Rosario Vampire Fan Fiction ❯ Two Guys, A Vampire, and a Monster Academy ❯ Birthday Wishes and Mysteries ( Chapter 6 )

Two Guys, a Vampire, and a Monster Academy

Disclaimer: I do not own Rosario + Vampire storyline, background, characters and similar media. Anything that sounds familiar to the readers is more then likely not mine, but originated from a source that I do not remember clearly. I may not be able to own my OC in this fiction.

Chapter 6: Birthday Wishes and Mysteries

Two months have passed since Tsukune and Lou enrolled into Monster Academy, two months since they have made their acquaintance with a certain pink headed vampire, two months since their mis-adventures have begun. Two months since they have to keep the secret that they don’t belong upon campus grounds for the simple fact that they are human, and thus risking discovery equates to their lives forfeit.

Though ever present along with classes and grades, Lou’s mind is currently occupied with something of a more personal matter as he walked to class that morning on the bi-daily commute from the Student Dormitories to the school yard. The American is wondering just what he will give his Japanese cousin for his own Sixteenth Birthday.

“Ohayo (Good Morning) Lou!” Moka exclaimed as she greeted the American with a leap towards his back and grappling his neck with her arms. He was barely able to keep himself from falling, again.

“HOLY- Pikie!” Lou began when he turned his head to face Moka’s own. “Look, we’re friends right? And as friends, would it be too much to assume that you can try to greet me WITHOUT tackling me to the ground like a quarterback?”

“Ara (Oh)? Where’s Tsukune?” Moka asked as she looked around for the other cousin, to which Lou sighed as he shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Well, I tried...” Lou stated before speaking to Moka once more. “Tsukune had to head out early for grocery shopping and because Horn Dog needed him to help with something for the Newspaper Club later today.”

“Ara...” Then Moka looked up to Lou. “Lou, onegai (please)...”

“Note to self: Add ‘Tomato Juice’ to grocery list.” Lou groaned as he showed the vampire his neck, though with great hesitation.

“Itadakimasu (thank you for the meal)!” Moka thanked as she moved her fangs closer to his neck and his pulsing veins. “Kappu-chu!”

“AY CARAMBA!” Lou shrieked in pain as Moka took her fill of his blood. “Good fuck! I’ll never get used to THAT!”

“Oishii (delicious)......!” Moka cupped her blushing face as she allowed the mere, and recent, memory alone to wash over her senses.

“SEE! She kissed him in the neck! Again!” One of the male students exclaimed.

“Such boldness! I’ll never forgive him!”

“What does he have that WE don’t?”

“Trust me!” Lou called back. “I’d trade if I could!”

“Ara (oh), Lou!” Moka called the American’s attention. “You remember our Art Class assignment for this month, seikaku (correct)?”

“Yeah, that ‘What’s important to you’ theme.” Lou answered. “Its my couz’ Tsukune, right?”

Moka blushed, hiding it with her fingers, before she responded. “Eetoo (well)....Ano (um).....”

“Just kidding!” Lou gave the pink headed vampire a friendly slap against her back. “No need to rush! Personally I’m having a little problem with it myself. At the moment, my mind is blank.”

“‘Yohaku (blank)’?” Moka asked, feeling somewhat depressed that she was not the first thing that came to Lou’s mind when it came to what was important to the American.

“Well....” Lou rolled his wrist. “It’s not really ‘blank’, more like I don’t know which one to pick. I mean I really can’t do a Top Ten list of what’s important to me.”

“Sou ka (I see).” Moka beamed somewhat.

“So what’s the occasion?”

“Ano.....I know that it’s Tsukune’s birthday soon, so-”

“So it IS my couz’!” Lou exclaimed, causing the vampire to blush brilliantly. “But I have to say, your timing sucks.”

“Nani?”

“It’s the Seventh of June.”

“Nani?! Ara ma (oh no)!” Moka gasped.

“Yeah, this week. Six days from now to be exact.” Lou explained as Moka held a look of shock, surprise, confusion, and panic upon her face. “And I’ll take it that you plan on giving Tsukune that little portrait or whatever I assume?”

“I thought I had more time!” Moka exclaimed.

“I’m sure the Art Teacher will help yah in that little dilemma of yours. Hitomi Ishigami right? The one with the braided hair?” Moka nodded. “But to be honest, knowing my couz’, Tsukune will be happy just to spend his birthday with yah. Alone preferably.” The words caused Moka to blush even a deeper shade of red. “Pretty sure that’ll be hard to do, what with our friends and associates that we have as of late, but you work with what you got.”

“Hai! I’ll ask Ishigami-sensei for help with Tsukune’s gift!” Moka declared before turning to face Lou. “Don’t tell Tsukune, onegai! Promise!!”

“I’ll try.” Lou replied. “No promises though. Granted, couz’ ain’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, especially when it comes to stuff like THAT. Not that I’m any better, but I got experience in that, so whatever.”

