Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of the characters contained in
here. Love Hina is owned by Ken Akamatsu. This FanFic is purely for the
enjoyment of myself and for others to read. So please don't sue

To Help a Friend

(Somewhere)

It seemed like forever since he started running. He can't remember when he started.just that he HAD to get away from something. If only he could figure out WHO or WHAT he was running from.

"You cannot go far -URASHIMA!" the shapeless voice yelling to him.Mocking him. " I know what you really are----I will show THEM what you are as well!"

"Who are you!" cries Keitaro Urashima , Hinata-Sou's resident landlord, and only male tenant. "Why are you after me!"

Keitaro stops running; then scans his surroundings in an attempt to locate his mysterious adversary. He realizes with terror..that everything is completely black around him...except for a light that seems to shine on him much like a spotlight would.

" My dear Urashima, don't you know me?" starts the voice sounding as its feelings were hurt.. " I thought we were much ---closer . Such good friends we are." He thought he heard the voice giggle in sarcasm.

"I don't even know who you are!" yells an almost breathless Keitaro.. He suddenly realizes that the voice does seem somewhat ..familiar. If only he could place where he has heard it before.

Then a dark mist seems to form in front of him. Swirling into a familiar shape..that of a shapely woman whose long hair seems to flow into the void itself. Tendrils of darkness seem to move around the figure as it glides toward the frightened Ronin. Only a pair of Blood-Red eyes give any indication that the figure is supposed to resemble something .human?

" Do I look familiar now Urashima?" says the figure.twirling around in a mock pose. " Surely this form pleases you."

The figure did indeed look like one of the Hinata residents under his care. A person very dear to him.."Naru?"

A thunderous ,almost deafening, laughter filled the empty Void. So loud was it that all Keitaro could do was cover his ears with his trembling hands.. Tears of agony welled from his eyes as the demonic laughter continued.

"You think I am that pathetic -BITCH Narusegawa? She isn't even worthy!"

"Worthy of what? " asks Keitaro slowly uncovering his ears. "And what is it that you think I am that is so terrible.?"

A sudden movement flash before him.and he tried to dodge.but instead felt a sharp pain on his left cheek. He put a finger to it to see how bad the injury was only to find something wet. He looked at his finger. Blood, he thought . before he could think of anything else, the figure attackd him again, but with more FAMILIAR motions. This time Keitaro was ready for this next series of attacks dodging each swipe with practiced ease.

"Yes!" hissed the figure, "Show me your true strength Urashima! Show me what you have denied yourself all these years" It attacked again.this time with much more vigor.

Keitaro continued to dodge the oncoming attacks. Moving with surprising familiarity. "What is it you want from me? Why are you trying to hurt me?"

" NO MORE QUESTIONS, YOU PATHETIC WEAKLING!" the apparition sounding .desperate? " FIGHT!" The attacks continue at an even MORE furious pace.

"NO!" yells Keitaro, "I-I Don't want to hurt you."

A low chuckle can be heard from nearby. "How amusing." starts the apparition. A smile can almost be sensed on her demonic face. " Hurt me you say? Although I AM impressed with your ability to dodge my attacks.. You won't even defend yourself against your beloved tenants. ALL WOMEN!"

" I don't hit women. Only cowards do that." Says Keitaro with some defiance. "Besides..they are my friends"

"Then I would hate to see your enemies Urashima..what with the daily punishments you receive from them" says the figure, mocking him again.

" You don't know the first thing about us." whispers the would-be Toudai student." Or about me"

"Enough prattling worm. If you do not defend yourself.Then DIE!"

The figure begins to advance on the Hinata landlord preparing to deliver the killing blow. Keitaro making no attempt to move aside..choosing to look down instead. "or about me'. He whispers again even lower.

"Patheti-AHHHH!" Screams the figure as a giant skeletal hand suddenly reaches out from the darkness to hold her in an agonizing grip.

"HELP ME! KEITARO!" with the use of his first name.Urashima looks up ,finally, at the horrific scene in front of him "DON'T LET IT TAKE ME! NOOOOO!" screaming in pain the figure pleads with him as it is being dragged back into the dark void.

"No.".whispers Keitaro. Understanding showing in his face. Oh my god! I know who you are, he thinks as he feels his body starting after the two demonic entities.. I can't let her go!'"NO!

"SAVE ME KEITARO! PLEASE! " screams the figure,as the giant hand which holds her drags her farther and faster than Keitaro can keep up.

I have to help her. I have to. She needs me! thinks Keitaro desperate to save his attacker. Her identity now revealed to him he tries to pick up even more speed as he is literally SPRINTING to catch up to the pair.

"HELP MEEEEEEEEEEE!" Screams the figure..her cries finally lost in the dark void.

"NOOOOO! I'LL HELP YOU! I SWEAR----"

(Landlord's Room-Early Saturday afternoon)

"GNAHHH!" Yells a startled Keitaro as he wakes up from his futon breathing very heavily.. Sweat beading off his trembling body as if in fever..his eyes wide in fear..He hears a frantic pounding at his door.

"SEMPAI? ARE YOU OK?" cries Shinobu Maehera the Inn's young cooking prodidy.

"Eh, Keitaro! What's with the racket then? Yells Mistune"Kitsune" Konno,the inn's professional slacker and all around party animal.

"N-Nothing. Must have been all that sake you had me drink last night Kitsune!" he starts to fumble for his glasses.

" Did you have a nightmare sempai?" asks Shinobu.."I'll get some tea from the kitchen. It should help."

"Arigato Shinobu.. I'd like that very much." He can almost imagine the smile that formed on her face as she rushed off to the kitchen to get the tea.

" Well some of us PAYING tenants have some important stuff to do on a Saturday." She states pretending not to care about the resident landlord. " Just lay off the booze for a bit , eh?"

"I'll keep that in mind Kitsune. Go enjoy the rest of your day then and MAYBE I'll get some tickets to tomorrow's races as an apology for bothering you."

He KNEW she was grinning at that last statement. After all, it is his job to know his charges .

"You betcha Mr Manager sir! Anyway,no more nightmares. Poor Shinobu was almost flipping out there for a bit."

"Gomen." He said as he heard her saunter away from his door.

No doubt back to her room to place bets on tomorrow's races.

He gets up off his futon to stretch, dress, and walk over to open his window revealing a warm..but very cloudy day..Thinking back to his nightmare, he utters the last words he spoke.

"Don't worry. I'll help you. I swear- - Motoko!"

Author's notes: This is just a cleanup of Chapter 1. I realize how green i was when i first wrote this almost 2 years ago and hope to go back and clean/add to the remaining chapters similar to what I did in To be a Warrior or a Woman. Any who have already read this ...nothing new this chapter. Maybe as I go over the rest I can add more or cut out the uneccesary garbage that exists. Guess that's one advanatage of fanfiction, nothing is really set in stone. Before anyone gripes about WHERE IS CHAPTER 15? Well, that's another reason I am doing this(as well as re-reading the entire manga) so I can finally finish this and get back to Warrior. I decided to completely do away with the original ending I had in mind and go with the extended one. Trust me, any action fans out there should like it. Anyways, here we go again.