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 252

Thursday morning, as Tsukune crested the hill and drove his minivan down onto the paved road, he was surprised by how much the student village had changed. Not only had new buildings been added, but the surrounding area had been landscaped to support the changes. The old office building had been torn down and a new street passed through where it had stood to join the old one. The new street was half as long as the old one, then it split into two more streets like a giant 'Y.' At the fork of the new street, facing the older section of the student village was a two story apartment building.

As they passed the little village store, it was clear that it had been changed as well. The store had been expanded and now had an awning and a produce stand out front. There was also a small counter with four all stools under the cover of an awning on the side of the store. From the signs, Tsukune guessed that ramen had grown in popularity since he had graduated.

At the end of the street, the old manor looked exactly like Tsukune had left it. He pulled the minivan to a stop in front of the manor and looked at the house with mixed feelings. As soon as he put the minivan in park, the middle doors opened. Ruby and Inari hopped out, with the Me sisters a heartbeat behind them. The rear door opened a moment later and the unloading began.

"We're back," Tsukune said as he turned to the front passenger seat, where Moka was, and gave her a smile that showed all of his feelings. "Thank you for coming with me."

"Tsukune," Moka reached out and put her hand on top of his on the gear shift. "I will go with you anywhere and everywhere."

"I love you," Tsukune's smile brightened just a little.

"We love you too," Moka smiled, only half teasing.

XxxxxX

Tsukune had been less than happy when he had been summoned to meet with the Board Chairman. He had made the trip back to the Youkai Academy, and up to the familiar office with a hot knot in his gut. Tsukune had made a point of wearing a short sleeved shirt to that meeting. He was no longer bound by the holy lock and wanted it to show.

The meeting turned out to be mercifully short. The Board Chairman congratulated Tsukune on his personal advancement and accomplishments, and then got down to business. Tsukune and his friends were invited to attend the school's annual festival. Tsukune was expected to be there as a councilor, at least for some of it. Also, he and his friends were alumni of the school. Past graduates were always asked to attend, and Tsukune's little group enjoyed a celebrity status unlike any others in the history of the academy.

The Board Chairman simply wanted Tsukune and his friends to be visible at the festival. The manor was unoccupied, and was available for them. Tsukune and the others were to visit and enjoy the festival, and be seen doing so, as a way to support the school and encourage the students.

Tsukune did not entirely trust the Board Chairman, but he had no reason to refuse, except to just be stubborn. He accepted the keys to the manor one again and said he would be at the festival, but could not speak for his friends. The Board Chairman accepted what Tsukune was willing to give and didn't try to argue.

It would not be a complete reunion of the Newspaper Club. Mizore's pregnancy was advancing normally, but her people were insisting that she stay safely home. Kurumu promised to visit the festival, and made Tsukune promise to have a date with her when she did, but she would not be able to stay for the whole weekend because of her work and school commitments. Yukari promised that she would be there, but could not confirm exact dates or times.

On the other hand, Tsukune's other friends were also invited to return for the festival. Kota, and Nagi and Kiyo, would be arriving by bus Friday Morning. Likewise, Aiko and her friends were invited to return as well. Tsukune himself was not going to be free for the entire weekend of the festival. Friday he was scheduled to be on duty. Inari would be on on duty Saturday. Moka, when Tsukune was otherwise busy, would be spending her time with ether her sister, or whichever of their friends were available.

After getting out of the minivan, Tsukune stood looking at the manor. Ruby and the Me sisters were already carrying everything into the house. Inari was already coming back out for another load. Tsukune knew it would take his 'staff' some time to get the house in order.

Moka moved to stand beside him and took his hand. She could see the emotions on his face, and in the way he stood. Tsukune was remembering how much had been forced on to him. Even now, people were expecting things from him.

"Tsukune," Moka spoke his name gently.

He answered by turning to her and smiling as a wave of tarnished silver highlights rippled though his hair.

"We have some time," Moka suggested. "Is there anything you would like to do before the festival opens?"

"Let's go for a walk," Tsukune replied.

"Yes," Moka agreed.

