Talon's Note: Hola, my compadres! It's the second chapter. I told you I'd
get it up! ^_^ Anyway, the same crap from the last chapter applies. I don't
own Love Hina, not making money off this blah dee blah dee dah. There.
********************
The Refreshing of Fate A Love Hina Sequel by MagicianXV and Andrew Joshua Talon
"I can't believe it," Naru said, for what seemed to Keitaro like the thousandth time. "It's just...this can't possibly be right. There has to be some mistake." Mutsumi Otohime smiled noncommittally and brandished her video tape.
"Well...I don't think it's fake. Then again, the man I bought it from did look a little suspicious." Keitaro and Naru exchanged glances, then looked back at Mutsumi.
"Who did you buy it from?" Keitaro asked. He took the tape from her and looked it over again, although it was perfectly ordinary on the outside.
"I...oh my. I seem to have forgotten..." Keitaro buried his face in a pillow, and Naru just sighed.
"It doesn't matter anyway," she muttered. "There's no way it could have been faked. I just can't understand how I could remember something so differently. I'm going to run it again, okay, Mutsumi? Just...just to be sure."
"That's fine, Narusegawa," Mutsumi said contentedly. "After you're finished, would anyone mind if we used the hot spring for a while? It's a wonderful day for it."
"I want to check on Su again before we go out," Keitaro said quickly, pulling the pillow down from his face. "She was still asleep when I looked before, but you never know."
"Isn't that the truth," Naru murmured. She slid the tape into the VCR and hit the 'Play' button. After a few seconds of static, a slightly old-style cartoon began to roll across the screen. Cheery images of squirrels and other animals danced by, and the title Liddo-kun and Friends bounced happily around.
"It'll be the same, Naru," Keitaro said dully. "Watching it again won't change anything."
"It might!" Naru shot. "I-it's just that-well, you can't honestly say it doesn't disturb you too!" Keitaro shrugged.
"This is such a big kotatsu," chirped a small voice from the television. "Isn't it nice, Liddo-kun?" A yellowish squirrel with pink eyes nodded and smiled.
"It sure is! I just love a kotatsu!"
"Oh my!" Mutsumi exclaimed happily. "So do I, Liddo-kun!"
"Didn't she say that the first time we watched it?" Keitaro whispered. Naru rolled her eyes and nodded before turning back to the TV.
Three squirrels were now crawling underneath the enormous, heated table, still chirping about how wonderfully warm it was. All at once, the camera zoomed out to reveal that the kotatsu was, in fact, an oven. The door slammed shut and the animals were quickly baked to a crisp. Naru lunged forward and grabbed the television with an anguished sob.
"How could this happen?" she wailed, shaking the set violently from side to side. "I always thought Mutsumi was so flaky she remembered it wrong, but- but-"
"Oh my," Mutsumi said quietly, toying with her long hair, "Narusegawa is terribly upset over this...do you need any help, Urashima?"
"Ah-nah, I'm okay, Mutsumi," Keitaro gasped, trying to unfasten the distraught Naru's hands from the TV. "But-could you maybe take that tape home with you when you go? I don't think it's smart to leave it around Naru."
"Stupid old animes!" Naru was shouting, her anguish now exchanged for rage. "Why couldn't it have been a happy series like I always thought? Instead it turns out to be some barbaric joke about char-broiled squirrels!"
"Oh...but Narusegawa, they didn't always get char-broiled," Mutsumi pointed out. Naru stopped flailing her limbs and looked over at the older girl.
"They didn't?"
"No, of course not. That would have been much too gratuitous."
"Yeah," Naru agreed, brightening a very small bit. "It would have been."
"In some episodes they got fried, and in one of the specials, they were diced and turned into shish-kebab." Naru stared blankly at her, dumbfounded.
"Thanks, Mutsumi," Keitaro said dryly. "I think that helped a lot."
"Oh, it was my pleasure, Urashima," she replied brightly. "Should we go out to the hot spring now? It won't be light for much longer today."
"You two go on," Keitaro said, standing up. "I'll meet you after I check on Su. Naru? Er...will you be all right?" She looked slowly up at him, still wide-eyed.
"Shish-kebab," she repeated. "Liddo-kun, my stuffed animal, got turned into shish-kebab."
"Ah," he said helpfully, "yeah. I suppose he did. See you outside, then, huh?" Taking the opportunity to excuse himself, Keitaro scurried across the room and up the stairs. Once out of sight, he halted and leaned against the wall. "That actually is pretty damn disturbing," he admitted. "What kind of sickos made those old animes anyhow?" When no one leapt forward with an answer, he decided to think about it when the opportunity to join two attractive women in a hot spring wasn't waiting for him, and walked the rest of the way to Su's room.
Since Motoko had brought Su home the night before, not a single sound had come from the jungle-like environment she chose to live in. Keitaro had put her in her bed and sometime later, Naru had gone to change her into pajamas. Everyone had taken turns checking up on her, but there had been no change. There was nothing to indicate that she was sick-as far as anyone could tell, she was simply sleeping. Keitaro would almost have preferred some identifiable illness, since Su normally slept two or three hours a night.
