Chapter 2: Memory
"H,how could it be?" Keitaro was too terrified to even say more than that. The rest of Hinata residents just remain silent as if they were petrified. "Who the hell are you!?" Motoko held her sword out, she prepares to strike if the other Motoko will attack first. "Why are you disguising as me!?" the other Motoko asked. "You're the one disguising as me!" Motoko's sword was held by her two hands straight to the other Motoko's throat. The other Motoko just stood there, maybe she's in shock or what. "Wait! Futari domo! Which one of you is the real one?" Kitsune asked the two Motokos. "Auuwww there are two Motoko sans…" Shinobu's put clattered on the floor, as she doesn't give any attentions to her pots. Naru tried to calm the raged Motokos and Keitaro's eyes were swirling around. "It's me!" Motoko informs Kitsune with one hand on Kitsune's collar. "Minna! Don't you believe it's me!?". "Whoa, calm down you guys. If there are two Motokos, one of them should be the real one right?" Kitsune acted like a detective interviewing a crime. "Mochiron!" one of the Motokos answered. "So, there must be some weakness to the false one right, every one?" Kitsune continued her speech. The others nodded. "Don't get it?" Kitsune sighed.
"…That means if we find the weakness, we'll know who's the false one?" Naru said, unsure. The others stare at her. "Bingo!" Kitsune raises her thumb, sign of salutes. "But, how could we do that?" the differences between them was just their clothes" Shinobu added. The Motoko who's just came wears uniform and the other one wears hakama. "Then we'll test Motoko with this machine!!!" Suu shows them a machine that looks like a banana with some electronic devices in it. "I think not…" Keitaro eyed Suu's machine with a sweat drop. "Why don't let them challenge each other, the real Motoko must have win" Haruka sho's just arrived suggested them with ther deadpan voice. "Ha, Haruka-obasan, don't appear behind me so suddenly!" "Call me Haruka-san" Haruka punched Keitaro across the room. "Hey! That's a good suggestion! Motokos! The one who win this match will be considered as the real one! Let's go!" Kitsune marched into the Hinata-sou's backyard.
"Suu! Where's the popcorn?" Suu handed the popcorn to Kitsune. "Kitsune, this isn't the time to eat popcorns!" Naru shouts at Kitsune's ears. "What about the Motoko-chans? They didn't move…" Keitaro notice that they weren't moving from the beginning, but Kitsune's act make him wants to laugh. "Say, Keitaro, you're right. They aren't moving" Naru looked at the Motokos.
"Why aren't you attacking?" Motoko asked Motoko. I realized that I'm no match for you, so I'll just reveal myself" "What…" with a glow, the Motoko with uniform turned into a sweet looking girl with a long hair like Motoko's tied into a ponytail. "Zasshi burri desu, Motoko" the girl greets Motoko with a soft smile. The others run towards them "who are you?" Naru asked cautiously at the girl. "Anata wa Kirei da ne…" Keitaro went drooling for the girl's beauty. "Don't mind him, do you know Motoko?" Naru twitched Keitaro's ears. "Motoko's my friend when she was still in the Dojo" the girl grinned at them, patting the shocked Motoko. "So, you're Motoko's childhood friend" Kitsune came up with a short conclusion. "Yup". "Let's go inside and explain inside it's rather cold here" Naru leads them inside.
"Why were you disguising your self as Motoko?" Sara, who has just came from the digging site asked the girl. "I was just trying to make a surprise to Motoko, but I don't know it would came to this…" the girl rubs the back of her head. "A,ano…sempai no namae wa dare desuka" Shinobu asked the girl with extra nervous, because she never talked to a completely stranger like this. "Huh? Don't be so formal, just call me Mizuki" she bows to them. Revives from her shock, Motoko shouts to Mizuki "what are you doing here!? You're not supposed to be here. You'll get punished!" "Don't worry, I have a permission from sempai" she unrolls a piece of parchment and showed it to Motoko. "But you shouldn't be wondering around here by yourself! You could get lo…" "Don't worry, Yuki was with me" Motoko's words was cut by her. "But…" Motoko was still looking worried. "Come on Motoko-chan… she's your friend, why don't you be kinder to her?" Keitaro asked Motoko. Motoko looked at the others for support, but all of them seem to be on Keitaro's side. Motoko sighed, "Aaaargh, okay…" at the last moment Motoko agrees. "Arigatou, Motoko" Mizuki smiled at her friend. "Now that you two accept each other, why don't we go to Tokyo and buy something?" Naru asked them and received a nod from two of the girls. "Setting that aside…where's Yuki, you're with him right?" Motoko asked her with her usual tone. "Ah!" she gasps. "I think I told him to wait at Tokyo, but I totally forgot about him" they all fall to the floor. "L,lets just get going and meet that friend of yours" Keitaro said with a cross bandage on his head.