Xx

Moka was glad to be with Tsukune. A walk in the woods filled her with happy and romantic memories. There were also a few memories that made her feel a little more than warm. It wasn't very far from the village where she and Tsukune first became lovers. While a small part of her mind was entertaining those memories, most of Moka's attention was on Tsukune. That ripple of highlights in his hair had not happened, to her knowledge, since he had lost the holy lock. She remembered all the times that the holy lock had proven ineffective on its own to contain Tsukune's youkai side. Now Tsukune was back at the place where his life had been forced in a a direction he could have never imagined.

The Youkai Academy was the place where Tsukune had lost his life. He had lost his chance to be a normal, average human. He had turned his back on a safe life to be with her. He had been willing, over and over again, to risk his life to protect her, and his other friends. Moka worried that without the holy lock, maybe returning to the Youkai Academy during the annual festival might have been a bad idea.

'Whatever happens,' Inner Moka thought viciously. 'We will protect Tsukune.'

'That's right,' Moka thought back.

XxxxX

Tsukune was feeling tense as he walked with Moka in the woods. He knew that he owed the Board Chairman for the holy lock, but at the same time he felt that the debt should have been paid off even before he had graduated. Tsukune had performed his duties to help and protect the school. He was still willing to come to the aid of the school if it was needed, but he did not like the way the Board Chairman seemed to expect him to still be a simple follower. Hell, Tsukune had even saved the old man's life. That alone should have canceled any debt over the holy lock.

Tsukune could not help but feel as if everybody would be watching him at the festival. He didn't think he deserved any special celebrity status. He knew he had worked hard for the sake of the school and its students, but now he was afraid that people would still be waiting for him to take charge if anything came up. He was feeling caught in the middle. If something happened, like an attack against the school, Tsukune would not hesitate to help protect everybody, but he was afraid that others would let their guard down when they saw him, because they would expect him to be the guardian he was before graduation.

It was an awkward trap to be in. Tsukune was resentful of the idea that people would be expecting him to do what he knew he would. He was also worried that some of the students that remembered him might come to him for advice, about the festival or other things he had worked on in the past.

Tsukune knew he was well known for more than the fighting and hard work he had done for the school. He knew that there was a much inflated idea of his ability to understand and get along with women. Tsukune did not want anybody trying to ask him for relationship advice. He also did not want any girls mooning after him all weekend. He had been half afraid that some of the females might have found out he was coming and tried to act as his maids. He wanted additional maids about as much as he wanted additional feet.

Tsukune tried to keep his troubling thoughts pushed down as he walked with Moka. They stayed in the woods, following the open areas under the tress that could be a path, or might have once been a road. They did not go very far. It was just long enough of a walk to work out the stiffness of the drive, and to give Tsukune's 'staff' a chance to get the house in order for their stay.

Moka and Tsukune returned to the manor in time for a late lunch. The house was just like it had been left after graduation. Tsukune hoped that it was because somebody had been sent to clean it recently, and not because it had been used as some kind of shrine. What he had really expected was that the manor would have turned into the kind of place students would use for tests of courage, and other kinds of dating.

Over lunch, he shared his thoughts about the manor with Moka and Ruby. Moka got a small laugh out of it. Ruby, while serving lunch, heard what Tsukune said, and while she didn't say anything, she had a mischievous light in her eyes that gave him an idea of what she might be thinking.

XxxxxX

Classes let out early for the day. The school's halls and grounds became a chaotic sea of students moving in every direction. Some students hurried off to change clothes. Others had to go and pick up things for their class or club booths.

The Newspaper Club had transformed their club room into a small store and exhibit hall. Past articles were posted on display boards. A table was set up with samples of work, so visitors could see some of what went into putting an issue of the newspaper together. A special service was set up so students, for a small fee, could compose letters or even small articles to be included in the November issue.

Kokoa was the lord of her own little domain. There were enough club members that there could be two people on duty at all times, and everybody would still have a chance to enjoy the festival. The young vampire had a headband that declared her 'Editor and Chief' of the Newspaper Club.

While Kokoa was in charge of the club, Hana was the driving creative force that was directing her. With most of her life spent wishing for impossible things and trying to think of ways to get them, Hana had developed a useful imagination. Her suggestions to Kokoa and the other cub members were usually well received, even if they thought the human girl was a little strange, or even disturbing.

