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 326

The inn was almost just how Kasumi remembered it. She and Koji had taken the trip up to the inn for what she was sure was another revelation. The anticipation she was feeling during the past ten days, since her night out with Tsukune, Kurumu, and Ageha, had Kasumi almost bouncing in her seat as the young woman drove the shuttle van up the mountain road

The shuttle van was just adding to the woman's curiosity, because it had been Tsukune's idea. He had told his parents that he had made all the arrangements for the trip, which Kasumi had at first taken as just a nice gesture, until she discovered that all the arrangements were only for a one-way trip. He quickly explained to his mother that he did have plans for their trip home, but insisted that it was going to be a surprise.

The pair of Mizore's cousins had met Tsukune's parents at the Okadama Airport near Sapporo. Kasumi wondered at how many cousins Mizore seemed to have even as she admired the pretty young women in their uniform kimonos. The pair were polite, and appeared very happy to meet Kasumi and her husband. While they didn't say anything more than was expected of their position as inn employees, they never stopped smiling.

Once at the inn, Kasumi was surprised to see the place busier than she had ever seen it before. The old manor house had been expanded a little, a compromise she was told of in advance, between wanting to preserve the site and the experience and the demands of those wanting to make use of the inn. Jessie, in addition to being a passionate mechanic, had been overseeing the discreet addition of modern touches to the old building.

When she got out of the shuttle van, Kasumi found her son already waiting for her. With him was the mistress of the inn, and Mizore's mother, Tsurara, and of course, Mizore herself, once again visibly gravid. Kasumi also saw other guests at the inn as she approached her son. She didn't know the middle-aged couple, but they offered her friendly nods anyway.

"Mother, Father," Tsukuen greeted his parents. "I hope you had a good trip."

"It was comfortable," Tsukune's father answered.

"Hello," Mizore offered a bow.

"We are glad you could come visit us," Tsurara said with a smile. "Tsukune has told me that this will be a special occasion for us."

"Oh?" Kasumi feigned surprise. She was sure that she was in for another revelation. Though she did not know what kind of legendary people Mizore's family was, it didn't take a genius to know that she was going to find out.

"Yes," Tsurara nodded. "Why don't you come in and be comfortable. I am sure you have questions, and there are some other guests that would like to meet you."

There was no hiding the curiosity on Kasumi's face as she followed her hostess into the inn. It was already mid afternoon when Tsukune's mother had arrived at the inn. The journey had been made to feel much longer by the curiosity. As she entered the inn, Kasumi knew she was in for a longer day still. It became even more frustrating when she sat down to tea with Tsurara and Mizore, only to realize that that they had been joined by another woman, and abandoned by her son and husband.

X

"Father," Tsukune said after drawing him aside. "I have a friend that wants to meet you."

"Oh?" Koji wondered as he saw that he was being guided towards an older man.

"Tsukune, thank you," Tanaka Ito said as the other two approached. "Mr. Aono, I a pleased to meet you. Knowing your son has been an unexpected honor for me."

"Father," Tsukune spoke up. "This is Tanaka Ito, Senior Lieutenant-Inspector of the Imperial Guard of the National Police Agency. Lieutenant, this is Aono Koji, my father."

"A pleasure to meet you," Koji said as he offered a hand.

"The pleasure is mine," Ito replied as he shook the other man's hand. "I met your wife once when investigating your son."

"She mentioned you," Koji nodded. "Several times, for three weeks. Tsukune's mentioned you before. He told us that you worked together."

"Yes," Ito nodded as the handshake ended. "We formed an unofficial partnership to take down Fairy Tail. Though most of the details of our work is restricted, for security reasons."

"I imagine it would be a problem if the media got a hold of all the details," Koji gave a crooked smile.

"I am glad you understand," Ito ave another nod. "My wife insisted on meeting yours. While they are talking, perhaps you would join me for a drink?"

"Some of Mizore's people make a surprisingly good beer," Tsukune offered.

"Probably has something to do with their history of finding ways to attract men," Koji nodded.

"I am not surprised that you know about that," Ito said. "Considering who your son is."

Koji just shrugged his shoulders and gave a lopsided smile.

"Right," Ito sighed. "This is a time for beer." He started turn. As he did he threw out a quick question. "So, Koji, do you like fishing?"

x

Kasumi wasn't sure what to make of her current situation. She had just learned that Mizore and her mother were Yoki Onna, and that they were just two of many. The information had not come as a part of a scripted reveal like it had been for Moka or Kurumu, but just tossed out as part of a conversation. It added to Kasumi's confusion that a woman that she had never met before seemed to know all about it, and about Tsukune.

Tanaka Lily, as she had introduced herself, was the wife of a man that had worked with Tsukune when he had been with the police. Kasumi learned that her son had introduced Lily's daughter, Iris, to her future husband, and had even helped the Tanaka's to find a housemaid. A part of Kasumi wondered where her son had found the time to do such things. The rest of her was stunned to learn that Lily's son-in-law was a non-human, and so was her maid.

The conversation over tea was largely about Tsukune, which Kasumi was not too surprised about. Lily shared the story of her first meeting with the then teen-aged Tsukune. It was a story that Tsurara knew little of, and Kasumi had known nothing at all.

"... And then it was all over, except for the paperwork, as my husband would say," Lily was ending the story. "All I saw was a single punch from Tsukune, and then the terrorist dropped like a broken doll. I had never seen anything like it." She fanned herself with one hand for a moment before giving Kasumi a wide smile. "You must be so proud of him."

"I am," Kasumi said with a nod.

