Hey, everyone. Here's yet another sequel story in my now seeming long saga involving Keitaro and Motoko. If you're not familiar with the previous stories I wrote, they are Compassionate Swordplay, Love's Sharp Blade, Moving Forward, You Have Me, and Song of the Nightingale. This will be the sixth story in the series. Things will heat up in this chapter, thus the 'R' rating. So be forewarned, steamy scenes ahead. Anyway, I hope you like this latest installment. Enjoy!
Disclaimers: Love Hina is owned and created by Ken Akamatsu.
The song "Everything" by Lifehouse was written by Jason Wade.
Night Shadows
Chapter I:
Shadows of the Past
The yellow sun shines brightly on this beautiful morning. The warm spring breeze flows over the land of green grassy hills and bamboo trees. Above, the white clouds move steadily under the bright sun. Sparrows fly about from tree to tree, spreading their wings and singing their song in a chorus that fills the area. The sound of children's laughter can be heard echoing as it grows closer and closer.
Two little girls emerged from the small bamboo forest. They smiled as they laughed, running side by side, hand in hand, going farther and farther back into the vast property of the one girl's family. Running farther than they ever had before, the two came upon an old wooden bridge, stretching high over rushing water. One girl ran out onto the bridge, looked over the railing and gazed down at the water in amazement.
"Mot-chan! Mot-chan! Come look at the water!" The girl said, pointing down.
The other girl, hesitantly standing at the edge of the bridge, said,
"But Rei-chan, it could be dangerous!"
"It's okay! See? No problem!" Rei-chan said, tapping her foot on the old wood.
"O-Okay." Mot-chan said, before cautiously stepping out onto the old wooden boards of the bridge.
Mot-chan looked down at the water with her friend.
"Woooow. Amazing! We're so high up and the water is going so fast."
"Yeah! Its incredible!"
Rei-chan then turned to her friend and took her by the hand.
"Mot-chan, let's make a promise. Let's be best friends forever!"
"It's a promise, Rei-chan. Best friends forever!" she said as the two held hands and smiled bright smiles.
Rei-chan looked back towards the property.
"I think it's almost time for lunch, Mot-chan. C'mon, let's go!"
"Okay, lets go!"
The two made their way back towards the end of the bridge with heavy footsteps. Rei-chan then stepped on a weak board that suddenly broke under her weight with a loud SNAP. Rei-chan let out a scream as she quickly fell through. But her fall was suddenly stopped by the grasp of Mot-chan's hand. However, her little hand couldn't hold on for long. Rei-chan's hand was slipping.
Distressed and doing her best to hold on to her, she said,
"Rei-chan! Rei-chan! Give me your other hand! Hurry!"
"Mot-chan, I'm scared! I'm scared!"
"It's okay, just give me your other hand!"
Rei-chan struggled to reach out and grab Mot-chan's other hand. Mot-chan's grip was becoming less and less.
'Please, God. Oh, Please! Please! Let me grab her!' Mot-chan thought as she desperately reached out for Rei-chan's hand. Closer and closer. Their fingers were almost touching.
'Just…a…little…more.'
"Mot-chan, I can almost reach."
"Don't worry, Rei-chan! Don't worry! Just a little more!"
Just as their fingers barely touched, Mot-chan's other hand lost its grasp on Rei-chan.
"Rei-chan! No!! REI-CHAAAN!"
"Rei-chan!" Motoko yelled, quickly sitting up in the futon.
Her outstretched hand was reaching into the darkness, grasping at nothing. Realizing this, she slowly let her hand fall to her lap.
"Oh, Rei…" she said to herself as the painful memory came back to her. Laying her face in her hands, she began to cry.
Keitaro, who was already stirred by the sound of her voice a moment ago, opened his eyes to the sound of her crying.
"Mnn…Motoko? Are you okay?" He said, sitting up and reaching out for her. He held her and started to gently rub her shoulders. "What's wrong, Hon? What happened?"
Motoko just buried her head in his chest and began to cry even harder.
Keitaro lovingly held on to her as she shed tears of painful sorrow onto the bare skin of his chest. He laid down with her in his arms and continued to hold her this way for the rest of the night.
The following morning, Keitaro was leaning against the railing of the balcony, a hot cup of tea in his hand. There was a deep chill in the air and a light layer of snow covered the ground on this early December day.
