The sounds of the other girls' screams were still echoing in her ears but the follow-up shouts and screams couldn't register inside her mind.

She was frozen there before them, her head twisted back over her right shoulder, her mouth gaping wide, and her eyes trying to match it.

What she was witnessing less than a meter from where she was now planted was too shocking for her mind to overcome in so short of a period of time.

He laid sprawled out beside her, twitching just like a dead corpse would in the throes of the final muscle spasms before death.

A pool of his blood began to form about his torso.

That the blood stained body wasn't dead was even more shocking given the speeds involved in the initial attack.

His spasms were against the pain he wouldn't let escape his mouth in natural screams for his own pride's sake.

He desperately tried to prop himself up from his face down position with his free left arm, but the pain wouldn't allow him the strength to do so.

His right lower forearm was bent back at an odd and clearly painful angle from the rest of his forearm. The blood forming on the ground was from the wound on the inside of his forearm that was created when his Radius and Ulna bones were snapped in two like balsam wood. The blood was pouring off the jagged ends of both jaggedly serrated bones.

His right wrist and upper forearm were firmly in the grasp of the other Tsukune who looked down on him with pity showing for his would be murderer in his eyes.

"I am sorry I had to hurt you."

Somewhere in the instant that he had grabbed and subsequently broke Shinso Tsukune's forearm, his opponent's wings had disappeared from his back, most likely in reaction to the unexpected sudden pain permeating his body.

Seeing him writhing in pain below him, Moka-chan's Tsukune now looked up into the terrified faces of the other four Tsukune versions.

"And though your mutual offers to 'free' me from my misery are indeed generous….."

He then gave the still stunned Kokoa a tender looking smile.

"…I'm afraid I have made promises not to act so rashly while we six our separated from one another."

He then gently let go of Shinso Tsukune's destroyed forearm. The still black and red armor-clad figure cradled the arm like a baby before leaping back from his opponent several meters. When he landed back near an equally stunned Moka he snarled back to the other Tsukune.

"How in the world did….."

Before Ageha's could finish her stunned statement she dropped silent and watched with the others as the blood that covered Shinso Tsukune's front and the floor where he had just been raced back to him and into the wound.

A second later they all took in a short breath in amazement at the sharp sound of his forearm bones popping back into place.

To his credit, Shinso Tsukune didn't flinch, but all the rest witnessing it did. Less than a few seconds later the gap in his black armor was gone, and presumably in his actual flesh beneath it as well.

"Truly…"

Moka could only look at where her Tsukune now examined his forearm beside her.

"…..remarkable."

Her apparent praise for him made him beam, but a split second later stunned and angry shouts began to fill the main hall once again.

"What in the HELL was THAT?"

"Why are you trying to kill him?"

"What's wrong with you?"

"Tsukune-kun would never do that!"

The storm of vitriol built in cacophony behind her as girl after girl angrily questioned her own Tsukune and the others as they sat there sulking and taking the tongue lashings from their beloved ones.

None of that noise reached her ears though.

Her eyes, so ready to witness his death moments before, now began to moisten as she stood there as if frozen in time before his warm smile.

"Am I….his 'prisoner' now too?"

The feeling of pure joy that HE was still alive threatened to squeeze the tears out from Kokoa's eyes.

That warm smile, those tender eyes, it was as if she and he were the only two people in that exact moment in the entire Universe.

"But….I hate him…"

Then he extended his hand toward her and his voice alone reached her ears.

"Are you alright Kokoa-san?"

As if his voice had been the ram that shattered a great dam, the shouts and screams of the other now flooded into her mind as well.

It was as if she had awoken from a dream, and she suddenly jerked back from his proffered hand as if it were diseased.

"I'm perfectly fine, Idiot!"

She then quickly turned so he couldn't see her embarrassed state, but not before she saw his warm expression change to a wry smile, as if he expected her to respond so caustically to his concerns for her.

Sharp fury at him suddenly welled inside her.

"Don't you dare think you know me, Maggot!"

Before she could dwell further on it both of their attentions as well as everyone else present were drawn to the sound of gunfire. Ice pellets shattered on the high ceiling above them and the shards fell down on them as everyone tried to cover their heads.

When the room was silent once more and the ice shards had all fallen to the stone floor under their feet they all turned shocked eyes to where Tsurara stood just outside the concessions way door with what looked like a modified AK-74 in her hands.

"Now that I have all of your attentions….."

In her usual lady-like manner she gently placed the automatic rifle, modified to shoot ice bullets instead of metallic ones, gently on the nearest table with both hands. Only once she had relinquish it did she finish her words.

"…perhaps we can all calm down?"

Into the deathly silence her gunfire had created she moved closer to Shinso Tsukune with concern on her face. Once beside him she lifted his right arm to examine where his injury had been.

"Are you alright dear?"

He nodded with both suspicion and embarrassment warring on his face.

"Yes….ma'am."

She let it go gently and smiled warm up to him, which he awkwardly returned in kind.

"Good."

Then without missing a beat and the smile still radiating on her face she lifted both her palms toward him and blasted him with ice, causing everyone to again move back in sudden fear.

He shouted in rage as she plastered him in another ice cocoon, this time against the wood beam ceiling above them.

"I did warn you that there would be consequences for further aggressive behavior, did I not?"

The ice encased him up to his mouth, with only his ears, eyes, nose and upper head exposed. She continued speaking to him even as he glared down at her in obvious fury.

