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 151

The bus released its cargo of students who were all enjoying a sense of happiness. Kiyo and Emmy were both happy to have seen their boyfriends. Kiyo felt an improved sense of confidence in her relationship, because she had been with Nagi out in the human world, where he was not dependent on the kindness of youkai to be safe. She was also feeling happy with how her first meeting with Nagi's mother had gone. Inari was happy about three things. First, she was able to spend time with her captain away from school and responsibilities. Second, she had gotten to meet his mother and see his family's home, making her closer to him than any other student that was not a part of his inner circle of friends. And third, she had survived and returned to school with her skin intact. The fear that her captain's harem would strike out at her in some way had been real, and never far from her mind. Yukari was practically dancing as she stumbled off the bus. She still had that drunken smile on her face, and had not even gotten around to opening the gift Tsukune had given her. Mizore was smiling with a dreamy look in her eyes, while continuing to finger her new pendant. Moka kept looking up from her new bracelet and smiling at Tsukune, pleased with his choice of presents. Tsukune was happy that the evening had gone peacefully, and that he had been able to spend it in the company of the ones he cared about most.

Kokoa was a little surprised at how she felt. In spite of seeing her sister, and the others, hanging around Tsukune, she had had a good evening. It was unlike her father's parties where she was just an ornament. She had not been the youngest person at the party. She had not been singled out in any way. Among humans and youkai, she had just been one of the guests, a peer to all the others. While that 'Vampire Pride' her father had impressed upon all his daughters chaffed at being though of as one of many, Kokoa had found it a pleasant way to have fun. She had even enjoyed talking with Tsukune's human friend, Rin. He had shown a sharp wit, and when she had managed to pierce him with her own, he had laughed and taken it in good spirit. Seeing a little more of Tsukune's world made Kokoa think that maybe he wasn't quiet as bad as she always said, maybe.

"Moka, Kokoa," Tsukune called out as the students started to go their separate ways. "If I could have a moment?"

"Of course," Moka said.

"What?" Kokoa demanded.

"Kokoa," Tsukune said to her. "I want to thank you for being my friend. I know you and I don't usually get along, but I respect that you speak your mind." Tsukune reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small box. He handed it to Kokoa. "I know you and your sister are very close. This matches the bracelet that I gave Moka earlier."

"Let me see," Kokoa took the box and opened it. Inside was a thin gold ring with a tiny rose with a skull in the middle of it. She took it out of the box and tried it on. It fit her right middle finger best.

"Not bad," Kokoa said, admiring the ring.

"Moka," Tsukune said, turning back to her. "If I may," He gestured to her rosario.

"Alright," Moka nodded. She was already feeling filled up with emotions. Tsukune was not only being sweet to her, but he was also taking the time to show kindness and thoughtfulness to her little sister. It was normal in her relationship with Tsukune that he would want to share things with her other self. She offered her chest to him.

Tsukune effortlessly removed the seal. Sometimes he worried that he might break it, or if all the times he removed it might make it some day just fall off. He didn't want to lose ether of the Moka's, but he thought it would be a good thing if they could find a way to both exist, and to if they had to share a single body, if they could switch back and forth at will. Inner Moka came awake with a seductive smile.

"You have been having a good time without me, Tsukune," Inner Moka drawled. "I don't know if I should let you have so much freedom."

"Oneesan," Kokao cheered.

"Hello, Kokoa," Moka said to her. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing better," Kokoa grinned. "I've been getting stronger."

"That's good to hear," Moka nodded. "You are not going to try to fight me are you?"

"Not tonight," Kokoa said. "We're not dressed for it. Besides, I want to wait until you are ready to take me seriously."

"I see," Moka smiled. "You're growing up, Kokoa. I like this self control you're showing me."

"Thank you," Kokoa said politely, even as she smiled and blushed from Inner Moka's approval.

"Now then," Moka turned her attention back to Tsukune. "Was there something on your mind, Tsukune?"

"Yes," Tsukune nodded, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a square box. "I wanted to give you a gift. Moka, I don't get to say this enough." He paused to take a deep breath. "I love you. You are important to me. You have saved my life, you have given me strength, and you have helped me understand what is important in life. Thank you. Thank you for being a part of my life and for letting me be close to you." He held out the box to her with both hands and offered her a small bow.

