the same mistake he had once already that day, and foolishly rushed onwards against two combatants obviously comfortable with each other. Positioning himself expertly beside his brother's reckless charge, it insured any move done against Alex would have to be well executed, otherwise they faced instant retaliation.
Whatever he had been expecting, it certainly wasn't what they encountered.
An elegant motion of Tsukune's arm had Rei twirled effortlessly out of harm's way, and with both still in the same movements, one swatted the upper strike of Alexander's higher with startling strength while the other seamlessly intercepted Vincent's feint and sent him sprawling forward under the momentum of his own attack. The unused hands caught together a split-second after their counterparts had completed the acts set to them, and with almost disturbing grace the partners pulled themselves back together into what anyone with any experience in dance would realize was a closed position. Not once did their smiles falter, if anything they only grew.
"I should have known this would work better with humanoid attackers," Tsukune noted, to Rei's amusement. "That was easy compared to the others!"
Her reply was cut off by the renewed assault of two agitated vampires. Far from being caught unaware, they merely duck and spun, succeeding in both escaping the blows and folding their arms over one another. A matching grin was shared before the two spun back and sent what was effectively a double palm-thrust flat into Vincent's abs, punctuated by the crisp clap of displaced air. With his brother momentarily out of the fight, Alex wasted no time in accelerating the pace. There was no argument against his birthright, as much as they might have wanted to, for only a vampire could fight with such speed and power, regardless of how much of both attributes he may have held.
Now, to say Vincent was unnerved when he saw what the fight looked like to an outside observer and not a participant would be offensive. His breathing was already returning to normal after his stomach had all but demanded it be allowed to relinquish hold of his breakfast, and yet he still couldn't quite find all of his faculties as he watched two people—his enemies-in-law, as it was—literally dance around his brother, whom in comparison might as well have been flailing his arms like a two-year old child. He literally was flailing as blows rained down on him without pause, a perfect tempo set between two people and aimed towards only one. Even fully automatic weapons needed a break to be reloaded! They, quite obviously, didn't.
Hesitation was not something they had; they reacted quickly and surely to every punch or kick thrown their way, either apart or together. Though their eyes were both on their target, he knew just as well that only one pair needed to be. Just from seeing their routine he noticed how one always helped the other before anything really needed to be done, and the truly baffling thing about that was that 'one' never stayed the same! They weren't in perfect synch, their motions were, at times, downright amateurish, but there was no doubt as to the profound trust they held in one another.
That being said, he couldn't honestly place a name to what they were doing. He was a vampire, born to an elite group, as comfortable on the ballroom floor as he was on the battlefield. If he was to compare the styles of dance he knew—which was as considerable as his repertoire of martial arts—to what the pair was performing, not one of them fit the bill, and that was if he was willing to dignify the odd mesh of fighting and footwork as dance at all! However, his mind simply couldn't define the movements so out of place, yet so peculiarly sleek and fitting as anything else. Strangely enough, the more he looked the more he thought he had seen pieces of it before…
Unknowingly, Vincent's thoughts were being mirrored by another duo off to the side. Mizore scratched the side of her head as she watched her lover and his dragon weave through the angry blows of their opponent, and the barest shade of a frown wormed over her porcelain features.
"You know, I can't help but think—"
"That some of that looks awfully familiar, right?" Kurumu finished, wearing an identical look of perplexed concentration. When the snow woman nodded, the blunette frowned deeper and cast her perusal back to the amazing display of dexterity in motion. The enraged vamp still hadn't managed so much as a glancing blow. "I know. I keep thinking I should know what they're doing, but—"
"But that should be impossible, right?" Mizore concluded, and in an exact reversal of roles, the succubus nodded.
A stifled choke from in front of them brought their awareness outside of themselves, and it only took a peek over to see the vivid light of recognition in their resident genius' dark violet orbs. As they darted between them and the fighting, that sparkle only became brighter. "Sweet Merlin and Morgana…"
"What, what?!" both cried, eager to hear the answer they were unable to find.
The young witch's grin could have split her face if it was possible. "You'll see," she sang.
They saw all right, just not what they wanted to see.
Tsukune had always been more of a brawler than anything else, they knew that. Infused with vampire blood, he was the ultimate personification of an unstoppable force. No matter how injured he became or what stood in his way, Tsukune could, and would, charge forward, regardless of how close he came to losing himself in the blood. When Inner Moka took to training him, that unstoppable force was given a focus, far more flexibility, and most of all, a discernable style to use. The only thing lacking had been his confidence, and that had been changing too. There was only one brawler in the fight they were looking at, and it most definitely was not Tsukune Aono.