“Ano...eetoo......” Moka attempted to speak, still uncomfortable to the idea that someone once occupied Lou’s heart. “About that-”

“It’s a clean split.” Lou assured the vampire, before adding in English. “And a big ass ocean in between.”

“Lou!”Moka exclaimed, understanding what the American said in English.

“What? Did you- Oh, NOW you can understand me! Figures!” Lou tosses his arms into the air in frustration.

The final bell has tolled, signaling an end to classes and lessons for the school day and the beginning of club activities. Many of the students, upon permission from the reining teacher of the lesson period, soon left their desks to head towards other classrooms where the other clubs were located and meetings held.

One student reflected upon his current situation as one of the only two humans within Monster Academy since the start of their enrollment, and the two months’ worth of memories and mis-adventures shared. Tsukune then spied his eyes upon the pink haired vampire as she read through a text book on art titled “Art File”.

‘For my birthday....’ Tsukune thought. ‘If I could, I would like to spend it together with Moka-san.’ Then a fantasy of what would happen between the human and vampire began as the two imaginary individuals, after confessing their love for each other, slowly moved their lips closer.

“What the hell are you doing?” Gin slapped a paper fan atop of Tsukune’s head as he began to loose the difference between reality and fantasy. “Makin out with yourself?”

“Itai!” Tsukune rubbed the top of his head to sooth the pain. “Gin-sempai!”

“It’s club time!” Gin stated as he approached Moka, spying upon the reading materiel in her hands. “Ara! Moka-san!” The werewolf surprised the vampire. “Kore wa nan desu ka (what is this)? Are you painting a picture or something? That’s an art textbook, tadashii (right)?”

“I-Iie! It isn’t!” Moka defended with a strong blush upon her cheeks from surprise and embarrassment. “This is just-”

“You’re looking as hot as ever Moka-san.” Gin complimented. “I really love ya baby!” The werewolf then approached the vampire with open arms. “Won’t you go out with me, Moka-san?”

‘He’s professing his love so smoothly!’ Tsukune exclaimed mentally, somewhat depressed at the fact that such an individual could confess themselves so easily, even if it was Gin who was in the process of reverting to his true form due to his unhindered emotions as his tail wagged in joy and lust.

“Tsukune-kun!” Kurumu cried out as she rushed to embrace Tsukune in her arms, and her well endowed chest. “Yahoo! Another day of being in the club with you! Aishiteru (I love you), Tsukune-kun!”

“Waaah! Kurumu-chan!” Tsukune exclaimed before his face is smothered in succubus’ mammary mounds.

“Wait a minute ~Desu!” Yukari exclaimed as a desk fell atop of Gin’s head with a flick of her wrist. “I won’t let anyone get away with putting their hands on Moka-san and Lou-kun! I’ll fight anyone with magic! Because I wuv them both ~Desu!” The little witch declared.

“Pamela!” Lou exclaimed. “You’re doing it again!” However, before Kurumu could even attempt to mentally process what the American was trying to tell her, a dust pan fell atop of the succubus’ head. Lou then turned towards Yukari. “Not the best way of solving a problem there, Sabrina. Appreciate the effort though.”

“Arigato (thank you)!” Yukari blushed. “Tsukune-san is a future in-law and all ~Desu!”

“Don’t just decide for others like that!” Lou scolded, though the little witch did not mind. So long as she got the American’s attention.

“Itaiiiii! Tsukune-kun...!” Kurumu rubbed the top of her head as she embraced Tsukune from behind. “Kiss me so it’ll feel better!” The succubus puckered her lips.

‘How is it easy for everyone to confess their feelings like that...?’ Tsukune groaned mentally as he sighed. Then his face showed determination, mentally declaring that he will confess to the vampire his feelings for the pink headed girl on his sixteenth birthday.

“You know, couz’,” Lou joked. “You don’t HAVE to hold it in. The john’s are just down the hall.”

“L-Lou-kun!” Tsukune yelped in surprise, derailing his thought.

“Let’s settle down, minasan (everyone)!” Gin commanded as he attempted to nurse the injury of a desk to his head as he wrote down the meeting’s topic. “We have some news! The ‘missing girls’ problem!”

“Missing girls?!” Nearly everyone assembled in the club exclaimed as Tsukune passed out sheets of paper that showed the faces of the missing girls in question.

“Tsukune-kun and myself have collected some basic information on the girls!” Gin continued as the other club members looked at the images presented before them. “We’re going to find out the facts of this incident!”

“When he’s in the club, he can look pretty serious, right Lou-kun?” Tsukune noted in English as he sat next to his American Cousin.

“Not all the time.” Lou replied in English as well. “Something tells me Horn Dog has an ulterior motive.”

“That does sound like Gin-sempai ~Desu.” Yukari replied in English as well.

“Wh-what the- Oh, forgot, genius girl.” Lou mentally slapped himself. “Sabrina’s probably a polyglot. Polymath even.”

“You know what they mean ~Desu?” Yukari asked in English.

