Disclaimer: I don't own LH and yada yada yada
Well, this is my first real posted attempt. Previous attempts have usually ended with me stopping soon after starting off. Hopefully, I'll actually finish this one.
I plan to use certain Japanese phrases in this story, such as the honorary title "sempai" but overall, I will limit that, as I personally feel it detracts. So you'll just have to deal with my hypocrisy as a writer. P
So feel free to flame away. It's a new spin on the story. Sort of, but not really. This doesn't fit in with the canon, but it rather my own story with the characters. I write informally, so don't expect a novel. P My goal is for a non-OOC experience where you can add to their character without interrupting the normal flow of household antics. The shift in personalities will occur later.
I use my own style of I find it easier to read personally, and I hope it helps you readers too.
"x" – verbal or written speech, depending on usage
'italicized' – thoughts
(x) - onomatopoeia or describes of sounds or location decription
Chapter one: A Rethinking, of Sorts.
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(Keitaro Urashima's room)
sounds of frantic scribbling on paper This room is that of Keitaro Urashima, manager of an all-girls dorm, Hinata Sou, in the small town of Hinata. The purpose of the scribbling, being a practice exam for the Tokyo University entrance exam.
Keitaro Urashima, aged 20, has thus far failed the entrance exam two years in a row, a testing ronin. His medium length black hair, calm brown eyes, and boyish face rarely reveal the frustration that builds up inside from the many demands of life.
'Just what the hell is wrong with this problem?' he ponders as he drops the pencil onto the table in dejection. The problem seemed simple enough, calculate the amount of water that could be added to a glass of water as the water is cooled from 100 Celsius to 30 Celsius. Keitaro has been studying similar problems for the past two years, but each time there are always overlooked factors that lead to incorrect answers.
Looking up at the ceiling, he thinks, 'I bet Naru figured this problem out already,' in reference to the top ranked girl who lives in the room above. For all her random jumping to conclusion and attacks on him, Keitaro had to admit she had a way with properly analyzing academic test questions. 'If only she could apply that academic knowledge to real life, maybe I wouldn't get hit so much. Guess education doesn't always educate.' Lightly chuckling at his own joke, Keitaro stands up to stretch and take a break from the studying.
Walking over to the balcony, he stares out at the beautiful forest behind the dorm and the canvas of blue skies and green trees immediately calm his nerves. He rarely expressed public dissatisfaction, instead choosing to bottle up his emotions, and is always highly critical of his own actions. This combination leads to great amounts of stress, but he keeps it under control, somehow. The tenants would see him take walks into the forest or sit on the roof staring blankly into the sky, but they never understood how he needed these walks to maintain self control. Internally, he wants to be the guy who is always nice and jovial, but even he is only human, subject to the emotions of loneliness, disappointment, and frustration. In the rare instances where he did lose control of his emotions, he always came to regret hurting the feelings of others. It wasn't that he was incorrect in his assessments, but he never liked hurting other people, no matter how wrong that person was.
'Well, it doesn't seem like I'll be getting anymore work done today. I'll ask Naru about that problem later at dinner, hopefully she can help me out,' he thinks to himself as he continues staring out at the picturesque scene before him. Keitaro can feel the stress building up inside of him from the many demands this week has placed upon him, from studying to repairing the extensive damage left by the youngest dorm resident and scientific genius, Kaolla Su. Finally deciding that he'll spend the rest of the afternoon away from the dorm and just try to relax for the upcoming week, he grabs a key from his drawer and heads into town.
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(Elsewhere: In Kyoto)
"Motoko, you really have to find a hobby or something. Practicing too much will only lead to stagnation. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing," says Tsuruko Aoyama as she walks to halls of the great dojo with her younger sister Motoko. Tsuruko always worried to herself that her young sister would overwork and burn out before mastering the art. Motoko forsake all things besides from necessary schooling to practice and hone her sword skills, in the hopes of taking over the family school of martial arts, the Shinmeiryuu. Tsuruko had been the heir in line, but she had chosen to marry and give up the title. This was the one thing Motoko could never understand about her otherwise perfect sister, why a master would give up the sword for a useless man.
"Easy for you to say, Aneue (older sister). Unlike you, I did not master the family techniques when I was 14. I have yet to reach the same level as you did when you were four years younger than I am now!" rebutted Motoko. Tsuruko had been the fastest learner within the family for several decades, and she had mastered by 16 what took others 40 years or even lifetimes to learn.
"Motoko, honestly, you have to relax. Trying too hard will only hinder your training," insisted Tsuruko.
"I have no other interests besides from perfecting my skills in the sword," replied Motoko confidently. At this, Tsuruko remained silent as the two contined in silence
'This is worse than I thought,' thought Tsuruko with a slight touch of humor. 'Oh well, this should be fun though, trying random things to find something for Motoko.' Suddenly grabbing Motoko's hand, Tsuruko starts running towards the garage, laughing maniacally with thoughts of many crazed activities. "I hope you've gotten over your dislike of skirts, Motoko!"
