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 152

Yukari was unsure how she should feel. She and Kuna had shared such a passionate kiss. In truth it had been more than one kiss. They had kissed each other until they were both breathless and dizzy. Tsukune had given Yukari her first real, and it had been everything she had ever dreamed of. She had hardly recovered from Tsukune's kiss when Kuna had kissed her. It had started with a single kiss, and then another. They had ended up together on the floor in a lose embrace as they caught their breath.

Yukari had been so surprised that she had just gone along with the moment. When the moment was over, she defaulted to being analytical as she tried to recover her mental balance and to keep from panicing. While trying to analyze the sensations of kissing, she had even kiss Kuna again. She did come to the conclusion that kissing was much more of an emotional thing than she had first thought, but at the same time, it was a mechanical thing that was all about physical sensations. She also decided that kissing girls was not a bad thing. While still in her analytical mode, Yukari had gone to her desk, moving on weak legs, to make notes. By the time she had managed to get to bed, her body seemed back to normal.

VvvvvV

Moka was in high spirits. After her night with Tsukune, she had been able to get some good rest, recovering from her travel lag. She then got to spend most of the day just being with him as, for a change, he helped her with her school work. Tsukune even prepared lunch for them to share.

"Moka," Tsukune said to her as she closed her math text. "Would you do me a favor?"

Moka looked up at Tsukune with a small frown. She had finish half of her assignments, and was more than ready for a break from studying. She was puzzled as to why Tsukune was asking her so carefully for something, when he should know already that she would do anything for him.

"What is it, Tsukune?" Moka question.

"I know that this might seem strange," Tsukune said. "Becaue we haven't done anything like it in a long time. But I was wondering if we could do some physical training."

'Yes!' Moka's inner voice practically shouted. 'Pleaseyes!Fortheloveofallthingsdivineanddemonic,givemesomethingtodobesidesstaringatendlesstextbooks.'

Moka blushed. Her own frustration with studying was a small thing compared to her inner self's desire to escape the monotony. Also, she knew, training would give her inner self a chance to spend some time with Tsukune.

"I think I could use a break," Moka said carefully. "Why don't I go back to my place to pick up a few things, and to change clothes. After that, you and I can go someplace."

"That sounds like a good plan," Tsukune agreed.

Moka wanted to run to her house and back. After most of a week listening to bickering gnomes, she was happy to be with Tsukune, who respected her and made her feel special. She was willing to admit that Tsukune's delicious scent was a bonus. She hurried as much as dignity would allow as she headed to her house to change and to grab a few things.

Moka had not planed to take very long with her errand. All she had to do was grab a few things to wear, and for spending another night with Tsukune. However, Kiyo had been in at that time, and she wanted to talk with Moka. The serpent woman wanted Moka's advice when it came to two topics that were not only directly related, but that Kiyo felt the vampire would by familiar with. Kiyo wanted to talk about dealing with humans, especially males, and she wanted some advice about how and when to do things with and for a boyfriend. The serpent woman succeeded in turning Moka's ten minute errand into an hour long conversation.

Moka's good mood was holding on, but not without some effort. Once she had gathered her things and changed into some old clothes, it was desire vs. dignity once again as she returned to the manor. She didn't hesitate to let herself in, and saw Tsukune and Mizore in an embrace.

"Mizore," Moka said in a pleasant voice. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good," Mizore said with a smile. She gave Tsukune a little extra squeeze before letting go. "Tsukune was just telling me about his plan to spend some time with you." She moved away from Tsukune and over to Moka. She reached for the other woman's bag. "Let me take care of your things. You and Tsukune enjoy your time together."

"Why thank you," Moka said as she surrendered her bag. She knew instinctively that the snow maiden was up to something, but was unsure of what it was.

"Thank you, Mizore," Tsukune said. He walked to the door, giving Mizore a light kiss on the cheek as he passed her.

"Moka," Tsukune reached for her hand. "Shall we go?"

"Yes," Moka answered with a smile and a nod. "Let's go."

'No,' Moka's inner self protested.

"Wha..." Moka stumbled.

"Moka?" Tsukune paused, giving her a questioning look

'Thisismytimetobewithhim,' Inner Moka insisted. 'Releaseme."

"But..." Moka tried to argue, not realizing she was talking out loud.

'YouhavebeenwithTsukuneallmorning,' Inner Moka complained.

'Fine,' Moka thought, suppressing a sigh. She turned her attention to Tsukune.

"Tsukune," Moka said as she tried to hide her frustration. She pushed her chest out towards him a fraction while not looking him in the eyes. "You can take this off now."

