KAMEN RIDER CHROME: I know you guys are waiting for the next chapter, and trust me when I say I'm deeply sorry, but I kinda reached a roadblock. However, for your reading pleasure, Paladin and I have written this little omake, a what-if story you could consider an OVA special. Basically, what happens when two different worlds collide? Well, here's your answer.
SPECIAL CASE: CROSSING OVER THE D
Keitaro didn't know what had happened. One moment he was in his office, looking over old case files and the next he was suddenly splashing and spluttering in the middle of hot water. It took him a moment to get his bearings back, but he managed it. Standing up, he looked around to see that he was in the hot springs of Hinata-Sou.
Sputtering, Keitaro stood up, all wet. "Damn, what happened?" He knew that there was no way that he could have ended up in the hot springs directly from his room. Maybe Su made that teleporting gadget she said she was working on or something…
"KEITARO, YOU PERVERT!"
"VILE LECHEROUS MALE!"
Turning to the sounds of the screams, Keitaro spotted Motoko and Naru coming at him with nothing but violent intent. Motoko was gripping her sword while Naru had her first of doom ready to use. Both of them were clad in nothing but towels, indicating what they were doing in the hot springs.
"Crap!" Keitaro cursed as he reached into his pocket and took out two Giji Memories. Acting quickly, he retrieved their gadgets and inserted the Memories into them, activating their hidden functions.
"BAT!"
"SPIDER!"
He released the Memory Gadgets, the Bat Shot soaring through the air and the Spider Shock leaping off his wrist and releasing a line. The appearance of the Bat Shot as it flashed Naru and Motoko's faces had stunned the girls momentarily before the Spider Shock tied them up. The two girls were understandably off balance from the sudden action and quickly fell onto their butts with soft thuds.
"Damn it, why are you attacking me?" Keitaro questioned, a stern expression on his face as the Bath Shot and Spider Shock returned to him. "I thought you two already worked on your tempers!"
"RELEASE US, URASHIMA!"
"KEITARO, WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, I'M GONNA-!"
SPLASH!
Keitaro held up an empty bucket before tossing it away. "Cool off. I've got work to do."
Flicking the water off of his hat Keitaro walked through the changing rooms. Stealing a towel so he could dry his face off, he tried to figure out what had happened. He remembered sitting in his office before he heard a strange noise and then ended up in the hot springs where Naru and Motoko tried to belt him. Granted they were in the right to snap back to their old habits in that situation, but the fact that he was still clothed should have been a clue that something was up. It would seem that he would have to have another talk with them once they calmed down and the Spider Shock line loosened.
Walking out into the hallway, Keitaro began heading for the stairs. As he walked, Shinobu came out of the kitchen wearing an apron and holding a ladle.
"Sempai?" she asked timidly, flushing slightly at his choice of clothes. He looked much more…manlier in that choice of dress. The weird belt was something new though. "Um…are…are you okay?"
"Just had a visit in the hot spring with Motoko and Naru," Keitaro sighed drying his face. "I think Su used some kind of new invention on me and I ended up there. Naru and Motoko tried to belt me one."
"They…they did?" Shinobu gasped. "Are you hurt?"
"Nah, they didn't lay a finger on me," Keitaro grinned, making Shinobu's face turn red. "I'll have to get a change of clothes though. Let me know when dinner's ready."
"Um…ok Sempai," Shinobu nodded as Keitaro vanished up the steps. Returning to the kitchen, she blinked when she suddenly realized something, "Dinner? But I'm making lunch right now."
Keitaro entered the manager's office and then realised something was wrong. "Where's all my stuff?" His laptop wasn't on the table and Phillip's whiteboards were missing as well. In addition, Phillip was missing too. In fact, the whole room looked like the way it did when the Urashima brothers first arrived at Hinata-Sou. "Phillip, where are you?"
"Keitaro, is that you?" Phillip responded over their telepathic link.
"Yes, it's me," Keitaro confirmed. "Where's all our stuff? It's gone."
"No, it isn't, Keitaro. It's all in your office."
"No, they aren't," Keitaro argued. "I'm looking at our room right now and all of our stuff is missing."
"I believe I may have an answer for that. Keitaro, do you believe in alternate dimensions?" Phillip asked.
"You mean parallel worlds?" Keitaro questioned. Was this going to be one of Phillip's research kicks again? "Why do you ask?"
"Because, I know I'm talking to you via the Double Driver, but at the same time you're standing right in front of me." Phillip replied. "He's quite cowardly. He flinched when Naru and Motoko came into Hinata-Sou upset about some boys who tried to pick them up. He hid in our room behind your desk before he noticed the difference."
"Excuse me?" Keitaro blinked.
"Keitaro, I think you ended up in a parallel world, similar to ours," said Phillip.
"That would explain it," Keitaro murmured. It seemed impossible, but after some of the things he had seen in his life, he was willing to believe it. "Can you find out the cause?"
"Give me some time."
"Alright, gotcha."
Keitaro sighed as he leaned back on the couch, reading one of his other self's books inside his other self's room. Curious as to what his counterpart was like, Keitaro had begun digging through his things to see what kind of person he was. He managed to find stacks of papers and personal effects which told the whole story. Apparently his other self was a third-year ronin and was trying to get into Tokyo U. His parents had kicked him out and he came to Hinata-Sou to find a place to live and instead discovered that it was a girls' dorm before his grandmother just handed it over to him. Granny Hina never changed it seemed.
Philip managed to get a personality profile of his other self, infinitely curious about other dimensions and such with such a prime specimen right in front of him. The Keitaro of the world he was in had no confidence in himself and had no luck with women. His grades were horrible and his sense of timing was awful, often ending up walking in on the girls while they were changing or tripping on something and landing on a girl, looking like he was feeling them up. It wasn't too far of a stretch to think that he often got pounded by the Naru and Motoko of his world since they were still in their 'all men are perverts who need punishment' states of mind. It was no wonder he ran when he saw an angry Motoko and Naru of the detective's world.
'Just how the heck did he turn out this way?' Keitaro had asked himself, learning more and more of how pathetic his other self was.
So, donning some of his other self's clothes while his own were drying, Keitaro was reading a book in his counterpart's room, trying to not panic about his situation while Phillip tried to find a way back for him. So far, the book wasn't working. His mind was a thousand places at once, trying to figure out just how this had happened and what he could do from his end.
"Hey there, Keitaro," a sultry voice spoke, suddenly breaking him from his thoughts. "Is this where you were hiding out?"
