I don't own Love Hina. Love Hina belongs to Ken Akamatsu. The story though is just a work of fiction. For all spelling and grammar mistakes I apologize in advance.

Legends

XI

---

She's not human!

It was the last thought Motoko has before diving to the ground as the air above her was suddenly hailed with deadly little arrows. She quickly rolled to the side and into the nearest tree, wrapping herself into the grassy land, hearing the sound of death so close to her ears, just a breath away.

"MOTOKO ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Naru shouted, coming out of their tree only to freeze in fear.

Motoko looked up from the ground and in her dismay found Naru standing just behind the little girl, staring, motionless and in shock. There was an utter look of terror in her eyes.

"NARU-SEMPAI, GET OUT OF THERE NOW! RUN AWAY!" Motoko shouted back, trying to untangle herself from the ground as fast as she could.

But the little girl has already turned, her little hand pointing at Naru. Her face still has that eerie expression. Her big eyes were wide open but see nothing. Her smile was cheerful but hauntingly empty. She moved with life but her motion soulless.

And Naru was terrified.

She could not move.

Her nightmare has come to life to take her away.

"It's… it's… it's that cursed doll my grandmother used to scare me with when I was a child… it's the legend of the cursed doll…" Naru whispered through her fear, rooted to the ground, she shook uncontrollably, "Get away from me… you're not real… you're not real… you're not real!"

Motoko raised her sword, about to throw it at the little girl as her last desperate attempt to save Naru.

But Moe the doll shot Naru point blank.

The arrow flew away.

A hissing sound echoed.

Moe's arrow missed Naru by a few feet, hitting a tree behind her.

Motoko, confused with Moe's sudden inaccuracy, saw a long arrow sticking on the little girl's wrist.

It was Keitaro's arrow.

Moe paused and impassively examined the foreign object.

By Kami! Keitaro's arrow deflected the little girl's hand away! Motoko used the momentary distraction and ran passed Moe, grabbed Naru by her waist and carried her back to their covering tree.

Then a hissing sound tore through the air again.

The little girl staggered back as another arrow struck her on the chest.

Then another struck her on the shoulder, causing her to step back, away from Motoko's covering tree.

Motoko peered from her tree and found Keitaro, a few feet away, shooting Moe with uncanny speed and accuracy, his demeanour calm and confident, releasing one arrow after another in quick successive motion.

Moe's expression never changed. There were ten arrows sticking on her body now. She looked down and inspected the protrusions curiously.

"It's not affecting her! By Kami! What is she?" Mitsune spoke with panic stricken eyes staring at the little girl.

"She's a doll…" Naru whispered, her voice distant and unattached, "She's a wooden doll come to life… she's a legend of the old days! She's unstoppable!"

Motoko gripped her sword hard.

"Motoko-san, get out of there now! Quick!" Keitaro ordered as he paused and watched his target, an arrow ready on his bow.

Motoko doesn't have to be told twice. She grabbed Naru and Mitsune's hands and ran through the trees towards the opposite side of the road where Shinobu and Kaolla were securely hidden, assured that if the little girl decided to shoot them again, Keitaro would cover their passage.

Moe slowly held one of the arrows buried on her chest and gently pulled it out.

Then she looked up and stared at Keitaro.

An unnerving silence passed between them.

Then she disappeared.

"What the…" Keitaro's words were cut short.

A blurred image flew before him. And before he could react, a leg shot straight to his chest and he was painfully lifted off from the ground then crashed heavily into a tree, leaves falling everywhere.

Motoko turned in time to see Keitaro loose consciousness as he disappeared underneath a cloud of dust, ground dirt and wood chips, "KEITARO NO!"

"KEITARO!" Naru and Mitsune shouted in unison, knelt on the floor, their hopes of survival dying before them.

"SEMPAI!" Shinobu wailed, held back by Kaolla's firm grip, although her face could not hide her sadness.

For the first time that day Motoko was truly afraid.

The doll, Moe, arrows sticking from her body, stood before Keitaro's prone body, prepared to kick him again. Her speed was unbelievable, her intent unstoppable. She was a true legend to be feared.

Then Motoko felt an extreme anger she never knew existed. A hatred surpassing anything she has ever felt before, deeper, stronger.

"Kaolla… I want you to take Naru, Mitsune and Shinobu out of here!" Motoko's voice was strangely solid, "No matter what happens… I want you to finish this task… even… even without me and… and Keitaro…"

"MOTOKO-SEMPAI!" Kaolla shouted, trying to salvage their last chance of escape.

"No Motoko! Don't!" Naru reached out but Motoko has already stepped forward and into the open.

She gripped her sword two handed and raised it high into the air.

