"End of the Treasured Ones"
A Love Hina fanfiction by Ben Woo
Disclaimer: See Ch. 1
"Ben, I heard you and Motoko talking earlier about what happened to my father. Why did you try to hide it from me, Ben? I've come to trust you, but now I don't know. I have a right to know the condition of my father. He may not have always been the positive influence in my life, but I love him nonetheless. Please, tell me why," said Shinobu. Ben could tell she was holding back an ocean of tears. He pulled her into a hug, which she immediately accepted. Shinobu started to cry into Ben's shoulder.
"Shinobu, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. The reason was because I didn't want to add to your problems. While both of your parents were alive, they were divorced, you had to deal with the craziness of this house, you had to be overshadowed in your love for Keitaro and you still are, you've had to take on many of the chores in the house that Keitaro should be doing, and you have to now deal with the knowledge that Keitaro and I are going to go fight a being that will very likely kill us. I didn't want to add to your problems. I'm supposed to protect you, not damage you like I have. I'm incredibly sorry," Ben replied soothingly. Shinobu's crying had completely stopped. She was now just resting herself in Ben's arms.
"I guess I overreacted, gomen. I'm sorry that I exploded in front of you like that," said Shinobu. Her voice was a little raspy from her crying, but Ben didn't notice, too busy thinking of what to do to comfort this girl in front of him.
"Don't worry, I should have told you about this last night. Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have taken advantage of you while you were vulnerable! Gomen!" said Ben, stiffening.
"Don't worry about it. I actually enjoyed that. Oh, I forgot to thank you for saving me last night! Gomen. I'll have to prepare an extra special dinner for you. Tee-hee," squeaked Shinobu. Her face was completely red. Ben couldn't tell if the red came from the crying or the blushing, but he didn't care.
"It was no problem. I really can't stand people who would rob a girl of her dignity just for some quick cash. It really pissed me off. Why don't I teach you some self-defense? It might help you in case you run into something like that again and I'm not there."
"Hai, I would like that. Um, we should go down now, shouldn't we?" asked Shinobu who was fidgeting with her apron.
"Yeah, we've been up here for a little over an hour. Before we go." said Ben as he put his right arm around her waist and his left hand on the back of her head. He pulled her into a light kiss on the lips.
"Th..thank you, Ben. Uh, sorry if I'm bad at this.Gomen!" apologized Shinobu who had clapped her hands together.
"Haha, don't worry yourself over this. I owe you for all the cooking you've done for me. Besides, I really enjoy being with you, so it was enjoyed to the full potential. Didn't you say we needed to go, Shinobu?" asked Ben, though it was obvious he wanted to stay.
"Hai, let's go." said an ignorant Shinobu.
The two went down to the kitchen, unconsciously holding hands and standing unusually close for two "friends". In the kitchen was the whole Hinata Sou gang. Their reactions to Ben and Shinobu coming in were mixed. Motoko pulled out her katana and began praying about defeating some major evil for destroying innocence. Naru was fashioning some heavy duty "brass" knuckles. "Brass" was only the name though as Ben could tell those knuckles were probably made of something much harder. Continuing on, Keitaro was raising an eyebrow, Haruka was writing on a pad, Kitsune was starting to pull out sake bottles that were undoubtedly full. Su was looking in a bag labeled "ultimate weapon parts", and Sarah was sharpening the edges of her trademark throwing artifact. Ben and Shinobu both sported sweat drops at the sight.
"Uh, are we going to war with some other dormitory?" Ben asked, hoping he was right.
"You could put it that way, Ben." said Motoko who had finished her prayer.
"BEN!!! HOW COULD YOU STEAL SHINOBU'S FIRST REAL KISS!!!" screamed Naru.
"Ultimate Weapon prepped and ready!" cried Su, holding a cannon that looked VERY intimidating.
"On three attack! Oh, #%@^ it..three!" cried Sarah.
At that a laser was fired, a priceless artifact thrown, and two steamed women charged. Ben quickly picked up Shinobu and leapt out into the hall. That alone allowed him to escape two of the dangers. He would've just taken the hits to the face, but with Shinobu risking her being hit wasn't worth it. He rushed towards a window and jumped through it. Ben didn't count on the outside having a pit though. He barely dodged falling in while carrying Shinobu on his back.