"So now, you will hang up there encased in ice till I decide you are contrite enough to be allowed your freedom of movement again."

A stunned Moka spoke to Tsurara then in deep concern.

"Did you just…."

"It's okay Moka."

Mizore spoke up for her mother then.

"That's what we call "Living" Ice. It's cold, but it won't give him hypothermia. He'll just….sit there, listening, till mother decides to let him go."

They all looked up at him literally froze to the ceiling in concern for him but also with obvious admiration for Tsurara's skill set.

"And you four did encourage him to attack…..so….."

The other four Tsukunes instantly moved backward in obvious fear of her, but it was too late. In a matter of seconds they were all plastered against the wall.

"Mother, dear, please….."

Mizore's Tsukune tried to appeal to his future mother-in-law before her ice covered his mouth. She walked over to him, his eyes still pleading with her for release. She lovingly stroked his hair and cheek as she spoke to him.

"Ara! Ara! Naughty, naughty boys need to learn their lessons."

She then moved away from him and back to the table where they had all been sitting minutes before.

"So you five naughty boys will listen quietly now, as we ladies decide what to do with you next."

She calmly retook her seat and lifted her tea cup up to her delicate lips. Once she noticed the others looking at her she spoke up again.

"Come on now. The tea and cocoas are getting cold."

Mizore sat beside her mother and the two succubi sat across from them. Ruby now joined Yukari beside the two succubi.

The three other people still free to move about in the main hall now drew their attention.

Moka-san and Moka-chan's Tsukune now looked at each other in mutual concern. Kokoa, again next to that Tsukune, was again a reluctantly close witness.

"Are you…."

"Yes….thank you."

He bowed to her and she awkwardly bowed back, neither seemingly knowing how to treat the other.

The muffled growl from above of Shinso Tsukune from the ceiling over them drew a few interested eyes upward for a moment.

"Come children, we don't have all night and it looks like we have more mouths to feed than originally expected."

They cautiously obeyed Tsurara and moved toward the table. Moka-chan's Tsukune moved to make sure a reluctant Kokoa sat between him and the "other" Moka. It wasn't done rudely, and though a small shadow crossed her face for a second, Kokoa noted her Onee-sama seemed to not be offended by the move to put distance between them.

Kokoa, on the other hand, never felt more awkward than being the "meat" in this awkwardness filled "sandwich" the other two had created.

"Now, shall we….."

"Explain this!"

Tsurara again gave a rare sigh of frustration as her "frenemy" and rival Ageha cut her words off.

Ageha aimed the sharp command downward as the twelve-year-old witch beside her, who once again began to quaver under the renewed interrogation.

Yukari began to stutter when Ruby spoke up for her.

"It's possible that….."

"I didn't ask you!"

Ageha's sharp retort made Ruby and Yukari both jump in their seats and now both witches looked properly frightened by her.

"I asked the one who did this."

Yukari tried to sink away from Ageha's accusatory finger as if she could melt through the bench.

Seeing everyone else's eyes also looking to her for answers, Yukari provided the only answer she had to give.

"I….I don't…"

She gulped nervously, then laid it all on the line in one great rushing torrent of words.

"I DON'T KNOW! It wasn't supposed to happen like this! The spell was supposed to make Tsukune-kun, the one and only Tsukune-kun, act so madly in love with the one girl he was truly in love with that for the next three days or so he'd fawn all over her! That way we'd finally know and those of us that didn't win his heart could begin to move on and quit bickering and fighting all the time! There was only supposed to be one Tsukune in and one Tsukune out! So I don't know what happened! I just don't know!"

Silence permeated the room again as everyone exchanged concerned and perplexed looks.

"So, any theories on why we have six Tsukune-kuns when this spell was only supposed to make the one madly in love Tsukune?"

Tsurara had directed the question to the other witch present, assuming her to be the resident magic expert, but Ruby's answer had a chorus of two with it.

"Shinso blood."

"SHINSO BLOOD!"

Ruby and Moka both looked across at each other, mutually surprised to have both reached the same conclusion, but where Ruby's previously calm sounding answer seemed more like she had reached this conclusion a while before and was confident in it, Moka's excited proclamation had sounded as if the idea had just hit her mind like a sledge hammer.

After another quiet moment, Tsurara again spoke up.

"How so?"

Ruby looked as if she were about to answer, but then smiled across at Moka and nodded for her to try to answer.

After a long pause, Moka said a single word.

"Clones."

While everyone else looked surprised by this, Ruby nodded again to her with a smile before speaking up as well.

"Alucard was able to make clones of himself. Such as…."

She paused with a concerned look toward the two yukionnas, who both looked as if they smelled something bad just then. Both clearly knew which of Alucard's clones Ruby was about to name next.

She reluctantly finished her statement.

"…Fujisaki Miyabi."

Both yukionna continued to look as if their mouths had fowl tastes in them.

"He probably made others too."

Ruby could only nod hesitantly to this dark assertion by Moka.

One of the powers Alucard "absorbed" on his way to becoming the world's first known shinso yokai clearly was the ability to clone himself. That Fujisaki himself didn't seem to be a shinso in his own right, at least from what they had seen of his abilities, clearly indicated that the original Alucard had the ability to also determine exactly what powers he bestowed from his awesome assortment on his individual clones that he created.

Since Akasha-sama wasn't a clone but a direct recipient of Alucard's shinso blood, the assumption was that once she had mastered it, she too could have used his full array of absorbed powers. By conclusion, that same full list of powers would, once mastered, belong to her daughter, and the shinso that Moka had also created, Aono Tsukune.