'Motoko,' He thought 'she cried herself to sleep before she could tell me what happened. I wonder what caused her to wake up and start crying like that last night. When I woke up this morning, she was already gone. I asked Shinobu, but she said Motoko has some business to take care of in Tokyo after school today.' He then let out a sigh.
"What's going on, Motoko?" He said to himself, looking at the distant horizon.
In a large cemetery located near the center of Tokyo, the leafless trees sway slightly in the cold wind. We see Motoko walking through the entry gates, carrying with her flowers and incense. Her hair was tied back with a silver ribbon, letting it stream down to the middle of her back. The wind tussled her shiny black hair and caused ripples in the long flowing fabric of her dark blue scarf.
Motoko quietly walked among the stones. The shadows cast by the afternoon sun slowly grew longer. She stopped at a single stone near a tall tree. She knelt down and sat in the traditional Japanese way. She gently laid the flowers at the foot of the stone. She then lit the incense and inserted it into the holder next to the flowers. She closed her eyes and put her hands together in prayer. After a long while, she opened her eyes again and lowered her hands to her lap.
She looked at the name inscribed on the stone.
'Tachibana, Rei'
Motoko showed a little smile as she began to speak.
"Hello, Rei. I know it's been so long. I've wanted to visit you, but sadly, certain forces have prevented me from seeing you. Rei…I've missed you so much. I remember all the happy times when we used to play together. You were my best friend. We promised. Best friends forever, right?"
Her soft smile faded into a look of sorrow.
"…I'm so sorry, Rei. If I had watched where you were walking…if I had gotten you off that bridge sooner…if I was a little stronger…maybe we'd still be together now."
After wiping away a tear, Motoko gave a moment of silence.
Then she became aware of a presence near her. She turned her eyes to her right and noticed a woman leaning back against the tree. Her arms were folded and her head was tilted down. She looked about Motoko's age, had short brown hair, was slightly muscular and wore a black bodysuit with metal guards over her fists, forearms and leg shins.
Motoko, still sitting calmly, said,
"It's been a long time…Mei."
Her mean narrow eyes looked over at Motoko as her discontent frown deepened.
"You're not welcome here." The woman said.
"I've merely come to pay my respects." Motoko replied.
"You're respects aren't welcome either." She then turned her head to Motoko and lowered her brow in an expression of loathing. "How dare you come here?"
Motoko remained silent.
"Leave or I will remove you by force. You're already violating the agreement by setting foot in our territory." The woman said.
Motoko looked back to Rei's headstone.
"Very well." She said calmly, quietly.
Motoko slowly stood up. She leaned down, kissed her fingers and touched them to the headstone.
"Take care…Rei." She whispered.
Motoko turned and started back towards the gates. She stopped for a moment and looked back. The woman Mei had disappeared. Motoko then turned her head forward and continued along the path towards the gates.
In the Hinata apartments, Keitaro sits on the couch in the lobby. He stared out the front glass doors. Outside, the sun was setting. A quick gust of wind blew several stray leaves across his vision. An anxious and worrisome look across his features, he waited. The ticking of the clock seemed almost deafening, as it's sound filled the room.
Then, filling with relief and excitement, Keitaro caught sight of Motoko coming up the steps and walking toward the front door. Keitaro jumped up, ran over and opened the sliding door for her. Surprised to see him appear so quickly, she then showed him a thankful smile as she entered. After Keitaro closed the door, he looked back at her and watched her as she took off her shoes and hung her coat next to the door.
"Is everything alright, Hon? You had me a little worried. When I woke up, you were gone. And you missed breakfast." Keitaro said.
Motoko turned to him and gave him a tender look. She then leaned in and gave him a loving kiss. After a long moment, she moved in and embraced him. He lovingly held her as she rested her head on his shoulder. They stayed like this, silently, for a long time.
"Motoko…What happened?" Keitaro quietly said.
Motoko stepped back, looked into his eyes and showed him a reassuring smile.
"I'm sorry for making you worry, Anata." She said. Then she took his hand. "Come with me…and I'll tell you everything."
She led him up the stairs and into their room. She closed the door and locked it. Then they both sat down next to eachother at the kotatsu.
Motoko was silent as she tried to find the words. She stared down at her folded hands atop the table. Keitaro then reached over and gently laid his hand on hers. The feeling of her lover's warmth caused a pleasant smile in her. Her thoughts now collected, she met her lover's eyes and began.