Maybe it was something she ate, he reflected. She'll put just about anything in her mouth if it doesn't bite her first. He slid her door open and stepped inside the darkened room, carefully dodging the spikier trees and bushes. Su's bed was situated at the back end of the room, and it took him a moment to wave his way through the thick maze of vegetation.
When he was about ten feet away, Keitaro suddenly halted and looked down. Something had brushed against his leg-a soft, wispy sort of something that didn't belong in an setting like this. Straining his eyes through the darkness, he was able to make out what looked like a piece of string caught on his jeans. He picked it up and turned it over in his hands, utterly bewildered. It wasn't exactly string...more like a cobweb, but far stronger.
"Su?" He looked around, wondering if she had woken up and was playing a prank. "Are you here?" There was no answer, and his heart began to thud. The last time anyone had gone missing, Shinobu turned up locked in a closet and transformed into a kitten. "Su, if you're kidding around with me, it isn't funny. Please just answer if you're there." He had a nasty suspicion that she wouldn't, and he was right.
Taking a deep breath, Keitaro stepped forward cautiously, looking constantly around the room. The only living thing aside from himself was the foliage, and that didn't seem to be hostile. No horrible monsters were leaping out at him, which was definitely a good sign.
"Just a little further," he murmured, stretching his hands out in front of him. After another two steps, his fingertips touched the wall and he let out a sigh of relief; if he was at the back of the room, Su's bed would be just on his left. He turned and looked down, expecting to see her asleep under the blankets.
Su wasn't there.
Keitaro's jaw hit the floor with an extremely loud thud when he saw what was.
******
Mitsune Konno had her story, and she was sticking to it-if asked, she would reply firmly that she had been working all day at the new downtown café, Caffeine Corner, and had been fortunate enough to serve an eccentric and extremely rich old man with no need for all his money.
"An old man named Holey Mackerel," she added aloud, grinning. Her winning ticket from the afternoon's horserace was still seated comfortably in her back pocket, and her purse was considerably heavier than it had been during breakfast. "Poor guy just didn't know what to do with that twenty-thousand yen...it's sad, really." She walked on for a few more steps, snow crunching under her boots. Then, unable to contain herself, Kitsune burst out laughing. She pulled the ticket out, read the numbers, and laughed even harder. "Oh, man...some days you've just got it!"
"Kitsune? Are you all right?" Kitsune choked and spun around; Shinobu was standing behind her, dressed in a coat and stocking cap and looking worried.
"Sh-Shinobu! Yeah, I'm fine! I-uh-just thought of a joke I heard at work today." She paused and watched Shinobu's face; no suspicion or anger flashed across it. Instead, she smiled and put her hands in the pockets of her coat.
"It was that funny? Can I hear it?"
"Erm. It's a bit racy. You wouldn't like it, believe me," Kitsune quickly lied. Shinobu looked disappointed for a moment before shrugging.
"Well, alright. If you say so." Kitsune smiled at the younger girl, and decided to change the subject.
"So, what are you doing out here? It's freezing cold." Shinobu's eyes turned to the ground, a sheepish smile crossing her face.
"Um. Well, I smelled something out here, and I wanted to see what it-" Shinobu froze, her eyes narrowing. Kitsune blinked in confusion.
"Shinobu? What's-WOAH!" Shinobu rushed past her, going upon all fours with a screech. She moved exceptionally fast, her teeth bared, as she raced into the bushes nearby.
"MEOWR!"
A terrified squeak responded to Shinobu's feral call, and a rather large rat rushed out onto the patio with Shinobu right on his heels. Shinobu swatted at him, moving with a grace that any Olympic gymnast would covet. The rat managed to successfully dodge Shinobu's attacks, leaping into a trashcan for sanctuary. Shinobu simply knocked the can over, and with a hollow bang the trash receptacle was on its side. The rat, momentarily stunned, rolled out of the can and into Shinobu's waiting hands. She grinned hungrily, opening her mouth as the small rodent stared at its oncoming doom.
"Shinobu!" Shouted Kitsune, knocking the rat out of the cat-girl's hands with a bat of her hand. The rat landed on the patio stone tiling a few feet away, and wisely rushed into the foliage. Shinobu blinked, then rubbed her head, a perplexed expression on her face.
"Kitsune? Wh-What happened? Why am I-" Kitsune sighed, shaking her head.
"You nearly added rodents to your diet, that's what," Kitsune stated, staring at Shinobu in disbelief. The cat girl's eyes widened, and started to shake.
"I-I guess. Um." Kitsune sighed, patting the lithe girl on the back.
"Calm down, it's alright. Heh, can't say I haven't been tempted to hunt down a rabbit from time to time. Guess this affects us more than we thought, hm?" Kitsune pointed to her stocking cap with a wink. Shinobu smiled back, before taking a deep breath.
"This... Is difficult to get used to."
"No kidding. Well... What time is it?" Shinobu pulled her coat sleeve up and checked her watch.
"5:00. Oh no, I forgot to start dinner!" Shinobu rushed back into the Hinata at flank speed, Kitsune walking slowly behind her. She pulled out the winning horserace ticket and grinned.