*What is going on here?* thought Ben. This sequence of events seemed planned. It reminded him of an incident from his travels.
"Ben, they're coming!" cried Shinobu.
*Interesting, this is exactly how it was back then. I bet the mastermind behind this is watching me from...there!* thought Ben as he looked toward a tree on the other side of the courtyard. Behind it he could see a figure. He couldn't tell who it was, but he didn't really care as he had other thoughts.
*If I'm right, I'll have to go to the courtyard. There'll be traps that will force me to move there. Then, the girls will burst from the front and the stairs will be blocked off by a raised net. Feh, this is exactly like before. I'll just have to edit this, luckily I wasn't stripped of my sword then. Let's see if I can be the victor in this.* thought Ben as he bolted into the courtyard.
As he suspected, traps activated and forced him to move to the courtyard. When he got there he looked to the left and saw the girls coming out, armed to the teeth. To his right, a steel wall was put up by Keitaro. The wall was longer to, stretching from ones side of the inn and making a half circle, ending at the other side of the in. It formed a confinement area with enemies that would most likely try to back the prey into the wall and then begin their tortures. Ben was surprised at the fact that a steel wall was used instead and that Keitaro was helping with the plan.
"Keitaro, why are you helping them?" Ben asked, though he wasn't especially curious.
"I'm helping for two things. I want a good laugh and it got me out of being caught in this. Please don't hold a grudge against me." pleaded Keitaro.
"Do not worry, I already knew these things would happen once I saw the pit. This exact thing has already happened except the wall is steel now. I am concerned over the fact that you girls didn't involve Shinobu however." Said Ben, lowering Shinobu to the ground. Shinobu quickly stepped off, thankful that she was on solid ground.
"We were going to involve her, but we decided not to as she might've given us away," said a voice. That voice was quickly put to a person as the figure that was behind the tree stepped out. It was none other than Kanako Urashima, the master manipulator of all Hinata Sou.
"I see now that the tiger bears its fangs and claws. I do however, see a flaw. When this happened before, the plan only succeeded because I was taking with me an innocent, I was weakened, weakened, and I was without a weapon. This time however, I am not weakened and I do have a weapon. The only one here who could possibly hope to defeat me is Keitaro, but I have a cause and he doesn't so I would win. I hope you all realize your folly and cease this nonsense." said Ben, trying to achieve a commanding tone and barely succeeding.
"You've gone through this before?" whispered Shinobu.
"Yeah, I was staying at an inn when it was attacked. Most of the people evacuated but I found a girl lying on the floor. I grabbed her and put her on my back like you and carried her away. They trapped me the exact same way as Kanako did. I was backed into the net, but managed to get the girl out by pushing her under. She rolled away and I fought the assailants. They were mostly bandits, wanting to score a big heist. I took them out with my fists, but it would've been a lot better if I had my sword, which was in my room in the inn," answered Ben in a whisper. He was keeping watch of the girls so that if they moved, he could react.
"Shinobu, get away from Ben, we'll handle it from here," said Kanako.
"Yes, do as she says Shinobu. I myself am willing to co-operate because he has stolen your innocence by kissing you. He also deceives you in many ways. Remember this, he was willing to keep the truth of your father a secret, his powers are that of the dark, and he is a shrewd man!" declared Motoko. Ben flinched heavily at these words.
"No! He didn't lie, we talked about the subject right after we made breakfast, and I don't care if he uses dark powers because he is using them for GOOD. He is not shrewd! He went out of his way to save me rather than go his usual way and risk endangering all of us!" retorted Shinobu. This response shocked everyone and even broke thorough Kanako's "steel visage".
"I see, however, we must do this, for we must punish someone for this deception. My onii-san has been acquitted because he has apologized. Ben however, has not so he must receive the punishment. Onii-san!" shouted Kanako after regaining her composure. Keitaro quickly grabbed Shinobu from behind and dragged her over to the girls.