Vampire and dragon twisted and twirled, sometimes in the most ludicrous of ways, and yet they always managed to catch each other should one slip up. The height difference between them made it look very unusual, if not unnatural, but they all knew that wouldn't last long. The last time they had seen Rei she looked hardly any older than ten, now she could have passed for mid thirteen! Be that as it may, the fruits of their tenure in Paradise were showing in spades. Punches were deftly avoided by one while the other trained an attack, and kicks could be evaded with the elasticity of a tree in wind or stopped with the rigidity of an unbreakable wall. They knew Tsukune's strength had suffered greatly by taking the seal around his neck, but Rei's was a complete mystery when in her human disguise. Apparently, together they were more than enough to stop one self-important lesser vampire.
At least, that was until Vincent decided to make his presence known again and even out the fight. Two-on-two was, in theory at any rate, a fairer fight. Two vampires however, versus one severely restricted and a dragon not even half a year old, was asking for trouble. As the two teams fought they held their ground admirably, though now the smiles formerly on their faces had been wrought into thin lines of concentration. Fooling around was no longer an option; the brothers were back to fighting capacity and not as easily thrown off by the unknown anymore. Strikes gained purpose behind the mindless anger with the other brother there to somewhat direct the flow, and Tsukune and Rei were forced to improvise on the spot. They weren't used to having their style analyzed for any amount of time, thus when counters were developed they needed to come up with something new. Practicing against beasts only dimly aware of the tactics used against them was useful, but not nearly as much as fighting sentient humans—or variations thereof—to finesse their style.
A punch between them by Alexander necessitated they jump apart as the ground imploded underfoot, and Vincent's follow-up would have taken off Tsukune's head had he not flung himself to the side. Rolling into a controlled flip, the former human was back on his feet in a matter of seconds, his stance carefully guarded. He wasn't winded, not by a long shot, but things had taken a terrible turn for the worse with he and Rei separated.
"Now, I've seen some of what you can do by yourself. Show me more," Vincent drawled with barely restrained excitement.
"Only if you tell me which one of you idiots broke Kokoa-chan's collarbone," Tsukune growled back.
For a moment, the other vampire wasn't able to keep the surprise off his face. "How do you…oh…oh. My god," he whispered in amazement, "that's why you were favoring your right side earlier, wasn't it? If I attacked her right now, I wouldn't find any trace of that injury, would I?"
Brown eyes narrowed. "So, it was the little idiot then. Thank you."
"Wait—!"
A pulse in their connection was the only warning Rei needed to know what was going to happen, and she adjusted accordingly as Tsukune pulled out Ruby's gift.
"Heed my call, oh Four Winds! Let it blow away: One Wind!"
The sliver of color in the edge of Vincent's vision clued him in to the fact that this next attack might not be all it seemed, and moments later he cursed himself for being right. Just before the breeze turned into a violent gale, he saw the young girl that had launched herself overhead take a deep breath…and turn the sky red. Napalm poured down in a deadly wave, and slit pupils turned whisper thin as he noticed the veritable wall of wind closing in on their position.
Survival instinct took over. Throwing away any pretense of holding back, the elder vampire's youki flared around him like a scarlet shroud, and he pushed every little bit he could into his legs as he all but warped to his brother's location and tackled him as far away as he could. Nothing had ever been as urgent in his mind as the need right then to get the hell out of the way.
When the dragonfire and wind collided, the only natural outcome came about spontaneously. What had already been a raging inferno bloated into a towering blast-furnace in nanoseconds, disintegrating anything that might have been in the path of the directed spell. The now disheveled vampires watched the tsunami of flame sow destruction in horrified awe. Even as far away as Vincent had managed to get them, they could still feel the heat. To think that it could have just as easily been them in that sea of instant incineration was humbling. Immortality that relied on regeneration meant nothing in the face of that kind of immolation.
"Where is all of this power coming from…?" Alexander muttered as he tried to steady his breathing. "And how does he plan to stop this thing? He could burn this whole place to ashes with something like that!" He got his answer soon enough, and just like his brother had earlier, he cursed himself.
The magically-enhanced fire crackled and hissed angrily for some unknown reason, and in mere minutes what had been a thick sheet of roiling crimson had faded to barely a veil as steam rose from the dwindling remains. It should have come as no surprise when Tsukune Aono stepped into view, gemstone hands and hair gleaming blue and orange from the surrounding firelight. Ice spawned from his every footfall, gaining ground against the superheated surroundings and quelling the last remnants in its wake, until soon all that remained was smoldering vapor rising from burnt ruins, held in stasis under crystal cocoons. Rei stood by him just like before, but where she stepped no ice dared encroach, and if any heat had remained in the path she had walked, her skin showed no notice of it.
