Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina – it's a property of Ken Akamatsu.
Author Notes: Hi there I'm eventually back. Here is the first ending of my story, and I'm warning that it would be really sad so everyone who can't bear with dying heroes etc shouldn't read it. So we begin, see you at the end of the chapter.
Completely confused Shinobu didn't resist and soon she was sitting in around a small lamp with all other tenants listening to their conversation. And the conversation just was not going to end constructive.
Everyone wasn't listening to one another, Motoko and Naru insisted that Keitaro must be dealt with, Su and Kitsune wanted to leave him alone, Shinobu tried to say something but was ignored. Girls shouted and quarreled for an hour but still they couldn't come to any conclusion. After all Kitsune and Su won so everyone agreed to just ignore their idiotic manager and wait for him to apologize. Shinobu tried to persuade everyone to go and talk with him but failed. Then she tried to go there herself but was stopped by Motoko:
"Don't go there, Shinobu, he doesn't deserve your concern. Besides you can get hurt if you try to talk to him – he is too unstable right now. Just ignore him for some time and I'm sure he'll be
ok. Soon we'll see our good old kanrinin again. Just wait for a while."
Shinobu couldn't resist and surrendered. All the tenants acted as they decided – just ignored the fact that Keitaro existed. It was the best they could do at the moment, they thought and continued living their own lives to the end of the day. Then they went to sleep hoping that tomorrow everything will be fine and Hinata Inn will be a happy and nice place again. But this wasn't meant to happen.
Next morning was as beautiful as previous one. Girls woke up in very high moods and the events of yesterday didn't seem so bad to them any more. Kitsune, Su and Shinobu have already overcome their problems and didn't have any problems to worry about now. Hinata Sou's young shef stood up early in he morning as usual, cooked a tasty and marvelous looking breakfast and invited everyone in the kitchen. Yawning girls went downstairs and took their seats at the table. But something was wrong – their manager wasn't with them. While eating their breakfast girls talked about missing Keitaro and tried to decide what to do next. Their conversation was suddenly interrupted when Haruka-san entered the building with her usual cigarette in her mouth and bored looks on her face:
"Have you seen my nephew recently? I've got a matter to discuss right now. Do you know where is he?"
Girls answered in chorus that Keitaro must be in his room sleeping. Then they suddenly understood that it was a golden opportunity they just couldn't miss and decided to escort Haruka-san. It was a nice excuse to get into kanrinin's room and talk to him. And so they did, all tenants of Hinata Sou and Haruka went to the manager's room and asked if they could go in. But there was no answer. They thought that silence is a sign of consent and entered the room. It was very dark, the walls were burned and damaged by battle of yesterday and everything in the room seemed untouched since it happened. And there lied Keitaro in the same place in the same position, motionless and wordless. Haruka, startled by situation called him:
"Keitaro, get up please we have a matter to discuss." But she received no answer. She called again and again but no word escaped young man's mouth. Then someone turned on the lights and collective scream could be heard several miles away from Hinata Sou – their manager lied in a pool of his own blood. His hands were clenched in fists and the expression on his pale face was as if he was tortured in hell before the death – such a mix of pain and hatred couldn't exist on the surface of the Earth. Girls immediately rushed to him but it was a way too late – he was already dead for a long time.
Next three hours could hardly be remembered by any of Hinata tenants, they were screaming, trying to wake up Keitaro, calling him and crying. Then someone of the girls took enough hold of herself to call an ambulance. At the moment of doctor's arrival everyone was already exhausted and psychic at the same time. They pleaded him to say that everything will be ok and Keitaro will be soon back with them. Only Haruka wasn't taking part in this collective madness, but her usual bored looks couldn't disguise deep pain she was in. After seeing wounds on kanrinin's body doctor insisted on calling the police and reporting a case of murder. At first girls didn't want to do it – they really believed that it was a kind of bad dream or some sort of trick and didn't want to bother policemen, but doctor didn't leave them any choice and they agreed in the end. The police arrived also and tried to investigate the matter but were unsuccessful because all girls were not in condition to be questioned and other evidences were destroyed by their attempts to revive Keitaro. Anyway they sealed manager's room and put all girls into police office. Seeing their condition policemen decided to let them rest for a while and question them later.
Next morning the police began interrogation of Hinata Sou's tenants and the case was closed that evening. Officer in charge understood that its features were very strange and didn't try to do anything to girls – after some conversation with Haruka-san he understood that no punishment was needed for them – their future fate already was the best punishment. Keitaro's body was taken to the morgue and date of burial was announced but girls could hardly understand anything of that – they still didn't want to believe that Keitaro was dead and it was final. Then the reality crashed them like a 100 tons rock.
Everyone was dealing with this problem in her own way. They wanted to run away from the fact of Keitaro's death, they tried to do things they thought would help… but they were only destroying themselves – Motoko started to exercise twenty hours a day too busy even to eat, Naru just sat in her room hugging her Liddo-kun and crying bitterly, Shinobu didn't come out of her dream about Keitaro being alive and pretended that he just went to visit his family – she even wanted to call them and ask when is he going back but was stopped by Haruka-san. Speaking about Haruka – she tried not to show her emotions but failed – even her cold mask polished by year's use couldn't cover grief, pain and a bit of anger directed to people that killed her dear nephew. But she was much more mature then all girls summed up and she could bear her pain. Kitsune began to drink so much that no normal person could hold. She woke up drunk, drank even more and passed out early in the evening. Su shut herself in her room and began to build some great and powerful device not bothering to eat and sleep. Shinobu tried to feed other tenants but gave up eventually and cooked only for herself and Haruka-san, who decided to stay there and look after the girls for some time. Mutsumi who came to chat with Haruka was also very sad and totally out of her usual self. She felt a bit of guilt too because she knew somehow that if only anyone was there to support Keitaro, to ease down his anger, to look at him with loving eyes in the surrounding madness nothing would have happened (and it was quite true – but it did happen). She tried to talk with girls, to ease their pain, to help them at least a bit but they could hardly hear her and completely couldn't understand, so she gave up quickly and afterwards left the building forever.