"Ah yes. Thank you, Holey Mackeral!" She laughed, before carefully pushing the ticket back into her pocket with an affectionate pat. She stepped into the Hinata's living room, shivering as she pulled her coat off and tucked it into the closet. She then plopped down on the couch, picked up the remote and flipped on the tube.
"-And now for today's horseracing results," the greased-up newscaster with a fake smile reported before going over his script.
"The winner for the Ohkana 52 was # 6, "Silver Trot", with a record time of one minute and 26 seconds. This magnificent animal will continue onward into the semi-finals, along with his expert rider, Sukoi Mizayuo." The screen behind the sports caster showed a clip of Silver Trot crossing the finish line. Kitsune grinned, patting her purse happily.
"Ah yes, thank you, Silver Trot! I knew you smelled like a winner," she laughed. The foxy lady then blinked, re-thinking her last sentence.
"Smelled?" Kitsune shook her head, rubbing her fox ears self-consciously.
"Something wrong, Kitsune?" Kitsune jumped, her tail standing on end. Her eyes flew to Motoko, standing impassively behind her. The kendo girl raised an eyebrow.
"There is no need for alarm, Kitsune," Motoko soothed. Kitsune took a deep breath, settling down to the couch cushions.
"Sorry. I've just been a bit... Edgy." Motoko nodded, her brow knitted.
"Yes. Things have become more troublesome lately."
"How so? Is Su alright?" Motoko grimaced.
"We don't know. She's become... Encased. In a cocoon of sorts." Kitsune's ears shot straight up as her eyes went wide.
"A cocoon?" Motoko nodded, frowning. Kitsune shot up and headed for the stairs, Motoko following dutifully.
"My God, that horse thing's nothing compared to this," Kitsune muttered as she strode for Su's room. Motoko blinked.
"Horse thing? What horse thing?" Kitsune kept her back to Motoko and her face neutral.
"Nothing. Believe me, it's nothing," Kitsune covered, chiding herself for her sloppiness. She made it to Suu's open door and stalked through, heading for the bed.
Keitaro was crouched near the cocoon, in Su's bed rubbing it's cottony surface with a worried expression on his face. It was about the size of a barrel, and colored a bleached white. It was like a thick, silken coat, only very fuzzy. It also seemed to be breathing, continually expanding and shrinking by about an inch every minute.
Kitsune's eyes opened up even wider, as she joined the one-time ronin on the floor. She poked the cocoon, staring at it. Keitaro took a deep breath before standing up.
"I've been able to hear a heartbeat," he said, shaking his head at the fuzzy cocoon," but it's slow." Motoko narrowed her eyes.
"Would it be wise to cut her open?"
"And kill her?!" Keitaro snapped, a snarl of rage emerging upon his face. Motoko looked taken aback, retreating back one step. The ronin took a deep breath, holding his forehead with his right hand.
"I'm... I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from," he sighed, staring dismally back at the cocoon. Kitsune patted his ankle reassuringly from her seat on the floor.
"Hey, you're worried, I'm worried. We're all worried. It's nothing to get angry about," Kitsune consoled. Keitaro shook his head again, then sighed.
"I've got to go. Mutsumi and Naru are waiting for me. Yell if anything changes," he said before heading out the door toward the hot springs.
Motoko stared after him a moment, before quietly following the ex-ronin.
"Kitsune, please watch over Su," Motoko said a second before she left the room
"Hey wait-!" Kitsune raised her hand toward the door, but sighed and grimaced.
"Great. Stuck babysitting," she grumbled, fingering the winning ticket again as she watched Su expand and contract like clockwork.
******
"Urashima."
Keitaro turned his head to the side, catching Motoko's eye. The samurai was looking at him in an inquisitive manner. He turned around to face her politely.
"Yes, Motoko?" The samurai fidgeted uncomfortably. Keitaro blinked, but remained silent.
"There have been... Numerous strange happenings about for quite some time. And..." She trailed off. Keitaro searched her face.
"And?" Motoko sighed, looking down at the floor.
"I feel... More alert. More cautious. If you are correct, Urashima, in that I was a... Zombie for this Geppeto, I do not see how any of us can do anything to stop these changes." Keitaro smiled understandingly.
"You're scared," he said, surprising himself for his bravery. He instinctively braced himself for one of Motoko's sword slashes, along with a battle cry for daring to question the bravery of a Shinmei Ryu graduate.
These mental preparations took roughly 0.96 seconds within Keitaro's mind, ready to compensate for the shock to follow being blasted down the hall and into an empty room.
The biggest shock was that these mental fortifications were completely in vain. Motoko merely nodded, still looking at the floor.
"Yes." Keitaro blinked, then rechecked his short-term memory. Motoko, admitting she was scared?
"Um..." Motoko looked up into Keitaro's eyes, staring at him. Was there fear in her eyes? No, it couldn't be, thought Keitaro.
"Do you find it so strange that I've admitted it?" Motoko asked softly. Keitaro sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well... Honestly? Yes, I do. Mainly because, if you're scared, I tend to think that there's no hope for the rest of us." Keitaro said with a weak chuckle. Motoko's stare became piercing, causing Keitaro to fidget.
"Why would you think I'm brave, Urashima?" Keitaro's jaw fell open, and he had to force himself to close it back up. He retained a shocked expression though.
