Revised
A Different Fate
Chapter 1-A Chosen Fate
CLANG. Two swords clash.
Keitaro and Motoko were set upon the plump cushions that are used for traditional Japanese marriages, in front of them was the quickly set altar made by her sister. Tsukuro had a light grip on Motoko, somewhat of a comforting one, on her sister's shoulder as she sat her down. Keitaro had a firm grip on his shoulder, yet still he attempted to rebel and struggle. He wasn't overly physical, but insistent. He knew he could not compete with Tsukuro. Motoko's hand reached up and grasped Keitaro's arm. It stopped his struggle cold. It wasn't a strong hold; it was a light, pleading hold. Keitaro could not make out Motoko's expression, her head was tilted downward, and her hair obscured her face. There were a few small wet spots on her hakama.
CLANG. A new fighter enters. A possessed Naru. The moist sound of a kiss permeates through the air. Tsukuro falls.
Keitaro turned back to face the altar and he was handed a cup. They passed the cup, and drank from it, three by three they were joined like tradition. This simple act made them married. They took long gulps of the wine.
THUD. A sword enters Keitaro's head. Now he is possessed.
BOOM. Motoko struggled to get up after her sister strike of ki hit her. As she was sealing the sword, Motoko was hit from behind. Tsukuro did not see what Motoko was doing with Motoko's form blocking her view, and struck. Motoko was caught unprepared as she was landing from her attack, only to be sent back into the ground a few meters further from where she originally was going to land.
Back in the present, Motoko reflected over her battle. She was distracted, and never thought to look back at her sister. She felt it was somewhat unfair, and in a way it was, but the rules of battle were not always fair. They were simple. She was no longer able to fight after the blow. It had taken much out of her. She was swollen slightly along her back. She was unable to move quickly anymore. She had to...surrender. The word sounded as bad in her thoughts as oil tasted in her mouth. She was undefeatable by all but her sister she had aspired to. She had thought Tsukuro would have lost her touch over the years. She came to find, that simply was not the case. Motoko knew her sister did wish for her to win, but Tsukuro's honor would not allow her to simply throw a battle. Likewise, Tsukuro's honor would not allow her to go against her word, and not marry Keitaro and Motoko. She had made this ultimatum to encourage her little sister. She also has heard a little bit about Keitaro, and he seemed a very caring man. If her sister could not win, at least she could come to know happiness. In Tsukuro's eyes, it wasn't a complete loss.
****
NARU, Keitaro thought. What is she thinking? What will I do? I told her I love her, and now I'm here marrying someone else!
Keitaro looked around for his love. She was no were to be found.
"BAKA!" Footsteps against the road faded into the distance quickly. No one heard the footsteps or the voice.Keitaro started to drink what rice wine was there for the celebration of their union. Motoko did as well without releasing. She drank while she reflected. In her depression she lost count of how much she drank. They drank away their sorrows as Tsukuro looked on sadly.
****
Keitaro and Motoko returned later that day to the Hinata Sou. Motoko was holding Keitaro as they walked. Keitaro's arm was around her neck; it was the only way he could put his arm the way she was holding him around his torso. Keitaro couldn't see Motoko's face, but he could tell she was still shook up. She was shaking a little, and every now and then during their walk, his shirt would become newly moistened. They walked into to the Hinata Sou, and all the residents were in the reception room, except Naru.
"So how'd the fight go Keitaro..." The words died on Kitsune's lips. Motoko was acting strange, and seemed to be holding on to Keitaro like a lifesaver. The probable outcome dawned on everyone.
Shinobu's face twitched with different emotions. There was shock mixed with hurt. The shock was greater than when she had caught Naru and Sempai on each other in a promiscuous way previously. The hurt, the hurt was worst. She knew she could never be with her sempai. She had entertained thoughts of following him into Tokyo U. The shock was still too much. She had expected sempai and Naru to be together in the unforeseeable future. She felt that she could at least accept that. That made her wonder where Naru was. She would have to wonder later though; she had her own feelings to worry about at the moment. With that, she took off deep into the Hinata Sou.
"Shinobu! Wait! I...." Keitaro found he really did not have an explanation. She is probably mad at me for betraying Naru. With the way I'm holding Motoko, she might have gotten the wrong idea. Keitaro found he really could not blame her, and could not think up a viable explanation at the moment. Besides, he did not feel like doing anything about it at the moment. Right now, he had to take care of Motoko. Keitaro would always do whatever it took to make the girls that lived with him happy. But Sometimes, He thought, It isn't possible to make everyone happy.
Su frowned a bit. She knew she would not be with Keitaro. She loved him as a brother and a lover. She did not, however, entertain hopes of being with him. Thoughts, yes. Hopes, no. She never would have to get over Keitaro, because she never allowed herself to fawn over him in the first place. She did wonder a bit about Naru though. Su took one last look at the new couple, turned, and followed the crying Shinobu.
Kitsune worried about Naru. She had never seen Naru so worked up over a man before. She knew Naru had deep feelings and would be hurt worse than anyone else would. She reflected on Naru's usual behavior with guys. She'd think about one, possibly even date him, and then drop him when she was younger. She also never spent as much time around a guy as much as she had spent around Keitaro. No one else gets under her skin like Keitaro, not even Kitsune herself, and she had known Naru longer.
