AN: Hey there. My thanks to all the kind words from the reviewers, all I'm
doing is transfeering what I see in my dreams into writing. Guess in a way
it fits FF.net's slogan, eh? For those who've stuck on long enough to read
this: My initial thought as to Kaolla and Shinobu's age would place them
somewhere around seventeen to eighteen, while everyone else would stay
roughly where they're at.
As Always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu. _______________________________________________________________________
Child of the Crimson Moon
Chapter 3: The sword of Hinata-Sou
As the morning sun began to shine down upon Hinata-Sou, Naru is seen studying away at three textbooks in front of her all at once. Notes, flash cards, and study guides were strewn all around her. Sighing in defeat, she glanced over at a panel of wood with a stuffed toy on top. The stuffed toy resembled a cartoon gopher, and was called Liddo-kun. It was a popular cartoon series in the past with children, and she had the toy ever since two years old. Deciding that she would ask the resident Toudai student for additional tutoring, she lifted up the panel, revealing a hole which connected her room with his...
"Hey Keitaro?" Naru poked her head through, "I was wondering if you could help me with..."
Her question came to a screeching halt as she realized that Kaolla was in the same bed as the landlord, with their arms around each other. Putting two and two together, she growled in anger as she leapt down the hole.
"How dare you take advantage of Kaolla, you pervert?!" She yelled, and with a kick that would make the Brazilian soccer team jealous, punted Keitaro through the screen door, causing him to ricochet off the balcony railing outside and roll down the nearby stairs. She was still seething with anger when Kaolla cleared her throat, and turned towards her.
"Mind exclaiming why you kicked Big bro when I asked to sleep here?" Kaolla asked with an annoyed look. "Especially when you can tell that nothing 'perverted' happened between us?"
"I...but he..." Naru blinked, looking between Kaolla and the torn screen doors. "Oh boy..." She then turned back to Kaolla to apoligize, when she realized the younger girl wore a sinister grin on her face as she pointed a remote at her. "Um... Kaolla...?"
Meanwhile, Keitaro struggled to his feet at the bottom of the stairs. Just as he regained his footing he heard what sounded like a chainsaw revving, windows shattering, and general chaos upstairs.
"Kaolla! I'm sorry!" Naru cried as more things seemed to shatter and made the building shake.
"Sheesh, I better get up there and explain things before she tears up the whole place..." Keitaro grimaced at the noise, and was about to head back upstairs when he heard the front door open. Turning his head, he was surprised to see a woman standing at the doorway. The woman had long and elegant black hair, and wore a white fighting gi with a red hakama. Her black eyes met with Keitaro's, and the two froze for a moment.
"Erm... Welcome to Hinata-Sou!" Keitaro stammered, breaking the silence first. "How can I help you?"
Shaking herself back to her senses, the woman narrowed her eyes and drew a bokken from her side. "Vile male!" She growled, "How dare you trespass here?!"
_______________________________________________________________________
Haruka sighed as she took another drag from her cigarette, trying to make the boring day go by faster. A sudden explosion drew her attention to the Hinata-Sou higher up the hill, followed by another explosion and large amounts of smoke.
Shrugging and chalking the incident as another of Kaolla's experiments gone awry, she suddenly paused as she realized that there was one tenant who was away during the 'change of management,' and quickly rushed towards the dorm.
"I just hope Keitaro is still in one piece when I get there...!" Haruka prayed as she sprinted out of the tea shop...
_______________________________________________________________________
Scared for his life to the point of tears, Keitaro tore through the halls of Hinata-Sou with blinding speed as a wave of energy crashed into the wall behind him, shredding it into pieces. Mere seconds later, the new arrival stepped through the ruined wall, her eyes scanning the halls before heading off once more.
Yawning, Kitsune stepped out from the hot spring, and blinked at the new arrival before smiling. "Hey Motoko! How was your trip?"
"Later, must find dishonorable male!" The swordswoman sprinted down the hall, leaving the resident slacker speechless.
'Dishonorable male?' Kitsune thought to herself, then frowned worriedly. 'Uh oh, I better stop her before she kills my sake provider on accident!' Getting dressed hurriedly, she ran after Motoko.
_______________________________________________________________________
Sprinting at high speeds, he turned the corner and tore up the stairs, nearly bowling Shinobu over. He managed to keep her balance with the basket of laundry she was holding and muttered an apology, then ran off again. The master cook merely blinked in surprise, then was about to continue on when the swordswoman ran up to her.