YOU WILL NOT HURT MY KEI-KUN! Motoko's face turned into a ferocious snarl and charged, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The atmosphere around her was suddenly heavily, as she tore her way through the doll, creating a crevice onto the ground, sending rocks everywhere. The earth seemed to tremble, shaking with anticipation, trees swaying away.

Motoko reached her prey.

"AIR-SPLITTING SWORD!"

A powerful shockwave blasted through.

Then nothing.

Moe has turned and has blocked Motoko's sword with her arm.

Motoko was wide eyed. Her mouth open, speechless. She blocked me!

Everything went into a standstill.

Everybody was stricken with complete astonishment.

"Oh no…" Mitsune whispered.

With the same soulless expression on her face, Moe moved calmly and graciously, delivered successive punches on Motoko's exposed stomach, and kicked her into the ground. A resounding crash echoed into the whole forest, sending flocks of birds into the sky.

The cloud of dust became thicker, gloomier.

Then silence.

Everything seemed lost.

"It has been told that the legendary doll would destroy everything on its path. Following only one command and one command only… she could never be stopped… no one could ever stop her… except her own master…" Naru whispered into the loud silence that has suddenly crept into the woods, their helpless condition apparent.

"Motoko… Keitaro…" Mitsune cried, "We'll never come out of this alive… aren't we?"

"I don't know…"

Then through the haze a shadow rose before the two. Naru and Mitsune braced themselves to meet the inevitable.

Moe's lifeless smile gleamed through the thick cloud.

Then the sound of wood snapping together surrounded them.

It was the sound of death.

The little girl paused, standing before the two shaking adults.

Then the little girl raised her arm once more to block a short blade aimed for her neck. Kaolla jumped away and quickly attacked again, this time, charging for Moe's blind side. And it was deftly blocked.

Shinobu joined Naru and Mitsune as they watched Kaolla fight Moe with speed and rage uncommon for her age and gender.

Kaolla attacked again, giving everything she has, their last stand.

Moe managed to catch Kaolla's kick in midair and threw her towards Shinobu's side. She crashed heavily.

Kaolla stood again only to be stopped by Shinobu's hand. Kaolla looked down. Shinobu shook her head, "It's over Kaolla-san… it's hopeless… so please…"

A tear rolled onto Kaolla's eternally blushing cheeks, whispered, "No…" balled her hand into a fist, "I'm doing this for Keitaro… for Motoko…"

"But you will be killed Kaolla… please… let's just surrender…"

Kaolla looked away, "I'd rather die…"

Then silence.

Moe walked towards the remaining four.

She stood before them calmly.

Then she softly whispered, "Have you seen my master?"

Naru and Mitsune looked at each other trying to make sense of the question. Shinobu shivered as she strained to keep Kaolla from attacking Moe again. They mused. But they could not answer.

Naru slowly and carefully replied by shaking her head.

Moe quickly raised her hand and pointed it at Naru, said, "Then you will die…"

Mitsune grabbed Naru as she closed her eyes to meet her death, waiting for the arrow to tear her flesh and finally kill her, hoping and praying with all her might to make it as quick as possible, sparing her from inevitable pain.

"YOU WILL HURT NO ONE!" An unfamiliar voice suddenly thundered through the vast forest.

And Moe, for the first time that day, showed a genuine sign of emotion.

It was joy, pure longing joy.

"Master?" Moe turned and saw a figure behind the thick cloud of dust.

Naru opened her eyes and she gasped.

Everybody gasped.

It was Keitaro.

But it wasn't Keitaro at all.

There was a black aura emanating around him, the flaps of rags bandaged across his beaten body was swaying with the air, his eyes were of solid black, and her hair seemed longer. There were lines of age marked across his face; it wasn't the same kind face they were all acquainted to, but a face of a man who lived a harsh terrible life.

It wasn't Keitaro at all.

Naru could not help but shiver with what she was seeing right now.

The hairs at the back of her neck were standing. There were goose bumps all over her skin.

It was like seeing a ghost from a past.

A terrifying ghost.

Shinobu fainted. Mitsune stared; opening her mouth and shutting it close again, unable to react. Kaolla watched the event unfolding before her with a mild curiosity, content to know that Keitaro was alive.

There was a sudden rush in the surrounding.

The man suddenly materialized beside Moe.

He looked down on her and simply stared.

Moe's eyes were wide. Her smile was livelier, her demeanour ecstatic, "Master! You're here!"

The man smiled then knelt before the little girl. He embraced her and whispered, "I have a new command for you…"

"Please master… please…"

The rush of air blinded the women who watched the scene with awe and wonder. The cloud seemed to hover around the two figures. A man and a little girl, sharing a secret inside the haze of whirling wind.

