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.

Chapter 134

Time was marching on, and the holidays were looming closer. The students of Youkai Academy were feeling the pressure as they studied for their end of term exams. Soon winter break would be upon them, and then there would be one last term until graduation. In addition to studying for exams, the third year students had to plan for their futures. There were no college recruiters looking for athletic or academic stars. Each student had to think of what they wanted and then study catalogs to find the colleges, trade schools, or job paths that they wanted to apply for. While career conselors were available, they could only make suggestions and provide basic information, such as catalogs from the many schools a student might be interested in attending. For the undecided, there was a sense of urgency to find a goal to aim for, and hope that some form of inspiration would come to them. Conversations with friends or communicating with parents became colored by the pressure the students were feeling.

As November neared it's end, the Newspaper Club was not immune to the tension in the air. Tsukune found it odd that, in spite of all of his responsibilities, he didn't feel as stressed as some of his friends and classmates. Tsukune commented on his self observation while working on the December edition with his friends.

"With all that is going on," Tsukune had said. "I'm surprised that I can keep my calm so well." He gave a little sigh and looked up from his work to take in the sight of his friends. "It's all because of you. Thank you everybody for all of your help."

Tsukune had to resist the urge to laugh. Six young women looked at him as if stunned. Their faces were caught with blushing, happy expressions, while looking a little confused as they tried to think of what they may have done to earn his thanks. Kokoa was the worst off, because she looked like she was ready to choke on something. The wave of happy emotions from Kurumu were a joy to feel. Moka's eyes blinked and there was some small twitches of her face, letting Tsukune know she was having one of her inner conversations with herself. Mizore looked happy, but also on the edge of tears for some reason. Yukari smiled, blinked a few times, and then turned back to her work. Ruby, who was hanging around hopping for a chance to be useful, blushed and lifted her hand to hide her smile. The motion brought the sound of chimes from under her modest clothes, making her blush and smile even more.

Xx-^-xX

Yukari looked through her notes with a frown. She had a full color chart of the inter-relationships of the Newspaper Club on her desk, with arrows and notes for all the connections. When she had mapped out the connections between her friends with herself and each other it had been no surprise to see how Tsukune was central to the group. What bothered Yukari was the way she had been slowly hedged off from the others. The most identifiable point where she had started to be left behind was after the Summer Break. Everything seemed to have been mostly the same up until then. It was after the trip, when Yukari had tried to question Tsukune about his relationships with Moka and Kurumu that Yukari had put herself in a bad position. Tsukune had explained to her that she was not a candidate to become his lover the way she wanted. Her dream of a threesome, he had told her, was not going to happen.

Tsukune had made a good point at that time. Yukari had decided for herself how a relationship between herself, Moka, and Tsukune should go, without listening to what anybody else had to say. After Tsukune had put a damper on her threesome ambitions, Yukari had gone to Moka.

Moka had been as friendly and caring as ever. She had also been as honest as Tsukune about her lack of interest in a threesome. Moka had gone on to explain that Yukari was not going to become her lover.

With her plans for a threesome dashed, and her back-up plan of being a lover to Moka when Tsukune was away, or vise-versa, being squashed, Yukari had felt lost. Moka and Tsukune still treated her as a friend, but Yukari had not known what to do with herself. Looking at her notes and charts, she knew it was time to start checking outside sources of information.

XxXxx

It was only the one week into December, and Kurumu knew it was going to be a busy month. Norra, in the form of an aerodynamic scooter of shiny back and sharp angles with white trim, carried Kurumu to what she hoped with be a productive interview. It had been a month in the works. Careful correspondence followed up by phone calls had helped set the groundwork. Norra had been a blessing from the beginning. After a trip into the human world to upgrade her cellphone, Kurumu was able to use emails to help her communicate. Trips out from the barrier became a part of her regular routine as she worked on what she hoped was the start of her career. As she headed to her interview, Kurumu regretted having to be away from Tsukune, but a little dissatisfaction now was a small price to pay for a happy future.

XxXxX

"Somebody should take charge of them," Tsukune had said with a sigh.

He and his friends had just entered the school grounds when no less then five members of the Maids Club, wearing bonnets and aprons over their school uniforms, hurried up to greet them. They had all curtsied to Tsukune and his companions, wished them a good morning, and then hurried off in a fit of giggles.