"The perverted male, where is he?" Motoko glared at Shinobu, but her voice was gentle.
"Perverted male...?" Shinobu asked, looking towards the path Keitaro took with a raised eyebrow. She was about to ask the swordswoman a question when she noticed that she already began running down the path he took, her bokken trailing behind her.
Gasping in surprise, Shinobu dropped the laundry basket. 'Oh no! I hope Keitaro won't get hurt!' She thought, and ran after Motoko.
_______________________________________________________________________
"You! Stop right there!" Keitaro jumped at Motoko's voice, and turned to see the swordswoman down the hall. "Stand your ground and receive the punishment you deserve, vile male!"
"Um, Motoko..." By now Kitsune, Shinobu, and even Naru have arrived behind the swordswoman, trying to reason with her.
"Hold on a sec!" Keitaro held up his hands nervously. "I can explain everything!"
"No excuses!" The swordswoman yelled, bringing her bokken down and sending a wave of energy towards Keitaro. The landlord, whose eyes bugged out at seeing the attack, began to turn to run, when...
"Hey, can't a girl invent in peace...?" Kaolla grumbled as she stepped out of her room, then smiled. "Hey! Motoko is back!" She was so happy in seeing her friend return, that she didn't even see the energy wave surging towards her...
"Kaolla!" Keitaro yelled, and rushed forward. Realizing there is no time to push her out of harm's way, he grabbed her and turned away, shielding her with his body. The wave tore into him milliseconds later, shredding his shirt into tatters and bruising him all over.
"Coward!" Motoko roared. "How dare you take an innocent tenant as hostage?!"
"Keitaro...?" Kaolla looked up at the landlord, her body being unharmed by the attack. As Keitaro stood and glared back at the swordwoman, the women gasped at seeing his eyes. Where there was pools of gentle brown was now replaced by cold hard chips of obsidian.
"You almost hurt Kaolla..." Keitaro growled, and before anyone could react, he was suddenly before Motoko, his right arm swinging towards her with alarming speed. Surprised, all Motoko could do was raise her bokken in defense, but was shocked as his fist broke through the wooden practice sword like a toothpick.
"You'll pay...!" Keitaro growled angrily, grabbing the front of the swordswoman's gi with his left hand as his right reared for another strike. Stunned, Motoko could only close her eyes and await the inevitable...
"Keitaro! Stop!" Blinking, the landlord's fist hovered for a moment, before the frenzied haze in his eyes disippated, he glanced back the other direction to find Haruka there...
_______________________________________________________________________
"Someone tell me that this is a cruel joke Kitsune is playing on me..." Motoko looked around the table at the other female tenants and Haruka. After a moment passed and no one spoke, Motoko covered her face with her hands. "You've got to be kidding me..."
"Afraid not..." Kitsune shrugged. "Granny herself made him landlord. So you either put up with him as Naru have learned to do, or pack up and ship out."
"I know he might seem perverted at times," Naru added, "But try to give him a chance, okay? If he doesn't work out, I'll help you kick him out!"
After another moment of silence, Motoko sighed and stood.
"I'm going to meditate on this, please don't disturb me." The others nodded, and watched the swordswoman walk off...
_______________________________________________________________________
Even during dinner, Motoko seemed to act coldly towards Keitaro, but overall the dinner went by without any further acts of violence. She even complimented Shinobu's excellent cooking, who took in the praise proudly with a smile.
Afterwards, Keitaro resumed studying one of his textbooks. He smiled to himself as he heard his door open, then close again. "Hello Kaolla, how's it going?" He greeted the visitor without even turning.
"Just the same..." Kaolla smiled, her hands toying with what seemed to be a complex version of the rubix cube. "What about you?"
"Just studying for the big test I'll have tomorrow." Keitaro shrugged, then winced and rubbed his neck. "But I swear, my back and neck is killing me...!" He then continued studying for a bit longer until he felt gentle hands kneading his back, and looked back in surprise. "Kaolla...?"
The young woman smiled at him, as her hands continued to massage his back. "You're pretty amazing, you know?" She remarked as she worked to loosen a knot in his shoulder. "Most people would probably be in the hospital after a Motoko swing, but you only have a sore back..."