"Don't worry, I've been in worse odds with Ben and we both survived. There's no need to worry. If he does get into a tight spot I'll intervene," whispered Keitaro. The tone of his voice made Shinobu realize that everything was okay and the bond between Ben and Keitaro was incredibly strong.
"I believe in you, Urashima-senpai." Whispered Shinobu.
As if on cue, the girls began their attacks. Su had pulled out a second "Ultimate Weapon" and handed it to Sarah. The two barraged Ben with glee. Kanako, Naru, and Motoko charged at Ben, weapons ready and waiting. Ben, the target, didn't look worried however. He had his sword and sheath out now, and was standing in the stance that he had used before. He was even smiling slightly.
*Motoko isn't too much of a challenge. Kanako is probably the only one who needs to be knocked out. Naru can be dispatched simply by hitting her pressure points. Su and Sarah will just need to be disarmed. Here we go.*
With that thought Ben began dodging the lasers that were heading towards him. He was scraped by a few, but those hits were on purpose to make it look like Ben was trying his best. He began spinning his sword and sheath. He held them out in front as close to side to side as he could to avoid cutting himself. The swords formed a sword of shield, and the lasers began ricocheting off it. The charging girls had to halt their charge and begin dodging instead of attacking.
"Stop firing!" commanded Kanako. Su and Sarah quickly complied and ceased their firing.
Now that the barraged had stopped, the three started charging again. Ben stopped spinning his blades and stood there. When the girls were within five feet he jumped into the air.
*Oh to hell with it. I'll just knock all three of these girls out.*
"I am Ben Woo! Fear my prowess!" shouted Ben as he slashed in a wide arc with his sword only.
A shock wave pass from his sword and hit the charging girls who couldn't stop in time. All three flew all the way back to the front door area. Motoko was caught by Haruka while Keitaro caught Naru and Kananko.
"Nice form, Ben, but do be more careful. These women are very important to me." said Keitaro. It was a light warning, but Ben knew that it wasn't a good idea to test the warning.
"Ben! Are you alright!" cried Shinobu, running towards Ben.
"Hai, I am. You shouldn't worry about me. I wasn't even scratched, but those girls will be sore for more than a few days." said Ben. At this Shinobu smiled.
"Hai, let's go inside." said Shinobu.
Everyone went inside, Keitaro and Haruka still carrying their respective people. They dropped them off in their rooms and joined Shinobu and Ben for a late lunch. It was late because of the little setup Kanako had made, but it was still enjoyed and unnoticed b the group.
"Ben, since when were you and Shinobu an item?" asked Keitaro. The question made Ben and Shinobu self-conscious of their state and they blushed. Ben had sat right next to Shinobu and both of them were smiling and looking at each other.
"Uh, what are you talking about?" asked Ben, glaring at Keitaro.
"Urashima-senpai, don't say such things! W-we aren't dating!" said Shinobu, blushing the shade of red seen on red ribbons during red ribbon week.
"Ah, but you are a cute couple, I believe that Haruka will approve, and I'm sure that you've already guessed that I approve," said Keitaro.
"What!" cried Ben and Shinobu.
The lunch went on, with Keitaro arguing with Ben and Shinobu over whether the latter two were a couple. Of course the two denied it, but inside they were uncertain.
*Do I really like Shinobu? I do feel like I'm at ease around her? Do I want to be with her for the rest of my existence?* thought Ben. Other chaotic thoughts soon followed.
*I think Ben is a great guy, but would I marry him? For that matter would I date him? He's saved me twice, so I know he must care a little, but I don't know if I l-l-love him. Maybe I should talk to him about this.* thought Shinobu, who was thinking the same things as Ben.
*Man, is this how I am with Naru? Must be from what Kitsune's reactions are to my relationship with Naru. I'll have to set these two up sometime.* thought a clear-minded Keitaro. He began thinking of a way to set up the two people sitting in front of him, one his best friend and the other one a tenant that was as close to a divine being as Keitaro could guess.
Author's Notes: If you want my e-mail and screen name on AIM, check any of the chapters before this one. Well, I think that the naming thing is down the tubes. I'm updating as frequently as possible, so I expected that I would update a lot before names came in, but so far I've only received one, so I'm going to start making names on my own. Please don't flame me because of this decision or the names I make up! Ja Ne!