Keitaro looked up from his book and saw Kitsune walking into the room. She was waving her hips and wearing a tight orange sweater with denim shorts which let her long smooth legs be exposed while bringing attention to her bust with her choice of tops. Her smile was seductive and dare he say hot.
Obviously she was either trying to get his attention or wanted something from him. Judging from his counterpart's luck with girls, it was probably the latter.
Closing the book and standing up, the hardboiled detective approached his tenant, "What is it, Kit?" Keitaro replied, calling her by the nickname he used for the Kitsune he knew.
"Well, I've sort of had a bad run this month and find myself coming up a bit short. So, I was hoping you could find it in your heart to give me an extension on the rent," she said sultrily as she wrapped her arms around his and pressed her breasts against his arm. That always did the trick. "How about it?"
"OK, you can get an extension," said Keitaro as he laughed in amusement. "But first you gotta let me take you to a movie."
Kitsune's eyes opened wide. Was he actually hitting on her? "What?"
It was at that moment that Hurricane Narusegawa came charging in as she leapt down from the hole in the ceiling. Most likely she had been listening in on her best friend try to seduce an extension out of the landlord and then hearing her usually confident blonde friend be caught off guard by the young man made her think that he was obviously doing something she did not like.
"KEITARO! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH KITSUNE YOU PERVERT!" Naru roared, her fist rearing backward for her best punch. Keitaro shoved Kitsune backwards out of the way before facing the oncoming attack. The Keitaro of the world he was in may have waited for a punch but he wasn't that Keitaro. He knew how to defend himself and wasn't afraid to do it.
As the infamous Naru Punch came hurling towards him, he also shot his arm forward. He grabbed her wrist as the punch came inches within striking his face before he grabbed her by the shoulder with his other hand and then threw her hard upon the tatami floor.
Kitsune was gobsmacked as she saw the sudden display. Keitaro dusted off his hands and walked away from Naru before he fixed his glasses. He then turned his attention towards Kitsune and asked, "So, about that movie…?"
Naru rose up again and in her rage attacked Keitaro again from behind. He ducked under her punch and then used a sweep kick to knock her off her feet. She did a faceplant on the floor.
"I'm still waiting for an answer, Kit," said Keitaro, looking back to the foxy blonde.
Naru had enough as she growled and this time tried her Naru Punch again, only for Keitaro to whirl around, grab her fist, and give a sharp twist that forced her onto her knees in pain. This wasn't what was supposed to happen!
"Three strikes and you're out," said Keitaro. "You know, Naru, if you keep on attacking me, I'll have no choice but to call the police and your parents. Also, as landlord, I have the right and authority to evict you if you continue to assault me." His eyes narrowed at her during his warning.
Naru and Kitsune both gaped openly at who they assumed to be their regular landlord. Not only had he defended himself from one of Naru's attacks, but he threatened to kick her out of Hinata-Sou and even call the police! Wasn't this the guy who was a total fool for Naru and had next to no resistance against feminine charm? Yet here he was talking coldly to Naru and flirting with Kitsune, trying to get a date with her. What the heck was going on?
"Now, are you going to calm down?" asked Keitaro with a frown.
He expected this Naru to spit an insult or something at him like the one from his world would. Instead, tears formed at the edges of her eyes before she got to her feet, being released from Keitaro's hold, and dashing from the room.
"Uh…Keitaro?" asked Kitsune, still shocked at what she had just witnessed. "Are you…felling all right?"
"Not at my best right now," Keitaro sighed before turning towards the blonde. "So are you still interested in that date or did I freak you out too much for a chance at that?"
Keitaro was called to lunch and sat at his usual spot at the table. Well, his usual spot back home, something he and his counterpart seemed to share. He was pleased to see that Shinobu was Shinobu, no matter what universe she was in, and her cooking was always delicious.
"Smells great, Shinobu," Keitaro complimented.
With a blush, Shinobu responded, "Thank you, sempai."
Keitaro eyed Naru who'd come down but she avoided eye contact with him. No doubt she was probably still confused about what had happened back in the manager's room. Kitsune seemed just as confused as she glanced at him while sipping sake and Su was just shovelling food into her mouth like there was no tomorrow…like usual. Motoko on the other hand was glaring at him, no doubt because of the fiasco in the hot springs.
Keitaro just sighed inwardly, knowing that he was going to have to play the tough and harsh guy once again. Steeling himself, he glanced at Motoko, looking at her, eye-to-eye, "If you're going to glare at me during lunch, you might as well go back to your room where you won't have to look at me, Motoko," Keitaro said.
That got an immediate response from her. Her aura began to leak out as her glare seemed to intensify by a magnitude, "What was that, Urashima?"
"Did I stutter?" he retorted calmly as he picked up some rice and chewed on it. "You're staring at me instead of eating. If me being here is so uncomfortable, then go and eat up in your room where you'll be able to eat in peace.
Matoko seethed. How dare Urashima tell her what to do? He should know his place and…
"And if you continue to assault me, then I have no choice but to call the police," Keitaro warned. "I mean, aren't swords a deadly weapon? Yet you've assaulted me with one. I think there's a law regarding the carrying of swords, or am I wrong?" He gave her a pointed glare.
"Don't talk to me like that, Urashima," she threatened.
"Why? Or you'll attack me like you did at the hot spring earlier?" he snorted. "You can either stop glaring at me and focus on your food or go to your room."
"No, it is you who should leave," Matoko argued.
"Why?" he responded. "This is MY dorm. I own it and Granny Hina entrusted it to me. By right, you should leave. I mean, you're just a guest who pays to stay here for the long-term. I own this place."
"Urashima, I-!"
"Challenge you to a duel," he finished. "Is that what you wanted to say, Motoko?" He fixed his glare at her.
"Huh?" Motoko uttered.
Everyone immediately stopped eating in favour of staring on shock at the young man in their midst. Did Keitaro just challenge Motoko to a duel?
"You and me, one-on-one," Keitaro challenged. "Or, are you scared?"
Keitaro and Motoko had a live audience out at the riverside behind Hinata-Sou. Keitaro idly recalled that it was the same place he battled Tsuruko at when she was visiting. Motoko was armed with her trusty sword Shisui while Keitaro had found a bo-staff lying around in Hinata-Sou. That was his weapon of choice.
"You're making a grave mistake, Urashima," said Motoko.
"Overconfidence will lead to defeat," he responded.
Motoko frowned. There was absolutely no way Keitaro could defeat her in combat. He just wasn't skilled enough. Rather than waiting for an official signal, she charged straight at her opponent, aiming to take him down with one blow and maybe discipline him a little for his sharp tongue. Making her first swing, Motoko gasped when Keitaro not only managed to slide around the blow, but connect with his own strike to the back of her knees, making her drop to her knees from the sudden impact.