Moka's dark words also contained the hint of something none of them had wanted to bring up since the battle. While Fujisaki had remerged into the greater Alucard entity, and thus died with it, there was a distinct possibility that Alucard had left behind other copies of himself, with varying degrees of extraordinary powers, to menace the world at some future time unknown.

Luckily no one wanted to go down that particularly dark path just yet though.

"So these are all clones?"

Ageha waved her arm behind her to where four Tsukunes were plastered against the wall, listening in enforced silence.

"Is he the original, then?"

The five other Tsukune's all made mumbling sounds of protest when Ageha used her pointer finger to indicate the only currently free version of Tsukune down near the end of the table.

From his place beside Kokoa where until now he had tried his best to quietly blend into the wooden bench, Moka-chan's Tsukune could only shrug as he awkwardly tried to answer.

"I….don't think so."

Seeing their perplexed expressions looking back at him he tried to provide a better answer.

"I mean, I don't think any of us six are the… 'original' Tsukune. I know I don't feel… 'right'. Something that makes me…..well…..ME, is definitely missing."

I was Tsurara's turn to ask him a follow-up question.

"So all six could be clones?"

"Or…."

Ruby began to speak before Moka-chan's Tsukune could formulate a coherent response.

"…..all six could actually be, one sixth of our Tsukune-kun."

Wide eyes looked back at her, so she postulated her theory for them.

"Each seems to have varying degrees of Tsukune's personality traits."

She pointed to Shinso Tsukune iced into the ceiling above them.

"That one is bold, aggressive, and fearless."

She then looked to the one free Tsukune.

"That one….sensitive, thoughtful, and caring."

He blushed slightly from her words which also made her blush too, much to her own Tsukune's quiet but obvious annoyance.

Yukari, now slightly recovered from her earlier nervous state, began to make an excited statement of her own.

"It's as if each girl has a…."

"That clearly cannot be it."

Moka's vehement words, though not intended as harshness, froze Yukari in her tracks.

"Tsukune, clearly, cannot be in love with all….six of us."

Another awkward silence descended over them as Moka's emphatic belief that Tsukune couldn't love more than one of them, one in particular, brought down a chill onto everyone even Tsurara would be hard pressed to duplicate.

"That's just not…"

"Ara! Ara! Someone now lives in a state of self-delusion."

True to form, Ageha was ready to turn the knife back onto Moka where Tsukune's "love" was concerned.

She quickly found an ally across the table from her.

"Now Ageha, be nice, the poor girl needs time to recover from the shock of reality hitting her between the eyes."

Mizore tried to stop the brewing confrontation before it could explode into actual violence.

"Please Mother, Ageha-san, this isn't helpful at all."

Ruby moved quickly to redirect the conversation, if awkwardly searching for the right words to frame her own statement was proving to be a challenge under Moka's intimidating gaze.

"The six Tsukunes….."

Moka's glowing red coals for eyes drifted off the two elder women present to hit Ruby now.

"….clearly they each are….. 'attached' emotionally…in some form to one of the….."

Ruby moved to continue when Moka didn't lash out over her phrasing, only to become awkwardly aware that her next words might hurt someone else seated at the table.

"…one of the….."

Moka-chan's Tsukune gave her a weak but genuine smile.

"Six girls. It's okay Ruby-chan. You can mention….."

He took a hard swallow before continuing. The action drew all their attention to him with concerned eyes, especially Kokoa and Moka, who's brewing anger evaporated before his sad smile.

"…..Moka-chan. I'm…alright."

Indeed he at least seemed to be alright. Ruby gingerly continued her words after another smile from him.

"Alright. Clearly each Tsukune is….with each of us girls, and apparently other personality traits of his that perhaps his own subconscious associates with each of us, has also attached itself to the corresponding version of Tsukune."

Moka, who had taken a break from angrily leering to direct concern for the only male at the table, now flared again in agitation, causing Ruby to nervously skip using any word that could indicate Tsukune's emotional connection with one of the other girls.

"Just my theory."

Ruby rather meekly went silent after that, but Tsurara filled in the gap with a statement of her own.

"I suppose it will have to do."

Now Ageha had another question, this one aimed down the table to Moka-chan's Tsukune.

"So, is this…..permanent?"

After initially being thrown off by the question being directed at him, he shook his head side-to-side before replying.

"No…..ma'am."

He exchanged a brief look with Kokoa before refocusing on the senior succubus present.

"I explained this to Kokoa-san before when she asked the same question."

He took in a deep breath to steady his thoughts before continuing.

"I can't put my finger on it, but I'm certain this….these separate existences are just temporary."

Tsurara now had a question for him.

"Well then…..how long?"

He awkwardly shrugged back and then all eyes fell on the two witches. Ruby answered for her younger friend.

"The original spell was supposed to last for three, maybe four days. I can't say for certain that this particular alteration will last for the same amount of time, but usually I'd assume this effect will have a similar shelf-life."

The prospect of three or even four days with their own, individual, Tsukunes made Mizore, Yukari, and Kurumu smile brightly. Ruby was also inwardly happy about it, but Moka seemed to be the opposite, clearly agitated and concerned by everything, and also deeply confused. Ruby knew she'd have to manage this situation carefully not to set Moka off on a path that didn't lead to Ruby's ultimate goal for them all.

"So, three, maybe four days?"

