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 215

Moka's words were still in the back of Tsukune's mind when he set out the next morning. From what Mizore had said in her letter, he didn't think that she had accepted an arranged marriage. The small map that had been included clearly showed that she had moved out of her mother's home. One of the things that had always bothered all of the women around Tsukune was the lack of privacy. He wondered if she had decided to live by herself in hope of luring him to spend more time with her.

Tsukune was willing to admit that a 'normal' life was still an attractive idea. He liked the idea of living one-on-one, a man and a woman together as they built their lives as a pair. Naturally Moka was his first choice for such a life. Ironically, it was Moka that had made such a modest life impossible.

Tsukune considered the other women in his life as he traveled. Kurumu would be just as willing to live one-on-one with him, and because of the bond he shared with her, she was a close second to Moka. Tsukune could imagine sharing a city apartment with Kurumu, where she would be close to the shopping and nightlife. He somehow doubted that the hyper succubus could ever adjust to the slower life of the suburbs. Mizore on the other hand was easy to imagine as the perfect neighborhood housewife. Her quiet modesty would let her and Tsukune live alongside their neighbors with little friction.

Setting the others aside, Tsukune knew he could count on Ruby to play the role of housewife at any time. He knew that she loved him every bit as much as the others, and he loved her more than just a little in return. But Tsukune couldn't ignore her master/servant cravings, and wondered how that would transition into a husband/wife relationship, especially if they ever had children.

Tsukune knew he would never have the one-on-one life with any of the women he cared for. He suspected that sooner or later one, or more, would finally come to their senses and want a life with someone that could be loyal only to them. Until that time came, Tsukune was going to have to do his best to keep them all as happy as he could, because he loved them and they deserved it.

Trying to think of ways to make Moka and the others happy was a way to keep himself a little entertained during his trip. While he would not want to admit it to anybody, it was fun to imagine some of the things Kurumu and Mizore had done in the past, and suggested that they would be willing to do in the future. It was the blast of cold air that Hit Tsukune after his last jump that brought his musings to an abrupt halt.

From a distance the village where Mizore made her home looked as it always had. The faint auroras in the daytime sky added flickering highlights to the sparkling structures. Tsukune stopped outside the village to check Mizore's map and to orient himself. In the short time to decide on which way to go, he could already feel that he was being watched by more than a few sets of eyes. He knew that male visitors to the village were a rare thing. Even more rare was that he was coming unescorted.

Tsukune let Hiru slip from her mechanical form to her four-legged one as he followed Mizore's map. A big black creature seemed to fit in better with the surroundings than a sleek black motorcycle. He also hoped that it would help intimidate any of the locals that might have been interested in trying to distract him. Ether nobody was interested in him, or his plan worked, because he reached his destination without mishap.

Tsukune knew he had found the right place as soon as he saw it. It looked like a traditional Japanese house and stood out from all the other houses in site. It had a front garden area, and the whole plot was surrounded by a wall, or maybe a fence, of icicles and swirls of ice and snow caught and frozen in place in the middle of a blizzard. Tsukune approached the open gate and dismounted from Hiru. On the tori that framed the gate was a round crest showing the Shirayhki blossom that was Mizore's family name.

Tsukune let his youki raise up a little as he passed under the torii. He paused to give a pull on a rope that made a set of hanging shards of ice jingle with clear, ringing notes. He found himself smiling. Mizore was a gifted woman, able to make common ice into meaningful art and useful tools. He was half way between the gate and the front door when the mistress of the house appeared.

"Tsukune..." Mizore called out as she opened the door. "You're here!" She was dressed in a yukata of light blues and pinks and had a smile so wide it threatened to reach the back of her head.

She rushed out to welcome Tsukune. Between the front door and the ground outside, Mizore gave a small jump and ice formed into a pair of geta on her bare feet. Running up to Tsukune, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

Tsukune hugged and kissed her back. It felt good to hold her. It had been only a little more that a week since he had last seen her, but he had missed her more than he had realized.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Tsukune said when Mizore finally let him.

"I'm so glad you're here," Mizore said, looking up at Tsukune while still holding on to him. She slipped out of his arms and took him by the hand. "Come inside and let me show you the home I built for you."

Tsukune smiled as he went along with her. He had to admit that the house was amazing. The exterior was made of ice, but the inside was much more comfortable and welcoming. The floors were wood and covered with woven mats. The interior walls were ether made of wood and paper panels, or covered with them. With light coming through the ice and paper, the house had a soft glow in every room without the use of lamps. The main building had a vaulted ceiling and a small loft area that Mizore had declared Tsukune's office. Because warm air rises, the loft would naturally be the warmest place in the house. The master bedroom was large enough for two adults to move around freely even when the futon was laid out.

Mizore explained how the house was connected, like most in the village, to a natural hot-spring. The hot-spring provided running water to the kitchen, water closet, and bathroom. The bathroom, almost a bath house, was attached to the back of the main house. It had a large bath that could accommodate five or more people with ease, if they didn't mind that the water was a tepid twenty-four degrees Celsius. Adjoining the main pool there was a smaller bath that could hold only two people comfortably. The smaller bath steamed with water from the hot-spring. Its water was a nice thirty-eight degrees. Both baths were made of shaped stone, with the hot water from the small bath trickling over into the larger.