"Why? Motoko, c'mon: You've handled your sword against monsters, demons, and giant robot turtles! And every time you've won. I mean, sheesh! You've got all that power! You've never-" Motoko snorted, turning away and cutting Keitaro's proclamation short. He stared at her back, watching her clutch her sword absently.
"Power? Even all my power couldn't stop Geppetto, could it? I had no control, I was helpless. I was a puppet to him, nothing more. So, why would you think I'm brave, Keitaro?" Keitaro took a deep breath.
"I've just... I can't..." Keitaro sighed, before something rose up from within him. This 'something' floated easily up his throat and to his mouth, passing over his tongue, teeth and lips. They moved like sails in the wind to this 'something'.
"It takes a great deal of strength to admit one's feelings, especially if you've been taught to keep them in all your life. Motoko, you're one of the bravest people I've ever met, and this just adds more to that claim."
Keitaro took a deep breath, staring at his lips as best he could. How in hell had he come up with that? However, he was soon distracted by a certain samurai girl glomping him around the waist.
"Oof! I-!" Motoko pulled him close, pushing her face into her chest. And, she just held him there, as Keitaro stared, caught between passing out and blushing beet red.
"Thank you, Keitaro," Motoko said, though it was slightly muffled thanks to the material of Keitaro's shirt. Poor Urashima, at this moment, hadn't clue one as to how this was even possible. Were the changes Geppeto had made more subtle than sprouting ears and tails?
"Erm... Thanks," he said, awkwardly patting Motoko's back with one hand while he rubbed the nape of his neck with it's mate at the sheer weirdness of it all.
It was, at this point, that Keitaro shifted his foot over the hem of Motoko's shrine pants. He, of course, had no way of knowing this, and nor did Motoko. Thus, as she lifted her foot in preparation of stepping away, she knocked Keitaro off balance.
"What the-?"
"Urashima! I-!" As almost anyone within the anime otaku community could have predicted, Keitaro had instinctively wrapped his arms around Motoko, thus sending both sprawling to the floor.
WHUMP!
They both stared into eachother's eyes, Motoko on top while Keitaro, slackjawed, was on the bottom.
"Uh oh..." Keitaro shut his eyes tightly, expecting to get a ki blast right in the kisser.
"Urashima..." Motoko murmured. She didn't sound angry, which was a good start... Keitaro opened his eyes. A second of looking nearly made his head explode from an increase in blood pressure.
She had her eyes closed, and was bending down slowly for a kiss?!
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!" Keitaro and Motoko both blinked. The scream had come from the hot springs...
"KEITARO! KITSUNE! ANYONE! COME ON! GET HERE, DAMN IT!" Shrieked Naru. Motoko and Keitaro, deciding to forget the whole ordeal they had been in only a few seconds ago, leapt to their feet and ran down the hall, Naru's screams a beacon to their ears...
********************
Talon: Oi... Well, it took me long enough, ne?
Mutsumi: ^_^ Ara ara, yes, Talon-kun. The readers seem happy you've finally got your act together.
Talon: I hope they are. Jogress digivolving with Dromeomon to Mega was... Interresting, but I wouldn't like to do it again.
Mutsumi: Ara... Talon-kun is thinking of creating a new Digimon fanfiction series. He wouldn't make it a self insert, but he'd like to brainstorm a bit.
Talon: (sigh) Nah, Mutsumi. I've got too much on my plate as it is.
Dromeomon, Talon's Muse/Digimon partner, enters. Think a small tan Utahraptor, with red wings, stripes and hair, plus big green eyes, and you've got her. She sighs, shaking her head at the anemic turtle princess and "Keitaro Urashima" of Fanfiction Authors.
Dromeomon: Well, it's not my fault you can't focus on any project for more than a few weeks at a time.
Talon: (sticks out his tongue at her) Nyah. So? It goes in a cycle: I'm into one project for a few weeks, then another, then the first one again, and so on.
Mutsumi: Ara... Couldn't you try and plan it out?
Talon: What fun is that?
Mutsumi: Ara...
Dromeomon: (sigh) Actually, Talon? Dude, Takato digivolved into Megidramon.
Talon: (groan) Again? What made it happen this time?
Dromeomon: Some new Mega on the block called Narusegawamon used her "Naru Punch" on Juri, and sent her into orbit. This really pissed off Takato-
Talon: As I can imagine getting your girlfriend knocked into orbit would.
Dromeomon: -and so he's lost control. He's going to waste downtown Tokyo. We need to become (dramatic pause) Deionychusmon! Or the world is screwed.
Talon: Bummer. Alright then, Mutsumi? Get everyone into the bomb shelter, please? The Tamers are going to be busy for a while...
Mutsumi: Ara... Be careful, Talon-kun.
Talon: (blush) I'll try to. Don't worry.
Mutsumi: Ara, actually, it's because you forgot to pay me this week, for being your muse.
Talon and Dromeomon: (fall over) DOH!
Talon: Dromeomon, you've got my wallet. Can you hand it here?
Dromeomon: Erm... About that...
Talon: (suspicious) About that? About what?
Dromeomon: (blush) Um... I spent all your money on Veemon plushies?