Disclaimer: See Ch. 1
"Ben, I heard you and Motoko talking earlier about what happened to my father. Why did you try to hide it from me, Ben? I've come to trust you, but now I don't know. I have a right to know the condition of my father. He may not have always been the positive influence in my life, but I love him nonetheless. Please, tell me why," said Shinobu. Ben could tell she was holding back an ocean of tears. He pulled her into a hug, which she immediately accepted. Shinobu started to cry into Ben's shoulder.
"Shinobu, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. The reason was because I didn't want to add to your problems. While both of your parents were alive, they were divorced, you had to deal with the craziness of this house, you had to be overshadowed in your love for Keitaro and you still are, you've had to take on many of the chores in the house that Keitaro should be doing, and you have to now deal with the knowledge that Keitaro and I are going to go fight a being that will very likely kill us. I didn't want to add to your problems. I'm supposed to protect you, not damage you like I have. I'm incredibly sorry," Ben replied soothingly. Shinobu's crying had completely stopped. She was now just resting herself in Ben's arms.
"I guess I overreacted, gomen. I'm sorry that I exploded in front of you like that," said Shinobu. Her voice was a little raspy from her crying, but Ben didn't notice, too busy thinking of what to do to comfort this girl in front of him.
"Don't worry, I should have told you about this last night. Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have taken advantage of you while you were vulnerable! Gomen!" said Ben, stiffening.
"Don't worry about it. I actually enjoyed that. Oh, I forgot to thank you for saving me last night! Gomen. I'll have to prepare an extra special dinner for you. Tee-hee," squeaked Shinobu. Her face was completely red. Ben couldn't tell if the red came from the crying or the blushing, but he didn't care.
"It was no problem. I really can't stand people who would rob a girl of her dignity just for some quick cash. It really pissed me off. Why don't I teach you some self-defense? It might help you in case you run into something like that again and I'm not there."
"Hai, I would like that. Um, we should go down now, shouldn't we?" asked Shinobu who was fidgeting with her apron.
"Yeah, we've been up here for a little over an hour. Before we go." said Ben as he put his right arm around her waist and his left hand on the back of her head. He pulled her into a light kiss on the lips.
"Th..thank you, Ben. Uh, sorry if I'm bad at this.Gomen!" apologized Shinobu who had clapped her hands together.
"Haha, don't worry yourself over this. I owe you for all the cooking you've done for me. Besides, I really enjoy being with you, so it was enjoyed to the full potential. Didn't you say we needed to go, Shinobu?" asked Ben, though it was obvious he wanted to stay.
"Hai, let's go." said an ignorant Shinobu.
The two went down to the kitchen, unconsciously holding hands and standing unusually close for two "friends". In the kitchen was the whole Hinata Sou gang. Their reactions to Ben and Shinobu coming in were mixed. Motoko pulled out her katana and began praying about defeating some major evil for destroying innocence. Naru was fashioning some heavy duty "brass" knuckles. "Brass" was only the name though as Ben could tell those knuckles were probably made of something much harder. Continuing on, Keitaro was raising an eyebrow, Haruka was writing on a pad, Kitsune was starting to pull out sake bottles that were undoubtedly full. Su was looking in a bag labeled "ultimate weapon parts", and Sarah was sharpening the edges of her trademark throwing artifact. Ben and Shinobu both sported sweat drops at the sight.
"Uh, are we going to war with some other dormitory?" Ben asked, hoping he was right.
"You could put it that way, Ben." said Motoko who had finished her prayer.
"BEN!!! HOW COULD YOU STEAL SHINOBU'S FIRST REAL KISS!!!" screamed Naru.
"Ultimate Weapon prepped and ready!" cried Su, holding a cannon that looked VERY intimidating.
"On three attack! Oh, #%@^ it..three!" cried Sarah.
At that a laser was fired, a priceless artifact thrown, and two steamed women charged. Ben quickly picked up Shinobu and leapt out into the hall. That alone allowed him to escape two of the dangers. He would've just taken the hits to the face, but with Shinobu risking her being hit wasn't worth it. He rushed towards a window and jumped through it. Ben didn't count on the outside having a pit though. He barely dodged falling in while carrying Shinobu on his back.