Mizore had thought the display had been silly, if a little annoying. But then Tsukune had spoken up. He had a point. The Maids Club members were acting more like silly girls, and not very much like maids at all. Someone had to take charge of them. That afternoon, while Tsukune was busy with his police work, Mizore went into action.

X—X-X

The Maids Club was an unofficial group, lacking a faculty adviser. Because they did not have an official club status, the didn't have a room to use, and had to settle on meeting where they could. They usually used a corner of the student cafeteria, where they would gather, gossip, and play at serving each other tea. Chiho and Botan, having served in Tsukune's house, were held in high regard by the other dozen members of the club. It was there turn to be 'served' when Mizore approached the group. All of the would-be maids fell silent, keenly aware that one of Aono-Sama's harem was present.

Mizore didn't need much time to learn all about the Maids Club. They were mostly just some female students that were having fun doing maid cosplay. They admitted that they wanted to try serving Aono-Sama if the could get the chance, but for the most part, the were just having fun.

After hearing their side of things, Mizore explained Tsukune's side to them. He did not want anybody fawning over him, especially in public. She explained that Tsukune's politeness should not be taken as approval of their intrusions into his time with his friends. The members of the Maids Club said that they understood, and that they would be more mindful of Aono-Sama's feelings in the future. Mizore, content that the situation was in hand, parted company with the Maids club.

VXxxxXV

Tsukune was looking forward to a bath and bed. He had managed to keep up to date with his assignments while taking up space in the koban. The actual police work he had needed to do was minimal, thanks to a lack of disturbances. As he walked back to the village, Tsukune let his mind wander. He could have used Hiru to make the trip in much less time, but Tsukune found that the walking didn't hurt him, and gave him a little additional quiet time.

Tsukune was just at the edge of the village when he felt Mizore approaching. Her youki was calm and strong as she moved towards him. Since he wasn't in a hurry, Tsukune stopped before he reached the village street and waited for Mizore. It would be nice, He thought, to spend a little time with her.

When Mizore came close, Tsukune welcomed her with open arms, litterally.

"Good evening, Mizore," Tsukune said as he drew her into a hug.

"Good evening," Mizore returned the embrace, smiling as she felt his Warmth flowing over her.

"What's going on?" Tsukune asked. While he was not surprised that his personal fan-girl and shadow was waiting for his return to the village, usually she didn't approach him.

"I wanted to talk with you about the Maids Club," Mizore said without embellishment. She quickly and simply told Tsukune about her encounter with the Maids Club. She shared what she had learned about its members, and their motivations. Mizore included in her report what she had told the would-be maids, and their response.

Tsukine listened to what Mizore had to say. He realized right away that she had been acting in his interests. When she was finished, Tsukune thought that she had handled the situation beautifully.

"I agree with you," Tsukune said. "They're not hurting anybody, so I can just leave them be." He leaned forward and gave Mizore a light kiss. "Thank you."

"Tsukune," Mizore questioned. "What are you going to do now?"

"I am going to go take a bath and go to bed," Tsukune answered her, giving her a little smile because he could guess what was likely to come next. "Why?"

"Would you mind if I came with you?" Mizore asked.

"We have school in the morning," Tsukune reminded her. "I need to rest."

"I will let you sleep," Mizore promised. "I just want to be with you."

"Do you need to get anything first?" Tsukune asked.

"Yes," Mizore said, feeling her heart speed up. Tsukune had not refused her, making her feel excited.

"I'll walk slowly," Tsukune said before giving her another soft kiss andletting go of her. "So you can have time to catch up."

"Yes," Mizore gave him a parting squeeze before hurrying off. She had to get her things for school in the morning.

VvvvvV

Moka's desk was cluttered with books. She was still trying to decide which university she wanted to go to, while trying to study for the coming exams. She kept switching between the two tasks while wondering if being a proud and noble vampire was worth the trouble. At times she was sorely tempted to throw the books aside and simply run away with Tsukune. She could let him take care of her and they could have that quiet, modest life he used to dream about.

'Ifitwasn'tforfather...' Inner Moka sighed, picking up on the thoughts of her outer self.

'I know,' Outer Moka thought back.