"For centuries now, the Aoyama clan has been at odds with another clan called the Tachibana. They are masters in the art of Ninjutsu and as such they are also masters in unarmed combat. Over the years, after constant battles with the Aoyama, they have perfected an art that can effectively counter our sword techniques with the aid of special metal guards on the arms and legs.
"I am not certain how the feud between our two families began. However, it is well known that the Samurai and the Ninja have been bitter rivals for as long as history can remember. A while ago, when I was a little girl, there was a truce created between the Tachibana and Aoyama. As a gesture of good faith, the two families allowed the youngest daughters of the two families to meet and become friends. Those two children were Rei Tachibana and myself. We were both of the same age, seven years old.
"When I first met Rei, I was a little apprehensive of her, because I had been taught all my life that Tachibana were wicked and not to be trusted. They put us in a room together alone. Rei seemed very shy at first and I was a very stubborn child. So the first meeting didn't go very well. We spent a half-hour sitting at a table, not saying a word. And we sat there until our parents came to pick us up.
"The next meeting went much better. After a few minutes, I decided to get up from the table. I detached the stick from a broom that was resting in the corner and started practicing my kendo. After a moment or so, Rei got up from the table as well and started to watch me.
Then she said,
"Excuse me, but what technique is that?"
Myself, not breaking form, replied,
"It is Shin-Mei Ryu!"
"Oooh, a sword art, huh? Are you familiar with any unarmed techniques that can counter it?" She asked.
"There are none!"
"I bet you you're wrong." She said with a patient smile.
I stopped and looked at her.
"Oh, yeah? Prove it. Prove that there's a technique that can counter my Shin-Mei!"
"Okay. Hit me then." She said.
"H-Huh? You want me to hit you? But you'll be hurt."
"Uh-uh. Trust me." She said, a calm smile never leaving her face.
I turned to face her, raised my stick and performed a downward swing. To my amazement, with fast reflexes, she caught it between her crossed forearms. She then grabbed the stick, twisted it out of my hand, spun around and held its tip to my chest. With the same smile, she handed the stick back to me. She gave a sweet laugh and said,
"You see? It is possible. I really like you. I'm sure there's much we can learn from eachother, if we can be friends."
"Friends? You…you want to be friends with me?" I said.
"Of course." She said, her smile growing brighter.
She was nothing like the person I thought she would be. Nothing like the wicked, dishonorable thieves I had been told about up to that point. All I saw was this sweet, kindhearted girl standing in front of me. I dropped the stick and gave a deep bow.
"Please forgive me! I have been so rude! My name is Motoko Aoyama. Best regards."
Matching my bow she said,
"My name is Rei Tachibana. I am pleased to meet you."
Then we stood up and looked at eachother with smiles.
"Rei-chan, is it? Can you teach me that technique you just did?" I said.
"Sure! I'll show it to you, Mot-chan. I'm so glad we can be friends."
"Heh heh, me too."
We saw eachother once a week for almost a year. We had become so close. We would laugh and play together and could talk to eachother about anything. Rei had a sister named Mei who was one year older than we were. She was always gone training with the family, though. I had met her a few times, but she would never say very much to me.
One day, Rei and I managed to sneak out of the Tachibana house and go into the back property to play. We went past the bamboo trees and found our way to an old bridge that was over a rushing canal far below."
Motoko paused for a moment as the memories came back to her.
"We both went out onto the bridge and watched the water. Then, on that bridge, we promised to be best friends forever. I was so happy. I never had a best friend before. Hand in hand, we ran towards the end of the bridge to start back towards the house. As she was running in front of me, a board broke under her and she fell through. But I had her hand. I held on to her with everything I had. I told her to give me her other hand so I could pull her up."
Her voice started to crack from the tears she held back.
"I…I lost my grip on her and…she slipped out of my hand. I can still hear her scream." Single tears began to run down her cheeks. "Oh, God…I can still see her falling."
She covered her face as more tears came.
Keitaro moved behind her, put his arms around her and held her. After a while, Keitaro slowly moved his hands to hers, moved them away from her face and held them.
"You okay?" He whispered, moving up his hands and rubbing her shoulders.
"…it's…my fault…"
"What?" he said.
"Its all my fault. If only I had been stronger, I could have saved her." She said, her voice full of regret.
"You mustn't blame yourself, Motoko. You did your best. There was nothing else you could have done."