*What is going on here?* thought Ben. This sequence of events seemed planned. It reminded him of an incident from his travels.
"Ben, they're coming!" cried Shinobu.
*Interesting, this is exactly how it was back then. I bet the mastermind behind this is watching me from...there!* thought Ben as he looked toward a tree on the other side of the courtyard. Behind it he could see a figure. He couldn't tell who it was, but he didn't really care as he had other thoughts.
*If I'm right, I'll have to go to the courtyard. There'll be traps that will force me to move there. Then, the girls will burst from the front and the stairs will be blocked off by a raised net. Feh, this is exactly like before. I'll just have to edit this, luckily I wasn't stripped of my sword then. Let's see if I can be the victor in this.* thought Ben as he bolted into the courtyard.
As he suspected, traps activated and forced him to move to the courtyard. When he got there he looked to the left and saw the girls coming out, armed to the teeth. To his right, a steel wall was put up by Keitaro. The wall was longer to, stretching from ones side of the inn and making a half circle, ending at the other side of the in. It formed a confinement area with enemies that would most likely try to back the prey into the wall and then begin their tortures. Ben was surprised at the fact that a steel wall was used instead and that Keitaro was helping with the plan.
"Keitaro, why are you helping them?" Ben asked, though he wasn't especially curious.
"I'm helping for two things. I want a good laugh and it got me out of being caught in this. Please don't hold a grudge against me." pleaded Keitaro.
"Do not worry, I already knew these things would happen once I saw the pit. This exact thing has already happened except the wall is steel now. I am concerned over the fact that you girls didn't involve Shinobu however." Said Ben, lowering Shinobu to the ground. Shinobu quickly stepped off, thankful that she was on solid ground.
"We were going to involve her, but we decided not to as she might've given us away," said a voice. That voice was quickly put to a person as the figure that was behind the tree stepped out. It was none other than Kanako Urashima, the master manipulator of all Hinata Sou.
"I see now that the tiger bears its fangs and claws. I do however, see a flaw. When this happened before, the plan only succeeded because I was taking with me an innocent, I was weakened, weakened, and I was without a weapon. This time however, I am not weakened and I do have a weapon. The only one here who could possibly hope to defeat me is Keitaro, but I have a cause and he doesn't so I would win. I hope you all realize your folly and cease this nonsense." said Ben, trying to achieve a commanding tone and barely succeeding.
"You've gone through this before?" whispered Shinobu.
"Yeah, I was staying at an inn when it was attacked. Most of the people evacuated but I found a girl lying on the floor. I grabbed her and put her on my back like you and carried her away. They trapped me the exact same way as Kanako did. I was backed into the net, but managed to get the girl out by pushing her under. She rolled away and I fought the assailants. They were mostly bandits, wanting to score a big heist. I took them out with my fists, but it would've been a lot better if I had my sword, which was in my room in the inn," answered Ben in a whisper. He was keeping watch of the girls so that if they moved, he could react.
"Shinobu, get away from Ben, we'll handle it from here," said Kanako.
"Yes, do as she says Shinobu. I myself am willing to co-operate because he has stolen your innocence by kissing you. He also deceives you in many ways. Remember this, he was willing to keep the truth of your father a secret, his powers are that of the dark, and he is a shrewd man!" declared Motoko. Ben flinched heavily at these words.
"No! He didn't lie, we talked about the subject right after we made breakfast, and I don't care if he uses dark powers because he is using them for GOOD. He is not shrewd! He went out of his way to save me rather than go his usual way and risk endangering all of us!" retorted Shinobu. This response shocked everyone and even broke thorough Kanako's "steel visage".
"I see, however, we must do this, for we must punish someone for this deception. My onii-san has been acquitted because he has apologized. Ben however, has not so he must receive the punishment. Onii-san!" shouted Kanako after regaining her composure. Keitaro quickly grabbed Shinobu from behind and dragged her over to the girls.
"Don't worry, I've been in worse odds with Ben and we both survived. There's no need to worry. If he does get into a tight spot I'll intervene," whispered Keitaro. The tone of his voice made Shinobu realize that everything was okay and the bond between Ben and Keitaro was incredibly strong.
