A New Light
Chapter 39
Island hopping
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Sunset...
Okinawa island
Beach shoreline
Mutsumi stared sadly out at the crystal blue ocean.
The waves splashed themselves unto her worn out feet.
Her dirty blouse wavered with the cold nightly breeze.
She hugged herself, shivering and choking back tears for her search for Hitari was for not.
She had searched the woods, the beaches, the market place, everywhere. But he was no where to be found or seen. While on her searching trip her clumsiness decided to work in overdrive and every thirty minutes Mutsumi found herself tripping, sliding, and falling all over the place.
Now she ended up to where she started off several hours ago.
The beach.
Her body ached in pain more then usual, and it was a miracle she hadn't fainted yet.
But even if her body was in shambles.
Her mind was a different story.
Only one phrase circled around her head which gave her the determination to go on, and not faint.
"Must...find...Hitari." she uttered slowly.
She swiveled around and took a step deeper into the shoreline.
She winced, a sharp pain came about in her knees and ankles.
She had forgotten how many times she fell on her knees when she tripped or how many times shefell on something with her ankles. But all she knew was that she didn't care. She just wanted to find Hitari.
She took another agonizing step.
A wave splashed over her feet again.
She tripped over something soft.
"Eeeepp-Ooff,"
She landed face first into the sand.
"..."
After a few moments she lifted her self up a bit.
-Slam!-Slam!-Slam!-
And started to pound the sand with a clenched fist.
Sand flew in every direction.
Her pent up anger from tripping this whole day and the failure of finding Hitari finally were being let out.
She kept slamming her one fist into the sand while her other one supported her, gripping the sand.
Her eyes finally gave way to tears.
"Why...Why...Why..." Was all she could say.
Her face scrunched up to a frown as she stood up.
She faced the object she tripped on.
"WHY!"
But her moist eyes widened when she got a clear view of the object.
Or to be more precise, she got a clear view of the person she tripped over.
"Hi-Hitari!"
Indeed the young blue haired boy laid right next to her feet, eyes closed.
She quickly knelt down, and checked for a pulse.
Asleep...
Mutsumi let out another series of tears.
Tears of joy.
As she enveloped the boy with one warm hug.
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Durante stood proudly on all fours.
On top of a now calm ocean.
The small ripples of waves past by the wolf's feet.
The crimson sunset behind him.
And the happy reunion of Hitari and Mutsumi in front of him from afar.
The wolf smiled when he saw Mutsumi hug the little boy who he called host.
"Take care of the boy Mutsumi. I leave him in your very capable hands."
-FLASH!-
With a sudden flash of blue.
He was gone.
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Sara pushed aside a curtain.
Sunset rays pierced through the window and illuminated the hotel room she was in.
"Wow, that's surely is a nice sunset." Sara said, gazing out of the balcony at the reddish sky.
She turned around to see Motoko and Keitaro enter the room with Asuna and Sakura in their arms.
The two reached the bed and gently tucked the two sleepy girls together under the same blanket.
The twins had fallen sleep in the car and Keitaro decided not to wake them up. Instead he asked Motoko to help him put them to their hotel room to sleep.
"Thanks Motoko."
"No problem Keitaro. Now should we head out to the beach and meet the others."
"Of course we are." Sara yelled bolting out the door "Last one to the car's a rotten swordsman."
"Hey! Why you!" Motoko quickly scurried after the blond mischief.
Giggles and scampering echoed in the halls of the hotel.
Keitaro chuckled as he adjusted the blanket over Sakura's body.
He noticed a bulge inside her shirt.
He reached in and took out Sakura's blue and red necklace pendant.
Keitaro unhooked it around her neck and placed it on the counter top next to the bed.
The father looked at his own red ruby necklace that hung around his neck and decided to keep on.
"Good night girls."
And he left after shutting the door and closing out the lights.
"..."
"..."
-Swiii-iish!-
The balcony windows swooshed open with a gust of wind.
Curtains flailed widely.
-Flash!-Ziiiii-iiiip!-
A blue comet sailed through the window, into the room, and merged with Sakura's pendant.
-Swii-iish-Click--
The balcony windows shut tight.
The curtains died back down as if nothing happened.
Sakura moved around under the covers.
"More...ice cream...please..."
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Night...
A star filled black sky hovered over the vacationing beach heads.
"Woooooooo! This is some good sake!" Mitsune rambled as she sat next to the other girls around a bonfire in the sandy beaches. "Do you want one Makie-chaaaaaan."
Makie pushed the bottle of sake out away from her. "Um, no thanks Mitsune. I'm a minor remember?"