It was the not so simple reality of the situation that made everything so complicated. If Moka was going to have a life with Tsukune, she needed to establish herself well enough that none of her family, or any of their allies, had any cause to question her choices. If she tried to just abandon the whole nonsense about being superior and special so she could be with Tsukune, her father would likely kill Tsukune and then force Moka into some political arrangement. So Moka was forced to plan her life around the social politics she wanted to be rid of in order to have at least some of the life she wanted with Tsukune.

She finished her current assignment and dropped her pen with a frustrated sigh. She looked as the school catalogs for a moment before turning away from her desk. She wanted a break. When she turned from her desk, Moka found herself looking at her servitor. It was a wonderful gift, Moka admitted. She only knew enough of such artifacts to know that its creation was something most people would never understand. The cost of making such a thing was too much to even think about, in terms of resources and effort. As soon as she had tuned it to herself by naming it, Moka had gained an awareness of Shoru that surprised her.

Kokoa's bat, as most people thought of her familiar, was actually very valuable. Moka was never clear on why her little sister had been allowed to take possession of Kou. He was intended to be an emergency tool, and not the common use thing Kokoa had turned him into. Like Kou, using Shoru came with a price. Kokoa would be stronger if she didn't depend on Kou so much. Every time she used the bat's transforming ability, she had to give up some of her own youki. In a way, Lord Gray's gift to Kokoa was a trap. As long as she depended on artifacts, the young vampire would be limited in her power.

Moka had read though the instructions for Shoru carefully, and understood what a valuable gift she had been given. A part of what made Shoru so special was the way it looked like a person when left alone. It was really a cloak, a very large one of black velvet with a black silk lining. Moka could wear the cloak, and it would fit her body perfectly. It was while wearing the cloak that she would have use of its most special abilities, if she was willing to pay the price. Even without trying, Moka was sure that Shoru would need a lot of her energy, her youki, if Moka ever made use of it. Shoru had the special ability to let Moka move between places, not too unlike the way Hiru carried Tsukune. The difference was that Hiru was a kind of living creature, and could eat something if it needed to. Even Kou could feed to keep himself healthy. Moka knew that she would have to invest a little of her youki into Shoru regularly, letting the servitor store the energy against some unknown future need.

C=={=====

Nagi was looking forward to the coming holidays. He was going to have time to spend with his family, and if possible, he would see Kiyo. He wasn't sure what he expected to happen the next time he saw her. In truth, his serpentine girlfriend made him nervous. He wasn't nervous about her not quite human nature. What made him question himself was the fact that Kiyo was an attractive girl that was interested in him.

When Nagi had returned to school, his friends and classmates had all questioned him about his trip. As soon as he mentioned that there had been girls involved, he had everybody's undivided attention. Even the classmates that claimed to have girlfriends of their own listened intently to Nagi's story. When he pulled out his cellphone to share pictures, he had been nearly buried under his classmates as they tried to all look over her shoulder at the same time.

Of course things couldn't go smoothly. As he was changing his clothes for Kendo Club practice Monday, people saw the bandage on his thigh. He tried to explain that he had been hurt in an accident during the trip, but the other club members could tell he was holding out on them. The head of the club, a tournament winner, also questioned Nagi. He didn't ask about the trip or the injury, but about a change he had noticed. Nagi had always taken the club seriously, but there was a new level of focus in the way he moved once he took up his shinai.

Nagi wasn't ready to talk to anybody about youkai, but he thought that his club captain would be a good person to talk to about some of what had happened during the trip. Like the rest of the school, the kendo captain had heard at least a little about Nagi's trip to a school where there were girls. When the captain came over to him after practice, Nagi decided to take advantage of the moment.

"Have you ever needed a sword?" Nagi asked. "Not for practice or tournament. Have you ever picked up a sword, even a boken or shinai, because you needed it, or thought you would, to protect someone?"

"When I first got into kendo," The club captain, Ryu answered. "I was about eight. I thought to would be cool to learn to be a swordsman. I wanted to be able to go out and fight badguys." He chuckled. "I never found any. I study the Way of the Sword for its own value now that I've grown up. I never needed to use a sword out side of training or a tournament, and you won't ether."

"Saturday night," Nagi said in a serious tone, with his eyes unfocused as he remembered that night. "During my trip, I was walking with Kiyo, my friend Tsukune, and some others. My friend is the captain of his school's Student Police. He forced some gangs out of his school. Someone tried to get even. It happened so fast. They started throwing... blades, knives. I stepped in front of Kiyo. One of the things they threw at us was like a sword. I grabbed it without even thinking."