Talon: WHAT?!
Mutsumi: (SUPER sweatdrop) Ara ara, please reveiw.
********************
The Refreshing of Fate A Love Hina Sequel by MagicianXV and Andrew Joshua Talon
"I can't believe it," Naru said, for what seemed to Keitaro like the thousandth time. "It's just...this can't possibly be right. There has to be some mistake." Mutsumi Otohime smiled noncommittally and brandished her video tape.
"Well...I don't think it's fake. Then again, the man I bought it from did look a little suspicious." Keitaro and Naru exchanged glances, then looked back at Mutsumi.
"Who did you buy it from?" Keitaro asked. He took the tape from her and looked it over again, although it was perfectly ordinary on the outside.
"I...oh my. I seem to have forgotten..." Keitaro buried his face in a pillow, and Naru just sighed.
"It doesn't matter anyway," she muttered. "There's no way it could have been faked. I just can't understand how I could remember something so differently. I'm going to run it again, okay, Mutsumi? Just...just to be sure."
"That's fine, Narusegawa," Mutsumi said contentedly. "After you're finished, would anyone mind if we used the hot spring for a while? It's a wonderful day for it."
"I want to check on Su again before we go out," Keitaro said quickly, pulling the pillow down from his face. "She was still asleep when I looked before, but you never know."
"Isn't that the truth," Naru murmured. She slid the tape into the VCR and hit the 'Play' button. After a few seconds of static, a slightly old-style cartoon began to roll across the screen. Cheery images of squirrels and other animals danced by, and the title Liddo-kun and Friends bounced happily around.
"It'll be the same, Naru," Keitaro said dully. "Watching it again won't change anything."
"It might!" Naru shot. "I-it's just that-well, you can't honestly say it doesn't disturb you too!" Keitaro shrugged.
"This is such a big kotatsu," chirped a small voice from the television. "Isn't it nice, Liddo-kun?" A yellowish squirrel with pink eyes nodded and smiled.
"It sure is! I just love a kotatsu!"
"Oh my!" Mutsumi exclaimed happily. "So do I, Liddo-kun!"
"Didn't she say that the first time we watched it?" Keitaro whispered. Naru rolled her eyes and nodded before turning back to the TV.
Three squirrels were now crawling underneath the enormous, heated table, still chirping about how wonderfully warm it was. All at once, the camera zoomed out to reveal that the kotatsu was, in fact, an oven. The door slammed shut and the animals were quickly baked to a crisp. Naru lunged forward and grabbed the television with an anguished sob.
"How could this happen?" she wailed, shaking the set violently from side to side. "I always thought Mutsumi was so flaky she remembered it wrong, but- but-"
"Oh my," Mutsumi said quietly, toying with her long hair, "Narusegawa is terribly upset over this...do you need any help, Urashima?"
"Ah-nah, I'm okay, Mutsumi," Keitaro gasped, trying to unfasten the distraught Naru's hands from the TV. "But-could you maybe take that tape home with you when you go? I don't think it's smart to leave it around Naru."
"Stupid old animes!" Naru was shouting, her anguish now exchanged for rage. "Why couldn't it have been a happy series like I always thought? Instead it turns out to be some barbaric joke about char-broiled squirrels!"
"Oh...but Narusegawa, they didn't always get char-broiled," Mutsumi pointed out. Naru stopped flailing her limbs and looked over at the older girl.
"They didn't?"
"No, of course not. That would have been much too gratuitous."
"Yeah," Naru agreed, brightening a very small bit. "It would have been."
"In some episodes they got fried, and in one of the specials, they were diced and turned into shish-kebab." Naru stared blankly at her, dumbfounded.
"Thanks, Mutsumi," Keitaro said dryly. "I think that helped a lot."
"Oh, it was my pleasure, Urashima," she replied brightly. "Should we go out to the hot spring now? It won't be light for much longer today."
"You two go on," Keitaro said, standing up. "I'll meet you after I check on Su. Naru? Er...will you be all right?" She looked slowly up at him, still wide-eyed.
"Shish-kebab," she repeated. "Liddo-kun, my stuffed animal, got turned into shish-kebab."
"Ah," he said helpfully, "yeah. I suppose he did. See you outside, then, huh?" Taking the opportunity to excuse himself, Keitaro scurried across the room and up the stairs. Once out of sight, he halted and leaned against the wall. "That actually is pretty damn disturbing," he admitted. "What kind of sickos made those old animes anyhow?" When no one leapt forward with an answer, he decided to think about it when the opportunity to join two attractive women in a hot spring wasn't waiting for him, and walked the rest of the way to Su's room.
Since Motoko had brought Su home the night before, not a single sound had come from the jungle-like environment she chose to live in. Keitaro had put her in her bed and sometime later, Naru had gone to change her into pajamas. Everyone had taken turns checking up on her, but there had been no change. There was nothing to indicate that she was sick-as far as anyone could tell, she was simply sleeping. Keitaro would almost have preferred some identifiable illness, since Su normally slept two or three hours a night.
Maybe it was something she ate, he reflected. She'll put just about anything in her mouth if it doesn't bite her first. He slid her door open and stepped inside the darkened room, carefully dodging the spikier trees and bushes. Su's bed was situated at the back end of the room, and it took him a moment to wave his way through the thick maze of vegetation.