Makie went back to reading her book as she laid on the sand.
Naru snatched the bottle away from Mitsune.
"Yea Mitsune. Leave her alone and go to bed. You're really drunk right now you know."
"What a surprise."
"Aww come on. Let her live a little. And anyway I'm not wasted. Just only a lit-ZZzzzz."
Mitsune fell backward into the sand a sleep with a drunken grin.
Naru sweat dropped. "Twelve bottles of sake in under ten minutes. Must be a record."
"I can do that with bananas!" Suu smiled.
"That is so different."
"Nuh-uh."
"Hehehe, oh by the way Haruka." Shinobu said
The tea shack owner looked there way.
"Yes?"
"Are we going to have to work tomorrow?"
"No. I'm giving everyone of you a break tomorrow."
"Yay!"
"More food for me!"
"Aauuu, don't raid the kitchen Suu. Last time you took all the food and we had nothing for lunch."
Every one chuckled.
"Phew, no more serving perverts all day."
"Thats only you Naru." Makie smirked, from under her book.
"Hey, I can't help the fact that I'm just so strikingly beautiful that men flock to me."
Shinobu looked over at Naru. "What about Keitaro?"
"Wh-what about him?"
Makie looked curiously at Shinobu.
Shinobu sighed. "You said men just flock to you. But I don't think Keitaro does now."
"Does now?"
"Well, yea. Ever since he came to the Hinata-sou, he always acted nervous and blushed near you. It was obvious to everyone that he had a thing for you."
"..." Every one was silent, safe for Mitsune's snoring.
Shinobu continued. "But now, he doesn't trip as much, and doesn't study with you in your room anymore also. As if his attention was diverted from you and Toudai to Sakura and Asuna. He matured so fast this past month that he seems like a whole different person because of those girls. Now I know you like him even Naru bu--"
"Wai-wait! I don't like that Baka! Who would fa-fall for him."
Mitsune sat up. "Don't deny it Naru. We all know you have a thing for him also."
Makie raised a hand. "I didn't know."
"That's because you're kinda new." Suu jumped.
"Oohh."
"Wait! M-Mitsune! Aren't you suppose to be sleeping."
"Nah, just needed a bit of a rest to get it out of my system. But don't change the subject Naru. We know you like him and we want a confession from you right here right now. Even if we have to torture you with forks."
"What is this! Gang up on Naru night tonight. I do care for him but only as a friend! But not as a lover." Naru bluntly lied to herself and to everyone. "And for your informations, as a friend, I am a bit worried about him not studying. I mean he wanted to go to Toudai so badly that he would try three more times. But now he's practically throwing it away."
"But he's throwing it away for a good reason. A very good reason involving the happiness of three young girls."
Naru looked down, sad and defeated.
"Yea but...we were working so hard together to get into Toudai after out first failure last year that...that.."
"-That you feel somewhat disappointed that he won't be able to join you into Toudai. So you two could hang out, be lovers, get married and live happily ever after with tons of children."
"Yea...wait! No! Mistune!" Naru blushed . A very clear cut visual of what Mitsune said in her head. "Li-like I said he is just a friend! Who would want to marry that stupid idiot anyways!"
"I would!"
"Suu you don't count. You would marry a food if you loved it so much."
"Hehehe."
"Wh-what about you Mitsune! Don't you like Keitaro!"
Mitsune laid back on the sand. Grinning very widely "Maybe..."
"Wh-what?" Naru stared at her best friend with disbelief. Not sure whether to be surprised that she actually liked someone or the fact that the one she might like is Keitaro.
Mitsune winked at Naru. "I don't know yet. Wait a couple of weeks and you'll get your answer."
Makie scratched her head.
"What about you Shinobu. You said you liked someone in school. Would it happen to be Keitaro-san."
"Ma-Makie-chan!"
"Aha. So it is Keitaro-san."
"Now that you mentioned it, she did seem nervous around Keitaro."
"Aauuuuu. Naru! Your changing the subject again."
"A lot more nervous then usual around men if I might add."
"Aauuu. Not you too Mistune. Go back to Naru."
"Well Shinobu?"
The little blue haired girl blushed a bit. "I...well..um...ohhh fine. I would be...kinda sorta lying if I said I only thought of Keitaro as a friend and as the manager. But I don't think of him as a lover also. Well, not anymore at least. I think of him more as a brother. Um...very cute and handsome brother..."
Makie nodded. "Heh, I agree with Shinobu. Ever since he took me in as a tenant, I always thought of him as a big brother. Like Seta-san. Even though I didn't get to know how he was like before I came into the picture. He does seem like a nice, responsible man. Not some stupid idiot like you always say he was Naru-san."