XxxxX

Hana was loving her life at the Youkai Academy. She just wished she could have discovered the place sooner. After the fight the night of the masquerade, she had no trouble getting Kokoa to help her train her fighting skills. She was used to standing out among her classmates, because she didn't want the same old thing as everybody else. At Youkai Academy, Hana stood out because she was human, and learning to act human was what the other students were there to do.

Because she was a human, Hana was given a house in the student village and assigned a housemate. Hana wasn't disappointed to miss out on dorm living one bit. She liked the independence of living in the village. Her housemate, a second year student who would be the senior house resident the next year, was a Raiju named Tsubasa Terumi. The pair got along simply because there was no reason for them to be at odds.

Hana's bedroom was a strange reflection of her room back home. She had the regular anime inspired posters up on the wall, but between Magical Sami and Kamen Rider Ryuki, Hana had pinned up her stained costume from the masquerade. On a shelf over her bed, Hana kept a set of senchi soldier figurines, all women, and her trophies from the masquerade, the pair of slightly curved horns she had used as weapons.

The horns had been broken loose by a blow from Kokoa and Ku. While the attacker had still been dazed and on his knees, Hana had performed a heel drop on the back of his head, knocking him out. She had then grabbed his horn and pulled them free to arm herself. Since then, the horns had been shaped by her constant handling. The sharp edges that had first cut into her hands were now rounded down. The ragged bases that had once been fringed with flesh were now polished smooth. Beyond the parts that now fit so well in her hands, the leading edge of the horns were like a serrated knife blade, and the tips were dagger sharp. Hana still practiced with them regularly.

The horns were not the only things Hana had managed to collect. In her first month at Youkai Academy, a boy had gotten fresh with her, thinking that a human girl would be safe to grope. In return, Hana has slapped him had enough to split his lip. The boy had then compounded his mistake by yelling at Hana and calling her insulting things, and had even started to transform. Hana took the fight out of him with a quick knee to the groin, and as he had crumpled, a second knee punch had connected with his face and knocked out one of his tusks. The four inch ivory spike had been added to Hana's trophy collection.

During the summer trip, she had collected a trophy from one of the youkai bikers. It had been a surprise to discover that there had been a female in the gang. When the fight was over, the youkai woman was missing a patch of her scalp, and Hana had her new trophy. A long braid of hair that had formerly been attached to the the biker.

Hana did not advertise her collection, but she wasn't trying to keep it a secret ether. Terumi knew about it, and so did her friends in the Newspaper Club. Because of her trophies, there was a rumor about Hana whispered about. It made some students nervous about getting close to her. In the past, sorcerers and youkai hunters had been known to kill youkai for such trophies. Humans wanting to prove themselves would hunt down youkai to fight, hoping to gain a trophy to take back home and show off.

Hana wasn't actively looking for trophies. When she talked with her schoolmates, she was never thinking about proving herself by fighting them. Hana wanted to prove herself by being a good friend. She wanted to prove to herself that she could do anything she really wanted, and that the word impossible was overused. In her mind and spirit, Hana embraced the idea and existence of youkai.

As Hana got ready for the start of the festival, she hoped that Tsukune would be coming. She had heard all about how alumni visited the festival. She had also heard the stories about how exciting the festivals had been over the past three years. Hana was hoping that her festival at Youkai Academy would not turn into some kind of battleground, but she still wanted it to be exciting. She wanted Tsukune to come so she could talk with him and introduce him to her friends.

XxxX

Hana and Kokoa, along with most of the Newspaper Club were together in the club room when they heard the news. Word has first been spread by the Student Police. From there, the gossip network took over. Aono-Sama had been seen in the student village. The gossip network garbled most of the details, but it was clear that Tsukune had returned for the festival, and that he wasn't alone.

The news was the spark that touched off a fireworks fuse. Hana was excited at the idea of seeing her friend and sempai. Kokoa knew that if Tsukune was near that her sister would be around too. The pair wasted no time in heading for the student village.

Word had spread across campus and through the student body. Aono-Sama was back. Aono-Sama, Sempai, and Sensei, the school guardian and agent of romantic success. Every rumor about Tsukune was suddenly bubbling up and being shared. Suddenly there was a whole new level of excitement in the air about the annual Halloween Festival.

They came from all around the campus. From the Student Police, and many of the clubs. Some were just small groups of curious students. They did not gather intentionally. There was no official planning involved. They all simply started moving, each group or individual, with his or her or their own reasons.