"I should have been stronger. I should've been!"
"It's not your fault."
"It is my fault! She's gone because of me!" she said, turning and looking in his eyes.
"It's not your fault."
"It is! It is!" She yelled, shaking her head in the painful anguish.
"It's not your fault."
Again Motoko looked into his calm and loving eyes. She then finally broke down and cried in his arms.
For a long time they sat there, holding eachother until she finally calmed down. Then Keitaro softly spoke.
"What happened afterward?" He said.
She took a deep breath and let out a shaky exhale.
"The Tachibana, furious over the loss of their youngest daughter, cancelled the truce and declared war. Battles ensued between our two clans for over a year, on battlefields unseen by the public eye. The war ground down to a standstill, with neither side actually winning. Since then, we have come to a 'If you don't enter our territory, we won't enter yours' agreement. Currently, the Tachibana occupy most of Tokyo and the surrounding area, whereas The Aoyama occupy all of Kyoto and its surrounding area."
Her gaze then fell to the floor.
"Today, I…I broke the agreement and entered their territory to visit Rei's grave. I'm not sure what will happen now. The Tachibana may use this as an opportunity to move against us. Regardless, I'll have to answer to my father for what I've done. But I just had to see her. I needed to see my best friend. Therefore, I have no regrets. It's been ten years since her death. I'm 18 now. Mei is 19. Mei has hated me ever since that terrible day."
"So…Mei blames you for what happened?" Keitaro said.
"She believes that I let her sister die. We've had many run-ins over the years. Each time I tried to tell her what really happened, but she just wouldn't listen. I still remember what she said during our last battle.
"It was a couple months before you came to live here with us, Keitaro. I was walking through Ginza when Mei decided to ambush me. I'm glad I had my sword with me at the time. Back and forth we fought, destroying most of the area. At the end of the battle, she pinned me back against a wall with my sword, using her arm guards.
She moved in close and said,
"You didn't even try to save her, did you? You let go of her on purpose!"
"That's not how it happened! Rei was my friend!"
"Shut up! My sister is dead because of you. You Aoyama are all alike. None of you can be trusted. All of you deserve to die!!" She said, pulling out a short blade.
I acted quickly and kicked her knee, setting her off balance. I then pushed her back and slashed her across her upper arm where she wasn't protected. She grabbed her wound as the blood ran down her arm. She was bleeding like a sieve.
"You better get that taken care of or else you'll bleed to death." I said.
"This isn't over. I may not have my family's permission to kill you yet, but someday you will feel my wrath." She said, before leaping up the walls and disappearing on the rooftops.
Keitaro was silent for a moment. He then wrapped his arms around and held her close.
"Motoko…you held this inside for so long. And you couldn't talk to anyone about it. You must have felt so alone."
"Yes…"
Her arms around him, her head on his shoulder, she turned her head and gently kissed his neck.
"I need you, Keitaro." She said quietly, longing for the comfort that only her lover can give her. "I need you now more than ever."
He moved back, touched her chin and raised her lips to his.
Their lips an inch apart,
"Tell me that you love me." She said, her voice filled with desperate yearning.
"I love you."
"How much do you love me?"
"So much, Motoko. I love you so much, sometimes I can't even describe it."
She raised her lips to his ear and whispered,
"Then take me, my love. Take me."
Their lips came together in a passionate kiss.
Keitaro raised his arms as she slowly took off his shirt. After removing her sweater in the same way, he got close and moved his nose above the skin of her shoulder and up the nape of her neck, breathing in her fragrance. It was the sweet smell of rose oil. His heartbeat now quickened, his body burning, he began to hungerly kiss her neck as he slowly pushed her down to the floor. Aroused, she ran her fingers down his back, almost clawing at his skin. Her senses raised, her body excited, she rolled him over and got on top of him, straddling him. She removed the ribbon from her hair, letting it flow freely down her shoulders.
She leaned down and began to kiss his neck as he had hers. They started to crawl towards the futon in the middle of the room while staying in the position they were in. Motoko on all fours and Keitaro like a strange crab. Both driven by desire, their minds taken over by their love-fueled craving for eachother.
Keitaro, grateful that he had forgotten to put the futon away this morning, threw aside the blanket and sheets as they made their way to the center of the mattress. After gently and sensually removing the rest of his clothes and her own, Motoko returned to her position on top of him. She took a moment to run her fingers over the surface of his muscular chest, feeling the muscles as they flexed and relaxed in her hands. Keitaro, now holding her waist, started to slowly but firmly run his hands up and down the naked skin of her hips.