Tsurara looked just as pleased with this idea as her daughter, and much smugger about it as well.

Across from her, Ageha looked downright lascivious about the prospects for her own daughter and her particular Tsukune.

"Um….won't this be a particularly interesting vacation?"

Her usual rival nodded in agreement.

"Um…let's hope so."

If either could feel the glaring red eyes looking at them from the other end of the table it wasn't because the owner of those brightly glowing orbs was trying to hide her angry glare from them.

"You're not really mad at me…..are you, Ruby-chan?"

Again Ruby rubbed her face and forehead with her slightly wet hands as she looked back at her weary looking expression in the ladies room mirror before her.

Beside her, where she had just finished washing her own hands, Yukari alternated from nervously looking at Ruby for reassurance and nervously looking at the floor when she found none.

"I most certainly should be."

Yukari winced with these words of rebuke from her much-respected spiritual Onee-san.

Ruby hung her head down and focused on the silver drain in the porcelain sink before her.

"I can't imagine what went through your head when you decided to so rashly do this thing."

She even heard Yukari whimper now. She cut her eyes sideways at the girl before cracking a wry smile on her face.

She then decided that she had chastised the younger witch enough.

"But no, I'm not mad at you."

Yukari's eyes tripled in size before she begged for confirmation.

"REALLY?"

Ruby nodded slightly and Yukari's smile began to beam across her face.

Ruby sighed mildly and turned slightly towards the younger witch.

"Frankly, other than the questionable choice to initiate the spell in the first place, the execution of it was brilliantly done."

The unexpected praise sent the already exuberant witch to near soaring heights.

"You really think so?"

Ruby smirked down at her and nodded again after a long pause for dramatic effect.

"I wouldn't say that if I didn't, especially considering how your rash decision to proceed can still make it all blow up in our faces."

That last part brought Yukari back down to Earth quickly.

"I….I'm…I'm sorry Ruby-chan."

Now she suddenly felt that she needed to defend her actions to the slightly older witch.

"I just got so mad at them fighting, AGAIN! Then I thought Kurumu has already confirmed he's in love with all of us, so if I do this now it will…well….it would show them all…."

The unimpressed look on Ruby's face made Yukari finally give up on trying to justify her actions.

Seeing the younger witch again with a distraught expression on her face, Ruby let out a mild sigh and turned back to look at herself in the mirror before taking on some of the blame herself.

"It's my own fault for reminding you of that spell in the first place."

Yukari looked as if she were going to protest Ruby's innocence but stopped as Ruby continued.

"It would have been better to have waited to confirm that Tsukune-kun would indeed separate into different versions of himself first. No telling what could have happened if that weren't the case. We got lucky Yukari-chan."

Yukari also knew as much and admitted so.

"I…I know, sorry."

The two had discussed this spell and its possible use in combination with Tsukune's unique shinso powers, combined with his affections for each girl, to produce the exact effect that indeed had just occurred.

Ruby, however, was of the opinion that further confirmation of Tsukune's shinso powers needed to be determined before proceeding.

She had also wanted to wait for another condition to change before trying it on him as well.

"And it would have been significantly better to have waited until we had made…..HER ready for this revelation. As it stands she currently won't even accept the possibility that he could be in love with all of us. Her mother and her sister have just died and her father is missing, maybe dead, and she already had to be concerned that the man she loved was really in love with…..frankly, her own mother. This WASN'T the time to force this on her."

Yukari was pouting again now in her own misery.

"I…I know. I'm really sorry."

Ruby sighed again at her but gave her a reassuring smile as she patted her loving on the head.

"Well, what's done is done, but you and I must now keep a tight lid on the other girls and all these other versions of Tsukune in order not to give Moka a reason to give into her darker concerns."

Ruby's expression darkened again as she continued to lay out their difficulties with this situation.

"Not to mention two rather formidable mothers who will do anything to get their daughters as Tsukune's only love interest."

This also made Yukari frown now.

"This 'vacation' has suddenly become a lot of work. Sorry."

Ruby suppressed the urge to tease her now properly contrite friend about how she had only herself to blame for that.

"We're fortunate she has reacted as well as she has, so far."

A sudden voice beyond the locked ladies room door broke their train of thought,

"Open up, I have to pee!"

The familiar voice reached their ears and Ruby nodded for Yukari to unlock the door. When she did, a blue blur shoved her aside rudely.

"Move it!"

Kurumu whipped past Ruby as well and bolted the door to the water closet. Even through the rather thick door both girls heard the sudden splash of water hitting water and the accompanying sigh of relief.

The two witches had to avoid letting her hear them snicker over her previous dire "predicament".

About a minute later Kurumu emerged and began washing her hands as the other two watched.

A moment later, she directed an angry glare at Yukari before speaking to her directly.

"You want Silver to think we're having a Tsukune Lovers convention in here or what?"

Seeing Yukari's equally angry and confused look, Kurumu upper her irritation level as she explained her meaning.

"Go on!"

"…..rude!"

Yukari pulled her eyelid down and stuck her tongue out at the succubus who seemed to now be ignoring her presence entirely as she dried her hands.

"She's right Yukari-chan."

Ruby now spoke to the younger witch with an apologetic tone.

"We don't want to draw suspicions. Best go help Mizore-chan run interference."

At first looking rather betrayed by this, Yukari recovered quickly and made a sneering remark.

"Only because YOU asked me too!"

Then in a huff she left the room. If Kurumu paid any attention to the verbal barb leveled at her by Yukari, she didn't show it at all.