"Are..." Tsukune was about to ask if she was sure, until he noticed how the seal appeared to be shaking impatiently. He had recognized that Moka was having one of her internal conversations, and guessed that they had been talking about him. With a wry smile, Tsukune reached for the rosario.

xx

"Tsukune," Innner Moka said with an uneven smile. "How are you doing today?"

"I am well," Tsukune said with a small bow. "Thank you for asking. How are you doing, Dame Moka?"

"Quite nicely," Moka answered. She stepped up to him and took his arm in hers. "And I am ready to have a little fun."

-v^v^v^v^v^v-

Mizore knew there was no way around having to share Tsukune. She was less bothered by that than someone might suspect, but it was still annoying. Mizore may have to share Tsukune, but that didn't mean she was just going to settle for whatever little bits of his attention fell her way. While Tsukune was out enjoying himself with Moka, Mizore started cooking dinner.

It was a simple strategy, but a time proven and effective one. Tsukune would be in a good mood when he returned home after spending time alone with Moka. While already in a good mood, he would find his home ready to welcome him with comforts waiting. He would see and know that it was Mizore that had made the house ready for him. His good mood and affection would then include her, coloring his perceptions just a little. In a way, Mizore would be taking some of Tsukune's feelings for Moka and directing them at herself.

Mizore made sure everything would be ready when Tsukune returned. She had a guest room all set up for Moka, properly organized and ready. If anybody were to visit unexpectedly, like Kokoa, it would be clear that Moka had her own proper space, and not simply sleeping with Tsukune. Tsukune's room was ready with a freshly made bed and a set of serviceable clothes set out for him. The bath was set with fresh hot water, and a tea ball filled with herbs to give it a relaxing scent, and to make it safe for Moka. Even the small table in the kitchen was set for three, creating a casual environment instead of an intimate one, where she would be just as close to Tsukune as Moka.

VvvvvV

The silver-haired Moka was aware that something had changed within Tsukune. It had been a long time since their last sparing match, and she had been looking forward to a little un-lady-like physical action with him. It wasn't going to be one of their all-out matches that ripped up the landscape and shattered boulders. The match was going to be more of a light exercise session, focusing on cardio. It would get their hearts beating, the blood flowing, and help keep them limber; A fun, socially acceptable way to workup a little sweat. Also, Moka fully intended to enjoy watching Tsukune in a tee shirt and trousers as he showed off his muscles and worked up a sweat of his own. Almost as soon as they had started, Moka had realized that something was different about Tsukune.

Tsukune's fighting style, Moka mused, had always been like the rest of his personality. He was focused and direct. When attacked, he ether blocked or dodged, and had shown a preference to getting out of the way when ever he could, probably from his human sense of self preservation. His attacks were all basic, depending on raw power and speed, rather than subtlety and any advanced theory of fighting. His style, Moka had long ago decided, lacked elegance.

As Moka sparred with Tsukune she tried to analyze what had changed. The easiest thing to notice was how he seemed to now use a minimalist approach to fighting. His moves were a lot less pronounced, making them a little harder for her to read. Also, his defensive moves had become more thought out, using more deflections and less blocks. Moka suspected that Tsukune's police training had something to do with what was different about him.

In addition to being a smarter fighter, there was something else different about Tsukune. Moka was having a hard time pinning down what else had changed. He was faster than before, but that could just be a byproduct of training. With his youki up and focused, he had a different feel about him than Moka was used to. Because it was not a no-limit match, Moka was having a hard time measuring Tsukune strength.

Moka aimed a vicious strike at Tsukune. In a normal battle it could have been a crippling attack. Tsukune brought his arm up as she had expected. With a tiny turn of her hand, Moka sliced deeply into into Tsukune's triceps muscle. It was the kind of an attack that would weaken an opponent, both through the muscle damage to the arm, and through blood loss. Moka was rewarded by the smell of Tsukune's blood in the air. As she predicted, Tsukune retreated, favoring his injured arm. She pressed in, watching him closely, and was shocked by what she discovered. In only a handful of seconds, Tsukune's arm was moving as if it had never been injured.

Moka wondered how much Tsukune had changed. She tried a grappling attack next. She drew Tsukune in close, watching his face and feeling for his youkai. His eyes were focused, serious, as he concentrated on her. His youkai was there, like a tempest in a bottle. She was used to feeling his youkai, but she could tell that there was something different about it. Before she could figure out what, her concentration was broken by Tsukune's grip on her. He had gained the leverage to throw Moka. As her feet came off the ground, she cursed herself for being distracted.

Moka managed to control her short flight through the air. She twisted herself about to land in a crouch with her back to Tsukune. As she stood, she performed a pivot and lashed out with a powerful kick. Her leg sliced though the air without resistance. Moka recovered from her attack and found Tsukune a safe two meters away, smiling at her.

