Disclaimer: I own no part of Love Hina, but Sean is me.

Ah, the master of suspense has arisen yet again. Sorry for taking so long with this one (or at least longer than usual); what with school and being out with my friends, my writing time has become quite limited.

Chapter LII: To the Victor

As Tsuruko made her descent towards him, Sean just stood there. Sure, he could try and get out of the way, but there wouldn't be much point to it. Even if he was able to grab his sword, his magical energy had run completely dry, as he put everything he had into his last attack, but all it did was burn Tsuruko's ear and take a chunk out of her hair. (In fact, he was surprised he could still stand on his own two feet.) He knew damn well he couldn't beat Motoko without resorting to sorcery, so continuing this fight with her older, more powerful sister would be an exercise in futility.

The only thing that made this whole situation worse was the thought of what the others would do and say when he returned. Sure, everyone would be disappointed in him for losing, but he was more worried about two of them in particular. First, there was Shinobu; being forced to break ties with his girlfriend of thirteen months would break her heart, and he couldn't be sure if she'd ever speak to him again, knowing just how opposed she was to him coming to Kyoto in the first place.

Then there was Motoko. For all he knew, she was still sitting in her room in a fetal position and the news of him losing could only make things worse for her, knowing that she'll never be a warrior again. That plus her having to forget about Jimmy would conspire against her ever experiencing true happiness again. Of course, being married to Motoko might not be such a bad thing. Both of them cared for each other a great deal; granted not at that level, but given time, they could learn to truly love one other.

Before the battle began, such thoughts would have been considered blasphemy, but now, they seemed more like a grim reality. When Sean opened his eyes, time seemed to slow down a great deal. He could see Tsuruko falling towards him, sword ready to make the final blow against him. It was here that any thoughts of victory quickly turned to those of mere survival. At least he could take some comfort in the fact that he gave it his all and that the fight wasn't completely one-sided. He shut his eyes again, hoping that his adversary's attack wouldn't prove fatal. "Oh God, somebody help me," he found himself saying out loud, even though he was sure no one else was within earshot.

When time returned to normal speed, Sean waited for his defeat to be official, but Tsuruko's strike never came. Maybe it all happened so fast, he couldn't feel it. Maybe she refused to attack a defenseless opponent. Maybe she disappeared off the face of the earth. Okay, that last one was a bit far-fetched. Whatever the reason might have been, curiosity took over, forcing him to open his eyes again to see a very unexpected sight.

Standing between Sean and Tsuruko was a man dressed from head to toe in black. As far as Sean could figure out, he looked like some sort of ninja, but that didn't matter at the moment. What did was the fact that… whoever it was… was blocking Tsuruko's blade with one of his own. "Uh," Sean said, looking up to the heavens. "Thank you!"

On the other end, Tsuruko was utterly baffled. To her, this new addition appeared right out of thin air. She didn't see, hear or even sense him coming. "Who the hell are you?!" she asked, backing off. "And why do you interfere in our match?"

Sean's mouth starting working before his brain. "Damn, you just can't seem to get a break today, can you? I mean, every time you think you've won, something happens."

"Shut up!" Tsuruko said, now thoroughly pissed off. "You have a wedding to prepare for, remember?"

"Not if I can help it," the mystery man said.

"And what right do you have to interrupt this fight?!" Tsuruko asked.

"Yeah," Sean added. "Who are you?"

The ninja turned to face Sean; out of his entire body, all Sean could see besides his outfit was his glowing, yellowish eyes. "Just think of me as an ally."

"Uh, okay."

"Hey!" Tsuruko said getting the man (who we shall refer to as simply Ninja) to turn his attention back to her. "You still haven't answered my question! Why are you here?!"

"He asked for help," simply Ninja said. (Sorry, I know that was corny, but I just couldn't help myself.) "It's as simple as that."

"You actually heard that?" Sean asked.

"But you have no right to barge in on something that doesn't involve you! Now leave this place at once so we may continue!"

"Your fight with him is over," Ninja said. "It's my turn now."

"Do you think it's fair that I have to fight two opponents?"

"I think so," Sean said. "After all, I had to fight two people in this fight. I think it's perfectly fair that you do the same."

Tsuruko had to admit that Sean's logic was somewhat plausible. Upon hearing his words, she felt that her victory what have been somewhat tarnished if it was because he was basically outnumbered. Even if he wasn't, she was expecting a two-on-one battle anyway, and by him accepting her challenge by himself, she thought--at least until he revealed his magical abilities to her--he was at a disadvantage from the get go. "Alright," she finally said. "I will allow this man to be Motoko's substitute, but there will be no further intrusions, understand?"