When he was about ten feet away, Keitaro suddenly halted and looked down. Something had brushed against his leg-a soft, wispy sort of something that didn't belong in an setting like this. Straining his eyes through the darkness, he was able to make out what looked like a piece of string caught on his jeans. He picked it up and turned it over in his hands, utterly bewildered. It wasn't exactly string...more like a cobweb, but far stronger.
"Su?" He looked around, wondering if she had woken up and was playing a prank. "Are you here?" There was no answer, and his heart began to thud. The last time anyone had gone missing, Shinobu turned up locked in a closet and transformed into a kitten. "Su, if you're kidding around with me, it isn't funny. Please just answer if you're there." He had a nasty suspicion that she wouldn't, and he was right.
Taking a deep breath, Keitaro stepped forward cautiously, looking constantly around the room. The only living thing aside from himself was the foliage, and that didn't seem to be hostile. No horrible monsters were leaping out at him, which was definitely a good sign.
"Just a little further," he murmured, stretching his hands out in front of him. After another two steps, his fingertips touched the wall and he let out a sigh of relief; if he was at the back of the room, Su's bed would be just on his left. He turned and looked down, expecting to see her asleep under the blankets.
Su wasn't there.
Keitaro's jaw hit the floor with an extremely loud thud when he saw what was.
******
Mitsune Konno had her story, and she was sticking to it-if asked, she would reply firmly that she had been working all day at the new downtown café, Caffeine Corner, and had been fortunate enough to serve an eccentric and extremely rich old man with no need for all his money.
"An old man named Holey Mackerel," she added aloud, grinning. Her winning ticket from the afternoon's horserace was still seated comfortably in her back pocket, and her purse was considerably heavier than it had been during breakfast. "Poor guy just didn't know what to do with that twenty-thousand yen...it's sad, really." She walked on for a few more steps, snow crunching under her boots. Then, unable to contain herself, Kitsune burst out laughing. She pulled the ticket out, read the numbers, and laughed even harder. "Oh, man...some days you've just got it!"
"Kitsune? Are you all right?" Kitsune choked and spun around; Shinobu was standing behind her, dressed in a coat and stocking cap and looking worried.
"Sh-Shinobu! Yeah, I'm fine! I-uh-just thought of a joke I heard at work today." She paused and watched Shinobu's face; no suspicion or anger flashed across it. Instead, she smiled and put her hands in the pockets of her coat.
"It was that funny? Can I hear it?"
"Erm. It's a bit racy. You wouldn't like it, believe me," Kitsune quickly lied. Shinobu looked disappointed for a moment before shrugging.
"Well, alright. If you say so." Kitsune smiled at the younger girl, and decided to change the subject.
"So, what are you doing out here? It's freezing cold." Shinobu's eyes turned to the ground, a sheepish smile crossing her face.
"Um. Well, I smelled something out here, and I wanted to see what it-" Shinobu froze, her eyes narrowing. Kitsune blinked in confusion.
"Shinobu? What's-WOAH!" Shinobu rushed past her, going upon all fours with a screech. She moved exceptionally fast, her teeth bared, as she raced into the bushes nearby.
"MEOWR!"
A terrified squeak responded to Shinobu's feral call, and a rather large rat rushed out onto the patio with Shinobu right on his heels. Shinobu swatted at him, moving with a grace that any Olympic gymnast would covet. The rat managed to successfully dodge Shinobu's attacks, leaping into a trashcan for sanctuary. Shinobu simply knocked the can over, and with a hollow bang the trash receptacle was on its side. The rat, momentarily stunned, rolled out of the can and into Shinobu's waiting hands. She grinned hungrily, opening her mouth as the small rodent stared at its oncoming doom.
"Shinobu!" Shouted Kitsune, knocking the rat out of the cat-girl's hands with a bat of her hand. The rat landed on the patio stone tiling a few feet away, and wisely rushed into the foliage. Shinobu blinked, then rubbed her head, a perplexed expression on her face.
"Kitsune? Wh-What happened? Why am I-" Kitsune sighed, shaking her head.
"You nearly added rodents to your diet, that's what," Kitsune stated, staring at Shinobu in disbelief. The cat girl's eyes widened, and started to shake.
"I-I guess. Um." Kitsune sighed, patting the lithe girl on the back.
"Calm down, it's alright. Heh, can't say I haven't been tempted to hunt down a rabbit from time to time. Guess this affects us more than we thought, hm?" Kitsune pointed to her stocking cap with a wink. Shinobu smiled back, before taking a deep breath.
"This... Is difficult to get used to."
"No kidding. Well... What time is it?" Shinobu pulled her coat sleeve up and checked her watch.
"5:00. Oh no, I forgot to start dinner!" Shinobu rushed back into the Hinata at flank speed, Kitsune walking slowly behind her. She pulled out the winning horserace ticket and grinned.
"Ah yes. Thank you, Holey Mackeral!" She laughed, before carefully pushing the ticket back into her pocket with an affectionate pat. She stepped into the Hinata's living room, shivering as she pulled her coat off and tucked it into the closet. She then plopped down on the couch, picked up the remote and flipped on the tube.