Keitaro turned away from the direction Su and Shinobu went and looked at Kitsune. The expression on her face was not aesthetic. It was not that she had a snarl or scowl on, or any negative emotion directed at Keitaro at the moment. She was slightly frowning, that by itself as bothering as the Mona Lisa with her eyes closed. Her expression also had shown a bit of helplessness. Kitsune's eyes drooped and her eyebrows were at weird angles. She looked distressed. This is Kitsune, the fox, who was clever and always had things in control for her general amusement and benefit. That alone was enough to make a huge lump in Keitaro's throat, and become awestruck by something so out of place.
"Kei-Keitaro. I'm going to go to my room now."
There was no teasing, no slight undertone of mischief. There was only the statement and its entire lack of connotations or implications. It meant just as was said.
Kitsune turned her body, her face still focused on Keitaro from what one could tell with her almost eternally closed eyes, and somewhat through him in her thought. After her body turned, her head followed in suit, breaking her stare. She climbed the stairs.
Motoko had been quiet during the whole scene. She was only aware of what she heard, and the warm, compassionate person beside her. She did not give much thought to what she did make of the situation, because it did not matter at the moment. She was feeling better physically since the fight, but she felt lost inside, empty. The only thing that kept her from drowning in the void was the warmth of Keitaro permeating through her contact with him.
Keitaro brought Motoko up the stairs and down the hall to her room. He opened her door and laid her down on her bed mat in the dark.
"We all need some rest right now, Motoko. Maybe you'll feel better in the morning, and we can figure out what to do about this 'marriage'. I'm pretty sure it isn't legal, since we didn't sign any papers."
Keitaro heard Motoko mutter something.
"What?"
"I said," Motoko repeated in a soft deflated voice, the opposite to her usual tone, "My sister is sure to figure a way to make it legal without. Perhaps through our parents or such, I'm not sure. But my sister is nothing, if thorough. She is not going to allow this to be easily done away with.... Husband."
Keitaro's auto stuttering went into gear as she said husband. "But, I- I couldn't.... Naru!...but we never... I..."
Motoko covered his mouth with her hand as the rest of her body lay limply. He stopped stuttering.
"Sorry. I'll go now..." NO! A hand placed a death grip on to Keitaro's arm as he turned and started to walk away. He turned around, and looked down. Motoko was sitting upright on her knees. Keitaro could not make out her face from under her bangs and the lack of light in the room. He gave her a questioning look.
"Please...don't leave me. I...need you right now."
"But..." Keitaro started to protest. Motoko pulled him down to her level, and that forced him to his own knees. She lay back in her bed and pulled Keitaro towards her. Keitaro followed, his confusion peaked to the point his mind decided to cease all thought because it wouldn't comprehend this situation any time soon. He allowed himself to be led.
Motoko pulled Keitaro into her bed with him faced away from her. She wrapped her arms around him, from behind, for a moment, and hugged him with her head pressed against his back, before releasing her embrace. Keitaro heard a ruffling of cotton, he assumed it was the sheets. The sheets were then put over him, and she once again embraced him. She then started to unbutton his shirt with her hands around him. Keitaro mentally jumped. Physically, he was stiff. Before Keitaro's mind rebooted, his shirt was being removed. Keitaro turned to look at Motoko.
"M-Motoko!"
When he turned, she pressed herself against him, and laid her head on his chest. Keitaro could only feel bare skin against his own. He shuddered.
"Motoko, what are you doing!" he said a bit flustered.
"Now, we are Husband and Wife. Is it not tradition to consummate one's marriage the night of the ceremony?"
"M-Motoko," Keitaro said as he gently held her, "I'm not sure I'm ready for this. I also think you should not have to do something you don't want to do. After all, I'm sure you did not want to marry me."
Motoko's denial wanted to kick in at that moment. I do not like this pervert! No...No I need to stop lying to myself. I discovered something in that tree before the final battle. I do have feelings for him. I'm not sure I love him, but I knew that I would like to try something with Keitaro.
"Keitaro...I realized I do like you Keitaro. You are so very ...sweet to all of us. You never mean for anything bad to happen to us. You always try to make us feel better. Keitaro I'm not ready either...but I do not think anyone is ever ready. I'm just glad it's you."
Motoko gave him a smile so brilliant he could make it out even in the dark. "Besides, you'll finally be able to deal with those perverted impulses you have." Motoko actually giggled a bit. Keitaro was fixated on that sound. Motoko never giggled.
"Motoko.....why are you acting so different?"
"I...just don't want to think about anything else right now. Plus, you are my husband now, I should be open with you."
"Motoko... You know about Na—" Motoko silenced him with a kiss.
- ****
- -Author's Notes-
- I decided to rewrite the thing all over. I'm kind of running their relationship quickly, but hey, their relationship was already run quickly. I also have stretched it out. Besides the different plot, I will keep them meeting his parents. It will not happen until the 4th, or probably 5th chapter of this series. In the 4th chapter I think I will have Keitaro confront Naru. With the next chapter post of this, I will rewrite the stand alone, the first entry.