"Tsukune has always tried to protect everyone," Mizore said with pride clear in her voice.

"He is a wonderful man," Tsurara agreed with a smile of her own. "And there is nothing he won't do to protect those he feels close to. In fact, in the woods just out side, he once took on a bear with his bare hands."

"Oh my!" Lily exclaimed as her eyes went wide, not noticing Kasumi's blush as she remembered that night.

"It was his desire to protect others that made him so well respected among our people," Tsurara changed the topic when she noticed the other woman's discomfort. "It was that respect that motivated some of our people to work on the decorations for your daughter's wedding."

"And it was such a beautiful wedding," Lily gushed. "It made me wish again that I had more children. Oh please, I hope we can still be good friends when my grandchildren are old enough to be married."

"Perhaps if you have a grandson," Mizore said with a small smile. "One of my daughters may catch his interest." After all, it was never too soon to start planing for her the future of her children.

Kasumi learned that after noon, that since she was one of the few outsiders to know about youkai, Tanaka Lily's efforts to befriend the Yuki Onna had been successful. As a friend, they had spoken with her openly during her visits since her daughter's wedding. Kasumi felt a little cross with her son that this other woman knew things about his life that had been kept from his own mother.

x

By the time dinner was served, Kasumi had decided that she was going to enjoy her visit to the inn, but was still going to find time to have a conversation with her son. It was clear that she was still in the dark about a much that had happened to him since he first went to High School. She did not like the idea of her son's life being a mystery to her, but she would settle that issue later.

The unexpected presence of the Tanakas had given Kasumi something she had been missing. Lily was a modern, normal housewife, just like Kasumi, and both women had learned that the world was a bigger and stranger place than they had been raised to believe. Lily was a woman Kasumi could talk with who would understand her.

X

Koji was also able to enjoy spending time with someone that knew about youkai. For him and Ito however, it was not an afternoon of excited conversation and trading stories about how discovering non-humans had changed their lives. The two men enjoyed cold beers and talked about everything from national economy to comparisons of the weather at the inn to back home.

Tsukune sat with the two older men. While he did enjoy a glass of beer with them, he mostly just relaxed and let them talk. Eventually he slipped away to meet with Mizore, leaving his father and his friend to talk and drink at their own pace.

-x-

"Tsukune," Kasumi called out to her son when she caught up to him the next morning. "Do you have time to talk with me?" She had been frustrated by his ability to escape her the evening before. In fact, it was almost noon when she finally found him available at a time when she herself was not busy talking with someone else.

"Of course, Mother," Tsukune answered with a smile. "I was expecting that you would want to talk with me by now."

Kasumi didn't say anything right away. She gave her son a dirty look. The way he talked it was as if he had come looking for her, and not the other way around.

"Yes," Kasumi said with a nod. "I want to ask you some questions. And this time I expect whole answers."

"I will try," Tsukune replied. "Let's go sit down and have some tea while we talk. This may take a while."

Tsukune lead his mother to a back garden area where wicker chairs and a small table had been set in the shade of a tree. As they arrived, one of the staff girls appeared with a loaded tray, lingering only long enough to serve the first cups of tea before vanishing again, leaving the tray behind. Kasumi refused to let the sudden and convenient service distract her.

"Tsukune," Kasumi spoke up even as she held her cup for a first sip. "I want to know just how you, my quiet son, managed to get so close with such wonderful girls, and so many of them."

"I started on my first day..." Tsukune began.

Kasumi lost track of time as she listened to her son. While what he told her what had to have been trimmed down to fit in the space of a single afternoon, it was the most complete explanation of what had happened to Tsukune she had heard so far. As he talked, Kasumi was able to insert what she already knew into the right places to help flesh out the story.

Tsukune's story was every bit as addicting as any of Kasumi's television dramas. Tsukune told her about his first meeting with each of the women that had become a part of his life. He talked about their attempts at seduction, both clumsy and clever. Kasumi thought she would burst into excited flames as Tsukune told her about the first kiss he shared each of his lovers.

Kasumi found herself on the edge of tears over and over again as she listened to the story. Her son had almost died. He had almost died because he had simple been a human alone, where she had sent him into danger, in a school of monsters. He had almost died because Ruby had thought he was some kind of evil person because of how she had lived after losing her parents. He had almost died protecting Mizore... Over and over again he had nearly died, and each time he had come through the danger and the darkness thanks to the friends he had been risking his life to protect.

Tsukune continued his story until he finished summarizing all three years of high school. Kasumi was left with a lot to think about. Her mind was so full of new information that she went through supper without saying a word to anyone, and later, could not even remember anything about the meal or who had been at the table with her. After supper, she sought out Tsurara to ask the other mother some questions.

Kasumi had a new respect for her son by the time the small vacation was over. He had avoided surrendering to the temptations of pretty girls while being the best friend any of them could ask for. When she woke in the morning, she knew she would have to talk with Tsukune more.

The years after his graduation, Kasumi learned, had not been as rushed and demanding for Tsukune as his time in high school. Even though his life had not been put on the line quite so many times, his adult life had contained more excitement than any of her dramas could match. An under-cover assignment he could not share details about with a woman that was in love with him made Kasumi want to jump on her son and beat the information out of him. His fights to protect Japan made her proud, but frustrated that she could never tell anybody about what he had done.

While the trip had turned in to an emotional experience, more so than she had imagined it could, it was still something she was glad about. She had a better understanding of her son, his relationships, and his life. She also had a new friend she could talk to in Tanaka Lily. It made Kasumi feel good to know that her son had touched so many lives in such positive ways.