"What took Mizuki so long?" Yuki looked at his watch, it's already 1:20 pm. "Hhhh…I shouldn't have let her wondering alone…" he said to his self. 'Did she meet Motoko?' he wonders. He had a brown hair tied into a small tail, his height was 185 cm, he was dan three at Judo, and anything a girl would want. But unfortunately he was left waiting by Mizuki. "Yuuuuki!" Mizuki ran towards him. "Sorry to make you waiting so long" she gasped for breathe and trying to see Yuki's expression. "That's alright, I'm getting used to it" he stopped for a moment and looked at the 'gang'. "Who are they?" he asked Mizuki. "That fox like lady was Kitsune, that was Shinobu, Suu, Sara, Naru and her lover and Motoko" she pointed to each of them. "We're no lovers!!!!!" Naru and Keitaro shouts together "you look like one…"Mizuki answered them back, causing them to blush. His eyes stopped at Motoko who smiled softly at him (which is very rare to see Motoko smile to mankind), he smiled back. They didn't say anything to each other. Mizuki looked at Motoko and Yuki who was not saying anything to each other, now all of them were looking at those two. "Hey you two…" Mizuki was a bit confused, Motoko and Yuki was supposed to be together all the time when they were a child, but why they're not talking to each other now? Suddenly a spurt of inspiration hit her. "Oi, Kitsune why don't we go to the department store?" Mizuki winks, just to be noticed by Kitsune. Kitsune, who knew what the meaning is, agree and tell the others. "Motoko, let's go to the department store" Naru pushed Motoko who doesn't really wants to go and that makes Yuki had to follow them too.
"Wow Motoko! This looks beautiful on you!" Kitsune handed Motoko a pair of mini dress to Motoko who's looking a bit sick of this shopping thing. They were in a department store, looking for clothes. "Kitsune!" Motoko insulted her. "Motoko-chan…does this looked good on me?" Naru asked as she looked at her dress. "Mochiron Naru-sampai…" Motoko replied solemnly, but more softer than to Kitsune. "What are those girls doing?" Keitarou muttered to himself with a nervous smile. "Yaaaaaaa! Keitarou! Check out my robot suit! It's made specially for you!!!!" without any warning Suu throbs the suit into Keitarou "UWWWAAAAAA!!!!!" Keitarou screamed. "GET OUT OF MY PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!" the store manager kicked them out.
After they got home they all went back to their room. "Hmmm, looks like my plan failed" Kitsune rubbed the back of her head. "You think it's going to work like this!?" Keitarou and Naru shouted together. "What's 'going to work like this'?" Motoko appeared with a confused look. "No, nothing" Kitsune tried to cover her panic look. "Motoko-chan, why are you here?" Naru asked Motoko. "No…I just want to know where Mizuki would sleep this night…" Motoko seemed aboserbed on her thoughts. "Maybe she'll sl…" Mizuki cut Keitarou's answer "if you don't mind I'll sleep with Motoko" Mizuki jumped and pulled Motoko by the hand. Usually Motoko would resist to be pulled like that (samurai shouldn't be treated like that, she would say) but she just follow her.
"Mizuki, where is Yuki?"
"He's on a hotel"
"Why are you here?"
"To visit you"
"Anything than that?"
"To visit my old friends"
"Who?"
"You know who…"
"…Do you know where is their address?"
"Hai, tomorrow I'll go to their house"
"By what?"
"By train"
"Will they remember you?"
"Mochiron!"
"Sou ka…"
"Damn… what are they talking about?" Kitsune cupped her hand on her ear and tried to hear their conversation. "You know Kitsune? The thing that you're doing now is a crime" Keitarou said to Kitsune, but he wasn't looking at her. "You think so? Then why are you guys here?" Kitsune asked back. "Anooo we're just interested so…" Shinobu said half smiling half smirking. "Then you're the same" Kitsune continued to listen. "I, I guess so…" Naru eyed Kitsune as she listened too. "Hey wha…" "ssst the talking became more interesting" Kitsune interrupted Suu. "I'll go with you tomorrow". The conversation ended there. "No fair… the conversation become interesting but they stopped it" "it's already no good to hear their private conversation" Naru pushed Kitsune out of the corridor and into the dining room.
"Seems that they're not here again…" Motoko leaned back to the wall and looked melancholic. "That Kitsune lady was dangerous" Mizuki checked the door to make sure they weren't here anymore. Motoko sighed, "I know the reason you told me was a lie" silence…"mind to tell me… your true reason?" she said slowly to Mizuki. The truth is she already know what's the reason, but she just couldn't believe it until Mizuki said it herself. Mizuki looked at Motoko with a cold glance, it's like she's not herself. "To execute them."