"Tsukune," Moka said with a smile. "You are most welcome." She took the box from him and opened it. "Oh," Moka made an appreciative sound. Inside the box was a thin gold bracelet. The bracelet was a solid, wavy band decorated with the pattern of a thorny vine. At one point the vines came up from the supporting band in relief and supported a single rose.

Moka lifted the bracelet from the box. She tucked the box away before slipping the bracelet onto her wrist. She held it up for a moment to admire Tsukune's offering, and to give herself a moment to think of what she could say without gushing with happiness.

"Wow," Kokoa approved of the bracelet.

"You have done very well, Tsukune," Moka let her arm down to her side while smiling at him. "Kokoa," Moka said to her sister. "I will wish you a good night."

"Good night," Kokoa said. She shot Tsukune a look. "Sleep well."

Even as she left, Moka moved in to take Tsukune by the arm. She was in a good mood, and Tsukune was not wrapped up in his seemingly endless responsibilities. Moka intended to have a very good night.

"Poor Kokoa," Moka said with a chuckle as she started Tsukune towards the manor. "She still has a long way to go."

"What do you mean?" Tsukune asked.

"She wished me a good night," Inner Moka said with a smirk. "But told you to sleep well. She doesn't understand how one excludes the other."

Xx_/\_xX

Yukari returned to her house with a smile on her face and a warm sense of excitement all over. She could hardly wait to get to her journals and record every little thing she could remember about the party, and more importantly about her special kiss with Tsukune. Right then she was so happy that she could feel giggles bubbling up inside.

"Welcome home," Kuna, Yukari's housemate said. "How was your party?"

"It was fantastic," Yukari said as she headed for her room to undress. "Everybody was nice. The food was good. I made a new friend named Hana."

"That sounds like a good time," Kuna said, following Yukari.

"Wait until I tell you the best part," Yukari grinned.

"Oh?" Kuna's eyes lit up. "Something good happened?"

"Oh yes," Yukari nodded.

Yukari put her unopened present on the desk and started to give Kuna an account of the whole evening. She described the other guests as she started to undress. As she related the details of the party, Kuna watched her from the doorway of the bedroom and responded to the interesting points with appreciative sounds. They both found Inari's boldness amusing, and agreed that Tsukune's snow sculpture was a touching idea. Yukari was pulling on her pajamas as she related the part about her conversation with Hana.

Yukari had liked talking with Hana, but she had seen Tsukune separate himself from everybody and recognized an opportunity. She explained this to Kuna with a smile. Yukari grew excited as she remembered what came next.

"...So I got my mistletoe ready," Yukari explained as she pantomimed holding something up over her head. She crossed the room towards Kuna. "And I moved in on Tsukune. I was going to get a good kiss out of him no mater what."

"And then what happened?" Kuna questioned seeing the excitement in Yukari's face.

"When I got close to him," Yukari said, he voice growing husky as she moved closer to her friend. "He didn't try to run away or anything. Instead, he leaned in," Yukair leaned in closer to Kuna, until they were face to face. Her voice had dropped into a thick whisper. "And then he kissed me." Her voice was almost a moan. "It was a real kiss. An adult kiss."

"What was it like?" Kuna asked, her own voice growing husky with excitement. She leaned in close enough to feel Yukari's breath.

"It was so exciting," Yukari'es eyes sparkled at the memory. Her face was red as her heart raced. "I don't know how to describe it. He kissed me. His lips were against mine..."

"And then?" Kuna pressed.

"It became something..." Yukari paused.

"Go on," Kuna encouraged. "Tell me."

"I..." Yukari breathed. She gave a tiny shake of her head. "There are no words..."

"If you can't tell me," Kuna reached up to cup Yukari's face. "Then show me."

Yukari had only half a heartbeat to understand what was happening. Suddenly Kuna's lips were on hers. Caught up in the moment, remembering what Kuna had said in that last second, Yukari kissed her. She tried to remember everything from her kiss with Tsukune, but couldn't focus her thoughts enough. She remembered the mind blanking excitement of kissing Tsukune, and let her excitement carry her as she kissed Kuna. Before she realized it, she hand her arms around her housemate and they were kissing with all the passion that they could muster.

