Motoko Aoyama: I'm so sorry for the late update! I've been having a writer's block and so whatever I wrote down, I just couldn't finish it since it seemed really crappy. I was also having trouble expressing myself and so it was until now, the last weekend before the start of school that I finally got something decent down. Another thing that I want to apologize for is that I will be unable to answer individual reviewers' comments from now on due to a new policy of this site. Therefore, when I get a section up for this story on my MSN group "Motoko's Anime Page" (see profile for url) I'll put the replies up there. Sorry for the inconvenience! Of course I would still like to thank each reviewer: pyrotechnic, LHreader, Void Hawk, Ksim3000, tomdj1701, Ranko, Lord Balmung, Innortal, Hinata Fates, Sieg15 and Wonderbee31. To pyrotechnic, I think more LH characters might come along later on, but not for the time being. Hope you don't mind! Anyway, let's go on to the next chapter...

Disclaimer: I don't own LH. Everyone should know by now.

Forgotten Promise

Chapter 13

Night had seeped into the Hinata Apartments, the soft moonlight reflecting off the blanket of snow covering the pinkish roof to bath the surroundings in an eerie glow. Motoko sat quietly in the kanrinrin room, wondering about Keitaro's state, and about her own too. She had been so different lately, all obsessed about waiting for Keitaro's return, completely forgetting about her other duties. Was Keitaro the only thing in her life? No. She had a son to care for, a dojo to lead, and the path of the sword to carry on. Picking up the Aoryuken that Keitaro had given to her, she smiled for the first time in days and gripped firmly onto its hilt. She must be strong. For once, she will be the one for Keitaro to lean on for support, not the other way around.

" Motoko? Are you inside?" Kitsune's voice sounded from outside the bedroom door. Motoko opened the door for her friend and allowed her to take a seat at the kotatsu. Kitsune looked stunned as she gazed upon Motoko's countenance, the raven hair once again gleaming like her grayish green eyes, and a somewhat artificial smile was plastered on her face.

" Are you okay, Motoko?" Kitsune asked.

" What do you think?" Motoko answered somewhat sarcastically.

" Well..not really..." Kitsune answered.

" Who would be when your husband suddenly went off to the states and then got in a plane crash and became the miracle survivor of the accident? Well, maybe you would be if your husband had bought insurance," Motoko replied. Her tone of voice had gone back to normal, which made Kitsune even more worried.

" You are freaking me out..."

" Don't I always?"

Kitsune merely gave a laugh in reply. Motoko was trying her hardest to be her normal self, so she had no reason to ask her to cry out her sorrows or anything. As long as she doesn't do anything drastic, especially with those katanas of hers, it was all good.

" So, why did you come up here? For the kotatsu?" Motoko asked jokingly.

" I was just thinking that maybe we should get someone to look after Kenichi for you. I mean, after all, you'll be really busy watching over Keitaro when he comes back," Kitsune replied.

Motoko's expression dimmed for a slight moment when she was reminded of Keitaro's condition, but she quickly recovered and gave a smile.

" That would be much appreciated, but with you looking after the teahouse, I don't think you'll be able to watch over Kenichi for me. As for Naru and Kenjiro...I think it would be a bit too much to ask of her..." Motoko explained.

" How about Akiko?" Kitsune asked.

Motoko's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing that familiar name come out of Kitsune's mouth...

The green canopies around the Shinmeiryuu dojo were covered in the midst of snow, with the ancient building itself barely visible in the blinding expanse of white. However, the inside of the dojo was full of activity, the sound of strong footsteps and clashing shinai ringing down the narrow halls. In the back of the room where the students were practicing in stood two figures in pale white gi and red hakama beneath the armour they wore. The one on the left was proceeding quickly towards her opponent, sweeping her shinai with great velocity, only to be intercepted by soft blows of the other person's weapon. They were now dueling on the right side of the room, almost hitting the wall, but at the last moment, the figure on the right dodged beneath her opponent's shinai and swung her own back in a graceful manner to strike her opponent's side with a loud kiai.

