~Oops~

By Andrew J. Talon

Disclaimer: Myuuuuu!

Pairings: Keitaro x Mutsumi, Kanako x Naru. Other couplings will be revealed this chapter, but I don't feel like telling you what they are just now. ~__^

~*~

"Still… I don't get it. What does Granny Hina have to do with the demon's prophecy?" Keitaro asked, now clothed in a simple bathrobe. Mutsumi was also dressed, and now sat atop their bed, cross-legged.

"Granny Hina was, in fact, the demon," Mutsumi replied. "Ara, she told us all about herself, as I suppose she'd been holding it all in for a very, very long time. Granny Hina, came across the Hinata Demon Blade shortly after you were born, and the demon that the shogun's daughter had planted all those centuries ago possessed her. The demon, because of how it was sealed into the sword, could only possess another person of the union between a Narusegawa and an Urashima. Since Granny Hina was too old to bear children, the demon had to come up with another plan." Keitaro's blood went cold.

"… Us. Naru, and myself. She knew what families we were from, so… She had us make that promise?" Mutsumi shook her head.

"No… We did that."

"Huh?! We?"

"Well, Naru, you, and me, we all made the promise together," Mutsumi replied, smiling. "Granny Hina, however, made it so you'd only remember Naru's side. And, as a further ploy… Ara, Kei-kun, did I ever tell you that I showed my first signs of anemia when I went back to Okinawa after our first meeting?"

"Um… Now that you mention it… No, you didn't." Mutsumi sweat dropped.

"Ara… Sorry, Keitaro. Anyway, that's what happened."

"And the demon caused it?"

"Ara, yes," Mutsumi said, smiling broadly. "And, since she was defeated, I'm now cured!"

"Wow! That's great!" Keitaro said, enthusiastically. Mutsumi nodded, and stood up from the bed, before tripping over the sheets and landing on the floor with a thud.

"Ara… It doesn't appear to have helped my balance any, though," Mutsumi muttered through the carpet. Keitaro couldn't help but chuckle at that. His new wife was still her lovable self… And, he couldn't see any reason he'd want to divorce her. But, something nagged at him from the back of his head.

"Mutsumi? … Um, how did Talon, Tsuruko, and Motoko defeat Granny Hina?"

"Ara," said Mutsumi after picking herself up off the floor, "As you know, Talon-kun was given all the powers of the tiger demon, and so was even more dangerous when given this task. Tsuryko-chan and Motoko-chan have mastered the Evil-Scourging Wind attack, of course." Mutsumi smiled in a slightly-less-than-innocent way.

"They killed her while she was blathering on about her plan to kill us and take over the world."

"Hee hee… Just like what we always scream at the hero to do in an anime!" Keitaro grinned. Mutsumi nodded.

"Yes, and she blew up in a very interesting way, too…"

"Just out of curiosity, Mutsumi… Did anyone else get married last night?"

"…"

~*~

The Hinata crew had actually taken up residence in an executive hotel suite, where all the rooms were connected to a kitchen and a living room. And, it was to the kitchen (at the dinner table) that the first of the Hinata residents to awake had come.

First up was Haruka, who had already set the coffee pot percolating. She was dressed in a black night robe, and wore a rather haggard expression on her face.

"Haruka?" Whispered someone from the doorway. She turned slowly, and groaned. Kentaro Sakata stood there, gazing upon Haruka with a face caught between hangover pain and afterglow inspired contentment.

"Oh God…"

"Kentaro will do," the blond playboy joked, "Or, your husband." Haruka buried her face in her hands.

"Why'd I marry you? I couldn't have been that drunk! Just because Mutsumi and Keitaro did, and there was so much confusion after? I would have as soon as married the turtle, or Sarah, or…" Kentaro sighed, walked over to his (now) reluctant bride, and took her in his arms. Haruka weakly tried to get away, but Kentaro held firm.

"Look… I'm sorry, if I've made you upset… See, um, I've… Had a crush on you for a while, and when I saw you, seeing Kitsune and Seta, well…" Haruka shuddered. It was bad enough her husband had been cheating on her with that fox: It had only become worse when she'd seen the handcuffs, whips, whipped cream, strawberries, and the stuffed ferret…

"It's more my fault than yours," Haruka sighed. "I'm older… I should have taken responsibility."

"Hey, we're both adults," corrected Kentaro, holding Haruka's eyes up to his by her chin. "And… I've learned a lot, working under you. If you don't want to get divorced, right away… I could try to be a good husband." Haruka raised an eyebrow.

She could sense no lie in his voice, ki sense, or face… And his eyes were true. Haruka began to tremble.

"Haruka? Please… Please, let me love you," he murmured, holding her close. "I know it hurts… I know that you've been betrayed by Seta twice now, in your life… I know…"

"…" Haruka felt like denying it, but she knew better. Kentaro had become a lot wiser since she'd taken him on. And a lot more understanding, knowledgeable… Maybe even handsome, without his ego flashing all over the place…

Could she…?

"Good morning…!" Haruka and Kentaro separated, looking at the door, where Seta and Kitsune now stood, blinking at the other couple. The other two blinked back.

"Um… Haruka…" Haruka sighed deeply, before turning and beginning to talk to Seta in a calm, even voice.

"Seta… This is the second time you've left me. First, it was for adventure: Now, it's for her," Haruka indicated Kitsune, who fidgeted.

"We divorced. You told me when this started, you told me your reasons." Haruka smiled sadly.