"H,how could it be?" Keitaro was too terrified to even say more than that. The rest of Hinata residents just remain silent as if they were petrified. "Who the hell are you!?" Motoko held her sword out, she prepares to strike if the other Motoko will attack first. "Why are you disguising as me!?" the other Motoko asked. "You're the one disguising as me!" Motoko's sword was held by her two hands straight to the other Motoko's throat. The other Motoko just stood there, maybe she's in shock or what. "Wait! Futari domo! Which one of you is the real one?" Kitsune asked the two Motokos. "Auuwww there are two Motoko sans…" Shinobu's put clattered on the floor, as she doesn't give any attentions to her pots. Naru tried to calm the raged Motokos and Keitaro's eyes were swirling around. "It's me!" Motoko informs Kitsune with one hand on Kitsune's collar. "Minna! Don't you believe it's me!?". "Whoa, calm down you guys. If there are two Motokos, one of them should be the real one right?" Kitsune acted like a detective interviewing a crime. "Mochiron!" one of the Motokos answered. "So, there must be some weakness to the false one right, every one?" Kitsune continued her speech. The others nodded. "Don't get it?" Kitsune sighed.
"…That means if we find the weakness, we'll know who's the false one?" Naru said, unsure. The others stare at her. "Bingo!" Kitsune raises her thumb, sign of salutes. "But, how could we do that?" the differences between them was just their clothes" Shinobu added. The Motoko who's just came wears uniform and the other one wears hakama. "Then we'll test Motoko with this machine!!!" Suu shows them a machine that looks like a banana with some electronic devices in it. "I think not…" Keitaro eyed Suu's machine with a sweat drop. "Why don't let them challenge each other, the real Motoko must have win" Haruka sho's just arrived suggested them with ther deadpan voice. "Ha, Haruka-obasan, don't appear behind me so suddenly!" "Call me Haruka-san" Haruka punched Keitaro across the room. "Hey! That's a good suggestion! Motokos! The one who win this match will be considered as the real one! Let's go!" Kitsune marched into the Hinata-sou's backyard.
"Suu! Where's the popcorn?" Suu handed the popcorn to Kitsune. "Kitsune, this isn't the time to eat popcorns!" Naru shouts at Kitsune's ears. "What about the Motoko-chans? They didn't move…" Keitaro notice that they weren't moving from the beginning, but Kitsune's act make him wants to laugh. "Say, Keitaro, you're right. They aren't moving" Naru looked at the Motokos.
"Why aren't you attacking?" Motoko asked Motoko. I realized that I'm no match for you, so I'll just reveal myself" "What…" with a glow, the Motoko with uniform turned into a sweet looking girl with a long hair like Motoko's tied into a ponytail. "Zasshi burri desu, Motoko" the girl greets Motoko with a soft smile. The others run towards them "who are you?" Naru asked cautiously at the girl. "Anata wa Kirei da ne…" Keitaro went drooling for the girl's beauty. "Don't mind him, do you know Motoko?" Naru twitched Keitaro's ears. "Motoko's my friend when she was still in the Dojo" the girl grinned at them, patting the shocked Motoko. "So, you're Motoko's childhood friend" Kitsune came up with a short conclusion. "Yup". "Let's go inside and explain inside it's rather cold here" Naru leads them inside.
"Why were you disguising your self as Motoko?" Sara, who has just came from the digging site asked the girl. "I was just trying to make a surprise to Motoko, but I don't know it would came to this…" the girl rubs the back of her head. "A,ano…sempai no namae wa dare desuka" Shinobu asked the girl with extra nervous, because she never talked to a completely stranger like this. "Huh? Don't be so formal, just call me Mizuki" she bows to them. Revives from her shock, Motoko shouts to Mizuki "what are you doing here!? You're not supposed to be here. You'll get punished!" "Don't worry, I have a permission from sempai" she unrolls a piece of parchment and showed it to Motoko. "But you shouldn't be wondering around here by yourself! You could get lo…" "Don't worry, Yuki was with me" Motoko's words was cut by her. "But…" Motoko was still looking worried. "Come on Motoko-chan… she's your friend, why don't you be kinder to her?" Keitaro asked Motoko. Motoko looked at the others for support, but all of them seem to be on Keitaro's side. Motoko sighed, "Aaaargh, okay…" at the last moment Motoko agrees. "Arigatou, Motoko" Mizuki smiled at her friend. "Now that you two accept each other, why don't we go to Tokyo and buy something?" Naru asked them and received a nod from two of the girls. "Setting that aside…where's Yuki, you're with him right?" Motoko asked her with her usual tone. "Ah!" she gasps. "I think I told him to wait at Tokyo, but I totally forgot about him" they all fall to the floor. "L,lets just get going and meet that friend of yours" Keitaro said with a cross bandage on his head.