"Heh, guess I must be immortal or something, huh?" The two laughed at the comment, then became quiet again as Kaolla continued massaging him. A few moments later Keitaro finally loosened up under her treatment, and smiled as she hugged him from behind, resting her head on his back. Hearing someone clear their throat, the two turned to see Motoko at the doorway.
"Mind if I have a moment with him, Kaolla?" Motoko asked. Seeing her nod, the swordswoman waited for her to leave the room before turning to the landlord.
"Yes, Miss Aoyoma?" Keitaro asked.
Sighing, the swordswoman sat across from him. "I wish to apoligize for my behaviour earlier." She then looked into his eyes. "It seems that the other tenants have taken a liking to you, and despite my personal views, I will honor Granny Hina's wishes of keeping you as landlord."
"It's not a big deal, Miss Aoyoma." Keitaro smiled, "It's just a misunderstanding, and no one else got hurt."
Nodding silently, she glanced at the screen door leading out of his room before speaking again. "It would also seem that Kaolla seems quite attached to you, and I heard you've known each other for some time..." Seeing him nod, she stood to leave. "I see no problems in that, Mister Urashima. But mark my words: I will gut you alive if you ever hurt her."
"Trust me, I'd die before that happens." Keitaro replied seriously, and Motoko nodded in approval before exiting his room.
Outside, she closed the screen doors to Keitaro's room, then turned to see Kaolla standing there with a smile at her.
"I apoligize for not being here the past few days." Motoko bowed lightly to her. "Did you have any nightmares sleeping while I was away?"
"Not really, they're pretty much gone now." Kaolla replied with a smile.
"That's good to hear." Motoko smiled slightly. "If they do reoccur, you're always welcome to sleep in my room."
"Thanks, but I usually crash with Keitaro when I need to." Kaolla replied nonchalantly while Motoko's jaw dropped.
"With that man...?!" Motoko gaped.
"What's the matter?" Kaolla grinned mischeivously. "Afraid to see what his 'sword' can do to you?" The swordswoman blinked for a moment before the comment finally sank in, and turned away with a blush.
"I swear, Kitsune's a bad influence on you Kaolla! Goodnight!" Motoko then made her way towards her own room, while Kaolla merely chuckled to herself before returning to Keitaro's room once more...
_______________________________________________________________________
Like? No like? Please review!
I know, the chapters seem to churn out quick, but I only write stuff down as they pop into my head. Sometimes it's right away, and then sometimes it takes ages... But I hope you enjoy!
As Always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu. _______________________________________________________________________
Child of the Crimson Moon
Chapter 3: The sword of Hinata-Sou
As the morning sun began to shine down upon Hinata-Sou, Naru is seen studying away at three textbooks in front of her all at once. Notes, flash cards, and study guides were strewn all around her. Sighing in defeat, she glanced over at a panel of wood with a stuffed toy on top. The stuffed toy resembled a cartoon gopher, and was called Liddo-kun. It was a popular cartoon series in the past with children, and she had the toy ever since two years old. Deciding that she would ask the resident Toudai student for additional tutoring, she lifted up the panel, revealing a hole which connected her room with his...
"Hey Keitaro?" Naru poked her head through, "I was wondering if you could help me with..."
Her question came to a screeching halt as she realized that Kaolla was in the same bed as the landlord, with their arms around each other. Putting two and two together, she growled in anger as she leapt down the hole.
"How dare you take advantage of Kaolla, you pervert?!" She yelled, and with a kick that would make the Brazilian soccer team jealous, punted Keitaro through the screen door, causing him to ricochet off the balcony railing outside and roll down the nearby stairs. She was still seething with anger when Kaolla cleared her throat, and turned towards her.
"Mind exclaiming why you kicked Big bro when I asked to sleep here?" Kaolla asked with an annoyed look. "Especially when you can tell that nothing 'perverted' happened between us?"
"I...but he..." Naru blinked, looking between Kaolla and the torn screen doors. "Oh boy..." She then turned back to Kaolla to apoligize, when she realized the younger girl wore a sinister grin on her face as she pointed a remote at her. "Um... Kaolla...?"
Meanwhile, Keitaro struggled to his feet at the bottom of the stairs. Just as he regained his footing he heard what sounded like a chainsaw revving, windows shattering, and general chaos upstairs.
"Kaolla! I'm sorry!" Naru cried as more things seemed to shatter and made the building shake.