“Had to do a report on Polymaths and Polyglots during my Freshmen Year over at the States. Not fun!” Lou answered.

Gin simply shrugged, letting the trio speak in American English as he continued with the meeting. It was never his best subject. “As you can see from the pictures,” Gin explained as he approached the window with a thumbnail against his chin and looking outwards. “The girls that have disappeared are all pretty hot! If someone is holding them hostage, I want to save them somehow. If they see me in a good light, it’ll be a chance to get to know ‘em better!”

“Aaand I was right.” Lou stated, the rest of the club sighing at the antics of their club president. “Sometimes I think that he’s mentally incapable of any other thoughts!” He groaned as he pulled out from his book bag an air pocket lined bag, and from it he pulled out a laptop that had a touch-screen. Lou then flipped open the screen and swivelled it until it faced away from him and closed it to turn the laptop into a kind of touch screen data pad to which he can write his notes digitally with a stylus in hand.

After a few moments of silence, Lou looked around only to see the gaping, shocked faces of his club mates sans Tsukune. “What? What is it?”

“I think it’s your Sweet Sixteen birthday gift.” Tsukune replied as he pointed at Lou’s laptop-now-data-pad.

“What?! I’ve been using this thing for class and club activities for over a month now and you guys haven’t even noticed it until NOW!?” Lou exclaimed. “Unbelievable!”

“Ja ne Tsukune, Lou!” Moka waved goodbye to the cousins. “See you tomorrow!”

“Oro (eh)? Aren’t we going back to the dorms together, Moka-san?” Tsukune asked in a confused tone.

“Gomen-ne....I have to go somewhere now.” Moka replied as she showed Tsukune the textbook she was reading earlier.

“Ara, isn’t that the art book that you were reading back at the club?”

“Hai, the thing is, I’ve been asked by Ishigami-sensei to be a model for a picture!” The vampire explained. “So I can’t walk back to the dorms with you for a week.” Tsukune’s response was to leave his mouth wide open in shock and surprise, followed by a look of disappointment. “Don’t worry! I’ll still work hard for the Newspaper Club!”

“Trust me Couz’,” Lou patted his cousin on the back after noticing the look upon Tsukune’s face. “She’s got a good reason to do so.”

“Nani?” Tsukune asked while Moka looked on nervously at Lou.

“Sorry, no comment.” Lou stated just before he flexed his pinkie finger. “It ain’t no Pinkie Swear, but it’s still a promise.”

“What promise?”

“Again, no comment.”

“Tell me!” Tsukune pleaded.

“You’ll find out soon enough!” Lou laughed. “Trust me, you’ll like it!”

“Like what?!”

“Eetoo....” Moka began. “Since I won’t be able to see either of you for the next week, can I suck your blood?”

“Nani? Why are you like this now?!” Tsukune exclaimed.

“Well...this’ll be goodbye for a while and....I’ll be lonely...” Moka sheepishly approached Tsukune.

“Moka- ITAI!!” Tsukune yelped in pain as the vampire bit his neck and drank his blood.

“Well I’ll just go on ahead and-” Lou turned to head towards the Student Dormitory.

“Onegai....” Moka pleaded with a look akin to a begging puppy.

“Oh come on! Wasn’t Tsukune enough for yah!?” Lou exclaimed as he dashed away. Moka followed in hot pursuit.

“Onegai! Just a bite!”

“No! No! No! No! No! No! No!” Lou squealed as he ran from the vampire, only to be tackled down. “Aw shi-AAAAAA!!!!!”

“Alright class, settle down!” The art teacher, Hitomi Ishigami, calmed the other students in the art room that have assembled for art class. “Today, you’ll be continuing this month’s theme of ‘What is important to you’! And what IS important to you is the art deep within each and everyone’s hearts! So feel free to paint whatever you want!”

The students then began to take out their sketch books and set up painting easels to work upon their projects for the Art Teacher. Even Lou began painting, though he had no idea what to paint for the theme as he simply made strokes rather aimlessly and without direction, hoping that something will come to mind.

Meanwhile, Tsukune thought about the art theme and then reflected in how Moka acted the other day. He then spied Ishigami as she spoke with the other female students. ‘Ishigami-sensei is pretty popular with the girls.’

“Sensei!” A girl with chin-length hair in a rather unique style popped into the window and waved at the Art Teacher. “I skipped Gym Class to have fun with you!” Ishigami could only chuckle in response.

‘Sugoi (wow)! Even girls from other classes!’ Tsukune exclaimed mentally before another thought crossed his mind. ‘I wonder what kind of model Moka will be for Ishigami-sensei...’ He then skimmed through an art textbook.

“An entire week and you still haven’t gotten anything?” Lou leaned towards his cousin, still painting without direction. “I was pretty sure that Pinkie would have been your choice.”