"No sweat," Sean said. Ninja merely nodded. "I'll get out of your way," Sean continued, slowly making his way to where his sword rested.

"You're still in this fight," Tsuruko reminded.

Sean shook his head. "I can barely stand up right now, much less fight anyone." He bent down to grab his sword and grunted as he got back upright, "That last attack left me spent. All I'd be good for is getting in his way. Besides, two on one isn't really fair, is it?" He hobbled his way off to the side, where he hoped no stray shots could reach him.

Tsuruko's senses proved Sean right. Indeed, he wouldn't have lasted two seconds longer in his current state, so she allowed him to sit this one out in favor of his new teammate. "Let's continue this fight."

Without a word, Ninja moved back about fifteen feet in what looked like a blur to Tsuruko. (Sean didn't ever see the bur.) He sheathed his wakizashi and brandished his own katana. At the same time, they charged each other, leaped and met in mid-air. They only had time for a couple shots before they flew by, landing where each other began. Without missing a beat, they turned around and exchanged blows on solid ground. From Sean's standpoint, it appeared to be a stalemate.

The standoff lasted for only a couple minutes, even though it seemed like hours. It was at this point that both Tsuruko and Ninja somehow managed to disarm each other, sending each sword flying. This little development wouldn't stop the match however, as the two now tried to hit each other with fists and feet.

From his seat on the sidelines, Sean just watched on in silence. "I forgot what it was like to just watch a fight as opposed to participating in one," he thought.

Up to this point, not a single blow has been thrown that wasn't blocked, but it wouldn't last indefinitely. Simultaneously, they both landed a punch to the other's face, knocking them backwards a ways, coincidentally, within arm's reach of their lost weapons. Not wasting any time, Tsuruko snatched up her sword and rushed towards Ninja.

Unfortunately, luck was not on Ninja's side, as his sword had imbedded itself in the ground, making it hard to retrieve. It took some effort, but he was finally able to pry his weapon loose, but it was about a split-second too late. Before he could get away, Tsuruko connected, making a diagonal cut across his chest. After he got to a safe distance and briefly inspected the damage, he looked Tsuruko right in the face. "You'll wish you hadn't done that," he said.

Much to Tsuruko's amazement, Ninja's already glowing eyes intensified for a moment, akin to that of a camera flash. (Sean didn't see this, as he was at a bad angle.) The next moment, Ninja was literally running circles around his adversary. Tsuruko found herself immobilized by this since, from her perspective, there appeared to be five or six people circling her, and any ki output was so faint, she was unable to figure out which one was the real thing.

All of a sudden, a sharp pain shot up Tsuruko's left arm as the reverse side of Ninja's blade made contact, making it fall limp at her side. Moments later, her right arm was hit the same way, a look of panic appearing on her face as her sword fell from her grip.

After a shot to her leg, forcing her down on one knee, Ninja finally stopped in front of her, pointing his sword at her, it mere inches from her face. "Do you yield?" he asked.

It took a few moments for Tsuruko to get over the shock of having three limbs basically disabled in a manner of seconds. "Yes," she eventually said. "I yield."

Ninja put his sword away. "You will regain feeling in your limbs in a few hours."

Soon, Sean was at her side. "Are you alright?" he asked.

When Sean placed a hand on Tsuruko's shoulder, she shrugged him off violently, her arms swinging uselessly at her side as she did so. "You won your match! Motoko shall be allowed to return to the school and any future plans for marriage are null and void. I do not need your pity!"

"I never said it was," Sean said. "I will not let you crawl away from this battle on your hands and knees. Allow me to help you inside."

Tsuruko did not possess the strength to resist him as he grabbed her by the arm and helped her to her feet--well, foot. "Why are you doing this?"

"I don't recall hearing that we were true enemies," Sean said. "I only came here because beating you was the only way I could get Motoko out of her depression. There's not a lot I wouldn't have done to make her smile again. Despite all this, I knew you would never make it easy for me."

"You fought remarkably well," Tsuruko said. "Even though your tactics were quite unorthodox."

"Well, we all have our talents. Personally, I hate having to use them like I did today, but I had no other option. When I get my energy back, I'll repair the damage I did to your ear and hair."

"You don't have to--"

"I insist. I don't want there to be any hatred between us."

Slowly, they would make their way to the main building, but stopped at about halfway. "Why did you stop?" Tsuruko asked.

"It's just that I forgot to thank--" He looked back, but found that Ninja was nowhere to be seen. "Uh, never mind."