Keitaro was buried in a week after his death. Everyone found enough strength to come and say goodbye to him – even Shinobu. They didn't find many people at the ceremony – just his parents, some of their friends, Shirai and Haitani who were very startled and tried to keep as much away from girls as possible as if they were real murderers. Grandma Hina also came supported by a strange girl dressed in black dress and black hat with a black cat around her. Her cold eyes didn't show anything, but whenever the girl would catch a glance of Hinata tenant her cold stare would turn into death-promising one. Coughing and gasping Grandma Hina introduced the girl as Urashima Kanako – Keitaro's little sister and then told them that her heartstrike was too bad and she shouldn't speak much, so the rest of the talk was handled by Kanako. Icily she announced that all girls were still permitted to live in Hinata Sou and the building itself would stay as dormitory at least for some time, but girls needed to choose a new kanrinin. Haruka could help them for some time but she had her tea house to run. Afterwards she lowered her voice and added that in her opinion they didn't have a right to live at all, let alone occupy Hinata Sou, but her grandmother was too kind-hearted, so until she stays in this world (which wouldn't be too long now – thanks to you girls) they could live there. Crashed by this news too girls quickly said their last goodbye to Keitaro (Shinobu of course didn't believe he was dead and said: 'Goodbye, see you soon!') and returned to Hinata Sou.
Several days passed after Keitaro's funeral and the situation was going worse and worse – girls continued to torture themselves each in her own way – Kitsune was drinking, Motoko – fighting, Naru – sitting in her room and not letting anyone to enter, Su just returned to building her device and only Shinobu pretended that nothing bad has happened and tried to live on – lying to herself. They just couldn't live through this – their guilt won't let them do it. They were all murderers after all. Maybe it was all an accident but still… They killed one of their dearest persons in the world with their own hands and now grandma Hina was going to die too because of this loss. It is not easy to forgive yourself for such things. Haruka understood that they will soon break apart and tried to look after all of them as good as possible, but she failed.
On the nine's day Naru was found in her room. She didn't commit a suicide – her heart just stopped beating because she couldn't see a reason for her life to continue. She prayed strongly that her beloved would return to her (yes, she finally understood that she loved Keitaro – it didn't take her several volumes of manga to realize it) but he didn't. And now she didn't want to live here any more, but if she only could meet him in another world… So there was nothing more to hold her here. Everyone in Hinata Sou wasn't surprised though – it was quite expected (yep, it is sad but so it is), but they still mourned for her too, adding more weight to their own guilt. Kitsune completely annihilated by her best friend's death beat up her own drinking record and died of liver explosion (her liver literally exploded from the amount of sake she drank) three days later. Shinobu persuaded herself that Naru went to see her parents and Kitsune went to sad vacation, so that they'll return in some time and continued living happily. Motoko couldn't stand such losses, her mind was damaged, she was lost and some strange thought occupied her mind – if only she could master Shinmen Rui she could change the situation back to normal. It was a stupid idea but it was her only hope to live on. But she couldn't imagine a way to do it. Suddenly she went to Kyoto and challenged her sister for a duel. During the fight something like demon possessed Motoko and tried to destroy her sister. Tsuruko used Shinmen Rui special technique and vanquished it, but Motoko suddenly died too – as if her heart was torn apart and her soul and body were completely consumed by the demon.
After Motoko's death Haruka quit Hinata Sou because she couldn't bear this any more leaving it to Shinobu – Su was still shut in her own room. Grandma Hina died in several days – she deeply cared for all girls and the loss of her precious ones finished her good. Kanako immediately tried to evict remaining girls but was driven away by Su's army of mecha Tama's. Then young technician proudly presented her glorious device she was working at for the last month – a time machine. She decided to go back in time before Keitaro was driven mad and to try to solve that problem before it appears. She pushed Shinobu from the house telling her that the machine was a bit unstable so there was a small risk of explosion and then disappeared in Hinata Sou. Two minutes later a huge blast completely wiped away the whole building – Su happened to hit that 'small chance'… After that Shinobu, seeing the house where she lived the best years of her life completely destroyed lost her last connection to real world and was put in mental hospital without a chance (and a need) to return to 'normal' life.
So this dream has ended and it has ended not in a proper way. Lovers didn't have a chance to achieve their happiness… Girls didn't accomplish anything in their lives dying effortlessly and stupidly for their great mistake… It wasn't meant to happen this way. Whose fault was it? The answer is up to you…
A/N: I'm really sorry for the long wait but it just happened that I couldn't finish this chapter for a long time. However it is over now and I'm doing the next one. I can't tell when it would be posted – I just don't know myself yet but I'll try to make it as soon as possible. Back to the story – my first ending was a sad one as I promised, wasn't it? The next would be even worse I assure you. So I state again: for everyone who can't bear with dying heroes and so on shouldn't read my next chapter. Reviews, flames and praises are highly welcome. If anyone would like to ask me something – my email is always open for you guys: urgin@inbox.ru. See you.
