Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any other thing in here. All…stuff here belong to Ken Akamatsu and co.

But the alternate reality characters are really mine.

Its also inspired by Rurouni Kenshin, and crossovered by my own incomplete novel: Night Phantom-Rain.

This is a rather Action/Romance/Adventure/Angst fanfic, so if you don't like it, don't read it. I also appreciate good comments with insight and help on plotline.

This story may seem a bit OC, so I apologize. Do review if it does.

This is set after the epilogue, after Keitaro and Naru's marriage.

Yep.

Enjoy.

Note: Counter Earth is a near identical replica of Earth situated at the other end of the universe, with some distinct differences between the two worlds from different choices. Think of it as an alternate reality, but a real one for the Counter Earth people.

Prologue

Somewhere on Counter-Earth…

She's here, he thought frantically, fumbling with the small box he had in his hand before placing it back into his pocket. Patiently, he waited for her to walk through the door and...

"Thanks for coming," he whispered, placing his arms around her. The action made him feel slightly nervous, but it was now or never, and she didn't resist…

"I've liked you for some time," confessed Keitaro, almost shyly. There was silence for a moment, because neither of them knew what to say, until she let out a mumbled word-

"R-really?"

"When I was small, I know I made a lot of promises. But the one I made with you are still the most important to me." He felt the warmth of her body increase, and smiled inwardly-he knew she was blushing by now. "Narusegawa…I want to fulfill those promises with you…together-"

"Keitaro…"

"Will you marry me?"

For a moment he thought it had gone without a hitch, that everything had gone even better than planned. He wasn't an egoistical person, so he wasn't exactly expecting Narusegawa to be over excited and scream 'Yes!" and jump for joy and start making out with him-or anything like that. But what happened next, he never saw coming.

It had only been the next moment when he realized what exactly had gone wrong-she had said his name out of confusion and almost a bitter sadness, and not out of joy, as if she had already anticipated what he was going to say…

She was not going to say yes.

"Naru…?" He didn't want to believe. Not until he heard her say it.

"I can't," she whispered, sobbing. Tears ran down the beautiful young woman's face, and her eyes, usually brimming with life, were red and teary. "I can't."

"Why?" He questioned in disbelief. It couldn't be. After all this time, she didn't love him the way he loved her?

"Is…is it because I'm still not good enou-"

"No!" she sobbed, bursting into tears. "It's not like that-"

His heart was pounding, and he was becoming light-headed. His dream was vanishing, being quickly replaced by his worst nightmare.

"I-if I'm not good looking enough, or because you might think I'm a pervert…"

"Kei-Keitaro…" He was already stammering, choking, trying to take control of the dastardly situation but his heart was just hurting too much for him to feel in control.

"It's not you," she whispered finally. "It's me…I can't…"

"I don't care!" he burst out, finally reaching breaking point. Tears streamed down the kanrinrin's face, something that was not done comically but so heart breaking that she could feel his pain-and her own. "I love you, Naru! And I'll do anything to be with you!"

He let the tears flow freely past his mouth as he covered it with his hand. The expression on her face left him speechless-it was one of immense pain and guilt. How ironic it was then, that this rejection was happening in that accursed house of marriage.

He would not cause her anymore pain.

"I want you to be happy, Naru. That matters more than anything else…even me." He stood up from his proposal position, wiping the tears from his eyes, as she did like wise. "I need to know why."

Narusegawaw shivered, stroking her golden locks aside as she tried not to look into those black beady eyes which were obviously so full of pain and emotion.

"E-e-ever since H-haruka died…" she croaked, starting to cry again.

"Seta," whispered Keitaro. 'It's fine. I understand." His voice was now metallic and emotionless, and he turned away from her. He would not take her pity.

"Keitaro…" But she was interrupted bu the feel of a sudden warm embrace holding her, and she sunk into it with thick sobs, unaware that it was far more unwilling to let go then she was.

"It's okay, Naru," he said, after much hesitation.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry.

The two stood alone in the darkness, knowing things would never, ever be the same between them.

It was moments after she left that Keitaro finally tuned back to look at her running back towards Hinata Lodge-she was so beautiful, so pure, so amazing…he should have known that it was truly impossible for her to have chosen him, compared to someone who could fulfill her dreams, like Seta.

He laughed.

And then he realized he was crying harder than he ever had in his life, as the weight of his plight fell upon him-Narusegawa, the girl of his dreams, the girl he had promised to enter Todai with all those years ago was never going to be his. He had broken down completely at last.

Not because he had been rejected.

But because of a nagging feeling that somewhere, someplace in the universe, it had turned out differently, and that Keitaro Urashima should have been the happiest man on earth in that life.

Well, how was that? A bit short, angsty and not convincing, but do review. It's just the prologue, after all. Next chapter up soon.

Um, I checked the preview of it on ff and it's not coming out like I thought…will edit soon.