Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rosario Vampire. I am merely twisting the creator's vision into my own dream. If the supernatural, sexuality, or violence is offensive to you, than you should not read this.

A/N: With thanks to all who read and review my work, and recognition to InMyOwnMind for helping me spot a weakness that needed to be addressed. Thank you all. Brone.

Chapter 131

Ageha awoke in the early afternoon with a yawn and a stretch. She looked around at the small hotel room and smiled. A young man was still dead asleep on ether side of her, and a pretty woman cuddled up against her. The woman had just been a little snack, and an accessory that helped her play with the two men, who had fed her well. Ageha sometimes wondered if she should settle down. There was a little love hotel that she had partial ownership of. If she bought out the other owner, she could have the top floor remodeled into a nice penthouse mansion. With the right charms, Ageha could live in the penthouse and let lusty couples bring their lust to her. Ageha climbed out of bed and headed for the shower while she considered her options.

She liked working in the clubs as just another woman, because she was free from most responsibilities. When things got too complicated she could just switch clubs. She was actually semi regular at three different clubs, with clients at each one, as well as the men who brought their business to wherever she was. She was willing to admit that she did not want the hassle of running her own club. Her friend Celia, on the other hand, loved the sense of power being in charge of the club gave her. Ageha sometimes envied the stability her friend had.

Thinking about stability and responsibility made Ageha think about Tsukune. He was a remarkable young man, so driven and full of life. In that one fearful moment, when he had come to her rescue, she got to see a glimpse of the passion he kept bottled up in side. She remembered how he had been when he had rescued Kurumu. Tsukune may be young, but he was the kind of man to inspire some very passionate dreams in a woman. Ageha thought that maybe she should consider herself a member of Tsukune's harem. She would love to get him alone sometime and find out if he would show some of that of his passion in bed. It wasn't her daughter's love for Tsukune that kept Ageha from chasing after him openly, but his own seriousness.

Sometimes she felt bad for her daughter. Kurumu was in love with a man that was so serious and responsible. He had left the party early, a party for him after what he had done, and Ageha had made sure people knew that he had done it to protect everybody from Fairy Tail, because he had school in the morning. Tsukune had been very polite but firm about it. When Kurumu had pouted about his decision, Tsukune simply said that he was ready to take a bath and go to bed. For some reason that had made Kurumu very excited, almost childishly so. While she was wondering about her daughter's behavior, Tsukune had given Ageha a hug and a polite kiss on the cheek, making her feel a little giddy as well. As they left, holding hands, Ageha remembered thinking it was a shame that Tsukune was too serious to see what he was missing out on.

By the time Ageha had herself put together and her bags packed it was already mid afternoon. She thought briefly about seeing if Kurumu wanted to do some shopping after class, but decided not to. She looked at the still sleeping bodies in the bed, and smiled. No, she thought to herself. She was not ready to settle down yet. Not until she found a man who would be as special to her as Tsukune was to her daughter.

XxXxXxX

Yukari was glad that the festival was over. Because of the Board Chairman's 'special guests, her plans for the weekend had been trashed. Her hopes of spending time with Moka and Tsukune had been sacrificed to support Tsukune's ability to play host to the visitors. At first she had been happy to do as Tsukune asked. She got along well enough with Kokoa that she didn't think it would be hard to work with her for most of the weekend. Also, it was Tsukune who was asking her to do something.

But over the weekend, something started to bother her. Yukari started to wonder why she was the one asked to help with the booth. Mizore could have helped out just as well, or even better since Kokoa was the one that was supposed to be the most visible. The young witch found herself questioning her relationship with Tsukune. It was Kokoa, durring a quiet moment, that found the right words to get Yukari's brain working.

"What is with you?" Kokoa had questioned after Yukari had talked about wanting to be with Moka and Tsukune. "Your Moka is almost nothing like my real sister, so I don't see why you think she is so special. And what is it that you like about Tsukune so much anyway?"

Kokoa had asked such questions in the past, but that one time it was different. Yukari suspected that it had to do with her own thoughts being receptive to the question, because of the mood she was in at the time. The question clicked into place in the young witch's head, making her want to answer it.

Yukari was counted as a genius by many. Her teachers appreciated how well she did with her school work, in and out of the classroom. Others thought of her as just being super smart, ether because she could figure things out, or remember information. The simple truth was that Yukari loved to learn. She loved the thrill of discovery that came from solving a puzzle. Now she had a puzzle that would truly challenge her mind; her own heart.