"What took Mizuki so long?" Yuki looked at his watch, it's already 1:20 pm. "Hhhh…I shouldn't have let her wondering alone…" he said to his self. 'Did she meet Motoko?' he wonders. He had a brown hair tied into a small tail, his height was 185 cm, he was dan three at Judo, and anything a girl would want. But unfortunately he was left waiting by Mizuki. "Yuuuuki!" Mizuki ran towards him. "Sorry to make you waiting so long" she gasped for breathe and trying to see Yuki's expression. "That's alright, I'm getting used to it" he stopped for a moment and looked at the 'gang'. "Who are they?" he asked Mizuki. "That fox like lady was Kitsune, that was Shinobu, Suu, Sara, Naru and her lover and Motoko" she pointed to each of them. "We're no lovers!!!!!" Naru and Keitaro shouts together "you look like one…"Mizuki answered them back, causing them to blush. His eyes stopped at Motoko who smiled softly at him (which is very rare to see Motoko smile to mankind), he smiled back. They didn't say anything to each other. Mizuki looked at Motoko and Yuki who was not saying anything to each other, now all of them were looking at those two. "Hey you two…" Mizuki was a bit confused, Motoko and Yuki was supposed to be together all the time when they were a child, but why they're not talking to each other now? Suddenly a spurt of inspiration hit her. "Oi, Kitsune why don't we go to the department store?" Mizuki winks, just to be noticed by Kitsune. Kitsune, who knew what the meaning is, agree and tell the others. "Motoko, let's go to the department store" Naru pushed Motoko who doesn't really wants to go and that makes Yuki had to follow them too.
"Wow Motoko! This looks beautiful on you!" Kitsune handed Motoko a pair of mini dress to Motoko who's looking a bit sick of this shopping thing. They were in a department store, looking for clothes. "Kitsune!" Motoko insulted her. "Motoko-chan…does this looked good on me?" Naru asked as she looked at her dress. "Mochiron Naru-sampai…" Motoko replied solemnly, but more softer than to Kitsune. "What are those girls doing?" Keitarou muttered to himself with a nervous smile. "Yaaaaaaa! Keitarou! Check out my robot suit! It's made specially for you!!!!" without any warning Suu throbs the suit into Keitarou "UWWWAAAAAA!!!!!" Keitarou screamed. "GET OUT OF MY PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!" the store manager kicked them out.
After they got home they all went back to their room. "Hmmm, looks like my plan failed" Kitsune rubbed the back of her head. "You think it's going to work like this!?" Keitarou and Naru shouted together. "What's 'going to work like this'?" Motoko appeared with a confused look. "No, nothing" Kitsune tried to cover her panic look. "Motoko-chan, why are you here?" Naru asked Motoko. "No…I just want to know where Mizuki would sleep this night…" Motoko seemed aboserbed on her thoughts. "Maybe she'll sl…" Mizuki cut Keitarou's answer "if you don't mind I'll sleep with Motoko" Mizuki jumped and pulled Motoko by the hand. Usually Motoko would resist to be pulled like that (samurai shouldn't be treated like that, she would say) but she just follow her.
"Mizuki, where is Yuki?"
"He's on a hotel"
"Why are you here?"
"To visit you"
"Anything than that?"
"To visit my old friends"
"Who?"
"You know who…"
"…Do you know where is their address?"
"Hai, tomorrow I'll go to their house"
"By what?"
"By train"
"Will they remember you?"
"Mochiron!"
"Sou ka…"
"Damn… what are they talking about?" Kitsune cupped her hand on her ear and tried to hear their conversation. "You know Kitsune? The thing that you're doing now is a crime" Keitarou said to Kitsune, but he wasn't looking at her. "You think so? Then why are you guys here?" Kitsune asked back. "Anooo we're just interested so…" Shinobu said half smiling half smirking. "Then you're the same" Kitsune continued to listen. "I, I guess so…" Naru eyed Kitsune as she listened too. "Hey wha…" "ssst the talking became more interesting" Kitsune interrupted Suu. "I'll go with you tomorrow". The conversation ended there. "No fair… the conversation become interesting but they stopped it" "it's already no good to hear their private conversation" Naru pushed Kitsune out of the corridor and into the dining room.
"Seems that they're not here again…" Motoko leaned back to the wall and looked melancholic. "That Kitsune lady was dangerous" Mizuki checked the door to make sure they weren't here anymore. Motoko sighed, "I know the reason you told me was a lie" silence…"mind to tell me… your true reason?" she said slowly to Mizuki. The truth is she already know what's the reason, but she just couldn't believe it until Mizuki said it herself. Mizuki looked at Motoko with a cold glance, it's like she's not herself. "To execute them."