"That was one of the most lethal Movements we were able to come up with in the time we had. You wanted to see more of what I could do? Take a look," Tsukune jeered as he swung a frozen hand over the landscape.
And people were.
V^^^V
"Mizore. Mizore!"
The snow woman started when she was shaken by her duet partner. "H-Huh?"
The violet-eyed woman smirked. "You're drooling."
Delicate cheeks colored as she wiped her mouth. "Can you blame me?"
Looking out on the scene of perfectly preserved devastation with two people standing at the center of it, just as perfectly calm, Kurumu whispered, "No…no I can't."
V^^^V
Both Yukari and Ruby were on the verge of apoplexy.
The younger witch looked up at her elder with wide eyes and might have tried to say something, but nothing came from her flapping mouth.
Ruby sighed. "I know."
Yukari looked back at Tsukune, then back at her, pointed, then kept trying to mouth words.
Again, Ruby sighed. "I know."
The genius' knees gave out, and she slumped to the ground. Ruby simply knelt beside her and wrapped her arms around the trembling witch's shoulders.
"I know."
Neither of those spells had been in the book she had given him.
V^^^V
Tsukune's patience was gone; this had to end. He had hoped that show of force would discourage the brothers and finally convince them to leave in peace. If anything, Alex's ire burned brighter and Vincent's interest kept rising. A different beat passed between him and his familiar, another distinct call-sign, and they settled into a stance instantly identifiable.
V^^^V
Mizore and Kurumu gaped. Swiveling to stare at their youngest member, Yukari Sendou smiled weakly.
Well, they certainly recognized it now.
V^^^V
"First Movement: Ode to the Original Duet!"
Their arms swayed purposefully in an effort for momentum, and the ground crumpled as they stomped forward simultaneously and shot those limbs forward in a faultless reproduction of a technique developed by the black and white duet. The air rippled in protest as it sheared chunks of earth from the soil en route to its target, before ultimately detonating with the force of a small bomb smack dab in the middle of Alexander's chest. Wholly unprepared for the ranged assault, the vampire was flung backwards like a rag doll, flipping every which way until a frozen tree was toppled in stopping his trip, where he didn't rise.
"Just stay down already! God, I had really thought we could beat him without going into our Movements. Sorry, Rei-chan," the snow man impersonator said while hints of his old smile reappeared on his face.
The white-haired teen chuckled. "The resilience of a vampire is legendary, is it not? Surely you would know that?"
Of all the things to interrupt them, it was applause that came to their ears. That mocking, amused sound turned their gaze back to the one enemy left, where sure enough, Vincent was clapping. Only the vestiges of a smile were left on his lips, leaving behind a lopsided smirk related more to a sneer than anything else. With each slow, meticulous clap, the haze of red youki that had started to gather around him thickened, and he only stopped when that aura seethed with the same restlessness that was in his eyes.
"I'll admit, when Alexander first brought up bringing me along for help, I thought he was joking," the older man stated offhandedly as he dusted the soot from his expensive clothes. "I knew right when I saw you though that he had good reason, only I couldn't have ever imagined it would come to this. Allow me to repay your kindness."
Digging his fangs into his palm, Vincent held out the hand dripping blood from between clenched fingers. Streams connected and gained weight, oozing liquid strength readily surrendered to gravity's pull.
Drip.
Tsukune flinched as the first drop hit dirt.
Drip.
Rei shuddered as the earth she was so connected to was violated by a new magic, neither hers or her partner's.
Drip.
Vincent smiled.
"Wrought from mine, ever thine; bound by blood, unto steel come. By bond I command: return to my hand!"
The scarlet liquid on the mottled land glowed by its own light, bursting into an array of concentric circles formed by esoteric symbology numbering in the hundreds of millions. From the epicenter of those glowing runes a bone white sword materialized in a flash, and at its appearance what had summoned it vanished just as quickly. The weapon fit its master in the same manner as his clothes; plain, yet no misgiving could be made as to the superior craftsmanship of the item. Bearing a straight blade and sharpened to a razor's edge on only one side, its purpose was just like that of its medieval relatives. The only detail of interest was where the guard met the blade itself, for there the silver hilt had been molded into the elaborate head of a great dog with rubies for eyes, and from between its bared teeth the creamy blade extended. It was more terrifying in its simplicity than it would have been had it been more extravagant. This was a weapon that knew the taste of blood. Worse yet was that it was something both Kokoa and Moka knew, if their gasps were any indication.