"-And now for today's horseracing results," the greased-up newscaster with a fake smile reported before going over his script.
"The winner for the Ohkana 52 was # 6, "Silver Trot", with a record time of one minute and 26 seconds. This magnificent animal will continue onward into the semi-finals, along with his expert rider, Sukoi Mizayuo." The screen behind the sports caster showed a clip of Silver Trot crossing the finish line. Kitsune grinned, patting her purse happily.
"Ah yes, thank you, Silver Trot! I knew you smelled like a winner," she laughed. The foxy lady then blinked, re-thinking her last sentence.
"Smelled?" Kitsune shook her head, rubbing her fox ears self-consciously.
"Something wrong, Kitsune?" Kitsune jumped, her tail standing on end. Her eyes flew to Motoko, standing impassively behind her. The kendo girl raised an eyebrow.
"There is no need for alarm, Kitsune," Motoko soothed. Kitsune took a deep breath, settling down to the couch cushions.
"Sorry. I've just been a bit... Edgy." Motoko nodded, her brow knitted.
"Yes. Things have become more troublesome lately."
"How so? Is Su alright?" Motoko grimaced.
"We don't know. She's become... Encased. In a cocoon of sorts." Kitsune's ears shot straight up as her eyes went wide.
"A cocoon?" Motoko nodded, frowning. Kitsune shot up and headed for the stairs, Motoko following dutifully.
"My God, that horse thing's nothing compared to this," Kitsune muttered as she strode for Su's room. Motoko blinked.
"Horse thing? What horse thing?" Kitsune kept her back to Motoko and her face neutral.
"Nothing. Believe me, it's nothing," Kitsune covered, chiding herself for her sloppiness. She made it to Suu's open door and stalked through, heading for the bed.
Keitaro was crouched near the cocoon, in Su's bed rubbing it's cottony surface with a worried expression on his face. It was about the size of a barrel, and colored a bleached white. It was like a thick, silken coat, only very fuzzy. It also seemed to be breathing, continually expanding and shrinking by about an inch every minute.
Kitsune's eyes opened up even wider, as she joined the one-time ronin on the floor. She poked the cocoon, staring at it. Keitaro took a deep breath before standing up.
"I've been able to hear a heartbeat," he said, shaking his head at the fuzzy cocoon," but it's slow." Motoko narrowed her eyes.
"Would it be wise to cut her open?"
"And kill her?!" Keitaro snapped, a snarl of rage emerging upon his face. Motoko looked taken aback, retreating back one step. The ronin took a deep breath, holding his forehead with his right hand.
"I'm... I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from," he sighed, staring dismally back at the cocoon. Kitsune patted his ankle reassuringly from her seat on the floor.
"Hey, you're worried, I'm worried. We're all worried. It's nothing to get angry about," Kitsune consoled. Keitaro shook his head again, then sighed.
"I've got to go. Mutsumi and Naru are waiting for me. Yell if anything changes," he said before heading out the door toward the hot springs.
Motoko stared after him a moment, before quietly following the ex-ronin.
"Kitsune, please watch over Su," Motoko said a second before she left the room
"Hey wait-!" Kitsune raised her hand toward the door, but sighed and grimaced.
"Great. Stuck babysitting," she grumbled, fingering the winning ticket again as she watched Su expand and contract like clockwork.
******
"Urashima."
Keitaro turned his head to the side, catching Motoko's eye. The samurai was looking at him in an inquisitive manner. He turned around to face her politely.
"Yes, Motoko?" The samurai fidgeted uncomfortably. Keitaro blinked, but remained silent.
"There have been... Numerous strange happenings about for quite some time. And..." She trailed off. Keitaro searched her face.
"And?" Motoko sighed, looking down at the floor.
"I feel... More alert. More cautious. If you are correct, Urashima, in that I was a... Zombie for this Geppeto, I do not see how any of us can do anything to stop these changes." Keitaro smiled understandingly.
"You're scared," he said, surprising himself for his bravery. He instinctively braced himself for one of Motoko's sword slashes, along with a battle cry for daring to question the bravery of a Shinmei Ryu graduate.
These mental preparations took roughly 0.96 seconds within Keitaro's mind, ready to compensate for the shock to follow being blasted down the hall and into an empty room.
The biggest shock was that these mental fortifications were completely in vain. Motoko merely nodded, still looking at the floor.
"Yes." Keitaro blinked, then rechecked his short-term memory. Motoko, admitting she was scared?
"Um..." Motoko looked up into Keitaro's eyes, staring at him. Was there fear in her eyes? No, it couldn't be, thought Keitaro.
"Do you find it so strange that I've admitted it?" Motoko asked softly. Keitaro sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well... Honestly? Yes, I do. Mainly because, if you're scared, I tend to think that there's no hope for the rest of us." Keitaro said with a weak chuckle. Motoko's stare became piercing, causing Keitaro to fidget.
"Why would you think I'm brave, Urashima?" Keitaro's jaw fell open, and he had to force himself to close it back up. He retained a shocked expression though.