--- 7:12 PM

"Here," Shinobu said as she served dinner. All happiness had long since vanished from the Hinata Apartments; even Suu lost her usual energetic demeanor. Any attempts at conversation were in vain, and this meal would be no different. Midway through the deathly silence, the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Naru said, getting up to answer the phone. "Hello?" she said unenthusiastically.

"Hey, Naru. Guess who?"

"Sean?!" In an instant, the dining room was empty, as everyone gathered around the phone. "Sean, where are you?!"

"Still in Kyoto," Sean said from the other line. "My fight with Tsuruko left me spent, and she let me spend the night here to let me get my strength back."

"It lasted that long?!"

"Nah, it's been over for a few hours now. Since there isn't a phone handy, I had to wait until I could contact you in my own way."

"I see." Without warning, the phone was yanked out of Naru's grasp.

"SEAN!!"

"Hey, not so loud Shinobu," Sean said. "You'll bust my eardrums."

"I'm sorry. When are you getting back?"

"I'll be there tomorrow morning. Please keep it together till then. Tell Motoko that too."

"Sean, please tell me, did you--" Shinobu slowly removed the receiver from her ear. "He hung up."

"Why does he have to keep us in suspense like this?!" Kitsune asked.

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Keitaro said.

"Maybe he's writing a victory speech," Mutsumi said.

"Or he could he coming up with a good way to break the bad news to us."

"Motoko, don't say that!" Shinobu cried.

"Yeah," Naru said. "We have to stay positive."

"Against my sister," Motoko said. "Nothing is a certainty."

"The same can be said for Sean, you know," Kitsune said. "In case you forgot, he's somewhat of a miracle worker."

"We'll all find out tomorrow when he gets back," Shinobu said. "Until then, let's try not to think about it." Slowly, everyone made their way back to the dining room and continued eating.

After Suu finished, she decided to let her ongoing war with the neighbor keep her mind off the possible outcome of Sean's fight with Tsuruko. As she entered the room, she noticed that the lights weren't working. "Hmm," she said. "That's weird." She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well; it'll be easy enough to fix." She flipped the switch, transforming the jungle into the lab and went about getting the lights working again.

That's when she heard it. It was faint, but she recognized it as laughter--evil laughter--coming from the far corner of the room. Suu quickly made her way to make the voice came from, but nobody was there. "Maybe I'm just hearing things," she said. As if in response to what she said, the laughter came again; this time, just a bit louder and from the other end of the room. "Okay, I know I heard that." Like a shot, she ran over and searched for the source, but still found nothing. Hearing it a third time, again from behind her, she quickly turned around. "Alright, where are--" She stopped short when she found glowing yellowish eyes only inches from her own. "--you…"

It didn't take long for the others to get to Suu's room after her blood-curdling scream, and was about to enter when Suu left, busting the door down in the process. "Suu, what's wrong?!" Naru asked.

"Yeah, what happened?" Keitaro added a bit weakly from under the door.

"It's our neighbor!" Suu half-shrieked. "He's finally come to get me!"

While Shinobu set the door back in place and checked on Keitaro's condition, everyone else searched Suu's room high and low for any sign of intrusion, but found nothing. "Are you sure there was someone in here?" Motoko asked.

"Maybe it was just your overactive imagination," Kitsune added.

"It WAS real!" Suu yelled. "I saw the glowing eyes right in front of me!"

"Well," Kitsune said. "If there was anyone here, they're gone now."

"How could a pair of eyes get around on their own?" Mutsumi asked.

"When they're connected to somebody's head, that's how," Naru replied.

"Oh, right," Mutsumi said, holding the back of her head, her usual ditzy grin on her face.

"Sometimes, I wonder if she just says those things on purpose," Naru thought.

"How could anyone get in without any of us knowing?" Keitaro asked.

"Yeah," Shinobu said. "If he can sneak into Suu's room of all places and get out without been seen…" This was mostly due to the fact that the door was the only way in or out. "…than what does that mean for the rest of us?"

"If anyone here is at risk, it's me," Suu said. "None of you have gotten involved in our war."

"You do have a point there," Kitsune said.

"I don't feel safe sleeping alone tonight, knowing that there's someone out there who might be watching my every move," Suu said, edging closer to Motoko. "Could I bunk with you?"

"I don't know," Motoko said. "After what happened today, I'm not in the frame of mind to protect anyone. Maybe Naru would be a more suitable choice for you right now."

"Why me?" Naru asked.

"Next to me and Sean, you've been the most powerful fighter here."

"Unless your punches aren't what they once were," Kitsune added tauntingly.

"You want me to test your theory?" Naru asked, balling her fists in the process.

"No, that's alright."

"Smart move." Naru turned her attention back to Suu. "You can stay with me tonight."

