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 199

Chiba Ken found himself wanting to smile. He was under pressure to do well in his final exams, and after they were over he had college entrance exams to look forward to. He also needed to find a way to pay for college. With the end of the year looming closer, Ken was feeling his time running out. In spite of it all, he was feeling happy and wanted to smile because his girlfriend had sent him a letter.

Tanaka Iris had sent Ken a love letter. There was no other way to describe it. It was filled with sweet words and personal feelings. Included with the letter was a surprise, an invitation to a formal dance. In her letter, Iris had clearly expressed her hope that Ken would be able to be her escort to the ball.

Ken liked the idea of going out with Iris. A formal event would make for a potentially romantic date. The more Ken thought about it the more determined he was to make it happen. The more he thought about being with Iris, the more Ken wanted to smile.

XxxxxxxX

Aiko smiled as she went over the RSVP cards that were already coming in. Most of the cards just needed to be checked off and turned in by hand, because they were from her fellow students. All it had taken was a little time for the young women to double check their personal schedules, and to check with their parents. It was the mailed invitations that Aiko was really waiting to hear back from.

The ball was going to be a hit with her graduating schoolmates, of that there was no doubt in Aiko's mind. They had a hall rented, a caterer, decorations, music, and other details all set and ready to go. The theme that had been agreed upon, with a lot of careful work, was a masquerade. Formal attire with some costuming added in. The costuming was actually an important detail, and what Aiko had wanted to make sure was included in the final theme of the ball. Because when a person put on a mask or a costume, they were able to pretend they were something else. When people were together in costume, they were able to accept, even if it was just a little, that everybody else was something else as well.

Aiko wanted the masquerade because she wanted that atmosphere of mystery and make-believe. In the last year she had learned that there was much more to the world around her than she had thought possible. Aiko had learned that life as she knew it was filled with make believe.

XxxxxxxxX XxxX

Inari liked spending time with Tsukune, when she could. Not only did she like being with him, she was quickly finding out that his other companions had a lot to offer her, if sometimes in indirect ways. Asking Yukari a question about schoolwork, for example, usually yielded an answer that was complete and useful. Sometimes her answers were too complicated to understand, but could still be useful. Kurumu was a dedicated cook, and if she couldn't answer a question on the topic of foods when asked, she would come through with a solid answer within a day. It seemed the succubus enjoyed finding out more about her chosen field almost as much as she enjoyed cooking for Tsukune. One totally unexpected perk of being around Tsukune was when the twins brought his mail, Inari was in a position to learn about anything exciting before it had a chance to make it into the gossip network.

It was just a week after White Day when the mail that was delivered to Tsukune gave Inari a preview of something exciting. Tsukune had a letter from Ogono Aiko. Tsukune opened the letter, and after quickly reading it, he shared it's contents with the others.

"Aiko's classmates are having a graduation ball," Tsukune said. He pulled the invitation and the RSVP card out of the envelope and handed them to Moka. "She says that she is sending invitations to all of us, and that we can bring friends if we want."

"But Tsukune," Kurumu spoke up. "Why would she say we can bring friends of she is sending us all invitations? We would all just bring each other any way."

"It is traditionally accepted," Moka explained. "That when you invite somebody to a social event, that you allow them to bring a companion or escort. If Tsukune's invitation only said 'admit one,' then it would suggest that he is being singled out for some reason."

"She is sending us all invitations," Tsukune added. "Because we are all her friends. We are being invited to attend as individuals, not as the Newspaper Club."

"Oh," Kurumu responded.

"We are all being invited?" Yukari questioned.

"That's what her letter says," Tsukune answered. "She is mailing each of us our own invitations."

"If we can bring friends..." Yukari said with a small frown. "Would it be alright if I asked Kuna along? I think it would good for her to go out among humans, and this won't be open to the general public, so it should be safe enough."

"Do you think she will be able blend in?" Tsukune asked.

"Oh yes," Yukari perked up. "I'll help her study the subject, and even help her learn a dance or two."

"Does she have anything to wear to a formal dance?" Tsukune asked as he looked down at the invitation. "And it's a masquerade."