"But the truth is… We began our relationship when Granny Hina encouraged us. Who's to say that that demon didn't influence us too?" Haruka took a deep breath.

"So… I'm not angry. Because, well… Kentaro here isn't as much of a twit as he used to be." Kentaro fidgeted slightly, smiling at Seta out of nerves. He had seen how good Seta was in the play and he definitely didn't mean his acting.

"So… It can never be like it was… But, we can at least have a civil breakfast… Right?" Haruka asked. Seta and Kitsune nodded, still anxious. Haruka, when angered, was definitely not a pretty sight. So, Kentaro and Haruka (the only ones who had experience with cooking) started up breakfast, while Seta and Kitsune sat at the table. A few minutes passed in silence, before Motoko entered, followed by Suu and Sarah.

"Good morning," Motoko said, raising an eyebrow at the two couples. Haruka gave her a look that clearly said no killing. The samurai warrior shrugged, and sat at the table, with Suu coming to the seat next to her, giggling insanely. Sarah sitting between Kitsune and Seta.

"So… Daddy? Is Kitsune my new mommy now?" Kitsune blushed, and felt embarrassed. She'd been a good older sister to Sarah, that she knew… But to be a mother…?

"Well… I suppose," Seta allowed, smiling fondly. Sarah smiled, and leaned her head on Kitsune's side. This caused the foxy lady to start, as she looked down at her.

"I've… Had to stop myself, calling you Mommy, a few times," the younger blonde confessed. She smiled up at Kitsune. "Is… Is it okay, if I call you that now?"

"… Um… Well, one step at a time, kiddo," Kitsune allowed, all smiles with Seta. Motoko, abruptly, stood up in her chair and drew her sword, snarling.

"Andrew Joshua Talon! What have you done, demon?" All turned, to see a smiling Talon, holding a smiling Tsuruko in his arms. The tiger demon gave his new bride a kiss on the mouth , carried her over to the table, and plopped her down in a seat, before taking one himself. All this occurred before he, at last, spoke.

"Motoko, I just married the most wonderful woman on the planet… And one of the few who wouldn't try to kill me on sight, run away or just faint," the were tiger said with a very wide grin, which Tsuruko returned.

"Sister, dear, Talon is a most agreeable person, once you get to know him," the samurai mistress replied. The two made gaga eyes at each other, while Motoko pounded her head against the table in frustration.

"This… This cannot get worse. I'm the sister-in-law to an annoying, clueless, half-witted American demon!"

"Half-demon," Tsuruko and Talon corrected at the same time, then giggled at saying the same thing at the exact same time.

"Whatever!" Motoko screeched, while Suu patted her back in an attempt to be comforting. Talon and Tsuruko locked eyes again, and adopted simultaneous dreamy looks.

"Yes, I particularly liked the demon-half last night."

"Well, I'm not sure I'm the only one with a demon half…"

Motoko thrust her fingers into her ears and screamed.

"La, la, la, not listening!"

The couple with the second-most most intrigue of the group, the new Mr. And Mrs. Urashima, arrived, holding hands and smiling. Motoko saw this and only sang louder, while Talon clapped, Tsuruko greeted them with a warm smile, and everyone else gave them a "Good morning!"

"So… The spaz and the ditz got together."

Well, everyone but Sarah, of course. Keitaro, since facing down a full-demon last night (albeit rather drunk, but that's not the point), felt no fear when he smirked at the blonde wildcat.

"Yep, we did." Mutsumi smiled innocently nearby.

"Ara, Sarah, we can share with you what we did last night, and then maybe your father and Kitsune can share, and talk this all out, before-"

"Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?! Spongebob Squarepants! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Sarah cried, shoving her fingers in her ears and continuing her song, as Mutsumi, Seta, Kitsune and Keitaro all exchanged grins.

"Hey… Where's Shinobu?" Asked Seta abruptly, over his daughter and Motoko. Keitaro shrugged, while Motoko paused long enough to say, "She told me she'd be staying with an American girlfriend of hers."

"Suu already check address! Legit girl! I wonder if they got up to-" Suu's musing was cut short by Motoko starting up her song again. Keitaro wanted to know where Kanako and Naru were, but somehow, he wondered if he'd like the answer.

"Myuuu! Myuu! Myuuu!" Tama-chan, the adorable little flying reptile, flew into the kitchen, carrying two envelopes. She dropped them into Keitaro's surprised hands, and landed atop his head. Keitaro blinked curiously.

"Who are they from, Keitaro?" Mutsumi asked, curiously. Keitaro sorted them out.

"One's from Kanako and Naru… The other's from… Shirai and Haitani?!"

Everyone's interest was now peaked. Motoko and Sarah stopped their singing, while Haruka and Kentaro turned back from the oven. Even Talon and Tsuruko ceased their tête-à-tête to pay attention. Mutsumi nudged her husband with a gentle smile.

"Can you read them to us, Keitaro?" The former three-year ronin looked about at his family and friends, and, opening the first letter, began to read.

"Dear Everyone…"

~*~

Bwahahaha! Cliffhanger! The final chapter (if you want it to be) is up next!

R&R!

(If you didn't like the off-the-wall pairings I came up with, that's all right. You don't have to.

Still, I'm betting everyone's glad that I didn't put my OC with Shinobu. I knew that was what you were thinking! Ha! Thank God for my randomness gene!

(And NO, I do not harbor lustful feelings for Tsuruko. I just don't think she gets enough attention from fan writers.)