"I believe in you, Urashima-senpai." Whispered Shinobu.
As if on cue, the girls began their attacks. Su had pulled out a second "Ultimate Weapon" and handed it to Sarah. The two barraged Ben with glee. Kanako, Naru, and Motoko charged at Ben, weapons ready and waiting. Ben, the target, didn't look worried however. He had his sword and sheath out now, and was standing in the stance that he had used before. He was even smiling slightly.
*Motoko isn't too much of a challenge. Kanako is probably the only one who needs to be knocked out. Naru can be dispatched simply by hitting her pressure points. Su and Sarah will just need to be disarmed. Here we go.*
With that thought Ben began dodging the lasers that were heading towards him. He was scraped by a few, but those hits were on purpose to make it look like Ben was trying his best. He began spinning his sword and sheath. He held them out in front as close to side to side as he could to avoid cutting himself. The swords formed a sword of shield, and the lasers began ricocheting off it. The charging girls had to halt their charge and begin dodging instead of attacking.
"Stop firing!" commanded Kanako. Su and Sarah quickly complied and ceased their firing.
Now that the barraged had stopped, the three started charging again. Ben stopped spinning his blades and stood there. When the girls were within five feet he jumped into the air.
*Oh to hell with it. I'll just knock all three of these girls out.*
"I am Ben Woo! Fear my prowess!" shouted Ben as he slashed in a wide arc with his sword only.
A shock wave pass from his sword and hit the charging girls who couldn't stop in time. All three flew all the way back to the front door area. Motoko was caught by Haruka while Keitaro caught Naru and Kananko.
"Nice form, Ben, but do be more careful. These women are very important to me." said Keitaro. It was a light warning, but Ben knew that it wasn't a good idea to test the warning.
"Ben! Are you alright!" cried Shinobu, running towards Ben.
"Hai, I am. You shouldn't worry about me. I wasn't even scratched, but those girls will be sore for more than a few days." said Ben. At this Shinobu smiled.
"Hai, let's go inside." said Shinobu.
Everyone went inside, Keitaro and Haruka still carrying their respective people. They dropped them off in their rooms and joined Shinobu and Ben for a late lunch. It was late because of the little setup Kanako had made, but it was still enjoyed and unnoticed b the group.
"Ben, since when were you and Shinobu an item?" asked Keitaro. The question made Ben and Shinobu self-conscious of their state and they blushed. Ben had sat right next to Shinobu and both of them were smiling and looking at each other.
"Uh, what are you talking about?" asked Ben, glaring at Keitaro.
"Urashima-senpai, don't say such things! W-we aren't dating!" said Shinobu, blushing the shade of red seen on red ribbons during red ribbon week.
"Ah, but you are a cute couple, I believe that Haruka will approve, and I'm sure that you've already guessed that I approve," said Keitaro.
"What!" cried Ben and Shinobu.
The lunch went on, with Keitaro arguing with Ben and Shinobu over whether the latter two were a couple. Of course the two denied it, but inside they were uncertain.
*Do I really like Shinobu? I do feel like I'm at ease around her? Do I want to be with her for the rest of my existence?* thought Ben. Other chaotic thoughts soon followed.
*I think Ben is a great guy, but would I marry him? For that matter would I date him? He's saved me twice, so I know he must care a little, but I don't know if I l-l-love him. Maybe I should talk to him about this.* thought Shinobu, who was thinking the same things as Ben.
*Man, is this how I am with Naru? Must be from what Kitsune's reactions are to my relationship with Naru. I'll have to set these two up sometime.* thought a clear-minded Keitaro. He began thinking of a way to set up the two people sitting in front of him, one his best friend and the other one a tenant that was as close to a divine being as Keitaro could guess.
Author's Notes: If you want my e-mail and screen name on AIM, check any of the chapters before this one. Well, I think that the naming thing is down the tubes. I'm updating as frequently as possible, so I expected that I would update a lot before names came in, but so far I've only received one, so I'm going to start making names on my own. Please don't flame me because of this decision or the names I make up! Ja Ne!