“Eetoo....” Tsukune attempted to find the right words. “I’ve just got a lot of things on my mind right now, and-”

“Don’t worry about your b-day.” Lou reassured Tsukune. “It’ll come out alright in the end, so don’t count Pinkie out just yet.” Then he noticed the new girl who skipped Gym Class. “Wait....Is she even in our class?”

“Who?”

“The girl with cardboard tubes for sideburns.” Lou pointed with his paintbrush.

“Iie, she skipped class just to be with Ishigami-sensei.” Tsukune then went back to the textbook.

“Pretty popular, that Hitomi.” Lou noted. “That is her name right?”

Tsukune nodded as he came up to a page that showed a picture of a nude statue and then a terrible thought came to his mind. Would Moka be modeling in the nude?

‘Could she really show other people that when I haven’t had a chance?!’ Tsukune’s reply was a light whack to the back of his head. “Itai!”

“What’s going through your mind this time?” Lou asked, his eyes away from his painting. Then he spied the page that Tsukune looked at earlier. He shook his head before giving Tsukune a light knock on his head. “The Art Teach IS a woman! It’s not like she hasn’t seen anything before! Besides, what makes you think that Pinkie’s THAT model?”

“That is quite an interesting idea, McCorray-san.” Ishigami commented from behind Lou. He then turned towards the Art Teacher. “Rather bold too.”

“Eh, I try.” Lou shrugged. “I didn’t know what to paint for the assignment so I figured that I’ll just go aimlessly until I got something. I guess you could call it Modern- AAAAAAAAAAAA!!” The American screamed when he turned back to his artwork and truly saw what his arm was creating. The scream attracted the attention of the other students, including Moka.

Almost without thinking, Lou grabbed the nearest sheet and covered the painting and easel from prying eyes before bringing the frame to his body. “No one sees this! Especially Pinkie and Sabrina!” Lou stated after he turned his head towards his still shocked cousin who had a good look at the painting. “They got enough WEIRD ideas as is!”

“Wh-why did you paint that?!” Tsukune exclaimed.

“That’s a very good question, I wasn’t even thinkin’!!” Lou shrieked just as Moka walked up to the two.

“Nani? Is something wrong?” The vampire asked, only to get the response akin to rabbits who were trapped before a predator.

“N-n-nothing really! Nothing at all!” Lou replied as he rubbed his arm against the painting itself. “Smudge! Smudge! SMUDGE, you motha fuckin’ sonova bitch!” He cursed, yet the image remained untarnished.

Moka simply had a look of confusion, wondering just what was so bad about the painting Lou had made before she remembered something. “Ara! Ishigami-sensei!” She turned to the teacher.

“Hai?” Ishigami answered.

“Could you help me with this?” Moka asked as she showed the Art Teacher her project, careful not to let Tsukune have a look. Tsukune, meanwhile, could only stare at the vampire in forlorn and felt distant from the pink headed girl. However, his despair was cured to a degree when his eyes drifted to the painting Lou had done and is reminded that he had far worse affairs to worry about.

Both Lou and Tsukune sighed in defeat as they walked down the corridors of the school buildings, with the dreaded painting in hand still covered in a sheet.

“I can’t believe that the Teach want’s me to finish this!” Lou groaned as he lifted the sheet enough for the two cousins to have a good look at the abomination the American’s wondering mind had created, yet hide it enough for no one else to spy upon the creation.

“Well it was either THAT, or accept an ‘F’ for the term.” Tsukune noted in a displeased voice.

“I’ll take the ‘F’ if that’s the case then!” Lou replied as he covered the painting up with the sheet. “At least she let me keep the damned thing in my room, so it’s SOMETHN’ right?”

“Nani?” The cousins nearly jumped out of their skins as they heard the voice of the pink-headed vampire behind them. “Is that the painting?”

“Um......yeah....” Lou answered as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “It’s pretty much my project-”

“Ara! Can I see-”

“NO!” Lou’s panicked yell surprised Moka. “Um...I mean, it’s um.....It’s a surprise! Yeah, that’s it! A surprise!”

“A surprise?”

“Yeah- Nani!?” Tsukune turned to his cousin.

“And I REALLY didn’t want to spoil it!” The American then leaned towards Moka. “Like your OWN project, if you get my drift?”

“Sou ka!” Moka nodded in a rapid fashion, knowing exactly what Lou had referenced.

“Moka-san!” Tsukune suddenly remembered. “I need to talk to you about something!”

“Yeouch! Not so close to my ear!” Lou punched his cousin in his left shoulder, earning the American a yelp from Tsukune.

“Nani? What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Ano....eetoo.....” Tsukune attempted to find the right words.

“Oy! Don’t get tongue tied now! Not after you nearly killed my ear drum!” Lou exclaimed.

Tsukune then took a hold of Moka’s wrist. “It’s too distracting here! Follow me-” He attempted to round a corner, only to collide with a certain blue headed succubus.

“Itai!” Kurumu shrieked in pain as she landed hard against the floor of the hallway. When she looked up, she discovered that her under garments were exposed and attempted to cover herself.