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(Dojo in the hills overlooking Tokyo)
The sounds of metal hitting metal and air being displaced. clink clink clinkclink slash whoosh clink
"Very good, Aokaze!" exclaimed the instructor, a 70 year old man dressed in the garments of a monk. Stepping off the tatami mats, he beckons the youngster to follow as he walks towards the sparring hall exit.
Exitting into the beautiful sunshine and the picturesque scenery of the mountains, the man continues his evaluation. "You've improved immeasurably over this past year, faster than your stellar growth previously! Even your aunt was never as quick of a learner as you are."
"Grandpa, you're just kidding. I'm sure the emotional ties are clouding your judgement," Aokaze jokes as they walk in step.
"No grandson, I'm serious. You've mastered by age 20, what took me til 30. You've already surpassed the normal limits of martial arts training. At this rate, you'll learn everything I have to offer in my 70 years of life in 50, if not less. Absolutely remarkable… you still have quite a ways to go though. So don't slack off. Even though you want to leave the dojo to sister, you still must develop your talent. It's a shame to let talent be wasted."
"Yes, grandfather, I will uphold the honor of the family name."
"Good, now lets go get some food, before you head home. Your grandmother made kobe beef teriyaki today," says the elder man as the two continue discussing the day to day events of each.
"So, when are you going to bring a girlfriend here to visit?"
"Grandpa!"
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(Later that day in Tokyo)
Urashima Keitaro has been wandering around, looking for a shop he saw in the yellow pages. Rounding corner after corner, he just can't seem to find where it is.
'I wish the girls would help me buy stuff for the house every once in a while. Then they'd undersand how hard it is to find equipment sometimes. GRRRRRR WHERE IS THIS PLACE!'
After asking a police officer and wandering around for another 10 minutes, he finally found it, a small little store with the sign reading "Hot Springs Cleaning Supplies." 'I even waste my free time searching for ways to clean the hotsprings faster... And I never even get to use it... Owell... At least I can hope they'll appreciate all my hardwork.'
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(Hinata Sou)
"Where are you, IDIOT!" Naru shouts as she tries to figure out where Keitaro went.
"Naru, take a chill pill," says Kitsune as Naru walks by. "What's the big rush, anyways?"
"I have a date tonight and I want to use the hot springs, but the idiot hasn't cleaned it yet. How can I look and feel my best without using the hotspring? But it's sorta filthy since the last cleaning and he's supposed to have cleaned it today!"
Trying to calm down her friend, Kitsune tells her, "You know he never cleans until after dinner; it's only 2 right now. Cut him some slack, why doncha? It's not like he didn't clean it; it's just that he hasn't gotten around to it yet."
Unable to argue with the logic, Naru just fumes "Well, he should know better! Screw it, I'm just going to go take a shower. If he comes back, tell that pervert not to walk in on me!" and then stalks back up to her room. Kitsune merely chuckles at her friend's antics before going back to the horse race on TV. "Go Lucky Seven! Bring momma's rent in! YOU'RE ALMOST THERE! GOOO!"
camera pans out to a shot of Hinata Sou as we hear "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
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(somewhere in the mountains around Tokyo)
The view is perfect as Tsuruko and Motoko climb up a mountain side, dressed in their hakama and giis while carrying climbing backpacks. Motoko, having rejected every proposal of activities from Tsuruko, finally decided that taking a hike would be acceptable. While Tsuruko was hoping Motoko would enjoy the scenery, Motoko was thinking otherwise.
'This place would be perfect to practice in. It has everything from clearings to dense foliage, and best of all, it's isolated from the rest of the world including the Shinmeiryuu. No one would ever know to find me up here. Thanks sister, maybe this hike wasn't a completely horrible idea after all.'
The two continued their hike, with Motoko always talking about training, and Tsuruko trying to change the subject to anything other than training. This continued on, as the two entered a forest, where both suddenly noted cleanly cut down trees. Thinking they'd entered a logging area, they thought nothing of it and continued on. Clearing the forest however, both were suddenly met with the sight of a giant fortress. The fortress, while immense in size, was not tall by any means, staying below the height of the trees surrounding it.
At once, conversation stopped as they both stood in awe of the magnificent place before them. Motoko's mind was curious with thought as to what this place was. 'Most definitely, it is a dojo or palace of some ancient lineage. It would make sense that this is a dojo, as it would explain the fallen trees back in the forest, a training ground.'
Tsuruko, suddenly remembering part of the history taught to her, started explaining to Motoko. "Sister… this may be the house of the Ancients…"
"House of the Ancients?" interrupted Motoko as she had never heard of it.
"Yes. The house was supposedly made of a family that dedicated itself to saving humanity from evil, whether it be the evil of demons or humanity itself. They were told to live in a giant fortress that was hidden within the forest. Supposedly, the family was comprised of both samurai and ninjas during the feudal time, thus giving intimate knowledge of both disciplines… I know it seems strange that samurai would associate with ninjas, but the story told to me was that a great love between the male hair of the samurai and a skilled female ninja that led to this. How romantic… even in the feudal times… love conquers all…"
"Hmph," said Motoko. "A samurai who allows his heart to dictate shows weakness. What if the ninja had been sent to take his life? He would have risked his entire family over his stupid personal feelings."