"That's one point to me," he said. Growling, Motoko got up to her feet and swung. Keitaro caught the blow on his staff and redirected the force, making Motoko stumble before he hit her in the back with his staff. Getting frustrated, Motoko used more and more strikes but kept finding them being dodged or redirected, leaving her open for his counterattacks. Her frustration reaching its peak, Motoko prepared to unleash one of her special techniques, one that Keitaro would have had no hope of dodging. Turning to face him once again, she gripped her sword and began channelling her ki….
CLANG!
Shisui was sent flying out of her grip and up into the air before Keitaro used the staff to vault himself up and catch the sword in a reverse grip. Now he had Shisui and the bo-staff while Motoko was unarmed.
He'd won. She couldn't believe it.
"I think I'll keep this," said Keitaro as he held Shisui in hand. "Until you learn how to behave, you're not getting it back. Of course, if you continue to misbehave, then I'll just melt this sword down to make an ornament for my desk." He then turned away from the stunned girl and walked off with his prize.
Motoko dropped to her knees in shock.
Keitaro sighed as he placed Shisui on the table on top of a sheet so that the table wouldn't get marked and nothing would smudge Shisui's metal surface. He really hated having to be the bad guy, but Motoko and Naru were asking for it in this world and needed a severe change in attitude. If events in his own world hadn't gotten the message to his Naru and Motoko like it did, Keitaro probably would have had to be the bad guy towards them like he was to the native Naru and Motoko here.
He just hoped that those girls got the message soon or things were going to get worse before it got better.
The Hinata-Sou girls were having a meeting in the attic, one of the few places where utmost privacy could be held aside from individual rooms. Haruka was out of town and they couldn't contact her. Even Mutsumi was absent since she'd gone to visit her family in Okinawa. As such, it was only the five girls in attendance and they had plenty to talk about with recent events occurring.
"Something is definitely wrong with Keitaro," said Naru firmly. "It's like he's a totally different person. I don't like it."
"Is it because he actually fought back and was able to catch your punch this time?" commented Kitsune.
Naru denied, "He just got lucky."
"Once is luck, but three times?" Kitsune retorted. "That doesn't sound like luck at all. That's skill."
"Indeed. When he and I duelled, he displayed the skill of a master who'd fought many battles," stated Motoko. She felt naked without Shisui and the shame in losing to one such as Keitaro had still been stinging her. "He was able to deflect all of my moves and then disarm me with little effort."
"Then it's those machines he used," said Naru.
"Machines? What machines?" Su questioned, interested.
"Earlier, when we came into the hot spring, he sprung something that looked like a bat to stun us and then something that looked like a spider to tie us up," Naru explained. "How did he get those things?"
"This is indeed vexing," said Motoko.
"Not only that, he even asked me out on a date," said Kitsune. "That doesn't sound like the usual Keitaro," usually Keitaro was hopeless with girls, stumbling over his words for asking something like a date and with the way Kitsune had made sure her breasts were touching his arm, he should have been a hormonal accident waiting to happen. Instead, he was calm, cool, and collected about it. Attractive, but unusual.
"Actually, when I walked past his room, I heard him talking to himself," said Shinobu. "He mentioned someone named Phillip, though."
"Then Urashima has been possessed!" declared Motoko. That was the only explanation. "A spirit has possessed Urashima, which is why he is like this!" It all made sense now! Why else would an extreme personality change occur and the sudden appearance of so much skill in the span of not even one day.
"Is that what you think?" Keitaro spoke as he opened the door. He'd been listening the whole time. The girls in his world had held meetings in the attic before, him being a guest to them now and again. When the girls wanted to talk about someone without their knowledge, they usually took the meeting to the attic.
"Keitaro/Urashima/Sempai!" the girls cried out.
Keitaro put his now dry fedora on his head, relieved to be in his normal clothes again. "You girls are absolutely wrong about me," he told them. "Nice try, though." He winked. "But you need to brush up your detective skills if you want to learn the truth." The Spider Shock crawled upon his shoulder as the Bat Shot and Stag Phone hovered near him.
"Wow!" Su was astounded by the Memory Gadgets. The Stag Phone snapped its mandibles at Naru and then at Motoko. The Bat Shot also squeaked as the Spider Shock bounced up and down on Keitaro's shoulder.
"Alright, Keitaro! Out with it!" Naru snapped. "Just what the heck is going on here!"
"Let's just said I've become hardboiled," Keitaro replied as he tapped the brim of his hat.
"Hardboiled?" they repeated.
"Is that tasty?" asked Su
"Hardboiled, the soul of a man within a man," Keitaro told them, "Able to confront and conquer any adversity with both strong mind and strong body. That is what it means to be hardboiled." He let out a yawn. "I'm gonna go take a nap. Wake me up for dinner, Shinobu."
The girls blinked in confusion as they saw their manager/landlord leave, followed by the three animal-like robots.
"Since when has Keitaro been a philosopher?" Kitsune spoke up.
"We better keep an eye on him," said Naru, eyes narrowed.
"I heard that!" Keitaro called. They flinched in response.
Naru decided that the best way to find out what was going on was to have him study with her like they usually did. He would be alone and whatever went on between them would be private so he might be willing to open up to her a little. Reaching his room and knocking on his door, she heard a, "What?" coming from the other side.
"Hey, Keitaro? Want to go study together up in my room?" she asked.
The door opened a crack and Keitaro said, "Oh? And why would you want to study with me?"
"Look, I just don't feel like studying alone and Mutsumi's gone to visit her family and you're the only other person in the place trying for Tokyo U," she sighed. His new uptight attitude was beginning to grate on her nerves, but for the sake of the truth she was prepared to deal with it.
Keitaro sighed. "Fine…if it means so much to you."
Naru was confused. Usually, Keitaro was more enthusiastic about their study sessions. Well, given the fact that he was attracted to her made that much clear, but it was like he had just suddenly lost all interest in her. A part of her feared she might have hit him too hard during the last perverted accident he had, but her righteous female part quickly crushed that thought as she entered the room.
During the study session, Keitaro and Naru worked on Math together, well, Naru studied while Keitaro seemed to just be reading through the textbook while scribbling down notes on certain equations and answering others. 15 minutes into the session, Keitaro was still quietly doing his work and it was starting to make Naru feel a little tense. Normally, Keitaro would be asking her every five minutes. In the beginning it made her feel a little annoyed, but eventually it gave her a nice feeling of being needed.
"You got your answer wrong," he said, his eyes looking towards her.
"What?" Naru blinked, broken from her thoughts.