Behind the house was an enclosed garden. It was a greenhouse where fresh vegetables could be grown year round regardless of the weather. Water that overflowed from the bath irrigated the planting beds of the greenhouse. The house Mizore had built was a testament to her skill, power, and creativity. She explained how most of the non-ice part of the house had been reclaimed from empty homes. Other things had been given to Mizore as gifts, according to tradition when a snow woman started her own household.

Tsukune was impressed with all that Mizore had done, and told her so. He even went so far as to pull out his phone and take lots of pictures, many with her in them. He was proud to know her and wanted to be able to share what she had accomplished with his other friends.

As Mizore prepared lunch for them, Tsukune caught her up on what he had been doing. He talked about his new building and what Ruby had done with his new apartment. Mizore found it amusing when he told her about putting their teachers in a locked cell to sleep off their night of drinking. Tsukune thought that Mizore's use of time since graduation was far more amazing than his own.

When lunch was ready, Tsukune and Mizore sat down together to eat. That was when the tone of his visit started to change. He did not say anything at first, but as he sat beside Mizore and the conversation slackened, Tsukune noticed a tightness appear around her eyes. When he reached for her hand, and she hesitated, Tsukune knew something was bothering her. He watched her, trying to appear calm and relaxed as they finished lunch.

Mizore refused Tsukune's offer to help clean up after lunch. She insisted that it was her job to do for him, to offer him comfort and a place to relax and escape from being responsible. Tsukune settled for sitting on a chair in the kitchen as she washed up.

"I still can't get over how amazing this house is," Tsukune said. "I'm glad I know somebody so talented."

"Thank you," Mizore said.

"I feel kind of guilty though," Tsukune went on, carefully watching Mizore for any hints of what might be bothering her. He thought he might know, and wanted to test his theory. "You did all of this so we could have a place we can share, but I'm not going to be able to spend a lot of time here."

"That's alright," Mizore said, giving Tsukune a quick, tight smile. "I know you have a life beyond this village. I wanted to make a home you would find pleasing to visit. One you could think about even when you don't have the time to come and see... me."

Tsukune caught the small hitch in her words.

"But I still feel bad about leaving you alone here," Tsukune offered.

"I won't be alone," Mizore said without turning around.

"I know your mother will be here," Tsukune said. "And your friends and neighbors."

"That's right," Mizore said with a little nod. "This is my homeland. My family will be here."

"Mizore..." Tsukune said gently as he stood. He crossed the kitchen and reached out to her. "I love you. Sometimes I forget just how special you are..."

Mizore flinched has Tsukune's hand touched her shoulder. He noticed, just like he noticed how tense her body had become. Moving a little to the side he was able to see that her cheek was wet from tears.

"Mizore," Tsukune asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's..." Mizore began.

"Don't," Tsukune said in a firm voice. "Mizore, please don't try to tell me that there isn't anything wrong." He took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. As she looked into her troubled face, Moka's words came back to him.

"Mizore," Tsukune softened his voice. "I am worried about you. Please tell me what is bothering you."

"Alright," Mizore replied in a weak voice, nodding. "Let's go sit down." She dried her hands when Tsukune let go of her.

Xx

There was a tense silence as they sat down in the living room together. They were together, but apart. They were sitting on the same couch, but Mizore had put herself just at the end of an arm's reach from Tsukune. He waited patiently for her to talk.

"Tsukune, I'm sorry," Mzore said at last. "I didn't want you to find out this way."

"What is it?" Tsukune asked.

"I... When..." Mizore took a breath and blew it our as she tried to keep her composure. "Tsukune," Mizore started again. "There are some things that I'm not free to tell you. Some things that belong to somebody else to decide if you should be told. Please don't think I am trying to keep things from you. It's not like that."

"Alright," Tsukune encouraged.

"It's just that..." Mizore paused for a deep breath and to summon her courage. "It's just that something happened. Something that had happened and it sacred me. I was suddenly terrified that... That... Tsukune, you know that I love you. I want to be there for you, and to do anything I can for you."

"I know," Tsukune gave her a nod.

"But there is something I have to do for myself," Mizore said. "For myself, for my love for you, and for my people. When... When that something happened, I realized that... Tsukune, how many times have you been hurt? How many times have you nearly been killed? And then there was the time I was nearly taken away from you. Tsukune, I nearly lost you forever just a few days after I first worked up the courage to talk to you."

"Mizore..." Tsukune tried to comfort her.

"Please," Mizore cut him off. "I need to do this. I need to tell you..." She looked him in the face until she was sure he wasn't going to stop her. "Tsukune, something happened and it made me realize that... That I could lose you. I don't mean to Moka or some other woman. I was suddenly afraid that you could be killed. I realized that I could lose more than I had ever even considered. I could lose the future that I had been wishing for, and I realized that I had to do something before it was too late. I had to make sure the future I wanted happened now, before it was too late."

"What are you saying?" Tsukune asked.

"Tsukune," Mizore said. "I love you, and that will never change. I built this house so you would always have a place where you could be welcomed and loved with support and comfort. But I also built this house to be a home where I could raise a family. Tsukune, where I could raise our family."

Tsukune felt his insides clench.

"Tsukune," Mizore moved a little closer and reached for his hand. "I have to do my duty, but I could only accept it if it was with you. I love you, Tsukune, and I want you to be happy. I'm sorry, but I was too frightened by what happened to wait any longer."

"Mizore..." Tsukune's voice was harsh, his throat tight.

"Tsukune..." Mizore put his hand on her stomach. "I'm pregnant."