Xx-^-xX

Tsukune started his morning feeling relaxed and happy. He and Kurumu had enjoyed a passionate night together before falling asleep. He realized that it was a good thing that she was with him last night, because he needed her talents to help him settle his youki. After the fight in the club, Tsukune had been able to get control of himself, but his youki had not been burned off, making him feel on edge. Kurumu had been more then happy to receive his passion and affection, and in doing so had helped him. His only regret in the morning was that it was a Monday, and he had to face his responsibilities at school, in stead of staying in Kurumu's embrace.

Waking Kurumu was easy. All Tsukune had to do was try to sit up, and Kurumu immediately tightened her arm around him. Tsukune knew she was awake because she protested his attempt to get up.

"Nooooo," Kurumu mumbled into the pillow. "Stay here."

"We have school," Tsukune reminded her.

"I don't care," Kurumu pouted.

"But if we don't go to school," Tsukune said. "We wont graduate."

"Mother never went to high school," Kurumu argued.

"If you don't graduate," Tsukune went on. "Yukari will be able to brag about being better then you."

"Tsukune..." Kurumu protested.

"And your mother would upset with me," Tsukune added. "If I didn't make sure you did good in school."

"You're horrible," Kurumu said, looking up at him with one eye, most of her face still pressed into the pillow.

"I know," Tsukune sighed theatrically. "I am just a monster." He reached down and caressed Kurumu's back. "I selfishly seduced your innocent heart and forcefully corrupted your body." He slid his hand along her side. "And even now," He grinned evilly. "I am ready to tease your body for my own ends."

"Don't you dare," Kurumu's exposed eye shot wide.

"Are you ready to get up?" Tsukune leaned in, still grinning.

"Noooooooo..." Kurumu's voice became a cry of protest as he tickled her.

Kurumu couldn't resist Tsukune's attack. As her body spasmed, she tried to roll away from him, to escape his fingers. She managed to roll herself up in the bedding before the attack stopped. Then she felt the bed shake and heard footsteps retreating across the room.

"Tsukune," Kurumu sat up, flustered and frustrated. "Tsukuneeee..."

XxXxX

Tsukune tried not to harbor a grudge. He liked being a nice guy, who could forgive the occasional difficulties in life. With his precious friends around him, it should have been easy to keep a smile on his face. However, Monday's just didn't want to give him a break. At the front gate of the school Tsukune saw the first sign of how his day was going to go, literally. Somebody had made up a sign and hung it on the school gate. Tsukune saw the sign and groaned.

"Aono's Academy," The sign said.

Tsukune pulled the sign down and ripped the poster-board apart. He made a mental note to see if there was any fire magic he could learn, to better destroy such things in the future. Of course, Moka and the others wanted to know what the sign was about. Kurumu was very happy to tell them.

"The whole club heard him," Kurumu giggled. She tried to make her voice deepper, doing a fair impersonation of Tsukune. "Nobody will threaten what is mine. Not my school. Not my friends. Not my home. And not my family." Kurumu's voice returned to normal and she giggled happily once more.

The rest of the group thought it was a very touching story. Yukari quickly whipped out pen and paper to make a little sign on her own. She cast a charm to make the sign stick to left chest, like a paper badge. Her sign declared her 'Tsukune's friend.'

If that had been as far it had gone, Tsukune would have been alright with the story getting around. Unfortunately, Yukari, as bright as she was, was not the only person to have the idea of labeling herself. Between the students that had seen the sign at the front gate before Tsukune had taken it down, and the spreading of the story, paper badges were suddenly the new fashion accessory fad of the school. 'Aono's Academy' badges were already in evidence before Tsukune even reached homeroom.

While Tsukune was erasing 'Aono's Academy' from the blackboard, he could hear his classmates talking. Rumors were already spreading about why he had said what he did, and what his words meant. Besides the story of the day, Tsukune could also overhear Kiyo talking with someone else. She was talking about how happy she was to have a boyfriend, and how it was all thanks to Tsukune. As he headed to his seat, Tsukune could almost feel Monday pointing and laughing at him.