"Sheesh, I better get up there and explain things before she tears up the whole place..." Keitaro grimaced at the noise, and was about to head back upstairs when he heard the front door open. Turning his head, he was surprised to see a woman standing at the doorway. The woman had long and elegant black hair, and wore a white fighting gi with a red hakama. Her black eyes met with Keitaro's, and the two froze for a moment.
"Erm... Welcome to Hinata-Sou!" Keitaro stammered, breaking the silence first. "How can I help you?"
Shaking herself back to her senses, the woman narrowed her eyes and drew a bokken from her side. "Vile male!" She growled, "How dare you trespass here?!"
_______________________________________________________________________
Haruka sighed as she took another drag from her cigarette, trying to make the boring day go by faster. A sudden explosion drew her attention to the Hinata-Sou higher up the hill, followed by another explosion and large amounts of smoke.
Shrugging and chalking the incident as another of Kaolla's experiments gone awry, she suddenly paused as she realized that there was one tenant who was away during the 'change of management,' and quickly rushed towards the dorm.
"I just hope Keitaro is still in one piece when I get there...!" Haruka prayed as she sprinted out of the tea shop...
_______________________________________________________________________
Scared for his life to the point of tears, Keitaro tore through the halls of Hinata-Sou with blinding speed as a wave of energy crashed into the wall behind him, shredding it into pieces. Mere seconds later, the new arrival stepped through the ruined wall, her eyes scanning the halls before heading off once more.
Yawning, Kitsune stepped out from the hot spring, and blinked at the new arrival before smiling. "Hey Motoko! How was your trip?"
"Later, must find dishonorable male!" The swordswoman sprinted down the hall, leaving the resident slacker speechless.
'Dishonorable male?' Kitsune thought to herself, then frowned worriedly. 'Uh oh, I better stop her before she kills my sake provider on accident!' Getting dressed hurriedly, she ran after Motoko.
_______________________________________________________________________
Sprinting at high speeds, he turned the corner and tore up the stairs, nearly bowling Shinobu over. He managed to keep her balance with the basket of laundry she was holding and muttered an apology, then ran off again. The master cook merely blinked in surprise, then was about to continue on when the swordswoman ran up to her.
"The perverted male, where is he?" Motoko glared at Shinobu, but her voice was gentle.
"Perverted male...?" Shinobu asked, looking towards the path Keitaro took with a raised eyebrow. She was about to ask the swordswoman a question when she noticed that she already began running down the path he took, her bokken trailing behind her.
Gasping in surprise, Shinobu dropped the laundry basket. 'Oh no! I hope Keitaro won't get hurt!' She thought, and ran after Motoko.
_______________________________________________________________________
"You! Stop right there!" Keitaro jumped at Motoko's voice, and turned to see the swordswoman down the hall. "Stand your ground and receive the punishment you deserve, vile male!"
"Um, Motoko..." By now Kitsune, Shinobu, and even Naru have arrived behind the swordswoman, trying to reason with her.
"Hold on a sec!" Keitaro held up his hands nervously. "I can explain everything!"
"No excuses!" The swordswoman yelled, bringing her bokken down and sending a wave of energy towards Keitaro. The landlord, whose eyes bugged out at seeing the attack, began to turn to run, when...
"Hey, can't a girl invent in peace...?" Kaolla grumbled as she stepped out of her room, then smiled. "Hey! Motoko is back!" She was so happy in seeing her friend return, that she didn't even see the energy wave surging towards her...
"Kaolla!" Keitaro yelled, and rushed forward. Realizing there is no time to push her out of harm's way, he grabbed her and turned away, shielding her with his body. The wave tore into him milliseconds later, shredding his shirt into tatters and bruising him all over.
"Coward!" Motoko roared. "How dare you take an innocent tenant as hostage?!"
"Keitaro...?" Kaolla looked up at the landlord, her body being unharmed by the attack. As Keitaro stood and glared back at the swordwoman, the women gasped at seeing his eyes. Where there was pools of gentle brown was now replaced by cold hard chips of obsidian.
"You almost hurt Kaolla..." Keitaro growled, and before anyone could react, he was suddenly before Motoko, his right arm swinging towards her with alarming speed. Surprised, all Motoko could do was raise her bokken in defense, but was shocked as his fist broke through the wooden practice sword like a toothpick.
"You'll pay...!" Keitaro growled angrily, grabbing the front of the swordswoman's gi with his left hand as his right reared for another strike. Stunned, Motoko could only close her eyes and await the inevitable...
