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
XII
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Keitaro was confused.
The sun was high, the day was hot, and the wind breezed with warm breaths.
It was the second day of their journey towards the northern temples where it was rumoured that a certain group of people – special people – were being held captive by the Kamakura shogunate. These people with special 'abilities and skills' vaguely known as Legends, hidden from the archives of Japanese history were the only survivors of a bloody fear and hate driven past.
And Keitaro could only shiver with the thought of being held captive. All his life he has been somewhat 'reluctant' to stay at one place. When he was young, he had taken to roam the forest and the mountains, outwitting and enraging his agitated guardians. Unlike the other Go children in the palace, Keitaro was the only child who dared to walk past the High Samurai Guards installed by the Kamakura bakufu, who overlooked the open road.
The former emperor has been very lenient with him as if he was expected to be 'different'. And with such attitude, Keitaro has become more and more inquisitive of who he was… who he really was.
Because there was something deep inside Keitaro that was so unfathomable even to him, some irrational feeling that he could not understand.
Keitaro felt hatred.
But why?
"Are you feeling well Keitaro-sama?"
Keitaro almost jumped but managed to contort his face into an innocent smile. He turned towards Moe's cheerful yet concerned look, "I'm… I'm alright Moe-san… and you don't have to call me Keitaro-sama… Keitaro should be fine,"
"That's good to know Keitaro-sama," Moe smiled with an awed sigh ignoring Keitaro's request.
It seemed unreal for Keitaro to walk beside a doll that breathes and speaks. And what was even more peculiar was that he was walking beside the same person who tried to kill him, talking to him like nothing had happened.
And her involvement with Keitaro was another mystery he could only shrug away. For her insistence that she had finally found her master, referring to Keitaro as the same man who had ordered her to join the little rescue party, was both unexplainable and impossible.
Moe was a legend.
Moe was seven hundred years old.
It was clearly impossible.
But for some odd reason, Keitaro felt comfortable around the little girl. Her loyalty and willingness to help was so evident that everyone found it easy to forgive and forget.
Keitaro looked around and found Shinobu walking beside Kaolla, while Mitsune was happily chatting with a clearly disinterested Naru, and Motoko was just behind all of them, acting as their rear guard.
Motoko turned and saw Keitaro looking at her.
Almost immediately, the two withdrew their glances.
Keitaro sighed.
And Keitaro was confused.
Whatever they had between them has only increased his uneasiness, clogging his mind, fogging his senses. And it was the first time Keitaro has ever let anybody, let alone a young woman, affect him as much.
It happened the night before.
It happened the day they found the enigmatic Moe.
Keitaro's mind and heart was in chaos. Naru's parting words were both warming to the heart but uncomfortable to the mind.
It was the first time a girl has been this forward to him. It was the first time any girl took notice of him. And Naru was not just 'any' girl.
Keitaro should be honoured, yet he felt uneasy.
Or maybe his inexperience with such open declaration from the female species was a simple indication of how little he knows.
I believe that Keitaro… I believe in you…
Her words. And the way she said it not only warmed his heart, but it also stabbed a sudden realisation in his confused mind – he doesn't know what to do.
And the night went on.
Keitaro, seeking solace, walked idly away from his carefully prepared bed made of soft and scented leaves; wearing the same rags he had always worn to cover the bandages around his chest.
He was looking for somebody.
After a while Keitaro found Kaolla on a tree with Moe, and both were delved into a discussion he could not understand. It was something about a wheel that turns with teeth around it to allow secure locking of another… Keitaro only shrugged.
Then looking to the right, Keitaro heard Shinobu and Mitsune on their way back to their camping site after a brief wash from a stream below.
Keitaro quickly walked away, wanting to avoid a very uncomfortable meeting, remembering the last time he accidentally stepped into Mitsune while she was washing. It gave him sleepless nights. And he reckoned Mitsune won't be happy if she only knew that their 'brief' encounter had turned into a very wet fantasy even Keitaro felt shameful of having.