Tsukune's Monday seemed to be feeling especially vicious. Several somebodies with creative skills had to be working overtime. By lunch time, 'Aono's Academy' badges and signs were everywhere. Tsukune didn't think raising a fuss would do any good, so except for members of the Student Police, Tsukune didn't say anything about the little badges and signs. Unfortunately, he was not the only one being bothered by the latest excitement. As much as his close friends tried to hide it, they were also being troubled by what was happening. Tsukune wondered darkly, if he took up drowning kittens if it would damage his reputation, or become the school's newest sport?

Once classes were over for the, Tsukune's real problems for the day started. The Student Counsel meeting was unproductive. Ignoring the sign someone had put up that said 'Aono's Counsel,' had been easy, in spite of having to sit and look at the thing for an hour. There was no real counsel business to discuss, just a rehashing of old topics. Tsukune gave reports of Student Police activities, as well as reports for his committees. Someone had circulated some petitions to try to change the school uniforms again, so the topic had to be discussed before it was agreed to be investigated further. School lunches were also discussed. When the counsel meeting was finally over, Tsukune sighed with resignation. He parted company with Moka and headed for the Board Chairman's office.

Tsukune was never fond of going to the Board Chairman's office. Having to see the headmaster at any school, for nearly any student, was something to be avoided. For Tsukune, going to the office usually equaled bad news. Even if it was something good, it usually meant something bad to Tsukune. Receiving Hiru had, as Tsukune had suspected at the time, turned out to be a way for him to be more useful to the Board Chairman. With a sense of impending grief, Tsukune approached the doors of the inner office. Ruby wasn't at her desk, and the first year girl at the 'Honor Guard' desk looked as white as a sheet. Tsukune sympathized with the girl, and hoped that Ruby was packing their things to move out of the manor and back in to the small village house. With one of his own Student Police watching, Tsukune had to at least act confident. He gave her a brave nod and reached for the door.

"Welcome my boy," The Board Chairman greeted Tsukune with a smile. "Welcome. Close the door and come on in."

Tsukune did as he was told. He saw the chairs arranged in front of the Board Chairman's desk and knew he would be giving his report to the whole board. Trying to at least act confident, he marched up into the space between the chairs and the desk.

"Tell us, young man," Said the voice that sounded like ripping parchment. "How bad did it go? How many of the humans killed?"

"Sir," Tsukune replied, guessing gender. "Nobody was killed, or even seriously injured, at this year's festival."

"Then they must have run away screaming," Declared the crackling voice. "How long did they last?"

"Our guests," Tsukune answered calmly. "Enjoyed the festival, and left on schedule, after a small party held for them by some of the students."

"Are you telling us," Lady Kuroi Sora, in a voice that sounded like the hissing of rain. "That nothing went wrong for the entire time that the guests were present?"

"No ma'am," Tsukune said, turning to face the appropriate chair. "There were a few instances where other guests to the festival revealed their true natures in front of the human guests. There was also an attack, which I believe was aimed at myself, while I was escorting the human guests."

"An attack?" The gravely voice questioned. "What happened?"

"Sir," Tsukune hoped he was guessing right. "A pair of former students, holding a grudge for past disagreements with me, tried to attack me when they thought I would be an easy target. They were caught by the Student Police before anybody could be seriously hurt."

"But someone was hurt," The ripping parchment voice observed. "How badly?"

"A small cut on his thigh," Tsukune reported. "Treated at the local hospital annex."

"And how did he take it?" The voice like a chorus of reeds asked.

"He was a little embarrassed by the way the hospital staff treated him like a celebrity," Tsukune said, remembering his own conversation with Nagi Sunday morning. "But he counts the injury a small price to pay for helping to protect a friend from harm."

"And how is this friend," Lady Kuroi Sora asked. "Following the attack?"

"The friend, a female student of the academy, was surprised by how quick a human was to act to protect her," Tsukune reported. "I believe that they are now a couple, hoping to see each other during the coming holidays."

"No deaths," The gravely voice observed. "No tears of lament. No chaos and destruction. Mikogami, I'd say you were right."

"Agreed," Lady Kuroi Sora said.

One by one the members of the board agreed that the experiment was a success. There was some grumbling, but no direct protests or arguments. The Board Chairman was given permission to expand human enrollment.

"Thank you," The Board Chairman said with a smile. "I appreciate your support, and I will keep you advised of how the project is proceeding. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to attend to my school."