"Magic?" Rei stated in confusion. "What manner of trickery is this? Nature had no place in that, yet still I see evidence beyond reproach before my very eyes. I pray thee, explain."
The gray-haired youkai laughed. "I suppose it's the least I can do. Very well. I'm no hybrid, like the snow-wizard over there seems to be, but vampires have a different skill-set available to them. There have been tales throughout history of vampires ensorcelling unsuspecting humans; that by biting them we can be given control over their bodies, and that's not far from the truth. As always, it boils down to our blood. What we use can't really be called Magic in the sense you use, but more fittingly: blood-magic. Vampires and their familiars can share the strongest bonds out of all the monsters in the world, simply because if a vampire is truly willing to bind themselves to another, they will sacrifice what they cherish most to seal the bond: their blood. Our blood is ripe with magical properties, but to use it we have to give up that which gives us our strength, which goes against our pride. Though limited in its uses compared to witch magic, the potency is there nonetheless. My family is looked down on not because we're weaker than most of our brethren, but because of our tradition.
"Long ago, the ancestor we descended from wasn't feared by humans, rather, loved by them. He lived in a small village far from civilization, and instead of seeing their destruction in the form of our forefather, the habitants of that village saw their savior. You see, back then demons did roam the lands, giant beasts that the youkai of today come from. He had had his fill of violence, and he was hated for it by those like him. So, he left. When they saw this man with the eyes and power of a demon, they were awed. In return for protecting their little town, all he asked for was a willing donor to sate his thirst when needed and to be left alone. That far out, no one had heard of the vampire, the wolf in sheep's clothing.
"While he was there not one villager fell prey to the monsters lurking outside their borders. They loved him for it. My family still tells his story because he did something very few vampires can claim. When his village was attacked, he fought and slew a hellhound." The witches, the ones most knowledgeable in history, couldn't suppress their startled chokes. Vincent gave a slightly courteous nod to them as a result before continuing his tale. "These weren't the small little three-headed puppies of this day and age; these were true demons that deserved their designation. Their fire was second only to the mythical dragon, and their size befitted the gates which they were said to spawn from.
"That vampire killed the hound after a long and terrible battle, but he respected the beast so much he took every one of the teeth from its three heads—each over half as big as he was tall—and carried them one by one to the master blacksmith. Precious metals from his own fortune were melted into the hilts for the weapons, and when they were done there lay enough that to this day not one of our children has had to bear a sword once used in the hand of another. To show his admiration of the beast's power, he cut himself and filled the hollow of the first tooth-made blade with his own blood, and named it after the demon it came from. Even in death, the tooth acknowledged that honor and some of its original power was restored, rewarding the result of weakness with a blade doubly more powerful. From then on, the sword would come whenever he so wished it on his spilled blood. Thus, our family is the only branch with 'inanimate objects' as familiars, for we and only we sacrifice enough power to bring swords of another demon to our own level, and secure an unbreakable blade. Alexander isn't old enough to be given one of his own yet, so my Cerberus alone will have to suffice."
Implications abounded in those words, and none of them good. Vincent's specialty didn't lie in his hands and feet like Moka, no, his was in sword-fighting. Which meant…
"Back!" Tsukune shouted as both he and Rei reeled away from Vincent's sudden charge, just barely avoiding the slash that would have cleaved their tops from their bottoms.
Desperation mingled with improvisation under the resultant siege. They knew they were only worse off if they split up, so their only choice was to stay together and hope they could keep him unbalanced with attacks of their own while he focused on attacking one of them. That proved exceedingly difficult. If the other vampire had moved fluidly with his brother, he was poetry-in-motion with his sword. Spending almost every hour of the day for two weeks practicing their new art was nothing in the face of however many years laid apparent in Vincent's strokes. He was a master of his chosen weapon, and they had nothing to defend with. Of course, the best defense when dealing with something like a sword was don't let the damn thing hit!
They danced, swayed, twisted, and attacked, all to no avail. It only slowed the progress of the edge, and he demonstrated it was perfectly able to block even punches with only the side. Their advantage had only been an illusion; the elder brother by himself had been enough to take them both on from the beginning. The icy terrain might have helped them had it been in more than a distinct area, but since only Tsukune had any type of grip on it they couldn't have stayed even if they wanted to. Any plan that might have relied on such was further disregarded when all of a sudden a whip of flame followed a downward slash, and on instinct they jumped away from each other. Not even seconds later they both knew it was the wrong thing to do. Using speed shown on only one occasion, Vincent shot behind Rei, and there was a dull thump as the back of the blade met the side of her neck.