Keitaro pointed at the pad she was doing her work on. "You see here? You overlooked a part of the equation." He used his pad and showed her how to do it. "And there's the answer."
Naru checked his work and gaped. How was he able to do it while she had problems with it? She checked the other problems he had done and her eyes bugged when she saw he'd done more than she had within 15 minutes and did all of them correctly. There was no way he could've cheated either. She was watching him the whole time.
How was Keitaro, third year Ronin, able to outdo her?
Things were just making even less sense than before!
However, Naru and Keitaro still continued studying, neither exchanging any words.
For the hardboiled Keitaro, such mathematic problems were child's play for him. Phillip had helped to unlock his potential after devising perfect methods of studying for someone like him. He had a high IQ (though not as high as Phillip's) so such material was like a walk in the park for him. Of course, Phillip could do twice he did in half the time.
"I guess that's all," said Naru as they finished the session. Things were just too weird for her to concentrate.
"Ok then. I'm gonna go back to my nap," said Keitaro as he put his fedora back on and picked his things up before leaving her still stunned.
The other girls were disappointed that Naru failed to get anything relevant on Keitaro's new attitude. To hopefully try to calm their nerves and think up of a new strategy in finding out just what was wrong with the landlord, the girls relocated to the hot springs. Soaking in the hot water, the five girls tried to think of a plan to get some answers. Most of such plans involved Mecha-Tamas, ropes, liberal use of feminine charm, and just plain up asking him.
As the girls talked, they didn't notice a colourful portal opening above them.
Keitaro was suddenly awoken when he heard Shinobu's shrill scream followed by a cry of fright. In addition, his Stag Phone was beeping rapidly. He opened it up and saw the blip. "Dopant!" It was coming from the hot spring. Getting up, he dashed towards the source of the disturbance.
In the hot spring, Motoko was already dealing with the 'demon' as the others watched. However, no matter what she did, her attacks just dissipated as they were absorbed by the demon in question. If only she had Shisui, but Keitaro had confiscated it earlier so she only had a bokken with her.
"Hahahaha!" the Dopant laughed. "Your attacks are useless! Useless!" The Dopant was humanoid looking with a glass-like body and a door in the middle of its body. It also had ball-like feet and pitch black spots of various sizes all over its form.
"Silence, demon!" Motoko snapped, angered by the demon's arrogance.
"Not 'demon'! I'm a Dopant!" the Dopant laughed as he launched her attacks right back at her. She was hit by her own Ki blast and skidded backwards before she was caught.
"Huh?" Motoko blinked as she stared up at Keitaro's face. "Urashima?"
"You better take a break, Motoko," Keitaro said firmly. "Let me handle this."
"What can you do alone, Urashima?" Motoko demanded.
"Who says I'm alone?" Keitaro responded. He put on the Double Driver and the belt wrapped around his waist. "Phillip, ikuzo."
The green Cyclone Memory appeared in the right slot as Keitaro took out the Joker Memory.
"JOKER!"
"Henshin!" Keitaro called out as he plugged the Joker Memory into the Double Driver and spread it into the 'W' shape.
"CYCLONE-JOKER!"
A tornado surrounded Keitaro and the girls witnessed as he was transformed into none other than Kamen Rider Double.
"Now, time to count your crimes," said Double who was pointing at the Dopant.
The Dopant gawked at Keitaro. "Kamen Rider!" he hissed.
The girls' jaws dropped when they saw Double.
"Alright, Dopant," declared Double. "Time to go home!" He charged at the Dopant and aimed to punch him but the Dopant created a portal behind himself and vanished into it. Double missed. "Huh?" Keitaro gaped.
"Keitaro, this Dopant can create portals," Phillip informed him.
Motoko gasped as she heard the new voice coming out from Double. The other girls also heard this. Was this the spirit that possessed their landlord?
The Dopant reappeared behind Double and struck, causing the Rider to stagger forwards. He used a backhand that hit nothing as the Dopant escaped through another portal.
"Damn it! This is getting us nowhere!" Keitaro shouted,
"Use Luna with the Bat Shot," instructed Phillip.
"OK!" said Keitaro as Double plugged the Luna Memory into the Bat Shot.
"LUNA: MAXIMUM DRIVE!"
The Bat Shot flew and unleashed bright yellow flashes. They revealed the portals briefly and Double could see where the Dopant was about to exit.
"There!" Keitaro called as he replaced the Joker Memory with the Metal Memory.
"CYCLONE-METAL!"
His black and purple half turned grey and silver as a battle staff appeared on his back. Double grabbed the Metal Shaft and charged at the Dopant. The Dopant was hit across the face by the Metal Shaft. Double then continued to whack the Dopant with his weapon. The Dopant then escaped through a portal.
"Not this time!" declared Double as he replaced the Gaia Memories in his belt.
"LUNA-TRIGGER!"
He turned half yellow and half blue with the Trigger Magnum on the blue half. He took hold of it and waited. When he saw the air ripple he fired. The Dopant exited but was hit by bending beams that struck him from behind.
"Keitaro, let's end this," said Phillip.
"I know," agreed Keitaro. "Together, partner?"
"Always." Double took the Trigger Memory out from his belt and then put it into his Trigger Magnum.
"TRIGGER: MAXIMUM DRIVE!"
Setting the weapon up, he aimed the Trigger Magnum at the Dopant and fired.
"Trigger Full Burst!"
It tried to create several portals to absorb the burst but the beams spread out, flying in all directions.
"KUSO!" the Dopant cried before creating a portal and disappearing through it. The beams from the Trigger Full Burst collided with each other before exploding.
"He escaped," Phillip observed.
"Looks like it," frowned Keitaro. "Phillip, you better do some research on this Dopant. Find out who he is. We know what it's capable of so the type of Memory should be easy to guess."
"Take care, Keitaro," said Phillip.
Keitaro undid the transformation and turned to see the girls. "Get dressed. It's time we had a talk."
In the living room, all eyes were on Keitaro. Some were inquisitive and others were suspicious. Shinobu had brought Keitaro tea to 'wet his whistle'.
"Good tea," he complimented. "Thank you, Shinobu."
Shinobu blushed at Keitaro and smiled.
Putting the cup down, he adjusted his glasses. "Guess you all want answers."
"Damn straight!" snapped Naru. "Just what was that! What did you turn into?"
"Indeed," agreed Motoko. "We deserve answers."
"Alright, but before I answer can I ask you ladies a question? Do you believe in parallel universes?"
"Ooh! I heard about that theory!" Su piped up. She then realised what he was getting at. "You're from parallel world!"
