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 196

Youkai Academy third year students were having a busy time. The end of the year was drawing close, which meant they would be graduating soon. Schedules were being handed out for trips to visit colleges and universities for the students still trying to decide on where they wanted to go to continue their education. The top ranking students were being approached by their less gifted school mates who hoped to find a tutor for themselves, or even for small groups. Amid this semi-chaotic action was Aono Tsukune. He and his Student Police were seemingly everywhere on the look-out for trouble. Even during class hours, Tsukune or one of his people seemed to be popping up wherever something suspicious was going on.

A new rumor was being whispered about among the students. Somebody had heard that something had happened in town recently. Somebody else mentioned noticing new figures moving in the corner of their vision. Nobody knew the whole story, but Tsukune and his Student Police were suddenly more vigilant. The mystery shadows and figures were suspected of being a part of it all. The rumor going around was that Tsukune had gained in power, and now had secret servants working for him. Tsukune's Eyes were being mentioned in whispers among the students of Youkai Academy.

XxxxxX

Friday's arrival was welcomed with a sense of relief. Everybody was looking forward to a chance to relax. Just one more school day to go was all that stood between the students and a short escape from the teachers. Just one more shift to go was all that stood between the teachers and a well needed, if short, break from the students.

For Tsukune Friday had started out well. Ruby had woken him with everything ready for his day. His uniform was clean and pressed and breakfast was rich and filling. Mizore reached him first, but all three of his lovers collected kisses from him before they started walking to school. Inari met up with them without being frozen out. Even Nekomome Sensei had appeared to be in a good mood.

By lunch time Tsukune and his classmates knew why their homeroom teacher was so happy. They had been given mock finals all morning. They had to strain their brains while each teacher watched them with different levels of sadistic amusement. Ideas of a relaxing weekend were fast disappearing from many of the third year students as they were so directly reminded of how much they were expected to know when the real final exams were due.

Tsukune went to lunch with his friends knowing that the afternoon would contain more mock exams. Inari, looking as frayed as the others felt, arrived at Tsukune's table with a small obento and a large thermos bottle of a very good tea. She explained that she knew there was little use in trying to make a lunch large enough to share, so she had decided to bring enough tea for everyone. Tsukune thanked her for her thoughtfulness. Moka complemented Inari on the choice and making of the tea. Kurumu offered her thanks and was interested in talking teas.

They were halfway through lunch when Tsukue's mail arrived. The twins were carrying a respectable collection of letters, but not all of it was for Tsukune. After handing him his piles, the twins turned their attention to Inari.

"Lieutenant," Kumi began.

"When we were collecting the captain's mail," Rumi continued.

"We discovered..."

"That you had mail..."

"It was with his..."

"We thought it was a duplicate at first..."

"Because you both have the same looking letter..."

"We decided that as long as we had it..."

"We should deliver it to you," Kumi concluded while Rumi held out the letter in question.

"Thank you," Inari said as she accepted the letter. She looked at it and gave a small gasp. "It's from the university."

"Really?" Tsukune perked up. He immediately dug through his own mail. He quickly found his own letter from the university he and Inari had taken the exams for.

Because she was feeling nervous about her exam scores, Tsukune got his letter open before Inari did. Tsukune scanned his letter once, and then again, and a smile started to spread across his face. He decided to share the letter with his friends. Inari was reading her own letter, and felt herself smiling. She looked up as Tsukune was still reading his letter aloud.

"...To inform you that you have been accepted..."

"We did it," Inair said in a cheer. She would have launched herself at Tsukune in a hug if she hadn't been sitting on the wrong side of the table.

Tsukune shared a bright smile with Inari, even as Moka and Kurumu both embraced him. The rest of the lunch break was a small party. Tsukune and Inari couldn't stop smiling at their success. Moka was happy because she knew how much the good news meant for Tsukune, and by extension, for herself. Kurumu was happy for Tsukune and proud of his accomplishment. Mizore was also smiling, if not as much as the others, because she knew how much Tsukune worried about his future.