She slumped to the ground unceremoniously like a puppet with its strings cut, and the storm above quieted into meager dark clouds.
"No matter what kind of monster you are, when you're in human shape you share their weaknesses," the model-turned-warrior explained calmly over the unconscious form of the young girl.
Pregnant silence filled Youkai Academy once more.
There wasn't a single person on the balconies, in the rooms, or in the group still huddled on the ground below, that didn't join in on the unanimous whisper of, "Oh shit."
Vincent never saw the fist approaching his face until it was too late.
He bounced like a skipping stone on a glass lake. No amount of training in how to fall properly could be used because there was no telling which end was up, and by the time he was stopped by a lone gravestone it was a miracle he hadn't stabbed himself. His head spun and his jaw ached, and not for the first time was he amazed by the 'whelp' his brother had come to destroy. Using his sword as a makeshift cane, he expected to be pounded the instant he showed signs of movement, but when his eyes finally focused he saw the exact opposite. The person who continually defied all logic was back to normal, stumbling towards him, and clutching his neck. When his lips started turning blue, Vincent almost couldn't believe what he was seeing.
He couldn't breathe.
Why can't I breathe?! Tsukune shouted frantically in his mind.
He wanted his power, needed his power! He needed more. Just like every time he had tried in Paradise however, his rosary reacted, and violently. The deeper he tried to delve, the harder the enchanted chain fought back. The stronger he got, the stronger the seal seemed to become. Why? Just this once, wasn't his cause pure enough? Wasn't something he never wanted to see able to break the damnable seal holding his true power captive in his own body?! As spots of black started popping up in his vision he fell to his knees, trying, reaching, but desperately needing air. Forget gaining more power, Tsukune had never felt what little he did have so low before!
Why?! Why…can't…I…
Grabbing through his shirt, a scream forced out more of what precious little oxygen he had left in his lungs as his hand was literally burnt for the effort. Ridged outlines of purple defined themselves against his skin, pulsing in tune to his heart. His arms, his legs, his neck, up his cheeks, on any visible surface of his skin—terrible parodies of his veins swollen dangerously with blood both from a lack of what they needed and his own rage.
"What are you?" he heard a vaguely remembered voice say, and through the darkness invading his sight he saw not only Vincent, but Alexander as well. He was struggling to stand, and it wasn't likely he could do anything but, but he was still standing.
'Rage' almost wasn't encompassing enough to describe what his instincts were howling. Had everything they worked for been for nothing? To rely solely on Moka or Rei's true forms would simply exacerbate the problem in the long run. He needed to be seen as worthy, he needed to be able to fight off those challenging him! He needed to be able to do more than gasp for air as his enemies stood before him! He would tear them apart with his bare hands! He would kill—
The epiphany couldn't have hurt him more if he had been thrown into a pool of holy water in cement shoes.
NO!
Had he lost himself so much that he would let the bloodlust he had worked so hard to control shade his thoughts at the first opportunity? When things took a turn was his earliest impulse to try and tear off his seal and forget his morals? His promises? Was he really that pathetic?
NO!
The thunderheads above roared with renewed might right when his weakness was going to be taken advantage of, just as wings black as pitch tore through his shirt and Tsukune yielded to the divine cross not only willingly, but with thanks. Huge, heaving gulps of oxygen were the only sounds anyone heard, and it was with a dry chuckle that the former human returned to his feet while his burned hand healed without notice. It happened so suddenly even the strike coming his way had been stopped mid-swing.
Things would be different, he would make them so.
Who better to warp reality than one who, by nature, could do that very thing?
V^^^V
"Kurumu…Kurumu! Hey, boobzilla!"
The succubus started when she was shaken by her duet partner. "Whazuh?"
Mizore smirked as she pointed down, and the busty blunette followed the path until she saw her own tail wagging wildly against the ground.
"You're drooling too."
She licked her lips slowly, savoring the taste like she was the scene before her.
"And don't I know it."
So Vincent, she thought smugly, your fire may make the ice of a snow man a waste of time, but I wonder, how will you do against one of my kind?
They would soon find out, and she couldn't wait.
V^^^V
.
Author's Notes: Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or just want to talk, send me a line. I wouldn't object to you filling in that review box either.
'Til next time!
Sabr