The chairs faded from sight while the attendants turned and walked away. Tsukune found himself alone with the Board Chairman. He tried not to show his nervousness as he turned to face the man, but Tsukune could feel his back start to itch.

"Well boy," The Board Chairman said with his creepy but happy smile. "You did an excellent job. You deserve to be rewarded."

"Sir," Tsukune said. "With respect, I couldn't have done it without the help of my friends, the Student Police, or the many students that worked hard to make the festival a success."

"Well said," The Board Chairman nodded. "But you still carried the lion's share of responsibilities, and therefore deserve the majority of the credit. After all, you would have been assigned the blame if things had gone badly."

Tsukune didn't say anything. The Board Chairman had a valid argument. If things had gone badly, Tsukune would have been blamed and expelled. He watched the Board Chairman carefully and waited for the man to finish.

"You have done well," The Board Chairman continued. "In your role as the head of the Student Police, and with all of the other tasks I have given you."

He reached into his robe and pulled out a flat, hinged box about the size of his hand. He opened the top and set it on the desk so that Tsukune could see the contents. Resting on the velvet lining of the box was a medal. Mounted on a black ribbon was a silver shield with a pair of clasped hands in gold. Above the hands was a red stone set in the middle of a gold star

"This is for you," The Board Chairman said. "I have had similar medals made up for the members of the Student Police that have distinguished themselves. The shield is for those that helped defend the school last year. The hands are in recognition of those that have helped take care of their fellow students, when you rescued your young lady friend. For the students that have already graduated, medals have been sent to them. Tomorrow, you will wear your medal. After classes, gather your Student Police together and present them with the medals they have earned. Everything you need will be waiting for you at your headquarters."

"Thank you sir," Tsukune said with a small bow.

"Time has a way of running away with us," The Board Chairman sighed. He seemed to deflate a little in his chair. "When you've lived a long time, little things like weeks and months go by so quickly. Even years can slip by without you realizing it. I only have you for a few more months boy, so I better make the most of it." He gave himself a little shake and sat of straighter.

"There is a lot left to do," the Board Chairman said in keeping with his usual attitude. "I'm going to be expecting a lot from you boy." He closed the box and tossed it lightly to Tsukune. "Keep up the good work."

Tsukune left the office as calmly as he had entered. He gave a nod to the Student Police at the desk as he walked by. Once out of sight however, Tsukune's shoulders sagged and he blew out a heavy sigh.

XxXxXxX

"Welcome home Master," Ruby and the maids said in chorus as Tsukune entered the manor house.

Tsukune gave them a flat look. The house was spotless. The maids were wearing small smiles. Ruby looked so happy that she could break into song at any moment.

"Ruby," Tsukune said a a mellow voice. "What happened to moving back to the other house?"

"Master," Ruby practically sparkled. "The Board Chairman has arranged for other students to occupy the old house. You get to stay here until the end of the year."

"I see," Tsukune nodded, smiling pleasantly. "And what about Chiho and Botan?" Tsukune nodded towards the two maids.

"They have asked to continue serving you," Ruby said, starting to feel nervous about Tsukune's almost perfectly calm attitude.

"I see," Tsukune looked to the pair of maids. "Does this have anything to do with the story going around school right now?"

Both girls blushed deeply, answering Tsukune's question.

"Ruby," Tsukune turned his attention to her. "You did good to ask for help when we had special guests to take care of, but that is over with, so I do not see a reason for the additional maids."

"But..." Ruby started to argue.

"Ruby," Tsukune cut her off. "If taking care of me is too much for you, I will understand. I am sure that Chiho and Botan are more then willing to take over some of your responsibilities, in exchange for some of your rewards." His face hardened, becoming unfriendly. "Washing my back cannot be the easiest thing for you to have to do."

"I understand," Ruby said, dropping into a deep curtsy while blushing scarlet. "I will take care of everything."

"That is good," Tsukune said, heading for the stairs. "Come and get me when supper is ready."

A small part of Tsukune felt bad for threatening Ruby the way he had. What he had said bordered on being cruel. But the truth was that he didn't need two maids hanging around. Also, he didn't need extra people around trying to watch every little thing he did. The reason Tsukune truly didn't feel any remorse about refusing Chiho and Botan staying on as maids, in spite of their desire to serve him, was that he was not going to let Monday goad him into accepting some potential time bomb of a problem for no other reason then than to be nice to a pair of girls.