Then suddenly, the wind rushed again.

And Naru found herself staring directly at the man's face.

He was bending over her, staring directly at Naru's eyes. His face close to hers.

Then he said, "It's nice to see you again Naru-chan… even for a single moment,"

Naru blushed.

There was sadness in the man's face. And there was something else too. There was love. An endearing love that touched Naru's heart. She could see it in the man's eyes, those big black round eyes staring at her with so much passion. She could feel it in the man's smile as if he was holding himself for control, that sad, sad smile.

And Naru knew… deep inside her, she knew.

She felt the same.

She closed her eyes. She edged herself closer. Feeling the undeniable comfort of her being this close to the man.

Please… just this time…

Then the wind rushed once more and it was much stronger than before. There was a whimpering sound as if the forest was groaning. The trees swayed side to side, grasses parted as the wind passed through.

Then all of a sudden, it dissipated.

Leaving the surrounding in complete stillness.

Naru opened her eyes again.

And she saw… Keitaro.

It was Keitaro once more.

Naru was staring at Keitaro.

Keitaro's face first turn confused. He frowned, his eyebrows knitting together as if answering an abysmal question from inside his head. Then his frown was suddenly replaced by alarm. And one word came out from his mouth, "Motoko!"

Naru blinked.

Keitaro turned and he was held back by Naru's hand, holding his arm. Her hold hopeful… desperate.

She asked, "Keitaro… do you… do you remembering… anything?"

Keitaro paused, "No… I… I don't… I don't remember anything… except for… except for her scream… Motoko…"

Then Keitaro fainted.

---

Keitaro awoke with a start.

And the very first person he saw was… Naru.

She was busy mixing herbal leaves on a bowl when she glanced towards Keitaro.

She smiled.

"You're awake… that's good…"

Keitaro looked down and found his chest bandaged. He looked around and saw that his rags were neatly folded beside him. It was strangely dark and the only source of light is the small, low bonfire, crackling beside Naru. He looked up and saw the clear night, stars brightly shining above them.

"Where are we?" Keitaro asked, staring at the stars.

Naru focused her attention on the bowl again, replied, "Just north of where we met Moe…"

"Moe… where is she?"

"She's with Kaolla…"

"Huh?"

Naru shook her head in disbelief, speaking without turning her head, "She woke up a while ago and begged for us to take her along… I mean… we were very sceptical… but she showed how useful she was… and she was really, really eager to come along… as if… as if…"

"Nothing happened…"

Naru turned, "Yes… that's right… we kept on asking her if she remembered anything. Kaolla was rude at first; I guess I can understand her… Moe nearly killed us all… and now… she wants us to forget everything that had happened… just like that… it was weird…"

"Why does she want to come with us?"

Naru's face turned serious and whispered, "Because you told her to…"

Keitaro frowned, "Huh? Why would I do such a thing? And why would she follow me anyway?"

Naru gently placed the bowl aside. She crept towards Keitaro and knelt before him. She closed her eyes, breathed slowly, and asked, "Are you sure you can't remember anything?"

"By Kami! I don't remember anything! I mean… I just passed out after she kicked me… I'm not even sure where I landed…" Keitaro protested with a shake of his head.

"She keeps on telling us that you are her master,"

"What are you talking about? I haven't seen her in my entire life… how can I be her master?"

A pause.

Naru looked away, whispered, "Then that means… you wouldn't know anything about that…"

A gentle wind blew between the two.

It was cold.

"About what?" Keitaro asked.

Naru didn't answer. Instead, she stood and walked away.

Wanting to hide the tears from her eyes, wanting to suppress the pain in her heart, that loneliness that suddenly waved inside her fragile state. She wanted to get away from Keitaro as far as she could and yet she doesn't want to feel the greater pain of being away from him. She doesn't want to lose a chance that she could win. She just doesn't want to be hurt again.

"Narusegawa-san… are you… are you alright?"

"I'm fine…"

"Uhm… I was wondering… where's everybody?"

A pause.

"Shinobu and Mitsune are both taking a bath at the lake south of us,"

"I mean… how about-,"

"MOTOKO'S FINE!" Naru snapped, then she drew back, ashamed of what she did, whispered, "I… I apologize…"

Keitaro looked down.

He sighed.

"No… I'm the one who needs to apologize… I have been very uncouth… I have burdened you with my own weakness… I apologize… I should have been much more careful… a slave like me doesn't need to be weak… for to be weak means death… in the eyes of the empire and the shogunate,"

A pause.

Naru sobbed but kept her face away from the light, her back towards Keitaro, she whispered, "Keitaro… you're… you're an amazing person… you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders on your own… and it's amazing. You are much more honourable than any man I have ever met… and the emperor's right… you should have been the emperor… you could have saved Japan… I believe that Kei-kun… I believe in you…"

With that last word, Naru left Keitaro.