XxxXxxX

Mizore had a restless night. She was too excited to sleep, but had to struggle to restrain her impulses. A very large part of her wanted to summon Shiro, make a quick trip back to Tsukune's family home, and collect the little snow sculpture Tsukune had made. She would encase it in a thick layer of crystal clear ice to keep it safe before taking back to her village. The idea was very tempting to Mizore. The only reason she didn't act on her urge was the fact that she already had a bit of a reputation as a stalker, and she knew it. Committing trespass by sneaking into Tsukune's parents' yard, Mizore felt, would be taking things a little too far.

Because she was having trouble sleeping, Mizore tried to entertain herself using her powers. She produced as copy of Tsukune's snow sculpture. She cleaned her version up a little, leaving it solid white, but making it look more lifelike in the finer details. Beside it she crafted an ice Tsukune. As Mizore sat on her bed, looking down at the pair of sculptures, a smile touched her lips. Frost collected on the floor before shifting into a the walls and furniture of a room around the sculptures. Using her powers, Mizore entertained herself with her own private puppet show.

XxVvvvvVxX

Moka woke up slowly. Her body felt heavy and everything seemed muted. She slowly brought her hand up to feel for the seal. It was in place. She blinked a few times as she tried to get her mind to work. It took all of her will to roll to her side where she saw a sleepy Tsukune smiling at her.

"Hello," Tsukune said softly.

"Tsukune..." Moka's voice came out as a cross between a purr and a lazy slur. "Who am I?" She questioned.

"What?" Tsukune lifted up on an elbow, his eyes becoming more alert. "Moka, are you alright?"

"I don't know," Moka said as she flopped back, leaving her looking up at the ceiling. "I feel so weak."

"It's no wonder," Tsukune chuckled. "You've only been asleep for a few minutes."

"What?" Moka turned her head to him.

"We've been awake most of the night," Tsukune said. "After we... We talked, off and on. You had a lot on your mind."

"I don't remember that," Moka frowned.

"The seal was off until just a little while ago," Tsukune explained.

"Oh," Moka said.

"Moka," Tsukune said as he cuddled close to her.

"Hmmmm?" She smiled, aware of his body against her smooth skin.

"I love you," Tsukune pulled her in close and nibbled her ear.

"I love you too," Moka said, feeling her body coming awake.

XxxXxxX

Inari lay in her bed feeling almost limp. Her body was warm and relaxed after a night filled with very pleasant dreams. All night long her mind had been filled with images of Tsukune. In her dreams they had become one, over and over again. By morning, her body felt energized and tired at the same time. As she lay in her bed, Inari tried to decide what to do with her time.

Inari was faced with the problem of too much free time. The break was half over and she had already finished her assignments. She had a few more days off until her next shift at the koban, the local police force being so over staffed as it was for such a small town. She had originally planned out her break so that she could just relax and take her time studying or reading. But that was before she had realized how badly she had it for her captain.

Inari rolled out of bed with a sigh. Even if there were no responsibilities demanding her attention, she still had to face the realities of nature. Her insides demanded a restroom and food, in that order. After that, Inari though, maybe she would waste the rest of the morning away with a hot bath.

X-OO-X

The shopping district was packed with people. The portable kitchen stage was set up I the middle of the busy and surrounded by shoppers and fans alike. As the lights turned on the crowed grew quiet.

"Welcome to our special broadcast from Ginza," Kurumu said with a bright smile and a gesture of her hand that made her new charm bracelet jingle and catch the light. She bent down and pulled a tray out of the oven. The baking tray was covered with heart and holiday shaped cookies. "This chilly weather is perfect for baking something special for your sweetheart. Just think of it as a way to thank him for what he's giving you this season." Kurumu gave the camera a wink and jingled her bracelet again.

"Kawaiiii!" A cheer came up from the crowed, accompanied by a storm of camera flashes.

"Today," Kurumu went on without acknowledging the fans while the cameras were on. "We will be fixing a holiday dinner..."