"Ummm," Ryu was at a loss for words.

"The attack was over before I had to do anything else," Nagi said. "I was willing to fight. I was willing to use a sword. But I can't help but wonder, if I would have been able to actually swing it at someone, if it meant that I was really going to hurt them."

"I don't know what to say," Ryu admitted.

"Yes," Nagi nodded. "This is something I am going to have to work out. Until then..." He paused and looked down at the shinai he was still holding. "Until I know, I need to be more serious in my training. I don't know if I will ever need to use a sword, but if I do, I need to be ready."

XX xx Xx

"Nyaaaaa," Yukari's cat said as jumped up on to her bed Sunday morning.

"Ooof..." Yukari grunted as twenty three kilograms of fur and attitude landed on her. "Cory," She protested. "What are you doing?"

The only answer Cory, short for manticore, gave was to lay on Yukari's chest and put his face right in front of hers.

"What?" Yukari protested. "I'm still sleeping."

"Nyaaaa," Cory argued.

As if in answer, Yukari's stomach grumbled.

"I'll eat when I get up," Yukari stated.

"Ny-nya," Cory said as he moved up higher, giving Yukari a face full of fur.

"Phahh," Yukari protested as she stared thrashing around. "Alright, alright. I'll get up."

Yukari had mixed feelings about her 'reward.' Cory, according to the letter of instruction she had received, was intended to be her familiar and assistant. He had been made especially for her to help her with her studies. At first Yukari had been excited. Then it turned out that the creature had a mind of its own. It refused to let Yukari stay up late, by getting in her way, starting at ten at night until she gave up and went to bed. It also refused to let her oversleep. She had come back from class one day to find Cory organizing her desk. Instead of front paws, the creature had small hands, complete with opposable thumbs. She quickly learned that Cory would help her with some things, like keeping her desk organized and things picked up off the floor, but would not do any real housework. He had no problems with pestering her to do them though.

Cory was the dutiful assistant every young scholar needed. He was also the kind of pet parents would wish for their child, because it could double as a babysitter. While the letter she had been given told Yukari that the creature had some special abilities she would have to figure out for her self, and she was looking forward to that, she was less then happy to have a green-eyed ball of fur trying to manage her life.

XxxxX

Tsukune returned to the manor Sunday afternoon. It had been another weekend working out of the koban in town. Tsukune realized that if he was willing to live in the kind of obscurity he had thought of as acceptable before meeting Moka, he had found the perfect job. Most of his work as a police officer was to just be seen in uniform while being on watch for any problems. He had gotten his assignments all done and only had to deal with three complaints about small problems. While the superintendent had an apartment above the koban and was responsible for most of the administrative side of things, Tsukune only saw him about once a day. On the ground floor of the koban there was a break room with a kitchenette, a sleep room with two bunks, and a small locker room with a water closet and shower. Tsukune could imagine becoming the superintendent and living in the apartment and having a modest life. Of course all of that was beside the point.

When Tsukune entered the manor, Ruby was quick to welcome him home. She had been happy, almost glowing all week, making Tsukune feel nervous whenever they were alone. He wished that he could blame his moment of... poor judgment on something, but the truth was that he had simply given in to temptation, and he had enjoyed it. Ruby at least had the good sense not to rub it in that Tsukune had been weak. Since then, Ruby had been modest and polite, while acting like everything was normal. Tsukune was grateful for that. He was still unhappy with himself, but both sides of Moka had told him it was not something to be ashamed of. He wasn't sure about that. A lot of things that Moka and Ruby seemed to think of as normal were in strong contradiction to the way Tsukune had been raised. Tsukune found it ironic how the women in his life said they loved him because of the way he acted, and even admitted that they would like to have the kind of life with him he had been raised to see as normal, but at the same time they were trying to convince him that his idea of normal didn't apply to him any more.

After a good bath, Tsukune dressed in some nice casual clothes. He had a couple of hours free from responsibility and he knew how he was going to use them. He could tell that Kurumu was somewhere far from school, so it made it an easy choice for what he would do with his free time. He gave Ruby some instructions, and a kiss that nearly distracted them both, and then headed out the door. He was going to go and see if Moka was free to go out for a date.