---

Hol Don, commander of the Mongolian army sent by the great Mongolian emperor, Kublai Khan, strained himself for control.

The Mongolian army has finally settled at Iki Island, while the adjoining islands, Komota and Tsushima were occupied by the Korean army led by Kim Bang-Gyong. The ships has lined the coast and could be seen stretching from the Chinese mainland.

Hol Don was content that the first phase of their plan to invade Japan was coming along nicely.

And now, a very angry general was ranting nonsensically before the commander of the vast Mongolian army.

"YOU SHOULD NOT ALLOW A BITCH LIKE HER TO LEAVE THE HEADQUARTERS!" the general screamed at the top of his lungs, "SHE COULD BE LEAVING US TO WARN THE JAPANESE DOGS ABOUT OUR PLANS!"

Hol Don sighed. He knew that lady Yuki's planned departure for the Japanese mainland would cause dissident among his generals. And he knew that this would not be the last. He would hear more.

And for the eighth time, he asked himself whether it was wise to let lady Yuki go.

And for the eighth time, he reminded himself of lady Yuki's hatred of Japanese empire and bakufu.

Because of lady Yuki, they managed to subdue the villagers of the islands without so much of a resistance. Her foresight has guided them through unpredictable ruthless China Sea weather. And true to her words, she has given them all the information they need to conquer Japan. There was nothing more they could ask of her.

And so she deserved what she requested.

Even if she managed to warn the Japanese army, they wouldn't have time to prepare for the Mongolians' assault. Even if they managed to prepare to anticipate the attack, they wouldn't hold long enough, for the Mongolian army has brought countless number of advanced armaments.

They would crush the Japanese empire.

They would destroy the Japanese shogunate bakufu.

They would shove them to the ground to bow before a new ruler.

The raging general stomped his feet and slammed his fist into the table.

Hol Don was abruptly taken away from his thoughts. He's had enough.

He stood but before he could draw his sword, lady Yuki entered the room.

The general blanched, "LADY YUKI!"

Lady Yuki stared at the general impassively, and then ignored him; she turned towards Hol Don and whispered, "I want my boat ready tonight…"

The general burst in anger, "YOU BITCH! YOU WILL NOT LEAVE THE HEADQUARTERS! YOU WILL DO AS WE SAY! YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A DOG-EATING JAP-,"

A sudden light flashed into the dark room.

Then the general's head rolled on the floor, his body, lifeless on the side.

Hol Don was rooted to the ground. He was amazed at what he had seen. He has heard of lady Yuki's skills, of her power, but this was the first time he had seen it up close. And even at this close proximity, all he had was a glimpse of a black blade held by a hand covered with layers and layers of burned cloth. The image suddenly disappeared, leaving lady Yuki's calm figure standing before him, with her black robe tightly closed once more.

There was a smell of burning flesh in the air.

It was the smell of hatred.

Hol Don composed himself and nodded, "I was going to kill him myself…"

Lady Yuki smiled, "I saved you time…"

"You always do…"

Then lady Yuki's face turned serious once more, "You will leave this island in four days… not before and not after…"

Hol Don considered the last foresight given to him. And he acknowledged its importance, "Will you meet us at the beach?"

"No… but you will see me on the day of the battle…"

"Which side will you be on?"

"Nobody's… I will be there to watch… not to fight…"

Hal Don sighed.

A pause.

"What are your last predictions for the Mongolian and Korean invading army?"

"You will all die…"

Hal Don frowned, "That prediction has not changed… even with all the preparations we have made, we still cannot evade our fates?"

Lady Yuki shook her head, "No… you will not die at the hands of the Japanese army… you will die at the hand of someone far greater… far more powerful than all armies combined…"

Hal Don smiled, "I see… then… that's the fate I would gladly accept… I'd rather drown than be defeated by a Japanese!" He raised his fist in the air in anger and with conviction.

Lady Yuki smiled, "Prepare my boat tonight… I will leave before the sun rises…"

She turned towards the door.

Fools! You will all die at the hand of Japanese…

One Japanese

Hei there guys and gals! How are you all doing! I hope this chapter is illuminating for you. I tried to create the proper romantic edge, as you can see Keitaro is in a bit of a pickle… again! I tried to make it as real as possible when it comes to emotional development. I don't want this to look like everybody's literally jumping to each other… it has to develop somewhere at some point. And the whole story is big enough… I guess to big considering that a war is about to happen.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to those kind enough to leave a note of what you think of the story. I hope that I have not disappointed you with this chapter.

Catch u all later! Cheers!

nivremous