"Thank you!" Suu said, jumping up on Naru's back, wrapping her legs around her waist and her arms around her neck.

"I hope I don't regret this," Naru thought.

For what it's worth, the night went peacefully on all fronts and bright and early the next morning, the trip back to Hinata-Sou went under way, but Sean didn't go it alone. He had a traveling companion in the form of his former adversary, Tsuruko. After their battle came to a surprising end, the two spent their time in deep conversation, swapping stories and the like. One in particular that Motoko's sister found interesting was the events that led to his first encounter with Shonoko; it was a tale that answered some nagging questions in the woman's mind.

The train ride back was very peaceful and in what seemed like no time at all, they had arrived at Hinata and was making their way to the girl's dorm.

--- Sunday, 8/24 9:22 AM

"You are unlike any man I have ever known," Tsuruko said. "Not only in abilities, but in character as well."

"I guess I've always been a bit unique. By friends from back in the states can certainly attest to that."

"I want to thank you again for what you did last night." Before any of you get any ideas, Sean only restored Tsuruko's ear and hair back to the way it was before Sean's final attack did its damage.

"No sweat," Sean said. "I prefer using my talents in that way anyhow, and I like to think I'm better at it as well."

"Motoko is certainly fortunate to have a friend such as yourself. If I may ask, why did you not say you won the fight when you contacted them?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise. Besides, I don't think I was ready for a long, drawn-out explanation then."

"It seems you have a thing for the dramatic."

"I suppose." After a few moments, Sean started again. "You know, I can't help but wonder who that guy was that helped me out yesterday."

"You mean you didn't know him?"

Sean shook his head. "I didn't recognize him." It was at this point that they reached the familiar front steps of Hinata-Sou. "Well, here we are."

Upon hearing Sean start to laugh, Tsuruko shot him a look of confusion. "What's so funny?"

"I just thought of a way to announce my arrival…"

That morning, a late breakfast was served; and everyone present could tell right away that Naru has had better days. "Motoko," she said, holding her ribs. "The next time Suu wants to room with someone, it's going to be you, not me!"

"Speaking of which, where is she?" Shinobu asked. "It's not like her to miss a meal."

"She's still asleep up in my room," Naru said. "Yesterday was a bit rough on her. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be down soon enough."

"When did Sean say he'd get back again?" Kitsune asked.

"Sometime this morning," Shinobu said. "I wish he could just get here and tell us what happened in Kyoto."

"At least he survived," Mutsumi said. "That must count for something."

"I never doubted that for a second. It's just that if he lost, in my eyes, he might as well have died in the fight."

"How do you think I feel?" Motoko asked. "You only lose a boyfriend. Not only do I lose my boyfriend, but I'm forced to marry your boyfriend and I must forsake my life as a warrior on top of that. I have more at stake in the outcome of Sean's fight with my sister than anyone."

"Shinobu, Motoko, calm down," Keitaro said. "When Sean gets back, we'll find out how it all went and we'll deal with it then."

Shinobu and Motoko didn't give much of a response, only muttering something under their breaths.

Suu stirred slightly as she woke up. She found sharing a futon with Naru very comforting, getting her to think that she should start making a habit of it. To think, it was her being scared half to death that led to it. On that note, she was glad that the creepy neighbor didn't try anything overnight, but when she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into those eyes again. "Huh?!"

"Your soul is mine," he said.

"NO!" Suu quickly got out of bed and ran out of the room, hearing sinister laughter from behind her. When she got to the stairs, she jumped down the first flight in one shot and did the same with the second, but her landing on the ground floor would be cut short, as Keitaro just had to be walking by at that moment, just in time to get kicked in the head.

"Well," Kitsune said. "Looks like somebody's cheered up this morning." She then saw Suu immediately latch herself to Naru's back, a panicked expression on her face. "Uh, maybe not."

"What's wrong?" Naru said, barely able to breath.

"The neighbor's back!" Suu cried. "Don't let him take my soul!!"

"Suu, calm down," Shinobu said, prying Suu off Naru. "Everything's going to be alright."

"C'mon," Naru said, catching her breath a bit. "I've had it with this guy scaring Suu. I'm going to go give him a piece of my mind."

Motoko's head suddenly turned towards the front door. "Wait, Naru," she said.

"What?" Naru asked.

Motoko didn't say anything else, but walked towards the door. "It has to be," she thought. When she opened it, her suspicions were confirmed.

"See?" Sean asked. "I didn't even have to knock."

As Sean and Tsuruko entered, the others came to see who it was. "SEAN!" Shinobu yelled, running over and was about to hug him, but stopped short. "Um, how did you do?"

