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, then you should not read this.

Chapter 250

Kasumi had more questions than answers after talking with her husband. She was having a hard time wrapping her mind around the idea that her son was somehow able to fight a bear. The more she tried to reason it out, the more questions popped up in her mind. The questions soon started to make her wonder about things she had thought she had known. Her questions haunted her all afternoon. Finally, as she was eating supper, Kasumi knew she would have to do something or her uncertainties would drive her mad.

Kasumi liked to think that she had chosen her moment carefully. Everybody had been gathered together for supper. Her instincts told her it was time to act as the meal was coming to an end.

"Tsukune," Kasumi said in an overly casual tone. "My girls... I want to have a little talk with you all."

A short time later, with only Ruby serving tea, Kasumi was seated with Tsukune and his lovers in an unoccupied room. Kasumi had invited Moka, the recognized fiance, to sit beside her. Mizore and Kurumu sat on ether side of Tsukune. Ruby, when not serving, took up a place behind Tsukune.

"Tsukune," Kasumi began. "I just need to ask you a few things."

"What would you like to know" Tsukune asked politely as he felt supper turning to rocks in his stomach.

"Well..." Kasumi tried to pick her starting point. "Tsurara said that everybody in her village admired you for all that you had done. I was wondering what was it that you did?"

"Mother..." Tsukune took a deep breath and let it out slowly, pausing for time as he adjusted the facts of what had happened to fit with what he thought his mother could understand. "It happened two years ago. I told you that I had visited Mizore's village once. We, that is, the Newspaper Club had been invited to see a local festival. While we were there... Some people were putting pressure on the village to sell their land for development. The Newspaper Club helped uncover what was happening so that the people would not be taken advantage of or lose their homes."

"That is admirable," Kasumi nodded. She looked to where the gravid Mizore sat looking at her son with love in her eyes. "Mizore dear. I know Tsukune can be a little shy. Why don't you tell me more about what happened. It must have been something very special for your mother to accept your relationship so well."

"Tsukune is telling the truth," Mizore began. "But the... the developers, they wanted to make sure they got the land that they wanted, but it could only go to the family of someone who lived there. My village has some old traditions about things like that. One of the men had tricked one of our... He was..." She fumbled for the right way to explain what had happened.

"They were going to force her into a marriage to get control of the land they wanted," Tsukune said quickly. It was close to the truth of what had happened, and it was just like something out of a historical drama, so he knew his mother would want to believe it. "They tried to make it a part of the festival, to trick everybody into going along with it." Tsukune felt like he was reciting the plot from a low budget movie. "When we found out what was really happening..."

"Tsukune came to rescue me," Mizore cut in. "He and the others refused to let the developers get away with their plan."

"I refused to let them use Mizore," Tsukune said firmly. "At the time I wasn't even thinking about the reasons. I just did not want someone I cared about, one of my friends, getting used or taken away like that."

Kasumi felt herself quiver. It was such a romantic story, but her son was trying to spoil it by leaving out important details. There had to be a lot more than what she was being told. Kasumi pressed on.

"These developers," Kasumi decided to go for a flanking attack. "How did you know something was wrong?"

"The festival usually didn't have outsiders," Tsukune improvised. "The Newspaper Club was invited, well, because we were the Newspaper Club, and Mizore's friends."

"Mizore's mother asked her to invite us," Moka supplied. "She was suspicious, and wanted some outside opinions, and because we were all together with Mizore, we had a good reason to be there."

"I see," Kasumi said in a light tone. "What kind of festival was it?"

"A coming of age ceremony for the girls in the village," Mizore answered. "We collect flowers and offer them at the shrine and pray to find love." She looked at Tsukune and blushed as she remembered their time beside the Snow Whites.

"Mizore was hoping that if she brought Tsukune out to gather flowers with her," Kurumu added. "He would give in and marry her."

"I was taken before anything could happen," Mizore confessed.

"So you had been trying to take him," Kurumu accused.

"I just wanted a chance to love him," Mizore argued. "Before I was forced into an arranged marriage."

"Hrmph!" Kurumu gave a sour grunt.

"And when Tsukune came after you," Kasumi asked while trying to appear unconcerned. "Was their any fighting?"

"There was some fighting," Tsukune admitted. "The developers turned out to be a part of the same terrorist group that attacked the dance in April. At the time we had not realized how big of a problem they were going to become."

"Tsukune," Kasumi gave him a level look. "Have you ever been seriously injured?"

The room became as quiet as a tomb. It was a clear and direct question. An ambiguous answer would be the same as a lie. Moka, Kurumu, and Mizore tried to remain outwardly calm in spite of their sudden feelings of nervousness, and even panic.

"Yes I have," Tsukune answered.

"How many times have you been in danger?" Kasumi asked with a fixed expression and a slight tremble in her voice.

"I don't know," Tsukune said. "I never wanted to try to keep count."

"When was the first time you were in danger?" Kasumi pressed.

"The first day of high school," Tsukune answered.

"Mother," Moka spoke up. "I am sorry, but Tsukune risked himself to help me. I was attacked. I was going to be... to be violated, but Tsukune heard me screaming. The student that had attacked me was much bigger and stronger than Tsukune, and knocked him down a hill. He hit his head on something in the fall.

"I had to try, Mother," Tsukune insisted.

"But he did enough that I was able to fight back," Moka continued. "I was able to hurt the attacker enough that we were able to get away."

"Tsukune told me that you were good at fighting," Kasumi nodded, remembering the first day she had met Moka, and how relieved she had been to discover that the Akashiya he had spoken so highly of was a girl. "But there were other times he was in danger, wasn't there." It was not a question.