"So, you two figure out how to make this whole thing not blow up in our faces yet?"

Ruby was surprised for a moment by this pertinent question, but Kurumu added on quickly afterwards.

"I'm assuming this was planned by you?"

Ruby looked rather uncomfortable now as she tried to answer Kurumu's question.

"Yes, and no. This was to have happened sometime in the relative distant future, so….."

Kurumu asked a sarcastic sounding question now.

"Some underage idiot got impatient and jumped the gun?"

Ruby resisted the urge to defend Yukari and only nodded in response.

"So, let me guess. We have to be on our best behavior for Silver's sake now, right?"

The rather pensive looking witch nodded as she spoke.

"It wouldn't hurt, but not so well behaved as to seem odd to her. She does expect a certain level of….tension, from some of us."

Kurumu's sneer of derision was nearly comical to behold, as if she smelled something truly foul in the air.

To her credit though, she said nothing further about that.

Instead, she had another question for Ruby.

"Did you notice how distracted she became when Kokoa showed up with her…..ahem…. mother's Tsukune?"

Ruby reluctantly nodded that she indeed had witnessed her odd reaction, but left it at that.

A second later it was Ruby's turn to ask her succubus friend a question.

"How are you?"

Kurumu sent her back a suspicious look so Ruby explained her question in greater detail for her.

"I couldn't help but noticed that before your own Tsukune version came out you seemed rather despondent over….Shinso Tsukune and Moka."

Kurumu seemed even more confused now.

"…Shinso Tsukune?"

Then a light bulb in her mind went off and she had a Eureka moment when she realized Ruby was referring to Moka-san's silver haired version of Tsukune, the first one to emerge from the portal. She now also understood the meaning behind the question.

"Oh! Right! Well yeah, that's because I couldn't sense him. That kind of sudden loss of mental communication freaks a mate of fate out, you know?"

Ruby responded in a serious manner.

"I can only imagine."

Next Ruby kept probing her with additional questions.

"So…..do you and your Tsukune have….."

"Yeah….well, yes, but…."

The strange hesitation in Kurumu's answer put a suspicious look on Ruby's face now. Seeing that look, Kurumu tried to explain herself.

"If I didn't know better I'd think you had went back in my mind and put another seal up on the other side. The side where I get his thoughts."

"How so?"

Now Ruby was clearly very interested and Kurumu felt compelled to provide more details to her witch friend.

"He's there! I mean, I can feel him, but….."

Kurumu clearly didn't feel she was explaining this in a way that was easy to understand and took a deep breath to steady her thoughts before proceeding.

"It's like someone turned the 'volume' way down on the link between us."

Seeing Ruby's interested look, she continued.

"Where before I could easily 'hear' him, now it's like it's so low that it's more like faint background music."

Kurumu sighed rather happily before finishing her explanation.

"To be honest, after the last week, this and the seal are like I'm taking a spa day, or relaxing on a beach."

Ruby now smirked back at her before teasing her gently.

"I had noticed that you were relatively quiet before, for you."

Kurumu rolled her eyes at her as a response, but Ruby was quickly onto her next question.

"So, anything with the other Tsukunes?"

Kurumu shook her head from side to side.

"Nope, nothing. It's like it was before Tsukune and I kissed in Reverse Hong Kong."

The wheels in Ruby's mind were obviously now spinning if judged by the quizzical look on her face.

"Interesting."

Kurumu almost dreaded asking her to explain, fearing the answer. Ask she did though.

"Why?"

Ruby snapped out of her thoughts to ask Kurumu a related question.

"Would you say that the 'volume' change between normal Tsukune and this version of Tsukune that loves just you was….one-sixth normal in intensity?"

Kurumu's eyes narrowed as she stared at Ruby suspiciously, but she gave her as honest an answer to that that she could provide.

"I suppose you could put it that way."

Ruby immediately revealed her thinking on the topic to her friend.

"Then perhaps the other five Tsukunes took their portion of the link between you with them, but only your Tsukune retained the actual mental 'equipment' needed to communicate with you."

Kurumu still looked at her with a mixture of suspicion and concern showing on her face.

"Perhaps. Is that significant?"

Ruby shrugged back with an apologetic expression.

"Perhaps, but it's nothing I think we have to worry about in the immediate future."

Kurumu nodded vaguely in response, then reminded Ruby that their absence from the main hall might have already been noted.

"We should get back now."

Instead of agreeing, Ruby stopped Kurumu's movement toward the door with her words.

"One more thing."

She clearly was uncomfortable about what she planned to say next. Her following words explained why she'd feel that way.

"It's about Ageha-san and Tsurara-san."

Kurumu's lips twisted up into an understanding wry smile, but she let Ruby finish.

"Is there anything that Mizore-chan and you could do to…well…"

Kurumu almost laughed as she finished her friend's obvious question for her.

"Get them not to piss Moka off so much?"

Ruby awkwardly nodded.

Kurumu plastered on as serious an expression as she could muster under the circumstances and gave an earnest sounding answer.

"I suppose we could kill them, otherwise…"

At first Ruby took her seriously and was stunned, but she quickly realized Kurumu was, at least partially, jesting with this answer.

Ruby shrugged reluctantly with a pretend sadness on her face now before replying.

"That's what I was afraid of."

Both laughed as they exited the ladies room.