Then again… he walked to another accident.
He found himself staring at Motoko.
Motoko has her Kimono down to her waist, revealing her smooth, milky white shoulders. Her hands stretched upwards, busy tying her long silky black hair that seemed to glisten in the dark. Her back was facing Keitaro and she still has her gi straps on her chest, but the swell of her breast, full and taut, was clearly evident.
Keitaro gulped.
He was only a few feet away and Motoko was so engrossed with her hair that she failed to notice him staring at her.
Then she turned.
And she saw him.
Keitaro gulped again. He seemed rooted to the ground. His mind was screaming for him to apologize and run but his body seemed to ignore this reasonable action.
And Keitaro skipped a heartbeat.
Motoko's eyes widened when it finally dawned to her her state of undress. Then her eyes slowly settled, and then she slowly, almost seductively, lowered her arms, never letting her eyes away from Keitaro's.
She then straightened her back, enlarging the swell of her breast.
Keitaro gulped again.
There was a thin smile on Motoko's face; her stare was both an invitation and a warning. Both were neither true nor false.
And for a long while nobody spoke.
Keitaro just stood a few feet away, admiring the beauty that was placed before him. He felt unworthy. The night has just begun.
She is so… beautiful. By Kami she is so beautiful!
Keitaro eyed the curve of Motoko's body, the whiteness of her shoulders, the swell of her breasts… it was almost too good to be true.
Then their moment passed.
Almost instantly, Keitaro turned away while Motoko quickly raised her Kimono to cover her.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry," Keitaro started the chant, daring not to look back again.
Motoko sighed.
Then she composed herself and faced Keitaro who was now on the ground bowing with his eyes closed shut, chanting his mantras of apologies.
She could only laugh with amusement, "It's alright… nothing happened… right?"
It took Keitaro a moment to understand what she was trying to convey. Then he finally understood with another series of deep bows.
Then after a while, Keitaro sat up properly, trying hard not to look at her, he muttered, "I… I saw… no… I heard what you did… before I passed out when Moe attacked me…"
Motoko blushed. She quickly recovered coughing a little to cover her embarrassment.
"I… I'd like to apologize for letting you down today. I should have been more careful…"
Motoko shook her head, "No… there is no need for apologies… Moe… is a legend. She is clearly unstoppable… even with the emperor's best samurais… nobody is a match to her… I… I am even a little surprised that you survived… and-,"
Motoko looked away, withdrawing herself, afraid of what he might think of her.
Keitaro turned his gaze towards Motoko, "I would also like to thank you for what you did… you don't need to… I mean you don't have to… you could have escaped with Kaolla to help you… there is no need for you to… to do what you just did today,"
"Yes there is!" Motoko snapped, "I cannot leave you… I WON'T LEAVE YOU!"
Keitaro was taken aback.
And so was Motoko.
Motoko turned a deeper shade of red, cursing herself for being so careless, cursing herself for being so emotional… and she doesn't want to… lose him, not here… not now. She won't scare him away.
"I mean…" Motoko quickly continued, "I mean… I am responsible for you… you joined us even though you don't need to… so I have the responsibility to keep you alive… I mean all of us…"
The air was becoming thicker, heavier.
There was some peculiar vibes in the surrounding.
And both of them could feel it on their skin.
The night seemed brighter… the stars sparkling with beauty and tranquillity… the night creatures humming their comfortable songs… the wind breezing through their warmth.
It was an amorous night.
For both of them.
Then Keitaro stood. But before he could walk away, he felt Motoko's hands in his. He turned and saw her staring on the ground.
She whispered unable to look at him, "Please… don't go…" What am I doing? Why do I feel this way with him? Why am I shivering like a little girl?
Keitaro looked away, "I… I can't… stay… I need to be somewhere else for now… I… I don't think it's wise for me to stay here with you… if I do… I'm not sure… what I would do…"
Then Motoko finally looked at him, "Why Keitaro? Why are you running away? What are you running away from? Is it… me?" Why do I want you so much? Why do I desire you Keitaro?