"Was there ever a doubt in your mind?" Sean asked, smiling. This time, Shinobu didn't stop, wrapping her arms tightly around him, shedding tears of joy.

"You mean you actually won?" Kitsune asked.

"Yes," Tsuruko said. "He was victorious. Motoko, you are hereby readmitted into the God's Cry School."

"And her marriage with Sean?"

"Cancelled."

"Thank you, sister," Motoko said, crying just a bit herself. "How were you able to defeat her, Sean?"

"Magic, of course," Sean said. "Though I did have some… unexpected help."

"What kind of help?" Naru asked.

Suu, who was in the back of the group, suddenly heard a voice, audible just enough for nobody else to catch. "There's no point in running, you know," it said. "I will have your soul."

"Uh, guys…!" Suu said.

"What?" Keitaro asked. Everyone turned around to see a man all in black standing right behind Suu. "Oh."

"YOU!!" Suu quickly get out of harm's way as Naru rushed over to give whoever it was a thrashing.

"Naru, wait--" Sean said, but it was too late. A split second before Naru's fist would have made contact with the man's head, he vanished. "Uh, Naru?"

"What?" Naru said, gritting her teeth as she regained her balance from her botched strike.

"That was the guy that helped me yesterday."

"Well, I'm sorry for not being appreciative, but he's been terrorizing Suu since last night!"

Sean looked at Naru in disbelief. "Why would he do that?"

"You mean you don't know?" Kitsune asked. "That's our neighbor; the one Suu been at war with for the last month."

Sean still had a somewhat skeptical look on his face. "Is that right?"

"Am I the only one worried about where he went?" Motoko asked.

"Weren't you able to sense the energy he gave off?" Mutsumi asked.

Motoko shook her head. "There was none."

"I cannot say I am surprised," Tsuruko said. "When he came to Sean's aid, he seemed to appear out of nowhere; even I couldn't sense him coming. Whatever his abilities are, they only require extremely small traces of ki, if any at all."

"If my own sister can't track him," Motoko said. "Then isn't much we can do to combat him."

"I don't know why we'd want to," Sean thought. "I mean, if it wasn't for him, I'd still be engaged to Motoko right now."

All of a sudden, Ninja appeared right behind Motoko, grabbing her lightly on the arms, just below the shoulders. "You catch on quickly, my dear," he whispered in her ear loud enough for everyone to hear. Upon feeling Ninja's breath in a such a sensitive spot, Motoko instantly froze up and a deep blush appeared on her face.

"Who the hell are you?!" Naru yelled.

"And why do your eyes glow?" Suu added.

"That is a simple matter," Ninja said, letting go of Motoko. He raised his hands towards his face and appeared to remove something from his eye sockets and toss them in Suu's direction.

"Contact lenses?" Suu inquired after a brief inspection.

"You still haven't answered my question," Naru said.

"And I'm surprised you haven't figured it out by now," Ninja shot back. This time, his hands reached for the part of his outfit that covered most of his face and slowly removed it. "Recognize me now?"

A series of gasps rang out among the group, quite possibly the biggest coming from Motoko. "J-Jimmy?!"

"In the flesh."

With a squeal of delight, Motoko brought Jimmy in a tight embrace. "I can't believe it; it's really you!!"

"Did you know about this, Sean?" Kitsune asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm just as surprised as the rest of you," Sean said in his own defense. "Though it does answer some questions."

"If I may ask," Tsuruko said. "Who is this Jimmy and why do you all know him?"

"Remember when I said that Motoko met someone in Myrtle Beach?" Sean asked.

Tsuruko nodded knowingly. "I see."

"Why didn't you tell me you were here sooner?!" Motoko asked.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Jimmy said. "That's why I went to war with Suu; to keep it that way."

"And you scaring her half to death last night and this morning?" Naru asked.

"What, a guy can't have a little fun every now and then?"

"Hey, Sean," Kitsune said as Jimmy and Naru got into a shouting match--well, Naru was doing most of the shouting. "You gotta tell us what happened in Kyoto. I'm dying to hear the play-by-play."

"Why didn't you go check my vault?" Sean said, a grin on his face.

"You mean I could have looked up yesterday's video and watched it all this time?"

"Yep."

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Kitsune grabbed Sean by the shirt. "LET'S GO ALREADY!!" Kitsune ran off towards Sean's room, with him in tow; it didn't take long for everyone to follow. Along the way, Suu kept glaring at Jimmy.

"Don't think our war is over for a second," she thought. "I won't give up the fight just because we know who you really are."

End of Chapter LII

Well, another exciting chapter draws to a close. What will happen now that Jimmy has made his presense known? See you next time! Please R&R!