Right before Tsurara and her rather unhappy looking assistant Ageha had served them their dinners, Tsurara had allowed the four Tsukunes she had iced into the wall to go free with the promise they wouldn't encourage further violence again. This time she made each promise her verbally, and their favorite girl as well.

Since he had tried to murder another Tsukune, Shinso Tsukune had to watch silently as the others ate dinner from his place on the ceiling.

In solidarity with her Tsukune, despite also being very angry at him over his previous homicide attempt, Moka said she would eat with him once Tsurara decided he should go free too.

That this encouraged her to speed up his release from confinement right after the others finished dinner was doubtful given Tsurara's personality.

He had to give additional assurances beyond what the others had, but he at least seemed properly contrite now, even though all five of them refused to be anywhere near Moka-chan's Tsukune. Luckily Moka-chan's Tsukune had segregated himself from the others for dinner, with Kokoa being his lone table companion.

All the other girls noticed Moka's interest and concern for this version of Tsukune, despite his emotional allegiance to the other, now supposedly dead, version of her.

Now with Moka and her Tsukune finished with their dinners as well Tsurara stood up to speak to them all.

She waved Moka-chan's Tsukune and Kokoa to come over and they reluctantly complied, but still sat apart from the others.

As he approached, the other Tsukunes pretended they either smelled something disgusting or tried to ignore his existence entirely.

Tsurara ignored their continued rudeness to him as she spoke.

"We have two final issues we must deal with this evening before we all settle down for the night."

Hearing no immediate objections, she continued.

"The first is where you all will be sleeping during this trip. Originally I was going to let our Tsukune-kun sleep in one of the suites like Ageha, but since I am currently the only indoor staff here at the lodge, and I certainly have no intention to clean up additional suites for the other five Tsukunes, that plan has gone by the wayside."

She paused just long enough for anyone who wanted to speak up to do so, and when they didn't she continued.

"My original plan was for you six girls to use futons upstairs around the hearth. We could do the same with the boys…."

The males present began to murmur and complain about that idea with statements like "over my dead body" and "when hell freezes over" being whispered just loud enough for their mutual disdain for each other and the potential trouble that could bring if forced to bed down too closely together registered with the ladies.

"SINCE…"

Tsurara said loudly to quiet their mumbling gripes.

"….that seems to be…. 'problematic', I am open to suggestions. Please raise your hand if you wish to speak."

To the ladies' mutual surprise all the Tsukunes' hands, save the one sitting apart with Kokoa, darted up into the sky.

Tsurara nearly sighed in frustration before pointing on Shinso Tsukune.

"Whatever is decided, I will not sleep in the same room as THAT abomination!"

His finger darted to the Tsukune beside Kokoa who only smiled back sadly at his counterpart.

Moka was about to chastise her Tsukune when the other four all agreed with him.

"No, no, and again no. I will not share space with that…THING."

"I must agree, he is discord personified I am afraid to say."

"I'd rather sleep in a pit of vipers!"

"It really is too bad we didn't 'handle' him already."

This resulted in a similar cacophony of confused and angry replies from their female companions.

"Why are all of you so cruel to him?"

"He seems to be the nicest one of all of you."

"I can't believe that any part of Tsukune-kun would be this mean, much less five parts of him."

"This is the stupidest thing I've ever seen or heard!"

"I can't believe you are any part of my Tsukune."

Despite their love interests mutual anger at their unfathomable cruelty to one of the own, the five Tsukunes were adamant that they would not share a room with that particular version under any circumstances. Their mutual loathing of "her" Tsukune was the one thing those five could even seem to agree on.

"Fine, we will make other arrangements for him."

Even the normally placid Tsurara had become frustrated with them and was ready to move on. She sighed and finally sat down.

"Suggestions?"

Moka was the first to speak up.

"All of us can sleep on futons around the hearth upstairs."

By the stunned expressions on everyone's faces, Moka was the last person in the room expected to suggest a "cohabitation" sleeping arrangement.

Ageha and Tsurara exchanged suspicious but amused expressions before Moka clarified her proposal.

"We obviously won't be sleeping beside the Tsukunes that favor us though."

She clearly expected the angry responses this proposal received and sat calmly to wait for it to all die down.

"Silence rabble! The Goddess is speaking to you! Be grateful to receive her wisdom!"

Her Tsukune was…. "unique" in his fervor for her, to say the least. His angry command silenced the crowd so that she could continue.

"If we have two Tsukunes on either side of us that want nothing to do with us then there are no chances any…..illicit activities can occur."

Most of the younger folk at the table seemed less than enthused by the proposed lack of "illicit activities" this arrangement would impose on them.

"I think that's acceptable, how about you?"

Ageha twisted her lips at Tsurara's question.

"I suppose it will have to do."

Tsurara turned to address everyone else now.

"Fine, the eleven of you can sleep upstairs together. I'm sure with Moka and Kokoa there your behavior will all be boringly exemplary."

"Just ten of us."

Moka's next statement caused some obvious confusion. She moved to clarify her statement instantly.

"Whatever arrangement we make for him."

Her eyes drifted to where Kokoa sat with Moka-chan's Tsukune.

"Kokoa will accompany him."

Now the other girls at the table became truly agitated, but before they could blurt out anything Ruby endorsed Moka's suggestion.

"I think that's a splendid idea."

Beside her even Yukari was surprised by this endorsement.

"You do?"

Seeing that Mizore and Kurumu were about to burst with indignation, Moka jumped in before they could launch a counterattack.

"Were we just supposed to let him suffer alone in silence while the rest of us enjoy ourselves?"