"Why? Motoko, c'mon: You've handled your sword against monsters, demons, and giant robot turtles! And every time you've won. I mean, sheesh! You've got all that power! You've never-" Motoko snorted, turning away and cutting Keitaro's proclamation short. He stared at her back, watching her clutch her sword absently.
"Power? Even all my power couldn't stop Geppetto, could it? I had no control, I was helpless. I was a puppet to him, nothing more. So, why would you think I'm brave, Keitaro?" Keitaro took a deep breath.
"I've just... I can't..." Keitaro sighed, before something rose up from within him. This 'something' floated easily up his throat and to his mouth, passing over his tongue, teeth and lips. They moved like sails in the wind to this 'something'.
"It takes a great deal of strength to admit one's feelings, especially if you've been taught to keep them in all your life. Motoko, you're one of the bravest people I've ever met, and this just adds more to that claim."
Keitaro took a deep breath, staring at his lips as best he could. How in hell had he come up with that? However, he was soon distracted by a certain samurai girl glomping him around the waist.
"Oof! I-!" Motoko pulled him close, pushing her face into her chest. And, she just held him there, as Keitaro stared, caught between passing out and blushing beet red.
"Thank you, Keitaro," Motoko said, though it was slightly muffled thanks to the material of Keitaro's shirt. Poor Urashima, at this moment, hadn't clue one as to how this was even possible. Were the changes Geppeto had made more subtle than sprouting ears and tails?
"Erm... Thanks," he said, awkwardly patting Motoko's back with one hand while he rubbed the nape of his neck with it's mate at the sheer weirdness of it all.
It was, at this point, that Keitaro shifted his foot over the hem of Motoko's shrine pants. He, of course, had no way of knowing this, and nor did Motoko. Thus, as she lifted her foot in preparation of stepping away, she knocked Keitaro off balance.
"What the-?"
"Urashima! I-!" As almost anyone within the anime otaku community could have predicted, Keitaro had instinctively wrapped his arms around Motoko, thus sending both sprawling to the floor.
WHUMP!
They both stared into eachother's eyes, Motoko on top while Keitaro, slackjawed, was on the bottom.
"Uh oh..." Keitaro shut his eyes tightly, expecting to get a ki blast right in the kisser.
"Urashima..." Motoko murmured. She didn't sound angry, which was a good start... Keitaro opened his eyes. A second of looking nearly made his head explode from an increase in blood pressure.
She had her eyes closed, and was bending down slowly for a kiss?!
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!" Keitaro and Motoko both blinked. The scream had come from the hot springs...
"KEITARO! KITSUNE! ANYONE! COME ON! GET HERE, DAMN IT!" Shrieked Naru. Motoko and Keitaro, deciding to forget the whole ordeal they had been in only a few seconds ago, leapt to their feet and ran down the hall, Naru's screams a beacon to their ears...
********************
Talon: Oi... Well, it took me long enough, ne?
Mutsumi: ^_^ Ara ara, yes, Talon-kun. The readers seem happy you've finally got your act together.
Talon: I hope they are. Jogress digivolving with Dromeomon to Mega was... Interresting, but I wouldn't like to do it again.
Mutsumi: Ara... Talon-kun is thinking of creating a new Digimon fanfiction series. He wouldn't make it a self insert, but he'd like to brainstorm a bit.
Talon: (sigh) Nah, Mutsumi. I've got too much on my plate as it is.
Dromeomon, Talon's Muse/Digimon partner, enters. Think a small tan Utahraptor, with red wings, stripes and hair, plus big green eyes, and you've got her. She sighs, shaking her head at the anemic turtle princess and "Keitaro Urashima" of Fanfiction Authors.
Dromeomon: Well, it's not my fault you can't focus on any project for more than a few weeks at a time.
Talon: (sticks out his tongue at her) Nyah. So? It goes in a cycle: I'm into one project for a few weeks, then another, then the first one again, and so on.
Mutsumi: Ara... Couldn't you try and plan it out?
Talon: What fun is that?
Mutsumi: Ara...
Dromeomon: (sigh) Actually, Talon? Dude, Takato digivolved into Megidramon.
Talon: (groan) Again? What made it happen this time?
Dromeomon: Some new Mega on the block called Narusegawamon used her "Naru Punch" on Juri, and sent her into orbit. This really pissed off Takato-
Talon: As I can imagine getting your girlfriend knocked into orbit would.
Dromeomon: -and so he's lost control. He's going to waste downtown Tokyo. We need to become (dramatic pause) Deionychusmon! Or the world is screwed.
Talon: Bummer. Alright then, Mutsumi? Get everyone into the bomb shelter, please? The Tamers are going to be busy for a while...
Mutsumi: Ara... Be careful, Talon-kun.
Talon: (blush) I'll try to. Don't worry.
Mutsumi: Ara, actually, it's because you forgot to pay me this week, for being your muse.
Talon and Dromeomon: (fall over) DOH!
Talon: Dromeomon, you've got my wallet. Can you hand it here?
Dromeomon: Erm... About that...
Talon: (suspicious) About that? About what?
Dromeomon: (blush) Um... I spent all your money on Veemon plushies?
Talon: WHAT?!
Mutsumi: (SUPER sweatdrop) Ara ara, please reveiw.