XxxXxxX

The rattle of the door chime made the shop keeper look up from her work. It was with some surprise that she recognized the person who had just entered. It was none other than the young captain of the local police, and local legend, Aono Tsukune. The shop keeper was rather fond of the young man because he had proven to be good for business. No less than two thirds of her business for two valentine's days in a row had mentioned him while shopping for chocolates. He himself had made the largest purchase of white chocolate her shop had ever known. With little more than a week to White Day, the shop keeper saw his arrival as a good thing.

"Well good day to you young sir," The middle aged woman said from behind the counter. "And what can I do for you today?"

"Good day," Tsukune replied. "It's that time of year again."

"So soon?" The shop keeper said in mock surprise.

Tsukune just gave her a level look. Her shop was so well stocked for White day it looked like a blizzard had struck. The woman gave Tsukune a smile and a shrug.

"So what can I help you with this year?" She asked.

"I need some help with something special..." Tsukune began.

XxxxxX

All through the boys' dorms, students were starting to show the signs of stress. Finals were drawing close. White Day was even closer. Every body that had received chocolate on Valentine's day knew that they were expected to make a good accounting on White day. Even the boys that had not received anything knew that White Day could be the opportunity they needed to win over they girls they liked. It was common knowledge that some white lump of chocolate left with a note in a shoe locker or on a desk would not measure up to the expectations of the girls. Aono Tsukune had set a bar in the previous year. While no other boy had a harem to impress, a serious effort still had to be made.

In the girls' dorms there was an excited edge to the atmosphere. Finals were looming on the horizon. While young women were starting to feel the pressure to score well, White day was less than a week away, and most of them were looking forward to it. Captain Aono Tsukune had been very public with the gift of white chocolate he had presented to Akashiya Moka. He had even gone so far as to give something to her in her human form and in her unbound vampire form. She had already moved into the student village by then, but her housemate had let word leak back to the dorms that the gift had been hand-carved white chocolate hearts. Between the effort Aono Tsukune had obviously put into his gift, and the reaction it had provoked, many young women had felt touched by the romanticism.

Tsukune had set a high standard for White day. He had made his number one girlfriend(s) happy and visibly excited with his offering(s). The rest of the harem had also been moved. He had been seen kissing all of them out in public. To Top it all off, He had personally given white chocolate to ever female member of the Student Police. The head of every club in the school that had female members suddenly looked bad. With White day fast approaching once more, every female student was starting to watch the boys carefully, all the while they were giving hints to the ones they liked, or the ones that ran their clubs, that some offering better be coming, and that no half-hearted gestures would be welcomed.

XxxxXxxxX

Tsukune was worried that trouble was looming over the horizon. There was an itch forming between his shoulder blades, because as he walked to school he kept seeing girls looking his way with secret little smiles. Boys kept giving him quick, dark looks. There was something, Tsukune was sure, just waiting out of sight to come up and take him violently by surprise.

Moka, Mizore, and Kurumu were also aware of the building tension among the students. White Day was coming and they were just as excited as all the other girls. They had already overheard some of the other young women talking about Tsukune's actions the previous year. The question of what he would do this year was always coming to mind.

Tsukune's harem were all looking forward to White day. At the same time there was a nervousness to their thoughts. Moka was wondering if Tsukune would have something for both sides of her, or just one offering. She wasn't sure which way she wanted it to go, but she most definitely wanted something from Tsukune. Kurumu also wanted something from Tsukune, but she was wondering if there was any way to keep him too busy to share his feelings with any of the others that were around him. She especially wanted to find a way to distract him from Inari's presence. Mizore remembered the gift Tsukune had given her the year before. That blossom carved out of white chocolate was one of her most precious treasures, and was sealed in a block of crystal clear ice a foot thick back in her bedroom in her mother's house. Mizore was looking forward to the coming White day, and while she hoped that Tsukune would do something special just for her again, what she wanted most was Tsukune's love in any form she could get it.