Kurumu quickly recovered and pointed to where Moka's sister now sat in shock.

"Why…..her?"

Moka didn't even seem put off by the succubus's obvious anger and simply answered Kurumu in a haughty but calm tone.

"The rest of us will be busy with our own Tsukune's. That will make it difficult to attend to him as well."

Now recovered himself, Moka-chan's Tsukune finally spoke up.

"Ladies, I will truly be fine on my own."

Shinso Tsukune took the opportunity to latch on to that statement.

"There's no need to subject your lovely sister to the torture of watching over that THING my Goddess."

"Hey! He's a person you know!"

Kokoa's anger was apparent as she was on her feet now ready to confront Shinso Tsukune. Beside her Moka-chan's Tsukune tried to get her to sit back down.

"Ara! Ara! Someone seems not to mind the idea of spending time alone with the young man so much."

Ageha and Tsurara both sent her teasing glares which further infuriated her while also making her skin flush in embarrassment.

"It's not that! It's just….I…"

Moka saved her sister from further discomfort by again reinforcing her position.

"It's my requirement for any of this 'vacation' to continue."

Kokoa still felt compelled to explain herself to her sister.

"Onee-sama, I…."

Moka however was laser focused on everyone at her own table.

"Otherwise Kokoa and I will leave immediately and I will take all the Tsukunes with me, whether they want to go or not."

Tsurara sent the young but determined vampire an interesting smile now and teased her a bit to boot.

"Ara! Ara! Now there are threats?"

Kurumu was clearly enraged now and brewing for a confrontation.

"Where do you get off…."

Moka firmly cut her off.

"I have made my mind clear on this."

Once again Ruby weighed in on Moka's side, with a pleading expression for the others to let this one go.

"I support Moka's position on this. He shouldn't be alone, even if that is what he wants."

She exchanged an awkward smile with Moka-chan's Tsukune then, who smiled back meekly through his powerful embarrassment.

"So SHE, is going to sleep with Tsukune? That's what you are proposing, right? That they SLEEP in the same ROOM….TOGETHER?"

Mizore now pointed at the equal parts angry and mortified Kokoa as her irritated expression was leveled at the strangely placid Moka.

"And Ageha-san."

This sudden "grenade" from the older vampire girl threw the whole table into an uproar.

"WHAT?"

Even Ageha was clearly flustered by this shocking addendum to Moka's original suggestion.

"ME? Ara! Ara!"

Moka let everyone shout themselves back to a relatively calm level before explaining.

"She already has a suite set aside for her, so no additional work for Tsurara-san. Kokoa can sleep with Ageha in the bed and….Tsukune, can sleep on a futon on the floor."

"And why does SHE get a Tsukune?"

For the first time Tsurara seemed actually put off by all of this, which set her rival off on a self-aggrandizing smirking session.

"Jealous much?"

Before that confrontation could start, Moka quickly changed her position again.

"Fine, you can alternate nights with Kokoa and him. That's fine with me."

Now it was Tsurara's chance to smirk at Ageha's irritation.

"Now I really don't like this idea."

Ageha and Tsurara sent their mutual daughters looks of rebuke as they spoke in stereo with less than thrilled expressions on their own faces.

"Onee-sama, I…."

Kokoa understood what her sister wanted from her here, to keep this Tsukune from doing anything rash to himself in misery over the loss of Moka-chan, but she still felt she needed to put up a protest for the sake of it.

"You will do as I ask, won't you Imouto?"

That killed any protest attempt dead in its tracks.

"As you wish, Onee-sama."

She meekly returned to her seat beside the version of Tsukune she had been charged by her beloved sister to protect. The look on his face was placid, but she could tell all of this meant nothing to him in the long run.

He seemed to hate being a burden.

He seemed to hate…..being.

And she hated how much that made her want to make him not hate…being.

The truth was that the sudden idea of being alone in a suite with him was both terrifying and exciting.

What it wasn't was what she knew it should be to her.

It wasn't at all revolting, not in the least.

She could feel the ice-cold eyes of Kurumu and Mizore on her. Probing. Looking for signs of….

They made her feel naked.

"Don't think you know my heart either you trolls!"

When it was announced that the elder women would join them, she had felt great relief, and even greater disappointment.

"He'll be up soon."

Ageha, in a ridiculously revealing night gown combed her hair before a mirror in self admiration as she teased the angry young vampire who pouted in pajamas from the edge of the bed they would reluctantly share together for two of the next four nights.

"Are you ready for him?"

Kokoa glared back at the older woman's teasing tone.

"Aren't you a bit TOO ready for him?"

Ageha clearly wasn't the least bit concerned that her outfit would show a teenage boy far to much of her feminine physique.

"Ara, ara! Such anger. Surely you don't resent having to sleep near a handsome young man?"

Kokoa bit her lips as her mind screamed a sudden answer in reply that her lips would never impart.

"No, I resent you being here, Cow!"

Then why she realized what she had allowed her mind to say. It hit her like an iron gauntlet across the face.

"What are you saying? IDIOT!"

She knew by the increasing smirk on the older woman's face that her facial expressions were betraying some of her inner turmoil and she quickly responded in a far too late attempt at cover up.

"Please! This is work! I am doing what my Onee-sama needs me to do."

Ageha smirked over her shoulder at the protesting young vampire with a disbelieving expression.

"Oh! I see, Onee-sama has given you a burdensome task that you must diligently see to completion."