"Bingo!" Keitaro winked. "I'm not the Keitaro Urashima you know. I am a Keitaro Urashima from a parallel world."
"Really?" Now Shinobu knew why Keitaro was so different.
"You? From another world?" Naru questioned sceptically.
"I find such a thing farfetched," added Motoko.
"Then give me a better explanation for what you saw," challenged Keitaro. They couldn't. "When all other possibilities have been eliminated, all that is left no matter how ridiculous and farfetched it sounds, is the truth," Keitaro quoted. "Facts are facts, no matter how you look at it. It should explain how different I am from your Keitaro."
"So, where is our Keitaro?" Kitsune inquired.
"My world," said Keitaro. "It's as simple as that, and I think that Dopant had something to do with it."
"Dopant?" the girls parroted.
"That creature from earlier was a Dopant," said Keitaro.
"That demon?" said Motoko.
"Not a demon," Keitaro argued, "it was a human."
"How can that thing be human!-?" Naru exclaimed in disbelief.
"It's human, but it became a monster with something called a Gaia Memory," Keitaro said, recalling having such a talk with the girls in his world. He took out his own Gaia Memory, pressing the button to bring attention to it.
"JOKER!"
"It looks like a normal USB flash drive, but this is in fact a very powerful device," explained Keitaro. "You saw what I did with it and many others like it. That Dopant uses something similar, but less refined."
"Sugoi!" Shinobu uttered in awe.
"That…Dopant called you 'Kamen Rider'. What does that mean?" asked Kitsune.
"In my world, that is what I'm called," said Keitaro. "Kamen Rider Double."
Kitsune asked more, "So, how are you different from our Keitaro?"
"Well, for one, I'm a Tokyo U graduate," said Keitaro.
THUD!
Naru had fallen on her rear in shock.
"W-w-what!" Naru stammered.
"That's right," said Keitaro.
"But you can't be!" she argued. "I mean you're-"
"Got in early and got out with a degree in law," he interrupted. "I'm also a professional private detective."
"DETECTIVE!-?" they exclaimed in shock.
"What's a detective?" asked Su.
"A person who solves mysteries and cases," Keitaro explained.
"No way…" uttered Naru. "You? A detective?"
"My mentor was a detective and taught me everything I know," said Keitaro confidently. "So I decided to continue his work after…" His eyes softened sadly at the memory of Begins Night. "Anyway, that Dopant brought me here and I have to find it."
"Urashima, there's something else we need to know. Who is this Phillip?" Motoko asked.
"Oh, he's my brother," said Keitaro. "And if you think I'm smart, he's smarter. He's got a Masters degree."
Naru gaped. No way.
Keitaro was holding a meeting. Motoko and Naru had tried to attack him again, forcing him to use the Bat Shot to stun them and the Spider Shock to tie them up. They needed an attitude adjustment and fast.
"From what I can see, you punish your Keitaro a lot that it's become like second nature to attack him," said Keitaro as he paced before the tied up duo. The wire of the Spider Shock was strong so they could not break it. "What ever your reasons, you cannot attack someone like that."
"You were being a pervert!" Naru snapped.
"I was cleaning the hot spring as responsibility as manager and I did put up a sign," he reminded. "Or, did you forget your glasses?" He turned attention to Motoko. "And you. Attacking an unarmed man? Is that what they taught you in Shinmei-ryu? Wonder how Tsuruko-san will react if I were to tell her?" He added. "Maybe I should just have you both tossed out because you're a danger to everyone."
"WHAT!-?" both girls cried out.
"You have no right!" Motoko shouted.
"Manager and landlord, as assigned by Granny Hina," Keitaro reminded. "I may not be this world's Keitaro, but I am still Keitaro Urashima. I'm the same guy, just raised differently. So, I have the right." He then added, "And I won't be disrespected by a girl who ran away from home because her mom got remarried after she got divorced and an over egotistical samurai wannabe who swings her sword whenever she gets ticked off!" Keitaro's expression was stern, something both girls were not used to. Their Keitaro was a doormat that would bend backwards for them without argument. This Keitaro was intelligent and courageous and was not afraid of pissing them off when he had the right to do so.
Naru looked down in shame and shock. How could he have known?
"You're wondering how I know? I checked all your backgrounds and let me tell you, Narusegawa, that your reason for running here is weak and immature! And you expect to get into Todai while you're afraid of your own family?" Keitaro snorted. "Coward."
Naru wanted to give him a piece of her mind but while restrained she could not get up to deck him.
"And you, Aoyama, you're just as bad. So your sister got married. Big deal! That's no real reason to hate men! I mean she must've seen something you were too blind and immature to see! I mean, do you hate your father for being a man? Do you?"
Motoko bit her lower lip. She could not think of a retort for that, always using her sword to strike back, but this Keitaro would be able to counter her moves with his abilities and Gaia Memories.
"Do you know what happened to your counterparts in my world? They beat up so many perverts that the police kept tabs on them. You know how many lawsuits are aimed at you? Do you? Too many to count, but Granny in all her kindness managed to persuade them to drop the charges," Keitaro continued, eyes narrowed. "Now, if you don't want to end up thrown on the curb, I suggest you two to start behaving because…" He raised the Joker Memory and pressed the button for emphasis.
"JOKER!"
"You may have to count up your crimes," he finished. He warned, "Oh, and don't even think of telling people I'm an impostor. DNA and fingerprints are nigh impossible to duplicate and if you tell them I'm from an alternate world then you'll just be called crazy and insane." He added, "I'm not some defenceless weakling. I'm a hardboiled detective and Kamen Rider." He tipped his hat. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I got a Dopant to catch. You two can just sit there and think of what you done and learn to behave yourselves or else it's eviction notices for the both of you, and let me tell you that Granny Hina will know and support me once I compiled all the evidence I need." He turned his back and strode away from the tied up pair.
The other girls had been eavesdropping and Shinobu grew worried. "H-he won't really throw them out, really?"
Keitaro's words made Kitsune think of her own behaviour. How many times had she tricked him into giving her money? How many times had she not paid rent and used her feminine wiles to persuade him to let her forgo payment. This Keitaro was no pushover, not at all.
They watched him walk away from Naru and Motoko. His posture was straight and unwavering. His eyes were filled with conviction and courage.
"He's well within his right and he's right. If we tell people he's a Keitaro from an alternate world then we'll be the ones to look loony." Kitsune also doubted Motoko had a chance against Kamen Rider Double.