" Akimoto-sama!" a voice rang suddenly. The activity in the room stopped, letting a complete silence hang over the air save for the slight echoes that soon drifted away. A girl in the same white and red kendo uniform came running into the room from the slightly opened door, still yelling out the name in a serious manner.

The girl in the back of the room who had just won her duel quickly took off her gloves and helmet, revealing her long raven coloured hair that cascaded down her armour. Her eyes shone with a dazzling glint as they rested beneath her dark eyebrows, her cheekbones high with confidence, her lips tight with seriousness.

" What's the matter, Anko?" she asked. She was Akimoto Akiko, the person looking after the dojo while their leader, Motoko, stayed with her family in Hinata City.

" Motoko-sama wants to speak with you. She is on the phone now," Anko replied. Akiko nodded and put down her shinai as she followed the girl out of the room. After Akiko's departure, the students resumed their activity, and the sounds of clashing swords once again rang through the forests of Shinmei Mountains.

Akiko pressed the receiver to her ear as she listened intently to what Motoko said, her expression turning much graver with each word she heard. Anko stared at her in curiosity and concern since she had never seen the fifteen-year-old look so intense before.

" I see. I'll take the first train to Hinata Onsen tomorrow," Akiko replied as she took the receiver away from her ear and set it down once again. Anko gave her a questioning stare, but Akiko returned a look that told her not to ask any more questions.

" As you heard, I'll be going to Hinata Springs tomorrow. Take care of the dojo in my stead for the time being. I'll make the trip as short as possible," Akiko stated emotionlessly, as if she was giving a command to a robot. Anko frowned. That was the Akiko they all knew, the Akiko who turned all serious and full of authority whenever something bad happened.

The thick blanket of darkness still hung stubbornly over the skies of Hinata City, the moon climbing higher and higher into the havens while two children saton a dry patch of red tiles atop the slanted roof of the inn. Kenichi gazed down at the lights that ran along the skyline, flickering against the shadows like fireflies flapping their wings amidst thick bushes. Captivated by the sight, he didn't notice a streak of tears running down his cheeks, but Yuri, who looked at him without the slightest blinking, caught the liquid that glinted in the starlight.

" Are you okay?" Yuri cut through the silence.

Kenichi blinked, noticing the water that ran down his face. He quickly swiped it off as he pretended to push away his bangs. He didn't want Yuri to think that he was weak.

" Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Kenichi said.

Yuri looked to her side at the snow. She ran her fingers into the pile of white and let the coldness stingthem a little so that they became slightly numb. Wouldn't it be so nice to be able to numb your heart just as easily? Shaking off the thought, Yuri placed her hand back into her pocket and gave a beaming smile at Kenichi. Kenichi blinked once more, his eyes widening at the sight of Yuri. Before his mind could register to what was happening, Yuri gave a small peck on his cheek. He was too dumbfounded to even blush.

" No matter what happens, I'll be with you! And even if you have to leave me one day, I'll still be waiting here at Hinatasou, because when you come back, we'll go to Toudai together and live happily ever after!" Yuri said. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from her pocket and wrote her name and Kenichi's on the white sheet. Tearing the sheet apart so that the two names were separated, she gave the one with her name on it to Kenichi.

" See, with this sheet, you'll always remember my name unlike your oyaji!" Yuri said with a smile. Kenichi smiled back, his face finally able to blush.

" It's not like I'll be leaving you any time soon you know...I mean, if I did, who would take care of a gullible kid like you," Kenichi replied arrogantly.

They laughed happily, their sounds carried away by the blowing wind. The breeze was already less intense than before. It'll warm up very soon, and with it, the new spring would arrive.

Motoko Aoyama: Once again, sorry about the wordy, not so exciting chapter. Next chapter, Akiko would arrive, and something will happen. The story would start getting more interesting soon, hopefully, so please continue to support me so that I have more incentive to write! Thanks everyone! Please be so kind to leave a review, be it constructive criticism, comments, questions or just a note saying that you've read this. Just don't flame me, because everything else that you say means a whole lot to me and I would be more than glad to see you all write to me! While you're at it, please take a look at my MSN group (the url is on my profile)! Thanks once again!