“Gomen (sorry), Kurumu-chan, I just-” Tsukune soon found his head enveloped deep within the succubus’ chest.

“Sugoi! It must be fate that we bumped into each other in the hallway!” Kurumu squealed in delight as Tsukune struggled to get air. Lou simply sighed from the display.

“What do you think this is? A romance novel?!” The American exclaimed just a few moments before noticing that Moka was marching away from the scene with a displeased atmosphere. He quickly caught up and grasping one of the vampire’s shoulders.

“Lou?” Moka turned towards the American.

“You’ll have to forgive my couz’. His luck is just that bad.” Lou attempted to apologize on Tsukune’s behalf, not knowing that a part of the sheet had unveiled a portion of the painting.

Moka saw but a glimpse and was wondering what the painting was about. Noticing her cocked head, Lou looked down and scrambled to cover the painting up and pull it away from the vampire’s gaze. “Nani?”

“S-surprise, remember!” Lou shrieked before running away to aid his cousin, causing the vampire to wonder exactly what was he hiding.

It was the eve before Tsukune’s birthday and said individual was simply standing before the building that housed the Art Class studio. He reflected upon his previous attempts to try and invite Moka to his birthday and how they ended in failure due to the interference of another party.

“This is my last chance!” Tsukune declared as he swallowed his nervousness.

“Last chance at what?” Lou asked from behind his cousin, causing Tsukune to nearly jump a meter into the air in fright.

“Lou-kun! Don’t scare me like that!”

“Sorry! I’m just here on business.” Lou stated with the covered painting in hand. “Two to be exact.”

“Nani? Wait, why do you have the painting?”

“Yeah, that’s business number one: I finished it.”

Tsukune visibly gulped. “You....‘finished it’....?”

“Yeah.” Lou sighed before he continued. “I just need to show it to the Art Teach, get my grade and then throw the blasphemy into the incinerator once I’m done!”

“But aren’t the paints toxic-” Tsukune began when he was waved away by Lou.

“Details. Anyway, business number two is to check the place out for the Newspaper Club.”

“The Newspaper Club?”

“Yeah! While you were plottin’ and moppin’, I had to cover YOUR share of the work! As I was saying, Sabrina hit upon the idea that the kidnapper responsible for the disappearance of the other seven girls might be a teacher, after ruling out that a student would not be able to hide the girls at the Student Dorms and the Faculty Apartments would not be an ideal place to hide the girls as well, thus she concluded that it would have to be a teacher with a classroom that has room extensions, storage closets, places like that.”

“And Sa- I mean Yukari-chan thinks its Ishigami-sensei?” Tsukune raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Not exactly.” Lou answered. “It’s more of a process of elimination. And since I got business with the Teach in the first place, I got assigned to search the place also.”

“Oh, well I got to invite Moka-san to my birthday-” Tsukune began.

“Don’t count out Pinkie just yet, don’t worry.” Lou assured his cousin.

“You always say that.”

“That’s because I know!”

“Know what?” Tsukune questioned.

“It’s called a ‘secret’, get used to it!” Lou scolded as the cousins entered the Art Studio to find it vacant.

“No one’s here?” Tsukune looked around.

“What was your first clue? No Pinkie on your neck?” Lou half joked as he walked towards the storage closet on the far side of the Art Studio, to the left side of the black board. “Anyway I’ll just take a quick look around in back while I wait for the Teach.”

“Yeah, I’ll wait for Moka-san as well.”

“You gotta stop worrying about Pinkie and your b-day, Couz’.” Lou stated over his shoulder as he was but an arm’s length from the storage closet door. “She got things worked out JUST fine.” And with that, the American entered the storage closet.

However, before Tsukune could pull out a seat to rest his feet, he heard sobbing. Rather feminine sobbing, of one in pain and from betrayal. He looked for the source of the sound until his eyes came upon a locker just to the left of the door leading outside with what looked like the female version of the green jacket of the school uniform laid upon the ground and caught in the door of the locker.

His curiosity overpowering his strange and sudden fear, Tsukune opened the locker door and what it revealed turned his twinge of fear into a lighting storm. Before him was what appeared to be a nude statue of a young girl with a rather unique hairstyle that was oddly familiar to him as she covered her rather private portions of her anatomy with her hands and arms. What scared the young boy was that not only were the sobs originating from the statue, but that the statue was crying tears. Real, actual tears.

“L-Lou-kun!” Tsukune shrieked, calling for his cousin who rushed to his side.

“C-Couz’, you won’t believe-” Lou then saw just what Tsukune was looking at and his eyes widen. “Y-you found one as well!”

“‘One’?!”

“Y-yeah. ..I f-found seven nude statues in the storage closet. All s-sobbing, all cr-crying real fuckin’ tears.”

“S-s-s-seven..?” Tsukune’s teeth chattered from the cold wind of fear.

“Y-yeah......and c-cardboard-tube girl before us is n-number eight...!”

“‘Eight’?”