"Keitaro! Stop!" Blinking, the landlord's fist hovered for a moment, before the frenzied haze in his eyes disippated, he glanced back the other direction to find Haruka there...
_______________________________________________________________________
"Someone tell me that this is a cruel joke Kitsune is playing on me..." Motoko looked around the table at the other female tenants and Haruka. After a moment passed and no one spoke, Motoko covered her face with her hands. "You've got to be kidding me..."
"Afraid not..." Kitsune shrugged. "Granny herself made him landlord. So you either put up with him as Naru have learned to do, or pack up and ship out."
"I know he might seem perverted at times," Naru added, "But try to give him a chance, okay? If he doesn't work out, I'll help you kick him out!"
After another moment of silence, Motoko sighed and stood.
"I'm going to meditate on this, please don't disturb me." The others nodded, and watched the swordswoman walk off...
_______________________________________________________________________
Even during dinner, Motoko seemed to act coldly towards Keitaro, but overall the dinner went by without any further acts of violence. She even complimented Shinobu's excellent cooking, who took in the praise proudly with a smile.
Afterwards, Keitaro resumed studying one of his textbooks. He smiled to himself as he heard his door open, then close again. "Hello Kaolla, how's it going?" He greeted the visitor without even turning.
"Just the same..." Kaolla smiled, her hands toying with what seemed to be a complex version of the rubix cube. "What about you?"
"Just studying for the big test I'll have tomorrow." Keitaro shrugged, then winced and rubbed his neck. "But I swear, my back and neck is killing me...!" He then continued studying for a bit longer until he felt gentle hands kneading his back, and looked back in surprise. "Kaolla...?"
The young woman smiled at him, as her hands continued to massage his back. "You're pretty amazing, you know?" She remarked as she worked to loosen a knot in his shoulder. "Most people would probably be in the hospital after a Motoko swing, but you only have a sore back..."
"Heh, guess I must be immortal or something, huh?" The two laughed at the comment, then became quiet again as Kaolla continued massaging him. A few moments later Keitaro finally loosened up under her treatment, and smiled as she hugged him from behind, resting her head on his back. Hearing someone clear their throat, the two turned to see Motoko at the doorway.
"Mind if I have a moment with him, Kaolla?" Motoko asked. Seeing her nod, the swordswoman waited for her to leave the room before turning to the landlord.
"Yes, Miss Aoyoma?" Keitaro asked.
Sighing, the swordswoman sat across from him. "I wish to apoligize for my behaviour earlier." She then looked into his eyes. "It seems that the other tenants have taken a liking to you, and despite my personal views, I will honor Granny Hina's wishes of keeping you as landlord."
"It's not a big deal, Miss Aoyoma." Keitaro smiled, "It's just a misunderstanding, and no one else got hurt."
Nodding silently, she glanced at the screen door leading out of his room before speaking again. "It would also seem that Kaolla seems quite attached to you, and I heard you've known each other for some time..." Seeing him nod, she stood to leave. "I see no problems in that, Mister Urashima. But mark my words: I will gut you alive if you ever hurt her."
"Trust me, I'd die before that happens." Keitaro replied seriously, and Motoko nodded in approval before exiting his room.
Outside, she closed the screen doors to Keitaro's room, then turned to see Kaolla standing there with a smile at her.
"I apoligize for not being here the past few days." Motoko bowed lightly to her. "Did you have any nightmares sleeping while I was away?"
"Not really, they're pretty much gone now." Kaolla replied with a smile.
"That's good to hear." Motoko smiled slightly. "If they do reoccur, you're always welcome to sleep in my room."
"Thanks, but I usually crash with Keitaro when I need to." Kaolla replied nonchalantly while Motoko's jaw dropped.
"With that man...?!" Motoko gaped.
"What's the matter?" Kaolla grinned mischeivously. "Afraid to see what his 'sword' can do to you?" The swordswoman blinked for a moment before the comment finally sank in, and turned away with a blush.
"I swear, Kitsune's a bad influence on you Kaolla! Goodnight!" Motoko then made her way towards her own room, while Kaolla merely chuckled to herself before returning to Keitaro's room once more...
_______________________________________________________________________
Like? No like? Please review!
I know, the chapters seem to churn out quick, but I only write stuff down as they pop into my head. Sometimes it's right away, and then sometimes it takes ages... But I hope you enjoy!