She reached up and removed his glasses, placing them on the floor beyond the pillow. In his eyes, she saw his desire for her, a burning flame that was only rivaled by the one scorching within her own soul. She loves this man. She has never been more certain of anything else. Just as he loves her. So much, his heart was overflowing with the emotion. She pushed a button on a black remote laying next to the bed and the lights in the room went out.
Their shadows could be seen against the light of the window. Shadows that moved with the rhythm of their fierce love-making. For what seemed like hours, they shared in each other's essence. Their two bodies were like one. Desperately, their bodies started moving faster as they both approached the peak. Keitaro's muscles tensed up as did hers. Motoko arched her back as she let her head fall back. A pleasure filled moan escaped them both as they finally reached climax.
Spent, Motoko collapsed on top of her exhausted lover. Both panted heavily as they tried to catch their breath.
After some time had passed, Motoko, still laying on top of him, was resting her head on Keitaro's chest. Her eyes closed, a pleasant smile was formed on her lips as Keitaro gently stroked her hair. She has never felt safer than in her lover's arms. Like this, it seemed like nothing could ever harm her. His arm wrapped around her back, he desired nothing more then to keep her safe. To protect her from the woes of the world.
"Keitaro." She said softly.
"Yes, my love?" He quietly replied, still slowly stroking her silky raven hair.
"Could you…could you sing for me?"
"What would you like me to sing?"
"Something soft. Something beautiful. Can you do that?"
"Sure. Anything for you." He said.
Those last few words caused her smile to widen.
Keitaro began to softly sing. His voice was gentle and lulling, giving appropriate pauses between the poetic verses.
"Find me here…and speak to me
I want to feel you…I need to hear you
You are the light…that's leading me
To the place…where I find peace…again.
You are the strength…that keeps me walking.
You are the hope…that keeps me trusting.
You are the light…to my soul.
You are my purpose...you're everything.
How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
You calm the storms…and you give me rest.
You hold me in your hands…you won't let me fall.
You steal my heart…and you take my breath away.
Would you take me in? Take me deeper now?
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
Cause you're all I want, You're all I need
You're everything, everything
You're all I want you're all I need
You're everything, everything.
You're all I want you're all I need.
You're everything, everything
You're all I want you're all I need, you're everything…everything."
Keitaro moved his head down and kissed her forehead.
"So…how did I do?" He whispered.
Her eyes still closed and showing a grateful smile, she softly said,
"It was perfect."
At the Tachibana estate, located atop a corporate skyscraper in central Tokyo, the head of the Tachibana family, Rikumaru Tachibana, sits quietly at his desk. Facing the window, he stares out into the night. His hands are patiently folded. The room is large, darkened. Lit mostly by the light from the city far below.
The Tachibana family lives under the guise of a conglomerate, but most of their money comes from assassinations and industrial espionage.
He turned his chair around to his desk. His head is down. The woman in front of him is patiently waiting for a response to the words she spoke moments before. He then raised his head and looked at her.
"Mei." He said.
"Yes, Father." She said, standing at attention.
"You're telling me that the youngest daughter of the Aoyama family, Motoko, has entered our territory? Not only that. She has visited Rei's grave? Is that correct?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Hmm, this is quite troublesome." With his hand, he slowly rubbed his chin in thought. "But it also proves to be an opportunity."
"Opportunity, Father?"
"Yes. This clan has had our eyes on Kyoto for many years now. Now is our chance to finally attain it. The only thing that has always stood in our way is the Aoyamas. Those proud, arrogant samurai. They know nothing of what it means to be Ninja. To accomplish your mission, no matter what the cost. Even if it costs your own life. That is what it means to be Ninja." He said.
"Father, though that is true, what would we need with Kyoto?"
"With the Kyoto territory under our control, it would open up all of western Japan to us." He took a moment to look at his daughter, as she patiently awaited his instructions. "The Aoyamas must be removed from the picture. They are all very strong, but the weakest seems to be Motoko. Therefore we will start with her."
"My mission, Father?" She asked, eagerly.
"Eliminate Motoko Aoyama."
A smile crept over her features as she raised her hand and touched the long scar on her left arm.
"With pleasure."