“Y- yeah, we found the m-missing girls. And doesn’t number eight look f-familiar?”

“Y-you think?”

“Y-yeah, I think she was that one girl who skipped Gym to be with the Teach earlier this we-week.”

“Wh-what do you think could turn them into-” Tsukune began.

“I-I got th-three ideas.” Lou replied. “N-none of them p-pleasant!”

“S-so what sh-should we do?”

“Get the fuck outta here, that’s what!”Lou exclaimed in fright. “We need fuckin’ back up!”

“What are you doing to my art?” The two cousins turned their head and spied upon the face of one Hitomi Ishigami, but not the kind and caring look that she gave to the other students. Rather it was one that had a rather sinister and foreboding look akin to a psychopath, even her braided hair seemed to move as if alive.

The two cousins shrieked like little girls as they jumped away from the Art Teacher. “Don’t look in the eyes! Don’t look into the eyes!” Lou exclaimed as he covered both Tsukune’s and his own eyes with the sheet wrapped painting.

“Nani?”Ishigami’s face then turned into one of confusion. Then she remembered their faces and in particular the wrapped painting. “Ara! Aren’t you two Aono Tsukune and McCorray Louis from Class three?” She asked in a rather sweet and caring, but still surprised, voice as she slammed the locker door behind her.

“Eh?” Lou popped his eyes from behind the wrapped painting.

“Are you two here to pick up Moka-san?” The Art Teacher inquired.

“A-actually we were just leaving, right Couz’?” Lou turned to Tsukune.

“Y-yeah! Just leaving!” Tsukune nodded his head in a frantic manner.

“Anyway we’d better get going now!”Lou noted as he quickly helped his cousin back to his feet and his own and the two began to head towards the door. “Bye!”

“Matte (wait)!” Ishigami ordered as she placed a hand upon Lou’s shoulder, causing the two to freeze. “You still have to show me the finished product of that painting, McCorray-san.” The frightened American simply squeaked in response. “It’s alright, it’s just a simple appraisal of your artwork for a grade.” The teacher smiled.

“Oh if that were my number one priority right about now...!” Lou replied to Ishigami’s statement before turning his head to his cousin and mouthing ‘help me!’.

“Gomen-ne, (I’m sorry) Ishigami-sensei! I didn’t mean to be late-” Moka slid open the door to find that the teacher was not alone in the Art Studio. “T-Tsukune? Lou? What are you doing here?” She asked as she stepped into the room.

Lou was able to escape Ishigami’s grasp and approach Moka with Tsukune following. “Pinkie, we need to talk, outside!”

“Demo (but)-” Moka began, but they were interrupted by the braided-haired teacher sliding closed the door before them. “Ishigami-sensei...?” The cousins simply squeaked in response.

“Why don’t you all stay for a while longer? It’ might be a learning experience.” Ishigami smiled sweetly before she took on a more sinister face, her braided hair starting to move like snakes.

“Wh-what’s happening to you all of a sudden Ishigami-sensei?!” Moka gasped as the trio increased the distance between them and the art teacher. “Your hair is moving like snakes!”

“Yeah, about that....” Lou began just as he first handed the wrapped painting to Moka and then grabbed a chair as an impromptu shield, careful not to look directly into Ishigami’s eyes. Tsukune did the same. “You remember that case the club is working on? The missing girls one?”

“Hai.”

“Well, to make a long story short, we found them.”

“Hai, turned to stone, by Ishigami-sensei!” Tsukune pointed at the teacher with wildly animated hair.

“Nani?!” Moka gasped.

“Yeah, so don’t look directly into her eyes or else you’ll turn into stone!” Lou warned.

“Who told you a ridiculous story like that?” Ishigami raised an eyebrow in confusion, causing the vampire and the cousins to lower their guard for a moment.

“Eh? You’re saying that you don’t turn people to stone just by looking at em?” Lou asked. “Oh good! One thing less to worry about then. But how-”

“With my snakes!” Ishigami answered as her braided hair-turned snakes whipped out and grasped onto the legs of the chair the cousins were using as shields and flung them far away from the trio.

“Strong little critters- EEP!” Lou barely dodged a snake that was about to bite him in his face. His eyes gazed upon the razor sharp fangs that lined the ‘mouth’ of the strange appendage.

“I had only worked with females exclusively, to preserve their natural beauty for all of eternity!” Ishigami explained. “However, it would be interesting to work with males. It would be an interesting experience for a Gorgan such as myself!” Then the snakes grasped onto the frame of Lou’s painting and brought it back to their master, who then unwrapped the cloth and inspected it briefly. A smile crept across her face. “Especially if McCorray-san is able to paint such an interesting picture without even thinking.”