Sarcasm laced her words.

"Well, while you're…..um….. 'working', try not to interfere with my 'play' time."

Kokoa's skin bristled at these words.

"Part of the work my Onee-sama gave me was to make sure you don't get any 'play' time with this Tsukune, and trust me, you WON'T."

Ageha just laughed before teasing her companion a bit more.

"Ara, ara! We shall see about that my dear."

Before things between them could become more heated, a soft rap of knuckles tapped their suite down three times.

"One moment!"

Ageha stood up, pushed her ridiculously huge mammary glands up and together to produce even more cleavage for tender young eyes to see. Wet her lips with her tongue and then gave herself an approving nod and a wink.

"Disgusting old Cow."

Kokoa, of course, knew that Ageha was anything but disgusting, at least from a physical standpoint; but having her act like she was about to seduce a teenage boy made Kokoa deeply angry.

Angrier than she knew it should make her, especially for this particular teenage boy's sake.

"Here."

Ageha caught the robe Kokoa flung at her with a questioning look, which made Kokoa strike back harshly.

"He's seventeen woman. Have some pride."

Instead of pissing her off like she had wanted to do, Ageha smirked with a glint in her eye and put the robe on.

When Kokoa opened the door the still kimono clad Tsurara was there with a pajama and robe wearing Tsukune behind her, who looked mortified to be here.

"Come in dear! Come in!"

Ageha brushed Kokoa aside like a cobweb in her way and pulled Tsukune by the arm past a comically smirking Tsurara.

"Really?"

Ageha turned back to see Tsurara covering her mouth with her hand to suppress an amused giggle.

"I guess what one can't achieve with grace and elegance one tries to make up for in…. 'volume'."

Kokoa saw a brief flash of anger on the succubus's face before she smiled back at her yukionna rivals still smiling expression.

"Men do like grace and elegance in a woman, but those of us with…. 'volume', don't even need that. Luckily, I have all that and more."

Then, before Tsurara could retort, Ageha almost slammed the door in her face.

"Now then."

Turning around she beamed at the still reluctant Tsukune, who to both women present mutual surprise was bowed over.

"Please forgive this rude intrusion. Again, I apologize for being a burden."

Before Kokoa could even think of something to say back, the older woman present was already on him and pulling him upright.

"Burden?"

Her purring voice permeated the room and she drew the now upright and stunned Tsukune's face even further into her heaving cleavage.

"Having you as our companion is a pure delight my future son-in-law!"

Kokoa knew succubi were weird about family relations, but she also knew a son-in-law, of the present or future varieties, should never be that close to their Mother-in-law's private areas.

For his part, Tsukune looked like his nose was about to hemorrhage blood.

"Let him breathe!"

With these words Kokoa pulled the stupefied Tsukune from his would-be future Mother-in-laws breasts just in time to avoid blood loss.

"Last thing I need tonight is a good whiff of his super delicious blood."

She was honest enough with herself to admit his amazingly tasty blood was a weakness for her.

"Well….."

The older woman never missed a beat.

"Shall we bed down for the night?"

Tsukune nodded and looked around for his futon.

"I don't see my bedding though."

"It's in the closet."

Tsukune moved in the direction Kokoa indicated but then suddenly was stopped by Ageha's firm grasp on his shoulders.

"Don't be silly! This bed is huge! We'll all fit, very comfortably."

Kokoa almost babbled out her stunned response.

"NO! No we won't!"

For his part Tsukune seemed stunned by the idea, which only got worse as his eyes beheld what Ageha had been hiding under the robe that was now on the floor.

As she laid down on the bed in a rather seductive pose that showed off her exquisite legs even Kokoa was stunned into silence temporarily.

"Well, if you're uncomfortable with the sleeping arrangements, why don't YOU use the futon and Tsukune-kun and momma will keep each other warm."

Lacking the words at that moment to reply, Tsukune finally saved Kokoa the need to carry this ridiculous conversation with his own response.

"Really I should use the…."

Before he could finish Ageha had pulled him onto the bed and half crawled on top of him. With her hand on his chest and his eyes locked into the cleavage gap just centimeters form his mouth Ageha purred a plea to him.

"And catch a cold sleeping on that hard floor? None of the girls would ever forgive me. Come along dear. No more arguing. It's bed time."

Apparently, it was all too much of this version of Tsukune, probably any version of Tsukune, to resist any longer. He seemed to go into some form of Blue Screen of Death mode as the very happy older Succubus pulled the overs over them and wrapped herself around the near catatonic looking teenage boy.

From her place ensconced inside his stiff body, with her head on his chest she smirked back at the young vampire.

"Well, are you getting in or grabbing the futon?"

Kokoa, who also was stunned up till this point, frowned in anger and darted into the bed with a fury, prying the succubus from Tsukune by using her body as a wedge between them.

Once in the middle, she angrily called over her shoulder as she glared at the still smirking succubus.

"Make sure you keep your hands to yourself!"

Tsukune, now seeming alive again, meekly replied.

"Of course."

Then in a much lower and ominous tone she spoke to the far too amused older woman.

"And you too!"

Ageha beamed back at her in the most irritating way then.

"Ara, ara! Look at you."

That teasing look that was driving Kokoa into further fury contained something even more irritating for the young vampire.

There seemed to be just a tad bit of respect showing on the older woman's face.

"I make no promises dear. Good night."

Kokoa, lodged between the lusty succubus and the all too tempting young man beside her, didn't go to sleep for hours.