Moka felt her temper rise. Tsukune had thrown her, and then moved out of her attack range. He was controlling the flow of the fight. He was controlling her. With a growl, Moka launched herself at Tsukune. He caught her first attack and turned his body. Moka anticipated a possible throw and lashed out to grapple, but was surprised when Tsukune's arm wrapped around her waist.

"I love you, Moka," Tsukune said as he pulled her close.

"You..." Moka growled as she found herself holding on to Tsukune. "You..." A part of her was angry at him, but her will to fight was fleeing fast. "Damn you, Tsukune. You're fighting dirty."

"All is fair, Dame Moka," Tsukune grinned. "In love and war."

"Shut up," Moka snapped before she kissed him.

XxXxXx

The evening was not going quite as Mizore had planned. Reverse Moka had decided to hang around for supper. The problem was, while Inner Moka was always conscious of her status and appearance, she was also stubborn and quick to act on her feelings. This meant that Mizore would have to hold back more than when dealing with the other Moka. Where the daily Moka would pout or protest, Reverse Moka was likely to lash out physically.

In spite of Inner Moka's presence, Mizore counted the evening a success. Tsukune had thanked her for her efforts on his behalf, and gave her smiles throughout the evening. So long as he was between her and Moka, Mizore was able to be close to Tsukune.

XvvvvX

Moka tried to understand what she had observed about the changes in Tsukune. She had finally replaced the seal when they had gone to bed together, letting her other self cuddle beside Tsukune. With the thin barrier of the seal between herself and the very distracting Tsukune, Moka tried to think. A part of the reason for her confusion, she knew, was that there was so little known about the long term effects of someone being injected with vampire blood.

After her first year at the academy, Moka had taken the time to learn more about the process. There were four known outcomes when a pure born vampire shared their blood with mortal. The first, and most common, was the ghoul. Any time a vampire gave blood to a mortal, there was a chance of the ghoul being created. In a mild case, the human would slowly go insane as his body was corrupted and changed by the power of the vampire's blood,. There was a slang term let from literiture that called this kind a ghoul a 'Renfield.' As far as Moka understood it, Tsukune had escaped that fate by using that power up right away the first two times. The second expected outcome was that the mortal would simply die, their body poisoned by the vampire's blood. Moka was glad that Tsukune had survived. Of course, when she had given her blood to him, he was as good as dead already. The third outcome was what Moka had hoped for, and at first was what had happened, a temporary power boost that left a human able to recover and continue to live. The last, and rarest outcome, was the creation of a new vampire. This was something that only an experienced and powerful vampire could expect to make happen, and even then, it was not a sure thing.

It was this process that many elder vampires used to create loyal followers from humans that wanted more than just a short and weak life. These lesser vampires could still suffer from a corruption of their minds and or bodies. The lesser vampire could, over time be reduced to being a mindless ghoul, becoming a monster to be kept chained up, or destroyed.

Moka considered all that she knew and tried to piece it together. The fact that Tsukune's ghoul condition was held in check by the holy lock was more of a surprise than she ever wanted to let on. She knew that there had to be some very powerful magic worked into that bracelet, and hated to think what would happen if it ever failed. That Tsukune had learned to use his ghoul empowered body as he had was nothing short of amazing. If she had known a little more about what she had been doing back then, if she had been a little more careful, Moka realized that Tsukune might have become a turned vampire. It would have made everything so simple if that was what had happened. He would have been a vampire, even if just a lesser vampire, and therefore a more acceptable candidate to become her mate. The turning process would have made him blinding loyal to her. Moka smirked to herself at that thought. Tsukune could not be more loyal without turning him into a slave, and she liked him the way he was too much to ever do that.

Tsukune was a special case, Moka knew. The oddity of his condition, the way he had adapted, was still adapting to his power, was made even more pronounced when what had happened with him, or more accurately, to him, when he had saved Kurumu. Having a piece of an others soul could be empowering or corrupting. Moka wondered if having a piece of a succubus within Tsukune was going to be a problem. She didn't know if it was entirely separate from his own, or if the two souls were joined in some way. And then there was the dark magic that Tsukune had been accidentally exposed to. It had poisoned him in its own way, changing him even more.

Moka had mixed feelings about Tsukune's power. A part of her would worry over him no mater what, but that was a part of loving someone. She also had a sense of pride, because she was the one that first gave him power, and then she helped him learn how to use it. But his power, already a close match to hers, seemed to be growing. Moka didn't know if that was the growth that came from training, learning, and practice, or from him being changed by what had happened. Moka couldn't help but wonder but worry for Tsukune and what he might become.