"Oh?" Moka said in a voice that sounded almost casual, and almost curious.

"So..." Kurumu said in almost the exact same tone.

A silence hung over the group for a handful of heartbeats, and then it was washed away in a flood of excited voices. Tsukun had felt it coming as soon as Moka had responded to his last words. It was going to be a formal social event. No power in heaven or earth was going to stop the women around him from going all out. It was going to be a competition between them, and between all the other women that were going to be attending the ball.

Inari was quickly caught up in the excitement with the other women. A formal ball, a masquerade, was something out of a story. While she had not been with the group long enough to be included in any special events, it was still exciting to talk about them. And there was always the small hope she would be invited along by one of the others.

XxxxX

Moka was feeling energetic for the rest of the school day. The idea of attending a formal ball wasn't as exciting to her as it was to the others, because her father had hosted more than a few balls. What was exciting was the idea of being dressed up in a fancy western gown and dancing with Tsukune. As she thought about how she would like to dress up, Moka also thought about how Tsukune should be dressed. She liked the idea of them being dressed to match each other. She was still mentally working on the idea when classes let out for the day.

"Moka," Tsukune caught her attention while she was still standing up from her desk. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Of course, Tsukune," Moka gave him a sparkling smile.

"It's about the ball," Tsukune said.

"Oh?" Moka blinked.

"The thing of it is..." He looked around, knowing that Kurumu and Mizore were watching him. "I would like to be your escort to the ball..."

"Of course," Moka agreed. "I would love to attend the ball with you."

"But there's something I want to do," Tsukune continued. "The invitation says I can bring a guest..."

"You want to invite your lieutenant?" Moka asked, her voice hardening.

"No," Tsukune shook his head. "Let me explain..."

XxxxxXxxxX

By the time the sun had set over Youkai Academy there was an excited buzz spreading fast among the third year students. Invitations to a Graduation Masquerade Ball had been sent from humans to youkai. They had not been open invitations to all third year students, but to a specific list of individuals. The rules were stipulated on the invitations. It would be a formal event, so there would be a dress code. All in attendance would be required to have at a minimum a formal outfit and a simple mask. The invitations were sent only to third year students, but those invited could bring a guest even if they were not third year themselves.

The list of invited individuals were all third year, but that was not all they had in common. Invitations were received by third year students in the Drama Club, as well as third year students that had been a part of Tsukune's special team that had gone to the human world as a security detail. They were all individuals that had been given, and taken, the opportunity to meet and make friends with humans, specifically with third year students of the Masako Shoken Academy for Girls.

Inari had been surprised to discover her own invitation in her mail. Knowing that she was important enough to be worth an invitation of her own was exciting. She was going to get to attend the ball after all.

Inari was suddenly gripped by a sense of near panic. Reality crashed over her. She had nothing to wear. And how was she going to get there?

XxxxxxX

"Hai hai," Ochi Rin said as he answered his cell phone. He had a cracker hanging out of his mouth, a pencil behind his left year and a red pen behind the right. He was studying for his approaching finals when the phone had started to chime. He had answered it without even checking the display.

"Rin," Tsukune's voice came through. "How have you been?"

"Tsukune?" Rin asked in disbelief. "What's going on?"

"I was calling to see how things are going for you," Tsukune said. "And see if you're interested in something. Tell me, are you still with that girl from your tennis club?"

"Nah," Rin sighed. "She broke up with me."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Tsukune said honestly.

"Yeah, thanks," Rin said. "But it really wasn't a surprise. After the party over the Winter break I realized I wasn't taking her seriously enough. She liked the attention I showed her, but she didn't want to make things any more serious between us. She gave me an obligation chocolate for Valentine's Day and said we could still be friends."

"Ouch," Tsukune responded.

"Right," Rin agreed. "I've talked to her a few times outside of club activities since then, but..."

"Well.." Tsukune said.

"The part that sucks is that now that I want to be serious," Rin explained. "I can't just look at a girl and think about how she looks. I want to find somebody I can actually spend time talking with, but all the single girls around me are ether taken not interested in being serious about anything."

"Well," Tsukune said. "Maybe you need to meet some new women."