"Yes Mother," Moka nodded, feeling her insides turning.

"What else has happened?" Kasumi turned her attention back to her son. "Who else has tried to hurt you?"

Tsukune winced at his mother's choice of words.

"Mother," Moka spoke up again. "Tsukune has done many wonderful things for me... But the most special thing is the way he has helped me, and others to learn to be open minded and forgiving. He has made many friends that at first did not get along with him."

"Moka," Kasumi turned to her. "Are you saying that there is someone here that has tried to hurt him..."

"That is enough, Mother," Tsukune said in a firm voice.

"Tsukune," Kasumi protested as she turned back to him.

"Yes, I have been badly injured," Tsukune said. "More than a few times. I have even been hospitalized for my injuries. Sometimes it has been from simple accidents. Sometimes it was because I stood up for what I believed was right. You don't need to be questioning my friends about it."

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Kasumi demanded.

"I don't want to upset you," Tsukune replied.

"I think I would be more upset if I knew my son was keeping the truth from me," Kasumi frowned.

"The guy that attacked Moka on out first day together," Tsukune said, "Came back with friends in our second year to get revenge for being beaten before. I was badly cut up. When I first met Ruby, she saw me with the Newspaper Club, including our youngest member Yukari, and thought I was like the drunk driver that had killed her parents. She attacked me and cut me badly. When Mizore was taken, we were all beaten up pretty bad in the fight to get her back. The night I rescued Kurumu, I was stabbed by the man that had been trying to use her."

"Tsu..." Kasumi's voice faltered.

"Mother, I tried to apologize to you once before," Moka said gently. "Because I have not always been... I have hurt Tsukune in the past. There had been times when our temper and our pride..."

"But none of that matters anymore," Tsukune said. "We have moved beyond that."

"I too..." Mizore began.

"I..." Moka started.

"None of that matters any more," Tsukune said firmly. "We got through it all together. We will still be there for each other no matter what."

"Tsukune..." Kasumi gaped. "You... They... You... Tsukune how can you..." She gave herself a shake and took a breath. "How can you be so calm and accepting about getting hurt? Seriously hurt?" She looked around at the girls she had come to like so much. "How..."

"Mother," Tsukune cut her off. "There is no reason to be upset about what happened. Everybody makes mistakes. I know I've made lots of bad choices. I am lucky that Moka, Kurumu, and Mizore are willing to put up with me after all the trouble I've caused them."

A round of protests rose up, but Tsukune just pressed on.

"I love whom I love," Tsukune stated. "If all it takes for me to find this kind of love and happiness is a few injuries, than it is worth every bit of it and more. I am the luckiest man in the world."

"You are not even a little upset?" Kasumi asked in disbelief.

"I was," Tsukune admitted. "In the beginning. There were times I was frustrated or even resentful. But I moved beyond that. I forgave Kurumu for trying to come between me and Moka, and Mizore for nominating me for class manager."

"He has even forgiven me for the times I have been selfish and demanding," Moka said with a small smile.

"And I pray they have all forgiven me for my foolish mistakes..."

Kasumi was touched by the open affection that was showered on her son. The young women all insisted that they loved him and that he had nothing to be sorry for. She was glad that they all got along so well.

"And I suppose I should say this while I have the chance," Tsukune said with a serious expressed. "Mother, I forgive you for sending me away to high school the way you did. Considering how lucky I am, I want to thank you for your decision."

"Yes, Mother," Moka spoke up. "Thank you for sending Tsukune to school where I could meet him."

"Thank you, Mother," Kurumu added.

"Thank you for giving me the chance to know Tsukune," Mizore said.

"I will forever be grateful to you, Mother," Ruby said with a kneeling bow from behind Tsukune.

"Oh..." Kasumi was speechless as she started to cry happy tears.

x

OMAKE

Something that might have been...

Enjoy... Or not...

The second day of work started earlier, of course, but was surprisingly light. Jessie was surprised at how little real work was asked of him. One young woman or another would ask him do something simple, like carrying buckets of water for her to use in washing. Each task seemed to involve more time just talking with the girl than doing any actual work. He did spend a little time working on the roof, and even moved a few rocks in the garden, but nothing too difficult.

Tsukune applied himself to the project happily. It was satisfying to have something he could just do with his own hands. He moved stacks of clay tiles to the roof and other heavy lifting with ease. He would have done more, but Mizore asked him to take her on a supply run. Tsukune had to go to a town some distance away to get some things for the manor anyway, which would take several hours, so he made a casual date out of the trip while he was at it.

Something Jessie noticed was how he and the other guys were being kept apart for most of the day. He also noticed that any time he wasn't with anybody else, Yuki was be near by. He shared his observations with James that afternoon as the washed up before supper. While he had notice similar things, Jessie's friend wasn't worried in the least.

XxxX

Sunday morning started early for Jessie once again. He managed to sleep most of the night, but got up early hoping to have another chance to talk to talk to Tsukune alone. Slipping out of his room, Jessie found Yuki waiting in the hall for him.

"Good morning," Jessie said, trying to hid his surprise.

"Good morning," Yuki said. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," Jessie answered.

"I will have breakfast ready for you in just a few minutes," Yuki said with a small smile.

Jessie gave her a smile in return and she hurried off to the kitchen. He performed his morning rituals and made his way to the dining room. He felt that it was a good sign for the day ahead that Tsukune was already there. The conversation they shared before the other guys arrived for breakfast was not very informative, but it did help Jessie accept things a little better.