At the foot of the steps, Keitaro frowned. He removed his hat and scratched his head in frustration. Since he wasn't in his world, he didn't have his Hardboilder so he would have to go into town through other means. It wasn't like he didn't have the stamina to do the footwork, but it was easier when he had Phillip's help to gather data. He could still communicate with Phillip through the Double Driver so not even being across dimensions could sever the link.
He stretched and put on his hat. "Heh, I'm a hardboiled guy after all. It would be embarrassing if I couldn't walk there."
Fortunately for him, Hinata City had a tram system. Since he always rode his bike he never really used it but considering what he needed to do, he would need to use it instead.
The Dopant considered his new environment. This was a whole new world and he could get whatever it wanted and do whatever he wanted and there would be nobody to stop him. Well, that wasn't true. That annoying Kamen Rider had somehow followed him here. It wouldn't matter. It was just a single man trying to stop him and he'd evaded defeat before. It wouldn't be long before he won.
Of course, he would need some money. He spotted a bank and grinned. "Time to make a withdrawal," the Dopant said.
In the tram, Keitaro was checking his Stag Phone for any signs of the Dopant. It was still in the city, at least he was positive the Dopant was still around. Still, without any clues he would take a while before finding his target.
And then it happened. His phone began to beep rapidly. He pulled the brake to stop the tram and then got out, seeking out the source of the signal. He put on his Double Driver and called, "Phillip, are you there?"
"It's me, Keitaro," answered Phillip. "Su-san has almost completed the machine that will bring you back."
"That's good," responded Keitaro, glad for the good news. "Any info on the Dopant?"
"Dimension," Phillip replied before elaborating, "It has the ability to make dimensional portals."
Keitaro slapped his forehead. Of course, it was so damn obvious. For a moment he thought it was the Door Memory but it was the Dimension Memory instead. His phone beeped again and the blip on the screen showed that the Dopant was in action again. It was nearby too. The tram stopped at the station and Keitaro leapt off.
"I got the Dopant within range, Phillip!" said Keitaro.
"Keitaro, I've been waiting for this." The Cyclone Memory appeared in the Double Driver.
"Ikuzo, aibou!" Keitaro produced the Joker Memory and slid it into the Double Driver "Henshin!"
"CYCLONE-JOKER!"
The Dopant was robbing a bank and putting the money away into pocket dimensions where he would access them later. Suddenly, it was hit in the side by a kick and sent tumbling to the floor as the people in the bank stared.
"Still causing trouble, I see," said Double in Keitaro's voice.
"Damn you!" shouted the Dimension Dopant. This time Double wasn't going to waste any time. He was going to finish this Dopant off right now.
"JOKER: MAXIMUM DRIVE!"
Double Luna-Joker split down the middle and the Luna half duplicated four times, surrounding the Dimension Dopant. "Joker Strange!" Double called out the name of the attack. The Luna halves stretched out their arms at high speed and executed several karate chops in quick succession. The Dopant could not create enough portals to defend himself in time as the attacks came from all angles and at speeds faster than he could create portals.
To finish it, the Joker half then slid along the ground, striking the Dopant with a karate chop, resulting in an impressive explosion. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing in sight.
"He escaped," said Keitaro. "Damn it!"
"It's possible he escaped before the final blow was dealt. What a tricky foe," replied Phillip.
"Looks like I'm stuck here. Phillip, hope you can find a way to take me home."
"OK, Su-san and I are working on it."
"Glad to hear it," responded Keitaro. People were staring at Double. "I have to get away!" He ran out and stretched his yellow arm and took hold of the roof of a nearby building before swinging himself up and disappearing from the crowd.
Keitaro returned to Hinata-Sou only to run into Naru along the way to his room.
"Hey, Keitaro…" began Naru.
"Not now, Naru," he interrupted. "I've got a case so I'm gonna be busy." He walked past her. Naru was stunned. Keitaro had never blown her off before like that but then she had to remind herself this was not her Keitaro but a different version from another universe. The facts were clear: he had graduated Tokyo U, was a private detective, had access to hi-tech equipment, and was a Kamen Rider who fought monsters.
Naru watched him leave. The Keitaro she knew would want to spend time with her but this guy didn't seem interested at all and she didn't like it. She didn't like it at all.
Meanwhile, Motoko was in her own room meditating on the current situation. The Keitaro that had bested her was not the Keitaro she knew and she didn't like it. It was an affront to her world view. Not only that, he was stronger than her as he had been able to fight a monster that had bested it. She didn't like it one bit.
The Dimension Dopant couldn't take it anymore. In this world he was the only Dopant and the police were powerless. He thought he would be able to do anything he wanted. However, as long as that Kamen Rider was around he wouldn't be free to commit his crimes and make riches.
It was time for a preemptive strike. He knew where the Kamen Rider lived so it was only a matter of waiting for the right moment to strike and destroy him for good.
Dinner was a quiet affair in Hinata-Sou, one that Keitaro the hardboiled detective noticed quickly. Naru and Motoko couldn't meet his eyes. He just sighed. Clearly, they were still disturbed with his behavior which didn't fit into their view of the other him.
The silence was even more grating on his nerves than any noise. It just wasn't natural.
"It's alright to talk at the table," said Keitaro. All eyes on him. "OK, let me start. Earlier today I tracked down the Dopant. He was robbing the bank so I did what I could do. I transformed and fought him."
"How?" Shinobu asked.
Smiling, Keitaro answered, "Oh, I just used these." He took out Joker and Luna from his pocket. "The yellow one you see here gives me super-stretchy powers like Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four."
"Cool!" said Su in amazement.
"Yeah, it was, and then I used my Maximum Drive on him. Unfortunately, he warped away before I could deal the finishing blow," Keitaro finished. "So, how was everyone else's day?"
Naru, Motoko and Kitsune were in the hot spring, discussing about Keitaro.
"We need to get our Keitaro back," said Naru.
"Agreed," said Motoko.
"I kinda like him," said Kitsune.
"Kitsune!" Naru exclaimed.
"Naru, he's confident, self-reliant and I saw a lot of resolve in his eyes in regards to his work," said Kitsune. "Sure, I'll miss the old Keitaro but I think I'll get over it with this one."
"But he's not our Keitaro," Naru countered.
"Naru, I think the only reason you're not happy is because he won't let you send him flying with one of your punches," Kitsune accused, causing Naru to gasp.
"That's not true!" Naru denied loudly.
"Again you're in denial. Face it, Naru! You've been in denial about your feelings for Keitaro and now that he's gone and replaced with a newer model who won't take crap from you, you just want to get rid of him so you don't get reminded of what you lost!"
"How can you say that?" Naru asked, close to tears.