Keitaro shook his head, "No… no… Kami knows I don't deserve you… I don't deserve anyone… it's just that…"
"What is it… Kei… kun?" Am I inlove? Am I inlove with you Keitaro?
Keitaro sighed, gently took his hands away, "It's me… I'm afraid… I'm afraid of myself…"
A pause.
"I'm afraid of what I feel… do you know? I feel hatred. I… I'm not sure why… but there is a part of me that is telling me that I shouldn't be here… there is a part of me that tells me that I should despise the emperor… even though he has been kind to me… it feels like I don't belong there… that I shouldn't even be there. That I should despise Narusegawa… that I should despise… even you… anybody connected to the imperial family… everybody connected to the imperial family…
… There is a part of me that scares me thoroughly Motoko-san. There is a part of me that was hidden and was clamouring to get away. But I couldn't. That's why I joined you on this journey… I wanted to prove to myself that whatever I feel was nothing but a childish paranoia. But everyday… it grows stronger…
… and I don't want to despise you… Motoko-chan. I don't want to hate you… not you… not you…" Keitaro turned towards Motoko.
Motoko wiped a tear from her eyes. What are you doing to me Keitaro?
Then Keitaro walked away.
Keitaro felt his heart breaking. He had hurt Motoko that night. And he doesn't blame her for hating him. And every moment he spent time with them… the heavy burden he felt in his heart became unbearable.
And so he tried to avoid them.
Kaolla felt it the moment they started their journey this morning. She shied away, withdrawing herself towards Shinobu but never she never showed it nor voiced her concerns. Mistune need only to look at Keitaro's face to convince her not to disturb him. And the only person clueless to Keitaro's deep confusion and dark mood was the ever cheerful Moe.
Then there was a series of hissing sound.
"MASTER!" Moe pushed Keitaro away.
Arrows struck all over her body.
They were full length arrows, red feather tipped and waxed for lesser noise. The kind of arrows favoured by samurais… shogunate samurais.
The girls, having seen their front guard pushed away by Moe and arrows that suddenly came raining down on them quickly took haven beside the trees.
But Keitaro was too slow that hot afternoon as another set of hissing sound filled the air. Moe was unable to move for there were arrows on her small feet that stuck her to the ground.
"KEITARO RUN!" Motoko cried desperately while the others looked at him helplessly.
Keitaro closed his eyes to finally meet his end.
And it never came.
Keitaro looked up and he found himself staring back at another set of eyes, black round eyes.
The young woman stood before Keitaro with long arrows on her right hand. It was as if she managed to catch the arrows midair. But Keitaro could only shake his head in disbelief as such speed was unheard of.
Then she shook her head in disappointment. Frowned at him and said in cold voice, "You are getting careless… your mind and heart is in confusion and your body could not react to their full potential… and it's all because of her," the girl pointed at Motoko.
In one movement she grabbed Keitaro and shoved him to a tree nearby, missing the arrows by a heartbeat as it pulverised the ground he was sitting on before.
Keitaro could only ask, "Who… who are you?"
The girl stared at him coldly, and then it softened, "Kanako… my name is Kanako,"
There were shouts and Keitaro stole a quick look out of the tree, "Who are they?"
"Shogunate guards… they guard the main entrance…" Kanako replied with impatience, "We don't have time for this…"
"What? Why?" Keitaro shivered.
Kanako stared at him again, "She's been waiting for you…"
Keitaro frowned, "Who? Who's been waiting for me?"
"Hina… grandma Hina…"
Hei there guys and gals! I apologize for the delay. I have been busy. Nay… I have been gift shopping! But somehow I managed to sit down and type into my laptop the rest of the story. I hope this has cleared you Motoko and Keitaro's romance. Kanako is in… and I guess she would from here on.
I express me deepest appreciation who were kind enough to leave a note. Thanks guys!
Catch u all later! Cheers!
nivremous