Inari was feeling excited and ill in turns. White day was coming. Tsukune had given her a small offering the previous year, just as he had all of the female members of the Student Police. This year she was hopping for something special. Every time she thought about what kind of special thing Tsukune might give her, Inari felt the urge to giggle. But then her fear would rise up. What if Tsukune didn't give her anything special? What of Tsukune didn't give her anything at all? What if Tsukune gave her something special and the other women who loved him took it badly? Then there was that one nagging little fear. What if Tsukune decided they could no longer work together because of their feelings for one another?

Inair decided that the waiting was the hardest part. Before she had confessed, her on-duty time with Tsukune had been her secret joy. It was something she shared with Tsukune that his inner circle did not, and they did not see as an invasion into their relationships with him. Now that she had confessed her feelings, Inari waited for each shift with her captain with eager anticipation, but with the little fear that he would change his schedule for the sake of being professional and wanting to keep his distance from her. That same sense of doubt haunted her as she waited for White day. Would Tsukune return her feelings in kind? Would he ignore what they had shared, what had developed between them? Would he reject her because they worked together? Inari wanted to know what to expect so that she could prepare herself, but at the same time she was afraid to know. Ether way, White day was drawing closer and she was going to have wait.

XxxxxxX

Tsukune could see that Inari was feeling tense in the way she carried herself. He didn't know what was bothering her, but he wasn't about to try to guess. He had learned that women could become worked up over unimportant things, and sometimes they did not want men to know what was on their minds. Tsukune was willing to respect Inari's privacy, but he could tell that his lieutenant was bothered by something, and as her friend and coworker he wanted to be supportive. When their little group reached the school and split of to head to their respective shoe lockers, Tsukune made his move.

"Inari," Tsukune said as he stepped in close to her.

"Tsukune?" Inari gave a small twitch of surprise. It was unlike him for her captain to approach her like this.

"Relax," Tsukune said gently as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "I can see that you're worried about something..."

"It's fine," Inair said quickly. "It's nothing important."

"If you say so," Tsukune gave her a warm smile. "But if you decide you want to talk later, let me know."

"Alright..." Inair could hear her own voice starting to climb higher with nervousness.

XxxxxxxX

Inari wanted to kick herself. Tsukune had approached her and she had become so nervous that she had brushed him off. Inari knew she was going to have trouble concentrating after what had happened. Tsukune had approached her in a very public place to talk to her, because he had felt concerned for her. Tsukune felt worried about her. He felt something for her. The whole little incident kept replaying in her mind, and each time she swore at herself for how she had reacted. All the things she could have said, and all the things that could have followed haunted her. As she sat down at her desk, Inari discreetly sniffed at her shoulder, where there was just a hint of Tsukune's scent, and cursed herself for missing an opportunity.

XxxxxXxxxxX

"Tsukune," Yukari approached him at the end of the school day as he was waiting for the others to finish changing shoes. "Can I talk with you?"

"Sure," Tsukune answered, turning his attention to her.

"Well..." Yukari started to speak.

"Tsukuneeee..." Kurumu called out as she pounced at him.

Yukari watched in frustration as the others clustered around Tsukune. She felt a pang of jealousy as she watched them. She was a part of the group, but an outsider at the same time. It was clear that her three friends were all closer to Tsukune than she was. The jealousy was not as heated as it might have once been however.

Yukari knew she loved Tsukune. She knew she loved Moka. What had changed was that she had realized that she loved Kurumu and Mozore every bit as much. Yukari had realized that her love for her friends wasn't a romantic one, but one built out of friendship and the closeness they all shared after all they had been through. She loved them and held them as close in her affections as her own parents. They were all her special people. Of course being aware of her feelings didn't change the fact that she thought Moka was the sexiest woman alive, and that Tsukune was hot. She still liked to fantasize about being their lover.

Yukari watched her friends for a moment. She knew that being included in Tsukune's and Moka's physical affections was unlikely, but at least they were still close with her. With a small smile she pushed in close, enjoying the flash of annoyance from Kurumu as she interrupted the boob monster's flirting.

"Tsukune," Yukari spoke up. "I have something I want to ask you about."

"I'm listening," Tsukune said.

"It's kind of private," Yukari explained as she took his arm and started to gently pull him towards the school's gates.