The show was a huge success. It was an extra long broadcast. Kurumu had put in some extra hours before the start of the life event, and most of the pre-broadcast show, in getting ready to bake holiday cookies. The coloring was added before baking, so no decorative toppings were needed. As she went through the steps of preparing the official menu for the show, Kurumu baked one tray after another of fresh cookies, piling them up on a single rack, letting them cool a little. Towards the end of the broadcast, following the script, 'Chef Boke' tried to swipe one of the cookies. Kurumu stopped him by snapping a kitchen rag at him like a whip.

Crack

"Stop that," Kurumu scolded him. "Those are for my boyfriend."

"But sweetheart," Chef Boke protested with a whine. He reached out again to grab a cookie.

"I said no," Kurumu snapped.

She snatched up the rack of cookies to keep them out of her assistant's reach, and 'accidentally' threw them out over the audience. Careful not to let the tray slip from her grip, she sent the cookies flying in an arc towards her fans, making them shout in excitement as they tried to catch them. More than a few dropped their cameras in their eagerness to get one of her cookies.

"Oh no," Kurumu cried out as she held up the now empty rack. "We have our dinner all finished, but what am I going to give my boyfriend now?" With a bit of a suggestive look, Kurumu flashed a cute pout and a sexy pose.

XxX

Kurumu wasn't sure how much she liked her growing celebrity status. The fan mail was starting to come in faster, and it ranged from simple and polite, to creepy and disturbing. Her agent had warned her early to not get into the habit of taking her fan mail seriously, or replying to it. The woman had advised Kurumu to ignore most of it, use a form letter to reply to the polite ones, and to only write a letter that she was willing to share with the world. Kurumu now had a cell phone for work only, and one for casual but work related uses, in addition to the one she kept for personal calls. In all cases, if she did not recognize the caller identification, she was to let the calls go to voice mail so she could screen them.

Kurumu's agent, Mori Nori, was kept busy because of Kurumu's rising popularity. Nori was screening and reviewing offers that were being made. The first ones to come in were from the kinds of people Kurumu had no intention of working with. Even reputable business that wanted to promote her as an idol were being screened out. Kurumu had made it clear that she wanted a long and respectable career, and Nori was willing to do what she could to make that happen. Unfortunately, Nori needed to impress on her young client that she was her own worst enemy at the moment.

Kurumu was in danger of sabotaging her own career. Slipping off to a holiday party with friends had not been a bad move, but it was something she should not make into a habit. A bigger danger was Kurumu's relationship with her mother. They liked to go shopping together. Unfortunately the elder Kurono was a well known face at several businesses that catered to men. If mother and daughter were recognized in public, it could put them both in a negative light. Her little stunt with the cookies was good, but constantly referring to her boyfriend could be bad. She already had a strong and growing fan base with young men, and some older ones. By telling everybody that she already had a boyfriend, some of those male fans could lose interest, since they couldn't fantasize about winning her heart.

Kurumu listened to her agent's advice carefully. She did not like being told what she could and could not do, especially when it had to do with Tsukune, but she was smart enough to listen to an expert. Nori was an agent who made a living in the muddy waters of the entertainment industry. Even if Kurumu didn't like what her agent had to say, she would still listen and think carefully before rejecting anything.

Kurumu had a big question to consider. Her initial contract was going to be ending soon. Kurumu had to decide how she was going to handle her education. She could try to graduate early, or quit school all together in order to free up her schedule to work. If she intended to go on to college, that was years more of school and work having to be balanced. Kurumu already knew that dropping out of school was not an option. She would have to find a way to graduate while working when she could on her career. 'Chef Boke' had been hired because of his education. Kurumu had been hired for her looks. Once her contract was over, Kurumu had a good chance of finding more work, because of her looks, and because she had shown that she knew what she was doing. The idiot chef, on the other hand, was going to have a hard time making a career in the entertainment industry. Kurumu knew that if she could get a good degree, combined with her looks and ability, she would have what she needed to build the career she wanted.

When Kurumu returned to her room at the end of the day, she was feeling more than a little tired. She was having a hard time believing that she had only been working for a single week. The hours were not all that long, and her responsibilities were clearly defined, but somehow it seemed to be more of a challenge than she had ever expected. Kurumu, once upon a time, had actually spent some time learning about the work and life of being an idol. The long hours and limited freedom had not appealed to her at all. While her current work was not much different, she hoped that it would get better.