"Where am I going to do that?" Rin asked bitterly.

"Well now that you mention it," Tsukune drawled. "The reason I called is because there's this graduation party..."

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

"Moshi moshi," Nagi answered his phone. He had just finished his evening workout when he had heard his phone ringing.

"Hey Nagi," Kota said from the other end of the call. "Did you check your mail yet today?"

"No," Nagi answered. "I'm not expecting anything. Why do you ask?"

"I just got an invitation in the mail," Kota said. "Remember those girls we met at Tsukune's school festival? The ones from the all girls school?"

"Yes," Nagi answered.

"Well they're throwing a graduation party next month, a dance," Kota explained. "It sounds like its a pretty special thing. I'm going to write Emmy and see if she'll go with me. I thought you might have gotten an invitation too."

"I will have to go and check my mail," Nagi said. "Thank you for calling."

"No problem," Kota said. "Maybe we can make it a double date."

"That sounds like a good idea," Nagi replied. "Let me get cleaned up, and I'll call you later."

"Alright," Kota said. "Later."

XxxxxxX

Ruby was feeling excited. She had received the same invitation as Tsukune. As soon as she could she had started working on ideas for costumes. As her master's slave it would not be her place to attend the ball, except as a hand servant, but she had received her own invitation, so she would be free to dress up and participate.

Ruby was also feeling excited because she had a new way to serve her master. Tsukune would need to be in an appropriate outfit for the masquerade, and that meant she would have to make something special for him. The more she thought about it the more she wanted to smile. After the holiday party at his mother's, Ruby had entertained herself with a costume project. Now that Tsukune had the masquerade to attend, Ruby knew that with just a little work she would have the perfect costume for him; and not just for him.

XxxxxxX

The end of the year was only two weeks away. Finals were just a little sooner. Tsukune's circle of friends were aware of the pressure, the tension in the atmosphere of Youkai Academy. While they were confident in their future plans, they were still feeling a sense of anxiousness. Tsukune took comfort from his friends. They in turn found comfort in the man they loved. Inari's presence at lunch and in group study sessions was now the norm rather than the exception. The Me sisters were Tsukune's eyes, seeing what was going on around the campus and reporting back to him. It was amid this strange mixture of outside pressures that Tsukune found himself with a paradox of time to read quietly.

Tsukune finally had some time to make a serious study of the book he had been given at the temple. It was something he could read whenever he needed to take a break from his school work, but did not want to distract his friends. The book had been hard to understand at first, because it was old and written in a strange mix of formal and informal styles. Tsukune finally realized that it was actually three books that had been assembled in one cover. The different formal styles seemed to spend as much time arguing as they did agreeing. The pages written in an informal style were almost a study guide for the rest of the book.

The book gave Tsukune a new insight into his own nature, and into the nature of humans and youkai in general. It was a book about the complementary opposites in balance of Yin and Yang. Tsukune quickly understood how there was both positive and negative energy. His own dark and destructive youki was a result of his exposure, some would say poisoning, by youkai blood. It was the opposite of yinki, life energy that came from being just a normal human and alive. Tsukune understood that his problem, his need for the holy lock, was because his two energies were not in balance. All the things he had learned to do, all the ways he had learned to channel his youki could also be used with yinki. But only if he had the same kind of raw power to draw from.

Most humans had to study for years and years to do even a part of what he could do with his youki. Tsukune remembered stories of martial arts masters that could practically fly, shatter boulders with a touch, and other impossible things. He had discarded such stories as fantasy while he was still reading mangas about them. He remembered those stores, and his conversation with Yukari about humans being able to use magic. As one thing often leads to another, Tsukune found himself revisiting the book Brone Gray had given him.

Tsukune's study time was soon split between school work and his own private studying. Tsukune wanted to try to practice some of what he was reading about, but didn't have the right opportunities to do so. When he wasn't in school, or working, or studying with his friends in a group, he still wasn't alone. Half of the time he wasn't doing something else, Moka was with him. The other half of the time it was one, or more of the others. But Tsukune did not complain about the lack of personal space or private time. He knew he only had a couple of weeks left of life at Youkai Academy, and then life was going to get complicated.