"Motoko, you don't get the point of the story… love comes in many ways, not always in the way we envision. Those two were so in love that they risked condemnation by EVERYONE, and still they loved and challenged. Someday, you will understand this. Anyways, back to the story. The myth is that the house exists to this day and that it's people are always in the shadow, keeping the forces of evil at bay. Since they excel in the ways of the ninja, they are rarely heard of and spoken of usually as myth."
"Well then, lets see if this myth is truly a myth or reality!" says a determined Motoko, as she walks off towards the main gate. Tsuruko, curious herself, follows suit. Arriving at a large steel-reinforced wood gate, they pound loudly upon the door, cautious of any movement.
Suddenly, a man's voice is heard from above them, "Why, hello there! What brings you here?"
Tsuruko replies, "We found this fortresss in our hike, and wished to see whether or not this is truly the house of the ancients."
"Ah. Well, indeed you are right, miss." Shouting down, he adds "Open the gates for our lovely guests! And tell my wife we have two female visitors from the Shinmeiryuu." Tsuruko and Motoko are in shock, hearing how the old man knows they are of the Aoyama lineage. Suddenly, a creaking is heard as the giant doors swing open to reveal numerous warriors lined up in a ceremonial fashion along the entranceway.
The old man, who was moments ago high at the top of the fortress, suddenly drops down in front of them, greeting the sisters with a smile.
"Welcome! Welcome! Please come in!" he exclaims as he leads them inside the fortress.
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(An hour later)
"So you are the leader of the house?" asks Motoko as the old man brings them a pot of tea. The three had just settled into the kitchen after having toured the entire complex. Before the man can answer, however, his wife, aged but clearly once beautiful in her youth, enters with a tray of baked cookies. "I hope you like these!" she says as she sets the platter on the table before sitting down herself.
Now with the four seated and with drinks and snacks before them, Tsuruko and Motoko begin their questions anew.
"Is this truly the house of the ancients?" inquires Tsuruko.
The old man replies in the affirmative, "Yes, we are the ones written of in myths and fables. And yes, Motoko dear, I am the current leader. And this is my wife, Kyoko Aoyama. You may have heard of her."
Shocked once again, the sisters look at each other in disbelief. Sensing their questioning, the woman says, "Yes, it is truly I. I'm sure you were told stories that I had disappeared mysteriously but that is only half the truth. Here, if you don't believe me, watch this. It's a party trick of mine." Picking up a butter knife from the countertop, she says "Hiken Zankuusen!" as she waves at the cookie on her plate, breaking it neatly in two with her Ki attack. "Remember in your training, it's not the sword, but the individual." She sets the knife down and rejoins them at the table.
"You truly are the great master Kyoko!" says Motoko in amazement. Only a few members, including Tsuruko, were ever able to channel their ki effectively through objects as small as a butter knife. "Why did you ever leave the dojo? You could have lived a married life while still instructing the new generation."
While waiting for her answer, however, Motoko is suddenly surprised by a vaguely familiar face printed on her cup. Interrupting Kyoko, she asks "Who is this?" as she points to the picture on the cup. "He looks like someone I've met before."
"Oh!" exclaims Kyoko, "that's our grandson! Isn't he just adorable? Such a skilled fighter too! Everyone here calls him Aokaze."
"The blue wind… interesting as Aoyama is the blue mountain," observed Tsuruko.
"Haha," chuckles the man, before he speaks. "Yes, that was part of the reason. When Aokaze was young, he was always quite introverted. He was questioning little child though, incredibly bright. Well, one day he asked soo many questions, that your great aunt here said jokingly 'You know you can't wear me down! No matter how hard the wind blows, the mountain shall never bow! Aokaze!' And that's how the nickname caught on. Here's the kicker though!" the old man barely able to control his laughter at this point. "After she said that, he asked 'Doesn't wind and blue water wear down the mountain though? Like erosion?'" At this point the husband and wife both start laughing uncontrollably, as Tsuruko and Motoko cannot help but join in the laughter.
Motoko, however, still has a thought in the back of her mind. 'So Aokaze is a nickname…Where have I seen this person before? He almost looks like Urashima without his glasses on…'
Once the laughter had subsided, Motoko pushed once more, "Aokaze is his nickname, but what's your family name and his real name?"
"Us? We're the Urashima family. And his real name? It's Keitaro Urashima."
End of Chapter 1
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I know….. it's really bad… Hahaha… I just couldn't get it sound the way I wanted it too…. I keep picturing it in my mind like a movie, but I can't get it on paper. Anyways, hope its somewhat enjoyable. The future is still to come.
Huh... sorry about that... uploading deleted all my grammatical remarks, I fixed what i caught, more may be missing, tell me whats up.
reviews/critiques welcome