Moka gasped in surprise as Ishigami showed the three what the American had painted almost absentmindedly. The image featured both Tsukune and Lou as well as both versions of Moka upon what at first appeared to be a heavenly dreamscape of clouds. The cousins were in a fetal position and laid upon their sides with their eyes closed in slumber while the pink-haired Moka embraced the two of them rather lovingly and passionately. The silver-haired, unsealed version of Moka took up much of the background with her eyes closed and her head angled upwards towards the sky with arms outstretched and her silver hair flowing and dissolving into clouds to which the pink-headed Moka and the cousins now laid. On each of the visible pinkies of Tsukune, Lou, and pink-haired Moka were tied red strings that connected the cousins to her with another trail flowing out of the frame, implying that the cousins were connected to the silver-haired version of Moka as well. The true shock was that all those featured in the image were nude, with hair, limbs, and other such obstructions covering otherwise personal and secret areas and body parts of their respective anatomies.

“L-Lou?” Moka turned towards the American with a blush across her face.

“It wasn’t intentional, I swear!” Lou defended with a blushed, embarrassed face of his own as Ishigami gently and carefully placed the painting atop a desk as she approached the trio.

“Such an artistic mind should be preserved, not wasted and left to rot through the passage of time.” Ishigami stated. “The same with your beauty, Moka-san. It’s a shame that we can’t spend more time with each other.”

“Y-you’re sick! Do you know that!” Tsukune exclaimed. “Sick and delusional and crazy!”

“Couz’! You do realize that you’re taunting a monster who could turn any one of us into stone with just a single- GAUGH!” Lou yelped in pain as one of the snakes bit his hand. “I GOT BIT!”

“Hai. With my venom coursing through your veins, your body will petrify until your flesh is like stone. Preserving you throughout the ages.”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass!” Lou exclaimed as he pulled Moka and Tsukune away from Ishigami’s line of sight and through the desks, his fingers already feeling heavy and stiff like stone. “Move it!”

“Where?!” Tsukune asked in a panic.

“ANYWHERE!” Lou answered when he found himself entangled with Ishigami’s snakes and being bitten all over his body. Feeling that his body would soon turn to stone and time running out, he turned towards Moka and his cousin. He reached out to Moka’s rosario but already he felt that he had just ran out of time just mere centimeters from the object. “Couz’! Get Xe-” His lips no longer spoke words. Air no longer flowed across them and filled his lungs. Louis McCorray was but stone.

“Lou!” Tsukune and Moka exclaimed in shock and horror.

“Now you!” Ishigami declared as she sent her snakes towards Moka’s body. The vampire couldn’t move to save herself as a few snakes bit into her flesh, but she was spared Lou’s own fate as Tsukune intercepted Ishigami’s snakes with his own body and attempted to free Moka from the snakes that have already grappled her own limbs. “Alright then, you can go next!”

“Tsukune!” Moka screamed as she saw Tsukune’s skin already becoming pale and grey, like stone. He then turned, abit with great difficulty, towards Moka and grasped the rosario while he still had the ability to move.

“G-go get the bitch!” Tsukune pulled free the Rosario from the chain just moments before he was frozen in place by gorgon venom. The room soon flooded with the supernatural aura and energy of the unsealed Moka, powerful enough to rip through Ishigami’s snakes.

“Itai! My snakes! My hair! Iie!” Ishigami howled in pain as the other Moka ripped the snakes from her own body. Her face in extreme rage.

“You bitch!” Ishigami cursed as she recovered from the shedding of her gorgon snakes. “You fucking cunt of a bitch! You can’t even understand art, you slut! Just hurry up and turn to stone!” Her response was the other Moka’s downwards smash of her petrified heel against the gorgon’s forehead, instantly knocking her out.

“So how does the weight of your own stone in a kick feel?” The other Moka taunted the now unconscious gorgon as she limped towards her fallen classmates. Her own supernatural aura and natural abilities of a vampire will counter her current ailment of gorgon poisoning. Tsukune and Lou were not so fortunate. All the other Moka could do was place a hand upon their petrified bodies and lowered her head as if to morn.

Lou slowly woke up and groaned in pain, holding his head as if in migraine. He found himself in the infirmary and laid upon one of the beds. He wondered why he was there when suddenly his memory reminded him of the events some time earlier with Ishigami the Gorgon.

‘Wait? Wasn’t I-’ The American’s own thoughts were disrupted by a scream by Tsukune, which caused Lou to scream as well before throwing a pillow at his cousin’s head. “Don’t do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Gomen!” Tsukune apologized, and then he had a recall of earlier. “What happened? Weren’t we turned to stone?”

“I’m just happy that I got me ol’ flesh and blood again.” Lou stated. “I ain’t that big of a fan of pigeons! Sea Gulls too! Nothin’ but nasty rats with wings!” The cousin then turned their attention to a certain pink haired vampire.

“Tsukune! Lou! Yokatta (thank goodness)!” Moka exclaimed as she rushed towards the cousins and embraced the two of them in one fluid motion, causing both Tsukune an Lou to wonder how in the world the little vampire was able to accomplish such a feat in such a flurry of motion. “You finally woke up! I was so worried!”