Suu smiled as she plopped on the towel she was sitting on.
"Yup. He looks like, talks like, and smells like my Onii-chan so I'm going to marry him!"
"Hehehe, Incest is wrong Suu." The fox lady chuckled.
Suu stuck a cute tongue out. "So what."
Naru placed a hand over her face.
"Jeez. This is Keitaro we are talking about here."
"So what if it is Naru." Mitsune said gulping down another bottle. "Face it, he's changing and I'm liking it. Get used to it."
"Hmppf.."
"Get used to what." Keitaro said, joining the girls with Motoko and Sara by her side.
"EEEPP!" Naru jumped, surprised by their entrance. "Do-don't pop in like that guys."
"Hehe, sorry."
Motoko happily sat down besides everyone around the bonfire.
"So how did you girlsfair without me?"
"We did pretty well."
"What do you mean, we had so much work in that beat up shack."
-Swooosh-Smack-
A paper fan sailed out of no where and smacked Naru on the head.
"Oooww! So-sorry Haruka."
Haruka went back to reading her paper.
"Thats better."
"Hehehe, So Keitaro tell us."
Keitaro tilted his head at Mitsune. "Hmm?"
"Why did you suddenly just get out and leave like that with the girls."
Sara jumped on Keitaro's back. Hugging him from around the neck. "Why not. This dork has to be a good 'papa' and treat us to something fun once and a while." She said squeezing his neck. "Right Keitaro..."
Keitaro coughed a bit. "Yes, of course, Hehe. Now will you stop squeezing my neck." Sara giggled and loosened up a bit. "But there is another reason. You girls know what today's date is."
"Mhmmm. The sixteenth of June."
"What so special about...oh I get it."
"What Mitsune?" Shinobu asked.
"Its been a month since Sakura and Asuna became his daughters."
"So its their one month anniversary today. How nice of you Keitaro." Shinobu said admiringly.
"Wish Keitaro-san was my father." Makie sighed going back to her book.
Keitaro looked down embarrassed. "Th-thanks guys. But I just did what I thought I had to do."
Haruka smirked. "Don't be so modest. Your an example of a good father so soak their praise all in. You deserve it."
"A-all right."
Sara jumped off of Keitaro's back.
"Hey, Don't forget that he isn't half as good as Papa."
Keitaro winced, but no one noticed.
No one noticed...
"But Keitaro-san, where's Asuna and Sakura?"
"Oh. Today was a very 'active' day and they went to sleep in the car. So we put them to bed back in the Hotel."
Mitsune leaned next to Naru and whispered into her ear: "See. Told ya he changed."
"Shut up!"
"What did you say Naru?" Keitaro asked innocently.
"No-nothing Keitaro. Just saying that you've changed."
The manager smiled. "Thanks."
Naru sighed and glared at Mitsune.
Mitsune stuck her tongue out then lifted her sake bottle high up to the sky.
"YOSH! Lets have a toast to Keitaro and his daughters. For it's their one month anniversary!"
"YA!"
"Guess it wouldn't hurt."
Everyone took their drinks and met in the middle.
Cups raised.
Mitsune and Naru started the toast off.
"To Keitaro."
Motoko, Sara and Haruka joined in.
"To Asuna!"
Suu, Makie, and Shinobu followed:
"To Sakura!"
Seta yelled along with them.
"To Sara!"
"..."
"..."
-PFTCHOOOOO- Everyone spat their drinks out.
"Se-se-SETA!"
Seta waved from where he sat right next to Haruka. "Yo..."
Sara didn't hesitate to run over and completely glomp her former Guardian in one big hug.
Keitaro stared at Sara's cheerful face.
A face he has never seen before...
Never seen around him only...
"I should be glad that she's this happy. But...why do I feel like ..."
"Pa-Papa! What are you doing here?"
"Yea, Aren't you suppose to be in like a distant country, fighting off traps from ruins you dug up. While saving your companions from impending, inevitable doom against blood lusting cannibal skeletons."
"Where did you get those ideas Naru?"
"In a fanfiction,"
"Oh...of course"
Seta ruffled Sara's hair a bit. "Seems your doing fine Sara. Hope your having fun with Keitaro-kun and the others when I'm not around."
Sara looked back at her current Guardian. "So far its been...fun." She admitted, smiling at Keitaro.
Keitaro didn't notice the smile.
"Like I knew it would." The archaeologist turned his head towards Keitaro. "I didn't say this last time so I'll say it now." Seta stood up and bowed. "Thank you for taking care of Sara in my place Keitaro-kun."