Xx-xX

Yukari sat at her desk and reviewed her research with a frown. She had journals and charts spread out where she could see them while she sipped her tea. The question of identifying love was getting harder and harder. She had every physical behavior attributed to love listed in alphabetical order, with notes on the most common occurring order as reported by "experts." It was very much like trying to measure air by looking out a window, Yukari decided.

Love existed. Yukari was firm on that point. While pinning down what love was or was not escaped her, there was too much evidence to support its existence to be ignored. Yukari's frustration with her research grew as she had more information collected. It was like picking up pebbles in the woods to make a picture. The pebbles were easy to find and collect, but there was no way to tell how to arrange them.

When Yukari had come home form the party, she had thought that she had what she needed to make everything come together. That kiss from Tsukune was everything she had expected when it came to love. All of it had been thrown into chaos by Kuna. That girl's kiss had been every bit as exciting as Tsukune's and then some.

Yukari looked at all of her research and wondered if she had been wasting her time. All of the information was there, but it didn't add up to anything. She took another sip of her tea and pondered the question of love.

Was looking at the problem the wrong way around? A dictionary was filled with words, but until someone understood how to use it, it was useless. The definition of one word contained other words. Yukari realized that when it came to love, she had all the words, but was lacking the key to ordering them to make sense.

Yukari tried to apply logic to her research. When Kuna had kissed her, it had forced Yukari to reconsider her approach. The morning after the party, Yukari knew she had to talk to her housemate. She had found Kuna cooking breakfast, with the table already set for the two of them.

"Kuna," Yukari said. "Do you have a moment?"

"Always for you," Kuna had answered, moving about the kitchen like a happy housewife.

Yukari's conversation with Kuna had been frustrating. The normally quiet and shy girl acted as if she was hearing something a little different than what Yukari was saying. She didn't know if her housemate was misunderstanding her on purpose, or if her own words were coming out unclear. It was starting to give the little witch a better understanding of what Tsukune must be going through on a regular basis. Yukari finally asked Kuna straight out what the other girl thought love was.

"I don't know," Kuna said with a shrug. "I never thought about it. I like what I like, and that is enough for me."

"What do you mean?" Yuklari pressed.

"I like the dark," Kuna explained. "Because when nobody can see them, people are more honest. I like foods that taste good, and flowers that smell sweet. I had never bothered to read manga before, but now I enjoy it, because it helps me to pretend to be places I could never go, and to do things I know are impossible. And that is a part of the reason I like you."

"Huh?" Yukari blinked.

"You improved my life," Kuna said. "You made my life more fun, without judging me. You don't make fun of me, and because of you I have discovered mangas. From mangas I have become curious about other things." She shrugged her shoulders. "So for as long as it lasts, I decided I am going to do what I can for you."

"But I love Tsukune and Moka," Yukari tried to protest.

"You love them," Kuna shrugged again. "I love you. Someone else might love me. Love happens where it happens. I'm not going to waste it just because it doesn't all go my way."

The conversation had left Yukari adrift. By the end of the day, Kuna had made it clear that she was going to enjoy taking care of Yukari however she could. Because they had already kissed once, or more depending on how you counted such things, Kuna had no trouble kissing again.

All day long, Yukari tried to understand what her relationship was with Kuna now. She used her research to help her, spending hours at her desk. Kuna checked in on her, bringing her tea and lunch. Manny tried to help Yukari by recovering dropped notes and cleaning up any crumbs from lunch. He also helped her by eating half of the tea crackers Kuna left on the desk for a snack. As the hours grew later, Manny started getting in Yukari's way. With his usual diligence, he made Yukari take a break to take care of herself. Yukari gave in and decided on a hot bath. Once again, Kuna was there to offer a hand. Washing each others backs was not new to the pair of house mates, but Kuna had decided to up the intimacy level. Yukari remembered every time she had tried to grope Moka, and resolved to not do it any more. Yes it had been fun and funny to the little witch at the time, feeling Moka's breasts under her hands, but now that someone else was after her breasts, it changed her perspective on such things just a little. Not that what Kuna was doing with a washcloth felt bad in any way. After their bath, Yukari gave Kuna a small kiss and wished her a good night.

Yukari was feeling relaxed as she went to bed. In the morning she would try to talk to Kuna. While she wanted to try to set some limits, Yukari also wanted to thank her housemate. Kuna had helped Yukari understand love a little better. According to her research, it was clear to Yukari that Kuna was in love. While Yukari liked her housemate, as a friend, it was very clear to her that she was not in love with Kuna. There was a key piece to the puzzle, and Kuna might just be the one to help Yukari find it.