“Ishigami!” Tsukune exclaimed just after his memory did a recall.

“Yeah! What about those girls!” Lou added.

“They’re just fine!” Moka reassured the cousins as she pulled away from them. “They were immediately treated and returned to normal! You two were the only ones who didn’t wake up for a full day after returning to normal, so I got worried!”

“Th-the whole day...?” Tsukune’s face was that of shock.

Lou got off the cold floor, even if he was wearing socks, and jumped back into the relatively warm bed. He then looked at his wrist watch. “Actually Couz’ you still got about an hour left or so for your B-Day if I remember correctly.”

“Sou da (that’s right)!” Moka then went to a covered easel that was before their beds.

“Wait....why didn’t we see that earlier?” Lou’s wonder caused Tsukune to look upwards.

“Taa daa!” Moka announced as she unveiled the sketched portrait of Tsukune standing before a window.

“M-moka..!” Tsukune gasped in surprise.

“I hope you like it!” Moka began. “I worked really hard to draw this for the theme ‘what’s important to you’ and I really wanted to finish it for your birthday Tsukune!”

“For me?”

“Hai! Gomen-ne, I wanted it to be a surprise and I asked Lou to keep it a secret.” Tsukune turned to his cousin who simply shrugged.

“It was a promise! Besides I’m lovin’ that face of shock and surprise right about now.” Lou teased.

“I knew that I was worrying you when I was away for the week, but in order to have it done I asked Ishigami-sensei for help and in exchange I became a model.” Moka explained then she looked up to Tsukune. “Happy Sixteenth Birthday, Tsukune! Aishiteru!”

“Moka-san....” Tsukune simply looked at Moka with a smile upon his face. Glad that the vampire remembered his birthday. “Moka-san, I also...”

“Hai?” Moka asked as she sat upon the bed beside Tsukune.

“Aww, that’s so cute- Wait a minute!” Lou drew both Moka’s and Tsukune’s attention after he got a better look at the picture. “Why the fuck am I in it too?”

Tsukune took another look at Moka’s gift to him and saw that he was not alone in the image. Rather Lou stood beside him with the left arm across his shoulders and the American’s right hand was displaying the ‘victory’ symbol that was synonymous with the ‘thumbs-up’. Tsukune could only look back at Moka with a confused look, who was currently pressing the fingertips of her index fingers together.

“Ano...eetoo...I couldn’t really choose and-”

“Oh you cheat!” Lou exclaimed in disbelief. Just then Kurumu exploded into the infirmary.

“Tsukune-kun! I’m glad you’re awake now! I heard from Moka and Yukari that today’s your birthday!” The succubus exclaimed as she dragged a rather large bag into the room. Following her was Yukari who was pushing a cart that carried a kind of cake and a voodoo-like doll and other birthday party supplies and Gin with a birthday bouquet. Kurumu then presented Tsukune the bag. “Here’s your birthday present! A year supply of my delicious cookies!”

“A Warawara-kun doll is my gift to you as well ~Desu!” Yukari presented her own present.

“Oh good!” Lou sighed in relief. “You brought the stuff, Sabrina.”

“Hai ~Desu!” Yukari smiled, happy to receive such praise.

“Nani?” Tsukune asked.

“I needed help to get your cake ready.” Lou answered. “You have NO idea how hard it is to find someone who can make a decent chocolate and strawberry ice cream cake with butterscotch frosting!”

“Odd combination though...” Gin noted.

“Well it’s HIS favorite!” Lou thumbed towards his cousin. “Though I admit, it ain’t that bad of a combo.”

“By the way,” Gin began as he turned towards both Moka and Tsukune. “What were you two doing just now?”The two simply blushed.

“First kiss perhaps?” Lou joked, causing the others to blush wildly.

“Wh-why didn’t I think of that!” Kurumu exclaimed as she rushed towards Tsukune, only to have her advance halted when Lou took a hold of her sweater. “Nani?”

“Let’s just say that you guys are late for that one.” Lou answered cryptically as Tsukune stealthily and swiftly slid his hand against his own throat in a gesture to tell his cousin not to continue.

“Nani?” The others asked.

“A story for another time.” Lou quickly changed the subject. “It’s Tsukune’s day and we ought to be celebrating!” Lou then went out of bed after locating slippers and approached the cart. Removing the plastic cover, he located the candles in the shape of a one and a six and placed them upon the cake above the frosted lettering that read ‘Happy Sixteenth Birthday Tsukune’. “Wait, where are the matches?”

Yukari simply waved her wand and the candles were instantly lit. “Thanks.” The little witch beamed as Lou maneuvered the cart in front of Tsukune. “You know the drill Couz’: Make a wish and blow out them candles!”

“Wish for me Tsukune!” Kurumu requested. “I’ll make sure it’ll come true!” This only caused to increase the jealously of the pink-haired vampire as the two monster girls performed a stare duel. Tsukune could only chuckle at the antics of his clubmates and close friends before he mentally made his wish and blew out the candles.