"No you don't," Kurumu protested.

"You can have him back when I'm finished," Yukari said.

"Yukari?" Moka questioned.

"Please?" Yukari returned.

"It will be alright," Tsukune said. "We'll just go on ahead for a little while so we can talk."

"Thank you, Tsukune," Yukari smiled.

Tsukune's agreement to talk with her was enough to quiet the protests of them being along for a little while. Yukari knew that her friends had grown up as well, because in the past there was no way they would let her go off alone with Tsukune. It felt good to know that they were willing to trust them, but at the same time it was a little disappointing. Yukari walked with Tsukune until distance from the others gave them a good sense of privacy.

"Tsukune," Yukari spoke up. "Last White day, how did you know who you wanted to give chocolate to?"

"Easy," Tsukune said. "I wanted to give something to the people that were important to me."

"But how did you know what to do?" Yukari questioned.

"Well," Tsukune gathered his thoughts. "When I was making gifts, I tried to think about who I was going to give it to, and what they meant to me, and tried to give them something that I wanted them to see as special, that I hoped would show my feelings."

"You also gave white chocolate to all the girls in the Student Police," Yukari pointed out.

"I couldn't have made the Student Police work without them," Tsukune explained. "They patrol places where male students can't go, and they do most of the office work."

"But you didn't do anything for the boys," Yukari said.

"I kept all the females happy and continuing with the Student Police didn't I?" Tsukune challenged.

Yukari couldn't argue with him, so she settled for shooting Tsukune a dirty look.

"Why are you asking me about all this?" Tsukune asked as they walked on.

"Well..." Yukari had an uncomfortable expression on her face as she looked down at the ground. Finally she looked back up at Tsukune. "Do you promise you won't make fun of me? Promise you won't tell anybody else?"

"Moka is the only person I cannot keep secrets from," Tsukune advised.

"It's my housemate," Yukari blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Tsukune blinked.

"It all started..."Yukari began. "Well..." She took a deep breath and blew it out again. "Kuna and I started sharing mangas. It gave us something to share, to talk about. Later, when I was doing some research, I don't know why, she started doing more and more of the chores. I helped her with her studying, and she cooked and cleaned for me. Last winter... I guess you could say things started to get more serious. Now she does everything in our house. I sit down to study for a while, and when I look up, there is a meal waiting for me and my laundry is done. We wash each others backs and talk about the mangas we trade back and forth. We... We..."

"Yukari," Tsukune said gently. "I am in no position to say anything about what you or anybody else decides to do with someone else. As long as nobody is being forced into something, it is none of my concern."

"Thank you," Yukari muttered.

They walked along in silence for a while. Tsukune didn't pressure her, letting Yukari take the time to order her thoughts. When she was ready she continued.

"I want to give her something for white day," Yukari said after a while. "She does a lot for me, and even gave me chocolate on Valentine's day."

"Alright," Tsukune said with a small nod.

"But I don't know..." Yukari fumbled. "I want to give her something to show that I appreciate what she does for me. To show that I like her, but I don't 'like her' like her. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"Last year I wanted to give Moka something very special," Tsukune said. "I wanted to give her something that she would be able to look at and know that I loved her. It took me a long time to come up with an idea, and then I had to make what I wanted to give her."

"You gave me a piece of white chocolate carved to look like a book," Yukari said.

"I thought you would like it," Tsukune said.

"I did," Yukari replied. "But it wasn't very romantic."

"I know," Tsukune nodded. "It wasn't supposed to be."

Silence fell over them again for a time.

"Tsukune?" Yukari spoke up as the village came into sight.

"Hmmmm?" Tsukune responded.

"I never really had a chance with you and Moka, did I," Yukari's words were more of a statement then a question. "You never looked at me in that way."

"Sorry," Tsukune said.

"I understand," Yukari said. "I knew... I knew...

"Are you going to be alright?" Tsukune asked her in a gentle voice.

"Yeah," Yukari sighed. She shot Tsukune an Impish grin. "But you know, if you want to try being a lolicon just once, it's not too late."