"I can because it's true! You beat on Keitaro for being a 'pervert' but if you just looked and saw the entire picture instead of what you want to see you'd know he wasn't! You're just stuck in your own world where you're right and only what you say is true and anything that doesn't fit into it shouldn't exist!"
"Kitsune, I think that's enough," said Motoko.
"And you, Motoko! You act high and mighty with honor but you don't know the true meaning of justice! You're just vindictive to all guys coz your sister got married! You just take it out on Keitaro and use him as a scapegoat coz you can't use your sword on your sis' husband! Grow up, girl!" Kitsune snapped. Motoko flinched back by her words.
"Naru, I love you, but Keitaro's right. You run away because you don't want to get hurt but you still get hurt. Look at you. You're lonely, only you keep lying to yourself about it," Kitsune said to her best friend.
"Kitsune, what's gotten into you?" asked Naru.
"I think I've finally had my eyes open," said Kitsune. "If we keep treating our Keitaro the way we do then we'll lose him forever and it'll be our faults." Kitsune got out of the hot spring and tightened her towel. "I need to go. I need sake. Oh, and before I forget, our Keitaro has been nothing but kind to all of us. Think about that." She left the two scolded girls.
Kitsune had actually began to feel guilty about the scams she pulled. It wasn't malicious. She was just playing. However, knowing that her behavior could chase Keitaro away had hurt. She didn't mean to be mean to Motoko and Naru but they needed a good talking to so that their rose-colored glasses view on the world could be changed. She knew how stubborn they could be so Kitsune was determined to remind them each and every day of what she had said.
And then she heard a scream from the hot spring. Not long after, Keitaro was running past her.
The Dimension Dopant was back and had appeared in the hot spring area. Naru, feeling a little agitated after Kitsune's tirade had trade one of her patented Naru Punches. Unfortunately for her, the Dimension Dopant wasn't going to stand around and take it. He created a portal for her fist to travel through and formed the exit portal behind her head, causing her to punch herself painfully. She was instantly knocked out by her own attack and collapsed into the water. "Heh," the Dopant chuckled. He looked up and saw Motoko preparing her sword so he picked up Naru and used her as a human shield, stopping Motoko. "Ah, ah, ah," the Dimension Dopant said, wagging his finger in warning.
"Demon, release Naru or else I'll-" Motoko began to threaten.
"Or else you'll do what?" the Dopant spat back at her. "Use your sword? My portal will just send anything you send at me back at you, or anyone I choose. Those little girls would be hurt by you if I so choose."
Motoko gritted her teeth. She didn't like this. She didn't like being put in such a position. She felt weak. She needed…she needed help…
"LUNA-TRIGGER!"
The door was thrown open and several yellow beams of energy flew forth, curving through the air and hitting the Dopant in the back, forcing him to release Naru.
"LUNA-JOKER!"
A yellow arm shot forth and caught Naru, wrapping around her gently before pulling her out of the water and onto dry land. Motoko looked to Double.
"Get her out of here," said Double. "We'll deal with this."
Motoko wanted to argue but then closed her mouth before any words could form. Double wasn't asking her to leave. He was telling her to leave. A part of her wanted to retaliate because he dared to tell her what to do but those red eyes bore into her soul. She couldn't argue with the fact that she just wasn't strong enough. She picked up Naru and dragged her back inside the building before closing the door.
Double looked at the Dimension Dopant who laughed, "Kamen Rider, you weren't able to finish me off before. How will this be different?"
Keitaro spoke, "Because, this time I'm going to have some help."
"Huh?"
A silvery curtain rose up behind the Dopant and suddenly a bird-like shape burst out and hit the Dopant in the back of the head. The curtain vanished soon after but what came out was all Double needed.
The Xtreme Memory appeared as it flew around Double. Smiling, the Kamen Rider grabbed hold of the Xtreme Memory, straightened up the two Memory Slots on his Double Driver, then attached the Xtreme Memory before spreading it open.
"XTREME!"
A pillar of energized data surrounded Double and transformed him. When the pillar of data faded away, Double was now Double Luna-Joker Xtreme. The iridescent band known as the Crystal Server glowed as it collected data on the Dopant.
"Keitaro, I've figured out the Dopant's weakness," Phillip said as Double's right eye flashed.
"OK then. Let's do this!" encouraged Keitaro as Double's left eye flashed.
"Prism Bicker!"
The shield and sword combo appeared and the two-in-one Rider clutched it in his hand. He rushed forward with a shout as the Dopant prepared to defend himself.
The Dopant vanished into a portal but Double spun around and swung, hitting the Dopant as it was exiting a portal behind Double. The Dopant howled in pain as he was hit and sent tumbling.
"I've calculated his movements so we'll know where he'll strike," said Phillip.
Motoko, after putting Naru back in her futon, went to see what was going on. She opened the hot spring's door slightly and gasped as she saw Double sporting the Xtreme Memory, and armed with a sword and shield. The Dopant was trying to use his powers to overpower Double but the Rider just countered easily.
She hated to admit it, but she was outmatched.
Several more accurate slashes hit the Dopant, forcing it on the defensive. His portal-creating power should've worked but against Double Cyclone-Joker-Xtreme, it was useless since the Rider had access to all the information of their Earth.
One last thrust sent the Dopant flying and splashing into the water.
"Now, before he escapes," said Double as he sheathed the Prism Sword into the Bicker shield before loading the weapon with four Gaia Memories.
"CYCLONE: MAXIMUM DRIVE! HEAT: MAXIMUM DRIVE! LUNA: MAXIMUM DRIVE! JOKER: MAXIMUM DRIVE!"
He drew the Prism Sword, now with it charged up by rainbow-colored energy before leaping into the air. The Dopant looked up and froze as Double came down with the sword.
"Bicker Charge Break!" A vertical slash was followed by a horizontal slash as the Dopant screamed before exploding, sending fire and water everywhere. Motoko had to take cover from the explosion. When she looked, she saw Double dragging a man out of the hot spring. Laying at his side was the shattered remains of a Gaia Memory.
"Good work, partner," said Keitaro to Phillip. Double then heard footsteps and saw Motoko with her sword drawn. "Motoko?" She went towards the unconscious Memory user. "No!" He was in front of the swordswoman in a flash, grabbing her wrist to keep her from slicing the man in two.
"Let me go! He needs to be punished!" Motoko shouted.
"And he will, but not by you!" Double shot back.
"You would defend him?" Motoko glared.
"What you are about to do is called murder, a crime. He can't fight back so you can't call it self-defense. If you continue, I will stop you and bring you in," Double's tone was a serious one.