"Hehe. Your welcome Seta-san. Its been a pleasure so far."
Sara giggled from afar. "Don't worry Papa. Like I said. I didn't make his life too miserable."
Mitsune crept up and slung an arm over Seta's neck. "Oye. Never seen you like this Seta. Why don't you stay and relax with us."
"Hehe, sorry Mitsune-chan But I have to--"
Mitsune squeezed harder. "Right Makie, don't you want your uncle to have some fun with us?"
"It's his decision."
"Boy, your no fun at persuading people. How about you Haruka-san, why not persuade your former hubby over here to party with us."
Haruka didn't even look away from her reading. "Dun care..."
Mitsune and Seta winced. "Stingy..."
"Um, Seta-san if your hungry I can cook something up for you in the kitchen."
"Yea Papa. Stay for a while and eat with us. Then we can play some night games like hide and seek and..."
Keitaro took notice of Sara's desperate attempts at making him stay.
"...Sara sure does love Seta...a lot..."
"Hehe, There's no need for that Shinobu-chan, Sara" Seta said as he sly fully escaped from Mitsune's grasp. "I came here for work anyways. And I'm in quite a hurry. Thats why I can't stay here for long."
"Oh, ok."
"I'll see you guys later prolly tomorrow, you too Sara."
"..."
A painful silence.
"You know what. Why don't you come with me Sara. I did promise that I would visit you didn't I."
Sara nodded happily and glomped Seta again.
"Thanks Papa."
"Oooff. Hehe. But with one condition."
"Name it."
"Keitaro-kun has to come with us."
Keitaro looked up, surprised. "M-me? Do-don't you guys want to be alone or something. "
"Come on Keitaro!" Sara said, walking down the beach clinging on Seta's back.
"Oye! Wait up!" Keitaro waved back at the gang. "Be right back."
The others waved back.
"You think they'll be okay?"
"Yea, Seta's there so don't worry."
"..."
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--Vrmmm-mmmmmm--
The rumbling of a small boat engine.
Keitaro, Seta and Sara had all gotten into a small inflatable boat, and headed towards a small remote island not to far off from the beach. But still pretty far for a swim.
The night sky still glittered over their heads with dozens after dozens of stars.
Sara stared up at them. Mesmerized.
Seta pointed at a specific star up at the sky. "What star is that Sara?"
"Thats the north star."
"And what is it connected to?"
"The big dipper."
"Correct."
"And what do you use these for?"
"When your lost at sea. You will always know where north is."
"Correct again. I can see you never forgot what I taught you over the years while I was gone."
"Hehehhe."
While the two sat at the back of the boat, Keitaro sat at the front.
He wasn't looking at the stars,
He wasn't looking at the murky waters around him.
He was looking at Seta and Sara.
The two people who are right now enjoying the father and daughter moment they both were experiencing.
Keitaro sighed.
He had never seen Sara this happy before. Just a single appearance from Seta and she became a whole different person. And the weird part was he knew this would happen. Even though he was replacing Seta in the real world, Keitaro knew he wasn't going to be replacing him inside Sara's heart anytime soon, or probably never.
Yet...he still felt a bit down about it...
He turned his head too look away.
He looked down at the water.
A small ridged, stiff rock entered his view, as the waves clashed into it.
It got closer...and closer...and closer...before..
"Seta! TURN BEFORE WE HIT THE ROCK!"
"Wuh? Oh shi--!"
Seta didn't have enough time as the rock and the boat smashed into each other. Forcing the boat to turn over.
"Aaaaahh!"
"EEEEPPP!"
-Splash!-
All three of them went diving into the cold dark ocean.
"GASP!"
Keitaro was the first one to break surface and gasp for fresh air.
He looked around frantically as he tried his might to stay above water.
"Seta!"
Dark waters responded back by splashing harder.
"Ngnn, SARA!"
Nothing...
He started to panic.
"Hey! SARA!"
Again. Nothing.
"Oyyyeee! Keitaro-kun!" a distant voice yelled from afar.
Keitaro turned around to see both Seta make it to a small island just a couple of meters away. Sara in his large arms.
"Oh yea, Seta was with her. I was worried for nothing...nothing..."
Keitaro inhaled painfully and swam towards the island.
-------End of Chapter 39---------------
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Back at the wreckage.
Pieces of the inflatable boat floated and sank into the abysmal sea.
A glimmer of red reflected the moonlight's rays.
Lonely in a sea of black. A red ruby necklace that Keitaro had on floated on top of rollercoaster waves.
The present from Akari that meant the sea to Keitaro.
Sank into the sea itself.
Shining.