A part of the reason she didn't want to be just another idol was the work. The other part was the way idols were managed. Kurumu wanted to have the chance to do her own thing, and to live her own life. She didn't want to be just a name and a face to be packaged and sold. She hoped that she would be able to build a reputation that would help her, without getting trapped under the idol label. Once she had the reputation of being a marketable asset, Kurumu intended to control what she would market, and how.

The sun was setting over the ocean. The South Pacific island was warm and inviting. Tourists escaping colder places were enjoying themselves amid bright decorations that were an unfortunate mix of tropical and winter icons. On a semi-secluded balcony, a small gathering looked down at the festive people.

"I hate this time of year," Said a man in a black, silk suit. "Humans are bad enough the rest of the time, but when they're all whipped up with 'holiday cheer,' it makes me sick to my stomach."

"I hear you," Said a second man who was dressed the same way. "but just do what I do and it doesn't seem so bad."

"What's that?" The first man asked.

"Sit back, watch them eat and drink themselves into a stupor," The second man said. "And think about how they are just fattening themselves up."

"Hmm," The first one nodded slowly. He paused for a moment and then shook his head in the negative. "Nope. That just makes me hungry."

"Go pick one out later," Said a third man, dressed in a white linen suit with a black silk shirt. "For now, tell me how things have been going."

"Slowly," The first man grunted. "We're having to buy our way in. Trying to use a muscle approach has ended up costing too much to be practical at this time."

"Even buying our way in has to be done slowly," The second man added. "The local groups are quick to spot any large shifts, and the police, while largely incompetent, have a few leaders with brains."

"What happened to collecting assets?" The third man said. "The twins were supposed to be on to something."

The second man gave a rude snort and a dismissive wave.

"The twins are gone," The first man explained. "Their target looked juicy enough, but it turned out that she was only a piece of meat. Bait for a trap. The twins were suckered in and the local police had some special muscle waiting to take them down."

"That is unfortunate," The third man said. "We had such success in the beginning."

"It's blind stupid is what it is," The second man scoffed. "These stupid humans are worse than sheep when it comes to following popular ideas. We should be able to get them to lay themselves out on the chopping block with smiles on their ugly faces. Instead they keep going off in different directions."

"That's because they are a prey species," The first man said. "Even if they are as stupid as a brain dead pig, they can still sense when the hunters are closing in."

"The trick," The third man said. "Is to use fear to get them moving in the same direction, and then to use their fear to control them."

"Fear, greed, lust," The first man shook his head. "The counsel uses the same things to get the rest of us to do their dirty work. They demand results, offer rewards, and deal out punishment without giving us any support, or even a solid plan."

"You shouldn't talk like that," The third man warned.

"I'm as good as dead anyway," The first man said. "After the twins got taken, I ordered them killed and took control of their group. Now their failures are mine. They were holding out on us. Now that I'm in charge, I have to report that their main office was raided months ago. Their contacts have been slowly disappearing. I think that was why they were so desperate to chase down some rumor of someone that would give them an edge." He leaned back in his seat and sighed. "It was only a mater of time until they were found out, but now the failure will be counted as belonging to my group."

"I don't think it has to go that way," The third man said as he nodded slowly. "My group has been holding steady in its territory. I am confident the counsel will listen, if we face them together, to put the blame firmly onto the twins."

"And what would this cost me?" The first man said, looking about cautiously.

"There is a certain problem in southern Japan," The third man said. "I want a chance to solve it. I understand your superiors tried once or twice without any success."

"That's putting it mildly," The second man scoffed. "I'm here because I've been running out of superiors. It was move sideways or move up, and moving up was proving to be unhealthy."

"Well I have a plan," The third man said with an oily smile. "I just need your group to help me move some resources into place. Afterwords, I'll help you with the counsel, and we'll both be in a position to move up."

"I'm happy where I am at," The first man said. "But I would like to stay happy as long as I can. You help me, and I'll help you, and then we can both be happy. Deal?"

"Deal," The third man agreed.

"If you're moving up," The second man asked. "Can I take over here as your lieutenant? These people aren't afraid of having fun, and don't mind getting a little dirty doing it."

"With my blessings," The third man snorted. "I am looking forward to some time in the city."

"To a three way win," The second man said, raising his bottle of beer.