In these short few days their entire world had turned upside down. This Keitaro from another world was strong and not weak-willed like the one they knew. He had strong resolve and ideals, things that their Keitaro might've had but were often overlooked. Then, he just called what she considered just punishment murder. He even threatened to bring her to the police.
"So, what will you do with him?" Motoko asked.
"You got rope?"
"Fascinating," Phillip inspected the members of the Hinata Sou household. "Even if this is a different universe, they're all the same."
"Well, I'm not," Keitaro huffed. "So, is the other me ready to come back?"
"Oh, he wanted to say goodbye to the others first," said Phillip.
"Ano…Keitaro-sempai…who's this?" Shinobu asked, nervous at the new guy who'd arrived. After Double had tied up the Memory user, the others came to see what was going on and that was when Double undid his transformation. However, what was revealed were two people standing place of Double. How had the both of them fit in the armor? Su wanted to know.
"This is my brother, Phillip," Keitaro introduced. "He's the one I told you about."
"And he's got a Masters?" Naru asked skeptically. Phillip couldn't be any older than she was.
"And like our Naru, you judge by appearances," Phillip observed, causing Naru to scowl. He laughed in amusement.
"So, since he's here that means you're leaving?" asked Kitsune.
"It's been fun, but this isn't my world," said Keitaro. "I gotta go back to my place." He added, "But…I need you all to remember to always find answers before making conclusions. Your Keitaro might have patience but one day it will run out and will leave. Some of you may want him gone but once he's not here you'll start feeling things a whole lot differently." He picked up his hat and put it back on. He then took hold of the criminal and tossed him over his shoulder, showing his strength. "OK, Phillip, I'm ready to go."
Phillip took out a device resembling a garage door opener and held the button down. A silvery curtain appeared and he stepped through. Keitaro started to step through it but then turned to wave at the girls, before going inside, followed by the Xtreme Memory as it swooped after the two brothers. Then, seconds later, Keitaro returned, except he wasn't dressed like a detective. Instead, he was dressed in casual clothes that which a struggling Ronin would be expected to have.
"Hi girls," he said, smiling. "Miss me?"
Back in Double no Sekai, Keitaro was welcomed with open arms by the girls upon his return. They had missed him. The other Keitaro had been walking on egg shells when he first appeared, always flinching away from them. That was when it was decided that the girls give their counterparts a piece of their minds.
The girls in the Canon Love Hina universe crowded around the TV as Keitaro put the tape into the VCR. It started up and in the screen were the Hinata-Sou girls, with Naru up-front. "OK, other me, it's time you listened up!" Naru was taken aback by this. "It's time for you to treat your Keitaro better! I know he has his faults but he ain't perfect and sure we had issues with our dad and step-dad but there's no reason to take it out on him."
The Naru on TV moved aside to let TV Motoko speak, "My other self, I've heard of your attacks on your Keitaro, and I am greatly disappointed. I know myself that males can be…perverted but it's unfair to assume all of them are without a chance." This shell-shocked Motoko as she saw her twin speak in such a way. What had changed with her? "Keitaro is an amazing person if you only had the courage to see for yourself and not allow your complex to rule over you. Onee-sama even wanted us to meet her husband but we declined and I regret it. There is a reason for her to marry, which is to produce the heir to our school. Would you deny that?"
Motoko was unable to speak, unable to argue. What could she saw to a recording of herself being played on TV?
"Look, you girls really need to grow up and not get so mad so fast," said TV-Kitsune. "I mean you got accused for murder. Who knows how long until one of your sword techniques or punches will actually kill a man?"
Naru and Motoko looked down at their hands. Kill…? The thought never crossed their minds.
"Heck, you were even framed for murder and Keitaro saved you even if you hadn't been so nice to him. I mean, seriously, you drive him away and you'll regret it. You might think you won't, but you will. Believe me."
"She's got a point," agreed Kitsune as she listened to her counterpart defend Keitaro.
Motoko looked at the floor, the words of her counterpart ringing through her ears. When someone else got angry at her or tried to bring her to task, hadn't she always scoffed at them with the thought that they were just ignorant of the path of the sword? She saw herself as doing a sacred duty to protect people by pounding perverts to the ground for their indiscretions. Still, from what Naru and her own counterparts had said just how many of the people that she attacked were merely accidents, or boys who were honestly interested in getting to know her instead of trying to get into her clothes?
The comment about her sister was one of the most hurtful. Tsuruko had tried many times to have her little sister meet her boyfriend and eventual husband. She assured Motoko time and time again that he was a good and honorable man. He was polite, kind, skilled, and he was looking forward to meeting Motoko and having her as a little sister since he had been a single child. Time and time again Motoko found excuses to be out at the time, or decline Tsuruko's invitations. Not even Tsuruko's impassioned pleas insisting that he really wanted to be a family with her changed Motoko's mind (and such a burst of emotion from Tsuruko of all people was certainly rare). The look of sad disappointment on Tsuruko's face whenever Motoko would return well after her lover had left was always a sore point for the younger girl.
Naru looked at her hands after hearing all of the admonishments. She really didn't hurt people that much whenever she punched them, did she? She just smacked them for their indiscretions and they both went on their way, right? Granted, they flew a fair distance but it couldn't be all that bad, right? Keitaro took it all the time and he always came back with only a few bumps and scrapes, right? She wasn't hurting people as badly as her counterpart said she was, right?
"Looks like they grew up," admired Kitsune. She turned to Naru and Motoko, "So, when's your turn?"
Meanwhile, back in the parallel Hinata-Sou in Double no Sekai, Keitaro was having sake with Kitsune. "Think that video you girls made will help?"
"Hey, the only people they listen to is themselves, so I think it might work," said Kitsune. "So, was the other me hot?" she asked, grinning.
"The same as you," Keitaro shrugged.
"Hm…I might be jealous…" Kitsune grinned as she took a sip of sake. "Seriously, I missed you. The other you was wound up."
"Blame his environment," Keitaro frowned. "Can't believe he's such a wimp. Dedicated, but still a wimp. I mean I guess it's good that he's nice but he's gotta balance it out and become-"
"Half-boiled?" she finished jokingly.
"Hard-boiled," he corrected firmly. Kitsune laughed. She then kissed him, a gesture he returned as he put his arm around her.
KAMEN RIDER CHROME: An omake I wrote long ago with Ten-Faced Paladin's help. Just a what-if situation. What happens when the canon Love Hina Universe and the Double Trouble Universe collide? This is the result.
TEN-FACED PALADIN: Well, this one was a long time coming but all of the bits and pieces we added between our works have added up into an interesting Omake. I hope you guys enjoy it as we continue to work on quality stories.